entreaty without which our love and commandement-keeping would not carry it They are not sufficient to weigh it downe pondere meriti it must come rogatu Christi or not at all Then not to leane on them Christ it is and His intercesâ—ion we take to Not you shall love and keepe my Commandements and then my Father shall be bound but and then Christ shall pray and the Father will give if Christ pray and not otherwise But a doubt heere ariseth May we love Christ or keepe His Commandements before we have the Holy Ghost without whom first had it is certaine we can do neither How shall we love Christ 1. Cor. 12. â— 1. Ioh. 4.2 or keepe His Commandements that we may receive they Holy Ghost when unlesse we first receive we can neither love Him nor keepe them nay not so much as say 2. Cor. 3.5 IESVS is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Nay not so much as thinke that or any other thought that is good How saith He then Keepe and I will give when He must give or we cannot keepe This scruple will soone be removed by Habenti dabitur A promise may be made tam habenti quà m non habenti Matt. 13.12 as well to him that hath a thing alredy as to him that hath it not at all To him that hath it already in a lower or lesse may be promised to have it in a more ample measure or more high degree then yet he hath or to him that hath it in one kind that he may have it in some other To all save Christ the 〈◊〉 given in measure Where there is measure there are degrees Ioh. 3.34 where there be degreeâ— of more and lesse the more may well be promised to him that hath the lesse To him that hath it in the degree of warme breath it may well be promised in tongues of fire To him that hath it as the first fruits which is but an handfull it may well be promised as in the whole sheaf which filleth the bosome But that which is more agreeable to this Text heer we consider the Spirit as S. Peter multi fermeâ—â— 1. Pet 4.10 the Spirit in his graceâ— or the graces of the Spirit as of many kinds Of many kinds for our wants and defects are many Not to go out of the Chapter In the very next words He is called the Spirit of truth and that is one kinde of grace to cure us of error In the XXVI verse after the Spirit of holinesse which is His common name which serveth to reduce us from a morall honest life to a holy and wherein the power of Religion doth appeare And heere He is termed the Comforter and that is against heavinesse and trouble of minde To him that hath Him as the Spirit of truth which is one grace he may bâ— promised as the Spirit of Holinesse or comfort which is another It is well knowen many partake Him as the Spirit of truth in knowledge which may well be promised them for sure yet they have him not as the Sanctifying Spirit And both these waies may He be had of some who yet are subject to the Apostle's disease heere heavy and cast downe and no cheerefull-spirit within them So they were not cleane destitute of the Spirit at this promise making but had Him and so well might love Him and in some sort keepe His commandements and yet remaine capable of the promise of a Comforter for all that So that Christ may proceed to His Prayer that His Father would send them the Comforter Where we beginne with matter of faith For 3. CHRIST 's Intâ—rcâ—ssion we have heere the Article offered to us and set downe in the three Persons 1 Ego 2 Ille and 3 Alium 1 I 2 He and 3 Another 1 I will pray the Father that is Christ the Sonne 2 And He shall give it that is the Father His Person is named 3 Alium another third Person besides that is Paracletum the HOLY-GHOST 1 One praying 2 the other prayed to 3 the third prayed for 1 Filius orans 2 Pater donans 3 Spiritus consolans The Sonne praying the Father granting the Spirit comforting A plaine distinction And Christ's prayer setts us to seeke His other nature For heere He intreats as inferior to His Father in state of man But in the twentie sixt verse as aequall to His Father in the nature of GOD joines in giving with like authoritie Rogabo as Man Dabo as GOD. Finding the Father giving heere and the Sonne giving there we have the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from both quem mittet Pater whom the Father shall send in the twentie sixt of this quem ego mittam whom I will send in the twentie sixt of the next Called therefore the Spirit of the Father Mat. 10.20 and againe called the Spirit of the Sonne Gal. 4.6 the Spirit of both as sent and proceeding from both And last the aequalitie of the Holy Ghost For sending and procuring He must send and procure them one aequall to Himselfe as good every way or els they had changed for the worse and so pray Him to let him prayer alone they were better as they were they shall be at a losse CHRIST will pray and if He prâ—y great likely-hood there is He will speed 4. His Father 's giving He that is sued to is easy to entreate He is a Father and He that doth sue is gratious to prevaile He is a Sonne Patera Filio-rogatus great odds the suit is halfe obtained yer begunne Specially His suit being not faint or cold but earnest and instant as it was He sued by word and it was clamore valido Heb. 5.7 with strong crying in an high key lachrymis and he added teares saith the Apostle and they have their voice And yet staid not there but His blood speakes too cries higher and speakes better things then the blood of Abel And the effect of His prayer 12.24 Luk. 23.34 was not onely Pater condona Father forgive them but Pater dona Father give them the Holy Spirit to teach sanctifie and comfort them Chap. XVII XVII This was his prayer and his prayer prevailed as good as His word He was His Father should send He said and His Father did send and the HOLY GHOST came witnesse this day 5 Giving the Comforter And came in that sort He undertooke even in that kind whereof they had most need most welcome to them as their case then stood under the terme of Paracletus a Comforter If we aske Why under that terme To shew the peculiar end for which He was sent agreeable to the want of their private estate to whom He was sent If they had been perplexed He would have prayed for the Spirit of truth If in any pollution of sinne for the sanctifying Spirit But they were as Orphans cast downe and comfortlesse Tristitia implevit cor eorum their hearts full of heavinesse no time
Gâ—n 1.2 Lâ—vit 19.11 With the Holy Ghost the true Vnction and the truth of all unctions whatsoever The Spirit and water agree the Spirit moved on the face of the waters The Spirit and bloud agree The Spirit of life is in the bloud the vessells of it the arteries runne along with the texture of the veines all the body over To His comming this Spirit agreeth also When He came as Iesus To His comming the Spirit conceived Him When He came as CHRIST the Spirit annointed Him When He came in water at His Baptisme the Spirit was there came down in the shape of a Dove rested abode on Him When He came in blood at His Passion there too Ioh 1.32 It was the aeternall Spirit of GOD by which He offered Himselfe without spott unto God Heb. 9.4 So the most fit that can be to beare witnesse to all Praeseas interfuit vidit audevit was present heard and saw was acquainted with all that passed none can speake to the point so well as He. The Spirit is a witnesse is true every way But why is it said The Spirit the câ—â—efe witnâ—ssâ— It is the Spirit that beareth witnâ—sse seeing they both water and bloud beare it too it is water it is blood that beare witnesse also They indeed are witnesâ—es but it is the Spirit He it is that is the principall witnesse and principally to be regarded before the rest Heere he comes in last but He is indeed first and so as first is placed at the eight verse where they are orderly reckoned up And good reason He is one of the three both above in heaven and beneath in â—arth third there above first heer beneath a witnesse in both Courts admitted ad jus testis in both for his speciall creditt in both the medius terminus as it were between heaven and earth between God and man Besides it is sayd It is He He it is that bâ—areth witnesse For it is neither of the other will doe us any good without him the whole weight lieth upon him Not the water without the Spirit it is but nudum egenum clementum â—al 4.9 Ioh. 6. â—3 Not the bloud without the Spirit no more then the flâ—sh without the Spirit non prodest quicquam as said He whose the flâ—sh and bloud was CHRIST himselfe Will you see a proof without it CHRIST came to Simon Magus in water Act. 18 1â— Mat. 26. he was baptized CHRIST came to Iudas in bloud he was a communicant but Spirit there came none to testifie they were both never the better The better nay the worse Simon perished in the gall of bitternesse Iudas bibit mortem de fonte vitae Act 8 2â— from the cup of blessing drank downe his owne bane All for want of Et spiritus est So is it 1. Cor. 10 1â— with the word and with eny meanes els Ioh. 4.14 Ioh. 6.17 But let the testimonie of the Spirit come the water becomes a well springing up to aeternitie the flesh and blood meat that perisheth not but endureth to life everlasting And even in nature we see this Water if it be not aqua viva have not a spiâ—it to move it and make it runâ—e it stands and putrifies and bloud if no spirit in it it congeales and growes corrupt and foule as the bloud of a dead man The spirit helpeth this and upon good reason doth it For CHRIST being conceived by the Spirit it was most meet all of Christ should be conceived the same way That which conceived him should impregnate His water should animate His bloud should give the vivificat the life and vigor to them both It is the Spirit then that giveth the witnesse Now in a Witnesse above all it is required he be true the Spirit is so trâ—e as he is the Truth it selfe 2 The truth of His witnesse Ioh. 14.6 The Spirit the truth Why CHRIST saith of Himselfe I am the truth All the better for Verum vero cònsonat one truth will well sort with will uphold will make proofe one of another as these two doe prove either other reciprocally The Spirit CHRIST 's proofe CHRIST the Spirit 's CHRIST the Spirit 's Every spirit that confesseth not CHRIST is not the true spirit The Spirit CHRIST'S 1. Ioh. 4.3 CHRIST if He have not the Teste of the Spirit is not the true CHRIST Alwaies the Truth is the best witnesse And if He be the Truth on His teste you may beare your selfe Not so on water or bloud without Him they may well deceive us and be falsa and fallacia as wanting the Truth if He if the Spirit be wanting That truth to be knowen It will then much concâ—rne us to be sure the Spirit on whose testimonie we are thus wholy to relye that that spirit be the truth And it is the maine point of all to be hable to discerne the Spirit that is the truth because as there is a Spirit of truth so is there a Spirit of error abroad in the world 1. Ioh. 4.6 2. Câ—r 11.4 yea many such Spirits and the Apostle who tells us of altum IESVM in the same verse tells us of alium Spiritum too We be then to trie which spirit is the truth that so the spirit on whose witnesâ—e we rest our selves be the truth How take we notice of the Spirit How knew they the Angel was come downe into the poole of Bethesda but by the stirring and moving of the water By His spirituall motions Ioh. 5.8 So by stirring up in us spirituall motions holy purposes and desires is the Spirit 's comming knowen Specially if they doe not vanish againe For if they doe then was it some other flatuous matter which will quiver in the veines unskilfull people call it the life-bloud but the Spirit it was not The Spirit 's motion the pulse is not for a while and then ceaseth but is perpetuall holds as long as life holds though intermittent sometime for some little space Yet hold we it not safe to lay overmuch weight upon good motions which may come of diverse causes By newnesse of life and of which good motions there are as many in hell as in heaven The surest way is to lay it on that our SAVIOVR and His Apostles so often lay it Ioh 6.63 2. Cor. 3.6 that is on Spiritus vivificat The life is ever the best indicant signe of the Spirit Novum supervenisse Spiritum nova vitae ratio demonstrat that a new Spirit is come a new course of life is the best demonstration The notes of that life Ioh. â— 8 2 Tim. 4.1 1. Cor. 1â— 11 1 Breath Now life is best knowen by vitall actions Three the Scripture counteth 1 Spiritus ubi vult spirat by breath 2 Spiritus manifestè loquitur by speech 3 Omnia haec operatur unus idemque Spiritus by the worke these three 1 The neerest and most proper note
of the Spirit is spiration or breathing In breathing there is a double act 1 there is a Systole a drawing in of the ayre and that is cold agreeth with CHRIST in water there comes a coole breath ever from the water 2 And there is a Diastole a sending forth of the breath and that we know is warme and agreeth with CHRIST in bloud For bloud is it that sendeth a warme vapor into all the limmes Agreeable to these two have you the two Spirits which upon the matter are but the two acts of one and the same Spirit 1 Inspired the Spirit of feare Esa. 11.2 The feare of GOD. 2 Out-breathed the Spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.12 Faith in CHRIST Feare comes in water so saith Salomon the Feare of GOD is fons vitae the welspring of life Pro. 14.27 that is water Faith comes in bloud per fidem in sanguinem Ipsius Rom. 3.25 through faith in His bloud So is every one that is borne of the Spirit And to blow out faith still and never draw in feare is suspicious is not safe The true spiration the breathing aright consisting of these two is a signe of the right Spirit 2. Speech Ioh. 3.8 The next signe in the same verse too And you heare the noyse of it For so the Apostle saith the Spirit speakes evidently that is His noise and speech is evidently to be distinguished from those of other spirits His comming in tongues this day sheweth no lesse Which signe of speech doth best and most properly sort heer with a witnesse For a witnesse what he hath to testifie speakes it out vocally What noise then is heard from us What breath we What speakes the Spirit manifestly from our mouthes If cursing and bitternesse and many a foule oath If this noyse be heard from us If we breath minas caedes bluster out threatning and sâ—aying that noyse If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rotten corrupt Act. 9.1 Eâ—hes 4 29. Maâ— 14. â—0 obscaene communication come out of our mouthes we are of Galilee and our very speech bewrayeth us This is not the breath of the Spirit this He speakes not evidently He speakes it not It is not the tongue of heauen this Not sicut dedit Spiritus eloqui no utterance of the Spirit 's giving Act. 2.4 Some of Christ's water would doe well to wash these out of our mouthes The speech sounding of the Spirit is a signe of the true Spirit 3. Action 1. Cor. 1â— â—â— The lâ—st but the surest of all omnia haec operatur Spiritus And the woâ—ke is as cleerly to be distinguished as the speech Each Spirit hath his proper woâ—ke and is knowen by it No man ever saw the workes of the Devill come from the Sâ—iâ—it of GOD. Be not deceived the workes of uncleanesse come from no Spirit Mat. 12.43 Iam. 4.5 1. Cor. 2.12 but thâ— uncleane spirit The workes of Cain from the spirit of envie The workes of Demas from the spirit of the world All the grosse errors of our life from the spirit of error But this this is the Spirit of Truth And the breath the speech the operations of him beare witnesse that He is so Now if He will depose that the water and bloud CHRIST came in He came in for us and we our parts in them in them and in them both and so deposing if we feele His breath heare His speech sâ—e His workes according we may receive his witnesse then For His witnesse is true Now that upon this day the day of the Spirit the Spirit may come and beare this witnesse to Christ's water and bloud there is to be water and bloud for the Spirit to beare witnesse to So was there ever as this day in the Church of Châ—ist Water a solemne Baptisme in memorie of the first three thousand this day Act. 2.41 baptized by Saint Peter And bloud never a more frequent â—ucâ—aâ—ist then at Pentâ—câ—st Act. 20.16 in honour of this Spirit to which Saint Paul made such hast with his almes and offerings Wiâ—nesse the great workes done by Pentâ—costall oblations which very oblations remaine in some Churches to this day So are we now come to the Râ—versall to the last non solum and heer it is III. The Râ—vâ—â—sall Not in the Spirit alone but in water and bloud reciprocè As not these wiâ—hout the Spirit so neither the Spirit without these that is without the Sacâ—amâ—nt wherein thâ—se be So have we a perfect circle now Neither in water without bloud nor in bloud without water nor in them alone without the Spirit nor in the Spirit alone without them This day Christ comes to us in bloud in the Sacrament of it so But as we said before either is in other Bloud is not ministred but there is an ingredient of the purifying vertue of water withall in it So he comes in water too Yea comes in water first so lye they in the Text water to goe before with us So did it at the very institution it selfe of this Sacrament The pitcher of water Mar 14 13. and he that carried it was not in vaine given for a signe went not before them that were sent to make ready for it for nothing It had a meaning that water and it had an use Their feet were washâ—d with it and their feet being clean they were clean every whit Many make ready for it Ioh. 13.10 that see neither water nor pitcher It were well they did their feete would be washed so would their hands Psal. 26.6 in innocencie that are to goe to His Altar In innocencie that is in a steadfast purpose of keeping our selves cleane So to come For to come and not with that purpose better not come at all To finde a feeling of this purpose before and to marke well the successe and effect that doth follow after For if it faile us continually Christ did not come For when He comes though it be in bloud yet He comes with water at the same time Ever in both never in one alone His bloud is not onely drinke to nourish but medicine to purge To nourish the new man which is faint and weake GOD wote but to take downe the old which is ranke Heb. 9.14 in most It is the proper effect of His bloud it doth cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serve the living GOD. Which if we finde it doth Christ is come to us as He is to come And the Spirit is come and puts His Teste And if we have His Teste we may goe our way in peace we have kept a right Feast to Him and to the memorie of His comming Even so come LORD IESVS and come O Blessed Spirit and beare witnesse to our spirit Zach. 13.1 Mar. 14.24 that CHRIST 's water and His bloud we have our part in both both in the fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleanesse and in the bloud of the New Testament the Legacie whereof
arripere apprehendere to seize vpon it with great vehemencie to lay hold on it with both hands as vpon a thing we are glad we haue got and will be loth to let goe againe We know assumpsit and apprehendit both take but apprehendit with farre more fervor and zeale then the other Assumpsit any common ordinarie thing apprehendit a thing of price which we hold deare and much esteeme of Now to the former comparison of what they and what we but specially what we add this threefold consideration 1. That He denied it the Angells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denied it peremptorily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither looked nor called nor sent nor went after them Neither tooke hold of them nor suffered them to take hold of Him or any promise from Him Denied it them denied it them thus 2. But graunted it vs and graunted it how That He followed vs first and that with paine And seized on vs after and that with greate desire We flying and not worth the following and lying and not worth the taking vp 1 That he gave not leave for vs to come to Him or satt still and suffered vs to returne and take hold yet this He did 2 That He did not looke after vs nor call after vs nor send after vs only yet all this He did too 3 But Himselfe rose out of his place and came after vs and with hand and foot made after vs Followed vs with his feet and seized on vs with his hands and that per viam non assumptionis sed apprehensionis the maner more then the thing it selfe All these if we lay together and when we haue done weigh them well it is hable to worke with vs. Surely it must needs demonstrate to vs the care the love the affection He had to vs we know no cause why being but as Abraham was dust and as Abrahams seede Iacob saith Gen. 18.25.32.10 lesse and not worthy of any one of these No not of the meanest of his mercies Especially when the same thing so gratiously graunted vs was denied to no lesse persons then the Angells farr more worthy then we Sure He would not have done it for vs and not for them if He had not esteemed of vs made more acompt of vs then of them And yet behold a farr greater then all these Which is apprehendit semen He took not the person but he took the seed that is the nature of man Many there be In Apprehendit Semen that can be content to take vpon them the persons and to represent them whose natures nothing could hire them once to take vpon them But the seed is the Nature yea as the Philosopher saith naturae intimum the very internall essence of nature is the seed The Apostle sheweth what his meaning is of this taking the seed when the verse next afore save one he saith that forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud He also would take part with them Ver. 14. by taking the same To take the flesh and bloud He must needs take the seed for from the seed the flâ—sh and bloud doth proceed which is nothing els but the blessed apprehension of our nature by this days Natiuitie Wherby He and we become not only one flesh as man and wife do by coniugal union but even one bloud too as brethren by naturall union Ephes. 5.28.29 Per omnia similis saith the Apostle in the next verse after againe sinne only set aside Alike and sutable to vs in all things flesh and bloud and nature and all So taking the seed of Abraham as that he became himselfe the seed of Abraham So was and so is truly termed Verse 17. in the Scriptures Which is it that doth consummate and knit vp all this point and is the head of al. For in all other apprehensions we may let go and lay down when we will but this this taking on the seed the nature of man can never be put of It is an assumption without a deposition One we are He and we and so we must be One as this day so for ever And emergent or issuing from this are all those other apprehendings or seisures of the persons of men by which God layeth hold on them and bringeth them back from error to truth and from sinne to grace that have been from the beginning or shal be to the end of the world That of Abraham himself whom God layed hold of and brought from out of Vr of the Chaldeans and the Idolls he there worshipped That Gen 1â— 7 Act. 9.4 Luk. 22.62.62 of our Apostle S. Paul that was apprehended in the way to Damascus That of Saint Peter that in the very act of sinne was seized on with bitter remorse for it All those and all these wherby men dayly are layd hold of in spirit and taken from the by-pathes of sinne and error and reduced into the right way and so their persons recovered to God and seized to his vse All these apprehensions of the branches come from this apprehension of the Seed they all have their beginning and their being from this dayes taking even Semen apprâ—hendit Our receiving His Spirit for His taking our flesh This seede wherewith Abraham is made the sonne of God from the seed wherwith Christ is made the soone of Abraham And the end why He thus took vpon him the seed of Abraham was because He tooke vpon Him to deliver the seede of Abraham Deliver them He could not except He destroyed death Ver. 14. and the Lord of death the devill Them He could not destroy vnlesse He dyed Dy He could not except He were mortall Mortall He could not be except He tooke our nature on Him that is the seede of Abraham But taking it He became mortall dyed destroyed death delivered vs was Himselfe apprehended that we might be lett goe One thing more then out of this word Apprehendit The former toucheth His love whereby He so layd hold of us as of a thing very precious to Him This now toucheth our daunger whereby he so caught us as if He had not it had been a great venture but we had suncke and perished One and the same word Apprehendit sorteth well to expresse both his affection wherby He did it and out great perill wherby we needed it We had been before layd hold of and apprehended by one mentioned in the 14. verse he that hath power of death even the Devill We were in daunger to be swallowed vp by him we needed one to lay hold on us fast and to plucke us out of his jawes So He did And I would have you to marke It is the same word that is used to Saint Peter in like daunger Matt. 14.13 when being ready to sinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ caught him by the hand and saved him The same heere in the Greeke that in the Hebrue is used Gen. 19.16 to Lot and his daughters in the
like daunger when the Angells caught him and by strong hand plucked him out of Sodom One delivered from the water the other from the fire And it may truly be sayd in asmuch as all Gods promises as well touching temporall as eternall deliverances 1. Cor. 1.20 and as well corporall as spirituall be in Christ yea and Amen Yea in the giving forth Amen in the performing that even our temporall delivery from the daungers that daily compasse us about even from this last so great and so fearefull as the like was never imagined before all have their ground from this Great apprehension are fruits of this Seede heere this blessed Seede for whose sake and for whose truthes sake that we though unworthily professe we were by Him caught hold of and so plucked out of it Rom. 9.29 And but for which Seed facti essemus sicut Sodoma We had been even as Sodome and perished in the fire and the powder there layed had even blowen us up all Heb. 8.9 And may not I add to this apprehendit ut liberaret the other in the 8. Chapter following apprehendit ut manu duceret to this of taking us by the hand to deliver us that of taking us by the hand to guide us and so out of one word present Him to you not only as our Deliverer but as our Guide too Our Deliverer to ridd us from him that hath power of death Our Guide to Him that hath power of life To leade us even by the way of truth to the path of life by the stations of well doing to the mansions in His Fathers house Ioh. 14.2 Ioh. 14.3 Seeing He hath signified it is His pleasure not to let goe our hands but to hold us still till He have brought us that where He is we may also be This also is incident to apprehendit but because it is out of the compasse of the text I touch it only and passe it The reasons of this apprehendit And can we now passe by this but we must aske the question that Saint Iohn Baptists Mother sometime asked on the like occasion * Luk. 1.43 Vnde mihi hoc saith she Vnde nobis hoc may we say Not quòd mater Domini but quòd Dominus ipse venit ad nos Whence commeth this unto us that the Lord himselfe thus came unto us and tooke us letting the Angells go Angells are better then the best of vs and reason would ever the better should be taken how then were we taken that were not the better Sure not without good ground say the Fathers who haue adventured to search out the Theologie of this point such reasons as might serve for inducements to Him that is pronus ad miserendum naturally enclined to pitie why upon us He would rather have compassion And diverse such I find I will touch onely one or two of them First Mans case was more to be pitied then theirs because man was tempted by another had a tempter The Angells had none None tempted them None but themselves Et levius est alienâ mente peccâsse quam propriâ saith Augustine The offense is the lesse if it grow from another then if it breed in ourselves And the lesse the offense the more pardonable Againe of the Angells when some fell other some stood and so they all did not perish But in the first man all men fell and so euery mothers child had died and no flesh been saved For all were in Adam and so in and with Aadam all had come to nought Then commeth the Psalmists question Nunquid in vanum c. Psal. 87.47 What hast thou made all men for nought That cannot be So great wisedome cannot do so great a worke in vaine But in vaine it had been if God had not shewed mercie And therefore was Mans case rather of the twaine matter of commiseration This is Leo. And thus have they traveiled and these have they found why He did apprehend us rather then them It may be not amisse But we will content our selves for our vnde nobis hoc whence commeth this to us with the answer of the Scriptures Whence Luk. 1.78 Esa. 9.7 but from the tender mercies of our God wherby this day hath visited us Zelus Domini saith Esay The zeale of the Lord of Hosts shall bring it to passe Propter nimiam charitatem saith the Apostle Eph. 2.4 Ioh. 3.16 Luk. 10.21 Sic Deus dilexit saith He He himselfe And we taught by him say Even so Lord for so it was thy good pleasure thus to do All this while are we about taking the Seed the Seed in generall But now III. The Choise Why Abrahams Seed why Abrahams seed Since it is Angells in the first part why not Men in the second but Seed Or if Seed to expresse our nature why not the Seed of the woman but the Seed of Abraham It may be thought because he wrote to the Hebrews he rather used this terme of Abrahams seed because so they were and so loved to be stiled and he would please them But I find the ancient Fathers go further and out of it raise matter both of comfort and of direction and that for us too 1. Of comfort first with reference to our Saviour who taking on Him Abrahams seed 1. For our comfort must withall take on Him the signature of Abrahams Seed and be as he was circumcised There is a great matter dependeth even on that For being circumcised He became a debtor Gal. 5.3 to keepe the whole Law of God which bond we had broken and forfeited and incurred the curse annexed and were ready to be apprehended and committed for it That so He keeping the Law might recover backe the chirographum contra nos Col. 2.14 the hand-writing that was against us and so set us free of the debt This Bond did not relate to the Seed of the woman it pertained properly to the seed of Abraham therefore that terme fitted us better Without faile two distinct benefits they are 1 Factus homo and 2 Factus sub lege and so doth Saint Paul recount them Made man that is the Seed of the woman and Gal 4.4 made under the Law that is the Seed of Abraham To little purpose He should have taken the one if He had not also undertaken the other and as the Seed of Abraham entred bond for us and taken our debt upon Him This first 2. And besides this there is yet another referring it to the Nation or People whom He took upon him It is sure they were of all other people the most untoward both of the hardest hearts and of the stiffest necks and as the Heathen man noteth them of the worst natures God himselfe telleth them so It was for no vertue of theirs Deut. 9.6 or for any pure naturalls in them that He tooke them to Him for they were that way the worst of the whole earth And so then
first from Him that begetteth the Sonne from him that speaketh the Word Against Sabellius The Sonne referreth to a living nature The Word addeth further an intellectuall nature Generare est viâ—entiâ—m Loqui intelligentium That there is in Him not only the Nature and Life but the Wisedome of the Father Both Proâ—eed The word sheweth the Manner The Sonne the truth of His proceeding With us the Sonne is not begott but by flesh by propagation The word therfore requisite to shew His proceeding was after no carnall manner but as the word from the minde A better terme could not be devised For there is not in all the World a more pure simple inconcrete procreation then that whereby the minde conceiveth the word within it by dixit incorde For in it selfe and of it selfe doth the minde produce it without help of any mixture of ought without any passion stirring or agitation at all Such was the issue of the Word eternall But then lest we might imagine GODS Word to be to Him no other then ours is to us not of our substance He makes amends for that and tells us He is the Only begotten and so of the substance of His Father very God of very God as all begotten Sonnes be The Word to shew His proceeding pure and meerly spirituall the Sonne to shew that for all that it is true and substantiall Truly consubstantiall with the Father as the Sonne but in all cleane and pure manner conceived as the Word The Sonne though He be consubstantiall yet the person of His Father may have a being long before Him The Word makes amends for that For the minds conceiving and the minde cannot be severed a moment if one be eternall both are So then as the Sonne He is consubstantiall as the Word He is coëternall But he beginnes with the Word His care being first to tell us of the purenesse of His generation before of His generation it selfe but after by little and little unfoldeth himselfe and tells He is so the Word as the SONNâ— also Indeed it was best beginning with the Word That terme the Heathen Wise men the Philosophers would never stumble at but brooke it well enough As indeed they did not with approbation only but with high admiration read and magnifie the beginning of this Gospell Witnesse Tertul. in Apol. Euseb. in praepar August de Civit. 10. and Theodoret. It was conforme to their reason Quòd Deus ab aeterno intelligit and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conceiving of the mind and the minde must needs be coëternall the minde never without it Mic. 5 2. as the Prophet sayth Egressus Ejus à Diebus aeternitatis This for the Word of much more that might be sayd of it Became flesh 1. Caro. As the Word and the Onely Begotten referre to one so doth Caro and in nobis Flesh and in us that is such flesh as is in us Humane flesh 1. To expresse the Vnion fully a better word could not be chosen It is a part for the whole and the worser part for the whole of purpose For in this case our nature is best set out by the worser part For this we know if the worse be taken the better will not be left behinde If He abhorre not the flesh of the Spirit there will be no question More forcible it is to say He was made flesh then He was made man though both be true He vouchsafed to become man nothing so much as to become flesh the very lowest and basest part of man Besides from the Flesh as from Eve came the beginning of transgression longing after the forbidden fruit refused the Word quite so of all other least likely to be taken The Word not refusing it the rest have good hope But there is a kinde of necessitie to use the terme flesh If he had sayd man man may be taken for a Person He tooke no Person but our Nature He tooke flesh is no Person but Nature only and so bâ—st expresseth it And if soule it might have been taken as if He tooke not the flesh but mediante animâ but So He did not but as immediately and as soone the flesh as the soule in one instant both Yet one more It will not be amisse to tell you The word that is Hebrew for flesh the same is also Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piel for good tydings as we call it the Gospell Sure not without the Holy Ghost so dispensing it There could be no other meaning but that some Incarnation or Making flesh should be generally good newes for the whole world To let us know this good tydings is come to passe he tells us the VVord is now become flesh 2. Verbum caro The Word became flâ—sh Thus why flesh now why the Word flesh Caro Verbum was our bane flesh would be the Word nay wiser then the Word and know what was evill better then it If caro Verbum our bane then Verbum caro our remedy Surely if the Word would become flesh it were so most kindly The Word was pars laesa the party that was most offended If He would undertake it if He against whom the offense was would be Author of the reconciliation there were none to that It were so most proper But in another respect He were fitt too He had sayd above All things were made by Him verse 3. Colos. 1.16.17 a kinde of meetnesse there were ut per quem facta omnia per eundem refecta He that first made them should restore them He that built repayre So is best ever And indeed Sic oportet implere omnem iustitiam that were the way to fulfill all iustice If the Word would take flesh Ioh. 5 16. he might make full amends for the fleshes fault in reiecting the word So is iustice that flesh for flesh and not the flesh of oxen and sheepe but even that flesh that sinneth our flesh should suffer for it and so suffering make satisfaction to Iustice. Why then factum est caro the Word is made Flesh This makes up all For 3. 1. Factum est caro Was made factum est ergo est He is made flesh therefore is flesh Fieri terminatur ad esse the end of making is being And per modum naturae so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word this being is naturall Et nativitas est via ad naturam and nativitie is the way to nature So to be borne as this day He was Venit per carnem sanat per verbum Luk. 3.6 that all flesh may see the Salvation of GOD. Made it was against Manicheus holding that he had noe true body as if factum had been fictum or making were mocking Made it was but how made Not convertendo the Word converted into flesh as Cherinthus or flesh converted into the word Verbum caro facta est as Valentinus for the Deitie cannot be changed into
Incarnate He was in the Virgins wombe His taking flesh could not be seen but this draweth after it a vidimus dwelt and was seen visibly And this leadeth us to a third conversatus est Factum and factum familiare that he withdrew not himselfe into some solitarie place but was verbum prope nos neer us neer neighbors to us Rom. 10.8 Phil. 2.7 Habitu inventus ut homo In his habit and in his habitation found as a man One might aske him as they at Ver. XXXVIII ubi habitas Sir where dwell you and He invited them to come and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelt as in a Tent. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not every dwelling but a dwelling in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tent that is but for a time Not a house to stand for ever but a tent to be taken downe againe Which as it sheweth His Tabernacle of the nature of ours mortall so withall that He came but of an errand to sojourne till He had done it A worke He had for which He was sent that being done He layd his Tabernacle of againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitched his tent as a Soldier And even that worke it selfe is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is a word militar Souldiers dwell in tents As if He were now factus caro incola miles as if some battaile were toward And indeed from the beginning the very third of Genesis there was warre proclaimed Gen. 3.15 Rom. 7.23 betweene the womans seede and the Serpents An enemie we had strong and mightie had and have still not one but many a whole campe of them They had prevailed and let us away captive under the Lawe of sinne Dux nobis opus est A Champion we stood in need of to rescue us And heer we have one now even Dux Messias as Daniel calleth Him He as this day came into the campe Dan. 9.25 set up His pavilion among us The Tabernacle of GOD was with men He might not stay eight dayes in the campe but He must take Sacramentum militare So He did And the ceremonie of it was to be stroken and to bleed some small quantitie So he was at his Circumcision And after He performed the battaile at his Passion Where though it cost Him His life yet the victorie fell on His side Captivitie was led captive and we were delivered Ephes. 4.8 His Tent was but a fore-runner to His combate This for His dwelling Now the Affidavit As the word Habitavit pointeth us to this first day of the feast and His Tent The Affidavit Vidimus We Saw to the middle day when He vndertook our quarrell So vidimus now is proper to the last day the day of Manifestation or Epâ—phanie He dwelt and not invisibly or obscurely but so as He might be and was seene Even this very first day vidimus might the Shepheards say we saw His Angels and heard them sing and then went to Bethlem and saw Himselfe Vidimus might the VVise men say we saw His starre in the East Mat 2.2 Act. 26.26 and we are come to see Himselfe This they might say and truly for these things were not done in oâ—scuro But as we said This clause is the Affidavit it is inferred as a Proofe You tell us of His making and His dwelling Quomodo constat How shall it appeare Vidimus is the best proofe that can be He saw it Ioh. 19.35 was an eye-witnesse of what he testified Anâ— it is not vidi but vidimus more eyes then one Not he alone Vidimus not vidi Wâ— saw others more saw it besides him In the mouth a â—at 17. 1. Ioh 1 3. of two or three witnesses Peter Iames and He vidimus were in the holy mount together and saw Him transfigured Nay a whole b Act. 1.9 Hebr. 12.1 cloud of witnesses CXX saw him taken up into heaven out of their sight in the mount of Olives Well might He say vidimus And that not per transennam at a blush passing by but had a full sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saw it inâ—entively looked well upon Him at leysure did it throughly for a good time together It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word whence a theater is derived As men with good heed behold things tâ—ere so did we intentiâ—ely all the acts and scenes of His life But I ask what saw they The flesh peradventure The Word they could not see Saw His glory He is GOD and GOD hath no man ever seene True that they could not yet His glorie they might and did Ver. 18. Which glorie was an infallible demonstration of His presence there Through the veile of His flesh such beames He cast Heb. 10.30 as behind those clouds they might know there was a Sunne as that way onely could He be made visible to the eyes of flesh which otherwise could not behold Him But it may be it was some wrong this but such as was seene in MOSES 5. Quasi unigenti Dei or in STEPHENS countenance He answers that and tells us It was not quasi Servi like a Servant nay nor quasi Filij like any adopted Sonnes but this glorie was every way such as well might it beseeme the Word or Onely Sonne but could agree to no creature though never so glorious To none but Him and so being proprium quarto modo might be a medius terminus in a demonstration And if you ask what that glorie might be With a word What this glâ—rie was to say to the winde and storme a Mar. 4.39 Obmutesce and to diseases b Mat. 8.3 Volo mundare And to Death it selfe c Luke 7.14 Tibi dico Surge His Miracles they shewed His glorie is expressely said in the next Chap. v. II. The Starre at His birth the eclÃpse at His death the glorie of His changing in the mount but above all His glorious Ascension and receiving up inâ—o heaven All which they saw as being in the theatre all the while from the Epitasis to the very Catastrophe Therfore he â—ells us heer and againe in his Epistle he writes nothing but what he saw and beheld and even his hands had handled of the VVord of Life 1. Ioh. 1.3 We may beleeve him He and his Contestes suffered many things for the truth of their witnesse and the whole world since hath beleeved this their Affidavit Now are we past the Parenthesis But what is all that a vidimus Nothing but a maske to be seene Came He onely to make a glorious shew to them all The Consequence Full of grace and truth No but as He came not obscure but was seene so He came not emptie but full and was felt of them that saw him not Vidimus is not all a Verse after there is accepimus To see His glorie they receive of his fullnesse They and we Full
that was the Gentiles case before this orta est But when the partition wall was broken downe and the two met in one then also in a sense Mercie and Truth met togither So these two And so the other two likewise For Righteousnesse she was where the Law was for that the rule of righteousnesse where the Covenant of the Old Testament was doe this and live the very voice of Iustice But Peace was where CHRIST was in the Gospell Ipse est Pax nostra for He is our Peace Peace and Peace-maker both Qui fecit utrunque unum that hath made the Lawe and the Gospell the Old Testament and the New to be bound togither now both in one volume II. Of this meeting in Christianitie Thus we have done with CHRIST I would now apply this meeting to our selves another while For I aske did this hold did these meet only in CHRIST Doe they not in Christianity likewise Yes there too With CHRIST came Christianitie looke what in His birth now in the new birth of every one that shall be the better by it even the same meeting of the very same vertues all Mercie and Truth first to meet Truth of confession confession of our sinnes which if with figge-leaves we seeke to cover 1. Ioh. 1.8 and confesse not there is no truth in us And some truth there is to be at least this truth or no meeting with Mercie But when this truth commeth forth mercy meeteth it streight Will ye see the meeting Peccavi said DAVID there is truth 2. Sam. 12.13 Transtulit Dominus peccatum saith Nathan there is mercie Mercie and Truth met togither Homo in terris per veritatem stimulatus peccásse se confitebatur Deus in coelis per misericordiam flexus confitentis miserebatur Truth pricked man to confesse his sinnes and Mercy moved God to pitie him confessing and send Mercy to meet Truth Will ye goe on to the other Verse It holds there too this For where a true confession is by man made Veritas de terrâ orta est Truth is budded out of the earth And so it must yer Righteousnesse will give us a good looke from Heaven But will assoone as it is for when this truth springs freely from the earth to our owne condemnation immediatly upon it Righteousnesse shewes her selfe from Heaven to our justification Will ye see this too Luc. 18.14 Lord be mercifull to me a sinner there is Truth from the earth descendit domum suam justificatus there is Righteousnesse from Heaven But will ye marke Here are two truths and in either Verse one This later is the truth of Veritas orta est of CHRISTS Religion And in this treaty it was an article of Inprimis mercy not to meet any but them that professe the truth of CHRISTS birth from the earth Both these were borne togither By and by upon the birth of CHRIST the Truth the other birth also of Christian truth did flourish and spread it selfe all over the earth The whole world before given over and even growne over with Idolatry quite covered with the mist of error and ignorance began then to entertaine the Christian profession and by it to worship God in spirit and truth the true Religion which is never true if it have not this meeting And this meeting it cannot have if it have not the meanes of it ortus veritatis de terrâ The same say we likewise for the Righteousnesse which looked downe and shewed her selfe It was not that of the Lawe which never came past the top of Mount Sinai but a new righteousnesse cast in a new mould a heavenly one which never saw the earth nor the earth it before before this birth which is the righteousnesse of CHRIST reveiled in His Gospell when that Truth sprang this Righteousnesse looked downe upon it Now as this of Mercie and Truth enter us so truth not truth alone but truth with truth's paire with righteousnesse carrie us forward to God Truth is not enough not the truth of Religion never so knowne never so professed not without Righteousnesse Truth is but the light to guide us Righteousnesse is the way to bring us thither A light is to see by A way is to goe in So is righteousnesse It followes streight ponet gressus in viâ Verse 13. Righteoâ—snesse shall set us in the way of His steppes Steppes that is the course of life For scienti by knowledge of the truth and not facienti by the practise of righteousnesse peccatum est illi saith S. Iames Iam 4 17. Luc. 12.44 and plagaemultae saith S. Iames his Master Sinne in that man that severs these two is lesse pardonable and more punishable then in any other And then turne Righteousnesse to Peace and they will not meet barely but more then meet Kisse in signe there is betweene them more then ordinarie affection Fac justitiam habebis pacem Saint Augustine stands much on this Psal. 34.14 Eschew evill and doe good saith he there is Righteousnesse and then seeke Peace and ye shall not be long in seeking it She will come forth her selfe to meet Righteousnesse and kisse her And this he assâ—res us as a certeine signe to know on the one side true righteousnesse for that tends to peace not to questions and brabbles wherof there never will be end So on the other side true peace that kisses righteousnesse comes not togither like Samsons foxes by the tailes by indirect meanes but cleerly and fairly Such meanes Iud. 15.14 as all the world will confesse to be right and good Now marke the order how they stand Mercie leads to Truth and the knowledge of it and Truth to Righteousnesse and the practice of it and Righteousnesse to Peace and the waies of it Guides our feet first into the way of Peace And Luc. 1.79 such a way shall there alwaies be do all the Controversie Writers what they can a faire way agreed upon of all sides questioned by none in which who so orders his steppes aright may see the salvation of our God Even the way heer chalked out before us To shew mercy and speake truth do righteousnesse and follow peace And by this rule proceeding in the points whereto we are come already even those truthes wherein we are otherwise minded would in due time be reveiled unto us This is Zacharies peace and this of his well followed in the end will bring us Simeâ—ns peace Nunc dimittis in pace to be dismissed to depart hence in peace Luc. 2.29 and Pax in novissimo Peace at the latter end is worth all Peace in the end is a blessed end and the beginning of a Peace which never shall have end Mercy our beginning and Peace our end This for the meeting as in CHRIST so in Christianitie or the course of a Christian mans life Now a word for the continuance of this meeting For I aske againe Met they to part By no meanes but
as they be togither now so to continue still The continuance of this meeting We had much adoe to get them togither thus Now we have them so let us keepe them so in any wise For as this meeting made Christianitie first So there is nothing marres it but the breaking it of againe No greater bane to it then the parting of these Let me tell you this Saint Augustine is very earnest upon this point of the keeping of righteousnesse and peace upon this Psalme and this Verse and of truth and mercie togither in the next upon misericors and verax against them that would lay hold on mercie and let go truth O saith he that will not be they mett together they will not part now Either without either will not be had And so of the two others There be that would have Peace and passe by Righteousnesse Tu fortè unam habere vis altâ—ram non vis sayth he you would gladly have one Peace and for Righteousnesse you could be contented to spare it Aske any would you have Peace With all my heart he will answere There is no having one without the other Osculantur hae amant hae why they kisse they love togither Si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit to paâ—e if ye love not â—er friend that is Righteousnesse she will none of your love Take that from Saint Augustine Set this downe then Christianitie is a meeting One cannot meet Two there must be and they may But it is not a meeting of two but of two with two so no lesse then foure As CHRIST Himselfe was not one nature So neither doth Christianitie consist of any one vertue Not under foure There is a quaternion in CHRIST His 1 Essence and His 2 Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hypostasis in divinis His 3 Flesh and His 4 reasonable Soule in humanis Answerable to these foure are these heer these foure to His foure And as it is a meeting so a crosse meeting of foure Vertues that seeme to be in a kind of opposition as hath been noted No matter for that They will make the better refraction the coole of one allay the heat the moist of one temper the drought of the other The soft vertues need to be quickned the more forward to be kept from Altum sapere So are the elements of which our bodie So are the foure winds of which our breath doth consist which gives us life And these in the Text have an analogie or correspondence Psal. 93.1 Esa. 66.12 Psal. 46.4 with the elements observed by the Auncients 1 Truth as the earth which is not moved at any time 2 Quasi fluvius Pax saith Esay Peace as a water-streame the quills whereof make glad the Citie of GOD. 3 Mercie we breath and live by no lesse then we doe by aire Esa. 66.16 and 4 Righteousnesse she ventura est judicare saeculum per ignem in that element You may happen find one of these in Scripture stood much upon and of the other three nothing sayd there but all left out Conceive of it as a figure Synecdoche they call it As ye have heer man called earth yet is he not earth alone but all the other three elements as well No more is Christianitie any one but by Synecdoche but in very deed a meeting of them all foure Ioh. 17.3 It deceived the Gnostique this place This is aeternall life to know thee Knowledge saith he is it As if it were all and so he bad care for nothing els but to knowe and knowing live as they list The Encratite he was as farr gone the other way He lived streightly and his tenet was non est curandum quid quisque credat Id curandum modò quod quisque faciat So that ye hold a streight course of life it skills not what ye hold in points of faith No meeting with these Single vertues all Yes it skills For both these were wrong both goe for Heretiques Christianitie is a meeting and to this meeting there goe Pia dogmata as well as Bona opera Righteousnesse aswell as truth Err not this error then to single any out as it were in disgrace of the rest Say not one will serve the turne what should we do with the rest of the foure Take not a figure and make of it a plaine speech Seeke not to be saved by Synecdoche Each of these is a quarter of Christianity you shall never while you live make it serve for the whole The truth is sever them and farewell all take any one from the rest and it is as much as the whole is worth For as Bernard well observed non sunt virtutes si separentur upon their separation they cease to be vertues For how loose a thing is Mercie if it be quite devoid of Iustice We call it foolish pitie And how harsh a thing Iustice if it be utterly without all temper of mercie Summa injuria then that is Iniustice at the highest Mercie take truth away what hold is there of it who will trust it Truth take Mercie from it it is Severitie rather then veritie then Righteousnesse without Peace certeinly wrong is much better better then perpetuall brabbling And Peace without Righteousnesse better a sword far This if you sunder them But temper these togither and how blessed a mixture Sett a song of all foure and how heavenly a melodie Enterteine them then all foure 1 Hope in mercie 2 Faith in truth 3 Feare of righteousnesse 4 Love of peace O quam praeclara concordia O how loving a knot how by all meanes to be maintained how great pitie to part it The Time of this meeting A little of the Time now when this meeting would be No time amisse no day in the yeare but upon entreaty they will be got to meet Yet if any one day have a prerogative more then another of all the daies in the yeare on this day most kindly the day we hold holy to the memorie of this meeting the day of orta est the occasion of it In remembrance of the first meeting then they are apt and willing to meet upon it againe forward ever to meet the day they first mett of themselves But CHRIST this day being borne this day to meet of course One special end that He was borne was that at His birth this meeting might be If to day then they should not meet that were in a sort to evacuate CHRISTS birth if there should be a Veritas orta without an obviaverunt sibi So that if we procure it not we had as good keepe no Feast at all What is then the proper worke of this day but still to renew this meeting on it For CHRISTS birth we cannot entertaine but all these we must too Necessarie attendants upon it every one They be the vertues of His Nativitie these At His birth CHRIST bethought Himselfe of all the vertues which He would have to attend
know So accompt But because our knowing is the ground of our accompt the Apostle beginneth with knowledge And so must we Knowledge in all Learning is of two sorts 1 Rerum or 2 Causarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That or in that The former is in the first Verse Knowing that CHRIST c. The later in the Second For in that c. And because we cannot cast up a Summe except we have a particular the Apostle giveth us a Particular of either A particular of our Knowledge Quoad res which consisteth of these three 1. That Christ is risen from the dead 2. That now He dieth not 3. That from henceforth death hath no dominion over Him All in the first Verse Then a particular of our Knowledge Quoad causas The cause of His death Sinne He died to sinne 2 Of His life GOD He liveth to GOD. â— And both these but once for all All in the second Verse Then followeth our Accompt in the third Verse Wherein we consider first 1 The Charge â— and then the Discharge 1. The charge first Similiter vos That we be like to Christ. And then wherein 1 Like in dying to Sinne 2 Like in living to GOD. Which are the two moulds wherein we are to be cast that we may come forth like Him This is the Charge 2. And last of all The meanes we have to helpe us to discharge it in the last words in Christ Iesu our Lord. BEfore we take view of the two Particulars I. Our Knowing The Meanes of it it will not be amisse to make a little stay at Scientes the first word because it is the grownd of all the rest Knowing that Christ is risen This the Apostle saith the Romans did knowing Did know himselfe indeed that Christ was risen for He saw him But how knew the Romanes or how know we No other way then by relation eyther they or we but yet we much better then they I say by relation in the nature of a verdict of them that had seene him even Cephas and the twelve which is a full Iury hable to finde any matter of fact and to give up a verdict in it And that CHRIST is risen is matter of fact But if twelve will not serve in this matter of fact which in all other matters with us 1. Cor. 15.6 will if a greater Enquest farr if five hundred will serve you may have so many for of more then five hundred at once was He seene many of them then living ready to give up the same verdict and to say the same upon their othes But to settle a knowledge the number moveth not so much as the qualitie of the Parties If they were persons credulous light of beleefe they may well be challenged if they tooke not the way to ground their knowledge aright That is ever best knowen that is most doubted of And never was matter caried with more scruple and slownesse of beleefe with more doubts and difficulties then was this of Christ's rising Marie Magdalen saw it first and reported it They beleeved her not Mar. 16.11 Luk. 24.13.36.11.36 The two that went to Emmaus they also reported it They beleeved them not Diverse women together saw him and came and told them Their words seemed to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an idle faigned fond tale They all saw him and even seeing him yet they doubted When they were put out of doubt and told it but to one that happened to be absent it was S. Thomas you know how peremptorie he was Not he Ioh. 20.25 vnlesse he might not onely see with his eyes but feele with his fingers and put in his hand into his side 27.28 And all this he did Saint Augustine saith well Profectò valde dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur a nobis All this doubting was by them made that we might be out of doubt and know that Christ is risen Sure they tooke the right course to know it certainly and certainely they did know it as appeareth For never was thing knowen in this world so confidently constantly certainly testified as was this that Christ is risen By testifying it they got nothing in the earth Got nothing Nay they lost by it their living their life all they had to lose They might have saved all and but said nothing So certaine they were so certainely they did accompt of their knowing they could not be got from it but to their very last breath to the very last drop of their blood bare witnesse to the truth of this Article and chose rather to lay downe their lives and to take their death then to denie nay then not to affirme His rising from death And thus did they know knowing testifie and by their testimonie came the Romanes to their knowing and so doe we But as I said before we to a much surer knowing then they For when this was written the whole world stopt their eares at this report would not endure to heare them stood out mainly against them The Resurrection why it was with the Graecians at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very skorne The Resurrection why it was Act 17.32 with Festus the great Romane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sicknesse of the braine a plaine phrensie That world 26.24 that then was and long after in such opposition is since come in and upon better examination of the matter so strangely testified with so many thousand lives of men to say the least of them sadd and sober hath taken notice of it and both knowen and acknowledged the truth of it It was well foretold by Saint Iohn haec est victoria quae vincit mundum 1. Ioh. 5.4 fides vestrâ— It is proved true since That this faith of CHRIST 's rising hath made a conquest of the whole world So that after all the world hath taken knowledge of it we come to know it And so more full to us then to them is this scientes knowing Now to our particulars what we know The Particâ—lars Quâ—â—dâ—n a That Christ is risen from the dead Our first particular is That CHRIST is risen from the dead Properly we are sâ—id to rise from 〈◊〉 fallâ— and from death 〈…〉 revive Yeâ— the Apostle rather vseth the terme of rising then reviving â—s serving better to set forth his purpose That death is a fall we doubt not that it came with a fall the fall of Adam But what manner of fall for it hath beene holden a fall from whence is no rising But by Christ's rising it falls out to be a fall that we may fall and yet get up againe For if CHRIST be risen from it then is there a rising if a rising of one then may there be of another If He be risen in our nature then is our nature risen and if our nature be our persons may be Especially seeing as the Apostle in the fourth Verse before hath told
conclusion To the next point 2. Direction how to keepe it Absolutely we are to keepe this feast but not to keepe it Quovis modo No matter how prepared vnprepared in any garment in any sort No this Non and this Sed Not on that manner but this shew plainely every manner will not serve What then is the Manner Not in old levin With the Passe-over he began and he holds him to it still that if it be a Passe-over reason would it should be kept like a Passe-over even in the same manner Now the Passe-over was not a loose lawlesse thing to hold it in any fashion it skilled not how No it had his lawes Even that Haec est lex Paschalis ye shall read it Exod. 12.43 This is the law of keeping it Indeed diverse lawes it had in type that concerne us in truth Among the rest this for one in the Text. The Lamb would not be eaten with every kind of bread 1 Noâ— in sâ—rmenâ—o Not with the oâ—d Leâ—in Every past was not for this feast not levined in any wise Such an antipatâ—ie there was betweene levin and it as it might not I will not say come to the board but not be endured in the house all the feast long though it were neither tasted nor touched If it were not throw'n out if any never so little of it remained in any corner Eâ—od 12.19 the law was broken the feast illegitimate To maâ—e it up then a perfect Pâ—â—se-oâ—â—â— heere is another yet which I called our Passe-over-duety the not sâ—aying still in our old levin but passing over as it were to a new paste a necessâ—rie câ—ndition for the right holding this fâ—ast For sweet bread was so proper to the Paâ—â—â—-â—ver as Luk. 22. ye shall finde they be but two diverse namâ—â— Luk 22 7. of one and the same thing Omnia in figuram illis saith the Apostle With them all was in type 1. Cor. 10 11. What is the Spirit of this letter what meant by lâ—vin The Apostle tells us the old levin of Egypt is our former vitious course of life sowred with the levin of the old Adam and Nova â—oâ—spersio is newnesse of life The time of offâ—ring the 〈◊〉 is the time of casting out this Meet if we would have our sinnes passe from us we should passe from them also and throwe their levin out And well is Sinne resembled to levin Levin wiâ—l grow â—oysome if it be kepâ— lonâ— and sinne if it have lyen long in us or we in it turnes to a certaine sowâ—nesse that wâ— our selves feele an unpleasant favour or upbrayding of it in our soules Oâ—r SAVIOVR felt it so I am sure the Vinâ—gar He took shewed the relish of it By which upbraiding we finde we need an Expurgate for it as it were a corrupt humor in our soules that needed to be purged out Generally all old levin whatsoever namely two sâ—rts of it 1 〈◊〉 and 2 〈◊〉 turned Naughtinesse and Malice The words in their owne nature as they properly signifie 1 One noteth a loose licentious lewdnesse lightly ending in Lust. 2 The other an vnquiet working wickednesse that will take paines to doe a shrewd turne commonly the effect of Mâ—lice The sinnes of lust are well set out in old corrupt levin for so they end most what in corruption and rottenesse The sinnes of â—alice likewise For as levâ—n it makes men swell one against another as if thâ—y would burst and sowre are the fruits of it and vnpleasant as any lâ—vin in the world These two to be cast out as those that have a speciall antipathie with this feast and Offering For no agreement betweene a foule life and the feast of an vndâ—filed Lamb. Nor no fellowship betweene sowre malice and the feast of Sweet bâ—â—ad And these two are specially named because they were the faults wherewith the Corinthians specially were levined to whom he writes Incest at the first Verse as we know Corinth heard evill for loosnesse There is Nâ—quitia And againe swâ—lling one against another at the second there is Malice As to ridd our selves of this levin so to furnish our selves as with new past with the two levin-lesse vertues Sinceritie and Truth Sinceritie that is cleanesâ—e of life Sed. c. a word thought to be taken from honie which is then mel sincerum when it is sine cerâ vnmingled without wax or any baggage in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word is properly of vncounterfeit wares such as we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth and shew them in the sunne as need not the false light of a close shop to vtter them But Truth that runnes through all flat against all kind of levin if it have any manner levin true it is not and so out it must 1. The levin of Doctrine Matt. 16.6 Of levin in the Gospell I finde three sorts interpreted to our hands that we cannot mistake CHRIST willed His Disciples to beware of the levin of the Pharisees and Sadducees It is after said He meant it of their doctrine that was full of corrupâ— levin 12. 1. The Pharisees of the levin of superstition consisting in phylacteries phrases and observances and little els 2. The Sadducees of a levin that smelt strong of prophanesse in their libertie of prophesying calling in question Angells and Spirits and the Resurrection it selfe 3. And a third levin CHRIST names the lâ—vin of Herod Mar. 8.15 ware that too Many times it is the bane of true Religion when GOD 's truth and worship must be moulded up with Ieroboam's and with Herod's ends squared to them just as is fittest to doe their turnes that Ieroboam may be safe No superfluous Caveat many times this marreth all Let all be abandoned Pharisee's Sadducce's Herod's and the truth take place 2. The levin of life Luk. 12.1 Now as in that place the Pharisee's levin is doctrine so in another I finde that CHRIST expounds it hypocrisie and that is meerly opposite to truth in meaning speaking and dealing The Pharisee was a great dealer with this lâ—vin He had it on his face Matt. 6.16 Matt. 23.7 to make him looke soure men might take notice when they fasted He had it on his tongue Rabbi O you teach the truth you respect no mans person when they sought to cut his throat He had it in his whole course all for shew to seeme that they were not 27. Gabbatha without and Golgotha within But yet even they though they vsed it they taught it not for a doctrine nor avowed not the lawfull vse of it that one might speake the one halfe without and the other halfe within as our Pharisees now doe Men ye shall never have any sincere truth from them Search them they have still a peece of levin in their bosome speake so and deale so as if they would take the sentence by the end and turne it cleane against the Apostle to purge out all his
sweet bread all sinceritie and truth and hold their Passe-over in levin or not at all Antichrist's goat may be so eaten The lamb CHRIST cannot To the lamb's nature that is sincere nothing so contrarie as this 3. The leviâ— â—f comâ—anie â—â—rrupt in lasâ— to meane speake or deale vn-sincerely You see a levin of Doctrine and Life that is the levin of the Gospell A third there is the lâ—vin of the Epistle and that is of Corrupt companie and that is in very deed the lâ—vin of this Text. For when the Apostle would have this levin heere purged what meanes he To have the incestuous Corinthian removed and cast out of the fâ—llowship of the faithfull by the Censures of the Church True but those not in every mans power But this is To avoid and shunne them and their companie so we may and so we are bound to cast them out There is very great danger in persons so levined great scandal even to the well disposed but farre great danger to the most that will soone take this lâ—vin Our nature is apt to take it it is easily fermented that way As much good leviâ— as will serve three pecks so much evill will doe more then serve three bushells and never leave till it have sowred them all That except this be looked to all the rest will be to small purpose In Reliâ—ion Now when Saint Paul speakes of persons thus levined he meanes not onely such as are lewd of life tainted that way but even such also as are unsound in matter of Religion and have a soure savour that way Heere to the Corinthians he would have the incestuous person cast out Gal. 5 3.â— c. 9. with his levined life But to the Galathians after he presseth the same point against another kinde such as levined the Gospell with MOSE 's câ—râ—moâ—ies 12. and so corrupted the truth in Religion and them he would have cut of both Coâ—inthian and Galathian levin both must out And marke upon the same reason both and in the very same words That a little levin doth not a little hurt but otherwhile Gal. 5.9 maâ—reth the whole batch of brâ—ad Evill doctrine is against Truth Evill life against walking in the truth Evill companie will bring us to both Therefore away with them but away with this especially If they will not purge out their levin purge them out And that especially against this Feast in the nature whereof there is a contrarietie to all levin Now then this is our Conclusion Come we must and Itaque celebremus This is our Caution Thus we must come Non in fermento sed azymis If we say it skills not whither we come Itaque meets with us If we say it skills not how we come Non in fermento meets with us too It is with us heere as with â—he Prophet Hos. 7.1 when we would heale one the other breaketh forth If we presse Non in fâ—rmento we lose Itaque epulemur they come not at all No Feast If we vrge Itaque epulemur they come how levined and unlevined all clap them downe together We need a Quomodo intrasti huc to keepe some backe And yet we need a Compelle intrare Matt. 22.12 â—uk 1â— 23. to bring others in But the manner but the caution remember that The maine conclusion is that we come The other we must not leave undâ—ne But this peremptorily we are bound to doe The Apostle binds us to doe it The time to doe it now For if this follow CHRIST is offered Therâ—forâ— we are to come to His fâ—ast This wiâ—l follow as strongly CHRIST is now offered therefore let us now come Goe by degrees The Christian Passe-over our Passe-over a time it must have sometime it is to be kept We would doe it at that time when it were best for us to doe it When bâ—st for us to doe it but at the time He did it Himselfe And that did He even at this fâ—aâ—t now Now then at this fâ—ast it is most kindly to doe it most like to please Him and to prosper with us And indeâ—d if at any time we will doe it Quando Pascha 〈◊〉 in Paâ—cha what time is the Pasâ—e-over so proper as at the fâ—ast of the Paâ—â—e-â—vâ—r 〈…〉 quando tempus imâ—olandâ— When the time of His receiving as at the time of His ofâ—â—ring Therfore they both the feast the lamâ— have onâ— nâ—me to shew the neer coniunction that should be betweene them When the daâ— câ—mmeth to remember what was done on the day and so what we to doe on that day Pasâ—â—a quod celâ—bramus to put us in minde of Pascha quod epulamur For tell me will the saâ—rifiâ—e commâ—moâ—ative or the sacrament communicative ever fall more fit then when that was offâ—red which we are to commemorate and to comâ—unicate withall Is not the fittest time of doing it the time when it was done of Hoc facite then when Hoc factum est So that without any more adoe the seâ—son it selfe pleadeth for this effectually And now is the time of Exâ—uâ—gaâ—e for our â—odies thâ— corrupt humours that levin it now we cast them out Anâ— why not now likewise tâ—ose that ly sâ—urâ— in our soules And even Nature's Paâ—â—e-oâ—â—r the genâ—rall Pâ—â—e-ovâ—â— is even at thiâ— time both in heaven and earth Above in heavâ—n where the 〈◊〉 haâ—ing 〈◊〉 over all the sigâ—es is come about and renewes his course at the first signe in the 〈◊〉 And beneâ—th in earth from the sharp time of winter and fâ—rmentiâ—g time of the eâ—rth to the râ—newing sweet time the time of the Sâ—â—ing wherein thâ—re is 〈…〉 in nâ—ture it selfe And why should not the Passâ—-over of grace be now likâ—wiâ—e in sâ—ason and have due concurrence with nature Sure all agree wâ—ll if we but agree our selves Anâ— if we agree for our parts to doe the daye 's duty CHRIST will not be behind with His tâ—e day's benefit But during our time and in the hower of death be our true Passâ—-ovâ—r shielding us from all deadly mis-happs while we heere live and giving us a sure and safe passage at our end even a passage to the last and great Paâ—se-over of all the truth of that whâ—reof theirâ— was the shaddow and ours the image now For we have not yâ—t done with our Laâ—b nor the work of this Paâ—se-ovâ—r is not yet fully accomplished There is a further matter yet behind for as this feast looâ—eth back as a mâ—â—oriall of that is alreadie past and done for us so doth it forward and is to us a plâ—dge of another and a better yet to come The fâ—ast of the marriagâ— of the Lamb heer Apoc 19.7 that is our Paâ—se-over where whosoever shall be a guest the Angells pronounce hâ—m happie and blâ—ssed for ever 9. That is the last and great Feast indeed when all Destroyers and all destructions shall cease and come to an â—nd for evermore and we heare that joyfull voice
Vivenesse as I may say the vivacitie the vigor it hath from CHRIST rising and by His rising opening to us the gate of life at large What life Eny life this life No vivam per resurrectionem Not this heere falsi seculi vita as even the Heathen man called it but the other the life by the resurrection the true life indeed Not to live heere still as we doe But to rise againe and live as CHRIST this day did That so we mistake not the life and take the wrong for the right For so shall we mistake in our hope also as commonly we doe For shall we doe hope no wrong The truth is Hope heares evill without a cause The fault is not hope 's the fault is our owne we put it where we should not and then lay the blame upon hope where we should blame our selves for wrong putting it For if ye put it not right this is a generall rule As is that we hope in so is our hope a Esay 36 6. Ye leane on a reed saith Esay b Iob. 8.14 Ye take hold by a cobweb Iob. c Eccles. 34.2 Ye catch at a shadow saith the Wise man And can it be then but this hope must deceive you We for the most part put it wrong for we put it in them that live this transitorie perishing life we put it in them that must die and then must our hope die with them and so prove a dying hope Miserable is that man Sap. 1.3 10. that among the dead is his hope saith the Wise man The Psalme best expresseth it our hope is in the Sonnes of men Psal. 145.3 and they live by breath and when that is gone they turne to dust and then there lies our hope in the dust For how can ever a dying object yield a living hope But put it in one that dies not that shall never die and then it will be Spes viva indeed No reed no cobweb-hope then but helmet anchor-hope hope that will never confound you And who is that or where is he that we might hope in Him That is Iâ—SVS z CHRISTVS spes nostra IESVS CHRIST our hope so calls him Saint Paul 1. Tim. 1.1 Such shall their hope be that have CHRIST for their hope Yet not CHRIST every way considered not as yesterday in the grave nor as the day before giving up the Ghost upon the Crosse dead and buried yields but dead hope But in IESVS CHRISTVS hodiè IESVS CHRIST today that is CHRISTVS resurgens CHRIST rising againe CHRIST not now a living soule but a quickning spirit In CHRIST 's life then But not in His mortall life They that so hoped in Him to Emmaus they went this day with Nos autem sperabamus we did hope Did while He was alive Luk. 24.21 but now now He is dead no more hope now And for two daies as He was so was their hope dead and buried and if He had risen no more had been quite dead for ever But this day He revived and rose againe So did their hope too To this life we are regenerate by the resurrection of Christ Right As to death generate by the fall of the first Adam So to life regenerate by the rising againe of Christ the second And these two Resurrection and regeneration match well The Regeneration of the soule is the first Resurrection And the Resurrection of the bodie is the last Regeneration So doth our SAVIOVR CHRIST terme it Mat. 19. Matt. 19.28 In the regeneration when the Sonne of Man shall sit that is at the generall resurrection So was His owne His resurrection His regeneration This day have I begotten thee the verse of the Psalme the Apostle applies to Christ's aeternall generation Heb. 1.5 Psal. 2.7 But so doth he to his Resurrection also Act. 13.33 For then was Christ himselfe regenerate as it were begotten in a sort anew and brought forth out of the grave as out of the wombe the very wombe wherein He was borne to the immortall that is to the true life By His resurrection and if ye aske how Esay tells vs There goeth from His resurrection an influence which shall have an operation like that of the dew of the spring Esay 26.19 which when He will let fall the earth shall yield her dead as at the falling of the dew the herbs now rise and shoot forth againe Which terme therefore of regenerating was well chosen as fitting well with His rising and the time of it The time I say of the yeare of the weeke and if ye will of the day too For He rose in the dawning Luk. 24.1 then is the day regenerate and in primá Sabbati that the first begetting of the Weeke And in the spring when all that were winter-sterved withered and dead are regenerate againe and rise up anew â— In hâ—â—editaete To an inheritance We passe now to the Inheritance But as we passe will ye observe the situation first It is well worth your observing that the Resurrection is placed in the midst bebetweene our Hope and our Inheritance To hope before it before the resurrection hope But after to the Inheritance it selfe to the full possession and fruition of it So from the state of hope by the resurrection as by a bridge passe we over to the enjoying our Inheritance And that falls well with the feast which is the feast of the Passe-over The Resurrection is so too passe we doe from spes to res So passed CHRIST So we to passe Every word stands exactly in his place and order An Inheritance accords well with according to His mercie We have it not of our selves or by our merits by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them but of Him and by His mercies and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them Els were it a purchase and no Inheritance It comes to us freely as the Inheritance to children Well with Mercie and well with Regeneravit For the Inheritance is of Children perteines to the Children either of generation by Nature or of Regeneration by Grace By the former He is Pater Domini nostri by the later He is Pater noster But yet for all that Ad haereditatem is a new point Begetting is properly but to life and nothing els The greater part by far are begotten so To Inherit besides not one of a thousand Aske poore mens children Aske yonger brethren But this heere not in Vivam onely but in Haereditatem also and these are two 1 To be begotten vivam 2 To be heires haereditatem It is not Lazarus resurrection to rise againe to the condition he had before It is Christ's rising to receive an Inheritance withall Nor shall we need to doubt eny prejudice to GOD from whom it comes by our comming to this Inheritance Vivam and Haereditatem there will stand well together Heere they will not Heere the Inheritance comes not but by the death of the partie in possession But there
A little before even in this very Chapter a withered hand was restored to another What could not they see a Signe in that neither Vers. 10. Goe backe to the Chapters before ye shall have no lesse then a dozen signes one after another and come they now with a Volumus videre They would have that shewed them that when it is shewed they will not see A bad minde this certeinly Vers. 38. 2. Nay worse yet Nay maliciously evill For ye shall note malice in them which is the worst kinde of evill For if ye marke this Volumus of theirs is with a kinde of spite with a kinde of disgrace to those he had shewed before They would see one as who should say those were none they had seene that was none they saw even now Maliciously If He shewed none then He was no bodie could not indeed shew any and so vilifie Him with the people If He shewed one then carp and cavill at it as they did at that even now Say it was done by the black art So cavill out one and call for another to deprave that too 3. Nay which is worst of all Evill and absurd men saith the Apostle And absurdly evill 2. Tim 3 13. Psal. 55.9 When is that Vidi iniquitatem contradictionem saith the Psalmist Ye shall see how absurdly they contradict themselves But even now they charged Him to worke by the devill and heer now they come and would have Him shew a miracle The devill cannot shew a miracle a tricke of Sorcerie he can Such may be done by the claw of the devill miracles not but by finger of God by power divine Him then Him whom they even now had pronounced to deale with the devill Him come they to now for a miracle So absurdly maliciouâ— as they cared not in their malice to contradict themselves To men so evill so maliciously evill so absurdly evill Signum non dabitur eis Well howsoever they might erre that way the men otherwise to be respected they were so vertuous men so streight livers See ye not their phylacteries how broad they weare them Nor that neither saith CHRIST but evill and adulterous too As of evill minds so of evill lives too Ye shall come now to the uncasing of a Pharisee For CHRIST lifts up their phylacteries and shewes what lurkes under them For by adulterous I understand not as if He charged them they were borne of adulterie came into the world the wrong way the seed of Canaan and not of Iuda As having nothing in them of the Patriarchs So nothing lesse then their children of whom they bare themselves so much This is adulterina rather then adultera children of the adulterers rather then adulterous themselves And that was no fault of theirs And CHRIST upbraideth no man but with his owne faults Nor I understand it not of spirituall adulterie though that way they might be charged as leaving Him the true Spouse the true Messias taking no notice of Him passing by Him went after such as had adulterate the truth of GOD by devises of their owne taking up Not with Idolatrie perhapps but which is as evill and differs but a letter with idiolatrie For to worship images and to worshipp men's own imaginations comes all to one That they were faulty of and I pray GOD we be free But this is mysticall adulterie and I would make as no more miracles so no more mysteries then needs I must For my part I see no harme to take the word in the native sense without figure for men given to commit that sin the sin of adulterie For for all their deepe fringes all was not well that way Ioh. 8.1 as is plaine by Iohn VIII Where not one of them durst take up a stone to cast at the woman taken in adulterie but slunck away one after another till there was not one left CHRISST toucheth upon that string to shew what heavenly men these were that would have a signe from heaven and none els serve them Were not these meet men to sue for a signe Were not a signe even cast away upon them A generation of such But this is not all For this they were saith our SAVIOVR not heer and there a man of them but the whole bunch was no better not the persons onely but the Generation so not a good of them all And such you shall observe there be Not onely such men but such Generations of men and faults suppose of lying swearing and such like rooted in a stocke kept even in traduce as it were and derived downe ab avis atavisque from the father to the sonne by many descents in a kinde of hereditarie propagation Pro. 30.11.12.13.14 Salomon in his time noted foure of them 1 One a generation unkind to their parents and their children so to them for it 2 Another pure in their owne eyes 3 A third of high eyebrowes 4 A fourth cruel hearted whose teeth were as knives to shred the poor of the earth shred them small Such were these and adulterie made way for such For ubi corrupta sunt semina where a generall corruption that way no good to be hoped for the Countrie will not last long By this Christ had said enough and shewed that non dabitur cis is a fit answer for these Now this ye shall marke the worse the men the more importune ever and the harder to satisfie They must have signes and signes upon signes and nothing will serve them As no lesse then foure severall times were they at Christ. 1 Heer 2 in the XVI Chapter 3 Mar. VIII 4 Luc. XI And still to see a signe As oft as they came Chap 16.4 Mar 8.11 Luc. 11.29 this had been their right answere to dispatch them with a Non dabitur and no more adoe Other answere let them have none Even absolutely none at all For none they should have had II The deniall qualified Non Nisi Yet saith He not None they shall have He wil be better to them then they deserve Christ wil be Christ Redit ad ingenium Forgetts now all He had said erewhile And an evill and an adulterous generation though they be yet a signe they shall have for all that Not simply None then but Non nisi None save the Negative is qualified so qualified as upon the matter it proves an Affirmative The Nisi destroyes the Non Non dabitur nisi that is dabitur So one they shall have Though not now presently at their volumus at their whistling as it were but after when He saw the time And though perhapps not such a one as they would have phansied yet such a one as they rather nâ—ed and would doe them more good that is one for their want not for their â—aâ—ton desires And that is the reason why none but it For no Signe needed but it For without others well they might be without this they or we could not well be For
likewise Luc. 2.13 4. And lastly for our comfort thus That henceforth even such shall our graves be if we be so happy as to have our parts in the first resurrection Revel 20.6 which is of the soule from sinne We shall goe to our graves in white in the comfort and colour of hope lie between two Angells there they guard our bodies dead and presâ—â—t them alive againe at the resurrection 1. Yet before we leave them to learne somewhat of the Angells specially of the Angel that sate at the feete That betweene them there was no striving for places He that sate at the feete as well content with his place as he that at the head We to be so by their example For with us both the Angels would have beene at the head never a one at the feete with us none would be at the feete by his good will Head Angels all 2. Againe from them both That inasmuch as the head ever stands for the beginning and the feete for the end that we be carefull that our beginnings onely be not glorious O an Angel at the head in any wise but that we looke to the feet there be mother there too Ne turpiter atrum Desinâ—t that it end not in a blacke Angel that began in a white And this for the Angel's appearing VER 13. And they said to her Woman why weepest thou She said to them They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him 〈…〉 Now to their speech It was not a dumbe shew this a bare apparition and so vanished away It was visio vex a vocall vision Heer is a dialogue too The Angels speake to her And they aske her Quid ploras Why she wept what cause she had to weepe They meane she had none as indeed no more she had All was in error piae lachryniae 〈…〉 〈◊〉 teares of griefe but false griefe imagining that to be that was not Him to be dead that was alive She weepes because she found the grave empty which God forbid she should have found full for then CHRIST must have beene dead still and so no Resurrection And this case of Mary Magdalen is our case oftentimes In the error of our conceit to weepe where we haue no cause to ioy where we have as little Where we should where we haue cause to ioy we weepe and where to weepe we ioy Our ploras hath never a quid False ioyes and false sorrowes false hopes and false feares this life of ours is full of God helpe us Now because she erred they aske her the cause that she alledging it they may take it away and shew it to be no cause As the elench à non causâ pro causâ makes foule rule among us beguiles us all our life long 〈◊〉 answer Will ye heare her answer to Why weepe you Why sustulerunt that was the cause Her Lord was gone was taken away And a good cause it had beene if it had beene true Any have cause to grieve that have lost lost a good Lord so good and gracious a Lord as He had beene to her But that is not all a worse matter a greater griefe then that When one dieth we reckon him taken away that is one kind of taking away But his dead body is left so all is not taken from us That was not her case For in saying her Lord she means not Her Lord alive that is not it she meanes not they had slaine Him they had taken away his life she had wept her fill for that already But her Lord that is his dead body For though His life was gone yet His body was left And that was all she now had lest of Him that she cals Her Lord and that they had taken away from her too A poore one it was yet some comfort it was to her to have even that left her 〈…〉 to visite to annoint to doe other offices of love even to that Etiam viso cadavere recalescit amor at the sight even of that will love revive it will fetch life of love againe But now heer is her case that is gone and all and nothing but an empty grave now left to stand by That S. Augustine saith well sublatus de monumento grieved her more then occisus in ligno for then something yet was left now nothing at all Right sustulerunt taken away quite and cleane And thirdly her nescio vbi For though He be taken away it is some comfort yet if we know where to fetch Him againe But heer He is gone without all hope of recovery or getting againe For they but she knew not who had carryed Him she knew not whither laide Him she knew not where there to do to Him she knew not what So that now she knew not whether to goe to finde any comfort It was nescio ubi with her right Put all these together His life taken away His body taken away and carryed no man knowes whether and doe they aske why she wept or can any blame her for it 〈…〉 The truth is none had taken away Her Lord for all this for all this while Her Lord was well was as she would have had Him alive and safe He went away of 〈…〉 him thence What of that Non câ—edens 〈◊〉 credidit sâ—blatâ—m for want of beleefe He was risen she beleeved He was carryed away She 〈…〉 theâ—e was on 〈◊〉 in her love but there was love in her errour 〈…〉 〈…〉 leave to lay ou◠〈…〉 aâ—guments of her love Yet her love ouâ— of this verse to make up eight towards the making up of her 〈◊〉 The very 〈…〉 gives Him of Dominum 〈◊〉 is one My Lord that she give◠〈◊〉 that terme For it shewes her love and respect was no whit abated by 〈…〉 of His death It was a most opprobrious ignominious shamefull death 〈…〉 â—uch as in the eyes of the world any would have beene ashamed to own 〈…〉 say 〈◊〉 Him Meum but any would have beene afraid to honour him with thâ—◠〈◊〉 to style Him Dominum She was neither Meum for herâ— Dominum meum for her Lord she acknowledgeth Him is neither ashamed nor afraid to continue that 〈…〉 scaâ—â—alo non 〈…〉 Another which I â—ake to be farâ— beyond this That she having looked into the grave a little before and seene never an Angel there and of a sudden looking in now and seeing two a sight able to have amazed any any but her It mooves not her at all The suddennesse the strangenesse the gloriousnesse of the sight yea even of Angels moove her not at all She seemes to have no sense of it and so to be in a kind of extasie all the while Domine propter te est extra se saith Bernard Amor extasin patiens And thirdly as that strange sight affected her not a whit so neither did their comfortable speech worke with her at all Comfortable I call it for they that
Psal. 119.175 2. Sam. 26.21 O let my soule live O let the soule of thy servant be pretious in thy sight And now upon this Petijt as upon a ground followes streight vitam dedit And heerein first appeared the goodnesse of GOD in granting his desire in not denying his request Vitam petijt and Vitam dedit life he asked and life he had No sooner asked but obtained This was satisfying But then he stayed not there but prevented him further gave it him with advantage A long life with that he asked not Life He gave him So farr his petition so farre no 〈◊〉 but he gave him long too long was not in the petition and so a meere 〈…〉 the second kind of preventing that before we spake of Life was in the request 〈…〉 not He gave it him with long too Dies super dies Regis adijciendo addâ—ng dâ—ies to the King's dayes till it was length of daies that is a long life and a long 〈◊〉 both Psal. 61.6 Which very point of long makes that this Text will not fall in fitt with every King unlesse he have lived and reigned as long David's time that is fourtie yeares for so hâ— must yet 〈…〉 longam can be said or soong of him â— â— life 〈…〉 But yet heer he stâ—yes not nâ—ither but heapes upon him more still and goes on â—o vitâ—m in seculum seculi For to say truth what iâ— long life yea never so long if it be not Saint Hierom's lâ—ng Nihil longâ—m quod finem habet If ye speake of long that iâ—â—nely long that shall last for ever that never shall have end Our long is but a 〈…〉 which goes but by comparison of a shorter Els what is it to live 〈…〉 compasse of mans iâ—â—ermost age if he live not so in this life 〈…〉 he may live for ever The meanâ—ng is what is long life without it 〈…〉 life without it be with the true feare and worship of GOD 〈…〉 hath the promise of in saeculum saeculi without which a short life is 〈…〉 life and no life at all but an untimely death better then both 〈…〉 Heathen have hitt upon coronam posuit and vitam dedit yea and longam 〈…〉 be but laetitiae gentium these But the life for ever Mat. 19.11 that is a Non omnibus 〈…〉 among the Heathen never had it that is laetificans Davidis that the blessing 〈…〉 the transcendent blessing of all to have the end of this life the beginning 〈…〉 life that never shall have end and that by the true service of GOD in His 〈…〉 〈◊〉 this then instar omnium even worth all and the very consummatum est the 〈…〉 perfection GOD can bestow on David That God gave him 1. Chron. 13.15.28.24.25.26 Psal. 84.10 to bring back the 〈…〉 pitch a Tabernacle for it to lay up and leave a great masse of treasure for the 〈…〉 Temple himselfe devoutly to worship and to make lawes and sett orders for a 〈…〉 and seemly worship of God then he found He said himself this was the 〈…〉 day he saw in all his life that one day worth a thousand And for this his care 〈…〉 â—anctuarie came this help to him out of the Sanctuarie see the second Verse of 〈…〉 before that saved him saved him both his crown and life and that after 〈…〉 him to everlasting Tabernacles to a crown and life that shall endure for ever Luke 16.9 〈◊〉 â—uther then this we cannot go 〈◊〉 have we the particular of that was sued for and granted and of that was granted 〈…〉 sued for by the speciall priviledge of God's preventing goodnesse Himselfe 〈…〉 desire satisfied his crowne fast his life assured heer and for ever 〈◊〉 judge now whither David had good cause to reioyce or not And whither we 〈…〉 heer againe for a farewell once more over with our first triplicitie of ioy 〈…〉 to go to vitam if you will and if need be exultabit to longam 〈…〉 to be reserved for in saeculum saeculi There it is in kind So it was never 〈◊〉 There it is ô quam indeed For there is a crowne life and ioy that exceed all 〈…〉 desire and there he shall receive them and say O quà m indeed 〈◊〉 what shall we say now of all this Truly no more then must needs be said II. The Review or Application to His Maiestie 〈…〉 then the Text it selfe drawes from us Heer is a faire Major layed forth 〈…〉 A King that hath in this manner found the strength of God shew forth 〈…〉 his saving and felt the goodnesse of God in thus preveneing his desires 〈…〉 his crowne and his life Any such King may for he hath good cause Nay 〈…〉 for he is bound to be exceeding both ioyfull and glad The Holy Ghost 〈…〉 word sayes he shall so be 〈…〉 be King David He If any other He too King David's we have surveyed 〈…〉 time would give us leave Shall we now pray a Review to see if any other 〈…〉 found besides as deepe in the causes as he For if as deepe in tâ—e causes 〈…〉 in the effect If the same in virtute and the same in salute the same laetabitur 〈…〉 grant 〈◊〉 heer now choose Psal 40 9.10 whither we will refraine our lipps and keep back God's mercie 〈…〉 from the great Congregation If we would so and hold our peace the day 〈…〉 fift of August would not but would as the Psalme saith eructare verbum Psal. 19.2 〈…〉 sorth and tell us that such a King there is and who it is That if there be or 〈…〉 were a Prince upon Earth that found and felt this virtutem and salutem Dei 〈…〉 hand and help of God in saving him saving him miraculously Verily this 〈…〉 not as Nathan Tu es homo but Tu es Rex You are that King certenly 2. Sam. 12.7 〈…〉 these foure in the Text from point to point 〈…〉 saving first This day you were like to miscarrie 1. In His saving Ver. 7. Ver. 8. Ver. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in danger to perish to lose 〈…〉 â—nd that which to you is dearer then youâ— life your crowne by some that 〈…〉 and had contrived a Mezimma a dangerous practise and plot against them 〈…〉 on being then and there oversett with strength came this virtus Dei You 〈◊〉 bâ—ing upon the point to perish 〈◊〉 this saluâ— Dei and saved You strangely There iâ— the first verse 2. 〈…〉 16. Mat. 1â— 30 〈◊〉 your desire satiâ—fying In 〈◊〉 distresse I doubt not but You might and did lift 〈◊〉 Your soule to GOD in 〈…〉 Hosanne that of Ezekia Domine vim patior 〈◊〉 I am oppressed 〈…〉 Or that of the Apostle sinking Help Lord I perish If you 〈…〉 granted your desire He denied not your request set a Sela then But if being surprise 〈…〉 the extreme sodennesse of the assault you did not you could not doe it Thâ—n did â—e more even prevent you
with His goodnesse His sweetest His blessâ—deâ—t goodnesse of all And 〈◊〉 your sâ—ving which you had reason to desire that which you never 〈…〉 desired I dare say that gave He You too Exalted His strength that 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 Ver. 8 Ver. 12.9.9.10 Your triplicitie And those same Zamzummims the contrivers of the 〈◊〉 His hand found them and they found it He set his strings full against the face of them destroyed them in his wrath even in the very place hath cast them into the fiery 〈◊〉 where even now they frie rooted out their fruict from the earth and their 〈◊〉 from among the children of men All these are word for word every of them in the sequele of this very Psalme All this He did You desired not all this not their aeternall destruction I know yet even with this also He prevented You. 3. In the setting on his crowne For your crowne this is sure if ever any were prevented with a crowne he was that was so in his cradle had it set on his head there when he was not as a weined child morally No nor a weined child literally but indeed a child not yet weined not so much had neither lipps to speake nor heart then to desire eny such thing he was prevented sure 4. In giving and 〈◊〉 his life Further yet if eny found favour in setting on his crown yea crown upon crown and saving upon saving After his first crown in danger to miscarry and even throwen downe as upon this day And after his second in danger againe to miscarrie and to be blowen up upon another day and saved in both He was fairly blessed by His goodnesse say I Which very saving upon the matter was a second crowning even a new setting on that that was sliding of So that Tu posuisti the second time may truly be affirmed of this day And what should I say If eny that his crown saved and his life saved under one Saved and prolonged both so that now these fifteen yeares togither you have held this day with ioy and which is worth all the rest besides length of this life blessed with God's holy truth the pledge of everlasting life the best of his blessings Such a on this Text doth warrant us to say hath cause great cause exceeding great cause his soule to magnifie the Lord Luc. 1.46 and his spirit to reioice in God his Saviour Such a one to performe all the three heer specified so many triplicities of favour would have more then a single reioicing And shall not I add this As to reioice in God so to seeke and set himselfe to devise and doe somewhat for which GOD may reioice in him Somewhat for the Sanctâ—â—rie from thence came his help and from no other place Somewhat I say that thi◠〈◊〉 â—ay be mutuall as of you in GOD so of GOD in You againe Sure there is a bond an obligation to it in Laetabitur the King shall reioice shall be glad still doe it shall not be dispensed with not to doe it Shall not please God if he do it no◠〈…〉 â—ut where are we all this while excluded from this reioicing The King 〈◊〉 it is sayd what and none but he None is mentioned but he We â—ould not let him I dare say doe it alone there be many thousands of us that 〈…〉 stand by looking on if we had eny warrant to reioice too Give me 〈…〉 to looke out a warraâ—◠〈◊〉 us we would be loth to sitt out and to lose 〈…〉 〈…〉 and the Psalme next before it are two sister Psalmes That a 〈…〉 safety the last words of it are Lord save the King Why the King 〈…〉 have that they prayed for and shall not then their Hosanna resolve into 〈…〉 Their carefâ—ll Hosanna into a ioyfull Halleluja Yes and so it doth in 〈…〉 as the last words of that Psalme are Lord save the King so the last of 〈…〉 sing sing for very ioy of it â—â—omised as much there in that Psalme to reioice at the V. verse We will 〈◊〉 Thy Salvation Laetabitur Rex heer it is Laetabimur nos there They 〈…〉 therâ— and they will be as good as their word and so they are For even 〈…〉 Laetabitur Rex is the first verse Cantabimus nos is the last That 〈…〉 at the first we come in at the last If his at the beginning ours at the end 〈…〉 no part in David is the voice of a rebell All good subjects have a part 2. Sam. 20 1. 1. Reg. 12.16 〈◊〉 inheritance in him or as the new taken up terme is a birthright in him 〈…〉 before his Law 〈◊〉 2. Sam. 19.43 They fall there to share the King among them the 〈◊〉 â—nd to reckon up what part and portion each hath in him Have they a 〈◊〉 portion in him Why then in his griefe and in his ioy And if they in 〈◊〉 in ours So that to use the Apostle's phrase If he be sorry 2. Cor. 2.2 who 〈◊〉 as glad and if he be glad to use the Apostle's phrase againe he may 〈…〉 so may every good King of his people This trust have I in you all 2. Cor. 2.3 that my 〈◊〉 the ioy of you all Thus come we to have our part in his ioy And if as it 〈…〉 Iuda is in David the very name of the one with a very small 〈◊〉 the others name if Iuda in David then Iuda's ioy in David's That 〈…〉 laetabitur David it will also be laetabitur Iuda exultabit Israël Psal. 53.6 Iuda 〈…〉 and Israel be right glad Looke ye there is now a warrant there is 〈…〉 for it 〈◊〉 then if we have Scripture for our reioicing let us doe it and doe it 〈…〉 even by and through all this tripartite joy 〈◊〉 with laetabitur Reioice in the spirit within A good signe we doe so if 〈◊〉 can but say the two first words heere Domine laetabitur unto GOD. 〈◊〉 whole text is a speech directed to GOD He made witnesse of our ioy Therefore 〈…〉 hearty and true there is no halting with Him see it be so or tel not Him 〈…〉 He will finde you streight and give you your portion with hypocrites if you 〈…〉 Lord thou knowest thus I am and yet thus you are not Mat. 24.51 〈◊〉 very truth the Psalme seemes to be penned for the nonce that no dissembler 〈…〉 say it He to whom it is to be sayd is not man but GOD and He can tell 〈◊〉 we speake as we thinke or not 〈◊〉 all true hearts will say it and say it with confidence and that even to GOD 〈◊〉 that knowes the ground of the heart Lord thou knowest what is 〈◊〉 thou knowest that I am truly ioyfull even there within 〈◊〉 within we must have it first but there within we must not keepe it nay 〈◊〉 within it will not be kept if there be this spirit and life of inward joy in it Out 〈◊〉 with an exultemus And
even so GOD would have it No concealed joy 〈◊〉 Apocrypha to day All the seven seales of it opened Shine out as a beame 〈◊〉 â—orth as a streame into a visible and audible exultation Shew it self as GOD'S joy 〈◊〉 in the 6. Ver. in the joy of the countenance That if eny tell you he is glad 〈◊〉 that he is and hath the clowds in his forhead it will not serve you may 〈…〉 but where is your exultabit We must see you are so Apoc. 5.5 1. Cor. 5.8 Psal. 118.15 There is some 〈◊〉 malignitie within if there be not the voice of ioy and gladnesse that it may be 〈…〉 to the eare if there be not the habit gesture and other signes of it to be seene 〈…〉 that it may give evidence to both senses 3. Luc. 6.38 〈…〉 these and both in no scant measure no pinching to day but good 〈…〉 cunning over exceeding is the word of the verse Exceed first in this least 〈…〉 all in the low voice of ioy and gladnesse in these Panegyriques of praise 〈…〉 acclamations But exceed me them how by cantabimus the hymnes and musick of the Church that is lowder and to helpe them to exceed all the Organs and other Instruments of the Queer below But exceed we them too How with the bells the Instruments of the Steeple above and with the sound of the Trumpetts that wil be heard further of And yet exceed them too How With a peale of Ordinance if it be to be had that wil be heard farthest of all Exceeding is the word in the Text. Exceeding to be in and through all that our Hosanna may be in the Highest to day And so for the other senses in shewes and Triumphs Feasts and Fires and other signes of Iubilee whatsoever we use when we use to exceed in gladnesse when we would shew we exceed in it that so ô quà m may be said of it it doth so exceed All are but due to this deliverance to thus many triplicities in it We to exceed for God himselfe we see exceeds heer His ordinarie is but to give leave or at most to call us to reioyce But heer He doth not give leave or call us to it with a jubilate Nay shall heer is more then a jubilate that but exhorts this binds us shal be glad that is neither will nor choose but be so Yea He makes us speake to Him Domine and makes us promise Him we will so and having promised lookes we should make it good GOD enjoynes it And if GOD enjoyn it the Day doth most justly intercedere even plead for it that if ever we will do it we would now do it on the salvation-day it selfe And never may he see day of ioy that ioyeth not in this day nor have cause of gladnesse that for this cause is not glad And this for shal be glad and for the bond de praesenti that is in shall But besides it there is a tense de futuro in shall too We may not lose it for feare of tolletur à vobis Ioh. 15.22 But admonished by that Tense bethink our selves how to draw it further then the present tense even into the future still shall Laetetur or laetabitur Rex the Hebrew will beare both But ours and so all translations choose laetabitur rather Not laetetur that is not so well for that is true if it be done now and but now for the present for this once Laetabitur is better for there the doing it is in the future still still to come still more ioy behind For the King shall reioyce of this day wil be over soon at night What shall we end our reioycing then with this day No I trust But by vertue of this shall shall reioyce next yeare againe and when that is come shall the yeare following and so then againe the yeare after that and so from yeare to yeare donec câ—gâ—ominetur shall so long Heb. 3.13 as it is called shall so long as we look into our bookes and find shall reioyce there So long and no longer Now that the ioy may so continue the causes must continue too there is no remedie It is they must keep our laetabitur still alive The causes were salutem masit desiderium praevenit Coronam posuit vitam dedit To performe our vowes then Vota publica I trust to desire that this chaine of causes may keep whole still and not a link of it be broken or lost that they may passe into the future all stiâ—l salutem mittet desiderium praeveniet coronam ponet and vitam dabit still I will not go through them all onely touch the Alpha and Omega the first and the last and so I have done Laetabitur and vitam dedit Pro. 14.30.16 24. Laetabitur ioy first if it be but for vitam dedit For ioy is a prolonger of life dulcedo carnis et sanitas ossium as Salomon calleth it And even for that cause we begin with it But to say truth leave out laetabitur and what is there wish-worthy Truly without it neither saving nor crowne nor life worth the wishing For who would be saved to live still in sorrow And the crowne it self it is not corona desiderij if it be not corona gaudij Yea and who would wish life but to take some ioy and comfort in it I will say more Gen. 3.8.10 let one be in Paradise as Adam was Even there when Adam had lost his joy Paradise it selfe was no Paradise as good in a drie desert as in it without ioy Paradise it selfe is not worth the wishing Ioy is all in all Let that then be caput voti Psal. 45.7 Psal. 132.18 that the oyle of gladnesse may run down through them all and over them all make His saving precious to Him His crowne flourish His life vitam vitalem and worth the desiring That ioy may be the unitie of this Trinitie 1 salutis 2 corona 3 vitae But then last because all foure of them hold upon life to the end they may hold that that may hold hold and hold long Some think it is long enough already and so long may they think I know not what to think For I cannot tell how long and short are said but comparativè that so a life may be long and not long diversly compared To stand rating it as the Law doth seven yeares to a life so seven lives already so compared it is in a sense long But we will none of that Nor as compared with the Princes round about Him For he hath stood them all and longer then any of them all and hath had the honour long Psal. 89.27 to be Primogenitus inter Reges Terrae GOD 's first borne now of all the Kings of the Earth and long may He have it Long if thus But then againe not long if compared with the desires of our hearts with the requests of our lipps Not long if compared with that that
Christians keep sacred and holy by holding solemne Feasts for them least els by revolution of time forgetfulnesse might creep upon us and we prove unthankfull And do we any oâ—her thing in appointing this day then all these did I conclude with the style of the Coâ—ncells Sequentes igitur nos per omnia Sanctorum Patrum vestigia We heerin do but tread in the stepps of our holy Fathers and follow them that were followers therein of God himselfe If it be said all this while we heare no praecept alledged we have nothing but example No more had Esther heer precepâ— had she none Onely God's example she had Picked the foureteenth of Adar out of the fourteenth of Nisan from Pharao that from Haman this It is true Dirigimur praeceptis By praecepts we take our direction 〈◊〉 it is no lesse true Instruintur exemplis We receive instruction in a great part from examples also One serves for our rule the other for our patterne and we as to obey the one so to imitate the other For Perfectio inferiorum assimilatio superiorum The inferiour hath no greater perfection then to become like to them that are his Superiors Superiors I say and that in time no lesse then in place that is such as have in former times laudably gone before us The Bible sheweth this plaine there beside the Bookes of the Law that serve for Precepts to direction God hath caused to be written the Storie of the Bible to yeeld us examples for imitation And those Bookes of Storie are in Hebrew called the former Prophetts to shew before there came any predictions into the world there was a Propheticall force in them to guide God's people by To the 〈◊〉 and to the Testimonie For the practise of the Saints runneth along with the Law under the name of Testimonie their lives having ever borne testimonie to Gâ—d and his truth And as the Hebrewes say a barren Divine shall he be qui nescit 〈◊〉 legem de Prophetis that out of the Saint's practise cannot frame a Law The ground then being layd If this be agreed of that a day that a sett day and that this very day may be appointed We have two points more to touch 1 the 〈◊〉 by which it is to be injoyned and the 2 manner according to which it is to 〈…〉 1. The Authority by which it was enâ—oyned 〈…〉 first For be the ground never so good yet are not we to take up dayes 〈…〉 heads but by order of authoritie they are to be enjoyned us Whose 〈…〉 There be in a Law but three things 1 advise 2 authoritie 3 and Sâ—â—mission 〈…〉 It should seeme at the first Mardocheâ— did onely by a 〈…〉 anno celebrarent honore Verse 20. 〈◊〉 and this before 〈…〉 place That letter of his either not taking place or 〈…〉 enough and they â—eing either layâ—d down or so like to be heer commeth 〈…〉 and this no advise now but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of then 〈◊〉 of a Law 〈◊〉 establish them for ever 〈…〉 nay noâ— both of them do of themselves 〈…〉 commission from it Not 〈…〉 Province of them 〈…〉 XXV Verse and by it 〈◊〉 they to doe all this What Esther did she did in the power of Assuerus 〈◊〉 Assuerus it is well knowen was a Heathen King yet have we heere a Feast â—â—â—ablished by his authoritie So was the King of Ninive a Heathen too Iona. 3.7 yet have we 〈◊〉 enjoyned by his So was the King of Babel a Heathen King yet a Law by him â—ade upon paine of death not to blaspheme the true GOD. So were Cyrus Dan. 3.29 Ezra 5.13.6.12 and Daâ—ius yet the Temple built by their authoritie Things pertâ—ining to Religion all So that there is in the Regall power of all yea even of Heathen Princes to confirme and to â—njoyne what may tend to the worship and service of GOD. Power against the truth or for falshood I know none no Power to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 1. Tim. 2.2 to aediâ—â—cation all And prayer is to be made without ceasing for Kings that they may applie their power to these to aedifie in the Truth So they will if Mardochei may be in place 〈◊〉 wise them not Haman But if they mis-apply it and not to the end GOD gave it 〈◊〉 for He that gave it them is to take accompt of them for it and He will require 〈◊〉 at tâ—eir hands to Him they be respondent But â—e this heere and ever remembred if by a Heathen Prince's power this was done shall it be denied to a Christen Prince to one in whom Assuerus's power and Esther's Religion both meet to take order for daies or other rites of that nature Well then having both our ground and our authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is three severall times repeated in this one verse 1 Once for Mardochei that advised 2 Once for Esther that enjoined and 3 Once for the people that undertook to observe it It is the Iewe's operative word whereby they enact all their statutes Be it then enacted what Vt nulliâ— liceat dies hos absque solennitate transigere Verse 23. That it be lawfull for no man to passe these daiâ—s without solemnizing To a Law there go two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two Caashers two accordings Both twaine are heere 1 According as Esther with Mardochei's advise enjoyned it 2 And according as they that is the people tooke upon them decreed to observe it Which observing is the life of every Law even the publique approbation or giving allowance of it by the constant keeping it The second according is added for the people's commendation that what was prudently advised and lawfully enjoyned was by them as dutifully observed And this they not onely did but bound themselves moreover and their seed so to continue Themselves and that with the highest bond super animas suas which is more then upon themselves and would not have beene putt in the margent but stood in the Text upon theirs and upon their seeds never to let them fall The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the 27. Verse that is to make a Kabala or tradition of it And that is the true tradition indeed when a thing orderly taken up there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carefully and out conscience kept up there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and delivered over from the Father to the Sonne and from the Sonne to the Nephew to all succeeding Ages none daring to transgresse it on the charge of their soules This Kabala made it a perfect Law Now a word of the manner of the keeping them and so an end 2. The Manner of keeping it They enacted to keepe the Purim daies How to keepe them It will lead us this to the nature of them whither as holy-dayes or no. For at this there be that stick too A feria they will allow them a play-day or ceasing from worke or a festus dies if you
Heb. 11.9 2 Cor 5 1. as of a tent or booth spread for a day and taken downe at night Even like Ionas's gourd for all the world fresh in the morning and starke withered yer evening But of the life to come as of a ground-worke never to remove it selfe or we from it but to abide therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the prison or the palace for evermore We shall not therefore lose but lay up in store not for others but for our selves Not for a few daies now but for heereafter Not a tent to be taken downe but a foundation never to be removed Of all the words in the Text not one was meet for the teeth of the Rhemists save this onely heere you have a perillous note close in the margent Good workes are a foundation A foundation very true who denies it but whither a foundation in our graces as CHRIST is without us that is the point The ground whereon every building is raised is termed fundamentum The lowest part of the building immediately lying on it is so termed too In the first sense CHRIST is said to be the onely foundation 1. Cor. 3.11 Yet the Apostles because they are the lowest row of stones Eph. 2.20 Col. 1.23 are said to be foundations in the second So among the graces within us faith is properly in the first sense said to be the foundation yet in the second do we not denie Eph. 3.18 but as the Apostle calleth them as the lowest row next to Faith Charitie and the workes of charitie may be called foundations too Albeit the margent might well have beene spared at this place for the note is heere all out of place For being so great Schoolemen as they would seeme they must needs know It is not the drift of the Apostle heere in calling them a foundation to carry our considerations into the matter of justifying but onely to presse his former reason of uncertaintie there by a contrarie weight of certaine stabilitie heere and so their note comes in like Magnificat at Matins Thus reasoneth Saint Paul This world is uncertaine of a sandy nature you may reare upon it but it is so bad a soile as whatsoever you raise will never be well settled and therefore ever tottering and when the raine and the wind and the waves beat against it Mat. 7.26 it commeth downe on your heads Therefore to make choise of a faster soile build upon GOD 's ground not upon the world's ground for Chrys. in locum Hom. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome there all is firme there you may build and be sure fall the raine upon the top of it blow the wind against the side of it rise the waves against the foot of it it stands irremovable Wherein the Apostle saith Chrysostome doth teach a very goodly and excellent art how to make of our fugitive riches a trusty and fast friend how to make Gold of our Quicksilver and of the uncertaintie of riches a sure and certaine ground-worke Assurance and securitie are two things we know that rich men many times buy deare heere they may be had not for thus much or thus long but for as much as you list and as long as aeternitie is long that never shall have end The meaning is that if you lay out or lay on that you have on these earthly things the plott which the world would faine commend unto you with this life or at the furthest with this world they shall be shaken in peeces and come to nought and you possibly in the houre of death but most certainely in the day of judgement shall shake when the world your ground-worke shakes and be in trembling feare and perplexed agonie touching the estate of your soule knowing there is nothing comming to you but the fruit of this world which is ruine or the fruit of the flesh which is corruption But if you shall have grace to make choise of GOD 's plot which He hath heere leveled for you to raise upon O quanto dignum pretio that will be worth all the world in that day the perfect certaintie sound knowledge and pretious assurance you shall then have whereby you shall be assured to be received because you are sure you are CHRIST 's because you are sure you have true faith because you are sure you have framed it up into good workes And so shall they be a foundation to you-ward by making evident the assurance of salvation not naturâ to God-ward in bringing forth the essence of your salvation Looke you how excellent a ground-worke heere is not for a cotage whereon you may raise your frame to so notable a height as standing on it you may lay hand on and lay hold of eternall life O that you would minde once these high things that you would be in this sense high-minded Saint Paul's meaning is to take nothing from you but give you a better to requite it by farre He would have you part with part of your wealth to do good he will lay you up for it treasure in heaven for your owne use He would have you forsake the world's sand and uncertaintie wherein you cannot trust but therefore he markes you out a plott out of the rock whereto you may trust He would not have you high-minded in consideration or comparison of ought on this earth but he would have your mindes truely exalted to reach up heavenly things higher then the earth And last instead of this world the lusts and riches thereof to match that if you will lay hold of it he holdeth out aeternall life and the glorie thereof To take a short prospect into aeternall life Life it selfe first you know is such a thing as were it to be sold would be staple ware if it stood where hold might be laid on it some would thrust their shoulders out of joint but they would reach it It was a great truth out of a great lier's mouth Skinne and all And I meane not aeternall Iob 2.4 but this life and therefore some readings have to lay hold of true life as if in this were little truth Indeed Saint Augustine saith it is nothing but a disease We say of dangerous sicknesses he hath the plague he is in a consumption sure he will die and yet it failes diverse die not whereas saith he of life it selfe it may be said and never failes He lives therefore he will certainly die Well yet this life such as it is yet we love it and loth we are to end it and if it be in hazard by the Law what running riding posâ—â—â—g suing bribing and if all will not serve breaking prison is there for it Or if it be in danger of disease what adoe is there kept what ill-savoured druggs taken what scarifying cutting searing and when all comes to all it is but a few yeares more added and when they are done we are where we should have been
which the erecting of a new Estate must needs require Even â—hese not obeying this advise this Reddite of our Saviour's but mutining for the Roman tribute after under Florus and Albinus Deputies for Caesar besides that they lost their Temple Sacrifice and Service their Quae Dei upon this very point overthrew their estate cleane which to this day they never recovered Therefore Reddite Quae Caesaris is good councell lest Quae Dei and all goe after it To conclude then 1 Caesar and GOD will stand togither yea Tiberius Caesar and GOD. 2 To these so standing there are certaine things due of duety belonging 3 These things so due are to be rendred Not given as Gratuities but rendred as Debts And againe with good will to be rendred not delivered by force And as willingly so wisely Caesar to have his GOD his in distinction not confusion but each his own 4 Caesar such duties all such duties as pertaine to him at large but as this text occasioneth the duety of Tribute and Subsidie This is the Summe And if Tibâ—rius Caesar much more that Prince that every way Christ Himselfe would commend before Tiberius whom it were an injurie once to compare with Tiberius Above any Caesar of them all who hath exalted Him whom Tiberius crucified and professed Him with hazard of her estate and life whom they persecuted in all bloody manner Who hath preserved us in the profession of His holy Name and truth many yeares quietly without feare and peaceably without interruption and so may still many and many times many yeares more To this to such a one by speciall due Reddite more and more willingly and more bounteosly then to them The Conclusion is good the Consequent much more forcible This for Quae Caesaris now For Quae Dei at some other time when like Text shall offer like occasion A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT HAMPTON COVRT on SVNDAY the XXVIII of SEPTEMBER Anno MDCVI NVMB. CHAP. X. VER I II. Then GOD spake to Moses saying Make thee two Trumpets of silver of one whole peece shalt thou make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou shalt have them or they shall be for thee to assemble or call together the Congregation and to remoove the Campe. AMong diverse and sundry Commissions granted in the Law A Grant for the benefit and better order of GOD 's people this which I have read is one Given as we see per Ipsum DEVM by GOD himselfe and that vivae vocis Oraculo From God by expresse warrant from His owne mouth Then GOD spake to Moses saying And it is a grant of the Right and Power of the trumpets and with them Of the power of calling Assemblies The Grant of this Power a matter of importance of assembling the people of GOD. A Right and Power not to be lightly accounted of or to be heard of with sleight attention It is a matter of great weight and consequence The calling of Assemblies There is yeerely a solemne feast holden in memorie of it and that by GOD 's own appointment no lesse then of the Passover or of the Law it selfe Even the Feast of the trumpetts much about this time of the yeare the latter Aequinoctiall Cap. 29.1 And GOD appointeth no Feast but in remembrance of some speciall benefit It is therefore one of His speciall benefits and high favours vouchsafed them and to be regarded accordingly In whose hands this Power was before Thiâ— power hitherto ever since they câ—me out of Aegypt and that GOD adopted 〈…〉 His people unto this very day â—nd place had GOD kept in His owne hands as to Him alone of right properly belonging For unto this very day and place the pâ—ople of GOD as they had assembled many times and oft so it was ever they be the very last words of the last Chapter Cap. 9. v. 18 20.2â— which serve for an introduction to these of ours ever all theiâ— meetings and remoovings were by immediate warrant from GOD himselfe But heer now GOD no longer intending thus to warne them still by speciall direction from His owne selfe but to set over this power once for all Heer He doth it 〈◊〉 is tâ—e priâ—ary paâ—â—ing it from GOD Exod. 19.13 and deriving it to Moses who was thâ— firsâ— that ever held it by force of the Law written For to this place they came by the sound of GOD 's and from this place they dislodged by the sound of Moses's Tâ—â—mpet The time and place of the Granting And it is a point vâ—ry coâ—siderable what day and place this was for it appeareth they were yet at Sinai by the 12. verse yet at the very Mount of GOD by the 33. of thiâ— Chaptâ—r â—veâ—â—hen when this Commission came forth So that this power is as antiâ—nt as the Law At no other place nor no other time delivered then even the Law it selfe when the two Tables were given the two Trumpets were given and Moses that was made keeper of both the Tables made likewise keeper of both the Trumpetts Both at Sinai both at one time As if there were some neere alliance betweene the Law and Assemblies And so there is Assemblies being ever a speciall meanes to revive the Law as occasions serve and to keep it in life As if the Law it selfe therefore lacked yet somthing and were not perfect and full without them So till this Grant was passed they stayed still at Sinai and so soone as ever this was passed they presently removed To entreat then of this power The story of the Bible would serve our turne to shew us who have had the exercise of it in their hands from time to time if that were enough But that is not enough For the errors first and last about this point from hence they seeme to grow that men look not back enough have not an eye to this â—ow it was in the beginning Mat. 19.4 by the very Law of GOD. Being therefore to search for the Originall warrant by which the Assemblies of GOD'S people are called and kept This the originall Grant of it this place of Numbers is generally agreed to be it That heer it is first soâ—nd and heer it is first sounded even in the Law the best ground for a Power that may be In Lege quid scriptum est quomodo legis saith our SAVIOVR What is written in the Law Luke 10.26 how reade you there as if He should say If it be to be read there it is well then must it needs be yeelded to there is no excepting to it then unlesse you will except to Law and Law-giver to GOD and all Let us then come to this Commission The points of it be three First two trumpets of silver to be made out of one whole peece The Parts of the Grant both Secondly with these trumpets the Congregation to be called and the Camp removed Thirdly Moses to make these
with one wipe we dash them out all we leave never a one no not one For all that ever have been have beene thus called and kept Yea those foure first which all Christians have ever had in so great reverence and high estimation not one of them a lawfull Councell if this new assertion take place This is a perillous inconvenience yet this we must yeeld to and more then this if we seeke to disable Assemblies so holden For sure it is all the Generall Councels were thus assembled all all seven for more are not to be reckoned the eighth was onely for a private businesse The rest were onely of the West Church alone and so not Generall The East and West together make a Generall The East and West together never met but in one of those seven for publique affaires unlesse it were once after in that of Ferrara And it is well knowen that was in hope of helpe on the East Churche's part which they never had and so the Councell never kept but broken even as soone as it was broken up Briefly then to survey those seven And I will not therein alledge the reports of Stories they write things they saw not many times and so frame matters to their owne conceits and many times are tainted with a partiall humour but onely out of authenticall Records in them and out of the very acts of the Councels themselves best able to testifie and tell by whose authority they came together And it is happy for the Church of CHRIST there are so many of them extant as there are to guide us to the truth in this point that so the right may appeare First then for the great Nicene Councell the first Generall Congregation of all that were called in the Christian world The whole Councell in their Synodicall Episâ—le written to the Church of Alexandria witnesse they were assembled the holy Emperour Constantine gathering them together out of divers Cities and Provinces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Letter is extant upon record in Socrates 1.9 and Theodoret. 1.9 Give me leave to make heere a little stand For heer at this Councell was the pale first broken and the right if any such were heer it went first away At Nice there were then together three hundred and eighteene Bishops totius orbis Lumina as Victorinus well terme 〈◊〉 them the Lights of the whole world the cheefest and choisest men for holinesse learning vertue and valour that the Christian Religion ever had before or since Men that haâ— layd downe their lives for the testimony of the truth Did any of them refuse to come being called by him as not called aright Or comming was there any one of them that did protest against it or pleaded the Churche's interest to meet of themselves Not one What was it then want of skill in so many famous men that knew not their own rights Or want of valour that knowing it for such would not so much as speake a word for it but sit still and say nothing all the while There were then and there present Spyridion Paphnutius Potamon and diverse besides but these I name that had not long before for their constancy had their right eyes bored out their right ham-strings and the strings of their right arme-pits cut in sunder Did these want courage think we Were they become so faint-hearted that they durst not open their mouth for their owne due Verily that Councell of Nice which is and ever hath been so much admired by all Christians cannot be excused before God or men if they thus conspired all to betray the Churche's right and suffered it contrary to all equity to be carried away leaving a dangerous precedent therein for all Councells ever after to the world's end But no such right there was If there had been they neither wanted wit to discerne it nor courage to claime it But they knew whose the trumpets were to whom Erunt tibi was spoken And therefore never offered to lay hold on either of them and say this is ours And yet to say the truth there is no man of reason but will think it reasonable if this were the Churche's own peculiar if appropriate unto it and so knowne to them to be there ought to have been plaine dealing now at the very first Councell of all that if Constantine would embrace Religion he must needs resigne up one of his trumpets and forbeare from thence to meddle with their Assemblies Was there so No such thing Why was there not Belike because none were there that had ever been present at any Assembly holden under persecution to know the Churche's order and manner of meeting then Yes there was Hosius Bishop of Cordova who had held the Councell of Elvira in Spaine even in the time of persecution Hosius for the West And for the East there was Eustathius Bishop of Antioch Conc. Eliberit Tom. 1.600 Concil Ancyra Tom. 1.446 had held the like at Ancyra then too both the Councells yet extant to be seen and these two Presidents of them Yet were these twain two that came first and sate formost at the Councell of Nice and neither of them pleaded or knew of any such right but that their Power then ceased and that Constantine's trumpet now took place Sure if but this first Councell be well considered it is able to move much And the example of this first was of great consequence for all the rest followed it and as this went so went they And this for the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The second Generall Councell at Constantinople Who called that Congregation Their owne Letter to the Emperour is yet to be seen professing they were thither assembled by His Writ 3. For the third at Ephesus let the Acts of the Councell now set out in Greek be looked on Foure severall times they acknowledge they were thither summoned by the Emperours a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oracle b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Becke c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charge and d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom 2.129 Conveniente Concilio secund sacram praeceptionem Tom. 2.579.2.666 Imperator Iustin. quintam oecumenicam Synodum Episcopis Ecclesiarâ—m evocatâ—â— câ—egis Tom. 3.237.244 Secundum pijssâ—â—â— iussix â—m mansuetudinis vestrae Iis quae per mansuetissâ—mae fortitudiâ—is vestrae Sacrâ—dudum praecepta sunt efficaâ—iter promptam obedientiam exhibere Commandement 4. For the fourth at Chalcedon looke but upon the very front of the Councell it proclaimeth it selfe to be there assembled Facta est Synodus ex decreto pijssimorum fidelessimorum Imperatorum Valentiniani Martiani And it is well knowen it was first called at Nice and then recalled from thence and removed to Chalcedon all wholly by the disposing of the Emperour 5. So saith the fifth at Constantinople Iuxta pium jussum à Christi amati à Deo custoditi Iustiniani Imperatoris They be their owne words 6. And so the sixth at
Sacrifice of Christians which is most acceptable to GOD. Now then that which went before in the Head CHRIST on the Crosse is daily performed in the members in the Church CHRIST there offered himselfe once for us we daily offer our selves by CHRIST that so the whole mysticall body of CHRIST in due time may be offered to GOD. This was begun in the Apostles in their Liturgie of whom it is said Acts 13. Ministrantibus illis while they ministred and prayed the Holy Ghost said unto them c. Erasmus reads it Sacrificantibus illis while they Sacrificed and prayed If they had offered CHRIST'S Naturall body the Apostles would have made some mention of it in their writings as well as they do of the Commemorative Sacrifice The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is a Liturgicall Sacrifice or a Sacrifice performed or offered in our Liturgie or forme of GOD'S Worship so the offering of our selves our soules and bodies is a part of Divine worship Now as it is not enough to feed our owne soules unlesse we also feed both the soules and bodies of the poore And there is no true Fast unlesse we distribute that to the poore which we denie to our bellies and stomache And there cannot be a perfect and compleate adoration to GOD in our devotions unlesse there be also doing good and distributing to our neighbours therefore to the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the Eucharist in the Church mentioned in the fifteenth Verse we must also add beneficence and communication in this Text For Devotiâ— debetur Capiti Beneficentia membris the sacrifice of devotion iâ— due to our Head CHRIST and pietie and charitie is due to the Members So then offer the Sacrifice of praise to GOD daily in the Church as in the fifteenth Verse and distribute and communicate the Sacrifice of compassion and Almes to the poore out of the Church as in this Text. Shall I say extra Ecclesiam out of the Church I do not say amisse if I do say so yet I must say also intra Ecclesiam this should be a Sacrifice in the Church the Apostles kept it so in their time Pâ—imo Die the first day of the weeke when they came together to pray and to â—reake bread Saint Paul's rule was Separet unusquisque Let every one set apart or lay by in store as GOD hath prospered him that there be no 〈…〉 tenders her Prayers and 〈…〉 Service of that day 〈…〉 observed among us For 〈…〉 â— Cor. â— 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 â—heâ—e is the word Liturgie 〈…〉 not onâ—ly supplyeth the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 thanksgivings unto GOD. So the Lord's day 〈…〉 observed when to our Praâ—ers and Prayses and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and Bodies we also add the Sacrifice of our Goods and Almes and othâ—â—â—orkes of 〈◊〉 to make it up perfect and compleate that there 〈…〉 of the day in the proper day there of and these two 〈…〉 ioyned heâ—re by GOD and his Apostle may never be 〈…〉 〈…〉 first preached in the Mount and then 〈◊〉 〈…〉 when we have offered our selves our soules and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in the Church unto GOD by our High Priest CHRIST we must not rest these but 〈…〉 offer our goods and almes whither in 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the poore member of CHRIST 〈…〉 And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 1 the sâ—crifice of Praise 2 and the sacrifice of 〈…〉 to be 〈…〉 insâ—parable insomuch that he that will give 〈…〉 and body to 〈◊〉 will never spare also to give his goodâ— to those 〈…〉 anâ— thirs◠〈◊〉 nakednesse See how our Apostle ioynes these 〈…〉 By CHRIST our High Priest Let us offer our 〈…〉 should be thought to be all the whole sacrifice that man is to 〈…〉 he adds this second with a Nolite oblivisci by a kind of Negative which is many times more forcible then an ordinary Affirmative To do good and 〈…〉 fâ—aring as it were left when man had done his homage and 〈…〉 he holds in chiefâ— he might thiâ—â—e that were enough to 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Church on the Lord's day and then forget his Brother all the weeke after and never to take compassion on him whereas the truth is Vnâ—s amor bu◠〈…〉 the love is but one wherewith we love GOD for himselfe and 〈…〉 for his sake â—s there be two eyes yet but one visuall 〈…〉 no purpose to learne our duty at â—he mouth of GOD'S 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to put it in practise all our weeke or life following aâ— iâ— it were a maâ—â—er onely for the braine and understanding whereas in truth first it sâ—oâ—ld 〈◊〉 fâ—ith and â—hen fructifie in our lives So it is a very short love to professeâ—â— love GOD whom we have not seene and sterve â—ur poore brethren who lye at our gates in such sort that we cannot choose but see them 〈…〉 containe Divisiâ— first an Act Beneficentia communionis to do good 〈…〉 and that â—ust needs be a great worke for it is to do good and 〈◊〉 is truly 〈◊〉 but that which is good 2. A Caveat Nolite oblivisci it is a 〈…〉 very important to our salvation it may not be forgotten 〈…〉 it may seeme in it selfe yet it is of a high rate and great esteeme 〈…〉 they are sacrifices and sacrifices of much price though they 〈…〉 of bread or dropps of water And so much the more preciâ—â—â— becaus◠〈…〉 gratefull to GOD Delectatur or placatur Deus God is pacified or God is well 〈◊〉 and all the world is well given to appease and pacifie his wrath 〈◊〉 gaine his 〈◊〉 Now the worke is comprised in two words Beneficentia communicatio beneficence and distribution Beneficence or bounty that is Affectio cordis the affection and 〈…〉 heart And 〈◊〉 and distribution that is Opus manuum 〈…〉 hâ—nd And thâ—sâ— two maybe no more divided then the two other 〈…〉 in the sacrifice of our selves and Charity in the Reliefe of the 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 as the fountaine and spring or cisterne whence all 〈◊〉 of Compassâ—â—â— doâ— arise and Distribution is ut Rituli as the Rivers or channells or pipes by which the waters of comfort and goodnesse are carried to hungry soules Beneficence is as the Sunne distribution is as the light that proceeds from the Sunne At the beneficence of the heart there we must begin and by the distribution and communication of the hand there is the progresse And it is not enough that our heart is charitable full of compassion if we be cluster-fisted and close-handed and give nothing Goe and be warme and goe and be fedd and goe and be clothed they be verba comâ—aâ—â—ssionis words of compassion but if we do not as well feed and cloth as our tongue blesseth we may have gentle hearts like Iacob's voice but our hands will be cruell and hayry like Esau's that vowed to kill his Brother And true Religion is no way a gargalisme onely to wash the tongue and mouth to speake good words it must root in the heart and
hidd it in a napkin under the earth he was worthy to heare Serve nequam Evill servant Matt. 25.18.27 For he knew his Master's will that gave his talents to receive them with increase his memorie failed and had need to be rubbed with oblitus tradere usurarijs he forgott that which he did not forgett he forgott not to take usury for his money and use upon use but he forgott the true and lawfull usury to give it to the poore and so to lend it to the Lord who would surely have paid both principall and interest also both the substantiall reward of aeternall life and also the accidentall degree and measure of glory How many are there that forget the Preacher's precept Cast thy bread upon the waters How many are there that say My barnes are too little Eccles. 11.1 Luk. 12. I will pull them downe and build bigger who have been at the Schoole of forgetfullnesse and do not remember Quod ventres pauperum capiunt quod horrea non capiunt that the bellies of the poore are 〈◊〉 then the greatest barnes and 〈◊〉 receive and consume all that which the greaâ—est baâ—â—es cannot hold yea the poore do so multiplie that the rich are not able to feed them Luk. 12.18.19 The foolish Rich man said in the Gospell Soule thou hast much goods laid up in store for many yeares but when he said so he had not many houres to reckon to eate and drinke and take his pleasure Malè recondita meliùs erogata they were ill layed up they had been much better distributed and scattered abroad It may be they may passe all the degrees of compassion Malè parta ill gotten by oppression and fraud and Rapine And 〈◊〉 detenta worse kept and deteined that which is ill gotten may be worse kept and so that is that is scraped and extorted from all others is denied to all others and most of all to himselfe and GOD and CHRIST And Pessimè erogata expended â—orst of all in ryott and excesse in pride and vanitie in crueltie and rebellio◠〈◊〉 denying maintenance to the King and Countrey or to the poore But howsoever ill gotten worse imprisoned and debarred the light of the Sunne and worst of all so spent that with them the soule and life and heaven it selfe is spent and lost yet the truth is they are then best kept when they are well expended and never better then on the poore afflicted members of CHRIST then in buying of heaven But if you will make a true conjunction indeed they are then bene recondita when bene erogata well stored and layd up when they are well laid out Reconde in sinu pauperum The best house to lay them up is to put them into the box and bosome of the poore for that indeed is the safest and surest Treasurie safer then the Temple it selfe the living Temples of GOD A Treasurie Sine fure sine verme without thiefe without worme whatsoever is put there defertur Deo the poore man will carry it to GOD out of whose hands it can never be taken And this is indeed the Art of Arts. Not the gold-making Iuggling art which under the name of gold-making is the consumer of gold but the Art of turning earth into heaven and earthly almes into caelestiall riches dando coelestes fiunt these transitorie earthly things procure us the unspeakeable riches and treasures of heaven And now consider Acts 11. Cornelius's Almes and prayers ascended as a memoriall to GOD and procured the great grace of the knowledge of CHRIST and the gift of the Holy Ghost And Dortas's almes obtained her Resurrection to life GOD remembred them both and shall we forgett to doe good and distribute our almes which have that force that GOD will never forgett them Pars III. GOD cannot forgett them if we do remember and performe them Nay GOD holds them at a great rate he accepts them as sacrifices and such sacrifices as both pacifie and please him Talibus sacrificijs with such sacrifices God is pleased talibus with these of Praise and Almes and with all those that are like or of the same nature with these Not with the sacrifices of Nature and Moses's Law such are both Mortua and mortifera dead in themselves and mortiferous and deadly to all that shall use them These had their time and were accepted as types and figures of the true sacrifice of CHRIST upon the Crosse in whom all sacrifices were accepted In which they were partakers of CHRIST and did eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that we now eate and drinke by faith and the Rock that followed them was CHRIST No more then to doe with the sacrifice pecoris trucidati of the slaine beasts that is past but cordie contriti with the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart that was from the beginning and so shall continue acceptable to God even to the end the spirituall sacrifice or the sacrifice of the soule and spirit that is it which God ever accepted in the sacrifice of his Sonne CHRIST even from the first Adam to the last Sonne of Adam the last man that shall live at the last day And God hath been and is weary of carnall and externall sacrifice and neglected yea rejected it for default and want of the inâ—ard sacrifice but of this inward and spirituall sacrifice God will never be wearied with it In vocall prayer and fasting and outward Almes and the like there may be Nimium 〈◊〉 much but of inward prayer and fasting from sinne and compassion and mercy there can never be nimium too much nay not satis not enough for GOD calls for all and all we are not able to performe which we owe. So then the sacrificia must be talia such sacrifices that is spirituall And they be sacrificia in the plurall number sacrifices the sacrifice representative or memoriall of CHRIST 's sacrifice the Eucharist which is truly the sacrifice of praise and the daily sacrifice of our selves our soules and bodies in devotion and adoration to GOD. And the sacrifice of Mercy and Almes both heer recorded these be the sacrifices heer mentioned that please GOD and all others not heer mentioned that are included in the talibus in such like sacrifices GOD is pleased And be the number of them as great as any man please to make them yet because they are all reducible to three I will comprise them in the number of three First Sacrificium cordis contriti the sacrifice of the contrite and broken heart as before which we tender to GOD in our Repentance and sighes and teares for our sinnes The second Sacrificium cordis grati the sacrifice of the thankfull heart in praise and thanksgiving to GOD called heer the sacrifice of praise The third Sacrificium cordis pij the sacrifice of a pious and mercifull heart in compassion and works of Mercy and Almes-deeds called heer doing good and distributing All these and every one