Speech of S. Gregory In natura humanitatis novit Christus diem judicii sed non ex natura humanitatis He knows it being man not as he is man But this day was a secret which he reveal'd not to his Disciples but to stay their curiosity told them It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father had kept in his own power Upon which words saies S. Austin In vain is all search to know the end of the world since Truth it self had made known unto us thus much for truth that this truth is not to be known Dreadfull also is this judgment for the Sodainesse The former dreadfullnesse which was from the secrecy was in respect of our Knowledge but this from the Sodainesse shall be in respect of Preparation A man may be prepar'd against many things that shall come secretly but this shall also come sodainly the world shall not be prepar'd In such an houre as you thinke not the Sonne of man comes Matt. 24.44 The day of the Lord so comes as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace and safty then sadaine destruction comes upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess 5.2 3. As in the dayes of Noah and of Lot there was water and fire though not to purifie but confound so shall it be by fire in the day of the Lord. Indeed when he comes what should stay his Judgment for when he comes shall he find faith on the earth As in the dayes of Noah but eight righteous persons were found and as in the dayes of Lot but halfe so many in the Cities which were then destroy'd so shall it be in the day of the Lord though not strictly so few yet but very few shall then escape the wicked becomming fuell in that fire and their number increasing it when therfore the signes of that day come the world shall be surpriz'd with fear and horrour with such feare and horrour as shall be their first Hell Dreadfull is this Judgment for the Preparation also there shall be preparation for it in the Heavens in the Aire in the Seas in the Earth Preparation in the heavens in the Sunne and Moone They shall now be signes not of comfort but of Judgment The Sunne shall be turn'd into darknesse and the moone into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come Joel 2.31 Which gastly darknesse in the Sunne and Moone the wicked shall not be able to neglect And though they did in this life neglect the signes of Gods Mercy yet shall they not be able to neglect these signes of his Justice They shall not escape this darknesse by a figure taking the Sunne and Moone for the Church which in the time of Antichrist shall be Obscur'd or phantastically making the Sunne to signifie the Devill and the Moone the Reprobate as Origen implies though this last would be no comfort to them They shall not escape this darknesse by saying the Sunne and Moone shall Seeme to be dark'ned because they shall be Out-shind by the Glory of Christ at his comming no this darknesse shall be a signe before the glorious comming of Christ They shall not escape this darknesse by making it only a kind of speech to signify the Calamity of that time for this were to make the signes rather in the earth than in the heaven But our Saviour sayes expressely There shall be signes in the Sunne and Moone Now what signes were in them if there were no Change in them Nor shall they escape it by quarrelling with the manner of effecting it which shall not be as some have ridiculously phansied by the vast clouds of smoake that ascend from the burning of the world this darknesse shall be before that fire or els there would be no body left to see that darknesse but it is said that at that dreadfull sight mens hearts shall faile them Nor shall this darknesse be effected by an eclipse the Astronomers can tell us that by an eclipse the Sunne and Moone cannot both at once be darkned the Sunne being eclips'd by the interposition of the Moone between his light and our eie the Moone being eclips'd by the interposition of the earth between the Sunne and Moone Nor need we suppose the interposition of some cloudes or the like darke bodies in that day to hinder their light He is able to deprive those glorious bodies of their light nay which is a greater wonder he is able leaving them their light to take from them their power of sending-forth their light as he tooke away the power of burning from the fiery furnace into which the three children were cast But shall we define the wayes of the Allmighty and appoint him his Counsailes No more may we appoint the Continuance of this darknesse which whether it shall be longer then the darknesse in Aegypt which lasted three dayes or shorter then the darknesse at our Saviour's Passion which lasted but three houres we have no more use of such knowledge then knowledge of the Continuance But this we know that it shall be long enough to prove the instant approach of the Lord 's comming and to drive the wicked not into repentance but into desperation But yet there must be more preparation in the heaven whiles preparation in the Starres For the Starres shall fall from heaven Matt. 24.29 though Reason and the Astronomer will undertake to demonstrate that a starre is of that bignesse that the whole earth is not able to intertaine a starre or two Besides that the heaven is incorruptible and the starres fix'd in that incorruptible body Indeed there is no absolute necessity to understand this Literally but yet S. Austin thought it not improbable and S. Chrysostome not only thought it probable but alleadges also that of the Prophet Isaiah 34.4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall downe as the leafe falls off from the vine and as a falling fig from the figtree What is this sayes that Father the Starres shall fall from heaven as the leaves fall from the vine whiles the vine has fruite so long it requires the use of leaves to protect it but afterwards the leaves fall away so whiles there are inhabitants on the earth the Starres in heaven will be needfull for the earth but when night it selfe shall cease to be then likewise the Starres shall be no more Which interpretation does no way disagree either with the wonder of that day which shall be a day of wonder or with the omnipotency of God who can easily make them lesse and make them fall who of nothing made them into this bignesse Irreverent it were for us to examine whether he will doe it by a miraculous compression of the substance of a starre or otherwise who can performe it so many wayes beyond the feeble and ridiculous guesse of Reason
just distinction weight He forgives Iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne of man against his Neighbour his unjust dealing He forgives Transgression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man's Rebellion against God his receding from the power of the Lord that layd a command upon him and so aptly expresses the old offenee of our first parents their Disobedience as the Apostle calls it and our own offences against the Lord. He forgives Sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Sepiuagint renders it which though it be of a large signification yet here by way of difference may fitly be taken for that sin of sinnes which is too nerely against Our selves that sinne whence others flow that law in our members as the Apostle speakes Rom. 7.23 the sinne that dwells in us v. 17. originall sinne And thus does the Lord Iesus deliver his people at the last from all kind of sinne Iniquitie against our Neighbour Transgression against God Sinne against our selves And as the Lord did visibly shew himselfe passing by before Moses so did the Lord Iesus who was represented in that vision exhibite himselfe in the flesh visibly to the world as it were a passing by the World At which wonderfull sight yea at the remembrance of it may not we likewise take up with a little change those words of almighty God The Lord the Lord God the Lord the Lord Iesus Mercifull and Gracious long suffering and Abundant in Goodnesse and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sinne Now as this work of our Saviour was the Restoring of the world so was it also the ordering of it and accordingly the Greek Fathers frequently call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordering of a house hould as Iustin and Nazianzene expresse it God in his mercy having by this provided for the world as for his familie Which word they might borrow from the Apostle Ep. 1.10 where he says God did worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the dispensation of the fullnesse of times which might have been rendred in his house-hold-goverment or in the governing of his family the world in the fullnesse of times Nor has he only order'd the world but also Honoured it whiles Man in Iesus is united unto God Here did God gather together in one all things in Christ Eph. 1.10 all things that is Man as Irenaeus and S. Gregory expound it He did it that he might gather all things together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might Recapitulate or bring to a Head all things in Christ Indeed we are but the Members he is the Head the Annointed head he is God's Christ or his Annointed The eminency of Annointing you may see in the excellency of the persons anciently annointed among the Iews the Priest the Prophet and the King Of which last Lactantius observ'd that Annointing was the signe of Royalty among the Iews as the purple roabe was among the Romans All which respects concurr'd in the Annointing of our Saviour he being a Priest that offer'd Sacrifice for the sinnes of the World he being a Prophet that declared the secret Counsaile of his Father concerning the redemption of mankind he being a King in delivering Laws and affording protection to his Church And being thus mystically annointed with the Holy Ghost he may more truely than Zerubbabel and Ioshua the high Priest after the Captivity in the phrase of the prophet Zacharie 4.14 be call'd the Sonne of oile Nor was it without an embleme that he ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives which then was also the mount of the Annointed Oile is by the Hebrews called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the purity and shining of it When therefore it is said Psal 104.15 that God gives man Oile to make his face shine the originall imports to make his face shine more than oile as the English Interpreters observe Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word drawn from the same originall with the former signifies the Light at noon day or the most full light and thus is our Saviour Christ brighter than oile and the Meridian Light that inlightens the world No marvaile then if the Gentiles whiles they were out of the Govenant of Grace so much envied at the glory of Christ the annointed so much that they indeavoured to burne all bookes that had the name of Christ in them especially the Sacred writings compelling all that in the Dioclesian persecution had such bookes to deliver them up whence such faint Christians as delivered them were call'd Traditores as S. Austin in part implies against the Donatists and as appeares by the first Councill of Arles Can. 13. and by Arnobius with others But as those Gentiles were not able to blot out the Sacred and Glorious name of Christ so neither was Domitian with all the power of his Malice and Crueltie before that able to disgrace the name of Christian though because it was in honour of our Saviour and so signified a servant of Christ the Annointed he imposed that scorne and intended torment upon the blessed Evangelist S. Iohn by causing him to be cast into a vessell of scalding oile Domitian's oile having no more power agaist the Christian than against Christ And that we may know how to be true Christians we may partly learne it from the names by which at the beginning of their profession they call'd themselves their usuall name being Disciples implying an obedience and willingnesse to learne Truth and so was an Instruction as well as a Title They were called the Beleivers not that they did disclaime holy workes which are all good mens Duty but that comparatively they disesteemed them nothing being meritorious but Christ and by Christ the Foundation of their Faith They were called Breathren they were call'd Saints intimating their Unity and Holinesse not in Pretence but Practice But the most usuall name of Humilitie and Zeale was Disciples which yet was chang'd at Antiochia by the consent of the Apostles into the name of Christians upon occasion as Athanasius shews of the divisions of those that pretended to be Disciples Thus did their name declare and Remember them to be the worshippers of the Lord 's Annointed The Heathens in disgrace fequently called them the Sibylists as Origen tells us the Christians so frequently alleadging against the Gentiles the Sibylls verses So Clemens the Alexandrian mentions S. Paul alleadging a Sibyl which memorialls it seems were in those times known among the Christians which is the name by Apostolicall institution and never was the name of any Sectaries but among the Christians the Apostoliques was the name of a Sect of Heretiques And by as easy reason might the Catholiques have been so too A Christian then being glorious in his Title should remember that as the Ancient wrestlers among the Heathen were annointed with oile to make them the more Active so should we to a better expedition be annointed with a spirituall Oile which is Gods Grace The Romanists annoint â—he Christian when
him to the defence of his own truth Or say of his truth as the Jews did of his Sonne Let him deliver it if he will have it If we discerne any that preferre the giddinesse of their own reason under the notion of sound Reason before the Sobriety of the holy writings and the Church shall we presently either reele out of the way or stagger in it About the eleventh year of this present Century of the Church a new starre-gazer one Fabricius in the upper Germanie publish'd at Witteberge by the vertue of a strange glasse a pretended discovery of strange spots in the Sunne about which time in the lower Germanie a like acute Novelist publish'd pretented spots in the best Belgique Church But as the clearest-sighted though of a lesse excellency then S. Stephen's eie judg'd those suppos'd staines through divine permission to have been by the grand Artist the devil juggled into the starre-wise glasse not into the Sunne so the best-sighted though not so wonderfull as Lyncius yet free from the Jaundice of Opinion discern'd through the right Optique of sacred truth the spots to be not in the Church but in the Novelist and so that his mistakes were the staines If then we see any departing from the truth shall not we depart from Them shall we not rather partake with the Prophet in his tears than with them in such backsliding as deserves such tears You see then enough yea too much cause of sorrow and yet you can not but see the little Effect it produces And must we not confesse this to bee very unnaturall that where there is so great cause there is so litle Effect where so much sinne so few teares for sinne O let us then with severity look upon our Own sinnes let us with compassion behold other mens and shall we make ourselves so unhappy as not to bewaile our own unhappinesse shall we weep for the death of our Friends Bodies and shall we not weep for the death of our Own Soules That being for them but to fulfill the Law of Nature but this being for us to violate the Law of God! When David and his men saw Ziklag burnt and their wives and children carried into Captivity it is said they wept untill they had no more power to weep 1 Sam. 30.4 And shall not we weep as much to see our Soule which is the City of God set on fire by vice and all the vertues and ornaments of our Soules to be lost to be Triumph'd-upon by the Enemies of our Soules Surely as the wind by gathering many clouds makes a shower so our mind by meditation collecting the many evils of our own lives and others will easily cause a shower of tears And indeed who would not willingly by a temporall sorrow scape eternall sorrow since in this life a few accepted teares can wash away the greatest sinnes that shall be remitted but after this life eternall teares can not wash away the least sinnes Let us then crie here for the guilt of our sinnes that we may not hereafter crie for the punishment of them Let us bemoan our selves like Ephraim repentant Ephraim in this our Prophet chap. 31.19 with a holy indignation Surely after that I was turn'd I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was asham'd yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Let us with the wise man Eccles 2.2 crie-out of mirth what does it crie-out of the madnesse of it The Septuagint term it there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the turning-about the Giddinesse of mirth Let us turn our hearts by Meditation towards Hell that they may never be neerer to it than by Meditation Can we remember how the Israelites mourn'd by the waters of Babylon and not imitate their mourning The waters of Babylon sayes S. Austin are the transitory pleasures of this world by which the Godly mourne as in a strange Country when they remember Sion the heavenly Ierusalem And what more powerfull Motives can we have for teares whether we consider our selves or God than Feare or love both which God has provided for us There are sayes S. Gregory two causes of tears the first for Fear of Punishment the Second for delay of our happinesse both which are intimated according to that Father by that double blessing which Caleb as it is Josh 15.19 bestow'd upon his daughter Achsah to whom he gave the upper and the nether springs the nether spring is Fear the upper Love To the same purpose did Nazianzen observe that Noah's flood came partly from the Earth and partly from Heaven so sayes he the purging flood of tears comes partly from the feare of Hel land partly from the desire of Heaven from the love of God And surely as waters which are distill'd from the rose by the force of fire yeil'd a sweet smell so much more sweet are the waters of the head which are press'd-out by the heat of divine Love It is indeed the Spirit of divine love that from the eies forces holy tears according to that of David Ps 147. Hee causes his wind to blow and the waters flow The same Prophet sayes Ps 104.3 God layes the beames of his chambers in the waters that is he covers the upper part of the heaven or air with water the just man is such a heaven whose upper parts his soule his head his eies are overflow'n with devout sorrow whose teares doe mystically fullfill that of the Psalmist Ps 148.4 The waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord And more admirably doe these waters the tears of the just praise the justice the Mercy and goodnesse of the Lord Who will not then shed a few such tears that he may never shed any more tears And since our Soule is the Garden of God who will not provide a Fountain of tears to make it pleasant for his intertainment who will not labour who will not Rejoice to shed such tears as God himself will wipe away when he will change the darknesse of sorrow into the light of joy the dark eie into a cheerfull eie when he will work such a wonder in the Soul as he has in the eie by a marvelous raising of light out of darknesse out of the apple of the eie which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst other reasons from the blacknesse as the word also signifies expressing God's wonderfull work in the composition of the eie when as out of the apple of the eie which is the darkest part of it he raises light The apple of the eie being so black or dark that when in the Proverbs Cha. 7.9 it is said in the black and dark night it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if we should say in the apple of the eie of the night Yet out of the darkest sorrow God will at last raise the most cheerfull light From an eie darken'd with humble tears with innocent tears such as
but converted at Lystra where the businesse was insisting upon the necessity of Circumcision unto Salvation raised such a trouble in those quarters in the beginning of the Church that Paul being willing to have Timothy with him in his travailes upon a worthy report of him in the Church did Circumcise him least the Jews should disdaine him as a prophane person Now if we consider the Action Circumcision being a Sacrament of the Law it was aâ— the death of our Saviour abolish'd as S. Paul well knew yet here it was us'd unto Timothy Uâ—'d indeed it was for once in such danger of the peace of the Church there was the wisedome of the Serpent and afterwards as appears Act. 21. an other Legall rite was for a time permitted and S. Paul himselfe was purified with others to avoide the great danger in giving a scandall to the Iews yet that himself might not be a scandall to the Church he took occasion writing to the Galatians ch 5.2 to teach the necessity of Abolishing Circumcision since otherwise Christ should profit them nothing Here was the Innocency of the Dove He saw indeed that the Iewes if Timothy were not circumcised would suspect him as an adversary to circumcision and so they might recede from the Christian Profession unto the Iewes therefore he became a Iew that he might winne the Iewes But though he circumcised Timothy in this exigency he Circumcised not Titus whose Parents were both Gentiles least from him the Gentiles might take up the Practice of Circumcision Some Legall rites were also permitted to the Iewes till the Destruction of the Temple that so by degrees the Synagogue might be buryed with honour not like the Heathen worship which was presently to be destroyed but as a worship once of God's Institution for his own People the Iews for a time This was again the wisedome of the Serpent the innocency of the Dove See the same S. Paul Act. 23. pleading for himselfe before the Councell where finding the multitude divided in Opinions he divides them farther in their Affections The Saducie was an enemie to the Resurrection the Pharisie a friends to it immediately he makes the Pharisie his friend by his Profession of his beliefe and so an Enimy to his Enimy the Saducie By this wisedome he scap'd halfe the danger and by the tumult of his enemies and the Souldier an enemie to all tumults of the Iews he did at that time scape all the danger Here was the Wisedome of the Serpent and the Innocency of the Dove See the same S. Paul pleading at Caesarea before Festus Act. 25. where the Jewes failing to prove their accusations and Festus yet asking him if he would be tryed at Ierusalem he declin'd the tryall in which most probably Number and Malice might overcome him and thus at least delaid danger whiles Appealing to Caesar for the present he preserved both Life and Hope Here was the wisedome of the Serpent and the innocency of the Dove When also the next day King Agrippa and Festus heard him he call'd Agrippa by his title of Majestie professed his own happinesse to have such a Judge chiefely one so skillfull in all Customes and Questions among the Iewes He omitted nothing that might advantage his Cause worne the King by praysing him praised him for a good natur'd man for a Learned Judge for an upright Judge by an Applause able to please Appetite and Overcome Prejudice and this was the wisedome of the Serpent But some will ask here for the Innocency of the Dove for seems not this a little smother than truth Let Iosephus a Iew a Priest a Leaned Historian instruct us he will preserve us from Suspicion and Errour and he will tell us so much in the praise of this man Agrippa the great grand-child of Herod the great that S. Paul may rather seem the Historian and the Historian a Poet and thus ye see the Innocency of the Dove If you observe likewise S. Paul's answer to Festus who at the same time told him that much Learning had made him madde you shall find his Answer to be his defence I am not madde saies he O noble Festus but speak forth the words of Truth Soberness and here was his wisedome Being also revil'd he revil'd not again but denyed the accusation of madnesse and prov'd his denyall by the sobriety of his deniall Nor was it only Sober but also Modest calling him Noble that call'd him Madman and whiles he gave him but his due title you see his Innocency So once more yet this great Apostle writing to the Hebrews an Epistle which some have too boldly denyed to be God's Word which others have too hastily deny'd to be S. Paul's worke being unlike the rest of his works in stile title Yet if we consult with the great Critique of the Primitive times S. Ierom he will tel us the Apostle writ in Hebrew as to the Hebrewes omitting his name being looked upon by by the Iews as an Adversary to the Mosaicall Rites But the more ancient and greatest Antiquary of the first Christian times Eusebius will farther informe us that S. Paul having written it in Hebrew S. Luke render'd it in Greek as the stile in this and S. Luke's writings may perswade I need not mention an Hebrew copie of this Epistle publish'd by Munster having not authority to advance it above a translation the Greek being our Canon And as for the omission of his Title which here might have been expected Paul an Apostle to the Hebrews it is judg'd not only by Eusebius but before him as he acknowledges by the learned Clemens the Alexandrian to have been not only to decline the prejudice of the Iews but also not to seem to intrude into an office which he seems not to claim he being indeed the Apostle of the Gentiles but even Christ himself being the Apostle to the Hebrews and expressly call'd the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Iesus Hebr. 3.1 And surely though the Benefit of his Office concerned all Nations his Imployment in it was only among the Hebrews In all which you may see in this great Polititian S. Paul both the Wisedome of the Serpent in concealing his Name and the Innocency of the Dove in his Love by Instruction unto all men What need we then seek dangerours matters such as a Florentine Discourser Who writ he but as a Satyrist and rather what some too neare him did then what others should doe has yet so much of the Serpent that he has scarce any of the Dove A Boccaline that with the Wisedome of the serpent would subvert Oecumenicall Ambition is a better serpent than a Campanella that would promote it Shall the serpent then have so subtil an Eie and shall we mistake every Phansie for a Truth If a Posa would corrupt Religion shall there want a Vargas to discover him shall the serpent have so subtil an Eare and shall we fondly listen to every new Charmer
it seem'd to implie a divine excellency as is noted of the frantique ambition of Domitian the Roman Emperour who when he would be counted a God caused himselfe to be call'd Dominus Lord. But as the Name is due to our saviour so much more the power and as the power so our acknowledgement of his power And if Sozomen's Ecclesiasticall story be in no part Legend we may heare him relate that when Ioseph and the Blessed Virgin who fled into Aegypt with our Infant Saviour were ready to enter the gate of Hermopolis or Thebais a tree of singular size and beauty sudainly bended it self to the ground as in Adoration at the presence of the true Lord. This tree was before worshipped by the Heathen Aegyptians the name of which kind of tree was Persis as the historian says adding that this was the constant report of the Christian Inhabitants in his time as also that the fruit or Leaf or any part of the Bark of it heal'd the sick We may farther take notice that Plutarch long before said that this kind of tree was consecrated unto Isis that also the fruite of it was like a Heart and the Leaf like a Tongue which may to us Christians by a devout Embleme Aptly though not Articulately expresse that the Lord our Saviour should be worshipped and Acknowledged with heart and Tongue But with a certainty of Truth and Wounder declared he was to be the Lord by miracle and prophecie the prophet Micha saying ch 5.2 that he was to be Ruler in Israel the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying Dominion a Proverbe this having then Dominion in speech Sometimes also it signifies a By-word as Ps 44.14 And thus also was our Blessed-Saviour a Lord and a Proverbe yea he was for a signe that should be spoken against Luke 2.34 Yet still he was the Lord. Our Saviour before his Incarnation was called God says Anastasius sometimes Bishop of Antiochia but since his Incarnation he is call'd Lord He is call'd Lord says he since he has come in the flesh wounded our enemies overcome death by death freed us from the power of the Devil taught the ungodly to acknowledge God receiv'd of his Father the Gentiles for an Inheritance possessed the utmost ends of the earth reigning from Sea to Sea and from the rivers to the bounds of the earth Since these victorys we may with truth and triumph call him the Lord Indeed he prov'd himselfe the Lord by Power and Mercy by destroying Sinne Death and Hell which were our enemies and by saving us who were his enemies and therefore he is not only the Lord but also Iesus this is his new name Apoc. 3.12 as Iehovah was his old name a name not known to Abraham Isaac and Iacob as God tells Moses Exod. 6.3 though it was know unto them as appeares Gen. 15.7 and in diverse other places as Gen. 26. 24 25.28.13 the meaning therefore was not that they knew it not at all but that they knew it not in the same respect that Moses knew it Iehovah expresses God's essence which is truth it selfe and therefore his truth in the fulfilling of his promises which were truth in Hope to the Patriarchs but truth in possession unto Moses Thus may we say that his new name Iesus was not known unto them of old not that they were ignorant either of the Name or the Promise but whereas They look'd Foreward to the Promise we doe look Back to the Joy and wounder of the performance That which was Faith in them is succeeded by sense in us and we may say in the words of Simeon Mine eys have seen thy Salvation Luk. 2.30 the Salvation of our Iesus the true Joshua Yet the first Ioshua was a type of Jesus in Name and Actions says S. Jerome Ioshua succeeded Moses our Saviour succeeded the Law Ioshua defended the Gibeonites our Saviour the weake in Temptations Ioshua brought the Israelites from the Wildernesse through Iordan into the Land of Promise our Joshua the elect Gentiles from Ignorance and Idolatrie through Baptisme into the Heavenly Canaan Lastly their Ioshua expell'd the Canaanites into the utmost parts of the West even to the Pillars of Hercules as they are call'd where they set up in their Phoenitian charracters an Inscription expressing this sense we are they who fled before the Robber Joshua the sonne of Nun as Procopius and before him Epiphanius relate But our Ioshua in victorious Mercy has not expelled the Gentiles but Gentilisme and we are this day the Inscription and Confession of his bountifull Triumph and to discover the Extent of his Mercy he has discovered a new West from whence no doubt many shall come that shall feast with Abraham in the Kingdome of Heaven An other Jesus also there was of good renown the Son Josedech the first High Priest after the captivity but our Iesus was much more our high priest after our greater Captivitie in sinne The name Iesus signifies a Saviour the shaddow of which sense was in others but in our Iesus the truth Yet the obstinate Iews formerly malicious against the person of our Saviour are now as malicious against his Name in the writing whereof they would leave out the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which it cannot signifie a Saviour when as for this cause it was given him by the Angel Mat. 1.21 So that it is neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some would have it nor as the later Iewes would have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in the Hebrew Gospell of S. Mathew cap. 1. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written Isa 45. 8. which our English Interpreters render Salvation but the Latin has Salvatorem by the Person insteed of the Thing as also Genes 49 18. where the Latin has Salutare following the Greeks who have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so as it was in the concrete they may understand our Saviour which word is used also by S. Luke 2.30 in the song of Simeon Yet we may observe that the name of our Saviour is sometimes written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Hebrew Ep. of S. Paul to the Hebrews ch 1. which was the name of Ioshua the sonne of Nun ho being added by an epenthesis as Munster notes on the first of S. Mathew and thus our Saviour's right name imports a Saviour But the Iews themselves acknowledged him a Saviour even on the Crosse when they cryed out he that saves others let him save himselfe It was the fittest time to acknowledge him a Saviour he being then performing the great work his great work of our Salvation The benefit of which worke the worke of Iesus is most accurately expressed in those words of the Lord Exod. 34.7 He keeps mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sinne. God spake then of Himselfe and so aptly of our Blessed Saviour Nor are the words emptie or confus'd but each has his