in thy sayinges and cleare when thou art iudged And Math. 11.14 where our Sauiour saith And wisedome is Iustified of her children meaning himselfe So likwise is it taken Luke 7.20 where the Euangelist declareth that the Publicans iustified God for those things that are exactly perfect and exquisitly absolute without any want or default and therefore allowed and liked of all are saied by a common Phrase of Scripture to be iustified Whereby Paule setteth out vnto vs the might and maiestie of our Sauiour not in outward habit and appearance or in externall pompe or power but in inward spirit and deuine vertue in mightie miracles wonderful workes heaueÌ„ly doctrine most glorious greate and other incomprehensible effects by which word and Phrase the Apostle endeauoreth to take away all kinde of weake diffideÌ„ce or distrust which might any way be conceaued in our harts by taking offence at the lowe and base estate of Christs our sauiours maÌ„hood which seemed to be so vile abiect and contemptible as some supposed him to be only a base and silly man As likewise by spirit in this place is not onely meante that mortified and regenerate partes of man which is contrarie to the fleash as it is vsually taken in the scriptures and especially in the Epistle to the Romans but for what soeuer was and is in Christ extraordinarie supernaturall aboue coÌ„mon manhood and mortalitie As if the Apostle Paule had said although he was cloathed with our fleash combred with our frailties coÌ„passed with our infirmities yet none of these did weakeÌ„ the power of his truth the flower of the glorie of his diuinitie or once derogate from the honour of his maiestie As that although he was verie maÌ„ yet not withstanding he was true God although he tooke vpon him the fourme of a seruant yet he thought it no robberie to be equall with his father Phil. 2.7 for in him remaineth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 And he was the brightnesse of the glorie and ingrauen fourme of the substance of God his father Heb. 1 3. As it may appeare throughout the whole historie of the Gospell whereby he is described vnto vs to be mighty indeede and in word for so first he approued himselfe to be God in his birth in that he was borne after the common order and maÌ„ner of men his mother being ouershadowed by the power of the most highest and himselfe coÌ„ceaued by the holy ghost Secondly at his inauguration consecraction after his baptisme when as by the â—iuely voice and diuine oracle from heauen he was pronounced and proclamed to be the Sonne and heire apparent of God his father Thirdly in his temptation when â—s he vanquished Sathan in a Monomachie or single combate and made him voide â—uant from him Fourthly in curing al kind of sicknesses and diseases by taking a way both the cause the effect Fiftly in know â—ng both the thoughts and harts of men as â—t appeareth ofteÌ„times in the Gospel Sixtâ—y in stilling the winde calming the sea â—nd in working other strange signes and wonders Seauenthly in his Passion when as the weakenes of his fleash was succouâ—ed and sustained by the strength of his Godhead Eightly in his Resurection in â—hat he was able to laye downe his life and to take it to him againe Ninthly in asceÌ„ding vp into Heauen for as our Sauiour in the Gospell Iohn 3. No man hath ascended vp into heauen but he that descended downe from Heauen euen the sonne of man which also is in Heauen And tenthly in sending downe the Holy Ghost his blessed spirite which proceeded as well from himselfe as from God his father Insomuch that we cannot but confesse and say with Nicodemus the Pharisie that none can doe such things as these except he came from God or except he were God himselfe without question therefore to be iustified in this place is as Athanasius in his booke De surrectione carnis explaineth it Iustitiam habere nâ—â— humano more sed diuina puritate that is to be iust and Righteous in himselfe and 〈◊〉 himselfe not according to humaine qualitie but by a diuine spirit for so signifieth this Hebrue Phrase in this place and iâ— respect of vs being allone with that which our Apostle hath 1. Col. 1.30 that he is bâ—come our righteousnesse redemption sanctification and saluation being the whole and soâ—â— scope and hope of their faith which by thâ— same spirit doe beleeue putte their truâ—â— in him not resting or relying vpoÌ„ any other meane or merrit what so euer And of this iustifiyng had not only our Sauiour Christ the testimonie of his owne spirit euen the Holy Ghost which was a witnesse vnto Iohn the Baptist wheÌ„ he descended downe vpon him invisibly in the forme of a doue Math 3.16 Which heauenly vision was a diuine oracle and siuely voice of God himselfe which the Lord caused to appeare â—nto him that when he knewe not our Saviour it might be as an infallible token to â—iscerne him from all other as he himselfe â—onfesseth Iohn 1.33.34 And I knewe â—im not but that he sente me to baptize with water he said vnto me vpon whome thou â—halt see the spirit come downe and tarrie still â—ne him that is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost And I sawe and bare record that â—his is the sonne of God But also the spirit of â—he Saints and seruants of God which giueth â—estimony vnto themselues and their owne â—oules that our Sauiour is their Lord and God â—or so saith Paule in the person of all the electe and faithfull 1. Cor. 8.5.6 Though their â—e that are called Gods whether in HeaueÌ„ or in Earth as there be many Gods and many Lords yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are althings and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are althinges and we by him againe 1. Col. 12.3 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But to drawe to an Ende for this point and to make our vse of this matter we are heere taught that we should laboure to iustifie our selues both before God and man not externally by carnall and earthly thinges but internally after an heauenly and spiritual manner not with the hypocritical Ieweâ— in Esaies daies 29.13 To drawe neere vnto God with their mouth and honour him with their lippes but in hart to be farre from theâ— And with the Scribes and Pharises in our Sauiour Christs time to be serious obseruers of outward ceremonies and to be far from inward sinceritie Math. 15.8 not superstitiously with the vnfaithfull Iewes and Idolatrous Samaritans to worshippe they know not what nor ignorantly they knowe not how nor blindly they knowe not where but as the true worshippers to worshippe the father in spirit in truth for God is a spirit and they that worshippe him must worshippe him in the spirit and in trueth Iohn 4.23.24 not to
shall receiue differeth from all other crownes in two respects signified by these two adiuncts annexed vnto the same by the Apostles As first in that it is a crowne of glorie and secondly in that it is incorruptible Aristotle affirmeth in his Ethickes vertue to bee only bonum landabile making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the adiunct thereof but his felicitie to be bonum honorabile making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the adiunct of it as farre surpassing vertue and all other things in the world But our Apostle goeth farre beyond the philosopher in promising a blessednesse to the elect and the faithfull which farre surmounteth this Ethick and Ethnicke happines not a gift of honour but a guerdon of glorie that as the giuer thereof is called the king of glorie and the place where this shall be bestowed is tearmed the kingdome of glorie and as his spouse is also glorious within and as his Angels in heauen sing nothing els but glorie to God on high and and his Saints on earth but glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne c. and as nothing but glorious things are spoken of his Citie so he giueth nothing els but a a crowne of glorie We reade of Princely crownes Royall crownes Imperiall crownes and we heare of the Popes Triple crowne and all these for matter and mettall of fine pure golde for forme and fashion most curiously wrought according to the skill and cunning of the Artificer pollished and garnished with flower-deluces and pomgranets with other varieties embelished and enameled with most flourishing and Orient colours beautified and beset with precious stones and pearles of great price But none of all these is like to this crowne of glorie which he hath prepared for the elect For if the streets of the Citie of God be of pure golde and shining christall and the walles of the same of precious stones and the gates thereof of pearles whatshal the crowne belonging to this kingdome be who is able to expresse the glorie of it or to what glorious thing in the world may it be compared I must needes crie out and say with the Poet putting my selfe to silence Ingenium fateor transcendit gloria doni Materia vires exuperante meas If I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to discipher it asit deserueth for sooner shall a man measure the heauen with his spanne hold the winde in his fist ande containe the maine sea in a vessell then declare the excellencie of this crown which is not onely a crowne of glorie but hath diuers other titles of preheminence giuen vnto it which all shall be partakers of which are possessours of the same As 2. Tim. 4.8 It is called a Crowne of righteousnesse by the imputation and participation of our Sauiours righteousnesse And Iames 1.12 the Apostle tearmeth it as also Iohn Apocal. 2.10 a Crowne of life because those that haue the same shall be partakers of life eternall and finally Apocalips 12.1 a Crowne of starres because they that shall receiue this crowne shall shine as the stars for euer and euer Not to speake of other crownes not found in the Scriptures but in the Fathers as of the crowne of virgins the crowne of Doctours the crowne of Martyrs and the triple crowne which Augustine mentioneth in his 243. Epistle to Cyrill being tolde thereof by Hierom himselfe whom he there saith he saw and talked withall in his vision because I deeme Auguistin not to be the Author of that Epistle so I doubt of the truth of these things because we haue no euidence of them in the written word We leaue therfore this Adiunct and come to the next which is that this is not onely a crowne but also an incorruptible crowne Our Apostle hauing vsed here in this reward which he promiseth and propoundeth a metaphore or borrowed speech taken from wrastlers and champions from their manner of crowning after they haue lawfully striuen and vanquished nowe notwithstanding he seemeth to shew a difference in this word betweene this crowne and their crowne in that this is incourruptible but theirs to be subiect to corruption notably amplifying the excellencie of the reward Likewise the Apostle Paul doth the like but more fully following this Metaphore 1. Cor. 9.25 Euerie man that trieth maistries abstaineth from althings and they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crown but we for an incorruptible crowne The word which our Apostle vseth in the Originall is verie significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is which cannot perish or vanish weare or waste away being a Metaphore taken from flowers which after they be gathered doe soone and sodainly wither fade away or from the bodies of men which by labour are enfeebled by age decayed and by sicknesse consume away and not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying hereby that not only all other crownes but also all other things should be corrupted and come to nothing and only this to continue for euer and therefore farre excelling all other rewards whatsoeuer For what is there in the world so sound and substantiall that is not transitorie and subiect to corruption Gold the most solid mettall of all others yet in time it weareth away The Adamant though otherwise not to be broken by Goates bloud mouldreth in pieces Yea the sunne shall be darkened the moone shall loose her light all the powers of heauen shal be shaken and the heauens themselues shal wax olde as doth a garment according to that of the Poet Tempus edaxrerum that is as our Beaucleark interpreteth it Eld eateth al things onely this thing this reward this crowne remaineth and abideth for euer All other things whatsoeuer whether they be rich araie siluer golde iemmowes or iewels either the mothe freateth or canker corrupteth or theeues breake through and steale them Let vs therefore laie vp onely this treasure in heauen ayme onely at this crowne seeke onely this glorie labour onely to reape and receiue this reward for this treasure is onely sure this pleasure onely sincere this reward onely remaining this crowne onely incorruptible finally this glorie onely euerlasting Tigranes king of Armenia said of his roial golden crowne considering the heauie burden of his chargeable gouernment that to weare and beare a crowne was not so happie as honourable nay so honourable as hard and that therefore if it were to take againe he would not vouchasafe to stoupe for it if he found it lying on the ground But this Crowne of which our Apostle speaketh and the chiefe shepheard giueth cannot be tearmed hard because our Sauiour often offereth and profereth the same now doth promise and hereafter will performe it vnto vs and yet withall honourable for it is a crowne of glorie yea and happy too because it maketh vs happy and blessed yea and euerlasting happy because it is an incorruptible crowne and that therefore all men of euerre degree state and condition young and olde
twelue tribes of the people that he might euermore haue theÌ„ in remembrance the skirts hemmes of his robes being hunge with belles of gould and pomegranets in signe that his life should giue forth a greate sound and good sauor all abroade and that his voice should ring and be hard a loude among the People and therefore also the Lord requireth Leuit 21. That noe preist should be maimed or deformed but whole and sounde Vpon which place Theoderite hath these wordes in his thirtie question A sacris arcentur corpore vitiati saith he vt per affectiones non sponte susceptas ea quae a voluntate proficisci debent pro hiberentur Oculorum enim occaecatio inopiam cognoscendi significat auris amputatio in obedientiam naris ablatio facultatis discernendi priuationem manus abscissio in agendo socordiam atque ita in reliquis Hereby signifying that he cannot be a perfect minister that faulteth or faileth in any anie one of these deuties not so much standing vpon the deformites of the bodie as respecting the giftes of the minde which he hereby signifieth and insinuateth as also is meante by the vnblemished sacrifices that were required which also the verie Heathen did regarde especially both in their Priests and offerings for as Ieremie Ad Fabiolam saith Corporis Vctia ad animum reâ—eruntur Ideoque talibus praeditos corporibus ad rem Diuinam Esse ineptos Besides this how often hath our Sauiour commanded his Disciples in the Gospell as concerning good life and godly couersation How often also hath Paule giuen the same to Tymothie in charge As the other Apostles to other Pastours and Teachers of the word All which of the Preists in the lawe of the Disciples in the Gospell doe as well concerne vs as them as being spoken to all alike As that in the Tim. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a pure harte a good conscience and vnfained For as he describeth a minister in the third Chap of the same Epist He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as the Apostle requireth in a Deacon and therefore much more in a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he requireth in the fourth Chapter That he haue a good report of those that are without least they fall into the rebuke and snare of the diuell and in the same chapter That he be vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in saith and in purenes as Peter in the 1.5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as tipes patternes presidents and examples vnto your flockes of which the Lord hath made you ouerseers as Paule againe lastly warneth vs in the same fourth Chapter last verse Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto thy doctrine for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and those that heare thee least that preaching vnto other thou thy selfe become a reprobate 1. Cor. 19. last verse So that hereby we are all to learne what is our dutie that take vpon vs to preach the word of God vnto others that we our selues first giue example of good workes who as we call others we our solues may first leade and shewe the way to others and be deafe our selues whoe should giue good example and if we bid others goe and we our selues stand still and if we pipe and sing to others and we our selues be not delighted therewith what doe we els but moke God condeme them for as the Poet saith Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum and as another saith Quid didicisse viam prodest quia pergere nolis Turpior ignaro factus es ipse sciens But lette such loose and dissolute ministers remember that Agens Theologia contrarie to Aristotles opinion of felicitie as saith Barnarcinus Ochinus Tanto maior est contemplante quantum domina serua etuiua fides mortuae anticellit dialogue 2.20 Better is he that hath actiue the hethat hath contemplatiue Diuinitie let them remember that which Austin saith to their sham evenit indoctum vulgus et rapit caelum The common people winning away as it were by violence the Kingdome of Heauen from them being like Astronomers and Starregasers which alwaies are pointing at it but neuer possesse it or sette foote in it and being in the pulpitte as one a stage bearing the partes and taking vpon them the persons of good men but afterwardes become their owne men againe when as Christ saith in the eight of Iohn if ye would abide in this my saying then should ye be truely my disciples which our Sauiour speaketh to all in generall and therefore much more vnto the minister it was the saying of Prophaine Protagoraes in the Pagane Plato herein agreing with mischeivous Machiueli he is as a madde man that cannot counterfaite Iustice but contrarie wise godly Paule he saith That the wrath of the Lord is reueiled from Heauen vpon all them that hould the trueth of God in vniustice Let all Preachers therefore imitate the patriarch Iacob in taking vnto them both Lea and Rachel that is both life and learning manners and knowledge science and conscience together that I may vse the Allegorie of a Iewish Rabbie who likneth Action vnto Lea and contemplation to Rachel Lea seeming to be deformed or rather not so well fauoured in comparison to Rachel which was most beautifull workes and deedes more harde and laborious then bare speculation when as they doe other wise they shall shew themselues like vnto Iacobs wiues maides Biltha and Zilpha Who did bring forth children which were free they themselues being bound and likewise being themselues most sinnefull children of God did make others good and Godly themselues continuing badde and wicked But would to God they would call to mind whensoeuer they goe aboute to reprehende and reproue the sinnes of the people that which the Heathen Tullie hath in his thirde of his Tusculan Est propruim stultitiae aliorum vitia cernere obliuisci suorum And againe in an other place Omni vitio carere debet is qui in alium paratus est discere And would they would remember that which they reade of that famous Lawgiuer Licurgus who gaue noe lawes but those which he first practised himselfe They may happelie deceaue the ignorant and simple people who as Horace saieth 1. lib. Epist Vertutem verba esse putant vt ligna lucum But beloued the Lord is not mocked who is the searcher of the Hartes and reines And is not as Mercurie to whome onelie tongues are offered and sacrificed but requireth all both inward and outward partes and powers yea holy man perfect and absolute in euerie good worke whose sacrifice is a sorrowfull soule and a contrite harte whose worship consisteth in spirit and trueth and whose offeringes are the fruites of the spirite euen all diuine vertues whatsoeuer wherefore Cyprian saieth verie well in this behalfe Vt Musici cor cum chordis ita ministri mens cum monitionibus conueniret Which cannot be