passe then look vp for your redemption draweth neere But how neere now no man or Angel can tell Esay saw God in his throne and the Seraphims stood vpon it couering his face with two wings and his feet with two wings his face keeping vs from the secrets of Gods eternall predestination in the beginning his feete not disclosing when he will come to iudge the world in the end The certaiâ—tie then of this vncertaintie may teach vs not to bee curious or carelesse not curious for why should we presume to know more then other men more then all men more then Angels more then Christ himselfe It is a kinde of sacriledge saith Sâ—lâ—ianus to breake into Gods holie place and prie into his secret sanctuarie and to know more then he would haue vs to know Christs Apostles were his Secretaries his especiall fauourites and followers from whom hee kept nothing which was for their good and yet he said vnto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power The glorious Angels abound with much knowledge naturall experimentall reuealed hauing farre better meanes of knowledge then wee forasmuch as wee know the Creator by the creatures whereas they know the creatures by the Creator Opus habet humana anima quasi quodam vehiculo Creaturae vt adcognitionem Creatoris assurgat Cùm è contrà longè perfectius angelica natura in Creatore notitiam habet creaturae Angels alway behold the face of God in heauen in which as in a glasse they see much more then is possible for vs on earth to discerne Let not then an heauie lump of clay presume to know more then heauens heralds and yet Christ to satisfie further our curiositie saith in the 13. of Marke that himselfe knowes not that day and houre Now the disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lord It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is and the seruant as his Lord. He is a foole that will be wisâ—r then Wisedome it selfe but Christ as man was either ignorant of it or else had no commission to reueale it or as Aqâ—in Dicitur nescire quia non facit scire Hee is said himselfe not to know because he would not haue vs to know Such as will enquire more touching that text may see Sixt. Seâ—en Bib. sent lib. 6. annot 105. Soarez Conimbricen traect 3. in Mat. Bellarm. lib. de anima Christ 1. cap. 5 sect â—am de quarto Iansen concord cap. 124. Maldonat in Matth. 24.36 I will end with the saying of Augustine Ne nos addamus inquirere quod ille non addidit dicere Let vs not seeke the things that are too hard for vs but that which God hath commanded let vs thinke vpon with reuerence Secret things bâ—long to the Lord reuealed things vnto vs. Secondly this vncertaintie of Christs second comming may teach vs not to be carelesse Nam ideo latet vltimus dies vt obseruetur omnis dies God would haue vs ignorant of the last day that we might be vigilant euery day This vse Christ makes in the words immediatly following my text and Matth. 24.42 and Mark 13.33 It behoueth vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come to bee more watchfull because Satan is growne more wrathfull Apocal. 12.12 as Lysards cut in peeces Threat with more malice though with lesser might And euen in dying shew their liuing spight The Father of mercies and God of compassion increase our faith and fill our lampes with oyle that when the Bridegrome shall come wee may meete him and enter with him into the wedding where there is ioy beyond all ioy pleasure without paine life without death euery thing that is good without any thing that is euill Amen The Epist. 1. COR. 4.1 Let a man this wise esteeme vs euen as the Ministers of Christ c. THe people of Corinth in Pauls age like the people of England in our time were very factious and humorous extolling some Preachers and despising other indiscreetly without either iudgement or loue S. Paul therfore rebukes sharply this insolent rashnes and sheweth in this scripture 1. What euery man should iudge verse 1. Let a man c. 2. What he should not iudge of the Preachers in which point he doth 1. report verse 2. 2. reproue their fault and that two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of correction I passe very little to be iudged of you c. vers 3.4 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of direction He that iudgeth is the Lord and therfore iudge nothing before the time vers 5. Let a man Whereas the Corinthians ascribed either too much or too little to their teachers our Apostle shewâ—s a meane Let a man this wise c. neither magnifying them as Christ for they are not Masters but Ministers and yet not vilifying them as ordinary seruants in Gods house for they are stewards and that of Gods own secrets Albeit Paul plant and Apollos water only God giueth increase Paul planted in preaching Apollos watered in baptizing some plant by their words other water by their works some plant by doctrine other water by their exhortation some plant by speaking other water by writing but in all God is all He that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing that is no great thing no principal agent but a subordinate instrument wherefore let not a man boast in 〈◊〉 Whether it be Paul or Apollos or Ceâ—has or the word 〈◊〉 or death whether theâ— be things present or things to come euen all are yours and â—e Chriâ—ts and Christ Gods If then the Preachers are yours and you are Christs and Christ Gods as of him and through him and for him are all things so vnto him and not vnto men giue all the praise and glory Let a man esteeme vs not as Christ but as the Ministers of Christ not as Lords but as stewards in Gods house now stewards administer not their owne goods but their masters and one day must account for them and therefore ye must haue and we behaue our selues as accountants Antichrist then is not the vicar of God but a factor of Satan in preaching his owne Decrees and equalling them with the diuine law But albeit Preachers are seruants yet are they not meane but high stewards and this is an exceeding great dignitie to be Christs mouth Christs voice Christs messengers Christs angels in so much as he that receiueth them receiueth him and he that despiseth them despiseth him as ambassadours speaking from him and for him as our Apostle elsewhere They be not only common ambassadors but legati à latere stewards of his hidden secrets not only dispensatores ministeriorum as in the vulgar Latine but according to the originall mysteriorum administers of his
Toward his mother not absolutely denying but onely deferring her suit for a time Nondum venit It shall come though as yet not come His mother said vnto the ministers whatsoeuer he saith vnto you doe it She was not offended or discouraged with Christs answer but belieued his word and submitted her selfe to his will a notable president of faith and obedience teaching vs in all afflictions of body and soule wholly to stay our selues vpon his gracious promises In a word it is a good rule to be followed in all things heare him in all the works of thy calling whatsoeuer he saith vnto thee doe it not onely belieue but doe And there were standing there six water pots of stone The relation of the miracle it selfe containes in it a most liuely picture of the Church militant subiect euen in her greatest happinesse to much want and woe but Christ that keepes Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe hee knowes her workes and in the midst of her wants euen when she thinks her selfe forsaken here 's her praiers and turnes her water into wine giuing her a garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse The Fathers and Friers abound with other allegories He that list may reade August tract 9. in Ioan. Bernard ser. 2. post octau Epiphan Rupert comment in Ioan. lib. 2. Luther postil maior Dom. 2. ab Epiphan Ferus ser. 9. Dom. 2. post Epiphan Pontanus bibliothec con tom 1. fol. 222. 223. c. I did alway thinke of glosses as Augustine of graces Alter aliquando fructuosus est donis paucioribus sed potioribus alter inferioribus sed pluribus One man edifieth his hearers with many though meane notes another with few but fit short but sweet I passe therefore from the miracle to the consequent and effect The which is twofold 1. The manifestation of Christs glory 2. The confirmation of his Disciples faith Christ in his morals instructed vs to liue well in his miracles to belieue well And therefore this fact increasing the Disciples faith and illustrating his honour Omne tulit punctum quia miscuit vtile dulci. The Epistle ROM 12.16 Be not wise in your owne opinion c. SAint Paul exhorts vs in this Epistle not to hurt but rather helpe our enemies Not to hurt by Concealing that which is good as Wisdome Be not wise in your owne opinion Sanctimony Prouide things honâ—st in the sight of all men Rendring that which is euill vers 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill and vers 19. Auenge not your selues c. But to help by preseruing Peace vers 18. If it be possible liue peaceably with all men Vers. 20. If thine enemy hunger feed him Patience vers 21. Bee not ouercome of euil but ouercome euill with goodnesse Be not wise Not in your selues nor onely wise to your selues not in your selues and owne conceit If any man among you seeme to be wise let him be a foole that hee may be wise Seest thou a man hastie in his matters anâ— haughty there is more hope of a foole then of him It is recorded as a great fault in Charles Duke of Burgondie that he seldom asked neuer followed the couÌ„sel of other On the contrary Moses a man learned in all wisdome of the Egyptians and mighty both in words and deeds obeied the voice of his father in law Iethro doing according to his aduice Exod. 18.24 Saul hearkened vnto the counsell of his seruant 1. Sam. 9. Agamemnon in Homer wished for ten Nestors Alexander Seuerus neuer determined any thing of moment without twelue or twenty iudicious Lawyers It is a great part of wisdome yea the first entry to knowledge scire quod nescias not to be too wise or in our opinion so wise that wee neglect others helpe The Pope in this respect as Roderigo Bishop of Zamora well obserues is most vnfortunate For though he hath all things at command yet euermore stands in need of one thing to wit a faithfull counseller The Romans at this time being Lords of the world were puffed vp exceedingly with the greatnesse of their gifts and largenesse of their Empire Paul therefore did often as Chrysostome notes inculcate this exhortation in this Chapter twice that it might be remembred once The men of England yea the women of England abusing the great light of the Gospell and long peace are growne so wise that many will take vpon them to teach euen their most learned teachers and therefore we must againe and againe preach and presse this one lesson Be not wise in your owne opinion Let no man presume to know more then is meete for him to know but so iudge of himself that he be gentle and sober according as God hath dealth to euery man the measure of faith Or as other expound it Be not wise to your selues but as Salomon speakes Let thy fountaines â—lâ—w foorth and the riuers of water in the streets according to the measure of grace proceeding from the fountaine of goodnesse communicate thy wisedome to other hide not thy talent To one is giuen by the Spirit y â— word of wisedom tâ—nquaÌ„ luminare maius vnto another y e word of knowledge tâ—nquam luminare minus vnto another prophecie vnto another faith vnto another diuersity of language tanqâ—aÌ„ stellâ—e as starres in the firmament of the Church Our light then must shine before men and we must waste our sâ—lues for the good of such as are in Gods house The candle must not be put vnder a bâ—shell but on a candlestick Scire tuum nihil est nisite scire hoc sciat alter If thou wilt onely be wise to thy selfe thou shalt at last turne foole For as water standing still is soone puddle so the gifts of the minde not employed are empaired Afâ—aniuâ— said truly that vse begate wisedome Vsus me genuit mâ—ter peperit memoriâ— Let not vs then inclose truth and the knowledge therof it is common If we make it priuate wee shall be depriued of it As Auâ—ustine sweetly Non licet hâ—â—ere priuatam ne priâ—emureâ— When Châ—ist asâ—ended vp on high he gaue gifts to men among othâ—r the gift of wisdome for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie for the building vp of his mysticall bodie Wisedome then is not giuen only for thy self but for other among the rest euen for thâ—ne enemies that the Lord God might dwell among them Secondly we may not conceale our sanctimonie Prouide things honest in the sight of all mâ—n as Paâ—l expounds Paul Giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God For as a man must haue care of his conscience before God so likewise of his credit before men Some prouide thinges honest Before men but not before God as the vaine-glorious hypocrites Herod within Iohn without painted
disciples came to him and awoke him Almighty God likes in our necessity this importunity Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the time of trouble Psal. 91.15 He shall call vpon me and I will heare him And therefore learne by this example to come to Christ to cry to Christ in all extremity renouncing your selues and relying vpon him onely Master saue vs or else we perish He said vnto them Why are ye fearfull O yee of little faith It was great faith in that they followed Christ into the ship but little faith in that they feared He saith not O ye of no faith but O ye of little faith It was impossible to come vnto God and call vpon Christ without faith in saying we perish they shewed infidelity but in praying saue vs they manifested faith Againe he doth not say yee of little courage or ye of little charity but ye of little faith because faith is the ground of all other vertues and in aduersity most vsefull If we belieue that Christ is our Captaine in the ship with vs who can be against vs And therefore Paul Ephes. 6.16 Aboue all put on the shield of faith wherewith ye may quench all the fiery darts of the diuell Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea Christ reprehends the disciples a little but instantly grants their requests his reprehensions had not so much sting as honie for a great calme followed a little chiding at his word the stormy wind ariseth which lifteth vp the waues of the sea They are caried vp to heauen and downe againe to the deep their soule melteth away because of the trouble They reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end But when they cry to the Lord in their trouble he deliuereth them out of their distresse for he maketh the storme to cease so that the waues thereof are still A great calme followed a great tempest Decet enim magâ—um magna facere Christ spake but one word to the violent windes and vnruly seas and they both obeyed his command He doth at sundry times and in diuers maners speake to vs and yet wee will not hearken vnto his voice The spectators of this act might therefore wonder to see the senslesse water and weather obey more then man indued with reason and religion The men maruelled Ideo premantur iusti vt pressi clament clamantes exaudiantur exauditi glorificent Deum A great storme caused in the disciples a great feare great feare great deuotion great deuotion occasioned Christ to worke this great miracle this great miracle moued this great admiration What is this man that commands as a God And when he was come to the other side Two points are to be considered in this miracle principally the Gratiousnesse of Christ in curing two possessed of diuels Vngratiousnesse of the Gergesites preferring a peece of bacon before the Gospell hogs before Christ. Such as respect their tithe pig more then their Pastor are Gergesites and deserue that Christ should depart out of their coasts I will not in particular examine these but in stead thereof insert a few notes vpon the last verse of the first Chapter appointed to be read at morning praier this Sunday preached at Pauls Crosse. Ian. 29. 1608. ESAY 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God This text is a proclamation of warre against the wicked enemies to God and his Gospell wherein obserue the thing proclaimed No peace to the wicked An heauy doome whether we consider the time the matter or the men for there is no time no peace no wicked if impenitent excepted person proclaiming the Prophet as Herald Lord as chiefe CoÌ„mander able to make this war because God willing to maintaine this war because my God This sentence would not be so grieuous if it were not so generall if any wicked man at any time could inioy any kind of peace but the proposition is an vniuersall negatiue non est pax impiâ—s Our and other translations haue it not in the time past non erat there was no peace nor in the future non erit there shall be no peace but in the present there is no peace Or as it is in the originall indefinitely without a verbe naming no time that wee might feare this iudgement at all times Cognatum imò innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium In the words of Saint Paul the wages of sinne is death as the worke is ready so the pay present nec aufertur nec defertur if impiety no impunity When sin is finished it hath his hire scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit If we consider a wicked man out of Christ he hath neither here peace of grace nor hereafter peace of glory but as he passeth from sinne to sinne he goeth as it were from diuell to diuell euen from hell to hell from the flashes to the flame from hell internall to hell eternall As this includes all time so likewise excludes all peace For albeit Harding found a great difference between no bread not bread yet Interpreters here make no difference betweene not peace and no peace For the wicked haue no peace with man no peace with God no peace with themselues None with man for as it is said in the verse before my text The wicked are like the raging sea whose waters cast vp dirt and mire They are of their owne nature turbulent but if we stir them a little then they fume and some like the sea both actiue saith Musculus and passiue being neither peace makers nor peace takers For nature and scripture tell vs plainly that righteousnesse is elder sister to peace So said Aristotle natures chiefe Secretary that agreement in euill is not loue but conspiracie So Dauid a man after Gods owne heart and a penner of Gods owne will iustitia pax osculatae sunt righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other As Augustine vpon the place fiat iustitia habebis pacem if thou wilt haue peace worke righteousnesse first eschew euill and doe good then seeke peace and insue it Psal. 34.13 Nay you need not seeke it for it will finde you peace will come of it selfe to kisse righteousnesse On the contrary no truth no mercy where there is no loue of good there can be no good of loue no true friendship except it be Christi glutino copulata glewed together in Christ a man can hardly be true friend to any that is not first truly friend to truth it selfe It was an excellent speech of Constantius how can they be faithfull vnto their Prince who are persidious and vnfaithfull vnto their God I tell thee saith Augustine to Martianus albeit you were mine old acquaintance yet neuer my friend vntill you were my louer in Christ. And therefore when Iehoram said vnto Iehu Is it peace Iehu replied
are Saints I wonder who are Scythians if these be Catholikes who are Canibals In this question as in all other I submit my selfe to the iudgement of our Church and practise of our Country Which as Diuines and Statesmen auow neuer put any to death meerly for the cause of religion I conclude with the glosse of Luther Hoc verbum Sinite non est confirmationis aut approbationis haereticorum sed consolationis exhortationis nostri ad patientiam Apertè saeuit persecutor paganus vt leo haereticus insidiatur vt draco ille cogit negare Christum iste docet aduersus illum opus patientia adâ—ersus hunc opus vigilantia Consulas Augustinum epist. 48.50.61.127.158.159.160 Diligite homines interficite errores sine superbiâ de veritate praesumite sine saeuitiâ pro veritate certate Contra literas Petilian lib. 1. cap. 29. Thirdly this makes against Popish Purgatory prouing it to be superfluous and idle for whatsoeuer is in the Lords field is either corne or cockle a barne is prouided for the one and vnquenchable fire for the other A third place for a third sort of persons is that which neither God made nor Christ mentioned nor the Apostles belieued nor the Primitiue Church imbraced It is an heathenish fantasie founded by the Poets not by the Prophets by Plato and Virgil not by Peter and Paul and that vpon so tickle ground that the most learned Papists can neither tell vs where it is nor what it is Bellarmine reports eight sundry different opinions about the place confessing honestly that the Church as yet hath not defined vbi siâ— purgatorium it is in so many places as that it can be in no place quod vbique nâ—llibi Sir Thomas More said that in all purgatorie there is no water and that hee would proue by the words of Zach. 9.11 I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water On the contrarie Roffensis affirmed that there is great store of water and this he proued by Dauid Psalme 66.11 Wee went thorow fire and water Albertus and Roffeâ—sis are of opinion that purgatories executioners are good Angels Other as Dioâ—yâ—ius Carthusianus and Sir Thomas More make no doubt but that they be diuels Cardinall Bellâ—ermine is of both sides and no side concluding this point Maneat hoc inter seâ—reta quâ— suò tempore nobis aperientur Happily this vncertaintie is a great certaintie to the Pope being Lord of Purgatorie for hee can when he please make gaâ—le-deliâ—â—rie anâ— auoid all the soules in Purgatorie being â—is peculiar the Pope may command Gods Angels to fetch away from thence whom he list and therefore this imaginarie fiâ—e may make his kitchin smoke but it is altogether needlesse for the people because Christ saith Paul hath purged our sinnes all our sinnes saith S. Iohn as Augustine sweetly Gods pitié is mans purgatorie Lastly this makes against Atheists imagining that either eternall iudgement shall haue an end or else that the world shall haue no end our Sauiour confutes both in his exposition of this parable vers 39. The haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels who shall gather the tares c. but the wheate shall be gathered into Gods barne The glorious Angels at the great haruest shall first gather the tares separating them from the wheate which is poena damnâ— priuation of God and all that is good Angels Saints friends and then they shall binde them in sheaues to be burnt which is poena sensus a possession of hell and all that is euill they shall not be bound all in one but in many fagots an adulterer with an adulteresse shall make one fagot a drunkard with a drunkard another fagot a traitor with a traitor another fagot as there be seuerall sinnes so seuerall sheaues all shall not be punished in the same degree though in the same fire all shall be burnt yet none consumed In that vnquenchable flame poenae gehennales torquent non extorquent puniunt non finiunt corpora mors sine morte finis sine fine defectus sine defectu Dauid said of his enemies in the 55. Psalme Let them goe downe quicke into hell in another sense wee may wish so much vnto our best friends euen our own selues as one fitly let vs often goe to hell while we liue that we come not thither when we be dead let vs euery day descend into hell by meditation that in the last day wee may not descend by condemnation Gather the wheate into my barne In Gods field tares are among wheate but in Gods barne no tare no care shall molest vs in the kingdome of grace bad are mingled with the good but in the kiâ—gdome of glorie there shall bee none but good enioying nothing but good good Angels good Saints aboue all our good God in whose light we shall see such light as the eye of man hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither heart sufficiently can conceiue c. The Epistle 1. COR. 9.24 Perceiue ye not how that they which runne in a courseâ— runne all but one receiueth the reward THere are two waies of teaching one by precept and another by paterne S. Paul vseth here both a precept so runne that ye may obtaine a paterne I therefore so runne c. The precept is pressed by two similitudes 1. FroÌ„ runners in the 24 verse 2. From wrastlers in the 25. The summe of both is if such as runne for a wager and coÌ„tend for a corruptible crowne suffer great pains and abstaine from many pleasures to winne the gole what should wee doe what should wee not doe to gaine the crowne of glorie proposed and promised onely to such as runne trauell and endeuour for it So runne therefore that ye may obtaine In which exhortation 4. points are regardable the Men ye Matter runne Manner so runne Marke that ye may obtaine Runne ye That is all yee for that is taken as granted here Perceiue ye not All men are viatores in this valley of teares before they can be comprehensores ascended vp to heauen and resting on Gods holy hill the blessed Virgin not excepted the most blessed of all the sonnes of men Christ Iesus himselfe not exempted he first suffered and after entred into glorie first he did runne then obtaine God hath three houses Heauen for ioy Hell for paine Earth for labour Man is borne to trauell as the sparkes flie vpward Iob 5.7 The matter then in the next place to be considered is that we must runne Runne ye Wherein obserue 2. things especially 1. The labour of our life 2. The shortnesse of our life The labour in that wee must runne the shortnesse in that it is but a race Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble Animal