their owne strength So it is his will pleasure in our spirituall skirmishes to permit Sathan to ouercome vs that groaning vnder his hellish yoke and the burthen of sinne wee might by the consideration of our owne infirmities be moued to flie onlie vnto him for succour by humble and deuout prayer For it is not sufficient for a spirituall Souldier to bee armeâ— with the brest-plate of Righteousnes the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Saluation and the Sworde of the Spirite but hee must (c] Eph. 6.18 pray alwayes with all manner prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all Perseuerance God permitteth the diuell to goe vp and downe and to compasse the earth therefore it concerns vs to watch and he Roares continually as a Lyon greedy of his pray and therefore it behoueth vs to pray that GOD would assist vs with his Grace and breake the jawe-bone of this fierce Lyon and his cruell whelps Feruent prayer is the strongest and most powerfull Exorcisme that can bee vsed to giue Sathan the repulse It is reported by the Herbalists ReÌ„b Dodâ—â— that the perfume made of the roote of Lysimachion will driue Scorpions and Serpents out of a house and we reade in the booke of Tobit (d) Tobit 8.3 that Tobias with the perfume made of the heart and liuer of a Fish by the direction of the Angell Raphael did put to flight the euil spirit which loued Sara the daughter of Raguel and killed those which came to her Such like is deuout prayer It is that (e) Exod. 30.34 sweete perfume burnt vpon the golden Altar wherewith GOD is delighted and Sathan affrighted but yet the smell of it is neither pleasing to God nor of any vertue to repell the diuell vnles it be burnt vpon the golden Altar Which Altar of pure golde is (f) Apo. 8.3 CHRIST IESVS in whose Name alone wee must pray because hee is our onely Mediatour and Aduocate If then in his Name wee implore assistance and aide against our spirituall enemies (g) Mat. 7.7 it shall be giuen vs for so hath our blessed Sauiour promised saying (h] Ioh. 16.23 Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you Lastlie though Gad was subdued for a Time yet hee ouercame at the last So the Church of GOD and euery member thereof which fighteth vnder the banner of CHRIST though they bee lyable to the fierie dartes of Sathan for a little while that thereby God may bring them to the knowledge of him and his great power to humilitie and to prayer yet they shall triumph and haue the victorie in the ende as our Sauiour saith to his Apostles (i) Ioh. 16.33 In the world yee shall haue trouble but bee of good comfort I haue ouercome the worlde And in another place he saith The Prince of this world shall bee cast foorth So then though the life of a Christian bee a Warfare vpon earth and though (k) Apoc. 12.7 the Dragon and his angels fight against Michaell and his Angels that is to say against Christ the (l) Iosu 5.14 Captaine of Gods Host and his Souldiers yet they shall not preuaile but being ouercome be cast out euen into the earth or the bottomelesse pitte The consideraton hereof bindeth vs to giue thaÌ„ks vnto GGD which giueth vs (m] 1 Cor. 13.57 victory through our Lord IESVS CHRIST The reason then of our victorie is because athan and all the euill spirites are the captiues of Christ so that they can doe nothing against Man but by permission as appeareth by diuerse places in the word of God For it is written in the book of Genesis that (n] Gen. 3.15 God hath put enmitie betwixt the Serpent Man insomuch as the serpent shall seeke to bruise or wound the heele of man but the man shall breake his head These wordes doe speciallie belong to Christ the seede of the woman who by his death Passion hath (o] Rom. 1â— 20. troden Sathan vnder his feete (p] Col. 2 15 hath spoyled powers principalities hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triuÌ„phed ouer theÌ„ in the same Crosse but generally they are to be applied to euery Christian Gad or Souldier who by the power of his Redeemer vanquisheth at the last his Aduersarie the diuell breaketh the head of the old Serpent The like may be shewed out of the prophecie of Isaiah who saith (q) Isa 27.1 In that day the Lord with a sore great mightie sword shall visite Leuiâ—than that piercing Serpent euen Leuiathan that crooked serpent he shall slaye the Dragon that is in the Sea Here the diuell is compared to Leuiathan or the Whale in regarde of his great strength and his attributes bee Piercing and Crooked Hee is called a piercing Serpent because his kingdome stretcheth farre and neere and a Crooked Serpent because hee is full of guile and subtiltie And yet (r] Iob. 41. Though he be so fierce that none dare stirre him vp though his Teeth be fearefull round about though the maiestie of his scales be like strong shieldes and are sure sealed so that no wind can come betweene them though his neisings make the light to shine and his eyes be like the eye-lids of the morning though out his mouth goe lampes sparkes of fire leape out though out of his nostrils comes a smoke as out of a boiling pot or caldron though his heart be as hard as the nether milstone and though the mightie be affraide of his maiestie he cares neither for sword speare dart nor habergeon beeing King ouer all the children of pride yet God drawes out this monstrous beast with an hooke cast into his nose and pierceth his iawes with an angle and with his sharpe and mightie sword hee visites him this Sword this hooke this angle is Christ the wisedome and power of God who by his death hath put to death The dragon that is in the sea (s) Origen Hom. 8. in Iosu The Crosse of Christ then as S Origen saith is a Victorious Chariot in the vpper part whereof Christ sitteth as a triumphant Conquerour and in the lower part of it the diuell is drawne as a captiue and is made an open spectacle of ignominie and reproach hence it comes to passe that the diuell and his angels by sufferance may assault wound and ouerthrowe the elect for a time euen as the Gadites being Israelites and of the seed of Abraham were ouercome by an host of men but they doe neuer vtterly vanquish the children of God because they doe euer rise vp againe in armes and at the last by the helpe and grace of Christ triumph ouer Sathan and his whole armie for Christ as he professeth hath such care ouer them that he suffereth none of them to perish or to be taken out of his hand And the Apostle saith That God is
that he stopped his eares like a Serpent that would not be charmed the Gentile who receiues Christ is nowe preferred before the Iewe as it is expressed by our Sauiour (Å¿) Luc. 15. in the parable of the prodigall sonne The fourth Mysterie setteth forth the difference that is betwixt the iudgement of God and the iudgement of men as the Prophet Isaiah saith in the person of God (t) Isai 55.8.9 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes for as the Heauens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes Also thus God speaketh vnto Samuel when he came to Ishai his house to annoint one of his sonnes king ouer Israel (u) 1. Sam. 16.7 God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart and accordinglie Dauid the youngest sonne of Ishai was taken from the sheepefolde as hee was following the Ewes great with young ones and exalted aboue Eliab and the rest of his elder brethren Thus we see That God (x) Deut. 10 17. is a great God mightie and terrible which accepteth no persons he regardeth not the rich more then the poore for they are all the worke of his handes and (y) Iob. 34.18 therefore without any respect of persons hee bestoweth his gifts the eye of God is a single eye but man is double eyed and therefore God iudgeth iustly but man partially Gods eye beholdeth the heart but the eies of man onely the outward appearance Birth wealth and gorgeousnesse are the obiects of humane eyes him we respect and reuerence that is an elder brother that can shewe vs his painted armes the ensignes of his rotten antiquitie and honourable and worshipfull alliance to him wee bow downe as the [z] Exod. 32 Israelites did to the golden Calfe of mount Horeb wee blesse his fortunes admire his greatnesse and flatter him in euery thing though he be as insolent as Haman as foolish as Rehoboam who was the foolishnesse of the people as vaineglorious as Rabsecah as wilfull as an vntamed heifer and as full of ill qualities as Naaman was of leprous spots yet all these infirmities are veiled and couered by his birth and thus in the opinion of men follie is set in great excellencie as Salomon saith againe him wee Idolize whose barnes are fraught with corne and who like Midas toucheth nought but gold if he be rich the world respects him though he be as very â—hurle as Naâ—al of mount Carmel as greedy as a horsleach and as basely couetous as Vespasian who laide an impost vpon the excrements of Rome or as they that would haue drawn an annuitie amongst vs out the packs of vagabondes and pedlars yet if hee be rich howsoeuer his wealth was gotten whether by decaying of tillage inclosing of commons vsurie or by vniustly bereauing Naboth of his vineard yet he is accouÌ„ted a God vpon earth Furthermore him we magnifie who like the [a] Luc. 16 19. rich glutton is clothed in purple fine linnen or that like the Princes of Iudah followeth after straÌ„ge fashions that woman is euer the gallaÌ„test in the worlds eye the which like [b] Apoc. 17.7 the Whore of Babylon is arraied in purple and scarlet and guilded with gold precious stones pearles or who as the [c] Isa 3.16 daughter of Sion walketh with a stretched out necke a wandring eye and a mincing pace man more esteemes regards the tire of womens heads wherin I haue known some as variable as the Moone or a Wire or a Wimble or a Crisping pin then he does Chastitie Vertue and Modestie whereby a woman is made (d) Psal 45.13 like the Kings daughter al glorious within such men and such women as these passe for currant though their mindes be as ragged and beggerly as the body of Lazarus when as the rich in wisedome are set in lowe place Lastly the humane eye is not onely deceiued in these outward obiects of Birth Wealth Gorgeousnes but also in such things as concerne the worship of God as for example an Hypocrite that can but put on an Angels vizard hang down his head like a bulrush in signe of humility make long praiers in publike places blow a trumpet at his dores when he giues almes wash the outside of the Cup looke demurely carying the counterfaite of grauitie (e) Prou. 30.12 as that generation vseth to doe that are pure in their owne conceite and yet are not washed from their filthines shall I warrant you be extolled by the people who will blesse the wombe that bare him and the paps that gaue him suck notwithstanding he is but like a painted sepulcher full of rotten bones or like one of the Egyptian temples which were outwardly curiously wrought and guilded but within which nothing was to be seene but some filthy Idol or other as a Dogge a Serpent a Calfe or Crocodile such like is that Saint vpoÌ„ earth the hypocrite a mere body of iniquitie couered ouer and wrapt in the cloke of sanctitie thus does the humane eye like the eyes of blind Bartimeus take men to be trees and trees to be men but it is not so with God for his Eye beholdeth the heart and therefore if he that is an elder brother and honourable be not also vertuous he accounts him a foole and compares him to the beasts that perish and so may he iustly censure the greater part of that rancke bacause ordinarily Worldly honour heauenly wisdome like the Oke and the Oliue neuer grow in one grouâ—d as it was most liuely declared among the Romans by the report of Fulgertius in their picture or Image of honor they saith hee paiÌ„ted honour like a woman riding in a Charriot wrapt in a mantle of diuers colours in one hand holding a Scepter in the other a Peacock and drawne by foure Lions first honour was resembled by a woman because great men like Heuah are soonest inueigled by the Serpent for ordinarily in matters spiritual they be more fraile theÌ„ any by the Scepter they did intimate soueraigntie by the coloured mantle varietie of pleasures and by the Peacockes spangled traine garish ostentation hereby signifying that great personages doe cloath themselues with delights as with a garment and fix their felicitie in matters of no moment the Lions which draw the Chariot of honour are indeed emblemes of Royaltie yet being but bruite beastes they shewe that Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding but is compared vnto the beastes that perish As God respecteth not these mighty Nimrods so likewise he regardeth not the wealthy Nabals and the gorgeous Herods of this world the naked Lazarus or Iohn Baptist in Camels haire or Eliah clad in hairecloth are more deare and precious in his eyes then any of these sheepe with golden fleeces for in his sight honor is but a bubble wealth but the angling rod of Sathan as S. Basile cals it and
deceiues the eies of men be fained holinesse counterfaite grauitie long prayers in publique places pretence of conscience wordes softer then oyle and almesdeedes with the sound of a Trumpet with that hee purchaseth reputation commendation and admiration but were there as Momus wisht a windowe in his breast that his heart might bee seene then would his viperous nature be discouered and then should he appeare to be as hee is a wolfe in sheepes clothing against such Serpents as these our Sauiour inveyeth saying (i) Mat. 23.14 Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites and the reason is because vnder colour of long praiers they deuoured widowes houses as there is no Viper so daÌ„gerous as the Scytale because first with her beautie she bewitcheth afterwards with her sting she killeth so there is no man more to bee feared then the hypocrite because he wil (k) 2. Sam. 3.27 like Ioab embrace Abner and stab him and kisse Christ like Iudas and betray him as then our Sauiour said to his Disciples Beware of the leaue of the Pharisies so say I take heede of the Poison of this glorious Scytale the hypocrite if we imitate him we haue our reward which is a litle airie reputation among men if he close with vs wee are in danger to bee damaged by him The fourth is the serpent called Cerastes so named of his hornes wherewith being shaken as a baite hee allureth and draweth the birds of the aire vnto him whom being within his reach he snatcheth vp and deuoureth Pline lib. 8. cap. 23. hauing before shrouded the rest of his body in the sandes this is that Serpent to which Dan by Iacob is compared according to the latine translation which is thus Fiat Dan Coluber in via Cerastes in Semita c let Dan be an Adder in the way and the Cerastes in the path c. the wisedome and policie of this Serpent is great but his malice is to be feared if he had onely wrapt his body in the sand to auoide daunger I could not condemne him but when hee vseth his hornes as a traine to entrap soules and lieth in the sande as in an Ambush I cannot but abhorre his peeuishnesse and venemous disposition this Cerastes is a liuely embleme of all such men as lay baites to ensnare and catch their brethren concerning these Serpents thus saith Dauid (m) Psal 10.8.9 They lye in waite in the villages in the secret places doe they murther the innocent their eyes are bent against the poore they lye in waite secretly euen as a Lion in his denne they lye in waite to spoile the poore they doe spoile the poore when they drawe them into their nettes like Cerastes the wicked haue hornes wherewith they betray the innocent and harmelesse soule sometimes in stead of a lure or baite they shewe the horne of friendshippe by fained amitie and colour of loue deceiuing such as trust them so was Dauid caught as hee affirmeth himselfe saying It was not mine enemie that hath done mee this wrong but mine owne familiar friende the mischieuous intentions of an open enemie may easily be preuented but the malice of a secret Serpent can hardly bee eschewed wherefore the Greeke Poet saith well in his Epigramme I hate a man that hath two faces and is onely a friend in the tongue and an enemie in the heart and sometime they shake the horne of Religion making semblance of sanctitie and pietie that with the greater ease they may winde themselues into the Simple mans bosome and consequently with their sting pearce his heart such a Serpent was Simon the Pharisie who desired our Sauiour Christ that hee would eate with him therein making shewe that hee did loue our SAVIOVRS Doctrine but when he sawe the poore penitent woman that was a sinner wash his feete with her teares wipe them with the haires of her head kisse them and annoynt them then he cast vp his venemous gorge saying within himselfe (n) Luc. 7.39 if this man were a Prophet he would surely haue knowne who and what manner of woman this is which toucheth him for shee is a sinner against this Serpent I will pray with the Psalmist and say ô Lord breake his hornes and let not his wicked imaginations prospâ—r thus haue I deciphered the nature of these fower Serpents the Basiliske the Aspe the Scytale and the Cerastes the first beeing the Character of Crueltie the second of deâ—raction the third of hypocrisie and the fourth of fraudulencie to imitate these in wisedome is Christianitie for our redeemer saith Be wise as Serpents but to haue the Basiliskes deadly eye the Aspes banefull tooth the Scytales faire skinne with treacherous spottes or the Cerastes his dissembling hornes is diuellish for to be such a one is to be the old Serpents discipline who is like the Basiliske in his eyes for hee is a (o) Ioh. 8.44 murtherer from the beginning an Aspe in his teeth for he is a Backe-biter and the accuser of his brethren like the Scytale for his skinne for hee can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and like the Cerastes for his hornes for he is a dissâ—mbler a lyar and the father of Lies ô Lord I haue waited for thy saluation Iacob hauing vnder the similitude of a Serpent and an Adder expressed both the Qualitie of the Danites and also the policie and valour of Sampson who was one of the Tribe of Dan turneth now his speech to God and prayeth saying ô Lord I haue waited for thy saluation or according to the Châ—lde paraphrase Thy Redemption or as some translate the wordes Thy Sauiour this speech is something obscure and the obscuritie thereof appeareth in the multiplicitie of expositions First Oleaster vpon this place saith thus Oleaster in hanc locum Euen as old and sicke men vse to make a pause breathing and sighing when they speake so did Iacob who being wearied with speaking to his sonnes diuerteth his voice from them to God and saith O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation which is as if he should haue said I hope that thou wilt heale or heale me and make me sound ô Lord for my trust is onely in thy saluation but saith he if wee ioyne these words to the words going before then the sence of them is this Because I perceiue ô Lord that the familie of Dan will be like the Serpent and Adder subtile and malicious therefore I hope that thou wilt preserue me from their venemous imaginations this is Oleasters exposition which may partly be admitted and partly reiected first in that he maketh Iacob pray for helpe it is not to be disliked but secondly whereas hee bringeth in Iacob praying against Dan as he did against Simeon and Leui his conceite is friuolous for though Dan be likened to a Serpent yet this comparison is not to his Dispraise but to the commendation of his Wisedome and policie by which one of his posteritie to wit Sampson redeemed
the greater because as Iacob addeth They shall bee stronger then the blessings of mine Elders Which is as if he should haue said k) Chald. paraphr in huÌ„c locum Let not only those blessings which I bestow vpon thee light vpon thy Posteritie but also all those blessings of mine Auncestours Abraham and Isaak which were such as great Princes desired to enioy them Furthermore hee prophecieth not onely that they shall bee great Blessings but also of long continuance Euen to the ende of the Hilles of the worlde that is They shall (l) Rab. Kim in hunc locuÌ„ continue as long as the Hilles endure and be vpon the head of Ioseph and on the toppe of the head of him that was separate from his brethren Here wee must consider that these Blessings promised to be perpetuall concerning things temporall were conditionall namely if the Children of Ioseph would walke in the waies of the Lord otherwise they should be turned into Curses seeing then that both the promises of Blessings and the Threatnings of Curses are sealed signed vpon this Condition (m) Gen. 4.7 if thou doe well thou shalt be accepted and if thou doest not well sinne lieth at thy doore the consideration hereof ought to be a motiue vnto euery one of vs to be carefull how we liue and to endeuour our selues to obserue and keepe the statutes and ordinances of God in hope to be blessed and accepted and out of feare to be cursed and reiected As in other things so in respect of these Blessings Ioseph is a type and a figure of the Elect for as his posteritie by the prouidence of God were to dwell in a land the furrowes whereof should be watered aboundantly with raigne from aboue and the vallies with springs from beneath and where the Breast should not be drie nor the wombe barren euenso the Children of God haue their dwelling in such a land and this is the land of promise or the Catholicke Church herein the Raigne that comes from aboue is the Grace of God the Riuer and spring beneath is Faith and the Increase of the Breastes and the wombe the workes of Charitie and all these are heauenly Blessings for God is the Causer of them all as Raigne Riuers and fruitfulnesse of the wombe do euery one of them come from God (n) Eph. 4.7 so Grace is giuen from aboue (o) 1. Cor. 12.8 faith is ingendred by the holy ghost (p) Gal. 5.22 and Charitie is the fruite of the spirit againe as the Tribe of Ioseph was blessed with these three Blessings Raigne Riuers or Springs and the Increase of the breastes and the wombe so the elect and none but they haue these three heauenly gifts bestowed vpon them Grace faith and Charitie and these three may well be likened to the Raigne to a Riuer or Spring and to the Breast and wombe of a fruitfull woman in regard of their effects For first as Raine moysteneth the earth and maketh it apt to bring forth fruite so the grace of God mollifieth the heart of man which is naturally stonie and thereby maketh it not onely fit to receiue the Seede of the word but also to bring forth fruite worthy amendment of life Secondly as Riuers and Springs run continually and water the Vallies so faith which is liuely and Iustifying after it is once infused from aboue neuer ceaseth working but is in the heart of man like liuing water springing vp to euerlasting life Thirdly as the Increase of the Breastes and the wombe is the Increase of Gods Church and the common-wealth so the Charitie of the Elect bringeth forth good workes whereby God is honoured and the members of Christ relieued to conclude Herein onely is the difference betwixt the Blessings of Ioseph and the Blessings of the Elect his were conditionall theirs are not but doe continue vnto the end of the hilles of the world that is Aug. de cor gra cap. 7. for euer for Grace Faith and Charitie are neuer finally lost by the Elect nor taken away by God because he bestoweth Grace Faith Charitie onely upon them whom he loueth and whom he loueth he loueth vnto the end THE TWELFTH SERMON OF BENIAMIN GEN. 49.27 Beniamin shall rauine as a Wolfe in the Morning hee shall deuoure the preye and at Night hee shall diuide the spoyle BEniamin was Rahels second Sonne and the youngest of the twelue Patriarchs at his birth Rahel dyed (a) Gen. 35.18 and when she was about to yeelde vp the Ghost shee called his name Ben-oni which name signifies two things First the Sonne of Strength and secondlie the Sonne of Sorrowe (b) Oleaster Some thinke that she by calling him Ben-oni meant that shee herselfe had shewed great Strength in bringing him forth or else that he was a Strong childe and stronger then she was because he ouerlined her but I rather hold with them which by the Hebrue worde On in this Name do vnderstand Sorrow Being of opinion that Rahel hereby expresseth the â—orrow of child-bearing-child-bearing-women and the sorrowes of Children when they are borne First euery Childe may trulie be called the childe of Sorrowe because it is conceiued and brought forth in Sorrowe and this punishment was laide vpon Heuah and her Daughters because shee was seduced by the Serpent Vnto the Woman hee saide I will greatly increase thy Sorrowes (c) Gen. 3.16 and thy Conceptions In Sorrowe shalt thou bring foorth Children The paines of Conception bee the head-ache Plin. lib. 7. cap. 6.7 Arist lib. 7. de hist animal cap. 4. dizzinesse abhorring or loathing of meate ouerflowing of the stomacke and such like as Aristotle and Plinie affirme Also the paines of Child-birth be wonderfull grieuous and therefore S. Basil explaining these words of the Psalmist The snares of death compassed me and the paines of hell caught me compareth the sorrowes of a woman in trauaile to the torments of hell in regard of their extremitie and they are the more fearefull because oftentimes women in trauell giue vp the ghost as Rahel did and many of them are ript vp before they can be deliuered After this pittifull manner were the mothers of Scipio Africanus Plin. lib. 7. cap. 9. Iulius Caesar and Manlius vsed and therefore our Sauiour saith (d) Ioh. 16.21 a woman when shee trauaileth hath sorrowe because her hower is come And the Apostle when hee would expresse the great paines which the ministers of the Gospell suffer compareth their trauell to the labour of a woeman in child-birth Secondly euery man is Ben-oni the sonne of sorrowe because his life is a paineful pilgrimage vpon this earth which is a vallie of teares so saies God vnto Adam (e) Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life And accordingly Iacob spake vnto Pharaoh saying (f) Gen. 47.9 Herod in Terpsich The whole time of my pilgrimage is a hundreth and