against the Luciferians Quae est ista simplicitas nescire quod credas c What simplicity is this to beleeue you cannot tell what He beleeued simply what did he beleeue By which places you see that as the knowledge of Christ is required if we meane to be acknowledged of his Father so this knowledge must not be a generall conceit or notice onely that there is such a one and that some thing he hath done for so we shall shoote but at an vncertaine marke striue as they that beate the ayre as Saint Paul saith but we must know in particular what great things he hath done and from what aboundant loue hee did it and with what fierce enemies he encountred in doing it and for what kind of persons he did that which he did and lastly in what miserable estate we had beene if he had not done it And is this so easie a faith that it may be gotten with once opening of our eyes or conned by one stans pede in vno or haue we not need rather to search the Scriptures as Christ spake and to Take vp and read Take vp and read as Augustine was admonished and to attend to those things which the Preachers teach vs as Lydia did to Pauls Doctrine As I say we are to giue our diligence that we may be skilfull in the whole booke of God in the whole doctrine of our Saluation so especially it shall behoue vs to get by heart and haue in a readinesse such Sentences as doe summarily and briefly containe the mysterie of Christs Incarnation and the chiefe benefits of his Mediatorship And such a place of Scripture is this that I haue in hand yea such a word is this Immanuel so rich so effectuall so full of Doctrine and consolation if you doe not so much tell the syllables as prize the waight and doe not so much content your selues with the outward barke and rinde as with the inward substance and pith Consider therefore of it againe and againe and marke me opening and vnfolding of it This therefore I say that in this word is couched together both Christs Nature and his Office His Natures of two kindes both Diuine and humane and yet but one Person his Offices though diuers for functions yet all tending to this one end to set vs at peace with God and to vnite him vnto vs. he shall call his name Immanuel or God with vs. Now to proue vnto you Well-beloued that Christ is God very God as Saint Iohn speakes God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him I hold it superfluous before Christians since not onely the whole Scripture being giuen by inspiration from God doth auow so much The Law the Prophets the Psalmes the Apostles the Euangelists c. but also the Father himselfe the Word himselfe and the holy Ghost himselfe those three in heauen and vpon earth the works that he did farre exceeding the power of any creature and especially the raising himselfe from death the third day together with the bodies of many Saints that had slept longer Thus as Aratus saith of Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All streets are full of Iupiter and markets and the Sea and Ports c. So is it true of Christ and his Deity that he hath filled all places with the glory thereof so the same needs not to be proued or demonstrated no more needeth his humanity whereof besides his birth shape growing his hunger his thirst his faintnesse and wearinesse his feare and shrinking his stripes and buffetings his reuilings his cruell and bitter death and lastly his burying be abundant witnesses So be there also euidences enow of the vnity of his Person in two Natures euen in these two places of Scripture Iohn 1. The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory of him c. He doth not say of them though he were both God and Man Word and Flesh. And Iohn 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man which is in heauen he doth not say Sonnes as of many but Sonne though hee speake of such a manner of existence which is not incident to one nature Christ therefore is but one but his Natures are two Diuine Humane both true both perfect yet vnseparable and vnconfused For neither hath the Deity swallowed vp the humanity so thought that wicked Hereticke Eutyches neither hath the humanity made a new person from the Deity as thought that vile miscreant Nestorius But howsoeuer according to his Deity he be equall to his Father inuisible impassible incircumscriptible c. and according to his humanity he be like to vs euen of the same nature with vs corporall visible reall hauing flesh and bone and a reasonable soule as wee haue yet as is truly taught by Athanasius Hee is not two but one Christ for if there were two then the Prophet should not haue said in my Text She shall call his name but She shall call their names And the Apostle should not haue said to Timothy There is one Mediator betweene God and man but There are two Mediators the Sonne of Mary and the Sonne of God yea then he could not haue said truly as he doth that God was in Christ that God was manifested in the flâ—sh or that the Princes crucified the Lord of glory which places doe most strongly euince the Deity not to haue beene separated from the humanity being once assumed but in death nor the humanity to make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe but both together concurring in the person of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet was a perfect Person before he assumed our nature to make vp the Head of his Church euen the Sauiour of his body that is the Sauiour of all that beleeue Now hauing spoken so much which was contrary to my promise and contrary to my meaning of the vnspeakeable vnion of two Natures in one Immanuel let vs consider a little of the causes hereof to wit why God would descend into the world and become man and then adde something touching the vse of the Doctrine and so an end For as touching his Offices I haue spoken of them out of another Text vpon pregnant occasion and so I may doe againe vpon the like Touching the fiâ—st Augustine hath a good speech Tali auxilio natura nostra indigebat causa Our nature and our cause stood in need of such an helpe Vt repararet genus humanum nec sine Maiestate posset humilitas nec sine humilitate Maiestas that neither humility or base estate could repaire man-kind without a Maiesticall nor a Maiesticall estate without an humble or base one And why so Fulgentius will tell vs Dâ—us verus viuus imo Deus veritas vita c. God being true and liuing nay truth and life it selfe if he had not beene true Man could not haue tasted of death and if he
darkenesse that they testified of the former darke times to wit That God left not himselfe without witnesse he writeth most soundly in this argument Et Pater natus sic Spiritus est Deus vnus Non plures tres sunt non tria tres idem that is Both the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God not more Gods three Persons nor three things three and yet the same thing Thus they And as Saint Paul saith of Epimâ—nides This testimony is true so may we say of all these mens sayings I could produce an hundred such testimonies if it were needfull from the first vnto the last that they are faithfull and true But now if you aske with Nicodemus How may these things be Iohn 3. How can God haue a Sonne how can he that is a Sonne be God I answere that this is a secret that the very Angels if they did desire to behold cannot comprehend so saith Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let the generating of God be honoured with silence It is a great matter for thee to know or learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was begotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as for the maner how wee will not allow the Angels much lesse thee to conceit Will ye needs haue me tell you how The Father knoweth that did generate The Sonne knoweth who was generated that which is aboue this is hidden by clouds which it is a hard thing for thy dull sight to pierce thorow Thus Nazianzen godlily modestly wisely To the like purpose speaketh Hilary The mystery of this generation I doe not know nec requiro that is neither doe seeke after and yet I will comfort my selfe with this Archangeli nesciunt c. The Archangels doe not know it the Angels haue not heard it the worlds dâ—e not vnderstand it the Prophet hath not perceiued it the Sonne himselâ—e hath not vttered it cesset dolor querelarum that is Be not longer grieued nor complaine of the matter Thus much we are to beleeue and God forbid that we should liue longer than we doe beleeue it that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ â—s the Sonne of God and therefore God For if he that is begâ—tten of man is man then he that is generated of God is God by the very light of reason euen very God as Saint Iohn calleth him 1 Iohn 5. Euen God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him Rom. 9. This also you are to vnderstand that in this generation nothing corrupt oâ— carnall or after the maner oâ— this world or temporall is to be imagined God forbid God forbid but that the Father did beget or generate that is did truely communicate his substance vnto the â—onne that is that whereby the Sonne is a Sonne after an vnspeakeable maner nay after an incomprehensible maner I say aboue all conceit or reach of man or creature and before all time yea and before all eternity The same may be further considered of by the adiunct or property that followes namely that he is called the Character of his Person that is the stampe print and forme of him Would you see the forme or fashion of a mans seale the print in wax doth shew it that is his character Would you see the image of a mans minde his speech doth declare â—t that his character index est enim sermo saith one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith another So would you see the Image of God the Father looke vpon the Sonne in him you may see him he is his Character you know what is written Iohn 14. when Philip had said to our Sauiour Lord shew vs the Father it sufficeth Iesus answered and said Philip he that hath seene me hath seene the Father c. Thus it is No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of God which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared him How by his words of doctrine reuealing Gods will by his works of wonder manifesting Gods power but specially by taking our nature vpon him in becomming man thereby he manifested himselfe and consequently his Father vnto vs by vniting his manhood vnto his God-head in identity of Person as from euerlasting his God-head was vnited to the Father in identity of nature By this meanes it is come to passe that he said well that said Irenaeus reporteth it to be the saying of some ancient Father Bene qui dixit ipsum immensum Patrem in filio mensuratum that is The Father which is immense or that cannot be measured is measured in his Sonne The Sâ—n as he is God is the Stampe of his Fathers Person and is the same in nature The Son as he is man is the Stampe of his Fathers power wisedome and will but different in nature For he is not man alone nor God alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man-God God-man in whom are hid all the Treasures of wisedome and knowledge nay in whom dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily that is really truely substantially Scrutari hoc temeritas est credere pietas est nosse vita est vita aeterna that is To search this too curiously is rashnesse to beleeue it is godlinesse to know it is life and life euerlasting Christ then is the Image of God begotten of his Father that is hauing that whereby he is a Son communicated vnto him by the Father before all worlds as he is man made after the image of God as all men be but in a farre more excellent degree of perfection beyond all comparison And indeed if our Sauiour Christ had not bin both God and man he had not bin a fit Mediator I meane he had not beene a fit Person to reconcile man and God together for as Fulgentius well saith Deus verus viuus imò Deus veritas vita c. that is God being true and liuing or rather being truth and life eternall if he had not beene true man he could not haue tasted of death and if the same that tasted of death had not beene true God and life eternall he could not haue ouercome death Thus Fulgentius To which purpose I could produce many other Fathers of like note and worth as also I could reckon vp many other causes why it was necessary for our Mediator to be both God man but the time being past I cannot stay longer vpon that point and for that that remaineth of my Text I thinke it better to leaue it vnhandled than to handle it insufficiently Praestat de Carthagine tacere quà m pauca dicere To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE TVVENTIETH OF THE PROVERBS THE TVVELFTH SERMON PROVERBS 20. verse 8. A King sitting in the Throne or Seate of Iudgement scattereth away or fanneth away all euill with his eyes Hebr. Melec iosheb
principall measure thereof is for all such as are called to this waighty charge of being Gods Messengers and Interpretors vnto the people For if no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. then who can preach worthily of Iesus and of the doctrine of saluation but by him And if this key of the Spirit be requisite for the opening of all points of doctrine then is it thrice necessary to reueale mysteries Beloued this point of doctrine concerning the Incarnation and Office of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is not onely a mystery but a mystery of mysteries that is a most deep and hidden mysterie which the Patriarches saw in a glasse and as it were in a darke speaking the Prophets searched after the very Angels desired to behold And therefore not onely we that take vpon vs to vnfold the same haue need to pray with the Prophet Dauid Lord open thou our lips that our mouthes may shew forth thy praise and speake worthily of this high mysterie but also you that are here present before God this day to heare words from my mouth ought to pray with all manner of prayer and with all instance that he that tooke away the scales from Pauls eyes and is called by Daniel The Reuealer of Secrets would so open the eyes of your vnderstanding that that which shall be deliuered vnto you may not be as a booke that is sealed or clozed fast but that you may know Christ and comprehend him for whose sake you are also comprehended of him This short Preface I thought good to make vnto you in respect of the excellency and diuinenesâ—e of the Argument or Theme vndertaken by me to stirre vp your godly deuotion that there may spring vp in you no root of profanenesse nor cold pang of wearinesse oppresse you to make the Word vnprofitable For if they escaped not that despised Moses his Law much lesse shall we escape if we despise the Gospell that is if wee shall not reuerently heare and religiously lay vp in our hearts this most gladsome tydings concerning Christ manifesting of himselfe in the flesh to communicate himselfe vnto vs and to draw vs vnto him But let vs come to the glad tidings it selfe Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. Three notable things or rather wonderfull are contained in this short verse 1. A wonderfull Conception 2. A wonderfull Birth 3. A wonderfull Coniunction of the Diuine and humane nature in one person A Virgin shall conceiue This is the first of the wonders A Virgin shall beare a Sonne This is the second His name shall be called Immanuel that is Gâ—d with vs because of the assuming of our nature vnto himselfe This is the third A Virgin shall conceiue This truth is contradicted by two sorts of men especially by the wrangling Iewe and by the doubtfull Infidell The one saith It was not so the Prophet did not meane that shee should be a Virgin that should be the mother of Immanuel The other saith It could not bee how can a Virgin conceiue c These be the obiections of the vnhappy miscreants the Iewes the Gentiles the Atheisticall scorners whom I will not answer diligently or at large lest I should seeme too much to honour them but I will confute them briefly that I may furnish you with some reasons against the day of battell against the time I say that your faith shall be shaken with such kind of persons To the Iewe therefore this I say That though we take no aduantage of the Etymon of the Word vsed by the Prophet and yet as the Learned know the Hebrew tongue doth excell all other tongues in fitting the nature of things with proper fit names yet forasmuch as the word signifieth one that is kept close and secret who else but a Virgin can be meant But to omit this aduantage and to omit also the authority of the seuenty Interpreters which were Iewes and so translated it before this matter was in controuersie and therefore not excepted against for partiality Let vs consider the matter it selfe Doth not the Prophet in Gods name promise to shew them a signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a prodigious and strange thing surpassing the course of nature Quale autem signum erat adolescentulam non Virginem parere saith Origen against Câ—lsus What signe were that what wonder were that for a young woman that lyeth with a man to conceiue This were a wonder not to be wondred at Therefore either the Prophet Esay spake absurdly and called these things which were not such as though they were such which was farre from that wisdome and eloquence that was in him or an extraordinary Conception and which exceeded the bounds of nature and the experience of the world is here signified This is enough to beat downe the Iewes enough in this place for if I should stand to refute all their canils I should seeme to forgâ—t mine Auditory To the Infidels that cry out It is impossible that a Virgin should conceiue this I answere euen as Christ did in the like case That with men indeed it is impossible but with God all things are possible Whatsoeuer God will that hee doth both in heauen and earth or speake I this after the manner of the Scripture and saith not Nature the same Yes verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are easie to God c. for if any thing were too hard for God then he were not God but that which is too hard for him should be God rather since by reason hee that is strongest and aboue all hee onely deserueth the name of God It remaineth therefore that all things aâ—â— subiect to God subiect to his pleasure subiect to his motion then Nature specially then he may alter it as it pleaseth him Indeed Beloued though he hath made a Law for all his creatures yet he hath not made a Law for himselfe he will be brought vnto subiection to none He is and will remaine Liberrimum agens a most free Agent Therefore let no man say no Infidell nor any whatsoeuer This is not wont to be done therefore it cannot be done I doe not see how it may be done therefore it is impossible for surely he speakes rather madly then foolishly that speaketh so since there be infinite examples and in all ages to the contrary Why naturally we know the Lord hath made the sands for bounds to the Sea and hath appointed the same to checke the billowes thereof c. and yet many aliue haue seene the same to range ouer its bankes and to carry away with it whole Townes and Shires c. So naturally man onely hath the gift of speech and not presently after his birth but he must stay a certaine time but yet when it pleaseth God to shew a miracle euen Asses haue spoken and Oxen at the Plowe and a child in his mothers belly I doe not tell you fables but stories So
vnto Dauid a righteous Branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and in his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord of righteousnesse This is he that was promised Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah vntill Shiloh come And to Abraham and Adam before that The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head In thy seed shall all generations of the earth be blessed And to Dauid and Symeon afterward All Nations shall blesse my Sonne and bee blessed in him Thou shall not see death vntill thou hast seene the Lord Christ. Briefly this is He that being appointed for the fall and vprising of Israel for the gathering of the Gentiles for the ioy of the whole earth was when the fulnesse of time came made of a woman borne vnder the Law that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the Law that so we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Will you vnderstand a little more of his nature Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to be equall with God he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant the substantiall forme not the accidentall there be his two natures Diuine humane Will you heare of his Person whether it be two or one because of his natures The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs Here begin againe his â—â—o natures and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Lo Son he calleth him not Sons for all that he was called Word flesh that is God and man Will you heare of his kindred of the time of his comming of his behauiour of his miracles of his Doctrine of his doings suffrings of the effects of his doings suffrings The time was prophesied of by the Prophets by the Euangelists he is set forth to haue beene of the Linage of Dauid in the Towne of Dauid vnder the gouernment of a stranger in great humility and meekenesse with powerfull Doctrine with great signes and wonders with great and wonderfull obedience euen vnto death Finally to haue triumphed ouer Principalities and Powers and led Captiuity captiue to haue deliuered man who for feare of death was all his life time subiect to bondage to set at peace by the blood of the Crosse both things in heauen and things in earth In a word He dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification This is the blessed Babe of whom my Text occasioneth me to speake the memory of whose Natiuity we celebrate this day But how doe we celebrate it We put on our best apparell that we doe and that wee may doe but doe we decke our selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde with purity and integrity c. that wee should doe Wee draw neere vnto God with our lippes that we doe and that we may doe but doe we draw as neere with our hearts with hearty thankesgiuings for Gods mercies in his Sonne with hearty acknowledgement and repentance for our sinnes and wickednesses that we should doe Wee stand here before the Preacher as they that would be edified in their holy faith and to learne their duty that we doe many of 〈◊〉 and that wee ought to doe all but doe wee care to carry any thing away and to lay it vp in our hearts and to ponder it in our minds and to expresse it in our liues and conuersations that we should doe that is the thing that is necessary So we will fare well as many as are able and we will lade our tables with dishes and haue plenty of wine and strong drinkes c. but will we remember withall the affliction of Ioseph as it is in Amos will we send vnto them for whom nothing was prepared as it is in Ester that is will we helpe and releeue them that haue need of our comfort then we shall doe well Lastly we will laugh and be merry and reioyce and shout as in the dayes of Haruest as it is in Esay wee will call for the Violl and the Pipe the merry Harpe and the Lute as it is in the Psalme we will sit vp long haue many conferences with our neighbours and many songs and this we will doe and this we may doe But shall our songs be of the praises of the Lord and our talking of the most Highest Shall our watchiâ—g be vnto prayer not vnto vnthriftinesse our ioy in the holy Ghost not in worldly vanities our pastime a sober recreation not wanton daliance c Then we shall doe well then we shall please God then the Lord will say of vs as he did of Ierusalem Hephzi-bah that is My delight in her Indeed as the Apostle Saint Paul calleth vs away from the Iewish obseruation of the Passe-ouer to a Christian and spirituall keeping thereof not for a day or a yeere onely but thorowout our whole life saying Christ our Passe-ouer is sacrificed for vs therefore let vs keepe the Feast not in old leauen neither in the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the sweet bread of sincerity and truth So are we to be called vpon Beloued and waightily charged in Gods name and so I doe charge you that in this Feast you beware of all heathenish profanity and all carnall loosenesse and intemperancie and as they that looke for the comming of the Bride-groome and are carefull to shew forth the vertues of him that vouchsafed to be borne and to become man for their sakes see that we walke in newnesse of life The Gentiles indeed at this time of the yeere celebrated diuers feasts in honour of their Idols as Saturnalia Vacunalia c. wherein they allowed themselues and their seruants too in one of them all kinds of loosenesse and knauery But the Apostle doth declare and testifie vnto vs that wee henceforth should not walke as other Gentiles in vanities of their mind and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them For the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and commandeth that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke iustly and soberly and godly in this present world They that sleepe saith Saint Paul elsewhere sleepe in the night and they that are drunke are drunke in the night but now we are the children of the light and of the day and God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto hâ—linesse Therefore it becommeth vs to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light and as he that hath called vs is holy so we to be holy in all maâ—ner of conuersation This know that meat and drinke apparell doth not commend vs to God much lesse doth sporting or reuâ—lling much lesse doth chambring or wantonnes gluttony or drunkennes strife or enuying or the like but if any will be in Christ he must be a newe creature and if
like may be said of many others in the Scriptures The like also of many of our English names They be not by and by crafty that be called Foxes nor mild that be called Doues nor sauage that be called Wild nor foolish that be called Geese nor vnthrifts that be called Carelesse There was a Carelesse that was so carefull of the Kingdome of God that he chose rather to be burnt at a stake then to make shipwracke of his faith And so there was a Goose Ioh Hus by name that made so so cleere and sweet confession of the Truth that neuer Swanne in the world made a sweeter On the contrary side there haue beene Constants that haue beene vnconstant and Hardings that haue beene timorous and Loues that haue beene vnlouing c. All which together doth more then proue that though Conueniunt rebus nomina saepe suis though mens names doe expresse their natures many times yet it is not so alwayes they are giuen being good rather of wish then of Prophesie and being bad rather vpon occasion then for cause and rather mockingly then truly Thus I grant it is with men and their names that they giue they be not certaine demonstrations no nor probâ—ble arguments of the dispositions of any And why Because man hath no power of himselfe neither to foresee what shall betide his child neither for wealth or woe nor to instill vertue into him nor to reclaime him from vice But it is not so with God hee is of another insight in matters and of another ability The darknesse hideth not from him the darknesse is as cleere as the light Psalme 139. He declareth the last things from the beginning Esay 46. He saw Nathaniel vnder the Fig-tree Iohn 1. All things are naked and bare vnto him with whom wee haue to doe Hebr. 4. Thus neither place nor time nor couering excludeth Gods prouidence no more doth any thing exclude his power or hinder the executing of his purposes When Metellus a Tribune sought to crosse Cesar in a determination that he had Cesar looking sternely vpon him bade him be quiet if he loued his life and added these words that he could more easily put him to death then speake the word Now if this be the power of a fraile mortall Prince that he can most easily make good his word euen as easily doe as speake Then how can we without sacriledge without horrible sacriledge robbe God of this honour being true in his saying and true in his calling And so calling the Mediator Immanuel why should we doubt but that it is as good as if he had said The Sonne that the Virgin shall conceiue shall bee very Immanuel Verily though man giueth names but at aduenture as the blind man casteth his staffe yet Gods naming doth collate and bestow the gift or ability that is promised by the name as appeareth by the example of Abraham the father of the Faithfull who together with the name receiued the assurance of being the father of many Nations according to the signification of the said name As may appeare also and that especially by the name of our Sauiour in the Gospell who doth as truly saue the people from their sinnes as he hath the name of a Sauiour giuen vnto him Well hitherunto you haue learned two things The one why it is said She the mother shall giue the name namely because the blessed Babe was to haue none other parent vpon the earth and therefore by reason shee the fittest and onely fit to appoint the name The other point is this that it is nothing derogatory to the truth of Christs Deity that it is said in my Text Hee shall be called Immanuel and not said He shall be Immanuel since with God to call so or to cause to be so is all one and so is it to be such indeed or to be called such Let vs now come to the third and last place to the name it selfe Immanuel What it signifieth you haue heard me tell you more then once and you may read your selues Mat. 1. Therefore I stand not vpon that but this I will stand to and doe assure you that of all the names that are giuen to our Sauiour in the holy Scripture none doth so fully and plainely expresse both his natuâ—e and Office as doth this He is called I grant Shiloh the Branch and a Child and the Sonne of man but those shew onley his humanity So is he Iehovah the Word the Father of Eternity c. but these shew onely his Deity so is hee Iesus â—hrist and the Councellour and the Lambe of God and our Passeouer and Amen c. But these shew onely his Office or the end of his comming into the world But now Immanuel it doth shew and expresse neither Christs Deity onely nor his humanity onely nor yet his Office onely but together with his Deity his humanity and together with his humanity his Deity and together with both natures the identity of his person and together with the vnity of his Person and the diuersity of his Natures the whole summe and complement of his Offices In somuch that as Saint Paul saith The whole Lawe is comprehended in this one saying Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe So we may say The whole Gospell is comprehended in this one word Immanuel And to the end that you may be satisfied that I offer no violence to the Word nor seeke to draw from it that which is not in it doe but consider with me the very Etymon or deriuation of it Doth it not signifie as you haue heard euen Grammatically God with vs Now in that this is deliuered but by one name what doth this but imply that he is but one person for if more persons had beene here meant more names would haue beene here giuen And in that he is called God what doth this proue lesse then his Deity And in that he is said to be with vs that is in our nature what doth it proue else but the truth of his humanity And lastly in that the whole name is giuen as a pledge of Gods fauour and reconcilement towards vs what other thing but the end of all his Offices of Kingdome of Priesthood of Prophesie is expressed and comprehended Now therefore Beloued consider with your selues whether this Word be worth your consideration and whether if we stand longer vpon it we shall either mis-spend the time or abuse your patience It is profitable certes nay necessary to saluation that you be rightly perswaded concerning the Nature and Office of our Sauiour Christ. For God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and this life is in his Sonne as Saint Iohn saith And this is eternall Life to know Thee the onely God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ as Christ himselfe saith And to know Christ and the vertue of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions c. The same Saint Paul preferreth before all aduantages whatsoeuer Phil. 3. And Hieronym
them we must not be euery one a wolfe to his neighbour according to the Prouerb Homo homini Lupus but euery one as it were a God vnto him Homo homini Deus forasmuch as God hath made all of one blood to dwell vpon the face of the earth And as the Prophet saith Haue we not all one Father hath not one God made vs why doe we transgresse euery one against his Brother c This much and a great deale more we are to learne hereby that the Son of God is our maker Now from his Diuine estate acts the Apostle riseth higher to his Diuine Nature and Person in these words Who being the brightnes of his glory and the expresse Image of his Person c. The Iesuits that write the life of their Founder Ignatius Loiola report that Christ forsooth appeared to him at the Eleuation as he was at Masse in a Church at Venice as I remember and there he discerned the Hypostaticall vnion of two natures in Christ and the reall distinction of the three Persons in the God-head Doe you beleeue them Noâ— nor I thinke their owne disciples doe beleeue them more in this than they beleeue their Saint Thomas of Aquine telling them that the Crucifixe commended him in these words Bene scripsisti de me Thoma Thomas thou hast written well of me well for their kitchin but not well for their conscience for the edifying of it in holy faith in holy doctrine Miserable companions was it not enough for them to be grieuous to men but they must grieue our God also Esay 7.13 was it not enough for them to beguile the people with lying vanities but they must abuse them also with lying miracles or apparitions saying with the lying old Prophet 1 Kings 13. An Angell spake vnto me in the word of the Lord when there was no such matter and with the false Prophets Ieremy 23. I haue dreamed I haue dreamed But what saith the true Prophet in the same place The Prophet that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame let him deliuer it for a dreame and for no better and hee that hath my Word let him speake my Word faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord God hath no need neither doth he like that one should make a lye for his sake Iob 13. Neither that his truth should abound to his glory by any mans lye Rom. 3. This one part of my Text doth more clearely open the truth and may more soundly settle our consciences than a thousand Legend-tales The Apostle saith that Câ—rist is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the brightnes of his glory It is well translated as well as it might be in so few words but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth somewhat more than brightnesse euen such a bright thing as hath a lustre cast vpon it from some other thing For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie the act or quality of singing but a song the song it selfe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie the act or quality of imagining but the thing that appeareth to the imagination â—pectâ—um visum so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the thing that hath brightnesse in it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that which receiueth his brightnesse from another So then now you see what a fit word the Apostle made choice of euen such an one as then which none could haue beene deuised by many yeeres study more pregnant to expresse the euerlasting generation of the Sonne of God For though Christ be the true light that enlightneth euery one that commeth into the world yet as he iâ— the second Person in the Trinity hâ— hath this light of his Father and he is as God of God so light of light euen a light springing from the Father For this cause he is called by Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Day-spring or Sunne-rising yea he is called so by Philo the Iew in his booke of the câ—nfusion of tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Father of the world Gr. the Father of things that be made his Sonne to spring forth or arise as the morning or Sunne doth a strange testimony of one that was borne Iew and dyed Iew. For though Hierome doth reckon him among Ecclesiasticke writers yet we doe not finde that he ioyned himselfe to the Church of God or turned Christian But the truth is that he liued in the time that the Apostles did and therefore might learne of them to write more piously as Theodoret I remember doth obserue that the Philosophers that wrote after the Gospell was promulgated did correct many of their errors and euery where inserted many Sentences sauoring of truth and godlinesse But to returne to Christ the true Light He sprang from the Father but not as our light doth from the Sunne in time but before all beginnings neither yet as a quality our light is a quality but as being a substance and the Authour of all substance being neither was he euer separated from the Father as the light of the Moone is separated at the least to our appearance from the Sunne in the night and the light of the Sunne from the Moone in the day but He is and was alwayes in the Father and the Father in him and both in the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost in both Vnum non vnus tres non tria that is One thing not one Person three in number not three in nature So saith Prosper Aquitanicus that worthy Scholler of that excellent Master Augustine Cum Pater in Veâ—bo sit semper in Patre Verbum Sitque iâ—â—m Verbi spiritus atque Patris Sic de persoxis tribus est tibi non dubitandumV num vt docta fides confiteare Deum that is For as much as the Father is alwayes in the Word and the Word in the Father and one and the same Spirit common both to the Word and to the Father thou must in such O learned faith he meaneth a man that hath a learned faith be farre from doubting of the three Persons that thou doe confâ—sse one God So said Nazianzen before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I doe no sooner think vpon one but I am compassed about with the light of three I doe no sooner distinguish the three Persons but I am brought backe vnto one God-head So before them both Iustine Martyr or a learned ancient man bearing his nâ—me in the best times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Sonne being a light shone forth out of light by way of generation The holy Ghost being also a light went forth out of light not by way of generation but of proceeding So Mathew of Vandome though he liued in a very corrupt age yet that you may acknowledge it to be true which the Apostles affirme Acts 14. Euen that that is verified of the later times of
cause of ouer-flowing of Nilus in the Summer time who ere could giue any sound reason why the Load-stone should draw the yron to it so as it doth or direct or turne to the Pole-starre so as it doth who euer went about to giue a probable reason why or how the little fish called Echincis should be able to stay or to stop so great a vessell as it is reported to stay and that being vnder saile too And to omit these secrets of Nature Who euer attained to that perfection in any Art but hee left much for them that should come after both to inuent better and to deuise anew And as for points of Diuinity wherein I confesse wee haue the greatest helpe through the benefit of the Word which is a light vnto our feete and a Lanterne to our steps touching the same also it is a most certaine truth that the most acute and iudicious Diuines haue both acknowledged their ignorance in some matters not so necessary to be vnderstood and deplored their owne fights What a good speech is that of Irenaeus Some things in the Scriptures by Gods prouidence are hard to be comprehended in this life Vt semper quidem Deus doceat homo autem semper discat quae sunt à Deo That God might haue alwayes somewhat to teach vs and that man might haue to learne alwaies those things that are of God What a modest speech is that of Augustin Quò me contemnas quem magnum putas esse Doctorem c That thou maist no longer haue me in admiration but contemne me whom thou takest to be so great a Doctor I cannot tell what the same Thrones and Dominions and Principalities and Powers doe meane nor wherein they differ I will not trouble you with moe quotations to this purpose So then as Moses caused it to be superscribed or grauen vpon the plate for the holy Crowne Holinesse 'to the Lord meaning to the Lord only and as St. Paul to Timothie ascribeth immortalitie to the Lord to the Lord onely who onely hath immortalitie and as a King of this Land contended that the name of King was due onely to the King crucified Iesus Christ so surely the name of wisedome is due and to be ascribed to God onely as being onely wise Why it is so ascribed by Saint Paul in expresse words in the fore-named Epistle Vnto the King immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise Yea what say you if heathen men themselues as arrogant as they were haue acknowledged no lesse Laertius writeth that certaine young men of Ionia standing vpon the Sea shore and beholding Fisher-men making of a draught agreed with them a-great for their draught that what they should hale vp to land in their net should be theirs Now it was so by Gods prouidence that together with certaine fish they inclosed a certaine piece of plate which no man knew when it was sunke there and dragged the same to land in their net The same being claimed and seized vpon by the young men by vertue of their bargaine they cast betweene them how to dispose of it But when they could not agree about the sharing of it they sent to the Oracle for resolution from thence They were returned answer from the Oracle to send it to the Wisest They send it therefore to Thales their countrie-man a man of great note in those dayes for wisedome But when it was brought to him hee disabled himselfe and disdained the name of Wise and sent it to such a one as being more wise then he The second also hee would none of it but sent it to a third and the third to a fourth c. and so they posted it from one to another till seuen had it The seuenth and last Solon he made no more adoe but sent it to the Temple at Delphi for a present to God acknowledging him onely to be wise A maruelous confession for heathen men to make touching the alone wisedome of God And thus God that ordained his praise out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings as it is in the Psalme and made the dombe beast speaking with mans voyce to rebuke the madnesse of the Prophet as it is in the Apostle made these men which were but babes in Christ nay euen as beasts before him being without God in this world to set forth his honour and praise and euen to rebuke the mad arrogancy of many Christians in our dayes Mans wisedome therefore touching matters of learning is vnperfit you heare by the confession of the wisest therefore not to be boasted of So is it vncertaine concerning matters of Policy therefore this a third reason why wisedome ought not to be gloryed in Prudens futuri temporis exitum caliginosa nocte premit Deus saith one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith another thus it is future things they are to be they are not yet therefore we cannot see them they may fall out another way aswell as that way as we imagine they be futura contingentia therfore we may deceiued in them The Chirurgian that dealeth with an outward wound seeth what hee doth and can tell whether he can heale it or no and in what time but he that is to make an incision within the body be it for the stone or the like disease hee doth but grope in the darke as it were and may as well take hold of that which hee should not as of that which he would So the Artizan that worketh in his shop and hath his tooles about him can promise to make vp his dayes worke to his best aduantage but the Merchant-venturer that is to cut the Seas and had need of one wind to bring him out of the hauen another to bring him about to the Lands-end another peraduenture to bring him to the place of traffique where he would be he can promise nothing neither touching his returne neither touching his making of commoditie but as the wind and the weather and the men of Warre by the way and as the honesty and skill of them whom he tradeth with shall giue him leaue Iust so fareth it in these matters of prudence and policy they are coniecturall they are not demonstratiue therefore there is no Science of them they haue neede of the concurrence of many causes that are casuall of many mens minds that are mutable therefore we cannot build vpon them yea they are built many times vpon the errors and negligence of our enemies and they peraduenture be awake as well as our selues Antigonus that wise Prince he is reckoned among them that hauing but one eye were exceeding politike and crafty thought and made certaine account of it to come vpon his enemy Eumenes at vnawares to take him napping but he found Eumenes as vigilant as himselfe and so was faine to retire with a flea in his care as wise as he came This for matters of warre So for matters of peace
heauenly matters you leese not the earth in the meane time and your earthly possessions So some seeme to make no reckoning at all of their heauenly inheritance so that they may vphold or better their state vpon earth Call you this wisedome or policy or prouidence or the like Then Achitophel was a wise man to preferre the expectancy of honour at the traytor Absaloms hands before the present enioying of fauour and good countenance from King Dauid his anointed Soueraigne Then Esau was politike to esteeme more of a messe of potage then of the blessing which afterward he could not recouer though he sought it with teares Yea briefely then that Emperour was prouident were it Nero or whosoeuer else that fished for Menise and Gudgeons with nets of silke and hookes of gold What is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lord by the Prophet What is the shadow to the body the body to the soule frailty to eternity What shall it aduantage a man to winne the whole world if he leese his sâ—ule or can any man saue his soule that hath God his enemy or can any man haue God to be his friend that doth double with him Be not deceiued as God is called Amen or True in the Reuelation and calleth himselfe Truth in the 14. of Iohn so he loues truth or sincerity in the inwards parts Psalme 51. and without truth he loueth nothing that he doth loue A doubling man or a man with a double heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Iames is vnstable in all his wayes and can such a one looke for any thing at Gods hands Let them looke to it whosoeuer among vs play fast and loose and blow hot and cold with the Lord making bridges in the ayre as the Comicall Poet saith and making flesh their arme but in their heart depart from the Lord which the Prophet doth so much cry out against Surely such wisedome is not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and deuelish and as truely as the reproch deliuered by the Prophet Esay chapter 44. in respect of their corrupt iudgement is verified in them Hee feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath deceiued him so that hee cannot deliuer his soule and say May not I erre So the Iudgement denounced by the same Prophet in another place in respect of their worldly policy shall take hold of them Behold saith he you all kindle a fire and are compassed about with sparkes walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that yee haue kindled This shall yee haue of mine hand yee shall lye downe in sorrow As if he said Your turning of deuices shall it not be as the Potters clay shall it not breake and crimble betweene your fingers Take counsell as long as you will it shall not stand make a decree it shall not prosper saith the Lord Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the heathen man He that soweth the wind shall reape the whirle-wind let him be sure of it And let so much be spoken against glorying in wisedome either rightly so called or falsely so termed Let vs consider now of the second thing that we are forbidden to boast of to wit strength Nor the strong man glory in his strength There haue beene many strong men in all ages strong of arme as that Polydamas that caught a wild Bull by one of his hinder legges and held him by the force of his arme for all that the Bull could doe and that Pulio mentioned by Dio that threw stone at a Towne-wall besieged by Germanicus with such might that the battlement which he hit and he which was vpon it came tumbling downe which made them that held the Towne through wonderment at his strength to yeeld it vp strong of hand as that Marius one of the thirtie Tyrants that would turne aside a Wayne with one of his fingers and that Polonian of late in the dayes of Stephen Buthor that would knap a horse-shoo asunder were it neuer so hard betweene his hands strong of arme and hand and body and heart and all as that Aristomenes mentioned by Pliny who slew three hundred Lacedemonians in fight in one day and that Aurelian then or shortly after Emperour of whom they made this song Mille mille mille viuat qui mille mille occidit Let him liue thousands of yeeres or moneths who slew thousands of enemies These were famous men in their generations and no doubt but they were miraculously admired at by them that liued in their times yet for all that neither were others to haue gloryed in them nor they in themselues Not others to glory in them because Saint Paul saith Let no man reioyce or glory in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 3. And againe Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1. Cor. 10. Not themselues to glory in themselues because strength is not to be compared to wisedome and therefore wisedome being debarred from boasting as you heard already strength ought much more That strength commeth short of wisedome Salomon sheweth both by plaine words by an example by plaine words as when he saith Ecclesiast 9. verse 16. Then said I Better is wisedome then strength By an example as in the same Chapter verse 14. A little City and few men in it and a great King came against it and compassed it about and built Forts against it and there was found therein a poore and wise man and he deliuered the City by his wisedome c. Thus Salomon Nature also hath taught as much both in plaine words and by examples In plaine words as Musaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome or sleight is alwayes better then strength By an example as Sertorius for example he caused a couple of horses to bee brought before him the one fat and fleshy the other a leane carrion Iade also a couple of Soldiers the one lusty and strong the other a silly sickly fellow to the leane horse he put the strong man and he going roughly to worke and thinking to doe the deed with dead strength haled and pulled and tired himselfe and was a laughing-stocke to the beholders but the weake fellow vsing some cunning for all his weakenesse did the feate and went away with the applause Wisedome therefore is better then strength and therefore this is one strong reason why strength should not be boasted of since wisedome is denyed Another reason may be this Strength of force bee it equall to the strength of a Lyon or Elephant yet it is but the stren gth of flesh neuerthelesse and all flesh is fraile and subiect to foyle whom one cannot ouercome many may whom sword cannot pierce shot will whom shot doth not hit sickenesse may arrest time surely and death will be sure to make an end of Now should a man be proud of frailty as of grasse of vapor of smoake of a shadow of a tale that is told c.
had not beene true God he had not ouercome death Thus Fulgentius Let this be one cause of the vniting of two natures in one Mediator as he must be man to taste of death so hee must be God withall to ouercome death A second cause is rendered by Irenaeus and is to be found in Theodorit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And he vnited man to God for if man had not ouercome the enemy of man the enemy had not beene conquered lawfully and if God had not giuen Saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee had not had it safely nor surely He addeth a little after It became the Mediator of God and man by his neerenesse to both to bring both into amity and agreement as well to offer vp man vnto God as to make knowne God vnto men Thus Ireney of whom you haue learned a second reason and not onely a second but a third too For as this is one The Deuill must be ouercome by that nature that had offended and so by man the recouered state of man must not be subiect to change as was his estate in Paradise and therefore to be settled by God so this is another and a strong one too He that will take vpon him to reconcile two being so farre at oddes as God and man were must participate in the nature and disposition of them both that so he may the better haue accesse and reconcile them Thus in effect Irenaeus A fourth reason may bee this drawne likewise from the Iustice of God There must haue beene some proportion betweene the sinne of Adam and the satisfaction for the said sinne Now the sinne of Adam was of infinit guilt in asmuch as it was committed against a Person of infinite Maiesty and glory for such a one is God therefore the satisfaction must be of infinite price and value which could not be performed by bare man whose worke and meriting can be but finite As therefore he was to be man that in that nature he might yeeld obedience and suffer So hee was to be God and was God indeed that to that nature he might yeeld efficacy and estimation to his suffering and to his Sacrifice These reasons be effectuall and good There be also other reasons of this mysterie yeelded by Anselmus and others but as it is said the 2. Sam. 23. Of Benaiah that he was honourable among thirty but attained not vnto the first three So we say of those other reasons that they may haue their place and their vse but nothing comparable to the former which we haue heard therefore I will not trouble you with them Let vs consider now in the last place what vse we may make of this Doctrine that wee haue such a Mediator such an Immanuel The vse thereof is manifold but principally it setteth before vs Christ◠great loue towards vs And how great was that loue The Grecians commend Codrus highly for that he stripped himselfe of his Kingly Robes and put on ragges to deliuer his Country from danger So the Romans commend Brutus Iunius Brutus for concealing his prudence and worth and taking vpon him the gesture of an Idiot to set his Country at liberty So our Stories talke much of a certaine Countesse as I remember or a Lady that yeelded to great deformity and debasement to purchase the liberties of a certaine City And surely all these and the like for many such examples may be produced should haue wrong offered them if their loue toward their Country should not be acknowledged to haue beene exceeding great and if for the same they should not be extolled and aduanced But yet to say the truth what comparison betweene the loue of these persons and of our Immanuel For these did euen what they did for their Countries which had deserued well of them and so might challenge an interest in them but alas what had man-kind done for Christ or what could it doe to moue him to the least indignity for their sake Againe these laid downe onely such base stuffe in comparison and clothing as would haue beene fretted by the moth or worne out in short time c. But Christ laid aside as it were and shifted himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his glorious Deity wherein he might challenge an equality with his Father without sacriledge Lastly these how high soeuer they should haue held their heads for a season or what countenance soeuer of grauity or wisedome they should haue set vpon it yet by death they should haue beene brought low enough and then necessarily haue left all but now Christ might haue retained that glory which he had with his Father from the beginning vnto all Generations without impeachment and hee needed not at all to haue humbled himselfe and therefore doing it voluntarily he did it the more louingly Thus by these circumstances of the persons for whom of the thing which of the manner how the Loue of Christ towards vs is not rhetorically amplified but plainely demonstrated Now Beloued if Christ so loued vs if so exceedingly so farre beyond all vtterance or conceit of man in that hee vouchsafed to take vpon him the forme of a seruant euen our vile and contemptible nature is he not to be loued againe for the same Is not his Word to be imbraced his Commandements to be obserued his benefits to be acknowledged his sauing health to be desired and to be longed after The Prophet Ieremy is angry with the Iewes for saying they were wise and yet reiected the Word of God and therefore saith he What wisedome is in them So Saint Iohn Apocal. 3. is angry in Christs name with the Church of Laodicea for saying she was rich and increased in goods and had need of nothing when as she wanted the true riches Iesus Christ. And doe we thinke that our Sauiour will not be angry with vs if we say we loue him and yet will not doe as hee hath bidden vs if I say our Loue be in word onely and not in deed and in truth We thinke alas that we be Louers good enough if we can say Lord Lord and Christ was a good man and did many goodly matters for vs c. But as the Prophet Malachy saith Offer this vnto thy Prince and see if he will accept thy person So say I Offer this vnto thy neighbour and see whether he will be content with such Loue. I pray you was the Father in the Gospell well pleased with his Sonne that refused to labour in his Vineyard because he had said I will Father Or doth Saint Iames allow that for charitablenesse if one say to his brother Depart in peace Warme your selues and fill your bellies and yet giueth them not those things that are needfull to the body Euen so the Loue toward Christ that is in the lippes onely and not in the heart in profession onely and not in practice in a shew onely and not in true obedience it profiteth nothing at all it
man of God But how shall wee know that said they If he be milde and humble in heart said he And how shall we know so much Why said he vse the meanes that he and his may come to the Synode and be there before you and if he rise vp vnto you when you come neere know that he is the seruant of Christ and therefore hearken to him obediently But if he despise you si spreuerit and will not vouchsafe to rise vp vnto you you being the greater number then doe you also despise him and care as little for him Thus they were aduised and accordingly they make tryall and Augustine keeping his place and not daining to rise vp vnto them they condemne him for a proud fellow and became his opposites to the vttermost Beloued that wise man was to blame whatsoeuer opinion of wisedome he had to make a mans manners to be the tryall of his faith and one ceremonious complement to be the tryall of ones life You know Naaman the Syrian when he tooke it in dudgeon that Elisha the Prophet did not come out vnto him in person but onely sent a message to him was reproued for the same of his seruants and required to doe as the Prophet bade him neuer standing vpon circumstances And the Ciuill Law saith well Veritas rerum erroribus gestorum non vitiatur The truth of the case is nâ—t corrupted by the errors falling out in the handling of it yet for all that Augustine is no way to be iustified in his Pontificall stately deportment specially towards strangers and of the same ranke that he was for all his Pall. For as holinesse becommeth Gods house for euer so surely humility graceth mans seate exceedingly be a man neuer so high lifted vp aboue his brethren The Kingdome of God is neither sitting nor standing nor perking nor stouping no more is vertue yet because these are tokens and bewrayers of that which is in man many times therefore doe men obserue them maruellously A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things for of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh yea and so doe all the rest of the parts of the body and all the faculties of the minde shew themselues outwardly A man may dissemble naughtinesse I grant as not be couetous when yet he is an extortioner not to be wanton when yet he is a wedlocke-breaker not to be riotous when yet his heart is euermore in the Tauerne c. But how few doe dissemble vertue how few doe appeare worse then they are indeed The common fault is that men will be counted more vertuous then they are that men loue that which they will not be knowne of and are ashamed to make profession Therefore they that carry tâ—eir noses high into the wind like the wilde Asse in the Wildernesse mentioned by Ieremy and stroute in their gate as though they went vpon stilts or carryed Pomparum fercula they that braue it in silks and veluets nay in siluer and gold aboue their ability and meanes aboue their degree beyond all good order well they may please themselues and such as gaine by them but hardly will they get the reputation of humble men nay they will hardly wash away the imputation of pride and insolency Poterat fortasse minoris piscator quà m piscis emi The Fisher himselfe was not so much worth as he rated the Fiâ—h said the Poet so we may say Many a man is in the middest of his wealth nay of another mans too when he hath his suite on his backe For thus is the Tenant racked the poore repelled the Broker enriched and the Vsurer almost Lorded He that begunne with an hundred nay with tenne increaseth to thousands and hee that began with thousands decreaseth to nothing But as in Tacitus his time there were euery yeere Edicts and Proclamations set forth against the Mathematicians or Astrologers and yet they could neuer get Rome to be rid of them so let the Preachers speake neuer so much against the vanity of apparell now-a-dayes the speech shall be as the sound of one that hath a pleasant voyce as the Prophet saith or rather as of one that speaketh vnpleasantly and most harshly and he shall labour in vaine and for nothing Well if we humble our selues let vs humble our selues euen in our apparell In like manner let vs humble our selues in speech and in demeanor Rehoboam through an vncourteous and rough speech lost tenne Tribes at a clap Demetrius lost a whole Kingdome and the same a rich one euen the Kingdome of Macedony by his arrogant behauiour C. Cesar lost no lesse then an Empire and his life and all by keeping his seat and not vouchsafing to rise vp vnto his Peeres Why should it be thus among Christians I stout and thou stout I dare not venture a cap or a salutation lest I should be a loser Why doe we not rather behold in our brother our owne image yea the image of God and for his sake make our selues equall to them of the lower sort Why did wee not goe one before another in giuing honour and beare one anothers burden and in humblenesse of mind looke not euery one of his owne things but vpon that which is in another and esteeme of that better then of our owne This is true humility and this is thanke-worthy with God when a man not in apparell onely or in word or in gesture humbleth himselfe but when the hidden man which is within is decked with this vertue as with a garment For when humility is once rooted in the heart there will be a correspondency and conformity in the outward behauiour that no exception shall be taken against it for a tree will be knowne by his fruite It is not a good tree that bringeth forth bad fruit neither is it a bad tree that bringeth forth good fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said euen Nature in an Heathen man Humble your selues therefore We haue seene what we must doe what duty we must yeeld euen the duty of humility Now let vs see a little to whom we must doe it in these words vnder the mighty hand of God If we were bid to humble our selues to stockes and stones the worke of mens hands which haue eyes and see not eares and heare not then we might refuse to obey for wee must bow to the Lord our God and him onely must we serue If to a shrewd Master or Mistris as Hagar was bid to submit her selfe to Sarah to our aemulus as Haman was faine to doe honor to Mordecai to our fellow-seruant and the same a stranger as the Egyptians submitted themselues to Ioseph to an enemy of our Countrey or a Tyrant as the Israelites were commanded to stoupe to Nabuchadnezzar then it were another matter then we might complaine as some doe in the Scriptures Why hath the Lord dealt
gnal cisse-din mezareh be gneinaiu col ragn HERE we haue an excellent Person and an excellent function and an excellent worke and an excellent Instrument or meane The Person is a King the function or exercise isto sit onthe Throne of Iudgement the worke or effect is the scattering away of all euill lastly the instrument or mean is his eyes For the first Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God it is said of Ierusalem Ps. 87. And so Glorious things are spoken of Kings in the Booke of God we may say For their innocency they are called Lambes for their care Shepheards for their louingnesse Nursing-fathers for their bounty and liberality Franke-giuers Benefactors Nedibim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their authority Leaders nay Controwlers such as haue a negatiue voyce gnotserim nay Alkumim such as is no standing with or against lastly for the profit that we reape by them Physicians nay Sauiours nay Gods after a sort Behold King Salomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals Cant. 3. And so Behold euery true successor of Salomon with the Crowne that the heauenly Father hath adorned him in the day of his coronation it may be said This out of the Booke of God Also in the booke of Nature I meane in the writings of meere naturall men we finde the like titles and Elogies giuen to Kings and Princes A good King differeth not from a good Shepheard said one from a good Father said another Hee is the Image of God the liuely Image of God said another A seeing Law a speaking Law said another Briefely he is a breathing Law a Law that hath life and soule in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said another euen Zeno in Clem. Alexandrinus Finally Sauiours they haue bâ—ene called and by such as would not be counted flattererâ— Flamminius Soter Antiochus Soter c. Now these Titles of high renowne and honour haue beene giuen to Kiâ—gs and such as had Kingly authority both by them that spake so as they were moueâ— by the holy Ghost and by them that spake so as nature dictated vnto them not to the end they should be high-minded and vtter such swelling words of vanity as either the King of Babel doth Esay 14. I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my Throne aboue the starres of God c. Or as the King of Persia doth in Marcellinus Sapor Rex Regum particeps siderum frater Solis Lunae c. that is Sapor King of Kings companion to the starres brother to the Sunne and to the Moone c. these were words of men of corrupt minds and which made their madnesse knowne to all men but for two causes chiefely were those titles giuen vnto them First to moue them to be thankefull to God who had so highly aduanced them euen aboue all that is called high in this world The King hath none aboue him vpon earth said Agapetus to Iustinian Secondly to incite vs to yeeld all honor and feare and reuerence and obedience vnto so diuine a calling Of the calling duty of Kings I cannot speake I need not speake I cannot speake worthily fitly Seemeth it a light thing to be sonne in Law to the King A light thing answered Dauid vnto those that motioned him a match in King Sauls house and so a Preacher may say Seemeth it a small thing to speake of Kings matters in the Kings Court and not be confounded Why the men of Bethâ—hemesh for daring to looke once in the Arke were destroyed with a great destruction 1 Sam. Yea Vzzah for seeking to stay the Arke when it tottered was smitten that he dyed 2 Sam. Yea Theopompus and Theodectes for aduenturing to write of holy matters contained in the holy Scriptures with an vnhallowed pen lost their wits and sight for their labours neither was it restored vnto them vntill they recanted their presumption witnesse Iosephus vpon the report of Demetrius Phalareus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. euen to speake true things of God is many times very dangerous saith Epiphanius out of Origen Gods matters and Princes matters be not the same I grant yet are they very like and as God will not hold them guiltlesse that breake their bounds approach too neere to the mount of his secrets so Kings haue no cause to thanke those that be audaciously officious But the best is a Preacher needeth not to speake one word of instruction either to our King being present or for our King being absent He is as an Angell of God knowing good euill as the woman of Tekoah and Mephibosheth told Dauid He can speake of trees from the Cedar tree that groweth in Libanon to the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall 1 Kings 4. I meane hee is skilfull and expert in all Arts in all Sciences in all Faculties and in the chiefest faculty of all he can speake and iudge and write and moderate in the most difficult and arduous points euen from the diuine Attributes of the Trinity to the deepest mysteries of the Reuelation euen from Antichrist that sitteth vpon the Throne to the begging Fryer that goeth from dore to dore euen from concupiscence that entreth with vs into the world vnto Purgatory that is made the end of all flesh or most flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said one And so his Maiesty can say with Iacob when Ioseph tooke vpon him to aduise him I know I know And againe it may b e said of him as Saint Paul said of Agrippa The King knoweth of these things and none of these things are hidden from the King Erasmus speaking of Basil surnamed the Great saith of him that there is not one in the Latine Church fit to be compared to him but if we will make an equall match for him saith he we need to ioyne the worth of two together the smooth sweet stile of Lactantius and the Scripture-learning of Hierome To this effect Erasmus in imitation of him as I thinke a worthy moderne writer saith the like of Sâ—aliger the father that to paralell him aright and not to doe him wrong we had need to ioyne the worth of two together namely the wit of Xenophon and the valour of Masinissa And euen so if we will counterpoize the sufficiency of his Maiestie for matter of learning and knowledge we must take the worth of a great many of Princes to wit the Poeticall veine of such a one the eloquence of such a one and the Philosophy of a third and the Diuinity of halfe a doozen of the best This is the Kings honor before all Nations and this is our Crowne of reioycing on the behalfe of our King before men and Angels I will therefore speake no more of the dignity of a King nor of the worth of our King and I haue shewed reasons why I need not to deliuer one word of instruction for him But now