Tribunal seate For if all thinges be not wel and in good order whylest thou art here it will bee too late for thee to redresse them when thou commest there Hierony in cap. 6. epist ad Gal. 2. Cor. 6.2 Psal 65.7 This is saith Ierome the last time of sowing Beholde saith the Apostle nowe is the accepted time now is the day of saluation To day saith Dauid if ye wil heare his voice harden not your hartes It is a daungerous thing in all kinde of matters to let passe opportunitie and conuenient time If the generall omit it hee maye léese the victorie If the mariner he may léese his passage If the Marchantman he may misse his gaine And therefore are wee thus often admonished to take time while time is to teach vs that if wee take it not when it is offered when we our selues woulde wee shall not haue it Christ himselfe as wee see here tooke his time I must saith he worke the workes of him that sent me while it is daye For this wee must consider with our selues from the highest to the lowest that one is the condition of the present time and another of the time to come We maye nowe doe that which hereafter we shall neuer be able to doe Worke then while it is daye the night commeth when no man can worke Yet a litle while saith Christ is the light with you walke while ye haue light Iohn 12.35 least the darkenes come vpon you And whereas it is vncertaine how long wee haue here to liue for death tarieth not and the couenant of the graue is not shewed vnto vs we ought the more earnestly to labour while we are here Eccl. 14.12 least preuented by death we be not able to finish the worke which is taken in hand If the goodman of the house knewe at what houre the théefe woulde come Luke 12 3◠hee would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through So likewise if wee knewe when Death the messenger of the Lorde woulde come Colloss 4.5 we would redeeme the time We would amend all that is amisse we would bring forward that which is behind we would haue our worke at an ende we would be prepared wee would not slumber and sleepe out the time with the foolysh virgins Math. 25.5 we would haue lights in our hands and oyle in our lampes But for as much as it is not for vs to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power for them hath he wholy and soly reserued vnto him selfe it standeth vs all vpon to be diligent and carefull Act. 1.7 to giue the housholde their portion of meate in season and blessed is that seruant whom his maister when hee commeth Luke 12.43 shall find so doing But if with the vngratious seruant we shall say in our heartes Our maister will deferre his comming and shall beginne to smite our fellow seruants ver 45. and to eate and drinke and to be drunken without doubt our maister will come in a daye when wee thinke not and in an houre when we are not ware of and will cut vs off and giue vs our portion with the vnbeleeuers Wherefore let vs worke while it is day lest the night steale vpon vs and wee couered with darkenesse bee not able to worke But out of these words Donec dies est While it is day a farther sense may bee gathered and that is this Many thinke that they may lawfullye giue ouer and worke no longer the works of the father when they be once old growē in years and such men say Wee haue borne the heate of the day long enough wee haue wrought in the vineyarde long enough wee haue preached long enough wee haue borne office long enough It is now high time for vs to giue ouer another while to take our ease Let the younger men in Gods name take paines another while as wee haue done and so foorth But Christ héere teacheth them by his owne example that they must worke as long as it is day that they must continue in wel doing to the last gaspe and neuer giue ouer For why It is nothing to beginne well vnlesse we continue to the end Hee that endureth to the end Mat. 10.22 shall be saued To him that ouercommeth Apoc. 2.7 shal bee giuen to eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradice of God Hierony in 6. cap. Epist ad Galat. Gal. 6.9 A lasting rewarde followeth a lasting righteousnesse Therefore did S. Paul exhort the Galathians Not to bee weary of wel doing because that in due season they should reape if they fainted not Likewise he charged his Timothy to do the worke of an Euangelist and to cause his ministery to be throughly liked of 2. Tim. 4.5 Whereunto that he might the rather incourage him He setteth down his own example togither with the rewarde in these words I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Vers 7.8 Henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to mee onely but vnto all them also that loue his appearing For God is not vnrighteous that he should forget the worke Hebr. 6.10 and labour of loue We muste not then call to mynde how long we haue laboured but muste haue a watchfull eye and a diligent regard vnto the end So runne sayeth the Apostle that yee may obtaine Cor. 9.24 And againe We desire that euery one of you shew the same diligence Heb. 6.11 to the full assurance of hope vnto the end that yee bee not slouthfull but followers of them which through faith and pacience inherite the promises And thus much for the first part Now let vs take a view of the order and meanes which Christ our Sauiour did vse in giuing sight to this blind man The order and meanes which Christ did vse in giuing sight to the blind man The Euangelist saith As soone as hee had thus spoken as afore declared hee spat on the ground and made claye of the spettle and anointed the eies of the blind with the clay and saide vnto him Goe washe in the poole of Siloam c. Christ could haue giuen sight to this blind man by his only worde and secret power as he did to Bartimeus the son of Timeus in the 10. of Marke Mar. 10.52 but to declare to the disciples and vs all the occasion of the blindnesse of man and the remedy thereof hee vseth these outwarde and externall signes and ceremonies by which he prouoketh not only the minde but also all the other senses into the contemplation of his grace and fauour and confirmeth vs wholye in the truth of his promise By the Clay then which he made of the spettle and duste of the ground is represented humaine and
A SECOND SERmon vpon the ix Chapter of the holy Gospel of Iesus Christ according to Saint Iohn Preached at S. Maries in Oxford the 11. of December 1586. By Iohn Chardon Doctor of Diuinity Seene perused and allowed Ecclesiastes xj vj Jn the morning sowe thy seede and in the euening let not thine hande reste for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shal bee alike good Imprinted at London by Iohn Winde◠for Tobie Cooke 1587. AMPLISSIMO VIRO AC DOMINO SVO CLEMENTISSIMO D. AMBROSIO DVDLAEO COMITI WARWICENSI R. M. CONSILIARIO HONORATISSIMO IOANNES CHARDONVS HANC SVAM SECVNDAM CONCIONEM IN NONVM CAPVT SACRO-SANCTI EVANGELII IESV CHRISTI SECVNDVM IOANNEM OXONIAE HABITAM IN TEMPLO D. MARIAE DECEMBRIS VNDECIMO ET ANNO SALVTIS HVMANAE 1586. HONORIS DEBITAE QVE OBSERVANTIAE ERGO DICAT CONSECRAT QVE It is written in the ninth Chapter of the Gospell according to S. Iohn the 4.5.6 and seuenth verses 4 I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke 5 As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world 6 Assoone as he had thus spoken he spat on the groūd made clay of the spittle and annointed the eies of the blind with the clay 7 And said vnto him go washe in the poole of Siloam which is by interpretation Sent He went his way therefore washed came againe seeing I haue spoken heretofore out of this place men fathers and brethren beloued in our Lord and Sauiour of the Exordium or entrance vnto the miracle which Christ wrought vpon the man that was blinde from his mothers wombe at Ierusalem not farre from the gates of the Temple in which I found three thinges to be contained An introduction to a question the Question of the Disciples vnto Christ and the answere of Christ vnto the same And now to procéede Our Sauiour telleth his Disciples that he wil helpe this mā that was blind from his birth which done he annointeth his eies with the claye and biddeth him go wash in the poole of Siloam where he receiued his sight For the first he testifieth that he is prouoked therunto by two speciall arguments the one deriued ab officio from his office and duetie and the other à tempore from the time From his office and duetie when he sayeth me oportet operari c. I must worke the workes of him that sent me From the time when he sayth Donec dies est while it is day which hee expoundeth by the wordes that follow after the night commeth when no man can worke and so forth In this first argument which hée deduceth from his office and duetie he yeldeth a reason to the Disciples why he did so earnestly beholde the man that was blind The first argument deriued from his office and séemeth thus to say ye marueile not a litle wherefore I behold the blind man the reason is saieth he because I must worke the workes of him that sent me Where note you that the worde oportet is not so to be taken as though Christ did these thinges vnwillingly and of compulsion but rather that in so saying he sheweth a singuler propensity and readines of minde to helpe the afflicted And to this end and purpose was he sent of the Father Luk. 4.18 as him selfe doth testifye in the fourth of Luke euen to preache the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted to preach deliueraunce to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde to set at libertie them that are brused and to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lorde Whiche embassage of the Father our Sauiour from time to time as often as occasion was minystred did moste carefullye séeke to fulfill and obserue For speaking of the earnest zeale whiche hee had towarde the busines of the Father he saith to his disciples in the fourth of Iohn My meate is that I maye doe the will Iohn 4.34 of him that sent me finish his worke Hereby declaring that there was nothing that hee did hunger for more or wherein he tooke greater delight then painefullie to labour in the businesse assigned him of the father There was iust cause for Christe to speake of the necessitie of working the workes of the Father for it was now the Sabboth daie when hee made the claie and opened the eies of the blind whereat he knew that the Scribes and Pharises would be offended Therefore to preuent the worst before such time as he giueth sight to the blind he saith Me oportet operari I must worke As who should say I know that mine aduersaries will bee offended herewith notwithstanding I must worke the workes of him that sent me A notable example to learne all men carefullie and painefullie to walke in their vocations and callings For without exception all estates of men the Minister the Magistrate and priuate person are vnder the bond of this obligation and therefore eche one must saie in his degree me oportet c. I must worke the workes of him that sent me Let the Minister then whom chiefelie it doth concerne féede 1. Pet. 5.2 as much as in him lieth the flocke of Christ let him kéepe nothing backe that maie do good let him open the whole counsell of God Act. 20.27 let him doe the worke of an Euangelist let him bee instant in season and out of season and let the Magistrate be a man of courage 2. Ti. 4.5 ver 2. Exod. 18.21 fearing God and dealing truelie For séeing we haue diuers giftes according to the grace that is geuen vnto vs as Paule biddeth let him that hath an office waite on his office Rom. 12.6 and him that teacheth on his teaching ver 7. and him that exhorteth on his exhortation In which wordes the apostle declareth howe that euerie man must walke in the roundnesse of conscience in his vocation and calling And it is of the merciful prouidence of God that we haue helpers and gouernours 1. Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 ver 12. pastours and teachers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ Wherefore sith God hath so mercifully prouided for vs in this behalfe without which there coulde not but ensue a disordered Chaos and miserable confusion let euery one walke orderly and painefully in his vocation and calling that when we shall bee called to the last account it may be saide vnto ech of vs Well done good and faithfull seruant Math. 25.23 thou hast bene faithfull in litle I wil make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy maisters ioy But if we shal burie the Lords Talents in the earth that is if we shall not do good with the graces which God hath geuen vs wee shall bee throwen as vnprofitable seruantes into vtter darkenes ver 30. there
shal be wéeping gnashing of téeth As often then as wee féele our selues negligent and slothfull in the Lordes worke let vs call to minde this argument and reason of Christ to stir vs vp vnto labour which by nature are sluggish and slothful vnto euerie good worke vnlesse we purpose to rebel and to procure the heauie wrath and indignation of God to bee kindled against vs. Ye know that God was very angry with Moses because he refused to do the message vnto Pharaoh Exod. 4.14 which hee inioyned him to do Ion. 1.4 Into how great perils daungers Ionah was cast because hee woulde not promptly follow the Lords calling who willed him to preach to the people of Niniueh it is better knowne then I néed to declare And truely worthily was the Lord displeased with Moses worthily did he punish Ionah that giuing place to their own reason would flée frō the vocatiō wherunto God had called thē in which he would mightily haue assisted thē with the might of his power The Prophet in the first of kings thirtéenth 1. King 13.24 that did eate bread in the house of another prophet cōtrarie to the cōmandement of the Lorde was slaine of a Lion and his bodie was cast in the way A fearefull example by which we are taught how daungerous a thing it is for men to behaue themselues coldly or deceitfully in that charge wherunto God hath called them And I would to God al men would learne as by this so by the example of Saul to beware who receiued a commaundement from the Lorde by Samuell to apply the Lordes worke to goe and smite Amalek and without compassion to slaye both man 1. Sa. 15.3 and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and shéepe both camell and asse howbeit hee left the Lordes worke vndone for he spared Agag the King and the better shéepe and the Oxen and the fat beastes ver 9. and the lambes and all that was good and he would not destroy them But for this his negligence he receiued a most sorowfull message from the Lord because thou hast cast away the word of the Lord ver 23. therefore hath he cast awaye thee from being king True it is that in euerie well ordered common weale God hath authorized rulers to destroy Amalek and to deliuer the poore and such as be in néede from the hand of the oppressour Now if they looke not to their charge but as Saul did will suffer Amalek to liue not onely so but to grow vp in might doubtlesse the Lord almightie and God of Israel shal turne them out of their seates and bring them to confusion Nom. 24.20 But happely some will saie we must do as we may do and accordingly as time and occasion wil serue Vnto such saieth the preacher Eccl. 11.4 Hee that obserueth the wind shall not sow and hee that regardeth the cloudes shall not reape For with such the weather is alway either too hoat or too cold or els too wet or too drie The sense and meaning whereof is this that hee which feareth inconueniences and setteth not forward when necessitie requireth shall neuer do his duetie It teacheth vs then that we must not stande ouer long gasing at the season and putting off the time but must earnestly and zealously go about the Lordes cause and the Lord shall blesse our labours and giue good successe vnto the same Otherwise if we prolong the time and post it ouer from day to day our prolonging and posting ouer will purchase the Lordes curse For as Ieremiah telleth the Caldeans from the mouth of God Iere. 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Therefore Dauid commaunding his sonne Salomon to build the temple of the Lord which thing he himselfe was forbidden to do exhorteth him in this manner vp and be doing 1. Ch. 22.16 as if hee should haue said go about it quickly and the Lord will be with thée Yea Dauids zeale was such toward the furtheraunce thereof that it made him to spare no expenses but to bestowe his owne peculiar treasure and withal to prouoke others to the forwardnes of the Lordes worke for saide he And who is willing to fill his hand to daye vnto the Lorde Hereto let vs ioyne the worthie example of Elisha 1. Chro. 29.5 who returning from his father and about to depart from the plowmen tooke a couple of Oxen and slewe them and sodde their fleshe with the instrumentes of the Oxen 1. King 19.21 and gaue vnto the people Elisha would not staye till woode was brought so great was his desire to followe his vocation So the Prophet Amos Am. 3.8 the Lyon saith hée hath roared who will not bee afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Wherefore when Amaziah Priest of Bethel willed him to get him into the land of Iudah Am. 7.12 and to eate his bread there and to prophesie there to teach no more in the land of Israel cōtrary to the cōmandement of king Ieroboam the prophet obiected his vocation calling told him that he could not but obey God ver 14. who called him an herdman a gatherer of wilde figges to such an excellent function giuing him knowledge with knowledge constancie to reproue sinne and wickednes in all estates and degrées whatsoeuer and to denounce his most horrible iudgementes against them except they did spedily repent and amēd Ieremiah likewise because he was in derision dayly and mocked of euerie one for doing his office determined with him selfe not to make mention of the Lorde Ier. 20.9 nor to speake any more in his name saue that his word was in his heart as a burning fire shut vp in his bones so that hée was wearie with forbearing and coulde not stay This same did the apostles for when as the rulers Scribes and Elders gaue them in charge to preach Christ no more Act. 4 1◠preferring their authoritie to the ordinaunce of God they answered whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye For we can not but speake the things which we haue sene heard Paul in like maner necessity is laid vpō me wo is vnto me if I preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9 1◠Doubtlesse greatly is the worthines and authoritie of the vocation and calling of God estéemed of those who know what God is and weigh well with them selues what on their partes to him doth belong But on the other side intollerable is the slacknes or rather the wilfull obstinacie of those and litle do they esteeme of the diuine vocation and calling who halt in the knowledge of the caller who hath called them to this or that according to his good will and pleasure And it séemeth vnto me that there can no better reason be giuen of this diuelish and damnable carelessenes which euen at this day
being a charge so weighty and the greatest of all the Lord both by the pastour and people is to bee prayed vnto to strengthen his minister with the spirit of boldnes and constancie that his forehead may be as the adamant Ezech. 3.9 and harder then the flint that he be not afraid at the lookes of men but may boldly enter into the house of Israel and in the feare of the Lord declare vnto them the fulnes of his wil which I beséech him vniuersally to graunt vnto all the professours and preachers of his holy word Yet one other thing wee haue here to note in that Christ saith that hee must worke the workes of him that sent him Oportet mo operari eius opera qui misit me that is such works by which it might appeare that he was the sonne of God and sent of God the father into the world according to that written in the fifth of Iohn Iohn 5.36 The workes which the father hath giuen me to finish beare witnes of me that the father sent me Iohn 6.38 And in the chapter following I came down from heauē not to do mine owne will but his will which hath sent me Whereby we are taught that wee must not worke such works as we like best our selues but such as God in his word hath commaunded that we may be knowne to be the sonnes of God For our workes are naught and our doings peruerse Our waies are crooked and our cogitations euill Esa 55.8 My thoughtes are not your thoughtes neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord. For as the heauens are hygher then the earth so are his waies higher then our waies and his thoughtes aboue our thoughts And this much of the first argument or reason of Christe whiche hee deriueth Ab officio from hys office and duetie The second argument of Christ deriued from the time Now I come to the second which hee deriueth à tempore from the time conteined in these wordes Donec dies est while it is day which argument or reason of Christ is deduced from the commō vse and custome of men who when they take any taske in hand are wont to apply and followe the same in the light of the day least lingering the time they be preuented with the darkenes of the night Now if men are wont to be so careful to finish that which they take in hand while it is day which concerneth the vse of mā how much more belonged it vnto Christ before his death and passion to finish the workes of the father For saith he The night cōmeth when no man can worke Venit nox ùm nemo lotest opeari In which words Christ doth signifie that he may not omit occasion and opportunitie to worke for that the time would come when he should away Which thing too he declareth more at large by a Similitude comparing the time of his presence to the Day and the time of his departure to the night Now the day is the time to worke and the night is the time to rest Hée then that worketh not in the daye while it is light shall not worke in the night when it is darke The like similitude he vseth afterward in the leuenth chapter speaking to the disciples in this manner Iohn 11.6 If a man walke in the daye hee stumbleth not because hee seeth the light of this world But if a man walke in the night he stumbleth Because there is no light in him In both which it is apparant that he calleth the day the time which in his humaine nature hee ought to spend here vpon earth in the businesse of the Father that he calleth the night the houre of death from which once raised he carried with him his body triumphantly into heauen But yet Christ here compareth the houre of his death vnto the night not because he should yeeld and giue place againe vnto Sathā the prince of darkenes and God of this world Ephes 6.12 2. Cor. 4.4 whō before hee had spoiled and ouercome through the force of his death and passion but because then being dissolued from the troubles of this life he passed to eternall rest which now he enioyeth with the father till the latter day in which he shall come againe with maiesty and great glory in the cloudes Math. 24.30 with a shoute with the voice of the Archangel 1. Thes 4.16 and with the trūpet of God to iudge both the quicke and the dead at which time as S. Paul teacheth al things shall be made subiect vnto God 1. Cor. 15.28 that God may be al in all We may not here contentiously reasō and dispute whether Christ also after his death did not the workes of the Father or whether yet to this day he be not the light of the world Quandiu fuero in mundo Lux sum mundi for the Similitudes of Christ are simply and plainely to be conceiued and not to be wrested hither and thither Christs meaning is then that he must worke the workes of the Father while hee is in this life signifying that shortly by death he should be taken away who yet to this day shineth vnto his elect and still worketh in them by the power grace and vertue of the holy Ghost and will do to the end and consummation of the world according to that most comfortable promise of his in the last of Matthew Math. 28.20 Hereof we may gather this generall doctrine that as Christ had a certaine time appointed him to worke the workes of the Father so haue we a certaine day and time appointed vs to worke which once ended and finished we can worke no more Let vs worke then while it is day least if the night come vpon vs we be not able to worke But now the Day is the present life which God hath giuen vs here vpon earth and in which we may worke but when night that is to say when death commeth on and when the Soule is once loosed from the bodie wee shall not be able to worke would we neuer so faine So writeth Theophilact Dies quidem est presens vita Theophi in Ioan. eò quòd possumus nunc sicut in dic operari The day is the present life because that nowe wee maye worke as in the day Nox autem futurum seculum eò quòd nullus illic poterit operari But the night saith he is the worlde to come because that no man can worke there While then we are in this life let vs not omit the presēt occasiō that is offered vs to do wel Seeke the Lord saith Esay while hee maye bee founde Esa 55.6 and call vpon him while hee is neere Sirach saith sinnes in this life committed in the world to come Wherefore as Chrysostome counselleth Omnia hîc dissolue vt citra molestiam illud videas Tribunal Set all thinges here in order that without griefe thou maiest behold that