forth to him For his ground brought forth plentifully So deepe a draught haue the wicked often drunk in the common cup of blessings Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calueth and casteth not They spend their dayes in wealth Yea will you heare yet a larger exhibition They are not in trouble as other men neyther are they plagued like others There they haue exemption from misery Their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart could wish There they haue accumulation of felicity Secondly we haue him caring what to doe vers 17. He had so much gaine so much graine that his roomes could not answere the capacity of his heart What shall I doe because I haue no roome where to bestow my fruits Care is the inseparable companion of aboundance Vnâ recipiuntur diuitiae solicitudo They to whom is giuen most wealth are most giuen to carking sharking and solicitous thoughtfulnesse with a little inuersion of our Sauiours meaning Where is much giuen there is much yea more required Those hearts whom the world hath done most to satisfie are least of all satisfied still they require more and perplexe themselues to get it A reasonable man would thinke that they who possesse abundant riches should not be possessed with abundant cares But care not for to morrow saith Christ. Cuius enim diei spatium te visurum nescis quam ob causam illius solicitudine torqueris Why shouldst thou disquiet thy selfe with thought of prouisioÌ„ for that day whose euening thou art not sure to see Thirdly wee haue his resolution which in his purpose hath a double succession though no successe for their disposed order and places This will I doe vers 18. what 1. I will pull downe my barnes and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods He thinks of no roome in visceribus pauperum in the bowels of the poore which the Lord hath proposed to him a fit receptacle of his superfluity He mindes not to build an hospitall or to repaire a Church eyther in cultum Christi or culturam Christiani to the worship of Christ or education of orphanes or consolation of distressed soules but onely respects Horreum suum and Hordeum suum his Barne and his barley The want of roome troubles him his haruest was so great that he is crop-sicke The stomake of his Barne is too little to hold that surfet of corne he intends it and therfore in anger he will pull it downe and make it answerable to his owne desires 2. This hee takes as granted and vpon the new building of his Barne he builds his rest ver 19. Then I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry He dreames his belly full and now his pipes goe he sings requâ—…em and lullabies his spirit in the cradle of his barne This sweet newes hee whispers to his soule Though he had wearied his body with incessant toyles and made it a gally-slaue to his imperious affection yet his soule had beene especially disquieted and therefore hee promiseth his soule some ease In this indulgent promise there is a Preface and a Solace 1. The Preface assures his soule much goods and many yeares multas diuitias multos annos He knew that a scant and sparing proffer would not satisfie his boundlesse desires there must be shew of an abundant impletion It is not enough to haue an ample rocke or distaâ—…e of wealth vnlesse a longeuall time be afforded to spinne it out Philoxenus his wish coupled with his pleasant viands a long throat Crane-like to prorogue his delight for shortnesse doth somewhat abate sweetnesse Rex horae a king of one houre can scarce warme his throne it keeps a Christmass-lord flat that he knowes his end If this man had bin his own Lord how excellent an estate would hee haue assured himselfe His Farme should haue been so large and his lease so long that I doubt whether Adam in Paradise had a greater Lordship or Metbushalem a longer life The last of his desires is of the longest size giue him much goods and much time abundance of ioyes and abundance of dayes and you hitte or fitte the length of his foote 2. The Solace is a daunce of foure paces Take thine ease eate drinke and be merry The full belly loues an easie Chaire he must needs ioyne with his laborious surfets the vacation of sleepe He hath taken great paines to bring death vpon him and now standing at his dore it heares him talke of ease He promiseth himselfe that which he trauells to destroy life and euen now ends what he threatens to begin So worldlings weary and weare out their liues to hoord wealth and when wealth comes health goes they would giue all for life O fooles in continuall quest of riches to hunt themselues out of breath and then be glad to restore all at once for recouerie The next pace is Eate his bones must not onely be pleased but his belly It is somewhat yet that this man resolues at last no more to pinch his guts therefore what before he was in their debt he will pay them with the vsury of surfets He purposeth to make himselfe of a thinne starueling a fatte Epicure and so to translate Parcum into Porcum The third pace is Drinke where gluttony is bid vvelcome there is no shutting out of drunkennesse You shall not take a Nabal but he plyes his gobblet as well as his trencher And this is a ready course to retire himselfe from his former vexation to drowne his cares in Wine The last pace is a Leualto Be merry When hee hath got iunkets in his belly and vvines in his braine what should he doe but leape dance reuell be merry be mad After feasting must follow iesting Heere be all the foure passages he sleepes care away he eates care away he drinks care away and now he sings care away His pipes be full and they must needes squeak though the name of the good yea the name of GOD be dishonoured But to such a mad-merry scoffer might well be applied that verse which was sounded in the eare of a great Rimer dying Desine ludere temerè nitere properè surgere de puluere Leaue playing fall to praying it is but sorry iesting with death Thus his dance was like Sardanapalus Ede bibe lude Eate drinke and be merry but there is one thing marres all his sport the bringing of his soule to iudgement He promiseth a merry life and a long life but death sayes nay to both He gratifies his soule ratifies his state but couzens himselfe in all It may be said of him as King Iohn of the fatte Stagge dying See how easily he hath liued yet he neuer heard Masse This was the sweet but the sowre followes Qui gaudebit cum mundo non regnabit cum Christo. He reioyceth with the World but
how wise a king hath read his destinie Pride will haue a fall 2. The next is Prodigalitie and because hee takes himselfe for the true Charitie hee must be second at least This is a young Gallant and the horse he rides on is Luxurie Hee goes a thundring pace that you would not think it possible to ouertake him but before he is got a quarter of the way hee is spent all spent ready to begge of those that begd of him 3. Enuie will be next a leane meager thing full of malicious mettle but hath almost no flesh The horse he rides on is Malcontent He would in his iourney first cut some thousand throates or powder a whole kingdome blow vp a State and then set on to heauen But the hangman sets vp a Galowse in his way wherat he runs full butt and breakes his necke 4. Then comes sneaking out Coâ—…eteousnes a hunger-staru'd vsurer that sells wheat and eates beanes many men are in his debt and he is most in his owne debt for he neuer payd his belly and backe a quarter of their dues He rides on a thinne hobbling Iade called vnconscionablenes which for want of a worse stable hee lodgeth in his owne heart He promiseth his soule to bring her to heauen but tarrying to enlarge his barnes he lost opportunitie and the prize of saluation and so fell two bowes short Fayth and Repentance 5. Lust hath gotten on Loues cloke and will venture to runne A leprous wretch and riding on a trotting beast a hee-goate was almost shaken to pieces Diseases doe so crampe him that hee is faine to sit downe with Vae misero and without the helpe of a good Doctor or a Surgion he is like neuer to see a comfortable end of his iourney 6. Hypocrisie is glad that he is next to Charitie and presumes that they two are brother and sister Hee is hors'd on a halting hackney for he does but borrow him called Dissimulation As he goes hee is offring euerie man his hand but it is still emptie Hee leanes on Charities shoulder and protests great loue to her but when shee tryes him to borrow a little money of him for some mercifull purpose he pleads he hath not enough to serue him to his iourneys end He goes forward like an Angell but his trusted horse throws him and discouers him a Deuill 7 The last named but first and onely that comes to the prize at the goales end is Charitie She is an humble vertue not mounted as the other racers but goes on foote She spares from her owne belly to relieue those poore Pilgrims that trauell with her to Heauen She hath two Virgins that beare her companie Innocence and Patience She does no hurt to others shee suffers much of others yet was shee neuer heard to curse Her language is blessing and shee shall for euer inherite it Three celestiall Graces Glory Immortalitie and Eternitie hold out a Crowne to her And when Faith and Hope haue lifted her vp to heauen they take their leaues of her and the bosome of euerlasting Mercie receiues her A CRVCIFIXE OR A Sermon vpon the Passion EPHES. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet swelling sauour THis latter part of the verse is a faire and liuely Crucifixe cut by the hand of a most exquisite caruer not to amaze our corporall lights with a peece of wood brasse or stone curiously engrauen to the encrease of a carnall deuotion But to present to the eye of the conscience the grieuous Passion and gracious compassion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Who gaue himselfe for vs c. This Crucifixe presents to our eye seauen considerable Circumstances Who Christ. What Gaue. Whom Himselfe To whom To God For whom For vs. After what manner An offering Sacrifice Of what effect Of a sweet sauour The poynts you see lie as readie for our discourse as the way did from Bethanie to Ierusalem onely fayle not my speech nor your attention till we come to the Iourneys end Who. The Person that giues is Christ the qualitie of his person doth highly commend his exeeding loue to vs. We will ascend to this consideration by 4. staires or degrees and descend by 4. other Both in going vp and comming downe we shall perceiue the admirable loue of the giuer Ascendently 1. We will consider him Hominem a man Behold the man saith Pilate We may tarry and wonder at his lowest degree that a man should giue himselfe for man For scarcely for a righteous man will one die But this man gaue himselfe for vnrighteous man to die not an ordinary but a greevous death exposing himselfe to the wrath of God to the tyrranie of men and Devils It would pittie our hearts to see a poore dumbe beast so terrified how much more Hominem a man the Image of God! 2 The second degree giues him hominem innocentem an Innocent man Pilate could say I haue found no fault in this man No nor yet Herod No nor the Devill who would haue beene right glad of such an advantage So Pilates Wife sent her husband word Haue thou nothing to do with that iust man So the Person is not onely a man but a iust man that gaue himselfe to endure such horrors for vs. If wee pittie the death of malefactors how should our compassion be to one Innocent 3. In the third degree he is not onely Homo a man and Iustus homo a good man but also Magnus homo a great man royally descended from the auntient Patriarches and Kinges of Iudah Pilate had so written his Title and he would answere not alter it Quod scripsi scripsi And what was that Iesus of Nazereth the King of the Iewes Now as is the Person so is the Passion the more noble the giuer the more excellent the gift That so high a King would suffer such contempt and obloquie to be cast vpon him when the least part of his disgrace had beene too much for a man of meane condition That a Man a Good man a Great man bore such calumnie such calamitie for our sakes here was an vnmatchable an vnspeakable loue 4. This is enough but this is not all there is yet a higher degree in this Ascent we are not come to our full Quantus It is this he was Plus quam homo more then man not onely maximus hominum but mator hominibus the greatest of men yea greater then all men Not mere filius hominis but verè filius Dei he was more then the Sonne of man euen the Sonne of God As the Centurion acknowledged Truely this man was the Sonne of God Here be all the foure staires vpwardes a Man a Harmeles man a Princely man and yet more then man euen God himselfe Salomon was a great king but here is a Greater then Salomon Salomon was Christus Domini but here is Christus Dominus he was the annointed of the Lord but this
Church 4. Per annectionem such are spirituall Liuings and endowments these are not to be profaned in buying and selling Selling is like the sinne of Gehesi buying like the sinne of Simon Magus Anathema danti anathema accipiâ—…nti There is a curse to the giuer and a curse to the receiuer Now Sacriledge to these holy things of God is committed three waies 1. Quando ausertur sacrum de sacro when a holy thing is taken from a holy place as the consecrated vessels out of the Temple Foelix seeing the costly Chalices Constantinus and Constantius had bestowed on the Church maliciously scoffed What stately plate is there for the Carpenters Son But he that had so base a conceit of Christs bloud did himselfe nothing night and day but vomit bloud till his vnhappy soule was fetched from his wretched carkase Wee haue too many of those that like Belshazzar with the riches of the Church haue furnished their cup-bords of Plate 2. Quando non sacrum de sacro when a common thing is stolne from a sacred place As if a thiefe breakes open a Church to steale some priuate treasure hid in it So the Church-wardens may defraud the poore of the money in the boxe It is the poores not sacred to the Church yet is it sacriledge to embezzel it 3. Quando sacrum de non sacro when a holy thing is taken out of a common place as when the Church is robbed of her possessions and endowments O the mercie of God what shall become of England for thus robbing Gods Citie Our Patrons are like those Christ whipped out of the Temple yea worse for they bought and sold in the Church these buy and sell the Church it selfe It is a snare to the man that deuoureth that which is holy A snare hath three properties 1. It catcheth suddenly Vzza did but touch the Arke and presently fell down dead 2. It holds surely Vzziah will offer Incense but the Leprosie which was his plague held him to his dying day 3. It destroyes certainely the earth swallowed Corah and his confederates when the rest escaped The Prophet bestowes a whole Psalme against this sinne Psalme 83. The Center of it vpon whom all the lines and proiections of his inuectiues meet are those ver 12. that say Let vs take to our selues the houses of God in possession He calls them Gods enemies tumultuous proud God-haters ver 2. Crafty enemies with their plots tricks subtilties much like our Impropriators legall iustifyings ver 3. Confederate enemies combining themselues to annihilate a Church Come let vs cut theÌ„ off from being a Nation ver 4. endeuouring to extinguish the very Name of Israel breaking downe the pale that the Bore the depopulator and the wild beast the corrupt Patron may waste and deuoure it They would plow vp the Vniuersities and sowe them with the seed of Barbarisme Now marke how hee prayes for them ver 9. Doe vnto them as vnto the Medianites who were by the trumpets and lampes so terrified that they drew their swords one vpon another so that these by the trumpets of the Law and lampes of the Gospel might be awaked As to Sisera to Iabin at the brooke of Kison that great Captaine whom God deliuered into the hands of a woman ver 11. Make their Nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb yea all their Princes as Zebah and Zalmunna All Princes yet died violent and ignominious deaths and became like dung for the earth Doth he stay here No ver 13. O my GOD make them like a wheele and as the stubble before the vvind Infatuate all their plots turne their braines and disperse their stratagems Is he yet satisfied No. ver 14. As the fire burneth a wood and as the flame setteth on fire the mountaines so persecute them with thy tempest Hee vseth imprecations to open the floud-gates of Gods wrath that like fire it might consume them either naturally as fire burnes the wood or miraculously as it enflameth the Mountaines ver 16. Fill their faces with shame If this be to take Gods houses in possession who dares lay sacrilegious hands vpon them Yet for all this those men did not what they desired Let vs take ver 12. they said it they did it not Perhaps no thanks to theÌ„ they would if they could We haue done it taken inhabited inherited as Elias said to Ahab We haue killed also taken possession His tithes his offerings all his holy rites yea his very Churches we haue gotten them and led them captiue away bound in chaines of yron conueyed by deedes grants seales fines as if you would make sure they should neuer returne to the owner God is robbed of them for euer Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule be auenged on such a Nation What familie that hath had but a finger in these sacriledges hath not beene ruinated by them They haue beene more infortunate to the Gentry of England then was the gold of Tholossa to the followers of Scipio Remember the Prouerbe Hee that eates the Kings goose shall haue the fethers sticke in his throate seuen yeeres after Iustinian said Proximum sacrilegio crimen est quod maiestatis dicitur Treason is a petty sinne in respect of sacriledge Augustine seemes to giue the reason Tantò grauius est peccatum quantò committi non potest nisi in Deum It is so much the more haynous because it cannot be committed but immediately against God himselfe Well then as the Philistines made haste to send home the Arke and the Aegyptians to rid themselues of Gods people so let vs restore to God his dues with all speed Otherwise as hee smote the Philistines with Emrods secretly and the Aegyptians with plagues publikely so onely himselfe knowes what he hath determined against vs. With what face canst thou expect an Inheritance from Christ in heauen that detainest from Christ his Inheritance here on earth Let vs not so Iewishly with the spoyles of Christ purchase fields of bloud It is much if at all this any guilty soule tremble but howsoeuer like Pharaoh when the thunder and lightning are done they are where they were O this is a difficult Deuill to be cast out Render vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Reddite Deo sua vt Deus restituat vobis vestra Returne vnto God that which is his that God may allow you that which is yours Wee pay to the King Impost Subsidies and Fifteenes so giue we all these in a resemblance to God The Lords impost for all his blessings is our gratitude What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of saluation and blesse the Name of the Lord. If wee forget to pay this Impost the commodity is forfeit God will take it backe Our Subsidies are according to our parts The subsidies of our eyes are our
him from walking to standing from standing to sitting stil and this is limen inferni the very threshold of hell Wee iudge of sinne as of the Sunne little because far off yet indeed it is bigger then the earth The neerer wee come to the sense of iniquity the greater it appeares Was it such a sinne for Adam to eate a forbidden Apple Yes the greatnes is remonstrable in the euent it brought destruction vpon himselfe and his posterity Is it such a haynous offence for Dauid to know the number of his people Doe not Princes make good their Muster-books by such a Quare and numeration The plague witnessed the greatnesse of it and himselfe cryes Peccaui I haue done wickedly Looke on the least sin in Satans false glasse and it seemes contemptible behold it in the true glasse of Gods Law and it appeares abhominable The Deuill stands betwixt wicked men and their sinnes all their life but placeth their sinnes betwixt heauen and themselues in death writes them in Text letters on the Curtaines that their amazed soules cannot chuse but read them Thus he that led them liuing by sin to presumption now driues them dying by sinne to desperation Satan seemes modest and will bee contented vvith a little when hee can get no more he will play at small game before he sit out Wilt thou not cut throats yet quarrell and appoint fields not so yet hate thine enemies not professe hatred yet watch occasions to hinder his good if thou wilt not iniure his estate yet at least scandalize his good name He will take little rather then nothing The Israelites in the Desart had no rich and costly sacrifices to offer to Baal Peor They had not such store of beasts but the oblations to God tooke them vp I cannot see what they should haue fit for this sacrifice to Baal except Manna and water too good for the Deuill but hee â—…s content with this Yet it is euident that they committed Idolatry Neyther be yee Idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Rather then want their custome Satan will take such as they had Will Naaman worship God yet let him worship Rimmon too no hee will not doe so yet let him bow to Rimmon no nor so much yet let him bow before Rimmon the Deuill is glad of this where he can get no more Thus Pharaoh minceth and limits with Moses concerning the dismission of Israel Gods charge was Let my people goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse to celebrate a feast to the Lord. Now marke how Pharaoh would compound it First Sacrifice to God in this land no saith Moses wee must goe into the wildernesse Then saith Pharaoh If there be no remedy Goe and goe to the wildernesse and sacrifice to your God but goe not farre nay wee must goe three dayes iourney Then Pharaoh Goe ye the men but leaue your children behinde you nay we must goe old and young sons and daughters Then Pharaoh Goe ye men women and children so farre as your feet can measure in three dayes but your flocks and your heards shall be stayd nay we will not leaue a hoofe behinde vs. So when the Deuill perceiues no remedy hee falls to indenting with niggardly grants and allowances Somwhat hath some sauor giue him at least a thought a word a looke as Lots wife and it something pleaseth him Among the Heathen they vsed to ioyne together Epula and Sacrificia with solemne sacrifices to their gods solemne bankets among themselues So the Apostle deliuers the custome of the Moabites 1. Cor. 10. 7. In the midst of their Idolatry they sate downe to eate drinke So the Psalmist writes of that cursed commixtion of Israel with Moab that they had Idolatrous feasts They ioyned themselues to Baal-Peor and did eate the sacrifices of the dead One nation had a custome in these superstious feasts to sacrifice to their Idol Capita some Noble mens heads according as it fell to their lots together with their hearts and their liuers It came to the turne of the Kings speciall fauourite thus to lose his life the King resoluing both to keep the custome yet to saue his friend obiected that God was no murderer nor delighted in the bloud of men That if he were a God he was certainely good and goodnesse stood not in the desire of his owne creatures destruction Therefore in stead of the mans head he offered the head of an onyon and for bloud heart and liuers of men all these of birds or beasts The Deuill must be pleased with this hee saw that this little homage was some acknowledgement of his soueraignty Satan can hold a mans soule in by a little as a bird that hangs in the net by a claw Perhaps shame feare keepes some from eruption into scandalous things the appearance is vizarded the affection is not mortified Like an Eunuch he doth not beget palpable grosse turpitudes yet hath a lust itch and concupiscence this little serues the Deuils turne Satan would keepe away the light of the Truth from a man well he is so seated that hee will haue it by knowledge he seemes to cast out Satan Yet if he can but insinuate into his affection this little cord will pull him in againe with ease Must he lose the Sconce of thy vnderstanding Let him hold the Cittadell of thy desires this little gate will let him in at his pleasure I draw to conclusion let this teach vs all to make a scrutiny in our soules and seriously to repent of this little leuen Little in quantity great in quality little in estimation powerfull in operation Little in the sight of men iudging by outward appearance great in the sight of God iudging in truth Lot said of the City of Zoar Is it not a little one and my soule shall liue thou sayest of thy sinne Is it not a little one and why should my soule die A little Posterne opened may betray the greatest City Ionathan tasted but a little honey on the top of his wand and hardly he escaped death for it A little leauen makes the head heauy and the heart sicke Eschevv this little if thou wouldst be great in heauen For whosoeuer shall breake one of these least Commandements hee shall bee called least in the kingdome of heauen Minimus that is indeed Nullus the least there because he shall not be there at all Let no tang of corruption come to thy least part if thou desirest to preserue body and soule blamelesse to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. Repentance must be to all dead workes sanctification takes liberty in no sinne Nullum peccatum retinendum spe remissionis No euill must be reserued vnder the hope of forgiuenesse God gaue a Law but no dispensation for any breach of it his Generall rules haue no exceptions vnlesse it please the Diuine Oracle
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
the Popes gaine He must be Iudge yea he shall be an vnerring Iudge Yet if the Pope haue this infallibility I wonder what need there is of Councells Here they fly to distinctions as to familiar spirits The Pope may erre Argumentatiuè not Definitiuè in his chamber not in his chaire Personaliter non Formaliter as man not as Pope How proue they such an exposition of the Scripture Here they fly to the Pope hee so expounds it How prooue they the Pope cannot erre Here straight they fly back againe to Scripture Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shal not faile These hang gether like a sick mans dreame Insequeris fugio Fugis insequor Yet thus they conclude against their own wills whiles they only proue the Pope by the Scripture spight of their teeth they preferre the Scripture aboue the Pope If this be so that the truth of the Gospell being professed belieued obeyed among vs manifest vs against all aduersaries to be true members of this Generall assembly then two subordinate questions offer themselues collaterally here to be handled First whether corrupters of our Truth and disturbers of our peace are to bee tolerated Secondly whether for some corruptions of doctrine or vices in manners it be lawfull for any of vs to make separation from vs. 1. Seditious and pestilent seedsmen of heresies are to be restrained If a little leuen sowre the whole lumpe what will a little poison do If Paul to his Galatians could not endure Christ and Moses together how would he to his Corinthians endure Christ and Belial together Hee sticks not to ingeminate Anathema's to them that preached another Gospel The Papists cry out against vs for persecution they that shame not to bely the Scriptures will not blush to bely vs. Their prosperity their riches their numbers among vs directly proue that a man may be a Papist in England and liue But if their religion turne to treason shall it scape vnpunished A Papist may liue a Traitor may not liue To perswade that a Christian king at the Popes will may yea must be decrowned or murdered is this the voice of Religion or Treason If this be conscience there is no villany if such an act merite Heauen let no man feare Hell I would aske a Papist vvhether he be not bound by his religion to execute the Popes doctrinall will whether if he bid him kill his King hee may refraine from that sacred bloud and not sinne If he refuse treason he is not constant to his Religion if hee keepe his Religion hee must not sticke at any act of treason So that who knowes whether this day a mere Papist may not on the Popes command to morrow be a Traytor But say they this a supposition as likely as if Heauen should fall the Pope will neuer command it I answere that Popes haue commanded it But we hope his present Holinesse will not we were in a pitious case if our securitie was no better then your hope God blesse our gracious Soueraigne from euer standing at the Popes mercy Why should such Seminaries of heresie and Incendiaries of conspiracie be suffered What atonement of affection can there be in such disparitie of Religion when some cry God helpe vs others Baal heare vs. They to Angels and Saints wee to the Lord that made Heauen and Earth But the euent hath often prooued which of these could best heare prayers As in that memorable fight on the Leuant Seas of fiue English ships against eleuen Spanish they crying for victory to our Lady wee to our Lord it seemes the Sonne heard better then the Mother for the victory was ours The Common-vvealth that stands vpon legges partly of yron and partly of clay is neuer sure One wombe held Romulus Remus in peace one kingdome could not containe them But euery mans mind is as free as the Emperors Conscience is a Castle and there is nothing so voluntarie as religion faith comes by perswasion not by compulsion Yield all this and say with Tertullian Nihil minus fidei est quà m fidem cogere And with Bernard Suspendite verbera ostendite vbera Make a man in error rather blush then bleede But if they breake the foundation Non ferendi sed feriendi First speake to the Conscience by good counsell but if that eare be stopt shake the whole house about it Speake to the eares of the inheritance of the liberty of the body by mulct by prison by exile Let the Liberty say to the Conscience For thy sake I am restrained let the Inheritance say For thy sake I am empouerished let the Body say For thy sake I am afflicted But because heresie dies not with the particular person but kills also others and Centum inficit dum vnum intersicit And because it strikes at the life of a Christian that is his Faith For the iust shal liue by his faith Therfore pereat vnus potius quà m vnitas Haretici corrigendi ne pereant reprimendi ne perimant Heretikes are to be corrected lest they damne themselues to be restrained lest they damne others Persecutio facit Martyres haeresis apostatas plus nocuerunt horum togâ—… quà m illorum galeae Persecution made Martyrs heresie makes Apostates the Heretikes words haue done more hurt then the tyrants swords Apertè sauit persecutor vt Leo haereticus insidiatur vt draco Ille negare Christum cogit iste docet Aduersus illum opus patientià aduersus istum opus vigilantia The persecutor rageth like a Lyon the heretike insinuates himselfe like a serpent To deny Christ he compels this man instructs Against the former wee haue need of patience against the latter of vigilance Excommunication bondage exile haue bin thought fit punishments for heretikes fire and fagot is not Gods Law but the Popes Canon-shot An heretike dying in his heresie cannot be saued therefore Luther thinkes hee that puts an heretike to death is a double murderer destroying his body with death temporall his soule with death eternall But saith Augustine Diligite homines interficite errores Loue the persons kill the errors Presume on the truth without pride striue for it without rage Seueritas quasi sâ—…ua veritas but verity and seuerity doe not agree Fire and sword may put to death heretickes but not heresies See heere the difference betwixt the Papists proceedings against vs and ours against them They dye not among vs for refusing our faith but vs they burned not for denying any article of faith but for not beleeuing Transubstantiation So strange an Article that Bellarmine himselfe doubts whether it may bee proued from Scripture or no but that the Church hath declared it so to be But though faith be aboue reason yet it is not against reason This is my body saith Christ. Hoc This bread this Pronoune demonstratiue they will haue to demonstrate nothing Hoc aliquid nihil est How then this nothing is my body not this bread but this nothing
put on obedience if for stubbornnesse he must put on patience he must serue if he will deserue this God alone cannot doe if to die he must be mortall this onely God cannot be Therefore this Mediator is made man to be himselfe bound as he is GOD to free others that are bound Man to become weake God to vanquish Man to die God to triumph ouer death This is that sacred Ladder whose top in heauen reaching to the bosome of God expresseth his Diuinitie his foote on earth close to Iacobs loynes witnesseth his Humanitie We are bankrout debters God is a sure Creditor Christ sets all on his score We are ignorant Clients God is a skilfull Iudge Christ is our Aduocate to plead our cause for vs. God is a iust Master we are vnfaithfull vnfruitfull vnprofitable seruants this Mediator takes vp the matter betweene vs. Of the new Couenant For Moses may seeme to be a Mediator of the Old Couenant I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the Word of the Lord. This Mediatorship of the New couenant is a high office competible to none but the Lord Iesus Who should appeare betweene a iust God and sinfull men but he that is mortall with men and iust with God It is a Couenant for there is something agreed on both sides we couenant to belieue and God to forgiue A New couenant there was cold comfort for vs in the old A man reading Fac hoc et vines Doe this and thou shalt liue thinks of it as if he were bidden to catch a starre from the firmament take it for his labour But in the New Crede et vine belieue liue for euer The condition on mans part is belieuing the couenant on Gods part is Sauing Now though it be true that it is as easie for man of himselfe to fulfill the Law as it is to belieue the Gospel yet the New couenant Dat credere giues a man power to belieue for faith is the faire gift of God Praecipit non adiuvat Lex offert et affert Euangelium The Law giues commandement but not amendment the Gospel brings saluation to our hearts our hearts to saluation As it chargeth vs so it aydeth vs. As this Mediator giues Fidem quam credimus the faith which we belieue mercy and remission so also Fidem qua credimus the faith whereby we belieue grace to apprehend this mercy Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Couenant which was established vpon better promises Briefely here consider the excellencie of this New and Euangelicall Couenant aboue the Old and Legall In the beginning God made man righteous for he created him in his owne Image which the Apostle saies consisted in righteousnesse and the holinesse of truth But man soone defaced this goodly and godly picture This I haue found that God made man righteous but he sought out many inuentions waves to make himselfe wicked and wretched Hence it followed that our restitution was a greater work then our constitution The house was with more ease built vp new then repaired being old and ruinous That was done per verbum enuntiatum this per verbum annuntiatum There he spake the word and all things were created here the Word was made flesh Fecit mira tulit dira passus dura verba duriora verbera There it was done by saying Dic verbum tantùm here by doing yea by dying suffering grieuous words more grieuous wounds Factus in terris fractus in terris There all begun in Adam who was Terrae filius a sonne of the earth here all in Christ who is Coeli Dominus the Lord of Heauen Spirituall life is better then naturall firmer surer There man had onely a power to stand but with it a power to fall according to his owne pleasure heere he hath a certaintie of inseparable coniunction to Christ. He so stands as neuer to fall so liues as neuer to die so is loued as neuer to bee hated There Adam and Eue were married to propagate filios carnis children of the flesh heere Christ is married to his Church to beget filios spirituales children in the Spirit and that with a bond neuer to be diuorced Thus at first God commanded that to exist which was not before now he makes one contrary to be changed into another flesh into spirit darknesse into light corruption into holinesse greater miracles then changing stones into bread Dignus vindice nodus a knot worthy the finger of God to vntie Here is the wonderfull worke of the New Couenant we were made Ex spirituoris redeemed ex sanguine cordis created by the breath of Gods mouth but saued by the bloud of his heart Therefore not sixe Cherubims as in the vision of Esay nor foure and twenty Elders as in the Reuelation of Iohn but a royall Armie of heauenly souldiers were heard praysing GOD at the birth of Iesus Christ. In summe there is but one Mediator of the New Couenant neither Saint nor Angel hath any part in this dignity Melancth Idem est multos Deos fingere ac sanctos mortuos inuocare to worship old Saints is to make new Gods He that shall pray to dead men dishonours the liuing Mediator Saint Paul saith expresly There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus Whence it is manifest that it is the same blasphemous presumption to make moe Mediators then one that to make moe Gods then one Heere the Romanists distinguish Christ is the sole Mediator of Redemption not of Intercession Opus est mediatore ad mediatore Christum VVee must haue a Mediator of intercession to this Mediator of redemption A blind answere for Paul directly there speakes of prayers and Intercession ver 1. c. But say they Our prayers are to be made to God alone tanquam per cum implenda because our desires are fulfilled onely by him but vnto the Saints tanquam per eos impetranda because they are obtained by them As if Christ were so busie that hee could not tend to heare vs or so stately that hee vvould not bend to heare vs or so vniust as to deny his owne Venite and not to performe his promise Come vnto me all that labour We oppose against them that comfortable saying of S. Iohn If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous They answere Indeed Christ is our chiefe Aduocate Saints and Angels secondary or subordinate Aduocates But the word Aduocate is borrowed of the Lawyers signifies him only that doth plead the iustice of his clients cause A stranger in the court may become a petitioner to the Iudge intreat fauor for the person guilty but Aduocates are Patrons Proctors of their Clients Angels in heauen Saints on earth are suitors in our behalfe to God but Christ alone is our Aduocate And
themselues The godly at last shall be as mighty men Zach. 10. 5. treading downe their enemies in the myre of the streets in the battell and they shall fight because the Lord is with them The grieuousnesse of these afflictions must teach vs two vsefull lessons Patience Prayer 1. Patience Acts. 5. The Apostles departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. A true Christian reioyceth in his tribulation especially when it is for his Sauiours sake and takes greater pleasure in his yron fetters then a proud Courtier doth of his golden chaine Reu. 14. Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. But if it be so blessed a thing to dye in the Lord what is it to die for the Lord Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints It was Hardings inuectiue against our reuerend learned and precious Iewell that Protestants were worse then the Deuill for whereas bread and water and the crosse could scarre away Deuils Princes could be rid of them by no meanes but Fire To whom that excellent Bishop answeres that though it pleased his malicious humour to make but a ieast of the bloud of Gods Saints yet it was no more ignominie for Lambes to suffer what Christ suffered then it was praise and credit for wolues to betray him as Iudas did Our patience is our crowne and others conuersion Eusebius from Clement reporteth that when a wicked accuser had brought S. Iames to condemnation seeing his Christian fortitude hee was touched in conscience confessed himself a Christian and so was taken to execution with him Where earnestly beseeching S. Iames to forgiue him he after a little pawse kissed him and said Peace be to thee brother and they were beheaded together O blessed Patience which not onely gets honour to our selues but brings other to saluation and in all glorifies God 2. Prayer This was the Apostles refuge in the time of affliction Act. 4. 24. Bernard in a Fiction doth excellently expresse this necessity enforce this duty He supposeth the kings of Babylon and Ierusalem by whom hee meanes the world and the Church to bee at warre one against the other During this hostility a souldier of Ierusalem was fled to the Castle of Iustice. Siege was laid to this Castle and a multitude of enemies enuironed and entrenched it round There lyes neere this Souldier a faint-hearted coward called Feare this speakes nothing but discomfort and when Hope would step in to speak some courage Feare thrusts her out of dores Whilst these two opposites feare and hope stand debating the Christian Souldier resolues to appeale to the direction of sacred Wisedome who was chiefe Councellor to the Captaine of the Castle Iustice. Heare Wisedome speake Dost thou not know faith she that the God whom wee serue is able to deliuer vs Is he not the Lord of hostes euen the Lord mighty in battell we will dispatch a messenger to him with information of our necessity Feare replies What messenger Darkenesse is on the face of the world our walls are begirt with an armed troupe which are not onely strong as Lyons but also watchfull as Dragons What messenger can eyther scape through such an hoast or finde the way into so remote a Countrey Wisedome calls for Hope and chargeth her with all speed to dispatch away her olde messenger Hope calls to Prayer and sayes Lo heere a messenger speedy ready trusty knowing the way Ready you can not sooner call her then she comes Speedy shee flies faster then Eagles as fast as Angels Trusty what embassage soeuer you put in her tongue shee deliuers with faithfull secrecie She knowes the way to the Court of Mercie and shee will neuer faint till shee come to the chamber of the royall Presence Prayer hath her message away she flies borne on the sure and swift wings of faith and zeale Wisedome hauing giuen her a charge and Hope a blessing Finding the gate shut she knockes and cryes Open ye gates of righteousnes and be ye open ye euerlasting dores of glory that I may enter and deliuer to the King of Ierusalem my petition Iesus Christ heares her knock opens the gate of mercy attends her suite promiseth her infallible comfort and redresse Backe returnes Prayer laden with the newes of consolation she hath a promise and she deliuers it into the hand of Faith that were our enemies more innumerable then the Locusts in Egypt and more strong then the Gyants the sonnes of Anak yet Power and Mercie shall fight for vs and we shall be deliuered Passe wee then through fire and vvater through all dangers and difficulties yet we haue a messenger holy happy accessible acceptable to God that neuer comes backe without comfort Prayer And here fitly I will end our Misery come to Gods Mercy Desolation hath held vs long but our consolation is eternall But thou broughtest vs out into a wealthy place The Song you see is compounded like Musike it hath acutum and graue high and low sharp and flat Thou causedst men to ride ouer vs. But thou broughtest vs out Sorrow and ioy trouble and peace sowre and sweet come by vicissitudes Inuicem cedunt dolor et voluptas This discord in Musike hurts not but graceth the song Whiles greefe and pleasure keepe this alteration in our life they at once both exercise our patience and make more vvelcome our ioyes If you looke for the happinesse of the wicked you shall find it in primis at the beginning but if you would learne what becomes of the righteous intelliges in nouissimis you shall know it at last Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace We were sore oppressed but thou broughtest vs out into a wealthy place Euery word is sweetly significant and amplifies Gods mercie to vs. Foure especially are remarkable the Deliuerer the Deliuerance the Deliuered and their felicitie or blessed aduancement So there is in the Deliuerer aliquid Celsitudinis Thou Deliuerie Certitudinis Broughtst out Deliuered Solitudinis vs Happines Plenitudinis Into a vvealthy place There is highnesse and lownesse surenesse and fulnesse The Deliuerer is great the Deliuerance certaine the Distressed grieuous their exaltation glorious There is yet a first word that like a key vnlocks this golden gate of mercy a veruntamen But This is vox respirationis a gaspe that fetcheth back againe the very life of comfort But thou broughtest c. We were fearfully endangered into the hands of our enemies they rode and trode vpon vs and droue vs through hard perplexities But thou c. If there had beene a full point or period at our miserie if those gulfs of persecution had quite swallowed vs all our light of comfort had beene thus smothered and extinguished we might haue cryed Perijt spes nostra yea perijt salus nostra our hope our help is quite gone He had mocked vs that vvould haue
in this coherence pardon me if I haue beene somewhat plentifull It was the induction to my Text and the dore thus opened let vs enter in to suruay the building Be not c. The whole may be distinguished into a Caution Reason The caution Be not deceiued God is not mocked The Reason For whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape The Caution is partly Disswasiue Be not deceiued Perswasiue God is not mocked You may deceiue your selues you cannot deceiue God These two circumstances make against two defects Error Be not deceiued Hypocrisie God is not mocked The Disswasion Be not deceiued This is the voyce of a friend studying Aut praeuenire errori aut reuocare errantem eyther to preuent a man before he erres or to recall him erring A phrase often vsed by our Apostle Ephes. 5. Let no man deceiue you vvith vaine words Nihil facilius est quà m errare There is nothing easier then to erre There is no man but erres sometimeâ—… in via pedum often in via morum This prouision then is necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deceits lye as thick vpon the earth as the Grashoppers did in Egypt a man can scarce set his foote besides them But to preuent the deceiuings of sinne is our Apostles intention Hebr. 3. Lest any of vs bee hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Sinne is crafty and full of delusion there is no sinne but hath his couzonage Vsury vvalkes in Alderman Thrifty's gowne Pride gets the name of my Lady Decencie Idolatry as if it dwelt by ill neighbours praiseth it selfe and that for the purest Deuotion Homicide marcheth like a man of valour and Lust professeth it selfe Natures Scholler Couetousnesse is goodman Nabals husbandry and Enclosing Master Oppressors policie We were wont to say that blacke could neuer be coloured into vvhite yet the deuill hath some Painters that vndertake it Euills are neere neighbors to good Errore sub illo Pro vitio virtus crimina saepe tulit By that meanes vertue hath borne the blame of vices faults yea and more then that Vice hath had the credite of Vertues goodnes But be not deceiued When mens wits and the deuils to helpe haue found out the fairest pretexts for sinne Gods iustice strikes off all and leaues Sinne naked and punishable Many pretences haue been found out for many sinnes besides distinctions mitigations qualifications extenuations colours questions necessities inconueniences tolerations ignorances But when man hath done God begins One argument of Gods now is stronger then all ours Thou shalt not doe this Goe study to perswade thy selfe that thou mayest yet at last GOD takes away all thy distinctions when he poures his wrath on thy naked conscience Then where is thy paint If it preuaile not against the Sunne what will it doe against the fire God charged our first Parents that they should not cate of the forbidden fruite If you doe you shall dye The deuill comes first with a flatte Negatiue Non moriâ—…mini Ye shall not dye Then with subtile promises Yee shall be as Gods knowing good and euill But what is the euent They eate and they die are instantly made mortall and should haue died for euer but for a Sauiour GOD bids Saul slay all in Amalek 1. Sam. 15. Smite Amalek vtterly destroy all that they haue and spare them not Yet Saul spares Agag and the fatte cattell Why is this a fault I spared the best of the cattell for Sacrifice to the Lord. Will not this serue No God reiects Saul from beeing King ouer Israel who had reiected God from beeing King ouer Saul Be not deceiued God is not mâ—…ked Consider we here the examples of Uzzah and Vzziah For Vzzah God had charged that none but the consecrated Priests should touch the Arkâ—… Uzzah seeing the Oxen shake the Arke put forth his hand to stay it vp Was this a sinne to stay the Arke of God from falling Yes God proues it he layes him dead by the Arks side For Vzziah God had charged Numb 18. that none should inuade the Priests office The stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death Vzziah will come to the Altar with a Censor in his hand to offer Incense Why is this an offence to offer to the Lord Yes GOD makes it manifest Vzziah is a Leper to his dying day God had coÌ„manded the Prophet sent to Bethel Thou shalt eate no bread and drinke no water there Well he is going homewards and an old Prophet ouer-takes him perswades him to refresh himselfe No saies the other I must not For so was it charged me in the Word of the Lord Thou shalt eate no bread c. But sayes the old Prophet An Angell spake to me saying Bring him backe that he may eate bread Well he goes Is not a Prophets word an Angels word authoritie enough No the Lord proues it he giues a Lion leaue to slay him Bee not deceiued God is not mocked The Iewes knew that they ought not to despise their Messias He is come Loe now they study arguments against him Iohn 7. Wee know this man whence hee is but when Christ commeth no man knoweth whence hee is And Search and looke for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet Be these their cauills against Gods expresse charge Hee answers all vvhen he leaues their house vnto them desolate I hope I may take a little sayes â—…ehazi but enough tooke him for it a continuall Leproâ—…e The euill Seruant hath his plea Math. 25. I knew that thou wert a hard man c. Therefore I hid thy talent in the earth loe there thou hast that is thine But what followes ver 30 Cast yee that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of â—…eeth To come from example to application It is Gods coÌ„mand concerning Princes Touch not mine Anointed The Papists will touch them with the hand of death VVhy they haue warrant from the Pope Gods Word saies not so either in precept or precedent If any King in Gods booke had beene deposed by a Priest all the Schooles and Pulpits would haue rung of it wee should haue had no rule with the Church of Rome But it falls out happily Ut quod praecepto non iubetur etiam exemplo careat That as it is not commanded by charge so nor commended by examples But will they still argue for this shedding of the bloud-royall The gallhouse confutes them heere but their worst confutation vvill be confusion hereafter God sayes thou shalt not put thy money to vsury thou hast found out many distinctions to satisfie thy conscience or rather thy couetousnesse Gods word thy will are at oddes He sayes Thou shalt not thou sayest thou may est On these and these termes Hell fire shall decide the question Relieue the poore saith the Lord. Thou suckest their blouds rather but howsoeuer wilt giue nothing Why may we not doe with our owne vvhat wee list Well
Country of Earth describe the glorious Court of Heauen Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Glorious Cities haue beene and are in the world Rome was eminently famous all her Citizens like so many kings yet was it obserued Illic homines more that men did die there But in this Citie there is no dying Mors non erit vltra There shall be no more death I will narrow vp my discourse to consider in this City only 3. things The Situation Society Glory The Situation It is placed aboue Gal. 4. Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all Heauen is in excelsis His foundation is in the holy mountaines So was Ierusalem seated on earth to figure this Citie built on the Quarrey of heauen Dan. 2. On Saphyres Emeralds and Chrysolites Reu. 21. There is a heauen now ouer our heads but it shall vvaxe olde as a garment It is corruptible and so combustible This Citie is eternall Mount Sion neuer to bee moued a kingdome neuer to be shaken Wee are now vnder this lower heauen then this shall be vnder vs. That which is our Canopy shall be our Pauement The Society The King that rules there is one Almighty God in three distinct persons Hee made this City for himselfe In his presence is the fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore If hee gaue such a house as this world is to his enemies what may we thinke hath hee prouided for himselfe and his friends But will GOD dwell there alone He is neuer alone himselfe is to himselfe the best and most excellent company Neuerthelesse he vouchsafes a dwelling here to some Citizens and these are eyther Created so Assumed or Assigned 1. Created Citizens are the blessed Angels who from their first creation haue enioyed the freedom of this City They stand alwaies in the presence of God they can neuer lose their happinesse 2. Assumed those whose spirits are already in heauen Hebr. 12. There are the spirits of iust men made perfect They are already in soule taken vp and made free Denisons of this Citie 3. Assigned the Elect that liue in the militant Church waiting for the day of their bodies Redemption crying still Come Lord Iesus come quickly These are Conscripti written in the Lambes booke of life Now though we are not already in full possession because our apprentiship of this life is not out yet we are already Citizens Ye are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens vvith the Saints and of the houshold of God And we haue three happy priuiledges of Citizens 1. Libertas Freedome from the Law not from obedience to it but from the curse of it Praestemus quod possumus quod non possumus non damnabit Let vs keepe so much of it as we can what wee cannot keepe shall not eondemne vs. Liberty in the vse of these earthly things heauen earth ayre sea with all their creatures do vs seruice Whether things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. Tutela Imperij The Kings protection Psalm 91. Angelis mandauit Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in all our wayes Is this all No. vers 4. Hee couers vs with his fethers and vnder his wings doe wee trust his truâ—…h is our shield and our buckler Our dangers are many in some places and some in all places we haue Gods owne Guard royall to keepe vs. They are sent from God to minister for their sakes which shall be heyres of saluation I need not determine whether euery particular person hath his particular Angell Saint Augustine hath wel answered Quando hoc nesciatur sine crimine non opus est vt definiatur cum discrimine Since our ignorance is no fault let vs not trouble our selues with curious discussion Bernard directs vs a good vse of it Quantam debet hoc tibi inferre reuerentiam afferre deuotionem conferre fiduciam The consideration of the guard of Angels about vs should put into our mindes reuerence into our hearts deuotion into our soules confidence 3. Defensio Legis the defensiue protection of the Law Christis our Aduocate Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Wee are impleaded Paul appeales to Caesar wee to Christ. The Deuill accuseth vs we are far remote behold our Counsellor is in heauen that will not let our cause fall or be ouerthrowne If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Thus are we Citizens in present shall be more perfectly at last We haue now right to the Citie wee shall then haue right in the City Wee haue now a purchase of the possession shall then haue a possession of the purchase Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen mee bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory This is our Sauiours Will Testament and shall not be broken The Company then addes to the glory of this City We are loth to leaue this world for loue of a few friends subiect to mutual dislikes but what then is the delight in the Society of Saints where thy glorified selfe shall meet with thy glorified friends and your loue shall be as euerlasting as your glory There be those Angels that protected thee those Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs that by doctrine and example taught thee yea there is that blessed Sauior that redeemed thee Often heere with grones and teares thou seekest him whom thy soule loueth loe there he shall neuer be out of thy sight The Glory The glory Non mihi si centum linguae If I had a hundred tongues I was not able to discourse throughly the least dramme of that inestimable weight of glory The eye hath seene much the eare hath heard more and the heart hath conceiued most of all But no eye hath seene nor eare heard nor heart apprehended the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Augustine after a stand Deus habet quod exhibeat God hath something to bestowe on you If I say wee shall be satiate you will think of lothing if wee shall not be satiate you will thinke of hunger But Ibi nec fames nec fastidium there is neither hunger nor lothing Sed Deus habet quod exhibeat No sooner is the soule within those gates but she is glorious Similem sibi reddit ingredientem Heauen shall make them that enter it like it selfe glorious As the ayre by the Sunnes brightnesse is transformed bright Quanta falici tas vbi nullum erit malum nullum deerit bonum How great is that blessednesse where shall be no euill present no good absent This is a blessed Citie Men are ambitious heere and seeke to be free of great Cities and not seldome buy it dearer then the Captaine bought his Burgeship But no such
man to my horse So these worldlings looke to their bodies let who will take care of their soules But when this night comes with what a price would they purchase againe their Soules so morgag'd to the deuill for a little vanitie Now curare non volunt then recuperare non valent With what studious and artificiall cost is the body adorned whiles the beggerly soule lyes in totterd ragges The flesh is pleased with the purest flowre of the Wheat and reddest bloud of the grape the soule is famished The body is allowed libertie euen to licentiousnesse the Soule is vnder Satans locke and key shackled with the fetters of ignorance and impietie At this nights terrour to what bondage hunger cold calamitie would they not subiect their bodies to free their soules out of that friendlesse and endlesse prison Why cannot men thinke of this before it be too late It will sound harshly in thine eare O thou riotous or auarous worldling when this Passing-bell rings Thy soule shall be required If the Prince should confiscate thy goods which thou louest so dearly this newes would strike cold to thy heart but here thy soule is confiscate The deuill prizeth this most he sayes as the King of Sodome to Abraham Da mihi animas caetera sumetibi Giue me the Soule take the rest to thy selfe Of whom Of thee that hadst so prouided for thy soule in another place for though earth be a dungeon in regard of heauen yet is it a Paradise in respect of hell This world was his selected and affected home and from thence shall death plucke him out by the eares If this newes of the Soules requiring had come to a faithfull Christian hee would haue welcommed it and iudged it onely the voice of the Feast-maker finding him in the humble roome of this base earth Friend sitte vp higher Or that voice of heauen that spake to Iohn Come vp hither Sit no longer in the vale of teares but ascend the mountaine of glory A trumpet calling him to Mount Tabor where he shall be transfigured for euer This time would be to him the non vltra of his ioyes and desires he fought all his combate for this that he might receiue the end of his faith the saluation of his soule Hee is content to liue here till God call him but his desire is to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Bonus vitam habet in patientia mortem in desiderio Hee is patient to liue but vvilling to die To him the day of death is better then the day of his birth Iob cursed the day of his birth And Ieremie said Let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed But blessed is the houre of death So saith the Spirit blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Both Philosophers and Poets could so commend the happinesse of this time that they thought no good man truly happy till it saluted him Dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet The Ethnikes ignorant of a better life future honour'd this with great solemnities and kept prodigall feasts on their Birth-dayes as Herod when he was serued vvith the Baptists head for his second course But the Christians were wont to celebrate the funeralls of the Martyrs as if we did then onely begin truely to liue when we die For though the soule is gotten when man is made yet it is as it were borne when he dies his body beeing the wombe and death the Midwife that deliuers it to glorious perfection The good man may then well say Mors mihi munus erit with a Poet or rather Death shall be my aduantage with an Apostle His happiest houre is when In manus tuas Domine he can say Into thy hands Lord I cōmend my soule For Anima nō amittitur sed praemittitur But this Of thee is terrible Thou that neuer preparedst for death were at a league with hell securely rocked asleep in the cradle of thy Barne that didst put farre away from thee the euill day giuen it a charge de non instando thou that cryedst Peace peace on thee shall come sudden destruction thou that saidst Soule be merry to sorrow shall Thy soule be required Thou that neuer esteemedst thy soule so deare as thy wealth but didst set that after thy stables which might haue been equal to Angels Thy soule Thou that wert loth to heare of death as hauing no hope of future bliss that wouldest not giue thy possession on earth for thy expectation in heauen as that French Cardinall that said He would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Of thee shall a soule be required This poynt is sharpe and makes vp his miserie Hovv Required The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall require it This is such a requiring as cannot be withstood GOD requires thy obedience thou deniest it the poore require thy charitie thou deniest it the World requires thy equitie thou deniest it But when thy soule shall be required there must be no denying of that it cannot be withheld Who shall require this soule Not God he required it in thy life to sanctifie it and saue it thou wouldest not harken to him now hee vvill none of it What should God doewith a drunken profane couetous polluted sensuall soule He offerd it the Gospell it would not belieue the bloud of Christ it would not wash and be cleane it is foule and nastie God requires it not Or if he require it it is to iudge and condemne it not to reserue and keepe it Recusabit Deus iam oblatum quod negabas illi requisitum God will refuse thy soule now offred which thou deniedst him vvhiles hee desired Not heauen those chrystalline walks are not for muddy feete nor shall lust-infected eyes looke within those holy dores In no wise shall enter into that City any thing that defileth or worketh abomination There is a roome without for such Chap. 22. 15. a black roome for blacke workes What should a worldling doe in heauen his heart so full of enuie and couetice would not brooke anothers felicitie If there be no gold there he cares not for comming at it But he shal be fitted for as he requires not heauen so heauen requires not him It will spare him no place not that it wants roome to receiue him but because his heart wants roome to desire it The vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God But because this generall menace doth not terrifie him read his particular name in the bill of inditement ver 10. Nor the Couetous Heauen is for men of an heauenly conuersation It was but Nebuchadnezzars dreame Dan. 2. GOD will not set a golden head vpon earthen feet giue the glory of heauen to him that loues nothing but the basenesse of this world The Angels require it not those celestiall Porters that carry the soules
heeles of vanity Mans life is compared to a Day This day to some may be distinguished into twelue houres The first giues vs natiuity euen in this houre there is sin an originall prauity indisposition to good pronenesse to euill Secondly Infancy God now protects the cradle Thirdly Childhood and now we learn to speake and to sweare together the sap of iniquity begins to put out Fourthly Tender age wherein toyes and gawdes fill vp our scene Fiftly Youth this is a madding a gadding time Remember not the sins of this time prayes Dauid their remembrance is bitter sayes Iob. Sixtly Our high noone God that could not be heard before for the loud noyse of vanity now looks for audience for obedience Seuenthly This is full of cares crosses the dugs of the world taste bitter it is full time that this houre should weane vs. Eightly Brings vs to a sense of mortality we feele our bloud decaying Ninthly Our bodies goe crooked and stooping to put vs in minde that they are going to their originall earth Tenthly We are euen as dying we do dye by degrees our senses first faile vs our eyes are dimme like old Isaacs our eares deafe our taste dull our grinders are done our stilts vnable to support vs. Eleuenthly We are a burden to our selues to our friends we long for death if any hope of a better life hath possessed our hearts The twelfth houre it comes Which of these houres pass ouer vs without Gods mercies without our voluntary vnthankfulnesse vnlesse those first houres wherein our ignorance is vncapable of such obseruance All thy day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto thee saith God If none of these houres reclaime vs our day is spent and the night comes that night wherein no man can worke actiuely to comfort though passiuely he worke for euer in torment I knovv that God cuts many one short of most of these houres and often shuts vp his day-light before hee comes to his noone But howsoeuer man passe from Infancy to childhood from childhood to youth from youth to age yet senectutem nemo excedit none can be more then olde Though tam senex nemo quin putet se annum posse viuere no man is so old but still he thinks hee may liue another yeare And therefore lightly the older the more couetous and Quò minus viae restat eò plus viatici quâ—…ritur the lesse iourney men haue the more prouision they make God allowes this liberall time to some but what enemies are we to our selues that of all these twelue houres allow our selues not one Many post off their conuersion from day to day sending Religion afore them to thirty and then putting it off to forty and not pleased yet to ouertake it promise it entertainment at threescore at last death comes and allowes not one houre In youth men resolue to allow themselues the time of age to serue God in age they shuffle it off to sicknesse when sicknes comes care to dispose their goods lothnesse to dye hope to escape martyrs that good thought and their resolution still keepes before them the length of Gracious street at least If wee haue but the lease of a Farme for twenty yeares we make vse of the time and gather profit But in this precious Farme of Time we are so ill husbands that our Lease comes out before we are one penniworth of grace the richer by it Take heed it is dangerous trifling out thy good day lest thou heare this message in the euening This night shall thy soule be required of thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided This is the Question It were somewhat if thou mightest perpetually enioy them thy selfe if thou couldst fetch downe eternity to them As those in the 49. Psalme whose inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations they call their lands after their owne names But there is a Quamdiù and a Quousque Hovv long Hab. 2. How long Thou that lodest thy selfe vvith thicke clay How farre Esa. 14. How farre Thou that madest the earth to tremble and didst shake the Kingdomes Here is a Non vltra to both thy power is confined thy time is limited both thy latitude and extention are brief'd vp heere 's thy period a full stop in the midst of the sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose shall those things bee which thou hast prouided He that should read thy history being ignorant of thy destiny and finde so plentifull a happinesse in the first page of the booke grounds so fertill cattell so prospering house so furnished possibilities stroâ—… king thy hopes hopes milking thy desires desires dancing to the tune of thy pleasures promises of larger barnes more opulent fruites and all this with ease yea with hearts-ease Soule be merry and comming now to the end of the page but not of the sentence turning ouer a new leafe thinking there to reade the maturity and perfection of all should finde a blanke an abrupt period an vnlook'd for stoppe would surely imagine that eyther destiny was mistaken or else some leaues were torne out of the booke Such a Cuius erunt haec omnia would be a terrible dash in a story of happinesse so fairely written and promising so good an Epilogue But here is his end you must read him no further He whom you haue seene this day you shall see him againe no more for euer Whose shall these things be O worldling Were thy grounds as Eden and thy house like the Court of Iehoiakim yet dost thou thinke to raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar no aduenit finis tâ—…us Thy end is come Whose shall these things be It were something yet if thy children might enioy these riches But there is a man that hath no child yet is there no end of his labour neyther is his eye satisfied vvith wealth And he sayth not For whom doe I trauell and bereaue my soule of this good The prodigall would bee his owne heyre and Executor but this couetous man bequeaths neyther legacy to himselfe nor to any knowne Inheritour The other desires to see en end of all his substance this man to see onely the beginning Hee hunts the world full cry yet hath no purpose to ouertake it he liues behind his wealth as the other liues beyond it But suppose hee hath children and then though hee famish himselfe to feed them fatte though he be damned yet if his sonne may be made a Gentleman there is some satisfaction But this Cuius erunt is a scattering word and of great vncertainty Whose shall they be perhaps not thy childrens They say Happy is that sonne whose father goes to the Deuill but thou maist goe to the Deuill and yet not make thy sonne happy For men make heritages but God makes heyres He will wash away the vnholy seed and cut off the generation of the wicked Salomon had
putting oyle into it but this makes it burne more And as it is with some that thirstily drink harish and ill-brewed drinks haue not their heate hereby allayed but inflamed So this vvorldlings hote eagernesse of riches is not cooled but fired by his abundance 4. That which makes a man easie to hit makes also his wound greeuous The Poet tells vs that when Codrus his house burnes a little cottage in the Forrest he stands by and warmes himselfe at the flame hee knowes that a fewe sticks straw and clay with a little labour can rebuild him as good a Tabernacle But if this accident light vpon the Vsurers house distraction seizeth him withall he cryes out of this Chamber and that chest of his Closet and Cabinet of his bonds morgages money and plate and is so much the more impatient as hee had more to lose In a vvord here is all the difference betwixt the rich and poore the poore man would be rich while he liues and the rich would be poore when he dies For it is small greefe to leaue hunger cold distresse bondage hard lodging and harder fare but to forsake full Barnes full purses musike wine iunkets soft beds beautious vvomen and these lust-tickling delights and to goe vvith death to the Land of forgetfulnesse this is the terrour I end then as Paul concludes his counsell to rich men Lay vp for your selues a good foundation against the time to come that you may lay hold on eternall Life THE BAD LEAVEN OR THE CONTAGION OF SINNE GALAT. 5. 9. A little Leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe THIS Epistle was written with St. Pauls owne hand chap. 6. 11. Ye see how large a letter I haue written vnto you with my owne hand It is for quality excellent for quantitie large Hee wrote not so long an Epistle to any other Church with his owne hand Indeed he wrote a letter to Philemon with his owne hand vers 19. I Paul haue written it with mine own hand but it was short He wrote longer Epistles to the Romanes and Corinthians but not with his owne hand but by Scribes Wee haue cause therefore to regard it more as his pains were greater in writing so let our diligence bee greater in obseruing The maine purpose of it is to discouer 1. That ill coniunction of Moses and Christ the ceremonies of the Law with the sanctimony of the Gospell 2. The free Grace and Iustification by the bloud of Christ without the workes of the Law In this the Galatians had receiued a beginning but now had admitted a recidiuation For this cause the Apostle chides vers 7. Yee did runne well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Trueth Where there is a Concession and a Conuiction a step and a stop The Concession or Step ye did runne well The Conuiction or Stop Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth In the former he compares Christianity to a race all men must first be viatores in this valley of teares before they can be Assessâ—…res and sit with Christ in his kingdome of glory Onely as it agrees with a Race in many things as labor it 's no idle thing to be a Christian shortnesse it is a Race the perplexity is recompenced vvith the breuity continuance the runner must hold out the last steppe if he will obtaine the prize So there are some differences 1. In other races many runne onely one winnes the goale but in this all that runne faithfully shal raigne triumphantly Though they cannot runne so fast as others nor so farre as others yet euen they that came at the eleuenth houre into the Vineyard receiued they penny so well as they that came at the third For the Lord regards not Quantum but ex quanto not how much but how well What euer houre they are called let them spend the aftertime in a zealous diligence 2. In other races one hinders another but in this iourney one helpes another The more the merrier no enuy or grudging eyther in the way or the goale Dispar gloria singulorum sed communis latitia omnium There may bee different glory of some yet there is a common ioy of all Euery good man is a spurre to his brother Peter and Iohn ranne to Christs Sepulcher Iohn out-ran Peter vnto the graue Peter out-went Iohn into the graue But we run together vnto Christs Throne some come before some after all meet in the Communion of Saints 3. In other races the runner obtaines a prize that shall perish all the runners heere get an incorruptible crowne They runne for a little prize a little praise we for eternall glory Runne wee then cheerefully behold a kingdome lyes at the stake God giue vs all eyes of faith to see it and hearts of obedience to runne to it through the power of Iesus Christ. In the latter the Apostle may seeme to put a superfluous question Who did hinder you For there are many aduersaries As first Satan the General of that damned crue that hinder our passage to heauen Paul excuseth himselfe to the Thessalonians Wee would haue come vnto you once and againe but Satan hindered vs. Zach. 3. Ioshua the high Priest stood before the Angell of the Lord and Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Where God hath his Church Satan hath his chappell So also wicked men such as haue taken the Deuils oath of Allegiance What the Deuill cannot doe immediately by himselfe hee does mediately by his Instruments To erre Humanum is the weakenes of a man but to seduce diabolicum is the part of a Deuill It is ill to play the woman worse to play the beast worst of all to play the Deuill But what speciall hinderers the Apostle meanes wee shall haue precise occasion in some future passages to demonstrate Onely I must not omit that the Apostle giues a direct resolution by way of negation vers 8. This perswasion comâ—…eth not of him that calleth you God is no wayes the Author of error and sin He that wils the death of no sinner will not lead him into the wayes of destruction Indeed he suffes Satan to temptal but to a diuerse purpose the good to try them the reprobate to destroy them The temptations of the godly are for their instruction of the wicked for their destruction Iames tells vs that euery good gift comes downe from the Father of lights is it euill it commeth not from God The Apostle telling the Ephesians of lusts blindnesse wantonnesse obstinacy concludes piercingly Non sic didicistis Christum Yee haue not so learned Iesus Christ. Art thou peruerted thou neuer learnedst this of Christ. Let no man say when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God tempteth no man In him we liue moue and haue our being A Gentile Poet sung it a Christian Apostle sanctified it all the creatures in heauen and earth cry Amen vnto it Life is his whether we liue well
Whosoeuer shall sweare by the Temple it is nothing but whosoeuer shall sweare by the Gold of the Temple hee is a debter Ye fooles and blind for whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold That was their doctrine this was Christs reproofe So the Papists haue their distinctions betwixt a materiall and a formall oath one to bind the conscience the other not Out of such an vnlucky copulation of fraud and malice was that monstrous stigmatike Equiuocation engendred A damned egge not couered by any faire bird but hatch'd as the Poets faine of O sprayes with a thunderclap A meere bastard whosoeuer was the Father Iesuites keepe the child and bring it vp as their onely darling But they haue their Bulls of dispensation for it fit they should all speed as some did once with their buls Two Seminaries came into England with their two Bulls but being apprehended those two Bulls call'd in a third Bull which was Bull the hangman to dispatch them both Lastly the Pharises vsed to deuoure widowes houses for a pretence to make long prayer It is euill to deuoure a mans house worse to deuour a widowes house worst of all when their lips seemed to pray to be chewing that morsell Ierusalem had neuer worse Pharises then Rome these were meere bunglers to the Iesuites The new Pharises haue made very Proselytes and Novices of the ancient A widowes cottage fill'd the pauch of an old Pharise Large Patrimonies and faire reuenues wil not stoppe the throte of the Iesuite They deuoure the Land as Pharaohs leane kine and yet looke hunger-starued still You shall haue them first fall in with the wife as the deuill did with Eue but they couzen the husband of his inheritance as the deuill couzoned Adam Euen other Orders among them cry shame vpon the Iesuites they prole away all with a face of sad pietie and sterne mortification Forgiue my vnseasonable prolixitie you see one dangerous Leven 2. The next is the Leven of the Sadduces heare their doctrine Math. 22. They say there is no resurrection Act. 23. The Sadduces say there is no resurrection neither Angel nor spirit I would we had no matches for them but we haue too many that either deny futurum aliquid post mortem that any further thing is to be done or suffered or enioyed after death or else affirme faeliciter fore vniuersis that euery man shall be happy They haue studied reasons against the Resurrection The flesh turnes into rottennesse rottennesse to dust c. But St. Aug. cuts them off with reason Qui potuis formare nouum non poterit reperare mortuuÌ„ He that could make man of nothing surely can reuiue him of a small thing Facilius est restituere quà m constituere It is farre easier to repaire then to prepare They tell vs It is better to a liuing dogge then a dead Lion which is true among beasts like themselues but among men a dead beast is better theÌ„ a liuing Atheist Like dogs they barke at heauen but they cannot bite it it is out of their circumference Though they build vp reasons and treasons like Babel yet they prooue but Confusion They would pull God out of his Throne if it were possible but he is safe enough out of the reach of their malice else it had gone ill with him before this Their song is Let vs eate and drinke they thinke of no reckoning to pay for to morow we dye They promise to morow yet kill themselues to day This is their song but the Holy Ghost addes the burden After death commeth the Iudgement It is appointed vnto men once to dye to all men once to Atheists twice for there is a second death Their first death makes way to their last Iudgement They are in some respect worse then the Deuill he knowes and acknowledgeth a Deitie these say There is no God The deuils belieue and tremble these haue neither faith nor feare The deuill quakes at the day of Iudgement these deride it Art thou come hither to torment vs before thâ—…ime There 's their terror Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation There 's their derision The deuils say Iesus vve know these are like that doubting spirit Si filius Dei If thou be the Sonne of God as if they made question whether he was so or not Strange â—…euen the father of sinnes commeth short of his sonnes and there be Atheists vpon earth when as there are none in hell But they professe some religion among vs it may be so but they fit and square it to their owne humors as that Giant dealt with his guests for all whom he had but one bed if they were too short for it he rack'd them out longer if too long he cut them shorter But Insculptum est omnibus esse Deum it is vvritten in all hearts by the pen of nature that there is a God It is not possible to get out these indeleble characters Say vvhat they will they would giue much to be sure that the Scripture was not true The discourse of reason confutes them Aske now the beasts and they shall teach thee the fowles of the ayre and they shall tell thee Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of GOD hath wrought this Praesentemque refert qualibet herba Deum The little pile of grasse tells vs there is a God that made it Besides they haue a conscience within them Gods deputy in the soule which will speak for the Maker and Master and be heard too Qui negat esse Deum mihi negat et tibi non sibi Hee that denies there is a God denies it to me and to thee but neuer to himselfe You may sooner pull his heart out of his brest then this conception out of his heart Thus is their leuen toss'd backe into their owne teeth they will not now acknowledge this they shall one day feele this Oculos quos culpa clausit poena aperiet the eyes vvhich Atheisme hath shut damnation shall open This is a cursed Leuen 3. The next Leuen is that of the Herodians heere crafty and dissembling hypocrits might be thought their fittest and most sutable paralells because Christ calls Herod a Foxe Goe and tell that Foxe But the Herodians were rather noted for profane fellowes and so wee must seeke out other matches Such as carry in their gestures a tepidity of religion a loosenesse of life that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and make that which brings saluation to all a meanes of confusion to themselues This disease is Interius within and quickly becomes Interitus a violent destruction Profest Atheists and open Heretikes are through the manifestation of their malice preuented these are bosome Serpents that sting in silence Aristotle saies that Extreme is lesse hurtfull which is neerest to the medium and doth
was a Priest For it was imposed on the Priest first to offer for his owne sinnes and then the sinnes of the people which had beene needlesse if the Priest had not beene guiltie of sinne and liable to condemnation The iustification of Dauid seemes to rise higher Psal. 17. Thou hast tryed me and shalt find nothing What! hath God tryed him the searcher of the hearts that sees into all the inward cabbins and hidden concaues of the soule and shall he find nothing not great impieties not lesse infirmities nothing This phrase seemes generall yet is not totally exclusiue nothing against Saul no trecherie or iniustice against the Lords annointed So it is by Euthymius and must bee restrictiuely considered Otherwise Dauid had many sinnes originall I was conceiued in sinne actuall and publicke in slaying not a Philistine but an Israelite an Israelite his subiect his honest and worthy subiect and that by the sword of the vncircumcised and yet more by a wile sending for him home and making him drunke And to ripen this blister he adulterizeth with his wife he hath had many wiues robbes his poore neighbour of his singular comfort onely wife These were apparant vniustifiable impieties which makes him fall to a Psalme of mercy Haue mercy vpon me O Lord haue mercy vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee These were knowne to the world no doubt diuers others were knowne to his owne heart and yet more which neither the world nor his owne heart knew who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults Yet in the matter of Saule thou canst find nothing As Bishop Latimer once said in his Sermon before King Edw. 6. For sedition me thinkes for ought I know if I may so speake I should not need Christ. Dauid was no traitour but Dauid was an adulterer He was in many personall faults an offender but as a subiect he was a good subiect as a King an excellent Prince No lesse is the praise of Iob a perfect and vpright man none like him in the earth Which yet is not to be taken for a positiue but comparatiue commendation There was none like him in that part of the earth and he was perfect in regard of those vitious times Heare himselfe speake How shall a man be iust with God and ver 28. I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent Let then the Pelagian drinke neuer so deepe in this iustifying cup of their owne righteousnes and let the Papist as deeply pledge him yet perfection is reserued for another world when we shall meete to a perfect man Here we may haue it partially there gradually here so much as belongs Ad viam to our way Phil. 3. Let vs as many as are perfect be thus minded there onely that is proper Ad patriam to our countrey ver 12. not as though we were already perfect but following after c. Let vs 1. be humble in acknowledging our owne wants and sinnes who cannot to God contending with vs answere one of a thousand Nec millessimae nec minimae parti sayth Bern. 2. Labour to perfection in forgetting those things which are behind and reading forth vnto those things which are before 3. Comfort our endeuouring hearts with this sweete encouragement we shall one day meete to a perfect man To the measure of the stature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before translated Age is now better by our New and according to Beza Stature If any will here ground that in heauen we shall liue in that measure of Christs age and stature wherein he dyed I subscribe not but am silent It is not safe wading without a bottome Onely thus much there shall be nothing wanting to make our glory perfect and whether you conceaue the 33 yeare of a mans age to be the beauty and compleat perfection I dispute not This implies a spirituall stature whereunto euery Saint must grow Whence inferre 1. That we must grow vp so fast as we can in this life ioyning to faith vertue to vertue knowledge c. We must encrease our talents enlarge our graces shoote vp in talenesse grow vp to this stature For Gods familie admits no dwarfes stunted profession was neuer found If the sappe of grace be in a plant it will shoote out in boughes of good wordes and fruit of good workes alwayes expected the winter of an afflicted conscience If a table and consumption take our graces they had neuer good lungs the true breath of Gods Spirit in them 2. God will so ripen our Christian endeuours that though we come short on earth we shall haue a full measure in heauen We haue a great measure of comfort here but withall a large proportion of distresse there we shall haue a full measure heapen and shaken and thrust together and yet running ouer without the least bitternesse to distast it This is a high and a happie measure Regard not what measure of outward things thou hast so thou get this measure Trouble not thy selfe with many things this one is sufficient the better part the greater measure neuer to be lost or lessned Open both thine eyes of Reason and Faith and see first the litle helpe that lyes in great worldly riches As the partrich sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the 〈◊〉 of his dayes and at his end shall be a fâ—…e A bird that steales young ones from other birds and tenderly nourisheth them is mocked for her motherly kindnes when they are fligge Euen now shee had many running after her by and by they giue her the slip are all gone pleasures delights riches are hatched and brooded by the wicked as their owne But when God at whose command they are calls them away they take them to their heeles like fugitiues they are gone and no officer can bring them backe The rich man may shut vp his wealth for a season but as a bird in a cage if it spye a hole open it is gone and flyes farre enough beyond recouerie towring like an Eagle euen vp toward heauen were thy measure neuer so ample as full as his Barnes Luke 12. yet but a night a peece of a night all is gone The first borne of death shall deuoure his strength sayth Bildad and it shall bring him to the King of terrors what helpe is in weaknes neuer talke of helping thee with fine floure and the best grapes the richest excrements of wormes silken garments thou wilt one day say this is no succour No that is succour which will help thee in anguish of thy soule and distresse of thy consience calme the troubles of thy spirit and heale the wounds of thy broken heart when the horrour of death and terrours of sinne sharpened with a keene edge of Gods Iustice shall beseege thee now let the thing be praysed
making him too soone happie Say rather with the Psalmist My soule is a thirst for the liuing God O when shall I come to appeare in the glorious presence of the Lord who would not forsake a prison for a pallace a tabernacle for a Citie a sea of daungers for a firme land of blisse the life of men for the life of Angels In the bed of this ioy let me repose your soules for this time meditating of that eternall glory whereof you shall haue a perfect and full measure thinking that the full coronation of your Sauiour carries for you and lifting vp your eyes of sorrow from the valley of teares to the mount Sion of blessednesse whereon the Lambe of GOD standeth to gather his Saints about him to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of his owne fulnesse To which place himselfe for his owne merits and mercies sake in due time bring vs. Amen PRESVMPTION running into DESPAIRE Reuel 6. 16. They sayd to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe THis verse may be distinguished into Errour Terrour The errour of the reprobate the terrour of the Iudge Their errour is manifested in their Inuocation in which wee may obserue To what Mountaines rocks For what To fall on them To hide them Thus their amazed errour and ignorance is expressed in their Prayer For the terrour the Iudge is described by his Omniscience from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne Omnipotence from the wrath of the Lambe Euery circumstance serues to aggrauate their follie and desperate feare 1. They feare God but too late 2. They open their lippes to confesse the inuincible power of Christ before they were either dumbe in silence or blasphemous in contumelies 3. They pray to the Mountaines and rockes which heare not 4. To fall on them which they dare not 5. To hide them which they cannot 6. They begge to bee concealed from him that is all eye from the face of him that sittes in the Throne 7. To bee protected from him that is all power from the wrath of the Lambe Before we come to their Errour and matter of their inuocation let vs examine two things What they were did The Persons Thus amated with errour and amazed with terrour are described in the precedent verse The Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe captaines and the mightie men the bond and the free hidde themselues in the dennes and rockes of the mountaines The greatnesse of man when it comes to encounter with God is weakenes and vanitie Is the reprobate a king the crowne on his head is not thunder-proofe lift he his scepter neuer so high there is a scepter of iustice shall smite it downe Is he Great in his countrey that as they write of the Sea about the castle of Mina the currant goes euer with the wind of his will be he neuer so high there is one higher then he and the highest of all regardeth it and will subiect it Is he Rich were he the eldest sonne of Mammon and sole heire to all the vsurers in the world can his gold saue him Is vengeance afraid to strike his vessell because his sailes be of silke and it is ballaced with refined aure Shall he buy out his damnation with coine No the Samuell of heauen will neuer take bribes Is he a Chiefe Captaine Be his lookes neuer so sterne his speech neuer so imperious impetuous he may command here and goe without Were he Generall of Xerxes armie yet he shall find the words of the Psalme truth Man is not saued by the multitude of an Heast Is hee mightie were hee as Alexander thought himselfe till he saw his owne bloud the Sonne of Iupiter Hammon yet woe to man when he shall wrastle with his maker Proud worme hee may dare to lift vp his head but shall quickly be troden into slime When the Lord of hoastes is angry whose wrath shakes the earth and burnes to the bottome of hell who shall proudly without confusion looke him in the face Silly Giant of men that thou shouldst dare to grapple to parle yea so much as to looke at God! Loe greatnes Time was when if a friend in the Court shall say to thee as Elisha to the Shunamite What is to be done for thee Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King or to the Captaine of the hoast It would haue seemed as high a gratifying and ratifying of his loue to thee as thou couldst haue desired or he expressed What fauour will it be at this day to be spoken for to all the Kinges of the earth great men rich men mighty Captains Alas they haue need to be spoken for themselues The greatest Potentate if reprobate hath now his honour laid in the dust from a publicke Throne he creepes into a hole As ambitious Herod receiued his pride and glory with derogation to God Vox Dei. in a Theater so now his shame confusion is in the sight of the whole world of good and bad Angels of good and bad men Zenacherib in his ruffe could once say Where is the King of Hamath and the King of Arphad the King of the Citie of Sepharvaim Zena and Iuah But now where is the King of Ashâ—…r Thus Godleadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty For their wickednes hee powreth contempt vpon Princes Then shall be manifest the vnresistable power and vnblameable iustice of God Who sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers stretching out the heauens as a curtaine spreading them as a tent to dwell in He bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie What priuiledge then doth these inferior authorities bring with them That the bondman should thus striue to be free the freeman to be mightie the mightie to be a chiefe Captaine the chiefe Captaine to be rich the rich to be great the great to be Kings till in their opinion nil restat quod praestat nothing remaines to be aspired to Whereas to these men Omnia in praesenti parua in fine nulla post finem mala all is for the present little for Vt Luna sic sublunaria as the moone it felfe so all things vnder it are subiect to ecclipses and changes In the end they are nothing death when the game is done shuffling King and Pawne into one bagge After the end found euill things for perduntur perdunt they are both lost themselues and make lost their owners These so popular wonders the terror of slaues and mirror of fooles on whom the eye of the world was fixed with admiration are glad to hide themselues in holes where are you ye great men that were so ambitions of fame and made humane praise stand in competition with conscience as if it were
the better mistres and worthy of more seruants alas glad to be shrowded in holes your Greatnes now wisheth it selfe so litle that it might not be seene You insatiate couetous that neuer ceased ioyning house to house land to land and possessing whole countryes yet whined for lacke of elbow-roome loe you shall at this day be glad of a hole a darke hollow caue in a rocke for your parlour or more glad if you might be dissolued into nothing They said We haue described the Persons What they were let vs see what they did They said They open their lips to confesse the invincible and inevitable power of Christ. whence derive we two obseruations 1. The sense of present miserie takes away Atheisme Before their mouthes were either shut by silence or opened by blasphemies possessed either with a dumbe or a roring deuill God was not in all their thoughtes or if in their thoughts not in their lips or if in their lips but to his dishonour not named but in their oathes Now loe they speake and make a desperate acknowledgment of that power they erst derided The day of iudgment when it comes shall find no Atheist What those degenerate creatures would not beleeue they shall see they would not acknowledge their maker they shall find their Iudge and cry to the mountaines Fall one vs c. Consider this ye that forget God lest you be torne in pieces when there is none to deliuer you You may forget him during your short pleasure you shall remember him for euer in torture Proceed to speake of him wickedly and like enemies to take his Name in vaine you shall one day fall low before his footestoole not with a voluntary but enforced reuerence You that haue denied God on earth the first voice that shall come from your lips shall be a hopelesse acknowledgment of his maiestie 2. The saying that comes from them is desperate whence note that in Gods iust punishment Desperation is the reward of Presumption They that erst feared two little shall now feare too much Before they thought not of Gods Iustice now they shall not conceiue his Mercie Consciences that are without remorse are not without horror It is the kindnes which presumptuous sinne doth the heart to make it at last despaire of forgiuenes They say Behold God accuseth not they accuse themselues God loues to haue a sinner accuse himselfe and therefore sets his deputie in the brest of man which though it be a neuter when the act is doing is an aduersary afterwards The conscience is like the poise of a clocke the poise being downe all motion ceaseth the wheeles stirre not wound vp all is set on going Whiles conscience is downe there is no noise or moouing in the heart all is quiet but when it is wound vp by the iustice of God it sets all the wheeles on working tongue to confesse eyes to weepe hands to wring brest to be beaten heart to ake voice to cry and that where mercie steps not in a fatall cry to the hils Fall on vs and hide vs. Sinne and iudgment for sinne make the most cruell men cowardly Tyrants whose frownes haue beene death oppressors that haue made their poore Tenants quake at their lookes now tremble themselues would change firmnes with an aspine leafe They that care not for the act of sinne shall care for the punishment Tumidi faciendo timidi patiendo Nero that could not be tired in cutting throtes is soone weary of his owne torment They that haue made others weepe shall desperately howle themselues Cain that durst kill the fourth part of the world at a blow euen his owne brother dares afterwards not looke a man in the face lest he should be slayne Who durst be more impudently bold with God then Iudas when he betrayed his onely Sonne to murderers yet after the treason who more cowardly then Iudas he becomes his owne hangman The curse that followes sinne makes Presumption it selfe to shudder But what madnes is it not to complaine till too late If our foresight were but halfe as sharpe as our sense we should not dare to sinne The issue of wickednes would appeare a thousand times more horrible then the act is pleasant Let this teach vs now to thinke of the Iustice of God as well as his mercie that herafter we may thinke of his mercie as well as his Iustice. The mercie of God is abused to encourage lewdnes and wretched men by Christs merits are emboldned to committe that for which he dyed but so men may runne with mercie in their mouthes to hell They that in life will giue no obedience to the law shall in death haue no benefite by by the Gospell When they gaue themselues ouer to lying swaring coueting c. they were wont to cry Mercie mercie now loe they feele what those sinnes are and cry nothing but Iustice Iustice they cannot thinke on mercie They that haue abused mercie must be quitted with vengance The good now sing With thee O Lord is mercie therefore thou shalt be feared The reprobates sing at last with thee O Lord is iudgment with thee is storme and tempest indignation wrath confusion and vengence and therefore art thou feared These necessary occurrences thus considered let vs passe to their Inuocation wherein is exemplified their Error Here we must obserue To what For what they call To what They are Mountaines and rockes vnreasonable yea insensible creatures whence we may deduce two inferences a negatiue and an affirmatiue 1. Negatiuely it is cleare that they haue no acquaintance with God therefore know not how to direct their prayers vnto him If their trust had beene in God they needed not to fly to the Mâ—…aines So Dauid sweetly Psal. 11. Ia the Lord put I my trust how then say you to my soule Flie as a bird to your mountaine It is Gods charge Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Or beleeue in him they haue not knowne and how should they know him but by his word Alas those mutuall passages and entercourse of meanes they haue euer barred themselues They would neither suffer God to trouble them by his word nor would they offer to trouble him by their prayers They will not call vpon him nor will they heare him calling vpon them Therefore as those that neuer were in the companie of God they know not how to addresse themselues to him but rather to rockes and mountaines As extremity discerneth friends Verè amat qui miserum amat so it distinguisheth a man in himselfe A suddaine disturbance giues a great try all of a Christians disposition For as in a naturall man at such an affrightment all the bloud runs to the heart to guard the part that is principall so in a good man at such an instance all the powers
immoueable to wind or weather he needs not the shelter of mountaines for he shall stand like Mount Sion that a hideth fast for euer They that despise him shall find him a Rocke also if they fall on it they shall be broken if it fall on them it will grind them to powder He is a Stone the Stone the head-stone of the corner cut out of the Quarrey of heauen without hands Of whome we are made liuing stones He is strong without all things all things weake without him trust in him and you shall haue no need to flie to rockes and mountaines For What The benefit that they would haue the Rockes and the Mountaines doe them is to Fall on them hide them Whence we deriue three obseruations 1. Despaire is euer wishing for death often impatiently snatching at it in this world but when the last day comes so greedily longing for it that to be sure of it they desire the mountaines to dispatch them Death by the wicked is now most feared death at the last shall be the thing most wished They shall desire death and shall not find it They that sit in the warme nest of riches hatching vp their brood of lusts quake at the hearing of death There are some feare to die others not so much to die as to be dead The former are cowardly the other vnbeleeuing soules Some feare both to whom nothing in life then life is more desireable But when thâ—s last extremitie comes mâ—…ricupiunt they desire to die And that death like a merciles executioner might not haue too many strokes at their liues they begge helpe of the Mountaines that they might be throughly dispatched at once without need of a second blow Cain at his arraignement for his brother would needs liue God grants it as if it were too much fauour for him to die But hee yeelds it for a curse as if he heard his prayers in anger He liues but banished from God carrying his hell in his bosome and the brand of vengeance in his forehead God reiects him the earth repines at him and men abhorre him Loe now Cain would die himselfe now wisheth the death he feared and no man dares pleasure him with a murther As Nero in the like case Nec amicâ—…m nec mimicum hâ—…beo I haue neyther friend nor enemie or as Sauâ—… found in his Armour-bearer not a will to kill him though he had a will to be killed by him Death these reprobates feared and onely death is now desired They cry to the mountaines Fall on vs. 2 Obserue that rockes and mountaines are farre lighter then sinne Zachary compares it to a Talent of lead Esay cals it a Burden Such a waight bore our Sauiour that he groned vnder it I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The wicked that like Babel-builders thinke to aspiâ—…e to heauen by multiplying of earth would bee glad if â—…umulitumuli their bodies might be buried vnder their heapes of wealth where their soules had beene buryed long before But what is a load of earth a mountaine huger then Aetna vnder which Iupiter was sayd subter fulminare Gigantes what is the whole massie bodie of the earth to the waight of sinne Thinke of it ye Theomachor that striue in your rebellions imponere Pelioâ—… Ossae ye rapacious couetous that load your selues with thicke clay you lay heauie burdens on the poore heauier on your owne consciences Sin may seeme light for a season as a packe made vp but not assayed with one of your fingers when Sathan shall lay it on you it will breake your backes You beare it now like corke and feathers at that day you shall iudge it heauier then rockes and mountaines Now in contempt of law and Gospell honestie and conscience earth and heauen they call to pride ambition blasphemie ebrietie luxurie oppression Fall on vs and couer vs wearing pride as a chaine and couering themselues with crueltie as with a garment Siâ—… lyes at the dore and they haue no sense to take it vp The deuill puts his shoulders vnder the waight and thus supported they feele it not But when Gods iustice shall reproue them and set their sinnes in order before their 〈◊〉 yea impose them on their weake and yeelding consciences howe different will their cry be 〈◊〉 fâ—…ll 〈◊〉 â—…ockes couer vs. The swearer saying to these heauie creatures you are lighter then my oathes the â—…uetous you are not so ponderous as my oppressions the adulterer the whole earth is a gentle pressure â—…o the burden of my lustes Custome in sinne obstupefies a â—…sense and still like that Romaine Milo his strength eâ—…creasing with his burden he that first carried sinne a wanton Calfe can at last beare it a goaring Oxe Menlocke vp their iniquities as the vsurer his money in a Chest where the light of reproofe may not finde them out They packe all their iniquities vpon Hâ—… that will beare them for none but His. Or reserue them to an houres repentance setting them a day of cancelling but they breake it as if their last breath could dispell and scatter them all into ayre But alas sinnes then are found heauiest of all and here like malefactors pressing to death they cry out for more waight the accession of rockes and mountaines to dispatch them Loath they are to come before the Iudge therefore would be pressed to death by these ponderous and massy creatures The mountaines haue not beene more barren then they of goodnes the rockes not so hard as their hearts The crosse of Christ hath beene held too heauy repentance too troublesome a guest for their houses faith and obedience haue beene cast off as poore friends all godlynes too waightie now rockes and hils are light Christs yoke was not for their shoulders Satans must His law might not be borne it was so heauy his wrath must be borne and that is heauyer Oh then thrice blessed they whose sinnes God bindeth vp in a bundle and sinkes them in the whirlepoole of forgetfulnes that they may neuer be imposed for they are too heauy to be borne 3. Obserue that before these wicked were Lords of nations and Countreys for they are said to be Princes Captaines Conquerors rich men now they would be glad of one to hide them Of all their dominions they begge but the barrenest parcell a rocke or mountaine and that to doe them a poore office to conceale them How much doth mans auarice and ambition couet here how little contents him hereafter In death the wickedest Potentate must be content with a graue after death he would be content with a graue still yea glad if in the bottome of a mountaine he might be hidden Heare this ye couetous that ioyne house to house and land to land by disioyning the societies of men as if you would leaue the whole earth to your babes Excutit natura redeuntem sicut intrantem Nature shall
the whole If he spare not the Holy of holyes then much lesse the rest Ezek. 9. When God had comanded Slay vtterly old young maides and children he addes withall And begin at my Sanctuary If God begin at his Sanctuary he will not faile to end with the rest if that shall not scape being profaned how much lesse houses built for riot disorder pride ambition If the Temple of praiers then surely the dens of theeues For loe I begin to bring euil on the citie which is called by my name shall ye go vnpunished sayth God to the Heathen If the sacredst things defiled by Idolatry shall be subuerted neuer thinke that your faire houses shall stand when they are made couerts of oppressions and convents of superstition when the better things are not fauoured the worst haue small hope So Peter reasons If Iudgment shall beginne at the house of God what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell If the strong Cedars in Lebanon be rooted vp woe to the rotten-rooted poplars If the dragons taile swoope starres from heauen what shall become of squalid earthy vapours The Temple was one of the worlds greatest wonders as curious a workemanship as sixe and thirtie yeares could make it it wanted not the art of man yea the blessing of heauen was added to it Yet now loe Etiam periere ruinae this goodly building by sin was brought to ruine yea euen the very ruines are perished Shall then your Forts and Pallaces worldlinges Paradises full of rapine emptie of charitie stand against all weathers and stormes of iudgement No stone shall fall after stone and ruine shall one day tell the passengers as GOD threatned of Ierusalem Here stood a goodly Manner a sumptuous edifice a royall Pallace Or if they fall not downe in themselues they shall fall to the owners whose iniquities haue defiled them God punisheth by certaine degrees first he rents the vaile then rents away the Temple As by Dauids hand he first rent Saules garment and then rent away his kingdome God at first toucheth men lightly in their goods quiet health if these stirre not to repentance he proceeds against the whole Know yee not that ye are the Temple of God If you set vp in this Temple Idoles lusts and euill affections God first rents the vaile toucheth you with some gentle afflictions but if you still continue to make this Temple a denne of theeues the Temple it selfe will be destroyed You haue heard the first myracle the renting of the vaile As the Iewes were wont to rend their garments when they heard blasphemie against God so it may seeme the Temple tore his garments rent his vaile in pieces when it heard those execrable blasphemies against the Sonne of God 2. Myracle The earth did quake The Philosophers haue giuen diuers naturall causes of earth-quakes as by hote and dry exhalations shut vp in the bowels of the earth and labouring for vent resisted by the earths solidnes there ensueth terrae motus a shaking of the earth c. But this was an extraordinary earth-quake for it hapned exactly at the very instant of Christs death It might bee to set forth the glory of the new Testament and to vindicate it from inferioritie to the olde The law was both giuen and renewed with an earthquake Giuen Exod. 19. to the hand of Moses The whole mount quaked greatly As at the giuing mount Sinai so at the renewing mount Horeb quaked As Eliah stood vppon the Mount there passed by a strong wind and after the wind an Earth-quake So when the Lord of the Gospell dyed the earth shooke that the ministration of righteousnesse might not be lesse glorious then the ministration of death This myracle shall giue vs a threefolde instruction 1. To consider the fiercenesse of Gods wrath against sinnes and sinners For God by shaking the earth did no lesse then threaten the vtter subuersion of those desperate and bloudie wretches Corah and his confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for rebelling against Moses the Lords seruant Of much how sorer punishment were these worthy that had crucified not the seruant but the Son of God! If the mercies of God had not bin greater then their iniquities they had not escaped By this we see how able God is to punish sinners he shewes what he can doe it is his mercie that hee forbeares Some of these were to be conuerted therefore concussi non excussi moued not remoued shaken but not destroied Ostendisti populo grauia saith the Psalmist Thou hast shewed thy people hard things Shewed not imposed shooke the rod not laid it on This forbearance of God should lead vs on to repentance if not it is but the forerunner of vengeance Though nowe by mouing the earth he scare and spare these Iewes yet after the earth spued them out as an offence to her stomacke O obstinate hearts that quake not when the sencelesse ground quakes that beares so vnprofitable a burden Cannot the earth admonish thee it shall deuour thee Si non mâ—…nebit mouebit If the almighties hand stirring it hath not stird thee to repentance a Sextons hand shall couer thee with moulds a weake shaker shall doe it Thinke when God moues the earth he preacheth to thy soule if thy heart so little in comparison of that great vast bodie will not tremble know God hath one thing that shall shake thee to peices death 2. The nature of sinne is here considerable so heauie that it makes the very earth to quake The Iewes sinnes were such a burden that the earth could not beare them without trembling The earth is fixed and standeth fast sayth the Psalmist as the Center of the world it is strange that to bee moued euen so strange is the cause that moues it It must needs bee a monstrous waight of iniquitie that totters the earth on her foundations But why is the earth so quiet now Doe not innumerable wretches daily crucifie Christ by their oathes blasphemies and rebellions in his head by their persecutions oppressions in his members Is not his word derided his Sacraments despised his good creatures abused Why doth not the earth shrinke and shake at these horred impieties Be still he that holds his hand from myracles wil not hold it from plagues They are for borne not forgiuen God keepes silence but hee sleepeth not the earth may spare them but Desolation in a moment shall swallow them To the Iewes the earth moued and they stood still to these the earth shall stand still and themselues shall be moued 3. There is nothing on the earth that is not moueable if the earth it selfe be moueable God hath laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be moued Yet so that hee who laid it can shake it If the earth then whatsoeuer is built vpon it The earth shall be burnt sayth Peter What alone no the earth
with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp The workes of mens hands the workes of their brines their very thoughts shall perish The Lords voyce shooke the earth and hee hath saide yet once againe I will shake not the earth onely but also heauen O blessed place that is not subiect to this shaking whose ioyes haue not onely an amiable countenance but a glorious continuance The things that are shaken shall be remoued but the things that are not shaken remaine for euer All the terrours of this worlde mooue not him that is fixed in heauen Impauidum ferient ruinae They that put their trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot beremoued but abideth for euer But the Tabernacles and hopes of the wicked shall perish together For the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth euer Whereon sayth August Quid vis Vtrum amare temporalia transire cum tempore an amare Christum viuere in aeternum Whether wilt thou loue the world and perish with it or loue Christ liue for euer 3. Myracle The rockes rent A wonderfull act to breake stones and rend rockes This giues vs two obseruations 1. This did foresignifie the power and efficacie of the Gospell that it should bee able to breake the very rockes As the death and passion of Christ did cleaue those solid and almost impenetrable substances so the publishing of his death and passion shall rend and breake in pieces the rockie hearts of men So Iohn Baptist said God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham The hearts of Zaccheus Mary Magdalene Paul were such rockes yet they were cleft with the wedge of the Gospell This is that Rod of Moses able to breake the hardest Rockes till they gush out with flouds of penitent teares This is Ieremies hammer powerfull to bruise the most obdurate hearts The bloud of the Goate sacrificed of force to dissolue Adamant There is power in the bloud of Iesus to put sense into stones Blessed are you if you be thus broken-hearted for him whose heart was broken for you For the broken heart the Lord will not despise 2. Obserue the wonderfull hardnesse of the Iewes hearts The stones rent and claue in sunder at the cruell death of Iesus but their hearts more stony then stones are no whit moued They rend not their garments much lesse their hearts when as the earth rent the Stones her bones and the rockes her ribbes The flints are softer then they the flints breake they harden They still belch their malicious blasphemies the rocks relent the stones are become men and the men stones O the sencelesnesse of a hard heart rockes will sooner breake then that can be mollified Euen the hardest creatures are flexible to some agents flints to the raine iron to the fire stones to the hammer but this heart yeelds to nothing neyther the showers of mercie nor the hammer of reproofe nor the fire of Iudgements but like the stithy are still the harder for beating All the plagues of Egypt cannot mollifie the heart of Pharaoh It is wondrously vnnaturall that men made the softest hearted of all should be rigidiores lupis duriores lapidibus more cruell then wolues more hard then stones I woulde to GOD all hard-heartednesse had dyed with these Iewes but it is not so Howe often hath Christ beene here crucified in the word preaching his Crosse to your eares in the Sacraments presenting his death to your eyes thinke thinke in your owne soules haue not the stones in the walles of this Church beene as much moued God forbid our obduratenesse should be punished as theirs was since they would be so stony-hearted Ierusalem was turned to a heape of stones and the conquering Romanes dasht them pitifully against those stones which they exceeded in hardnesse Here let the wicked see their doome the stones that will not be softned shall be broken There is no changing the decree of God but change thy nature and then know thou art not decreed to death Stony harts shall bee broken to pieces with vengeance doe not striue to alter that doome but alter thy owne stony heart to a heart of flesh and so preuent it in the particular Wolues and goates shall not enter into heauen thou maiest pull starres out of heauen before alter this sentence but doe it thus Leaue that nature and become one of Christes sheepe and then thou art sure to enter No adulterâ—… nor couetous person sayth Paul shall inherite the kingdoâ—… of heauen this doome must stand but not against thee if thou bee conuerted Such were ye but ye are washed c. You are not such Had the Iewes ceased to be stones they had beene spared God will roote thornes and bryers out of his vineyard if thou wouldst not haue him roote out thee become a Vine and bring forth good grapes God threatens to breake the hairy sealpe of him that goes on in sinne yet mayest thou ward this blow from thy selfe Goe no further on in sinne When God comes in iudgement to visite the earth to shatter rockes and breake stones in peeces thou hast a heart of flesh mollified with repentance Let the earth quake and the rockes teare thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace 4. Miracle The graues were opened and many bodyes of Sanits which slept arose Concerning this two questions are moued 1. Where their soules were all this while before I answere where the scripture hath no tongue we should haue no eare Most probably thus their soules were in heauen in Abrahams bosome and came downe to their bodyes by diuine dispensation to manifest the power and Deitie of Christ. 2. Whither they went afterwards I answere by the same likelyhood that they died no more but waited on the earth till Christs resurrection and then attended him to heauen But these things that are concealed should not be disputed Tutum est nescire quod tegitur It is a safe ignorance where a man is not commanded to know Let vs then see what profitable instructions we can hence deriue to our selues They are many and therefore I will but lightly touch them 1. This teacheth vs that Christ by his death hath vanquished death euen in the graue his owne chamber That gyant is subdued the graues flie open the dead goe out This beares ample witnesse to that speach of Christ. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue The bodies of the Saints what part of the earth or sea soeuer holds their dusts shall not be detayned in prison when Christ cals for them as the members must needs goe when the Head drawes them He shall speake to all creatures Reddite quod deuorastis restore whatsoeuer of man you haue deuoured not a dust not a bone can be denyed The bodyes of the Saints shall be raised sayth August Tanta
facilitate quanta faelicitate with as much easynes as happynes Desinunt ista non pereunt mors intermittit vitam non eripit Our bodies are left for a time but perish not death may discontinue life not conclude it Intermittitâ—… non interimitur it may be paused cannot be destroyed 2. Obserue that all the dead doe not rise but Many and those Saints The generall resurrection is reserued to the last day this a pledge or earnest of it Now who shall rise with this comfort none but Saints as here Christ takes no other company from the graues but Saints The dead in Christ shall rise first Christ is called The first borne from the dead He hath risen and his shall next follow him Euerie man in his owne order Christ the first fruits afterward they that are Christs at his comming Wormes and corruption shall not hinder he that sayd To Corruption thou art my mother and to the wormes you are my brethren and sisters sayd also I know that my Redeemer liueth and one day with these eyes I shall behold him The wicked shall also be raised though with horrour to looke vpon him whom they haue pierced But as Christ did here so will he at the last single out the Saints to beare him companie 3. This sheweth the true operation of Christs death in all men We are all dead in our sins as these bodies were in their graues now when Christs death becomes effectuall to our soules we rise againe and become new creatures From the graue of this world we come into the Church the holy Citie But thou complainest of the deadnes of thy hart it is well thou complainest there is some life or thou couldst not feele the deadnesse The houre is comming now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue If this word hath raysed thee from death and wrought spirituall life in thy heart thou shalt perceiue it by thy breathing words glorifying God by thy mouing in the waies to the workes of obedience 4 Obserue that these Saints which arose are sayd to haue Slept The death of the godly is often called a Sleepe So it is sayd of the Patriarches and Kings of Iudah they slept with their fathers So Paul saith they sleep in Christ. The Coffin is a couch In quo molliùs dormit qui benè in vita laborauit wherein hee takes good rest that hath wrought hard in the worke of his saluation before he went to bed Foelix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate voluptas â—…um aeternitate It is a sweete sleepe that hath peace with rest rest with pleasure pleasure with euerlastingnes So the godly sleepe till the Sound of a Trumpet shall waken them and then eternall glory shall receiue them 5. Lastly obserue that Ierusalem is called the Holy citie though she were at this time a sinke of sinne and a debaushed harlot Either as some thinke that she is called holy because she was once holy So Rahab is called the harlot because she was a harlot Simon is termed the Leper for that hee was a leper and Mathew the Publican for that he was a Publican Or els she was called holy for the couenants sake in regard of the Temple sacrifices seruice of God and of the elect people of God that were in it Whence we may inferre how vnlawfull it is to separate from a Church because it hath some corruptions Is apostate Ierusalem that hath crucified her Sauiour called still the holy Citie and must England that departeth in nothing from the faith and doctrine of her Sauiour for some scarce discernible Imperfections be reiected as a foedifragous strumpet But there be wicked persons in it what then Shee may be still a holy Cittie Recedatur ab iniquitate non ab iniquis Let vs depart from sinne we cannot runne from sinners Thus we haue considered the Miracles let vs now looke into the causes wherefore they were wrought These may be reduced into fiue In respect of The Sufferer dying The Creatures obeying The Iewes persecuting The Women beholding The Disciples forsaking 1. In regard of Christ to testifie not onely his Innocencie but his Maiestie His Innocencie that hee was as Pilates wife acknowledged a Iust man His Maiestie as the Centurion confessed Seeing the earth quake and the things that were done Truely this was the Sonne of God He seemed a worme no man the contempt and derision of the people forsaken of his confidence in the midst of all God will not leaue him without witnesses but raiseth vp senseles creatures as Preachers of his deitie Est aterni filius qui illic pendet mortuus He that hangs there dead on the Crosse is the Sonne of the eternall God Rather then the children of God shall want witnesses of their integritie God will worke myracles for their testimonie 2. In regard of the Creatures to shew their Obedience to their Creator they are not wanting to him that gaue being to them These demonstrate it was their Lord that suffered and that they were ready to execute vengeance on his murderers The heauen that was darke would haue rained fire on them the earth that quaked shooke them to peeces the rockes that rent tumbled on them and the graues that opened to let out other prisoners haue swallowed them quicke They all waited but his command to performe this revengefull execution Who shall now dare to persecute Christ in his members The stones are thy enemies the earth gapes for thee hell it selfe enlargeth her iawes if the Lord but hisse to them they are suddenly in an vprore against thee Goe on in your malice ye raging persecutors you cannot wrong Christ no not in his very members but you pull the fists of all creatures in heauen earth and hell about your eares flies from the aire beasts from the earth poison from sustenance thunder from the clouds yea at last also though now they helpe you the very deuils from hell against you All creatures shoote their malignancie at them that shoot theirs at Christ. 3. In respect of the Iewes his enemies to shame and confound them The rockes and graues are moued at his passion not they Lapides tremunt homines fremunt The stones rent the huge earth quakes with feare the Iewes rage with malice We see how difficult it is to mollifie a hard heart harder then to remoue a mountaine raise the dead cleaue a rocke shake the whole earth It is a great mryacle to conuert a wicked man greater then rending of rockes Moses rod stroke a Rocke thrice and did it ministers haue stroke mens rocky harts three hundreth times and cannot The graues sooner open then the sepulchers of sinne and darkenes the vast earth sooner quakes then mens hearts at Gods iudgements 4. In respect of the women that stood by that their faith might be confirmed For seeing him on the Crosse at their mercie
Gomer was for Manna Curiositie is the rennet that turnes our milke into curds Not to your selues Let thy fountaines be dispersed abroad sayth the wisest king communicate thy knowledge Math. 5. Christians must be like lights that wast themselues for the good of those in Gods house Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Hee that will be wise onely to himselfe takes the ready way to turne foole Non licet habere priuatam ne priuemur eâ The closer we keepe our knowledge the likelier wee are to loose it Standing water soone puddles the gifts of the mind if they be not imployed will be empaired Euery wicked man is a foole by comparing their properties 1. It is a Fooles propertie Futuranon prospicere to haue no foresight of future things So hee may haue from hand to mouth he sings care-away So the grashopper sings in haruest when the Ant labours and begges at Christmasse when the Ant sings The wicked takes as litle care what shall become of his soule as the naturall foole what shall become of his body Modo Potiar sayth the Epicure Let me haue pleasure now It is better to a liuing dogge then to a dead Lyon They doe not in faire weather repaire their house against stormes nor in time of peace prouide spirituall armour against the day of warre They watch not therefore the day of the Lord shall come vpon them as a theefe in the night and spoyle them of all their pleasures The maine busines of their soule is not thought of nor dreame they of an Audite till they be called by death away to their reckoning 2. It is a Fooles propertie to affect things hurtfull to himselfe Ludit cum spinis he loues to be playing with thornes Neither yet Quod nocuit docuâ—…t hath that which hurt him taught him caution but hee more desperately desires his owne mischiefe The wicked doe strongly appropriate to themselues this qualitie Cum illis ludunt quae illis laedunt they loue to dally with their owne vexation who else would do at on the world and houer like waspes about the galley-pot till for one licke of the honey they be drownd in it What is your ambition O ye world-affecters sayth August but to be affected of the world what doe you seeke but per multa pericula peruenire ad plura per plurima ad pessima but through many dangers to find more through easier to find the worst of all Like that doating Venetian for one kisse of that painted harlot to liue her perpetuall slaue The world was therefore called the Fooles Paradise there he thinkes to find heauen and there he sells it to the deuill Noxia quaerunt improbi they hast as a bird to the snare the deuill doth but hold vanitie as a sharpe weapon against them and they run full brest vpon it They need no enemies let them alone and they will kill themselues So the enuious pines away his owne marrow the adulterer poysons his owne bloud the prodigall lauisheth his owne estate the drunkard drownds his owne vitall spirits Wicked men make warre vpon themselues with the engines of death 3. It is a Fooles propertie to preferre trifles and toyes before matters of worth and waight The foole will not giue his bable for the kings Exchequour The wicked preferres bodyes of dust and ashes to their soules of eternall substance this sinne corrupted and time-spent world to the perfect and permanent ioyes of heauen short pleasures to euerlasting happines a puffe of fame before a solid waight of glory What follie can be more pitiable then to forsake corne for acornes a state of immortalitie for an apple as Adam did a birthright with all the priuiledges for a messe of pottage belly-cheare as Esau did a kingdome on earth yea in heauen too for asses as Saul did all portion in Christ for bacon as the Gergesites did a royaltie in heauen for a poore Farme on earth as the bidden guest did This is the worldlings follie Villa bones vxor c. Mundus cura caro caelum clausere vocalis To esteeme grace and glory lesse then Farmes oxen wiues manna then onions mecrie then vanitie God then Idols They may be fitly paralelld with the Prodigall Hee forsooke 1. His Fathers house for a strange countrey these the Church Gods house for the world a place wherein they should be strangers and wherein I am sure they shall not be long dwellers 2. His Fathers inheritance for a bag of money so these will not tarrie for their heritagein heauen but take the bags which Mammon thrusts into their hands on the present Who but a Foole will refuse the assured reuersion of some great Lordship though expectant on the expiration of three liues for a ready summe of money not enough to buy the least sticke on the ground This iâ—… the worldlings folly rather to take a piece ofâ—… p-coine in hand then to trust God for the inualuable masse of glory 3. He forsakes his louing friends for harlots creatures of spoile and rapine so these the company of Saints For the Sonnes of Beliall those that sing praises for those that roare blasphemies 4. Lastly the bread in his Fathers house for huskes of beanes so these leaue Christ the true bread of life for the draffe which the swine of this world puddle in Here is their Folly to fasten on transient delights and to neglect the pleasures at the right hand of God for euermore 4. It is a Fooles propertie to runne on his course with precipitation Yet can he not out-runne the wicked whose driuing is like Iehu's the son of Nimshi he driueth as if he were mad As if he had receiued that commission salute no man by the way The wise man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foole runneth on and is punished He goes he runnes he flies as if God that rides vpon the wings of the wind should not ouertake him Hee may passe a pace for he is benefited by the way which is smooth without rubbes and downe a hill for hell is a bottome Facilis descensus Auerni Hast might be good if the may were good and good speed added to it But this is Cursus celerrimus praeteruiam He needs not run so fast for numquamserò ad id venitur a quo nunquam receditur the foole may come soone enough to that place from whence he must neuer returne Thus you see the respondencie of the spirituall to the naturall Foole in their qualities Truly the wicked man is a Foole so Salomon expounds the one by the other Eccl. 7. Be not ouermuch wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time Fooles Obserue this is plurally and indefinitely spoken The number is not small Stultâ—…rum plena sunt omnia Christs flocke is little but Satans kingdome is of large bounds Plurima possima vile thinges are euer most plentifull Wisedome flies
through with reward Let the Philosophers stop their mouths Scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit Some guiltie men haue beene safe none euer secure This euerie eye must see Let adulterie plead that nature is encourager and directer of it and that she is vniust to giue him an affection and to barre him the action yet we see it plagued To teach vs that the sin is of a greater latitude then some imagine it vncleane fedifragous periured Broad impudence contemplatiue Bauderie an eye full of whores are things but iested at the committers at last find them no iest when God powres vengance on the body and wrath on the naked conscience Let drunkennes stagger in the robes of good fellowship and shrowdit selfe vnder the wings of merriment yet we see it haue the punishment euen in this life It corrupts the bloud drownes the spirits beggers the purse and enricheth the carcase with surfets a present iudgement waites vpon it He that is a theefe to others is at last a theefe also to himselfe and steales away his owne life God doth not euer forbeare sin to the last day nor shall the bloudy Ruffian still escape but his owne bloud shall answere some in present and his soule the rest eternally Let the Seminary pretend a warrant from the Pope to betray and murder Princes and build his damnation on their tetricall grounds which haue Parum rationis minus honestatis Religionis nihil Little Reason lesse Honestie no Religion Yet we see God reueales their malicious stratagems and buries them in their owne pit Piercies head now stands Centinell where he was once a Pioner If a whole land flow with wickednes it escapes not a deluge of vengeance For England haue not her bowells groaned vnder the heauy pestilence If the plague be so common in our mouthes how should it not be common in our streets With that plague wherwith we curse others the iust God curseth vs. Wee shall find in that Emperiall state of Rome that till Constantines time almost euery Emperour dyed by treason or massacre after the receiuing of the Gospell none except that reuolter Iulian Let not sinne then be made a sport or iest which God will not forbeare to punish euen in this life 3. But if it bring not present Iudgement it is the more fearefull The lesse punishment wickednes receiues here the more is behind God strikes those here whom he meanes to spare hereafter and corrects that sonne which he purposeth to saue But hee scarce meddles with them at all whom hee intends to beate once for all The Almond tree is forborne them who are bequeathed to the boiling Potte There is no rod to scourge such in present so they goe with whole sides to hell The purse and the flesh scapes but the soule payes for it This is Misericordia puniens a greeuous mercie when men are spared for a while that they may be spilled for euer This made that good Saint cry Lord here afflict cut burnt torture me Vt in aeternum parcas that for euer thou wilt saue me No sorrow troubles the wicked no disturbance embitters their pleasures But remember sayth Abraham to the merry-liu'ed rich man Thou wert delighted but thou art tormented Tarditas supplicij grauitate pensatur and hee will strike with iron hands that came to strike with leaden feete Tuli nunquid semper feram no their hell-fire shall be so much the hoter as God hath beene coole and tardy in the execution of his vengeance This is a Iudgement for Sinne that comes inuisible to the world insensible to him on whom it lights To be giuen ouer to a reprobate mind to a hard and impenitent heart If any thing be vengance this is it I haue read of plagues famine death come temperd with loue and mercie this neuer but in anger Many taken with this spirituall lethargie sing in Tauernes that should howle with dragons and sleepe out Sabboths and Sermons whose awaked soules would rend their hearts with anguish Fooles then onely make a mocke at sinne 4. Sinne that shall at last be laid heauy on the conscience the lighter the burthen was at first it shall be at last the more ponderous The wicked conscience may for a while lie a sleepe but Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the greatest storme The mortallest enemies are not euermore in pitched fields one against the other the guiltie may haue a seeming truce true peace they cannot haue A mans debt is not payd by 〈◊〉 bring euen while thou sleepest thy arrerages run on If thy conscience be quiet without good cause remember that Cedat iniustissima pax iustissimo bello a iust warre is better then vniust peace The conscience is like a fire vnder a pile of greene wood long ere it burne but once kindled it flames beyond quenching It is not pacifiable whiles sinne is within to vexe it the hand will not cease throbbing so long as the thorne is within the flesh In vaine he striueth to feast away cares sleepe out thoughtes drinke downe sorrowes that hath his tormentor within him When one violently offers to stoppe a sourse of bloud at the nostril it finds a way downe the throate not without hazzard of suffâ—…cation The stroken deare runs into the thicket and there breakes off the arrow but the head stickes still within him and rankles to death Flitting and shifting ground giues way to further anguish The vnappeased conscience will not leaue him till it hath shewed him hell nor then neither Let then this Foole know that his now feared conscience shall be quickned his death-bed shall smart for this And his amazed heart shall rue his old wilfull adiournings of repentance How many haue there raued on the thought of their old sinnes which in the dayes of their hote lust they would not thinke sinnes Let not then the Foole make a mocke at sinne 5. Sinne which hath another direfull effect of greater latitude and comprehensiue of all the rest Diuinam incitat iram It prouokes God to anger The wrath of a king is as messengers of death what is the wrath of the king of kings For our God is a consuming fire If the fire of his anger be once throughly incensed all the riuers in the South are not able to quench it What piller of the earth or foundation of heauen can stand when he will wake them Hee that in his wrath can open the iawes of earth to swallow thee sluce out flouds from the sea to drowne thee raine downe fire from heauen to consume thee Sodome the old world Corah drunke of these wrathfull vialls Or to goe no further he can set at iarre the elements within thee by whose peace thy spirits are held together drowne thee with a dropsie bred in thy owne flesh burne thee with a pestilence begotten in thy owne bloud or bury thee in the earthly graue of thy owne melancholy Oh it is a fearefull thing to
into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
heale the bones which the Lord hath broken But his mother other friends stands by seeing sighing weeping Alas what doe those teares but euerease his sorrow might hee not iustly say with Paul What meane ye to weepe to breake mine heart Of whom then shall he expect comfort Of his Apostles Alas they betake them to their heeles Feare of their owne danger drownes their copassion of his miserie He might say with Iob Miserable comforters are ye all Of whom then The Iewes are his enemies and vie vnmercifullnes with deuils There is no other refuge but his Father No euen his Father is angry he that once said This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased is now incensâ—…d He hides his face from him but layes his hand heauy vpon him buffets him with anguish Thus Solus patitur he gaue himselfe only himselfe for our redemptioÌ„ To whom To God and that is the fourth circumstance To whom should he offer this sacrifice of expiation but to him that was offended and that is God Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight All sinnes are committed against him his iustice is displeased and must be satisfied To God for God is angry with what and whom with sinne and vs and vs for sinne In his iust anger he must smite but whom In Christ was no sinne Now shall God doe like Annas or Ananias If I haue spoken euill sayth Christ beare witnesse of the euill but if well why smitest thou me So Paul to Ananias God will smite thee thou whited wall for Sittest thou to Iudge me after the Law and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law So Abraham pleads to God shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right Especially right to his Sonne and to that Son which glorified him on earth and whom he hath now glorified in heauen We must fetch the answere from Daniels Prophecie The Messiah shall he cut off but not for himselfe Not for himselfe For whom then For solution hereof we must steppe to the first point and there we shall finde For Whom For vs. He tooke vpon himour person he became suretie for vs. And loe now the course of Iustice may proceed against him He that will become a Suertie and take on him the debt must be content to pay it Hence that innocent Lambe must be made a Sacrifice and he that know no 〈◊〉 in himselfe must be made sin for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Seauen times in three verses doth the Prophet Esay inculcate this We Our vs. Wee were all sicke greeuously sicke euerie sinne was a mortall disease Quot Vitia tot febres He healeth our infirmities sayth the Prophet he was our Phisician a great Physician Magnus Venit medicus quia magnus iacebat agrotus The whole world was sicke to death therfore needed a powerfull Physician So was he and tooke a strange course for our Cure Which was not by giuing vs physicke but by taking our Physicke for vs. Other patients drink the prescribed potion but our Physician drunke the potion himselfe and so recouered vs. For vs. Ambr. Pro me doluit qui pro se nihil habuit quod doleret He suffered for me that had no cause to suffer for himselfe O Domine Iesu doles non tua sed vulnera mea So monstrous were our sinnes that the hand of the euerlasting Iustice was ready to strike vs with a fatall and finall blow Christ in his owne person steppes betweene the stroke and vs and bore that a while that would haue sunke vs for euer Nos immortalitate malè vsi sumus vt moreremur Christus mortalitate benè vsus est vt viueremus We abused the immortality we had to our death Christ vsed the mortality he had not to our life Dilexit nos he loued vs such vs that were his vtter enemies Here then was loue without limitation beyond imitation Vnspeakable mercy sayes Bernard that the king of eternall glory should yeeld himselfe to be crucified Protam despicatissimo vernaculo immò vermiculo for so poore a wretch yea a worme and that not a louing worme not a liuing worme for we both hated him and his and were dead in sinnes and trespasses Yea for All vs indefinitely none excepted that will apprehend it faithfully The mixture of Moses Perfume is thus sweetly allegorized God coÌ„mands him to put in so much frankincense as Galbanum and so much Galbanum as frankincense Christs Sacrifice was so sweetly temperd as much bloud was shed for the peasant in the field as for the Prince in the Court The offer of saluation is generall whosoeuer among you â—…areth God and worketh rightousnes to him is the word of this saluation sent As there is no exemption of the greatest from misery so no exception of the least from mercie Hee that will not beleeue and amend shall be condemned be he neuer so rich he that doth be hee neuer so poore shall be saued This one point of the Crucifixe For vs requires more punctuall meditation Whatsoeuer we leaue vnsaid we must not huddle vp this For indeed this brings the Texthome to vs euen into our consciences speakes effectually to vs all to me that speake and to you that heare with that Prophets application Thou art the man Wee are they for whose cause our blessed Sauiour was crucified For vs he endured those greeuous pangs for vs that we might neuer tast them Therefore say we with that Father Toto nobis figatur in corde qui totus pro nobis fixus in cruce Let him be fixed wholy in our hearts who was wholy for vs fastned on the Crosse. We shall consider the vses we are to make of this by the ends for which Christ performed this It serues to Saue vs. It serues to Moue vs. It serues to Mortifie vs. 1. To saue vs. This was his purpose performanceâ—…l he did all he suffered was to redeeme vs. By his stripes we are healed by his Sweat we refreshed by his sorrows we reioyced by his death wee saued For euen that day which was to him Dies Luctus the heauiest day that euer man bore was to vs Diessalutis the accepted time the day of saluation The day was euill in respect of our sinnes his sufferings but eventually in regard of what he payed and what he purchased a good day the best day a day of ioy and Iubilation But if this Saluation be wrought for vs it must be applied to vs yea to euery one of vs. For that some receiue more profite by his passion then others is not his fault that did vndergoe 〈◊〉 but theirs that doe not vndertake it to apply it to their own coscienceâ—… But we must not only beleeue this Text in grosse but let euery
one take a handfâ—…ll out of this sheafe put it into his own bosome So â—…rning this Fâ—…r vs into For me As Paul Gal. 2. I liue by the faith of the Son of God who loued me gaue himselfe for me Blessed faith that into the plurall Vs puts in the singular soule Me. Se dedit pro me Euery one is a rebell guiltie conuicted by the supreme Law death waites to arrest vs and damnation to receiue vs. What should we doe but pray beseech cry weepe till we can get our pardon sealed in the bloud of Iesus Christ and euery one find a sure testimonie in his owne soule that Christ gaue himselfe for me 2. This should moue vs was all this done for vs and shall we not be stirred Haue ye no regard Is it nothing to you that I suffer such sorrow as was never suffred All his agonie his cries and teares and groanes and pangs were for vs shall he thus grieue for vs and shall wee not grieue for our selues For our selues I say not so much for him Let his passion moue vs to compassion not of his sufferings alas our pittie can do him no good but of our sinnes which caused them Daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For our selues not for his paeynes that are past but for our owne that should haue beene and except our faith settes him in our stead shall bee Shall hee â—…eepe â—…o vs for vs and shall wee not mourne Shall he drinke so deepely to vâ—… in this cup of sorrow and shall we not pledge him Doth the wrath of God make the Sonne of God shriâ—…ke oâ—…t and shall not the servants for whome he suffered tâ—…mble Omâ—…s creatura compatitur Christâ—… 〈◊〉 Euery creature seemes to suffer with Christ. Sunne earth rockes sepulchers Solus miser 〈◊〉 non compatitur pro quo solo Christus patitur Onely man suffers nothing for whome Christ suffered all Doth his passion teare the Uaile rent the stones cleaue the rockes shake the earth open the graues and are our hearts more hard then those insensible creatures that they cannot be penetrated Doth heauen and earth Sunne and elements suffer with him and is it nothing to vs We wretched men that wee are that were the principals in this murder of Christ whereas Iudas Caiphas Pilate Souldiours Iewes were all but accessaries and instrumentall causes We may seeke to shift it from our selues driue this haynous fact vpon the Iewes but the exeâ—…utioner doth noâ—… properly kâ—…l the man 〈◊〉 peccatum 〈◊〉 est Sin our sinnes were the murderers Of vs he suffered and for vs he suffered vnite thâ—…se in your thoughts and tell me if his passion hâ—…th noâ—… cause to moue vs. And yet so obdurate are our hearâ—…s that wee cannot endure one houres discourse of this great busines Christ was many houres in dying for â—…s we cannot sit one houre to heare of it O that wee should find fault with heat or cold in harkning to these heauenly â—…isteries when he endured for vs such a 〈◊〉 such a sweat such agonie that through his flesh and skinne hee sweate drops of bloud Doth hee weepe teares of gorebloud for vs and cannot wee weepe teares of water for our selâ—…es 〈◊〉 how would wee die for him as hee dyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are wâ—…ry of hearing what he did foâ—… vs 3. This should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ deliuered 〈◊〉 to death for ouâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs from death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deâ—…troy the deuill but to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither doth he take onely from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power to condemnâ—… 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power to rule and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chriâ—… death as it answers the Iustiâ—… of 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it must kill in 〈◊〉 the will of 〈◊〉 Christ in â—…ll parts suffered that â—…e in all parts might 〈◊〉 mortified His â—…fferings were so abundant that men câ—…not know theâ—…r number nor Angels their naâ—…ure neiâ—…her 〈◊〉 nor Angels their measure His Passion â—…ound an end our thoughts cannot He Suffered At all times In all places In all senses In all members In body and soule also All for Vs 1. At all times in his childhood by pouertie and Herod in the strength of his dayes by the powers of earth by the powers of hell yea euen by the powers of heauen In the day hee lackes meate in the night a pillow Euen that holy time of the great Passouer is destined for his dying When they should kill the Paschall Laâ—…be in thankfulnesse they slay the Lambe of God in wickednes They admire the shadow yet condemne the substance All for vs that all times might yeelde vs comfort So the Apostle sweetly He dyed for vs that whether we wake or sheepe wee should liue together with him 2. In all places in the cradle by that Foxe in the streets by reuilers in the mountaine by those that would haue throwne him downe headlong in the Temple by them that toâ—…ke vp stones to cast at him In the high Priests hall by buffeâ—…rs in the garden by betrayers by the way loden with his crosse Lastly in Caluary a vild and stinking place among the bones of malefactors crucified Still all for vs that in all places the mercy of God might protect vs. 3. In all Senseâ—… For his tast loe it is â—…icted with gall vineger a bitter draught for a dying man His touch felt more the nailes driuen into his hands and feete and in those places wounded lies the greatest paine being the most sinewy parts of the bodie His Eares are full of the blasphemous contumelies which the sauage multitude belcâ—…ed out against him Not him but Barabbas they crie to Pilate preferring a murderer before a Sauiour Will you reade the speeches obiectuall to his hearing See Math. 27. ver 29. 39. 42. 44. 49. In all consider their blasphemie his patience For his Eyes whether can hee turne them without spectacles of sorrow The dispight of his enemies on the one side shewing their extremest malice the weeping and Lâ—…menting of his mother on the other side whose teares might wound his heart If any Sense were lesse afflicted it was his Smelling yet the putrified bones of Caluarie could be no pleasing sauour Thus suffered all his Senses That Tast that should be delighted with the wine of the vineyard that goeth downe sweetly is fed with vineger He lookes for good grapes behold Sower grapeâ—… he expects wine 〈◊〉 receiues vineger That Smell that should bee refreâ—…hed with the odorâ—…ferous sent of the beds of spices the pietie of his Saints is filled with the stence of iniquities Those hands that sway the Scepter of the heauenâ—… 〈◊〉 faineto carry the Reed of Reprâ—… endâ—… the â—…ailes of death Those eyes that were as a 〈◊〉 of Fire in respect of whom the very Sunne was darknes must be hold the
fall and the fall thereof be great Shall wee still continue sine â—…etu perhaps sine motu dormitantes It is a fashion in the world to let Leases for three liues as the Diuine Poet sweetly So short is life that euerie Tenant striues In a torne house or field to haue three liues But God lets none for more then one life and this expired there is no hope to renew the lease He suffers a man sometimes to dwell in his Tâ—…nement threescâ—…re and ten yeeres sometimes fourescore till the house be ready to drop downe like mellow fruite But he secures none for a moneth for a moment Other farmers know the date of their leases and expiration of the yeares man is meerely a Tenant at will and is thrust often sedibus adibus at lesse then an houres warning We haue then cause to watch I sleepe but mine heart waketh sayth the Church If temptation doe take vs napping yet let our hearts wake Simon Dormis Sleepâ—…st thou â—…eter Indeed there is a time for all things and sometimes sleepe and rest is Dabile and Laudabile necessary and profitable But now Simon when thy Lord is ready to be giuen vp into the hands of his enemies when the houre and power of darknesse is instant when the great worke of saluation is to be wrought Simon sleepest thou Thou that hast promised to suffer with me canst thou not watch with me Quomodo morieris qui spâ—…ctare expectare nonpotes Beloued let vs all watch that Iesus who was then when Peter slept ready to suffer is now though we all sleepe ready to iudge quicke and dead 6. The last generall point of Wisedome we will learne from them is this As they once a yeare slippe off their old coate and renew themselues so let vs cast off the old man and the garment spotted of the flesh more speck led with lusts then the skin of any Serpent and be renewed in our mind to serue God in the holynesse of truth The Grecians haue a fabulous reason of this renouation of serpents Once mankind stroue earnestly with the Gods by supplication for Perpetuall youth It was granted and the rich trâ—…sure being lapped vp was layd vpon an Asse to be carried among men The silly beast being sore thirstie came to a fountaine to drinke the keeper of this fountaine was a Serpent who would not suffer the Asse to drinke vnles hee would giue him his burden The Asse both ready to faint for thirst and willing to be lighted of his lode condiscended Hereby the Serpent got from man perpetuall youth Indeed the serpent changeth his age for youth and man his youth for age And the Asse for his punishment is more tormented with thirst then any other beast The serpent may thus get the start of a man for this world but when he dyes he dies for eâ—…er life neuer returnes But wee shall put off not the skinne but this mortall body and so be clothed with imâ—…ortalitie and eternall life aboue we shall be young againe in heauen Only death adds t' our strength nor are we growne In stature to be men till we are none Let this answer the Poet. Anguibus exuitur tenui cum pelle vetustas Cur nos angust a conditione suâ—…us Why do serpents repaire themselues and man decay The answere is easie and comfortable when there shall be new heauens and new earth wee shall haue new bodies They haue here new bodies and we old bodies but there we shall haue new bodies when they are no bodies But to our purpose They write that the Serpent gets him to some narrow passage as betweene two stickes so slips off his skinne And this is called Spâ—…lium serpentis or vâ—…rnatio serpentis If wee would cast off our old coate which is corrupt according to deceitfull lusts wee must passe through a narrow gate as it were two trees faith and repentance Heauen is called new Ierusalem you cannot creepe through those new dores with your old sinnes on your backes Be no Gibeonites God will not bee cossened with your old Garments Put them off sayth Paul put them off and cast them away they are not worthy mending None are made of Satans slaues Gods sonnes but they must put off their old liuerie which they wore in the Deuils seruice the cognisance of Mammon Let him that is in Christ be a new creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become new I saw sayth S. Iohn Nouum Coelum c. a new heauen and new earth For whom prouided for new creatures Enuie this ye worldlings but striue not in your lower pompes to equall it Could you change robes with Salomon and dominions with Alexander you could not match it But quake at your doome ye wicked Topâ—… is ordâ—…ed of old Old hell for old sinners But which way might a man turne his eyes to behold this Renouation Nil â—…i vidâ—… nil nâ—…ui audio The hand is old it extorts the tongue is olde it sweares Our vsuries are still on foote to hunt the poore our gluttonies looke not leaner our drunkennesse is thirstie still our securitie is not waked Old Idoles are in our inward and better temples Our iniquities are so old and ripe that they are not only albâ—… ad messem white to the haruest but euen sicca ad ignem dry for the fire Not onely Serpents but diuers other creatures haue their turnes of renewing The Eagle reneweth her bill sayth the Prophet our Grand-mother earth becomes new and to all her vegetatiue children the Spring giues a renouation Onely we her vngracious Sons remaine old still But how shall we expect hereafter new glorified bodies vnlesse wee will haue here new sanctified soules In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auaileth any thiâ—…g nor 〈◊〉 but a new creature And as many as wâ—…lke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vpon the Israell of God I haue taught you according to my poore meditations some Wisedoâ—… from the Serpent Augustine giues 6. or 7. other instances worthy your obseruation and imitation which I must pesse ouer in silence The 〈◊〉 chalengeth some piece of my discourse for I dare not giue you the Raynes and let you goe without the Curbe And yet I shall hold you a little longer from it for as I haue shewed you some good in Serpents that you may follow it so I must shew you some euill in them that you may eschew it The vicious and obnoxious affections of Serpents haue more followers then their vertues These instances are of the same number with the former 1. The Serpent though creeping on the dust hath a loftie spirit reaching not onely at men but euen at the birds of the aire And here hee is the Ambitious mans embleme He was bred out of the dust yet he catcheth aâ—… Lordships and honours ransackes the Citie forredges thâ—… Countrey scowres it through the Church but
his arrand is to the Court He is the maggot of pride begot out of corruption and lookes in an office as the Ape did when hee had got on the robes of a Senator 2. Their flatterie or trecherie they embrace whiles they sting They lie in 〈◊〉 greene grasse and vnder sweet flowers that they may wound the suspectlesse passenger Here I will couple the Serpent with the Flatterer a humane beast and of the two the more dangerous And that fitly for they write of a Serpent whose sting hath such force that it makes a man die laughing So the flaâ—…erer tickles a man to death Therefore his teares are called Crocodile lacrimae the Crocodiles teares When hâ—… weeps he wounds Euery frowne he makes giues his Patron a vomite and euery candle of commendation a purge His Church is the Kitchin his tongue is his Cater his yong Lord his God whom at once he worships and worreys When he hath gotten a lease he doth no longer feare his master nay more he feares not God 3. Their ingratitude they kill those that nourished them And here I ranke with Serpents those prodigies of nature vnthankfull persons Seneca sayes they are worse Venenum quâ—…d serpentes in alienam perniciâ—…m proferunt fine sâ—… continent Noâ—… ita vitium ingrâ—…itudinis continetur The poyson which a Serpent casts out to the danger of another he retaines without his owne But the vice of ingratitude cannot be so smoothered Let vs hate this sinne not onely for others sake but most for our owne 4. Their voracitie they kill more then they can eate And here they would be commended to the Ingrossers who hoord more then they can spend that the poore might stâ—…ue for lacke of bread Such a man if he be not 〈◊〉 a Serpent a Deuill then man makes his Almanacke his Bible if it prognosticate raine on Swithiâ—…s day he loues and beleeues it beyond the Scripture Nothing in the whole Bible pleaseth him but the storie of Pharaohs dreame where the seauen leane Kine did eate vp the seauen fat ones Hee could wish that dreame to be true euery yeare so hee might haue graine enough to sell. He cryes out in his heart for a deare yeare and yet he is neuer without a deare yeare in his belly Salomon sayes the people shall curse him and I am sure God will not blesse him but hee feares neither of these so much as a cheape yeare 5. Their hostilitie and murderous minds they destroy all to multiplie their owne kind And for this I wil bring the depopulator to shake hands with serpents For he cannot abide neighbours If any man dwels in the Towne besides himselfe how should he doe for elbow roome There are too many of these Serpents in England I would they were all exild to the wildernes where they might haue roome enough and none to trouble them except of their owne generation Serpents They complaine eagerly against our negligence in discouering new parts of the world but their meaning is to rid this land of Inhabitants They haue done their best or rather their worst when as in my memorie from one towne in one day were driuen out aboue threescore soules harbourlesse succourlesse exposd to the bleake ayre and vnmercifull world besides those that could prouide for themselues But the Lord of heauen sees this the clamours of many poore debters in the Dungeon of many poore labourers in the field of many poore neighbours crying and dying in the streetes haue entred the â—…ares of the Lord of hoasts he will iudge it Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and spite to requite it the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee thou art the helper of the fâ—…herlesse 6. Lastly their enâ—…itie against Man whom they should reuerence which we sorely found and cannot but thinke of quotiâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…picati pâ—…i as often as we remember that â—…ieapple Aeliaâ—…s and Plâ—…e report that when a serpent hath killed a man he can neuer more couer himselfe in the earth but wanders vp and downe like a forlorne thing the earth disdaining to receiue into her bowels a man murtherer The male doth not acknowledge the â—…ale nor the female the male that hath done such a deed Since therefore they rebell against Man whom they should honour let me yoke with them Traytours Seminaries and Renegates that refuse allegiance to their Lieges Soâ—…algnes Will they say 〈◊〉 Prince may loose Ius regni the right of his kingdome per 〈◊〉 regnandi by raigning with iniustice 〈◊〉 and so they are absolued of their obedience But how haps it that the Scripture neuer knew this distinction Saul though guiltie of all sinnes against the first Table yet exsolo 〈◊〉 â—…is châ—…ctere might not bee deposed but Dauid cals him Christum Doâ—… the Lords Annointed If the Prince be an offender must they punish Who gaue them that authoritie No â—…cit 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 quòd Deum expectâ—… 〈◊〉 It is enoâ—…gh for him that he looke for God to bee his Iudge O but when the Popes excommunication thundâ—…rs it is no sinne to decrowne Kings So super stâ—…tiously they follow the Pope that they forsake Christ and will not giue Câ—…sar his due They are the fire brands and bustuaries of Kingdomes Serpents hidden in Ladies and Gentlewomens chambers in a word long spoones for traytors to feed with the Deuill You see also now Quid 〈◊〉 There is poyson in Serpents now told you leaue that there is Wisedome to be learned from Serpents before shewed you studie that Euery vice you nourish is a venemous stinging serpent in your owne bosomes If you will haue hope of heauen expell those Serpents I haue read of a contention betweene Scotland and Ireland about a little Iland either chalenging it theirs It was put to the decision of a French-man who caused to be put into the Iland liuing Serpents Arbitrating it thus that if those Serpents liued and prospered there the ground was Scotlands if they died Irelands If those serpentine sinnes lusts and lewdnes liue â—…d thriue in your hearts Satan will chalenge you for his dominion If they perish and die through mortification and by reason of the pure aire of Gods holy Spirit in you the Lord seales you vp for his owne inheritance I haue giuen you the Raines at large let me giue but one pull at the Curbe and you shall goe The Cohibition is Be harmelesse as Doues In Doues there be some things to be eschewed many things to be commeÌ„ded one thing to be followed The Doue is a timorous and faint hearted creature Ephrâ—… is like a silly Doue without heart Be not ye so In Doues there are many things commendable but I will but name them regarding the limits of both my Text and Time 1. Beautie By that name Christ prayseth the beauty of his Spouse Thou art fayre my Lâ—…e my Doue c. Thou â—…ast Doues 〈◊〉 within thy lâ—…kes And the Church prayseth her Sauiour His eyes are as
he is Not future euents but present condition may be thus learned Neither day nor night scapes a good man without some profite the night teacheth him what he is as the day what he should be Therefore said a Philosopher that all waking men are in one common world but in sleepe euery man goes into a world by himselfe For his dreames doe signifie to him those secret inclinations to which hee thought himselfe a stranger though they were home-dwellers in his heart Euen those fancies are speaking images of a mans disposition And as I haue heard of some that talke in their dreames and then reueale those secrets which awake they would not haue disclosed So may thy dreames tell thee when thou wakest what kind of man thou art The hypocrite dreames of dissimulation the proud woman of paint and colours the theefe of robberie and booties the Iesuite of treasons Let them aske their very sleepe qualeâ—… sint what manner of men they arâ—… For so lightly they answere temptations actually waking as their thoughts doe sleeping Thus onely a man may make good vse of his dreames Here let vs obserue that God doth sometimes draw men to him suis ipsorum 〈◊〉 by their owne delights and studies No doubt these Magi were well acquainted with dreames it being amongst Ethnickes and Peripatetickes a speciall obiect of diuination Therefore there is a booke bearing the name of Aristotle De diuiâ—…ne pâ—…r somnium Many â—…ors these men had swallowed by dreames now behold in a dreame they shall receiue the truth So God called them by a Starre whose profession was to relie too much on the Starres Quare per Stellam vt per Christum ipsa materia erroris fieret salutis occasio Why by a Starre that through Iesus Christ the very matter of their error might be made a meanes of their saluation Per 〈◊〉 illâ—…s vocat quâ—… familâ—…ria illis consâ—…tudo fecit God cals them by those things which custome had made familiar to them They that are stung with Scorpions must be cured by the oyle of Scorpions Thus God allures men to him as Fishermen 〈◊〉 with such baites as may bee somewhat agâ—…ble to them Paul is occasioned by the Alâ—… 〈◊〉 the vnknowâ—… God to make knowne the true God the 〈◊〉 Iesus Doth Dauid loue the Sheepe-folds he shall be a Shepheard still From following the eâ—…s great with yong he brought him to feed Iacob his people and Isrâ—…ll his â—…ritance Doth Peter loue fishing he shall goe a fishing still though for more noble creatures to catch souleâ—… Doe these Magicians loue Starres and Dreames behold a Starre and a Dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God Old Isâ—… takes occasion by the smell of his Sons garments sauouring of the field to pronounce a spirituall blessing The smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Ierome notes of Amos that he begins his Prophecie with roaring The Lord shall roare from Sion Because he being a field-man kept the woods where hee was wonted to the roaring of Lyons Iudaei signa quaerunt Doe the Iewes seeke a signe Why Christ will there euen among them worke his Myracles Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose shall catch him at a Sermon All things shall worke to their good that are good Omnia etiam peccata All things euen their very sinnes sayth Augustinâ—… 〈◊〉 in his Essayes writes that a libidinous gentleman sporting with a Courtezan in a house of sinne chanced to aske her name which she sayd was Mary Whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not onely cast off the Harlot but amended his whole future life Well-beloued since this is Gods mercie to allure vs to him by our owne delights let vs yeeld our selues to be caught What scope doth thy addiction leuell at that is not sinfull which Gods word doth not promise and afford What delight can you aske which the Sanctuarie giues not Loue you hunting learne here to hunt the Foxes the little Cubbes those craftie sins sculking in your bosomes Would you dance let your hearts keepe the measures of Christian ioy and leape like Iohn the Baptist in Elizabeths wombe at the saluation of Iesus Delight you in running Paul sets you a race So runne that ye may obtaine You shall haue good company Dâ—…id promiseth that he will run the way of Gods commandements Peter and Iohn will runne with you to Iesus Loue you Musicke Here are the Bels of Aaron still ringing the treble of Mercie and the tenor of Iudgement Leui's Lute and Dauids Harpe There are no such songs as the songs of Sion Would you be merry Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say reioyce If euer you found ioy like this ioy the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost backe againe to the world Louest thou daintie cheare here be the best cates the body and bloud of thy Sauiour the bread of life no hunger after it Wilt thou drinke much Drinke my wine and my milke drinke yea drinke abundantly O Beloued Bibâ—…e 〈◊〉 as the originall imports drinke and bee drunken with loues pledge the health that Christ begun euen asauing health to all nations Are you ambitious there is no preferment like that to be had here in the Court of the King of Kings Dauid iudged it no little thing to bee Sonne in law to a King but what is it then to bee a King Desire you stately buildings Alas the whole world is but a Cottage a poore transient Tabernacle to the Mansions promised by Christ. Lastly are you couetous Yet I need not aske that question but take it as granted Why then here is gold more precious then that of Arabia or of Hauilah rust or theefe may distresse that this is a treasure can neuer be lost What should I say more What can winne you Which way soeuer your desires stands God doth allure you The best thinges in earth or in heauen are your baite With these doth the Lord seeke you not for any need that he hath of you but for your owne saluation When the fairest of all Beloueds doth thus wooe vs let him winne vs and espouse vs to himselfe in grace that wee haue the plenary marriage in glory You see the Manner of their Warning The Matter That they should not returne to Herod Why not to Herod Because the Lord now lets them see his hypocrisie For howsoeuer he pretended Ver. 8. to come and worship him yet he intended not seruire but sâ—…uire not to honour him but to murder him He cals the Wisemen priuily as if hee quaked at the propagation of this newes for it came vpon him like the pangs of death He commands them to inquire de infante not de rege of the babe not of the King for that title galled him to the heart That I may worship him Dirum facinus tingit colore pietatis
power to keepe a man That he should liue still for eâ—…r and not see â—…rruption Meâ—…ushalem liued nine hundred sixtie and nine yeares yet he was the Sonne of Eâ—…ch who was the sonne of â—…ared who was the sonne of 〈◊〉 who was the sonne of Cainan who was the sonne of 〈◊〉 who was the sonne of Seth who was the sonne of Aâ—… who was the sonne of dust The best constitutions that communicate in the sanguine of the Rose and Snow of the Lilly haue this parentage they are the sonnes and daughters of dust This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… not 〈◊〉 to the Poles nor are these dayes measured by the Sunne in his Zodiacke all is pitched aboue the Wheele of changeable mortalitie It is Eternitie that fils the Right hand of Wisedome Length of dayes Dayes for the Claritie Length for the Eternitie Dayes Mans life in this world is called a Day a short day a sharpe day Short for instat vesper it is not sooner morning but it is presently night The Sunne of life quickly sets after it is once risen Sharpe for miserie is borne with life brought vp with life and to the good dies with life to the wicked remaines in death Like Hippocratâ—… twinnes inseparable in their beginning processe end So that aged Patriarch to Pharao My dayes haue beene few and euill So. Iob. Man is of few dayes and many troubles Animal â—…vi breuissimi solicitâ—…dinis infinitae And Paul cals it the euill day It is somewhat to comfort that though it be sharpe Euill yet it is but short a Day Redeeme the time for the dayes are euill But howsoeuer Semper mali dies in seculo yet semper boni dies in Domino as Augustine sweetly Though the world hath alwayes euill dayes yet God hath alwayes good dayes And this Day shall haue no night Nox non erit illic There shall be no night The Sunne that inlightens it cannot be ecclipsed That cittie hath no need of the Sunne neyther of the Moone to shine in it for the Glorie of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it No clouds shall draw a vaile of obscuritie ouer it Here the light of the Sunne darkens the Moone and the Moone obscures the luster of the Starres Sometimes halfe the earth is in light the rest in darkenesse But in these Dayes Albeit there is one glorie of the SVNNE another of the MOONE and another of the STARRES and one starre differeth from another starre in glory yet the light of one increaseth the light of another and the glorie of one is the glory of all Dispar est gloâ—… 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 Latitia omnium So in summe here we liue but a short day Giue vs this day our dayly bread But in that world wee shall haue Daies those good dayes and great dayes dayes of eternall length for they shall haue no night Length As the glorie is cleare for the Countenance so it is long for the Continuance Nullus erit defectus nullus â—…erminus There shall be 〈◊〉 charitâ—… chara â—…rnitas Gods eternall decree to chuse vâ—… in Christ had no beginning but it shall haue an end when the elect are taken vp to glory The possession of this decreed Inheritance shall haue a beginning but no end Wee shall eâ—…er be with the Lord. Gods mercie in both hath neither beginning nor end for it is from euerlasting to euerlasting Here then is both the Countenance it is a cleare day and the Continuance it is of length the very same Length that Euerlastingnesse it selfe Hezekiahs day was a long day when The shadow of the sunne went tenne degrees backward in the diall of Abâ—… Iosuah had a long day when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of 〈◊〉 And there was no day like that before it or after it But both these dayes had their nights and the long forbearing sunne at last did set Here the dayes are so long that it shall neuer be night You see the clearenesse and the length both are expressed Dan. 12. They that be â—…ise shall shine as the firmament and they that turne many to righteousâ—…es as the starres there is the Claritie and that for euer and euer there is the Eternitie There is nothing made perfectly happy but by Eternitie as nothing but eternitie can make perfect misery Were thy life a continued scene of pleasures on whose stage griefe durst nâ—…uer set his vnwelcome foote were the spoyle of Noahs Arke the cates of thy table hadst thou king Salomons wardrobe and treasurie Did the west Indie send thee all her gold and the East her spices and all these lying by thee whiles a late succession of yeares without carâ—… snowes white vpon thy head thou weâ—… euer indulgent to thy selfe and health to thee Yet suddenly there comes an impartiall Purseuant death and hee hath a charge to take thee away 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bathing thy selfe in thy delights Alas what iâ—… 〈◊〉 thy glory but a short play fâ—…ll of mirth till the last act and that goes off in a tragedie Couldest thou not haue made death more welcome if hee had found thee lying on a padde of straw feeding on crâ—…s and water gruell Is not thy paine the more troublesome because thou wast well Doth not the end of these temporary ioyes aâ—…ict thee more then if they had neuer beene Onely then eternitie can giue perfection to pleasure which because thiâ—… world cannot afford let vs reckon of it as it is a meeâ—…e Through 〈◊〉 and desiâ—… our Home whâ—… we shall be happy for 〈◊〉 In her Left hand riches and honour The gift of the right hand is large and eternall of the left short and 〈◊〉 Yet you see I am short in the long part giue mee leaue to bee long in the short part Herein wee haue many things considerable 1. That Riches and Hâ—…r are Godâ—… gifts 2. That all are not so but some and therefore it is necessary for vs to learne whether God gaue vnto vs that riches and honour which we haue 3. That albeit they are his gifts yet but the gifts of his left hand 4 That wealth and worship are for the most part companions for both those gifâ—… lie in one and the same hand 1. Riches and honour are Godâ—… gifts therefore iâ—… themselues not euill Sunt Dei 〈◊〉 â—…rgo iâ—… se bona Saith Augustine Ne pâ—…tentur â—…a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bâ—…na 〈◊〉 â—…lis That they may not be thought euill they are giuen to good men that they may not be thought the best good they are giuen also to euill men A rich man may be a good man and a poore man may be wicked Christ sanctified 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 and that in his 〈◊〉 Life Death 1. In his Birth hee sanctified Pouertiâ—… when hiâ—… chamber of presence was a Stable his crâ—…dle a manger his royall robes course ragges Hee sanctified
word beleeuing onely so much as you list Faith is holy and catholicke if you distrust part of Gods word you prepare infidelitie to the whole Did God promise Christ and in the fulnes of time to send him Then since he hath againe promised him and appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world by that man he shall come As certainly as he came to suffer for the world so certainely shall he come to iudge the world Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation He that kept his promise when he came to die for vs followed by some few poore Apostles will not breake it when he shal come in glory with thousaÌ„ds of Angels Neither did God onely promise that Christ should come but that all beleeuers should be saued by him As many as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name Misit filium promisit in filio vitam He sent his Sonne to vs and saluation with him Wretched and desperate men that distrust this mercie Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Whosoeuer Qui se ipsum excipit seipsum decipit Did not God spare to send his promised sonne out of his bosome to death and will hee to those that beleeue on him deny life No all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ may these also be Yea and Amen in our beleeuing hearts A yeelding Deuill could say Iesus I knew yet some men are like that tempting deuill Math. 4. Si filiu Dei sis If thou be the sonne of God Si if as if they doubted whether he could or would saue them Is come There is a threefold Comming of Christ according to the threefold difference of Time Past Present Future As Bernard Venit Ad homines In homines Contra homines 1. First for the time past he came among men Iohn 1. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. 2. For the present he comes into men by his Spirit and grace Reu. 3. I stand at the dore and knock if any open vnto me I will come into him 3. For the time to come hee shall come against men Rom. 2. At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. Or as it is wittily obserued the Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo Virgo Libra 1. In the Law like a Lyon roaring out terrible things with a voice not indurable And they sayd to Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs least we die 2. In the Gospell hee appeared in Virgo an Infant borne of a virgin Math. 1. 25. 3. At his last Audite hee shall appeare in Libra weighing all our thoughts words and workes in a balance Behold I come quickly my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shal be Is come He was not fetched not forced sponte venit of his owne accord he is come No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Ambrose on these words of Christ Are ye come out against a theefe with swords and staues to take me Stultum est cum gladijs eum quarere qui vltro se offâ—…rt It was superfluous folly to apprehend him with weapons that willingly offered himselfe to seeke him in the night by treason as if he shunned the light who was euery day teaching publiquely in the Temple Sed factum congruit tempori personis quia cùm essent tenebrae in tenebroso tempore tenebrosum opus excercebant The fact agrees to the time and Persons they were darknesse therefore they doe the worke of darknesse in a time of darknesse Indeed hee prayes Father saue mâ—…e from this houre but withall hee corrects himselfe Therefore came I to this houre But he is said to feare dâ—…th Hebr. 5. What is it to vs Quòd timuit that hee feared nostrum est quòd sustinuit that hee suffered Christs nature must needs abhorre destructiue things but his Rationall ouercame his Naturall will Hee feared death Ex affectu sensualitatis not Ex affectu rationis Hee eschewed it secundum se but did vnder goe it propter aliud Ex impetu naturae hee declined it but ex imperio rationis considering that either hee must come and die on earth or wee all must goe and die in hell and that the heads temporall death might procure the bodies eternall life behold the Sonne of man is come Neither was it necessary for him to loue his paine though hee so loued vsto suffer this paine No man properly loues the rod that beats him though hee loues for his soules good to be beaten As Augustin sayd of crosses Tollerare iubemur non amare Nemo quod tollerat amat etsi tollerare amat We are commanded to beare them not to loue them No man that euen loues to suffer loues that he suffers Voluntarily hee yeelds himselfe saluting Iudas by the name of Friend Amice â—…r venis He suffered not his followers to offend his enemies nor commands the Angels to defend himselfe O blind Iewes was it impossible for him de paruo slipite ligni descendere qui descendit a coelorum altitudine to come downe from a peice of wood that came downe from heaueÌ„ Nunquid tua vincula illuÌ„ possunt teâ—…ere quem câ—…li non possunt capere Shall your bonds hold him when the heauens could not containe him He came not to deliuer himselfe that was in freedome but to deliuer vs that were in bondage Is come Is Christ come to vs and shall not wee come to him Doth the Sonne of God come to the Sonnes of men and doe the Sonnes of men scorne to come to the Sonne of God Proud dust wilt thou not meet thy maker If any aske Whether is thy beloued gone that wee may seeke him with thee The Church answers My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies You shall haue him in his Garden the Congregation of the faithfull Wheresoeuer a number is gathered together in his Name Behold Venit ad limina virtus Manna lies at your thresholds will you not goe forth and gather it The Bridegrome is come will you not make merrie with him The nice piece of dust like Idolatrous Ieroboam cryes the Church is too farre off the iourney too long to Christ. Hee came all that long way from heauen to earth for vs and is a mile too tedious to goe to him Goe too sede ede perde sit still eate thy meate and destroy thy selfe who shall blame the iustice of thy condemnation But for vs let vs leaue our pleasures and goe to our Sauiour Non sedeas sed cas ni pereas
man should dye by the corruption of the aire from the cocatrice then the cocatrice by the resultance of it owne similitude from the glasse As the harlot will sooner peruert a man then he shall conuert the harlot Indeed they say if they first see vs they kill vs if we first see them they die So if we first see the damnation of a Courtezan we saue our selues if they first see wound vs we dye of it 6. There 's the Catterpillar you all know this to be the Couetous I confesse that other Serpents are also fit emblemes of the couetous as the Toad that eats sparingly of the very earth for feare it should be all wasted no food left for her The Germane Painters to signifie Couetousnes doe picture an old woman sitting vpon a toade Or the Earth-worme these wormes eate vp the fatt of the earth toades eate vp those wormes and dragons eate vp those toades So lightly pettie vsurers eate vp the fatte of the Countrey great oppressors deuoure those litle extortioners and at last the great red dragon swallowes those oppressors But here I especially liken them to Catterpillars Pline sayth that litle wormes bred in the green leaues of plants proue in three dayes catterpillars eate vp those plants The Countrey breeds these couetous wretches and they deuour her He writes also that Catterpillars are bred by a dew incrassated and thicked by the heate of the Sun It is the warmth of prospertie that breedes and feeds our vsurers Others say that they come of butterflies egs the which heate of the Sunne hatcheth working so fit a passiue matter to the forme of a catterpillar So commonly your vsurer hatcheth his riches out of the Butterflies egs laid abroad by prodigall young gallaÌ„ts The Scripture calls them great deuourers Eracam vix pascit hortus vnam A whole couÌ„trey wil not content one auarous catterpillar At last the catterpillars perish of theÌ„selues as ours do wilfully through famine are transformed into a bare emptie bagge or case If they perish in summer out of their rind being broken comes forth a butterfly Iust as wee see often from the ruines of a dead vsurer that was a Catterpillar springs a prodigall Heire that is a painted Butterflie 7. We haue also the Aspeâ—… that 's the traitours Seminary Lucan writes that the originall of Aspes was Affrica and that merchants translated them into Europe Sed quis erit nobis Lucripudor Inde petuntur Huc Lybicae mâ—…tes fecâ—…mus Aspida merces But what is our gaine sayth hee We haue made the Aspos a merchandice So these our Aspes are bred in Italie and ship'd ouer into England as a precious merchandice They speake themselues so gentle that a sucking child may play 〈◊〉 the holâ—… of these Aspes but wee haue found their boroughs the holes of treason and their vaults the vaults of gunpowder There is feud betwixt the Ichneumon and the Aspe they oft fight if the Aspe bite first the Ichneumon dyes if the Ichneumon first the Aspe dyes Let vs strike them with punishment lest they strike vs with death These Aspes kill many soules in our Land Aspidis mersu Loesum dormire fatentur In mortem antidotum nec valuisse ferunt If the be witched people once receiue their poyson they sleepe to death and no helpe preuailes for they will not come to Church to be cured 8. There is also the Lyzard the Embleme of the Slothfull As is also the Slow-worme or the serpentine Tortoice They write of the Lyzard that hauing laid egges shee forgets the very place where shee laid them She will lie still till you cut her in pieces and then the forepart runns away vpon two Legs and the hinder part on other two liuing apart till they meete againe and then are naturally â—…onioyned If the Lazy will follow the qualities let them take the name of Lisards 9. There is also the Sea-Serpent and that 's the Pirate a theefe crosse to all kind of theeues For other theeues first fall to robberie and then are cast into prison but he first casts himselfe into a prison and then falls to robberie In a litle vessell a very iayle with a large graue round about it he does all mischeefe At last when he growes great he ruines himselfe They write of a Sea-dragon that growes to a huge vastnesse but then the winds take him vp into the aire and by a violent agitation shake his body to pieces A noble part of Gods prouidence to tame that himselfe which his creatures cannot 10. There is the Stellion and that is the Extortioner Extortion and Cossenage is prouerbially called Crimen Stellionatus the sinne of Stellature When the Stellion hath cast his skinne hee greedily deuoures it againe which sayth Theophrastus hee doth in enuie because he vnderstands that it is a noble remedie against the falling sicknes So in malice it lines the guts with that couered the backe eats that in summer wherewith it was clothed in winter It destroyes the honey of Bees Stellio saepe fauos ignotus adedit So the extortioner spoiles the hiues deuours al the honey of pooremens gathering It is a beast full of spottes Aptumque colori Nomen habet varijs stellatus corpore guttis The spots that sticke vpon an Extortioner are more innumerable Cosonage is called Stellature It were wel if such Extortioners were serued as Budaus relates a historie of two Tribunes Qui per Stellaturas militibus multum abstulissent whom the Emperor commaunded to be stoned to death 11. The last is the great Serpent of all Draco the deuill who is called the Great red Dragon In idolatrous times and places dragons haue beene worshiped The common distinction is Angneb 〈◊〉 Serpentes terrarum Dracones Templorum Snakes of the water serpents of the earth dragons of the Temple There are too many wicked worldlings that still worship this God of the world the red Dragon The dragons haunt principally trees of frankincense Satan loues to haue men sacrifice to him he tempted the son of God to fall downe worship him Nothing but the smoke of Styrax can driue away dragons not holy water not crossings but onely faith in the Lord Iesus can put the deuil to flight Serpens serpentem deâ—…rando fit Draco The diuel at first was but a Serpent now by deuouring many millios of these serpeÌ„ts the wicked he is become a Dragon I should here shew you two things 1. The remedie to draw out this poyson and to cure the soule which is onely Sanguis medici the bloud of our Phisician As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wilder nesse so was Christ lifted vp us a serpent that what eye of fayth soeuer lookes on him he may be healed of the sting of those fiery serpents and haue the damnable poyson of sinne drawne out 2. That our next course is Repentance for our sinnes That as the oile of Scorpions is the best remedie
panis thou wantest bread God is thy bread of life We want a pillow God is our resting place We may be Sine veste non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo sine Domo non sine Domino Without apparell not without faith without meate not without Christ without a house neuer without the Lord. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heauenly assurance giues vs not peace and ioy Are we clapt vp in a darke and desolate Dungeon there the light of the Sunne cannot enter the light of mercie not be kept out What restrained bodie that hath the assurance of this eternall peace will not pittie the darknes of the prophane mans libertie or rather the libertie of his darkenesse No wals can keepe out an infinite Spirit no darkenes can be vncomfortable where the Father of lights and the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth The presence of glorious Angels is much but of the most glorious God is enough Are we cast out in exile our backes to our natiue home all the worlds our way Whether can we goe from God Whether shall I goe from thy face or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend c. That exile would be strange that could separate vs from God I speake not of those poore and common comforts that in all Lands and coasts it is his Sunne that shines his elements of earth or water that beares vs his aire we breath But of that speciall priuiledge that his gracious presence is euer with vs that no sea is so broad as to deuide vs from his fauour that wheresoeuer we feed he is our host wheresoeuer we rest the wings of his blessed prouidence are stretched ouer vs. Let my soule be sure of this though the whole world be traytors to me Doth the world despise vs We haue sufficient recompence that God esteemes vs. How vnworthy is that man of Gods fauour that cannot goe away contented with it without the worlds Doth it hate vs much God hates it more That is not euer worthie which man honours but that is euer base which God despises Without question the world would bee our friend if God were our enemie The sweetnes of both cannot bee enioyed let it content vs wee haue the best It may be pouertie puts pale leannes into our cheeks God makes the world fat but withall puts leannesse into the soule We decay in these temporall vanities but we thriue in eternall riches The good man laughes at destruction and dearth Doth sicknes throw vs on our weary beds It is impossible any man should miscarry that hath God for his Physitian So Martha confessed to Iesus Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed Thy bodie is weake thy soule is strengthened dust and ashes is sicke but thy eternall substance is the better for it It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Lastly doth the ineuitable hand of death strike thee Egredere anima mea egredere Goe forth my soule with ioy and assurance thou hast a promise to be receiued in peace Happie dissolution that parts the soule from the bodie that it may knit them both to the Lord. Death like the proud Philistine comes marching out in his hydeous shape daring the whole Hoast of Israell to match him with an equall combatant The Atheist dares not die for feare non esse that hee shall not be at all the couetous vsurer dares not die for feare male esse to be damned the doubtfull conscience dares not die because he knowes not an sit an non sit an damnatus sit whether he shall be or be damned or not bee at all Onely the resolued Christian dares die because he is assured of his election he knows he shall be happie and so lifts vp pleasant eyes to heauen the infallible place of his eternall rest He dares encounter with this last enemie trample on him with the foote of disdaine and triumphantly sing ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie He conquers in being conquered and all because God hath sayd to his Soule I am thy Saluation The poore Papist must not beleeue this such an assurance to him were Apocryphall yea hereticall He must lie on his death-bed call vpon what Saint or Angell he list but must not dare to beleeue hee shall goe to heauen O vncomfortable doctrine able to loose the soule What can follow but feares without and terrours within distrustfull sighes and heart-breaking grones Goe away he must with death but whither he knows not It would be presumption to be confident of heauen How should Purgatory stand or the Popes kitchin haue a Larder to maintaine it if men might be sure of their saluation Herefore they bequeath so great summes for masses and Dirge's and Trentals to bee sung or sayd for them after they are dead that their soules may at the last be had to heauen though first for a while they be reezed in Purgatory If this be all the comfort their Priests Iesuites and Confessors can giue them they may well say to them as Iob to his friends Miserable comforters are ye all But he that hath Stephens eyes hath also Pauls heart and the Saints tongue He that with Stephens eyes can see that Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God as if his armes were open to wel-come and embrace him must needs with Paul desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and with the Saints cry Come Lord how long Amen euen so come Lord Iesus Thus much for the matter of the Assurance let vs now come to the manner Dic Animae Say vnto my soule Say but is God a man hath he a tongue how doth Dauid desire him to speake That God who made the eare shall not he heare he that made the eye shall not â—…e see he that made the tongue shall not he speake He that sees without eyes and heares without eares and walkes without feete and workes without hands can speake without a tongue Now God may be sayd to speake diuerse wayes 1. God hath spoken to some-by his owne voice To Adam vocem audiuerunt they heard the voyce of God c. To Israel The Lord spake vnto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voyce of the words but saw no similitude onely you heard a voyce To Christ I here came a voyce from heauen saying I haue both glorified it and I will glorifie it This S. Peter testifies There came a voyce from the excellent glory This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased 2. To omit visions and dreames and cloudes and Cherubins and Angells vrim and thummim God speakes also by his workes The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Mâ—…nus loquuntur his workes haue a tongue Opera testantur de me
our land is ours our garment ours our money seruant beast ours and that he is a theefe who robs vs of these But all the men in the world cannot warrant vs our Saluation but onely Iesus Christ. Therefore that we may haue assurance that all these are ours and that wee shall neuer answere for euery bit of bread we haue eaten and for euery drop of wine we haue drunke that our possessions are our owne our gold robes rents revenues are our owne let vs be Christs Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or thinges present or thinges to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is Gods Be sure of saluation and be sure of all For he that spared not his owne sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things To whom My saluation not others onely but Mine A man and a Christian are two creatures he may bee a man that hath reason and outward blessings he is onely a Christian that hath faith and part in the saluation of Christ. God is plentifull saluation but it is not ordinary to find a Cui to whom Much of heauen is lost for lacke of a hand to apprehend it All passengers in this world presume they are going to heauen but we may guesse by the throng that the greater part take the broader way Christ leauing the earth in respect of his bodily presence left there his Gospell to apply to mens soules the vertue of his death and passion Ministers preach this Gospell people heare this Gospell all boast of this Gospell yet himselfe foretels that when he comes againe he shall scarce find faith vppon earth No doubt he shall find Christians enow but scarce faith Saluation is common as St. Iude speaketh When I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation but few make it proper to themselues That God is my saluation and thy saluation this is the comfort When. In the time present I am Sum non sufficit quòd ere It is comfort to Israell in captiuitie that God sayes Ero tua redemptio I will redeeme thee But the assurance that quiets the conscience is this I am thy saluation As God said to Abraham feare not I am with thee Deferred hope faints the heart Whatsoeuer God forbeare to assure vs O pray we him not to delay this Lord say to our soules I am your saluation To conclude it is saluation our Prophet desires that God would seale him vp for his childe then certifie him of it He requests not Riches he knew that man may be better fed then taught that wealth doth but franke men vp to death He that preferres Riches before his soule doth but sell the horse to buy the saddle or kill a good horse to catch a hare He begs not honour many haue leapt from the high throne to the low pitte The greatest commander on earth hath not a foote of ground in heauen except hee can get it by entitling himselfe to Christ. He desires not Pleasures he knowes there are as great miseries beyond prosperitie as on this side it And that all vanitie is but the indulgence of the present time a minute begins continues ends it for it endures but the acting knowes no solace in the memorie In the fairest garden of delights there is somewhat quod in ipsis floribus angat that stings in the midst of all vaine contents In a word it is not momentany variable apt to eyther change or chance that hee desires but eternall saluation He seekes like Mary that better part which shall neuer be taken from him The wise mans minde is euer aboue the moone saith Seneca let the world make neuer so great a noise as if it all ran vppon Coaches and all those full of roarers yet all peace is there It is not sublunary vnder the wheele of changeable mortalitie that he wishes but saluation To be saued is simply the best plot beate your braines and breake your sleepes and wast your marrowes to be wealthy to be worthy for riches for honours plot studie contriue be as politicke as you can and then kisse the childe of your owne braines hugge your inuentions applaud your wittes doat vpon your aduancements or aduantagements yet all these are but dreames When you awake you shall confesse that to make sure your saluation was the best plot and no studie shall yeeld you comfort but what hath bin spent about it What should wee then doe but worke and pray worke sayth Paul Worke vp your saluation with feare and trembling and then pray with our Prophet Lord say to our soules thou art our saluation with comfort and reioycing THE SOVLES REFVGE 1. PET. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creator ATRVE Christians life is one daie of three meales and euery meale hath in it two Courses His first meale is Nascâ—… renasci to be borne a sinner to bee new-borne a Saint I was borne in iniquitie and in firme did my mother conceive me there is one Course Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God there is the other Course His second meale is Benè agere malè pati to doe well and to suffer ill Doe good vnto all but especially to those that are of the houshold of Faith ther 's one Course of Doing c All that liue godly in Christ Iâ—…sus shall suffer persecution there 's the other Course of Suffering His third meale is Morâ—… viuere to die a temporall death to liue an eternall life The first is his Break-fast and herein he is naturally Natus daâ—… borne in sinne and condemned for sinne spiritually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne againe in righteousnesse and iustified from sinne The last is his Supper wherein there is one bitter dish Death Statutum est omnibus semel mâ—…ri It is appoynted to all men to die once Omnibus semel plorisque bis to all once to many twice for there is a second death And that is truely a dâ—…th because it is mors vita the death of life the other rather a life for it is mors mâ—…rtis the death of death after which mors non erit vltra there shall be no more death Therefore rise that you may not fall rise now by a righteous life least you fall into an euerlasting death If the soule will not now rise the bodie shall one day bee raised and goe with the soule to Iudgement The second Course is incomparably sweet vinere post mortem to liue after death I say after death for a man mâ—…st die that hee may liue So that a good supper brings a good sleepe hee that liues well shall sleepe well Hee that now apprehends mercie mercie shall hereafter comprehend him Mercie is the vltimus 〈◊〉 no hope beâ—…nd
shall make them miserable that haue this preparation Agabus told Paul hauing first bound his hands and feet with his girdle Thus sayth the holy Ghost so shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle Hereupon the rest of the Saints besought him with teares not to goe vp to Ierusalem But obserue that blessed Apostles resolued answer Paratus sum I am readie What meane ye to weepe and to breake my heart I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus The account is past I am prepared Men that want this fore-resolution are like a secure citie that spends all her wealth in furnishing her chambers and furbishing her streets but le ts her bulwarkes fall to the ground Here is prouision for peace none for warre something for content of friends nothing for defence against enemies It is vsuall for young-men with wooden Wasters to learne how to play at the sharpe they are taught with foiles how to deale with points He is desperate that ventures on a single combate in the field and was neuer lesson'd at the Fence-schoole We shall be vnable to fight with euils themselues if we cannot well incounter their shadowes Mischiefes are like the Cocatrices eye If they see first they kill foreseene they die What our foresight takes from their power it addes to our owne it enervates their strength and corroborates ours For by this both they are made lesse able to hurt vs and we are more strong to resist them Since therefore we must passe through this fierie triall let vs first proue our strength in a gentle meditation as that martyr tryed his finger in the Candle before his bodie came to the fire 2. They must be made welcome when they are come Non vt hostes sed vt hospites admittendi They must not be entertained as enemies but as guests Their feete are beautifull that bring good tydings but crosses bring good newes They assure vs that we are no bastards If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sonnes But if you be without correction then are yee bastards Non timeas flagellari sed exhaeredari Feare not to be scourged but to be disinherited There is so much comfort in sorrow as makes all affliction to the elect Carmen in nocte a song in the night Aduersitie sends vs to Christ as the leprosie sent those Ten. Luk. 17. Prosperity makes vs turne our backes vpon Christ leaue him as health did those Nine Dauids sweetest songs were his lacrymae In misery he spared Saul his great aduersary in peace he killed Vriah his deare friend The wicked sing with Grashoppers in faire Weather but the faithfull in this like Sirens can sing in a storme It is a question whether the Sun or the Wind will first make a man throw off his cloke but by all consent the Sun will first vncloke him Imagine by the Sun the warme heate of prosperitie by the Wind the blustring cold of calamitie by the cloke Christs liuerie a sincere profession Now which of these will first vncase thee of thy zeale The boystrous wind makes a man gather his cloke closer about him the hote silent Sun makes him weary of so heauy a burden he soone does it off Secure plentie is the warme Sunne which causeth many to dis-cloke themselues cast off their zeale as it did Demas who left Christ to embrace this present world But the cold wind of afflictio gathers it vp closer to him teacheth him to be more zealous When a man cannot find peace vpon earth he quickly runs to heauen to seeke it Plutarch writes that Antigonus had in his armie a valiant souldiour but of a sickly bodie Antigonus observing his valour procured his Physitians to take him in hand and he was healed Now being sound he began to fight in some feare to keepe himselfe a good distance from danger no more venturing into the vanne or forlorne place of the battell Antigonus noting and wondring at this alteration asked him the cause of this new cowardice He answers O Antigonus thou art the cause Before I ventured nothing but a diseased corpes and then I chose rather to die quickly then to liue sickly I invited death to doe me a kindnes Now it is otherwise with me for I haue somewhat to loose A poore and afflicted life makes a man bold in his religio it is nothing to part with hunger thirst cold contempt But when prosperous fortunes flow vpon him he dares not sticke so constantly to Christ. Would you haue the rich Marchant find fault with Idolatrie stand to iustifie Gods truth No he hath somwhat to take to and although he ventures much he would be loath to bee a venturer in this Yet this somewhat is nothing in regard of what he looseth because he will not loose his riches Affliction sometimes makes an euill man good alwayes a good man better Crosses therefore doe not onely chalenge our patience but euen our thankes Thy soule is sicke these are thy Physicke Intelligat homâ—… Deum esse medicum sub medicamento positus vreris secaris clamas Non audit medicus ad voluntatem sed audit ad sanitatem Vnderstand God thy Physitian he ministers to thee a bitter but wholesome potion thy stomach abhors it thou lyest bound vnder his hand whiles he workes vppon thee thou cryest to be deliuered he heares thee not according to thy will but according to thy weale We are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Thou payest the Physitian of thy body though hee cannot heale thee wilt thou not thanke the Physitian of thy soule that hath healed thee The child cryes for the knife the parent knowes it can but hurt him though he weepe for it hee shall not haue it Such children are we to thinke God doth not vse vs kindly vnlesse he giue vs euery vanitie we affect In stead of these toyes that would make vs wanton God layes on vs the rod of correction to make vs sober Our flesh is displeased our soule is saued we haue no cause to complaine I come now from the Sufferance of the Saints to The Integritie of that Sufferance According to the will of God We haue sufferd enough except it be according to his will The manner commends the matter To goe no further this point is sufficiently directed by our Apostle Vers. 14. If ye bee reproached for the name of Christ happie are you for the Spirit of glorie resteth vpon you But let none of you suffer as an euill-doer For Chap. 2. 19. This is thanke-worthie if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully This our Sauiour taught vs. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake non qui patiuntur sed qui patiuntur propter iustitiam for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Non mortes sed mores faciunt martyres