Seneca epist 25. efficere mortem sibi familiarem to make death his companion and as his wife that should euer lye in his bosome that by the continuall sight of death he might be euer kept to abstaine from sinne for the couetous man might be the easier drawne to contemne the trash and trumperies of this vaine and transitorie world if hee did beleeue that hee should presently dye for so prophane Esau sayth Loe I die Facile contem nit omnia qui credit se cito moritâ—rum Hieron in ep ad Paulin Eccles 10. Incert autâ—r and what good will my Birth-right doe vnto me So the proud man would let fall his Peacocks feathers if he could thinke that hee is but dust and ashes and that when he dieth hee shall inherite wormes as the wise man sayth Omnia Caesar habet sed gloria Caesaris esse desinit tumulus vix erit octo pedum And that if he triumphed in his life like Caesar to bee the sole Monarch of the world yet would his glory soone fayle when death should locke him vp in his coffin and so of all other sinnes the frequent meditation of death is the onely preseruatiue against them For as one truely sayth of himselfe Quum recordor quod sum cinis Et quam citâ— venit finis Sine fine pertimesco Et vt cinis refrigesco When I thinke I am but dust And how soon to earth I must Bernard in carm Then incessantly I shake And as dust it doth me make So questionlesse if wee did continually thinke of death and fixe that fearefull day of Gods iust iudgement before our eyes it would bee a maruelous great meanes to deterre vs from all sinnes And as the meditation of death doth preuent sinne Bosq p. 12. de finibus honorum so it sweetneth death and makes it farre the lesse terrible vnto vs for if our eyes be dead and weaned from beholding vanities The frequent meditation of death is a great meanes to preserue vs from the feare of death our eares from hearing the Syrens songs of sinnefull pleasure and our hearts especially from the loue of vaine and worldly things then certainely they will not being thus mortified and accustomed with this death to sinne bee any whit afrayd of the death of the body which is the reward of sinne but as a horse that is to runne a race hauing often walked his way before is the more fearelesse to goe on when hee comes at the day of triall so the man that is acquainted with the wayes of death through the daily meditation of death is not afrayd to die when he seeth the day of his dissolution Palladius reports it that an Eremite being at the point to die his schollers and friends asked him if death did not seeme terrible vnto him hee smilingly answered that death was no stranger but a most familiar acquaintance to him it was his manuall and his vade mecum his table-booke which he alwayes carried about him and therefore dying he did but now repeate that his old lesson which hee had beene long in learning O that it were so with euery one of vs that throughout all our life wee would learne to die The application of Christs death is the onely cause that maketh vs happie after death Osee 13.14 that hauing made death present with vs before it comes it may neuer proue terrible vnto vs when it comes Of the third the Diuine veritie sayth that the chiefest cause the onely cause indeed of this different effect of death is the application of the death of Christ for it is he that saith O death I will be thy death O graue I will bee thy destruction and therefore as when Alexander ouerthrew the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised to build them vp againe if shee might ingraue vpon them this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander battered downe this Wall but Phryne built it vp againe so we may truely say that Eue threw downe these muddie walles of ours but Christ doth rayse them vp for though the wages of sinne are death Rom. 6.23 yet the grace of God brings eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And the manner how he doth deliuer vs and metamorphose death to become life vnto vs he himselfe doth shew when hee sayth if I be lift vp I will draw vp all vnto my selfe i. e. if I die I will destroy the power of death for so the Apostle sayth That forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood John 8.28 and C. 12.32 Heb. 2.14 15. he himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Deuill and deliuer them that through the feare of death were all their life time subiect vnto bondage 1 Machah 6.46 Iudges 16.30 and therefore as Eleazer by his owne death did put the great Elephat to death and Sampson by pulling downe the house vpon his owne head did put to death all the Philistines so Christ by his owne death did put the deuills Origen hom 8. in Iohan and all the powers of darkenesse vnto death and therefore Origen sayth that vpon the crosse of Christ two were crucified that is Christ and the deuill but after a diuers manner for Christ was crucified visibly and most willingly for hee layd downe his life himselfe but the deuill was crucified inuisibly and most vnwillingly Matth. 12.29 for this strong man armed was faine to bee bound before Christ could spoyle his house And the Lord speaking of his enemies and saying that hee would be vnto them as a Lion Ose 13.7 would obserue them as a Libbard in the way of Ashur doth foreshew vnto vs both the destruction and the manner of the destruction of these our spirituall enemies for in being like a Lion he sheweth their destruction and in being like a Libbard he sheweth the manner The manner how Christ by death ouercame death how hee would destroy them for it is obserued of the Libbard that he vseth this pollicie to kill those Apes that doe molest him first he lyeth downe as dead and suffereth the apes to mocke him and trample him and to insult ouer him as much as they will but when he perceiueth them to be wearied with leaping and skipping vpon him he reuines himselfe on a sudden and with his clawes and teeth he teareth them all to pieces euen so our Sauiour Christ suffered the deuill and death and all the wicked Iewes like apes to mocke him to tread him and trample him vnder feete to crucifie him to burie him to seale vp his graue and to haue armed Souldiers to watch him that hee should not rise any more and it may be to knocke him on the head againe if he sought to reuiue but when hee saw they had done their worst and that they could doe no more Psal 78.66.67 Hee waked as a giant out of
loue to thee is and shall be such and so much as I shall be possibly able to expresse Fourthly to make vs willing to suffer with Christ For the fourth Saint Bernard tells vs that in the Passion of Christ there are three things especially to be considered 1. The Worke. 2. The Manner 3. The Cause And he saith that Christ shewed first in the worke singular patience secondly in the manner admirable humility and thirdly in the cause inestimable charity and therefore if wee would truely honour God for the giuing of his Sonne wee must labour what we can to imitate Christ herein First In patience Quia crux non ad impotentiae documentum sed ad exemplum patientiae suscepta est Because as Saint Augustine saith the Crosse of Christ is as a Schoolemaster to teach patience vnto all Christians And so Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps That the sufferings of Christ is an example to teach vs how to suffer 1 Mac. 6.34 In the first of the Machabees and the sixt It is said that Antiochus being to fight with Iudas Captaine of the hoste of the Iewes He shewed vnto his Elephants the bloud of Grapes and Mulberies to prouoke them the better vnto the fight and so the Holy Ghost hath set downe vnto vs what iniuries what contumelies what torments our Sauiour Christ did beare and how patiently he did beare them to incourage vs to indure whatsoeuer calamnities shall betide vs during this our pilgrimage here on earth for we see our Sauiour Christ Sine peccato venit tamen sine flagello non exijt Though we doe all know that he came into the world without sinne yet you doe see he went not out of the world without sorrow without suffering and therefore Chrys in 27. Matth. Quae nobis erit contumelia post quam haec Christus passus est What if wee suffer reproaches pouerty shame death what matter what shame is that to vs seeing Christ hath suffered all those things for vs nay what a shame is it vnto vs if we will not be ready to suffer any thing for his Names sake that hath suffered so much for our sinnes But we must note that our suffering with Christ We suffer with Christ two manner of wayes is two wayes to be considered First What we voluntarily assume to be made like vnto Christ Secondly What is malitiously imposed and we patiently suffer for the Name of Christ In the first sense Saint Gregory tels vs that duobus modis crux tollitur aut cum per abstinentiam affligitur corpus aut cum per compassionem animi affligitur animus Wee take vp our crosse two manner of wayes either when through abstinence fastings 1 Cor. 9.27 watchings praying we bring our bodies vnto subiection that they bring not our soules vnto destruction That as members of the same body we should willingly suffer when we see others suffer or else through a compassionate fellow-feeling of others miseries we make our selues copartners with them in all distresses and therefore we should euer crucifie and mortifie all the inordinate lusts of our flesh all our wanton and lasciuious cogitations and we should with all diligence fight against them as they doe fight against our soules and as members of the same body we should all suffer inward griefe when we see any man indure outward paine In the second sense we ought patiently to suffer whatsoeuer God in his wisedome or men in their malice shall lay vpon vs and that not onely because we cannot auoide them but because we are contented to vndergoe them for if the minde resisteth when the body suffereth we rebell in what we can and we doe onely suffer what we cannot helpe and God respecteth not so much the sufferings of the Martyres though their torments were almost intollerable as their meeke patience in suffering and therefore it is noted in our Sauiour Christ Esay 53 7. That God respecteth our patience in suffering more then our suffering that he was carried as a Sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe that was dumbe and opened not his mouth to teach vs as Saint Gregory saith that it is not the sword or the flame that makes a Martyr but the patient and willing minde of him that suffereth any thing for the name and truth of Christ Quia sine ferro flamma Martyres esse possumus sine patientia non possumus Because wee may be Martyres without the paine of sword or stake Cyprian de duplici Martyrio but wee cannot be Martyres without patience though wee should suffer by the sword or be burned at the stake as Saint Cyprian doth most excellently declare And therefore seeing Christ hath suffered for vs and hath suffered for our example to teach vs how we should suffer for his sake That we shold be most ready and willing to suffer any thing for the Name of Christ though the world should rage and swell and lay vpon vs all the waight of miseries that it could heape vpon vs pouerty reproaches banishment imprisonment death it selfe or any kinde of death fire sword or whatsoeuer yet let vs patiently suffer whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs and let vs say with holy Iob Though the Lord should kill vs Iob 13.15 yet will we trust in him for seeing he suffered so much for vs to saue our soules from eternall death it were a shame if we should be vnwilling to suffer any thing for him and his truthes sake that it might be well with vs and our children for euer and that wee might haue for our selues eternall life Secondly Matth. 12.29 As we are to imitate Christ in patient suffering vnto death so we are to learne of him true humility to bee meeke and lowly in heart throughout all our life Thirdly We should imbrace that Queene of vertues Diuine charity that as Christ in loue That as Christ loued vs so we should loue him and loue one another for the loue of Christ and for the loue of man descended from Heauen and suffered all this for vs so we should for the loue of him suffer any thing rather then to swarue a nayles-bredth from him and doe what good wee can vnto all our neighbours for if we loue him we must needs loue one another And yet it is a lamentable thing to consider what strifes and contentions what hatred and heart-burning raigneth not onely betwixt the children of this world but also betwixt Christians in the Church of God I pray God we seeke not our owne rather the things that are Iesus Christs and make Religion to be a colour to make way for vs to execute our owne greedy mindes and desires to commit all wrong and oppression It was said of old when the Pope sent his Buls to fulfill his owne will that in nomine dei incipit omne malum
but I will by Gods helpe be euer ready with all my heart to suffer any thing for the Name of Iesus Christ and for the least iot of his truth But I doe much reioyce in that assured confidence which I haue that your Lordship will herein as well as in all other points of true piety be an heauenly shining light and president vnto all other circumstant and succeeding Bishops and other Patrons whatsoeuer and to that end my prayers shall euer continue for your Lordship And for you my most worthy friend and neuer to be forgotten Benefactor Sir Iohn Wynne I must because I may truely say of you with the Poet Ego te intus in cute noui I am so intimately and inwardly acquainted with your very heart affections most earnestly pray to God for your long continuance amongst vs not onely because of your continuall loue and fauours vnto me and mine but especially to be as you haue beene hitherto the chiefest pillar of ciuill gouernment the best relieuer of our poore and needy and the most apparant patterne of all good workes of piety and charity in all these parts wherein you liue and you haue not lost your reward for God hath blessed you and your Lady with many blessed children all fearing God I said enough though I could truely say much more hereof such a comfort that not many men haue the like and God renueth your yeares as the Eagles and I hope yet will adde vnto your dayes as he did vnto the dayes of Ezechias and yet this is nothing Quia merces tua apud Deum in respect of that great reward which you shall haue of God because that by continuance in well doing you shall be sure to haue glory and honour and immortality and therefore most worthy Knight as I beare witnesse of this truth which I haue seene and know of your Religious heart fearing God full of good so I say vnto you as Christ saith vnto the Church of Smyrna Goe on in your course of godlinesse and be faithfull vnto the death and you shall haue the Crowne of life when the Lord shall say vnto you Euge serue bone Well done thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy Amen Your Lordships and your Worships in all Christian seruice to be commanded GR. WILLIAMS To the Christian READER Deere and Christian Reader THe more grace any man receiueth from God the more thankefulnesse and seruice he oweth to God And I confesse God hath shewed me farre more then vsuall fauours which I assure my selfe he denyed to many farre more worthy of loue then I poore worme could any wayes thinke my selfe to be for he hath three times at least bestowed my life vpon me first in making me as he did all other men secondly in redeeming me as he doth all righteous men and thirdly in preseruing me from the hands of wicked men who though they gaue not any life vnto me yet induced by the malice of Hell and assisted by the subtilty of Satan did combine with a craftier cruelty then euer that I could finde the Arrian Bishops did against that innocent constant Athanasius to take away my feeble life for when the proud were risen vp against me Psal 86.14 and the congregation of naughty men had sought after my soule and compassed me on euery side Ecclus 51. so that there was no man to helpe me yet when I prayed vnto my God Vers 2. that he would not leaue me in the dayes of my trouble and in the time of the proud when I had none other help then did he awake as a Giant out of sleep and preserued my body from destruction Vers 3. he saued me from the mouth of the King of Lyons and according to the multitude of his mercies hee deliuered mee from the teeth of them that were ready to deuoure me and out of the hands of them that sought after my life Vers 7. yea he was so gracious vnto me that he left me not vntil mine eyes did see their desire vpon mine enemies not their destructiō which my soule desired they might neuer taste of and I pray God they desired the same themselues but their suppression so as they might neuer triumph in the miseries of Gods seruants nor trample the bloud of innocents vnder feet And therefore seeing God hath been so gracious vnto me I haue most constantly resolued by the assistance of his Spirit not onely to praise his Name for his goodnesse and to tell what he hath done for my soule but also to dedicate my whole life wholly to his seruice to despise the vanities of this life to abandon all the pleasures of this world to be carelesse of all earthly things * Quae possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant but what may make in ordine ad deum to helpe me the better to serue my God and with Iohn Baptist to consume my life in the preaching and penning of Gods Word and maugre all the malice of the proudest Prelates in the world to speake the truth as my conscience tels me though my wife and children should all begge and my body be burned for the same I will neuer count my life deare vnto me to spend it in his seruice that so often gaue it me And because I desired to doe that which I thought best for the edifying of Gods Church I haue applied my selfe to treate of these ensuing theames which doe containe the chiefest points and the most necessary grounds of all Christian Religion for besides my naturall inclination euer tending rather to pacification then contention I thinke we haue more neede of fundamentall instructions which are necessary for all men then of any controuersiall positions which may satisfie some men that perhaps desire rather to informe their iudgement then to reforme their manners And in the handling of them I haue intermingled the positiue declaration of the truth in a scholasticke forme with a forcible application of the same vnto our soules for the framing of our liues to make vse of what wee learne for I approue not so well the handling of Gods word with too slender inforcement of the same vnto our consciences as the schoolemen did their too much addicted followers vse to doe nor yet meerely to stand vpon exhortations with too slight expounding the most principle grounds of Religion which I feare to be the fault of too many amongst vs And therefore the one being but as a foundation without roofe and the other as a building on the sand or in the ayre vpon reeden pillars I haue euer adiudged it the best course to knit both together to make both a perfect buiding If I haue done well it is that which I desired but if I haue done slenderly it is that I could attaine vnto Aug. proaem l. 3. de Trinit And therefore I will be euer of that Fathers minde which in all his workes and
both Body and Soule not that the Soule begetteth a Soule That man and all other creatures receaued power to produce creatures like vnto themselues Totum generat totum hoc est corpus generat corpus mediante anima anima generat animam mediante corpore Psal 51.5 or the Body begetteth a spirit but that as all other creatures receiued power from God to produce creatures like vnto themselues as the seede of the vegetatiue to bring forth vegetatiue creatures and the sensible sensible creatures so man consisting both of Body and Soule should beget a creature like vnto himselfe consisting of the same parts for otherwise sinne must needes bee in the body before the Soule be infused for if the schoole of the naturalists be to be belieued the Soule is not infused into the Body vntill the thirtieth as some or fortieth day as some affirme and yet the Psalmist saith that he was conceiued in sinne therefore both Body and Soule were both conceiued at once or else corruption was in the Body before the infusion of the Soule and this liuing Soule by this dead flesh must needes be defiled which is most absurd for as Saint Augustine sayth of Adam It was not his corruptible flesh which made his Soule to become sinnefull but his sinnefull Soule made his flesh subiect to corruption so it must needes be in the sonnes of Adam Gene. 5.3 that not our flesh corrupts our Soules but both body and soule are conceiued in sinne both produced of sinfull seede and so sinne principally resides in the Soule and not in the Body because the Soule giues life and motion vnto the flesh hence it is that Adam hauing defiled both his Body and Soule is sayd to haue begot a childe in his owne image i. e. sinfull and polluted like himselfe both in regard of his body and Soule Bosquierus de finibus bonorum lib. 1. con 6. p. 27. Nam Adam vt persona publica sibi ac suis aut sapiebat aut delirabat for now Adam standing in paradise a publique person as I told you before was to make or to marre himselfe and all his posteritie and therefore if this roote had continued holy the branches had beene likewise holy but the tree prouing to be euill Rom. 11. the fruit could not possibly be good Math. 7.18 for a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit sayth our Sauiour and therefore Adam sinning all his seede are become sinnefull all his ofspring tanquam serie continuata as in a continued line doe like corrupted branches of a rotten tree bring forth still corrupted fruits and so make all their generation so soone as they are begotten liable to the curse of God for that first transgression for the reward of sinne is death and the Prophet Dauid sayeth Psal 51.2 hee was shapen in wickednesse and conceaued in sinne Iohn 3.6 and our Sauiour sayth that which is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. he that is borne of a sinnefull man can be nothing else but a sinnefull man That Gods graces are not traduced from the best parents not that a godly man begets a godly man for the graces of Gods spirit are not begotten in our carnall generation but they are giuen from aboue in our spirituall regeneration and a man begets his childe not as he is spirituall but as hee is a creature consisting of body and soule and therefore whosoeuer is borne of flesh and blood must needes be tainted and corrupted with sinne and wickednesse for flesh heere is not taken pro natura carnis sed pro vitiosa qualitate totius hominis for the single nature of flesh but for the corrupted qualitie of the whole man as Saint Paul excellently sheweth when hee sayth in my flesh dwelleth no goodnesse Rom. 7.8 i. e. in the corrupted nature of a naturall man there is no grace there is no goodnesse And therefore hoc virus paternum this hereditarie poyson as Paulinus calleth it What we learne from this doctrine this our originall sinne that is inbred in euery man since the fall of the first man may sufficiently serue to teach vs. First to iustifie God First to iustifie God for inflicting death vpon euery man though man should doe nothing else to procure his death quia damnati antequam nati because euery one is guilty of this sinne and therefore of death before hee commeth to this present life for the reward of sinne is death and therefore the death of children and infants that haue done no actuall sinne doth proue them tainted with this sinne because death cannot be iustly inflicted vpon those that are no wayes infected with sinne for the reward of sinne is death but you see they are subiect vnto death and therefore you may know they are tainted with sinne Secondly Secondly to be humbled this may serue to teach all those that stand so much vpon the honour and dignity of their naturall birth to consider whâ—t they are and what they haue thereby a sinnefull corrupted and contagious being children of wrath subiects to death slaues of damnation be they Kings Princes Nobles what you will this is all they haue or can haue by their naturall birth Iohn 3.6 for whatsoeuer is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. all things that parents can conuaye vnto their children is but a corrupted natural being yea though the parties should be sanctified themselues and thereby procure their children to bee receiued and reputed members of the visible Church before men yet can they not infuse Grace Perkins in Jud. 1. nor produce sanctified children in the sight of God For though we reade of some that were sanctified in their Mothers wombe as Ieremie Iohn Baptist and the like Ier. 1.5 yet this sanctifying grace was infused by God and not traduced from their parents Luke 1.44 and therefore this should make all men to be of an humble spirit and to reioyce more in their second birth in the Baptisme that they haue receiued it may bee by the hands of some meane Minister and their begetting vnto the faith of Christ by the preaching of the word of God then in all that glory and excellencie that they haue gotten from their naturall parents for they did but make vs Men these must make vs Christian men And thus you see that by the guilt of Adams sinne euery childe of Adam deserues eternall death before he comes to this present life But because we would be sure enough of death wee will hasten it and draw it on as it were with cart-ropes throughout all our life and we will not haue it sayd Ezech. 18.2 our fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge or that Adam sinned we are punished nam errauimus cum patribus for we haue sinned wil sinne with our fathers more then our fathers we will drinke iniquity like water and adde vnto our originall corruption
thy sake CHAP. II. How euery sinne slayeth the soule AS sinne brings a curse vpon all creatures How sinne brought on man a treble death so it brings death vpon all men for the reward of sinne is death and we finde this death to bee three fold 1. A spirituall death of the Soule within the Body 2. A corporall death of the Body by continuall castigation of the same throughout all our life and a finall seperation from the soule at the end of our life 3. An eternall death both of Body and Soule in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone foreuermore The first is set downe in the 8. of Matth. 22. Chrysost hom 11. in c. 6. ad rom Where our Sauiour sayth Let the dead bury their dead i. e. Let those that are spiritually dead in trespasses sinnes as the Apostle sayth burie those that are naturally dead to shew that a sinners body is but the breathing Sepulchre of his sinnefull soule and therfore the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 14.5 Rom. 3.13 that their throat is an open Sepulchre which yeelds a more loathsome sent vnto the nostrils of God from the corrupted putrified soule then any graue can yeeld vnto the nostrils of man from all its rotten carkases The second is set downe in the 11. of Iohn the 39. John 11.39 where Martha sayth her brother Lazarus was dead and stinked i. e. depriued of the fruition of the soule and therefore loathsome to bee seene and more loathsome to bee smell for experience sheweth vs that how sweete soeuer we be in our life and how soft and tender soeuer our flesh bee most amiably complexioned with that fresh and liuely blood which be deckes the same with the fairest colours and glides vp and downe in siluer veynes yet are the best of these sweetest Ladies but most loathsome stinking carrions within a short space after death all flesh being subiect to corruption Luke 16.24 The third is set downe in the 16. of Luke 24. where Diues being in torments prayeth vnto Abraham to shew that he had a soule and desireth a drop of water to coole his tongue to prooue that he had a body But to speake of these three more fully First Wee must vnderstand that the spirituall death of the soule is two-fold 1. Mori peccatis to die to sinne 2. Mori in Peccatis to die in sinne Macrob. c. 1. in som scip 13. For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole studie and life of the Philosopher was nothing else but a commentary Hieron ad Heliod ex Platone in Phaedone or preparation for death saith Macrobius Nam mori dicimur cum anima adhuc in corpore constituta corporeas illecebras contemnit for he may bee truely sayd to die whose soule still remayning within the body doth notwithstanding contemne and abstaine from all fleshly delights And this was aymed at by the Philosophers but it was onely attained vnto by the true Christians What it is to die to sinne for they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh and haue mortified the lusts of the same sayth the Apostle these haue eares and heare not the Sirenian notes of sinne nor the flattering suggestions of Satan they haue eyes and see not the alluring vanities of this world any wayes worthy to bee desired for I haue made a couenant with mine eyes Job 31. that they should not looke that is vnlawfully or with any lasciuious desire vpon a maide sayth holy Iob and I sayd I would take heed vnto my wayes sayth the Prophet Dauid that I offend not in my tongue Psal 39.1 and therefore as the Apostle sayth they vse the world as though they vsed it not To die to sinne is a punishment for sinne And although this death be good the onely way to bring vs vnto a better life for hee that will not die before he dieth shall neuer liue when hee dieth yet is this the reward of sinne for had it not beene for sinne we had not needed to take this care and payne Cyprian de duplici Martyrio to fight against our selues yea to Martyr and mortifie our own flesh by chastening our owne bodies to bring them to subiection least we should prooue to be cast-awayes as the Apostle speaketh and therefore the chastisements of the Saints are the punishments of their sinnes For the second to die in sinne What it is to die in sinne is when God forsaketh a sinnefull soule and suffereth the same to lye and die in her transgressions for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule sayth Saint Augustine Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 21. Matth. 4.4 And therefore all those that liue by bread onely and not by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God i. e. which liue the life of nature and not the life of grace they are like those wanton widdowes whereof the Apostle sayth 1 Tim. 5.6 that they are dead while they liue for though the soule be truely immortall yet it hath a kind of death sayth Saint Augustine and that is when God forsaketh the same for sinne and what a heauy case is this Plangis corpus quod deserit anima non plangis animam quam deserit Deus We bewaile the body when the soule is parted and shall wee not bewayle the soule which God hath forsaken sayth Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine being as then a Manichee and reading the Hystorie of Aeneas and Queene Dido A most excellent consideration of Saint Augustine did weepe as himselfe confesseth when hee came to the death of Dido and therefore after that he was conuerted hee most diuinely sayth ô me miserum c. O wretched man that I was that would bewaile the death of Dido forsaken of Aeneas and did not bewaile the death of mine owne soule forsaken of God so we many times doe weepe for the death of our friends but doe neuer weepe for the death of our owne soules They may say vnto vs as Christ sayd to the daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for vs but weepe for your selues Luke 23.28 and for your owne soules that are dead in sinnes for euery one of vs may say with the poet Atque vtinam lugenda tibi non vita Repentance is the onely meanes to reuiue our dying soules sed esset mors mea Our life is a great deale more worthy to bee bewailed then our deâ—th in as much as the death of the soule is a great deale more lamentable then the death of the body But as wee haue no other remedie for the death of our friends but onely teares Est quadam flere voluptas Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor for this is a great ease vnto the afflicted heart and a kinde of comfort vnto the sorrowfull soule so we haue none other helpe for the death of our soules but onely teares Saepe per has
sleepe and smote all his enemies vpon the cheeke bone and brought them vnto perpetuall shame and as the Apostle sayth Collos 2.15 hee spoyled principalities and powers and led away captiuitie captiue Ephes 4.8 and receiued gifts for men And therefore as many as lay hold vpon this death of Christ they need not feare their owne death for they may say with the Phenix Moritur me moriente senectus Sinne and misery dieth in vs but wee doe still liue with Christ And therefore Saint Cyprian sayth that Cyprian de mortalitate eius est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire it is enough for them to feare death which will not beleeue in Christ his death John 11.26 for hee that beleeueth in him shall neuer die but they that will not beleeue in him may well feare and tremble at the remembrance of this death because after death comes iudgement and then shall they feele another death which is eternall death for the reward of sinne is death that is indeed eternall death in hell Marke 9.44 where their worme dieth not and their fire is not quenched CHAP. VI. How sinne brings eternall death both of Body and Soule THirdly Touching eternall death wee must vnderstand What eternall death is that this is a separation of man from God which is paena damni the losse of eternall happinesse a losse farre exceeding the losse of all the world and an allegation of a damned soule in a tormented body non viuendâ— sed dolendi causa not to giue any comfort of life or ioy but to giue the true sence and feeling of eternall death and sorrow which is paena sensus the payne of feeling and suffering the greatest paynes that can be conceiued for when the wicked are called by God to be adiudged for sinne they shall bee condemned by Christ Of the intollerable paynes of hell and then caried by the deuils into euerlasting torments into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euermore and there their musicke shall be horrors and howlings their meate shall be balls of fire and their drinke shall be fountaines of teares alwayes distilling downe from their eyes and yet neuer procuring them any ease there their torments shall be intollerable their times endlesse and their companions deuils for so Saint Augustine sayth August ser 55. de tempore that in inferno nec tortores deficiant nec miseri torti moriantur sed per milia milia annorum cruciandi nec tamen in secula liberandi in hell neither the cruell tormenters shall be wanting nor the miserably tormented shall bee eased but for thousand thousands of yeares bee plagued and neuer thence to bee deliuered Isidorus de summo bono and as Isidorus sayth Ibi erit semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit there shall bee a will neuer satisfied and a nille neuer gratified neuer inioying the ease they would and euer suffering the paynes they would not And if we diue into the depth of that dolefull tragedie of miserable Diues wee shall see this trueth fully confirmed for as the Scripture sheweth that here iudgement shall be without mercy and that euery one shall receiue his punishment in waite and measure according to the measure of their sinnes so wee find it true it him who as hee denied the crumbes of bread to poore Lazarus so is he now denied the least drop of water to coole his burning tongue How the least comfort shall be denied vnto the damned and the least dramme of mercy to refresh his poore distressed soule quis talia fando sustinet a lachrymis Who can indure to dwell in deuouring flames and yet behold this is the reward of sinne for the wages of sinne is death Oh then A most earnest perswasion to forsake sinne beloued brethren seeing euery sinne slayeth the soule within the body corrupteth the body in the graue and eternally tormenteth both the body and soule in hell let vs hate and detest all sinnes for though wee reade of many tyrants Nero Phalaris Caligula Heliagabalus and such like that were carniuorants and blood-thirsty men sauage beasts in the shapes of men delighting themselues onely in blood cruelties yet we neuer reade of such a tyrant as Sinne for the blood of death would quench these mens rage but no payne no death but eternall death a death that neuer dieth and a paine that neuer endeth will satisfie this tyrant Sinne. This is the deceit of sinne as the Poet sayd of Venus Laeta venire Venus tristis abire solet To present pleasure or profit vnto our eyes but assoone as ouer the sinne is done to deale with vs 2 Sam. 13.18 as Ammon did by Thamar thrust her out and hate her wound our conscience and destroy our soules And therefore once againe I beseech you let vs forsake our sinnes let vs leaue our drinking our swaggering and our swearing and instead of by God by God and more fearefull oathes which I am afraid to name at euery word which is the most odious yet most carelesse custome both of Court and Countrey let vs say in truth in truth the words are as easie and they will bring more ease vnto our soules for swearing graceth not your speech but disgraceth you and dishonoureth God and therefore one day you must greatly repent you of it or you shall fearefully die for it and I beseech you pardon mee for speaking it for it is my dutie that I owe you and it would bee my destruction if I did conceale it from you Clemens l. 1. recog as S. Clemens sayth in the like case and I desire not so much with Aristotle my God of Heauen is my witnesse that I lie not to bee deemed a great Scholler as with Gregorie Nazianzen to bee indeed an honest man to liue as I teach and to discharge my duety in reprouing sinne rather then to shew my knowledge in any Science and therefore I humbly intreate you all to giue me leaue to beseech you to leaue your sinnes and because wee cannot quite forsake them to confesse them and to bee ashamed of them John 1.19 for if we confesse our sinnes God is mercifull and iust to forgiue vs all our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse But the deuill cannot indure that we should confesse them least God should thereby forgiue them and therefore as he perswadeth vs euer to commit them so he perswadeth vs euer to conceale them and neuer to confesse them For I read that on a time a sinner being at confession That the deuill cannot indure wee should confesse our sinnes the deuill intruded himselfe and came to him and being demaunded by the Priest wherefore he came in he answered to make restitution and being asked what he would restore hee sayd shame for this sayth hee I haue stollen from this sinner to make him shamelesse in sinning and
now I come to restore it to make him ashamed to confesse his sinnes And surely thus hee deales with vs all hee makes vs shamelesse to commit all sinnes euen with Absolon in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 and in the sight of the Sunne but he makes vs ashamed to confesse any sinne But if wee feare this punishment of sinne all miseries in this life death shortning life and eternall torments after death and would bee deliuered from it then let vs not make the Ministers afrayde to reproue our sinnes nor be our selues ashamed to confesse our sinnes for as the first degree of righteousnesse is not to sinne so the second is to acknowledge and forsake our sinnes If we had not sinned we had not died and if we doe acknowledge and forsake them we shall receiue no dammage by death but if we continue in sinne we shall die and we shall iustly die for the reward of sinne is death And so I come to the third part which is the equitie of this reward because death is the wages of sinne PART III. The equity of this payment Death is the stipend of Sinne. Part. 3. CHAP. I. How iust a thing it is to punish Sinne. The reward of Sinne is Death YOu haue heard of a world of miseries that are inflicted on man for sinne here in this life you haue heard of eternall death and intollerable torments for euer and euer that shall be inflicted on sinfull soules in the future life and now it resteth that I should shew the equity of this punishment how iust it is with God to render all this on man for sinne and therefore that I may the more fully cleere this point Three points to be considered to shew the equity of the punishment of sinne I must desire you to consider these three especiall things 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish it 3. That this punishment which God imposeth and inflicteth for sinne is most right and iust First there is nothing in the world Cicero de nat deorum l. 1. saith Cicero more agreeable to reason then that true and honest labour should bee commended and rewarded and the vices of men should be seuerely punished according to their iust desert for it is vnpossible saith he that either house or Common-wealth should stand Si in ea nec rectè factis proemia extant vlla Idem l. 3 de nat deor nec supplicia peccatis if there be not in the same both rewards for good deeds and punishments for sinnes and therefore Solon being demanded what was most profitable for the well-fare of a Common-wealth said Si boni proemijs innitantur mali paenis coercentur Stobaeus ser 41. to defend and reward the good and to restraine and punish the bad and M. Cato saith that there is nothing more pernicious vnto any state Plutarch in Apoth Quam si improborum mores paena non coerceantur then to suffer wicked men to goe away vnpunished and therefore he would haue those Magistrates that did not punish the impieties of the wicked and dissolute fellowes Non tantum non ferendos The Law of Nature teacheth that sinne should be punished sed lapidihus obruendos not onely not to be suffered but to be stoned with stones to death and so the Lawes of all Nations doe prouide that good and vertuous deeds should be rewarded and euill deeds should be punished for wee finde it very true by experience that impunitas delicti inuitat homines ad malignandum To forbeare the punishment of sinne doth increase the number of sinners Prou. 17 15. because punishment is deferred the hearts of the children of men are euen set to doe euill and therefore God himselfe doth say that whosoeuer iustifieth the wicked is a like culpable before him as if he had condemned the innocent and Saint Ambrose tels vs plainely that it is sometimes miserecordia punire crudelitas parcere a pious work to punish and a cruelty for to spare for this doth not onely incourage sinners to goe on from one wickednesse to another but it is an ill patterne and a great prouokement to draw others to doe the like and therefore wee may well conclude this first point that it is a most iust thing to punish sinnes and offences CHAP. II. How God is the iustest Iudge to punish Sinne. SEcondly that God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sin it appereth by these 3. reasons God loueth righteousnesse Psal 45.7.8 Heb. ◠9 First because he loueth righteousnesse For it is the propertie of a iust Iudge not onely to iudge righteously to iustifie the innocent and to punish the offenders but also to loue righteousnesse and to hate iniquitie but of God the Prophet saith Psal 5.5 Thy throne O God is for euer and euer thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe thou hatest all those that worke vanitie Secondly because he iudgeth without any respect of persons God is no respecter of persons for this is one of the chiefest properties of a righteous Iudge to iudge according to the equitie of the cause and according to the quality of the person and therefore Iethro Iehosophat Exod. 18.21 and others doe make this not respecting of persons 2 Chron 19 7. to be one of the essentiall properties of a righteous Iudge Prou 24.23 1 Sam. 6.7 Act. 10 33. Gal. 1.6 Psal 50.10 Psal 149 8. Deut. 26.7 but with God there is no respect of persons for he will not be corrupted with the reward of the rich for all the beasts of the Forrest are his and so are all the cattell vpon a thousand hills he will not be terrified for feare of the mighty for he will binde Kings in fetters and Nobles in linkes of iron neither is he angred or molested with the incessant complaynings of the poore but he will heare their cry Psal 145.19 and will helpe them Psal 145.19 Indeed with men it is a common practise With men we finde Iustice often peruerted to haue our lawes like a spiders webbe wherein the little flies are catcht and the great buzzing bumble bees doe easily passe through and therefore it is truely said of mans Law That Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas It spares the rich but spoiles the poore But Gods law is rete Vulcanium like Vulcans iron net That God is most iust which apprehends and condemnes all alike for if the greatest men hurt the poorest and those poore men cry vnto me saith the Lord I will heare them that is to helpe the oppressed and to punish the wrong doer and therefore Moses saith of him Deut. 10.17 that he is a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no person nor taketh reward but
and then gaue them to vs Per manus eorum By the hands of them which brought them vnto vs for he is the giuer of euery good and perfect gift Iames 1.17 and all other things are but the instruments whereby hee conuayes and sends those gifts vnto vs 1 Cor. 9.7 And therefore why should we not wholly dedicate our selues and ours vnto the seruice of God For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruits thereof And yet God may iustly say of vs Filios enutriui Esay 1.2 I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue despised me for though he made man and made all things for man yet cannot all these things make man to serue him as he ought to doe but that euery one of vs will follow after the lusts and concupiscence of his owne flesh which as the Poet saith Et nocitura placet placitura nocet Doth euen wound vs when it most delighteth vs. Thirdly seeing God giueth being vnto all his promises Psal 146.4 and keepeth his promise for euer as he hath done already in sending a Ioshua to giue the Land of Canaan vnto the Israelites and especially in sending Iesus Christ to giue eternall life vnto all beleeuers And that dicta Iehouae sunt dicta pura The words of the Lord are pure words That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 2 Pet. 2.4 Wee should expectare impâ—â— aâ— â—em neuer doubt of the performance of Gods promises nor say with those incredulous Athiests in the second of Peter 2.4 Where is the promise of his comming But we should beleeue them to be as sure and as certaine as if they were already accomplished For he is Iehoua that will giue them their being in their appointed time Matth. 24 3â— Heauen and Earth shall passe away but his Word shall not passe That shall be surely accomplished CHAP. IV. Of the word LORD and how many wayes it is taken and of the reasons to perswade vs to serue him I Might now passe vnto the second part but that the translating of this word Iehoua by our last Translators into the word Lord for so we reade it The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious c. must here stay me a while For searching into the reason why Iehoua should be translated Lord Why Iehoua is translated Lord. I found that the seauenty Interpreters doe translate it so in euery place and that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued signifieth I am which is the same in effect as Iehoua and also because he is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord of any thing Qui plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eadem rem habet Which hath full right and a most absolute authority ouer the same thing for Dominus primo dicebatur à domo He was at the first called Lord which was the Master of the House and had full right and authority ouer all the Houshold and wee finde that none but God alone can simply and absolutely say that he hath full right and authority ouer any thing in the World because he onely is the Maker and preseruer of all things and of euery thing Polanus Syntag. l. 2. c. 6. and therefore all other Lords are but Lords vnder him and from him and he onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of himselfe and so indeede Lord of Lords And in this respect we finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord and Iehoua to be equiualent and to fall into the same thing That God onely is an absolute Lord. Tertul. in Apol. c. 34. Lamprid. in Alex Seuer and therefore Augustus the first founder of the Roman Empire refused to be called Lord and so did Alexander Seuerus and diuers others because they thought the name of Lord to be too high a title for so meane Creatures as they knew themselues to be But we distinguish betwixt a Lord simply and a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some respect In the first sence none is Lord but God alone and therefore in this respect our Sauiour saith Be not you called Lords but In the second sence Dicam plane imperatoreâ—â— Dominum Tertul. quo sup saith Tertullian I may and will call the Emperor Lord and so saith Obadiah vnto the Prophet Elias Art not thou my Lord Elias 1 Reg 18.7 Because God which gaue them their rule and dominion in his stead hath also innobled them with his own names Et ego dixi dij estis And I my selfe saith God haue called you gods Psal 82.6 and haue giuen these names vnto you to be called Gods and so Lords And yet they should remember Saint Peters rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to Lord it so as to ouer-rule Gods people or as Saint Augustine saith Non dominandi superbia sed officio consulendi Not for the loue of Soueraignty but in a desire to doe them good and to imitate God himselfe Parcere subiectis debellare superbos To defend and helpe the innocent and to punish the wrong doer And so you see how Iehoua is rightly translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord because truely and absolutely hee alone is Lord of all things as the sole giuer of their being That we should feare and serue our Lord. Malach. 1.6 Psal 24.2 and preseruer of them in that being And this should incite vs to feare and to serue this our Lord for Si Dominus vbi timor If I am a Lord where is my feare The Prophet Dauid saith that the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is because he hath founded it vpon the Seas and prepared and established it vpon the flouds And so this Iehoua is our Lord because he made vs and hath giuen vs our very being and yet wee finde that hee is our Lord in a more excellent respect for as those Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 19. c. 15. which by right of warre might iustly be put to death and yet were redeemed and preserued aliue were called seruants and those that redeemed them were called their Lords so are we called Gods Seruants and he our Lord not onely because he made vs but also because when we might haue beene iustly put to eternall death for our sinnes we were redeemed and saued by the death of Iesus Christ And in this respect we finde that although the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost be each one of them our Lord as our Creator and the giuer of our Being yet is Christ generally and most commonly throughout all the New Testament called our Lord as if this name were now wholly and solely to be appropriated vnto him Why Christ is most properly called Lord. because he is our sole Sauiour and Redeemer And therefore seeing the very name of a Seruant doth include seruitium a seruice to be performed vnto our Lord and Sauiour
and wouldest be adorned with the best robes of vertue Christ is the garment of righteouâ—nesse And if thou doest put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13 14. as Saint Paul aduiseth thee then all thy garments will smell of Myrhe Aloes and Cassia it will be like the smell of a pleasant field Gen. 27.27 which the Lord hath blessed or whatsoeuer thou wantest and wouldest haue thou mayest fully and freely haue the same from him Vita ab errore gratia à peccato mors à morte liberabit His life will preserue thee from error if thou wilt follow it his grace will free thee from sinne if thou wilt receiue it and his death will deliuer thee from eternall death if thou wilt beleeue in it And if thou be simple he is thy wisedome if thou be sinnefull he is thy righteousnesse if thou wouldest be holy he is thy sanctification if thou beest the slaue of hell and held captiue by the Diuell Ephes 4.8 he is thy redemption that hath ledde captiuity captiue And to comprehend all in a word This word is All in all Vt qui omnia propter Christum demittit vnum inueniat pro omnibus Christum That he which forsaketh all for Christ his sake might finde all in Christ and Christ in stead of all farre better then all vnto his soule And so might ioyfully sing with the Psalmist The Lord is my portion and I haue a goodly heritage the Lord is my Shepheard and therefore I can want nothing For Psal 23.1 as Seneca said vnto Polibius Fas tibi non est saluo Caesare de fortuna conquaeri quia hoc incolumi nihil per didisti It is not fit for thee to complaine of Fortune for want or pouerty or any other aduersitie so long as thou hast the fauour of Caesar Nam in hoc pro omnibus hic tibi omnia est ideo non tantum siccos sed laetos oculos esse oportet and him so friendly vnto thee for that hauing him thou hast lost nothing which thou canst not soone and easily recouer againe because he and his loue is better then all things vnto thee and therefore thou shouldest more reioyce in hauing him then grieue for the leesing of all things else Euen so may I farre better say the same vnto all Christians What matter though we want or leese all the things of this World if wee haue and enioy Iesus Christ for all the accessions and accumulations of worldly things can adde nothing vnto the felicity of a Christian and all the defects or wants of the same things can detract nothing from the happinesse of him that hath Iesus Christ for whosoeuer hath him hath all things and whosoeuer wanteth him hath nothing For All our knowledge is but heathenish Science All the things of this World without Christ will auaile vs nothing Iohn 14.6 able to make vs proud not to make vs happy If this word be not Obiectum adaequatum The chiefest yea and sole obiect of the same all our faith in God is but vngrounded confidence if it be not grounded vpon this word for No man commeth vnto the Father but by me All our righteousnesse is but as Pollutio panni Menstruous cloutes if it be not washed in the bloud of this word For 1 John 1.7 It is the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne And all our patience temperance chastity and all other vertues that either Nature planted or education effected in vs are but Splendida peccata Glittering guilded sinnes vnacceptable vnto God and vnprofitable vnto our selues able to make vs prouder not better if they be not guided by the grace and directed to the glory of this euerlasting Word For as the Bird cannot flye without her wings nor the body moue without the soule so no more can any man doe any thing that is good and acceptable vnto God without the helpe of this heauenly Word For Without me you can doe nothing saith our Sauiour Christ but in him God is well pleased John 15.5 Philip. 4.13 not onely with himselfe but also with all vs and through him We can doe all things as the Apostle saith And therefore as Duke Ioab when hee had fought the field and got the vpper hand of his enemies did send for Dauid to carry away the credit of the victory so the Prophets the Apostles and all the holy men of God in all their heauenly words miraculous workes That if there be any goodnesse in vs wee should ascribe the glory of it to Iesus Christ paines and preachings would neuer suffer any part or parcell of the credit to rest vpon themselues but did most forcibly repell it and most faithfully acknowledge it all to belong vnto this Omnipotent Word So Saint Peter after the healing of the poore lame Cripple said vnto the people when he saw them ready to adore them for so admirable a miracle Why looke you so earnestly on vs Acts 2.12.16 as though by our owne power or holinesse we had made this man to walke No no it is not so but it is The Name of Iesus Christ and our faith in his Name that made him perfectly whole i. e. He is the Author we are the Instruments and our faith is the meanes whereby this man receiued strength and therefore doe not you ascribe the honour of this worke vnto any of vs which of our selues can doe nothing but ascribe it vnto the Name of that Almighty Word which of himselfe can doe all things So Saint Paul after he had said that he had laboured more then all the rest of the Apostles least any man should thinke that he did assume the honour of that diligence vnto himselfe and not ascribe the same vnto Christ he presently addeth and yet it was not I that did it but the grace of God which was in me And so all the Saints of God after all their voluminous and laborious workes they conclude all with Laus Christo Let all the prayse be giuen to Christ And as they referred all the honour of their owne actions vnto Christ because they were all done by the grace and power of Christ so did they desire nothing in the World but Christ They forsooke all Math. 19.27 The Saints desired nothing but Iesus Christ and followed him and still cryed vnto him with Saint Augustine Da mihite Domine Take away all from vs and spare not so thou giue thy selfe vnto vs that leesing all we may leese nothing at all because we gaine thee which art the greatest gaine in the World So Saint Paul saith He trampled his owne righteousnesse and all his owne goodnesse vnderfeete Phil 3.8 that he might finde the righteousnesse of Christ he deemed all the riches and all the other things of this World but as dung and drosse 1 Cor. 22. and losse vntâ— him that he might gaine Iesus Christ and he desired to vnderstand nothing to know nothing
Cantic quem pro nobis bibit nothing in the world makes Christ to be loued of vs more then that Cup which he hath drunke vp for vs. Quia amor amoris magnes durus est qui amorem non rependit Because loue is as a loadstone to draw loue againe and greater loue then this hath no man that a man should giue his life for his friends and therefore the remembrance of this cannot choose but cause vs to loue him againe Euripides in Alceste It is reported subeuntem fata mariti Alcesten that Alcestes was contented to vndergoe the destinies of her husband for when Apollo had obtained of the Fates to spare Admetus life if any one of his friends or kindred would willingly die for him and that all his friends refused the same his wife Alcestes redeemed his life with her owne death So was Pythias ready to die for Damon and Damon likewise for Pythias and so the Codri for the Athenians and the Curtij for the Romans did willingly giue themselues to die Sic fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit And surely these are arguments of great loue yet farre farre short of the loue of Christ For First these did it for them that loued them as much Lactant. institut l. 5. c. 18. and were as ready to doe as much for them againe but Christ did it for vs when we were his enemies Rom. 5.8 Secondly these owed so much vnto their friends and countrey for in that they were they were from these and whatsoeuer they had they had from them and therefore Cicero l. 1 offic Partem ortus nostri patria partem patres sibi vendicant Our Country our friends and our parents doe rightly challenge no small part of euery man saith Cicero and as Lucan saith Haec duri immota Catonis Lucan l. 2. secta fuit Nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo It was Cato's mind that he was not borne for himselfe but to doe what good he could to others but Christ oweth vs nothing he is a debter to no man for who hath first giuen vnto him Rom. 5 8. and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe And therefore seeing the loue of Christ to vs was so great as when we deserued no good at his hands but deserued so much euill as is due to mortall and perfidious enemies to suffer so many things for vs how can it choose but the remembrance therof should exceedingly kindle our loue towards him againe for who can behold and consider the grâ—â— price that was paid for his redemption and not loue his Redeemer or who can thinke of that bitter potion which he drunke for our saluation and not be inflamed with the loue of his Sauiour There be 3. things saith Mirandula that doe moue vs to loue any one First The vertues of the person Mirand de morte Christi li. 1. c. 17. Secondly The benefits that we haue receiued of him Thirdly The good that we doe expect from him But Christ is the vertue of God his Father the chiefest good and all goodnesse and although euery vertue doth challenge loue yet no vertue deserueth the same so much as liberality and what greater bounty or liberality can there be then this to shedde his precious bloud and to offer vp himselfe vpon the Altar of his Crosse to deliuer vs from eternall death and what greater good can be desired then that eternall happinesse which hee hath purchased for vs and which we doe expect from him And therefore who would not loue so good a Sauiour It is reported of Ignatius Bishop of Antioch that he did so continually meditate vpon those great things which Christ had done and suffered for him Jdem quo supra c. 10. that hee was thereby brought so intirely to loue him as when he was demanded why hee would not forsake and forget Christ rather then suffer himselfe to be torne and deuoured of wilde and sauage Beasts He answered That hee could not forget him because the sufferings of Christ were not onely words transient in his mouth or remoueable obiects before his eyes but they were indelible Characters so engrauen in his heart that all the torments of the Earth could neuer race them out And therefore being commanded by that bloudy Tyrant Traiane to be ript and vnbowelled they found Iesus Christ written vpon his heart in Characters of Gold Oh that it might be so with vs that wee would euer set the sufferings of Christ before our face and with Saint Paul desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified that so by the continuall consideration of Christ his great loue to vs we might be induced to loue him againe The meditation of Christs suffering supporteth our hope Thirdly As the continuall meditation of Christs suffering suppresseth sinne and kindleth our loue so it supporteth our hope for though I haue sinned grieuously and my conscience is much troubled yet it shall not be ouer-cha◠〈◊〉 despaire Quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor â—od ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini Bernard Ser. 61. in Cant. Becaus◠〈◊〉 will remember the wounds of my Lord Iesus and whatsoeuer is wanting in my selfe I will assume from the bowels of my Sauiour for when my wisedome faileth my righteousnesse sufficeth not my holinesse helpeth not the sufferings of Christ shall suffice for all This shall be my last refuge this shall be mine onely remedy saith Saint Bernard Idem Ser. 22. in Cant. And so Saint Paul after hee had shewed how doe he what he could he serued with his flesh many times the Law of sinne and therefore cryeth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death He saith I thanke God Rom. 7.24.25 through Christ our Lord As if hee should haue said Seeing I am so prone to sinne and so vnapt to goodnesse I haue none other refuge but onely to flie vnto the sufferings and merits of Iesus Christ and I know that is sufficient for me in stead of all for as Israel sucked honey out of the rocke and oyle out of the flint stone Deut. 32.13 so doe wee sucke all our comforts and refresh our selues with those streames of teares and bloud that gushed out of that stonie Rocke Iesus Christ And as the high hilles are a refuge for the wilde Goates Psal 104.18 and the stony Rockes for the Conies those poore silly fearefull Creatures that haue none other shift to saue their liues but to hide themselues in the holes of the Rockes so the poore silly simple soules of sinnefull men haue none other place to hide themselues in from the wrath of God Cantic 2.14 but onely with the Doue in the Canticles In foraminibus petrae In the clefts of this Rocke in the secret places of his stayres as some translate it that is in the wounds and stripes of Iesus Christ for
whom much is giuen Luke 12.48 of them much shall be required and wee know he gaue more to vs for he gaue his Son vnto vs and he did more for vs for hee dyed for vs and hee shewed more loue towards vs for he was made one with vs then euer hee did vnto the Angels and therefore I say no more but wee are obliged to the more thankefulnesse How the Angels punish wicked men Secondly The Angel here descended to affright and terrifie these wicked Keepers and therefore the Keepers at the sight of him Intus timent exterius concutiuntur vt ferè exanimes redduntur Caietan in Math. c. 28. were astonied and became as dead men for though they haue a charge to cherish the godly and to preserue them so Psal 91 11. in all their wayes that they dash not their foote against a stone yet they are likewise charged to punish the wicked and to dash them in pieces against euery stone and therefore they consumed Sodom Gen. 19. Exod. 12.29 2 Kings 19.35 they plagued Aegypt they destroyed 100. 80. and 5000. men in the hoste of the Assirians and here the very countenance of one Angel doth so terrifie these wicked men that they are astonied and become as dead men and no maruell for his countenance is admirable it was like lightning and his garment white as snow their voyce is terrible as the voyce of God and I heard thy voyce saith Adam vnto God and I was afraide Gen. 3.10 for as it is Vox suauiter dulcis dulciter suavis a voice like the sweet and melodious voyce of Harpers harping with their harpes vnto the godly so it is Vox mirabiliter terribilis terribiliter mirabilis a voyce like the sound of many waters that is wonderfully terrible vnto the wicked it shaketh the Cedars of Libanus Reuel 19.6 and terrifieth the very hearts of the vngodly and their power is incredible Ye Angels of his saith Dauid that excell in strength Psal 103.20 O therefore sencelesse godlesse men will ye not feare him that as he hath his army of little ones that are able to destroy the greatest Potentates of the world as the frogges flyes and caterpillars subdued Pharaoh and all his kingdome so he hath his Army of great ones Reuel 10.1 of these mighty Angels as the Apostle cals them to fight against you poore silly wormes of the earth Alas if their countenance be so admirable their voyce so terrible That it is vnpossible to escape the hands of any destroying Angell and their power so incredible as I shewed before what shall you do when they shall haue a power super added a power giuen them to destroy the earth a shaking blade put into their hands not onely to keepe the way of the tree of life but also to cut downe the wicked like grasse and to cast them forth into eternall death O consider this you that forget God lest hee teare you in pieces while there is none to helpe you for this is a dolefull and a fearefull case Psal 69.23 a most grieuous curse pronounced by Dauid To haue those things which should be for your aduantage an occasion of falling to haue those glorious Angels which are appointed by God to saue and preserue you if you serue God to be transmuted by your sinnes to destroy and consume you and therefore Kisse the sonne lest hee bee angry for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Thirdly This Angell here descended in respect of the women and that for two speciall ends 1. For their consolation 2. For their instruction CHAP. II. How the Angell comforteth these women diuers wayes FIrst How the Angell comforteth the Women The Angell comforteth these women many wayes but especially 1. By the manner of his apparition 2. By his kinde and friendly allocution For First He appeared vnto them not in a blacke mournfull robe but in a garment white as snow which signifieth purity and is the ensigne of ioy and felicity and he assumed the shape of a yong man Marke 16.5 Haymo in postil super Euangel die pasch whose forme must needes be amiable vnto all men and he sate on the right side which signifieth a successiue happinesse vnto their intentions All good signes all signes of comfort But Secondly As these dumbe shewes doe a little consolate their afrighted soules so his gracious speech doth wholly expell all feare and sorrow from their afflicted hearts for he said vnto the women Feare you not for I know that you seeke Iesus that was crucified Wherein is intimated three especiall things 1. Whom we ought to feare 2. Who ought and who ought not to feare 3. How we ought to feare That we need not feare men Angels diuels First We need not feare Men Angels Diuels for that is the meaning of the Angels words vnto the women you need not feare the Iewes you need not feare me you need not feare the very Diuels Matth. 10.28 for they are but your fellow seruants and the greatest of all these can and without the leaue and permission of God they cannot but confiscate your goods Rom. 8. and cast your bodies into the fire for when they haue done so they can doe no more saith Christ but God can cast both body and soule into Hell fire and therefore as wee should hate nothing but sinne because nothing but sinne makes vs to be hated of God so wee should feare none but God because if God be with vs none can hurt vs nothing can harme vs. Ob. But against this it may be obiected that we should feare our superiours as Kings Magistrates Parents Preachers and such like therefore others besides God are to be feared Sol. I answere that our superiours haue a power and authority ouer vs but first it is potestas data non innata a power giuen them from aboue and not inbred in themselues for as our Sauiour saith vnto Pilate there could be no power in man except it were giuen him from God Iohn 19.12 and secondly it is potestas limitata a power limited so farre as God permitteth and no further for God saith vnto them as he doth vnto the sea Hitherto shalt thou goe and no further here shalt thou stay thy proud waues and therefore I confesse that they are to be feared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of that concessed and receiued power which they haue from God and so indeed we feare not them but the power and authority of God in them but not absolutely because they haue not absolute power In what sense and how farre parents and magistrates are to be feared but God hath all and absolute power a power both of body and soule and therefore God onely is to be feared absolutely in all respects But then Secondly It may be said that obiectum timoris malum The obiect
comfort Bernard de passione domini c. 46. p. 1236. k. then hee did sorrow and griefe at his passion saith Saint Bernard and therefore we should all of vs plus gaudere propter resurrectionem gloriosam quam dolere propter passionem ignominiosam now say with the Psalmist sing we merily vnto the Lord our God that hath turned our sorrow into ioy that we might sing one of the songs of Sion and woe to that man that doth it not Gregor hom 21. in Euangel quia indignum valde est si in eo die laudes debitas tacuerit lingua carnis quo videlicet caro resurrexit autoris because it is a great indignitie that our tongues should bee silent from giuing praise to God on that day whereon our Sauiour rose from his death saith Saint Gregory And as we should reioyce at the consideration of the resurrection of Christ from the dead so we should likewise reioyce for the resurrection of our owne soules from sinne for as Tobias said what ioy can I haue so long as I sit here in darknesse so may wee say of euery sinner what comfort can he haue whiles he liues in sinne or what fruit can he haue of those things Rom. 6. whereof hee must bee ashamed as the Apostle saith And so much for our resurrection from sinne That the resurrection of Christ is an assurance of our resurrection to eternall life Secondly if wee bee the members of Christ wee shall assuredly rise from our graues and from death vnto the resurrection of euerlasting life quia vt Redemptor noster suscepit mortem ne mori timeremus ita ostendit resurrectionem vt nos resurgere posse confideremus for as our redeemer died that we might not bee affraid of death so he rose againe that we might bee sure of our resurrection vnto life for if the head bee risen then surely the members in their due time must rise and follow after but Christ our head is risen from the dead as I haue abundantly shewed vnto you before and therefore it must be that wee which are his members shall also rise and follow after And lest any man should say sperare de se non debet homo quod in carne sua exhibuit Deus homo that man should not hope for that to himselfe which that God and man performed in himselfe S. Gregory answereth that solus in illo tempore mortuus est tamen solus minime resurrexit although hee died and was laid in his graue all alone yet he did not rise againe alone but hee was accompanied with many others to shew vnto vs that as he died not for himselfe so he rose not for himself but for vs that are his members And therefore though heere we suffer all the miseries of this world though our bodies be but semen terrae esca vermium the dust of the earth and the foode of wormes and though these bodies of ours should be cast into the seas and bee eaten of fishes and those fishes should be caught and should be eaten of men and those men should be burnt to ashes and those ashes cast into the seas yet we mâ—y assure our selues to our continuall comfort and to our refreshment in all miseries that God will collect vs and raise vs vp at the last day and giue vnto euery soule his owne body and then make vs like vnto the glorious body of Iesus Christ And so much for the first lesson 1. Cor. 15. the lesson of Theorie which these women and so likewise all men and women must learne and know That Christ is risen from the dead and therefore that we should rise from sinne and shall rise from our graues to eternall life CHAP. X. What the women are commanded to doe and why and what speciall lessons we may learne for our instruction FOR the second i. e. the lesson of practise How the Angell teacheth the women what they should doe this Angell sheweth vnto these women what they should doe saying ite goe your wayes why stand you heere and goe quickly without delay for it is the Lords businesse Why the women were to tell the Disciples that Christ was risen and cursed be they that doe the worke of the Lord negligently dicite discipulis and tell his Disciples that Christ is risen from the dead Tell his Disciples first quia vos ad praedicandum inferior sexus ad exigendum infirmior because your sex is lesse able to preach Ambros in loc lesse constant to perseuere saith Saint Ambrose secondly because women must not teach for to teach is a note of superiority and women are bound to obey and to learne at home of their husbands and therfore I permit not a woman to teach saith the Apostle thirdly that as man did rashly beleeue the woman for his destruction so he might now happily beleeue these womeÌ„ for his saluation et ecce behold he goeth before you into Galilee Galilee of the Gentiles because now the partition wall that was betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles is broken downe and the calling of the Gentiles approacheth neere quia transmigrauerat à morte ad vitam and because now hee had passed from death to life and was to passe from this vaine and momentary life vnto that ioyfull and eternall happinesse he saith behold he goeth before you into Galilee because Galilee signifieth transmigration What we shold learne from the Angells instruction to the women or a passage ouer from one place vnto another And so you see the summe of the Angels iniunction vnto the women what they must doe and from hence we may learne these speciall lessons for our instruction First to practise what we know First that we must ioyne practise vnto our profession if wee would be happie for these two must neuer be separated these things if you know blessed are you if you doe them saith our Sauiour And yet it hath beene euer the practise of Satan to seuer those whom God hath ioyned together and therefore in former times he put out the light of the Word preached that men might not know what to do now when he seeth he can hide the light no longer he giues you leaue to know as much as you will as much as Berengarius who is said to know as much as was know-able but he laboureth that you shall doe nothing at all but shew your selues iust like the Grecians Plutar. in Lacoon which knew what was honest but did it not or like the Scribes and Pharisees which said and did not saith our Sauiour But we should consider first that this is one of the chiefest ends why God gaue his Lawes and his Commandements vnto vs that we should doe them for had hee giuen them onely to bee preserued hee might haue lockt them vp in iron coffers God gaue his Lawes not to be talked of but to be kept or had he giuen them to be talked of he might
innocent man yet his hope will neuer leaue him but as the Poet saith Iam mala finissem Letho sed credula vitam Spes fouet melius cras fore semper ait Hope still doth promise better fortunes vnto him and therefore this is a most excellent vertue though like other humane vertues it is defectiue in many points as first in respect of the things that they hope for wealth honours and such like So Alexander hauing giuen away almost all that hee had in Greece and being demanded what hee left for himselfe said hope i. e. of more honours and kingdomes and secondly in respect of the cause from whence they doe expect these things from themselues or such like but not from God whereas indeed that man is accursed which putteth his hope in man quia de Creatore desperare est Ierem. 17.5 spem in creatura ponere because that to hope in man is to forsake our God But Secondly diuine Hope The second i. e. the diuine hope which is wrought in vs by the Spirit of God is infallible for whosoeuer hopeth in him shall neuer be confounded Psal 22.4 5 6. Prou. 14.32 The wicked saith Salomon shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death and what can be more then this for many things doe discourage vs in death for the dying man seeth his body is weake his friends weeping his Phisicians despayring and his conscience shewing him the Catalogue of his sinnes O wretched man that he is who shall comfort him yet hee whose hope is in the Lord his God doth euen then see the heauens open and the Angels ready to receiue him and though he knoweth his body is to be laide in the graue yet doth his flesh rest in hope and therefore what can be sweeter then hope O dearely beloued remember what the Psalmist saith blessed is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God But here you must know that all kindes of hope in God Euery hope maketh not happy makes not all men happy for there is a bold and a presumptuous hope a hope of wicked hypocrites that liue in sinne and yet doe hope for heauen And therefore wee must distinguish that there is a two-fold hope in God 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opinionatiue hope 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true infallible hope The first is the hope of wicked men Iob 8. Prou. 10. Wisd 5. and this shall melt away like a winter snow for the hope of the wicked shall perish they may looke for much but they shall haue nothing The second is the hope of the righteous and this shall neuer perish because it is grounded vpon a good foundation True hope springeth from the true feare of God that is the promise of God to them that feare him for so the Psalmist saith qui timetis Dominum sperate in illum you that feare the Lord hope in him And therefore if you would be sure to haue the true hope in God then feare the Lord because the testimony of a good conscience must be the ground of hope for so Saint Paul sheweth euen by his owne example saying I haue fought a good fight and I haue kept the faith there is the ground and therefore is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse and there is the Anchor of his hope cast vpon that sure foundation and hee that thus hopeth in God is truely happy Thirdly Charity is rectissima animi affectio Thirdly of Charity the rightest affection of the minde whereby wee loue God for his owne sake and our neighbours for Gods sake Aug. de doct Christ and as Saint Augustine doth obserue it is proper onely vnto the Saints of God because as Saint Chrysostome saith Chris hom de char charity is optimum amoris genus the best kinde of loue and therefore Saint Augustine saith that habere omnia sacramenta malus esse potest habere autem charitatem malus esse non potest a man may be partaker of all Sacraments and be wicked but to haue charity and to be wicked is vnpossible and Saint Paul saith enough in the praise of this most excellent grace to write Iliads after Homer were to commend it after him and therefore I le say no more but what Saint Augustine saith charitas est quae vincit omnia sine qua non valent omnia charity is that which ouercommeth all things and without which all things will auaile vs nothing because as the Christian Poet saith Christicolas veros exprimit vnus amor It is loue and charity alone that proues vs to bee true Christians Well then wouldest thou know thy state whether thou beest in the state of grace or not thou needest not to ascend to heauen and search into the secret councell of God to see whether thy name be written in the booke of life but descend into thine owne heart and see whether thou hast perfect charity both towards God and man for if thou louest God with all thy heart The surest signe that wee shall be saued and thy neighbour as thy selfe I dare assure thee that in all the booke of God I could neuer finde yet a surer note or a more infallible signe of our eternall saluation then the same For hereby we know saith the Apostle that we are passed from death to life because we loue the brethren and hereby shall all men know that you are my Disciples 1 Iohn 3. saith our Sauiour if you loue one another but if thou louest not God or if thou louest not all men say what thou wilt doe what you will lift vp thine eyes hold vp thy hands and pray in euery corner yet I know no signe thou hast of sauing grace But here you must obserue that all kinde of loue towards God and men will not serue our turne for there is a generall kinde of loue to God which all wicked men in respect of their being and that manifold good which they receiue from him doe beare towards God and there is a speciall loue to God in a most vehement and a most excellent manner and there is an inordinate loue of men either too much or too little or not after the right manner and there is a true discreet and a fruitfull loue to be shewed towards them and this is properly called charity and therefore if we would be sure of Gods fauour we must vse no mediocrity in louing God we must vse no measure Quia modus diligendi Deum est sine modo because hee is to bee loued beyond measure with all our hearts with all our soules and with all our strength so as if we were rauished with the loue of God euen as the Church saith in the Canticles Stay me with flagons Cantic 2.5 and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue And so much for these three diuine graces which Christ giueth vs to sanctifie our
i. e. God for diuers speciall reasons as 1. Because hee onely is omnipresent 2. Because hee onely is omniscient 3. Because hee onely is omnipotent 3. The place whereto pray 1. Generally euerywhere 2. Specially the Church and that for fiue speciall reasons 4. The time when to pray 1. With our heart and affect alwaies 2. With our voyce at the appointed times 1. For our priuate prayers 2. For our publ prayers ‡ Where the neglectors of publique prayers are sharpely reprehended 5. The manner how to pray 1. In humility 2. In faith 3. In zeale 4. With constancy 5. In charity 6. In piety 6. The motiues to perswade vs to pray 1. In respect of God because prayer is an essentiall part of Gods seruice 2. In respect of our selues 1. To obtaine our request 1. Whatsoeuer we aske 2. More then we aske 3. Better then we aske 2. To preuent iudgements 3. To preserue al spiritual graces 4 To weaken finne 5. To sanctifie the creatures 6. To ouercome all creatures 7. To preuaile with God 1. When hee is pleased 2. When hee is angry Where is shewed that the gift to pray is the most excellentest grace that God bestoweth on man 2. The charity of the Apostle in shewing how we should pray one for another where is shewed that we must pray 1. Specially for our selues 2. Generally for al men for three speciall reasons and more particularly †; 1. For Kings and all Magistrates 2. For our ministers and that for three speciall reasons 1. Because we owe this dutie to pray for them 2 For our owne good 3. To helpe them ‖ to discharge that great charge which is laide vpon them where is shewed the dangerous estate of Ministers whatsoeuer they doe An Jntroduction to the whole BOOKE WHen Almighty God had decreed from all eternity to make certaine creatures partakers of his felicity he did in that very period of the decreed time by his eternall Councell create of nothing all the things that are subsistent and thereby he shewed himselfe to be as all Gentiles confest it optimus maximus the very best of all that is good and the very greatest of all that is great and as Pliny saith well especially hauing but the light of nature to enlighten him Plutarch in Panegyrico Traiâ—n dict he did herein shew himselfe to be prius optimus quam maximus because hee which was so eminently good that he could not be bettered did all this for them that were iust nothing but alas behold a relapsed creature from his most indulgent Creator and see how this goodnesse of God abused by the creature became through the iust iudgement of GOD an euitable cause of all miseries vpon all transgressors for wee not contented with that blessed state wherein wee were established did spurne against our God by a most ambitious vsurpation of his very Deity and so aspiring vnto a blessed life as we thought we brought vpon our selues a most accursed death as we all finde yet God still desiring to shew himselfe a God of mercy he promised to send a Sauiour to redeem vs Gal. 4.4 by taking our nature vpon him and suffering in our flesh whatsoeuer we deserued for our sinnes and to this end when the fulnesse of time came God sent his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law subiect to the curse of the Law which was death of body buriall in the graue and discention into hell that he might free vs from eternall death and then to rise againe the third day to ascend into heauen and to send his holy Spirit into our hearts to worke in vs faith to apply all this vnto our selues and all other graces whatsoeuer that might fit vs and bring vs vnto euerlasting life And this is the summe of all that is contained in this booke to know our selues to know God to know Iesus Christ borne dead raised ascended and now raigning in eternall glory to guide his Church and to confound his foes for euermore Perhaps this worke may seeme as the water boughs of a fruitlesse tree a superfluous branch vnto the Church of God I willingly submit it to the iudgement of Gods children they must all confesse it is the last houre of the worlds age wherein iniquity is increased impiety is enlarged and all charity is almost abandoned all things growing worse and worse by continuance Et satanas tanto feruentior ad sauitiam quanto se sentit viciniorem ad paenam and Satan hauing the greater rage to driue vs to transgression by how much the neerer he perceiues himselfe to destruction And therefore let men say what they will yet seeing we may truly demaund of them Quid audiam verba cum vidiam contraria facta What booteth all our knowledge seeing we doe nothing that we know nor know nothing indeed as we ought to know I say that it cannot be amisse to do what wee can to expresse those things that may best make for our happinesse and I know these points are necessary to be knowne Aetas parentum peior auis tulit nos nequiores mox daturos progienem visiorem Horat. car 3.6 Greg Moral l. 34. c. 1. and most profitable to be practised by all Christians Reade them then and I will pray to God that he will giue thee grace Faeliciter currere faelicius in Christi pietate cursam tuum consummare to vnderstand what thou readest to beleeue what thou vnderstandest and to practise what thou beleeuest that so thou mayest attaine vnto euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Courteous Reader these errours and the like if you meet them I pray you correct them Pag. Lin. Errata Corrige 5 19 predicatum praedicatum 7 24 as some deleatur 15 21 infelicitas infaelicitas 18 13 predicatum praedicatum 22 30 nay no. 23 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 21 occulos oculos 29 20 Athenienes Athenienses 31 15 gnostrickes gnostickes  praemit premit 37 1 equalities equalitie 38 2 quaâ—a quantae  at as 44 9 seruat deleatur 45 10 meritrix meretrix 47 23 á as 71 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 71 6 presentes praesentes 77 12 laethi lethi 81 18 soules sculles 84 16 are is  27 elephat elephante 86 37 it in 93 4 dilicijs delicijs 102 18 diliciae deliciae 128 14 future tens for the present present tens for the future 263 7 conquari conqueri 326 25 impleueâ— impleuit 452 4 faerox ferox 463 1 progeniere progenuere 471 26 eterchangably interchangably 480 25 penae poenae 482 25 manibus maenibus 462 10 Querentis quaerentis 559 35 tum tam 571 12 fugentes fugientes 579 7 eo eos 669 31 honestatatis honestatis 676 34 lepido tepido 692 after effusion of v. their deerest bloud to defend that in the field which they with the diffusion of c. 707 1 propter praeter Marginall faults P. Err. Corrige
15 qud quad 19 Aetneum Aetnaeum 41 num nun◠124 seeing being 196 prestare praestare 438 Hillarius Hilarius 690 Psal pag. 695 Blando Blanda And some other mis-quotations which for want of the copie I cannot directly amend The first golden Candlesticke HOLDING The first greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the misery of MAN ROMANS 6.23 The reward of sinne is death EVery man saith holy Iob is borne to labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea necessitie enioyneth all mortall men to labour saith Euripides and euery labourer is induced saith Hugo Cardinalis to performe his worke with alacritie vpon the assured hope of iust reward and therefore the law required that no man should detaine the hyre of the Labourer vntill the morning but as soone as euer hee had done his worke Leuit. 19.13 to pay him his wages because as our Sauiour saith the Labourer is worthy of his hyre and we finde that according as the payment is Luc. 10.7 good or bad so are the Labourers willing or vnwilling to doe their worke for good and present payment makes a painefull and a cheerefull agent Now here the Apostle setteth downe a worke performed and the wages thereof not onely iustly deserued but also presently discharged the reward of sinne is death and in what day thou sinnest Gen. 2.17 in that day thou shalt die the death saith the Lord few words but full of matter Sinne and Death the two most common things vpon the face of the earth for all men sinned except Christ himselfe and all men died except Enoch and Elias and yet two of the most lamentable and most fearefull things in the world for what is more lamentable then sinne or what is more terrible then death Iudges 15.4.5 and yet as Sampsons Foxes were tyed together by the tayles and carried firebrands betwixt them to destroy all the Corne of the Philistimes so here sinne and death are indissolubly linked together with vnquenchable firebrands betwixt them to deuoure all the whole race of mankinde for the reward of sinne is death But I must seuer them for a time to examine these murtherers of men that all wee may hate them if we cannot shunne them and therefore according to the number of the words of this text The diuision of the Text. stipendium peccati mors I desire you to obserue the parts of this tragedie three words three parts 1 the worke performed Sinne. 2 the payment rendred Death 3 the equitie shewed the wages of sin is death All which well considered will shew vnto vs all the most wofull state and the manifold miseries of poore distressed miserable man CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne The first Part. and how the same is deriued from the Parents vnto the Children Of the worke that is done i. e. Sinne. HEre you see sinne is the roote of death and death is the fruit of sinne Sower must be the roote when the fruit doth proue so bitter and sinne must needes bee execrable when as death is a thing so lamentable and therfore sinne makes me quake to thinke of it and death should make you tremble to consider of it because death is the wages of sinne And sinne is either 1 originall Sinne is twofold 2 actuall the first is traduced vnto vs from Adam the second is daily committed by our selues For the first In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death saith the Lord vnto Adam but you may eate Gen. 2.17 and you shall not die at all saith the Diuell vnto Euah she beleeued the Diuell and the man obayed his wife and so both would needes eate and therefore God cannot be true or else man must needes die and he must iustly die because he did vniustly eate i. Of Originall sinne Rom. 5.12 Here was the sinne committed by one and from him it was deriued vnto all for by one man sinne entred into the world and sinne went ouer all and spread it selfe like that far-spreading tree which Olympias dreamt shee bare or like a vile gangrene ouer all the face of the whole earth and corrupted all the race of mankinde for it is a schoole-point most infallible that Adam now stood not as a priuate person or as one particular man but as the roote of all the branches and as bearing in his person the nature of all mankinde And therefore if he had stood we had all stood Heb. 7.9 but as Abraham paying tythes Leui paid tythes in Abraham so Adam sinning we haue all sinned in Adam Et omnes peccauimus in isto vno homine quia omnes eramus iste vnus homo And wee haue all sinned in that one man because we all were that one man saith Saint Augustine And so both himselfe and wee all The dammage that we receiue by Adams fall is two-fold 1. A depriuation of all goodnesse doe by this fact of Adam receiue a double dammage 1. A depriuation of all our originall goodnesse the image of God in vs and the loue of God towards vs and therefore if at the losse of earthly treasures we shew our selues so much grieued O then how should our soules for the amission of such heauenly graces be continually perplexed vntill wee see the same once againe restored 2. An habituall naturall pronenesse to all kinde of wickednesse 1. A pronesse to all wickednesse and to commit sinne euen with greedinesse In respect of the first we are altogether vnable to doe any good for who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is vncleane how can wee being voide of grace bring forth any fruits of goodnesse and In respect of the second wee are naturally inclined to all kinde of euill like a stone tumbling downe a hill that can neuer stay it selfe vntill it come to the bottome So Medea saith Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Though I see the good yet am I naturally driuen to doe that which is euill for our whole nature being defiled we are wholly inclined to fall from one wickednesse vnto another as the Psalmist speaketh And in respect of both these wee are said to bee conceiued in sinne borne in iniquiitie destitute of grace void of goodnesse nothing but flesh full of corruption children of darkenesse sonnes of wrath heyres of damnation slaues of death for the reward of sinne is death But here it may be questioned and it is not easily to be resolued how originall corruption is traduced from the Parents into the Children The question is not of the verity of the matter for it is plaine Ezech. 18. that our Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge and euery one may truely say with the Prophet Psal 51.5 in sinne my Mother hath conceiued me but it is of the Mystery of the manner Iohn 3.9 as Nicodemus said to Christ how can these things be for How originall sinne
as hee which beleeueth in Christ as sayth the Apostle and prouideth not for his familie hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell and as he which professeth Christian Religion and with his knowledge and Faith and Baptisme hath no good maners no holinesse of life and conuersation which may expresse the liuelihood of this doctrine but hath onely a certaine shew of Religion hauing denied the power thereof is farte worse then an Infidell so is he which sinneth wittingly through knowledge by so much worse then he is which sinneth through ignorance as an inexcusable sinne is worse then that which hath a iust excuse And so Saint Isidore sayth Jsidorus de summo bono l 2. that tanto maius peccatum esse cognoscitur quanto maior qui peccat habetur according to the quality of the offender so is the qualitie of the offence Criminostor culpa est vbi honestior status the greater the man is which sinneth the greater is the sinne which he committeth for as Plato sayth that ignorantia potentum robustorumque hominum hostilis atque teterrima res est the ignorance of great and mighty men is a most vile and hatefull thing Why the sins of great men of eminent place are the greatest sins because it may bee very hurtfull vnto many so may we say that the sinnes of great men and of those that are in place and authoritie are exceedingly sinnefull and doe deserue the greater condemnation not onely because their sinnes are exemplarie sinnes as the old verse sayth Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis and as the prouerbe is like Priest like People Matth. 6.23 but also because in them is required the more eminent vertue wee should bee the light of the world and the great men should be the defenders of the distressed and the helpers of the needy and therefore Si lumen quod in te est tenebrae sunt ipsae tenebrae quatae erunt If thou which shouldest be at patterne of all vertue committest sinne how great is thy sin and if they which should be Patrons of the poore Preachers become robbers of the Church and they which should be Releeuers of the needy become oppressors of their neighbours how intollerable is that cruelty Surely though these things should be but small sinnes in others yet in vs they are horrible transgressions Chrysost hom 24 in c. 7. Matth. Quia impossibile omnino nobis est ad ignorantiae praesidium aliquando confugere Because it is vnpossible for vs to finde any excuse for our selues And therefore though Gentlemen and Courtiers Citizens and worldlings doe leade their liues in lewdnesse and turne the graces of God into wantonnesse and thinke it no great sinnes but either the infirmities of their youth or but the custome of their times yet in vs that are the Preachers of Gods Word or in those that are the Gouernours of the people the least sinne or mis-cariage of our selues which perhaps alijs ignoscitur nobis imputatur is but a veniall sinne in others and shall be pardoned will be found a haynous sinne in vs for which we shall be surely punished Bern. l. 2. de consid ad Eugen. for so Saint Bernard saith Inter seculares nugae nugae sunt in ore sacerdotis sunt blasphemiae Triffles are but triffles among secular men but in the mouth of the Priests triffles proue to be blasphemies and therfore the wise man saith that the meane and the simple man shall obtaine mercy Wis 6.6 when the wise and the mighty shall be mightily punished CHAP. VI. How euery sinne and the least sinne of euery one bringeth death YOu haue heard the diuersity of sinners and the inequality of sinnes and therfore I might now proceed vnto the second part which is the reward of sinne but that I may not forget to obserue that the Apostle saith indefinitely the reward of sinne is death to teach vs these three speciall lessons 1. That euery One sinne brings death 2. That the sinne of euery one brings death 3. That the least sin of any one brings death for First He sayth the reward of sinne is death not of sinnes That any one sinne is sufficient to bring death vnto the Sinner 1 Sam. 17. 2 Sam. 20 9. Sueton. in vit Caesar One is inough if there were no more For as one leake in a shippe is sufficient to sinke it and one vaynes bleeding is inough to let out all the vitall spirits and one wound may kill Golias and Amasa as well as 23 did Caesar So one proud disdainefull thought may cast Lucifer out of Heauen one Apple may cast Adam out of Paradise and one sinne may bring death vpon any one of the sonnes of Adam And therefore seeing the puritie of God can abide no sinne and his iustice will so seuerely punish euery sinne Gen. 3.24 we should not giue way to any sinne for though we keepe the royall Law James 2.10 yet if we fail but in any one point we are guilty of all not that he which committeth any one sin committeh all sinnes but that he is as guilty of death by that one sinne as if hee had committed all sinnes and God can as easily spie out one sinne in man though he had no more as well as he could spie out one man amongst his guests which had not on his wedding garment Matth. 22.12 Secondly as One sinne so the sinne of any one brings death That the sin of any one man be he great or small brings death Gal. 3.10 Jerem 22 24. for cursed is euery one whosoeuer he be that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law for to doe them saith the Lord and the soule which sinneth that soule shall die saith the Prophet and Coniah if he offend though he were as the Signet on Gods right hand yet will God cut him off saith the Lord. But what haue not Kings and Princes Lords and Ladies great men Knights and rich men haue not they any priuiledge to haue their pleasures nor any prerogatiue to commit any sinne must they haue no more liberty then the poorest peasant Yes that they haue for when the meane men cannot offend but presently they shall be reprooued and it may be punished whereby many times they are brought to repentance and are themselues cleansed and haue their sinnes pardoned the great men The dangerous estate of Great men because many of vs dare not reproue them for feare to offend them and so to be offended by them may goe on in their sinnes without controulement they may doe it without feare though with the more danger for though it be true of a poore fearefull Preacher dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas that he dares not reprooue these mighty men yet with God there is no respect of persons but Veniam laeso numine nullus habet If Moses the Prince of Gods people
4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senum of old age till death as Varro distributeth the same Yeares of their age First In our childehood we are all alike the heyre differing nothing from a seruant though hee bee Lord of all all Lords or what you will but they must be vnder Tutors and Gouernors sayth the Apostle and because exultat leuitaete puer children are childish and apish rather delighting in toyes then imbracing instructions therefore they are kept vnder correction and brought vnto vertue by good discipline while they may be taught for as it is prouerbially sayd Flexilis est iuncus salices flectuntur amarae Robora dura minus the tender branch may bee easily bowed but the well-growne Oke Prouer. 29.18 and c. 4.3.4 will bee sooner broken then straitened so wee may teach a childe a trade in his youth but we shall hardly teach an old Horse to amble and therefore the wisest among the sonnes of men aduiseth all men to correct their children though they be neuer so deere in their sight because this is as necessarie vnto the children as their foode and as comfortable vnto the parents as the childe himselfe in as much as to haue a good childe is better then to haue a childe And yet this instruction and especially the correction is such an intollerable burthen so heauie for them to beare What a burthen correction is vnto children as that they thinke no creatures more miserable then themselues when they see all others free and themselues onely as they thinke bound vnder the rod and therefore would they giue all they haue to be once rid out of this seruile bondage Secondly In our youth we are like vntamed colts wilde and wanton vnable to rule our selues and vnwilling to be ruled by others and therefore wee doe loosen our bridles to all licentiousnesse and euery young man is for the most part as the Poet describeth him briefly Inuidus iracundus iners vinosus amator We burne with lust while we be youths How dissolute we are in our youth Ouidius l. 13. Metam Dum mihi laeâ—â— genas conuestit flore inuentus militiae ingredior castra cupido tuâ— and are still inflamed with that vntameable fire of wanton loue neque enim robustior aetas Vlla nec vberior nec quae magis ardeat vlla est Pleasure and youth doe smile on vs to woe vs To taste vaine lusts tasted they vndoe vs. Therefore S. Iere. sayth That it is almost impossible to find a young man that is not sometimes tempted with fleshly lusts and Saint Ambrose sayth Inter omnia certamina christianorum durissima sunt praelia caftitatis Prodigus curae vacuus temerarius audax Omne genus vitae liberioris amo Among all the combats of Christians it is the hardest thing for vs to ouercome and subdue our owne lusts and to keepe our owne flesh a chast and a modest virgin And as we are inflamed with lust so we are drowned in drunkennesse we swell with pride and we fill our selues with all filthynesse and thereby we doe many times as wee daily see in many desperate youthes by drinking whooring swearing quarrelling and such like effects of deboysnesse suddenly cut off our selues in our owne wickednesse and what greater miseries can there be then these and yet behold I will shew thee greater abhominations For The miseries incident to vs in our Manhood Nunc me ludus habet nunc me formosa puella nunc fera pro pacta praelia nocte gâ—ro Sedvelut herba perit sic flos cadit ipse inuentae faelix qui potuit dicere talis eram Thirdly In our manhood we are come to the midst of miseries so that quocunque afpiciam quocunque lumina vertam Wheresoeuer we looke and turne our eyes we shall see nothing but our selues swimming in a Sea of sorrowes and there tumbled and tossed with many waues of woes micat ignibus aether Cloudes of darkenesse are in stead of comforts and about our heads we shall finde haile-stones and coales of fire for now we finde the affaires of the world the feares of enemies the cares for families the discontents at home many times of thy Wife that lyeth in thy bosome many times of thy Children the fruits of thine owne bowels the wrongs of Neighbours abroad the suites of Law and a thousand such bitter fruits of sinne doe so vexe and affright the heart of man that they make him often sleepe like the Nightingale that is said to haue alwayes a pricke before her breast and then to rise vp early and late to goe to bed Psal 127.3 and to eate the bread of carefulnesse and all to no purpose for after we haue wearied and worne out our selues in the pursuite of this world all our workes and labours are but as the Spiders webbe it will make no garment for vs and when wee haue brought our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is tolde then notwithstanding all our former pompe and power wee shall be as poore as when we were borne euen as poore as Iob for The miseries incident to vs in old age Iob. 1.21 as we came naked into the world so naked wee shall returne againe and so this is not onely the misery but also the folly and madnesse of men And yet behold a little more For Fourthly In old age Vsque adeo grauis vxori gnatisque sibique vt captatori moueat fastidia Cosso Wee are troublesome to our selues and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nunc mihi cum medicis res est iudice summo misere vitam semisepultus ago rixosae inuestant vetula execrabile vulgus inuidus in terra parta recondo sâ—num Eccles 12.1 An old man is troublesome vnto youths saith Menander yea our owne Wiues though they cannot leaue vs yet doe they loathe vs and indeed our selues doe now begin to hate our selues Laudat praeteritos presentes despicit annos For these be the dayes wherein there is no pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because olde age is like an heauy burthen vnto men that makes them stoope downe to the earth Nec coelum spectare licet sed prona senectus Terram à qua genita est reditura videt and neuer suffers them to rise or scarce to looke vp towards Heauen vntill they returne to the earth Gen. 3.19 from whence they were taken Alas then what a misery is this to consider the miseries of olde age our bodies are weakned our beauty vanished our senses blunted the eyes cannot see the eares cannot heare the hands cannot worke and the feete cannot walke and then besides Circumsilit agmine facto morborum omne genus We are seized vpon by all kinde of diseases our heads ake our hearts faint and all our bodies tremble Coughes Rheumes and Feauers doe now seeme to be our vitall spirits and so the Heathens saw and so they said that no age was free from miseries yet
but hee not contented to be a man aboue these but desiring to be a god aboue all was made a worme and no man inferior vnto all and then all like Acteons dogges seeing vs metamorphosed from men to worse then beasts began to rebell against vs and most furiously to pursue vs Gen 19.24 the fire to consume vs as it did Sodome and Gomorrah 2 Sam. 24. the ayre to infect vs as it did the Israelites in the time of Dauid the water to drowne vs as it did the whole world in the dayes of Noah Gen. 7.23 the earth to swallow vs as it did Corah Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram and all other creatures to deuour vs as the beares did those children that mocked Elizeus the Starres in their order Judg. 5.20 did fight against Sisera and since we haue sinned and rebelled against the Lord there is no creature but hath cast away the created yoke of obedience and haue rebelled against vs so that now hic labor hoc opus est It is a taske too great for Hercules to bring them againe to the obedience of man And thus you see that from our first entrance into this wretched life sinne laboureth still to kill vs and doth at all times and by all meanes vexe vs grieue vs weaken vs by passions sorrowes sicknesses and such like and will neuer leaue vs vntill it layeth vs downe in the dust and therefore that all these are the prodromi the fore-runners and beginnings of death or rather like so many little deaths that doe bring vs vnto our last and fatall death For all these are the reward of sinne and therefore branches of this death And so you see what is meant by Death For the second point hauing seene what is meant by death Of the large extent of death that is all the miseries that doe consume and waste our liues we are now to consider how farre this death extendeth And this the Apostle sheweth briefly when he saith Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 and the very Heathens say as much Seneca Lex vniuersa iubet nasci mori It is an vniuersall Law and a debt that we owe and must pay to Nature that euery one which is borne to life should passe away by death Laertius lib. 2. c. 3. And therefore when it was told Anaxagoras that all his sonnes were dead he answered Sciebam me genuisse mortales I knew that I had begotten mortall creatures for as nullis amorest medicabilis herbis so nihil est moderabile morte There is nothing in the world that can moderate the rage or preserue vs from the fatall stroke of death Non Torquate genus Horatius lib. 4. non te facundia non te restituet pietas saith Horace vnto his friend Torquatus And we see the faith of Abraham the strength of Sampson the wisedome of Salomon the riches of Craesus and the Kingdomes of Alexander could not preserue them from Death Polydor Virgil writeth that King Canutus seeing the Sea beginning to flow said I command thee not to touch my feete but his command was bootlesse for he had scarce ended his Edict but the surging waue dashed at his teeth So we may out-braue death in words but we may be sure that as the Sea so Death How vnresistable is death antiquum obtinebit will keepe his old wont Yea though wee could hinder the course of the Sea for meanes haue been found to tame the fiercest beasts to breake the hardest marble to mollifie the impenetrable Adamant and to deale with the Seas as Xerxes did with the waters of Hellespont or Caesar with all the Riuers of Germany yet is there no meanes in the world to escape the hands of death and therefore Saint Augustine saith August Psal 121. Resistitur ignibus vndis ferro resistitur regibus imperijs venit vna mors quis ei resistit Fire Waters Swords Kings Kingdomes were resisted but who hath euer withstood the stroake of death Quia nec miseretur inopum nec reueretur diuites Because as Saint Bernard saith it neither pittieth the poore Ber. de conu cler nor regardeth the rich but Nereus the faire Thirsites the soule Craesus the rich Irus the poore Solym the cruell Solyman the magnificent Diomedes the Prince and Damaetas the Peasâ—nt must all fall downe at Deaths feet Because that no teares no prayers no threatnings no intreâ—tings will serue the turne to turne away the face of death So stiffe so deaffe so inexorable is death How the Egyptians expressed death to be the sole enemie of all men And therefore the Egyptians in their Hierogliphickes painted Death like a Goddesse holding a sickle in her hand with this inscription Nemini parco I spare no man And because they found her so hard-hearted so implacable and so inexorable that nothing could appease her wrath when she did meane to cut vs downe but that she tooke the Husband from the bosome of his louing wife and the Parents from the poore helpelesse Infants and so fulfilling her owne will and carefull for none else therefore they built her no temples they offered no sacrifice they celebrated no rites vnto her but seeing she vsed all alike Constantinus imperator famulus meus making no difference betwixt Agamemnon and Thirsites therefore all vsed her alike and stood all vpon their guards to defend themselues so well and so long as they might against all her darts though they knew that in the end she would ouercome them all because they had all sinned and the reward of sinne is death Psal 50.22 O consider this all ye that forget God all ye that neglect God all whosoeuer Kings Lords and great men old and yong rich and poore one with another for though you liue like gods and none dare say why doe you so yet you shall die like men and if you fearelesly commit the sinne I dare boldly say that you shal be sure Aequo pode pulsat pauperum tabernas regumque turres Horatius most fearefully to indure the punishments for as you see Death spareth none but cutteth downe as well the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oakes of Bashan as the Shrubs of Cades So much lesse will God spare any man that sinneth CHAP. V. How Death worketh variably in diuers respects and the diuers causes thereof FOr the third point we must consider that although Death passeth ouer all yet that it worketh not vpon all alike but worketh variably and that as we find it in foure speciall respects 1. Of the manner 2. Of the time 3. Of the place 4. Of the effects or consequents of Death For the first we finde that there be more wayes of death then there be meanes to preserue our life for as the Poet saith Mille modâ—s laethi miseros mors vna fatigat Though there is but one way for all men to come into
the world yet there is 1000. wayes How death hath diuers wayes to shorten life Prou 17.22 Act. 5.10 for euery man to goe out of the world And so we finde some haue perished with sudden death as Ananias and Saphira some with Gluttony as Domitius Afer others with drunkennesse as Attila King of Hunnes some by fire from Heauen as the Sodomites Gen. â—9 the two fifties that were sent to fetch Elias and Anastatius the Emperour an Eutychian Hereticke others by waters as Marcus Marcellus Exod. 24.28 King Pharaoh and all his hoast and all the old wicked world excepting those eight persons that were saued in Noahs Arke Gen. 7 21. 1 Pet 2.5 Numb 16.32 Some with hunger as Cleanthes others with thirst as Thales Milesius some were swallowed vp quicke to Hell as Corah Dathan and Abiram and others by earthquakes were stricken dead as Ephrasius Bishop of Antioch Some were stifled with smoake as Catulus others dyed with a fall as Nestorius some were taken in their lasciuious dalliances as Cornelius Gallus others with ouerwatchingâ— as M. Attillius some with poyson as Phocion others choked with flies as Pope Adrian some at the disburdening of Nature as that wicked Arrius others torne in pieces by wilde beasts as Heraclius Lucian 2 King 2 24. and Acteon by dogges Hypolitus by wilde Horses Licus the Emperour and the disobedient Prophet by Lions Ancaeus King of Samos by Bores and Hatto Bishop of Mentz by Rats and so some die with ioy as Chylo the Lacedemonian and Diagoras the Rhodian who seeing his three sonnes crowned Champions in one day he reioyced so much that he dyed for ioy in the very place More die with griefe Quia spirâ—tus tristis exiccat ossa Because a broken spirit dryeth the bones and a heauy heart doth hasten to death and therefore the Prophet Dauid when he found hâ—mselfe so melancholicke and discontented did rouze vp his heart and spirits saying Why art thou so heauy O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me yet put thy trust in the Lord for he is thy helper and defender and so should wee doe Bosquier de finibus bonorum mal pag. 31. 32. when either cares or crosses doe dismay vs. But most men die with sicknesses and diseases Feauers Fluxes Gouts Plagues and 1000. more they being so many that neither Galenus nor Hypocrates nor all the best Physitians can number them saith Bosquierus the generations of men here on earth being as Homer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tale quale est foliorum Like vnto the leaues of a tree whereof some doe perish and others spring in their places They spring they flourish they waxe old and soone wither away Et tum quoque cum crescimus Senecal 3. ep 24. vita decrescit and our life then decreaseth as our yeares increaseth Vt rosa mane viget sero mox vespere languet Sic modo qui fuimus cras leuis vmbra sumus We bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told For the second that is the Time when death doth attach vs We see some are taken yong and some are left vntil they be very old Death taketh men of all ages some taste of death before they doe see the light when their mothers wombes are as the tombes for their buriall some die in their Cradles as the babes of Bethelem and some liue so long that they are weary of life And sometimes the good are soonest taken as Enoch sometimes the bad as Onan Et vocantur ante tempus boni Gen. 5.24 Gen. 33. ne diutius vexarentur à noxijs And the good are often taken away that they should be neither vexed nor corrupted by the wicked and the wicked are sometimes taken away that they should not persecute the godly any longer and that they might be an example of Gods vengeance vpon all such as feare not God And sometimes death fore-warneth vs as it did Ezechias by sending his messengers to bid vs to set our houses in order that we may be prepared for death as age sickenesses and such like and sometimes it preuenteth vs and takes vs afore we are aware of it as it did yong Onan and old Ely who were both suddenly met by death when death was looked for by neither of them For the third that is the Place where death will meete vs Death smiteth in euery place we know death is not very scrupulous be it faire or soule wide or narrrow priuate or publike in the field or in the Church or wheresoeuer where hee meetes vs there hee will arrest vs Poet Euâ—ulus and his wife both a bed Vrias in the field and Ioab at the hornes of the altar And all this taking of vs in any Manner at any Time That we shâ—ld be alwayes ready for death and in any Place is to teach vs to be alwayes ready and to looke for death at all times and in all places Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum For seeing thou knowest neither the time nor the place where death meanes to arrest thee it is thy chiefest wisedome to be ready for death at all times and to waite for the same in euery place For the fourth that is the effects of death we must note Death is a comfortable thing to the godly that they are very different both about the time of the dissolution and after the time of the separation of the body and soule for first at the time of their dissolution bona mors iusti right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints And this is the thing they longed for to be losed from the bonds of sinne and to be with their Sauiour Christ in happinesse to be with him which was dead and is aliue and liueth for euermore Reuel 2.8 And therefore to these men Mors vltima poenae est Lucan l. 8. nec metuenda viris Death is the ending of their paine and the beginning of their pleasure nay more as Prudentius saith Tormenta carcer vngulae stridensque flammis lamina atque ipsa poenarum vltima mors Christianis ludus est All the bitternesse of the bitterest death Prudent in hymno de Vincent is ioy and sweetnesse vnto them for that in death they see their life they behold the Angels pitching their tents round about them and ready to receiue their soules to glory before their bodies can be laid in their graues and therefore well might Salomon say that the godly man hath hope in his death Prou. 14.32 for he knoweth not what to feare because he knoweth in whom he beleeued The death of the wicked is most terrible vnto them But mors peccatorum pessima the death of the wicked is most fearefull and therefore the very remembrance of it is most bitter vnto them for now before it shuts the eyes of their bodies it will open the eyes of
their consciences and they shall see that they must part from all the things that they haue gathered but that not one of those sinnes will part from them which they haue committed and least they should forget them Satan will now open his booke and set all their sinnes before their eyes and then he will bestirre himselfe because he knoweth his haruest is great and his time is but short and therefore he will tell them Matth. 19.17 that if they would haue entred into life they should haue kept the commandements as our Sauiour Christ himselfe doth testifie Rom. 2.13 he will alleage against them that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be iustified and he will inferre that if the iust shall scarce be saued it is intollerable for them being wicked men to appeare How Satan discourageth the wicked at their death and what the Preachers of God now cannot beat into the thoughts of these carelesse men this wicked damned spirit will then irremoueably settle in their deepest considerations 1 Cor. 6.9.10 viz. that neither adulterers nor fornicators nor drunkards nor swearers nor vsurers nor extortioners nor lyers nor enuious men nor haters of men nor any such like shall inherit the Kingdome of God and of Christ O then what agonies and perplexities will inuade and teare the wofull hearts of wicked men In that day saith the Lord I will cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone Amos 8.9.10 and I will darken the earth in the cleare day I will turne their feasts into mournings and their songs into lamentations that is they shall be sure then to haue the greatest griefe and vexation when they haue the greatest need of comfort and consolation for I will make all those things that were wont most sweetly to delight them now most of all to torment them the pleasure of sinne shall now turne to be as bitter as Gall and now they shall see that they must die and liue they can no longer and that Satan whom they would not forsake all their life-time will not forsake them now at their death-time but wil be still sounding in their eares Me you haue serued and from me you must expect your wages We read the Deuil assayled the best-Saints Saint Martin Saint Bernard Eusebius Ignatius and others Luke 23.31 and if these things be done in a greene tree what shall be done in a withered saith our Sauiour If he be so busie about the Saints Pet. 4.17 which haue the Angels of God round about them to preserue them Psal 91.11 What shall he doe to sinners who haue nothing but deuils round about them to confound them This is the state of wicked men at their dying day and therefore mors peccatorum pessima of all terrible things the death of sinnefull men is the most terrible Secondly After the seperation of the body and soule How death aequalizeth the bodies of all men then death indeede makes different effects for though it makes the bodies of all alike their dust is so mingled and their bones are so like one another that we know not Irus from Craesus as Diogenes being demaunded by Alexander what he sought for among the tombes sayd he sought for his father Phillips bones but among so many dead mens soules hee knew not which they were yet in respect of the soules How death sendeth the soules of the good to Heauen and of the wicked to hell it worketh very different consequents for it sends the good soules into Abrahams bosome and the wicked soules to hell to be tormented in fire for euermore Now that the efficiente cause of death which is sinne should be the same in all men and that the fruites and effects or subsequents of death should be so different in the godly from all other men we find a treble reason A three-fold reason of the subsequent different effects of death The 1. Is the practise of a godly life 2. Is the meditation of our owne death 3. Is the application of the death of Christ These things as Sampson sayd in his riddle out of the eater bring meate and out of the strong sucke sweetenesse these things doe translate the sting and curse of death into a sweete and a blessed life Of the first Saint Augustine sayth Mala mors putanda non est Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 21. That to liue well is a speciall meanes to make vs die well quam bona vita praecessit It is impossible that his death should be ill whose whole life hath beene alwayes good quia nunquam Deus deserit hominem quovsque homo deserat deum because God will neuer forsake that man at his death which hath truely serued God throughout all his life and therefore Seneca sayth Seneca in quad epist Ante senectutem curaui vt bene viuâ—rem vt in senectute bene morerer While I was young all my care was to liue well that when I were old I might die well and so let vs doe if wee would die well let vs liue well let vs learne artem viâ—endi the art to liue the life of the righteous and wee shall bee sure to die the death of the righteous for seeing the wages of sinne is death it must needs be that the lesser and the fewer our sinnes be the better our death will be But if we liue like Baalam which loued the gaine and wages of vnrighteousnesse it is vnpossible that we should die the death of Israel for God beheld there was no iniquitie in Iacob Numb 23 21. nor any peruersenesse in Israel and therefore the Lord his God was with him Godly sorrow for sinne and the meditation of our death is the death of sinne Of the second Bosquierus sayth that à culpa natae sunt duae filiae Tristitia Mors hae duae filiae hanc pessimani matrem destruunt Sinne brought forth two goodly damosells Sorrow and Death and these two daughters like the brood of vipers doe eate through the bowells and destroy that wicked mother For First Paenitudine commissa delentur by repentance wee wash away the sinnes that are past and therefore Iohn Baptist sayth O generation of Vipers if you would kill your cruell wicked mother Matth. 3.7 8. that is Sinne bring foorth fruits meete for repentance for that is the onely way for you to escape death and to flee from the wrath to come And Secondly Meditatione mortis futura cauentur by the frequent meditation of death we come more and more to detest and to beware of sinne Aug l. 1. contra Man for so Saint Augustine sayth that nihil sic reuocat hominem à peccato quam frequens meditatio mortis Nothing is so powerfull to make a man hate sinne as continually to consider of this bitter fruit and reward of sinne which is death and Seneca before him sayth the same thing and therefore he aduiseth euery man
Israel by making mutuall matches and mariages betwixt their Children whereby the anger of the Lord was so kindled that hee slew of them three and twenty thousand in one day 1 Kings 12.31 The other was the practice of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat a great King that to establish his Kingdome did make Officers and Priests of the basest of the people 1 Kings 12.31 and thereby hee made all Israel for to sinne And therefore if you would suppresse or hinder the increase of sinne you must take heede among other things of these two especiall points First Marry not your Children vnto sinners That we should not marry our Children but to the best men but looke rather into the sincerity of their Religion the purity of their profession and the vprightnesse of their conuersation then the greatnesse of their reputation here amongst men and if you finde them Drunkards Swearers Players Idolaters superstitious or leud liuers or any wayes inclined to these or the like sinnes decline you from them and meddle not with them least their sinnes doe bring a plague and punishment to consume both you and yours for though it be a good thing to bestow thy Daughter in marriage yet is it not good vnlesse it be to a man of vnderstanding saith the Wiseman but they are a people void of reason and a Nation destitute of vnderstanding that turne the Diuine Verity into Idolatry or that doe any wayes erre from Gods Commandements Secondly make not any Officers especially Priests That we should not make any Officers especially Priests but those that are truly religious and honest of the basest of the people but looke into their liues and consider well their profession yea marke their inclination and whom you see corrupted with sinne or any wayes infected with the poyson of iniquity drunkennesse prophanenesse cruelty idolatry or superstition promote them not vnto your seates of Gouernment or if they be promoted and preferred by others yet haue you nothing to doe with this stoole of wickednesse receiue them not into your Houses entertaine them not at your Tables haue no commerce or conuersation with them meddle not with them fauour them not for you may be sure that they will fauour sinne and you should feare least by medling with them you should be defiled and tainted with sinne for the bewitching of naughtinesse Wisdome 4.10 doth soone obscure things that are honest But make much of them that feare the Lord and whom you see zealously affected to follow the true Religion and earnestly labouring to leade an vpright conuersation O let them be helped and furthered to be promoted both in Church and Common-wealth for you may be sure That we should make much of those that are good and godly men and doe our best to promote such into dignity that they will faithfully doe what lyeth in them to suppresse Idolatrie and all iniquitie Who so is wise will ponder these things and he shall vnderstand and perceiue and feele the louing kindnesse of the Lord. And as sinne seekes to creepe by degrees so if you looke into the liues of men you shall see how it comes fairely clad and vayled with the shaddowes of vaine excuses Sometimes of infirmity either of Age or of Nature young men thinke it too soone for them to be precise old men are weake and are not able to endure any longer seruice the wrathfull man Gen 4.23 with Lamech layeth all the fault on his fury if he slayes a man in his wound and a young man in his hurt the Drunkard saith it was his drinke and not he that acteth all the mischiefe and the lasciuious man excuseth himselfe with the heate of his bloud and the lust of his flesh Of the manifold excuses that sinners haue to lessen and to excuse their sinnes Gen. 3.7 Sometimes of conformity the proud the drunken the ambitious the couetous and the like sinnefull men they doe but as most men doe and why should they be singular Sometimes of simplicity there meaning is good what euill soeuer they doe And thus sinne couers it selfe like Adam with the fruitlesse figge-leaues of hypocrisie But alas beloued we must know that for Gods Husbandry no season proues vnseasonable but young men and maidens old men and children Psal 148.12 must praise and serue the Lord and Nature must be subdued by Grace if euer we will be the Children of Glory and all your excuses of sinne will not free your soules from eternall death but as the Prouerbe is Kill a man when thou art drunke and thou shalt be hanged when thou art sober So sweare and raile and rage and offend thy God and abuse man when thou art in thy drinke in thy fury and God will lay the punishment on thee and not on thy drinke when thou shalt not haue a drop of drinke to quench thy thirst nor a droppe of water to coole thy tongue Luc. 16.24 That we ought to keepe our selues spotlesse in the midst of the wicked And we haue learnt in Gods Schoole that Iuda must not sinne no though all Israel should play the Harlot but as the Riuer Alphaeus conuayes it selfe through the Seas into his beloued Arethusa and yet participates not at all with the Sea-saltish humour so must Lot preserue himselfe chaste in the middest of Sodome and the Saints in the middest of the World as I haue shewed at large in my Treatise The Delights of the Saints Page 47. of the Delights of the Saints And the Schoole of Diuinity teacheth vs that Bonum est de integra causa The beginning meanes and ending of euery action must needes be right or the whole action will proue wrong and therefore wee must take away these vailes from sinne if we would perceiue the vglinesse of sinne and so escape the wages of Sinne which is Death Secondly seeing Sinne is the reall and radicall cause Et mali morbi mortis Of weakenesse sickenesse miseries death and destruction a pernicious parent of most dreadfull and deadly off-spring for foolish men are plagued Psal 107.17 because of their offences and I will smite thee saith God himselfe vnto Iacob because of thy sinnes and it is an axiome infallible Mich. 6.13 that sinne and punishment are inseparable companions so inseperable that the Hebruists doe often call them both by one name as where the text sayth Sinne lyeth at the doore Gene. 4.7 and ver 13. and My sinne is greater then I can beare and againe your Sinne shall find you out there Arias Montanus and Tremellius translate it punishment Numb 32.23 That wee should acknowledge our owne sinnes to be the true cause of all our miseries Jere. 44.17 therefore if we feele any plagues or miseries either Dearth of Corne or decaying of Trade increase of Superstition or decrease of Religion or any such like plagues and miseries let vs not blame the times nor trueth of God but let vs lay the
fault where it is vpon our selues and vpon our owne Sinnes for though the many multitude say it was a good world with them When they sacrificed vnto the Queene of Heaven yet the King of Heauen knowes what a wofull time it was for Man when the Crucifixe was kissed with the kisses of their Mouthes and Iesus Christ was crucified againe with the workes of their hands and when they changed The trueth of God into a lye and Worshipped and serued the creature made a god with their owne hands Rom. 1.15 More then the Creator who is blessed for euer Amen And if we would be free from plagues free from punishments let vs free our selues from sinne I know that feare of Poperies comming againe with superstitions hath spread it selfe ouer the face of this whole Iland but alas Wee feare where no feare is for I dare confidently affirme that it neuer was his Maiesties minde nor the purpose of the State to bring in Idolatry and superstition into this land againe Cantic 5.3 for We haue washed our feete and shall we foule them againe But the secrets of State is more then either I can perceiue or most of you well vnderstand Or if they did yet were it vayne Quia non est concilium contra Dominum because no deuice of man can subuert the truth of God vnlesse our sinnes doe prouoke our God Reuel 2.5 Nulla nocebit aduersitas si nulla dominetur iniquitas Gregor Cyprian to remoue our Candlesticke and to take away our light and therefore though all the Iesuites of the world and all the Cardinals of Rome nay though all the Deuils of Hell should doe their worst against vs yet if we feare our God and forsake all Sinne the diuels may haue all their seruants before they all shall be able to hurt any one seruant of the Lord quia non plus valet ad deijciendum terrena paena quam ad erigendum diuina tutela 1 John 4.4 because He that is in vs is greater then he that is in the World and is more able to preserue vs then the Prince of darkenesse is to destroy vs. That wee should turne to the Lord our God And therefore if you thinke Poperie to be euill and would be free from superstition neuer feare the State nor lay the blame on others but leaue your sinnes and Turne to the Lord your God with all your hearts and with all your soules and you shall see the Saluation of the Lord which hee will shew vnto vs this day Exod. 14.13 for the Egyptians whom you haue seene and feare you shall see them againe no more for euer the Lord shall fight for you and you may be sure no euill shall happen vnto you it shall not come nigh your dwelling for the onely way to escape all punishments is to forsake all sinnes Neither doe I say this as if we could be cleane from sinnes for I know it was Nouatus his error and we must all know it for an error Hieron adversus Pelag. that a Christian after Baptisme doth not sinne and it was but a Pellagian conceite before him inuented by Pythagoras that the exercise of Vertue rooteth out all the seede of Vices Matth. 7.18 for a Bad tree cannot bring foorth good fruit and in some things sayth the Apostle I feare I may say as it is in our last English translation in many things wee Sinne all Iames 3.2 1 Iohn 1.8 And if wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs. But I say this that we should haue a feruent desire not to sinne and to say with the Prophet O that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Commandements and that wee would endeuor pro virili to the vttermost of our abilities not to sinne and labour alwayes with the Apostle Acts 24.16 to keep a cleere conscience in all things both before God and Man Thirdly Seeing all miseries death and damnation are as iustly inflicted vpon the sinner as the poore Souldier may iustly claime his little stipend we should not complaine against God Sueton. in vita Vesp C. 10. with Vespasian Immerenti sibi vitam aripi that he tooke away his life without any fault of his or without any fayling on his part but we should with the Leuites in Nehemiah with Daniel with Ieremie and with all the rest of the men of God commend the Lord and condemne our selues saying surely thou art iust in all that is come vpon vs thou hast dealt truely Nehem. 9.33 but wee haue done wickedly And thus I haue shewed thee O man quid sit malum what is euill and you haue heard a large discourse of Sinne and the most lamentable effect and wages of Sinne And now it is a thousand to one that the first thing many one of vs will doe is to goe home or perhaps afore wee goe home to sinne some to sweare some to their whores some to be drunke some to deceiue and most of vs to some sinne or other But if euer any of you doe for those sinnes receiue this pay remember I haue told you what you should haue Death for the wages of Sinne is Death and I can doe no more but pray to God that he would giue vs grace to forsake Sinne that we may escape Death through Iesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three distinct Persons of that one eternall in diuided Essence be giuen as is most due all prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen A Prayer O Blessed God which hast created Man we doe acknowledge that thou hast made him righteous but he sought out many inuentious and hath most grieuously sinned against thy diuine Maiestie and thereby hath most iustly pulled vpon himselfe and all his posteritie all miseries death and damnation But thou desirest not the death of a Sinner but rather that hee should turne from his wickednesse and liue And therefore we doe confesse our sinnes we doe detest our sinnes and we doe most humbly pray thee euen for thy mercies sake to bee mercifull vnto vs to deale with vs not according to our offences but according to thy Grace to giue vs Grace to serue thee that so we mâ—y be deliuered from our iust deserued punishment and be receiued into thine euerlasting fauour to prayse and magnifie thy blessed Name for euer and euer Amen A wearied loathed Life I leade content with onely Sadnesse To see my selfe opprest with Sinne and with this worlds Madnes I alwayes striue with wicked Sinne yet doth my Sinne preuaile I therefore hate my Selfe because my Sinnes I cannot quaile And I doe likewise wish for Grace that I might neuer offend But truely serue my Master Christ and please him to my end And yet I see this tyrant Sinne and wicked men doe wrong me To Hell the one to Miserie th' other still would throng me But reason bids
praecipua laudatio est c. This is one of the chiefest commendations of God that he hath no meane nor measure in him for his power his vertue his Maiestie How the Fathers doe extoll the power of God cannot be contained in place determined by time expressed in words nor conceiued in our best vnderstandings our sence is too narrow our wit is too blunt and our tongue too mute to performe so great a taske because as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 145.3 There is no end of his greatnesse And therefore Saint Augustine saith excellently well Demus Deum multa posse nos intelligere non posse That we must grant that God can doe many things Aug. ep 3. ad Volusian which we must confesse wee can neither search out the cause nor vnderstand the things because the power of God is not to be straitned within the compasse of our shallow apprehensions How great a sinne it is to say any thing derogatory to the Power of God And therefore we ought to take great heed that we neither say nor conceiue any thing derogatory to the power of God for if it be ordained by humane Lawes that he which should offend the Maiestie of a King though but a man should leese his head for his offence Quis finis contemnentium diuinam omnipotentiam erit Bernard in cant What should become of those that contemne or speake against the Diuine Omnipotency of God saith Saint Bernard Fourthly the very Heathens Poets Phylosophers and all of the learneder sort haue confest as much as is sufficient to proue the Omnipotent power of God Homer Odyss 3. p. 65. for Homer brings in Minerua speaking vnto Telemachus and saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is as much as if shee said That God can doe what hee will and none can hinder him because as one saith Ille potest solis currus inhibere volantes How the very Heathens haue extolled the Omnipotency of God Ille velut scopulos flumina stare facit He can hold still great Phoebus wayne as he did in the days of Ioshua at he did at thered Sea And stoutest streames he can restraine For though as another saith Astra regunt mundum These sublunary Creatures are generally guided by the influences of the higher Orbes yet to conclude the verse he saith Sed regit astra Deus The God of Heauen doth rule the Heauens and rideth vpon the same as vpon an Horse And therefore an Indian Gymnosophist being demanded by Alexander what God did answered What he will Et quod nulla creatura facere potest And what no mortall man nor any other creature can doe for they daily saw how by his strength vnlikely matters haue come to passe the greatest imaginations haue beene dissolued with a blaste and dying hopes haue beene reuiued from their graues and therefore they all concluded that Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus It was an easie matter for Gods power to deale with all Creatures as he listed and How the very Diuels haue confest the Power of God Fiftly the very Diuels doe acknowledge and confesse and obey the power of God For Apollo being demanded of one by what meanes he might with-draw his wise from Christianitie He answered That he might easier flie through the Ayre or write in the Sea then plucke her away from Christ because God was so powerfull to preserue her Heydelf de Deo c. 2. and the Diuell so weake to striue against him and being requested by Augustus to informe him who should succeede him in his Empire hee saide Peucerus de Oracul p. 251. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Hebrew Childe hath inioyned me to silence and I must hence-forth obey his voyce And so the Scripture saith That the vncleane Spirits were obedient vnto Christ and as the winde and the waues so did they yeeld and doe whatsoeuer Christ commanded them Much more might be said to confirme this point Quid satis est cui Roma parum but all is but to light a candle before the Sunne And therefore seeing I am no wayes able to speake what I ought to expresse this truth I will proceede to see what the sonnes of darkenesse can say against this truth And as I distributed the adversaries into foure Classies so I finde their obiections to be foure-fold Obiect The Obiections that are made against the truth of Gods Power answered Sol. That there be three sorts of Agents First the Naturalists say that Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing can be made And therefore God is not so powerfull as to be able to produce things of nothing and to create this Vniuerse out of no subsistent matter To this I answere that there be three sorts of workers 1. The lowest 2. The middlemost 3. The highest or else 1. Artificers 2. Nature 3. God First Artificers can doe nothing but of some body composed of the first matter and a substantiall forme into which they doe induce an accidentall forme as the Baker out of his Dowe makes Bread or the Potter out of his tempered clay makes his Potts Secondly Nature or naturall Agents can likewise produce nothing into being vnlesse there be first some matter or subiect whereunto it induceth a naturall forme so from any naturall seede is composed the fruit of each seede in his kinde as from the seede of man is ingendered man and so of all other things whatsoeuer And in these two sorts of Agents the axiome is most true That God can produce any thing of nothing that of nothing nothing can be made but of the third agent that is God it is most false for as he did create all things of nothing so he can yet as easily of no being produce any being as he can change any compleat being into another And therefore to argue from the creature vnto the Creator or from the faculty of the inferior agent vnto the faculty of the superior as the Artificer cannot doe it therefore Nature cannot doe it or Nature cannot doe it therefore the God of Nature cannot doe it is most absurd and foolish Euery Childe can perceiue the weakenesse of this childish reasoning Secondly Obiect the desperate men doe obiect against their owne soules that Gods Iustice is so strict that it requires euery sinne and the least sinne to be punished with eternall death and their sinnes are not onely few and small but most infinite in number euen as Manasses saith My sinnes are more innumerable then the sands of the Sea and most haynous for quality euen as Caine saith My sinne is greater Quam vt venia merear Gen. 4.13 Then I can deserue pardon or they be greater then can be pardoned And therefore say they God cannot pardon our sinnes but we must die and die eternally for our sinnes To this I answere first Sol. that it had beene very good for them they had reasoned
so before they had sinned for that perhaps might haue preserued them in the feare of Gods Iustice and now from the despaire of his mercy But seeing they did not I say secondly that it is most true that the least sinne of man can neuer be pardoned without an intermedium a meanes wrought That no sinne can be pardoned without satisfaction or interposition of satisfaction betwixt the sinne of man and the iustice of God therefore did the wisdome of God deuise and decree that by the death of one righteous man in whom there should be no sinne and who for his worth should be of that inestimable value as to be infinitely more then counteruailably sufficient to pay for all sinnes the Iustice of God should be satisfied and euery sinner that would lay hold vpon his death might thereby be freed from all his sinnes of what number or nature soeuer they be And to this end he sent his onely begotten Sonne Gal. 4.4 That the death of Christ is a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes made of a Woman and made vnder the Law to die for our sinnes and to redeeme vs that were vnder the Law from the eternall curse of that Law And his death is of that inestimable value that Saint Cyprian saith Modicam guttam sanguinis Christi propter vnionem hypostaticam pro redemptione totius mundi sufficisse 1. Circumcisione 2. Oratione 3. Flagellatione 4. Coronatione 5. Clauorum in fixione 6. Lancea The least droppe of his bloud by reason of that hypostaticall vnion with the God-head had beene sufficient to make satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole World And yet we reade that he shedde his bloud not once but often sixe seuerall times at least and that not sparingly but abundantly it trickled downe to the ground In which respect the Psalmist saith Luke 22.44 Psal 130.7 that with God there is Copiosa redemptio Plenteous redemption or satisfaction enough in store to pay for the sinnes of any one be they neuer so great be they neuer so many And therefore there is no sinne so great no sinnes so many but God can and that without any impeachment of his Iustice easily remit it if we can but lay hold vpon the death of Christ and he can worke this faith in vs to beleeue in Christ if we can but beleeue he can doe it as our Sauiour shewed vnto him that came and said Domine si quid potes Sir if thou canst doe any thing Marke 9.23 saying Si potes credere If thou canst beleeue thou mayest easily see that I can doe that which thou requirest and all things else whatsoeuer they be they be possible for me to doe them onely beleeue and thou shalt see it Thirdly the Vbiquitaries say hee that can doe all things whatsoeuer can make the Body of Christ to be in euery place wheresoeuer but God can doe any thing whatsoeuer Ergo. He can make the Body of Christ to be euery where and so inuest the manhood of Christ with Diuine properties I answere to the minor proposition Nam qui indefinitè deum omnia posse dicit non tantum bona sed etiam horum contraria mala quae diabolo conueniunt comprehendit Theod. Dialog 3. that he can doe any thing that is possible to be done or that hath the possibility of being but not all things whatsoeuer they be For he that saith God can doe all things simply and indifinitely hee comprehendeth not onely the good but also all the contrary euill which are properly belonging vnto the Diuell and not to God saith Theodoret And therefore I say that there be two sorts of impossible things which God cannot doe First some things ex hypothesi in respect of the constant truth of Gods decree and the immutability of his will God can doe nothing contrary to what he hath decreed and thus God could not conceale from Abraham what he intended to doe vnto the Sodomites nor doe any thing vnto Sodom vntill Lot was deliuered from them because God had decreed to reueale all that vnto Abraham and to preserue that righteous man from the destruction of the Sodomites and thus all things are said to be impossible for God to doe which doe contradict the Eternall purposes and decrees of God because he is a God that changeth not Mal. 1. and that cannot alter the things that are gone out of his mouth Secondly some things are simply impossible for him to doe God can doe nothing that is contrary to the nature of God Propter constantem Dei naturam By the reason of the constancy and immutability of Gods Nature Thus God cannot be said to doe any humane Acts because he is an Eternall Spirit nor to sin because he is the chiefe good nor to doe any contradictory because he is Truth it selfe As I shewed vnto you before But against this it may be obiected First that God can doe Ob. 1 any humane act for he is said to draw nigh vnto vs Iames 4.8 and to depart from vs and so to performe many other such like humane acts Ergo these things are not impossible for God To this some men doe answere Sol. that humane acts are not to be ascribed to Gods Nature because he is an incorporeall substance and yet they are not to be secluded from his Power but are all performed through it because God worketh all things in all his creatures for in him we liue and in him we moue Act. 17.28 saith the Apostle But indeed when these or the like things are spoken of God they are to be vnderstood metaphorically as the Sunne is said to enter into the house when his heate and beames doe shine therein so God is said to draw neere vnto vs when we doe perceiue the influence of his grace and goodnesse All humane Acts are done by the power of God not by the Essence of God and so I say that although humane acts are done of vs through the Power of God yet they cannot be done by the Essence of God Secondly they may obiect that God can doe euill First because Ob. 2 the Philosopher saith Potest Deus studiosus praua facere Arist Topic. l. 4. c 5. Gen. 22.2 Gen. 11.2 2 Sam. 16.10 secondly because God commandeth many euils to be done as Abraham to kill his sonne the Israelites to robbe the Egyptians Shemei to curse Dauid and such like and thirdly because the Apostle saith that he worketh all in all Ergo He can doe euill Sol. To these I answere First that the Philosopher saith this not positiuely but according to the opinion of the vulgar or That whatsoeuer God doth or biddeth to be done is no sinne Secondly I say Quod potest Deus praua facere sed minime praue That God can doe those acts which done of vs were euill but done by him are no wayes euill for sinne is the offending of his
excellent saying And therefore the Prophet addeth Blessed are all they that waite for him And the testimonies of Scripture that doe confirme this point are almost infinite Ionas saith That he knew God was a gracious God Ionas 4.2 and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenting him of the euill Therefore he would not goe to threaten destruction because he knew God was so ready to spare And the Prophet Dauid Psal 78. in the 78. Psalme and in the 106. Psalme and in many other places Psal 106. doth most fully and plainely set downe this truth Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sinne But the examples of Gods patience and long sufferance makes it more plaine For when Adam sinned hee came not presently but staid to the coole of the day before he would call him to account and when Adam was called Gods wrath did not appeare to be kindled for he said no more but Adam where art thou Gen. 3.9 v. 11. And when he appeared he said but hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said vnto thee that thou shouldest not eate thereof Ionas 4.8 lest thou diest So when Ionas was angry vnto death for the gourd that sprung in a night and withered in another the Lord said no more but Ionas doest thou well to be angry So when Iudas betrayed the Sonne of God into the hands of sinners he said no more but Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse So when the old World had so defiled it selfe that it made God sorry in his heart that euer he made man Gen. 6.6 yet would he not suddenly destroy this Augaeum stabulum but gaue it 120. yeeres to repent Verse 3. So he gaue to the Niniuites forty dayes and to the Israelites in the Wildernesse forty yeeres throughout all which time Psal 78.3.8.39 he was so mercifull that hee forgaue their misdeeds and destroyed them not nor would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise So for Iericho there were more dayes spent in the destruction of the same then in the creation of the whole World for the World was made in sixe dayes but Iericho was to be compassed seauen dayes before it should fall How God spared the whole World and so spareth vs notwithstanding all our wickednesse to this very day And so for this whole World notwithstanding the wickednesse of so many generations of men it stands vnpunished to this very day as if iudgement were forgotten or God were loath to be moued to be angrie And for our selues alas how many times doe we offend our God neglect his Sabboath blaspheme his name contemne his Word and abuse his seruants and yet still God stayeth his anger from vs and spareth vs when we spare not him And whence comes this but onely hence that our God is slow to anger for Si quoties peccant homines sua fulmina mittat Iupiter If God should punish vs as often as wee offend him wee should all perish and soone come to a fearefull end But it is obserued by many Diuines writing vpon those words of the Prophet The act of punishing is least agreeable to Gods Nature that God should rise as in Mount Perasim and should be wrath as in the vallie of Gibson that he might doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act that the act of punishing is the furthest from God and least agreeable to the nature of such a soueraigne goodnesse for as the motiue of shewing mercy is within him and therefore is he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of mercies as if mercy did as naturally proceede from him Mercy proceedeth naturally from God as the Childe doth issue from the Father So the motiue of executing iudgement and reuenge is without him in our sinnes and therefore is he neuer called the Father of vengeance but is as it were compelled either to punish vs or to be vniust in himselfe Quia abyssus abyssum inuocat because the greatnesse of our sinnes doth still crie for vengeance against the sinners God is compelled to punish And therefore many times when the Sword is drawne and the hand ready to strike yet mercy steppes in and as the Angell cried to the foure Angels to whom power was giuen to hurt the Earth and the Sea saying Hurt not the Earth nor the Seas nor the Trees Apoc. 7.2.3 till we haue sealed the seruants of God in their fore-heads Or as the Angell said vnto Abraham Lay not thine hand vpon the Lad Gen. 22.12 neither doe thou any thing vnto him So doth mercy say to God stay yet a while O Iustice and destroy them not vntill I haue tried them one yeere more whether they will bring forth any fruits of repentance or not for how shall I deliuer vp Israel Hosea 11.8.9 or why should Ephraim be destroyed Mine heart is turned within me and my repentings are â—indled together And therefore O doe not execute the fiercenesse of thine anger but stay a while to see what they will doe and so mercy stayes the hand of Iustice Our turning from our sins doth perfectly turne away Gods wrath from vs. and many times gets the victory and when it can moue vs to turne to GOD it turnes all the weapons in the Armory of Heauen like the Raine-bow which is a Bow indeed but without an Arrow with a full bent but without a string and with the wrong side towards vs as if now hee meant to shoote at Christ for our sinnes and not at vs which are the sinners And thus God which is euer ready and willing to shew mercy and compassion is still loth and slow to suffer his anger to be kindled to worke our woe and destruction And both these are excellently represented vnto vs in a twofold passage of the Scripture Luc. 15.10 the one in the Father of the prodigall Childe who runnes to meete his returning wandring sonne to shew vnto vs Didacus stella in Luc. 15. Quod non sit lenta neque tarda diuina misericordia ad subveniendum compunctis corde That the mercy of God is neither slow nor slacke to helpe and releeue repenting soules but is alwayes ready and willing to receiue them into his fauour and therefore cucurrit he ranne when he saw an occasion to shew mercy Gen. 3.8 God is quicke to shew mercy slow to punish the other in God seeking Adam in Paradice who walked with a slow pace as the originall word imports to shew how loth he was to be too quicke in indignation and therefore ambulauit He did but walke and come with a slow pace because he is slow to wrath yea when nothing will preuaile to recall vs from our sinnes but that he must punish vs yet as a compassionate Iudge pronounceth sentence against a malefactor with weeping eyes Qui fruitur paena ferus est legumque videtur
obstinacy in resisting the holy Ghost as S. Steuen said of the stiffe-necked Iewes this sinne shall neuer be forgiuen as our Sauiour saith yet in regard of Gods infinite Mercies which both for number and greatnesse doe exceed all sinnes and in respect of Gods power which is able to doe all things and to subdue all things vnto himselfe I say this sinne and all sinnes are pardonable and can bee forgiuen if we could repent and aske forgiuenesse of the same else should our sinnes be more infinite then Gods mercies which is impossible And therefore whatsoeuer thy sinnes haue beene neuer so great neuer so many sinnes of darkenesse sinnes of Death sinnes more in number then the sands of the Sea yet if thou hast but that grace to wish for grace if thou doest it from the bottome of thy heart despaire not of the Mercy of God but call and cry and say vnto him Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner 1 Iohn â— 7 and the bloud of Iesus Christ shall cleanse thee from all sinne Esay 42.3 for a bruised reed he will not breake and a smoaking flaxe he will not quench O Lord who is a God like vnto thee What a haynous sinne it is to despaire of the Mercie and goodnesse of God It is sayd of Iudas that he sinned more in despayring of the mercy of God then in betraying of his Sauiour Christ for the betraying of his master was but the corruption of man but the despairing of Gods mercy was a denyall of this goodnesse of God and so to make God cruell at least not so good as he was euill then which a greater indignity cannot be imagined against the Diuine Maiestie and therefore whatsoeuer our liues haue been as bad as Salomon 2 Chron. 33.1.2 c. or worse then Manasses yet let vs vs not adde this vnto all the rest of our sinnes which alone will proue vnto vs worse then all the rest to despaire of the grace and goodnesse of GOD Heb. 4.16 but rather let vs in the name of Christ draw neare vnto the Throne of Grace and we may be sure to finde mercy against the time of neede Thirdly to imitate God in all these particulars of Gods goodnesse Thirdly This Doctrine teacheth vs to Imitate God herein in all these speciall points of goodnesse For though there be many inimitable workes of God wherein it is a sinne to attempt to doe the like as Mundos fabricare mortuos suscitare inter fluctus ambulare To create worlds to raise the dead to walke among the waues and the like yet we are commanded to be holy as he is holy and to imitate him in goodnesse that so wee may bee the Children of our Father which is in Heauen And therefore First to bee Mercifull Luke 6.36 Ouid. de ponto cleg 9. Staâ—â—us in Thebaide First we should be mercifull as he is mercifull Regia crede mihi res est succurrere lapsis And as another saith Pulchrum est vitam donare petenti It is a pleasant thing to be pittifull But the man of bloud or the sonne of cruelty can neuer be the Childe of the God of mercy for Iob 6.14 Matth. 26.11 he that hath no mercy hath cast away the feare of the Lord saith holy Iob. And yet alas mercy is now gone out of our Countrey The poore are euer with you saith our Sauiour and neuer so many poore as now That there is a great want of Mercy amongst vs. for in Court and Countrey in Church I am sure we are almost all beggars and yet we may labour not onely all night with the Apostles but all the dayes of our life and get nothing because we haue nothing to giue such is our time that if euer that saying was true it is now true Si nihil attuleris ibis homere foras Most is sold soules and all little is giuen either in Church or Common-wealth and all is spent vpon our selues and vpon our friends and not vpon the painful seruants or poore members of Iesus Christ 2 Sam. 24.23 It is said of Araunah that being but a Subiect as a King he gaue vnto the King but we goe like Princes in soft rayments and we fare like Kings Luke 16. daintily euery day and we giue like bankerouts not a bit to the poore not a penny to the painefull But O beloued Mutemus vitamsi volumus accipere vitam We must change this course of life if euer we looke for eternall life And we must remember the afflictions of Ioseph and put on the bowels of mercy and compassion if euer wee be the Children of this God of mercy Secondly we should be gracious that is amiable 2. To be gracious and affable and curteous one to another rather like Titus Vespasian that was Deliciae generis humani The delight of mankinde delighting onely in doing good and not like Cinicke Diogenes or carping Zoylus that were vnsociable and vnfit for any societie Thirdly we should be slow to anger for 3 To be slow to anger Eccâ—es 7.11 Prou. 14.29 Anger resteth in the bosome of fooles but he that is slow to wrath is of great wisedome because as the Poet saith Furor iraque mentem praecipitant Wrath and fury doe so blind the minde and iudgement of man Ne possit cernere verum That as Cato saith He cannot discerne betwixt good and euill And therefore Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoeuer precipitately fostereth anger must needes fall into an euill end because nothing can more preiudice man in the whole course of his life then the poysonous weede of wrath and the bitter fruits of hasty anger Fourthly we should abound in all goodnesse 4. To abound in all goodnesse for the more good we doe the more excellent and the more god-like we shall be for good cannot proceede but from God and cannot tend any where but to God And wee are all Trees in Gods Vineyard well planted well fenced and well watered for our Land is good our Law is good our Seruice and our Sermons good And therefore we should be good and bring forth good fruits Math. 3.10 meete for repentance or else we shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire for though it be very true that hee is a good man S. Chrysost in serm de virt vit which doth no euill yet is it as certainely true Malum esse non fecisse bonum That he is an euill man which doth not good because there are priuatiue sinnes not to doe good as well as positiue sinnes to doe euill And therefore the Iewish Rabbines that haue beene curious to account all the Commandements in Moses Law Munster in precept aff neg haue found 365. negatiue ones iust as many as there be dayes in the yeere and 248. affirmatiue ones iust as many as there be limbes or bones in a mans body not only to
especially of two sorts 1. Some in respect of Christ 2. Others in respect of Christians First Those in respect of Christ are likewise three-fold 1. The benefit of the vnion of the two natures in respect of Christ is three-fold Esay 53.12 1 Pet. 2.22 1. An exemption of all sinne and corruption from Christ 2. The collation of ineffable graces into the humanity of Christ 3. The communication of the properties of each Nature to the person of Christ First We finde that although Christ appeared like a sinfull man and was numbred among the wicked yet in very deede he did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth for though In carnis assumptione condescendit mihi in culpae tamen vitatione consului◠sibi 1. To free the manhood from all sinne He assumed the true nature of man yet by reason of his pure conception and of this hypostaticall vnion hee was conceiued and liued without sinne and so as Leo saith Qui non alienus ab hominum genere alienus fuit à crimine He tooke vpon him the seede of man but not the sinne of man he vnited himselfe to our nature but he shunned all the iniquity of our nature Secondly The graces callated vnto the humanity of Christ by reason of this vnion of the two natures are very many especially these sixe 2. To inrich the manhood with these and the like speciall graces First His subsistence and that in the second person of the Trinity whereof it selfe as of it selfe is destitute Secondly An extraordinary dignity in that it is a peculiar Temple for the Deity of Christ to dwell in and the place where the Godhead shewes it selfe more manifestly and more gloriously then in any other Creature whatsoeuer for though God sheweth himselfe by his prouidence to be in all his Creatures and by his grace to be after a more speciall manner in his Saints yet is he onely most gloriously eternally inhabiting according to the fulnesse of his Deity by an hypostaticall vnion in the humanity of Christ for In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Collos 2.9 And as now in this life No man commeth vnto God but by Christ so hereafter in the next life No man can see God but in the face of Iesus Christ Thirdly A more neere familiarity with the Godhead then any other Creature whether Men or Angels either had or haue or can haue for that to all other Creatures he is adioyned onely by the presence of his grace or glory but to the humanity of Christ he hath personally vnited himselfe for euer So that as he said My Father and I are one that is one essence he may as truly say the Manhood and I are one that is one onely person for euer Fourthly An extraordinary measure without measure of habituall graces wisedome vnderstanding holinesse and the like such as dwels not in that measure in any other Creature whatsoeuer no not in the very chiefest Angels of God for to all them were giuen grace by measure but to the humanity of Christ Ephes 4 7. was giuen grace without measure Iohn 3.34 saith the Baptist euen so much as a Creature is any wayes capable of Fiftly A partner agent with the Godhead according to its measure in the workes of redemption mediation and such like Sixtly To be adored and worshipped with diuine honour not as it is considered in it selfe without respect vnto the Deity but as it is vnited with the Godhead Neque tamen creaturam adoramus Athanas Orat. 5. contra Arrianos Wee worship not the flesh alone considered but wee adore the person of Christ which consisteth of the Word and our Flesh absit sed dominum rerum creatarum incarnatum verbum deum adoramus And yet we adore no Creature God forbid but we worship and adore the Lord of all Creatures the incarnate Word God Iesus Christ saith Athanasius Nam veluti si quis nostrum c. For as if any one of vs should finde a purple roabe or a Kingly Diademe lying vpon the ground would he worship the same trow you but when the King is clothed and decked with the same he is guilty of death that despiseth and refuseth to worship and honour them together with the King that weareth them euen so in our Sauiour Christ wee doe not adore the sole and bare humanity Aug. de verbis Domini sec Joh. Ser. 58. but being vnited vnto the Deity whosoeuer shall despise to adore with diuine worship that onely Sonne of God true God and true man hee shall vndoubtedly suffer the paines of eternall death saith Saint Augustine 3. To haue the properties of each nature to bee indifferently predicated of the whole person of Christ Thirdly For the communicating of the properties we are to consider it First In respect of those properties which are common to both natures ioyntly considered Secondly In respect of those properties which are peculiar to either nature seuerally considered First The Office of a Mediator is ascribed to Christ in respect of both natures Quia totus Christus secundum diuinitatem humanitatem est Mediator Intercessor because whole Christ according to his Deity and humanity is our Mediator and Intercessor saith Saint Augustine Secondly The peculiar properties of either nature are said to be communicated when they are predicated or spoken of the whole person of Christ in the concrete and largest extent and this communicating of properties is nothing else but a forme of speech whereby those things are spoken of the whole person of Christ which indeede are proper to either one nature and not to the other for oftentimes it comes to passe that by reason of the personall vnion of these two natures each one of them doth interchangeably take the concrete names each of other in predication Acts 20.28 as when it is said That God purchased the Church with his owne bloud not that the Godhead shed bloud but because that person which was a God did shed bloud to procure redemption not which it had as God but which it had in respect of the Manhood vnited vnto it So the Sonne of man talking with Nicodemus Iohn 3.13 is said To be in Heauen not that hee was in Heauen as he was man while he was on earth but because that person which was the Sonne of man was by something that was in his person that is his Deity in Heauen So Saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romans Rom. 1.4 Verse 3.4 doth giue vs a perfect patterne how to interpret all such alternate predications for there hee saith That the Sonne of God was made of the seede of Dauid but how not according to his diuine Sonneship or Deity which hee had from all eternity but in respect of his humane nature which was personally vnited vnto the Sonne of God And therefore though it be most vsuall in the Scripture to heare things properly appertaining to the
from God and the chiefest argument of his Diuine loue towards man for though it was great loue to be clothed with the vaile of our flesh and to take the infirmities of our fraile and feeble nature yet is it farre greater loue to be compassed with the shadow of Death and to vndergoe the penalty of our sinfull nature And therefore seeing the mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done this maruellous worke Psal 111 4. that it ought to be had in remembrance I may well say with the Prophet Lam. 1.12 Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Stay here and consider and behold If euer there were any sorrow like his sorrow or any suffering like the suffering of Christ your businesse may be great and your occasions vrgent yet none so great none so waighty as this and none so acceptable vnto God as this for if you must remember when he rested how much more should you remember how he suffered Secondly It is most profitable vnto men in three respects Secondly As no worke more acceptable vnto God so none more profitable for vs for the serious meditation of the sufferings of Christ effecteth in vs besides many others these three especiall good 1. It hindereth vs to sinne 2. It kindleth our charity 3. It erecteth our Hope For Orosius sup ep ad Rom. l. 6. First Tanta vis crucis vt si ante occulos ponatur c. So great is the power and efficacy of the sufferings of Christ that if it were alwayes fixed in the mindes of the faithfull How the meditation of Christs Passion driueth away sinne so that they did intentiuely behold the death of Christ no concupiscense no lust no enuy no fury could ouercome them but presently vpon the consideration of Christ his sufferings the whole hoste of the flesh and of sinne would flie away saith Orosius and Saint Bernard saith Bern. ser 62. in Cant. Quid tam efficax ad curanda coÌ„scientiae vulnera necnon ad purgandam mentis aciem quam Christi vulnerum sedula meditatio What can be more powerfull to cure the sinfull wounds of our consciences yea and to purge our mindes from all sinnes then the sedulous meditation of the wounds of Christ for the Passion of Christ sheweth how dearely it cost him to redeeme vs from sinne and therefore it should make vs afraid to sinne for when the Harlot Lais asked of Demosthenes 1000. Dracmas i. e. almost 24. pound of our money or as some report 10000. Dracmas i. e. 200. pound for one nights lodging with her he wisely answered her Non tanti emam paenitere I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate so when Satan suggesteth vs to sinne if we did but consider the great price that Christ did pay for sinne and must be paid before it can be pardoned for we are bought with a price yea with a great price 1 Cor. 6.1 saith the Apostle there is no doubt but it would be a great meanes to preserue vs from sinning for it is most certaine saith Origen Origen in c. 6. ad Rom. that the true consideration of the Passion of Christ in the heart of a Christian is the chiefest munition to guard vs against euery sinne for as Vriah said vnto King Dauid The Arke and Israel 2 Sam. 11.11 and Iuda abide in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord are incamped in the open field Sap. 2.8 and shall I then goe downe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife as thou liuest and as thy soule liueth I will not doe this thing So euery good Christian man will say My Sauiour Christ did weare a Crowne of thornes and shall I say come let vs crowne our selues with rose buds his hands are extended vpon the Crosse to imbrace me and shall I stretch forth mine hands vnto wickednesse to disgrace him he being ready to die had gall to eate and vineger to drinke and shall I being perfectly whole say with them in the booke of Wisedome Come Wisedome 2.7 let vs fiâ—l our selues with Wine and pleasant oyntments He suffered his breast his side and his heart to be opened and pierced for me and shall I harden my heart and shut the doore of my soule against him he was contented to heare himselfe reuiled and scorned for mee and shall I still scorne him and stop mine eares from hearing him so graciously speaking and so louingly calling me by the mouth of his holy seruants And as Origen saith Pro me Dei filius iugulatus est iterum me peccare delectat The Sonne of God was slaine for my sinnes and shall I euer againe delight in sinne So will euery true remembrancer of Christs sufferings say the desire of mony betrayed my Sauiour and shall I euer after that loue couetosnesse my wanton pleasures my vaine delights my swelling pride my greedy desire and all my wicked sinnes were the onely cause of my Sauiours want Chrys hom 88. in Matth. of his bitter sorrowes and his shamefull cruell death and shall I euer loue those sinnes that brought these sorrowes vnto him no sure I will not doe it saith euery soule that thinkes of this Etiam si lapis esset yea though his heart were made of stone yet the true meditation hereof would mollifie the same like waxe and cause him to depresse his pride and to detest all sinne saith Saint Chrysostome for as the destroying Angell could not hurt any of them whose doore-posts were sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe so the subtlety of Satan that destroying enemie can neuer preuaile against them which haue their mindes and hearts alwayes sprinkled with the true meditation of the suffering and shedding of the pretious blood of Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 And therefore as that blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith God forbid that I should glory in any thing The meditation of Christs Passion cannot choose but make vs to loue Christ saue in the Crosse of Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world that is whereby all worldly vanities and pleasures are become loathsome vnto me and I am become a hater and detester of them as being the cause of Christ his Crosse so I say vnto euery man if euer Satan or the lust of the flesh inticeth thee to sin I pray thee doe but this one thing before thou dost the sin call to mind and consider what thy deare Sauiour suffered for thy sinnes and I doubt not but it will proue a most wholesome antidote and a most excellent preseruatiue against sinne And Secondly As the consideration of Christs Passion is a great meanes to preuent sinne so it is of maine force to stirre vp our loue and to kindle our affection towards Christ as Saint Bernard saith Nihil est quod eum ita nobis amabilem reddit quam calix ille Bern. ser 20. in
to be Malefactors so the consideration of Christs suffering being as the Doue as innocent as innocencie it selfe should moue in vs not onely a commisseration of the sufferer but also a detestation of the persecutors for who can heare or reade of the death of righteous Abel by that wicked Caine the burning of Laurentius by that Tyrant Decius the flaying of Saint Bartholmew by his bloudy enemies or the dragging of Hippolytus with wilde Horses and such like cruell and bloudy Tragedies without a detestation of such horribly wicked Actors And can we heare the sufferings of innocent guiltlesse Christ without a deadly detestation of those inhumane Butchers That Christ was a good man Acts 10.38 Thirdly He was not onely a iust man that did no hurt to any man but he was also a good man that did good to euery man for He went about saith the Apostle doing good and that both in words and workes for first He often taught them in the Temple in the Synagogue vpon the Mount in the High-wayes in Houses in all places his goodnesse would not suffer him to conceale any thing in silence that might be any wayes profitable vnto his hearers but to dispell with all diligence all mysts and cloudes of errors from the inward eyes of the people and to instruct them cleerely in all the heauenly mysteries of saluation Secondly He cured the bleeding wounds of afflicted consciences he reclaimed brought home many stragling sheepe and wandring sinners he gaue eyes vnto the blinde feete vnto the lame speech vnto the dumbe eares vnto the deafe bread vnto the hungry yea many times hee restored health vnto the diseased and sometimes the dead vnto their lamenting friends And as Saint Paul saith Who is weake and I am not weake 2 Cor. 11.23 who is offended and I burne not So might our Sauiour more truly say Who is burthened and I am not grieued at it for he commisserated the corporall and spirituall infirmities of all men yea he did not onely pitty them in vs but he put them all vpon himselfe Et tulit in se vt à nobis tolleret and tooke them all vpon himselfe that he might take them all from vs as Saint Chrysostome saith And therefore if the people did so much condole the naturall death of Dorcas Acts 9.39 because shee was so good a Creature as to bestow some few clothes vpon some few poore distressed people how much more ought wee to bewaile the shamefull and the dolefull death of Christ that did so much good and neuer any ill all the dayes of his life Fourthly He was not onely Iustus bonus A iust and a good man or an innocent man voide of sinne and a vertuous man full of grace but he was also more honourable and noble then all the sonnes of men for he was Christus That Christ is 1. A King 2. A Priest 3. A Prophet Math. 2.2 Annointed to be a King a Priest and a Prophet First King Simul natus simul Caesar He was a King by birth Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes He descended of the regall race Saint Mathew reckons foureteene Kings in his pedegree and hee was a King to his dying day Iesus of Nazareth John 19.22 King of the Iewes Pilate writes it and he will not alter it for God himselfe had spoken it Psal 2.6 I haue set my King vpon my holy hill of Sion Secondly Priest for The Lord sware it Psal 110.4 and he will not repent it that he is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedecke The noblest Order and the royallest Priesthood in the World for this holy Priest was also a noble King Esay 9.6 for hee was King of Shalem King of peace euen as Esayas calles him The Prince of peace Thirdly Prophet for Deut. 18.15 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise vnto you And he shall be a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree euen the Prince of Prophets and so great a Prophet that Whosoeuer will not heare him he shall surely die Ier. 22.18 And therefore if Ieremie taketh vp that mournefull lamentation for the death of King Iosias and say Alas for that noble Prince ah my Lord or ah his glory and yet he came to an honourable death in the Field without any shame and but little paine then what shall wee say for the death of this King of Kings this Priest of the most High God and this great Prophet of the Lord that was annointed with the Oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45.8 The Lord had said Touch not mine Annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105 15. yet we see Kings the Annointed of God are slaine and Ierusalem killed the Prophets and stoned those that are sent vnto them Luke 13.34 But behold a greater then all Kings is here Et quasi vnus è decem milibus And such a one as ten thousand Kings are not equal vnto him and yet he is not brought to an honorable death of a Priest at the Altar or of a King in the Field but to a most shamefull and reprochfull death the most accursed death of the Crosse among the wicked O then let vs consider if euer such a person came to such a death That Christ was a true and eternall God Math. 17.54 Fiftly He was not onely the highest among all the Sonnes of men but he was also the Sonne of the most High God Pilate heard it and feared the Centurion saw it and confest it Truly this was the Sonne of God And the very Diuels felt it and proclaimed it We know who thou art euen the holy one of God yea the trembling Earth quaking Luke 4.34 the flinty Rockâ—s cleauing asunder and the dolefull graues opening themselues did by a visible voyce confirme him to be a God And so that strange Eclipse that was seene at his death and that vnexpected darkenesse that vayled the face of the Sunne for three houres together because it was no defect of Nature the Moone being at the full and the day being at the middest and therefore could not be any vsuall Eclipse caused by the head or the tayle of the Dragon vnlesse you meane that olde Dragon the Diuell it made that great Phylosopher Dyonisius Dionys in Ep. then in Athens to say That now the World was at an end or the God of Nature suffered violence so strange were these accidents beyond the power of Nature The enemies of Christ ascribe that to him in mockerie which he was indeede Mat. 26.68 Nay the very enemies of Christ acknowledged him to be a Prophet a King a God for while the people play vpon him and contemne him yet notwithstanding they confesse him to be a Prophet saying Prophesie vnto vs thou Christ who is hee that smote thee And as Saint Ambrose saith Compungentes coronant illudentes adorant While the Souldiers denied him
comfortable beames of the God-head were now restrayned from the assistance of the Man-hood of Christ as hereafter I shall more fully shew vnto you yet I say that all the Diuine comforts were not detained from him for then the Humanity could not haue indured so great an agony had he not beene somewhat sustained by the Deity Nay be it so Winton in Pass Ser. sup Thren 1 p 3. as some would haue it that his soule was euen as scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of dew of Diuine comfort yet I say he was not depriued of his reasonable soule he had all the powers and faculties of reason and vnderstanding in a farre more excellent measure then any other man whatsoeuer and these faculties were not disturbed nor any wayes darkened with the vehemencie of any Passions as I shewed vnto you before and therefore I cannot see how the feare of a naturâ—ll deâ—th onely could so exceedingly affright him as to make him so earnestly to pray against the same for we find that euen naturall men not knowing God and therefore not guided by the light of God doe and haue by the light of Humane reason made light account of death and yet you see Christ a man of perfect knowledge as man so much as man could haue is here grieuously troubled and vehemently affrighted at the consideration of that Cup which he was to drinke of and therefore that Cup did containe a great deale more then that little draught of naturall death And Heb. 5.7 That Christ was heard and therefore deliuered from what he feared Thirdly The Apostle vnto the Hebrewes saith That when Christ offered vp prayers and supplications with strong cryings and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death he was heard in that which he feared or for his piety as the originall hath it Now this must be referred vnto his feruent prayer and those bloudy teares in the Garden for we doe not reade that in any place else he did offer the like prayers and teares vnto God and therefore seeing he was heard i. e. so heard that he obtained his request Prae reuerentia for his modestie or for the respect that God had vnto him and was deliuered from that which he feared it must needes be that it was not his owne naturall death that he so much feared and so earnestly prayed against it for from this he was not deliuered but he suffered dyed and was buried Psal 75.9 And therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup the wine is red it is full mixt as for the dregs thereof That Christ was to vndergoe the punishment of all others all the vngodly of the earth shall drinke them and suck them out So I say of this Cup of Christ it is a Cup of many ingredients it is full red and it hath many dregs and although in this good seruant there was found no sinne yet seeing he was contented to vndergoe the punishments of all bad seruants and to suffer the iust desarts of all the vngodly therefore hee must drinke and sucke vp the very dregs of this Cup and yet if we duely obserue it we shall see that he was heard in that which hee feared for though he drinkes it vp sheere yet it shall cleerely passe from him and his prayer was no more for hee prayed not that he might not drinke of it but that it might passe from him euen as a man that drinketh a cup of poyson and yet thereby is not poysoned And so it did with Christ he dranke vp all and yet it did him no hurt at all for though it made him sweat the drops of bloud though it grieued him and pained him and made him cry out Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee yea though it cast him into a sleepe and laid him dead in his graue and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty houres or thereabouts he reuiued and awaked as a Lion out of sleepe or as a Giant refreshed with wine and then he smote all his enemies vpon the cheâ—â—e-bone Psal 78.66.67 and put them to a perpetuall shame And through that short and momentary death of his he purchased vnto his Church euerlasting life And therefore seeing this Cup which Christ feared was not onely that little draught of naturall death that was but the least drop thereof but was a Cup of many ingredients Let vs so farre as we may gather it out of the word of God obserue and learne what those ingredients might be which were contained in that Cup that so we may the better know what he suffered and what he prayed against CHAP. III. Of diuers particular things that were in that Cup which our Sauiour dranke of ANd if we diligently search into the particulars we shall finde that therein might be The difference betwixt feare and sorrow or griefe First Something 's that he grieued at which troubled him And Secondly Something 's that he feared which he prayed against For there be great differences betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 griefe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare and betwixt the causes of sorrow and feare for the obiect of sorrow and griefe may be as well euill past as the paine present but the obiect of feare is onely euill to come or that which is present but as yet not wholly passed ouer feare alwayes going before the paine sorrow and griefe following after and yet I say that the same things now in Christ might and did worke both feare and griefe because he fore-saw those things that were to come as present or as already past and therefore he feared them as things to come and he grieued for them as if they had beene already past Of the first sort there were somethings 1. In respect of himselfe 2. In respect of others What Christ griâ—ued at 1. In respect of himselfe he fore-saw these two things 1. The greatnesse of his paine and shame 2. The deferring of his death and punishment 2. In respect of others he fore-saw likewise these 2. things 1. The small account that they would make of so great a worke 2. The greatnesse of that punishment which they must suffer for this smalenesse of their account And would not these things grieue a man What Christ feared Of the second sort there were especially three things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The malice of Satan 3. The wrath of God And would not these enemies so many in number so mighty in power and so terrible to behold make a man to feare to tremble and to sweat And yet from all these he was deliuered and so as the Apostle saith He was heard in that which he feared But to speake of these a little more particularly What Christ fore-saw in respect of himselfe First his punishment First He fore-saw that he should indure Supplicium quo nullum
maius opprobrium quo nullum vilius A punishment then which there could not be greater and a shame then which there could not be viler The first which was but the least thing that grieued him yet it caused a colluctation of the flesh with paine Aristot 3. aethic with death because the flesh naturally is desirous to escape them both Et omnium terribilium terribilissimum est mors And of all terrible things death is the most terrible thing saith the Philosopher and therefore the very remembrance of the same Secondly His Shame The Shamefull handling of Christ was more grieuous vnto him then all his corporall sufferings must needs bring a terror vnto flesh and bloud And the second which was the shamefull things that were to be done vnto him to be scorned and scoffed accounted as wicked taken by the wicked and condemned with the wicked and so shamefully handled shamefully deemed shamefully dying did a great deale more perplexe and grieue him then the former any man wishing rather to dye then to suffer shame shame being a greater punishment vnto the minde and soule then any torture can be vnto the flesh Nature alwayes releeueth the part most distressed for nature cleane contrary to the course of the world which alwayes taketh part with the stronger-side and layeth helpe vpon them that are mighty vseth alwayes to assist the weaker part as it appeareth plainely in the letting of bloud in the arme or in any other place for then nature as it doth still send the bloud Quasi agmine facto as it were on heapes from all the parts of the body thither vntill the said rupture be stopped vp againe and so likewise when the heart of man which is the seate of feare begins to be troubled with any vehement or horrible feare then will nature presently collect the bloud about the same for to assist it whereby the face is left pale and all the exterior parts as it were voide of life and when the face of man which is the seate of shamefastnesse and honesty is aspersed with shame and reproach then presently the bloud relinquisheth all the interior parts and gathers it selfe vnto the face as to that part which now hath most need to be sustayned wâ—ereby we truely say that Pallor timentium rubor erubescentium est signum To blush is the signe of shame and to be pale is an argument of feare And therefore though the feare of his punishment and of death did neerely touch him yet to shew that the consideration of this most shamefull handling of him did more perplexe him his bloud did not collect it selfe vnto the heart though the same was much affrighted but leauing the heart as it were destitute of all helpe it flew into his face as vnto that part which for shame of their dispitefull vsage of him had most neede to be assisted and from thence as the pretious oyntment that was powred vpon Aarons head ranne downe vnto his beard and from thence vnto the skirts of his cloathing So this pretious bloud of Christ gushing out chiefly at his face it plentifully trickled downe to the ground Secondly The deferring of his suffering much grieued our Sauiour As the consideration and fore-sight of these things did much grieue him so the dilation and deferring of them did not a little trouble him for as the expectation of death is many times more grieuous vnto the affrighted flesh then death it selfe so was the dilation of that good which was to proceede from his death a great deale more grieuous vnto him then many deaths for hee was most greedy of our saluation and as the Horse made ready vnto the battle and hearing the Trumpets sounding Virgil. l. 4. Aeneid Stare loco nescit micat auribus tremit artus fraena faerox spumantia mandit doth fame and fome and cannot stand but still striueth to goe forward so Christ hauing this baptisme to be baptized with he was exceedingly pained vntill that was ended Quia spes quae differtur affligit animam Because as Salomon saith hope deferred or expectation prolonged languisheth the soule and therefore as Ionas saâ—d Irascor vsque ad mortem I am exceedingly angry euen vnto death that is because death comes not to me for I doe seeke for death and it flies from me so Christ was grieued vnto death Ambr. 7. in Luc. Non ex metu mortis suae sed ex mora redemptionis nostrae Not for any feare of his owne death but by reason of the delaying of our deliuerance from euerlasting death as Saint Ambrose saith What Christ fore-saw in respâ—ct of vs. Secondly As he fore-saw these things in respect of himselfe so in respect of others he fore-saw First the neglecting of his bloud First The small account that many men would make of this his so great a suffering he saw how few would imbrace it and how many would contemne it and therefore when he considered with himselfe Quae vtilitas in sanguine suo What profit might accrew from his bloud knowing that the least drop of it was of sufficient value to saue the whole world and yet by reason of the iniquitie and incredulity of men that all of it being spilt and shed it should notwithstanding saue but a remnant and a small company of men it could not choose but grieue and vexe his righteous soule to see his bloud spilt in vaine for would it not grieue any man to pay an infinite price to saue a base slaue from death and to see that villaine presently cast himselfe to death and with all his strength and wit to seeke the death of his Redeemer this was the case of Christ for he was willing to redeeme vs with his owne most precious bloud and yet he saw the wicked would trample this benefit vnder foot account the bloud of the couenant as an vnholy thing Heb. 10.29 and make none other vse of it but most fearefully to sweare by it and abuse it and so bringing vpon themselues swift damnation and therefore seeing euery sin grieues God this must grieue him most of all O then beloued brethren seeing as it grieueth the Husbandman to see his ground well manured still continuing barren so it is a griefe to Christ to see his bloud grow fruitlesse and that it is a ioy to him by our conuersion to see the fruits of his labours O let vs neuer cause him to say Esay 49.4 In vacuum laboraui I haue laboured in vaine but let vs truely repent vs of our sinnes and faithfully lay hold of his death that so both the Angels and this Lord of Angels may reioyce Secondly He fore-saw the great punishment and aduersitie that should light vpon many men and vpon many sorts of men for The dispersion of the Apostles Zach. 13.7 and by meanes of this his sufferings and his cruell death As First Vpon his owne Disciples and decrest Apostles for I will
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
yet here they hanged either till their bloud distilled by little and little out of those wounds that were made in their hands and feete or till they died with the extremitie of hunger vnlesse in pittie their tormentors would by violence hasten their much desired death by a butcherly breaking off their legges and so dismembring of their tortured bodies as they did vnto those two theeues that were crucified with our Sauiour And this was the death the accursed base seruile ignominious and most painefull death that our Sauiour Christ was put vnto It is reported of Aristides that he dying by the bite of a Weesell said Aelian de var. Hist lib. 14. c. 4. that his death would haue been more pleasant more acceptable vnto him if he had died more honourably by the clawes of a Lyon or a Libbard and not by the teeth of such a contemptible beast And what a griefe was it vnto the Sonne of God to be put vnto this I know not whether more shamefull or more painefull death And besides it is worth the obseruing All circumstances doe aggrauate the griefe of Christ vpon the Crosse that they crucified him then and at that time when he had deliuered their Fathers out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage In commemoration of which benefit their Passeouer was to be celebrated and a great concourse of people was then euer present at Ierusalem And further they did not onely exclude him out of their Citie and put him to death without their gates as Saint Paul noteth but they did also consort him with the wicked and crucified him betwixt two theeues so cruelly they did deale and so basely they did esteeme of him Secondly After they had thus nayled him vnto the Crosse in stead of the comfort of pittying him which wee vse to shew vnto the vilest Malefactors in such extremities and which is some kinde of satisfaction vnto the sufferer he findes his friends forsaking him not daring to say Alas for him How they scoffed at Christ vpoÌ„ the Crosse and he seeth his enemies deriding him in the middest of his sorrowes and shaking their heads at him and saying O thou dissembling and disloyall wretch thou sauest others but thy selfe thou canst not saue thou canst destroy the Temple and build it againe in three dayes but thou canst not come downe from the Crosse to preserue thy life for if thou beest the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Why Christ came not downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue in thee But to this Saint Ambrose answereth O stulte caece grex sacerdotum nunquid impossibile erat ei de paruo stipite ligni descendere qui descendit è caelorum altitudine O foolish blinde and sencelesse Flocke of Priests doe you thinke it vnpossible for him to come downe from a little piece of wood which came downe from the height of Heauen Non venit vt se liberare qui subseruâ—tute non erat sed vt nos de seruitute redimeret Ambros in 27 Math. or doe you thinke that your bonds or nayles or fastening of him to the Crosse were able to detaine him there when as the Heauen anâ— all the Host of Heauen were not able to hold him from descending from this ascending to the Crosse for hee came not to free himselfe from death but to deliuer himselfe to death tâ—at hee might free vs from eternall death And therefore hee patiently suffered all all paine all contempts and all disgraces yet they still went on from one degree of scoffes vnto another for when he in a most disconsolate state cried Eloi Eloi Lamasabachthani They doe in a most barbarous scoffing manner say Stay and see if Elias will come to helpe him And thus was he flouted and derided by all that beheld him by the Souldiers by the High Priests by them that passed by yea by the very Theeues that were hanged with him And what is this but to adde an vnspeakeable sorrow vnto an insufferable paine and so as Salomon saith to grieue him more and more that was already too much afflicted at the heart How they gaue him vinegar to drinke Thirdly When hee most lamentably in the middest of this hotte and grieuous conflict with Satan sinne and the wrath of God cried I thirst they most despightfully giue him vinegar to drinke a sweete drinke for a dying man to augment his griefe but not to quench his thirst How they diuided his garments Fourthly They take those blessed Garments wherewith he had wrought many a Heauenly miracle and before his face they diuide the same among the wicked and most barbarous bloudy Souldiers And How Christ being dead they still raged against him Fiftly When he was quite dead their malice still remained aliue so that he might iustly say Nec mors mihi finiet iras Saeua sed in manes manibus arma dabant They did most furiously rage against his harmelesse Ghost for though they saw that he was already dead yet still they persecute him Et miles validis ingentem viribus hastam In latus contorsit And one of those immane and bloudy Souldiers pierced his side with such a mighty speare that it made so deepe a wound as that Thomas might well put his hand into the same And thus did our Sauiour suffer in Golgotha in the Fields of Caluarie Diuers obseruable things to be considered First Of all sorts of men Iewes Gentiles Princes of the people Priests Souldiers Masters Seruants Friends Strangers Young Old Male and Female Secondly In all the things wherein it was possible for a man to suffer as first in his friends for they all forsooke him and not one of them assisted him when hee was thus persecuted by his foes Secondly In his good name for they loaded him with lies and accused him of blasphemies Thirdly In his outward goods which we call goods of Fortune for though he had nothing but his cloathes yet they stripped him of his garments and left him starke naked but what had beene abscene for themselues to see in the sight of all men Fourthly In all his sences for his holy eares heard nothing but shamefull reuilings his bright eyes saw nothing but cruell enemies his feeling could perceiue nothing but sharpenesse of nayles his smelling but their stincking spittles and his taste but gall and vinegar Fiftly in all the members of his body How Christ suffered in all the members of his body for his head was wounded with a crowne of thornes his face was defiled with their filthy spittings and most shamefully buffeted with their sacrilegious fists his eyes dazeled with blowes and amazed to see their outragious cruelties his hands and feete nayled vnto the Crosse his heart pierced with a speare and in a word his whole body was so pittifully rent and torne with whippings scourgings that we may truly say Totum est pro vulnere corpus That from the
otherwise durst not for feare to approach him and so Christ shewed his power in weakenesse for though it be a great infirmity to die yet so to die is an argument of infinite Maiestie Nazian Bern. Ser. 4. Hebdom paenosae and Saint Hierome doth well obserue that the Centurion hearing his prayer with a loud voice to shew that he was farre inough and free inough from the touch of death and seeing him Statim spiritum sponte demisisse tradidisse saith Saint Iohn emisisse saith Saint Matthew and presently to haue yeelded Et quod emittitur voluntarium est quod amittitur necessarium and most willingly to haue sent forth his Spirit out of his body as Noah sent his Doue out of the Arke Commotus signi magnitudine being troubled with the greatnesse of that wonder hee said forthwith truly this man was the Sonne of God So wonderfully strange was this his yeelding vnto death Hierom. q. 8. ad Hedib Aug tract 119. in Iohn and so Saint Augustine largely expresseth the same to shew vnto vs that the laying downe of his life was no imposed punishment against his will nor any forcible inuasion of death vpon him but a voluntary sacrifycing of himselfe for sinne and a tendering of his death to satisfie Gods wrath for our sake The third is not an absolute not a primatiue not an imposed necessity but a voluntarily assumed necessity of conueniency in respect of the end as armour and weapons are necessary for him that goeth forth to fight or a necessity by consequent presupposing the decree and ordinance of Almighty God and thus it was necessary that Christ should suffer because it was the best and most conuenient way that God in his wisedome saw fittest In what sense it was necessary for Christ to suffer Esay 53. to performe that great worke of mans saluation and because God had promised that the Messiah should suffer should be slain and therefore Christ saith vnto Peter that if he were rescued out of the hands of his enemies How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled which said that thus it must be for God had decreed Dan. 9.26 Matth. 26.54 Esay 53.14 ordained and reueiled in his Scriptures that Christ should die CHAP. II. The instrumentall and efficient causes of the sufferings of Christ BVt because the necessity of euery thing dependeth vpon the causes that doe necessitate the same as euery man must die Of the causes which did necessitate the sufferings of Christ because hee sinned against his God and euery compound body must be corrupted because they are all composed of elementarie substance and indued with repugnant qualities therefore we must vnderstand the causes which did necessitate Christ to suffer if we would truely know how and why it behoued Christ to suffer Now for the causes of Christ his suffering I finde them to bee manifold and especially 1. Instrumentall 2. Efficient 3. Finall First The Instrumentall causes of Christ death I find likewise to be foure-fold 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the people First First the enuy of Satan Satan whom he had often vanquished and dispossessed of mens soules and bodies was most obstinate in malice against him and thinking now to haue fit opportunity hauing as it were leaue to doe what he would or could doe vnto him hee entreth into the heart of Iudas saith the Euangelist and so Iohn 13.27 no doubt he did into the hearts of many of the rest and together with them he complotted all this most exquisite torments of purpose to be reuenged on him Iob 1. and to see if by this meanes hee could bring him as hee saith of Iob to curse God and die that so hee might haue him as a prey which otherwise he feared would destroy him And this our Sauiour intimateth saying I was daily with you in the Temple Luke 22.53 and ye stretched forth no hands against mee but now this is your houre and the power of darknesse i. e. now is Satan let loose Foure speciall things inraged Satan against Christ now he hath leaue to rage and now I am set as a Butte for him to shoote all his shafts at mee And we find foure speciall reasons that might moue Satan the more infinitely to rage against him As First the goodnesse of the man First the goodnesse of the man for the better any man is the more cruelly is Satan euer bent against him The things that hee possesseth are in peace but the more godly we be the more wee shall be persecuted of him and therefore Christ being without sinne he would doe his best to heape vpon him all sorrowes Secondly the rebukes he had receiued from Christ Secondly The manifold checks and rebukes that he had formerly suffered at the hands of Christ for so the Euangelists tell vs that Christ had often rebuked the vncleane spirits and commanded them to hold their peace and therefore he enuyed him and hated him and would now be reuenged on him such is the nature of the wicked when they are reproued Thirdly the victories of Christ Thirdly The many victories that Christ had formerly ouer Satan as in the Wildernesse in a single combate and when hee dispossessed him out of those miserable creatures whom he tormented Fourthly the losse of his seruants Fourthly The losse of those his slaues which Christ had already freed from his subiection and of all those hee feared Christ would free if hee should not now subdue him Haec secum Nec dum causae irarum saeuique dolores exciderant animo And therefore considering all these things and knowing that sometimes Victis redit in praecordia virtus The conquered haue happened to become conquerors he resolueth with himselfe like a desperate man either to kill or to be killed and in that resolution Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem hee commeth forth hauing great rage against our Sauiour Christ and therefore as the prouerbe is He must needs goe whom the Diuell driues So he must needs suffer which like Iob hath Sathan for his tormentor especially being as hee was so inraged against our Sauiour Christ and hauing now leaue to impose vpon him the most exquisite torments that he could deuise Secondly The Iewes did maligne him 2. The malice of the Iewes against Christ and euen hated him vnto the death And as the Psalmist saith Astiterunt reges terrae The Kings of the Earth stood vp and the Princes tooke counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2. So we finde that the Scribes and Pharisees and the Herodians hunted after him as for a Partridge vpon the Mountaines they watched all his wayes and sought to intrap him in all his words and to take him that they might condemne him Thirdly Iudas for very griefe 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas Marke 14.5
that he had lost the price of that Oyntment wherewith the Woman annointed Christ and which he had valued at three hundred pence went out as I shewed you before and sold Christ for thirty pence and then betrayed him into the hands of sinners Fourthly Christ being treacherously betrayed 4. The desire of the people violently apprehended and most falsly accused by the Sonnes of Belial the High Priests for very malice that they bore against Christ and for feare that the Romans if they let him escape would come and take away that rule and authoritie that was left them thought him worthy to die and deliuered him vnto Pilate and did teach the ignorant ingratefull and vnconstant multitude most earnestly to desire the death of Christ saying Crucifie him crucifie him and therefore Pilate for feare of the Priests and to please the people when he had scourged Christ condemned him and deliuered him to be crucified And yet all these were but instrumentall causes of these manifold sufferings of Christ there were other more efficient and farre greater causes then all these For Secondly The efficient cause of Christ his death The efficient cause of Christ his death Esay 53.10 was God himselfe for so the Prophet Esay saith It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe to bruise his body with tortures through the malice of the Iewes towards him and to strike his soule with griefe through the mercy of God towards vs. And so the Prophet Ieremie speaking of these sufferings in the person of Christ himselfe saith That they were sorrowes and sufferings Quae fecit mihi Deus Lament 1.12 That God himselfe laide all this punishment vpon Christ Whereby God hath afflicted me God who is termed A deuouring fire and an ouer-flowing torrent of wrath doth now make our Sauiour Christ as the onely Butte to shoote at him all the shafts of his furie he openeth him and powreth into him all the vials of his indignation and as Iob complaineth That the terrors of the Lord did set themselues in array against him So Christ when he saith Mar. 14.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is incompassed with sorrowes on euery side sheweth how God had set himselfe against him yea though God afflicteth sometimes in mercy euen as a Father when hee correcteth his dearest Childe yet is he here said to haue done this In the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore how could Christ choose but suffer for when God will smite who is able either by strength or wit to escape out of his hands Why God afflicted Christ But here it may be well demanded what moued Gods wrath to be thus kindled against Christ for God hateth nothing but sinne and in Christ there was no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth And therefore seeing God neuer doth as Annas did to cause Christ to be smitten without a cause why should God be so much displeased as thus grieuously to punish his onely Sonne in whom hee was alwayes well pleased and with whom he was neuer in any wayes offended Dan. 9.27 God afflicted Christ for vs and not for himselfe To this wee must answere with the Prophet Daniel that the Messias must be slaine but not for himselfe for hee tooke vpon him the person of vs all and if a man that oweth nothing becomes a surety for a debtor if the principall becomes bankerout the surety shall be compelled to make a plenary satisfaction and he must pay that which he neuer tooke And therefore Christ vndertaking the payment of our debts and to discharge vs from Gods wrath to come Esay 53.4 5 6. He tooke vpon him our infirmities hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Luc. 22.64 And so if the tormentors should say as once they did Prophesie vnto vs who it is that smote thee We may quickely become Prophets and most truly answere for him that our sinnes smote him our iniquities whipt him our pride crowned him with a crowne of thornes our drunkennesse gaue him that vinegar to drinke and in a word our sinne our grieuous sinne what sinne soeuer it be did thus haynously murther Christ and fast nayled him vnto the Crosse Quia solum peccatum homicida est Our sinnes crucified Iesus Christ For alas it was not Pilate nor Caiphas nor any one of that complicie of confederate Agents that were the efficient cause of his death for they were but the instruments and executioners onely of that punishment which our sinnes the sinnes of each man had laide vpon him and the Executioner cannot be said properly to be the cause of that mans death which by the Law is adiudged to die but to say the truth our sinnes haue killed the Sonne of God And therefore as Nathan said vnto Dauid 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man that did the deede So I may say to euery sinner Thou art the man for whose sinnes God in the fiercenesse of his wrath did thus punish and afflict his onely Sonne O that this would make euery one of vs to crie out with Ionas Propter me haec tempestas I am the cause of all this troubles Ionas 1.12 of all this stormy windes and tempest Take me and cast me into the Sea And as Dauid â—hen he saw the miserable death of the people for his sinne was vexed at the heart and cried vnto the Lord saying Behold I haue sinned and I haue done wickedly 2 Sam. 24.17 but these sheepe what haue they done So I wish that euery one of vs would see it and say it It is I Lord that haue sinned but for this innocent Lambe this harmelesse Doue alas what hath he done And I hope this would make vs to hate and detest our sinnes when we consider that they were the onely murtherers of the Sonne of God You see then that as in the Law it was ordained that a man should bring his Beast to the doore of the Tabernacle and should put his hand vpon the head of it when hee offered the same for a burnt offering vnto God to shew vnto vs that the man himselfe had indeede deserued to die Leuit. 1.4 and that the Beast was onely slaine for his offences So here our Sauiour Christ was put to death not for any cause of his owne but as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.18 The iust suffered for the vniust he was wounded for our sinnes and crucified for our transgressions But then againe it may be demanded Quest What moued Christ to vndertake our debts Resp why should he vndertake our debt and make satisfaction for our sinnes when as wee had no wayes deserued any kindnesse at his hands and could by no meanes requite so great a benefit I answere That it was requisite and necessary that he should suffer for our sinnes to fulfill the truth of God because hee had promised that the seede of the Woman should breake the
Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Dan. 9.26 and that the Messias should suffer for our sinnes and be broken for our transgressions Esay 53.5 And the Father promised this for none other cause The loue of God to mankinde moued God to doe all this for vs. but this Because he loued vs For God seeing vs in such a miserable state as we had made our selues by sinne was moued with compassion ouer vs and was contented to giue his onely begotten Sonne to be crucified for vs rather then we should be eternally separated from him So our Sauiour saith God so loued the World i. e. So admirably so exceedingly and so incomprehensibly John 3.16 That he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to die for vs That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And so Saint Paul saith God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And surely it was a farre greater argument of his loue to giue his Sonne to die for vs then if hee had forgiuen our sinnes and acquitted vs without any satisfaction at all And therefore Saint Paul speaking of this loue of God calles it Too much loue as the vulgar Latine reades it Deus propter nimiam charitatem God through his great Ephes 2.4 or too much loue wherewith he loued vs hath quickened vs with Iesus Christ And this great loue of God will appeare the greater if wee consider that this Sonne of God which hee gaue to die for vs Omnis in Ascanio Charistat cura parentis was not onely his onely begotten Sonne which was very great that hauing but one onely Sonne he would giue that one to die for vs but was also such a Sonne in whom onely God was well pleased and with whom he was neuer offended as I shewed vnto you before And as the Father shewed Tantam charitatem so great loue in giuing his Sonne to die for vs so the Sonne shewed the like equall loue in being so willing as he was to suffer for vs for in the beginning or in the volume of the Booke it is written of me saith Christ that I should fulfill thy will O God Hebrewes 10.7 and I am content to doe it That is I am as willing and as ready to fulfill it as thou art to conceiue it yea I am grieued I am pained till I haue fulfilled it For it is meate and drinke to me saith Christ to doe my Fathers will And therefore once againe behold the great loue wherewith Christ hath loued vs Surely saith Saint Bernard Dilexisti me magis quam teipsum quia pro me mori voluisti Thou hast loued me more then thou didst thy selfe because thou gauest thy selfe to die for me For greater loue then this hath no man John 15.13 that a man should giue his life for his friends especially for his enemies Rom. 5.8 as he did for vs Cum inimici essemus While we were yet sinners â—nd regarded neither him nor our selues Bern. de Caena Domini Ser. 13. And therefore Saint Bernard doth most truly say that he did this Tanto dignantius quanto pro minus dignis So much the more wonderfully worthy of loue by how much the lesse worthy we were of his loue And in very deede there is no man breathing No Creature able to express the great loue of Christ to mankinde that is able to expresse how great was the loue of Christ towards mankinde But my conscience is my witnesse O my Sauiour what I haue done to thee and thy Crosse doth witnesse what thou hast done for me for thou wast God and I a man and yet thou a God wouldest be made man for me yea to become exiled poore and base for vs that were the vilest of all Creatures poore and base miserable sinners And not onely so but also to die a most cruell bitter and a shamefull death to deliuer vs from eternall death O what couldest thou haue done more for vs that thou hast not done The like example cannot be found in any History Rom. 5.7 for one will scarce die for a righteous man It may be they will ride and runne to saue a good mans life but to die for another we shall scarce finde any that will venter it Titus Liu. Decad 1. l. 2. Val. Max. l. 5. c. 6. It is true that the Curiatij and the Horatij are reported to haue aduentured their liues for the libertie of their Countrey And so Decius Curtius and Codrus did freely offer themselues to death for to preserue their peoples life but they did this either for ambition to be honoured for their facts and to be numbred among the Gods or else in desperation of their liues to be ridde out of their griefe when they saw none other helpe of their miseries but Christ when there was no necessity to compell him did all this and farre much more then I haue shewed for vs And that not onely Sine nostris meritis sed cum nostris demeritis When we deserued no good Bern. Ser. 15. in Cant. but especially when we were worthy of so much euill at his hands as was due to most deadly enemies as Saint Bernard saith CHAP. III. Of the finall causes why Christ suffered both in respect of Men and in respect of God himselfe AND so you haue seene the instrumentall causes of Christ his death and you heard the efficient cause why God punished Christ for vs and for our sinnes and why for vs because he loued vs with a great exceeding incomprehensible loue And how this should teach vs that as our hearts doe hate Iudas Pilate and all the rest of our Sauiours bloudie persecutors which were but the Instruments of his death so much more should we loath and detest our owne sinnes and wickednesse which were the maine principall cause that moued God thus seuerely to punish him And now it resteth The final cause of Christ his death that we consider the finall cause thereof and I finde that to be two-fold 1. In respect of Men. 2. In regard of God 1. In respect of Men. First In respect of Men I finde it likewise to be two-fold 1. The sauing of all the Elect. 2. To make the reprobate without excuse Math. 20.28 For the first Our Sauiour faith That he came to giue his life a ransome for many and to saue those that were lost And so Saint Paul saith Gal 4.4 That Christ was made vnder the Law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law and that Iesus Christ was sent into the World to saue sinners Now wee must know that as Bellarmine noteth there are diuers kindes of redemption as That there were diuers kindes of redemption First By Manumission as when the Lord did willingly of his owne accord let his slaues goe free Secondly By permutation as when one prisoner was exchanged for another Thirdly By
thee in his Name and for his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes to accept his death as a plenary satisfaction to acquit vs from euerlasting death and to giue vs thy grace that for this and all other thy louing sauours vnto vs we may be truely thankefull and most dutifully obedient to please thee and to praise thy blessed Name for euer and euer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fift Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fift greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Resurrection of CHRIST MATH 28.4.5.6 And for feare of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men And the Angell answered and said vnto the Women feare not you for I know that you seeke Iesus which was crucified He is not here for he is risen as hee said come see the place where the Lord lay OVR blessed Lord God The coherence of this Treatise with the former and louing Father out of his excellent prouidence and secret loue to Man hath so tempered all the accidents and whole course of mans life with such proportion and equall counterpoyse that euer and anon ioyes and sorrowes are mixt together as wee may easily see in our blessed Sauiour for vpon Mount Thabor he was transfigured in glory Math. 17.2 that his face did shine as the Sunne and vpon Mount Caluary he was disfigured in sorrow that confusion went ouer his face and that in him there was neither forme nor beauty and vpon Mount Oliuet euen now Esay 53.2 Luke 22.43 Verse 44. an Angell comforting him and by and by an agony affrighting him so vpon the Crosse euen now he cries as destitute of all helpe My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet by and by after as assured of comfort he saith O my Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Math. 27.46 Euen so it is with vs all Nocte pluit tota Luke 23.46 redeunt spectacula mane Heauinesse may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning To day we may be sicke at the point to die to morrow wee may be restored to life againe to night in prison and in distresse to morrow at liberty and aduanced to dignitie And this we see plaine in my Text for the last day was a day of cloudes and darkenesse a day of griefe and sorrow for the passion and suffering of the Sonne of God But behold this day is a day of ioy and gladnesse a day of Iubile for the most glorious resurrection of this Omnipotent Son of God for as it behoued him to suffer for our sinnes as you heard so it behoued him to rise againe for our iustification saith the Apostle And so this Angell testifieth that he did Rom. 4.25 He is not here but is risen as he saide Come see the place where the Lord lay And In these words we may obserue The diuision of the Text. 1. The persons here mentioned 2. The action of each person plainely expressed First The Persons mentioned are especially of three sorts 1. Keepers 2. Women 3. Angels Secondly The actions expressed are 1. Of the Keepers watching Christ 2. Of the Women seeking Christ 3. Of the Angell 1. Terrifying the former 2. Comforting the latter And from all this we may see these three things 1. The malice of the Iewes 2. The deuotion of the Women 3. The Office of the Angels And the maine summe of all is The Resurrection of Christ PART I. CHAP. Of the malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ FIRST The malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ is seene in that they did not onely spitefully oppose themselues against him throughout all his life and most vniustly deliuer him to a most shamefull death but also maliciously watched him in his graue that he might not rise to shew the right property of the wicked not onely to throw the righteous downe but also to keepe them downe and to trample them still vnder feete and to hire the Watchmen to belie both themselues and his Disciples that the truth of his Resurrection might not be knowne and beleeued for our saluation O miseri quae tanta insania ciues O wretched men that you are what is your rage as strong as death nay stronger then death and longer then death For the man is dead and he is buried And yet Vos excandescitis ira Your rage is implacable you set armed Souldiers to watch and ward ouer this dead harmelesse man And so we finde what the Scripture saith of the wicked to be true in you Malicia eorum excaecauit eos Wisedome 2.21 Your malice and your wickednesse haue blinded your eyes Nay but this deceiuer said saith some of them That after three dayes I will rise againe A deceiuer indeede Sed pius seductor How wicked men are deceiued But of them onely that deceiue themselues either First By relying too much on his mercy and not thinking of his iustice or Secondly By fearing too much his iustice and forgetting all his mercy or Thirdly By not beleeuing his power either to saue the penitent beleeuers in him or to punish the wicked contemners of him for of all these and the like the Prophet saith The Lord will deceiue you that is suffer you to deceiue your selues He will make his Arrowes drunken in bloud Deut. 32.42 and hee will cause his Sword to goe through your sides But them that truly trust in him he will neuer deceiue nor suffer them to be deceiued in him For our Fathers hoped in him Psal 22.4 and were not confounded But what if you had seene him rise againe what would you haue done would you haue beleeued in him no surely for you know he rose his Disciples testifies it to your faces and your owne Souldiers sayes it and you are faine to hyre them to say the contrary What then would you haue done would you haue crucified againe the Lord of life Yes no doubt such is the malice of the wicked that the death of the godly decies repetita placebit is neuer often enough inflicted O therefore good Lord thou King of Heauen Giue me any head saue the head of a Serpent and any malice saue the malice of an enemy For death it selfe cannot hide me from these but they will rage and rayle on my very Ghost And so much for the malice of the Iewes Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. I. Of the number and the names of these Women that came to seeke our Sauiour Christ in his Sepulcher SEcondly The deuotion of the Women is here commended in that they are said to come early while it was yet darke to seeke Iesus Iohn 20.1 for to imbalme him And for the better vnderstanding of this point these three especiall things must bee considered 1. Their number 2. Their names 3. Their action First Saint Mathew here seemes to say they were two Why three Women went together vnto the Sepulcher Mary Magdalen and the other
saith of that valiant Scaeua Lucan l. 6. Quâ—m non mille modi mortis c. So these fearelesse Women feared not a thousand sorts of death So should euery Christian soule be vnwearied to seeke and vndaunted to professe our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ For whosoeuer will be ashamed of him here on Earth Marke 8.38 he will be ashamed of him before his Father which is in Heauen 2. Faecundity How these Women labour to increase the number of true beleeuers Secondly For the faecundity of the Church shee is like Sara that bringeth forth more fruite in her age then shee could doe in her youth her seede is as the sand of the Sea which cannot be numbred So these Women they runne and tell his Friends and Disciples that Christ is risen from the dead and so by this meanes they doe what lyeth in them to increase the number of Gods Children and so should euery man doe when he is confirmed to strengthen his brethren for it is our dutie to incite all others to beleeue in Christ and to declare Christ vnto them That they also may haue fellowship with vs 1 Iohn 1.3 in the fellowship which we haue with tâ—e Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ 3. Peace How peâ—ceably the women came to seeke for Christ Thirdly For the peaceablenesse of the Church the Scripture saith thâ—t it is a vision of peace the Daughter of peace and the Mother of peace So these Women they came peaceably not armed like the Souldiers but harmelesly like Noahs Doue with nothing in their hands but sweete flowers nothing in their mouthes but sweete words Iohn 20 15. good Sir If thou hast taken him away then tell vs where thou hast laide him and as the Church saith Vbi pascit vbi cubat in meridie That wee may know where he is where he lyeth So should euery Christian man lay aside all bitternesse all maliciousnesse and put on the garment of meekenesse and gentlenesse for seeing God is a God of peace and the Church a vision of peace a City at vnitie within it selfe that man can neuer be the Sonne of God which is not the Childe of peace Euery Son of God must be the Childe of peace And so you see that as these Women so euery man or woman that seeketh Christ must be valiant fruitfull and peaceable And yet Secondly As these Women though they had each one of them all these graces in a good measure yet each one of them had not these or the like graces in the like measure for as Mary Magdalen was lesse fearefull so Mary Iacobi was more fruitfull then the rest How God bestoweth his gifts diuersly vnto men So God distributeth his gifts and graces euen as pleaseth him to one he giueth the gift of prophecying to another the gift of healing to Iohn the gift to speake of his Diuinity against Ebion to Marke the gift of handling his humanity against Marcion to Saint Peter the gift to worke mightily in the conuersion of the Iewes to Saint Paul in the conuersion of the Gentiles to some he giues the gift to be famous Orators excellent in perswasions like Apollo to others to be iudicious expositors of more positiue instructiâ—ns as beneficiall vnto the Church though perhaps more preiudiciall vnto themselues to some he giues the gift like Mary Iacobi to be fruitfull in number to preach often and to bring forth many Sermons to others like Mary Salome to be more peacefull yet no lesse faithfull then the rest to doe it seldome yet to doe as well as their fellowes And so in all the rest of Gods graces hee giues not the same gifts to all persons for Lactantius was good to confute the Gentiles but hee was not so good to confirme the Christians Origen was famous in the mysticall interpretation but not so iudicious in the literall exposition of the Scriptures Saint Augustine most excellent to discusse controuersies to confound Heretickes and most iudicious to interpret all positiue points but he was not so millifluous in his exhortations so among the practitioners of Religion some are faithfull to suffer some are painefull to worke some zealous to pray some are desirous to heare some like Mary Salome blessed peacemakers others like Mary Iacobi painefull inlargers of Gods Church and others like Mary Magdalen faithfull sufferers for Gods truth all good but not all the same gifts for as among Dauids Worthies all reached not to the first three so among the Worthies of Christ all haue not the same measure of grace That euery man should be contâ—nted with the gifts that God doth giue him And this should teach vs euery man to be contented with those gifts and with that measure of grace as God hath giuen him and euery man to labour according to the grace he hath receiued in his owne element whereto he is most inclined and not in other mens straine whereto perhaps he is more affected for the fruites of affectation can neuer be so sweete vnto the palate of an other as are the fruites of our speciall inclination And this should teach vs all so to affect one grace as not to reiect the other so to magnifie one man indued with such gifts as not to vilifie another inabled with some other gifts for this were to receiue the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ Iames 2.1 with respect of persons and it is not in man to haue what gift he pleaseth but it is God that distributeth and disposeth of his graces euen as it pleaseth him CHAP. II. Of the action of these Women which was a right seeking of our Sauiour Christ Three properties required to make euery action good THirdly The action of these Women is here expressed according to those three essentiall properties of euery good and godly action 1. The matter iust 2. The manner lawfull 3. The end pious All men are euer seeking for some thing First The matter and substance of their worke is said by the Angell to be an inquisition a seeking ye seeke saith he and so we doe all seeke for since Adam like a griping Vsurer who extorting more then his due leeseth principall and all desiring to be as God lost both God and himselfe the whole World is at a quare and in a continuall seeking but most of vs doe seeke amisse For Some seeke for wealth Some seeke for wealth Quaerenda pecunia primum And they preferre that before the health of their soules And therefore surely they may well feare because they carrie two heauy burthens vpon their backes the one is deliciarum putredo the rust of their couetous desires and the other is Curarum magnitudo The greatnesse of worldly cares Quorum vnumquodque ad subigendum nauigium sufficit Whereof each one is able to sinke a Ship the rust of our riches to be a witnesse against vs and the cares of this World to choake vs and drowne vs in
letting fall the Tortoise out of her bill that so falling vpon a stone the shell might be broken it fell vpon his head and killed him so the deuill deales with these men he lifts them vp as hee did Simon Magus to make them flie in the aire and then as he did to the said Magus he throwes them downe to breake their neckes and therefore it had beene good for many they had neuer beene thus lifted vp It is reported of one Gaufredus Monachus Clarevallensis Bosqâ—ier de monomachia that hauing refused a Bishopricke in his life time he appeared after his death vnto his chamber-fellow and said that hee did well in refusing that Bishopricke which his friends would haue had him to accept quia si in numero Episcoporum fuisset in numero damnatorum esset because that if he had been of the number of the Bishops he should now haue beene of the number of the damned not that all Bishops must be damned God forbid there haue beene and there are many of them exceeding good learned painefull and vpright men though I must vnfainedly confesse I haue seene some not as I would wish but that if hee had aspired to that dignity by that vnlawfull meanes as it is most likely it was offered him for otherwise it had beene most lawfull for him both to desire it and to accept it for hee that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a good worke saith the Apostle or though he might lawfully haue attained vnto it yet if hee finding himselfe though fit enough to be a Monke yet vnfit to be a Bishop had accepted the same then certainely it must needes haue followed that if more mercy were not shewed then hee deserued hee must needes bee in the number of the damned and it would bee well for many if they did not rise to fall for of such ascenders Bonauen de ascen ser 4. p 199. Bonauenture saith that quantum ascenderunt per ambitionem in mundo tantum descendent per damnationem in inferno by how much the higher they haue ascenbed by their ambition in the world by so much the greater shall be their damnation in hell and so of these the Prophet Dauid saith in a mysticall sense though literally I confesse it spoken of sea-faring men quod ascendunt vsque ad Coelum descendunt vsque ad Abyssos that they are lifted vp to the Heauens and downe againe they fall into the bottomelesse pit but they doe not descend in the same manner as they ascend for they doe ascend most willingly but they shall bee cast downe most violently into that place of vtter darkenesse Luke 12. Thou foole this night they shall take away thy soule from thee euen as a Sergeant doth a prisoner into his goale against his will and they doe ascend by degrees by little and little and by the space of forty fifty or sixty yeeres but they shall suddenly fall away like the lightening whereof our Sauiour speaketh I saw Satan as a lightening falling downe from heauen i. e. suddenly and fearefully they shall fall to ruine Diabolus itaque homo Bernard in flor p. 2090. c. homo vterque ascendere voluit sed praepostere hic ad scientiam ille ad potentiam ambo ad superbiam and so both the Deuill and wicked men would each of them ascend but preposterously men to bee wise the deuill to bee great and both to be proud saith Saint Bernard for which they shall both fall downe to hell How the godly doe ascend Secondly good men doe ascend aswell as the euill and wicked and though they doe not ascend after the same manner yet they doe it the same way saith Saint Bernard as the wicked doe Idem de gradibus humilit p. 972. because as the same way leadeth vnto the city as goeth from the city and by the same doore wee enter into the house as we goe out of the house so if we would returne vnto the truth and ascend vp into heauen wee neede not seeke any other new way but by which we haue descended and fallen downe from heauen we must ascend and climbe vp into heauen and as Cacus dragged his cattell backewards into his caue so we vestigia retrorsum must retire backe by the same steps as we haue proceeded forward but you know wee fell by pride we would be like God Gen. 3.5 and therefore we must ascend by humility wee must know our selues to bee nothing and worth nothing this is the way and there is none other but this qui aliter vadit cadit potius quam ascendit and hee that would by any other way ascend vp to heauen hee doth surely fall from heauen because it was enacted by the eternall Law of the God of heauen that euery one which exalteth himselfe shall be humbled The way to heauen is humility and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And therefore Christ hauing not as he was God any way whereby he might ascend because nothing is higher then God and God cannot be higher then he is by his humiliation and descention he found how to ascend for comming to bee incarnate and to suffer death that we should not suffer eternall death therefore God exalted him and gaue him a name aboue all other names to teach vs that by humility onely wee may ascend to eternall felicity Goe thou and doe thou likewise humble thy selfe if thou wouldest bee exalted into heauen and because thine humility is full of pride lay hold vpon the humility of Iesus Christ for that is onely perfect and therefore it is that only that can bring thee to perfection Fourthly we reade that Christ ascended and was lifted vp Christ ascended three speciall times and that as we finde three speciall times 1. vpon the Crosse when the Iewes insulted ouer him 2. from his Graue when the Deuils trembled at it 3. into Heauen when all the hoste of heauen reioyced at it and said Lift vp your heads O yee gates and bee yee lifted vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in for this is hee that hath troden the wine-fat alone and is worthy of all glory and honour for euermore And so you see how many sorts there be of ascenders and you see I thinke how fearefull is the ascention of Satan and of wicked men Bernard de ascen ser 4. pag. 199. and how glorious is the ascention of the Saints And we finde that as S. Bernard saith omnes cupidi sumus ascentionis exaltationem concupiscimus omnes we all desire to be exalted wee all would faine bee lifted vp to heauen but who shall teach vs the way thither lest wee should bee seduced by him that fell from thence and so seeking to ascend vp into heauen we should fearefully fall downe into hell Who saith Saint Bernard but he Iohn 3.13 of whom it is written that he ascended vp on high that ascended vp aboue
others will haue this phrase to signifie his abode conuersation here among men thirdly others will haue it to signifie the state and condition of the dead as if the comparison were made betwixt those parts of the earth wherein the liuing doe inhabit and that place wherein the dead are buried and so they doe expound that place of Esayas that hee was cut off from the land of the liuing and so cast into the land of the dead Esay 53.8 which they say the Apostle vnderstandeth by the lower parts of the earth and fourthly others say that he descended into the place of the damned not to suffer Iohn 19.30 because that was finished on the Crosse nor to fetch any Fathers out of Lymbe but to signifie and to shew not onely by words but also by presence that seing by his death and Passion the wrath of God was appeased Satan was to haue no more power ouer the Elect which hee held captiue that he was now made Lord of all and that all power was giuen vnto him and a name aboue all other names Collos 2.15 and not onely to declare the same vnto them but also to subdue them and to spoyle principalities and powers and as my Text saith to leade captiuitie captiue And this is the exposition of most of the ancient Fathers for mine owne part I am of Zanchius minde Laâ—ch in Ephes c. 4. that in the word descendit all these foure expositions may bee comprehended because he descended into his mothers wombe to be conuersant here among men into his graue and into Hell and our very Creede expresseth all these foure he was conceaued by the holy Ghost i. e. in his mothers wombe there is the first hee was borne of the Virgin Marie and hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate there is the second he was dead buried there is the third and he descended into Hell there is the fourth and these be the foure degrees of his humiliation That Christ descended into Hell and this the Apostle seemeth plainely to vnderstand by the antithesis by the coherence and by the scope of the words because hee saith that hee ascended to the highest part of Heauen and therefore this also that he descended into the lower parts of the earth is literally to bee vnderstood that he descended into Hell because no place of the earth is lower then Hell Secondly Touching the exaltation of Christ Saint Paul setteth downe two things 1. He describeth the Person ascending he which descended 2. He expresseth the action he ascended He which ascended is the very same person which descended First he saith that it is he which descended that hath ascended i. e. he which was made man which suffered was buried he ascended and who is he but God the Sonne the second Person of the Trinitie for so our Sauiour saith I went forth from the Father and I came into the world and againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father and therfore it is the very self same Son of God and none other which both descended and ascended And so by these few words we finde two great heresies quite ouerthrowne first of them which say hee brought his body from Heauen because the Apostle doth not say he which ascended descended though this be true being truely vnderstood for he ascended God and Man which so did not descend but as God alone therefore he saith he which descended he ascended secondly hereby is ouerthrowne the heresie of Nestorius which said our Sauiour consisteth of two persons for if he which descended is the very same that ascended then it is apparant that by his descention That in Christ there cannot be two persons i. e. by the assumption of our nature hee is no other person then he was before but still remaineth one and the selfe same person and that the humane nature doth adde nothing vnto the Sonne of God for the constituting or perfecting of his person for otherwise he that ascended had bin another and not the same which descended for hee had descended a simple person and ascended compounded hee had descended an imperfect person and ascended perfect which is most hereticall either to say or think And this is the cause why we affirme that the person of Christ cannot be said to bee compounded of two natures tanquam ex partibus as of two parts Christ still remaineth a most simple person i. e not compounded but as hee was before the assuming of our nature so also now hee is still a most simple and a most perfect person bearing our nature as on â—â—areth on his garment but neuer to put it off againe because it is assumed into the vnitie of his person and so Saint Augustine saith that Christ descended like a naked man and when he ascended he ascended the same person but clothed with our flesh and therefore as he is not another man that taketh on a garment so the Sonne of God is not another person because he tooke vpon him the garment of our flesh and if the humane nature assumed did neither change nor perfect nor compound the person of the Sonne of God because he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other then by the same reason it cannot be said that Christ tooke man vpon him i. e. a humane person as Nestorius taught But therefore he vnderstood not the same How Nestorius was deceiued about the person of Christ because on the one side hee held that true philosophicall principle that the actions are of the persons and not of the natures and on the other side he held another principle which is also true if it be truely vnderstood that of contrary effects there must bee contrary efficient causes and hee saw that in Christ there were diuers and contrary actions and therefore he did thence conclude that in Christ there must needs be diuers persons whereof the one should be passible and the other impassible and so he made that hee which descended was not the same but another that ascended for he considered not quod idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest diuersa pugnantia opâ—rari secundam diuersas in eo naturas that the same subsistent or person may worke diuers and contrarie acts in respect of the diuers natures that are in it as a man according to his soule doth vnderstand and according to his body hee doth not vnderstand in respect of his soule he is immortall and in respect of his body hee is mortall and so through his ignorance hee hath abused these true philosophicall principles being truely vnderstood to denie the truth of the Scriptures and to wrong the person of the Sonne of God but the Fathers truely explaining the sayd principles did confute his error and confirme this truth that he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other But from hence it is apparant that the word descendit is not to be taken in
how can a man carry fire in his bosome Prou. 6.27 and not be burnt so how can we haue the fire of Gods Spirit in our hearts and not bee feruent to all good works Thirdly the holy Ghost being like a Doue if hee bee in vs then we are meeke and lowly in heart for this heauenly Doue remaineth in none but those that are Doues but if with the Ducke that flying aloft among the wilde Duckes did presently alight and so brought them all with her into her owners net whereof Alciat saith Alciat de Anate Perfida cognato se sanguine polluit ales Officiosa alijs exitiosa suis They doubting not her trayterous heart at all Did flie with her and downe with her did fall We doe deceiue our friends and wrong our neighbours then surely this Doue-like spirit of God is not in vs for this holy spirit of discipline flieth from deceit Wisdome 1. Gal. 5.22 and the fruit of this spirit is all meekenesse gentlenesse and goodnesse Fourthly the holy Ghost being like winde if hee bee in vs then all the dust of vanitie is scattered from our hearts and our soules are carried against the streame of naturall desires to wish and long for heauenly things And Fiftly the holy Ghost being like tongues if he be in vs then our tongues will be like the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.2 Matth. 12.14 and our talking will be of the most highest Quia ex abundantia cordis os loquitur loquela tua te manifestum facit because a religious heart will euer expresse it selfe by a godly and a religious tongue Rom. 10.10 for as with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so with the tongue confession is made vnto saluation but if wee talke laciuiously and speake all words that may doe hurt if the poyson of aspes be vnder our lippes and the holy name of God or the good fame of men be euill spoken of through vs then surely surely If we haue not the spirit we ought to seeke him this holy spirit of God is not in vs. And if he be not in thee then I aduise thee to seeke him while he may be found for the time will come when he cannot be found Bern. ser 75. in cant i. e. cum optauerimus salutem in medio gehennae quae facta est et praedicata est in medio terrae when wee shall wish for saluation in the midst of Hell which was wrought and is preached in the midst of the earth and therefore now while it is to day we ought to seeke vnto him and to pray with the Prophet Dauid yea and to pray earnestly that God would renue his spirit within vs Psal 51.10 and stablish vs with his free spirit for whosoeuer hath not the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 the same is none of his the same hath no comfort in the world no assurance of his saluation no Faith no Hope no God no good But if by these infallible rules thou findest that thou hast the spirit If we haue the spirit of God we ought not to grieue him and canst say with that worthie Martyr of our Church I haue it I haue it as hee went vnto the stake to be burned then remember what the Apostle speaketh grieue not the spirit quench not the spirit spill not this water lest that spilling this oyle thy lamp goeth out and then 1 Thes 5.19 thy last end will be farre worse then thy beginning and it had bin better for thee Luc. 11.26 2 Pet. 2.21 neuer to haue knowne it then to turne aside from the holy Commandement for as Sampson and Saul hauing the spirit of God liued honorably and did performe most worthie exploits A fearefull thing to be depriued of Gods spirit Iud. 16.10 1 Sam. but hauing lost the same by their sinnes they became in their liues most miserable and in their deaths most lamentable euen so it will happen from the Lord vnto all backe-sliders vnto all them that quench the spirit therefore I say grieue him not quench him not How Preachers may know whether they haue the gifts to edifie the Church But because the chiefest of these gifts for the collecting and the edifying of the Church is the gift of tongues whereby the Ministers are inabled for the preaching of Gods Word therefore we that are Preachers should here chiefely looke whether we haue this gift of tongues or not for Psal 45.2 First if our tongues be the pens of a readie writer that wee can readily speake of the things that we haue made vnto the King and Preach the Word of Truth in season and out of season Secondly if these our tongues be not double tongues but clouen tongues i. e. able to diuide the Word of God aright and to giue vnto euery man his owne portion in due season Luke 12.42 that is mercie and comforts vnto the repentant soule and woes and iudgement vnto the obstinate transgressors and to teach Faith and workes loue to God and man Thirdly if these our clouen tongues be of fire that is vsed rather to gaine soules then to get applause or to gather wealth to draw men to glorifie God Numb 12.21.30 1 Sam. 25.36 and not to magnifie our selues then we may be assured we haue receiued a part and portion of these gifts and graces of Gods spirit But if we be like those great clarks which they say are rare Schollers but neuer man was heard to be the better for their learning they haue it in them like the fire in the flint-stone but it neuer comes out of them they are lothe to preach they are lothe to write for then perhaps they should not be deemed so learned as now they are iudged to be for a foole holding his peace may be thought to be wise or if we be like Baalams Asse that neuer spake but twice in all her life or vse to preach as Naball feasted once a yeere when they receiue their rents or if wee would preach and cannot but it were better for vs not to preach at all then to preach so idly and so foolishly as we doe or if we preach more for profit or the praise of men then for the glorie of God then assuredly we doe proclayme vnto the world that we haue not yet receiued these gifts of fierie clouen tongues from God Vsher de Christ ecccles Vrbanus writes vnto Baldwin Arch-Bishop of Canterburie Monacho feruentissimo Abbati calido episcopo lepido Archi-episcopo remisso and so it was sayd of Alexander the sixt De vitio in vitium de flamma transit in ignem They grew worse and worse as they did grow greater and greater and I pray God it be not true among vs that high preferment spoyle not many a Preacher I say no more but so you see how the gifts which are giuen for the edifying of Gods Church were giuen vnto the Apostles and how euer since they
all and so in very deede those that neuer learned to obey would guide and gouerne their chiefest gouernors And therefore I say that those Preachers whose rising hath bin by the people and who giue themselues to popular applause are either halting in their honestie or defectiue in their discretion and so most vnfit either to teach the wise or to gouerne the foolish for in the first they teach factious and dangerous positions and in the second they must either yeeld to popular desires or dissent from themselues and so leese the applause of the people which is one of the mainest things they hoped for and gaped after And so experience daily sheweth vs that either want of honestie to doe what they know or els want of wisdome and discretion to know what to doe hath moued the blinde and wilde zeale of many factious men so friuolously to intermeddle with extrauagant and needlesse discourses both of State and Common-wealth and so furiously to precipitate themselues to most dangerous contention in the Church of God and many times being hoysted vp to the sterne of dignitie to make way for the vulgar to spurne against authoritie And therefore as I would wish no more wealth of God then I had grace to vse it so would I wish no more learning nor any other grace then I had discretion to guide them for this is that salt whereof our Sauiour speaketh haue salt in your selues and therefore all learning and all knowledge without this will soone putrifie and proue fit for nothing but to be cast into the dung-hill as our Sauiour saith And so much for my two obseruations out of the word Brethren now followeth the request or the exhortation Pray for vs PART III. Part. 3 CHAP. I. Of the diuers kindes of Prayers both in respect of the matter and forme SEcondly In the request or exhortation I noted 2 things 1. The action Pray 2. The extention for vs. First for the action i. e. Pray lest I should wander or ride at randome in this wide ocean of matter I will diuide all that I meane to speake of this point into these fiue heads 1. Of the diuers kindes of Prayer Fiue things considered concerning Prayer 2. Of the partie to whom we should Pray 3. Of the place where we are to Pray 4. Of the time when we must Pray 5. Of the manner how we ought to Pray First for the diuers kindes of Prayer wee must know that Prayer is distinguished in respect 1. Of the matter 2. Of the forme First in respect of the matter prayer is said to be foure-fold 1 Tim. 2.1 1. Supplications 2. Prayers 3. Intercession 4. Giuing of thankes First Supplications are for the remouall of euils Secondly Prayers for the obtaining of good Danaeus tract de orat dom p. 47. Thirdly intercession in the behalfe of others And fourthly thankesgiuing for the good receiued That there are two kindes of prayer But we may more briefly say that prayer is either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An inuocation or petition 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gratulation or thankesgiuing First First Inuocation Inuocation or petition is either 1. To remoue euill 2. To obtaine good First euill is said to bee either of sinne or of punishment and we should pray against both first Saint Paul buffetted of the messenger of Satan prayed to teach vs that when we are inticed to sinne we should pray that God would not lead vs into temptation Secondly the euill of punishment is either temporall spirituall or eternall First all afflictions iudgements plagues warres and all other miseries whatsoeuer they are punishments for sinne and therefore we should pray that God would either take them away from vs or sanctifie them vnto vs that they might worke together for the best Secondly spirituall punishment is when for our former sinnes we are deliuered vp to a reprobate sense to doe those things that are not conuenient and therefore wee should most heartily pray that God would forgiue vs our former sinnes and not punish the same with this spirituall fearefull punishment Thirdly the eternall punishment is that euerlasting death which is prepared for the Deuill and his Angels from which we should continually pray to be deliuered All good comprehended vnder Grace and Peace Secondly The good that we should pray for is euery where comprehended vnder these two names 1. Grace 2. Peace 1. Grace whereby we may truly serue our God 2. Peace whereby we may quietly liue among men And these two Saint Paul doth alwaies ioyne together to shew it may be that he deserues no grace which desires no peace for howsoeuer disordered spirits say Non pacem petimus superi date gentibus iras Nunc vrbes excite feras coniuret in arma mundus Wee seeke not peace we long for warres yet all well-affected Christians that doe loathe to bathe their swords and to make them drunke with the bloud of men will say with Drances Nulla salus bello pacem nos poscimus omnes No good can come from warre because as Lucan saith Nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequntur Lucan l. 10. There is neither piety nor fidelity among the rabble rout of them that follow the Campe for loue of spoiles but as Saint Augustine saith Nocendi cupiditas vlciscendi crudelitas Aug cont Faust l. 22. c. 74. implacatus implacabilis animus feritas rebellandi libido Dominandi similia sunt in arma sequentibus violence cruelties rapes prophannesse and all lewdnesse are commonly to be found among them and therefore all good Christians will pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue it because Omnia pace vigent pacis tempore florent All things doe flourish in the time of peace and all men may liue without feare and the more earnestly pray for grace But now me thinkes I heare men crying for peace in Christ and warres with men a sweet distinction to loue God and hate thy neighbour the deuill laughes at this to see thee such a subtill Sophister that when we pray giue peace in our time O Lord and at euery meale we eate we say God send vs peace through Iesus Christ our Lord thou canst presently distinguish that this is meant with God but not with men for thou canst b◠at peace with God when thou makest thy sword drunke with the bloud of men and thou canst then praise thy God best when thou inrichest thy selfe with the spoiles of the slaughtered for is not our life a warfare and are we not all souldiers Iob 7.1 to fight against the enemies of Iesus Christ Yea doth not Christ himselfe say He came not to send peace but the sword 1 Tim. 1.18 and to set the father against the sonne and the daughter against the mother Alas beloued it is true that we are all souldiers and must make continuall warre with Satan sinne and sinfull men but the weapons of our
like King Therons Coursers that were neuer weary of running that so they may escape all the fiery darts of Satan and finish their course with ioy when they shall receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him And thus dearely beloued you see that although man for his sinne was eiected out of Paradise and subiected to all miseries yet through the mercy of God in sending his Sonne to be made man to suffer for man to ouercome the diuell sinne and death to raise himselfe from death to ascend to Heauen to send his holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his heauenly graces wee shall if we beleeue in him and serue him praise his Name for all his blessings loue one another and pray one for another attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse Vnto the which happinesse the Lord of his goodnesse bring vs all through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thankes and Power and Maiesty and Dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God and our most gratious Father wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes which we acknowledge and confesse to be more in number then the sands of the Sea which cannot bee numbred cleanse vs O Lord with the bloud of Christ and plant in vs those heauenly gifts and graces whereby wee may be inabled to serue thee as we ought to doe in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue and our charity both towards thy selfe and all men for thy sake giue vs patience to vndergo without offending thee whatsoeuer miseries this wicked world shall any wayes heape vpon vs blesse our gracious King the Prince and all the royall issue blesse all the Ministers of thy Church and all the Magistrates of this Common-wealth Grant O Lord thy grace vnto thy Ministers that they may faithfully preach the Word of truth and sincerely liue a most vpright and a godly life grant to the Magistrates thy grace O God to defend right without remissenesse and to punish vice without maliciousnesse and because we are all thy creatures the workes of thy hands made by thee preserued by thee and inioying all we haue life and liuelihood from thee O Lord be mercifull vnto vs all and remember that we are but dust consider O consider that we are but as grasse not able to doe what we would not able to doe any thing that is good vnlesse thou dost it in vs O then let our soules liue and wee will praise thy Name we will magnifie thee for euer and euer for all the blessings that we haue receiued from thee our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and our assured hope of Glorification and all other graces whatsoeuer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Soliloquie of the Author O Eternall God thou hast created me and I haue offended thee thou hast redeemed me and I still continued vnthankefull vnto thee and yet thou hast heaped many blessings vpon me and giuen me grace to be desirous to serue thee and according to my poore and weake ability to shew forth these lights vnto thy Church I confesse O Lord whatsoeuer is ill herein is onely mine and whatsoeuer is good is truely thine and therefore I desire thee to pardon mine euill and to make me thankefull for thy good and so to accept that worke done by thy grace that it may be crowned with thy glory I doe not long for any worldly thing the whole world lyeth in wickednesse but I desire my soule may be married vnto thee to liue with thee for euermore and therefore O blessed God seeing that as I haue none in heauen so I haue none in earth but onely thou to be my helper I beseech thee to be my redeeming kinsman to preserue my wearied body from the malice of this world and to preferre my disconsolate soule vnto euerlasting ioyes through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS THE TABLE AB ABstaine from sinne is from God 205 God neuer absolueth vnrepentant sinners 242 Absurdities God shunneth in all things 324 Absurdities of the Lutheran doctrine touching the communication of properties 377. c. Absurdities following the high-Priest saying that the Disciples stole Christ away 564 Nature not able to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 God able to doe what he will 147 To hinder what he will not haue done ibid. To doe more then he did or doth or will doe 148. 149. c. Phrases of being able or not able how to be vnderstood 158 God able to produce any thing of nothing 163 God able to forgiue all sinnes 164 God not able to doe contrary to what hee decreed 165 Not able to doe things contrary to his Nature 165 Gods ability to helpe vs a great comfort to the godly 177 Absurdities of the doctrine of transubstantiation 174 God able to saue men without the Incarnation of his Sonne 320 None able to know God as hee is in himselfe 120 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122 Goodnesse of God abused by the wicked 225 Abuse of Christ not paralelled in any age 474 AC To be an Accepter of persons what it is 210 We should acknowledge whence wee haue all our goodnesse 211 Inward actions of God euer in doing necessary incommunicable 275 Christ how falsly accused by his enemies 471 Whereof accused before Pilate and how false those accusations were 472 Acts meerely voluntary no sinnes 15. 32 Actuall sinne what it is 10 All actions adiudged according to the disposition of the will 55 Act of punishment least agreeable to Gods nature 195 No act can exceed the power of the agent 209 Actors in the Tragedy of Christ his Passion who they were 421 Gods free actions not curiously to be searched into 555 Chiefest Acts of Dauid types of Christ 617 AD Adam sinning we all sinned 3 Adams fall brought on vs a two-fold euill 3 What God commanded Adam how small a thing it was 98 Adamant how mollified 5â—6 Aduersity makes the Saints more resplendent then prosperity 207 Aduersity and affliction not simply good ibid. AE Aescilus how he came by his death 613 AF. Affirmatiue precepts how many viz. 248. 230 Christ why afflicted by God 496 Affections of Christ how they differ from ours in three respects 444 AG. Agony of Christ what was the cause thereof 443 The seuerall ages of the world 402. 403 Agents that there be three sorts 162 Christ borne in the sixâ— age of the world and why 403 Age of man diuided into foure parts 68 AL. How all we haue is from God 129 All men taste of Gods goodnesse 201 How all men may be said to hate the Preachers 435 Alcestes how deerely she loued her Husband 425 AN. Anabaptists heresie what
reproue great men 233 Who most subiect to dangers 433 Daughters of sinne are two 82 In the day of Christs natiuitie three things obseruable 435 DE. Death the fruit of sinne 2 Seauen deadly sinnes 40 By death is contained all that is vnder the curse of God 47 67 Death three-fold 49 Death of the soule three-fold 53 Death what it is 67 How largely it extendeth it selfe 75 How vnresistable it is ibid. How expressed by the Egyptians 76 How it shortens life diuers wayes 77 How it taketh men of all ages 78 How it smiteth in euery place 79 How comfortable it is to the godly 79 How terrible to the wicked 80 How it equalizeth the bodies of all men 81 Death of Christ the sole cause that maketh our death happy vnto vs. 84 Death eternall what it is 86 Death of Christ a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes 164 Death how little Christ respected it 446 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Death of the crosse grieuous in foure respects 479 480 Death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse 504 Certainty of Christs death shewed in that her rose not til the third day 556 Deceit of sinne how great 44 Deceits no deceits vnlesse cunningly carried 461 Deformitie of sinne greater then we can comprehend 107 Deferring of Christs suffering grieued Christ 451 Wicked men how they deceiue themselues 517 God a debter to no man 531 To defend the truth with the hazard of all that we haue 217 Why God deferreth to giue vs what we desire 723 Delight in sinne maketh vs exceeding sinfull 15 Our deliuerances from punishments to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse 203 God deliuereth not alwaies his deerest Saints from afflictions 206 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 To derogate from Gods power how great a sinne 161 God denieth his grace vnto the children for their Fathers sinnes 251. Why. 252 Why God denieth what we aske 725 To descend from the crosse easier then to rise from the graue 562 Descention of Christ into hell handled 580. 581 c. proued by Scripture and by the stimonie of antiquitie 484. 618 That Christ descended before hee could ascend 609 Why Christ descended not from the crosse 481 We ought to despaire of no mans conuersion 533 Descending of Christ signifieth the assuming of our flesh 301 Description of God by way of negation affirmation and super eminencie 121 Desire to sinne is an act done 96 Desperate men thinke God cannot forgiue them 139 We ought neuer to despaire of mercie 226 To despaire what a haynous sinne 228 Saints desired nothihg but Christ 264 Demosthenes his Parable vnto the Athenians of the wolues request vnto the sheepe 644 Of the young man that hired an Asse to Megara 678 DI. Christ whether hee died for all men and how 505 To die to sinne what it is 50 a punishment for sinne ibid. To die in sinne what it is 51 Difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment 250 How the word God differeth from our Word 309 A great difference betwixt appearing in the forme of man and to be made man 329 Difference betwixt assuming flesh and to bee made flesh 345 Difference betwixt the two-fold generations of Christ and of the Saints 364 Difference betwixt Law and Gospell 3â—4 Difference betwixt the sinnes of the godly and the wicked three-folde 35 Difference betwixt feare and sorrow 449 Philosophers most diligent to attaine to all kinde of knowledge 315 How diligent we ought to be to know Christ 393 Dirt nothing so foule as sinne 52 Diseases of the soule what they be 63 Discontent with God what a heauie sinne 239 Disobedience to God what a haynous sinne 293 Disobedience to parents what a fearefull sinne 240 To distinguish of Gods power reconcileth diuers Authors 150 Dispertion of the Apostles grieued Christ 453 In distresse how wee ought to seeke vnto God 488 Disciples whether they stole Christ from the graue or not 562 Discretion how needfull for Preachers 696 Diuels know God and Christ and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Confest Gods power 162 DO Doctrine touching the person of Christ how alwaies opposed by Satan 304 Doctrine of diuinitie how deepe and difficult 392 Whatsoeuer God doth is no sinne 166 Doores being shut how Christ came in 387 Doubting of Gods goodnesse what a fearefull sinne 239 That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 130 DR To draw neere to vs how God is said 165 M. Drusus desired all men might see what he did 604 EA EArth accursed for the sinne of man 48 EF. The effects that Christs sufferings should worke in vs. 505 EG Egyptians how they expressed death 76 EL. Electionis of some men not of all 203 The elect onely are effectually called 203 Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias of what Tribe she was 397 EN Enemies that besot the godly 177 Enuie of Satan against Christ 493 and why he enuied him 434 Enemies of Christ ascribe to him in mockery what he was in deed 432 433 Enemies of Christ what they testified of him 578 Enemies of man especially three 582 EP. Epicurus confest the world had beginning and shall haue ending 137 EQ Equalitie of sinnes confuted 37 Equitie of eternall punishment for a temporarie sinne shewed in two respects 97 Christ equall with the Father 299 ER. Error of the Philosophers touching the etertie of the world 136 Error of the Vbiquitaries touching the power of God 141 Error of the Iesuites about the power of God 141 Error of Pellagius about the abilitie of mans nature 63 64 Error of Nouatus about sins after Baptisme 112 Errors of the vulgar about the absolute power of God 151 Errors expelled by truth 215 Errors boulstered with lies 175 Error of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard confuted 94. 95 Error of Lactantius and Pellagius confuted 63 Error of the Philosophers Stoicks Arist Seleucus Hermias Hermog confuted 136 137 c. Error of the Vbiquitaries shewed 141 Confuted 155. Their Obiect anws 165 Error of Bellarmine and the Iesuites shewed 141. Their Obiections answered 172 c. Error of Saint Hierom. 330 ES. Essence of God in heauen cannot bee seene but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 Essence of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 Essence of God distinguished into three persons 272 The word essence deriued our of Scripture and vsed in Scripture 294 Christ of the same essence with his Father 292. Vnpossible to escape out of the hands of the Angels 337 ET Eternity of Christ proued and the obiections against the same answered 278 279 280 c. Eternall punishment how inflicted for a temporary sinne 94 EV. Eua beleeueth the Deuill 3 The euill that oppresseth euery sinner two-fold 321 Euangelist why hee saith the Word was made flesh rather then man 349 Eutichian heresie what it was 367 c. EX Excuses of sinners to iustifie themselues 24 Excuses of sinners to lessen sinne 110 Examples of wilfull and spitefull sinners 33 Excellency of God cannot be conceiued
the offender 37 Curious questions not to be discussed 627 RA. RAge of the Iewes against the dead corps of Christ 482 Christ onely raised himselfe from the dead 552 RE. Regenerate men haue a double being 6 Repentance the best meanes to reuiue our dying soules 51 52 Repentance killeth sinne 82 God no respecter of persons 91 God easie to be reconciled 191 Men cannot repent when they will 242 Christ would not reueale himselfe vnto the world all at once 259 Certaine resemblances of the Trinity seene in the creatures 273 Christ how he reconcileth vs to himselfe 297 How the word God resembleth our outward and inward word 308 God reuealed many things concerning himselfe to the Gentiles 313 The Deuils reuealed many things concerning God to the Gentiles why 313 315 Christ would not reueale his seruants shame 466 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Regeneration not needfull vnto Christ 364 To receiue the outward Sacraments and not the grace of the Sacraments is nothing worth 681 Heretickes receiue neither Christ nor the Sacraments of Christ 682 Worthy receiuers of the Sacraments receiue Christ and all his graces 682 We may receiue Christ without the Sacraments 680 Request of the thiefe how soone granted 487 What small things God requireth of vs. 99 To relye on God in afflictions how safe 489 Redemption foure-fold 500 To redeeme vs how dearely it cost 50 Our redemption paraleleth our creation 557 Resurrection of Christ shewed by the Angell 543 Resurrection of Christ manifesteth the conquest of Satan deliuerance of men and Christ to haue ouercome all his enemies 551 Resurrection of Christ the third day foreshewed 553 How ascribed to each person of the Trinity ibid. Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 556 Certainty of Christs Resurrection shewed in his rising the third day 557 Resurrection of Christ the third day is a patterne of our condition 544 Resurrection of Christ sought to be hindered by the high Priests 563 Resurrection of Christ beleeued of vs for three respects 566 Proued many wayes 567 c. Resurrection of Christ a patterne to teach vs how to rise from sinne 587 A cause of great ioy 598 An assurance of our resurrection to eternall life 598 Resurrection of Christians twofold 586 Relapsing or often falling into the same sinnes how dangerous 549 RI. Riches haue destroyed many men and what euill they doe 73 Riches or pouerty whether best ibid. No man truly Rich. â—81 Christ truly rich ibid. God loueth righteousnesse 90 The more righteous we be the more subiect to be afflicted 434 Christ to rise againe for three reasons 550 Typicall Testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 Christ himselfe shewed that he should rise the third day ibid. To rise from the dead greater then to descend from the Crosse 562 We should rise truly from sinne and from all sinnes 591 592 Ro. Rossensis his parable to Henery the eight of the axe that came to the trees for a handle 589 SA SAcraments a most excellent meanes to beget grace 679 They shew all that the Scriptures teach ibid. Euery sacrifice should be perfect 341 Sacriledge what a fearefull sinne 241 Saints preserued from sinne by the power of God 178 More glorious in aduersity then prosperity 207 They alwayes prayed to Christ 283 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ 288 His words the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Salomons posterity for his sinnes were finished in Iechonias 399 Saluation how we ought to thirst after it 488 Saluation by none but by Christ 501 Rabbi Samuel what he saith concerning Christ 579 Sanctification what it is 208 Samosatenian heresie 363 Satan how said to ascend 910 He lifteth vp the wicked to destroy them 612 His subtilty to deceiue the people 644 He ought to be spied before he comes too neere vs 13 He is the Father of sinne 14 He suggesteth sinne diuers wayes 12 He laboureth to conceale the light either of preaching or of applying Gods word 18 How he handleth the wicked at the time of their death 80 He cannot doe what he would 178 How he alwayes laboureth to vilifie the person of Christ 304 His insolency against Christ 322 His enuy against Christ and why 493 494 Without satisfaction no sinne can be pardoned 163 SC. Holy Scripture wholly true 215. 216 The best warrant for all Preachers 606 Scourging of Christ how grieuous it was 475 Christ how scoffed vpon the Crosse 481 SE. To search too farre into Gods essence is not safe 124 Seede of the parents the substance of the whole man 340 Seed of the man whether it falleth into the substance of the childe 340 God seeking after vs should make vs to seeke for him 181 God not to seene with any materiall eyes 117 Wee shall not see Gods essence in heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 All men are euer seeking something 524 Godly men seeke onely for God â—25 Many seeke him amisse 526 Many seeke Christ amisse ibid. How we ought to seeke for Christ 526 521 c. That we cannot seeke for God vntill God doth seeke for vs. 529 Why the wicked seeke not God 531 Sensitiue facultie soone defileth the reasonable soule 17 Christ not sent by way of command 301 Seneca what he said 66 Sentence of Christ his condemnation 478 Senate of Rome lothe to derogate from the worth of Augustus 504 To serue sinne a most grieuous slauerie 22 Seruetus his heresie 343 To serue God the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our children 253 It procureth all blessings to vs. 132 Not to serue God heapeth all plagues vpon vs. 133 We were redeemed and preserued that we might serue him 132 It is the onely way to perpetuate our posterities 399 Late seruice God will hardly accept and why 587. 588 The seauen words of Christ vpon the Crosse 486 SH Shamefull handling of Christ how it grieued him 450 Shame of sinne cast off wee are almost past hope of goodnesse 20 Shedding of mans blood what a heauie sinne 240 Shepherds why first informed of the birth of Christ 412 SI Sight of sinne is no sinne 15 Sicknesse of the soule how worse then the sicknesse of the body 63 A signe why giuen by Judas 461 Signes how we may know whether wee bee ascended any thing towards heauen or not 632 Signes of a faithfull teacher 466 Similies expressing how the word alone assumed our flesh 327 A simile of Damascus and Theodorus shewing how the two natures of Christ though vnited doe remaine inconfused 388 Sinne is so vgly that at the first the sinner himselfe would faine conceale it 18 To be resisted at the first 23 It blindeth vs that we cannot perceiue it's vglinesse 42 At last it tormenteth the consciences of all sinners 42 How vgly and loathsome it is 47 Euerie sinne payeth the same wages 46 Sinnes the diseases of the soule 63 It extinguished all knowledge of God
death vpon him as well as Iudas his betraying of Christ causeth him to hang himselfe And therefore timenda est ruina multitudinis etsi non magnitudinis We should as well take heed to be destroyed by the smallest Aug. de vera relig in ep 138. as by the greatest things Nam quid interest ad naufragium c. For what skils it whether the Ship suffers wracke from one huge billow that ouer-whelmes her or by some small Leakes which in time doth sincke her So what difference is it Luc 16.21 with Diues to be sent to hell for his daily denyall of his crummes of bread vnto poore Lazarus 1 King 21.16 or with Achab for once taking away of Naboths Vineyard or with our continuall swaggerers for daily swearing and loose-liuing or with the blood-like Caine that doe though but seldome commitimmane and fearefull murthers surely none but this that they doe walke diuers wayes but do meete in the end at the same place And therefore the very heathen man could say Cicerol 1. offic Qua parua videntur esse delicta c. Those sinnes which seeme to be so small as that they scarcely be perceiued to be sinnes by many ought with all care diligence be to auoyded or otherwise we shal find our Sauiours words to be true that for euery moment of time that we haue spent in vaine Matth. 12 39. and for euery idle word that we haue spoken to no purpose we shall render an account at the last day For the reward of Sinne be it neuer so little is Death And so much for the first part the worke done i. e. Sinne. Part. 2. PART II. The payment for Sinne. i. e. Death For the reward of Sinne is death CHAP. I. Of the deceit of Sinne. Of the great deceit of sinne in promising much and performing the cleane contrary YOu saw the Worke you see the Wages and thereby you may see the deceit of sinne Fronte polita Astutum vapido seruat seruat sub pectore vultum For it will appeare at first with a Syrens face most delightful but it wil proue at last to haue a Serpents sting and to be most wofull and you may easily find almost infinite instances of this trueth Gen. 3.6.7 for Eue saw the tree was good for meate and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise therefore she tooke and did eate and gaue vnto her Husband But then saith Moses their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked naked in body naked in soule naked of all grace and naked of all goodnesse and therefore you see the Serpents promise to make them like Gods made them like Diuells and that the desire of delight and ostentation did worke their griefe and confusion Cle. Al. l. 3. Strom Iustin Martyr apol pro Christianis Sulpit l. 1. de sac hist Gen 6.1.2 So the sonnes of God that is not the Angels as Clemens Alexandrinus Iustin Martyr Sulpitius Lactantius and others thought but the godly sonnes of Seth as Saint Augustine and others doe most truely collect did see the daughters of men that is of the posterity of Caine that they were faire and therfore they tooke them wiues of all that they liked and what could they haue more then to haue their owne desires but what saith the Text when they thought themselues most happy then did they feele the greatest misery for suddenly the flood came and tooke them all away Mat. 24.9 So Saul thought to make aduantage by sauing Agag and the fattest of the Cattle but thereby he lost his Kingdome from his Off-spring 1 Sam. 15.9 So Iereboam thought to establish his Throne by his Idolatry but it proued to roote out all his Posterity 1 King 12.28 and so as the Scripture sheweth we finde the same truth in all other particular sinnes for though the Harlots words be sweet her countenance faire Prouerb 7.27 c. 9.18 and her bed perfumed yet her house saith Salomon is the way to the graue her chamber is the doore of death and her guests are in the depth of Hell and the very Heathen man could say Meritrix meum herum miserum Plantus Truc sua blanditia intulit in pauperiem spoliauit bonis luce honore atque amicis This Harlot with her cogging flattery hath impouerished and vndone my poore miserable Master she hath spoyled and depriued him of all his goods honour friends and all So though stolen waters be sweet and the bread of deceit is pleasant vnto a man yet afterwards his mouth shall be filled with grauell Prou. 20.17 and though the Wine seeme Cos to the drunkard that is to haue colorem odorem saporem an excellent colour in the glasse a pleasant smell in the nostrels and a sweet taste in the mouth yet in the end it will bite like a Serpent Prou. 23 32. it will hurt like a Cockatrice It will Circe-like transforme Men to Swines Virgil and make them with Vlysses fellowes to become worse then the very beasts When as the Poet saith Et pudor probitas metus omnis abest Wee shall finde in them neither feare of God nor shame of face nor scarce any quality or propertie of man besides humane shape for as Propertius saith Vino forma perit vino corrumpitur aetas Propertius l. 2. eleg vlt. Vino saepe suum nescit amica virum By Wine the beauty failes by Wine man waxeth olde Vt Venus enervat vires sic copia Bacchi tentat gressus debilitatque pedes Festus Anieno de ven vino by Wine the wedded wife with strangers will be bold And to be briefe though young men and Gallants doe reioyce in their youth and walke in the wayes of their hearts and in the sight of their eyes that is inioy what pleasure soeuer they will what their eye seeth or what their heart desireth yet in the end God will bring them to iudgement for all those things and then shall their bread in their bellies be turned into the gall of Serpents Eccles 11.9 And so euery sinne is like it selfe like Duke Ioab whose words were smoother then oyle when he saide vnto Amasa Est ne pax mi frater 2 Sam. 20.9.10 Is it peace brother and yet while the tongue called him brother his sword stab'd him to death like an enemie So sinne as it were a cunning Apothecary that writes on the out-side of his boxe Pharmaca medicines when as within there is nothing but Venena poysons Proponit quod delectabile supponit quod exitiale vngit pungit It promiseth wealth but it bringeth woes Reuel 8.13 Woe woe woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth Vae propter culpam vae propter tribulationem mundanam vae propter paenam aeternam Woe for our offences woe for our miseries woe for our eternal punishment and it annointeth vs with oyle
but it stingeth vs to death And so indeed it is like the Deuill Cyprian l. 1. ep 8. a lyer and the father of lies Quia peccatum mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Because euery sinne lies that it may deceiue vs and proposeth pleasure that it may bring vs into paine Venerab Beda l. exhort 4 5. Venerable Bede compareth sinne vnto a Witch which transformeth euery man vnto a Monster as Lust maketh a man like a Syren or an Horse to yeane after his neighbours wife Sloth makes him like an Asse or Ostridge Crueltie like a Wolfe or Hyenna Couetousnesse like the rauening Harpies and so euery other sinne makes the poore Sinner to become Monstrum horrendum ingens cui lumen ademptum The most vgly Monster vpon the face of the earth Why then should we not hate this sinne which speaketh friendly vnto vs and promiseth great felicity but in the end brings vs to the extreamest misery Bern. insentent Quia via peccati ingredientes contaminat progredientes obstinat egredientes exterminat Because as Saint Bernard saith sinne in the first entrance defileth in the progresse hardneth and in its going out destroyeth euery Sinner and as Salomon saith of the Harlot her wayes leade vnto death and her footsteps take hold of Hell so the same is most true of sinne and therefore if any man should be asked what hee doth in sinne hee might iustly answer as an old Courtier did when he wâ—s demanded Euery sinne payeth the same wages though it promiseth seuerall pleasures what he did in Court I doe nothing but vndoe my selfe For the reward of sinne is death And here likewise you may obserue that although euery sinne doth not promise the same thing for some sinnes promise pleasure some profit some honour and some one thing and some another yet euery sinne brings vs to the same end and in the end payeth vs with the same reward for the reward of sinne of any sinne is death But because Thriuerus Apoth 19. as many doe make none account of most deadly diseases by reason that they are ignorant of the dangerous effects of the same Ita multi euidenter peccant quia turpitudinem consequentiam peccati perspectam non habent So many men feare not to sinne but doe as smoothly drinke vp the same as pleasant Wine because they doe not vnderstand the filthinesse and wretched effects of sinne and because as if a man might with his outward eyes behold the beauty of vertue and goodnesse mirabilem amorem excitaret sui It would wonderfully inflame their hearts with the loue thereof So if we did behold the loathsomnesse of sinne and consider well the fearefull euents thereof it would make vs with Iob Iob 42 6. to abhorre our selues in Dust and Ashes Therefore I will search a little further into this Labyrinth of sinne and take a little more paines to vnfold the miserable effects of the same for the reward of Sinne is Death When sinne is first committed it wil presently gall and wound our consciences and it will continually shew vnto vs how good a Law is violated how great a Maiestie is offended and how grieuous a punishment we haue deserued and a the Poet saith Occultum quatiante animo tortore flagellum Juven Satyr 13. When the great Tormentor will shake his hidden whip in the soule of the offender then is he troubled night and day walking in the hands of his executioner and sleeping like the Nightingall which hath alwayes a pricke before her breast Neither is this all for the reward of sinne is death Now by Death By Death are vnderstood all the miseries contayned vnder the curse of God we must vnderstand not onely the separation of the body and soule of man but all other things that are comprehended vnder the curse of God for the curse of God and the Death of Man are Voces aequipollentes equiualent termes and doe signifie the same thing and therefore as Saint Paul saith here The wages of sinne is Death So he saith else-where out of Moses Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law for to doe them And we find that the curse of God for the sinne of man extendeth it selfe 1. To all those creatures that were created and made for the vse of man 2. To all the properties and faculties of each part of man Rom 8 20. and 22. First The creature was made subiect vnto vanity and groaneth and trauelleth in paine vntill now not of it owne accord but by reason of the transgression of man the earth was accursed for his sake and the very Heauens were subiected vnto vanity and as then hee dealt with Adam so euer since he dealeth in like manner with all the sonnes of Adam Psal 107.34 for he maketh a fruitfull land barren for the iniquity of them that dwell therein that is either such as bringeth forth no fruits at all or else such as where Infaelix lolium steriles dominantur auenae How the earth is accursed and her fruits by reason of our sinnes The good seed is ouergrowen with darnell smothered with thornes or spoyled with cockle for though the earth was made to yeeld vs fruits of increase yet instantly vpon our sinning the grounds denied to pay her tribute vnlesse as the Poet sayth iuncto boue aratra trahuntur we doe rippe vp her bowells to fetch it out of her bellie And yet this is not all for though we manure the ground and plant the seede neuer so fayre yet except the Lord giues the increase all our labour is but in vaine And the Lord tells vs plainely that if we cease to sinne and serue our God Psal 107.35 he will make the Wildernesse a standing water and water springs of a drie ground but if we continue in sinne and sow iniquitie Hosea 8.7 hee tells vs plainely wee shall reape but vanitie and if we sow the wind wee shall reape but whirlewind for our haruest And therefore if God stoppeth the windowes of Heauen and withholdeth the raine from vs 1 Reg. 17.1 as he did in the dayes of Elias and so causeth the Heauens to be as brasse and the earth to be as iron vnder our feete the one yeelding no dew the other bearing no fruit or if God openeth the Cataracts and floodgates of Heauen Gen. 7.11 as hee did in the dayes of Noah and so cause the Heauens to weepe and the floods to cary away our fruits before we can carry them into our barnes then must we know Saluian Massaliâ— de guber dei that all this and whatsoeuer of this kinde happeneth to vs is inflicted vpon vs for our sinnes quia ira diuinitatis est paena peccantis because all the grieuous effects of Gods wrath Gen. 3 17. are the iust deserts of mans sinne for cursed is the Earth for