my selfe to die that thou mayest liue I doe draw thee with the destruction of a man euen with bands of loue So that the Theefe who saw his owne wounds and death in Christs body did see also Christs sauing health and life in his owne body As Alcuinus saith writing vpon the sixth of Iohn o Assumpsit vitae mortem vt mors acciperet vitam When â—he liuing Lord died then the dying â—heefe liued Notably saith the Prophet p Lam. 4.21 The breath of our nostrils Christ the Lord is taken in our sinnes to whom we said wee shall liue in thy shadow If Christ be the breath of our nostrils then he is our life And againe if wee liue in his shadow then wee liue in his death For where there is breath in a shadow there there is life in death Now as the ouer-shadowing of the holy Ghost was the life of Christ so the ouer-shadowing of Christ is the life of man And as Peters shadow gaue health to the sicke so Christs shadow giues life to the dead yea a thousand times rather Christs than Peters For as Elias his spirit was doubleâ— vpon Elizeus because Elias being aliue restored some to life but Elizeus as Ierome saith being dead raised vp one from the dead q Mortuus mortuum suscitauit so Peters spirit was doubled vpon Christ because Peter being aliue was a physitian to the liuing but Christ as Chrysostome saith being dead was a Physitian to the dead r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or rather indeede in this comparison there is no comparison But as Peters spirit was a shadow to Christs spirit so Peters shadow was nothing to Christs death Ezekias seeing the shadow of the Sunne goe tenne degrees backe in the Diall was assured by this signe that he should recouer of his sicknesse s Esa. 38.8 Sick Ezechias may signifie all mankinde which is sicke by reason of sinne But this is an vnfallible signe we shall recouer because the Sunne hath gone ten degrees back in the diall The Sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ hath for our sake made himselfe lower by maâ—y degrees in the earth My father is greater then â— There hee is gone backe tenne degrees below his Father Thou hast made him lower then the Angels There hee is gone backe ten degrees below the Angels I am a worme and no man There he is gone backe ten degrees below men A liue dogge is better then a dead Lyon t Eccle. 9.4 There he is gone back ten degrees below wormes For hee was not counted so good as a liue worme but was buried in the earth as a dead Lyon to be meate for the wormes if it had bin possible for this holy one to see corruption But blessed O blessed be our Lord Christ being in the forme of God was buried in the graue and so was made lower then his Father nay lower then Angels nay lower then Men nay lower then wormes that we being now no better then wormes might be crowned in heauen and so might be made higher then wormes yea higher then men yea higher then Angels yea partakers of the same life and kingdome with Christ. Pliny reporteth v L. 36. c. 10. that there was a Diall set in Campus Martius to note the shadowes of the sun which agreeing very well at the first afterwards for thirty yeares together did not agree with the sun All the time of those thirty yea three and thirty yeares that Christ liued in his humiliation here vpon earth you might haue seene such a Diall In which time the shadow of the Diall did not agree with the shining of the Sun But thankes be to God all the better for vs. When the Sunne went backward ten degrees in the diall then Ezechias went forward fifteene degrees in his life He liued fifteene yeares longer And so the going of this Sunne Iesus Christ ten degrees backeward hath healed all our sicknesse and set vs a thousand degrees forward and infinitely aduanced vs by his death to euerlasting life For Christ is that louing Rachel which dies her selfe in Childe-birth to bring forth her sonne Beniamin aliue Christ is that righteous Adam which by the bloudy sweat of his browes hath earned for vs the bread of life Christ is that iust Noah which shutting vp himselfe in his Arke as in a sepulcher saueth all that come to him aliue Christ is that tender Pellican which wounding his owne breast doth with his bloud restore againe his yong ones to life And euen as when many birds are caught in a net if a Pellican or any other great bird that is among them get out all the rest that are little ones follow after semblably Christ as a great bird hauing broken through the net of death all we escape with him So that wee may say with the Psalmist Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken we are deliuered Arnobius vpon these words in the Psalme x Psal. 138. Despise not the worke of thine owne hands writeth thus Wee are the worke of thine owne hands seeing wee are thy workemanshippe y Eph. 2.10 Ipsius summus sactura conditi in Christo. Quantum ad substantiam fecit quantum ad gratiam condidit Tertul. aduer Mar l. 5. non longè à fine Now because the worke of thy hands was destroyed by the work of our hands therefore were thy hands nailed to the crosse for our sinnes That those hands of thine might repaire againe the worke of thy hands by the tree of the crosse which was destroyed by the tree of concupiscence Thus farre Arnobius Whereby we may gather that the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and euill is euill that is death but the fruit of the tree of life that is of the crosse of Christ is life When Alexander had throwne downe the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised that she would at her owne charges repaire them againe so that the Citizens would suffer this title to bee grauen vpon the gate Alexander hath throwne them downe but Phryne hath raised them vp z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. The case is quite contrary here Eue hath ouerthrowne not onely Thebes but euen all mankinde Christ hath at his owne cost and charges repaired and built vs vp againe Therefore wee must graue this title vpon the Crosse of Christ Eue hath throwne vs downe but Christ hath raised vs vp Eues tree of knowledge of good and euill hath throwne vs downe but Christs tree of life hath raised vs vp Nay I will be bold to say yet more What is that Marry this That as far as the tree of life excelleth the tree of knowledge of good and euill so farre the crosse of Christ excelleth the tree of life I know well many will muse maruell much what I meane to say so And some perhaps will scarce beleeue it is true which I say Neuerthelesse most Christian
à fine that there is another fountaine neere Grenoble a Citie in France which although it haue not hot waters as a Bath yet oftentimes together with bubbles of water it casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares that is in our eies must be like these two fountaines As the Psalmist witnesseth When my sorrow was stirred sayes he my heart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled l Psal. 30.3 When my sorrow was stirred There is the first fountaine My heart was hot within mee There is the Torch lighted And while I was musing There is the other fountaine The fire kindled There is the flame burning Whereupon one sayes fitly Our eies must neither be drowned nor dry m Nec fluant oculi nec â—icci sint Seneca If they want fire they will be drowned If they want water they will be dry Wherefore both weepe not and but weepe both fire and water must goe together that our eyes bee neither drowned nor drye And this is the right moderation wee must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part WEEPE NOT BVT WEEPE both together Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THe fourth part followeth For Mee Weepe not too much for my death For the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man The reason of all this is his innocencie and righteousnesse which makes first that as the life of Christ is the life of Life so the death of Christ is the death of Death Put the case how you please this is a most certaine truth that the gate of life had neuer bin opened vnto vs if Christ who is the death of Death had not by his death ouercome death a Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset coelestis vitae iâ—nus â—lausa foret Therefore both before his death he threatneth and challengeth death saying b Osee 13.14 O death I will bee thy death and also after his death hee derideth and scorneth death saying c 1 Cor. 15.15 O death thou art but a drone where is now thy sting d Sic Iohannes Pistorius Erasmi Roterodami affinis igni cremandus dixit O mors vbi est tua victoria Aske death any of you I pray and say Death how hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength What is the matter that virgins and very children doe now contemne thee wheras Kings and euen tyrants did before feare thee Death I warrant will answer you that the only cause of this is the death of Christ. Euen as a Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sin was neuer a whit the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the brasen serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is now so far from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery serpent sting vs or if any thing else hurt vs presently it is helped and redressed by death Those which will needes play the hob-goblins or the night-walking spirits as we call them all the while they speak vnder a hollow vault or leape forth with an vgly vizard vpon their faces they are so terrible that he which thinks himselfe no small man may perhaps bee affrighted with them But if some lusty fellow chance to steppe into one of these and cudgell him wel-fauouredly and pull the vizard from his face then euery boy laughes him to scorne So is it in this matter Death was a terrible bulbeggar and made euery man afraide of him a great while but Christ dying buckled with this bulbeggar and coniured him as I may say out of his hollow vault when as the dead comming out of the graues were seene in Ierusalem and puld the vizard from his face when as he himselfe rising left the linnen clothes which were the vizard of death behinde him Therefore as that Asse called Cumanus Asinâ—s ietting vp and downe in a Lyons skinne did for a time terrifie his master but afterwards being descried did benefit him very much Semblably death stands now like a silly Asse hauing his Lyons skin pulled ouer his eares and is so farre from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labour and if they be oppressed with troubles or cares when they come to death they are discharged death as an Asse doth beare these burthens for them O blessed blessed bee our Lord which hath so disarmed death that it cannot do vs any hurt no more then a Bee can which hath no sting nay rather it doth vs much good as the brasen serpent did the Israelites which hath so dismasked death that it cannot make vs afraid no more than a scar-bug can which hath no vizard nay rather as an Asse beareth his masters burthens so death easeth and refresheth vs. This hath Christ done by his death Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sun shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne He that poureth water vpon Iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but hee cannot hurt the Iron And so Christ the Sun of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing Iron was too hot and too hard a morsell for death to disgest All the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate he was nourished by it but when he had tasted of the forbidden tree he perished Right so death had free leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Those barbarous people called Cannibals which feed only vpon raw flesh especially of men if they happen to eate a peece of roasted meat commonly they surfeâ— of it and die Euen so the right Canniball the onely deuourer of all mankinde Death I meane tasting of Christs flesh and finding it not to be raw such as it was vsed to eate but wholsome and heauenly meate indeede presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes died For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hand anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bit of his body was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeeld it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not beene brought vp so daintily before nor vsed to such manner of meate but alwayes had rauined either with Mithridates daughters vpon the poyson of sin or else with Noahs Crow vpon the
n Iob 40.10 Whereupon Gregory noteth that a sheepe or any such other beast will eate any manner of grasse though it be trampled and stained neuer so much but an oxe will eate no kind of grasse but that which is greene and fresh And so the Diuell will be sure to haue his feede of the very finest and best o Esca eius electa Abacuc 1.16 For the Angell of the Lord reioyceth most when one that is a sinner conuerteth He eateth grasse as a sheepe But the Angell of Sathan reioiceth most when one that is a conuert sinneth Hee eateth grasse as an Oxe If the Diuell cannot keepe a man from liuing long then hee will hinder him from liuing well p Aut Imperat mortes aut impetit mores Leo. If hee cannot kill him then hee will corrupt him And indeede hee takes greater pleasure in corrupting one godly man that in killing a hundred wicked He was more delighted when Dauid slew but Vrias then when Saul slew himselfe when Peter did but denie Christ then when Iudas betraied him So that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the delight yea it is the very life of the Diuell It is on the other side the death of himselfe O miserable wretch that I am saith one who shall deliuer me from this body of death The life of the godly is a very body of death But their death is onely a shadow of death Thales a Philosopher being demaunded what difference there is betweene life and death answered They are all one Then being asked againe if he had not rather liue then die No saith he as before for they are al one But Ierome saith farre more excellently They are not all one That is not true For it is one thing to liue in continuall danger of death another thing to die in continuall assurance of life q Aliud viuere moriturum aliud mori victurum Therefore Ecclesiastes saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For when we are borne we are mortall but when we are dead we are immortall And we are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but wee are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Hence it is that the wicked are merry at their birth-day as Pharaoh made a feast at his birth-day when his chiefe Baker was hanged r Gen. 40.20 and Herod likewise made a feast at his birth-day when Iohn Baptist was beheaded but they are sorry at their dying day as Iudas was sorry when hee went about to hang himselfe and Caine was afraid euery one would kill him that met him Contrariwise the godly are sorry at their birth-day as Iob Let the day perish wherein I was borne and Ieremie Let not the day wherein my mother bare mee be blessed s Ier. 20.14 But they are merry at their dying day as Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and Paul I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Therefore we also keepe holy dayes and celebrate the memory of the Saints not vpon their birth-daies but vpon their death-dayes to shew that these two are not all one but that the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For whereas there are 2. waies the one hauing in it first a transitory life and then an eternall death the other hauing in it first a transitory death and then an eternall life the wicked chuse to liue here for a time though they die for it hereafter eternally but the godly chuse to haue their life hid with Christ here that they may liue with Christ eternally hereafter Therefore the wicked neuer thinke of death but the godly thinke of nothing else As Alexander the Monarch of the world had all other things saue only a sepulchre to bury him in wheÌ„ he was dead he neuer thought of that But Abraham the heire of the world had no other possession of his own but only a field which he bought to bury his dead in he thought of nothing els We read that Daniel strowed ashes in the teÌ„ple to descry the footsteps of Bels Priests which did eat vp the meat So did Abraham strow ashes in his memory saying I will speake vnto my Lord though I be but dust and ashes So doe all the faithfull remembring they shall one day be turned to dust and ashes That so seeing and marking the foot-steps of death how it continually commeth and steales away their strength as Bels priests did the meat how it daily eateth vp and wasteth and consumeth their life they may be alwayes prepared for it Our first parents made them garments of figge-leaues But God misliking that gaue them garments of skins Therefore Christ in the Gospell cursed the fig-tree which did beare onely figge leaues to couer our sinne but commended the Baptist which did weare skins to discouer our mortalitie For not onely as Austin saith Our whole life is a disease t Vita morbus but also as Bernard saith our whole life is a death u Vita mors The life of man by reason of his sin is a continuall disease yea it is the very death of himselfe It is lastly the death of Christ. The Prophet Esay calleth Christ a sinne or a sacrifice for sinne x Asham Esay 53.10 prefigured by all those sin-offerings of the old law Because indeed when Christ was crucified at the first he was broken for our sins According to that of Tertâ—llian y Propter pecâ—atum mori â—ecesse habuit Filius Dei. Vâ—de etiam Aug. Medita ca. 7. vbi doceâ— hâ—minem esse causam passionis Sinne it was which brought the sonne of God to his death The Iewes were onely instruments and accessaries to it sinne was the setter and the principall They cried Crucifie him in the court of Pilate but our sinnes cried Crucifie him in the court of heauen Now as the death of Christ was not efficient to saue the wicked so the sinne of the wicked was not sufficient to condemne Christ. But the Scripture saith of them which either are or at leastwise seeme to be godly They say they know God but by their workes they deny him and Saul Saul why dost thou persecute me And They crucifie again vnto themselues the sonne of God Zachary prophesieth of Christ * Zacha. 13.6 That when one shall say vnto him What are these wounds in thy hands Then he shall answere Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends that is in the house of them which ought to haue bin my friends So that our sins did wound Christs handâ— at the first And now also not the wicked which are no part of his body but wee which are misticall members of his body and therefore should by good reason be his friends we I say doe yet oftentimes by our sinnes deny Christ with Peter nay we persecute Christ with Paul nay we crucifie Christ with the Iewes Yea
for himselfe Wherefore as in a ballance if there be any ods in the sâ—ales wee take out of that which is the heauier and put it into that which is the lighter till there be no difference betwixt them So here wee must wey these matters well that wee our selues may be iust weight neither too heauy for our owne misery not too light for Christs mercy Thus did Dauid when hee said to God Hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings What are Gods wings His Mercy and his Iustice. What are the shadow of his wings Our loue and our feare Our loue is the shadow of his mercy which is his right wing Our feare is the shadow of his Iustice which is his left wing Now seeing hee that is hid vnder the right wing onely may presume because hee hath no feare and hee that is hid vnder the left wing onely may despaire because he hath no loue therefore sayth Dauid Hide me O Lord vnder the shadow not of one wing but of both thy wings That I may neuer despaire while I alwaies loue thy mercy and reioyce for Christ that I may neuer presume while I alwayes feare thy iustice and weepe for my selfe A Quaile the very same Bird which was the Israelites meate in the wildernesse as he flies ouer the sea feeling himselfe begin to be weary lights by the way into the sea Then lying at one side he layes downe one wing vpon the water and holds vp the other wing towards heauen Lest hee should presume to take too long a flight at the first hee weâ—s one wing Lest hee should despaire of taking a new flight afterwards hee keepes the other wing drie Thus must a Christian man doe When hee layes downe the wing of feare vpon the water to weepe for himselfe then hee must hold vp the wing of loue toward heauen to reioyce for Christ. That his two wings may be answerable to Gods two wings That as God hath two wings the one of Mercie the other of Iustice so hee may haue two wings the one of ioy for Christ the other of sorrow for himselfe Sem Iâ—pheth Noahs godly and dutifull children when they saw their father otherwise then hee should be went backeward and couered him They went backeward that they might not see him themselues they couered him that others might not see him Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse was the shame of men and the outcast of the people Therefore wee that are the children of God must goe backeward by abhorring them that crucified Christ and yet wee must couer him and hide him euen in our very hearts by remembring and honouring his death and resurrection Lest wee should presume wee must goe backeward for feare and yet lest we should despaire wee must couer him for loue That as God hideth vs vnder the shadow of his wings which are loue and feare loue the shadow of his mercy and feare the shadow of his iustice so we may hide God vnder the shadow of our wings which are ioy and sorrow ioy the shadow of our loue and sorrow the shadow of our feare ioy for Christ and sorrow for our selues To this strange kinde of going backeward the Psalmist alludeth when hee saith to God Thou hast made my feete like Hindes feete A Hinde goeth not still forward in one way but as an auncient father speaketh hee iumpes crosse out of one way into another Saltum habet transuersum Right so a Christians feete must be like Hindes feet He must iumpe crosse from himselfe to Christ and then backe againe from Christ to himselfe Would you see such a Hinde Then mark how Iob footes it That he might not despaire he iumpes crosse from himselfe to Christ and saith a Chap. 33.9 I am cleane without sinne I am Innocent and there is none iniquitie in mee Heere is the mercy of Christ. But that hee might not presume hee iumpes backe againe from Christ to himselfe and saith b Chap. 6.2 O that my griefe were well weighed and that my miseries were laid together in the balance Here is the misery of man Thus must we weigh the mercie of Christ and the misery of man together in the balance and besure as I said before wee make the scales euen and when we weigh the reasons why wee should not weepe for Christ then we must weigh the reasons also why we should weepe for our selues So wee shall find for great cause of ioy in Christ great cause of sorrow in our selues for greater cause of ioy in Christ greater cause of sorrow in our selues for greatest cause of ioy in Christ greatest cause of sorrow in our selues for that which is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ that which is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of Death Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Debora reioyced when Barack put Sisera to flight haue not wee as great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath put death to flight The sinne of man is the life of death Great cause of sorrow in our selues If Anna wept for her barrennesse haue not wee as great cause to weepe seeing wee can conceiue nothing but sorrow and bring forth iniquity vnto death The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of the Diuell Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Iudith reioyced when shee did cut off the head of Holofernes haue not wee great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the Diuell The sinne of man is the life of the diuell Greater cause of sorrow in our selues If Thamar wept being defloured by her brother haue not wee greater cause to weepe seeing we commit spirituall incest and adultery daily with the diuell The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of himselfe Greatest cause of ioy in Christ. If Sara laughed when shee heard shee should haue a quicke childe in her dead wombe is not this the greatest cause of laughter which can be vnto vs that Christ liued in death and was most free among the dead and could not see corruption in the graue The sinne of man is the death of himselfe Greatest cause of sorrow in our selues If Agar wept being turned out of Abrahams house is not this the greatest cause of weeping which can be vnto vs that our life is no life because we neuer cease from sinning while wee are heere pilgrimes and strangers exiled and banished out of our fathers house in heauen The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of man This is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ. If Queene Ester did reioyce as King Iames doth at this day whom God for his mercies sake euer saue and preserue and let all the people say Amen because he deliuered his people from thraldome and destruction can any thing in the world then make vs more ioyfull then this that we being cursed in our selues are blessed in Christ being embased in our selues are exalted in Christ being
sorrow in a strange land What speake I of a wicked tyrant Holy men often are in great perplexitie at the time of their departure Hier. in vita â—ius S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that beeing ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast serued Christ almost these threescore and ten yeares and dost thou now feare death Christ himselfe also feeling that hee was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer Mark 14.33 My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For hee prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilt And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could doe nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his Father boâ—â— by his counsell and will hath decreed and by his hand hath ordained Hilarion also that holy ancient Father comforteth himselfe with this that hee had sâ—â—â—d Christ almost seauentie yeares Oâ—â—â—â— children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happy in Christ. Howbeit seeing many holy Christians and euen Christ himselfe feared death it remaineth that death simply and in it selfe considered is a flood of many waters But yet the faithfull man euen in death is out of all danger Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Thus much for the first part which is the danger In the flood of many waters The second part followeth which is the deliuerance Surely they shall not come neere him First they shall not come neere They that is The waters shall not come neere The holy Church and euerie member thereof is likened to a house built vpon a rocke Matth. 7. â—5 Vpon which though the winds blow and the floods beate yet it cannot be throwne downe because it is built vpon a rocke So that the floods which shake it can neuer come neere it to ouerthrowe it The sâ—me may be said of the ship couered with waters It might well floaâ—e but it could neuer be drowned For as soon as the Disciples cryed vpon Christ to saue them Matth. 8.24 presently there followed a great calme Therefore Luther when his life was sought of all the world in a manner Psal. 46.1 translated the Psalme Deus noster refugium into dumb meeter and caused it to be sung in all the reformed Churches God is our hope and strength a very present helpe in trouble Therefore will we not feare though the earth be mooued and though the hills be caried into the midst of the sea Though the waues thereof rage and swell and though the mountaâ—â—â—â— shake at the tempest of the same S. Peter the Apostle began to sinke but he sunke not right downe Christ was ready at hand to helpe him For as soone as he sawe himselfe in present perill and danger forthwith he cryed Master saue me Saue me Psal. 69 1. O God for the waters are coâ—â— in euen vnto my soule I sticke fast in the deepe mire where no ground is and 16. I am come into deepe waters so that the floods runne ouer me Take me out of the mire that I sinke not and out of the deepe waters Let not the water 〈◊〉 drowne me neither let the deep swallow me vp let not the pit shut 〈◊〉 mouth vpon me S. Paul likewise suffered shipwrack but lost not by it one haire of his head Act. 17.34 Wherby we may see the absurdity of the Papists They would prooue that iustifying grace may bee lost because some haue made shipwracke of faith but if we should graunt them that the Apostle speaketh of iustifying not of historicall faith 1. Tim. 1.19 yet we haue the help of a second answer To wit that shipwrack is one thing and drowning an other Therefore faith which is wrackt is not by and by drowned For it may happen to suffer shipwracke as S. Paul did and swimme out safe to the shore But this 〈◊〉 but a touch by the way Meane season we see how safe and secure the faithfull man is in Christ. He is a house to which the floods may come neere to shake it but neuer to throwe it downe he is a ship which the waues may come neere to tosse it but neuer to turne it ouer euen as Saint Peter beganne to sinke but still kept vp his head and Saint Paul sâ—ffered shippewracke but was not a haire the worse for it Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Secondly him They shall not come neere him This word must in no case be omitted It helpeth vs to answer a verie strong obiection For it may bee said Many holy men haue lost their goods haue suffered great torments in their bodie haue beene troubled also in minde how then did not the floods of many waters come neere them The word Him helpes vs to answer The verie Philosophers themselues reckoned their goods pertained no more to them then be it spoken with reuerence and regard the parings of their nayles Zeno hearing newes he had lost all he had by sea Rene facis fortuna cum ad pallium nos compellis said onely thus Thou hast done verie wel Fortune to leaue me nothing but my cloake An other called Anaxarchus whom as Nicocreâ—â— the tyrant commanded he should be 〈◊〉 to death in a morter spake thus to the executioner Beate and bray as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his bagge or sachell so he called his owne body but Anaxarchus thou cansts not touch Yet these making so smal reckoning of their goods and bodie set their mindâ— notwithstanding at a high rate Mens cuinsque is est quisque The minde of a man is himselfe say they Hence it is that Iulius Caesar when Amyclas the Pilot was greatly afraid of the tempest spake to him thus What meanest thou to feare base fellow doest thou not know thou carriest Caesar with thee As if he should say Caesarem veâ—is Caesars bodie may well bee drowned as any other manâ— may but his minde his magnanimity his valour his fortitude can neuer be drowned Thus farre wâ—nt Philosophie But Diuinitie goeth a degree further For Philosophy defineth Him that is a man by his reason and the morall vertues of the minde But Diuinitie defineth a Christian man by his faith and his coniunction thereby with Christ. Excellently saith Saint Austin Whence com's it that the soule dieth Tract 49 in Iohan. Vnde mors in animâ â— quia non est fides Vnde mors in corporeâ— quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Because faith is not in it Whence that the bodie dieth Because a soule is not in
it Therefore the soule of thy soule is faith So that if we would know what is a faithfull man we must define Him not by his naturall soule as he is resonable but by the soule of his soule which is his faith And when we easily answer the obiection that a flood may come neere a faithfull mans goods neere his bodie neere his reasonable soule but to his faith that is to Him it can neuer come neere For if you speake of the life and essence of him that it is faith the Prophet also witnesseth Abacuck The iust shall liue by faith Gal. 2.20 And the Apostle Now I liue not but Christ liueth in me but that I liue I liue by faith in the sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for me And he that was wiser then all the Philosophers determineth this point thus The summe of the matter when yee haue heard all is this Eccles. 12.23 Feare God and keepe his commandements for this is all of man All of man what 's that All of man which will hold out against all floods of many waters For the goods of man may be gotten away by forged cauillation the bodie of man may be weakened by sickenesse the soule of man and the faculties thereof as memorie witte and such like may be impaired by age but faith in Christ the feare of God a care to keepe his commaundements is all of man which no floods either in life or in death can ouer-whelme All of man wherein man ought to imploy himselfe while he is aliue and without which man is but vanitie when he is dead but with which man both in life and death is most blessed For if this be the summe of all then of any thing but this there is no reckoning at all to be made Matth. 16.18 I haue praied for thee saith our Sauiour that thy faith should not faile and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against thee For loue is strong as death Can. 8.7 iealousie is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the floods drowne it Euen as Paul also glorieth Rom. 8. that nothing can separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Wherefore seeing the godly man is so inuincible that neither the gates of hell nor the flood-gates of many waters can preuaile against him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him In the last place must be considered the asseueration Surely For if both liuing and dying my felicity be most certaine in Christ and yet I knowe not so much what comfort can I gather thereby Now in all aduersities this is my greatest ioy that the fauour of God which is most constant in it selfe is fully assured also to me For I know that my reedeemer liueth And if I be iudged I know I shall be found righteous And I know whome I haue beleeued and I am sure In one word I am Surely perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing els can separate vs froÌ„ Christ. Nay in all the flood of waters wee shall be more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 They shall not come neere to conquer vs. But rather we shall conquer them Yea that which is strangest of all Surely we shall be more then conquerers ouer them Though an hoast of men were laid against me Psal. â—7 3 yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in it Not in him as it is ill translated in the English but in it that is In the verie warre it selfe I will not feare Nay I will be of good hope Yea Surely in the very warre will I hope and trust For euen as a building made arch-wise the more waight is laide vpon it the more strong still it is so the more force and strength is brought against me the greater triumph victorie I shall haue Therefore I will not be afraid of tenne thousand of the people Psal. 3.7 that haue set themselues against me round about For a thousand of them shall fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but they shall not come neere mee The Arke in the flood was not drowned Gen. 7.18 as other things were but floated vpon the waters Yea the higher the waters encreased the higher Surely for that did the Arke still arise Likewise the redde sea did not hinder the Israelites passage Exod. 14.22 but opened an easie way to them Yea Surely it was moreouer as a wall to backe them against all their enemies The words of Saint Iames are verie plaine Iam. 1.2 My brethren count it exceeding ioy when you fall into diuers temptations Tentation of it selfe doth vexe and disquiet a man But to the godly it is a ioy As we read els where That they which are iustified by faith haue peace nay haue easie accesse to God and great ioy in tribulations But the Apostle adding Rom. 5. that this ioy is not common or ordinarie but Surely exceeding ioy raiseth vp the amplification as high as may be Whereunto S. Paul also accordeth We are afflicted on euery side 2. Cor. 4 9. yet we are not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Here he prooueth directly that the flood commeth not neere the faithfull But where is the Surely It followeth in the same epistle As dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed 2. Cor. 6.20 as sorrowing and yet alwaies reioycing as poore and yet making others rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things O the securitie and felicitie of the faithfull For his faith maketh life of death ioy of sorrowe riches of pouertie What shall I say more or what would you haue me say more then as the Apostle saies It makes all things of nothing As hauing nothing saies he and yet possessing all things But the special thing to be noted iâ— this sentence is As dying and behold we liue For they import that death is no death but As it were death an image or a shadowe of death beeing indeede life and Surely a better life and more immortall then we had here Therefore he saies Behold we liue to shewe that by death the faithfull liue a life wherein there is some great specialty and excellencie worthy indeed to be beholded regarded As if he should say Behold we liue Behold we liue a more happie life then euer we liued in our life Saint Augustin often commeÌ„deth the saying of his master S. Ambrose when he was readie to die Speaking to Stilico and others about his bed I haue not liued so among you Non ita vixi inter vos ve me pudeaâ— vinerenet mori timeâ— quia bonum dominumâ—â—o 〈◊〉 Pontius in fine vitae eius saith he
that I am ashamed to liue longer if it please God and yet again I am not afraid to die because we haue a good Lord. He doth not say Mine owne goodnesse puts me out of feare but Gods goodnesse This goodnesse of God makes me quiet in my conscience and secure in soule readie to embrace death whensoeuer it commeth Wherefore Surely is fitly added For afflictions as waters doe not ouercome the faithfull Nay they come not neere him But contraâ—iwise the faithfull conquereth afflictions Yea Surely hee is in them all more then a conquerour In warre he is not afraid Rather he greatly hopeth And Surely euen in the verie warre he hopeth The flood of waters commeth not neere to drowne the Arke but lift it vp And so much the higher Surely the arke still riseth as the flood riseth The sea staieth not the Israelites passage It is a dry land for them to march on As a wall moreouer to backe them Surely against all their enemies Tentation not onely is no matter of sorrowe but also on the other side of ioy Surely of great ioy Death is no death but a life and Surely such a life as only of it we may say Behold we liue So happie both in life and death is the faithfull man Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him To conclude then No calamitie or aduersitie can possibly disseuer that coniunction which faith maketh of euerie godly man with Christ. For feeling the remission of his sinnes assured and sealed vnto him hee contemneth not onely the workes of the world and dismaiments of his conscience but euen the verie feares and terrours of death This our deare brother M. Edward Liuely who now resteth in the Lord lead a life which in a manner was nothing els but a continuall flood of many waters Neuer out of suits of law neuer-ceasing disquieters of his study His goods distrained and his cattell driuen off his ground as Iobs was His deare wife beeing not so well able to beare so great a flood as he euen for verie sorow presently died A lamentable and ruefull case So many children to hang vpon his hand for which he had neuer maintenance neither yet now had stay his wife being gone Well but that sorrowfull time was blowne ouer He was appointed to be one of the cheifest translators And as soone as it was knowne how farre in this trauaile hee did more then any of the rest hee was very well prouided for in respect of liuing For which my L. his Grace of Canterburie now liuing is much to bee reuerenced and honoured But beeing so well to passe both for himselfe and for his children sodainely he fell sicke He was taken with an ague and a squinsey both together And the more vsual that was the lesse dangerous was this accompted but the euent shewes the contrary For the squinsey beeing both by himselfe and his friends not greatly regarded within foure dayes tooke away his life These were many waters and diuerse tribulations Besides a thousand more which I cannot now stand to repeate Yet he carried himselfe so in life and death as these waters seemed not once to come neere him He was professour of the Hebrewe tongue in this Vniuersitie thirtie yeares As his father in law D. Larkyn had been professor of Physicke fiue or sixe and thirtie yeares Which tongue howsoeuer some account of it yet ought to be preferred before all the rest For it is the auncientest the shortest the plainest of all A great part of wisedome as Plato sheweth In Cratylo is the knowledge of true Etymologies These in other tongues are vncertaine in this taking out of the naturall qualities of euery thing that is named In so much as when any man hath found out the Hebrewe Etymology then he neede seeke no further Besides all the Scripture written before the birth of Christ except a fewe chapters of Daniel and Ezra were written in Hebrewe And the Rabbins themselues though they haue no small number of fables and lies in them yet diuers things they haue notwithstanding fit for the opening of the olde Testament Therefore though a man cannot reade the Rabbins yet vnlesse he can vnderstand handsomely well the Hebrewe text he is compted but a maimed or as it were but halfe a Diuine especially in this learned age Lastly diuerse learned men are of opinion to whome I very willingly assent that the holy tongue which was spoken in Paradise shall be eternally vsed in the heauenly Paradise where the Saints shall euer extoll and praise God But this worthy Professor deceased got him great credit as well by the continuance as by the holinesse of his profession For he was not a Professor for one or two yeares as others are In Itineratio Pag. 444. but full thirty yeares together Nathan Cytraeus writeth that in Prage an Vniuersitie of Bohemia where Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage professed that they that haue continued Professours for the space of twentie yeares together are created Earles and Dukes both together And therefore their style is to bee called Illustres whereas they which are singly and simply but onely either Earles or Dukes are called Spectabiles Neither maketh it any matter that they haue no reuenewes to maintaine Earldomes or Dukedoms For they haue the title notwithstanding euen as Suffragans haue of Bishoppes Our good Brother hauing no such profit or dignitie propounded vnto him but contenting himselfe with his stipend spent halfe his life in this place For hee was vpon threescore yeares old when he died He wrote a book of Annotations vpon the first fiue small Prophets dedicated to that great patron of learning and learned men Sir Francis Walsingham Wherin diuerse speeches and phrases of the Prophets are compared with the like in Poets and Oratours both Greeke and Latine and many notes neither vnpleasant nor vnprofitable to bee read are set out of the Rabbins But in mine opinion he took greatest pains in his Chronologie which he dedicated to Doctor Iohn Whitgift the reuerend late Archbishop of Canterbury This booke indeede is full of hidden learning and sheweth infinite reading in stories I asked him within this little while whether hee had written no more bookes He told me he had but printed no more because hee had no time to peruse and perfect them for other businesse Now by businesse he meant I weene especially his studie and care to performe well his taske in the translation Wherein how excellently he was imployed all they can witnes who were ioyned with him in that labour For though they be the verie flower of the Vniuersitie for knowledge of the tongues yet they will not be ashamed to confesse that no one man of their companie if not by other respects yet at least wise for long experience and exercise in this kinde was to be compared with him For indeede he was so desirous that this businesse begunne by the commaundement of our most gracious Soueraigne
carrion of corruption Wherefore now saith Fulgentius e Mors Christum gustaâ—it sed non deglutiuit death did indeed taste of Christ but could not swallow him vp nor digest him Contrariwise Christ as soone as euer hee had but a little tasted of death f Heb. 2.9 est-soones hee did deuoure death hee did swallovv vp death in victory And so the death of Christ by reason of his righteousnesse is the death of Death It is also the death of the Diuell As the Apostle saith that by his death he did ouercome not onely death but him also which had the power of death the diuell It is reported that the Libard vseth a strange kinde of policie to kill the Ape Hee lieth downe vpon the ground as though he were starke dead which the Apes seeing come al together and in despite skip vp vpon him This the Libard beareth patiently till he thinks they haue wearied themselues with their sporting then suddenly he likewise leapes vp and catcheth one in his mouth and in each foote one which immediatly hee killeth and deuoureth g Conculcant insultantes ludibrij causa don ec perdalis sentiens illas iam saltando defagitates derepente reuiuiscens aliam dentib aliam vngâ—ab corripit Eras. Prou. Pardi morten ad simulat This was Christs policie He was laid in the dust for dead The diuell then insulted ouer him and trampled vpon him But hee like a liuely Libard starting vp on Easter day astonished the souldiers set to keepe him which were the diuels apes and made them lie like dead men h Math. cap. 28. verse 7. Euen as he told them before by his Prophet saying I will be to them as a very Lyon and as a Lybard in the way of Ashur i Osec 13.17 For as blind Sampson by his death killed the Philistims when they were playing the apes in mocking and mowing at him k Iude 16.25 so Christ by his death destroyed the Diuell Scalagor writeth that the Camelion when he espies a serpent taking shade vnder a tree climbes vp into that tree and le ts downe a threed breathed out of his mouth as small as a spiders threed at the end whereof there is a little drop as cleere as any pearle which falling vpon the serpents head kils him l Exore filum demittit araneorum more in cuius fili extremo guttula est margaritae splendâ—re ea tactus in vertice serpens moritâ—â— ex 196. Christ is this Camelion he climbes vp into the tree of his crosse le ts downe a threed of bloud issuing out of his side like Rahabs red threed hanging out of her window m Signa fidei atque vexilla dominica passionis attollens coccâ—â— in â—enestra legaun Ambr. de fide lib. 5. c. 5. Paulinus Natili 8. Puâ—iâ—to proprium signauit vellere tectum the least drop whereof being so precious and so peerlesse falling vpon the serpents head kils him The wild Bull of all things cannot abide any red colour Therefore the hunter for the nonce standing before a tree puts on a red garment whom when the Bull sees hee runnes at him as hard as he can driue But the Hunter slipping aside the Buls hornes sticke fast in the tree As when Dauid slipped aside Sauls speare stucke fast in the wall n 1 Sam. 19.10 Such a hunter is Christ. Christ standing before the tree of his crosse puts on a red garment dipt and died in his owne bloud as one that commeth with redde garments from Bozra o Esa. 63.1 Therefore the Diuell and his Angels like wilde Buls of Bazan p Psal. 22.12 run at him But hee shifting for himselfe their hornes sticke fast in his crosse As Abrahams Ram by his hornes stuck fast in the briers q Gen. 22.13 Thus is the Diuell caught and killed A dragon indeed kils an Elephant yet so as the Elephant falling down kils the dragon with him An Elephant kils Eleazar yet so as Eleazar falling down kils the Elephant with him r 1. Mach. 6.46 And accordingly to this the Diuell killing Christ was killed by Christ. Yea as an Elephant is stronger then the dragon and Eleazar is stronger then the Elephant so Christ is stronger then them both For the Elephant doth not liue after he hath killed the Dragon neither doth Eleazar liue after he hath killed the Elephant but Christ liueth after he hath destroyed the Diuell Leauing the Diuel dead hee is now risen himselfe from the dead Wherefore as a Lybard killeth the Ape and a Chamelion the serpent and a Hunter the Bull and an Elephant the dragon and Eleazar the Elephant himselfe so Christ the true Eleazar which signifies the helper of God hath by his death killed that mischieuous Ape the diuel that old Serpent the diuel that wild bull the diuell that great dragon the diuell that raging Elephant the Diuell When Mahomet the second of that name besieged Belgrade in Sernia one of his Captaines at length got vp vpon the wall of the Citie with banner displaied A noble Bohemian espying this ranne to the Captaine clapsing him fast about the middle asked one Capistranus standing beneath whether it would be any danger of damnation to his soule if he should cast himselfe downe headlong with that dogge so he termed the Turke to bee slaine with him Capistranus answering that is was no danger at all to his soule the Bohemian forthwith tumbled himselfe down with the Turke in his armes and so by his owne death only saued the life of all the Citie s Zieglerus l. de illustribus viris Germaniae cap. 98. Such an exploit was this of Christ. The Diuell like the great Turk besieged not onely one Citie but euen all mankind Christ alone like this noble Bohemian encountred with him And seeing the case was so that this dog the Diuel could not be killed stark dead except Christ died also therfore he made no reckoning of his life but gaue himselfe to death for vs that he onely dying for all the people by his death our deadly enemy might for euer bee destroyed For so Origen testifieth that there were 2. crucified vpoÌ„ the crosse of Christ Christ himselfe visibly with his will and for a time The Diuell invisibly against his will and for euer t Homil. 8. in Iosua Therefore the crosse is that victorious Chariot in the vpper part whereof Christ sitteth as a triumphaÌ„t conquerour and in the lower part of it the diuell is drawne as a captiue and is made an open spectacle of ignomie and reproch Dâ—uers ancient Fathers note the virgin Marie was married that the diuell might be deceiued For he knew well enough Christ should be borne of a virgin but hee neuer suspected blessed Mary was a virgin considering she was wedded to Ioseph Therefore he did not lie in wait to destroy the seed of the woman so circumspectly as otherwise hee would if he had beene aware or wist any
such things So that the birth of Christ did cosen the diuell but the death of Christ did conquer the Diuell And that much more gloriously when the temple of his body was vpon the pinacle of the crosse then vvhen the body of his crosse vvas vpon the pinacle of the Temple For when he was vpon the temple his breath spake better things then Sathan but when he was vpon the crosse his bloud spake better things then Abel and there his breath came from his lungs out of his mouth but here his bloud came from his heart out of his side and there hee fought standing stoutly to it and withstanding Sathan hee would not in any wise throw downe himselfe but here hee skirmished yeelding and humbling himselfe to the death of the Crosse and there the Diuell ascended vp to him vnto the toppe of an high mountain and so as I may say bad him base at his own goale but here he himselfe descended down to the diuell into the neathermost hell and so spoyled principalities and powers and slew the great Leuiathan in the very bottome of his owne bottomles pit For the Diuell like a greedy rauenous fish snatching at the bait of Christs body as Damascene speaketh was peirced through and twitcht vp with the hooke of his Deitie u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore both before Christs passion Peter tooke money out of a fishes mouth to pay his tribute and also after Christs passion the Disciples broiled a fish for him to feede vpon Whereby we see that Christ who made a fish pay tribute to Caesar for him made the Diuell also pay tribute to Death for him and on the other side that the Diuel while hee went about to catch this good fish which is Iesus Christ Gods sonne the Sauiour as Methodius and Sibylla proue the letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuerally signifie was himselfe caught yea also killed by Christ. So that all the while Christ was buried in the graue the diuell was broyled in hell Wherefore aâ— it was bootlesse for Goliah to brandish his speare against Dauid so it little auailed the Diuell to shake his speare likewise in the hand of the souldier against the heart of Christ. For as Dauid hauing heard Goliah prate and talke his pleasure when they came to the point at the first stroke ouerthrew him so Christ with that very selfe-same speare which gaue him a little venny in comparison or if it be lawfull for me so to speake but a phillip on the side which was soone after recured gaue the diuel a deadly wound in the forehead which with all his pawes hee shall neuer be able to claw off And againe as Dauid onely with his sling wrought this feate so Christ onely by his death and by the power of his crosse which is the sling of Dauid y Sene crux ipsa funda est qua Dauid Goliath borrenoum armis formidabile visu prostrauit humi Cyr. Ioh. l. 8.17 did conquer and subdue the diuel And so the death of Christ by reason of his righteousnes is the death of the Diuel It is on the other side the life of himselfe That which was prophesied in the Psalm is here fulfilled in Christ. z Psa. 92.12 The iust shal flourish as the Palm-tree In the Hebrew it is Tamar which signifies onely a palm-tree But in the Greeke it is Phoinix which signifies not only a palme-tree but also a Phoenix Which translation proueth two things First that Iesus the iust one did most flourish when he was most afflicted For the iust shall flourish as the palm-tree a Chattamar Now the palm-tree though it haue many weights at the top and many snakes at the roote yet still it sayes I am neither oppressed with the weights nor distressed with the snakes b Nec premor nec perimor And so Christ the true palm-tree though all the iudgements of God and all the sinnes of the world like vnsupportable weights were laid vpon him yea though the cursed Iewes stood beneath like venemous snakes hissing and biting at him yet hee was neither so oppressed with them nor so distressed with these but that euen vpon his crosse he did most flourish when he was most afflicted As peny-royal being hung vp in the larder-house yet buds his yellow flower and Noahs oliue tree being drowned vnder the water yet keepes his greene branch and Aarons rod being clung and dry yet brings forth ripe almonds and Moses bramble-bush being set on fire yet shines and is not consumed Secondly that Iesus the iust one did most liue when he seemed most to be dead For the iust shall flourish as the Phoenix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the Phoenix though sitting in his nest among the hot spices of Arabia he be burnt to ashes yet still he sayes I die not but old age dieth in mee c Moritur me non moriente senâ—ctus And so Christ the true Phoenix though lying in his graue among the hot spices wherewith Nichodemus emblame him hee was neuer like to rise from death to life againe yet he died not but mortality died in him and immortalitie so liued in him that euen in his sepulcher hee did most liue when hee seemed most to be dead As the Laurell is greenest in the foulest Winter and the lime is hottest in the coldest water and the glow-worme shineth brightest when the night is darkest and the swan singeth sweetest when his death is neerest d Cantator cygnus funeris ipse sui Martialis lib. 13. Epigr. Epaminondas being sore wounded in fight demanded of his souldiers standing by whether his enemies were ouerthrowne or no They answered yea Then whether his bucklet were whole or no They answrered also I. Nay then sayes hee all is well This is not the end of my life but the beginning of my glory For now your deare Epaminondas dying thus gloriously shall rather bee borne againe then buried e Nunc enim vester Epaminondas nascitur quia sic moritur Christ likewise was sore wounded but his enemies Death and the Diuell were ouerthrowne and spoyled His buckler which was his God-head was whole and vntouched therefore there was no harm done His death was no death but an exaltation vnto greater glory f Ego si exaltatus fuero Iohn 12.32 That noble Eunuch riding in his coach read in Esay that Christ was silent before his death as a lambe before his shearer He saith not before the Butcher but before the shearer Insinuating that death did not kill Christ but onely sheare him a little Neither yet had death Christs fleece when he was shorne For Christ taking to himselfe aspunge full of vineger g Ioh. 19.29 that is full of our sharpe and sowre sinnes did giue vs for it purple wooll full of bloud h Heb. 9.19 that is ful of his pure and perfect iustice And indeed the onely liuery which Christ
blessed brethren make you no doubt of it For it is not my opinion or my speech only They are the very words of our Sauiour I came sayes hee that men might haue life a Iohn 10.10 and that they might haue it more aboundantly More aboundantly What is that That aboundantly wee might haue more life by the Crosse of Christ then euer wee could haue by the tree of life that aboundantly we might gaine more by the obedience of Christ in his death then euer we lost or could loose by the disobedience of Adam in his life And therefore though that sinne of Adam was so heinous and so horrible that it cast the Image of God out of Paradise that it polluted all the race of mankinde that it condemned the whole world that it defaced the very frame of heauen it selfe yet considering the sequell how not onely the guilt of this sinne but euen the very memory of it is now vtterly abolished by the bloud of Christ S. Gregory is not afraid to say O happy happy happy man was Adam that euer hee so sinned and transgressed against GOD b O foelix culpa quae talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem Because by this meanes both hee and all we haue found such plentifull redemption such inestimable mercie such superabundant grace such felicitie such eternity such life by Christs death For as honey being found in a dead Lyon the death of the Lyon was the sustenance of Sampson so Christs gall is our hony c Christi fel nostrum mel and the bitter death of Christ by reason of his righteousnesse is the sweete life of man Thus you see that the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man And therfore he saies in this fourth part weepe not too much for my death For me Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues I Perceiue beloued I haue beene somewhat long in this part Therefore I will make more hast in the rest and doe what I can deuise that I may not seeme tedious vnto you Now then to the fifth part For your selues Weepe not too little for your owne life For the life of man is quite contrarie The life of man is the life of Death the life of the Diuell the death of himselfe the death of Christ. The reason of all this is his iniquitie and sinne Which euen in Gods deere children saies Bernard is cast downe but not cast out d De iectum non eiectum Therefore though sin cannot sometimes rule ouer vs because it is cast downe yet it will alwayes dwell in vs because it is not cast out For it is so bred in the bone that till our bones be with Iosephs bones carried out of Egypt that is out of the world sinne cannot be carried out of our bones The Irish history telleth vs that the Citie of Waterford giueth this poesie Intacta manet e It continueth vntouched Because since it was first conquered by King Henry the second it was neuer yet attainted no not so much as touched with treason Also that the Isle of Arren in that country hath such a pure aire that it was neuer yet infected with the plague We cannot say thus of the nature of man that it is either so cleare from treason as that Citie or else that it is so cleare from infection as that Island is Nay our very reason is treason and our best affection it is no better then an infection if it bee well sifted in the sight of God Euagrius recordeth f Li. 5. ca. 15. that the Romans got such a victorie ouer Chosroes one of the Persian Kings that this Chosroes made a law that neuer after any King of Persia should moue warre against the Romans Wee cannot possibly subdue sinne in such sort as the Romanes did this Persian King But doe we what we can doe sinne will alwaies be a Iebuzite a false borderer yea a ranke traytor rebelling against the spirit Which makes the life of man first to be sayes Chrysostome a debt as it were owne and due to death g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the diuell is the father of sin and sin is the mother of death Hereupon Saint Iames saith that sinne being finished trauelling in child-birth like a mother bringeth forth death And Dauid in the ninth Psalme calleth sin the gate of death Because as a man comes into a house by the gate so death came into the world by sinne The corruption of our flesh did not make the soule sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible Whereupon Lactantius calleth sinne the reliefe or the foode of death h Pabulian mortis As a fire goeth out when all the fuell is spent but burneth as long as that lasteth so death dieth when sin ceaseth but where sin eboundeth there death rageth The Prophet Abacucke sinning not death was so farre from him that hee was able to flie without wings But King Asa sinning death was so neere to him that hee was not able to stand vpon his feet Nay we may see this in one and the selfe-same man Moses sinning not death could not meet with him in the bottome of the red sea but sinning death did seaze vpon him in the toppe of mount Nebo So that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the life of death It is also the life of the diuell As Emisenus saith Each one hath in him as many diuels aâ— euils i Tot daemonia quot crimina euery seuerall sinne being sufficient to maintaine a seuerall Diuell The godly finding no ioy in the earth haue their conuersation in heauen But Satan finding no ioy in hell hath his conuersation in the earth So that the earth is a hell to vs but a heauen to him Here he hath his liuing as it was said at the first Thou shalt eate the dust of the earth all the dayes of thy life This dust saith Macarius is the diuels diet k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore as a scald Cur waits for a bone so hee that goes about seeking whom he may deuouâ—e watches continually til the godly shake off the dust from their feete that is shake off some sinne which they haue gotten by walking in the world that then hee may licke it vp as one of those Dogs which did licke vp Iezabels bloud This is meate and drinke to him l Dulce diabola peccare not Hila. Enarra in p. 118. He loues it alife to see vs sinne euen as cursed Cham did to see Noâ—hs nakednesse And as flies are alwaies busie about a sore place so saith Theophylact m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In cap. Luc. 16. p. 320. That is a sport or pleasure to Sathan which is a sore or a paine to a man especially if he be a godly mâ—n For this Behemoth the Diuell eateth grasse as an oxe
if it will please you to heare me I will say yet more wee crucifie Christ farre more cruelly then the Iewes did Then his body was passible and mortall now it is glorified and immorall they knew not what they did we doe ill enough yet wee know what we doe well enough they pearced him with a speare we pearce him with reproches they buried him in the earth wee bury him in obliuion then hee rose againe the third day but we so bury Christ that not once in three daies no not once in three weekes he ariseth or shineth in our hearts Nay that which I am ashamed to speake though some are not ashamed to doe it there are in the world which haue no time not once in three months not once in three yeares no not once scarce in their whole life to thinke of Christ but bury him in the perpetuall forgetfulnesse of their carelesse conscience as in a barren land where all good things are forgotten Wherefore let euery one as soone as he is tempted to any sin thinke straight-waies that hee sees Christ comming towards him wrapt vp in white linnen cloathes as he was buried with a kercher bound about his head and crying after a ghastly and fearefull sort Beware Take heed what you doe Detest sinne abhorre sin Fie vpon it A shame light on it It did once most vilely and villanously murther mee but now seeing my wounds are whole againe do not I beseech you do not rubbe and reuiue them with your sinnes to make them bleed afresh now seeing the scepter of the kingdome of heauen is put into my hand doe not offer mee a reede againe to mocke mee now seeing my head is crowned with the pure gold of eternall glory doe not set a crowne of thornes vpon it againe now seeing I my selfe am enstalled in the Throne of the right hand of Maiesty doe not pull mee out of my throne and throw mee into the graue againe and with your sinnes seale a mighty great stone vpon mee to stifle mee and presse mee and hold mee down in death O beloued good beloued at his instance be perswaded by whose bloud you are redeemed Haue pitty haue pitty vpon me poore Iesus Once he voluntarily yea euen ioyfully dyed for vs and if that one death had not been sufficient he would haue been content then to haue dyed a thousand deaths more Now he protesteth that the least sinne of any one Christian doth more vex him euen at the very heart then all his dolorous paines vpon the Crosse. Our sinnes are those Soldiers which take him those tormentors which whippe him those thornes which gore his head those nailes which pierce his feete that speare which sheds his bloud that crosse which takes away his life And yet if to grieue him thus continually would doe vs any good then hee would be most glad to preferre our good though neuer so little before his owne griefe though neuer so great But it is not so That one death which he willingly suffered was for our saluation These diuers deaths which we with our sins so often put him to against his will do make for our greater damnatioÌ„ Therfore he beseecheth vs I also being prostrate at the very feet of euery one of you heartily in his name exhort you if wee will haue no pitty on him yet for the tender loue wee beare to our owne deere soules that wee would not alwaies keepe him vpon the racke and euery day vexe the iust Lot with our vnlawfull deedes that we would not any more shedde his precious bloud and treade it and trample it vnder our feet This I assure you blessed Christians will bee a most forcible meanes not onely to terrifie and fray vs from sinne which wee may commit hereafter but also to mollifie and melt our hearts for sinne which we haue committed heretofore if wee consider that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the death of Christ. Thus you see that the life of man is the life of Death the life of the Diuel the death of himselfe the death of Christ. And thâ—refore hee saith in this fifth part Weepe not too little for your owne life For your selues Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THE sixth part is next For mee for your selues Which noteth seeing both the excesse and the want are to bee eschewed that therefore the true meaâ—e which we must keepe betweene Christ and our selues consisteth in a certaine qualification of these two extremities For mee for your selues both together Weepe not too much saith heâ— for my death which is the death of Death Weepe not too little for your own life which is the life of Death Not too much for my death which is the death of the diuell not too little for your owne life which is the life of the Diuell Not too much for my death which is my life not too little for your owne life which is your death Not to much for my death which is the life of Man not too little for your owne life which is the death of Christ. Saint Paul willeth the Corinthians to approue themselues by honour dishonour First by honour then by dishonour Teaching thereby that dishonourable honour is better then honourable dishonour Yet to keepe a meane in this matter that we must as well count it an honour to bee sometimes dishonoured with Christ as a dishonour to be alwayes honoured without Christ. Euen so sayes our Sauiour here For mee for your selues First For mee then for your selues Teaching thereby that to reioyce for Christ is better then to weepe for our selues Yea to keepe a meane betwixt both that we must as well sometimes descend out of Christ into our selues to weepe as alwayes ascend out of our selues into Christ to reioyce For the Apostle sayes that wee must reioyce with them that reioyce and weepe with them that weepe If my friend bee alwaies sorrowfull and neuer ioyfull hee hath no pleasure by me if he be alwayes ioyfull and neuer sorrowfull I haue no proofe of him but he is my dearest friend most delighted in me best approued by me that takes such part as I doe sometimes reioycing and sometimes weeping reioycing when I reioyce and weeping when I weepe The like is to be seene in this place For mee for your selues If a Christian alwayes thinke of his owne misery and neuer of Christs mercie hee will despaire if he alwayes thinke of Christs mercy and neuer of his owne misery he will presume But hee is the best Christian so hie that hee cannot despaire so low that he cannot presume which inclines as well to the one as the other sometimes reioycing and sometimes weeping reioycing for Christ and weeping for himselfe A man cannot weepe too little for Christ if he presume not a man cannot weepe too much for himselfe if he despaire not But hee may easily despaire that weepes too much for Christ and he may easily presume that weepes too little
condemned in our selues are iustified in Christ being dead in our selues are aliue in Christ The sinne of Man is the death of Christ. This is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues If the Virgin Mary wept so sore for the death of her Sonne Iesus as though her tender heart had been stabbed and pierst through with a sharpe sword as Simeon speaketh Can any thing in the world then make vs more sorrowfull then this that Christ being blessed in himselfe was cursed for vs being exalted in himselfe was embased for vs being iustified in himselfe was condemned for vs being aliue in himselfe was dead for vs O deere brother blessed Christian whosoeuer thou art if thou be too sorrowfull at any time remember what Christ hath done for thee how louingly how kindly he hath dealt with thee and thou wilt soone bee glad if thou be too ioyfull at any time remember what thou hast done against Christ how vngratefully how wretchedly thou hast dealt with him and thou wilt soone be sorry So shall we neuer suffer shipwracke of faith either by too much sorrow as Esau did who sought the blessing with teares weeping for himselfe not reioycing for Christ or else by too much ioy as Herod did who heard the Baptist gladly reioycing for Christ not weeping for himselfe But euen as a ship being neither too heauily burthened nor too lightly balanced feareth neither waues nor windes but saileth safely to the hauen so we being neither too heauy for our owne misery nor too light for Christs mercy but ioyning for mee for your selues both together shall neither be drowned with the waues of desperation nor puffed vp with the windes of presumption but we shall saile safely in the Arke of Noah vpon the Sea of this world till wee arriue at the Hauen of all happinesse in Heauen And this is the right moderation we must keepe betweene Christ and our selues as appeareth in this sixth part For mee for your selues both together Weepe not for mee weepe for your selues THe seauenth part followeth Weepe not for me Wherein we must consideâ— three vertues that were in Christ. Wisedome Benignitie Magnanimitie For Wisedome hee saith Weepe not For Benignitie Not you For Magnanimitie Not for mee Nâ—t weepe Not you Not for me Weept not for mee First for Wisedome hee saith Weepe not Saint Austin hath a very excellent sentence and it is this d Crux Christi pendentis Cathedra fuit dâ—centis Christ vpon his Crosse did read vs a Lecture like a Doctor in his chaire Indeed in that learned lecture of his he deliuered vnto vs many notable poynts of wisedome And one especially wee haâ—e here whereby we are instructed how we should be affected towards the dead For if we must not weepe immoderately for the death of Christ then we must not grieue our selues greatly for the death of any Christian. The ancient Italians vsed to mourne for their dead ten moneths the Egyptians seauentie two dayes the Ethiopians forty dayes the antient Germanes thirty daâ—es the Lacedemonians eleuen dayes e Iohannes Boâ—emus de morib Gen. But the Athenians and the Romanes which were in their time counted the wisest men in the world were much more moderate For the Athenians had a law giuen them by Solon their law giuer which did forbid mourning at burials The Romanes likewise had a law in their twelue tables which did forbid to make any exclamations or out-cries at funerals f Lessum habere funeris ergo Yea the third Councell holden at Toledo in Spaine the one twentieth Canon of the Councell flatly decreeth that Christians should be brought to their graues onely with singing and reioycing g Cum cantisis solummado Psallentium vocib Because quoth the Councell the Apostle to the Thessalonians saith I will not haue you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleepe that you sorrow not euen as others which haue no hope Therefore Cutbertus who was Archbishop of Canterbury long before the Conquest h Floruit regnauit Egberto An. Dom. 747. at his death charged that no lamentation should be made for him And Ierome writeth that when the dead body of Paul the Eremite was brought forth holy Anthony did sing Hymnes and Psalmes according to the Christian i Prolato for as corpore Hymnos Psalmos de Christiana traditione decantabat In vita Pauli Ereâ—i tradition And that when Paula a deuout widow was k Pontifices choros Psallentium ducebant In Epitaphio Paula buried the Bishoppes did bring her forth with singing And that when Fabiola was buried Psalmes were sung and Haleluiah was chanted out so loud that it did shake the seeling of the Church l Sonabant Psalmi aurata templorum roboans in sublime quatiebat Haleluia In Epitaphio Fabiolae Vide praeterea Sulpâ—tium â—a vita Martini Areopag Et Eub. Hieâ—ar Eccles. c. 7. I grant indeed wee may sorrow and weepe for the wicked not onely when they are dead but euen when they are aliue But we must sing and reioyce for the godly not onely when they are aliue but euen when they are dead And why Because they being aliue are dead but these being dead are aliue According to that saying of the Hebrew Rabbins m Tsaddikim bemotham caym c. The godly euen in their death are aliue but the wicked euen in their life are dead Therefore Dauid when his sonne Absolon died whom hee knew to be a wicked man wept for him saying Absolon my sonne O my sonne Absolon would to God I had died for thee But when his yong son died whom he knew to be an innocent babe hee was vvell apaid and arose from the ground and annoynted his face and looked cheerefully and said I shall goe to him he cannot returne to me Whereby hee warranteth that of Fulgentius who saith That the godly deceased are not lost for euer but left for a time n Non amissi sed praemissi not gone away from vs but sent to God before vs. For if that bee true which Ignatius saith That life without Christ is death o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then this is true also which I shall say That death with and in Chirst is life The deaths of the Saints are no funerals but triumphs p Exercitia sunt ista non funera Cypr. So that in respect of vs which are aliue it is a very charitable custome yea it is a very honourable custome to giue mourning cloakes and gownes but in respect of them that are dead it is altogether needlesse For what need wee weare blacke mourning cloakes in signe of sorrow seeing as it is in the Reuelation they weare white long robes in token of triumph Therefore Chrysostome saith q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becommeth vs that are Christians at the death of Christians rather to reioyce as at a triumph then to weepe as at a tragedy For saies Ierome r Desideraâ—di sunt vt
absentes non deplorandi vt moâ—tui We may indeed wish for them because they are not with vs but we must not weepe for them because they are with God Loue grant commands vs. Well be it so What then But yet faith forbids vs to weepe for the dead s Pietas plorare iubet fides pro defunctis lugere vetat Isidorus And therefore Paulinus saith t Salua fide pietatis officia pendamus salua pietate fâ—dei gaudia praeferamus Though wee may notwithstanding our faith performe to the dead the duties of loue yet wee must first notwithstanding our loue afford to ourselues the comforts of faith So if wee shed some few teares which run softly like the waters of Silo no force saies Ambrose u Erunt non doloris illices sod indices pietatis They will not bewary in vs any want of faith but onely testifie an aboundance of loue Thus and no otherwise did Abraham weepe for Sara his wife Eleazar for Aaron his father Rebecca for Debora her nurse Ioseph for Iacob his father Bethsheba for Vrias her husband Christ for Lazarus his friend And here in wonderfull wisedome he teacheth vs how sparing we ought to be in weeping for the death of our godly friends considering our good hope that are aliue and their good happe that are dead As if the very dead body whom some of you perhaps euen at this present so seriously think of and so much lament for should now suddenly arise out of the graue and steppe into the Pulpit and preach and say vnto you Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues You indeed as yet remaine in this vale of misery where you sinne daily and hourely against God where continually you feele afflictions and punishments due to your sins where lastly you are depriued of the glory of God of the society of the Saints of the ioyes of heauen Therefore if you will weepe for your selues but weepe not for me I am in that state of perfection where I neuer sinne but alwayes praise and laud the Lord I am out of the compasse of all calamities not to be touched with any trouble I euermore behold the amiable and the louing countenance of Christ and though I come not very neere him yet so farre forth I see him as this sight alone is sufficient to make mee euery way a happy man Thus would the very dead if they should rise againe speake vnto vs. But wee will not any longer disquiet the dead or disturbe them vvhich so sweetly sleepe in Christ. Certainely either this that hath been spoken will perswade vs oâ— else as our Sauiour saith though one should rise from the dead vvee would not beleeue For if these ancient and holy Fathers Fulgentius Ignatius Cyprian Chrysostome Ierome Isidore Paulinus Ambrosius should now all arise they would I assure you say no other thing but euen as you haue heard them speake alreadie in those sentences and allegations which I haue quoted and cited out of them The summe of al which is this That it is great folly and childishnesse to weepe immoderately for the dead and that it is on the other side a hie point of wisdome to be moderate in this matter considering our Lord going here to his death teacheth his friends not to weepe for him in that he saith weepe not weepe not for mee Thus much for his Wisedome Now for Benignitie he sayes Not you For though the person bee not expressed in the English yet in the Greeke verbe it is implied Weepe not as if it were Weepe not you Which Benignitie appeared in that among all his vntollerable troubles nothing troubled him so much as that his friends were troubled for his troubles And yet as it should seeme they of all other had greatest cause thus to bee grieued All the people wept for Moses death All Egypt for Iosephs death all Israel for Iosâ—as his death all the Church for Stephens death But a million of Mosesses of Iosephs of Iosiasses of Stephens are not comparable to Christ. The women of Troy wept for the death of worthy Hector their valiant Captaine making this the foot of their dolefull ditty wee weepe for Hector x Hectora flemus Seneca in Troade actu primo How much more then ought these women of Ierusalem to weepe for the death of their captaine Christ Al the widowes lamented the death of Dorcas because in her life time shee made them coates and garments And had not these women then far greater reason to lament the death of Christ who made euery one of them a wedding garment wherein he did marry them to himselfe Yee daughters of Israel saith Dauid weepe for Saul vvho cloathed you vvith Scarlet How much more then ought these daughters of Ierusalem to vveepe for Christ vvho clothed euery one of them with Scarlet and with the royall robe of his righteousnesse yea and gaue his owne deare selfe vnto them that they might put on the Lord Iesus When Christ was borne the night was turned into day as it was prophesied y Psa. 139.12 Then shall the night shine as the day But when Christ was crucified the day was turned into night as it was prophesied z Amos. 8.9 Then shall the Sun go downe at noone day The Sunne therefore wept for Christ. As Hamons face was couered when hee was condemned to die so the suns face was couered when Christ was condemned to die The temple also wept for Christ. As Dauid rent his garment when hee heard of Ionathans death so the temple rent his vaile when it heard of Christs death The graues likewise wept for Christ. As the King of Niniue threw vp dust vpon his head wheÌ„ he and his subiects were appointed to die so the graues opened and threw vp dust vpon their heads when Christ vvas appointed to die The stones lastly vvept for Christ. As Iob cut his haire vvhen he heard of his childrens death so the stones were cut in peeces and clouen asunder when they heard of Christs death As Asse carrying Christ into Ierusalem the children sung most merrily Christ carrying his crosse out of Ierusalem the women wept most mournfully If those children had held their peace and not sung as our Sauiour their protesteth the very stones would haue sâ—ng out the praise of Christ. If these women had held their peace not cried the very stones would haue cried for the death of Christ Or rather indeed as soone as euer these women left weeping because Christ bad them straight wayes the stones fell a weeping before Christ bad them And what heart of man then could here haue refrained from weeping though it had been harder then any stone seeing the hard stones before his eyes thus dissolued and distilled into teares Yet behold the benignity louing kindnes of Christ Christ died not for the Sunne not for the Temple not for the Graues not for the stones but for vs men and for our saluation he died Yet
pray with vs. In the Primitiue Church they did breake bread at home you breake peace abroad In the Primitiue Church they did eate their meat together vvith gladnesse and singlenesse of heart â— you haue turned all singlenesse into singularitie You sayes our Church to the Brownistes You are those Donatists of whom Saint Austen speaketh g Qui nobis etiam orationem dominicam impijs dispretationibus conantur aufert c. epist. 92. ad lanuarium who by their impious arguments would take away from vs euen the Lords prayer So would the Brownists You are those Nestorians of vvhom Cassianus speaketh h Qui quia esse nolunt quod omnes sunt cupiunt omnes esse quod ipsi volunt De incarnatione l. 6. c. 4. vvho because they will not bee as all men are therefore would haue all men be as they are So would the Brownists You are those Sectaries of whom Nazianzâ—â—â— speaketh i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. p. 28 vvho make a stirre about matters of no importance very vnlearnedly and yet very imprudently So doe the Brownists You are those Schismatikes of whom Irenaeus speaketh k Qui propter medicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum Christi corpus conscindunt l. 4. c. 62. who for light and trifling quarrels rent and teare the great and glorious body of Christ. So doe the Brownists You are those Luciferans of whom Saint Ierome speaketh l Quibus familiare est dicere factum de Ecclesia lupanar Dialo contra Luciferanos prope initium who make it a common word in their mouthes to say That the Church is now become a Stewes So say the Brownists You are those heretikes of whom Bernard speaketh m Qui omnes qui de Ecclesia sunt canes censent porcos Epist. 65. vvho say That all wee or at the least wise the most part of vs which are of the Church are no better then dogges or hogges So say the Brownists You are those Audianâ— of vvhom Epiphâ—â—ius speaketh n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anchor p. 475. who being busie-bodies themselues and Bishops in other mens diocesses yet think much that reuerend and learned Bishops should beare rule in their owne diocesse So doe the Brownists You are those murmurers against Moses of vvhom Optatus speaketh o Qui ante funt sepulti quà m mâ—rtui Contra 〈◊〉 l. 1. vvho vvere buried before they vvere dead because they wept for others before they vvept for themselues So doe the Brownists But to leaue these now as they leaue the Church and to returne to our selues againe we that are CHRISTS louing friends and louing friends also to his holy Church must vveepe for none other so much as for our selues That so wee may continually practise true Deuotion true Compunction true Compassion according to this But vveepe but you but for your selues But weepe for your selues Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THus haue I gone ouer all the eight parts of this text Now if I were as happy as Salomon vvas that I might haue vvhatsoeuer I would aske I would I assure you beloued desire no greater gift of God at this time then that vvee might so meditate of that which hath bin spoken as our whole life and all our affections especially these affections of ioy and sorrow vvhich rule all the rest might thereby be ordered and directed aright For weeping or not weeping are things indifferent simply of themselues neither good nor bad but thereafter as according to circumstances and occurrences they are either vvell or ill vsed Euen as glorying or labouring or fearing or louing For glorying it is said Let not the wise man glory in his wisedom but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth the Lord. For laboring it is said Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which abideth for euer For fearing it is said Feare not him that can kill the body onely but feare him who is able to destroy both body soule For louing it is said Loue not the vvorld nor the things of this world If any man loue the world the loue of God is not in him Now then glory not but glory Not in the wisdom of the world but in the knowledge of God Labour not but labour Not for the meate vvhich perisheth but for the meat which abideth for euer Feare not but feare Not him that can kill the body onely but him that can destroy both body and soule Loue not but loue Not the World but God And so here weep not but weepe Not for mee but for your selues Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues To weepe is lawful to weepe without not weeping is vnlawfull Not to weepe is lawfull not to weepe without weeping is vnlawfull Againe To weepe for your selues is lawfull to weep immoderately for Christ is vnlawful Not to weep for Christ is lawfull not to weep moderately for your selues is vnlawfull Whereas without any vnlawfulnesse in either both weeping and not weeping will be lawful If your weeping be alwaies ioyned with not weeping and your not weeping be sometimes ioyned vvith weeping If your vveeping bee for your selues not for Christ and your not weeping bee for Christ not for your selues Therefore we must marke wel what our Sauiour saith He saith not thus weepe not for mee and weepe not for your selues That is too much ioy and too little sorrow Neither thus weepe for mee and weepe for your selues That is too much sorrow and too little ioy Neither thus weepe not for your selues but weepe for â—ee That is presumptuous desperation Neither thus weepe for mee but weepe for your selues That is desperate presumption Onely hee saith thus Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues As if he should haue said Weepe not too much vveepe not too much for my death vveepe not too much for my death Nay weepe little for my death considering my wisdome my benignity my magnanimitie weepe little for my death But weepe not too little but weepe not too little for your own life but weepe not little for your owne life Nay weepe much for your owne life considering your deuotion your compunction your compassion weepe much for your owne life Weepe little for my death but weep much for your owne life Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues Wherefore holy brethren if we haue any teares now let vs shed them if wee haue any Psalmes now let vs sing them The whole Gospel is nothing else but ioyfull newes the sum whereof is comprised in that Euangelicall and Angelicall message to the shepheards I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall bee to all people But then Christ was borne in his mothers armes Now he holdeth vp the Angels that they fall not and listeth vp men which are fallen vvith his owne armes stretched out vpon the crosse This crosse is the kingdome that hee carrieth vpon his shoulder p Esa. 9.6 vvhich is a greater
〈◊〉 let him take vp his crosse and follow 〈◊〉 Let him take vp his crosse that hee may come the neerer to my crosse and follow mee that hee may be directed all the way by me For thou canst neuer erre or goe beside the marke so long as thou walkest in this way (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Centu. 2. â— Therefore Maximus saith If thou wouldst finde the way which bringeth vnto life then seeke it in that way which saith I am the way the truth and the life x The way to them that begin the truth to them that proceed the life to them that are perfect (y) Via est incipientibus veritas proficiâ—ntibus vita perfectis Tho à campis in soliloquio animae cap. 12. Now the way to this way is the Word Which S. Peter confirmeth saying z 2 Pet. 1.25 The word of the Lord endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you He avoucheth that the eternal word is the preached word meaning thereby that the onely way to the begotten word is the written word According to that of the Psalmist (a) Psa. 119.1 Blessed are they which are vpright in the way and walke in the law of the Lord. So that if thou wouldest be vpright in the way which is the word of Christ then thou must walk in the law of the Lord which is the word of Christ. For the holy scripture is giuen by the inspiration of God to bee a lanthorne vnto our steps and a light vnto our paths that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes (b) 2 Tim. 3.17 Wherefore to define this whole matter in few words we shall in mine opinion follow hard toward the marke if we labour earnestly in our seuerall vocations to expresse the vertues of Christ our good Lord (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. pag. 555. which he shewed forth in all the course of his life especiaâ—ly in his death vpon the crosse for vs to imitate and follow by walking faithfully in the way of his Commandements and squaring all our actions speeches and thoughts according to the rule of his word Euen as on the contrary part it is very euident that all they run beside the marke which doe not propound to themselues to follow the example of Christ but either in their doctrine or in their life either in their opinions or in their actions continually swarue from him Such 〈◊〉 all Atheists Temporizers Newters and â—â—â—â—rists For Atheists runne beside â—â—e marke by going too much on the left hand They do not make Christ a marke to aime at that they may follow him but a signe to shoote at that they may blaspheme him c Luke 2.34 They bend their tongues as bowes and shoot out their arrowe euen bitter words d Psalm 64.3 They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemy their talking is against the most high e Psalm 73.8 They say vnto God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies f Iob. 21.14 Excede pietas si modo in nostra domo vnquam fuisti Atreus apud Senecum in Thyeste Actu 2. And no maruell that they speake so impiously which liue so vngodly Running altogether vpon the left hand in the broad way of the world of the flesh of the deuill For the world hath a kinde of course g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 2.2 which Athists follow being past feeling i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 6.11 euen starke dead in their trespasses and sinnes Parte sinistra Centifidum confindititer Prud. con Sym. lib. 1. The flesh also hath a by-path h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.3 whereby they are seduced and deceiued Lastly the deuil hath a methodâ— which is without any methode and an order which is contrary to all good order and a left-handed direction which bringeth them to finall confusion Now Temporizers also runne beside the marke by going a bout in a circle They goe about many things but bring about nothing k Thes. 3.11 They do all things for the time but nothing for the truth l Omnia prae tempore nihil pre veritate Optatus lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryso They make many a period but neuer a full point m. They are alwaies lerning but neuer come to knowledge n 2 Tim. 3.7 The hedge hog hath two holes in his siege one toward the south another toward the North. Now when the Southerne wind blowes he stops vp that hole and turnes him northward When the Northerne wind blowes hee stops vp that hole likewise and turnes him againe southward Such vrchinâ— are all Temporizers They beleeue for a time as long as the warme sunne shines vpon them But as soone as any storme of persecution ariseth by and by they haue a starting hole to hide themselues in they change their Religion and turne about with the time For the hearts of such men are as a cart-wheele and their thoughts are like a rolling axeltree o Eccle. 33.5 Or as a top which alwaies runnes round and neuer goes forward vnlesse it bee whipt p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesy verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or like a mill-horse which making many steppes turnes about and is continually found in the same place (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. pag. 563. Or as a dote which riding vpon his hinges all day long is neuer a white neerer at night So likewise Newters run beside the marke by going forward and backeward in a maze These do not aske of their Father an egge r Pro. 26.14 but a Scorpion For an egge would teach them to go onely forward but a Scorpion doth teach them to goe both forward and backward (s) Augustin Ep. 121. cap. 5. Basil in Ps. 32. initio Like the Barnacles which are both flesh fish (t) Auibus istis tanquam non carneis viri religiosi ieiuniorum tempore vesci soleâ—â—â— Giral Cam. App. cap. 8. Or the Israelites which speake both Ashdod and Hebrew u Nehem. 13.24 Or Ianus which sees both before and behind (x) Ianus bifrons exprimitur quod in medio constitutus annum incipientem pariter excedentem spectare videatur Cyp. lib. de Idol vanit Or Balaan which doth both blesse and curse y Num. 23.25 Such a Newter among the Romans was Tullie who could not resolue whether hee should take Caesars or Pompeyes part z Quem fugiam scio quem sequar nescio Among the Grecians was Thytides who could not determine whether hee should ioyne himselfe with Achilles or Hector (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Ilia 5. Among the Iewes was the Tribe of Ephraim which was a cake vpon the harth not turn'd b Ose. 7.8 baked on the one side and raw on the other side Among the Gentiles was the Church of Laoâ—icea which was
of new cloth into an old garment f Mark 2.21 when old things are now past and all things are become new (g) 1 Cor. 5.17 In one word not to haue a linsie-woolsie Religion or a patcht moath-eaten conscience but to weare such a faire Cognisance of certainty and constancy vpon our coat as al men may see that without any neutralitie or hypocrisie wee follow hard toward the marke and sincerely serue God Therefore as Theseus being guided by Ariadnes threed which she tied at the entrance into Dedalus labyrinth escaped all the danger and errour of it euen so wee must make Christ the doore by which wee must enter into the labyrinth of all our affaires and tie Rahabs threed (h) Iosu. 2.14 at his entrance and follow it all the way that so we may be safe and goe in and out and finde pasture i Iohn 10.9 For to goe in and out after this sort is not to go forward and backward but to goe only forward Seeing whether wee goe in by remembrance of Christs mercies or goe out by consideration of our owne miseries whether we goe in by faith or goe out by good workes whether wee goe in by life or goe out by death alwayes wee finde pasture that is heauenly comfort in Christ alwayes wee goe forward alwayes wee follow toward the marke Now for Humâ—rists Saint Paul aduiseth vs to put on the Armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left (k) 2 Cor. 6.7 Marcus Caelius was said to haue a good right hand but an ill left hand because hee could plead against a man better then for him But here it is contrary for these are armed well enough on the left hand but they lie open to the Diuell on the right hand Who like a cunning fencer doth strike a great deale more fiercely at the right hand then at the left l Ampliori solicitudine vulnerare in nobiâ— dextram satagit quam sinistram Ber. qui hab ser. 7. Therefore Dauid saith The Lord vpon the right hand shall wound euen Kings in the day of his wrath m Psal. 110.5 If Sathan stand at thy right hand hee shall wound thee but if the Lord stand at thy right hand thou shalt wound him and bruise his head and breake the hairy scalpe of all the Kings and Princes of darkenes (n) Eph. 6.12 Wherefore euery Christian must say with the Psalmist o Psal. 19.9 I haue set God alwayes before me there is the marke for hee is at my right hand so that I shall not fall And againe p Psal. 73.23 Thou hast holden me vp by my right hand thou shalt guide me with thy counsell there is toward the marke after that receiue me into glory S. Bernard writing to one Guido a Cardinall of Rome in his very first salutation wisheth him no greater gift of God then that hee might haue grace to turne neither to the right hand nor to the left q Guidoni Bernardus Non declinare ad dextram nec ad sinistram Epist. 192. And a little after in the same Epistle hee requesteth him that he would learne to know himselfe and not to goe beyond his own mediocrity but be wise vnto sobriety r Seipsum cognosceret nec egrederetur mensuram suam sed saperet ad sobrietatem ib. This lesson the wisest that euer was tâ—acheth vâ— s Eccles. 7.18 not to bee ouer much iust neither to make our selues ouer-much wise Quisquis plus iusto non sapit ille sapit Martial l. 16. For that which is too good is starke naught and he that is too wise is a starke foole because he is neuer contented with the time present but needs hee must haue a praeter And yet no praeter will content him neither nor an imperfect no not a perfect but onely that which is more theÌ„ perfect Now hâ—e which will needes bee more then perfect shall whether hee will or no be lesse then imperfect Hee that seekes to be more wise then hee can be shall be found to bee lesse wise then hee should be And hee that thinkes himselfe seene in all things shall soone shew himselfe ouer-seene in most things Because a selfe-conceit of surmised wisedome will not let him come to happy increase of true wisedome u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marc. And certaine it is that God will not reueale wisdome but onely to such as walke contiâ—nually in the way of peace and doe not at any time like scattered sheepe runne too much on the right hand out of the way of peace into the way of precisenesse x In via pacis tantum ambulantibus reuelabit in nullam praecisionem deuiantibus Aug. lib. 2. de Bap. contr Donat c. 8. citatur à Bruno dâ—â—bâ—reticis li. 4. cap. 4. Wherefore though it be thy right eye yet if it offend thee or cause thee to offend the Church of God by thy running beside the marke plucke it out hardly and cast it from thee y Mat. 5.30 For thou knowest that hee which would needes forsooth in all the haste call for fire from heauen z Luk. 9.14 had too hot a spirit and at that time went too much on the right hand and therefore not with a right foote to the Gospell a Galat. 2.4 But hee that did shaue his head in Cenchrea b Acts 18.18 Paulus Timoâ—heum circumcâ—dit hostias in tempâ— immolauit cum Aquila Priscillâ— caput Corinthi totondit Wilfâ—idus apud Bedam histor l. 5. c. 25. and yeelded to many other ceremonies for peace sake which otherwise perhaps hee did not greatly allow and like of as he exhorteth others to doe so hee did himselfe make â—raight steps for his feete * Heb. 12.13 and went directly toward the marke To returne â—hen now at the length to that which â—re-while I was about to say it hath bin thought in former time that none could â—e perfect but they which led a solitarie life Hence it is that so many Writers both old and new haue so largely discoursed of the perfection of that life Venire ad â—remum summa perfectio est Caesar Arelatensis h. 23. p. 143. Vide praeter alios Laurentium Iustinianum de disciplina perfectione monasticae conuersationis pag. 118. Yea diuers not onely inferiors but euen Princes and not only of other countries but euen of this Realme of England (d) Kynigilsus Ceolulsus Eadbertus Ethelredus Kenredus Sigibertus Offa Sebbi Iue haue voluntarily relinquished their Crowne their Scepter and all their royall roabes and cloistered vp themselues in Monasteries that they might liue as they thought in a more perfect state And certes I will not deny but that such as can well away with this kinde of life haue many opportunities to serue God which we haue not (e) Nihil aliud quicquam erat olim monachi professio quam priscae liberaeque vitae meditatio ac piere
Christiane Erasmus in praefationâ—â—nte Hier. Ep. and haue not many imperfections of the world which we haue f Cellae Coeli habitatio cogna taesunt Ber. de vita solitâ—r Yet this is not the onely perfect estate which tendeth toward the marke But as diuers haue liued very badly in Monasteries so many haue liued very blessedly without them Yea there is no calling so meane but if a man follow Christ in it hee may well enough according to the measure of grace which it shall please God to giue him become a perfect man Let Ioseph be an example for seruants Iacob for shepheards Amos for cottagers Matthew for Farmers Peter for Fishers Paul for Tâ—nt-makers and so forth of the rest (g) Vide Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. in fine Et Philo Iudeum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 593. For if a man haue the right Marke alwayes before his eyes he may liue as well in a Citie as in a sanctuary Morae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. ad pop Antioch 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vbi supra hom 12. as well in a shop as in a cell i So that no one calling simply of it selfe doth make a man perfect but the answere of a good conscience to God (k) 1 Pet 3.21 that is it which maketh a man perfect Briefly the point is this What lawfull calling state or condition soeuer thou art in if ouer and besides the plying of thy worldly busines thou haue a conscionable care euery day to encrease spiritually also in such a faith as worketh by charity (l) Galath 5.6 I warrant thee feare nothing thou art right enough and dost goe straight toward the Marke The superstitious Pagans thought that an Idoll which they termed Vibilia kept them from erring out of their way m Ab erronibus viarum dea Vibilia liberat Arnob. aduers. gent. l 4. initio But faith is our Vibilia which will not suffer vs to wander out of the way so long as we do all things according to that patterne which was shewed vs in the mount (n) Exo. 25.10 For Christ with his crosse in mount Caluarie hath gone before vs and broken the ice already for vs and left vs an example that by faith wee might follow his steppes (o) 1 Pet. 2.21 euery one of vs saying vnto him with holy Iob My foote hath followed thy steppes thy way haue I kept and haue not declined (p) Iob 23.11 This we shall doe if we walke in the Kings hie-way of charity (q) Num. 21.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen p. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. pag. 129. and keepe the royall way of loue r â—am 2.8 For we that are Christians goe toward the marke not by liuing but by louing not with our feete but with our affections Neither is there any thing which maketh a good or bad life but a good or a bad loue s Imus enim non ambulando non pedibus sed moribus Nec faciunt bonâ—s vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores Aug. Epist. 52. Therefore he that would bee perfect must be rich in good workes and according to the rule of Euangelicall perfection he must loue not only his friends in God but also his foes for God t Amico in deo inimicos propter deum Prosper in l. sententiarâ—m Because as that is the hottest fire which warmeth them that are furthest off so that is the most feruent and perfect loue which forsaketh none though they be neuer so farre off neither friend nor foe that may be loued but embraceth all in him who neuer doth forsake vnlesse he be forsaken Now this charity of ouâ—s ought to bee scarlet twice dyed (v) Coccus bis tinctus Exod. 28.6 I meane extended not onely towards men but also towards God Which loue of God must make vs contemne the world and loath our owne selues (x) Duo amores duas constituunt ciuitates amor Dei crescens vsque ad contemptum sui ciuitate Dei Amor sui vsque ad contemptum Dei ciuitatem diaboli Aug. and mortifie all our inordinate desires keepe no proprietie in any thing wee haue but renounce and resigne our whole will and our whole soule to the good will and pleasure of God For indeed so many times we step out of the way as wee desire any thing which is not finally referred to the loue of the Lord (y) Tot gressus extra viam ponimus quot peruersis desiderijs à coelestis vitae meditatione separamur Greg. Mag. And therfore as a cunning archer will hit not onely the white but euen that very blacke in the middest of the marke which is commonly made in the forme of a heart * Cambyses câ—â— sily Prexaspis cor ipsum sua sagitta traiecisset Dicito mihi inquit Prexaspes quemnam noris mortaliâ—â—n ita ad destinatum emittere sagittas Herodotus lib. 3. initio semblably a sincere louer of God must neuer leaue darting and shooting vp to God his most passionate and piercing desires z Iaculatoria desideria Aug. till hee hath hit the marke a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Igna. Epist. 13. and with his wounded heart also wounded Gods heart that the Lord may mercifully and louingly confesse vnto him and say Thou hast wounded my heart my sister my spouse (b) Cant. 4.9 But now as in our charitie to men we must loue not onely our friends but also our foes so in our charity to God wee must loue the Lord not onely when hee sheweth sensible signes of familiarity and fauour toward vs but also when hee seemeth to frowne as it were and to bee offended with vs. Dauid saith in one Psalme c Psal. 119.143 trouble and heauinesse hath found mee but in another Psalme d Psal. 116.3 I haue found trouble and heauinesse Betweene these two speeches there is a great difference For trouble and heauinesse may finde him which runneth into a corner and hideth himselfe and would not be found by affliction But hee findes trouble and heauinesse who when it is in his owne free choyce whether hee will be afflicted or no willingly with Moses chuseth to suffer affliction (e) Heb. 11.25 and loueth the Lord most of all when he laieth some fatherly chastisement and correction vpon him knowing that as Christ was consecrated and perfected by afflictions f Heb. 2.10 cap. 5.9 so nothing doth more perfect a Christian and make him fine gold indeed as S. Paul also in the very next verse almost before my text declareth then the fellowship of his afflictions and to bee made conformable vnto his death g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the sweete Lambe of God was in such an extreame agony and anguish and distresse and desolation of spirit that his blessed body was bathed all ouer in a sweate of bloud To teach vs that though we
haue suffered very much already for the loue of Christ yet if we be not content to suffer a thousand times more and euen to endure martyrdome and to sweat a bloudy sweat for his sake wee are not of his body (h) Haec pugna Saluatoris nostri martyrum agones cortamina significabat Ille sudâ—r sanguineus eorum sanguinem de toto eius corpore quod est â—â—clesia vtique fundendum manifestebat Emisse feria 4. post Dom. in palmis p. 116. But on the other side that this is the highest perfection that can be in this life not onely in prosperity but also in the greatest aduersity to blesse God and if it please him for our further tryall to take away from vs al comforts both outward and inward yea and to bring vs in a manner to the very point of desperation yea euen then then also to show an inuincible faith and onely for the pure and perfect loue which we beare toward his Maiesty to wrestle with the whole world and to fight manfully against the powers of hell it selfe and to braue it out and triumph ouer all tribulations each one of vs saying with Iob (i) Iob 13.15 Though he kill me though hee kill me yet will I â—oue him and but my trust in him and with Christ (k) Mat. 26. Father Father O my louing father if it be possible let this cup paâ—â—e from me neuerthelesse not my will not my will but thy wil be fulfilled This is indeed to follow hard toward the Marke This is the fifth degree to perfection Touching the sixth he saith not for any other prize but FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST IESVS A man were as good shoot at no marke (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasm. in prouerbio Nullo scopo iaculari as at a wrong marke And a man were as good venture for no Prize (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcus Eremita as for a wrong Prize For hee that suffereth martyrdome which as I said euen now is the highest top of perfection that any mortall creature can reach to in this life hee I say that suffereth martyrdome to this intent to haue his relikes honoured of all men or is willing any other way to haue his bloud shed to this end to make himselfe famous in the world followeth hard I grant toward the marke yet hee followeth not for this perfect Prize but for popular praise (c) Si ita martyrium fecerimus quod nostras ab omnibus velimus honorari reliquias si opinionem vulgi sectantes intrepide sanguinem fuderimus huic operi non tam pramium quam poena debetur perfidie magis tormenta sunt quam corona victoriae Amb. And therefore all that hee suffereth doth rather torment him for his hypocrisie then crowne him for his victory Wherefore it will not be amisse to consider what ought to be the chiefest end of all our actions and what is the greatest felicitie that man may attaine by following hard toward the marke which the Apostle here calleth THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST IESVS Varro reporteth that the ancieâ—â— Philosophers haue held and maintained two hundred threescore and eight seuerall opinions concerning felicitie d Libro de philosophia apud Aug. de ciuit dei l. 19. c. 1. No maruell then though Athens and Rome and all the braue and gallant witts in the world could neuer attaine to the true knowledge of perfect blessednesse For following so many they could neuer find any but vanishing away in their own smoakie conceits when they thought themselues wise men they proued in the end to be very fooles (e) Rom. 1.22 Seeing this is the greatest folly that can be and a misery of all miseries for a man but once to dreame of so diuers and so contrary felicities I will touch but a few of them at this time And that very briefly Some therefore define perfect happinesse to be an action of the mind according to vertue in a perfect life But by this perfect life they vnderstand this present life Whereas the Apostle auoucheth that the seruants of God haue their fruit in righteousnesse and their end euerlasting life f Rom. 6.22 Therfore as euerlasting death is the greatest misery so euerlasting life is the greatest felicity Which euerlasting life being the perfect life is not this present life nor in this present life but the life to come and in the life to come This is and then is euerlasting life Others esteeme worldly honour to be perfect happinesse But Hilary contrariwise affirmeth g Omnis feculi honor diatoli est negotium Canone 3. in Matth. That al the honor of the world is the merchandize of the diuell not the prize of perfection And Eucherius also saith That the honours of the world are the waues of the world h Honores mundi tumores mundi Epist. paraene aeconâ—â—mp mâ—nd which Christ did teach vs to contemne and tread vnder our feete when hee himselfe did walke vpon the water Mark 6.48 For so the very heathenish Romans did They had for the difference of their nobility a little ornament in the forme of a Moone which they did weare vpon the shooes (k) Isidorus calceos lunatos sonatorum vocat additque Romulum calceos patricios reperisse â—ssuta luna Sigonius de Iudi. l. 2. cap. 20. What did they but thinke all worldly honour very murable when they did represent it in the forme of a Moone And what did they but tread it vnder their feete when they did weare it vpon their shooes Now wee that are Christians see and ought to see our calling better then they How that not many wise men according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but that wee must as well by dishonour l 2 Cor. 6.13 as by honour enter into eternall glory Some others imagine that carnall pleasure is perfect happinesse But what saith the Apostle Meats for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy both it and them m 1 Cor. 6.8 Meates for the belly That is true We doe eate to liue And the belly for meates That is false Wee do not liue to eate Therefore God will destroy both it and them Both the belly and the meates of all Epicures because they thinke their belly is made for meates (n) Machometus credidit beatitudinem consistere in cibo potu delectationibus corporalibus Iohannes Galensis Anglus l. de orig Mach. c. 5. whereas indeede onely meates are made for their belly Because they thinke they may liue to eate (o) Nihil aliud putant esse vitam nisi vescendi potandi licentiam Firmicus in lib. de errore profa resig whereas indeed onely they may eate to liue For the prize of our high calling is not meat or drinke or any carnall pleasure but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy
vnspeakably more by all of them yea by euery one of theÌ„ than hee can be by himself And therfore again seeing himself so deere vnto them he for his part likewise as a hot burning cole is set on fire and inflamed with loue and the more he seeth any other excell him in glory the more doth hee reioyce and is gladder of his glory then his owne But now when hee lifteth vp his eyes to the glorious Trinitie and seeth how the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost doe eternally and perfectly loue and like and enioy one another in surpassing sweetnesse and content then all his affections are swallowed vp in loue all his spirits are rauisht in delight all his desires are imparadized in pleasure Insomuch as if on the one side were laid the loue of Christ as he is man and of all the Saints Angels among themselues and on the other side the loue which the least glorified body in heauen beholding the blessed Trinity breatheth out to God this loue would without all comparison excell exceed that as far as light doth darknes or as heauen doth the earth Wherefore for man to see God for Iacob to be called Israel for him that hath beene a seruant to become a sonne for him that hath kept the law to inioy the testament is the highest degree to perfection yea it is the very perfection of perfection it selfe The onely perfect life the onely high honour the onely godly pleasure the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in CHRIST IESVS Seeing then blessed brethren seeing wee fight not as they that beate the aire (a) â— Cor. 9.26 but our reward is so great so exceeding great in heauen (b) Mat. 5.12 therefore as Iacob wrestled all the night long and neuer gaue ouer till about the breaking of the day he was called Israel * Gen. 32.24 so let vs wrestle all the night long of this life (c) Mat. 13.35 and neuer giue ouer till the day breake and the shadowes flie away (d) Cant. 4.6 and we come to the maruellous light and sight of God And like as the same Iacob said to the Angell I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me (e) Gen. 32.26 euen so let euery true Israelite say to Christ I tooke hold of him and left him not (f) Cant. 3.4 O Lord Iesus who would leaue thee or who would let thee goe Or rather who would not hold thee fast which strengthenest him that holdeth thee fast and makest him perseuere that is strengthened and crownest him that perseuereth and makest him perfect that is crowned Therefore I will hold thee fast will not let thee go except thou blesse me that is indeed I will neuer let thee goe because thou dost neuer blesse but only those that alwaies hold thee fast Hold fast then and stand fast good beloued once againe I say Hold fast that which you haue that no man take your crowne from you (g) Reu. 3.11 Stand fast in that liberty whereby Christ hath made you free and be not any more entangled with the yoke of bondage (h) Gal. 5.2 But so run so run as yee may attaine (i) 1 Cor. 9.24 As yee may attaine How k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nilus in Parane circa med is that Mary faithfully patiently constantly vnto the end A shame it would be a vile shame for vs if it should be said of vs not you doe runne well but you did runne well l Gal. 5.7 Fâ—e vpon it Hauing beene hitherto brought vp in skarlet shall we now imbrace the dung m Lam. 4.5 Shall wee be like those antikes or monsters which are halfe men and halfe beasts (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssenus l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illa actio Chimara est qua initium habet à ratione finem a sensualitate Cum igitur sâ—e agitur humano capiti ceruicem pictor depingit equinam Innocen de 〈◊〉 c. 6. Operare igitur perseueranter ne vt Horatius aiâ— Desinat in piscem mulier formosa supâ—rne Nebrissensis Hom. 2. in fine Shall wee be like Nabuchadnezzars image which had a head of gold and feete of clay o Dan. 3.33 Shall wee begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh (p) Gal. 3.3 God forbid God for his mercy sake keepe vs from such fearefull falling from him Nay rather let vs remember that Ioseph signifieth encreasing and Arimathea signifieth getting the reward (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theop. in c. 15. Mar. To teach vs that if wee would be like to Ioseph of Arimathea wee must alwaies increase and goe on till wee get the reward The other Ioseph also had a coate reaching downe to his feete (r) Aquila inter pretatus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est tunicam talarem Hier. in Quest. Heb. in Genesin Ioseph tyrum ecclesiae praetendens vestiâ— suae habitu persâ—uerentiam certaminis habere nâ—s admonet 〈◊〉 longitudo vsque ad talos euiâ— peruenit Tanquam diceretur Antequam iter perficias noli in vita lacescere Ausberius in cap. 2. Apocal. to teach vs that wee must not haue scarlet about our head and dung about our feete not gold about our head and clay about our feete but that when we put on the Lord Iesus we must put on such a scarlet robe of righteousnesse such a golden garment of grace such a vesture of a godly vertuous life such a coate of holy and heauenly conuersation as may reach to the feet as may continue to the end considering our Sauiour hath said he that perseuereth vnto the end shal be saued And againe be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life This crowne of life is promised to al those which make a good beginning but performed onely to those which make a good ending Non campo capitur sed fine corona Pro Sapientia in exitu canitur Quia laudari penitus ante-actae vitae prudentia non merebitur nisi bono fine claudatur Saluia ad eccles lib. 4. And they which run in a race run all yet one onely that is he which holdeth out to the end receiueth the prize (t 1 Cor. 9.24 And none are saued but such as are marked in their fore-heads with the letter 〈◊〉 which is the note of perseuerance and perfection v Eze. 9.6 And if we would be conformable to the crosse of Christ the liuely picture of all perfection we must be like vnto it not only in the depth of faith and in the height of hope and in the bredth of charity but also in the length of perseuerance x Eph. 3.18 because all the depth height and bredth of the crosse is nothing without the length and so all the faith hope and charity of a Christian is to no purpose without continuance in them euen vnto the end Wherefore my good brethren yet
Yea the most silly beast in all the forrest is not so much affrighted and amazed when a lyon roâ—reth as this cowardly beast the diuell is diuâ—tâ—d and terrified when a Christian prayeth What shall I say more It ouercommeth him that cannot be ouercome making the Virgins sonne stoupe downe and câ—ndiscend vnto vs. I pray thee let mee goe sayes he to one that wrastled with him all the night long by praier If thou wilt bee a suter to God God wil be â— suter to thee If thou wilt pray vnto God God will pray vnto thee I pray thee sayes he let me goe But what doth Israell answere I will not let thee go except thou blesse me No will It is not belike now as God will but as man wil. God is taken captiue by prayer and become a prisoner to man and stands at his curtesie who sayes I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me And that which is more then all this if more may be praier ouercommeth God not onely being well pleased as he was with Israel when any child may deale with him but also being displeased as he was with the Israelites wheÌ„ no man may come neere him wheÌ„ his wrath burneth as fire ween he thunders from heauen and teares the cloudes in peeces and cleanes the rockes asunder and shakes sâ—â—d sea together and makes the whole earth in a trembling fitte of feare flie away from him Yet if some Moses doe but stand vp in the gap and pray all this omnipotent power shall come to nothing God shall not be able though he be neuer so angry to enter vpon the breach but praier shall haue the victorie and get the coÌ„quest of him Wherfore beloued once againe I say let vs alwayes intrench our selues within this inuincible bulwarke of praier Our whole life alas as wee haue made it by sinne is most miserable There is no man aliue if hee had known before hee was borne what miseries would haue befallen him in this life but would haue wished I warrant you with all his heart that which was the Wombe of his birth had beene the tombe for his buriall But in all the calamities of this life our onely comfort is prayer In alâ— the afflictions of this life our onely fortresse is praier Prayer whereby wee 〈◊〉 oftentimes in spirite with the Apostle rapt vp into the third heauen where wee that are otherwise but Wormes walke with the Angels and euen continually talke with God Hence it is that holie men and women in former times could neuer haue enough of thiâ— exercise Nazianzene in his Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia writeth that shee was so giuen to praier (e) Vt genua terre contreuerint that her knees seemed to cleaue to the earth and to grow to the very ground by reason of continuance in prayer Gregorie in his Dialogues writeth that his aunt Trasilla beeing dead was found to haue her elbowes as hard as horne Which hardnesse she got by leaning to a deske at which shee vsed to pray Eusebius in his historie writeth that lawes the brother of our Lord had knees as hard as camels knees benummed and bereaued of all sense and feeling by reason of continuall kneeling in praier Hierom in the life of Paul the Eremite writeth that he was found dead kneeling vpon his knees holding vp his hands lifting vp his eies f Etiam cadauer mortui officioso gestu precabatur So that the very dead corps seemed yet to liue and by a kinde of religious gesture to pray still vnto God O how happy and how blessed was that soule without the body when as that body without the soule was so deuout O that wee may bee that wee may bee likewise so happie and so blessed as this holy man was that wee may depart hence in such sort as he did that is in such sort as Christ did who died in praier saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit that our Lord when he commeth may finde vs so doing that when wee shall lie vpon our death-bed gasping for breath readie to giue vp the ghost then the precious soule of euery one of vs redeemed with the precious blood of Christ may passe away in a prayer in a secret and sweete praier may passe I say out of Adams body into Abrahams bosome Through the tender mercies of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignity and dominion now and euermore Amen THE SICK-MANS COVCH A SERMON PREACHED before the most noble Prince HENRIE at Greenewich Mar. 12. An. 1604. BY THOMAS PLAYFERE Professor of Diuinity for the Lady MARGARET in Cambridge Printed at London by Iohn Legatt Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1617. TO THE RIGHT Honourable my very good Lord Sir Edward Denny Knight Baron of Waltham grace and peace RIght Honourable beeing appointed to preach the last Laâ—â— I deliuered so much as filled vp the ordinary time of an houre but that was scarce halfe this Sermon I vttered no more to auoid the offence of the hearer I write â—â— lesse to procure the profit of the reader For as tediousnes without regard of due time especially in so high a presence soonest offendeth so fâ—lâ—es where the reader may peruse more or lesse at his pleasure and leisure best of all edifieth Therefore I thought good in publishing this Sermon rather to inlarge it to the comprehension I had conceiued and meditated in my minde then to scans it according to that strict compasse of time which I was â—â—ed to in the pulpit For by this meanes all that will vouchsafe to looke into it may make their profit thereby They fiâ—â—â—h were present by vttering the whole whereas they heard but halfe they which were absent by hauing the preachers meaning though they bee vnacquainted with his affection And yet perhaps it may please God to blesse this poore exercise to diuers heauenly minded men in such sort as they may take occasion by some things here intiâ—â—â—ted not onely to conceiue â—ore then they find diâ—rectly specified but also to â—e â—ore diâ—â—â—â—ely inspired sweetly affected theÌ„ it pleased God in vouchsafe 〈◊〉 of his gracâ— either at the preaching or 〈◊〉 of us Howsoeuer seeing this discourse exhorteth principally to repenâ—â—â—nts and patience in the time of sicknes to a preparation of our selues by a good life vnto a happie death which is a doctrine most necessarie in this great mortality that hath lately bin and is yet feared especially also for that the greatâ—â— part of it I neuer preached any where but onely penned in my study I thought my selfe so farre bound in duty to this blessed Church wherein wee liue as not to hide it in a napkin but according to the Apostles rule if I haue found comfort my selfe by some meditaâ—tions here opened then to comfort them that are afflicted by the same comfort wherewith 〈◊〉 our selues haue bin comforted of God And
not S. Peter saying but thus vnto him Eneas Iesus Christ maketh thee whole arise and trusse vp thy couch so restores him that immediately he arose i Act. 9.33.34 What hapned to S. Paul who was pressed out of measure passing strength so that hee altogether doubted euen of life Did not the Lord wheÌ„ he had receiued the senteÌ„ce of death in himself deliuer him froÌ„ this great danger k 2 Cor. â— 8.9 What hapned to S. Pauls fellow-souldier Epaphroditus who was sick no doubt sicke very neare vnto death Did not the Lord shew mercy on him giue him health againe to the great ioy of the Philippians and generall good of all the Church l Phil. 2.27 what hapned to holy Dauid in this place who saith of himselfe O Lord I am weak my bones are vexed my soule also is sore troubled I am wearie of my groanings euerie night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares Did not the Lord finding him in this miserable pickle plight deliuer his soule from death his eies from teares his feet from falling m Psal. 116. â— So that in thankefull ioifull maner hee triumpheth saith the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping the Lord hath heard my petitioÌ„ the Lord wil receiue my praier Euen as S. Paul sayth He hath deliuered vs from so great a deathâ— doth deliuer vs in whom also we trust that yet hee will deliuer vs n 2. Cor. 1.10 O faithful deare louing Lord He hath deliuered he doth deliuer he will deliuer He neuer yet hath forsaken he neuer doth forsake he neuer will forsake those that put their trust in him For tel me my good brother if thou canst tell any thing tell me did Christ so miraculously restore Iob restore Ezachas restore the man sick of the palsey restore the bedred man restore Eâ—â—as restore S. Paul restore Epaphroditus restore king Dauid to their former health can he not restore thee Did hee restore the most of these wheÌ„ he was crucified vpon earth and can he not restore thee now â—e is crowned in heauen Is his arme now shorter and his power lesser then it was then where I maruell where is the CenturioÌ„s faith Christ said then I haue not fouÌ„d so great faith in all Israel o Math. 8.10 now if he were among vs he might say I haue not fouÌ„d so great faith in all the world The Centurion beleeued though Christ came not vnder the roof of his house but spake the word only his seruant might be healed wel enough dost thou think Christ cannot heale thee except he come in person stand by thy bed side take thee by the hand rayse thee vp For shame away with such infidelitie This is a thousaÌ„d times worse then all the sicknes of thy body Nay rather assure thy selfe if God say but the word thou shalt soon recouer haue thy health better then euer thou hâ—dst liue many happy ioyfull daies after Therefore mind thou onely that which belongeth to thee that which belongeth to God meddle not with it but leaue it wholy vnto him It is thy part to bewaile thy former sins in bewayling them to water thy couch with thy teares to cry to the Lord for mercy forgiuenes to resolue with thy selfe stedfastly hereafter if it please God to giue thee thy health againe to lead a new life This belongs to thee therfore this thou must meditate of imploy thy self about day night but whether thou shalt recouer or not recouer that belongeth to God That rests altogether in Gods pleasur wil. if thou dost recouer thou hast thy desire Or rather perhaps not thy desire Seeing the holiest and best men of all incline neither this way not that way but wholly resign themselues as in all other things so especially in this case to Gods will p Non mea sed tua voluntas fiat Or if they determinately desire any thing it is for the most part to be dissolued to be with Christ q Phil. 1. â—2 30 but suppose thou desâ—â—e to recouer and recouer indeed Then as thou obtainest thy desire so theâ— must performe thy promise the promise thou madest when thy body was grieued with sicknesse and paine when thy soule was oppressed with heauines wheÌ„ thou 〈◊〉 redst thy couch with thy tears And what was that promise Namely as I saide before that if it pleased God to giue thee health againe thou wouldest loue him more sincerely serue him more obedientlie teÌ„der his glory more dearelie follow thy calling more faithfully then thou hast done If thou hast offended him with pride to humble thy selfe hereafter if with dissolutenes to be sober hereafter if with couetousnesse to bee liberall hereafter if with conuersing with the vngodly to abandoÌ„ their company hereafter to say as it is in the Psalme Depart from me yee workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping This if thou conscionablie coÌ„stantlie perform then in a good houre as we say and in a happy time thou didst recouer But suppose thou desire to recouer yet neither thy selfe see any likelihood nor God seâ— it good thou shouldst recouer TheÌ„ harty repentance and watering thy couch with thy teares is most of all necessary That the feare of death may not affright thee but beeing truly penitent at thy departure thou maiest be sure to depart in peace r Luk. 2.29 And so God granting not thy wil but his wil may indeed grant both thy wil his wil. Thy will which is not simply to recouer but coÌ„ditionally if God wil his wil which is not to haue thee lie languishing any longer in this warfare but to triumph for euer in heaueÌ„ s Aliquando sancti non recipiendo quod petunt magis exaudiuntur quam exandirentur si illud reciperent Plus enim nâ—â— recipiendo beatus Paulus exaâ—ditus est quam si illud recepisset pro quo sicut ipse ais ter do minum rogaue rat Exauditus est igitur ne exaudiretur Non enim nisi bonum Apostolus quarebat quamuis illud non bonum sibi esse non intelligâ—bat Extuditus est igiâ—ur recipiendo â—â—num ne exaâ—diretur recipiendo non bonuÌ„ Qui enim sibi bonuÌ„ non quarit dum se sib bonum quarere â—utat si id recipiat quod quaâ—it non exauditur si non recipit exauditur Deus igitur qui non aliud nisi quaretis affectuÌ„ considerat bonuÌ„ eicreddit quissebonum quarere credit etiam si sibi non sit bonum quod quarit Emisse hom inlilanqs maioribus p. 138. O blessed teares are these which are recompensed with such high happines such inestimable commodities As namely freedome from all sins past present to come deliuerance from all the miseries and trouble of this wofull world consuÌ„mation of holines of humblenes of purity of
also the spirit against the flesh So that we cannot doe as wee would For if wee would serue god so holily as the angels we can not because the flesh insteth against the spirit againe if we would sinne with full consent of will so brutishly as the wicked doe we cannot because the spirit lusteth against the flesh But euen as Castâ—r and Pollux liue by turnes one one day an other an other so the flesh and the spirit preuailing sometimes one sometimes an other make mixt actions So that neither can our good actions iustifie vs because in them the flesh lusteth against the spirit nor yet can our ill actions condemn vs because in theÌ„ the spirit lusteth against the flesh For now that Sara is mortified her wombe is dead and it ceaseth to be with her after the manner of women Now that Iacob hath wrestled with God his thigh is shrunk vp Now that Paul is conuerted he chastiseth his bodie and bringeth it into subiection Now that the blessed virgin is freely beloued she keepeth her selfe within and knoweth no man And therefore sai'â— the Angel Haile Mary freely beloued the Lord is with thee But the blessed Virgin fearing the Angel added Feare not Mary for thou hast found â—â—â—our with God As if he should haue said Feare not the Angel of the Lord seeing the Lord of the Angell is with thee Thou hast found fauour with God to haue the fruit of thy flesh the Sauiour of thy soule So that if God haue a fauour vnto vs and haue iustified vs in Christ what can the flesh doe against vs The spirit will not let it doe as it would For if God be with vs who can be against vs The fourth enemy against vs is the deuill And he is the worst enemy of all Therefore sai's the Apostle we haue not to fight with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and with the Prince of darknes that ruleâ—â— in the ayre This Prince warreth against vs two waies By persecutions and perswasions For the first he is described in the Reuelation to ride vpon a blacke and a redde horse The blacknes of the horse sheweth how terrible the Deuill is the reddenesse how bloodie Neither doth he come single but seauen of them at once possesse Mary Magdalen Luk. 8. â— Neither doe they onely fight against vs beeing aliue but the Deuill fought with Michel the Arkeangel for the â—â—cie of Moses when he was dead Iude. Neither doe they terribly set vpon vs to get our bodies onely but our soules also Especially they doe this at the day of death and will doe more dilligently at the day of iudgement Now their perswasions are yet more dangerous then their threatnings When they come to vs in the shape not of an vnclean spirit but of an angel of light Thus Satan did set vpon the first Adam Gen. 3. Hath God indeed commanded you not to eate of the tree He makes a question of it And if ye eate you shall be as Gods knowing good and euill A faire promise but a contrarie performance So he did set vpon the second Adam Matth. 4. All these things will I giue thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He would hire Christ and giue him good wages to serue him which would haue depriued our Sauiour of his eternall glory But God hath glorified vs. It is not now to be doubted whether Satan shal preuaile against vs or not but it is most sure he shall not He hath glorified vs saith S. Paul Though the possession of it be to come yet the assurance of it is past Euen as our Lord auoucheth in an other place Hee that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life Not shall passe but hath passed So S. Paul He hath made vs sit with himselfe in heauenly places aboue Not hee will make but he hath Therefore Chrysostome writeth very resolutely Onely in one point I am proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and very proud namely in renouncing and denying the deuill Hee is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercome him Hee is an olde serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath been too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnow Peter as come iâ— sifted yet no danger Christ hath prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the way we may marke the difference betweene Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Now a fanne casteth out the worst and keepeth in the best a fine keepeth in the worst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrariwise the deuill if there be any il thing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing else that he weakeneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not faile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffered by the angel of Satan prayed that he might bee deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficient for thee Whether Satan buffet vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs Much more his glory who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that liue a godly life Pone me iuxtatr cuiusâ— is manus pugnet contra me Therefore euery child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the Deuill doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs Nazianzen makes a good conclusion This only is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and feare nothing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare not God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregoria be that in a chast and filiall feare Quitimore castro Deo subijeâ—tur c. Gregor is subiected to God by a hopefull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainly God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great potâ—â—rates of the world who of late were some of them scarse
with a garment dipt in blood can not be angry either with him or with vs but when we are dead in sinne quickneth vs together in him by whose grace we are saued and raised vs vp and maketh vs for his sake sit in the heauenly places aboue Marcus Seruilius a valiant Romane who had fought three and twenty combates of life and death in his owne person and had alwaies slaine as many of his enemies as challeng'd him man to man when as the people of Rome resisted Paulus Emilius triumph Plutarch in Paulo Aâ—melio fine stood vp and made an oration in his behalfe In the midst whereof he cast open his gowne and shewed before them the infinite skarves and cutâ— he had receiued vpon his breast The sight of which so preuailed with the people that they all agreed in one and graunted Emilius triumph After the same fashion Christ hath spoiled â—â—â—â—cipalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his crosse yeâ— and yet now beareth about in his bodie the markes and tokens of this triumph that a finall agreement and attonement being made betweene God and vs by his onely mediation and meanes we also may be more then conquerours in him that loueth vs and may euery one of vs say with Saint Paul Now thanks be vnto God which alwaies maketh vs to triumph in Christ. Among other ornaments of the Sanctuarie there was a golden censer full of holes by which the sweete odours fumed forth when Aaron once a yeare burnt incense therin No other high Priest doe we acknowledge but Christ the true Aaron Heb. â— 4 who hath not entred into any Sanctuarie made with hands but into heauen it selfe And his golden censer is his own body which through the wounds that are in it as through chinks or holes suâ—eth forth alwaies a pleasing and a sweete â—auour in the nosthrils of his father The signe of the couenant which God made with Noah was a rainebowe in the cloud And indeede that is a sure token vnto vs that the world shall neuer be drowned againe with a generall flood of water Gen. 9 16. as it was in Noahs time But the rainebowe which assureth vs we shall neuer be drowned in the pit of euerlasting perdition is no such thing Why may some man say what is it Mane it is the blood of Christ which maketh as it wâ—re a rainebow in his side For the other rainebow is but a transitorie signe which shall passe away with the cloudes and with the world But this rainebowe whereof the other is but a shadow shall continue for euer in the sight of God as the author to the Hebrewes sai's that Christ is entred into heauen vt appareat nunc vultui Dei pro nobis to appeare now in the fight of God for vs. Therefore S. Iohn in the Reuelation witnesseth that he sawe a doore open in heauen aud a rainebow round about the throne of God Hee sawe a doore open in heauen to teach vs that we can haue no accesse vnto the Father but by Christ neither yet by Christ simply but as he is crucified and hath set open a doore in his side for vs to enter by him He sawe a rainebowe round about the throne of God to teach vs that the throne of God would be altogether a throne of iustice a throne of wrath a throne of anger and indignation were it not that the blood of Christ spinning out as I may say still liuely and freshly in the sight of his father maketh a rainbowe round about his throne putteth him in minde of his couenant appeaseth his displeasure and so maketh his throne to all vs that loue him Gen. 30.37 a throne of grace a throne of compassion a throne of fauour and mercie in Christ. We read that Iacob pilled certaine rods which beeing laid in the watering troughes before the sheepe made them bring forth such lambes as afterward fell to his own share So likewise if we sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes The marke of the roddes in his wounds laid open in the sight of God ingendreth and breedeth in him a loue and a liking toward vs so that he conceiueth well of vs and seuereth vs as good sheepe from the goates and in the blood of the lambe is pleased and appeased and satisfied for our sinnes This blood is the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 which speaketh better things then that of Abel For Abels blood vpon earth cryed out once for vengeance but Christs blood in heauen cries continually for mercie One deepe calleth another because of the noise of the water pipes Christs woundes are the watering troughs and the water-pipes by which all graces flowe vnto vs. So that one deepe calleth an other because of the noise of the water pipes because the wounds of Christ make a continuall noise in the eares of his father and the depth of the extreame misery which he was in vpon earth calleth for the depth of Gods bottomlesse and infinite mercy in heauen Thus these holy wounds of Christ pacifie and appease his father For now Moyses standing in the gappe sues for pardon the poore creeple lying at the beautifull gate begg's an almes Ezechias spreading open his letters makes his supplication Salomon stretching out his hands offers vp his prayer Epaminondas being wounded mooues Agâ—sipolis to saue Pelopidas Seruilius discouering his wounds perswades the people to grant Emilius triumph Aaron burning incense in his golden censer perfumeth the whole Sanctuarie Noah pointing to his rainebowe putteth God in mind of his promise Iacob laying forth his roddes make most of the lambes his owne Abel holding vp his blood cals and cries for mercie Christ shewing his hands and his side appeaseth his father As if our Sauiour should say thus vnto his Father O my louing father looke vpon the face of thine annointed looke vpon the hands looke vpon the side of thine annointed The hands of thine anointed how cruelly they are mangled the side of thine annointed bow wofully it is wounded Behold and see if there be any sorrowe like to my sorrow These hands can signifie what exceeding sorrow I haue suffered this side can shew that I haue humbled my selfe and haue been obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse Therefore O my deare father Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and as thou art not faithlesse but faithfull so be not mercilesse but mercifull for my sake and pitifull to thy people So much for the second cause which is to appease his Father The third cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to confound his enemies When Saint Paul the Apostle before his conuersion persecuted the Church of God Christ called to him from heauen and said Saul Saul why persecutest thou
held Gods hands that hee could not â—â—ike when he was readie to plague his people Prayer without any other helpe or meanes hath throwne downe the strong walles of Iericho Prayer hath deuided the sea that the floods thereof could not come neere the Israelites In this place it deliuereth the faithfull man from all the dangers of the world Surely in the flood of many waters they shal not come neere him The summe is this That no calamities of this world no troubles of this life no terrours of death no guiltinesse of sinne can be so great but that a godly man by meanes of his faith and felicitie in Christ shall wade out of them well enough For howsoeuer other things goe still he shall haue such a solace in his soule such a comfort in his conscience such a heauen in his heart knowing himselfe reconciled to God and iustified by faith that Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Which that it may the better appeare I shall desire you to obserue two things The daunger the deliuerance The danger is in these words Iâ— the flood of many waters Where the tribulations that the godly man is subiect to in this life are likened First to waters then to many waters thirdly to a flood of many waters In the flood of many waters The deliuerance is in these words Surely they shall not come neere him Where the deliuerance of the godly man hath three degrees also First they shall not come neare secondly him they shall not come neere him then Surely surely they shall not come neere him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him First the afflictions of the faithful are likened to waters Fire and water haue no mercy we say But of the two water is the worst For any fire may be quâ—câ—ed with water but the force of water if it begins to be violent cannot by any power of man be resisted Canutus who was King of England Polyd. lib. 7. Scotland Denmarke Norway a great part of Sueâ—iâ— all at once sitting at a low water vpon the Thames shoare commanded the water not to come neare him But notwithstanding his commandement the water returning and flowing againe as 〈◊〉 in Ezekiel which came to the ankles Ezech. 47.2 then to the knees and yet higher to the necke so neuer left rising till it came vp neare him and wet him Then turning about to his noble men that were there attendant on him he said You call me your Soueraigne Lord and Master and yet I cannot command this little channell of water to keep a loofe off from me Whereupon he went immediatly to Westminster and with his owne hands set his Crowne vpon the Crucifix there and could neuer be perswaded after to weare it vpon his owne head This experience that Canutus so mightie a King made doth directly prooue that no man but God onely can set barres and doores against the water and say Iob. 38.11 Hitherto shalt thoâ— come but no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The afflictions of the righteous therefore beeing â—ere compared to waters must needes â—e very violent For thus the Psalmist â—â—ith Thine indignation lyeth hard on me Psal. 88.8 and thou hast vexed mee with all thy waues And God himselfe I will pâ—â—re out my wrath vpon thee as water So that the securitie and felicitie of the faithfull man is inuincible He may be often in daunger of tribulations as of great waues or waters Hos. 5.10 but they shall neuer ouerwhelâ—e him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him But these our tribulations which are waters are also many waters Our common prouerb is Seldome comes sorrow alone But as waters come rouling and wauing many together so the miseries of this life Ezeck 2.10 The Prophet Ezekiel saw the roule of a booke written within and without and there was written therein Lamentations and singing and woe The booke is written within and without â—o shew that many are the troubles of the righteous both inward and outward And it is two to one if any thing befall vs it is rather an ill happe then a good happe Seeing for one singing there is in the booke a double sorrowing lamentations and woe Or if it be read as some translate it Et scriptura in eo erat lamentarionum lugubâ—isque carminâ—s vae Tremel Lamentations and mourning and woe then it is yet more plaine that in this world many troubles as many waters come one in the neckâ— of an other no earthly ioy 〈◊〉 comfort comming betweene This the good King greatly complaineth of Psal. 4â— 7 One deepe calleth another because of the noyse of the water-pipes all thy floods and stormes haue gone ouer me And Iob Iob. 16.14 hee hath giuen meâ— one wound vpon an other and hee hath runne vpon me as a gyant And Saint Paul Philip. 2.37 though in one place he write God shewed mercie toward him that hee should not haue sorrowe vpon sorrow yet oftentimes elsewhere he speaketh of his owne manifold dangers 2. Cor. 11.26 I suffered thrice shipwracke saies he night and day haue I bin in the deepe sea In iourneying I was often in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills of mine owne nation in perills among the Gentiles in perills in the citie in perills in the wildernesse in perills in the sea in perills among false brethren Thâ—s we see how many waters the godly mâ—n is subiect to in this life For one thy hee hath at least two sorrowes if hee 〈◊〉 no more one deepe calleth an other one wound bringeth another hee hath sorrow vpon sorrow perils vpon perils Many waters many dangers Neuerthelesse Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Thirdly the daungers of this life are as a flood The very naming and mentioning of flood must needes â—e very terrible euer since Noahs flood destroyed the whole world For euen as a horse or a mule of whome the Prophet a little after speaketh in this Psalm vers 9. hauing beene once well lashed with a whip doth euer after feare if he heare but the bel which is tied to the whippe so man since the world was so well sâ—oured and scourged with a flood could neuer almost abide either to talke or thinke of it Now though our whole life be nothing else but a flood of many waters yet nothing in the world may more fitly be so called then our going our of the world This indeede bringeth with it a flood of many waters and an Ocean sea of infinite cares Aristotle writeth that nothing is so terrible as death which Antiochus feeling sensibly in himselfe 1. Mac. 6.11 cryeth out thus Oh into what aduersitie am I come and into what floods of miserie am I now fallen He addeth the reason an on after For I must die with great
King Iames should bee brought to a happie ende that oftentimes in many mens hearings hee protested hee had rather die then be any way negligent herein Which as some thinke by all likelihood came indeede so to passe To wit that too earnest study and paines about the translation hastened his death and brought it on sooner Now as he liued so in his profession in his writings in his translating as though all the floods of many waters had neuer comn ' neare him euen so also he died During the short time of his sickenesse hee carried himselfe as alwaies before humbly mildly quietly constantly One of his louing friends standing by his bed and saying M. Liuely I pray God you may haue patience and hope and especially faith vnto the ende He lifting vp his hands said heartily and cheerefully Amen Little he vsed to speake and more he could not say for the paine and impediment of his squinsey Which though it made a speedie ende of him as the apoplexy did of the good Emperour Valentinian yet how could any death be sodaine to him whose whole life was nothing els but a meditation of death and whom the Lord whensoeuer he came might finde doing his dutie Wherefore no reason wee should lament his departure out of this world He liued blessedly he died blessedly in the Lord. Rather you Reuerend and learned Vniuersitie-men lament for this that you haue lost so famous a Professour and so worthy a writer Lament you translatours beeing now depriued of him who no lesse by his owne merit and desert then by the priuiledge of his place was to order and ouersee all your trauailes Lament you poore orphans 〈◊〉 poore children of you which he left 〈◊〉 him as Christ 〈◊〉 left eleuen Disciples bereâ—â—â—â— of your kinde and deare Father destitute of necessaries for your maiâ—â—enance to seeke of all helpe and 〈◊〉 but onely as poore folkes vse to speak such as God and good friends shal proâ—ide Lâ—â—ent lament all of you of the Toâ—ne as well as of the Vâ—â—â—ersitie because our Schoole hath lost sâ—ch a singular ornament of this age because our Churches haue lost such a faithfull and syncere seruant of Christ. Questionlesse as it should seeme by the taking away of this man almightie God is greatly angry with vs all for our sinnes Christ Iesus our Master as though he meant no more to care for vs seemeth to lie fast a sleepe in the ship while we most miserably in the flood of many waters are tormoiled and tossed Wherfore let vs in time crie aloud and awake him with our prayers Or rather indeede he is not a sleepe but awake alreadie We haue awaked him not with our prayers but with our sinnes Our sinnes haue cried vp to heauen And the Lord beeing awaked as a gyant comes forth against vs and as a mighty man refreshed with wine For not onely those are waters which are in the chanell or in the sea but as waters are here vnderstood euen those fires are waters those fires I say which very lately awaked vs at midnight and affrighted vs at noone day which raged on the South-side and anone after on the North-side of the Towne It was but a fewe mens losse but it was all mens warning And what shall we make nothing of this The plague the small pocks and the squinsey that one kind of disease deuoureth vp the Townesmen â—n other the schollers This is now the tenth course of Schollers which within this month hath beene brought foorth to buriall not one of them dying of the plague whereas heretofore if one or two schollers haue died in a whole year out of all Colledges it hath beene accounted a great matter This and such like grieuous iudgements beloued doe plainely declare that the Lord beeing awaked with the cry of our sinnes is greiuously displeased and offended at vs. Wherefore let vs nowe at the length in the name of God rowse vp our selues and awake out of our deadly sinnes Let this that our holy brother did so sodainly in a manner fall asleepe be a loud O yes as it were to awake vs all Let euerie one of vs amend one iudge one accuse one condemne one that we be not all condemned of the Lord. Let euery one of vs I beseech you crie vp to heauen for mercie and say â—ith Dauid I haue sinned and done wickedly Or with Ionas Take me for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Then our most mercifull father shall blesse vs all as he hath done this holy Saint both in our life and in our death by the pardoning of our offences couering all our sinnes with the bowels and blood of Christ. And though in this world we be euer subiect to a flood of many waters yet hee shall drawe vs still out of many waters as hee did Moses Surely in the floode of many waters no more then they did to Ionas they shall not come neare vs. Neither onely shall we be safe in the flood of death but also in the flood of the day of iudgement For that also is a flood and a terrible fearefull one too To wit not of water but of fire As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be at the comming of the son of man In the first flood they which had not an arke ranne vp to the toppes of houses to the toppes of trees to the toppes of mountaines because they desired to hold vp their heads aboue the still rising raging water In the second they which are not found in Christ shall say to the mountaines Fall vpon vs and to the Caues Cauer vs and hide vs from the wrath of the Lambe Then they shall be glad to creepe into euerie holâ— and corner that they may auoide the bâ—rning of fire But we that confesse our sinnes and forsake the same shall lift our heads to no other mountaine but to Christ from whom commeth our saluation we shall desire to be couered with no other rocke but onely with that out of which came the blood and water of life For neuer did Noahs flood so clean wash away all wicked men from the face of the earth as the blood of Christ shall purge vs from all our sinnes and present vs blamelesse before the face of our father onely if we be faithfull vnto death For then the next thing is felicity and the crowne of life Which God for his mercie sake graunt vs all that as we make no doubt but this our holy brother now triumpheth with Christ so all and euery one of vs after we haue waded through this world as a flood of many waters may inherit that kingdome of glory which our louing Lord Iesus hath purchased for vs with his deare blood to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at Whitehall before the KING on Twesday after Lâ— Sunday 1604. 2. COR. 3.18 But all we