mercy it receiueth blessing from God All is an Allegory The Earth is Man the Raine Gods Word the herbes are Graces and the Blessing is a sweet retribution and accumulation of mercie The Earth IS the best ground that lyes betwixt heauen and earth Man the noblest part of this world the worthiest creature that hath earth for the pauement and heauen for the seeling the Creators Image and as some read his Shadow which moues as the body doth whose it is When the body puts forth an arme the shadow shewes an arme c so man in his actions and courses depends vpon the disposition of God as his all-powerfull Maker and Mouer The blessed Deity which hath in it a Trinity of most equall and eternall Persons is the first and best of all beings the holy Angels next a Ioue tertius Aiax man next them Ardens conceateth vpon Marke 16. in the Apostles commission Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospell to euery Creature that by this Euery Creature is meant Man For to liuelesse senselesse or reason-lesse things God neuer enioyned to preach the Gospell But man is called Euery creature because hee hath a participation of the best in all creatures Stones haue a being not life plants haue a being and life not sense beasts haue a being life and sense but not vnderstanding Angels haue both being life sense and vnderstanding Man participates with all these in their best He hath a being with stones life with plants sense with beasts vnderstanding with Angels a sweet abstract or compendium of all creatures perfections Let not all this make man proud Euen this word Earth though here vsed in a spiritual sense puts him in minde that this excellent man is a mortall creature Earth must bee earth hot earth to colde earth that earth which hath now a life in it to that earth which hath no life in it Therefore I will say from the Prophet O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Bestow not too much paines in adorning this perishable earth thy flesh the earth thou must be careful of and which God here waters from heauen with his holy deawes is thy heart thy conscience I could willingly steppe out a little to chide those that neglecting Gods Earth the Soule fall to trimming with a curious superstition the Earths earth clay and lome a body of corruption painted til it shine like a Lilly like it in whitenesse not in humility the candor of beautie for the Lilly growes lowe Lilium conuallium a flower of the vallies and bottomes a little slime done ouer with a past-boord rottennesse hidde vnder golden leaues stench lapp'd vp in a bundle of silkes and by reason of poison suck'd from sinne and hell worthy of no better attribute then glorious damnation Is there no sicknesse is there no disgrace is there no old age is there no death that you make so much of this earth Or doe you desperately resolue to dote on it liuing as if you neuer hoped to finde it againe being dead Feare not you shall meet with it againe perhaps when you would not God hath struck as gallant as you can make or thinke your selues with sodaine sore and sure iudgements Beleeue it his hand is his owne His arme was neuer yet broken luxate or manacled Woe worth them that haue put Pride and Couetousnesse fellow-commoners among vs for they out-eate vs all and staâ—ue the whole house of our Land Couetise would be charitable but there is that other summe to make vp Pride would giue or at least forbeare to extort but there is a ruffe of the new fashion to bee bought Dignity a caroch or strange apparell is to be purchas'd and who but the poore tenants must pay for it vpon whom they once so accoutred afterward looke betwixt scorne and anger and goe as if they were shut vp in wainscote Sed vitate viros cultum formasque professos Quique suas ponunt in statione comas Such a one will not giue lest his white hand should touch the poore beggars who perhaps hath a hand cleaner then his I meane from aspersions of bloud rapine iniury briberie lust and filthinesse He cannot intend to pray for he is called to dinner iust when his last locke is hung to his minde O the monstrous curiositie of tricking vp this earth of earth yet from the Courtier to the Carter from the Lady to the Inkle-beggar there is this excesse and going beyond their calling But I haue strayed out of my way to cut off a lappe of Prides garment I conclude this Earth with this caution Respice aspice prospice Looke back what thou wast behold what thou art consider what thou must be Recole primordia attende media prâ—â—uideto nouissima Haec pudorem adducunt illa dolorem ingerunt ista timorem incutiunt Call to mind former things see the present foresee the last The first will breede in thee shame the other griefe these feare Remember thou wert taken out of the earth behold thy strength of life subiect to diseases manifold manifest sensible ones foresee that thou must dye this earth must to earth againe But the Earth here meant is a diuine spirituall immortall nature called Earth by a Metaphor incapable of suffering terrene fragilitie This is Gods Earth and that in a high and mysticall sense though proper enough Indeed Domini terra the earth is the Lords and the fulnesâ—e thereof sayth the Psalmist But he hath not such respect to the Earth he made as to this Earth for whom he made it This is Terra sigillata earth that he hath sealed and sanctified for himselfe by setting his stampe and impression vpon it Now the good mans heart is compared to Earth for diuerse reasons 1. For humilitie Humus quasi humilis The Earth is the lowest of all elements and the center of the world The godly heart is not so low in situation but so lowly in it owne estimation God is sayd to hang the earth vpon nothing Ioâ— 26. He stretcheth out the North ouer the empty place and hangeth the Earth vpon nothing that it might wholly depend on himselfe So a true Christian heart in regard of it selfe is founded vpon nothing hath an humble vilipending and disprising of it owne worth that it may ex toto ex tuto wholly and safely rely on God O man of earth why exaltest thou thy selfe this is the way to preuent and frustrate the exaltation of God Keepe thy selfe lowly as the Earth reiect all opinion of thy owne worth and thou shalt one day ouer-top the cloudes The Earth is thy mother that brought thee forth when thou wert not a stage that carries thee whiles thou art a tombe that receiues thee when thou art not It giues thee originall harbour sepulchre Like a kind mother shee beares her off-spring on her backe and her brood is her perpetuall burden till she receiue them again into the same womb from
Another sits dallying with the delights of lust vnder a green bush a third is borough'd in the ground mining and intrenching himselfe in the quest of riches Alas how should the deaw of grace fall vpon these Thou wouldst not shelter thy ground from the clouds lest it grow barren oh then keep not thy soule from the raine of heauen You haue heard how the raine is come now heare how it is made welcome The good groūd drinkes it nay drinkes it in Imbibit The comparison stands thus The thirsty Land drinkes vp the raine greedily which the cloudes poure vpon it You would wonder what becomes of it you may finde it in your fruites When your Vines hang full of clusters your Gardens stand thicke with flowers your Medowes with grasse your fields with corne you will say the earth hath been beholden to the heauen That hath rained moisture this hath drunke it in we see it in our fruits The Lord sayth I will heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Iezreel The fruits of corne wine oyle witnesse that the earth hath heard them that heauen hath heard the earth and that the Lord hath heard the heauen The heauens giue influence to the ground the ground sappe to the plants the plants nourishment to vs the Lord a blessing to all The Lord watereth the hills from the chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of the workes Hee causeth the grasse to growe for the cattell and herbe for the seruice of man Wine to make glad his heart and oyle to make his face shine and bread to strengthen mans heart c. With such thirsty appetite and no lesse happy successe doth the good soule swallow the dew of grace If you perceiue not when the faithfull take it you may see they haue it for their fruits testifie it It is a most euident demonstration that they haue bin beholding to the Gospell they haue a sanctified life Drinkes it in There bee very many great Drinkers in the world The maine drunkennesse that giues denomination to all the rest is that throte-drunkennesse whereof the Prophet Vae fortibus ad potandum These are they that will not drinke this mysticall wine in the Church so willingly as bee drunk in the tap-house Wine-worshippers that are at it on their knees protesting from the bottomes of their hearts to the bottome of the cups if the health be not pledged actum est de amicitia farewell friendship I haue read of a streete in Rome called vicus sobrius sober street Find such a street in any Citie or populous towne in England and some good man wil put it in the Chronicle It hath beene sayd that the Germanes are great drinkers and therefore to Carowse is giuen to be deriued from them the word being originally to Gar-rowse which is to drinke off all Gar signifying totum so the Germanes are called by themselues Germanni quasi toti homines as if a Germane were All-man according to another denomination of their Country Allmanie And so wee are growne to thinke him that can tipple soundly a tall man nay all-man from top to toe But if England plyes her liquor so fast as shee begins Germany is like to loose her Charter I haue heard how the Iesuits out-stripp'd the Franciscans Indeed Saint Francis at the first meeting sawe sixe thousand Fryers Ignatius because he could not begin his order with so many made vp the number in Diuels The Germanes had of vs both priority and number for drunkards Our English beggars first got the fashion but because their number was short and it was like that the Nation would be disgrac'd it was agreed to make it vp in Gallants No maruell if the Lord for this threaten vs with the rod of famine and to scourge vs with that most smarting string of his whippe God hath layd himselfe faire in his bow already and is ready to draw this arrow vp to the head and send it singing into our bosomes Ferro saeuior fames it is one of Gods sorest iudgements Beasts and Sword kill quickly and the Plague is not long in dispatching vs but Dearth is a lingring death Lament 4. They that be slaine with the sword are better then they that be slaine with hunger for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the field We see how our seasons are changed because we can finde no season to repentance Our Springs haue bin graues rather then cradles our Summers haue not shot vp but withered our grasse our Autumnes haue taken away the flockes of our sheepe And for our latest Haruest wee haue had cause to inuert the words of our Sauiour Luke 10. Hee sayth the Haruest is great but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord to send forth more Labourers into his haruest But wee might haue sayd the Labourers are many and the haruest is small pray ye therfore the Lord to send a greater haruest for the Labourers God hath thus as it were pulled the Cup from the Drunkards lippes and since hee will know no measure the Lord wil stint him If there will bee no voluntary there shall be an enforced fast Wee haue other great drinkers besides What say you to those that Drinke vp whole townes vnpeople countreys depopulate villages inclose fields that Pharise-like swallow vp poore mens houses drink their goods though mingled with teares of damme and young ones mother children Are not these horrible drinkers Sure God will one day hold the Cup of vengeance to their lippes and bid them drinke their fils The Proud-man is a great drinker It is not his belly but his back that is the drunkard He pincheth the poore rackes out the other fine enhanceth the rent spends his owne meanes and what he can finger besides vpon clothes If his rent-day make euen with his Silkeman Mercer Taylor he is well And his white Madam drinkes deeper then he The walls of the Citie are kept in reparation with easier cost then a Ladies face and the appurtenances to her head The Ambitious is a deepe drinker O hee hath a dry thirst vpon him He loues the wine of promotion extremely Put a whole monopoly into the cup and he will carouse it off There is a time when other drunkards giue ouer for asleeping-while this drinker hath neuer enough Your grimme Vsurer is a monstrous drinker you shall seldome see him drunke at 's owne cost yet he hath vow'd not to be sober til his Doomesdaye His braines and his gowne are lin'd with foxe hee is euer afoxing It may be some infernall spirit hath put loue-pouder in his drinke for hee dotes vpon the deuill extremely Let him take heed hee shall one day drinke his owne obligations and they wil choke him The Rob-altar is a huge drinker Hee loues like Belshazzar to drinke only in the goblets of the Temple Wo vnto
with prouision while he sits and sings care away But as he is free from idlenesse so also from distrust Hee considers the Rauens and Lillies and knowes that the Lord is the Preseruer of men as well as of Fowles and flowers that hee respects man aboue those and his owne aboue other men Therefore hee throwes all his cares vpon God as if they were too heauy a lode for himselfe Sollicitous thoughtfulnes can giue him no hurt but this herbe Careaway shall easily cure it Holy Thiâ—tle or good Resolution YEeld that hee is pressed with iniuries as who will liue godly in Christ and shall not suffer persecution He is oppressed by force or fraud might or subtilty and cannot helpe himselfe He hath a good herbe in this Garden called Carduus Benedictus Holy thistle a godly resolution that through many miseries he must enter heauen He rests himselfe on God and rather wisheth his harmelesnesse should suffer then himselfe not to giue passiue and patient obedience to lawfull authority Our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the burning fiery furnace and hee will deliuer vs out of thine hand O King But if not be it knowne to thee O King that wee will not serue thy gods nor worship thy golden Image There are many other herbes in this garden as if hee be to deale with craftie aduersaries let him fetch some Sage honest policie and such as may stand with an vntouched conscience For Christ gaue vs this prohibition to bee wise as Serpents though withall a cohibition that we be harmelesse as Doues If he be tempted to ebriety he hath in this Garden Coleworts moderate abstinence Matthiolus on the preface of Dioscorides notes such a naturall enmitie betwixt this herbe and drunkennesse that if you plant Colewort neere to the rootes of the Vine of it selfe it flyeth from them But I excuse my selfe Non ego cunct a meis amplecti versibus opto I would not leaue nothing vnsayd Thus I haue walked you through a sacred Garden of many gracious herbes happy soules thus planted I will stay you no longer then to heare your blessing It receiueth blessing from God THe Reward giues a happy conclusion to this good ground So it pleaseth the Lord to accept our labours that he will reward them not after our owne merit for that is not an atome but after his owne mercy which exceedes heauen and earth Receiue this blessing with a thankfull heart thou hast not earn'd it It is obiected that here it is sayd their workes are meet for God therefore deserue this blessing And Wisd. 3. God proued them and found them meete for himselfe as if they could stand Gods tryall And Paul exhorts vs to walke worthie of the vocation wherewith we are called I answere Deus coronat donâ— sua non merit a nostra God rewards his owne workes not our worth It is giuen Non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis not for the deserts of the doer but for the mercie of the giuer Datur operatoribus non pro operibus Luke chap. 12. Verse 32. It is my Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Do wee good from whom is it doth not God worke in vs to will and to doe Thou hast done well be comforted be not proud It was Gods worke not thine Omnia merita Dei dona sunt it a homo propter ipsa magis Deo debitor est quam Deus homini All our good workes are Gods giftes and therefore man is more beholding to God for them then God to man If in this Garden any good herbe spring ouer the wall and sawcily challenge to iâ— selfe a prerogatiue of merite deale with it as the Gardiner with supersluous branches prune it off Or as Tor quatus with his ouer-venturous sonne cut it short with the sword of the Spirit for daring beyond the Commission Our Aduersaries oppose this truth very violently both in the Schooles and in the Pulpits but come they to their death-beds to argue it between God and their owne soules then grace and grace alone mercy and onely mercie IESVS and none but IESVS And this euen their great Bell-weather is forced to acknowledge Propter incert it udinem propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate repoâ—ere I will translate his words truly By reason of the vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glorie the saâ—est course is to put our whole trust and confidence in in the onely fauour and mercie of God But perhaps Bellarmine spoke this as a meere Iesuite and now made Papable hee bee willing to recant and vnsay it This blessing then comes not for the Grounds merite but for the Dressers mercie It is sayd Gen. 6. tht God would destroy the World with a floud Because the imaginations of mans heart were onely euill continually And Gen. 8. it is sayd that GOD will no more curse and destroy the ground for mans sake because the imaginations of his heart are onely euill from his youth The same reason that is alleaged why God will not spare the world is also alleaged why God will spare the world It serues plentifully to demonstrate that not for mans merite but for Gods mercie confusion is withholden I am the Lord I change not Therefore ye sonnes of Iacob are not consumed It receiueth SVch is the immense goodnesse of God that he will adde grace to grace aud when hee hath showne mercy hee will shew more mercy As if he expected no other argument of future bounty but his former bounty Whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also hee iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified Man is to be considered in a foure-fold estate Confectionis Infectionis Refectionis Perfectionis First God made him happy without misery without iniquity God hath made man vpright but they haue sought out manie inuentions If a glorious heauen aboue him a fruitfull earth vnder him feruiceable creatures about him could giue him solace and folicity hee was not scanted Heere is mans first draught of Gods bountie his originall state 2. Then man fell from holinesse and so from happinesse and lost the fauour of the Creator with the good of the creature that a generall curse fell on the earth for his sake Loe now hee lyes weltring in his gore who shall heale him who shall reuiue him God promised him a Sauiour and kept his word Looke on his owne only Sonne hanging bleeding dying on an accursed Crosse. 3. A Redeemer is come what is man the better for it that hath no power to beleeue on him Faith hee hath none but what God must put into him Againe Lord helpe let vs receiue yet a third mercie make vs beleeuers or we are neuer the better We had as good haue no Sauiour as not to haue him our
tythes must they also nimme away the shreddes must they needes shrinke the whole cloth enough to apparell the Church as the cheating Taylor did to a dozen of buttons Hauing full gorged themselues with the parsonages must they picke the bones of the Vicaredges too Well sayth S. August Multi in hac vita manducant quod postea apud inferos digerunt Many deuoure that in this life which they shall digest in hell These are the Church-briers which let alone wil at last bring as famous a Church as any Christendome hath to beggerie Politicke men begin a pace alreadie to with-hold their children from Schooles and Vniuersities Any profession els better likes them as knowing they may liue well in whatsoeuer calling saue in the ministery The time was that Christ threw the buyers and sellers out of the Temple but now the buyers and sellers haue throwne him out of the Temple Yea they wil throw the church out of the church if they bee not stayed But some may say to me as one aduised Luther when he began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie You had as good hold your peace This wickednesse is so powerfull that you will neuer preuaile against it Get you to your study and say Lord haue mercy on vs and procure your selfe no ill will But be it good will or be it ill will we come hither to speake the truth in our consciences And if these Church-thornes will continue their wickednesse bee it vnto them as they haue deserued If they will needs go to hell let them go we cannot helpe it let them perish I had purposed the discouery of more Brambles but the time forbids it I would to God we were well freed from those I haue taxed THE END Of Thornes THE FIFT SERMON ESA. 9. 18. Wickednesse burneth as the fire it shall deuoure the Bryers and Thornes and shall kindle in the thickets of the Forrest and they shal mount vp like the lifting vp of smoke GREG. lib. 4. Dialog Ad magnam iudicantis iustitiam pertinet vt nunquam mortui careant supplicio qui nunquam viui voluerunt carere peccato LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Iohn Budge and are to be solde at his shop at the great South-dore of Pauls and at Brittaines Burse 1616. THE END Of THORNES THE FIFT SERMON HEB. Chap. 6. Vers. 8. But that which beareth thornes and bryers is reiected and is nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned OVr sinnes are thornes to others some wounding with their direct blowes others with their wipes all with their examples Man only hath not felt their blowes our Sauior also so found them when hee was faine for our sakes to set his naked breast his naked heart his naked soule against them They say the Nightingale sleepes with her breast against a thorne to auoide the Serpent Christ was content to bee wounded euen to sleepe to death with thornes that hee might deliuer vs from that deuouring serpent the great infernall Dragon His head was not onely raked and harrowed with materiall thornes Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum coronatur spinis That head which the Angelical spirits adore and tremble at was crowned with thornes But these mysâ—call thornes our iniquities with fiercer blowes drew bloud of his soule They doe in a sort still Heb. 6. 6. They crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God a fresh and put him to an open shame Not in himselfe for they cannot but can them no thankes they would if they could and to themselues they doe it Wretched men will you not yet let Iesus Christ alone and be at rest will you still offer violence to your blessed Sauiour and labour to pull him downe from his throne to his Crosse from his peaceful glorie at the right hand of his Father to more sufferings You condemne the mercilesse Souldiers that platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his innocent head Sinfull wretch condemne thy selfe Thy sinnes were those thornes and farre sharper Thy oppressions wrongings and wringings of his poore brethren offer him the violence of new wounds thy oathes thy fraudes thy pride scratch him like bryers Heare him complaining from heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee These Thornes grow on earth yet they pricke Iesus Christ in heauen Oh wee little know the price of a sin that thus play the executioners with the Lord of life Thinke thinke Christ felt your sinnes as sharpe thornes Lastly you finde them thornes your selues if Christ did not for you When God shall enliuen and make quicke the sense of your nummed consciences you shall confesse your owne sinnes â—ruell thornes to your soules 2. Cor. 12. A thorne in your flesh that shall buffet you with terror For a while men are insensible of their iniquities Christ Math. 13. 22. calls the riches of this world thornes which choke the good seede of the Gospell The common opinion of the world is that they are goodly fine and smooth things furres to keepe them warme oyle to cheare their faces and wine to their hearts of a silken softnesse to their affections But Christ saith they are thorns stinging and choking thornes And the couetous conscience shall one day perceiue in them Triplicem puncturam a threefold pricking Laboris in acquisitione they are gotten with trouble Timoris in possessione they are kept vvith feare Doloris in amissione they are lost with griefe Men commonly deale with their sinnes as hedgers do when they go to plash thorny bushes they put on tyning gloues that the Thornes may not pricke them So these harden their hearts that their owne thornes may giue them no compunction But all vanities are but like the fooles laughter which Salomon compares to the crackling of thornes vnder a pâ—t they make a noise and suddenly go out But sinne neuer parts with the wicked without leauing a sting behind it Luther saith there are two fiends that torment men in this world and they are sinne and a bad conscience The latter followes the former or if you will the former wounds the latter for sinne is the thorne and the conscience the subiect it strikes This thorne often pricks deepe to the very heart Acts 2. to the very bones Psal. 38. There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne Vis nunquam esse tristis bene viue Nunquam securus est reus animus Wouldest thou neuer be sorrowfull liue well A guilty mind cannot be securely quiet An euill mind is haunted and vexed with the thornes of his owne conscience Sinne to the affections whiles it is doing is oleum vngens supple oyle Sinne to the conscience when it is done is tribulus pungens a pricking thorne What extreame contraries doe often wicked conceits runne into In their time of securitie they cannot be brought to think sinne to be sinne At last desperately they thinke it such a sinne that it cannot be forgiuen At first they are delighted with the
Sauiour and ours hee cannot be vnlesse the Lord make vs his 4. Lastly the Lord giues vs Faith and so we shall receiue a happines by this beleeued Sauiour better then euer our first creation gaue vs a kingdome a kingdome of life an eternall kingdome of life that can neuer be taken from vs. Thus wee are still receiuers and God is the giuer Wee receiue blessing from God Blessing THis word is of a great latitude What good is there which will not be brought within this compasse This blessing hath a double extent There is Beatitudo viae and Beatitudo Patriae A blessing of the way and a blessing of the Countrey one of grace the other of glory The former is either outward or inward 1 Outward Psal. 132. I will abundantly blesse her proutsion I will satisfie her poore with bread Deut. 28. Blessed in the field blessed in the citie The fruits of thy body of thy ground of thy cattell shall be blessed Thy basket thy store thy going out and comming in shall be blessed Which things doe often come to the godly euen on earth and that in abundance For as all haue not riches that exceedingly loue them so many haue them that doe not much care for them Wealth is like a woman the more courted the further off 2 Inward The godly on earth is as it were in the suburbs of heauen whose kingdome consists not in meate and drinke but righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Could his life bee as full of sorrowes as euer Lazarus was full of sores yet he is blessed The Sunne-shine of mercie is still vpon him and the blessing of GOD makes him rich Let the ayre thunder and the earth quake and hell roare yet He that walketh vprightly walketh surely Qui vadit plane vadit sane I haue read it storied of a young Virgin that at a great Princes hands had the choise of three vessels One whereof should be freely giuen her euen that she should chuse The first was a vessell of gold richly wrought and set with precious stones and on it written Who chooseth me shall haue what he deserueth The second was of siluer superscribed thus Who chuseth me shall haue what nature desireth The third was of lead whose motto was this Who chuseth me shall haue what God hath disposed The former pleased her eye well but not her vnderstanding It offred what she deserued She knew that was iust nothing therefore refused it The second considered offred what Nature desires Shee thought that could bee no solide good for Nature desires such things as please the carnall lust This shee also refused The third had a course outside but the sentence pleased her wel offering what God had disposed So she faithfully put her selfe vpon Gods ordinance and chose that This Virginis mans soule The golden vessell is the worlds riches contentfâ—ll to an auarous eye Too many chuse this but being open'd it was full of dead mens bones and a fooles bable To testifie them fooles which cleaue to the world and at last all their hopes shall bee rewarded with a bable Neither is this all Though their inward thought be that their houses shall continue for euer yet they shal be layd in the graue like sheep and death shall feed on them The siluer-vessell is the lusts of the flesh those fond and vaine delights which concupiscence seeks So saith the Motto It giues what nature desireth but corrupt nature affects nothing but what giues coÌ„placency to the flesh This vessell open'd was full of wild fire and an iron whip God shall scourge the lustfull here with the whip of iudgements diseases of body infamy of name ouerthrow of estate vexation of conscience And Satan shall hereafter burne them in wild fire such flames as can neuer bee quenched The leaden vessell is as the sense sentence declares it the blessing of God The chuser of it shall haue what God hath disposed for him Blessed soule that makes this election for opened it was found full of gold and most precious iewels euery one more worth then a world the immortall graces of Gods Spirit The Virgin chose this and she was married to the Kings sonne Chuse this vessell O my soule and Iesus Christ the king of heauen shall marry thee No matter though it seeme lead without glister not with earthly vanities it is rich within the wealth thereof cannot be valued though all the Arithmeticians of the world goe about to summe it There bee many that say who will shewe vs anie good Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. This blessing hath yet a further extent to the blessednesse of our Countrey when wee shall heare it Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For si sic bonus es sequentibus te qualis futurus es consequentibus If thou Lord be so good to those that follow thee what wilt thou be to those that finde thee If there be such blessing in this world what shall that be in the life to come If the first fruites of our inheritance and the earnest of the spirit bee so graciously sweete here surely when that infinite masse of glory shall be broken vp and communicated to vs we shall be wonderfully rauished When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall bee done away This is beat a vita in fonte sayth Aug. a blessed life indeed Aeterna sine successione distributa sine diminutione communis sine inuidia sufficiens sine indigentia iucunda sine tristitia beata sine omni miseria Thou wilt shewe mee the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore No tongue can declare this blessing happy heart that shall feele it whose glorified eye shall one day behold all and ten thousand times more then we haue spoken Who shall say as it is in the Psalme Sicut 〈◊〉 it a vidimus as we haue heard so wee haue seene in the Citie of our God As we haue heard it preached on earth we now finde it true in heauen though the Citie we enioy farre excell the mappe we sawe Well this is Gods blessing and he will giue it to the good ground Labour we then to bee fruitfull Gardens and to abound with gracious herbes that God may in this world showre vpon vs the deawes of his mercie and after this life transplant vs to his heauenly Paradise Let not the pleasures of sinne the lusts of the wanton flesh the riches snares cares of the world nor all those transient delights whose taste is only in the sense the operation in the conscience that tickle men for an houre and wound them for euer nor all those vaine desires of carnall complacency which shall one day bee layd vpon Gods cold earth intercept vs to the priuation of