time nature's time of her yearely resurrection they be no sooner out but up they shoot and never leave to aspire till they have atteined the full pitch of their highest growth they can ascend to In our selves though I know for earthly men to have earthly minds it is not strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having clay to our father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dust to our Sire we should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our soules should cleave to the dust as Nâ—zianzen excellently saith Not strange I say that so it is with us yet so it should not be The very Heathen saw that though we be made of the earth yet we are not made for the earth That the heavenly soule was not put into the earthly body to the end the earthly body should draw it downe to the earth but rather to the end the soule should lift it up to heaven And so much they gathered out of our Os sublime and vultus ad sydera the very frame of our body that beares up thitherward and bodes as it were a kinde of ascending whither it lookes and gives naturally Nature doth teach this But grace by Christ's example much better If Christ rise that we rise with Christ Not in body yet but to compt our selves dead to sinne and rise from that and live to GOD the first resurrection And if Christ ascend we likewise to ascend Apoc. 20.5 not to part with Him but to follow Him as we may Not yet in body it cannot be sursum corpora yet it may be sursum corda we may lift up our hearts thither though There our treasure is if Christ be our treasure there our hearts to be there we in heart to be at least which is the first ascension the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it the praeludium so There are two words in the Text 1 Nondum ascendi I am not yet ascended and 2 ascendo yet I ascend though which will very well fitt us if while we are not at ascendi yet that is in body ascended we be for all that at ascendo that is ascend in mind even as Christ heere did Psal. 84.5 And Blessed is the man saith the Psalme cui in corde ascensiones that hath the ascension in his heart or his heart on it That while it is nondum ascendi with him yet at times it is ascendo lifts up his eyes sends up his sighes exalts his thoughts otherwhile represents as Christ doth anticipates the ascension Voto desiderio in will and desire before the time it selfe come of the last and finall ascension Thus much for ascendo Ascendo is a motion Every motion hath an Vnde and a quò IIII. Ad â—atrem meum The Ad quâ—m a whence and a whither a terminus à quo and a terminus ad quem The ad quem is heere ad Patrem To ascend is to Christ His naturall motion Heaven is his naturall place Thence He came Thither He is to goe againe Specially His worke being done He came for That was consummatum est with us three dayes since But till He be in heaven againe it is not consummatum est with Him So Chap 19 30. the motion is naturall And the Ad quem ad Patrem no lesse Seeing for the Sonne to goe to the Father is very kindly too we may not be against it Christ said If you loved me Chap. 14.28 you would verily rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father For very love to Christ we cannot but rejoyce with Him In the ad quem all is well if we consider that But so is not in the à quo For when all is said make the best of it we can ascendo is discedo to goe up is to goe from from them And this is no good newes For Him no sooner to come but gone againe and leave them to the wide world it might trouble them for all Tell my Brethren For by Brethren He might meane false brethren that had left Him and so would He them now and peradventure doe their errand in heaven to His father and make them have but little thankes for it at His hands So that this ascendo implying a nolo manere in a manner was as evill to them as noli me tangere was to her Et Patrem vestrum What is then become of the Gospell we spake of where or what is their comfort or ours in these tydings To deale plainely when we seeke it in ascendo we find it not Nor in ad Patrem Nor in ad Patrem meum None of these is it But in His ad Patrem vestrum there we find it there it is There was you will say as much as this comes to in fratres meos It is true it implied no lesse But CHRIST would not deliver this implicitè by way of implying but explicitè as explicate and plainely as He could And not once but twise And it is a happy turne for us He did so For this point can never be too plainely spoken to too often repeated too much stood upon All the joy of the morning is in this vestrum Tell them I goe to the Father that is not all Tell them this too As I goe to the Father so the Father I go to is their father as well as mine Not mine alone but theirs also And tell them againe that if Patrem meum be the cause of my ascending as heere is none other set downe If I go to Him thus because He is my Father because He is theirs also they also shall come after me the same way to the same place upon the same reason And He doth expresse heere the terminus ad quem by the Party to whom rather then by the Place to which because the Party will soone bring us to the Place and to somewhat besides To the Place For you shall see what will follow of this that His house that heaven is now become Paterna domus to us as our father's house And who shall keepe us from our father's house No more strangers now but of the houshold of GOD. And in the Houshold not servants but children and have thereto as good right and title shall be as welcome thither every way as any child to his owne father's house heere useth to be GOD through Him standing no otherwise affected to us then as a father to his child as well disposed as willing as ready to receive us CHRIST his beloved Sonne Matt. 3.17 in whom He is so absolutely well pleased as He alwaies heares him hath prayed to Him and obtained of Him Chap. 14.3 that where He is we may be also and in due time ascend up whither He is now ascended Pandens iter coram nobis opening the passage for us to follow Him Mic. 2.13 But I told you there was somewhat in the Person more then in the Place For by vertue of this Patrem vestrum Roâ— 8 15. while we
hominibus in homines bona voluntas Glorie be to GOD in the high Heavens and peace upon earth and * Or in men towards men good will THE Antheme of the Queere of Heaven for this day For having heard the Angells Sermon at twise 1 Of the Nativitie 2 Of the Invention of CHRIST and seene the Queere of Angells set with their nature and condition there remains nothing but the Antheme to make up a full service for the Day This is it Saint Luke besides that he is an Evangelist hath the honour further that he is the Psalmist of the New Testament foure Hymnes more hath he added to those of the Old Of which foure this is so much the more excellent then the rest in that it is not of any mans setting though never so skilfull the Dittie and it are both Angelicall from the Angells both That we praise GOD with the tongue of Angells whensoever we praise Him with this with Gloria in excelsis The Summe of it is that though all dayes of the yeare and for all benefits The Summe yet this day and for this now above all GOD is highly to be glorified More highly then in others Nay most highly then for it is in altissimis the highest of all That Heaven and Earth and men are to joine in one consort Heaven and Earth first Heaven on high Earth beneath to take up one hymne both in honour of His birth both are better by it Heaven hath glorie Earth peace by meanes of it Heaven hath glorie laetentur coeli Earth peace exultet terra at thy Nativity O LORD Psal. 96.11 Warranted by this Song at thy Nativity O LORD let the heavens rejoice for the glorie let the Earth be glad for the peace that come to them by it And men hominibus though they rest and come in last after both yet they to do it as much Nay much more then both for Gods good will toward them which brought all this to passe in Heaven and Earth both restoring men to Gods favour and grace and all by meanes of this Child their Reconciler to GOD that hath beene their Pacifier on earth that is their Glorifier in Heaven that shall be They therefore if any nay more then any and now if eve r nay more then ever to beare their part in this glorious hymne at the cratch side Ita canunt in Nativitate quae per Nativitatem Thus sing they at His Nativitie of those things that came by His Nativitie Came to Heaven to Earth to Men Glorie to Heaven Peace to Earth Grace and favour to men The Division To take a Song right it behoveth to know the parts of it And they are easily knowne They divide themselves into the number blessed above all numbers because it is the number of the Blessed Trinitie and the mysterie of the TRINITIE do the Fathers finde in the parts of it Eph. 2 14. 1 In GOD on high the Father 2 In peace Ipse est Pax nostra the SONNE 3 And in Good will the HOLY GHOST the Essentiall Love and Love-knott of the God-head and this day of the Man-hood and it Being Ode natalitia if we consider it as a Nativitie they that calculate or cast Nativities in their calculations stand much upon Triplicities and Trigons and Trine aspects And heer they be all A triplicitie of things 1 Glorie 2 Peace 3 and Good-will A Trigon of Parties 1 GOD 2 Earth and 3 Men. And a trine aspect râ—ferendo singula singulis 1 To GOD glorie 2 to Earth peace 3 to Men favor grace or goodwill But if as it is most proper we consider the parts as in a Song The three will well agree with the Scale in Musique 1 In excelsis on high Hypate 2 On earth Nete 3 And men howsoever they come in last they make Mese the Meane Most fittly for they as in the midst of both â—he other partake of both 1 Their soule from on high 2 Their body from the earth Not the heathen but did confesse the soule divinae particulam aurae And for the body there needs no pâ—oofe that earth it is Earth to earth we heare we see before our eyes every day Of these three parts then asunder And after as the nature of a Song requireth of their 1 Conjunction 2 Order and 3 Division 1 Coâ—junction Glorie on high and in earth Peace 2 Then the order or Sequence But first glorie then Peace 3 And last the division sorting them suum cuique each to his owne 1 To GOD glorie 2 Peace to the earth 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men 4 Last of the singing of the Hymne 1 When the time 2 and by Whom I. The sâ—verall accâ—ption of the Text. There are in this Hymne as the Greekes read and we with them three Rests The ground of which three are three Parties 1 In excelsis Deo GOD on high 2 In terrâ earth 3 and Hominibus men To thâ—se three other three 1 Glorie 2 Peace 3 Good-will as it were three streames having their head or spring in CHRISTS cratch and spreading themselves thence By the Greâ—â—es three sundry wayes having their influence into the three former One of these into some one of them Glorie upward in excelsis Peace downward to the earth Good-will to men in the middest between both compound of both You will marke The Child heer is GOD and Man GOD from on high Man from the earth To heaven whence He is GOD thither goeth Glorie To earth whence man thither Peace Then as GOD and Man is one CHRIST and as the reasonable soule and flâ—sh is one man So CHRIST consisting of these two brings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fullnesse of GODS favour the true and â—eall cause of both yeilding them peace while heer on earth and assuring them of glorie when there on high as thither on high we trust to be delivered after our time heer spent in procuring Heaven glorie and â—arth peace Thus three Rests 2. By the Latines But let me not keepe from you that the Latine hath but two Rests and of the Greeke some likewise To two they reduce all and well The Places are but two 1 On high 2 and in earth The Persons but two 1 GOD â— and Men So the Parts to be but two 1 Glorie on high to GOD 2 Peace on earth to Men. But then what shall become of Good-will Good-will is a good word would not be lost or left out No more it shall And indeed the diverse reading of that one word makes the parts to be either two or three The Greeks read it in the Nominative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which referres to men then there must needs be three there are two besides The Latines seeme to have read it in the Genitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one letter more And so they make it of the nature of a limitation Peace on earth to men What to
are all sights So that know this and know all This generally 2 The Obiect specially 1. The Passion it selfe Quid. Now specially In the Obiect two things offer themselves 1 The Passion or suffering it selfe which was to be pierced 2 And the Persons by whom For if the Prophet had not intended the Persons should have had their respect too he might have said Respicient in Eum qui transfixus est which Passive would have carried the Passion it selfe full enough but so he would not but rather chose to say Quem transfixerunt which doth necessarily imply the Piercers themselves too So that we must needs have an eye in the handling both to the fact and to the persons 1 Quid and 2 quibus both what and of whom 1. The Degree thereof Transfixerunt In the Passion we first consider the degree for transfixerunt is a word of gradation more then fixerunt or suffixerunt or confixerunt either Expressing unto us the piercing not with whipps and scourges nor of the neiles and thornes but of the speare-point Not the whipps and scourges wherwith His skin and flesh were pierced nor the nailes and thorns wherewith his feet hands and head were pierced but the Speare-point which pierced and went through his very heart it selfe for of that wound of the wound in his heart is this spoken Io. 19.34 Therefore trans is heer a transcendent through and through through skin and flesh through hands and feet through side and heart and all the deadliest and deepest wound and of highest gradation 2. The Extent Me. Secondly as the Preposition Trans hath his gradation of divers degrees so the Pronoune Me hath his generality of divers parts best expressed in the Originall Vpon Me not upon my body and soule Vpon Me whose Person not whose parts either body without or soule within but Vpon Me whom wholly body and soule quicke and dead they have pierced 1. His 〈◊〉 Of the bodie 's piercing there can be no question since no part of it was left unpierced Our senses certifie us of that what need we further witnesse 2. His Soule Of the Soule 's too it is as certaine and there can be no doubt of it neither that we truly may affirme CHRIST not in part but wholly was piercâ—d For we should do injury to the sufferings of our Saviour if we should conceive by this piercing none other but that of the Speare And may a soule then be pierced Can any Speare-point go through it Truly Simeon â—aith to the Blessed Virgin by way of prophecie that the sworâ— should go through her soule Luâ— 2 35. at the time of His Passion And as the sword thrâ—uâ—h hâ—r 's so I make no question but the Speare through His. And if through her's which was but anima compatientis through His much more which was anima patientis since Compassion is but Passion at rebound Howbeit it is not a sword of steele or a Speare-head of iron that entreth the soule but a metall of another temper the dint whereof no lesse goreth and woundeth the soule in proportion then those doe the body So that we extend this piercing of CHRIST further then to the visible gash in His side even to a piercing of another nature whereby not His heart onely was stabbed but his very spirit wounded too The Scripture recounteth two and of them both expressly saith that they both pierce the soule The Apostle saith it by Sorrow 1. Tim. 6.10 And pierced themselves through with many sorrowes The Prophet of Reproach Psal. 64.34 There are whose words are like the pricking of a sword and that to the soule both for the body feeles neither With these even with both these was the Soule of CHRIST IESVS wounded For sorrow it is plaine through all foure Evangelists With Sorrow * Matt. 26.38 Mar. 14.34 undique tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem My soule is invironed on every side with sorrow even to the death a Mar. 14.33 Coepit IESVS taedere pavere IESVS began to be distressed and in great anguish b Luc. 22.44 Factus in agoniâ being cast into an agonie c Ioh. 12.27 Iam turbata est anima mea Now is my soule troubled Avowed by them all Confest by Himselfe Yea that His strange and never els heard of sweat dropps of bloud plenteously issuing from Him all over his body what time no manner of violence was offered to his body no man then touching him none being neere him that bloud came certainly from some great sorrow wherewith his soule was pierced And that his most dreadfull crie which at once moved all the powers of heaven and earth My God My God c was the voice of some mighty Anguish Matt 27.46 wherewith His soule was smitten and that in other sort then with any materiall speare For Derelinqui à Deo the body cannot feele it or tell what it meaneth It is the soule 's complaint and therefore without all doubt His soule within him was pierced and suffered though not that which except charity be allowed to expound it cannot be spoken without blasphemy Not so much GOD forbid yet much and very much and much more then others seeme to allow or how much it is dangerous to define To this edge of sorrow if the other of piercing despight With Reproach be added as a point as added it was it will strike deepe into any heart especially being wounded with so many sorrowes before But the more noble the heart the deeper Who beareth any griefe more easily then this griefe the griefe of a contumelious reproach To persecute a poore distressed soule Psal. 69 26. and to seeke to vexe him that is already wounded at the heart why it is the verie pitch of all wickednesse the verie extremity that malice can doe or affliction can suffer And to this pitch were they come when after all their wretched villanies and spitting and all their savage indignities in reviling Him most opprobriously He being in the depth of all his distresse and for verie anguish of soule crying Eli Eli c they stayed those that would have relieved Him and void of all humanity then scorned saying stay let alone let us see if ELIAS will now come take him downe Matt. 27.49 This barbarous and brâ—tish inâ—â—mâ—nitie of theirs must needs pierce deeper into his soule then ever did the iron into his side To all which if we yet add not onely that horrible ingratitude of theirs there by him seen but ours also no less then theirs by him foreseen at the same time Who make so slender reckoning of these his piercings and as they were a matter not worth the looking on vouchsafe not so much as to spend an houre in the due regard and meditation of them Nay not that onely but further by uncessant sinning and that without remorse do most unkindly requite those His bitter Paines
three First Iona's whale death it was not it was but danger but danger as neer death as could be never man in more danger to scape it then he if not in death in Zalmaveth in the vale of the shadow of death it was Psal 23.4 Of any that hath beene in extreme perill we use to say he hath beene where Ionas was By Iona's going downe the whale's throat by Him againe comming forth of the whale's mouth we expresse we even point out the greatest extremitie and the greatest deliverance that can be From any such danger a deliverance is a kinde of resurrection as the Apostle plainly speakes of Isaac when the knife was at his throte he was received from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though yet he did not Heb. 11.19 This for the feast of the Resurrection And thus was Ionas a signe to them of Ninive As he scaped so they he his whale they theirs destruction which even gaped for them as wide as Iona's whale And as to them a Signe this so to us And this use we have of it When at any time we are hard bestead this signe then to be set up for a token And there is no danger so deadly but we may hold fast our hope if we set this signe before us and say What we are not yet in the whale's belly why if we were there from thence can GOD bring us though as Ionas He did Iona's whale was but the shadow of death CHRIST'S was death And even there in death to be set up And we no not in death it selfe to despaire Iob 13.15 but with Iob to say yea though He kill me yet will I trust in Him My breath I may my hope I will not forgoe expirare possum desperare non possum Heer now is our second hope to come forth to be delivered from CHRIST'S whale from death it selfe But if the whale be or betoken the death of the bodie it doth much more the death of the soule So shall we finde another whale yet a third And that whale is the red dragon that great spirituall Liviathan Satan And sin Apoc. 1◠3 the very iawes of this whale that swoupeth downe the soule first and then the bodie and in the end both Ionas has been deepe downe this whale's throte before ever he came in the others The land-whale had devoured him before ever the Sea whale medled with him In his flight he fell into this land-whale's iawes before ever the Sea-whale swallowed him up And when he had got out of the gorge of this ghostly Liviathan the other bodily whale could not long hold him And from this third whale was Ionas sent to deliver the Ninivites which when he had the other of their temporall destruction could do them no hurt Their repentance ridd them of both whales bodily and ghostly at once Heer then is a third Cape of good hope that though one had been downe as deep in the entrailes of the spirituall great Liviathan as ever was Ionas in the Sea-whale's yet even there also not to despaire He that brought Ionas from the deepe of the Sea and David from the deepe of the Earth his bodie so He also delivered his soule from the nethermost hell where Ionas and He both were Psal. 71.20 Psal. 86.13 while they were in the transgression And now by this are we come to the very Signature of this signe even to Repentance which followeth in the very next words for they repented at the preaching of Ionas Ionas preached it Ver. 41. and indeed none so fit to preach on that theme on repentance as he as one that hath been in the whale's bellie in both the whale's the spirituall whale's too for Ionas had been in both One that hath studied his sermon there been in Satan's sive well winnowed cribratus Theologus he will handle the point best as being not onely a preacher but a Signe of repentance as Ionas was both to the Ninivites And as Ionas so Christ how soon He was risen He gave order streight that repentance as the very vertue the stamp of His resurrection and by it remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations Luc. 24.47 But indeed if you marke well there is a neer alliance between the Resurrection and Repentance reciprocall as between the Signe and the Signature Repentance is nothing but the soule 's resurrection Men are dead in sinne saith the Apostle their soules are Ephe. 2.1 From that death there is a rising Els were it wrong with us That rising is repenting And when one hath lien dead in sinne long and doth eluctari wrastle out of a sinne that hath long swallowed him up he hath done as great a masterie as if with Ionas he had got out of the whale's belly Nay as if with Lazarus be had come out of the heart of the earth Ever holding this that Marie Magdalen raised from sinne was no lesse a miracle then her brother raised from the dead And sure Repentance is the very vertue of Christ's Resurrection There it is first seen it first sheweth it selfe hath his first operation in the soule to raise it This first being once wrought on the soule from the ghostly Liviathan the like will not faile but be accomplished on the bodie from the other of death of which Ionas is heer Mysterium magnum dico autem in Christo. For in Christ this Signe is a Signe Ephe. 5.32 not betokening onely but exhibiting also what it betokeneth as the Sacraments doe For of Signes some shew onely and worke nothing such was that of Ionas in it selfe Sed Ecce plus quà m Ionas hîc For some other there be that shew and worke-both Ver. 42. worke what they shew present us with what they represent what they sett before us set or graft in us Such is that of Christ. For besides that it setts before us of His it is further a seale or pledge to us of our owne that what we see in Him this day shall be accomplished in our owne selves at His good time And even so passe we to another Mysterie For one Mysterie leads us to another this in the Text to the holy Mysteries we are providing to partake which doe worke like and doe worke to this Even to the raising of the soule with the first resurrection Apoc 20.5 And as they are a meanes for the raising of our soule out of the soile of sin for they are given us and we take them expressly for the remission of sinnes so are they no lesse a meanes also for the raising our bodies out of the dust of death The signe of that Bodie which was thus in the heart of the earth to bring us from thence at the last Our Saviour saith it totidem verbis Who so eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Bloud Ioh. 6.54 I will raise him up at the last day raise him whither He hath raised himselfe Not
aske the caâ—se why why weepe you shew they would remoove it if it lay in them Neither of these did or could moove her or make her once leaue her weeping she wept on still Christ will aske her quid ploras by and by againe If she finde an Angel if she finde not her Lord it will not serve She had rather finde his dead body then them in all their glory No man in earth no Angell in heaven can comfort her none but He that is taken away CHRIST and none but CHRIST and till she find Him againe her soule refuseth all manner comfort yea even from heaven even from the Angels themselves These three Amor super amissum tenuens câ—nsolari Thus she in her love for her supposed losse or taking away And what shall become of us in ours then That lose Him 1 not once but oft 2 And not in suppose as she did but in very deed 3 And that by sinne the worst losse of all And that not by any others taking away but by our owne act and wilfull default and are not grieved nay not mooved a whit breake none of our wonted sports for it as if we reckoned Him as good lost as found Yea when CHRIST and the holy Ghost and the favour of GOD and all is gone how soone how easily are we comforted again for all this that none shall need to say quid ploras to us rather quid non ploras aske us why we weepe not having so good cause to do it as we then have This for the Angel's part VER 14. When she had thus said she turned her selfe about and saw Iesus standing and knew not that it was Iesus Alwayes the Angels we see touched the right string and she tells them the wrong cause but yet the right if it had beene right Now to this answer of hers they would have replyed and taken away her errour touching her Lord's taking away that if she knew all she would have left her seeking and sit her downe by them and left her weeping and beene in white as well as they But here is a supersadeuâ— to them The Lord himselfe comes in place Now come we from the seeking Him dead to the finding Him alive For when He saw no Angels no sight no speech of theirs wâ—uld serve none but her Lord could give her any comfort Her Lord comes Christuâ— adest Adest Christuâ— nec ab eis vnquâ—m abest à quibus quaeritur saith Augustine Christ is found found by her And this case of hers shall be the case of all that seriously seeke Him This woman heer for one she sought Him we see They that went to Emmauâ— to day they but talked of Him sadly and they both found Him Why Hee is found of them that seeke Him not Esa. 65.1 but of them that seeke Him never but found For thou Lord never fastest them that seeke Thee Psal. 9.10 God is not unrighteous to forget the worke and about of their love that seeke Him Heb. 6.10 So finde Him they shall but happily not all so fully at first no more then she did For first to try her yet a little further He comes unknowne stands by her and she little thought it had beene He â—cts 17.27 â—ob 9.11 A case that likewise falls out full oft Doubtlesse He is not farre from every one of us saith the Apostle to the Athenians But He is neerer us many times then we thinke even hard by us and we not aware of it saith Iob. And O sicognovisses tu O if we did know and it standeth vs in hand to pray that we may know when He is so â—uke 19.42 for that is the time of our visitation â—uke 19.44 Saint Iohn faith here the Angels were sitting Saint Luke saith they stood Luk. 24.4 They are thus reconciled That Christ comming in presence the Angels which before were sitting stood up Their standing up made Mary Magdalen turne her to see who it was they rose to And so Christ she saw but knew Him not Not onely not knew Him but mis-knew Him tooke him for the Gardiner Teares will dim the sight and it was yet scarse day and she seeing one and not knowing what any one should make in the ground so early but he that dressed it she might well mistake Luke 24.16 Mat 16.12 But it was more then so Her eyes were not holden onely that she did not know Him but over and beside He did appeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some such shape as might resemble the Gardiner whom she tooke Him for Proper enough it was it fitted well the time and place this person The time It was the Spring The place It was a garden that place is most in request at that time for that place and time a Gardiner doth well Of which her so taking Him Saint Gregory saith well Profecto errando non erravit She did not mistake in taking Him for a Gardiner though she might seeme to erre in some sense yet in some other she was in the right For in a sense and a good sense CHRIST may well be said to be a Gardiner and indeed is one For our rule is Christ as He appeares so He is ever No false semblant in Him 1. A Gardiner He is then The first the fairest garden that ever was Paradise He was the Gardiner it was of His planting So a Gardiner 2 And ever since it is He that as God makes all our gardens greene sends us yeerely the Spring and all the herbs and flowers we then gather and neither Paul with his planting nor Apollo with his watering could doe any good without him So a Gardiner in that sense 3 But not in that alone but He it is that gardens our soules too and makes them as the Prophet saith Like a well watered Garden weedes out of them whatsoever is noysome or unfavourie Ier. 31.11 sowes and plants them with true rootes and seedes of righteousnesse waters them with the dew of His grace and makes them bring forth fruit to eternall life But it is none of all these but besides all these nay over and above all these this day if ever most properly He was a Gardiner Was one and so after a more peculiar manner might take this likenesse on Him Christ rising was indeed a Gardiner and that a strange one who made such an herbe grow out of the ground this day as the like was never seene before a dead body to shoote foorth alive out of the grave 〈…〉 was He so this day alone No but this profession of His this day begun He will follow to the end For He it is that by vertue of this morning's acâ— shall garden our bodies too turne all our graves into garden-plots Yea shall one day tuâ—ne land Sea and all into a great garden and so husband them as they shall in 〈◊〉 time bring foorth live bodies even all our bodies alive againe Long before did Esai see this and
to teach them now or frame their manners they were now to be put in heart The Spirit of truth or holinesse would have done them small pleasure It was comfort they wanted a Comforter to them was worth all Many good blessings come to us by the Holy Ghost's comming and the Spirit in any forme of truth or holinesse or what ye will by all meanes worthy to be received even all His gifts but a gift in season goes beyond all carrieth away the name from all the rest Every gift then in his time When troubled with erroneous opinions then the Spirit of truth when assaulted with tentations then the Spirit of holinesse but when appressed with feare or sorrow then is the time of the Holy Ghost the Comforter Sorrow doth chill and make the spirits congele therefore he appeareth in fire to give them warmth and in a tongue the instrument of comfort by ministring a word in due season and cloven that it might meet with dismayes of all sorts and comfort them against all And so did it and that apparantly For immediatly upon the receiving it they were thought to be full of new wine That was but an error but so comforted they were as before being exceeding fearfull they grew exceeding full of courage and Spirit so as Act 5.41 even when they were scourged piteously ibant gaudentes they went away not patiently induring but even sensibly rejoycing not as men evill entreated but as persons dignified having gott a new dignitie to be compted worthy to suffer for CHRIST 's Name 6 Another Comforter A Comforter then and two things are added 1 Alium and 2 qui manebit in aeternum Another Comforter and 3 that shall abide with them for ever Both which are verified of Him even in regard of CHRIST but much more in regard of other earthly fleshly worldly comforts and Comforters whatsoever Another which word presupposes one besides so that two there be 3One they have already and now another they shall have which is no evill newes For thus in stead of a single they find a double comfort But both they needed This setts us on worke to find the first and we shall not need to seek farr for Him Speake to them of a Comforter and they understood it not but of CHRIST all their comfort in Him lose Him and lose all Indeed CHRIST was one was and is still 1. Ioh. 2.1 And the very terme of Paracletus is given Him by S. Iohn and though it there be turned an Advocate upon good reason yet the word is the same in both CHRIST had been their Comforter while He was their Bridegroom and they the children of the Bride-chamber Mat. 9.15 But expedient it was He should go for expedient it was they had one in heaven and expedient withall they had one in earth and so another in His stead For the first even now absent He is our Comforter still that way we named right now that is our Advocate to appeare for us before GOD there to answer the slanderous allegations of him that is the accuser of us and our brethren Apoc. 12 10. And a comfort it is and a great Comfort to have a good Advocate there in our absence For then we be sure our cause shall take no harme 2· Ioh. 5.45 But secondly If as an Advocate He cannot defend us because the accusation oft falleth out to be true if MOSES accuse us too yet a second comfort there is that as a 〈◊〉 Priest for ever He is entered into the holy places made without hands Heb. 7.17.9.11 there by His â—â—â—ercession to make atonement for them as Sinners whose innocencie as an Advocate He cannot defend And to both these He addeth a third at the beginning of this Chapter That His leaving them is but to take up a place for them to be seised of it in their names whom He will certainely come againe and receive to it there to be for ever with Him Verse 2. And in the meane time He will take order we shall have supplie of another in absence of His body the supply of His Spirit That if we looke up we have a Comforter in heaven even Himselfe and if we looke downe we have a Comforter on earth His Spirit and so are at an anchor in both For as He doth in heaven for us So doth the Spirit on earth in us frame our petitions and make intercession for us with sighes that cannot be expressed And Rom. 8.25.26 Rom. 8.16 as CHRIST is our Witnesse in heaven so is the Spirit heere on earth witnessing with our Spirits that we pertaine to the adoption and are the children of GOD. Evermore in the midst of the sorrowes that are in our hearts with his comforts refreshing our soules Yet not filling them with false comforts but as Christ's Advocate heere on earth soliciting us daily and calling upon us to looke to His Commandements and keepe them wherein standeth much of our comfort even in the testimonie of a good conscience And thus these two this one and this other this second and that first yield plentifull supplie to all our wants A second note of difference is in the tenure they shall have of this other 7 To abide foâ— ever that He shall stay with them still which of Christ they had not For this is the gâ—iefe when we have one that is our comfort that we cannot hold Him and this their feare that when they have another still they shall be changing and never at any certainty Christ as man they could not keepe Given He was by the Father but given for terme of yeares that terme expired He was to returne Therefore his abode is Chap. 1. ver 14. expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the setting up of a Tent or Tabernacle to be taken downe againe and removed within a short time No dwelling of continuance But the HOLY GHOST shall continue with us still and therefore He is allowed a Temple which is permanent and never to be taken downe We have in Him 1. Cor. 3.16.6.19 a state of perpetuitie to our endlesse comfort Howbeit it may well be thought Alium and manebit in aeternum are not put so much for Christ to make a difference from Him as for these same other terrenae consolatiunculae petie poore comforts and solaces of the world which GOD hath given us and we may use but we must looke after Paracletum alium another and another manner Comforter when all is done For of these it may be we shall feele some comfort while we be in health and meetly good estate and in case not much to need it But let us come into their cases heere the heart troubled the minde oppressed the Spirit wounded and then what earthly thing will there be can minister any sound comfort to us It will not be we must needs seeke for this Paracletum alium heere at any hand What speake I of the
saved no ioy so great no news so welcome as to one ready to perish in case of a lost man to heare of one that will save him In danger of perishing by sicknesse to heare of one will make him well againe By sentence of the Law of one with a pardon to save his life By enemies of one that will rescue and set him in safety Tell any of these assure them but of a Saviour it is the best newes he ever heard in his life There is ioy in the name of a Saviour And even this way this Child is a SAVIOVR too Potest hoc facere sed hoc non est opus Eius This He can do but this is not His worke a further matter there is a greater Salvation He came for And it may be we need not any of these we are not presently sicke in no feare of the Law in no danger of enemies And it may be if we were we phansie to our selves to be releeved some other way But that which He came for that saving we need all and none but He can helpe us to it We have therefore all cause to be glad for the Birth of this SAVIOVR I know not how but when we heare of saving or mention of a Saviour presently our mind is carried to the saving of our skin of our temporall state of our bodily life and further saving we think not of But there is another life not to be forgotten and greater the dangers and the destruction there more to be feared then of this heer and it would be well sometimes we were remembred of it Besides our skinne and flesh a soule we have and it is our better part by farr that also hath need of a Saviour that hath her destruction out of which that hath her destroyer from which she would be saved and those would be thought on Indeed our chiefe thought and care would be for that how to escape the wrath how to be saved from the destruction to come whither our sinnes will certainely bring us Sinne it is will destroy us all And to speake of a Saviour there is no person on earth hath so much need of a Saviour as hath a sinner Nothing so dangerous so deadly unto us as is the sinne in our bosome nothing from which we have so much need to be saved whatsoever account we make of it From it commeth upon us all the evill of this life and from it all the evill of the life to come in comparison whereof these heer are not worth the speaking of Above all then we need a Saviour for our soules and from our sinnes and from the everlasting destruction which sinne will bring upon us in the other life not farr from us not from him of us that thinketh it farthest off Then if it be good tidings to heare of a Saviour where it is but a matter of the losse of earth or of this life here how then when it commeth to the losse of Heaven to the danger of Hell when our soule is at the stake and the well doing or vndoing of it for ever He that could save our soules from that Destroyer were not the birth of such an one good newes trow Is not such a Saviour worth the harkening after Is he not It is then because we have not that sense of our soules and the dangers of them that we have of our bodies nor that feare of our ghostly enemies nor that lively apprehension of the eternall torments of that place and how neere we are to it nothing being betwixt us and it but this poore puffe of breath which is in our nosthrills Our carnall part is quicke and sensible our spirituall is dead and dull We have not the feeling of our sinnes that we have of our sicknesse if we had we would heare this newes with greater cheerefullnesse and hold this Day of the birth of such a SAVIOVR with ioy indeed We cannot conceive it yet this destruction is not neere enough to affect us Ier. 30.24 But in novissimo intelligetis planè in the end when the Destroyer shall come and we shall finde the want of a Saviour we shall plainly vnderstand this and value this benefit and the ioy of it as we ought and finde there is no ioy in the earth to the ioy of a Saviour There is borne a Saviour is the first The Angel addeth further 2. Which is CHRIST A Saviour which is CHRIST For many Saviours had been borne many had GOD sent them that at diverse times had set them free from diuerse dangers of their enemies MOSES from the Aegyptians IOSHVA from the Canaanites GEDEON from the Madianites IEPTHA from the Ammonites SAMPSON from the Philistims And indeed the whole story of the Bible is nothing els but a Calender of Saviours that GOD from time to time still stirred them up But these all were but petie Saviours there was one yet behind that was worth them all One that should save his people from their Sinnes Save not their bodies for a time Mat. 1.21 but their soules for ever which none of those Saviours could do One therefore much spoken of wished for and waited for a Saviour which was CHRIST when He came they looked for great matters as said the Woman at the Wells side Ioh 4.25 For He was the most famous and greatest SAVIOVR of all And this is He A Saviour which is CHRIST He of whom all the Promises made mention and He the performance of them all of whom all the Types vnder the Law were shadowes and He the substance of them all Of whom all the Prophecies ranne and He the fulfilling of them all He of whom all those inferiour Saviours were the figures and forerunners and He the accomplishment of all that in them was wanting This is He IACOB's a Gen. 49.10 Shiloh ESAYE's b Esa. 7 14. Immanuel IEREMIE's c Ier. 23.5 Branch DANIEL's d Dan 9.29 Messias ZACHARIE's e Zach. 6 12. Chap 1 27. Oriens ab alto AGGEI's f Aâ—ge 2.9 Desideratus cunctis Gentibus The Desire of all the Nations then and now the Ioy of all Nations a Saviour which is CHRIST And what is meant by this terme CHRIST A Saviour annoynted or as in another place it is said more agreeable to our phrase of speaking a * Ioh. 6.27 Saviour sealed a Saviour under GODS Great Seale That is not as those other were Saviours raised up of a sudden upon some occasion to serve the turne for the present and never heard of till they came but a Saviour in GODS fore-counsell resolved on and given forth from the beginning promised and foretold and now signed and senâ— with absolute Commission and fullnesse of power to be the perfect and compleat SAVIOVR of all And to be it ex Officio His Office His very profession to be one that all may have right to repaire unto Him and find it at His hands Not a Saviour incidently
out of the rocke for them CHRIST is himselfe the true Manna CHRIST the spirituall rocke whom He leads He feeds carries Bethlehem about Him Heb. 13.9 Ioh. 6.33.48 Psal. 116.13 Plaine by the ordeining of His last Sacrament as the meanes to re-establish our hearts with grace and to repaire the decaies of our Spirituall strength Even His owne flesh the bread of life and His owne blood the cup of Salvation Bread made of Himselfe the true granum frumenti Ioh. 12.24.15.1 wheat corne Io. 12.24 Wine made of Himselfe the true vine Went under the Sickle Flaile Milstone and Oven even to be made this bread Trode or was troden in the winepresse alone Esa. 63.3 to Prepare this cup for us And in this respect it may well be sayd Bethlehem was never Bethlehem right had never the name truely till this day this birth this Bread was borne and brought forth there Before it was the house of bread but of the bread that perisheth but then Ioh. 6.27 of the bread that endureth to everlasting life That it might seeme inter alia to have beene one of the ends of His being borne there to make it Bethlehem veri nominis Bethlehem truely so called The manner of His leading And this is His Office Now all the doubt will be how He can performe this Office to us goe before us and be our Guide Seeing He is now in Heaven at His journies end and we in Earth by the way still No matter for that He hath left us first the way traced by the steppes of His blessed life which we keeping us to sure we are Psal. 77.20 we cannot goe amisse And then as before He came in the flesh He led them by the hand of MOSES and AARON Guides chosen and sent by Him So doth He us now by the hands of those whom the Apostle three severall times in one Chapter Heb. 13.7.17.24 Heb. 13. calleth by this very name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—punc our Guides by whom He leades us if He leade us at all And other leading we are not to looke for any Only to pray they may leade us right and then all is well And they cannot but leade us right so long as they but teach us to follow the LAMBE whither He goeth Apoc. 14.4 For their Office is but to lay forth before us the way traced by the steppes that He went Those Steps when all is done are ever our best directions And I mean to do but so now as heer not to go a step out of the text there are foure or five of these steps as many as we shall well carry away at once And these they be The maine point is It is a place and so to be gone to We take this from the Shepheards directed thither by the Angel to resolve of Transeamus usque Beâ—hlehem Luc. 2.15 that we get us to Bethlehem There is the Rendez vous to day there He will be first seen and saluted there He begun with us there we to begin with Him Where He set forth there our setting forth to be also Indeed there is no finding Him but there this Feast There the Shepheards found Him this day the first There the Wisemen on Twelfe day the last But thither they came both Both the Shepheards Luk. 2.12 Mat. 2.9 directed by the Angell and the Wise men guided by the starr The Shepheards in them the Iews The Wise men in them the Gentiles The Shepheards in them unlettered persons The Wise men in them the profoundest clerks The Shepheards in them meane men The Wise men in them great States Be what we will be at Bethlehem to begin all Thither to goe to Him thence to sett out after Him Transeamus usque Bethlehem How shall we do that What shall we go in pilgrimage to the place We learne a shorter course of the Apostle Rom. 10. Rom. 10.6 â— The righteousnesse of faith saith he speaketh on this wise say not thou in thy heart who shall goe over the sea for me that were to bring CHRIST againe into Earth But What saith it The word is neer thee in thy mouth and in thy heart And this it is Bethlehem hath heer two twins an Epithete a Vertue or two Get but them get but your soules possessed of them it will save you a iorney you shall never stirr hence but be at Bethlehem standing where you doe Parvula is the first you know Bethlehem is little And looke what little and low is in quantitie that is little in our own eyes and lowly in qualitie Get that first 1. Bâ— Humility Paâ—vula humilitie it is the Bethlehem of vertues where He in great humilitie was found this day If we begin not there we lose our way at the first setting out For this is sure where Eternitie is the terminus ad quem there Humilitie is the terminus a quo Humilitie in the first Comma of the sentence where Eternitie is the periode as in this Verse it is And even heer now at the first is CHRIST like to lose a great part of His traine The Pharisees are gone all too big for Bethlehem they and with them all that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8.9 some great matter in their owne sight Touching whom we may use the Apostrophe And thou Bethlehem art to little for these great conceits None of them will come out of thee or come at thee by their will Every one of them is a cunning Guide himselfe and no guide they but sequuntur spiritum suum their owne bold spirit Ezech. 13.3 bid Bethlehem farewell At it they come not Well parvula is the first The next Station is to the next vertue and that is Ephrata fruictfullnesse 2. By fâ—uiâ—fulnesse Ephraâ—a so it signifies Little it is but fruictfull Fruictfull first that it brought forth Him for He hath brought forth seen come of Himselfe saith Esai longaevum semen a lasting seed the fruict whereof to this day shaketh like Libanus Esa. 53.10 Pâ—al 72.16 and as the green grasse covereth all the earth I meane the Christians that were are or ever shal be how great an Ephrata of how little a beginning It is not only little but Ephrata too and by that know it For indeed good heed would be taken that we goe not to the wrong Bethlehem Not to Bethlehem Zabulon that is Bethlehem on the Sands So lay Zabulon by the Sea Bethlehem the barren But to Bethlehem Iuda Bethlehem Ephrata that is Bethlehem the fruictfull That is to Humilitie to add Fruictfulnesse I meane Plenteousnesse in all good workes Els it is not Ephrata not right Not right Repentance unlesse it be Ephrata bring forth fruicts of repentance Nor Faith without the Worke of faith Nor Luc. 3.8 1. Thess 1. â— Love without the Labour of love Nor any other vertue without her Ephra a. Ephrata is not the Surname of Humilitie only but even of the rest too
as they be togither now so to continue still The continuance of this meeting We had much adoe to get them togither thus Now we have them so let us keepe them so in any wise For as this meeting made Christianitie first So there is nothing marres it but the breaking it of againe No greater bane to it then the parting of these Let me tell you this Saint Augustine is very earnest upon this point of the keeping of righteousnesse and peace upon this Psalme and this Verse and of truth and mercie togither in the next upon misericors and verax against them that would lay hold on mercie and let go truth O saith he that will not be they mett together they will not part now Either without either will not be had And so of the two others There be that would have Peace and passe by Righteousnesse Tu fortè unam habere vis altâ—ram non vis sayth he you would gladly have one Peace and for Righteousnesse you could be contented to spare it Aske any would you have Peace With all my heart he will answere There is no having one without the other Osculantur hae amant hae why they kisse they love togither Si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit to paâ—e if ye love not â—er friend that is Righteousnesse she will none of your love Take that from Saint Augustine Set this downe then Christianitie is a meeting One cannot meet Two there must be and they may But it is not a meeting of two but of two with two so no lesse then foure As CHRIST Himselfe was not one nature So neither doth Christianitie consist of any one vertue Not under foure There is a quaternion in CHRIST His 1 Essence and His 2 Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hypostasis in divinis His 3 Flesh and His 4 reasonable Soule in humanis Answerable to these foure are these heer these foure to His foure And as it is a meeting so a crosse meeting of foure Vertues that seeme to be in a kind of opposition as hath been noted No matter for that They will make the better refraction the coole of one allay the heat the moist of one temper the drought of the other The soft vertues need to be quickned the more forward to be kept from Altum sapere So are the elements of which our bodie So are the foure winds of which our breath doth consist which gives us life And these in the Text have an analogie or correspondence Psal. 93.1 Esa. 66.12 Psal. 46.4 with the elements observed by the Auncients 1 Truth as the earth which is not moved at any time 2 Quasi fluvius Pax saith Esay Peace as a water-streame the quills whereof make glad the Citie of GOD. 3 Mercie we breath and live by no lesse then we doe by aire Esa. 66.16 and 4 Righteousnesse she ventura est judicare saeculum per ignem in that element You may happen find one of these in Scripture stood much upon and of the other three nothing sayd there but all left out Conceive of it as a figure Synecdoche they call it As ye have heer man called earth yet is he not earth alone but all the other three elements as well No more is Christianitie any one but by Synecdoche but in very deed a meeting of them all foure Ioh. 17.3 It deceived the Gnostique this place This is aeternall life to know thee Knowledge saith he is it As if it were all and so he bad care for nothing els but to knowe and knowing live as they list The Encratite he was as farr gone the other way He lived streightly and his tenet was non est curandum quid quisque credat Id curandum modò quod quisque faciat So that ye hold a streight course of life it skills not what ye hold in points of faith No meeting with these Single vertues all Yes it skills For both these were wrong both goe for Heretiques Christianitie is a meeting and to this meeting there goe Pia dogmata as well as Bona opera Righteousnesse aswell as truth Err not this error then to single any out as it were in disgrace of the rest Say not one will serve the turne what should we do with the rest of the foure Take not a figure and make of it a plaine speech Seeke not to be saved by Synecdoche Each of these is a quarter of Christianity you shall never while you live make it serve for the whole The truth is sever them and farewell all take any one from the rest and it is as much as the whole is worth For as Bernard well observed non sunt virtutes si separentur upon their separation they cease to be vertues For how loose a thing is Mercie if it be quite devoid of Iustice We call it foolish pitie And how harsh a thing Iustice if it be utterly without all temper of mercie Summa injuria then that is Iniustice at the highest Mercie take truth away what hold is there of it who will trust it Truth take Mercie from it it is Severitie rather then veritie then Righteousnesse without Peace certeinly wrong is much better better then perpetuall brabbling And Peace without Righteousnesse better a sword far This if you sunder them But temper these togither and how blessed a mixture Sett a song of all foure and how heavenly a melodie Enterteine them then all foure 1 Hope in mercie 2 Faith in truth 3 Feare of righteousnesse 4 Love of peace O quam praeclara concordia O how loving a knot how by all meanes to be maintained how great pitie to part it The Time of this meeting A little of the Time now when this meeting would be No time amisse no day in the yeare but upon entreaty they will be got to meet Yet if any one day have a prerogative more then another of all the daies in the yeare on this day most kindly the day we hold holy to the memorie of this meeting the day of orta est the occasion of it In remembrance of the first meeting then they are apt and willing to meet upon it againe forward ever to meet the day they first mett of themselves But CHRIST this day being borne this day to meet of course One special end that He was borne was that at His birth this meeting might be If to day then they should not meet that were in a sort to evacuate CHRISTS birth if there should be a Veritas orta without an obviaverunt sibi So that if we procure it not we had as good keepe no Feast at all What is then the proper worke of this day but still to renew this meeting on it For CHRISTS birth we cannot entertaine but all these we must too Necessarie attendants upon it every one They be the vertues of His Nativitie these At His birth CHRIST bethought Himselfe of all the vertues which He would have to attend
men promiscuè good and badd elect and reprobate No but to such as perteine to His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GODS Beneplacitum His good-will and purpose to the children of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nominative or Genitive let it not trouble you To men a good will or To men of good-will no great matter whither so long as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referres to GOD and to His good pleasure Nor to Men or any will of theirs And that so it is to be referred I will use no other witnesse but Cardinall Tolet himselfe who in his Readings at Rome and in the Popes owne Chappel and upon this very place confesseth asmuch that so is the native signification of the word and so and no otherwise to be taken heer but in that sense And in that sense being taken it goes well Glory from us to Him Peace from Him to us From men on earth to God on high Glory From God on high to men on earth Peace Men I say toward whom He is now appeased and with whom now He is well pleased and both for this Childs sake heer in the cratch Mat. 3 â—7 17 ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom He is so absolutely well pleased as of the fullnesse of His favor we all receive GOD spake it once and twise 1 Once at His Baptisme 2 and againe in the Holy Mount And Hoc â—rit signum This may be a sure signe that He is well pleased with our Nature that He hath in this Child taken it and united it to His owne which if He had not been highly well pleased He would never have done What greater good will can there be then this If passeth the greatest even that of Marriage union of Nature unitie of Person Then riseth there another doubt what Verbe to put to heere For never a Verbe there is at all Whether some Indicative Glorie is or shall be and then it is an Hymne of Gratulation and agreeth well with laudantium a praise to GOD that these now are Now hath GOD glorie Now earth peace Men are now received to favour and grace Thus Or whether sit or esto in the Optative and then it is Votum benè ominatum a Vow or wish that Glorie may be to GOD and so to the rest I say againe heere as before I said it skill'd not then whether Nominative or Genitive it skills not now whether Indicative or Optaâ—ive Tehilla a Praise it is and Tephilla a Wish it may be do commence Either is well But both are best for both are most true By way of Gratulation Glorie now is or shall be to GOD for this Birth Before 1. By way of Graâ—ulation Glory is to God it was not at least not so as after Before it was Gloria in excelsis but DEO was left out All Nations in a manner worshipping the host of Heaven the superiour bodies deifying the creature passing by the CREATOR quite Excelsa they did but DEVM in excelsis they did not But by this Birth now downe should all Idolatrie goe as downe it went wheresoever Christian Religion tooke place From the creature there all to the CREATOR To none on high but GOD on high The point of Glorie much mended GOD more Glorie then before And the Earth more at peace if you take peace in things spirituall 2. Peace is in Earth matters concerning the soule One onely I will mention There was as out of Varro S. Augustine reckons them no lesse then two hundred sixty and odde severall Opinions and that of the wisest then on the earth touching mans Sovereigne Good or chiefe End The verie highest point and that did most concerne them and least peace most variance in it This mist also was scattered and that point well cleered by Him that was the Way and the Truth That this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heere is it the favour of GOD it is Ioh. 14.6 and the assurance of it and nothing but it that makes a man truly happy when all is done As for the point of GOD 's good will and favour that was never in kind 3. And Good will toward men till this Day Many favours much good will before Never so as when GOD and Man the God-head and Man-hood meet both in one GOD never so pleased as when He was pleased to assume it into one person with Himselfe uniting both with the streightest union that can be Never that till this day when for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will toward men He forsooke gloriam in excelsis to come into the cratch for them So that for GOD 's favour the gratulation is most just more then both the rest Bishop Bradwardine did joine a good issue Let that be the Religion let that prevaile as best and most true of all other that is Deo honorabilior brings more honour to GOD Paci amicabiliâ—r bestfriend to the earths peace and Homini favorabilior most favourable to man as shewing GOD better affected to him and making men better affected to GOD better one to another That Religion is Christian Religion None sings this Hymne in time in true note but it all other are out So that we have a compendium of true Religion and three notes of it out of the three notes of the Song in this Antheme And this if it be the Indicative or by way of Gratulation II By way of wish But I confesse it is more usuall per modum voti by way of wish by sit then by est Sit doth better become the Church militant Est is more fitt for the Châ—rch triumphant Glorie be to GOD Peace be to the earth c. Exoptando that these may be so and so being continue still and be dayly more and more And so taking it to the triplicitie againe Glorie be to God on High First glorie we wish to GOD. On high stands in the midst you may either cast it to the first word Glorie Glorie on high and then the point that is high glorie Or with the point after glorie and cast on high to GOD. A third varietie but easily reconciled if we take in both Glorie on high to GOD on high One on high may serve for the reason why we wish glorie to GOD for GOD being Altissimus the most High as Melchisedek first stiled Him Gen. 14.18 and glorie being the altitude or highest pitch we can flie or performe by good reason we wish Him that is Highest the highest thing we have But not every glorie do we wish but wish it Him at the highest All glorie is high yet is there one glorie higher then another 1. Cor. 15.41 If any be so that they wish to GOD the very height of it even glory in altissimis as high as it can goe Now the more He is glorified the higher His glorie Higher if by Heaven and Earth on high and below by Men and Angells then by either alone Psal. 148. This
then they wish when they say Glorie be in the highest that high and lowe Heaven and Earth Men and Angells would do their parts to make His praise glorious glorious at the highest On earth sound it out farre and wide all the world over to the ends of the earth Psal. 150.4.5 and lift up our voices and help them with instruments of all kinds and make them to be heard up to the very Heavens that so it may be in altissimis indeed Yea that all creatures in both ravished with the consideration of the great favour and good will of GOD in this daies Birth testified would take occasion to fill their mouthes with the praise of His goodnesse in resolving His wisdome in contriving His mercie in promising His truth in pâ—rforming the worke of this Day the blessed Birth of his Sonne For the worke of the Day to make the day of the worke a glorious day causing it to be attended with a number of daies according to the number of the moneths of the yeare as no Feast els Glorious in all places as well at home with Carolls as in the Church with Anthemes Glorious in all Ages even this day this yeare as on the very day on which He was borne Glorious in habit in fare But specially as we see the Angells here doe with the service of GOD the most solemne service the highest the most melodious Hymnes we have and namely with this heere of the Queere of Heaven In a word all the waies â—e can all the waies God can have any glory from us to let Him have it and have it even at the height in altissimis And good reason we should so wish CHRIST lost His glorie by being thus in the cratch We tooke some from Him to wish Him some for it againe That was ignominia in infimis to wish Him gloria in altissimis in liev of it Againe we get glorie by it our Nature so For the glorie we get by GOD heer below to returne some glorie to GOD there on high This is votum gloriae this wish we when we wish gloria in altissimis The next is votum pacis they wish Peace may be upon earth 2. Peace in Earth 1 Even Augustus his peace first that is the first commeth to our minds when we heare that word the shutting of IANVS for that also was a blessed fruict of this Birth Esay fore-told it There should then be a bridge from Ashur to Egypt Esa 19.23 and from Canaan to them both that is from every nation to other to traffique and to trade togither That but not only that but the taking downe also of the partition wall Eph. 2.14 which formerly MOSES had set up between the Iew and the Gentile the making of them both one in the body of his flesh Saint Pauls peace And yet further For both these are peace upon earth of earth with earth Augustus can the world can give that peace though many times they will not But he speakes in a Place of the peace which the world cannot give that is peace with heaven That there should not be ESAIS bridge only Gen. 28.10 but IACOBS ladder set up from Bethel to heaven a peace-able entercourse with that place by the Angells descending and ascending between us and them And further yet peace at home with our selves and with our owne consciences Psal. 116.7 Turne againe â—o thy rest ô my Soule for in finding Him we shall find rest to our Soules And last to answere Gloria in altissimis Pax in novissimis peace at the parting which is worth all Simeons peâ—ce a good Nunc dimittis in pace Ver. 29. a departing hence in peace And all by meanes of viderunt oculi the sight of the Salvation of this Day All these are in voto pacis The third is there may be in GOD a good-will toward men And 3. Good wil toward men good-will is a kind of Peace but somewhat more with an extent or prorogation a kind of peace peculiar to men which the other parts of the earth are not capable of So a further matter to men then bare peace Even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke well to beare good-will to be well pleased with men And what greater wish can there be then In quo complacitum est CHRIST hath no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is His high glorie Mat. 3.17 that for His and this His births sake which we now celebrate that which is verified of His Person is verified of both His Natures of Him not only as SONNE of GOD but even as SONNE of man too And what is verified of Him as SONNE of man may be verified also of the Sonnes of men of all Mankind This wish is at the highest and more cannot be wished then that this favour to day begunne may still and ever continue to us all So have you now the three parts of the Angells wish Summa votorum Glorie be to GOD. c. What is now to be done Three things more To see the 1 Connexion copulative I. The Connexion copulative Glory Peace 2 the Sequence 3 and the Division 1 The Connexion copulative a blessed couple Glorie and Peace 2 The Sequence but first glorie and then Peace 3 The Division which to which 1 One to GOD 2 The other to earth 3 The third to man Glorie and Peace are coupled togither with an and And in earth peace That Glorie would not be soong alone but Peace togither with it We will not we may not skip the Copulative that couples togither high and low heaven and earth and in them GOD and Man But that which I respect specially Glorie and peace must be soong togither If we sing Glorie without Peace we sing but to halves No Glorie on high will be admitted without Peace upon earth No gift on His altar which is a speciall part of His glorie but lay downe your gift and there leave it Mat. 5.24.55 and first goe your way and make peace on earth and that done come againe and you shall then be accepted to give glorie to heaven and not before And ô that we would go and doe the like have like regard of His glorie that He hath of our peace But this knott of Gloria et Pax is against those that are still ever wrangling with one thing or other and all for the Glorie of GOD forsooth as if these two could not ioyne GOD could not have His glorie if the Church were at peace as if no remedie the Angells Et must out 2. The Sequence Glorie before Peace Glorie and Peace but Glorie first and then Peace There is much in the order Glorie to be first els you change the Cleff the clef is in Glorie that the key of the Song That is to be first and before all Peace to give place to her Glorie is the elder Sister And no Pax in terris vnlesse it be first
Iam. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Peter the Ostende mihi as Saint Iames of this their Faith in these five 1 Their Confessing of it iâ— venerunt dicentes Venerunt they were no sooner come but dicentes they tell it out Confesse Him and His Birth to be the cause of their comming 2 Secondly As confesse their Faith So the Ground of their Faith Vidimus enim For they had seen His starr And His starr being risen by it they knew He must be â—isen too Thirdly as Saint Paul calls them in Abraham's Vestigia fidei the steps of their faith Rom. 4.12 in venimus their comming Comming such a iourney at such a time with such speâ—â— 4 Foâ—rthly When they were come their Diligent enquiring Him out by Vbi est For heer is the place of it asking after Him to find where He was 5 And last when they had found Him the End of their seeing comming seeking and all for no other end but to Worship Him Heer they sayiâ— At the XI Verse they do it in these two Acts 1 Procidentes their Falling downe 2 And Obtulerunt their offering to Him Worship Him with their Bodies Worship Him with their Goods Their Worship and ours the true Worship of CHRIST The Text is of a starr And we may make all runn on a starr that so the Text and Day may be suitable and Heaven and Earth hold a correspondence S. Peter calls faith the Day-starr rising in our hearts 2. Pet. 1.9 Which sorts well with the starr in the Text rising in the Skie That in the skie manifesting it selfe from above to them This in their hearts manifesting it selfe from below to Him to CHRIST Manifesting it selfe by these five 1 By a Rom. 10.10 Ore fit confessio the Confessing of it 2 By b Heb. 11.1 Fides est substantia the Ground of it 3 By c Rom. 4.12 Vestigia fidei the Stepps of it in their painfull comming 4 By their Vbi est Carefull Enquiring 5 And last by Adorare Eum their devout Worshipping These five as so many beames of Faith the day-starr risen in their hearts To take notice of them For every one of them is of the nature of a Condition So as if we faile in them non lucet nobis stella haec we have no part in the light or conduct of this Starr Neither in Stellam the Starr it selfe Nor in Ejus in Him whose the starr is that is nor in CHRIST neither We have now gott us a starr on earth for that in heaven And these both lead us to a third So as upon the matter three starrs we have and each his proper manifestation 1. The first in the firmament That appeared unto them and in them to us A figure of Saint Paules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tir. 2.11 the Grace of GOD appearing and bringing salvation to all men Iewes and Gentiles and all 2. The second heer on earth is Saint Peter's Lucifer in cordibus 2. Pet. 1 9· And this appeared in them and so must in us Appeared 1 in their Eyes Vidimus 2 in their Feet Venimus 3 in their Lipps Dicentes ubi est 4 in their Knees Procidentes Falling down 5 in their Hands Obtulerunt by Offering These five every one a beame of this starr 3. The third is CHRIST Himselfe Saint Iohn's starr The generation and root of DAVID the bright morning starr CHRIST And He His double appearing 1 One at this time now when He appeared in great humilitie and we see and come to Him by faith 2 The other which we waite for even the blessed hope and appearing of the Great GOD and our SAVIOVR in the Majestie of His Glorie Tit. 2.13 These three 1 The first that manifested CHRIST to them 2 The second that manifested them to CHRIST 3 The third CHRIST Himselfe in whom both these were as it were in conjunction CHRIST the bright Morning starr of that Day which shall have no night The Beatifica visio the blessed sight of which Day is the Consummatum est of our Hope and happinesse for ever Of these three starrs the first is gone the thiâ—â— yet to come the second only is present We to looke to that and to the five beames of it That is it must do us all the good and bring us to the third SAint Luke calleth Faith the * Act. 14.27 Doore of Faith At this Doore let us enter I. Their Faith Here is a comming And He that commeth to GOD and so He that to CHRIST must believe that CHRIST is so do these They never aske An sit but Vbi sit Not Whither but where He is borne They that aske Vbi qui natus take natus for granted praesuppose that borne He is Herein is faith Faith of CHRIST's being borne the third Article of the Christian Creed And what believe they of Him Out of their owne words heere 1 First that Natus that Borne He is and so Man He is His Humane Nature 2 And as His Nature so His Office in natus est REX Borne a King They beleeve that too 3 But Iudaeorum may seeme to be a Barr For then what haâ—â— they to do with the King of the IEVVES They be Gentiles none of His Lieges No relation to Him at all What do they seeking or worshipping Him But weigh it well and it is no Barr. For this they seeme to beleeve He is so Rex Iudaeorum King of the Iewes as He is adorandus a Gentibus the Gentiles to adore Him And though borne in Iewry yet whose Birth concerned them though Gentiles though borne farr of in the Mountaines of the East They to have some benefit by Him and His Birth and for that to do Him worship seeing officium fundatur in Beneficio ever 4 As thus borne in earth so a starr He hath in heaven of His own stellam Eius His starr He the owner of it Now we know the starrs are the starrs of Heaven and He that Lord of them Lord of Heaven too And so to be adored of them of us and of all Saint Iohn putts them togither Rev. 22.16 The Root and Generation of DAVID His Earthly and The bright Morning starr His Heavenly or Divine generation Haec est fides Magorum this is the Mysterie of their faith In Natus est Man In stellam Eius GOD In Rex a King though of the Iewes yet the good of whose Kingdome should extend and stretch it selfe farr and wide to Gentiles and all and He of all to be adored This for Corde creditur the day-starr it selfe in their hearts Now to the Beames of this starr Next to Corde creditur is Ore fit Confessio the Confession of this Faith II. The Worke of their Faith 1. Their Confession Dicentes It is in venerunt dicentes they came with it in their mouthes Venerunt they were no sooner come but they spake of it so freely to so many as it came to Herod's eare
4 The Dispenser GOD. Psal. 104 27.28 Psal. 145.15.16 Which dispensation is heere ascribed to GOD That He that is that GOD in whosâ— hands our times are saith the Psalme and our seasons both He that can make them full by giving us kindly seasons or empty by making them vnseasonable and having made them full is to dispose of them of very right There is none of these but is sensible in the course of the yeare in things upon earth But are there seasons for the things on earth and their fullnesse and are there not also seasons for the things in heaven and for the filling of them All for reliefe of the bodily wants heere below none for the supplie of Spirituall necessities above All for the body and never a season for the Soule If we allow them to the World shall we not to the Church the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abbridgment of the world If it be sensible in the naturall things though not so easily discerned yet it is as certaine in the maine revolution of Annus magnus the great periodicall yeare of the worlds endurance It can never enter into any man to thinke that the great Oeconomus or Steward of this great houshold the world should so farr forget himselfe but if for all matters He had appointed a season Eccle. 3.1 then for the greatest matter If for every purpose vnder heaven then for the highest purpose of all that as we see concerneth all the things in heaven and earth both Above Salus populi this Salus mundi the saving the whole world Shall not these have their seasons and the seasons their fullnesse there and that fullnesse the due dispensation of all other most worthy of GOD the greatest worke of the greatest person Set this downe then to beginne with There are seasons as in our common yeare of twelve moneths So in the great yeare whereof every day is a yeare by Daniel's nay 2. Pet. 3 8. a thousand yeare by Saint Peter's calculation And which be the seasons and when in the common yeare Our SAVIOVR sets them downe Mar. IV. 1. The season Mar. 4.28 when the earth bringeth forth the blade 2. When the stalke 3. When the eare 4. When the full corne in the eare And when the eare is full and full ripe the season is full then is the season of fullnesse Psal. 129 7. the fullnesse of Season Then the reaper fills his hand and he that bindeth up the sheaves Pro. 3.10 his bosom Then are the Barnes filled with plenty and the Presses runne over with new wine And when all is full then to gathering we goe Such like seasons do we finde in Anno magno 1 The time of Nature all in the blade â— Of Moses in the Stalke 3 Of the Prophets in the eare 4 And when the full corne When but at this great gathering heere mentioned When all in heaven â—nd all in earth gathered that I thinke was the fullnesse of things Plenitudo rerum and the fullnesse of Seasons Plenitudo tempâ—rum may be allowed for it 1 Res the things This sets us over to the second part from the Seasons to the things from the fullnesse of Seasons to the gathering of things And first whereof of what things Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even all All And to shew the extent of it subdivided into all in heaven all in earth and that I trow is All. It was not amisse he should thus sever them and expresse things in heaven by name Els we should little have thought of gathering things there so high No farther then earth we There is all our gathering and there onely The Apostle points up to heaven Sursum corda to lift up our hearts Colos. 3.1.2 to set our affections on things there above to gather them There is a gathering of them also Of which gathering into one I know not what the things in heaven have the things in earth I am sure have good cause to be glad In heaven is all good and nothing but good In earth to say the least there is much evill Yet upon the reckoning Heaven is like to come by the losse we on earth are sensibly gainers by it It is a good hearing for us that both these shall be thus gathered together For if heaven and earth be so gathered it is that heaven may advance earth higher and no meaning that earth should draw it downe hither Magis dignum semper ad se trahit minus dignum is the old rule But well betweene them both heere is a great gathering toward 2 The gathering well expressed by the Apostle in the termes of a Summe For it is Summa Summarum a summe indeed Heaven and earth and the fullnesse of them both All these to be gathered and well Gathering GOD favours for it ends in Vnitie To gather into one And Vnitie GOD loves Himselfe being principalis vnitas GOD favours it sure Himselfe is the Gatherer Scattering GOD favours not that tends to division and division upon division Gathering is good for us Vnitie preserves division destroyes Divisum est be it house or be it kingdome ever ends in desolabitur Matt. 12 25. Ezek. 33.11 2 Pet. 3.9 GOD delights not in destruction would have none to perish The kite he Scatters The hen how feigne would she gather But stay a while and take with us what kind of gathering It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Gathering againe a gathering but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gathering together againe We must not lose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is force in it It is not a Collection but a Recollection Re imports it is a new collection againe the second time You see it in re-call re-turne re-duce that is to call turne bring back againe Now our Rule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever presupposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presupposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a returning to implies a departing from a gathering together againe a scattering in sunder before a dispensation a dissipation So a dissipation a departure a scattering there had beene Yet one degree more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from ever implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a former being with One cannot be said to be gone from that was never with or to fall out that was never in One cannot be said to be so againe that was never so beforâ— So then together we were first and in sunder we fell after Which falling in sunder required an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring us together againe to restore us to that the second time that we had before lost to our former estate Acts 3.21 It is Saint Peter's word restoring the same with S. Paul's gathering together againe heere Now these three set forth vnto us our threefold estate 1 Together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our first Originall which we had in Adam while he stood with GOD together 2 In sunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Bread Ioh. 12.24.6.51.49 even the living bread or bread of life that came downe from heaven the true Manna whereof we may gather each his Ghomer And againe of Him the true Vine as He calls himselfe Ioh. 15.1 the blood of the grapes of that Vine Both these issuing out of this daies recapitulation Both in corpus autem aptasti mihi of this day Psal. 40.6 And the gathering or Vintage of these two in th blessed Eucharist is as I may say a kind of hypostaticall vnion of the Signe and the thing signified so vnited together as are the two natures of CHRIST And even from this sacramentall vnion do the Fathers borrow their resemblance to illustrate by it the personall vnion in CHRIST I name Theodoret for the Greek and Gelasius for the Latine Church that insist upon it both and presse it against Eutyches That even as in the Eucharist neither part is euacuate or turned into the other but abide each still in his former nature and substance No more is either of CHRISTS natures annulled or one of them converted into the other as Eutyches held but each nature remaineth still full and whole in his own kind And backwards As the two Natures in CHRIST so the Signum and Signatum in the Sacrament è converso And this later devise of the substance of the bread and wine to be flowen away and gone and in the roome of it a remainder of nothing els but Accidents to stay behind was to them not knowen And had it been true had made for Eutyches and against them And this for the likenesse of Vnion in both Now for the word gathering together in one It is well knowne the holy Eucharist it selfe is called Synaxis by no name more vsuall in all Antiquitie that is a Collection or gathering For so it is in it selfe For at the celebration of it though we gather to Prayer and to Preaching yet that is the principall gathering the Church hath which is it selfe called a Collection too Heb. X. by the same name Heb. 19.25 Luk. 17.37 from the Chiefe For where the body is there the Eagles will be gathered And so one Synaxis begets another And last there is a Dispensation that word in it too That most cleerely For it is our Office 1. Cor. 4.1 we are styled by the Apostle Dispensers of the mysteries of GOD and in and by them of all the benefits that came to mankind by this dispensation in the fullnesse of season of all that are recapitulate in CHRIST Which benefits are too many to deale with One shall serve as the Summe of all That the very end of the Sacrament is to gather againe to GOD and His favour if it happen as oft it doth we scatter and stray from Him And to gather us as close and neere as alimentum alito that is as neere as neere may be And as to gather us to GOD so likewise each to other mutually Expressed lively in the Symboles of many graines into the one and many grapes into the other The Apostle is plaine 1. Cor. 10.17 that we are all one bread and one body so many as are partakers of one bread So molding us as it were into one loafe all together The gathering to GOD referrs still to things in heaven This other to men to the things in earth heere All vnder one Head by the common faith All into one Bodie mysticall by mutuall charitie So shall we well enter into the dispensing of this season to beginne with And even thus to be recollected at this Feast by the holy Communion into that blessed Vnion is the highest perfection we can in this life aspire unto We then are at the highest pitch at the very best we shall ever atteine to on earth what time we newly come from it Gathered to CHRIST and by CHRIST to GOD stated in all whatsoever He hath gathered and layed up against His next comming With which gathering heere in this world we must content and stay our selves and wait for the consummation of all Apoc. 22.12 at His comming againe For there is an Ecce venio yet to come This gathering thus heere begun it is to take end and to have the full accomplishment Matt. 25.32.24.31 at the last and great gathering of all which shall be of the quick and of the dead When He shall send his Angells and they shall gather His Elect from all the corners of the earth Matt. 13.30 shall gather the wheat into the barne and the tares to the fire And then and never till then shall be the fullnesse indeed when GOD shall be not as now He is somewhat in every one 1. Cor. 15.28 Apoc. 10.6 but all in all Et tempus non erit amplius and there shall be neither time nor season any more No fullnesse then but the fullnesse of aeternitie and in it the fullnesse of all joy To which in the severall seasons of our being gathered to our fathers He vouchsafe to bring us that as the yeare so the fullnesse of our lives may end in a Christmasse a merry joyfull Feast as that is And so GOD make this to us in Him c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Saturday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXXIIII being CHRIST-MASSE day PSAL. II. VER VII Praedicabo Legem de qua dixit ad me DOMINVS Filius meus tu hodiè genui te I will preach the Law whereof the LORD said to me Thou art my sonne this day have J begotten thee THIS Text the first word of it is Praedicabo I will preach So here is a Sermon toward And it is of Filius Filius meus genuite of the begetting or bringing forth a child And that Hodiè this verie day And let not this trouble you that it is begotten in the Text and borne on the day In all the three Tongues one word serves for both In Latine Alma Venus genuit Venus did but beare Aeneas yet it is sayd genuit In Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was but borne of the Virgin yet He was sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genitus And I report me to the Masters of the Hebrew tongue whether the originall word in the Text beare not be not as full nay do not more properly import His Birth then His Begetting It is sure it doth So it may be used and so we will use it indifferently And let this serve once for all We returne to our Sermon Praedicabo Heer is one saith he will preach Hath he a licence Yes Dixit ad me he was spoken to or indeed he was commaunded Amar is to commaund 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commaunded by whom By Him that hath lawfull authoritie so to do Dixit Dominus He stept not up of his owne head He came to it orderly made no suite for the place was appoynted for it What will he preach of Whence will he take his Text Out of
better because the more likely the later the worse because the lesse certaine That time more then a moment But when we speake of the present we shutt it not up in ipso nunc in a day or two or three Fruicts require a time to bring them forth who ever heard of fruicts brought forth on a sodaine Saw ever any man such a thing It is Esai Shall the tree bring Esa. 66.8 or the fruict be brought forth at once A gourd or a mushrome may shoot up in a night So cannot fruict It askes time I take it to be an error and that of dangerous consequence teaching repentance to thinke it a matter of no more moment then to be be dispatched in a moment Commonly our repentance is too soone done Application to Lent Apoc. 2.21 Ion. 3.4 GOD knew it well and therfore He allowes a time for it Ecce dedi ei tempus saith He to the Church of Thyatira He gave a time to repent to bring forth these fruicts What time might that be He never gave certaine time but to Ninive and that was fourty dayes You know where we are now and what that meanes We are not against allowance of time so it be not to slippe the collar to be still uncertaine Act. 24.25 But I like not his saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea when I finde a convenient time then He that sayd it never found it had it then never found it after But if we meane as we say would do it at a convenient time we cannot find so convenient a time as this Take it first as the time of the Fast that time may seem to claym a property in it Levit. 16.29 They goe alwaies togither In the Law their solemne repentance was ever at the time of their generall Fast. In the Prophetts Ioel tells us the best turning to GOD that is Ioel. 2.12 repentance is cum jejunio They that had not the Lawe at Ninive Nature it selfe taught them to doe it fasting Ion. 3.5 when they tooke this fruict to tast nothing In the Gospell Iohn Baptist the Preacher of repentance came neither eating nor drinking And our SAVIOVR though He did both yet this fast He kept Chap. 11.18 Ioh. 13.15 though not for any need He had of it Himselfe but as in other for Exemplum dedi vobis to give us an example and to point us that had need what time to doe it in Which hath ever since from yeare to yeare been religiously observed both as a time of publique penance and as time of Generall abstinence in the Church of CHRIST Convenient for the time of Fast. Psal. 1. â— And convenient for the time of the yeare For if it will be the tree in the I. Psalm to bring forth fruict in due season this way it fits our turne that season is at this season It is now tempus proferendi when can we better say Proferte fructus igitur You can never bring forth â—t a better time The season is now come and bringing forth will shortly be in season of which the Poet saith Nuâ—c omnis ager nunc omniâ— parturit arbos when the trees will fall in traevaile and they and the earth both make proffer toward and give pledges in their budds and blossomes of fruict that is comming and will follow in duâ— time We are made these offers choose which we will If we will keepe time with the heavens Now the heavens returne againe to their first degree It is turning time in heaven Chap. 6.26 If with the foules of heaven and then CHRIST bidds us looke to they know their times just and just at this time make their returne the poor swallowes and all And so let us that the prophet Ieremie upbrayd us not with them So Ier. 8.7 whither we will goe by heaven and the foules of heaven or by earth and the fâ—uicts of the earth they all invite us to the dispensation of this season Yea if we will give our soules leave to keepe time with our bodies the time we take physique for one may be if we wil allowed in like sort for the other The opening of the yeare for both Equall need is of both if any odds on the soule 's side Nay it hath so fallen out that Repentance Fasting and the very Season of the yeare for the most part hitt togither That of Ninive the most famous by the springing up of Iona's gourd we may ghesse what time it was we know what time it is when gourds spring And for our SAVIOVR CHRIST's if we will take up His time it is supposed He layd His also much about this time For when the people were baptized then was CHRIST also with them as Saint Luke saith Luc 3.21.4.1 And immediately after His Baptisme He was carried away into the wildernesse and there began His fourty dayes fast Exemplum dedi vobis A paterne for us both for our fast and for our time of it It is true the solemne fast in the Law was in Tisri which answers our September But then take this withall when it was so in Tisri Tisri was with them their first moneth So they also began their repentance with the beginning of the yeare And take this besides that in that first moneth the trumpetts first blast of all was to assemble them to their Kipher their great Repentance day That was their first worke of all Now I shall tell you how it was Between the Fast and the Sabboth it is well knowen there was neer allyance insomuch as the Fast is called a Sabboth and both are said to be sanctified Sanctifie a fast as well as Sanctifie the Sabboth Ioel. 2.15 Their Sabboth was the seaventh day their Fast was the seaventh moneth And it may well be thought by whom and when the Sabboth was removed from the seaventh day to the first by the same persons and at the same time was the Fast removed from the seaventh moneth to the first from Tisri to Nisan the first moneth of all Now Nisan is also called Abib of the first bringing forth fruicts in it Now in Nisan was the time when their Paschall Lambe was slaine and eaten The same is also the time of the killing of ours of Saint Iohn Baptist's Lambe Ioh. 1.29 1. Cor. 5.7 the Lambe of GOD when CHRIST our Passover was offered Offered for us in Sacrifice Offered to us in Sacrament to whom Saint Iohn Baptist will point us to take speciall notice of Him and of His time both And we now at this time to sett those sowre hearbes and see them come up Exod. 12.8 wherewith the Passover is to be eaten which are nothing els but these fruicts of repentance Now to sett them that then we may gather them to serve us for saulse to the Paschall Lambe Thus every way we may say with the Apostle Ecce c. 2. Cor 6.2 Behold this is the due season Behold
that of them it may fall we may see some in blisse when they shall lie in hell like sheep saith the Psalmist that walked on earth like Lyons Will not this beare a third Psal 48 15. But beyond all these If we counterpeise it with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is comforted with which Abraham hath set it in opposition Torment opposed to comfort that is torment comfortlesse wherein no manner hope of any kind of comfort Neither of the comfort of mitigation Ver. 24. for in the verse next before all hope of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 relief is denied even to a drop of water Neither of the comfort of deliverie at last Ver. 26. for in the verse next following he is willed to know that by reason of the great partition their case is such ut non possunt that they cannot presently or for ever looke for any passage from thence but must there tarrie in torments everlastingly So neither comfort of relief nor of deliverie nor the poor comfort which in all miseries heer doth not leave us dabit Deus his quoque finem An end will come Nay no end will never come Which never is never deeply enough imprinted nor seriously enough considered That this now shal be still now and never have an end and this cruciaris be cruciaris for ever and never declined into a preter tense as Recepisti was This is an exaltation of this crosse above all els None shall ever come downe from it none shall ever beg our body to lay it in our sepulchre Fiftly If we lay it to Recordare For may I not add to all these that being in this case he heareth Recordare and is willed to remember when his remembring will do him no good but though he remember it in sorrow and in the bitternesse of his soule yea though his sorrow be above measure sorrowfull it will profit him nothing I say Grief both utterly comfortlesse and altogether unprofitable These five makes him that feels it heer wish that none of those he wisheth well may ever come there to know how hote that fire or how terrible that torment is These five words are all within the compasse of the Verse it selfe and may serve every one as a naile to fasten our memory to this crosse that we may ever remember it and never forget it and never forgetting it never feele it This then is his crosse We long I know to have it taken down our eares are deinty and the matter melancholique and we little love to heare it stood on so long But Chrysostome saith well of that fire Nunquid si tacuimus extinximus If we speake not of it will it goe out No no five loquamur sive taceamus ardet ille speake we or keep we silence it burneth still still it burneth Therefore let us speak and think of it and let it stand in the name of GOD Et exerceamus auditum saith the good Father ne ita mollescat and keepe our eares in exercise that they grow not nice If to heare of it be painfull to feele it wil be more The invention is to keepe the exaltation to take it up For none so neer it as they qui non tollunt donec super-imponitur that take it not up till it be layd upon them 3. The ioining or Tenon Iam ver◠Thus we have severally seen the counterpoints of this crosse the top which is in vitâ in this life and the foot which reacheth ad novissima inferni to the bottome of hell It remaineth we tenon both these togither as Antecedent and Consequent Thou didst receive Now therefore 1 First that they may be 2 And then how they may be ioined First then we find that Recepisti is as it ends and that by this example it may end in cruciaris and prove the one end of a heavy Crosse. Which first bringeth us out of admiration of the riches of this life When we see that these good things which after the taxe of the world are counted and in a manner stiled the onely good things and in the deceitfull balance of this world weigh down Abraham's bosome be not ever demonstrative signes of GOD 's speciall liking Nor they ipso facto highest in His favour that receive them in greatest measure Nor peradventure as CHRIST saith so highly accompted of in heaven ver 15. as they be on earth Therefore they that have them not to reflect too much on them nor be ideo inflati as saith Saint Augustine quia obsericati as much pride in their soule as purple on their body And they that have them not not to aemulari vexe and grieve themselves at Nabal's wealth Haman's preferment this man's table seeing there commeth a Iam verò and when that commeth we shall see such an alteration in his state as he that wisheth him worst shall wish that for every good thing he received heer he had received a thousand and with Saint Bernard Vt omnes lapides converterentur in rosas that every stone under his feet heer had been turned into a rose Such is his case now and such theirs that come where he is Is this all No. But as it bringeth us out of admiration so it bringeth us into feare For two things it offereth either of which is or may be matter of feare 1. First in that he is Abraham's sonne That Abraham hath of his seed in hell and that all his sonnes shall not rest in their Father's bosome Which offereth us occasion to feare for all our Profession For though he were a sonne too and so acknowledged by Abraham yet there he is now 2. In that he is of Abraham's rich sonnes and one that received good things in his life Esa 30.33 Which ministreth new matter of feare that as the Prophet saith Tophet is prepared of old and that even for great ones for such as goe in purple and weare fine linnen and fare full daintily Even for such is it prepared Not as every prison for common persons but as Tophet or the Tower for great Estates So that it may seeme either of both these have their danger at their heels For that they to him were to many they are and to us they may be as antecedents to an evill consequent Men verily may flatter themselves But sure I can never thinke but there is more in this Now therefore then the world will allow And that this Recordare of Abraham's is not a matter so sleightly to be slipped over There is some danger no doubt and that more then will willingly be acknowledged to such as are wealthy and well at ease in Sion Saint Gregorie confesseth by himselfe Amo. 6.1 that never any sentence entered so deepe into his soule as this And that as Surgite mortui was ever in Saint Hierom's eare And Non in comessationibus not in surfetting in Saint Augustine's Rom. 13.3 by which he was first converted So this was with him and
his memorie thus failing him GOD provided and sent some to put him in minde Sure as he had received those former good things so also had he received Moses and the Prophets by his owne confession And in receiving them he had received a great benefit and peradventure greater in this then the other And Moses had told him as much as Abraham tells him now Deut. 32.29 Vtinam novissima providerent Would GOD saith Moses men would remember the foure Novissima 1. That there is a death 2. there is a Iudgement 3. there is a heaven 4. there is a hell But of all the foure Novissima inferni in the same Chapter the nethermost Deut· 32 22. Nunc igitur cruciaris the place of torments The Prophets said as much Ieremie Ever thinke that an end there will be Ieremie 5.31 Esay 33.14 Et quid fiet in novissimo what shall become of us in that end Who among us saith Esay can endure devouring fire who can dwell with ardores sempiterni everlasting burnings These he had and if he had heard these it is plainely affirmed Audiant ipsos would have done it they would have kept him for ever comming in that place But these also living he strove to forget and as ingenderers of melancholie to remove them farr away And that he might the more easily doe it it was thought not amisse to call their authoritie in question whither they were worth the hearing or no. It is in effect confessed by him that his five brethren and he were of one opinion that the hearing of Moses and the Prophets was a motive farre vnworthy to carry such men as they An Angel from heaven or one from the dead might perhaps but the bookes of Moses should never move them It was not for nothing he complaineth of his tongue Illâ linguâ with that tongue he had scorned the Holy Oracles peradventure that place wherein he now lay with that tongue which in that place feeleth the greatest torment and from that place the smallest comfort both which it had before prophanely derided Thus then you see his Scalam inferni the briefe of his faults for which his Râ—ceipt endeth in this bitter Recipe of torments without end 1 Epicurisme no life but this No good but these heere Good attire good cheere 2 This was his reward Amen dico vobis Matt 6.2 recepistis Saint Chrysostome's two 1 Remembring neither GOD in heaven nor Lazarus on earth 2 but being a Gurges a Gulfe of all that he received himselfe 3 No not his owne soule 4 nor last of all this place of torments before he was in it and scorning at Moses for remembring him of it This you see And in him you see who they be over whom Abraham shall reade the like sentence Qui habet aures c. II. The title Recordare fili Now then we have set up both sides of this Crosse and fastened each part to other with Now therefore Let us affixe the Inscription and so an end That is Recordare fili The want of which brought him thither The supplie of it shall keepe us thence Fili recordare optimè dictum sed serò Excâ—llently well said but too late saith Saint Bernard For alas commeth Abraham in now with Recordare doth he now affixe the title why it is too late True it is so But till now he would not suffer any to set it up Before while it was time and when it might have done him good then he would not endure it Now then he is faigne when it is out of time to know what in time might have done him good and may doe others if in time they looke to it Indeed to him now it is of no vse in the world but onely to let him see by what Iustice he is where he is and what he suffereth he suffereth deservedly The best is Abraham hath more sonnes then this sonne and they may take good by it and have vse of that whereof he had none With this sonne it is too late with some other it is not Not with us we are yet upon the stage Our Iam verò is not yet come And for us is this Inscription set up and for our sakes both CHRIST reported and Saint Luke recorded this Recordare If you aske What good is that What is the good of exemplarie Iustice What good is it to see a malefactor punished or to read in a paper the crime wherefore What but onely that by reading what brought him thither we may remember what will keepe us from thence The neglect of Recordare is the cause he is there why then Recordare fili and keepe thee from thence So with one view of this Inscription we reade both his ruine and our owne remedie This is the right vse of this title GOD forbidd we should have no vse of it till we come where he is But it is therefore set over his head in that life that we may reade it in this reade it and remember it remember it and never have title set over ours It will be good then sometimes to keepe some day holy to the exaltation of this Crosse and to set this title before our eyes to approch it and read it over Yea not once but often to record this Recordare Indeed it is that Saint Gregorie saith Recordatione magis eget versus iste quà m expositione Indeed it more needs a disposition to remember it then an exposition to vnderstand it We are yet how long we shall we know not nor how soone vitâ tuâ will be gone nor how quickly this Iam verò will come in place This we know between his state and ours there is only a puffe of breath in our nosthrills That this life short though it be and in a manner a moment yet hoc est momentum unde pendet aeternitas On it no lesse matter dependeth then our aeternitie or blisse or bane comfort or torment That in that place without all hope either of relief escape or end and that from thence neither our profession of truth nor the greatnesse of our receiving shall deliver but onely this Recordare It standeth us then in hand to take perfect impression of this Recordare and as Saint Augustine saith Oblivisci quid simus attendere quid futuri simus to forget what we now be to consider what we shall be without all question yer long but we know not how soone but oft it falleth the shorter and sooner the lesse we thinke of it Three things then I wish for conclusion 1 that we may remember 2 remember in time 3 remember effectually That we may remember the fire the thirst and the torments and know what they meane by memorie rather then by sense Abraham from heaven calls to us to that end The party in hell crieth Neveniant ipsi That we doe it in time that we be not in his case never lift up our eyes till we be in hell nor remember that
the precious soule of man Prov. 6. Love of soules Philip 3.21 Pro. 6.26 the more the more acceptable If of a City well If of a County better If of a Country or Kingdome best of all And for them and for their love to be ready to prove it by Saint Paule's triall to open our Impendam to vow our Impendar and as neere as may be to aspire to the same degree of Libentissimè Verily they that either as the Apostle for the winning of soules or for the defense and safety of soules many thousands of soules the soules of an whole Estate in high and heroicall courage have already past their Impendam and are ready to offer themselves every day to Impendar and with that resolute forwardnesse which we all see for it is a case presently in all our eyes They that doe thus no good can be spoken of their love answerable to the desert of it Heavenly it is and in heaven to receive the reward But when all is done we must take notice of the world's nature For as Saint Paul left it so we shall finde it that is we shall not perhaps meet with that regard we promise our selves Saint â—aule's magis diligam mett with a Minus diligar Therefore above all remember his Etsi For to be kind and that to the vnkind to know such we shall meet with yea to meet with them and yet hold our Etsi and love neverthelesse This certainely is that Love Maiorem quiá nemo And there is on earth no greater signe of a soule throughly setled in the love of CHRIST then to stand thus minded Come what will come Magis or Minus Si or Etsi frown or favour Respect or neglect Quod facio hoc faciam What I doe I will doe with eye to CHRIST Chap. 11.12 with hope of regard from Him let the world be as it is and as it ever hath beene Samuel this day in the first Lesson when he had spent his life in a well ordered Government that his very enimies could no way except to in his old daies was requited with Fac nobis Regem onely upon a humor of innovation What then 1. Sam. 8.5 Grew he discontent No Non obstante for all their ingratitude Good man this he professeth GOD forbidd saith he I should sinn in ceasing to pray for you yea I will shew you the good and right way of the LORD for all that 12 2â— That may serve to match this out of the Old Testament For heer in like sort we have Paul's Minùs diligar before our eyes and we see he is at his Libentissimè Etsi for all that You learne then as that Minùs diligar may come so in case it doe come what to do even to consummate your Love with a triumph over unkindnesse Learne this and all is learned Learne this and the whole Art is had And we have in this verse and in the very first word of it that will enter us into this Lesson First from Ego verò from his and from our own persons we may beginn to raise this duty When we were deep in our Miâ—ùs diligar and smally regarded CHRIST Rom. 5.10 Nay Cum inimici essemus to take it as we should when we were His enimies of His over-abundant kindnesse it pleased Him to call us from the blindnesse of error to the knowledge of His truth from a deep consumption of our soules by sinn to the state of health and grace And if S. Paul were loved when he raged and breathed blasphemie against CHRIST and His Name is it much Act 9.1 if for CHRIST 's sake he swallow some unkindnesse at the Corinthian's hands Is it much if we let fall a duty upon them upon whom GOD the Father droppeth his raine and GOD the Sonne dropps yea shedds His blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 6 35. upon evill and unthankefull men Surely if Love or well-doing or any good must perish which is the second Motive and be lost through some bodies default where it lighteth much better it is that it perish in the Corinthians hands then in Paule's by them in their evill receiving then by him in his not bestowing through their unkindnesse then through our abruptnesse For so the sinne shal be theirs and we and our soules innocent before GOD. Impendatur per nos Pereat per illos But perish it shall not which is the third point though for them it may For howsoever of them it may be truly said The more we love the lesse they Of CHRIST it never can nor ever shal be said For Saint Paul for the little love at their hands found the greater at His Though the more he loved the lesse they loved him yet the lesse they loved the more CHRIST loved him Of whom to be loved even in the least degree is worth all the love of Corinth and all Achaia too So that heer we find that we missed all this while a tamen for our Etsi Though not theâ— yet CHRIST Which tamen maketh amends for all â—t vigilanti verbo usus est Apostolus that Saint Paul spoke not at adventure but was well advised when he used the word Impendam For it is Impendam indeed not Perdam Not lost but layd out Not cast away but imployed on Him for whose love none ever hath or shall bâ—stow ought but he shall receive a super-impendar of an hundred-fold And indeed all other loves of the flesh or world or whatsoever els shall perish and come to nothing and of this and this onely we may say Impendam truely So that to make an end though true it be that S. Bernard saith Perfectus amer vires non sumit de spe Perfect love receives no manner strength from hope yet for that our Love is not without his imperfections all under one view we may with one eye behold CHRIST 's Magis diligam when we were sâ—arse in our Minùs nay scarce loved Him at all and with the other looke upon Impendam that what we do hereiâ— though at mens hands we finde no returne at CHRIST 's we shall and it shal be the best bestowed service that ever we bestowed that we bestow in this kind Now would GOD the same Spirit which here wrott this verse would write it in our hearts that those things are thus That such a Rependam there shall be and we well assured of it ut nos converteremur in amoreÌ„ that we might be transforâ—ed into this Love Which blessing Almighty GOD bestow on that which hath been sayd for CHRIST 's c. Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS PREACHED VPON Good-Friday A SERMON PREACHED AT THE Court on the XXV of March A.D. MDXCVII being GOOD-FRIDAY ZACH. CHAP. XII VER X. Respicient in Me quem transfixerunt And they shall looke upon Me whom they have pierced THat great and honourable Person the Eunuch sitting in his Chariot and reading a like place of the Prophet Esai
Sorrow That which we are called to behold and consider is his Sorrow And Sorrow is a thing which of it selfe Nature enclineth us to behold as being our selves in the body Heb. 13.3 which may be one day in the like sorrowfull case Therefore will every good eye turne it selfe and looke upon them that lie in distresse 1. Bâ—hold Luc. 10.32 Those two in the Gospell that passed by the wounded man before they passed by him though they helped him not as the Samaritane did yet they looked upon him as he lay But this party here lieth not Ioh. 3 14. he is lift up as the Serpent in the wildernesse that unlesse we turne our eyes away purposely we can neither will nor choose but behold him Act. 1.11 But because to Behold and not to consider is but to gaze and gazing the Angeâ— blameth in the Apostles themselves we must do both both Behold and Consider 2. Consider looke upon with the eye of the body that is Behold and looke into with the eye of the mind that is Consider So saith the Prophet here And the verie same doth the Apostle advise us to do First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to looke upon him that is Heb 12 23. to Behold and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke upon him that is to Consider his Sorrow Sorrow sure would be considered The quality If ever the lâ—ke Now then because as the qualitie of the Sorrow is accordingly it would be considered for if it be but a common sorrow the lesse will serve but if it be some speciall some very heavy case the more would be allowed it for proportionably with the suffering the consideration is to arise To raise our consideration to the full and to elevate it to the highest point there is upon his Sorrow set a Si fuerit sicut a note of highest eminency for Si fuerit sicut are words that have life in them and are able to quicken our consideration if it be not quite dead For by them we are provoked as it were to Consider and considering to see whether ever any Sicut may be found to set by it whether ever any like it For if never any Our nature is to regard things exceeding rare and strange and such as the like whereof is not else to be seene Vpon this point then there is a Case made as if he should say If ever the like Regard not this but if never any be like your selves in other things and vouchsafe this if not your chiefest yet some Regard To enter this Comparison and to shew it for such That are we to do In the three parts of his Sorrow three sundry waies For three sundry waies in three sundry words are these Sufferings of his here expressed all three within the compasse of the Verse The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac-ob which we read Sorrow taken from a wound or stripe as all do agree The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gholel we reade Done to me taken from a word that signifieth Melting in a fornace as S. Hierome noteth out of the Chaldee who so translateth it The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoga where we read Afflicted from a word which importeth Renting off or Bereaving The old Latine turneth it Vindemiavit me as a Vine whose fruit is all plucked off The Greeke with Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Vine or tree whose leaves are all beaten off and it left naked and bare In these three are comprized His Sufferings Wounded Melted and Bereft leafe and fruit that is all manner of comfort Of all that is poenall or can be suffered the common division is 1 Of the quâ—litie Fâ—rst of his Passion Sensus Damni Griefe for that we feele or for that we forgoe For that we feele in the two former Wounded in body Melted in soule for that we forgoe in the last Bereft all left neither fruit nor so much as a leafe to hang on him According to these three To consider his Sufferings 1. Poe na seâ—sus in the bodie and to begin first with the first The paines of his Body his wounds and his stripes Our verie eye will soone tell us no place was left in his Bodie where he might be smitten and was not His skin and flesh rent with the whips and scourges His hands and feet wounded with the miles His head with the thornes His very heart with the speare-point all his senses all his parts loden with whatsoeuer wit or malice could invent His blessed Body given as an Anvile to be beaten upon with the violent hands of those barbarous miscreants till they brought him into this case of Si fuerit sicut For Pilate's Ecce Homo his shewing him with an Ecce Ioâ— 19 5. as if he should say Behold looke if ever you saw the like ruefull spectacle This very shewing of his sheweth plainly he was then come into woful plight So wofull as Pilate verily believed his verie sight so pitifull as it would have moved the hardest heart of them all to have relented and said This is enough we desire no more And this for the wounds of his body for on this we stand not In this one peradventure some Sicut may be found 2. Poena sâ—nsus in the Soule in the paines of the bodie but in the second the Sorrow of the Soule I am sure none And indeed the paine of the Body is but the Body of paine the verie Soule of Sorrow and Paine is the Soule 's Sorrow and Paine Syra 15.57 Pro. 18.14 Give me any griefe save the griefe of the mind saith the Wise-man For saith Salomon the spirit of a man will sustaine all his other infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare And of this this of His soule I dare make a Case Si fuerit sicut Ioh 12.27 Luc 22.44 Mar. 14 35. Mat 26.38 He began to be troubled in Soule saith S. Iohn To be in an agonie saith S. Luke To be in anguish of mind and deepe distresse saith S. Marke To have his Soule round about on every side invironed with Sorrow that Sorrow to the death Here is trouble anguish agonie sorrow and deadly sorrow But it must be such as never the like So it was too The aestimate whereof we may take from the second word of Melting that is from his sweat in the Garden strange and the like whereof was never heard or seene Luc. 22.44 No manner violence offered him in body no man touching him or being neer him in a cold night for they were faine to have a fire within dores lying abroad in the aire and upon the cold earth to be all of a sweat and that sweat to be Blood and not as they call it Diaphoreticus a thin faint sweaâ— but Grumosus of great Drops and those so many so plenteous as they went through his apparell and all and through all
streamed to the ground and that in great abundance Read enquire and Consider Si fuerit sudor sicut sudor iste If ever there were sweat like this sweat of his Never the like Sweat certainly and therefore never the like Sorrow Our translation is Done unto me but we said the word properly signifieth and so S. Hierome and the Chaldee Paraphrast read it Mâ—lted me And truly it should seeme by this fearfull sweat of his he was neere some fornace the feeling whereof was hable to cast him into that sweat and to turne his sweat into drops of blood And sure it was so For see even in the very next words of all to this verse he complaineth of it Ignem misit in ossibus meis Vers. 13. That a fire was sent into his bones which melted him and made that bloudy sweat to distill from him That houre what his feelings were it is dangerous to define we know them not we may be too bold to determine of them To very good purpose it was that the ancient Fathers of the Greek Church in their Liturgie after they have recounted all the particular Paines as theâ— are set downe in his Passion and by all and by every one of them called for mercie doe after all shut up all with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thine unknowne Sorâ—owes and sufferings felt by thee but not distinctly knowen by us have mercie upon us and save us Now though this suffice not nothing neer yet let it suffice the time being short for His paines of Body and Soule For those of the Body it may be some may have endured the like but the sorrowes of His Soule are unknowen sorrowes and for them none ever have ever have or ever shall suffer the like the like or neere the like in any degree And now to the third It was said before To be in distresse 3. Poena â—â—mni such distresse as this was and to finde none to comfort nay not so much as to regard him is all that can be said to make his sorrow a Non sicut Comfort is it by which in the midst of all our sorrowes we are Confortati that is strengthened and made the better able to beare them all out And who is there even the poorest creature among us but in some degree findeth some comfort or some regard at some bodies hands For if that be not left the state of that partie is here in the third word said to be like the tree whose leaves and whose fruit are all beaten off quite and it selfe left bare and naked both of the one and of the other And such was our SAVIOVR 's case in these his Sorrowes this day 1. Leaves that so as what is left the meanest of the sonnes of men was not left him Not a leafe Not a leafe Leaves I may well call all humane comforts regards whereof he was then left cleane desolate 1. His owne they among whom he had gone about all his life long healing them teaching them 1. Wâ—thered lâ—aves Ioh 18 40. and 19.15 â—at 27.25 Mar. 15.29.36 feeding them doing them all the good he could it is they that cry Not Him no but Barabbas rather away with Him His blood be upon us our children It is they that in the middest of his sorrowes shake their head at him and crie Ah thou wretch they that in his most disconsolate estate crie Eli Eli in most barbarous manner deride him and say Stay and you shall see Elias come presently and take Him downe And this was their Regard But these were but withered leaves They then 2. Green leaâ—es that on earth were neerest him of all the greenest leaves and likest to hang on and to give him some shade even of them some bought and sold him others denied and forswore him but all fell away and forsooke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret not a leafe left But leaves are but leaves and so are all earthly staies Fruiâ—t The fruit then the true fruit of the Vine indeed the true comfort in all heavinesse is De super from above is divine consolation But Vindemiavit me saith the Latine Text even that was in this his sorrow this day bereft him too And that was his most sorrowfull complaint of all others not that his friends upon earth but that his FATHER from Heaven had forsaken him that neither heaven nor earth yeelded him any regard but that between the passioned powers of his soule and whatsoever might any waies refresh him there was a Traverse drawne and he left in the estate of a weather-beaten tree all desolate and forlorne Evident too evident by that his most dreadful crie which at once moved all the powers in heaven and earth My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Mat 27.46 Weigh well thaâ— crie consider it well and tell me Si fuerit clamor sicut clamor iste if ever there were cry like that of his Never the like crie and therefore never the like sorrow It is strange very strange that of none of the Martyrs the like can be read who yet endured most exquisite paines in their Martyrdomes yet we see with what courage with what cheerfulnesse how even singing they are reported to have passed through their torments Will ye know the reason S. Augustine setteth it downe Martyres non eripuit sed nunquid deseruit He delivered not His Martyrs but did he forsake them He delivered not their bodies but he forsooke not their soules but distilled into them the dew of his heavenly comfort an abundant supply for all they could endure Not so here Vindemiavit me saith the Prophet Dereliquisti me saith he himselfe No comfort no supply at all Leo it is that first sayd it and all Antiquitie allow of it Non solâ—itunionem sed subtraxit visionem The union was not dissolved True but the beames the influence was restrained and for any comfort from thence his Soule was euen as a scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of dew of divine comfort as a naked tree no fruit to refresh him within no leafe to give him shadow without The power of darknesse let loose to afflict him The influence of comfort restrained to relieve him It is a Non sicut this it cannot be expressed as it should and as other things may in silence we may admire it but all our words will not reach it And though to draw it so farr as some do is little better then blasphemy Yet on the otherside to shrinke it so short as other some do cannot be but with derogation to his love Who to kindle our love and loving Regard would come to a Non sicut in his suffering For so it was and so we must allow it to be This in respect of his Passion Dolor 〈◊〉 of the quality of 〈◊〉 Now in respect of his Person Dolor meus Wherof if it please you to take a view even of the Person
their behaviour it might seeme a may-game Their shouâ—ing and out-cries their harrying of him about from Annas to Caiaphas from him to Pilate from Pilate to Herod and from him to Pilate again One while in purple Pilate's suit another-while in white Herod's livery Nipping him by the cheekes and pulling off his haire blindfolding Him and buffeting Him bowing to Him in derision and then spitting in his face was as if they had had not the LORD of glorie but some idiot or dizard in hand Died Abner as a foole dyeth 2. Sam. 3.33 saith David of Abner in great regrett ô no. Sure our blessed SAVIOVR so died and that he so died doth aequall nay surpasse even the worst of his torments Yet this shame also He despised of being in formâ Iudibrij Is there any â—orse yet There is For though contempt be bad yet despight is beyond it as farre as earnest is beyond sport that was sport this was malice Despight I call it when in the middst of his miserie in the very depth of all his distresse they vouchsafed him not the least compassion but as if he had been the most odious wretched Caitive and abject oâ— men the very out-cast of Heaven and Earth stood staring and gaping upon him wagging their heads writhing their mouâ—hes yea blearing out their tongues rayling on him and reviling him scoffing at him and scorning him yea in the very time of his Prayers deriding him even in his most mournefull complaint and crie for the verie anguish of his Spirite These vile indignities these shamefull villanies so void of all humanitie so full of all despight I make no question entred into his soule deeper then either naile or speare did into his bodie Yet all this he despised to be in foâ—mâ reprobi Men hid their faces at this nay to see this sight the Sunne was darkened drew back his light the earth trembled ran one part from the other the powers of Heaven were moved Is this all No all this is but Scandalum there is a greater yet remaining then scandalum and that is maledictum Crucis That the death he died was not only servile scandalous opprobrious odious but even execrable and accursed Of men held so For as if he had been a verie reprobate in his extreame drought they denied him a drop of water never denied to any but to the damned in hell and instead of it offered him vinegar in a spoonge and that in the very pangs of death as one for whom nothing was evill â—nough All this is but man and man is but man his glorie is shame oftentimes and his shame glorie But what GOD curseth that is cursed indeed And this death was cursed by GOD Himselfe His oâ—ne mouth as the Apostle deduceth Galath 3. â—3 When all is sayd we can say this this is the hardest point of his shame and the highest point of his love in bearing it CHRISTVS factus est maledictum The shame of a cursed death cursed by GOD is a shame beyond all shames and he that can despise it may well say consummatum est there is no greater left for him to despise O what contempt was powred vpon him O how was he in all these despised Yet he despised them all and despised to be despised in them all The highest humilitie Spernere Se sperni these so many waies spernere Sesperni So have we now the Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two maine barres of it 1 Paine and 2 Shame And either of these againe a Crosse of it selfe and that double 1 outward and 2 inward Paine bloody cruell dolorous and enduring Paine He endured Shame servile scandalous opprobrious odious Shame He despised And beside these an internall Crosse the passion of Gethsemane and an internall shame the Curse it selfe of the Crosse Maledictum Crucis Of these he endured the one the other he despised 3. Quo animo These all these and yet there remaineth a greater then all these even Quo animo with what mind what having in his mind or setting before his eyes he did and suffered all this That he did it not utcunque but proposito sibi with an eye to somewhat he aimed at We handle this point last it standeth first in the Verse And sure if this as a figure stand not first the other two are but Ciphers with it of value nothing without it To endure all this is very much howsoever it were So to endure it as to make no reckoning of it to despise it is more strange then all the rest Sure the shame was great how could he make so small accompt of it and the Crosse heavie how could he sett it so light They could not choose but pinch him and that extreamly and how then could he indure and so indure that he despised them It is the third point and in it is adeps arietis the fatt of Rammes the marrow of the Sacrifice even the good heart the free forward minde the cheerfull affection wherewith he did all this There be but two senses to take this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Neither amisse both very good take whither you will Love is in both and Love in a high measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even either Pro or Prae Pro instead or Prae in comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro instead of the joy sett before him What joy was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome for he was in the joyes of Heaven there he was and there he might have held him Nothing did or could force him to come thence and to come hither thus to be entreated Nothing but Sic dilexit 〈…〉 or Propter nimiam charitatem quà dilexit nos but for it Yet was he content being in the forme of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of it thus to transforme Phi. 2 6. yea to deforme himselfe into the shape of a servant a felon a foole nay of a Caitive accursed Content to lay downe his crowne of glorie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of it to weare a crowne of thornes Content what we shun by all meanes that to endure losse of life what we make so great a matter of that to despise losse of honour All this with the losse of that joy and that honour he enjoyed in heaven another manner joy and Honour then any we have heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this or instead of this But the other sense is more praised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prae in comparison For indeed the joy he left in heaven was rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joy wherin he did already sit then joy sett before him Vpon which ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they turne Prae and that better as they suppose For that is in comparison of a certaine joy which He comparing with the Crosse and shame and all chose rather to go through them all then to goe without it And can there
of and that which most affecteth us ever soonest speake of This is the first error That which was first with CHRIST is last with Christians and I would it were so last for then it were some Now scarce any at all as it seemeth 2. The Mâ—nner thâ—â—se wished In the Manner for first is but first that is but once This is first and second Heere He saith it and with in a verse He is at it againe Nay first sâ—cond and third 1 in this 2 the XXI and 3 XXVI verses As if like Actio in Rhetorique all in all All CHRIST 's vowes are to be esteemed specially His solemne vowes And His speeches chiefly those He goeth over and over againe That which by Him is double and treble said would not by us be singly regarded He would have it better marked therefore He speaketh it the second time He would have it yet sinke deeper therefore the third also We fault in the manner Once we doe it it may be but upon any repulse we give over if it come not at first we go not to it Secundo tâ—rtiò repetitis vicibus We must not leave at once that CHRIST did so oft 1 His â—ite in wishing it Sâ—eâ—â—t The second error is we aske it sitting I feare and CHRIST stood His standing imports something Standing is the site of them that are ready to goe about a matter as they to take their journey in the XII of Exodus That Site is the Site of them Exâ—d 12.11 that wish for peace Oportet slantem optare A Sedentarie desire it may be we have but loth to leave our cushion We would it were well but not willing to disease our selves Vtinam hoc esset laborare said he that lay along and stretched himselfe So say we Peace we would but standing is painfull Our wish hath lipps but no leggs Esay 5â— 7 Rom. 10.15 But it could not be said Beautifull are the feete of them that bring Peace if the feet had nothing to do in this businesse With sitting and wishing it will not be had * Psal. 34.14 Peace will hide it selfe it must be sought out It will fly away it must be pursued This then is a point wherein we are to conforme our selves to CHRIST as well to use our leggs as to open our lipps for it To stand is Situs voventis To hold up the hands Habitus orantis The meaning of which ceremonie of lifting up the hands with prayer is Vt pro quo quis oret pro eo laboret what we pray for we should labour for what we wish for stand for We see CHRIST sheweth His hands and His feet to shew what must be done with both for it If we should be put to doe the like I doubt our wish hath never a good legg to stand on To stand then But to stand in a certain place Every where to stand 3. His Place In medio Luc. 1.79 will not serve the turne Stetit in medio that standing place is assigned for it thus guiding our feet into the way of Peace And the Place is materiall for peace All bodies naturall never leave moving are never quiet till they recover their proper places and there they find peace The midst is CHRIST 's place by Nature He is the second person in divinis and so the middle-most of the other two And By nature on earth follow Him if you will you shall not lightly find Him out of it Not according to the letter speaking of the materiall place At His birth Luc. 2.7.46 In medio animalium in the Stable After a child In medio Doctorum in the Temple After a man Medius vestrûm stetit saith Iohn Baptist in the midst of the people Ioh. 1.26 saith He of Himselfe Ecce Ego in medio vestri in the midst of His Apostles At His death Luc. 22.27.23 35. it fell to His turne likewise that place even then He was in the midst And now rising there He is we see They in the midst of the Iewes and He in the midst of them After this in Paâ—mos Saint Iohn saw Him in heaven Apoc. 7.17 in the middst of the throne in earth walking in the middst of the Candlesticks 1.13 And at the last day He shal be in the midst too of the sheepe on His right hand and the goates on His left All which shew the place and He sort very well Matth. 25.33 But were it not naturall for Him as the case standeth there He is to stand By office as a Mediator being to give peace No place so fitt for that purpose None so kindly as it His Office being to be a Mediator Medius between GOD and man where should a Mediator stand but in Medio 1. Tim. 2.5 Besides the two qualities of good being to be Diffusivum and Vnitivum that is the fittest place for both To distribute best done from the center To unite The reason of it likewise soonest meet there The place it selfe hath a vertue specially to unite which is never done but by some middle thing If we will conclude we must have a Mediâ—s terminus Els we shall never gett Majus and Minus extremum to come togither Nor in things naturall either combine two elements disagreeing in both qualities without a middle symbolizing with both Nor flesh and bone without a cartilage between both As for things morall there the middle is all in all No vertue without it In Iustice encline the ballance one way or other the even peize is lost Et opus Iustitiae pax Peace is the very worke of Iustice. And the way to peace is the mid way neither to the right hand too much nor to the left hand too little In a word all analogie symmetrie harmonie in the world goeth by it It commeth all to this The manner of the Place doth teach us what manner of Affection is to be in them that wish for or stand for peace The place is indifferent aequally distant alike neer to all There pitch the Arke that is the place for it Indifferencie in carriage preserveth peace By forgoing that and leaning to extremities it is lost Thither we must get againe and there stand if ever we shall recover it Discessit a medio lost it Setit in medio must restore it Therefore when you heare men talke of peace marke whither they stand where they should If with the Pharisee to the corners either by partialitie one way or prejudice another no good will be done When GOD will have it brought to passe such minds He will give unto men and make them meet to wish it seeke it and find it A little now of the time This was Christ's wish at this time And Christ never speakes out of season 4. The Time in illo die Therefore a speciall interest hath this Feast in it It is Votum Paschale and this is Festum pacis And sure Habemus talem
consuetudinem Ecclesiae Dei Such a custome we have and so 1. Cor. 11.16 the Church of GOD hath used it to take these words of CHRIST in the nature of an Edict for pacification ever at this time That whatsoever become of it all the yeare beside this time should be kept a time of peace we should seeke it and offer it seeke it of GOD and offer it each to other There hath not these sixteen hundred yeares this day passed without a Peace-offering And the Law of a Peace-offering is he that offers it must take his part of it eat of it or it doth him no good This day therefore the Church never failes but setts forth her Peace-offering the Body whose hands were heer shewed and the Side whence issued Sanguis crucis the blood that pacifieth all things in earth heaven that we Col. 1.20 in and by it may this day renew the Covenant of our peace Then can it not be but a great grief to a Christian heart to see many this day give Christ's peace the hearing and there is all heare it and then turne their backs on it every man go his way and forsake his peace insteed of seeking it shunn it and of pursuing turne away from it We have not so learned CHRIST Saint Paul hath not so taught us His Rule it is Is CHRIST our Passover offered for us as Ephe. 4.20 1. Cor. 5.7.8 now He was Epulemur itaque That is his Conclusion Let us then keep a Feast a Feast of sweet bread without any sowre levin that is of Peace without any malice So to doe and even then this day when we have the peace-offering in our hands then to remember and alwaies but then specially to ioine with Christ in His wish to put into our hearts and the hearts of all that professe His name their 's specially that are of all others most likely to effect it that CHRIST may have His wish and there may be peace through the Christian world That we may once all partake togither of one peace-offering and with one mouth and one mind glorifie GOD the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL On the VIII of Aprill A.D. MDCX. being EASTER DAY IOB CHAP. XIX Quis mihi tribuat ut scribantur c. VER 23. Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were written even in a booke 24. And graven with an iron penne in leade or in stone for ever 25. For J am sure that my Redeemer liveth and He shall stand the last on the earth or and I shall rise againe in the last day from the earth 26. And though * Or And I shall be compassed again with my skinne after my skinne wormes destroy this body J shall see GOD in my flesh 27. Whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for me though my reines are consumed within me Or and this hope is layed up in my bosome THIS day calleth us to say somewhat of CHRIST 's Resurrection To finde CHRIST 's Resurrection in the New Testament is no masterie Out of many places you have thence heard of it heeretofore many times and many times may heerafter out of many places â—o If it be but for varietie it will doe well not to dwell still on the New but otherwhiles to see if we can finde it in the Old It will give us good satisfaction to see IESVS CHRIST to day and yesterday the same yesterday to them to day to us Heb. 13. â— To read Resurget in IOB He shall rise as we reade Resurrexit in IOHN He is risen To see their Creed and ours differ but in tense shall rise and is risen Shall and is but the REDEEMER all one in both Much adoe is made by our Antiquaries if an old stone be digged up with any dimme letters on it In this Text I finde mention of a stone to be graven so that I shall present you this day with an Antiquitie an old stone digged up in the land of Hus as old as Iob's time and that as old as MOSE'S with a faire inscription the Characters of it yet legible to prove the faith of this Feast so ancient that it began not with the Christians the Patriarchs had it as many hundred yeares before CHRIST as we are after This Text is a monument of it And it will be never the worse welcome to us that are Gentiles that is commeth from one that is a Gentile as IOB was and not of IACOB 's line It is the stronger for that MOSES and IOB the Iew and Gentile beleeved it Psal. 90.5 MOSES put it in his ordinarie prayer the ninetieth Psalme as it were his Pater â—oster and IOB heere in his Creed Saint Hierom saith of IOB Nullum tam apertè post CHRISTVM quà m iste hîc ante CHRISTVM de Resurrectione loquitur CHRISTI suâ No man ever since CHRIST did so cleerely speake of CHRIST 's Resurrection and his owne as IOB did heere before CHRIST That his Redeemer liveth and shall rise againe Which is as much to say as Ioh. 11.25 He is the Resurrection and the life Saint Iohn could say no more It is his hope He is by it regenerate to a livelyhope Saint Peter could say no more 1. Pet. 1.3 Enters into such particulars this flesh and these eyes Saint Paul could doe no more 1. Cor. 15.53 There is not in all the Old nay there is not in all the New a more pregnant direct place There is then in this monument of antiquitie a direct prophesie or if you will a plaine Creed of the substance of this Feast of his Redeemer's rising and of his hope to rise by Him the one positivè the other illativè There is a patheticall Poëme sett before it and there is a close or farewell by way of Epiphonema after it no lesse patheticall The Summe and Division The two first verses we may well call the Parasceue or preparation to the Feast of Passeover which serve to stirre up our regard as to a Mysterie or matter of great moment worthie not onely to be written or enrolled in a booke but to be cutt in stone a monument to be made of it ad perpetuam rei memoriam Oh that c. Then followeth in the third His Redeemer and his rising his passing over from death to life I know c. and out of it in the last by way of inference his owne Et quòd ego c. set downe with words so cleere and so full of caution as in the Epistle to the Corinthians it is not fuller expressed Vpon these two there be two Acts heere sett downe 1 Scio and 2 Spero He beginnes with Scio for the truth and ends with Haec mihi spes for the comfort or vse of this knowledge Graven that it may be knowne knowne that it may be our hope His it was
had There then it is and we thither to lift up our hearts whither the very frame of our bodies gives as if there were somewhat remaining for us there It is thought there is some further thing meant by Saint Peter He writes to the dispersed Iewes And that by in Coelo he gives them an Item this Inheritance is no new Canaan heere on earth Nor CHRIST eny earthly Messias to settle them in a new land of promise No that was for the Synagogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was it self mortall is dead and buried since and so had but mortall things to promise to her children whom she did generate to mortalitie The Church of CHRIST the heavenly Ierusalem Gal. 4.26 hath other manner of promises to her children regenerate by the immortall seed of the Word and Spirit of GOD To them She holdeth forth things immortall and heavenly yea heaven and immortalitie it selfe Reserved in Heaven In heaven then There it is first and there it is kept the being there one the keeping another For that there it is kept is happie for us Earth would not keepe it Heere it would be in hazard there is great odds For my part I give it for lost if in this State we were possessed of it It would goe the same way Paradise went Since it would be lost in Earth it is kept in heaven And a Benedictus for that too as for the regenerating us to it heere on Earth so for the keeping the preserving of it there in heaven Kept and for us kept Els all were nothing that makes up all For us that it is not onely preserved but reserved for us there As Benedictus the Alpha so this the Omega of all But reserved as the nature of the word is and as the nature is Rom 8.24 of things hoped for yet under the veile for Spes quae videtur non est spes But time shall come when the veile shall be taken of and of that which is now within it there shall be a reveiling as followeth in the next verse And so all begins and ends as the Bible doth Verse 5. As the Bible with Genesis So this Text with Regeneration as the Bible ends in the Apocalypse So this heere with a Revelation Onely it stayeth till the worke of regeneration be accomplished Generation and it take end both together and when generation doth then shall corruption likewise and with it the state of dishonor which is in foulenesse and the state of weakenesse which is in fading And instead of them incorruption come in place with honour and power And these three 1 incorruption 2 honour and 3 power make the perfect estate of blisse To which CHRIST this day arose and which shall be our estate at the Resurrection That as all began with a resurrection so it shall end with one Came to us by CHRIST 's rising now this first Easter and we shall come to it by our owne rising at the last and great Easter the true Passe-over indeed when from death and miserie we shall passe to life and felicitie Now for this Inheritance which is Blisse it selfe and in the interim for the blessed hope set before us Which we have as an Anchor of our soule stedfast and sure Heb. 6.18.19 20. Which entereth even within the veile where CHRIST the forerunner is already seized of it in our names and for our behoofes For these come we now to our Benedictus For if GOD according to His manifold mercie have done all this for us we also according to our duty as manifold as his mercie are to doe or say at least somewhat againe It accords well that for so many beneficia one Benedictus at least It accords well that His rising should raise in us and our regenerating beget in us some praise thankes blessing at least but blessing fitts best with Benedictus First then dictus somewhat would be said by way of recognition This hath GOD done for us and more also But this this very day Then Benè let it be to speake well of Him for doing thus well by us A verball Benedictus for a reall blessing is as little as may be For the Inheritance which is blessing for the hope which is blessed for the blessed cause of both GOD'S mercie and the blessed meanes of both CHRIST 's Resurrection this blessed day Blessed be GOD. But to say Benedictus eny way is not to content us but to say it solemnely How is that Benedictus in our mouth and the holy Eucharist in our hands So to say it To seale up as he in the old his quid retribuam with calicem salutaris Psal. 116.12.13 1. Cor. 10.16 the Cup of salvation So we in the new our Benedictus with Calix benedictionis the Cup of blessing which we blesse in His name So shall we say it in kind say it as it would be said The rather so to do because by that Cup of blessing we shall partake the blood of the New Testament by which this Inheritance as it was purchased for us so it is passed to us Alwaies making full accompt that from the Cup of blessing we cannot part but with a blessing And yet this is not all We are not to stay heere but to aspire farther even to strive to be like to GOD and be like GOD we shall not vnlesse our dicere be facere as His is vnlesse somewhat be done withall In very deed there is no blessing but with levatâ and extensâ manu the hand stretched out So our SAVIOVR himselfe blessed Luk. 24. The vocall blessing alone is not full nor the Sacramentall alone Luk. 24 50. without Benedictio manus that is the actuall blessing To leave a blessing behind us to bestow somewhat for which the Church the poore in it so shall blesse us and blesse GOD for us In which respect the Apostle so calleth it expressely 2. Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 9.5 benedictionem and by that name commends it to th◠Corinthians And that is the blessing of blessings when all is done That is it Matt. 25.33 for which Venite benedicti shall be said to us Even for parting with that heere which shall seed cover and set free the hungrie naked and them in prison That shall prove the blessing reall and stick by us when all our verball benedictions shall be vanished into aire So for a treble blessing from GOD 1 Our regenerating 2 Our hope 3 Our Inheritance we shall returne Him the same number even three for three 1 Benedictus of the voice and instrument 2 Benedictus of the Signe and Sacrament 3 and Benedictus of some blessed deed done for which many blessings upon earth and the blessing of GOD from heaven shall come upon us So as we say heere Benedictus Deus Blessed He He shall say Benedictivos Blessed Ye The hearing of which words in the end shall make us blessed without end in heaven's blisse To which
corruption For CHRIST had His psalme too as well as Ionas David composed it for him long before the XVI psalme Psal. 16.10 the psalme of the resurrection And so the evening and the morning were CHRIST'S second day Easter eve Now to Iona's ultimò Ionas his hope failed him not the Whale's bellie 3 In their comming thence Easter day that seemed his toomb proved his wombe or second birth place There he was not as meat in the stomach but as an Embryo in the matrice of his mother Strange the Whale to be as his mother to be delivered of him and bring him forth into the world againe So forth he came and to Ninive about his businesse Ion. 2.10.3 3 Thither he went to bring them out of the whale's bellie too And the evening and the morning were Iona's third day Now the whale could not hold Ionas no more could the grave Christ longer then this morning after breake of day But forth came He too And with a plus quam in respect of Ionas It was in strict speech with Ionas no resurrection For the truth is he was never dead never he but putativè But Christ was dead starke dead indeed slaine outright upon the crosse His heart pierced Ioh. 19.34 Mat. 7 6â— His heart blood rann out And for dead taken downe layd in sealed up in His grave a stone rolled on Him a watch set ever Him Made sure I trow and yet rose for all that Another Ionas rising the whale gaped wide and streigned hard and up came Ionas It was long of the whale not of him or any power of his But Christ by His owne power broke the barrs of death and loosed the sorrowes of hell of which it is impossible He should be holden 〈◊〉 2.24 A third Ionas rose but to the same state he was in before but mortall Ionas still When he scaped he drew his chaine after him and by the end of it was plucked back againe afterward But Christ left them and linnen clothes and all in the grave behind Him rose to a better to ultra non morietur never to die more He. 〈◊〉 6.9 And in a word the great Plus quà m Ionas was but ejectus in aridam But Christ was receptus in gloriam And in signe of it the place whereon Ionas was cast was drie land or cliffes where nothing growes The place wherein Christ rose was a well-watered garden wherein the ground was in all her glorie fresh and green and full of flowers at the instant of His rising this time of the yeare So as He went lower so He rose higher then ever did Ionas with a great Ecce plus quà m And yet behold a greater then all these For Ionas when he came forth came forth and there was all left the whale as he found it But Ecce plus quà m Ionas hic plus quà m indeed 〈◊〉 1.41 Christ slew the whale that devoured Him in the comming forth was mors mortis He left not the grave as He found it but altered the propertie nay changed the very nature of it by His rising Three changes He made in it very plainely 1. Of a pit of perdition which it was before He hath made it now an harbor of rest Rest in hope Hope of a new not the same it was before but a better farr with a great Plus quà m 〈◊〉 2.26 2. Made it againe as the whale to Ionas was a convoy or passing bote to a better Port then any is in our Tharsis heer even to the haven of happinesse and heaven's blisse without end This for the soule 3. And for the body made the grave as a womb for a second birth to traveile with us anew and bring us forth to life everlasting Made cor terrae ventrem câ—ti the heart of the earth to us as the bellie of the whale was to Ionas which did not still reteine him That did not him nor this shall not us shall not hold us still no more then the whale did him or the grave did Christ. There shal be a comming forth out of both And when GOD shall speake to the earth as to the whale He did the Sea and Grave both shall yield up their dead and deliver them up alive again 〈◊〉 20.13 The very terme of the heart of the earth was well chosen There is heart in it For if the earth have an heart there is life in it for the heart is the fountaine of life and the seate of the vitall spirits that hold us in it So there is we see for the earth dead for a time all the winter now when the waters of heaven fall on it shewes it hath life bringing forth hearbs and flowers againe And even so when the waters above the heavens and namely the dew of this day distilling from Christ's rising 〈◊〉 26.19 shall in like sort drop upon it it shal be saith Esai Chap. XXVI as the dew of the herbs and the earth shall give forth her dead Dead men as it doth dead plants now fresh and green againe in the spring of the yeare And so the evening and the morning were Christ's third day this day Easter day morning Thus many waies doth this sicut hold and hold with a plus quà m Were it not great pitie now that CHRIST who is so many waies plus quà m Ioâ—as for all this should come to be minus quà m Ionas in this last the chiefe of all For this is the chiefe Ionas after he came out of the whale brought to passe that famous repentance the repentance of Ninive 〈◊〉 3.5 At Iona's preaching they repented at Ninive at Christ's they did not in Ierusalem We shall mend this if we be as the Ninivites repent as they As they Absit ut sic saith Saint Augustine but adds then sed utinam vel sic As they God forbid we should be but as they As CHRIST was more then Ionas so Christians should be more then Ninivites Well in the meane time I would we were but as they but so farr onward never plead for a plus but be content with Sicut and never seeke more But that we must For lesse sure we cannot be Christ to be plus quà m Ionas we to be minus quà m Ninivitae it will not fit it holds no proportion The Sicut ye see and the plus quà m both Now What this signe portends Psal. 86.16 what is the profitt of this Signe of the Prophet This Signe being of CHRIST 's giving CHRIST gives no Signe but it is Signum in bonum a Signe for good a good Signe and a good signe is a signe of some good Of what good is this a Signe Of hope of comming forth sure Comming forth whence From a whale What is meant by the whale the dliverance most-what is as the whale is And three whales we finde heer 1 Iona's whale 2 CHRIST 's whale 3 and a third And hope we have to come forth of all
why not a spirituall Edom too Apoc. 11.8 whence our LORD rose again Put all three together Aegypt Babel Edom all their enmities all are nothing to the hatred that Hell beares us But yet if you aske of the three which was the worst That was EDOM To shew the Prophet heer made good choise of his place EDOM upon earth comes neerest to the kingdome of darkenesse in Hell of all the rest And that in these respects First they were the wickedest people under the Sunne If there were any devils upon earth it was they if the devill of any countrey he would choose to be an Edomite No place on earth that resembled hell neerer next to hell on earth was EDOM for all that nought was MALACHIE calls EDOM the border of all wickednesse Mal. 1.4 a people with whom GOD was angrie for â—ver In which very points no enemies so fitly expresse the enemies of our soules against whom the anger of GOD is eternall Apoc. 14.11 and the smoke of whose toâ—ments shall ascend for â—ver Hell for all that nought is That if the power of darkenesse and hell it selfe if they be to be expressed by any place on earth they cannot be better expressed thâ—n in these EDOM and BOZRA I will give you another The Edomites were the posteritie of ESAV the samâ— is EDOM So they were neerest of kin to the Iewes of all nations so should have been their best friends Gen. 36 2. The Iewes and they came of two brethren EDOM was the elder and that was the griefe that the people of ISRAEL comming of IACOB the yonger brother had enlarged their border got them a better seate and country by farr then they the Edomites had Hence grew envie and an enimie out of envie is ever the worst So were they the most cankred enimies that Israël had The case is so betweene us and the evill spirits Angels they were we know and so in a sort elder brethren to us Of the two intellectuall Natures they the first created Our case now Christ be thanked is much better then theirs which is that enrageth them against us as much and more then ever any Edomite against Israël Hell for rancour and envie Yet one more they were ready to doe God's people all the mischief they were hable and when they were not hable of themselves they shewed their good wills though set on others And when they had woon Ierusalem cried downe with it Psal. 137.7 downe with it even to the ground no lesse would serve And when it was on the ground insulted and rejoiced above measure Remember the children of Edom. This is right the devill 's propertie quarto modo He that hath but the heart of a man will even rue to see his enimie lying in extreme miserie None but very devills or devills incarnate will doe so corrupt their compassion cast of all pitie reioice insult take delight at ones destruction Hell for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insulting over men in miserie But will ye go even to the letter None did ever so much mischiefe to David as did Doëg he was an Edomite Nor none so much to the Sonne of David CHRIST none bore more malice to Him first and last then did Herod and he was an Edomite So 1. Sam. 22.9 which way soever we take it next the kingdome of darknesse was Edom upon earth And CHRIST comming from thence may well be said to come from Edom. But what say you to Bozra This that if the countrey of Edom 2 By Bozra do well set before us the whole kingdome of darknesse or region of death Bozra may well stand for Hell it selfe Bozra was the strongest hold of that kingdome Hell is so of this The whole countrey of Idumea was called and knowne by the name of Vz that is of strength And what of such strength as death all the sonnes of men stoope to him Bozra was called the strong citie Hell is as strong as it every way They write Psal 60.9 it was invironed with huge high rockes on all sides one onely cleft to come to it by And when you were in there must you perish no getting out againe For all the world like to hell as Abraham describes it to him that was in it They that would go from this place to you cannot possibly neither can they come from thence to us Luk. 16 26. the gulfe is so great no getting out No habeas corpus from death No habeas animam out of hell you must let that alone for ever Psal. 49.8 Now then have we the Prophet's true Edom his very Bozra indeed By this we understand what they meane Edom the kingdome of darkenesse and death Bozra the seat of the Prince of darkenesse that is Hell it selfe From both which CHRIST this day returned His soule was not left in hell His flesh saw not but rose from corruption Psal. 16.10 For over Edom strong as it was yet David cast his shoo over it that is Psâ—â— 108 9. after the Hebrew phrase set his foot upon it and trod it downe And Bozra as impregnable a Hold as it was holden yet David woon it was ledd into the strong citie ledd into it and came thence againe So did the Sonne of David this day from His Edom death how strong soever yet swallowed up in victorie this day And from Hell 1 Cor 15.54 his Bozra how hard soever it held as he that was in it found there was no getting thence CHRIST is got forth we see How many soules soever were there left His was not left there And when did He this when solutis doloribus inferni He loosed the paines of hell Act 2 24. 1. Cor. 15.55 trod upon the Serpent's head and all to bruised it tooke from death his sting from hell his victorie that is his standard Col. 2.14 alluding to the Romane standard that had in it the image of the Goddesse Victorie Seised upon the Chirographum contra nos the Ragman Roll that made so strong against us tooke it rent it and so rent nailed it to His Crosse made His banner of it of the Law cancelled hanging at it banner-wise Col. 2.15 And having thus spoiled Principalities and Powers He made an open shew of them triumphed over them in semet ipso in his owne person All three are in Col. 2. and triumphantly came thence with the keyes of Edom and Bozra both of hell and of death both at His girdle as He shewes himselfe Apoc. 1. And when was this if ever on this very day On which having made a full and perfect conquest of death and of him that hath the power of death Heb. 2.14 that is the Divell Heb. 2. He rose and returned thence this morning as a mighty Conqueror saying as Debora did in her song O my soule thou hast troden downe strength Iud. 5.21 thou hast marched valiantly And comming backe thus from the
come as He should 1. On the Hoâ—y Ghost's part He should come as GOD. The stay of CHRIST would have been a let of the manifestation of His God-head To manifest His Godhead being to shew great Signes and work great Wonders if CHRIST had still remained and not gone His way they would not well have been distinguished and great odds have been ascribed to CHRIST So the Holy Ghost have wanted that honour and estimation due to Him an impeachment it would have been to his Divinitie But CHRIST ascending all such imaginations cease From mittam Eum a little empeachment it would have been 2. On Christ'â— to CHRIST 's aequalitie with His Father For He not going to send Him but staying still heer the sending of the Spirit would have been ascribed to the Father alone as His sole act This would have been the most that the Father for His sake had sent Him but he as GOD had had no honour of the sending Being ascended aâ—d glorified mittam will streight be conceived Quem mittet Pater et quem mittam a Patre that with the Father He sends Him equally and we alike beholden to them both Iâ—h 14 26 15.2â— A third is in vobis on their part also As their case was to be it was so meet 3. On theirs â—s their case was to be even in regard of them They were to be sent abroad into all coasts to be scattered all over the earth to preach the Gospell and not to stay together still in one place His corporall presence would have stood tâ—em in small stead He could have beene resident but in one place to have comforted some one of them S. Iames at Ierusalem as for Iohn at Ephesus or Thomas in India or Peter at Babylon as good for them in heaven as in earth all one The Spirit that was to succeed was much more fitt for men dispersed He could be and was present with them all and with every one by himselfe as filling the compasse of the whole world This as their case was to be But the Fathers rather pitch upon their estate as presently it was Vobis that is vobis sic dispositis for you that is you so disposed as I find 4. On theâ—rs as thâ—â—â— case was tâ—en 1. For â—is bodily presence you are So it is ad homines to them affected in such sort as then they were Whereby he giveth us to understand some are in that case as it is expedient CHRIST withdraw Himselfe from them And is there any vobis can any man be in that case it should be good for CHRIST to depart from him It seemeth so We see oftentime the case so standeth even in regard of this life that from some it is good their meate be taken and yet is meat the stay of their life that from some it is good their bloud be taken yet bloud is nature's treasure and that holdeth us in life that from some light be taken in some disease of the eyes yet is light the comfort of this life All this we conceive Expedit ut cibus ut sanguis ut lux abeat and all this better then expedit ut Christus abeat we may spare them all better then Him Yet CHRIST it is that telleth it us and telleth it us for a matter of great truth these were and whose case is better then these But if these some there are in that case it may be said to them truly It is expedient I be gone And what case may that be Even that case that maketh the mother many times withdraw her selfe from her yong child whom yet she loveth full tenderly when the child groweth foolishly fond of her which grew to be their case just Christ's flesh and His fleshly presence that and none but that So strangely fond they grew of that as they could not endure He should goe out of their sight Nothing but his carnall presence would quiet them Iob. 11.21 We know who sayd If thou hadst beene heer Lord as if absent He had not beene as hable to doe it by his Spirit as present by his bodie And a tabernacle they would needs build Him Matt. 17.4 to keepe him on earth still and ever and anon they were still dreaming of an earthly kingdome and of the chiefe Seates there as if their consummation should have beene in the flesh These phansies indeed errors they fell into about the flesh they had need have it taken from them The Spirit was gone quite they had more need to have Him sent This was at no hand to be cherished in them they were not to be held as children still but to grow to mans estate to perfect age and strength and so consequently to be weined from the corporall presence of His flesh nor to hang all by sense to which it is too true they were too much addicted The corporall therefore to be removed that the spirituall might take place the visible that the invisible and they not in sight or sense as hitherto but in spirit and truth henceforth to cleave unto him To say with the Apostle If we have knowen Christ after the flesh 2. Cor. 5.16 yet now henceforth we know Him so no more This was for them And we should have beene no better as now we are the flesh will but hinder the spirit even the best 1 For His spirituall presence This for His bodily presence But the Fathers goe yet further and enquire whither this also be not true in His spirituall presence and resolve that even in regard of that it is no lesse true To some Vobis it is expedient that even after that manner also CHRIST goe from them And who are they As growen saint Cant. 3.1 1. One Vobis when men grow faint in seeking and carelesse in keeping Him as in Cant. 3. ly in bed and seeke Him Gone He was and meet He should so be to teach them to rise and seeke to watch and keepe Him better As over-weenâ—ng Psal. 30.7 Matt. 26.33 2. Another Vobis when men grow high conceited and overweening of themselves and their owne strength and say with David non movebor as if they had CHRIST pinned to them and with Peter Et si omnes non ego It is more then time CHRIST be gone from such to teach them to see and know themselves better But if CHRIST leave us if He withdraw His spirituall presence we fall into sinne and that cannot be expedient for any Good that I have beene in trouble for before I was troubled Psal. 119.67 I went wrong but not good for any to fall into sinne Yes indeed Audeo dicere saith Saint Augustine I dare avow it Expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum there are the very termes it is expedient they fall into some notorious sinne as David as Peter did that their faces may be filled with shame and they â— Cor. 12.7 by that confusion learne to walke with more
〈◊〉 â—ruth and confesse But Thy Saints let them speake all good and blesse Thee highly bleâ—â—â— Thee for this thy high mercie of all other upon them as of all other they have â—ost cause to doe To elevate it one degree one Super more For I know not how but you shall observe that even among the faithâ—â—ll even among them GOD singles out some one People still from the rest that He makes of above the rest and vouchsafes His speciall favour upon more then the rest though Christen men as well as they and no reason in the world to be given of it but the Super of His Mercie It was ever so Some Nation Psal. 147.20 of whom it might be said Non taliter fecit omni Nationi He hath not dealt so with every Nation Nay Non omni is nulli He hath not dealt so with eny Nation Some of whom it might be said Of all the people in the Earth I have chosen you to come neerest you to vouchsafe you my chiefest my choisest mercies Super omnes Not in matters onely pertaining to the soule in which all Christians are interessed alike but even in the things perteining to the course of this life secular as we call them and temporall In them too And in both is better then one alone In saving that way with the salvation the King rejoyceth in 21. Psalme saving them from plotts and practises even against their worldly prosperitie from Achitophel's plotts from Absalom's Vow and such like III. Our Super in this Super. And now to our Super. For may not we thinke you reckon our selves in all in this last above all His workes first so are all His creatures His chiefe workmanship so are other men His workmanship in CHRIST so are other Christians But above all these His Non taliter For if we be not very dim-sighted without eny perspective glasse we may see such mercies and favours of His Super upon our selves as sure the nations round about us have not seene and I think I may say not eny nation on the Earth seene the like Many waies might this be made appeare and many daies brought to give us light to it But let all els passe in silence this Day this fift of November is instar omnium Nay is super omnes before beyond above them all to elevate to us this point of the tender mercies of our GOD Luk. 1.78 wherby this Day sproong from on high did visit us This Day I say enough and enough to bring from all our mouthes that it brought from His Majestie 's and that with admiration Misericordiae Dei super omnia opera Ejus And the Confiteantur and the Benedicant of right belonging to it 1. The Mercie of Ne inducas We right now divided His workes we will now divide His Mercies That do we according to their Object which is miserie And that is double 1 For either it is already upon us and we in it 2 Or but over us yet so over us as we are within the shadow of death Luk. 1.79 at the very pit's brinke as they say and even now readie to be tumbled in To quirt us of these two there is a double mercie they follow at the fourteenth verse 1 Erigit lapsos 2 Sustinet labantes Lifts up them that be down Staies them that be going down There is a Super in these too 1 One of them the better which our Pater-noster will teach us Ne inducas first and then Libera Better lead us not in then deliver us out If we are in deliver us but better never come in at all Ionas was delivered So was Ninive Ninive's was better they came not in then Ionas his he was in but got out That of Libera GOD send us too if ever we shall need it and send it all them that at this present do But yet give me the mercie of Ne inducas let it not light let it passe over the Passe-over that is the memorable Deliverie that the high Feast And that was the Super vpon us And it behoved so to be We were not in It came not to that thanke Mercie for it If it had it had been past with us past Liberia that other mercie could have done us no good If it had not been praevenisti post-venisti had come too late For if in never out more This our first Super. 2. The Mercie of Libera from a crueltie close to us But being not in we were as neere it as neere might be and scape it Over it was nay it was rather under us then but all is one Super or Subter either will serve heer that Subter would have ended in a Super sent us up high enough I wote well therefore we will keepe the word of the Text Super let it goe First when it was contrived Over us it was then when it was set in hand Over us yet more but when it came to parâ—ta sunt omnia all ready for the match and the match for it for so neere it came then it was over us I trow hard over us and then to â—â—ape it when it was even in a manner ready to seise on us that is another Super for tâ—en to scape it that doth us the more good ever and that is ever praised for the â—â—â—eriour deliverance The second Super. Specially if you add the third that when it was so neer to us and we to it 3 And close from us it was not so close by us as close from us we knew it not And none so miserable as they that are so and know not they are so Nay think it clean otherwise The Laodicean miserie that we say is of all other the most wofull Tu dicis quod Thou saist Apoc. 3.17 thou â—rt this and thou art that safe and sure and happie and behold thou art none of â—ll these but even â—hen when thou sayest it miserable and even in the jawes of death Ier. 6.24 That is the miserie that comes as the throwes of a woman in travaile as the flood upon the old world as the fire upon the five Cities And that was our case right they in the dayes of Noe they in the dayes of Lot Mat. 24.37 Luke 17.26.28 never reckoned lesse of the flood or the fire over them then we of the powder under us And I blame us not Who would not have thought himselfe safe in that place who that he might not have troden on that threshold that floore without danger If safe at all if any where there It is the Asylum the surest place one would think in all the land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where our greatest trust there our danger most deadly and that is ever the super of all miseries Being then so over us or under us under us and neer us neer us and we not aware of it so neer Psal. 124.3 that they made full account I say not as the Psalme to
things you ought to part with something and the more you part with the liker ye become to Him that giveth all things If he have given you to enjoy you ought to receive others into the fellowship of the same joy and not to think that to do others good is to do your selves hurt If plenteously He have given you you ought to be plenteous in giving and not when the Lord hath his Epha great wherein He hath mete to you to make your Hin small whereby you measure to the poore turning the plentie of heaven into the scarsitie of earth Thus doth the Apostle fetch the matter about and thus doth he inferre your doing good to these little lambes and such like out of GOD 's doing good unto you And that which he inferreth he doth exceeding fitly and sheweth great art and learning in it For speaking of enjoying his very last word he is carried in a very good zeale and affection to the rich of this world to desire of GOD and to entreat of them that they may not have onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them that is enjoy them for a season Heb. 11.25 but that they may enjoy them for ever not onely for a few yeares or weekes or daies we cannot tell well which but from everlasting to everlasting And that is by doing good So enjoy that we may do good too To say truth Saint Paul could not better devise then heere to place it For our too much enjoying eateth up our well doing cleane Our too much lashing on in doing our selves good maketh that we can do good to none but our selves Our present enjoying destroyeth our well doing utterly and consequently the aeternall enjoying we should have of our riches As Pharao's leane kine dâ—voured the fatt Gen 41.4 and it was not seene on them so doth saith Basil our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our riotous mispending where we should not eat up out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Christian bestowing where we should and a man cannot tell what is become of it Very well and wisely said that Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride is prodigalitie's whetstone and it setts such an edge upon it in our enjoying that it cutts so deepe into our wealth and shares so much for our vaine and riotous enjoying that it leaves but little for our well-doing Looke how the trust in GOD and the trust in riches are sett one against another heere by the Apostle so are our high minds and our doing good One would not thinke it at the first but sure so it is we must have lower minds and lesse pride if we will have more good works and greater plenty of well-doing You may therefore enjoy your wealth that is true but you must also take this with you you must do good with it and learne of the Apostle there be two uses of your riches and that therefore GOD hath given them 1 To enjoy 2 To do good not to enjoy only but to enjoy and to do good Enjoying is doing good But not to our selves onely but by doing good heere Saint Paul meaneth to do it to others that they may be the better for us The very same two doth Salomon in very fitt termes sett downe that Water is given into our cisterne 1 that we may drinke of it our selves 2 that our fountaines may flow out Pro. 5.15 and they that dwell about us fare the better for them Matt. 12.42 The very same two doth a greater then Salomon our SAVIOVR himselfe compt of too for of his purse we read He had these two uses to buy that He had need of himself and to give something to the poore It is good reason that man consisting of two parts the soule and body Ioh. 13.29 the body only should not take up all but the soule should be remembred too Enjoying is the bodie 's part and well-doing is the soule 's your soules are suiters to you to remember them that is to remember well-doing which is the soule 's portion Remember this second the other I doubt not but you will remember fast enough This was the use of our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's purse and if yours be like His this must be the use of yours also For surely it is greatly to be feared that many rich at this day know not both these indeed know no other use of their wealth then an Oxe or an Asse or other brute beasts would know to have their crib well served sweet and cleane provender of the best in the manger and their furniture and trappings fitt and of the finest fashion No other then the Glutton did to go in soft linnen and rich silke and to fare deliciously every day Or then the other his pew-fellow Luk. 16.19 that professed it was all the use he compted of and therefore we see he saith to his soule Eat thy fill soule and drink thy fill fill and fatt thy selfe and enjoy this life Luk. 12.19 never looke to enjoy any other We must learne-one use more one more out of our charge and consequently When we looke upon our sealed summes our heapes of treasure and continuall commings in thus to thinke with our selves This that I see heere hath GOD given me to enjoy but not onely for that but to do good with also The former use of my riches I have had long and daily still have but what have I done in the other The rich men in the Gospel they had the same they did enjoy theirs but now it is sure little joy they have of them why for want of this other Abraham he did both he enjoyed his riches heere and now another an aeternall joy of them Yea he received Lazarus into his bosome Why he received him into his bosome and cherished him and did good heere on earth And so did Iob and so did Zachaeus Now good Lord so give me grace so to enjoy heere that I lose not my endlesse joy in thy heavenly kingdome Let me follow their stepps in my life with whom I wish my soule after death These things are good and profitable for the rich oft to thinke on Well then if to do good be a part of the Charge what is it to do good It is a positive thing good not a privative to do no harme Yet as the world goeth now we are saine so to commend men He is an honest man he doth no hurt of which praise any wicked man that keepes himselfe to himselfe may be partaker But it is to doe some good thing what good thing I will not answer as in the Schooles I feare I should not be understood I will go grossely to worke These that you see heere before your eyes to do them good to part with that that may do them good use the goods that you have to do but that which sundry that have heertofore occupied those roomes where you now sitt whose remembrance is therefore in blessing upon earth and whose names are
ready to communicate There is of this word some difference among Writers but such as you may easily reconcile Some think the Apostle would have rich men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easie to be spoken with and to be spoken to Some that he would not onely have them give readily but lend freely and not practise the Devill 's Alchimistry as they do by multiplication in lending Some that they should not think their beneficence to be a taking from them without receiving back inasmuch as there is an entercourse of the giâ—er's grace and the receiver's praier Some that his mind is that they should not do good to some few but even to a multitude All are good and godly and agreeable to the analogie of faith and you by doing all may verifie and agree all and make of a discord in opinions an harmonie in practise Saint Hierome me thinketh saith best that Communicare est communitati dare aut ad aliquid commune to be beneficiall to a Societie or to bestow to some common use This is the perfection or pitch of well doing that most plenteous grace by the thanksgiving of many may redound to the glorie of God 2. Cor. 4.15 The Apostle therefore is a further suitor to you that be rich and will not end his Charge till he hath laid this on you too to do good to Societies and Foundations either necessarie to be erected or more then necessarie to be maintained lest through our evill doing our father 's well doing perish It is not for every man to reach unto them there is no hope to have them upholden but by you that you would therefore have them in remembrance and thinke upon them to do them good But alas what hope is there to heare that good wil be this way done since it is thought that many may be endicted for seeking to eat up Companies and to convert that which was the good and making of many into their owne singulare commodum by out-buying and out-bidding all besides themselves that they alone may appropriate civil livings turne common into private the whole bodie 's nourishment into one forgrowen member and in the end dwell alone upon the earth Ier. 49 3â— That the world is toward an end other men may be perswaded by other reasons none more effectuall to perswade me then this one that every man doeth what in him lieth to discommon communities and to bring all to the first privation For the world being it selfe a maine Society these men by dismembring under-societies seeke and do what they can to dissolve the whole So that GOD must needs come to make an end of the world or els if this hold on we should shortly make an end of it our selves It is further complained that whereas there hath been and is given charitably to the poore and their maintenance that the poore themselves want and they that have the receiving of the profitts doe yet encrease mightily Had not these things need to be put in the Charge Are they not in the eares of the Lord Is it not a sinne crying to heaven Shall he not visit for these things for this discredit of His Gospell for this unexcusable unfaithfull dealing in the eares of Iew and Gentile of Turke and Christian of GOD and man I beseech you still suffer the words of exhortation it is good for you to know what things are said abroad For my part in GOD 's presence I protest I know none and if there be none present none It is that I desire the charge is now given may be given in vaine 1 To the Church Now if you â—nquire to whom your doing good should stretch it selfe Saint Paul himselfe will â—ell you To them that instruct you they are to a Gal. 6.6 communicate with you in all 〈◊〉 goods that is the Church and to the necessitie of the Saints or to the b Rom. 12.13 Saints that 〈…〉 necessitie that is to the Poore The Church first c Est 4.14 For this end came Ester to the Kingdome and d Neh. 1.11 Nehemiah to his great favour with the Prince even to do good to the Church And for this end hath e Ezek. 28.14 Tyrus that rich Citie that abundance bestowed on her even to be a covering Cherub to the Church of GOD and to stretch her wings over it The Prophet's meaning was that rich men must be a shadow of maintenance and defense to the Arke to Divinitie their riches must serve them as wings to that end they must be covering Cherubs on earth to the Church militant if ever they wil be singing Cherubs in heaven with the Church triumphant And much good might be done and is not in this behalfe and that many wayes I will name but one that is that with their wings stretched out they would keep the filth and pollution of the sinne of sinnes whereof you heard so bitter complaint both these dayes of Simonie and Sacriledge from falling on the Arke and corrupting and putrifying it which it hath almost already done That seeing the Pope do that he doth howsoever some have alledged the Papist's great detestation of this sinne and of us for this sinne for a motive it is all but dissembling their hand is as deep in this sinn as any man's I say seeing the Pope doth as he doth that is as he hath dispensed with the oath and duety of Subjects to their Prince against the fift Commandement with the murder both violent with daggs and secret with poyson of the Sacred Persons of Princes against the sixt with the uncleannesse of the stewes and with incestuous marriages against the seventh So now of late with the abomination of Simonie against the eighth having lately as it is knowne by the voluntarie confession of their owne Priests by speciall and expresse warrant of the See Apostolique sent hither into this Land his Licence dispensative to all Patrons of his marke to set up Simonie and to mart make sale of all Spirituall livings which they have or can get to the uttermost penny even if it were possible by the sound of the drumme and that with a very cleare conscience so that some portion thereof be sent over to the relief of his Seminaries which by such honest meanes as this come to be now maintained Seeing thus do the Papists and we loth to be behind them in this gain of bloud make such merchandise with this sinne of the poore Church and her patrimonie as all the world crieth shame of it To redeeme the ordâ—rly disposing them to the Churche's good were a speciall way for you rich men to do good in these dayes Neither as these times are do I know a better service nor which I am perswaded will please GOD better then this or be better accepted at His hands This for the Church you must have a wing stretched abroad to cover it And for the poore â— To the Poore you must have a