they had no answere they cried lowde nay they cut themselues with kniues and launcers till the bloude flowed out so they prayed not only in teares but in bloud that they might be heard I would the children of the lighte vvere as zealous in their generations But rather let them receiue their lighte and directions for the framing of this holie exercise from the sunne of righteousnesse of vvhome the Apostle vvitnesseth that in the daies of his flesh hee offered vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that vvas able to helpe him And the gospel further declareth not only that he kneeled at the naming of whose name all knees haue bowed both in heauen and earth and vnder the earth but that hee fell vpon the grounde the foote-stoole of his owne maiesty and laie vpon his face which never Angell behelde without reverence and when he had praied before he praied more earnestly as the scripture recordeth hee once praied and departed and a second time departed and yet a third time and departed evermore vsing the same petition his praier ascended by degrees like incense and perfume and not only his lips went but his agony and contention within was so vehement that an angell was sent from heaven to comfort him and whereas the Priestes of Baal vsed art to make them bleede cutting their flesh with launcers and kniues to that purpose he with the trouble of his soule swet a naturall or rather vnnaturall sweat like dâ—oppes of bloude trickling downe to the earth Wee when wee goe to praier as if our soules and tongues were straungers the one not weeting what the other doth the lippes babbling without and the hearte not pricked with any inwarde compunction honouring GOD with our mouthes and our spirites farre from him deserue to bee answered as hee answered the Iewes Esay 1. When you stretch foorth your handes I will hide mine eies from you and though you make many praiers I will not heare you The reason is there your hâ—ndes are full of bloud the reason to vs may be your heartes bleede not you call me Lord Lord but meane it not the alter is without fire praier without heate wordes without intention gesture of the body without the consent of the inwarde man They cried vnto the Lord. It is not lesse then a miracle that men so newely endued with the knowledge of God can so presently renounce their ancient idolles which they had ever served and within but few minutes of time most religiously adored they call vpon Iehovah that hidden and fearefull name which earst they had not knowne and neither the accustomed maner of their countries nor colour of antiquity nor want of experience in another Lorde nor the simple narration of one singular prophet nor any the like motions can holde them in awe of their former imaginary GODS and keepe them from invocation of the Lorde of hostes No reason can bee yeelded but this The winde bloweth where it lifteth and the spirite breatheth where it will and the mercy of God softneth vvhere his pleasure is It is a gifte from him alone who giveth the new hart and putteth the new spirit within a man who taketh the stony hart from him and giveth him an hearte of flesh in steede thereof who of the stones by the bankes of Iordan saith Iohn Baptist is able to raise vp children to Abraham daily doth raise vp children to himselfe to do him worship and service of those that were hardned in idolatry before like flintes in the streetes Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned wash vs with cleane water and we shall be cleansed renue vs as the eagle her daies and we shall be renued gather thy chosen flocke from the mountaines and desertes wheâ—n they stray to fulfill thy fold and we shall be gathered say thou wilt sweepe thy house and finde thy groat and we shall be found Nature cannot make a newe birth entring into our mothers wombe againe is vnable to worke it the gold of Sheba and Seba cannot purchase it No man commeth to the sonne vnlesse the father drawe him and if the father haue once given him into his handes all the devils in hell cannot pull him out againe I make it the wisedome of him that praieth to levell his heart and affections at the very right center and marke of praier which is God alone hee is the sanctuary to whome we must flie the periode and scope in whome our requestes must end Praier and faith if the Apostle deceiue vs not must kisse each other howe shall they call on him in whome they haue not beleeved faith is the ground of praier First we beleeue and then speake so was the order of David Doe wee my brethren beleeue in Angels for that is the Apostles phrase howe shall they call on him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whome or vpon whome they haue not beleeved We beleeue that there are Angels which the Sadduces denied And if an Angell should come from heaven vnto vs with a message from God as he came to Mary and others we would beleeue Angels that is giue credence vnto them as they did But if we beleeue in Angels we forget their place of ministration which they are apointed vnto and make them our Gods Much lesse beleeue we in the sonnes of men which are lesse than Angels Therefore the gleaning of these Marriners is more worth than the whole vintage of Rome who in a moment of time haue gathered more knowledge howe to informe their praiers aright than they in the decourse of many continued generations These pray to Iehovah the true subsisting God they not only to God but to Angels and men and stockes and stones and metalles and papers and I knowe not what It may be a challenge sufficient vnto them all to say no more that in so many praiers of both auncient and righteous patriarkes prophets Iudges kings registred in the booke of GOD and in an hundreth and fiftie Psalmes an hundreth whereof at least are praiers and supplications and in all the devout requestes that the Apostles of Christ and other his disciples sent into heaven if they take the pen of a writer and note from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation they cannot finde one directed to Cherub or Seraphin Gabriel or Raphael Abraham or Moses or Iohn Baptist after his death or any other creature in heaven or earth saue only to the Lord and his annointed Haue these all erred Even so will we and more sweete shall our errour be vnto vs with these of whome we make no question but that they are bounde vp in the bundell of life with the congregation of first-borne than a newe and recent devise of praier obtruded vnto vs by those who falsly suppose themselues to bee the pillers and staies of Gods militant church The 86. Psal. to giue you a little portion of foode to ruminate vpon as some
Vndoubtedly it was the purpose of Ionas to weigh his words to powder the whole speech delivered vvith as much honour towards the Lord as his heart could devise I feare 1. Iehovah a God in essence being yours in supposition 2. the God of heaven yours not the Gods of the poorest hālets in the earth 3. which hath made the sea the dry land as a litle monument of his surpassing art and strength yours not the garments of their owne backs The prophet keepeth the order of nature placing 1. the heavē then the sea afterwards the dry land as the principal parts whereof the whole consisteth for heaven is in nature positiō aboue the sea the sea aboue the dry land heaven as the roofe of that beautiful house wherein mā was placed the sea the dry land as the two floores or foundations vnto it But did not God make the heavens aswell as the sea the dry land doubtles yes It is plainly expressed Gen. 2. In the beginning God made heaven earth The beginning of the world is frō the beginning of al things whereto the name of the authour is first set as the seale God and vnder the names of the two extremities borders heaven earth all the rest is comprised quicquid mediū cum ipsis finibus exortum est whatsoeuer lieth midle betwixte the endes with the endes themselues Neither did the Lord only cause ordeine these creatures to bee formed but as the potter shapeth his vesselles so he fashioned and wrought them with his owne hands Totum coelum totamque tellurem ipsam inquam essentiam materiā simul cū forma non enim figurarū inventor est Deus sed ipsius naturae creator the whole heaven the whole earth I say the matter vvith the forme for God is not the deviser of shapes and features alone but the maker of nature it selfe And that God that hath made the heaven can fold it vp like a booke again role it togither like a skin of parchment he that hath made the sea at this time set the waues thereof in a rage caused it to boile like a pot of ointment can say to the flouds be yee dried vp hee that made the dry lande can cover it with waters as with a brest-plate or rocke it to fro vpō her foūdations as a drunkē man reeleth from place to place He can clothe the sun the moone in sackcloth and commaund the starres to fall downe to the earth and the mountaines of the land to remoue into the sea and it shal be fulfilled They all shall perish but the Lord their maker shall endure they all shall waxe olde as doth a garment as a vesture shall hee change them and they shal be changed but he is the same God for ever and ever and his yeares shall not faile The scope of the whole confession is briefly this the more to dilate his fall by how much the lesse he was able to plead ignorance as having the helpe of religion the knowledge of the true subsistent God able to giue a reckoning of every parcell of his creation Al excuse is taken away where the commandement is not vnknowne Peter lent the buckler of ignorance to the Iewes therewith in part to defende themselues against the weapons of Gods wrath even in the bloudiest fact that ever the sunne saw attempted I know that through ignoraunce you did it that is killed the Lord of life as did also your governours But least they should leane vpon the staffe of ignorance too much he biddeth them repent and reverte that their sinnes might bee done away This vvas the cloake that Paul cast over his blasphemies his tyrannies his vnmercifull persequutions of the Church I vvas received to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe So as ignorance in that place you see hath neede of mercie to forgiue it And if ignorance haue a tongue to pleade her owne innocencie why did the bloud of Christ cry to the father vpon the crosse father forgiue them they know not what they doe Is ignorance of the will of God sure to be beaten vvith rods shall not contempt of his will a carelesse vnprofitable knowledge of his hestes ordinances be scourged with scorpions Shal Tyre and Syd on burne like stubble in hell fire and the smoke of their tormente ascend for evermore wherein there was never vertue done that might haue reclaimed them shall Corazin Bethsaida go quit and not drinke down the dregs of destructiō it selfe whose streets haue beene sowen with the miracles of Christ and fatted vvith his doctrine Barbary shal wring her hands that she hath known so litle Christēdome rend her heart that she hath knowne so much to no better purpose It is no marvaile to see the wildernes lie wast deserte but if a ground wel husbāded manured yeeld not profit it deserveth cursing Lactantius saith that al the learning of philosophers vvas vvithout an heade because they knew not God therefore when they see they are blind when they heare they are deafe whē they speak they are speechles the sensens are in the head the eies eares tōgue We want not an heade for senses because when we see we perceaue when we heare we vnderstand and when we speake we can giue a reason wee want a heart onely for obedience And as our Saviour spake of the Scribes and Pharisees dicunt non faciunt they saie and doe not so it is true in vs wee see and heare and say and knowe but doe not as idle and idol Christians as those idol Gods in the Psalme to our greater both shame and condemnation So the Apostle enforceth it against the Galathians Nowe seeing you know God or rather are knowne of God howe turne you againe to impotente and beggerlie rudimentes To the like effect hee schooleth the Ephesians yee haue not so learned Christ. The nurture and discipline of this schoole is not like the institution of Gentility vvith whome it is vsuall to vvalke in the vanity of their mindes and in darke cogitations to bee strangers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them and being past feeling to giue over themselues vnto vvantonnesse to worke all vncleanenesse even with greedinesse But if yee haue hearde Christ and if yee haue beene taught by him as the trueth is in Iesus not corrupting the text with cursed glosses nor perverting the scriptures to your owne overthrow then with your new learning you must leaue your olde conversation as the eagle casteth her bill and know that the kingdome of God commeth not by observation but by practise nor that practise is availeable vvith ease but vvith violence and that the hottest and most laborious spirite is fittest to catch it away It had beene better for vs never to haue knowne the vvay of righteousnesse then after wee
themselues gloried in their miseries so their parentes were well pleased to beholde their sonnes the brother vvas vvithin the railes or barres the sister neare at hand the mother present at her sorrowes and though beholding such vngodly sportes they never thought that at the least for looking on they vvere paricides You see the humours and affections that some men haue how lightly they are conceipted of the life of their brethren vvhereas brother-hoode indeede requireth at their handes that they should rather wish vvith Marcus Antonius to raise vp many from the dead than to destroy more or with Moses in the sacred volume rather himselfe to bee razed from the booke of life than that his people should perish This former reason is expressed in my texte the latter is implyed and conceaved that hee made this poffer vnto them as being the figure and type of the most loving sonne of God The explication whereof though it stande chiefly in the article of his resurrection vvhereof himselfe speaketh in the gospell they seeke a signe but there shall no signe be given them but the signe of the prophet Ionas yet there are many comparisons besides vvherein they are resembled Ionas was a prophet and Christ that person of vvhome Moses spake Prophetam excitabit Deus God shall raise vp a prophet vnto you Ionas vvas sent vpon a message vnto Niniveh and Christ vvas Angelus magni consilij The angell of the greate counsell of God Legatus foederis The embassadour of the covenaunt Much enquiry was made of Ionas whence art thou vvhat is thy calling countrey people why hast thou done thus Much questioning vvith and about Christ Art thou the king of the Iewes Arte thou the sonne of the living God Who is this that the winds and the seas obey him Is not this the Carpenters sonne Whence hath hee this vvisedome Ionas vvas taunted and checked by the master of the shippe What meanest thou sleeper Christ by the maisters of Israell the rulers of the people and synagogues as a Samaritane as one that had a Devill and by the finger of Beelzebub cast out Devilles a glutton a vvine-bibber a blasphemer of the lavv of Moses Both came vnder the triall of lottes the one for his life the other for his vesture Both had a favourable deliberation passed vpon them Ionas that hee might be saved Christ that hee might bee delivered and Barrabas executed Both had a care of their brethren more than of themselues Ionas cryeth the sea shall bee quiet vnto you Christ answereth him If yee seeke mee let these departe and of those that thou gavest vnto mee haue I not lost one The one saith Tollite me Take mee and cast mee into the sea The other saith vvhen the sonne of man is lifte vppe hee shall drawe all thinges to himselfe Finally both are sacrificed the one in the water the other in the aire both are buryed the one in the bowelles of the whale the other of the earth both alay a tempest the one of the anger of GOD present and particular the other of that vvrath vvhich from the beginning to the ende of the worlde all flesh had incurred The difference betvvixte them is this that Ionas dyed for his owne offence Christ for the sinnes of others Ionas mighte haue saide vnto them Though I see the goodnesse of your natures yet who amongst you is able to acquite mee from my sinne Christ made a challenge to malice it selfe hee mighte haue iustified it at the tribunall of highest iustice vvho is able to reprooue mee of anie sinne Ionas made no doubte but for that his latest misdeede of flying from the presence of the Lord hee vvas cast out Christ had done many good vvorkes amongest them and none but good and therefore asked vpon confidence of his innocencie For vvhich of these vvorkes doe yee stone mee Our innocent Abell persecuted by cruell Cain I am deceived for as his bloude speaketh better thinges than the bloude of Abell so it is bloude of better and purer substaunce our innocente Iacob hunted by vnmerciful Laban although hee might truely say Genesis the one and twentith What haue I trespassed hovve haue I offended that thou hast pursued after mee I mighte adde our innocente Ioseph solde and betrayed by his despightfull brethren and litle lesse than murthered though hee vvente from his father and vvandered the fieldes gladly to seeke and see howe they did our innocente David chased by vnrighteous Saul though by Ionathans iust apologie vvherefore shoulde hee die vvhat had hee done or vvho so faithfull amongest all the servauntes of Saule as David was or if from the state of innocencye to this presente houre I shoulde reckon all the innocentes of the earth and put in Angelles of heaven yet all not innocente and holye enough to bee weighed with him and therefore to call him by his owne names our sunne of righteousnesse braunch of righteousnesse the LORDE our righteousnesse hee that was borne of a Virgin that holy thinge Luke 1. the vndefiled lambe our holy harmelesse blamelesse high-priest separate from sinners our Iesus the iust hee that had the shape of a serpent in the vvildernesse but not the poison the similitude of sinnefull flesh in the worlde but not the corruption hee that knewe no sinne and much lesse was borne sinne yet was made sinne for vs that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him he had the wages of sinne though he never deserved it and made his graue with the vvicked though hee had done no vvickednesse neither was their any deceite in his mouth hee vvas vvounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities and the chastisemente of our peace vvas vpon his shoulders all vvee like sheepe had gone astray and the LORDE his father hath laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all But vvas hee compelled thereunto that vvere to goe from the figure and to shewe lesse humanity to mankinde than Ionas to his companions For vvhat hand could cut this stone from those heauenly mountaines The Apostle telleth vs otherwise Philippians the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee emptied himselfe and tooke the forme of a seruaunte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee humbled himselfe and becâ—me obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse Hebrewes the ninth hee offered himselfe to purge our consciences from deade workes Galatians the seconde Hee gaue himselfe The Prophet telleth vs otherwise Oblatus est quia ipse voluit Hee vvas offered because hee vvoulde himselfe and hee hath povvred out his soule vnto death which noteth a liberall and voluntary dispensation VVhen sacrifice and oblation God would not haue and some-what must bee had what sayeth the scripture of him Then saide I Dixi facto quod annunciaveram per prophetas I saide it indeede for I had past my vvorde before in the prophetes Beholde I come venio voluntariè non coactus adducor I come of mine owne accorde I am not broughte by
adulterie and other faultes having either nature or custome on their side are lesse odious to men though not lesse haynous in their kindes But name an vngratefull person and vvithout naming any more vvee all detest him as a prodigious vnnaturall noveltie violating the communion and nature of mankinde I conclude It is a good thing to praise the Lord to sing vnto the name of the most high to declare his loving kindnesse in the morning and his trueth in the nighte season It is good touching the actioÌ„ it selfe For it is better to blesse theÌ„ to curse and to giue thankes then to giue out a voice of grudgings It is good in respect of the matter and obiect that so glorious renowned a God vouchsafeth to be magnified by our polluted lippes the honor returneth vpon our selues It is good because of the retribution For Cessaâ— decursus gratiarum vbi non fuerit recursus the course and descent of the graces of God ceaseth and the spring is dried vp where there is not a recourse and tide of our thankefulnesse Wherefore let not so good an exercise bee a burthen and griefe to good soules Let the vnrighteous vanish away in their gracelesse ingratitude and become as the dunge of the earth Let them forget the God of heaven that the God of heaven may also forget them But let the righteous alwaies reioyce in the Lord for it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull Earely and late let vs blesse his holy name though not with Lutes and Harpes and instrumentes of ten stringes yet with the best members and instrumentes we haue bodies and spirits which the fingers of God haue harmonically composed and ioined togither and the ioy of the holy ghost hath melodiously tuned for this purpose Let vs never turne our backes to the temple of the Lord nor our faces from the mercy-seate Let vs not take without giving as vnprofitable ground drinketh devoureth seed without restoring Let vs neither eate nor drinke nay I will more say let vs neither hunger nor thirst without this condiment to it The Lorde be praised Let the frontlets betweene our eies the bracelets vpon our armes the gards vpon our garments be thankes Whatsoever we receiue to vse or enioy let vs write that posie and epiphoneme of Zachary vpon it Grace grace vnto it for all is grace Let vs learne the song of the blessed before hand that hereafter we may be able to sing it with more perfection Praise honor and glory be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe Paul is ours Apollos is ours Cephas is ours the worlde ours children friendes fieldes vineyardes health wealth all things ours but we are Christes and Christ Gods there is the fountaine thence they come all thither they all returne He is α and ω first and last authour and finisher giver and receiver his holie name be blessed for ever and ever Amen THE XXVI LECTVRE Chap. 2. verse 3. and 4. For thou hadst cast mee into the bottome in the middest of the sea and the flowdes compassed mee about all thy surges and all thy waues passed over me Then I said I am cast away out of thy sight c. IMAGINE the songe of Ionas to consist of three partes a proposition narration and a conclusion and the proposition alreadye to bee past in the seconde verse summarilye abridging the beginning proceeding and ending of the matter in hande that is the perill praier and deliveraunce of Ionas The narration nowe followeth to the eighth and ninth wherein hee concludeth so that all that lyeth betweene the seconde and those maketh but for exornation for both his daunger is more amplie described and his praiers often mentioned and a frequent hope of his deliveraunce ingested And it is well worthy your considering that as musicke consisteth of acutum and grave high and lovve sharpe and flatte so this song of Sion which Ionas singeth in a strange lande vvith a far heavier hearte then ever Israell sange by the rivers of Babylon is mixte and compounded of two kindes of soundes For on the one side are daungers terrours desperations and deiections of minde often hearde but on the other the sweetest comfortes and ioyes of the holy Ghost that coulde be conceived First in the third verse Thou hadst cast mee into the bottome of the sea with many exaggerations to declare his feare But in the fourth Yet vvill I looke againe to thy holy temple Againe in the fifth The waters compassed mee aboute vnto the soule c. But in the sixte Yet haste thou broughte vp my life from the pitte O LORDE my God Lastly in the seventh My soule fainted vvithin mee yet I remembred the LORDE and my praier came vnto thee into thine holie temple Invicem cedunt dolor voluptas sovver and sweete mourninge and ioy trouble and peace come by courses and successions There is no weeding vp of these tares no remooving of these griefes and annoyaunces from the life of man This is the state and condition of our present pilgrimage as of a fielde vvherein there is vvheate and darnell they must of necessitye grovve togither till the harvest when it shall be saide priora transierunt the former thinges are past sorrovve and sickenesse dreade and death haue nowe their ende The eveninge and the morning are but one day Barnardes allusion to that place of Genesis is the interpretation of the Psalme heavinesse maye bee in the evening but ioye commeth in the morninge VVee beare foorth our seede vvith teares vvee shall bringe home the sheaves in our bosome vvith ioye The Sonne of GOD hath beene entertayned in this life at one time vvith Benedictus blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the LORDE at an other vvith crucifige crucifie him Iohn Baptist at one time is reverenced and hearde gladlie at an other beheaded Not to speake of the heade or members aparte the vvhole bodye cryeth in the Canticles I am blacke O yee daughters of Ierusalem but comelye Nigra vestro formosa divino Angelicó que iudicio blacke in the iudgemente of menne faire in the sighte of GOD and Angelles nigra foris sed intùs formosa blacke without by reason of the miseries and deformities of this life but invvardelye beautifull vvith a godlye presumption and hope of my blisse to come One generation passeth and an other succeedeth saieth Ecclesiastes the sunne govveth downe and the sunne dravveth to the place of his rising againe the vvinde goeth to the South and compasseth tovvardes the North and returneth by the same circuite and though all times differ yet they differ not in this that they are all subiecte to varâ—atitions And as a discorde in musicke giveth a grace and commendation to the song so these discordes and iarres in our life keeping their alternatioÌ„ make our pleasures more welcome when they come That Christians should well digest them there is some better cause by reason of their faith
to our cities and townes barres to our houses a surer cover to our heads than an helmet of steele a better receite to our bodies than the confection of Apothecaries a better receite to our soules than the pardons of Rome is Salus Iehovae the salvation of the Lord. The salvation of the Lord blesseth preserveth vpholdeth all that we have our basket and our store the oile in our cruises our presses the sheepe in our folds our stalles the children in the wombe at our tables the corne in our fieldes our stores our garners it is not the vertue of the stars nor nature of the things themselves that giveth being continuance to any of these blessings And what shall I more say as the apostle asked Hebr. 11. when he had spoken much and there was much more behind but that time failed him Rather what should I not say for the world is my theatre at this time and I neither thinke nor can feigne to my selfe any thinge that hath not dependaunce vpon this acclamation Salvation is the Lordes Plutarcke writeth that the Amphictyones in Greece a famous counsell assembled of twelve sundrie people wrote vpon the temple of Apollo Pythius in steede of the Iliades of Homer or songes of Pindarus large and tyring discourses shorte sentences and memoratives as Know thy selfe Vse moderation Beware of suretishippe and the like And doubtlesse though every creature in the world whereof we haue vse be a treatise and narration vnto vs of the goodnesse of God and wee might weary our flesh and spend our daies in writing bookes of that vnexplicable subiect yet this short apopthegme of Ionas compreheÌ„deth all the rest and standeth at the ende of the songue as the altars and stones that the Patriarkes set vp at the partinge of the waies to giue knowledge to the after-worlde by what meanes hee was delivered I would it were dayly preached in our temples sunge in our streetes written vpon our dore-postes painted vppon our walles or rather cut with an admant claw vpon the tables of our hearts that wee might never forget Salvation to bee the Lordes wee haue neede of such remembrances to keepe vs in practise of revolvinge the mercies of God For nothinge decayeth sooner than loue And of all the powers of the soule memorye is most delicate tender and brittle and first waxeth olde and of all the apprehensions of memory first a benefite To seeke no further for the proofe and manifestation of this sentence within our coastes I may say as our Saviour in the nineteenth of Luke to Zacheus This day is salvation come vnto this house Even this day my brethren came the salvation of the LORDE to this house of David to the house of this Kingdome to the houses of Israell and Aaron people and priestehode church and common wealth I helde it an especiall parte of my duety amongst the rest the day invitinge and your expectation callinge mee thereunto and no text of mercy and salvation impertinent to that purpose to correcte and stirre vp my selfe with those fowre lepers that came to the spoile of the Syrian tentes I doe not well this day is a day of good tidinges and shoulde I holde my peace let the leprosie of those men cleaâ—e vnto my skinne if it bee not as ioyfull a thinge vnto mee to speake of the honour of this day as ever it vvas to them to carrye the happye nevves of the flight of Aram. It is the birth-day of our countrey It vvas deade before and the verye soule of it quite departed Sound religion which is the life of a kingdome was abandoned faith exiled the gospell of Christ driven into corners and hunted beyond the seas All these fell with the fall of an honorable and renowned plante which as the first flowre of the figtree in the prime and bloominge of his age was translated into heaven they rose againe with the rising and advancement of our gracious Lady and Soveraigne Were I as able as vvillinge to procure solemnitye to the day I would take the course that David did I would begin at heaven and call the Angelles and armieâ— thereof the sunne moone and starres I woulde descend by the aire and call the fire haile and snow vapours and stormy windes I would enter into the sea and call for dragons and all deepes I woulde ende in the earth and call for the mountaines and hilles fruitfull trees and cedars beastes and all cattell creeping thinges and feathered fowles Kinges of the earth and all people Princes Iudges yonge men and maidens olde men and children to lend their harmony and accord vnto vs to praise the name of the Lorde to accompany and adorne the triumph of our land and to showte into heaven with no other cry than this salus Iehovae salvation is only from the Lord by whome the horne of this people hath so mightily bene exalted O happy English if wee knew our good if that roiall vessell of gold wherein the salvation of the Lorde hath bene sent vnto vs were as precious and deare in our accounte as it rightly deserveth Her particular commendations common to her sacred person not with many princes I examine not Let it bee one amongst a thousand which Bernard gaue to a widowe Queene of Ierusalem and serveth more iustly to the maiden Queene of England that it was no lesse glory vnto her to liue a widowe havinge the worlde at will and beinge to sway a kingdome which required the helpe of an husband than a Queene The one saith he Came to thee by succession the other by vertue the one by descent of bloude thâ— other by the gift of God the one it was thy happinesse to bee borne the other thy manlinesse to haue atteined vnto a double honour the one towardes the worlde the other towardes God both from God Her wisedome as the wisedome of an Angell of the Lorde so spake the widowe sometimes to David fitter for an Angell than my selfe to speake of her knowledge in the tongues and liberall learninge in all the liberall sciences that in a famous Vniversitie amongst the learnedest men shee hath bene able not onely to heare and vnderstand which were somethinge but to speake perswade decide like a graduate oratour professour and in the highest court of parliameÌ„t hath not onely sitten amongst the peeres of her realme and delivered her minde maiestate manus by some bodily gesture in signe of assent but given her counsaile and iudgemente not inferiour to any and her selfe by her selfe hath aunswered the embassadours of severall nations in their severall languages with other excellent graces beseeming the state of a prince though they best know on whose hande shee leaâ—eth and that are nearest in attendaÌ„ce and observance about her maiesty yet if any man bee ignorant of let him aske of strangers abroade into whose eares fame hath bruited and blowne her vertues and done no more but right in giving such giftes vnto her
a softe answere turneth away wrath a gentle tongue breaketh a man of bones that is of the hardest and toughest disposition that can be If such then be our vsage before the princes of the earth who are but smoake and vanity much more doth the presence of the most high God require it I pray thee The forme of speach I haue else-where noted befitteth suiters The poore speaketh with praiers but the rich speaketh roughlie for those that are rich are full and sufficient as they thinke in themselues and therefore they say vnto God in the vaine trust of their owne abundance who is the Almightie that wee shoulde serue him and what profite shall we haue if we pray vnto him The Iewes Esas 58. were so filled blowne vp with the opinion of their own merits that they thought perhappes God was little able to stand them in steede and therfore they come not vnto him we beseech thee but vpbraiding challendging provoking vvherefore haue we fasted and punished our selues and thou regardest it not As if God were bounde vnto them to heare them for their service sake Such vvere the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospell why eateth your master vvith Publicanes and sinners and this man is a friend to Publicanes and sinners and if this man vvere a prophet he would haue knowne who had touched him for she is a sinner Themselues what were they in this eying and pointing at sinners so much Angels or men Saintes or sinners One of that schoole though hee went into the temple to pray yet he praied not as if he founde want but rather gaue thankes for that which he had received and gloried in himselfe before all other men especially with scorneful demōstration before that Publican Let them swell with their ful conceiptes till they breake and let their eies stand out with fatnes let them beare the collopes of presumption and disdaine in their flankes but the voice of the gospell of Christ which is the rod of our comfort The poore receiue the gospell and Blessed are the poore in spirit is smally to the comfort of these stately and stout guestes I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance This is the sparre of the gate if ever thy thinke to enter into the supper of the Lambe their righteousnes fasly supposed keepeth them out They haue purchased a farme of righteousnesse they thinke their dwellings safe enough without the house of God and therefore they desire to be excused they plough with the oxen of their owne imagined righteousnes and haue married themselues vnto it as vnto a wife and therefore they cannot come To him that is full hony is vnpleasant but emptines and sinfulnes lieth at his gates who is rich in mercy as Lazarus at the gates of the Rich man with al her vlcers and sores laid open all her infirmities detected craving begging beseeching to be refreshed with the crums that fall from his boarde even with the smallest pittance of mercy that God is authour of Therefore he saith I pray thee Lord. In the praier of the Mariners before I commended their humility vpon occasion of the like tearme in that they vsed the right forme of supplication it shall not be amisse to commend humility vnto you you vnto it once againe there is so hard getting harder keeping of it We haue all hawty Pharisaicall eie-browes whether we talke with God or man as all vices are against humility either openly or privately so especially pride of heart is a sworne profest enemy vnto it in the open field Yea all vertues are against humility for wee are prowd of giving almes tithing fasting praying learning wisedome knowledge and loue to be seene of men To say further humility hath an hand against humility against her owne person by an vnnaturall prodigious birth bringeth forth pride For the humble sometimes is as prowde of his lowlines as Digones of his ragges Even for that difficulty sake we are to desire the teacher actor of humility who both delivered it by precept Math. 11. and declared it by the example of his whole life when we send our praiers into heaven not only to bow the knees of our bodies but the knees of our hartes yea even to humble and bow the very phrase of our words that wee may vtter thē as if the smallest grashopper of the earth were to speak with feare reverence before that dreadfull Maiesty I beseech thee Lord without vpbraiding challēdging covenāting for any our highest service that hath bin or shal be done If we wel examine our selues we shall finde somwhat without vs to teach vs humility not only the better vertues of other men who haue more deserved and received lesse at Gods handes but even their falles in the midst of those vertues somewhat beneath vs the obedience of beasts and birdes who in their kindes glorifie their maker God hath enabled them with strength comelines of nature more thā our selues somewhat within vs the conscience of our own vnworthines deformity of sinne wherewith we are spotted somwhat aboue vs the maiesty iustice vengance of an angry God finally somewhat against vs enemies of al sorts outward inward carnal spiritual many mighty deadly both in heavenly and in earthly places Boughes of trees the more they are laden with fruit the nearer they hang to the earth the best golde goeth downe in the ballance the lighter staieth aboue good corne lieth in the bottome of the heape the chaffe keepeth on high so the more fruitfull precious vertuous the soule is the more it abaseth vilifieth it selfe that he who hath chosen the weake to confounde the mighty may the more exalt it Was not this my saying Ionas began well if he had continued it but he stumbleth at the thresholde and in the first entry of his speach starteth backe I should haue thought by the hope which he gaue in the greeting and salutation of GOD in his formost vvordes I pray thee LORD that he would haue proceeded to an humble recapitulation and recitall of his rash both speaches and actions before past pardon O Lord mine vnadvised vvoordes which I vsed in mine owne countrey forgiue my purpose of preventing thy vvill bury my flying to Tharsis and all my transgressions in the bottome of the sea vvhere thou buriedst me thus hee shoulde haue done but he in a different moode as if he had gotten a victory against God beginneth gloriously to triumph litle esteeming to set his foote vpon the necke of iustice it selfe so the credite of his doinges and sayings may be iustified Loe Lorde this this vvas the cause vvhy I plaide the fugitiue vvas not this my word had I not reason to do as I did to run vnto Tharsis did I not say thus much before was I not wise to presage the event that would fall out if my counsaile had beene
fathers and Queenes thy nurses in the nine fortieth of Esay there as the Queene of Saba blessed both the people of Salomon and the king himselfe so happy is the church for drawing her milke and sustenance from such heroicall breasts and happye are those breasts that foster and nurse vp the Church of Christ. They giue milke and receiue milke they maintaine the Church and the Church maintaineth them they bestow favour honour patronage protection they are favoured honoured patronaged and protected againe I will not stay to alleage the fortunate and happy governments of well disposed kings The decrees of the king of Persia and Babylon for repairing the temple worshipping the God of the three children or the God of Daniel brought more honour vnto them than all their other lawes The pietie of Antonius Prus is very commendable for his gracious decree that none shoulde accuse a christian because hee was a christian Constantius the father of Constatifie the great made more reckoning hee said of those that professed christianitie then full treasures Iovianus after Iulian refused to be Emperour albeit elected and sought to the Empire vnlesse he might governe christians Great Coustantine and Charles the great had their names of greatnes not so much for authoritie as for godlines But on the other side the bookes are full of the miserable falles ofirreligious princes their seede posteritie whole race and Image for their sakes overturned and wiped from the earth at one woulde wipe a dish and turne it vpside-downe The name of Antiochus the tyrant stinketh vpon the earth as his bovveles sometimes stuncke and as then the vvormes devoured his lothsome carkasse so his other vvorme yet liveth and ceaseth not crying to all the persecutors vnder heaven take heede Hee thought to haue made the holy city a burying place but vvhen hee savve his misery then he vvoulde set it at liberty The Iewes vvhome hee thought not worthy to bee buried he vvoulde make like the citizens of Athens and the temple vvhich he spoiled before he would garnish with great giftes Likewise Galerius lying sicke of a wretched disease crieth to haue the Christians spared and that temples and oratories should be allovved them that they might pray for the life of the Emperour The vnripe vnseasonabl vnnaturall deathes of men more vnnaturall in their liues the monsters and curses of the earth they trode vpon the bane of the ayre they drewe the rulers of the Ievves and Romanes high Priestes Princes Emperours and their deputies that murthered the Lord of the vineyard the sonne and the servantes in the time of Christ and his Apostles and by the space of three hundred yeares the workers of the tenne persecutions no meanes plagues to the Christian faith than those tenne plagues were to Egypt or rather tenne times tenne persecutions for they were multiplied like Hydraes heades proclaimed to the Princes of succeeding ages not to heave at Ierusalem it is to heavie a stone lapis comminuens a stone that vvhere it falleth will bruise to peeces nor to warre against the Sainctes to bande themselves against the Lordes anointed and against his anointed the Church vnlesse they take pleasure to buy it with the same price vvherevvith others have done before them to have their flesh stincke vpon their backes and rotte from their bodies to be eaten vp with lice and vvormes to bee slaine strangled or burnt some by their owne handes some of their servantes children and wives as is most easie to proove in the race of 40. Emperours the Lord getting honour vpon them as hee did vpon Pharaoh by some vnwonted and infamous destruction Heliogabalus thought by the pollicy of his head to have prevented the extraordinary hand of God providing him ropes of silke swordes of gold poison in Iacinthes a turtet plated with gold and bordered with precious stones thinking by one of these to have ended his life Notwithstanding hee died that death which the Lord had apointed The 2. thing which I limited my selfe vnto that it is the greatest dishonour to religion to pull downe princes is as easy to be declared A thing which neither Moses in the old nor Christ in the new testament neither Priest high nor low nor Levite Prophet EvaÌ„gelist Apostle christian Bishop ever hath taught counsailed much lesse practised I say not against lawfull magistrates but not against heathenish infidell idolatrous tyrannous rulers though by the manifest and expresse sentence of God reprobated cast of Samuell offered it not to Saul a cast-away he lived and died a king after the senteÌ„ce pronounced against him of an higher excommunication than ever came from Rome Samuel both honoured mourned for him The captive Iewes in BabiloÌ„ wrote to their brethren at IerusaleÌ„ to pray for the life of Nabuchodonozor answerable to that advise which Ieremy giveth the captives in the 29. of his prophecy though in words somewhat different seeke the prosperity of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall you have peace Daniel never spake to the king of Babylon but his speech savoured of most perfect obedience my Lord the dreame bee to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies his wordes had none other season to Darius though having cast him into the Lyons denne O King live for ever I never coulde suspect that in the commission of Christ given to his disciples there is one word of encouragement to these lawlesse attemptes go into the worlde preach baptize loose retaine remit feede take the keyes receaue the holy Ghost what one syllable soundeth that way vnlesse to go into the worlde be to go and overrunne the world to shake the pillers and foundations thereof with mutinies and seditions to replenish it with more than Catilanary conspiracies to make one Diocesse or rather one dominion monarchie subiect to the Bishop of Rome vnlesse preaching may be interpreted proclaiming of war and hostilitie sending out bulles thundering and lightning against Caesar and other states vnlesse to baptize bee to wash the people of the world in their owne bloud vnlesse binding and loosing be meant of fetters and shackles retaining and remitting of prisons and wardes vnlesse the feeding of lambes and sheepe bee fleecing fleaing murthering the king and the subiect old and young taking the keyes be taking of crownes and scepters and receiving the holy Ghost bee receiving that fiery and trubulent spirit which our Saviovr liked not Yea let them answere that saying these priestes and successours of Romulus Giants of the earth incendâ—aries of the Christian world you shall bee brought before governours and kings and skouraged in their Councelles if ever our Saviour had meaÌ„ing governours kings shal be brought before you Emperours shall kisse your feete waite at your gates in frost and colde resigne their crownes into your handes and take their crownes I saye not at your
vvith a vvitnesse their disobedience in the day of his visitation So the disciples of CHRIST vvere vvilled to proclaime in everye citye of the earth vvhere they vvere not received even in the streetes and thorough-fares thereof The verie dust of your citye vvhih cleaveth vnto vs wee vvipe of against you Notwithstanding knowe this that the kingdome of GOD was come neare vnto you You see the scourge of those places from vvhich the Disciples are enforced to goe for want of entertaynement the kingdome of GOD goeth vvith them And if that kingdome bee once gone their ioye goeth vvith it all the Empires and dominions in the worlde subdued all scepters and crownes heaped togither cannot blesse them Paul and Barnabas observed the direction of their maister to the Ievves at Antioch both in gesture and speech for they first shooke of the dust of their feete against those that dispised them and then vvent to Iconium but they had tolde them before their going vvhich if they had anie sense was as the wounding of penkniues and rasours vnto their harts It was necessarie that the worde of God shoulde first haue beene spoken vnto you because the lawe must come out of Sion and the gospell beginne at Ierusalem but seeing you put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy everlasting life beholde wee turne to the Gentiles Gospell and everlasting life you heare are ioyned together And therefore the iudgement of God was sharper against them there pronounced then if they had brought them tydinges Beholde the Romanes are come to take away your kingdome to fire your townes ruinate your houses ravish your wiues and daughters to dashe your infantes against the stones in the streetes to pull your eyes from out your heades and your bovvelles from out your bodies Beholde vvee turne to the Gentiles vvilde vnnaturall and neglected branches and herein beeholde the full measure of your miseries beeholde the dispersion and dissipation of your persons vpon the face of the earth beholde the desolation and wast of your country behold the detestation of your names the hissing and clapping at your downfal amongst all nations The losse of the word of God hath lost you credite libertie peace prosperity salvation both in your owne daies and in the daies of your childrens children In the eighteenth of the Actes when the Iewes at Corinth resisted and blasphemed the doctrine of Paul testifying vnto them that Iesus was that Christ he shooke his rayment as before and loosed his tongue with much boldnes against them your bloud be vpon your owne heades I am cleane froÌ„ hence-forth I will goe to the Gentiles As if he had said I found you the children of death and so I leaue you growe in your filthinesse and vnrighteousnesse till you haue fulfilled the measure of your forefathers for mine owne part I wash my hands in innocency I can free my soule in the sight of God I was carefull to apply my cure to the hurtes of Corinthe but you were not healed Lastly at Rome in the last of the Actes he made an open proclamation to the vnbeleeuing Iewes Bee it knowne vnto you that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they shall heare it And so be it knowne vnto vs my brethren that the meaning of the holy Ghost in these tearmes of promulgation knowe and bee it knowne was to make these despisers of Antioch Corinthe and Rome examples to all posteritie especially to vs on vvhome the endes of the vvorlde are come and vvith the ende of the vvorlde an ende of all goodnesse that if vvee take not vvarninge heereby as vvee plough the like disobedience so vve shall reape the like vvretchednesse If ever the like transgression be founde in this lande of ours I will sooner wish it a wildernesse for serpentes and dragons to dvvell in that as Iordan went backe and turned his course so the gospel go backe and turne his passage and as it was saide to a prophet in Israell Arise and goe to Niniveh so it be saide to the prophets in Englande Arise and goe into India Turckie or Barbarie and there prophecie and there eate your bread I will then say that iudgement hath both begunne and made an ende with vs and that our case is more desperate then if the grounde of this ilande had opened her â—awes and in one common graue buried all her inhabitantes If ever the like transgression bee founde in this citie of yours I vvill sooner vvish it pooles of vvater and all the stones of your building throwne downe into emptinesse that as the brutish people of the Gadarenes esteemed of their svvine so you of the pleasure of sinne for a season more then Christ Iesus and even hunte him from your coastes as they did and as it vvas saide vnto a prophet in Israel Arise and go to Niniveh so to the prophets amoÌ„gst you Arise and go to the borders where theft and reuenge are helde for currant law and all the streames of bloud vvhich Christ shed vpon the tree cannot begge redemption for one iniury done vnto theÌ„ goe carry your tidings of peace to those vnpeaceable vncivill lavvles gracelesse persons then were your honor gone And though the gravell of your river that bringeth in marchaÌ„dise vnto you were turned into pearles every showre of raine from the clouds aboue were a showre of siluer and golde into your houses yet then vvere you cast from the favour of God your sonnes and your daughters accursed the sinne of their fathers not to be forgotten nor the iniquity of the mothers to be done away whilst your name and memory should continue The prophets are yet in Israell long may they prophecie in Israell the pearle is yet in our fielde forraine Marchants haue not bought it from vs the gospell is yet amongst vs O alwaies may it florish and spread like a palme tree amidst our tabernacles the kingdome of God is now not farre off neither in heauen aboue that we neede climbe vp neither in the earth beneath that we need digge low neither beyond the sea that we neede go over for it neither in those mists and obscurities wherein former ages had involved it we haue the sounde thereof daily in our eares the bookes in our houses and handes the letter walking through our lippes O that we wanted not the power of the gospell in our consciences the life and manifestation of it in our liues The Lord make an happy and an inseparable coniunction betweene all these and graunt that his law and our obedience may alwaies meete togither his gospell and our fruites kisse each other his trueth and our righteousnes his blessings and our thankefulnes neuer be founde a sunder Let him say of England even for ever and ever as Sometimes he saide of Sion Here will I dwell I haue chosen Englande for my habitation let him confirme that blessing of the Psalme vpon vs The Lord gaue the word great was the company of the
Put and Lubim were her helpers yet was shee carried awaie and vvent into captivitie her young children were broken in pieces at the heade of all the streetes and they cast lots for her noble men and all her mightie men were bounde in chaines The reason holdeth by equality the strength and puissance of No was abased and thy mighte shal be cast downe It was afterward accomplished vpon Niniveh because shee was full of bloud full of lies and robbery a maistres of witchcraftes her multitude vvas slaine and the deade bodies were manie there was no ende of her carkases and they euen stumbled as they went vpon her corpses Mercurius Trismegistus sometime spake to Asclepius of Aegypt after this sort Art thou ignorant O Asclepius that Aegypt is the image of heaven c. And if vvee shall speake more truely our land is the temple of the whole vvorlde and yet the time shall come when Aegypt shall be forsaken and that land which was the seate of the Godhead shal be deprived of religion and left destitute of the presence of the Gods It is written of Tyrus in the three and twentith of Esay that shee was rich with the seede of Nilus that brought her abundance the harvest of the river were her revenewes and shee was a mart of the nations c. Yet the Lord triumpheth and maketh disport at her overthrowe Is this that glorious citie of yours vvhose antiquitie is of auncient daies c who hath decreede this against Tyrus shee that crowned men whose marchants are princes and her chapmen the nobles of the worlde the Lord of hostes hath decreede it to staine the pride of all glory and to bring to contempte all the honorable in the earth It is fallen it is fallen saith the Angell in the Revelation Babilon the great citie having the same title of greatnes that Niniveh hath in this place and is become the habitation of divelles and the hole of all fowle spirites and a cage of every vncleane and hatefull birde though shee had saide in her heart I sit as a Queene I am no widovv and shall see no mourning That everlasting citie of Rome as Ammianus Marcellinus called her shall see the day vvhen the eternity of her name and the immortalitie of her soule vvherewith shee is quickned I meane the supremacie of her prelates aboue Emperours and princes shal be taken from her and as Babilon before mencioned hath left her the inheritaunce of her name so it shall leaue her the inheritaunce of her destruction also and she shal become as other presumptuous cities a dwelling for hedghogs an habitation for owles and vultures thornes shall growe in her palaces and nettles in her strong holdes The lamentations of Ieremie touching the ruine of Ierusalem sometimes the perfection of beauty and the ioy of the whole earth as neare vnto God as the signet vpon his right hand yet afterwardes destroyed as a lodge in a garden that is made but for one night if they can passe by the eares of any man and leaue not lamentation and passion behinde them I will say that his harte is harder then the nether milstone How were her gates sunck to the ground her barres broken the stones of her sanctuary scattered in the corners of every streete her mountaine of Syon so desolate that the very foxes runne vpon it whose strength was such before that the Kinges of the earth and all the inhabitants of the worlde woulde never haue beleeved that the enemy shoulde haue entered into the gates of Ierusalem I now conclude Greatenesse of sinnes will shake the foundations of the greatest cities vpon the earth if their heades stoode amongst the stars iniquitie woulde bring them downe into dust and rubble Multitude of offences vvill minish and consume multitudes of men that although the streets were sowen with the seede of man yet they shal be so scarse that a child may tel them yea the desolation shal be so great that none shall remaine to say to his friend leaue thy fatherlesse children behind thee and I will preserue them aliue and let thy widdowes trust in me The daies can speake and the multitude of yeares can teach vvisdome aske your fathers and they can reporte vnto you that grasse hath growen in the streetes of your cities for want of passengers and a man hath beene as precious as the gold of Ophir as rare almost to bee found as if the grounde of your city had beene the moores and wasts where no man dwelleth One would haue wished a friend more then the treasures of the East to haue kept him company releeved his necessity to haue taken some paines with his vviddowe and Orphanes to haue closed his eies at the time of his death to haue seene him laide forth for buriall and his bones but brought to the graue in peace The arme of the Lorde is not shortned hee that smote you once can smite you the second time hee can visit the sonnes as well as the fathers he is a God both in the mountaines and in the vallies in the former later ages he is able againe to measure the grouÌ„d of your citie with a line of vanity pull downe your houses into the dust of the earth and turne the glory of your dwellings into ploughed feilds onely the feare of his name is your safest refuge righteousnes shal be a stroÌ„ger bulwarke vnto you then if you were walled with bras mercy and iudgment and truth and sobriety and sanctimony of life shall stand with your enemies in the gate repell the vengaÌ„ce of God in the highest streÌ„gth therof And so I come to the 2 generall part wherein we are to consider what Ionas was to doe at Niniveh it is manifested in the wordes following Crâ—e against it Laye not thine hande vpon thy mouth neither drawe in thy breath to thy selfe vvhen the cause of thy maister must bee dealt in Silence can never breake the dead sleepe of Niniveh Softnesse of voice cannot pearce her heavy eares Ordinary speaking hath no proportion with extraordinary transgression Speake and speake to bee heard that when shee heareth of her fall shee may bee wounded with it It was not nowe convenient that Ionas should goe to Niniveh as God came to Elias in a still and softe voyce but rather as a mightie strong winde rending the mountaines and breaking the rockes abasing the highest lookes in Niniveh and tearing the hardest hearte in peeces as an earthquake and fire consuming all her drosse and making her quake with the feare of the iudgementes of God as the trees of the forrest Iericho must bee overthrowne with trumpets and a shout and Niniveh will not yeeld but to a vehement outcry A prophet must arme himselfe I say not with the speare but with the zeale of Phinees when sinne is impudent and cannot blush God cannot endure dallying and trifling in weighty matters The gentle spirit of Eli is not
dissolute I feare and beare a reverent estimation 3. I am not carried away to dumbe idols I feare the Lorde God 4. who is not a God in heaven alone as your Iupiter nor in the sea alone as your Neptune nor alone in the earth as your Pluto but alone is the God of heaven and doth not hold by tenure but 5. himselfe hath made the sea and the dry land not only the land of Israel wherin he principally dwelleth and which I relinquished but the land of Tharsis also the continent dry ground belonging to the whole world not the land alone but all the waters of the maine sea which I tooke for my refuge and sanctuary I am an Hebrew From the beginning of the worlde to the time of Christ are numbred fowre propagations or generations the first from Adam to Noe the second from Noe to Abraham the third from Abraham to David the fourth from David to Christ. In the second generation was the name of the Hebrewes received in the third of the Israelites from Iacob sirnamed Israel whose grandfather Abraham was in the fourth of the Iewes after that Iuda and Beniamin which for the vnity of mindes were as it were one tribe following Rehoboam the son of Salomon of the tribe of Iuda made the kingdome of Iuda the other ten betaking them to Ieroboam of the tribe of Ephraim set vp the kingdome of the Ephraimites or of Israel One and the same people thrice changed their names Touching the first of these names there are sundry opinioÌ„s brought wheÌ„ce it arose 1. Some thinke they were called Hebrews of AbrahaÌ„ with the alteration of a fewe letters Hebraei quasi Abrahaei 2. some deriue them from Heber who was the fourth froÌ„ Noah 3. the graÌ„marians fetch theÌ„ froÌ„ an Hebrew word which signifieth over or beyonde because the posterity of SeÌ„ went over the river Tigris abode in Caldaea This sirname you shall first finde given to AbrahaÌ„ Gen. 14. where it is said that he which brought news that Lot was carried out of Sodome with the rest of the booty tolde it to Abraham the Hebrew because forsaking Vr of the Chaldees and passing over Euphrates he came into the land of Canaan therefore was he named of that couÌ„try people Ibreus that is one that past over So there is no doubt made but of Abraham they are called Hebrews because he harkned to the word of the Lorde and went beyond Euphrates Some haue gathered here-hence that in calling himselfe an Hebrew he maketh coÌ„fession of his fault that as the children of Sem Abraham past over rivers so by a borrowed speech he had past over the commandement of the Lord. For what is sinne but transgression transitio linearum the going beyond those lines limits that are prefined vs Other obserue that he implieth the condition of mans life heerein as having no abiding citie but a travaile vpon the face of the earth to passe from place to place as it is written of Israell in the Psalme they went from nation to nation from one kingdome to an other people and David confesseth no lesse I am a stranger and soiourner vpon the earth as all my fathers were Hierome vvoulde haue vs note that he tearmeth not himselfe a Iew which name came from the reÌ„ding of the kingdome but an Hebrew that is a passenger I take the letter of the text without deeper constructions that his purpose simply was to answere their last question which was yet fresh in his eares touching the people from whence he came and by naming his nation to make an argument against himselfe of higher amplification that lying in that corner of the worlde which was the diamond of the ring and as it were the apple of the eie heart of the body being sprung of that roote whereof it was saide Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a greate nation for vvhat nation is so great to vvhome the Gods come so neere as the Lorde is neere vnto vs in all that wee call vnto him for or what nation so greate that hath ordinaunces and lawes so righteous as wee haue it might bee his greater offence to bee sovven good and come vp evill to bee richly planted in the goodlyest vine and baselie degenerated into a sower grape As it were a greater shame not to bee knit indissolublie to the worshippe of God in Englande than any other countrey almost it lying in Europe as Gedeons fleece in the flore exempted from the plagues of her neighbours and speciallye signed vvith the favour of GOD Hungary and Boheme busied with the Turkes Italy poisoned vvith the local seat of Antichrist Spaine held in awe with a bloudy Inquisition nether Germany disquieted with a forraine foe France molested with an intestine enemy Ireland troubled with the incivility of the place Scotland with her fatal infelicity England amongst all the rest having peaceable daies and nightes and not knowing any other bane but too much quietnes which shee hath taken from God with the left hand and vsed as the fountaine of all her licentiousnes After his country he placeth his religion I feare the Lord God of heaven which is here put for the generall worship and service that belongeth to God For that which God saith Esay 29. their feare is taughte by the precepts of men Christ interpreteth Math 15. by the name of vvorship In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Feare and worshippe in these scriptures are both one Come children saith the Psalmist hearken vnto mee I will teach you the feare of the Lord. And it is a notable phrase that the Hebrewes vse to this purpose as in the speech of Iacob to Laban Gen. 31. Except the God of my father the God of Abrâ—ham and the â—eare of Isaac had beene with mee surelie thou hadst sent mee avvay emptie where it is further to be marked that when Laban sware by the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaac that is by that God which his father feared that is worshipped and served It implieth thus much that the strength of Israell is a dreadfull God clothed with vnspeakeable maiesty as with a garment the glory of his face shining brighter than al the lights of heaven in their beauty yea the beholding of his countenance to a mortall man present death the Angels tremble the heavens melt the mountaines smoake the sea slieth backe the rivers are dried vp the fish rot the earth fainteth at the sight thereof therfore we ought not approach his grouÌ„d with our shooes on our feet with sensual base cogitations nor sit at his feast when the breade of his fearful word is broken without our wedding garment nor enter his house of praier with the sacrifice of fooles nor come to his holy mysteries with vnwasht handes or harts not
because it is saide for the further confirmation of this iudgement that the men feared and the men knewe that he fled from the presence of the Lorde who in the whole course of the scripture vnto this place were not tearmed by the name of men but Marriners For when is a better time for man to be laide forth in the colours of his infirmity and frailtie theÌ„ when God hath beene declared in the brightnesse of his glorie whether it be viri or homines the sexe or the generation men as they are distinguished from vvomen or men as they are distinguished from other creatures wee neede not curiouslie enquire The original word lieth to both The former of these two names wherby the male kinde is notified Lactantius thus deduceth Vir itaque nominatus est quòd maior in eo vis est quà m in foemina hinc virtus nomen accepit The man is called Vir in the Latine because there is greater strength in him than in the woman and herehence vertue or virilitie tooke the name Whereas the woman on the other side by Varroes interpretation is called Mulier quasi mollier of nicenesse and tendernesse one letter being changed another taken away But what is the stoutest courage of man mascula virtus the manliest prowesse vpon the earth when it hath girded vp her loynes with streÌ„gth and deckt it selfe with greatest glory where the fortitude of God is set against it How is it possible that pitchers should not breake and fall asunder being fashioned of clay if ever they come to encounter the brasse of his vnspeakeable maiesty The lyon hath roared saith the Prophet shall not the beastes of the forrest be afraide The Lorde hath thundred in the heighth the fame of his vvonderfull workes hath sounded abroade shall not man hide himselfe if the latter name be ment by the worde the whole kinde and generation including male and female both then is the glory of man much more stained and his aspiring affections brought downe to the dust of the earth For as the same Lactantius deriveth it Homo nuncupatus est quod sit factus ex humo he is therefore called man with the Latines because the grounde vnder his feete was his foundation According to the sentence of the Psalme He knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust The scriptures acquainted with the pride and hautines of mandinde hange even talents of lead at the heeles thereof to holde it downe least it should climbe into the sides of the North and set a throne by the most high God In the eighth Psalme which is a circular Psalme ending as it did beginne O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the worlde that whithersoever we turne our eies vpwardes or downewardes we may see our selues beset with his glory rounde about how doth the prophet abase and discountenance the nature and whole race of man As may appeare by his disdeignefull and derogatory interrogation what is man that thou art mindefull of him and the sonne of man that thou regardest him In the ninth Psalme Rise Lord let not man haue the vpper hand let the nations be iudged in thy sight put them in feare O Lord that the heathen may knowe themselues to be but men Further in the tenth Psalme Thou iudgest the fatherlesse and the poore that the man of the earth doe no more violence The Psalmes as they go in order so me thinkes they grow in streÌ„gth each hath a weightier force to throw downe our presumption 1. we are men the sons of men to shew our descent propagation 2. men in our owne knowledge to shew that conscience experience of infirmity doth convict vs 3. men of the earth to shew our original matter wherof we are framed in the 22. Psal. he addeth more disgrace for either in his owne name regarding the misery and contempt wherin he was held or in the person of Christ whose figure he was as if it were a robbery for him to take vpon him the nature of man he falleth he falleth to a lower stile At â—go sum vermis non vir But I am a worme and no man For as corruption is the father of all flesh so are the wormes his brethren and sisters according to the olde verse First man next wormes then stinch and lothsomnes Thus man to no man alter's by chandges Abraham the father of the faithfull Gen. 18. sifteth himselfe into the coursest branne that can bee and resolveth his nature into the elementes whereof it first rose Beholde I haue begunne to speake to my Lord being dust and ashes And if any of the children of Abraham vvho succeede him in the faith or any of the children of Adam who succeede him in the flesh thinketh otherwise let him know that there is a three-folde corde twisted by the finger of God that shall tie him to his first originall though he contend till his heart breake O earth earth earth heare the vvorde of the Lord that is earth by creation earth by continuance earth by resolution Thou camest earth thou remaynest earth and to earth thou must returne Thus they are rightly matched I meane not for equality but for opposition the eternity of God and the mutabilitie of man the terrour of God and the fearefulnesse of man the name of God and the name of man having at no other time so iust an occasion to remember himselfe to be but man as when the honour of the most high is laide before him The warning serveth for vs all to consider vvhat vve are both by name and nature vnable to resist God For who wil set the briers and the thornes in contention against him Who ever hardened himselfe against the Lord and hath prospered Bernard in his bookes of consideration to Eugenius adviseth him to consider no lesse Avvay vvith thy mantles and coverings pull of thy apron of fig-leaues wipe out the parget of thy flitting honours and take a naked view of thy naked selfe howe naked thou camest from thy mothers wombe Which was in effect that vvhich Simonides sang to Pausanias and a page every morning to Philip of Macedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember that thou art a man For in remembring this thou remembrest all wretchednes And they saide vnto him why hast thou done this Ierome thinketh it no increpation but a simple interrogation of men desirous to knowe why a servant woulde attempt to runne from his Lorde a man from God What is the mysterie of this dealing vvhat sense hadst thou to forsake thine owne country and seeke forraine nations Others take it to bee rather an admiration than an interrogation that such a man as Ionas knowing that God is omnipotent all eie to beholde him all foote to follow him all hand to smite him in all places should offer notwithstanding to flie from his presence
but they continued knocking till in the ende he arose and granted them their hartes requests The nexte condition of their praier was that it was properly and pertinentlie applyed to their present feare Let vs not perish for this mans life c. It was written in their heartes which others might haue red in the Psalmes of David Touch not mine anointed and doe my prophets no harme They thought that Prophets were iewelles and pearles vnto God and that the marring of one such woulde severely bee required Hence come their teares this is the thorne that pricketh them feare to offende in hurting an harmelesse man togither with that stinge and venime which sinne leaueth behinde it they knowe it will call for vengeaunce and though it passe the hande and the eye speeding it selfe in the seeming of him that doeth it into the lande of forgetfulnesse as it shoulde neuer bee thought vpon yet the Lorde will fetch it backe againe and set it before the face of the sinner and lay it as freshly to his charge as if hee vvere then in the act and perpetration thereof These bee the sores wherevvith they smarte daunger of their owne liues if they assaulte the life of Ionas and watchfulnesse of the iustice of GOD in taking account of forepassed sinnes To these they applie the medicines VVe know the order of thy Courte and iudgement seate to exacte life for life therefore let not vs perish for this mans life wee knowe that no sinne can escape thy dreadfull hande therefore if we happe to offende in spilling innocente bloude laie not our iniquitie vpon vs blotte it out of thy booke let it passe as a morning dewe before the sunne and not be imputed In disposing our praiers to God vve must as the Scribe in the gospell bringe forth of our treasures thinges olde and nevve For the blessings of God in generall there may bee generall thankes-givings for sinnes in generall generall confessions auncient and vsuall formes of prayer for auncient and vsuall occurrences Wee may take vnto vs wordes as the Prophet speaketh and say vnto the Lorde at all times Take away all iniquitie and receaue vs graciously so vvill wee render the calues of our lippes But as the matter of Gods iudgments and our dangers is varied so must we accordingly vary our praiers In the time of a plague wee must make of our praiers a particular Mâ—thridate against the plague acknowledging the hand of God that inflicted it knowing that the cause and originall thereof is not so much infection in the aire as rottenesse and corruption within our owne bones beseeching his maiestie as Phinees did that the plague may cease and that hee vvill visite no longer with that kinde of iudgement If the lande bee smitten with leanenesse and skarcity so that the children thereof cry for breade and sowne as they goe in the streetes for vvant of foode wee must pray in another stile that the LORD vvill vouchsafe to heare the heauens againe the heavens may heare the earth the earth the corne the vine and the oyle and these Israell or other his distressed people and that hee vvill visite no longer vvith this kinde of iudgement If the enemy shall saie against vs Come vvee will devour vvee will devoure the name of Sion shall bee no more had in remembraunce wee must turne vnto the Lord with another forme of supplication Spare thy people O Lorde and giue not thine heritage into reproache that the heathen shoulde rule over them vvherefore shoulde they say amongest the people vvhere is novve their God O cease to visite thy servants with this kinde of iudgemente If the heavens be brasse aboue vs and droppe no moisture vpon our fruites or if the spoutes which God hath devided in the aire powre downe too much vpon our heads sometime hee roareth so fearefully with his voice of thunders as who may abide it his lightnings giue shine to the earth and our eies are daseled thereat hee raineth dovvne tempestes and stormes vpon vs haile-stones and coles of fire this is our portion sometimes to drinke still as his plagues are newe so let vs come before him vvith newe songes new intercessions meekely kneeling before the Lorde our maker and falling lowe at his foote-stoole that his hand may be turned backe in these kindes of iudgements Thus did Salomon dedicate and blesse the temple beseeching the Lorde that vvhen the people shoulde pray vnto him accordinge to their sundry needes whether they were troubled vvith the assault of their enimy or vvith wante of raine with famine or mildewe or vvith captivity he would then heare them in heauen and be mercifull vnto them The sickenesse which these marriners suspecte is an issue of bloude which being once opened vvill euer runne and keepe a course if it be not stanched vvith the mercy of God and therefore they call vpon him as that present occasion enforceth them O let vs not perish for this mans life and bring not vpon vs innocent bloud Besides which purpose of theirs in laying their finger vpon the sore that is in suiting of their prayer with the present daunger for the fuller explication of the wordes themselues it may please you to take knowledge of two thinges 1. The proceeding of God in the case of bloudshead life for life deliuered in the former clause Let vs not perish for the soule of this man 2. How the bloud of Ionas in the latter may be called innocent bloud The lawe is generall touching the former Exod. 21. life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hande for hande foote for foote burning for burning wounde for wounde stripe for stripe It is added Leviticus 24. Breath for breath blemish for blemish Gen. 9. I will require your bould wherein your liues are that is one reason in the nexte wordes vvho so sheadeth mans bloude by man shall his bloude bee shed for in the image of God hath hee made man That is an other reason Our Saviour reciteth the lavve in the gospell Math. 26. vvho so taketh the svvorde shall perish vvith the sworde And that wee may knowe this lavve was neuer repealed wee finde it in the last booke Reuelation 13. If anie leade into captivitie hee shall goe into captivitie if any man kill with a sworde hee must be killed with a a sworde Heere is the patience and the faith of Saintes that is this they beleeue and this they verilie expect to bee perfourmed vpon their enimies So the ordinary rule without question is this He that taketh away the life of man himselfe shall likewise perish Notvvithstanding the maker of the law may and doeth sometimes dispense with his owne lawe Many a one I confesse hath killed his neighbour himselfe not ending his daies in the like manner Be it so yet first he is slaine with a sword of his owne as Golias was he dieth daiely with the stabbing and launcing of his owne hearte and as in that first plague
reioine to the sonne of GOD when hee instructed him in the greatest and the next commandements Well maister thou hast said the trueth that there is one God and there is none but he and to love him with all the heart c. and his neighbour as himselfe is more then all burnt offerings and sacrifices And so farre is it of that the slaying of vnreasonable beastes were they in number equall to those millions of bullocks and sheep which Salomon offered at the dedication of the temple and adding a millian of rivers of oile to glad the altars of GOD shall bee acceptable vnto him that the giving of our first-borne for our transgression and the fruit of our bodies for the sinne of our soules shal bee an vnfruitfull present without serious hearty obedience to his counselles Hee that shewed thee O man what is good and what he requireth of thee Surely to doe iustlie and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe and to walke with thy God The ends of the Iewish sacrifices if I mistake not were these First to acknowledge therein that death is the stipende of sinne which though it were due to him those that sacrificed yet was it translated laid vpon the beast that offended not Secondly to figure before hand the killing of the lambe of God which all the faithfull expected Thirdly to testifie the submissioÌ„ of the hart which in these visible samplers shone as a light before the whole world So spoiling the sacrifice of the last of these endes they make it in manner a lying signe leaue it as voide of life breath as the beastes which they immolate The Poet complaineth in his satyre of the costlines vsed in their churches asketh the priests what gold did there willing theÌ„ rather to bring that which Messalas vngratious son froÌ„ all his superfluities could not bring to wit iustice piety holy cogitations an honest hart Grant me but these saith he I will sacrifice with salt and meale only It agreeth with the answer which Iupiter HaÌ„mon gaue to the Athenians enquiring the cause of their often vnprosperous successes in battaile against the Lacedemonians seeing they offered the choicest thinges they could get which their enimies did not The Gods are better pleased with their inwarde supplication lacking ambition than with all your pompe Lactantius handling the true worship of God against the Gentiles giveth them their lesson in few sententious wordes that God desireth not the sacrifice either of a dumbe beast or of death bloudshead but the sacrifice of man and life wherein there is no neede either of garlandes of vervin or of fillets of beastes or of soddes of the earth but such thinges alone as proceede from the inwarde man The alter for such offeringes hee maketh the hearte whereon righteousnesse patience faith innocency chastity abstinence must bee laide and tendered to the Lorde For then is GOD truely worshiped by man when hee taketh the pledges of his hearte and putteth them vpon the altar of God The sacrifices evangelicall which the giver of the newe lawe requireth of vs are a broken spirite obedience to his vvorde love towardes God and man iudgement iustice mercy prayer and praise which are the calves of the lippes almes deedes to the poore for with such sacrifices is the Lord pleased our bodies and soules not to be slaine vpon the altar for it must be a quicke sacrifice not to be macerated and brought vnder even to death for it must be our reasonable service and finally our lives if neede be for the testimony of the trueth All which sacrifices of Christianity without a faithfull heart which is their Iosuah and captaine to goe in and out before them to speake but lightly with Origen in the like case are nutus tantùm opus mutum a bare ceremony and a dumbe shew but I may cal them sorceries of Simon Magus whose heart was not right in the sight of God and not sacrifices but sacrileges with Lactantâ—us robbing God of the better part and as Ieremie named those idle repetitions of the Iewes the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord verba mendacij lying wordes so these opera mendacij lying workes so fraudulently handled that if it were possible God himselfe should bee deceived O how hath Sathan filled their harts that they shoulde lie vnto the holy Ghost in making a shewe that they bring the whole price of their possession and lay it downe at the feete of God when they withhelde the dearer part from him They have not â—ied vnto men though that were fault enough but vnto God who will truely require the least vntruthes betweene man and man but falshoods and fallacies committed betweene the porch and the altar within the courtes of his owne house and in the professions of his proper service by casting vp the eies or handes bowing the knee knocking vpon the brest or thigh making sadde the countenaunce mooving the lippes vncovering or hanging dovvne the heade like a bul-rush groveling vpon the earth sighing sobbing praying fasting communicating distributing crying LORDE LORDE seeking to abuse the fleshly eies of men and the fiery eyes of omniscience it selfe hee will right sorely revenge as a dishonour immediately and directly done to his owne sacred person Galienus the Emperour gave this iudgement of one who solde his wife glasse for pearles imposturam fecit passus est hee couzened and was couzened But this for the good of the couzener For vvhen he vvas brought vpon the stage and a Lion expected by the people to have torne him peece-meale a capon was sent vp to assault him The same sentence standeth firme in heaven against the deceitfull marchandizers of true religion vvho offer to the highest emperour clothed vvith essentiall maistye as the other vvith purple and to his spouse the church glasse for pearles copper for golde coales for treasure shewes for substances seeming for being fansie for conscience Imposturam faciunt patientur They mocke and they shal be mocked but in an other kind than the former was for whereas they looke for the thanks and recompence of their forepassed labours loe they are like the dreamer in the Prophet vvho eateth by imagination in the night time and vvhen hee awaketh from sleepe his soule hath nothinge And made vowes The matter of their vowes is as vnceraine as of their sacrifices What it was they promised to the Lorde and by obligation bound themselues to perfourme neither ancient nor recent Iewish nor Christian expositour is able to determine By coniectural presumption they leaue vs to the choice of these foure specialties That either they vowed a voyage to Ierusalem where the latelie receaved Iehovah was best knowne or to beautifie the temple of the Lorde with some rich donaries or to giue almes to the poore or thenceforth to become proselites in the religion of the Iewes and as Ierome explaneth
altered his nature to haue boyled him into nourishmente and to haue incorporated his flesh into an other substaunce Yet Ionas liveth But if the LORDE had not beene on my side might Ionas nowe say if the LORDE had not beene on my side vvhen the beast rose vp against mee hee had swallowed mee vp quicke vvhen his vvrath vvas so sore enflamed But praysed bee the LORDE vvhich hath not given mee over a pray to his teeth My saule is escaped even as a birde out of the snare of the fowler The snare is broken and I am delivered Let all those whome the LORDE hath redeemed from the hande of the oppressour from fire or water or from the perill of death take that songue of thankesgiving into their lippes and singe it to his blessed name in remembraunce of his holinesse O thou the hope of all the endes of the earth sayeth that other Psalme and of them that are farre of in the sea shevve vs but the lighte of thy countenaunce and vvee shall bee safe giue vs but the comforte of thy mercies and wee will not feare though the earth bee mooved and the mountaines fall dovvne into the middes of the sea and the sea and the vvaters thereof rage fearefully though Leviathan open his mouth wee will not quake at it yea though the Leviathan of the bottomelesse pit open the throate of hell never so vvide to devoure vs wee vvill not bee disquieted VVee knowe that there is mercy vvith the LORDE and that vvith him there is plentifull redemption I meane redemption a thousande waies by nature and against nature by hope and against hope by thinges that are and thinges that are not Hee that hath saved his people by gathering the vvaters in heapes like vvalles and making a path in the redde sea hee that hath kept his children in the middest of a fiery oven when if arte coulde adde any thinge to the nature of fire they shoulde have beene burnt seven times for one because it was seven times hote and delivered his prophet in a denne of lyons though dieted and prepared for their pray before hand yet shuttinge their mouthes so close and restrayninge their appetite that they forbeare their appointed foode and committed this servaunt of his to the belly of a fishe as if he had committed him to his mothers vvombe to be kept from harme he is the same GOD both in mighte and mercye to preserue vs no time vnseasonable no place vnmeete no daunger vncouth and vnaccustomed to his stronge designementes Our onely helpe therefore standeth in the name of the LORDE that hath made heaven and earth blessed and thrice blessed bee that name of the Lorde from this time forth for evermore Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. vers 1. Then Ionas praied vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and saide THIS second section or division of the prophecie wherein the mercy of God towardes Ionas is expressed I parted before into three branches 1. That he was devoured 2. praied 3. was delivered The tearmes that Lyra giveth are these the place the manner the successe of his prayer The marvailes that I haue already noted vnto you were 1. that so huge a creature was suddeinely provided by the providence of God 2. that a whole man passed thorough his throate 3. that he lived in his bowels three daies three nightes Now whither he fulfilled that time exactly yea or no three naturall dayes complete consisting of twenty foure howres neither can I affirme neither is it materiall over-busily to examine Our Saviour you know in the gospell applyeth this figure of Ionas to his buriall As Ionas was in the belly of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the sonne of man bee in the heart of the narth But if you conferre the shadowe and the body togither you shall finde in all the evangelistes that the Lorde of life was crucified the 6. howre of the preparation of the sabbath and the ninth gaue vp the ghost that late in the eveninge his bodie vvas taken downe from the crosse and buried that hee rested in the graue the night that belongeth to the sabbath togither vvith the daie and night nexte ensuinge after it and that in the morning of the first day of the weeke he rose againe So as indeede the body of Christ was not in the heart of the earth more than 36. hovvers to weete two nightes and a daie vvhich is but the halfe space of 72. howers Some to supply this defect of time accompte the lighte before the passion of Christ and the darkenesse till the 9. howre one day and a night because they say there vvas both lighte and darknes And then the light that followed from the 9. howre and the succeeding night a secōd day night likewise the third til the time he rose againe Others expoūd it by a mistery thus 36. hours they say to 72. which is the absolute measure of 3. daies 3. nights is but simplum ad duplū one to two or the halfe of the whole Now ours was a double death both in soule by sin in body by paine Christes was but single only in the body because concerning his soule he was free frō sin therfore they infer that the moity of time might suffice him Hugo Cardin. hath an other conceite that from the creation of the worlde till the resurrection of Christ the day was evermore numbred before the night both in the literall and in the mysticall vnderstanding first there was light then darknes but from the resurrection of Christ forwardes the night is first reckoned for which cause he thought the vigiles were apointed for sabbathes other festivall daies that vvee might be prepared with more devotiō to solemnize them herehēce he cōcludeth that the night which followed the sabbath of the Iews was the angular night must twice be repeated as the corner of a square serveth indifferently for either side which it lyeth betwixte for both it belonged saith he to the sabbath praeceding must be ascribed againe vnto the Christian sabbath or Lords day whereon the son of God rose from death And he thinketh there is great reason of his invention because Christ by one night of his tooke away two of ours So they are not content to be sober interpretours of the minde of God but they wil ghesse and divine at that which he never meant They thinke their cunning abased if they go not beyond the moone to fetch an exposition What needeth such curious learning to apoint every egge to the right hen that laid it as some did in Delos so these to think their labor vnprofitable in the church of God vnlesse they can make the devises of their own heads reach home to the letter of the booke in al respects Our soundest divines agree that the triduan rest of Christ in the graue must be vnderstood by the figure synecdoche
with God on high mourning and lamenting his wretchednes not in a caue of Horeb as Elias did not in a caue of Adullam as David but in the ougliest vncomfortablest vaulte setting hell aparte that ever vvas entred O Lord where shall thy spirite forsake thy chosen ones if wee climbe into heaven there it is as apparant to the worlde as the sunne in his brightnesse If we bee driven into the wildernesse there it will attend on vs. If we lie downe in the bottome of the sea if in the bowels of a whale within that bottome of the sea there will it also embrace vs. To conclude all in one for this time there was never contemplation or study in the world so holy and heavenly in the sight of God so faithfull and sociable to him that vseth it as praier is It travaileth by day it awaketh by night with vs it forsaketh vs not by lande by water in weale in woe living nor dying It is our last friend an◠indissolublest companion therefore wee must praie There was never name so worthy to bee called vpon in heaven or earth so mighty for deliverance so sure for protection so gainefull for successe so compendious to cut of vnnecessarie labours as the name of Iehovah our mercifull father and the image of his countenaunce Iesus Christ. Therefore to the Lord. There was never citty of refuge so free for transgressours never holes in the rockes so open for doues never lappe of the mother so open to her babes as the bowels of Gods compassions are open to beleevers Therefore we must pray in that stile of propriety which Thomas vsed when he looked vpon Christ my Lord and my God Lastly there was never affliction so great but the hande of the Lorde hath beene able to maister it therefore if we walke in the shadow of death as where was the shadow of death if these bowels of the whale were not we must not take discomforte at it The Lord sitteth aboue the water flouds the Lord commandeth the sea and all that therein is He that hath hidden Ionas in the belly of a fish as a chosen shafte in the quiver of his mercifull providence and made destruction it selfe a tabernacle and hiding place to preserue him from destruction blessed be his holy name and let the mighte of his maiestie receiue honour for evermore he will never forsake his sonnes and daughters neither in health nor sicknesse light nor darknesse in the lande of the living nor in the lande of forgetfulnesse And therefore as David cursed the mountaines of Gilboah that neither dew nor raine might fall vpon them because the shielde of the mighty was there cast downe so cursed be all faithlesse and faint harted passions that throwe away the shielde of faith and open the way for the fierie dartes of the devill to worke their purpose But blessed be the mountaines of Armenia for there the 〈◊〉 found rest Blessed be the power and mercy of our God for these are the mountaines vvherevpon the arke resteth these are the holy hils whereon the Sion and church of the Lord hath her everlasting foundations The Lorde liveth and blessed be our strength even the God of our salvation for ever and ever be exalted Amen THE XXIIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. ver 2. And said I eryed in mine affliction to the Lord and he hearde me out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heardst my voice IN the wordes of the history before we come to Ionas speaking frō his own person I noted 1. his action during the time of his imprisonmēt praier 2. the obiect of his praier the Lorde 3. the applicatiō his God 4. his house of praier the belly of the fish 5. the specification of it he said which particle only remaineth to bee adioyned to the former before wee proceede to to praier it selfe It beareth one sense thus I will not onely acquaint you that Ionas prayed but I will also expresse vnto you what that prayer was this was the summe and substaunce of it the matter hee framed and compiled to his God was to this effect Hee praied and saide that is these were the very wordes this was the tenour and text of his songe indited But if the worde bee better lookt into it may yeeld a further construction For in the three principall tongues Hebrew Greeke Latine there hath ever bene held a difference betweene speaking saying the former being more generall vnperfite belonging to as many as vse the instruments of speech Thersites spake though hee spake like a Iay they speake of whome the proverbe is verified little wisedome much prating Eupolis noted them in the greeke verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are excellent to talke but very vnable to say The later is more speciall noteth a wise deliberated speech graue sententious weighed in the ballance as it is in the words of Syrach vttered to good purpose Tully in his rhetorickes giveth the difference in that he ascribeth saying to oratours alone speaking to the cōmon people that the one cōmeth from nature the other from art Such was the handling of that argument in the 45. Psalme whereof the authour witnesseth before hand My heart is inditing a good matter his tongue was but the pen of a ready writer It was sermo natus in pectore a matter bred in the breast not at the tongues end And such was the song of Ionas in this place It was drawne as deepe as the water from the well of Iacob the sentences wherof were advisedly penned the words themselues set vpon feete and placed in equall proportions A skilfull and artificiall song as if it should haue fitted an instrument cōposed in number measure to the honour of his name who giveth the argument of a song in the night season who in the heaviest and solitariest times when nature calleth for rest quickeneth vp the spirit of a man and giveth him wisdōe grace to meditate within himselfe his vnspeakable mercies I doe not thinke that the praier of Ionas was thus metrically digested within the belly of the fish as now it standeth But such were the thoughts and cogitations wherein his soule was occupied vvhich after his landing againe perhappes he repolished brought into order fashion as a memoriall monument of the goodnes of God that had enlarged him It ministreth this instruction vnto vs al that when vvee sing or say any thing vnto the Lord we keepe the rule of the Psalme Sing yee praises vvith vnderstanding that as Iohn Baptist went before Christ to prepare his vvaies so our heartes may ever goe before our tongues to prepare their speeches that first vvee speake within our selues as the woman with the bloudy issue did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for shee saide within her selfe if I may but touch the hemme of his garment afterwardes to others first in our harts with David in
soule vvhen he is well-nigh spent and it is a question whether his faith be quicke or dead there commeth an other veruntamen like a showre of the later raine in the drought of summer to water his fainting spirite yet hast thou brought vp my life from the pitte O LORDE my GOD. The readings are diverse The Hebrewes sâ—y thou hast brought vp my life or caused it to ascende The septuâ—ginte my life hath ascended Ierome Thou shalt lifte vp Some say from the pitte some the graue some from death some from corruption There is no oddes For whither of the two times bee put the matter is not great Thou hast or thou shalt For the nature of hope is this futura facta dicit Thinges that are to come it pronounceth of as alâ—eadie accomplished In the eigth to the Romanes we are saved by hope though we are not yet saved And whome God hath iustified those hee hath also glorified though not yet glorified Ephesians the second wee are raised from the dead though our resurrection heereafter to be fulfilled But I stay not vpon this It is a rule in Seneca that by the benefite of nature it is not possible for any man to bee grieved much and long togither For in her loue shee beareth vnto vs shee hath so ordered our paines as that shee hath made them either sufferable or shorte that which Seneca imputed to nature I to hope grounded in the promises of God immutable things the safe and sure anchor of the soule of man The sorrow of Ionas was wonderfully vehement but soone alaied Whence had he that speedy mittigation from nature nothing lesse Here what the voice of nature is When the people of Israell crieth vpon Moses for flesh what is his crie to God I am not able to beare this people If I have founde favour in thine eies kill mee that I behold not this misery When Iezabell threatneth to make Elias like one of the dead prophets he hasteth into the wildernes and breaketh out into impatience and irkesomnes of life O Lord it is sufficient either he had lived or he had bene plagued long enough take away my soule from me The woman in the 2. of Esdras having lost her sonne be it a figure or otherwise it is true in both ariseth in the night season goeth into the field decreeth with her selfe neither to eate nor drinke but there to remaine fasting and weeping till shee were dead Esdras councelleth her foolish woman doe not so returne into the city goe to thine husband c. shee answereth I will not I will not goe into the citye but here will I die You heare how nature speaketh Was Ionas thus relieved no. The sense of his owne strength or rather his weakenesse woulde have sent him hedlong as the devils the heard of swine into the lake of desperation It is the Lord his God whose name is tempered according to the riddle of Sampson both of strong and sweete who is forâ—â—ter suavis suaviter fortis strong in sweetenes and sweete in strength fortis pro me suavis mihi strong for me and sweete to me that hath done this deede Behold my brethren there is hoâ—ie in the lion there is mercy in the fearefull God of heaven He is not only a Lord over Ionas to note his maiesty feare but the Lord his God to shew the kindnes of a father It is the Lord his God to whom he repaireth by particular applicatioÌ„ with the disciple of Christ leaneth as it were in his maisters bosome that delivered his life from the pit his soule from fainting Before he lay in the depthes was desceÌ„ded to the ends of the mouÌ„taines c. All that is aunswered in one worde eduxisti thou hast brought me vp from the pit wherein I was buried Before the waters were come even vnto his soule ready to drinke it in and to turne him to corruption but now God hath delivered that soule from the corruption it was falling into What shall we then say the sea hath no mercy the weedes no mercy the earth with her promontaries and bars no mercy the whale no mercy the Lord alone hath mercy It fared with Ionas as with a fore-ruÌ„ner of his when his spirit was coÌ„fused folden vp within him when hee looked vpon his right hand and behold there was none that would know him much lesse at his left wheÌ„ all refuge failed and none cared for his soule then cried he vnto the Lorde his God and saide Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living O harken vnto my cry for I am brought very low even as low as the earth is founded and bring my soule out of prison this pit wherin I lie that I may praise thy name O let not life nor death I name noe more for death is the last and worst enemy that shal be subdued bee able to take your hope from you When your heart in thinking or tongue in speaking hath gone too far correct your selues with this wholesome and timely veruntamen yet notwithstanding I will go to the Lorde my God and trust in his name The nailes that were driven into the handes and feete of our Saviour were neither so grievous nor so contumelious vnto him as that reproch that was offered in speech he trusted in the Lorde let him deliver him This was the roote that preserved Iob and Iob preserved it when his friends became foes and added affliction vnto him he willed them to hold their tongues that he might speake not caring what came of it Wherfor do I take my flesh in my teeth saith he and put my soule in my hand that is why should I fret and consume my self with impatience If he shoulde kill me would I not trust in him so far is it of that I despaire of the mercies of God that my life shall sooner leaue me than my assurance of his graces This was the deepe and inwarde matter he ment in the 19. of his booke from the abundance wherof he made that propheticall and heavenly protestation O that my words were written written in a booke and graven with an iron pen in lead or stone for ever I knowe that my redeemer liveth Wormes rottenes shall consume me to nothing but my redeemer is aliue behold he liveth for evermore hath the keies of hell and of death The graue shal be my house and I shall make my bed in darkenes but I shall rise againe to behold the brightnes of his countenance These eies of nature shal sinke into the holes of my head but I shall receiue them againe to behold that glorious obiect And though many ages of the worlde shall run on betwixt the day of my falling his long expected uisitation yet he shalâ— stand the last day vpon the earth himselfe α and ω the first and the last of all the creatures of God to recapitulate former
at Lystra that ye turne froÌ„ these vaine hopes from these foolsh and paltry idols whether you are fallen in liking with your selues or other creatures to serue the living God which made the heavens the earth the sea and all that therein is The prophete mighte haue called them by other names to note that iniquity filthines abhomination that is fouÌ„d in theÌ„ but setting the Lorde and his kingdome aside he taxeth the whole worlde and whatsoever is therein contained with the generall censure of Salomon vanitie of vanities all is vanitie He that filled the earth with his wisedome as with a floude filled it also with vanitie as with a floude hee smiteth on both cheekes vanitie and vanitie againe and to shevv that hee did not repente him of his speech pronounceth a thirde time All is vanitie that you may knowe whatsoever you cleaue vnto besides the true subsisting Lord it hath not that substance and certainty which you first imagined Therefore is the attibute set vnto it in the next place lying vanitie because there is nothing but deceite in them In the 4 of Gen. when Eue had brought forth her first begotten son she called him Cain a maÌ„ purchased or obtained of the Lord. Some say more I haue obtained the man that is the Lord. Thinking vndoubtedly that she had bin the mother of that blessed seed which should bruise the head of the serpent But finding her selfe deceived overweening in a corrupt cruell man shee named her second son Abell that is vanity to note that her former hope was altogither frustrated The Epithit is very fitlie adioined to vanity and in effect signifieth the same that vanitye doth for what is vanitye but lyinge and deceavinge Auâ—us Gellius writeth of a vaine Grammatian that made himselfe most skillfuâ—l in Salustes wordes Apollinaris to trie his skill met him on a day and asked him what Salust meant if hee were so cunninge in the bloude and marrowe of his history as he professed by saying of C. Lentulus that it was a question whether hee were more foolishe or vaine The interpreter aunswered him the knowledge I take vpon mee is in auncient words not these that are common and worne by daily vse For he is more foolish and vaine than was that Lentulus vvho knoweth not that both these words note but the same weaknes Apollinaris not satisfied with this answere to satisfy others that desired to be better instructed by him at leÌ„gth resolved that they were properly tearmed vaine men not as the common people helde who were dullardes wiâ—lesse and fooles but in the opinion of the most auncient learned such as were given to lyinge and faithlessenesse who gaue lightnesse for waighte and emptinesse for that that hath true substance Now as in an idoll in proprietye there are sundrye reasons that make it to bee a lying vanitye for first the authour and suggestour was the father of lies secondly the former of it lied to himselfe in thinking that it was the pleasure of God that idolles shoulde be fashioned thirdly hee that trusteth therin lieth for he saith to wood or stone thou art my helper 4. the whole substance of the idoll lieth in promisinge helpe where none is and seeminge to be that which is not so on the other side those other idolles which I named are lyinge vanities and shall as litle profite vs when wee craue their truth as grasse the mower that grovveth vpon the house toppes If vvee trust vnto them let vs looke for no better aide and comfort therein than those others in the prophet who confessed too late vvee haue made falshood our refuge and vnder vanitye are wee hid I conclude the first member Trust not in oppression or robberye If riches encrease set not your hearte vpon them man disquieteth himselfe in vaine saith the Psalme heapeth vp riches not knowinge who shall gather them An horse is but a vaine thinge to saue a man neither is it his bowe that can deliver him A man is but a vaine thinge to saue a man if you weighe him vpon the ballance you shall finde him lighter then vanitye Wisedome is as vaine and shall become as foolishe as of the beastes that perishe Strength is as vaine and shall become as weake as vvater spilte Beautye is as vaine and shal bee changed into lothsomenesse more than the sores of Lazarus All these are vanities and vaine vanities lyinge vanities as emptye as the vvinde as â—leetinge as the miste in the aire God onely is true and his promise iust his faithfullnesse is aboue the cloudes and his righteousnesse exceedeth as the greatest mountaines The consequent or private part of the refutation is in the words following They forsake their owne mercy Mercy forsaketh not them but they mercy God is ever formost in loue never hateth till hee is first hated It is not onelye to hazard and put in adventure nor to extenuate and diminish the mercy of God but wholie to renounce it and to sende a farewell to God to embrace vanities It is a vvall of partition betwixt vs and grace I had almost said it is as the greate gulfe that vvas betwixte Abraham and the rich man Surelye it shall stande as the faithfull vvitnesse in heaven that neither idolatour nor adulterer nor covetous persons both vvhich vvith manye other offendours are idolatours in an other kinde shall ever inherite the kingdome of God You see how the consequence holdeth Loue they the one they certeinlye leaue the other There is no haultinge betwixte two opinions If God bee God they must followe him alone there is no minglinge of Baal with him Our God is a iealous God and suffereth no copartner or competitour in any part of that honour that belongeth vnto him But in leaving mercy so sweete and amiable a nature in him that is loue it selfe vnwise and vnhappye wretches vvhat doe they leaue more than all the wordly solaces shall bee able to supply vnto them They leaue even the bowelles of mercy as Zacharye sange in the gospell of Luke For as a father pittyeth his children and more by a thousande degrees so hath the LORDE compassion towarde all them that feare him And a mother may forget the fruit of her wombe but the LORDE shall never forget his children of election These bovvelles and invvardes of mercye they leaue mercye so deepe and affectionate that the seate of affections in man sufficeth not to expresse it that relinquishe GODS mercye It had bene more ease and happinesse vnto them if their owne bowelles had fallen from their bodies as the bowelles of Iudas They leaue not handefulles of barlye and pieces of breade temporall and trâ—fling commodities parcells of that bouÌ„ty and goodnes which God hath bestowed vpon them but the vniversall mercye of God as greate in quantity as the spaces of the whole worlde for looke how high the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy towardes them that
mercie pleaseth him For who hath first loved or first given or anye way deserved and it shal bee restored vnto him a thousande folde Blessinges and thankesgivinges for evermore bee heaped vpon his holy name in whom the treasures of mercy and loving kindenesse dwell bodylie who of his owne benevolente disposition hath both pleased himselfe and pleasured his poore people with so gracious a qualitye Even so LORD for that good pleasure and purpose sake deale with the rest of thy people as thou hast dealt with Ionas and the marriners take awaie those iniquities of ours that take away thy favour and blessing from vs and as a stranger that knoweth them not passe by our transgressions retaine not thine anger for ever though we retaine our sinnes the cause of thine anger but returne to vs by grace who returne not to thee by repentance and haue compassion vpon vs who haue not compassion vpon our owne soules subdue our raigning and raging vnrighteousnesse and drowne our offences in the bottome of the sea which els will drowne vs in the bottome of perdition The mysteries buried vnder this type of the casting vp of Ionas the seconde principall consideration vvherein I bounded my selfe are collected by some 1. The preaching of the gospell to the Gentiles not before the passion and resurrection of Christ because Ionas went not to Niniveh till after his sinking and rising againe 2. A lanterne of comforte to all that sit in the darkenesse of affliction and in the shadowe of death held out in the enlargement of Ionas who though hee vvere swallowed downe into the bowels of an vnmercifull beast yet by the hand of the Lord he was againe cast our These are somewhat enforced But the only counterpane indeed to match this original is the resurrection of the blessed sonne of God from death to life figured in the restitution of the prophet to his former estate of liuelyhode and by him applyed in the gospel to this body of truth who is very and substantiall trueth For so hee telleth the Scribes and Pharisees twise in one Evangelist An evill and adulterous generation degenerated from the faith and workes of their father Abraham wherein standeth the right descent of his children asketh a signe but no signe shall bee given vnto it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas vvas three daies and three nightes in the whales belly so shall the sonne of man bee three daies and three nightes in the â—earte of the earth His meaning was that if this so vnlikely and in nature so vncredible a signe coulde not mooue them all the tokens in heaven and earth would not take effect That Christ is risen againe there is no question The bookes are open and hee that runneth may reade enough to perswade him Hee that tolde them of the signe before mentioned signified the same worke vnder the name and shadow of the temple of Ierusalem a little to obscure his meaning and that hee tearmed a signe also Destroie this temple and I will builde it againe in three daies He meante not the temple of Salomon as they mistooke but the temple of his bodie more costly and glorious than ever that admired temple of theirs the buildinge whereof in the counsaile of his father was more than forty and sixe yeares even from the first age of the worlde and everie stone therein angular precious and tryed cut out of a mountaine without handes ordeined from the highest heauens without humane furtheraunce and such whereof hee affirmed longe before in the mouth of his Prophet who could iustifie his saying Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption though of the other temple hee prophecied and it was perfourmed there shall not a stone bee lefte standing vpon a stone that shall not bee cast dovvne Praedixit revixit He gaue warning before that it shoulde so bee and hee fulfilled it The earth-quake at the very time of his resurrection Math. 28. the testimonie and rebuke of Angelles vvhy seeke yee the living amongest the deade hee is risen he is not here his manifestation to one to two to twelue to moe than fiue hundreth at once once and againe his breaking of breade amongst them the printes of his handes and side their very fingers and nayles for evidence sake thrust into them togither with so many predictions that thus it must bee and so many sermons and exhortations that so it was are able to resolue any spirite that setteth not it selfe of purpose to resist the holie Ghost Or if there be any of so audacious impiety as to deny the scriptures the warrante whereof is so stronge that Paul in the Actes of the Apostles not tarrying the answere of king Agrippa by his owne mouth speaketh in his name by a reasonable and vndoubted concession I know thou beleevest them and hee thought it afterwardes firme enough to prooue any article of the faith without other force according to the scriptures let them listen a while to that learned disputation that GREAT ATHANASIVS helde concerning this point Hee proveth that the sonne of God coulde not chuse but die having taken vnto him a body of death and that hee coulde not but liue againe because that bodye of his was vitae sacrarium The vestrie or chappell wherein life vvas conserved And hee holdeth it a senselesse thing that a dead man shoulde haue the power so to extimulate and pricke the mindes of the livinge that the Grecian and Pagan was brought to forsake his auncient nationall idolatries and worship the Saviour of the world that a man forsaken of life and able to doe nothing should so hinder the actions of actiue and liues-men that by the preaching of Iesus of Nazareth an adulterer leaveth his adulteries a murtherer his bloud sheades and at the naming of his dreadfull name the very devilles departe from their oracles and oratories He vrgeth yet further Howe can the carkas of a dead man prevaile so much with the living that vpon the confidence of life therein contained they haue endured the losse of libertie countrie wife children goods good name and life it selfe with such Christian magnanimity that the Arrians espying it beganne to receiue it as a ruled and resolved case not to be doubted of there is no Christian living that feareth death As for the slaunder of his sworne enemies the Iewes whose malice cannot ende but in the ende of the woorlde vvho contrary to common humanity belyed him in his graue and gaue not leaue to his bones to rest in peace saying and hyring men to saye and vvith a greate summe purchasing that vntrueth as the chiefe captaine did his burgesshippe Actes the two and twentith His disciples came by nighte and stole him awaie while we slept let it sleepe in the dust with them till the time come When everie eie shall see him even those that pierced him vpon the crosse and those that watched
art but the painting of a graue or whiting of a rotten wall the cover and case to a lumpe of mortal flesh vaine and vnprofitable ornament I am weary of thy service thou haste made mee honourable in the sight of men thou canst worke me no reverence or estimation before the Lorde of hostes 6. It had beene enough to haue proceeded thus farre to haue stripte him into his weekely and ordinarie attire to haue gone like a common man as Ahab in the first of Kings chandged his apparrell that his enemies might not know him first the king of Niniveh doeth not so but hee that had silver and golde as the dust in the streete and precious stones as the gravell in the river Tigris to haue wrapt his body in and to haue glistred against the rayes of the sunne as Herode in his shininge gowne forgetteth the wardrobe of the Empire and goeth to the beggers presse humbleth himselfe like a bond-man one that had grounde at the mill coulde not haue taken a garment of baser condition hee putteth on sacke-cloath nay hee covereth himselfe vvith sacke-cloath sacke-cloath is all the apparrell hee weareth sacke-cloath is the diademe to his heade sacke-cloath the mantell to his backe from the crowne of the head to the plant of his foote there is nothing but sacke-cloath The king hath wounde his body in sack-cloath as a corps made ready for the buriall and fitter to lie in the ground then to liue and breath vpon the face of the earth Lastly when hee hath all done he lieth not on an heape of violets roses as the Sibarites were wont to do nor vpon a couch beautified deckt with the tapestry of Egypt neither goeth he into the temple of Niniveh to cleaue to the dust of the pauement nor shutteth himselfe into his closet to grovell vpon the flore therof but he sitteth dwelleth abideth in an heape of ashes sacke-cloath was the ground ashes is the garnish lace and welt to all his garments A wonderfull alteration from a king of the earth to a worme of the earth from a robe to sacke-cloath from a throne to a dunghill from sitting in estate to lying in ashes from the pompe of a monarch to the image of a caitife he whom all the reverence of the world attended vpon to whom the knee was bowed the head vncovered the bodye prostrated who had as manie salutations as the firmament starres God saue the kinge longe liue the Emperour throweth away his crowne his scepter his maiestie with all the signes and solemnities thereto belonging and in effect rebuketh himselfe Why art thou prowde O earth and ashes Humble thy spirite see thy mortalitie tremble before the presence of that God who sendeth terrour into the heartes and confusion into the faces of all earthlye potentates To make an ende for I haue ever for the most part against my meaning and purpose offended you with prolixitye of speech I haue briefly two instructions to commende vnto you the one to the magistrates in particular that they serue God as beseemeth magistrates It is not the sworde scepter and robe nor the highest roume and other preheminence that maketh a magistrate but as he doeth make lawes so hee must take lawes contrary to the minde of lavvlesse Caracalla and be a rule both to others and himselfe as the king of Niniveh in this present example is first and formost in the service of God The other in general to all sortes of men The king of Niniveh you heare for whome the silver and golde and riches of the earth are provided for who should enioy these rather then princes goeth from his throne and putteth on sacke-cloath about him as one that must giue account to the highest God like those of the meanest condition I haue saide yee are GODS but yee shall die like vulgar men and sitteth in ashes as one not forgetting his first foundation that as he was bred of the ashes so to ashes he must returne My brethren let not the pompe of the worlde deceaue you whither it stand in authority or opulency or voluptuousnesse of life I say let it not deceiue you As the fresh rivers runne into the salt sea so shall all the honours of the world ende in basenesse all the pleasures of the vvorlde ende in bitternesse all the treasures of the worlde in emptinesse all the garmentes of the world in nakednesse and finally al the viands and delicates of the world in lothsomnesse and rottennesse Throw away your robes and costly caparisons you Kinges and Queenes of the earth you that are such not by the ordinaunce of God but by your owne vsurpation that take such honour vpon you not beeing called thereto but beare the bravery of princes the royalty of Salomon vpon your backes throw away your robes least he giue you a rent that gaue you a garment and cloth you with worse then leprosie that hath hitherto cloathed you with honour and beautie But why doe I spende my time in so impertinent and vnprofitable exhortation fashion brought them in these disguisementes I meane and fashion must beare them out or nothing will doe it Fashion is the best preacher and oratour of our age I woulde to God our preaching were in fashion to for then I am sure it would winne both men and women we vse all the fashions therein that our commission can extende vnto we preach season and not season wee bring forth olde and newe wee giue milke and strong meate we come in a spirite of gentlenesse and with a rod we entreate we threaten wee preach mercie we preach iudgement all these fashions we vse and yet without successe But the fashion of the world preacheth and perswadeth with more effect Fashion brought in silkes and velvelts at one time and fashion brought in russets and graâ—es at another fashion brought in deepe ruffes and shallow ruffes thicke ruffes and thinne ruffes double ruffes and no ruffes fashion brought in the verdingale and carried out the verdingale and hath againe revived the verdingale from death and placed it behinde like a rudder or sterne to the body in some so bigge that the vessell is scarse able to beare it Thus whilst wee fashion our selues after this worlde and every garish devise therein or rather after the devill himselfe for these are Satanae ingenia the inventions of sathan not of man It is to be feared that when God shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead hee will not knowe those who haue so defaced and multiplyed that simple fashion which hee created Opus hoc meum non est nec haec imago mea this is not my workemanshippe nor this the similitude I first made The Lorde is king let all the kings of the earth ascribe glory vnto him he rideth vpon the cherubins let all their chariots and chaires of estate stoope before him he hath put on glorious apparell let all their glistering and counterfaite ornamentes
yea or no we will double sinne and binde two togither by hiding excusing translating sinne if there bee any meanes in the world and bush in paradise to flie vnto wee will shrovvde our selues If wee can put it to the vvoman or rather by rebound to God the woman not of mine owne choosing but which thou gavest me whereas â—ndeed it was a woman of his owne choosing even the concupiscence of his hart or if we can lay it vpon the serpent if we can cover it with lying as Gehazi did thy servant went no whither or colour it with pretence as Saul did I kept the best for the sacrifice if there be good intention I meant well or happy event it succeeded well or any other thing to bee alleadged we will not omit it Brethren forsake these waies of dissembling diminishing selfe-liking and set your desires wholy vpon that which our Saviour prayed for Ioh. 12. father glorifie thy name His owne name he would not say that had a name aboue al names shal we seeke to glorifie set forth ours Whither we seeke the glory of his name or not the voice that came from heaven at that time shall be fulfilled I haue both glorified it and will glorifie it againe God is true the vnfaithfulnesse of man shall never bee able to diminish his truth his iustice shal be iustified in heaven and earth and his name shal be sanctified even when we study most to blaspheme it Therefore let vs conclude with that generall dischardge and manumission that the blesse Prophet giveth to the whole honour of mankinde Not vnto vs O Lord but vnto thy name giue the glorie not we to our owne earthly corrupt rotten names And let it not repent vs once to haue given it away from our selues but againe and for evermore Not vnto vs not vnto vs. And rather than thou shalt loose any part of thy glory losse of credite and reputation be to all our doinges and sayings losse to our goods and good names landes and liues and whatsoever in this world is more deare vnto vs. This is the way to be iustified to iustifie God in his words and workes to condemne our selues to cast away our righteousnes as stained clowtes to renounce our wisedome as foolishnesse our strength as weakenes our knoweledge as ignorance and to ascâ—ibe all vnto him who is all in all righteousnes wisedome sanctification glory and peace vnto vs. THE XLII LECTVRE Chap. 4. vers 2. Therefore I prevented it to flee vnto Tharsis For I knewe that thou art a gracious God IN distributing the matter in hand I haue alreadie acquainted you both that Ionas praied and what hee praied In the latter of these two 1. the substance of his petition togither with the reason subioyned 2. the causes impulsiue that mooved him to make it In those impulsiues we weighed every moment 1. his smooth insinuation I pray thee O Lord wherein I doubte noâ— was hid some secret murmuring and repyning but all the rest bewray a manifest imperfection 2. his speaking by demand which is the manner of vpbraiders 3. the advancing of his owne worde thought 4. his fighting against God with circumstaunces of time and place 5. his malapert concluding as if hee had overthrowen God by plaine argumeÌ„t 6. his endevour to prevent as if he had beene able to do it lastly not by going but by flying to Tharsis as if by the swiftnes of his feete he could haue out-run him who rideth vpon the wings of the Cherubins That which angred discoÌ„tented Ionas so much was the mercy of God which Ionas knewe and vpon that knowledge concluded with himselfe that hee was to decline the coÌ„mandement howsoever it fared the meane-time either with his owne safety or with the honour will of him that sent him But admit that the Lord was a merciful God and woulde deale vvith the Ninivites otherwise than Ionas had preached what then was this a iust cause to refuse the errand surely it seemeth so for thervpon Ionas inferreth Therefore I prevented c. There are two reasons broughte why Ionas assaied to prevent this busines 1. Because he was loth to be accoÌ„pted a false prophet to haue his credit impaired to haue his name called into question as if he had run not being sent and to be mistrusted in whatsoever hee should afterwards speake The cause I confesse is vehement weighty For the least suspition of heresie and falshood if any thing in the world maketh a man impatient he that dissembleth or putteth vp one note of heresie without clearing himselfe is not a Christian. It is required of a dispenser that he be found faithfull 2. Cor. 4. and the maister of the house Luk. 12. asketh for a faithfull servaunt vvhom he may set over his housholde The law of God is strict against false prophets Deut. 13. 18. his father and mother that begate him shal say vnto him thou shalt not liue for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lorde yea his father and mother that begate him shall thrust him through when hee thus prophecieth One shall saie vnto him what are these wounds in thine handes then he shall answere thus was I vvounded in the house of my friendes The admonitions of Christ in the gospell and his disciples are frequent against false prophets false Apostles false Christes wolues in sheepes clothing lying spirites Antichristes mockers seducers How carefull was Samuell towardes the ende of his life to approue his innocency both to God and man through the whole course of his forepassed administration first in the integrity of his life whome haue I ever wronged afterwardes in the syncerity of his office God forbid that I should sin vnto the Lorde and cease praying for you but I will shew you the good and the right way When Ieremy saw that the word of the Lorde was in reproch derision that every man mocked him his familiar friendes watching for his halting saying It maie be he is deceived so shall we prevaile against him you know what perplexities it draue him vnto First he would not make mention of the Lorde nor speake any more in his name afterward he curseth the day of his birth the messenger that carryed worde of it It is a memorable apologie which Paul maketh in the Actes for himselfe and his Apostleship vnto the clergie of Asia appealing to their owne knowledge that hee had taught both Iewes and Graecians openlie and throughout every house and that hee had kept nothing backe vvhich vvas profitable but shewed them all the counsailes of GOD he careth not for bondes afflictions death it selfe so hee may fulfill his course vvith ioy and the ministration which hee had received of the Lorde Iesus Consonant heerevnto was that which hee did in other Churches VVee are not as manie vvho make marchandize of the vvorde of God but as of syncerity but as of God in
that thy sins are as the sins of Manasses more than the sands of the sea in number and their burthen such that they are gone over thine head like mighty waters answer him that the goodnes of the Lord is as much that there is no comprehension of his loving kindes If lastly he obiect that iudgmeÌ„t hath begun at thine house to put thee out of doubt that thou art not in the favour of God he hath smitteÌ„ thy body with sore diseases thy soule with agonies thy family with orbities privations tell him for full conclusion that he can also repent him of the evil and cease to punish and leaue as many blessings behinde him when his pleasure is It was never the meaning of God that these vvordes should be spokeÌ„ in the winds blowne away like empty bladders They were spoken written no doubt for the vse of sinners This is the name which God hath proclaimed to the world and whereby he would be knowne to meÌ„ that if ever we came before him we might speake our mindes in the confidence trust of that amiable name Thus Moses vnderstoode it For assone as the Lord had ended his speach Moses applied it to the present purpose for he bowed to the earth and worshipped God and said O Lorde I beseech thee pardon our iniquities and sinnes and take vs for thine inheritance Likewise in the 14. of Num. And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is slow to anger c. referring himselfe to the speach and proclamation which God had vsed vpoÌ„ the mount We are the childreÌ„ of our father which is in heaveÌ„ If therefore it be an honor vnto vs to be reputed his sons let vs follow our fathers steps beare some part of his heavenly image Let vs not seeke to be like vnto him in the arme of his streÌ„gth nor in the braine of his wisedome nor in the finger of his miracles but in his bowels of piâ—â—y tender compassion Let Lions and Beares and Tigers in the forrest be 〈◊〉 towardes their companions let them biâ—e be bitten devour be devouted againe let dogges grinne let Vnicornes push with their hornes let Scythians and Cannibals because they knowe not GOD not knovve vvhat belongeth to humanity and gentlenesse but let Christians loue their brethren even as God hath loved them and remitte one the other their offences as Christ hath freely forgiven the sinnes of his church Let those reprobate-minded Rom. 1. carry to their graves with them and to the bottome of hell where all hatred must end that marke which the holy Ghost hath scored vpon their browes that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection not fit for societie voide of pitty but let the example of the most holy Trinity the God of peace the prince of peace the spirit of peace that one God of all consolation rich in mercies bee ever before our eies that as wee have received freely so we may freely returne grace mercy long-suffering abundance of kindnes revocation of our wronges and iniuries begun to all our brethren in the flesh but especially to Christes chosen and peculiar members THE XLIII LECTVRE Chap. 4. vers 3. Therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life c. THat Ionas praied how he praied in what sort expostulating with God iustifying his offence and abusing his knowledge of the mercy of God to vtter the malice and cruelty of his owne heart wee have already seene considered the reasons which are supposed to have moved him to that vndutifull vncharitable course Either the care of his own credite which he should not have stood vpon to the derogatioÌ„ of the honor of God when the angels of heaven sing glory vnto him or affection to his country which perswasion was as weake to have drawne him to obedience seeing that the Israell of God might have bin in Niniveh aswell as in Iury because there are Iewes inwardly and in the spirit as truly as outwardly and in the letter and those that heare the word of Christ are more kindly his brethren and sisters than those that are affined vnto him in the flesh Vpon these premisses be they stronge or weake is inferred the conclusion including his request to God Therefore now O Lord c. A maÌ„ so contraried crossed in mine expectation how can I ever satisfie my discontented mind but by ending my life and he addeth a reason or confirmation drawne from vtility and amplified by comparison It is not only good for me to die but better to die than to live The force of anger we have in part declared before It rageth not only against men made of the same mold but against God Let the bloud of Iulian throwne vp into the aire and togither with his bloud blasphemy against the son of God witnes it Nor only against those that haue sense and vnderstanding but against vnreasonable vnsensible creatures As Xerxes wrote a defying letter to Athos a mouÌ„taine of Thrace Mischievous Athos lifted vp to heaven make thy quarries and veines of stone passable to my travaile or I will cut thee downe and cast thee into the midst of the sea Nor only against those things which are without vs but against our selves As in this place the anger of Ionas beginneth to take fire against the Ninivites Proceedeth as far as it dareth against God and endeth in it selfe In one worde that which Ionas requesteth though spoken by circumlocution and more wordes than one is that he may die Take away my soule from me For what is life but as the philosopher defineth it the composition and colligation of the soule to the body In the 2. of Gen. the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground there is his matter and breathed in his face the breath of life and the man was a living soule there is his forme and perfection And what is death on the other side but the dissociation and severing of these two partes or the taking of the soule from the body according to the forme of words in this place God telleth the rich man in the gospell who was talking of lardger buildinges when the building within him vvas neare pulling downe and thought he had goods enough for his soule to delight in when he had not soule enough to delight in his goods Thou foole this night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe they require and redemaunde thy soule that is this night thou must die Elias in the first of Kinges and nineteenth vseth the same phrase in the wildarnesse It sufficeth Lorde take away my soule from me Let me not longer live to see the misery that Iezabell hath threatned vnto me As when you take away structure and fashion from an house temple or tabernacle there remaineth none of all these but a confused and disordered heape of stones timber iron morter
house built by the hands of God should longer have continued thā that artificial tabernacle which himselfe had erected of such slender stuffe 3. It is thought that the colour of his arbour being greene and fresh pleased well his eies 4. That the sent of the leaves was not vnwelcome to his nostrelles Paulus de Palatio addeth other reasons of his ioy 1. He thinketh that Ionas was sicke through griefe of heart and that it much revived his soule to see the care which God had over him 2. He imagineth that Ionas perswaded himselfe even for this miracles sake that the people of Niniveh would not esteeme him as a false prophet Lastly hee accordeth to Saint Ierome and supposeth this tree to have beene common in Iudaea and therefore it much delighted Ionas to behold a tree of his owne countrey They adde moreover the sodainnesse of the miracle and that the gourd was so much the more gratefull vnto Ionas because it came vnlooked for But the most of these before alleadged are but sensible pleasures and there is no question but that which most affecteth him was the presence and favour of God so miraculously and extraordinarily shewed For that argument which Gedeon asked of God if God be with vs where are his miracles Iudg. 6. to seale vp his mercies towardes him the same doth the Lord bring in this place for the confirmation of Ionas That Ionas reioyced for the gourd I cannot dislike it argueth that he weighed and esteemed the blessings of God as they deserved Many though they fall vpon their heades as the dew of heaven vpon their ground yet are more senselesse in them and as they meete the motes in the sunne-beames so they entertaine the giftes of God as if they came by chance skarsely lending a thought to consider them Others are ioyfull enough of that which they are possessed of sometimes insolent and prowde their lookes and their gate have maiesty and disdaine in them against those who are not so plentifully visited but they litle regard the authour of those benefites who hath sent this ticket or remembrance to every man vpon the face of the earth what hast thou that thou hast not receaved Let Naball be the person and parable in whome I report onely chandging the name the history of all worldly men who having the riches of the earth take them as inheritance or due debt and spend them like Lords to fulfill their lustes meane-while not minding either sacrifice to God or reliefe to the poore or any way applying themselves to those endes for which they were enriched Naball 1. Sam. 25. had riches enough and mirth enough hee made a feast after his shearing like a king and his heart was merry within him the reason was for hee was very drunken there is the vse of his riches Besides the opinion of his mightines and wealth made him as drunke otherwise For the vsage of himselfe in the dispensation of his riches was so base every way that neither servant nor wife nor stranger gaue good report of him The servant vttereth his complaint he is so wicked that a man cannot speake vnto him the wife concealeth not hirs let not my Lorde regarde this wicked man for as his name is so is hee Naball is his name and folly is with him David oftentimes fretteth at his churlishnesse he hath requited mee evill for good who would not bestow a little portion of his substance to refresh the servants of David that walked at the feete of their Lord though they were a wall vnto him by day and by night and safegarded all that he had in the wildernes But his end was aūswerable to his deserving for it is said in the text the Lord smote him within ten daies that hee died and before that death of his body his heart died within him and hee was like a stone The best instruction is as we reioyce in these temporall blessings of God so to vse them that they may be our ioy for to some they are snares and destructions to receiue them with thanksgiving embrace them in measure and dispense them with wisedome to the honour of our bountifull God reliefe of afflicted Ioseph and a furtherance vnto vs to dischardge those Christian dueties wherevnto wee are bound Besides the acknowledging of the author the pleasure which Ionas tooke in the gourd was a signe that hee felt the sweetnsse and vse of the benefite which if you obserue is a blessing vpon a blessing for as the wise Preacher noted to every man to whome God hath given riches and treasure and giveth him power to eate thereof and to take his parte and to enioy his labour this is the gift of God the other are his giftes but this is a double gift Surely hee will not much remember the daies of his life because God aunswereth to the ioy of his heart Without which ioy and comfort of heart he will remember not onely the daies but the houres and minutes of his life and everye one is more bitter than other vnto him all the meate that hee eateth seemeth to be mingled with gall and his drinke spiced vvith worm-wood his clothes sit to straight vpon his body his body is a prison to his soule and his soule a burden clogg to it selfe Therfore the Preacher addeth ther is an evill which I haue seene vnder the sunne and it is much amongst men a man to whome God hath given riches and treasure and honour and hee wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eate thereof but a stranger shall eate it vp this is a vanity and this is an evill sickenesse Ionas was not sicke of this disease for hee both enioyed the gourd perceived those comfortes and pleasures for which it was provided But what meaneth the immoderate and excessiue ioy that Ionas tooke therin for I come now to the measure of his affection It is true oftentimes which the Poet hath So foolish are we that while wee avoide one fault wee fall into the contrary Ionas is quickely angry and quickely pleased and very angry and very well pleased Whatsoever he is or doth he putteth full strength vnto it It is a great maistery saith Seneca to play a man kindly Of one whome thou sawest but yesterday thou maist aske the next who is this he is so much changed VVould a man know Ionas to be Ionas that had seene him before in his exceeding wrath and now should finde him so exceedingly well pleased This vvere enough for a childe whose limber and inconstant passions are every howre altered Yet Ionas bewraieth his weakenesse in the like mutability of māners sometimes boyling like a sea or like the river in Esay mightie and greate with abundance of choler sometimes as strongly over-borne vvith a contrary affection constant in nothing but in his inconstancie and never moderating himselfe with a milde and sober cariage as those vvaters of Shiloah
worke vnder heaven proceede without it But I leaue those repetitions The sun the wind we see rise togither set thēselues against Ionas as the two smoaking fire-brāds Rezin Pekah against Ierusalē cōbining binding thēselues not to giue over til they haue both done their part in the vexing of the prophet The wind here mentioned is described by 2. attributes the one of the quarter or coast from whence it blew an East-wind the other of the quality which it had a fervēt East-wind The cardinall principal windes as appeareth both in many places of the scripture and in forreine authours are but 4. breathing from the 4. quarters or divisions of heaven as in the 37. of Ezechi come from the 4. vvindes O breath And Math. 24. God shall gather his elect from the foure windes Afterwardes they added 4. more which they cal collateral or side-windes subordinate to the principal thence proceeded to the nūber of 12. In these daies we distinguish 32. Betweene every two cardinal winds seven inferiour We may read Act. 27. that Paul was very skilful of the sea-card vsed in those daies for describing his voiadge to Rome he maketh mention not only of East West South but of South-west by West of North-west by West as the Westerne winde blew either nearer or further of But not to trouble you with these things the winde that is here spokē of some take to be Eurus or Vulturnus which is the Southeast by East followeth the sun in his winter rising others to be the principal high East-winde following the sun when he riseth in the Equinoctial Now the nature of an East-wind in any point therof is to be hote dry for the most part a clearer of the aire but this of al the rest being so serviceable to the sun going forth so righte with it walking in the same path which the sunne walketh in must needs be an hoter wind thā if it had crossed or sided the sun any way 2. Touching the quality or the effect which it wrought it is called a fervent East-wind some turne it vehement not for the sound and noyse that it maketh but for the excessiue heat For no doubt it is distinguished frō Caecias North-east by East which is a more soūding blustering wind not so fit for the purpose of God in this place Of that ye haue mention Exod. 14. where it is said that the Lorde made the sea run backe with a strong East◠winde all the night made it dry land Some translate it silent quiet to put a differēce betwixt this the former East-wind albeit others giue the reason because it maketh mē silent deafe with the soūd that it hath others because it maketh the rest of the winds silent quiet when it selfe bloweth Howsoever they vary otherwise they al agree in the heate for it is a gētle soft wind which whē the aire is enflamed by the sun is so far frō correcting the extremitie therof that it rather helpeth it forwarde becōmeth as a waggon to carry the beames of the sun forth-right It is manifest by many places of scripture that it is an easterne wind which burneth with his heate not only the fruites but the people of the earth The 7. thin eares of corne Gen. 41. were burnt with an East-winde so are the fruites withered Ezek. 19. so is the fountaine dried vp Ose 13. The vulgar edition doth evermore translate it vrentē ventum by the name of a burning winde and whersoever it is mentioned in the booke of God the property of it is to exiccate and dry vp Columella writeth that at some time of the yeare especially in the dog-daies mē are so parched with the East winde that vnles they shade thēselues vnder vines it burneth them like the reaking of flames of fire I haue now shewed you both the nature and the quarter of this winde that albeit it were a winde yet you may know it was not prepared to refrigerate but to afflicte the head of Ionas When the sunne and the winde are vp what do they the sunne not vvithout the helpe of the vvinde vvhich vvas in manner of a sling or other instrumente to cast the beames of the sun more violently vpon them although created for another end to governe the daie and to separate it from the night and to giue light in the earth yet here receiveth a new commaundement and is sent to beate all other inferiour partes omitted even the head of Ionas wherein is the government of the vvhole creature the seate of the minde the top of Gods workmanshippe from vvhence the senses and nerves take their beginning In this assault of the principall part the danger was no lesse to the body of Ionas than if an enimy had besiedged the Capitoll of Rome or the Mount Sion and Anthonies towre in Ierusalem But we shall the better conceaue the vexation of Ionas if we ioyne the effectes which these two enimies draue him vnto 1. It is saide hee fainted I marvell not for the force of heate is vntolerable vvhen the pleasure of God is to vse that rod. So hee telleth them Amos 4. Percussi vos vredine I haue smitten you with blasting or burning and you returned not On the other side it is numbered amongst the blessings of God which Christ shall bring vnto his people Esay 49. they shall not bee hungrie neither shall they thirst neither shall the heate smite them nor the sunne which is spoken I graunt by translation but that from whence it is transferred in the naturall sense must needes be very commodious because it is applyed to the highest mercies So likewise in the 3. of Act. the state of everlasting life is called the times of refreshing or respiration 2. Hee wishte in his hearte to die my text saith not so in tearmes though in effect but he desired his soule or he made petition and suite to his soule to die that is to relinquish and giue over his bodie or hee desired death to his soule as a man forlorne and forsaken having no friend to make his moane vnto he vttereth his griefe to his private spirit speaking therevnto that if it vvere possible some remedy might be had 3. Though the eare of ielousie which heareth all thinges heard the wishes and desires of his hearte yet hee is not contente with secret rebellion vnlesse his tongue also proclaime it for he saith it is better for mee to die than to liue I shewed the madnes of Ionas before in this very wish It was not better for Ionas to die than to liue nor for any other in his case a milstone about their necks to haue drowned them in the bottome of the sea had beene lesse vnhappinesse When they die let them pray to the Lord of life to close vp their eies and
consepta the lamentable pinfoldes of the deathes of men O pray that the flight departure of this spirit which must depart be not vpon the sabbath day in the rest and tranquility of your sinnes nor in the winter and frost of your hard hearts nor in the midnight of your security when you least looke for it VVoe worth the man whome the Lorde when hee commeth shall finde sleeping I say the vntimely fruite is better than that man it had bin good for that man if he had never bin borne the theeues shall break through his house the daungerous theeues of the soule SataÌ„ his Angels spirituall wickednesse shal rob not his coffers but his conscience of a treasure which he had but lost with carelesnes The bride-grome shal come by with a noise but behold his light is out his oile speÌ„t that is both his matter oportunity of wel-doing is gone he cannot supply either by borrowing or by by buying though he woulde giue his heart bloud for it What shall become of him but that he shall knocke at the gates of heaven while those gates are standing cry vpon the Lord while he hath his being to no purpose The instruction serveth vs all For the prophet was willed to crye that those which were farthest of from hearing the sound and beleeving the report of the voice might be made partakers of it All flesh is grasse and all the goodlines thereof as the flower of the field And to shevve how strange it seemed vnto him that any should bee ignorant of their mortall condition and strangers in Ierusalem as the disciple spake to Christ Luke 24. or rather in the world not knowing the things vvhich ordinarily come to passe from the first creation till time shall bee no more he continueth his crie Know yee nothing haue yee not heard it hath it not beene tolde you from the beginning Haue yee not learned it from the foundations of the earth That it is hee that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitantes in comparison of him are but grashoppers That hee maketh the Princes of the earth as nothinge and the iudges as vanitie as though they were never planted never sowen and their stocke had taken no roote vpon the earth For he doth but blow vpon them and they wither and the whirle-winde taketh them away like strawe Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is apointed vnto all men once to die nay twise to die Moriendo morter is God threatned Adam that he shoulde die the the death so the Apostle here saieth first death and aftervvardes iudgement If we looke into it But the statute touching the former branch shall never be repealed till destruction be throwne into the lake of fire and it be fulfilled which the Apostle hath revealed vnto him Mors non erit vltra death shall be no more Let vs take heed therefore least whilest we are carefull to doe al other things in time to set our trees â—ow our fieldes gather our fruites wee loose or lay vp in the napkin of security and bury in the earth of forgetfulnesse the most precious talent of time committed vnto vs in the ordering and framing of our liues to salvation as if nothing were viler vnto vs than our selues Let vs beware to offer the dregs of our life to him that inspired it least we drinke the dregs of his anger If wee wish with Balaam that our latter endes may be like the endes of the righteous let vs not be negligent to fashion our beginnings middles like theirs Let vs know that life is short and the art of salvation requireth a long time of learning and the way into heaven is long and cannot be troden in a short time Astronomers say that the space betweene heaven earth if one should climbe vnto it by ladders is nine hundreth thousand miles but the distance whereof I speake betweene corruption and incorruption mortality and immortality wretchednes and glory can by no measure be comprehended Let the prowde by name remember that they must turne to the earth which now they set their feete vpon Rather those tender and dainty vvomen that never adventure to set the soule of their foote vpon the grounde but as if the face of the earth vvere not provided for the daughters of men they must be alwaies carried like the fowles of the aire betweene heaven and earth Let them remember that the earth shall set her foote vpon their heades and their lippes shall kisse the dust of the grounde and the very gravell and slime of the grave shall dwell betweene their hawty eye-liddes Why doe they kill the prophets â—nd builde vp tombes kill their soules and garnish their bodies Doe they fore-thinke vvhat shall become of them wheÌ„ after al their labour cost bestowed in whiting painting the outward wals there remaineth nothing but putiduÌ„ putriduÌ„ cadaver â— stinking and rotten carkas when though now they say to their sisters in the flesh Touch me not I am of purer mould thaÌ„ thou art yet the bones of Agamemnon and Thersites shal be mingled togither of Vashti the most beautifull Queene and the blackest Egyptian bond-woman shall not be found asunder I haue not leasure to say much vnto our prowde dust and ashes But if purple and fine linnen vvere an opprobrious note for lacke of an inwarde cloathing to the rich man in the gospell if that parable were to be written in these daies purple fine linnen were nothing And what the burtheÌ„s cariages of pride in the age of Clemens Alexandrinus were I know not but if it were a wonder to him that they killed not themselues vnder those burthens I am sure if the measure were then full it is now heaped vpon the highest and shaken togither and pressed downe againe We are mad to forget nature Adam hath wisdome to call all the beasts of the fielde by their proper names but he forgetteth his owne name that he was called Adam that there is an affinity betweene the earth and him For hee shall returne to the earth his earth He was not made of that substance vvhereof the Angelles and starres no not of that matter vvhereof the aire and the vvater inferiour creatures The earth was the wombe that bredde him and the earth the wombe that must receiue him againe For let him play the Alchymist while he will and striue to turne earth into silver and golde and pearles by making shew to the world vnder his glorious adornations that he is of some better substance yet the time is not farre of that the earth shall challendge him for her naturall childe and say he is my bowelles Neither can his rich apparrell so disguise him in his life time nor fear-clothes spices and balmes so preserue him after his death nor immuring stone or lead hide him so close but that his originall mother will both know him againe and