they might bee one indeed as they are in number It is made simple let it not be double God hath made vs men we make our selues monsters He hath giuen vs two eyes two eares two hands two feete Of all these we will haue or at lest vse but one We haue one eye to pry into others faults not an other to see our owne Wee haue one eare to heare the Plaintife not the other for the Defendant We haue a foote swift to enter forbidden paths not another to leade vs to Gods holy place We haue one hand to extort and scrape and wound and not another to relieue giue almes heale the wounded But now whereas God hath giuen vs but one tongue and one heart and bidden vs be content with their singularity we will haue two tongues two hearts Thus crosse are wee to God to Nature to Grace monstrous men monoculi monopedes bicordes bilingues one-eyed one-footed double-tongued double-hearted The slaunderer the flatterer the swearer the tale-bearer are monstrous I dare scarce adde men as mis-shapen Stigmatickes as if they had two tongues and but one eye two heades and but one foote 3. This convinceth them of preposterous folly that put all their malice into their tongue as the Serpent all her poyson in her tayle And as it were by a chymicall power attract all vigor thither to the weakening and enervation of the other parts Their hands have chiragram they can not stretch them foorth to the poore nor give reliefe to the needy Their feete podagram they can not goe to the Church Their eyes opthalmiam they can not behold the miserable and pitty-needing Their eares surditatem they can not heare the Gospell preached Oh how defective and sicke all these members are But their Tongues are in health there is blithnesse and volubillity in them If they see a distressed man they can give him talkative comfort enough Bewarmed be filled be satisfied they can fill him with Scripture-sentences but they send him away with an hungry belly Whereas the good mans hand is as ready to give as his tongue to speake But the fooles lips babbleth foolishnesse volat irrevocabile verbum Words runne like Hazael but good workes like the Creeple come lagging after We see the nature of the thing to be tamed the tongue let vs consider the difficulty of this enterprise No man can doe it Which wee shall best finde if wee compare it with other members of the body creatures of the world With other members of the body which are various in their faculties and offices none of them idle 1. The eye sees farre and beholdeth the creatures in coelo solo salo in the heavens sunne and starres on the earth birds beasts plants and mineralls in the sea fishes and serpents That it is an vnruly member let our Grand-mother speake whose roving eye lost vs all Let Dinah speake her wandring eye lost her virginitie caused the effusion of much blood Let the Iewes speak concerning the daughters of Madian what a fearefull apostacie the Eye procured Yea let Dauid acknowledge whose petulant eye robbed Vriah of his wife and life the land of a good souldier his owne heart of much peace Yet this eye as vnruly as it is hath beene tamed Did not Iob make a couenant with his eyes that hee would not looke vpon a maide The eye hath beene tamed but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly c. 2. The eare yet heares more then ever the eye saw and by reason of the patulous admission derives that to the vnderstanding whereof the sight never had a glaunce It can listen to the whisperings of a Doeg to the susurrations of a Divell to the Boyse of a Syren to the voyce of a Delilah The Parasite through his windore creepes into the great mans favour hee tunes his warbling notes to an enlarged eare It is a wilde member an Instrument that Sathan delights to play vpon As vnruly as it is yet it hath beene tamed Mary sate at the feete of Christ and heard him preach with glad attention The eare hath beene tamed but the Tongue can no man tame c. 3. The foote is an vnhappy member and carries a man to much wickednesse It is often swift to the shedding of blood and runneth away from God Ionahs pace flying to Tharshish when it is bound for Niniueh There is a foote of pride Psal. 36. a sawcie foote that dares presumptuously enter vpon Gods free-hold There is a foote of rebellion that with an apostate malice kickes at God There is a dauncing foote that paceth the measures of circular wickednesse Yet as vnruly as this foote is it hath beene tamed David got the victory over it I considered my wayes and turned my foote vnto thy testimonies The foote hath beene tamed but the Tongue can no man tame c. 4. The hand rageth and rangeth with violence to take the bread it never sweat for to enclose fields to depopulate Townes to lay waste whole countries They couet fields and houses and vineyards and take them because their Hand hath power There is a hand of extortion as Ahabs was to Naboth the greedy landlords to the poore tenant There is a hand of fraud and full of Liegerdumaine as the vsurers to his distressed borrower There is a hand of bribery as Iudas with his Quantum dabitis what will you giue me to betray the Lord of Life There is a hand of lust as Ammons to an incestuous rape There is a hand of murder as Ioabs to Abner or Absolons to Ammon O how vnruly hath this member beene yet it hath beene tamed not by washing it in Pilates basin but in Davids holy-Water Innocence I will wash my hands in innocencie and then O Lord will I compasse thine altar Heereuppon hee is bolde to say Lord looke if there be any iniquitie in my hands God did repudiate all the Iewes sacrifices because their hands were full of blood Davids hands had beene besmeared with the aspersions of lust and blood but hee had penitently bathed them in his owne teares and because that could not get out the staines he faithfully renseth and cleanseth them in his Sonnes and Saviours fountayne the all-meritorious blood of Christ. This made them look white whiter then Lillies in Gods sight Therefore hath the Lord recompensed mee according to my righteousnesse according to the cleanenesse of my hands in his eye-sight Thus the eye the eare the foote the hand though wilde and vnruly enough have been tamed but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly evill c. With other creatures of the world whether we find them in the earth ayre or water 1. On the earth there is the man-hating Tyger yet man hath subdued him and they write a little boy hath led him in a string There is the flocke-devouring wolfe that stands at grinning defiance with the sheepheard madde to have his prey or loose himselfe yet he
Altar but the Iustice of God shall Binde you from his mercie Though you may repent which if you restore not is impossible and your restitution is improbable yet for the present the Deuill hath Eleuen poynts of the Law against you that is Possession 5. Lastly some 1. Binde 2. The Sacrifie 3. With Cordes 4. To the Altar 5 But not to the Hornes of the Alter These are deficient in a spetiall degree of Deuotion Fayth They haue many good morall vertues but they want that which should make both their vertues and themselues acceptable to God Fayth in his Sonne Iesus Christ. It is a vaine Deuotion whence this is excluded The Law finds no workes righteous But Quod Lex operum minâ—â—do imperat Lâ—x sâ—dei credendo impeâ—rat What the Law of Workes commanded with the threatning the Law of Faith obtaines by beleeuing Affie we then the merites of our blessed Sauiour who is our only Reâ—uâ—e and take fast hold on the Hornes of the Altar Bind the Sacrifice with Cordes euen vnto the Hornâ—â— of the Altar The Summe TO gather these scattered Branches to their Roote now wee haue cast ouer the particulars let vs Summe them The Summe is our Thankefulnesse Binde the Sacrifice with Cordes c. Ingratitude hath been euer held a Monster a preternaturall thing one of those priuations and defâ—ciencies which God neuer made but the deuill thrust in vpon the absence of the positiue and primitiue vertues Here vpon wee call an Ingratefull person an vnnaturall man No man wonders at Dogges and Wolâ—â—â— and Foxes but at Satyres and Centaures and such Monsters in nature all gaze vpon Ebrietie Adulterie Auarice though equally hainous are lesse odious because they haue Nature and Custome on their sides But an Vnthankefull person named we all detest as a soleâ—isme in sense a paradoxe in maners a prodigie in nature To demonstrate this sinne to be so farre from humanitie that the very Beastes abhorre it There is a Stâ—ry of a poore man that went often to a Forrest to gather Stickes where sodainely one day hee heard the voyce of a man in distresse making towards it hee found a rich Neighbour falne into a deepe Pitte and togeather with him an Ape a Lyon and a Serpent hee made his moane being endangerd both of the Pitte and of the Beastes Pittie and Charitie mooued the poore man to helpe the rich and that seldome mooues the rich to helpe the poore Hee lets downe the Corde wherewith hee bound his Stickes and vp comes the Ape Againe hee puts for the man and the Lyon ascendes A third offer hee makes and the Serpent takes the aduantage last hee draweth vp the man who freed by his helpe from instant death promised him a bountious requitall if on the next day he did visit him The poore man affying his word came to him accordingly in a hopefull expectation of reward But now the rich man would not know him hee hath forgotten that euer hee stood in any need of him and impudently denies him any recompence The discomforted poore man is faine to trauell the Forrest againe for his Fuell where the Ape spying him had ready broken with his teeth and nailes Stickes enough for his burden there was his vtmost Gratitude Another day comming the Lyon approcheth him preseâ—ting to him diuers laden Camelles which driuing home and disburdening hee found precious Treasure that enriched him A third time vpon other occasions trauelling the Forrest the Serpenâ— creeping salutes him with a Precious stone in her mouth letting it fall at her sauers feete The intent of the Fable is to demonstrate that Beastes and Serpents condemne Man of Ingratitude You will say this is but a fiction then heare a truth Esay 1. The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Maisters Scrippe but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider The very Beast looketh to his Maisters hand that feeds him This vice is so horrible that God need not sit to iudge it the Diuell himselfe will condemne it When hee reasoned with God about Iob hee pleades that God had set a Hedge about him and blessed the worke of his hands And therefore implies Doth Iob serue God for naught If hee will be Vnthankefull to a God so kind Satan himselâ—e will censure him It must needes be a horred sinne that the Diuell taxeth and abominates If wee be vnthankefull wee are sure to be condemned for if God would not condemne it the Diuell will An Vâ—gratâ—full man then in some sort is worse then the Diuell Men and Brethren let vs be Thankefull Let our Meditations trauell with Daâ—id in the 148. Psalme first vp into Heauen Euen the very Heauens and heights prayse him And those blessed Angels in his Court sing his Glory Descend we then by the celestiall bodyes and we shall find the Sunne Moone and all the Starres of light praysing him Passe we by the Waters which the Makers decree hath confined there and wee shall heare those Praysing him A litle lower we shall perceiue the Meteors and vpper Elements the Fire and Hayle Snow and Vapour magnifying him euen the Winde and Storme fulfilling his woâ—d Fall we vpon the Center the very Earth wee shall heare the Beastes and Cattle Mountaines and Hilles fruitfull Trees and all Cedars extolling his Name The chirping Birdes sing sweete Psalmes and Carols to their Creators prayse euery Morning when they rise euery Euening ere they goe to rest Not so much as the very Creeping thinges sayth the Psalmist the noysome Dragons and crawling Serpents in the deepes but they doe in a sort blesse their Maker Let not then Man the first fruites of his Creatures for whose seruice all the rest were made be vnthankfull If these much more let all Kinges of the earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the World Young men and Maydens Old men and Children prayse the Name of the Lord. There are some that Kisse their owne handes for euery good turnes that befalls them God giueth them blessings and their owne witte or strength hath the praise Other receiue them but as due debt as if God were obliged to them But alasse What hast thou O man that is good that thou hast not receiued Thou hast not a ragge to thy backe nor a bitte to thy Belly nor a good haire on thy head nor a good thought in thy heart but God giueth it Our euils are properly our owne Omnia mea mala pâ—re sunt mala et mea sunt Omnia mea bona pure suut bona et mea noâ— sunt All my euills are truly euill and mine owne All my good things are truly good but none of my owne Now is not the Authour of all good good enough to be remembred When the Benefites are gotten must the benefactor be forgotten And shall Thankes waxe old whiles giftes are new Boni siquid habeo a Deo sumpsi non a me proesumpsi Shall we then set the
doe somewhat they haue no further extention But some are of so wild a nature that they are Mallets and Swords to the whole Country about them And these are districtly the sinnes of the Hand So Micah 2. They couet Fieldes and take them by Violence and Houses and tà ke them away so they òppresse a man and his house euen a man and his Heritage Why doe they all this but because Manus potest ver 1. It is in the power of their Hand And they measure their power sayth Seneca by the Span by the reach of their Hands Iniurijs vires metuntur Anaxagoras thought man the wisest of all Creatures because he hath Handes whereby he can expresse all signes He might haue concluded him the Wickedest of all Creatures quia manuatus because he hath Hands For no Tyger or Vulture vnder Heauen is more hurtfull with his Clawes and Tallents then Man with his Hands Achilles asked Palamedes going to the Troyan Warres Why hee went without a Seruant Hee shewed him his hands and told him they were Loco seruorum in stead of many seruants Manus organum organorum Their dexteritie and aptnesse chargeth them with sinnes whereof the other parts are no lesse Guilty For the most part those Beasts haue least immanitie that haue most strength Oxen and Horses and Elephants are tame and seruicable but Bees and Hornets haue Stings So wisely hath the Creator disposed that there may not be a Coniunction et Potentiae et Maleuolentiae that might and malice may not meete So they are suffered to haue Will to hurt not Power or Power and not will The curst Cow hath short Hornes But these Hunters haue got both The Poet sayth That Lyons doe not prey on yeelding things Pittie 's infeoffed to the blood of Kings Posse et nolle nobile That thou mayst harme and wilt not is laus tua thy prayse that thou wouldest and canst not gratia Dei is Gods prouidence Haman would hang Mordecai and cannot hee is a villaine in Hell for his intent Dauid when hee had Saul in the Caue could hurt and would not hee is a Saint in Heauen Shimei would but can not kill though rayle on Dauid Dauid can and will not kill Shimei The hote Disciples would haue Fire from Heauen to destroy the Samaritans and could not Christ could commaund it and would not How rare is a man of this disposition among vs If aduantage hath thrust a Bootie into his hands the Lambe is in the Wolues Caue with more securitie Plead what thou wilt prostrate thy owne innocence aggrauate the Oppressors crueltie hee answeres as Esopes Wolfe answered the Lambe Thy Cause is better then mine but my Teeth are better then thine I will eate thee Aud this is a shrewd inuincible argument when the cause must be tryed out by the Teeth Pactum non pactum est non pactum pactum est quicquid illis lubet Bargaine or not bargaine the Law must be on their sides Nemo potentes tutus potest aggredâ— Hee comes to his cost that comes to complaine against them 2 For their Fraude they are Cunniug Hunters They are Foxes as well as Lyons to get their Prey Nay the Fox-head doth them often more stead then the Lyons Skinne Mical. 7. They hunt with a Net They haue their politicke Ginnes to catch them Gawdy Wares and darke Shoppes and would you haue them loue the light that liue by darknesse as many Shopkeepers draw and tole Customers in where the craftie Leaches can soone feele their Pulses if they must buy they shall pay for their necessitie And though they plead Wee compell none to buy our Wares Caueat emptor yet with fine voluble Phrases damnable Protestations they will cast a mist of errour before an Eye of simple Trueth and with cunning deuises hunt them in So some among vs haue feathered their nestes not by open violence but politicke circumuention They haue sought the Golden Fleece not by Iasons Merite but by Medeas Subtiltie by Medeas Sorcerie If I should intende to discouer these Hunters Plottes and to deale punctually with them I should afford you more matter then you would afford me time But I limit my selfe and answere all their Pleaes with August Their tricks may hold in iure fori but not in Iure poli in the Common-pleas of Earth not before the Kings bench in Heauen Neither doe these Cunning Hunters forrage onely the Forrest of the world but they haue ventured to enter the Pale of the Church and hunt there They will goâ— neare to emparke it to themselues and thrust God out So many haue done in this Land and though it be danger for the poore Hare to preach to Lyons foxes I am not afrayd to tell them that they Hunt where they haue nothing to doe Poore Ministers are deare to them for they are the Deare they Hunt for How many Parishes in England all most to the number of halfe haue they empayled to themselues and chased the Lords Deare out Yea now if God lay Challenge to his owne Ground against their Sacrilegious impropriations for his owne Tithes they are not ashamed to tell him They are none of his and what lawes soeuer he hath made they will hold them with a Non obstante They were taken into the Church for Patrons defenders and they proue offenders Theeues for most often Patrocinia latrocinia You haue read how the Badger entertain'd the Hedghogge into his Cabine as his inward friend but being wounded with the Prickles of his offensiue guest hee manerly desired him to depart in kindnesse as he came The Hedge-hog thus satisfies his iust expostulation that hee for his part found himselfe very well at ease and they that were not had reason to seeke out another place that likes them better So the poore Horse intreating helpe of the Man against the Stagge euer after Non equitem dorso non fraenum depulit ore They haue ridde vs and bridled vs and back'd vs and spurr'd vs and got a tyranny ouer vs whom wee tooke in for our familiar friends and fauourites 3. Now for their Houndes besides that they haue long Noses themselues and Hands longer then their Noses they haue Dogges of all sorts Beagles cunning Intelligencers Eó laudabilior quò fraudulentior The more crafty they are the more commendable Their Setters prowling Promoters whereof there may be necessarie vse as men may haue of Dogges but not tollerable for their purposes Their Spanyels fawning Sycophants that lick their Maisters handes but are brawling euer at poore strangers Their great Mastiâ—es surely and sharking Bayliffes that can set a Rankling Tooth in the poore Tenants Ribbes They haue their Bandogs corrupt Soliciters Parrat-Lawyers that are their properties and meere Trunkes whereby they informe and Plead before Iustice against Iustice. And as the Hounds can somtimes smell out the Game before their Maister as hauing a better Nose then he an Eye so these are still Picking-holes in poore
Trueth neuer speake it of vs that wee haue the Booke of the Lord in our Hands not the doctrine in our Consciences That wee haue Gods Seales yet vn-marked Soules That De virtutibus vacui loquimâ—â— Wee speake of the Graces wee haue not It was once spoken of Greece in regard of the ruines â—ea of the vtter extinction for Etiam periere ruinae Grâ—ciam in Graecia quaerimus non inuenimus Wee seeke for Greece in Greece and can not find it Let it neuer be sayd of vs in respect of our recidiuall disobedience Angliam in Anglia quaerimus et non inuenta est Wee seeke that famous Church of England in England and finde it not Many loue to liue within the circumference and reach of the Gospell because it hath brought Peace and that Peace Wealth and that Wealth Promotion But if this Health or Quiet might be vpheld or augmented by that Romane Harlot they would be ready to cry Great is Diana of the Ephesians and Christ might lodge long enough at Bethleem ere they would goe to visite him Our liues too prodigiously begin to pretend this But O faxit Deus vt nullum sit in omine pondus And for our selues Bel. Let vs not like the Priestes direct others to a Sauiour and stay at home our selues nor like the Trumpeter that encourageth others to the Battaile against the enemies of God and our saluation Nihil ipse nec ausus nec potuit our selues being Cowards and giuing neuer a stroke It is not enough to tell the people of a Sauiour in Bethleem Opus est etiam praeitione aut saltem coitione et pari congressu Wee must goe before them or at least goe with them For this cause I commend the Fayth of these Magi Seeing the Priestes doctrine concurres with the Starres dumbe direction though Herod will not leaue his Court nor the Scribes their ease nor the People their trades yet these men will goe alone to Christ. When thou art to imbrace Religion it is good going in company if thou canst get them for the greater blessinges â—alles vpon a multitude but resolue to goe though alone For thou shalt neuer see the Lord Iesus if thou tarry till all Ierusalem goe with thee to Bethleem WEe haue heard their Aduent or Accesse listen to the Euent or Successe They saw the young Child with Mary his Mother God hath answered the desire of their hearts they had vndertooke a long Iourney made a diligent inquirie no doubt their Soules longed with Simeon to see their Sauiour Loe he that neuer frustrates the faythfull affection giues abundant satisfaction to their hopes They saw the young Child with Mary his Mother Obserue Whom With whom Where they saw him Whom The young Child Meditate and wonder The Ancient of dayes is become a young Child The Infinitely great is made Litle The sustainer of all things Suckes Factor terrae factus interra Creator coel creatussub coelo He that made Heauen and Earth is made vnder Heauen vpon Earth The Creator of the world is Created in the world Created Litle in the world they saw the young Child With whom With Mary his Mother Mary was his Daughter is she now become his Mother Yes he is made the Child of Mary who is the Father of Mary Sine quo Pater nunquam fuit sine quo mater nunquam fuisset Without whom his Father in Heauen neuer was without whom his Mother on Earth had neuer beene Where It is euident in S. Lukes Gospell they found him lying in a Cratch He who sits on the right hand of the Maiestie on high was lodged in a stable He that Measures the Waters in his Fist and Heauen with a Spaâ—ne was now Crowned in a Manger and swadled with a few Ragges Here they finde neither Gard to defend him nor tumults of people thronging to see him neither Crowne on his Head nor Scepter in his hand but a young Child in a Cratch hauing so litle externall glory that they might haue saued their paine and seene many in their owne Countrey farre beyond him Our instruction hence is that God doth often strangly and strongly exercise the Fayth of his that their perswasion may not be guided Oculis but Oraâ—ulis by their Sight but his Word The eye of true Fayth is so quicke sighted that it can see through all the Mistes and Fogges of difficulties Hereon these Magi doe confidently beleeue that this poore Child lying in so base a manner is the great King of Heauen and Earth The fayth of man that is grounded on the promises of God must beleeue that in prison there is libertie in trouble peace in affliction comfort in Death life in the Crosse a Crowne and in a Manger the Lord Iesus The vse of this teacheth vs not to be offended at the basenesse of the Gospell lest we neuer come to the Honour to see Iesus It was an argument of the Deuils breaching Haue any of the Rulers or Pharises beleeued on him The great the learned the wise giue him no crâ—dence But this people that knoweth not the Law is Cursed None but a few oâ— the rascall companie follow him 〈◊〉 hereof Simeon resolued his mother Mary 〈…〉 set for the fall as well as the risiâ—g againe of many 〈…〉 for a Signe which shall be spoken against He should 〈…〉 but woe vnto them that so esteemed 〈…〉 to worke his will by 〈…〉 should apply a medicine contrary to 〈…〉 of the patient he would haue litle 〈…〉 the disease But such is Gods mâ—raculous working that he subdues Crownes to a Crosse ouercomes 〈…〉 pouertie ouerthrowes the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 Folishnesse of the Spirit and sets knees a 〈…〉 in a Manger YOu see their Accesse and the Euent or Successe which poynts determine their Direction Let vs come to their Deuotion Herein wee shall find a triplicitie to follow the method of Augustines Glosse Adorant corporibus vencrantur officijs honorant muneribus Christ had bestowed on these Magi three sorts of giftes Goods Corporall Spirituall Temporall And all these in a deuout thankefulnesse they returne to Christ. In Falling downe they did honour him with the Goods of the body In Worshipping him with the gifts of the Minde In Presenting to him guiftes Gold Frankincense Mirrhe with the goods of the World The Body and Minde I will knit togeather They fell downe and worshipped him It is fitte they should be partners in repentance that haue been confederates in sinne It is questioned whether in transgressing the body or the soule be most culpable I am sure either is guiltie It is all one a man that wants Eyes carries a man that wants Feete the lame that cannot goe spies a Bootie and tels his blind Porter of it that cannot see Hee that hath Eyes directes the way hee that hath Feet trauels to it but they both consent to steale it The Bodie without the Soule wants Eyes the Soule without the Body wants
Tents intend not a long dwelling in a place They are mouables euer ready to be transferred at the occasion and will of the Inhabiter Hebr. 11. Abraham dwelt intents with Isaac and Iacob the heires with him of the same Promise The reason is added For hee looked for a Citie which hath foundations whose builder and maker is GOD. These Saints studied not to enlarge their barnes as the rich Cosmopolite Luke 12. or to sing Requiems to their soules in the hoped perpetuity of earthly habitations Soule liue thou hast enough laid vp for many yeares Foole he had not enough for that night They had no thought that their houses should continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations thereuppon calling their lands after their owne names God conuinceth the foolish security of the Iewes to whom hee had promised by the Messias to be purchased an euerlasting royalty in heauen by the Rechabites who built no houses but dwelt in Tents as if they were strangers ready on a short waâ—ning for remouall The Church esteemes Heauen her home this world but a Tent. A Tent which we must all leaue build we as high as Babel as strong as Babilon When wee haue fortified combined feasted death comes with a Voyder and takes away all Dost thou thinke to raigne securely because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Friends must part Ionas and his gourd Nebuchadnezzar and his pallace the couetous churle and his barns Arise and depart for this is not your rest Though you depart with griefe from Orchards full of fruits grounds full stocked houses dightly furnished purses richly stuffed from musicke wine iunkets sports yet goe you must goe euery man to his owne home Hee that hath seene heauen with the eye of Fath through the glasse of the Scripture slippes off his coate with Ioseph and springs away They that liued thrice our age yet dwelt in Tents as Pilgrims that did not owne this world The shortnesse and weakenesse of our dayes strengthens our reasons to vilipend it The world is the field thy body the Tent heauen thy free-holde The world is full of troubles windes of persecutions storms of menaces cold of vncharitablenesse heate of malice exhalations of prodigious terrours will annoy thee Loue it not Who can affect his owne vexations It is thy through-fare God loues thee better then to let it be thy home Euery misery on earth should turne our loues to heauen God giues this world bitter teats that wee might not sucke too long on it Satan as some doe with rotten nutmegs guildes it ouer and sends it his friends for a token But when they put that spice into their broth it infects their hearts Set thy affections on heauen where thou shalt abide for euer This life is a Tent that a Mansion In my Fathers house there are many mansions This casuall that firme a kingdome that cannot be shaken This troublesome that full of rest This assuredly short that eternall Happy is he that heere esteemes himselfe a Pilgrim in a Tent that hee may bee heereafter a citisen in a stable kingdome 2. Their frugallitie should not passe vnregarded Heere is no ambition of great buildings a Tent will serue How differ our dayes and hearts from those The fashion is now to build great houses to our lands till wee leaue no lands to our houses and the credite of a good house is made not to consist in inward hospitality but in outward walls These punkish out-sides beguile the needy Traueller hee thinkes there cannot be so many roomes in a house and neuer a one to harbour a poore stranger or that from such a multitude of chimneis no meate should be sent to the gates Such a house is like a painted whoore it hath a faire cheek but rotten lungs no breath of charity comes out of it We say frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora What needes a house more roomes then there is vse for A lesse house and more hospitablenesse would doe a great deale better Are not many of these glorious buildings set vp in the curse of Iericho the foundation laid in the blood of the eldest the poore the walls reared in the blood of the yoongest the ruine of their owne posterity This was one of the Trauellers obserued faults in England camini mali that we had ill clockes and worse chimneis for they smoaked no charity We see the Precedent the application must teach vs to Deale plainely Here is commended to vs Plainesse in Meaning Demeaning Which instructs vs to a double concord and agreement In Meaning betwixt the heart and the tongue In Demeaning betwixt the tongue and the hand In Meaning THere should be a louing and friendly agreement betweene the heart and the tongue This is the minds herald and should onely proclaime the senders message If the tongue be an ill seruant to the heart the heart will be an ill maister to the tongue and Satan to both There are three kindes of dissimulation held tolerable if not commendable and beyond them noâ—e without sinne 1. When a man dissembles to get himselfe out of danger without any preiudice to another So Dauid fained himselfe madde to escape with life So the good Physician may deceiue his patient by stealing vppon him a potion which he abhorreth intending his recouerie 2. When dissimulation is directly aymed to the instruction and benefite of another So Ioseph caused the money to bee put in his brethrens sackes thereby to worke in them a knowledge of themselues So Christ going to Emaus with the two Disciples made as if he would goe further to try their humanity 3. When some common seruice is thereby performed to the good of the Church Such are those stratagems and policies of warre that carry in them a direct intention of honesty and iustice though of hostillity as Iosuah's whereby he discomfited the men of Ai. Further then these limits no true Israelite no Plaine-Dealing man must venture Plato was of opinion that it was lawfull for Magistrates Hosium vel Ciuium causa mentiri to lie eyther to deceiue an enemy or saue a citisen I might against Plato set Aristotle who sayth expresly that a lie in it selfe is euill and wicked And another Philosopher was wont to say That in two things a man was like vnto God in bestowing benefites and telling the truth Nor will we inferre with Lyranus because there is a Title in the Ciuill Law De dolo malo of euill craft that therefore it is graunted there is a craft not euill But let vs know to the terrour of lyers that the deuill is the father of lying and when hee speaketh a lie hee speaketh of his owne And beyond exception they are the words of euerlasting veritie No lie is of the truth Therefore into that heauenly Hierusalem shall enter none that workes abhomination or maketh a lie A lie must needes be contrary
saith St. Paul Many in Title many in Opinion Some are Lords and Gods ex authoritate so are Kings and Magistrates God standeth in the congregation of Lords he is Iudge among the Gods Others will so stile themselues ex vsurpatione as the Canonists say of their Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope But he is but a Lord and God in a blind and tetrycall Opinion The Lord is onely Almighty able to doe more by his absolute power then he will by his actuall Able for potent not impotent workes He cannot lie he cannot die Diciter omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult He is called Almightie in doing what he pleaseth not in suffering what he pleaseth not This is his Greatnesse As his Mercie directs vs to loue him so let his Maiestie instruct vs to feare him I will briefly touch both these affections but Loue shall goe formost LOVE OVr God is Good and good to vs let vs therefore loue him 1. It is an Affection that God principally requires 2. It is a Nature wherein alone we can answere God For the former God requires not thy Wisedome to direct him nor thy Strength to assist him nor thy Wealth to enrich him nor thy Dignitie to aduance him but onely thy Loue. Loue him with all thy heart For the second Man cannot indeed answere God well in any other thing When God iudgeth vs wee must not iudge him againe When hee reprooues vs wee must not iustifie our selues If he be angry wee must answere him in patience if hee commaunde in obedience But when God loues vs wee must answere him in the same nature though not in the same measure and loue him againe Wee may not giue God word for word wee dare not offer him blow for blow wee can not requite him good turne for good turne yet wee may can must giue him Loue for Loue. Nam cum amat Deus non aliud vult quà m amari Now because euery man sets his foote vpon the freehold of Loue and sayes it is mine let vs aske for his Euidence whereby he holdes it We call an Euidence a Deed and Deedes are the best demonstration of our right in Loue. If thou loue God for his owne sake shew it by thy deedes of Pietie If thou loue Man for Gods sake shew it by thy deedes of Charitie The roote of Loue is in the Heart but it sendes foorth Veines into the Hands and giues them an actiue and nimble dexteritie to good Workes If you loue mee sayth Christ keepe my Commandements If you loue man shew your Compassion to him Obedience to our Creator Mercie to his Image testifie our Loues Hee that wants these Euidences these Deedes when that busie Informer the Diuell sues him will be vnhappily vanquished FEARE LEt vs pà sse from Loue to Feare we must Loue our good God we must Feare our great Lord. It is obiected against this passage of vnion that perfect loue casteth out feare It is answered that feare brings in perfect loue as the Needle drawes in the Thread And it is not possible that true Loue should be without good Feare that is a filiall Reuerence For slauish feare be it as farre from your hearts as it shall be from my discourse Now this Feare is a most due and proper affection and I may say the fittest of all to be towards God Indeed God requires our Loue but we must thinke that then God stoupes low and bowes himselfe downe to be loued of vs. For there is such an infinite inequalitie betwixt God and vs that without his sweet dignation and descending to vs there could be no fitnesse of this affection But looke we vp to that infinite glory of our great Lord looke we downe on the vilenesse of our selues sinfull dust and we will say that by reason of the disproportion betweene vs nothing is so sutable for our basenesse to giue so high a God as Feare Therefore Comeye Children hearken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Feare the Lord all ye his Seruants as well as Loue the Lord all ye his Saints Now this Feare hath as many Chalengers as Loue had When this Booke is held out euery mans lippes are readie to kisse it and to say and sweare that they feare the Lord. Loue had the Testimonie Charytie and Feare must haue his Seruice Psal. 2. Serue the Lord with feare It is mans necessitated condition to be a Seruant Happy they that can truly call Christ Maister Yee call mee Lord and Maister and ye say well for so I am Hee that serues the Flesh serues his fellow And a Beggar mounted on the backe of Honour rides post to the Diuell This is a cholericke Maister so fickle that at euery turne he is ready to turne thee out of dores Wee may say of him as of the Spaniard Hee is a bad Seruant but a worse Maister Hee that serues the World serues his Seruant as if Chams curse was lighted on him Seruus seruorum a Drudge to Slaues a Slaue to Drudges He that serues the Diuell serues his Enemie and this is a miserable seruice Sure it was a lamentable preposterous sight that Salomon saw Eccle. 10. I haue seene Seruants vpon Horses and Princes walking as Seruants vpon the Earth And Agur numbers it among those foure things whereby the World is disquieted A Seruant when he raigneth and a Foole when he is filled with Meate an odious woman when she is marryed and a handmaid that is heire to her Mistres Iudge then how horryble it is that men should set as the Sauages of Calecut the Diuell or his two Ingles the world and the flesh in the Throne whiles they place God in the foote-stoole Or that in this Common-wealth of man Reason which is the Queene or the Princes the better powers graces of the Soule should stoupe to so base a Slaue as sensuall lust Delight is not seemely for a foole much lesse for a Seruant to haue rule ouer Princes St. Basil not without passion did enuie the Diuells happynesse Who had neither Created vs nor redeemed vs nor preserueth vs but violently Labours our destruction that yet he should haue more seruants then God that made vs then Iesus Christ that with his owne precious Blood and grieuous sufferings bought vs. Well hee is happy that can truly say with Dauid I am thy Seruant O Lord I am thy Seruant and the Sonne of thy Handmayde This Seruice is true Honour for so Kings and Princes yea the blessed Angels of heauen are thy fellowes God is Good that we may loue him the Lord is Great that wee may Feare him Wee haue heard both seuerally let vs consider them ioyntly and therein the securitie of our owne happinesse It is a blessed confirmation when both these the Goodnesse and the Greatnesse of GOD meete vpon vs. His Greatnesse that hee is able his