image of his Creator It is the onely crowne which the Lord hath set vpon his head Coronasti eū Thou hast crowned him with glory worship God forbid I should deterre any from that spirituall ambition and Christian emulation whereunto the Apostle doth excite Whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue any praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thinke of these things and consider them with vnderstanding Agreeable to that of Tertulltan in his Gloriam quaerimus de quibus salutem speramus Wee may glorie in that which furthers our good and tends to our saluation It is the emptie shadow of humane vanitie and proud vsurpation of diuine equalitie that is to be condemned when men glorie as if they had not receiued and arrogate that to themselues which is due vnto God Like Herod that was consumed of wormes because hee delighted in the praise of men and tooke that to himselfe which belonged to his maker In which sence that of Seneca may be vsed Quid ni tui miserior si pantonimica obstrepuerint instrumenta c. Hee is much to bee pitied that is euer receiued with the cry and applause of vulgar admiration It is better for mee to die saith the Apostle then any should cause my reioycing to be vaine And it were better for vs to bee had in execration and to bee made Anathemaes to our brethren then any should cause our reioycing to bee vaine and emptie without respect vnto God and the praise of his annointed that which I read in Saint Bernard is very good Si ante vestrum tribunal stare oporteret c. O my brethren if I were to stand before your tribunall I would delight in your praises if I were to be tryed by my owne sentence I would rest satisfied with mine owne opinion But what a vanitie yea what a madnesse is it since the Lord is to bee my Iudge not to seeke the approbation of his goodnesse and to make his glorie the crowne of my reioycing Remember then I beseech you the voyce of those many thousands in the Apocalyps Worthie is hee that was slaine to receiue honour and wisedome and riches and power together with that generall acclamation when all the creatures in heauen and earth made a shout crying Praise and honour glory and power bee to him that sits vpon the throne and to the Lambe for euer If the Baptist decreast when our Sauiour increast let our pride vanish and the glory of our light bee darkened as a candle at noone when the Sunne is in his strength that when we shall bee toucht with the glorie of our strength and the glorie of our wisedome and the glorie of our riches ches and the glory of our power wee may say as Christ did to Mary Touch me not for as yet I am not gone vp to the Father It is heauen that is the seate of glory and that with God the receipt whereof is like that pretious ointment and sacred perfume which the Lord charged the Priests to make and sanctifie to himselfe throughout all their generations But if euer the Lord were to be glorified and the whole aire to ring with the melodious Harmonie of symphoniacall inuitations If euer Gabriel the Archangell were to leade vs forth with a song and wee to follow as workmen did Miriam with Timbrels and dances If euer the heart of man were to be made an altar of praise and thankfulnesse and the whole Church to call for the Harpe and Violl the Psalter and the Dulcimer Now is the time whilst the golden candlesticke is placed in the midst of the Tabernacle and that Virgin bush of Maries wombe brings forth the light of the whole world and is not defiled or consumed whilst the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon vs and there is a starre come from Iacob whose comfortable raies pierce the deepe enlighten the heauens search the darknesse of the graue and spread ouer the face of the whole earth with radiant and shining lustre O the gratious bounty and wonderfull humilitie of so great dispensation God is become man the word flesh a Virgine a Mother the Creator a creature and to speake in the language of Saint Austin Qui regit sidera lambit vbera Hee that gouernes the influence of the starres drawes the sweetnesse of his mothers breast taking that from vs whereby hee may saue vs and ioyne vs to himselfe in the highest places who would not spring with Iohn in the very wombe and burst with Zacharie into the voyce of ioy and gladnesse through the strongest barres of infant silence and naturall imperfections to behold that Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world inuested in the golden fleece of humane nature to see the King of righteousnesse which sits by the throne of God forsake the bosome of his Father and proceed from the wombe of Mary as a Bridegroome from his chamber without preiudice to his Godhead or diminution of his power before the Lord was inuisible and wee heard the voyce of God as Adam in the coole of the garden sometime he spake in lightning sometime hee spake in thunder sometime from the clift of a rocke sometimes from the consuming flames of burning fire But now wee looke vpon him through the cloud of flesh and the lanthorne of his bodie so qualified and tempered to outward sight and corporall apprehension that we may not onely see but handle the word of life in the forme of man and habit of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that learned Father Nazianzene in an Oration though wee haue strayed in the desart of this world yet now we haue a cloud of direction to goe before the white cloud of his sacred flesh to lead and guide vs to that heauenly Canaan Hic est Dominus Iesus this is Christ the Lord the mediator of God and man the sonne of a Virgine the Bridegroome of his Church more faire and comely then all the sonnes of men that created his mother when he was begot of his Father and glorified his Father when hee was borne of his mother Iesus Christ the righteous Yesterday and to day and the same for euer For there bee many things in his birth which deserue praise and euerlasting remembrance The first is his goodnesse that he would endure the prison of our flesh the second his power that hee could manifest his strength in our weaknesse the third his wisedome in finding meanes for our deliuerance the last his iustice in satisfying the Law and making himselfe obedient to the actuall performance that we may cry with the Psalmist O Lord thy truth reacheth to the heauens and thy mercie to the clouds If any seeke to bee Authors of that whereof they onely bring tidings they are false Prophets Aemulantes diuinitatem furantes diuinationem as Tertullian nor Saint nor Angell nor Cherubin nor Seraphin nor any of that coelestiall Hierarchie may share
in this honour it is thou onely which hast the glorie And that in altissimis and ab altissimis First in the highest for the heauens declare the glory and are the stage and theater of thine euerlasting power and triumphant maiesty secondly of the highest For the Angels praise thee and the Saints giue thankes vnto thee the heauens and all the powers therein continually do cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth heauen and earth are full of thy glory thy praise is their ioy thy honour their comfort thy celebritie their felicitie by whose power they are made by whose wisedome they are illuminated by whose grace they stand fast and shall neuer bee remooued Whence is that of Dauid Beati qui habitant Blessed are they which dwell in thy house they will euer bee praising thee Though I could assigne many reasons of this glory from the Angels as the excellent dignitie of their wonderfull creation for they beare the signiture of God in their nature the continuall fruition of diuine sweetnesse for they tast and drinke thereof as from a riuer the sure confirmation of their eternall blessednesse for they are setled and established by the incarnation of our Sauiour Yet that which fills their hearts with praise and their tongue with ioy is their instauration of their decay because thou hast built vp the walls of Ierusalem and made vp their breach by the saluation of man and the redemption of our nature The walls of Ierusalem are the companies of Angels which are built vp and made compleat by reducing man to the state of their perfection Therefore do they reioyce and sing therefore do they cry aloud vpon their beds and to vse the words of Cyprian Gratulabundi praedicant they magnifie the riches of Gods mercy with exceeding ioy and wonderfull gratulation O my brethren and yee whom I tender as mine owne bowels in the Lord. What a motiue is this to Christian loue and perfect charitie Shall the Angels praise God for vs and shall not we praise the Lord for our selues Shall an armie of spirituall souldiers triumph in the redemption of man and shall not wee reioyce in our owne saluation and the miraculous deliuerance of our brethren True deuotion is full of compassion and the Saints of God do not onely suffer together but reioyce together with Hymnes and Psalmes of spirituall melody singing to the Lord with grace in their hearts Whence are they termed filiae Iudah daughters of Iudah and filiae confessionis daughters of confession as learned Austin makes the exposition such as praise God and offer the sacrifice of thankfulnesse for his loue to man and his blessings out of Sion Tell mee then what spirit they are of that call to heauen for vengeance and would haue the Lord send downe fire vpon their enemies that delight in the ruine and destruction of their brethren yea machinate the subuersion of States and Kingdomes with the diuellish practises of most hellish inuentions That curse where the Lord doth blesse and cry against the highest powers as the Romane legions against Iouian the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast escaped the edge of the sword and the furie of battell would God thy flesh had beene giuen to the fowles of the aire and the dogs had licked thy bloud as the bloud of Iezabell by the wall of Iezrael well may they resemble Abaddon and Apolluon the Diuell and his angels they are most repugnant to God his Angels For their song is of glory peace yea and of glory for peace and that with man vpon the earth which is the second note of this Hymne and desires continuance of your deuotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace Though glory belong to heauen and peace to the earth yet was there a time when neither was to be found Man had prouoked God to anger and taken away our peace translated the worship of God to Idols and depriued him of his glory but now they are both in their naturall seate and the comming of our Sauiour is like the returne of that Doue into the Arke with the gracious branch of peace of mercy When Ionah was cast into the sea the storme ceast and there was a great calme when the Lord brought his first begotten into the world the troubles were abated there was a great peace throughout the whole earth Fluuius pacis as Esay writeth A floud of peace for a sea of misery and that which before was a place of exile and banishment is now the Tabernacle of rest and quiet where the Lord hath extended peace and safetie and righteousnesse and glorie as a flowing streame For that which hee taught as an Oracle in his life and bequeathed as a legacie at his death I meane the sweetnesse of peace and the aboundance of holinesse was now begun in the time of his birth and set as a pearle on the top and crowne of his blessed incarnation whence is hee termed a King of peace our heauenly Salomon yea our very peace that made both one and set at peace through the bloud of his crosse the things on earth and the things in heauen How can wee choose but rest in peace now the Lord is come who is to the whole earth as Apollo was to Delos that hee may settle and stablish it with an euerlasting quietnesse But Luke and Mathew are at variance and there is warre betwixt the words of my Text and that of the Gospell Thinke yee that I am come to send peace into the world I came not to send peace but a sword what a sword and yet peace Fire and yet peace warre and yet peace these things are incompatible and as the Poet notes Frontibus aduersis pugnantia Yet may they bee reconciled and stand together The sword of the spirit with the peace of conscience the fire of loue with the peace of religion war against Satan and his angels with peace towards God and his Angels For as the naturall body is framed of contrary elements so diuerse qualities may perfect the mysticall body of Christ Iesus And though we do not striue against flesh and bloud yet do we against the Prince of this world and against spirituall wickednesses in the highest places whence is that of Bernard Inter Babilonem Hierusalem pax nulla betwixt Babilon Hierusalem there is no peace Satan is the King of Babylon Christ of Hierusalem which he defends with cōtinuall resistances though he be not the God of confusion but of order in all the Churches of the Saints What then is the peace of my Text but sacred and diuine such as Christ wisheth to the Apostles and the Apostles to the elect in their generall salutations Peace with God for we are reconciled to the Father Peace with Angels for they reioyce in our conuersion Peace with men for they shall bee gathered into one flocke Peace with the creature for it shall be in league with vs Peace with our owne selues
mortui sunt they are dead and there is no life in them But let the power and the courage and the vigour and the Spirit of Christ Iesus quicken and make ye vigetatiue in all goodnesse Anatomists do obserue there is a veine runnes from the heart to the arme and bounds on the finger where the ring is worne if Christ be our ring and seale he must be so on the arme that he leaue not the heart so on the heart that he reach vnto the arme for direction of faith and manners Here might I call heauen and earth to record and witnesse before God and his Angels how iniuriously we are traduced to despise the Law and not to care for the decalogue to rely vpon a naked faith without the fruite of holinesse or the obseruation of his precepts Oh thou which bindest thy words as signes vpon our armes and as frontlets betweene our eyes pleade our cause and vindicate vs from this calumnie tell these men thou art not onely as a seale vpon our hearts by the knowledge of thy truth but as a signet vpon our armes by the conformitie of life and the exercise of holinesse And so I hasten to the seale and closure of discourse which is the forme and semblance and that is a seale or a signet Put me as a seale and a signet Well may hee be tearmed a seale that is the brightnesse of his Fathers glorie and the engrauen forme of his substance but that which is here a seale or a signet is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall A ring or a seale that as we haue borne the image of the earthly so we may beare the image of the heauenly by similitude and conformitie to our Sauiour whether in his obedience and his righteousnesse or in his patience and his sufferings For as no siluer is currant vnlesse it beare the image superscription of the Emperour so there is nothing auaileable before God without the stamp of his Sonne and the character of our Sauiour Thoughts vowes meditations prayers intentions actions are but vaine and friuolous and will neuer be able to purchase heauen vnlesse they be sealed in Christ and the assurance of his mercie in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen This made the Church in her Liturgie seale vp her petitions in the name and mediation of Christ Iesus in all her supplications and intercessions she doth adiure God and bind him as it were by this seale Per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum Through Iesus Christ our Lord through Iesus Christ our onely mediator and redeemer I will not draw my Text to the Crosse in Baptisme because it is not said he will be a seale but as a seale and there is a good meaning of that in Saint Austin Deus amat signorum suorum factores non pictores Yet let me tell the turbulent Schismaticke and factious Noualist that it is an ancient Ceremonie deriued from the Primitiue Church grounded vpon reason and obseruation For what is the signe of Christ but the Crosse of our Sauiour are not the Sacraments of God the seales of God wherein we are sealed and confirmed by the arrabon and witnesse of his Spirit As the doores and threshold were signed with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe so it is the bloud of Christ our true Passouer that doth seale both our hearts and foreheads I do not say with Austin Repellit exterminatorem si Christū inueniat habitatorem Though in his 50. Tract vpon Iohn it be twise repeated within the space of sixe lines Yet let me borrow so much from that learned Father Nihil olim in carne intolerabilius nihil modo in fronte gloriosius Heretofore there was nothing more bloudy and intollerable to the renting of our flesh and the tearing of our bodies Now there is nothing more glorious and honourable to the acknowledgement of faith and the beautifying of our foreheads But what meanes the seale of my Text And why is he desirous to be as a signet Take it actiuely take it passiuely for the impression that is made or the seale and ring that maketh the impression it is diuersly vsed and hath many singular effects Ad custodiam ad notificationem ad gratiam ad confirmationem For beautie and exornation that his glorie may shine in vs for distinction and notification that we might be knowne from strangers for custodie and preseruation that nothing go in nor out to annoy and hurt vs. For assurance and confirmation that we be not drawne from God or relinquish the truth of our profession Thus are wee become as an enclosed garden or a fountaine sealed vp like that Eastgate in Ezechiels Sanctuary which was shut and might not be opened lest any should enter Open locks tempt theeues but that which is sealed remaines inuiolate So if Faith and Truth and hope and ioy and the graces of the Spirit and the mysteries of our saluation be not sealed in Christ they may be stolne from our hearts and become a prey to the enemy But if they lie vnder this seale they are fast and sure No heresie no vanity no crueltie nor policie shall be able to rob and spoyle vs of our glorie Well may Satan come in like a theefe by the windowes and enter through the passages of our sence if once he espie this seale vpon the heart he will recoyle and fly backe It is a strong munition able to repulse and exterminate all the diuels in hell though multiplyed and banded in troopes and legions Now we haue the force of the Originall and the emphasis of Septuagint the one vpon the other about he will be vpon our hearts to suppresse the euill that is within and to preuent the danger that is without he will be about the arme that wee may be enuironed on euery side and secured from the inrode of spirituall wickednesse Should I distinctly prosecute the seuerall vertues of this seale you might call for a seale vnto my lippes and therefore I labour to be short Yet is there one meaning of this Embleme which I may not forget and that is loue and honour with a deare respect and most precious estimation Consider that of Ieremie If he were as the seale of my right hand yet would I plucke him thence Remember that of Haggai I will make him as the signet of mine arme because I haue chosen him what doth this sound but of grace and fauour It is the seale of our ring and the image of our friend whereof we are proud and boast Ventilat aestiuum digitis sudantibus aurum Thus will he be as the seale of our hand or as the gemme of our finger that he may be held more deare and pretious then thousands of gold and siluer For what is more sweete what more pleasing what more glorious what more honourable then Christ Iesus at whose beautie the Sunne and the Moone are abashed on whose face the Angels looke with admiration and astonishment His
keyes of heauen keyes of knowledge and keyes of power to instruct the ignorant to absolue the penitent to remit sinne to release punishment to shut heauen by the threatnings of the Law and the denouncing of vengeance to open heauen by the tydings of the Gospell the ministerie of the Sacramēts Whence is that of Dauid Diffusa est gratia in labijs tuis Full of grace are thy lippes because God hath blessed thee for euer The lippes of Christ are the Ministers of his Church that declare mercy preserue knowledge excite repentance pronounce forgiuenesse and are full of grace indeed whilst they speake comfortably to Ierusalem saying in vertue of their Commission as Christ doth in the fulnesse of iurisdiction Bee of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiuen thee I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Arise take vp thy bed and walke walke towards heauen get thee vnto Paradise the rest of thy Sauiour the ioy of thy Maister which is the nature and qualitie of our profession now to be examined and discussed Enter into thy masters ioy Did the Lord say enter the goods or the lands the houses or the tenures of thy Lord and master for indeed the earth is the Lords and all that is therein How would the greedie Harpyes of this world flie to get possession Some like Zacheus that came downe hastily others like the blouddy Farmer of the vineyard in the Gospell that slue the heire and tooke the inheritance but many haue these things which neuer enioy them Haue ye not seene great substance and no ioy great learning and no ioy great victorie and no ioy great spoyles and no ioy These things are often ioynd with feare and griefe and iealousie and distraction whilst many cry with the Prophet O my leannesse my leannesse in the midst of their brauest triumphs and greatest ouerflowings And therefore it is worth the obseruing what a great Sultan spake when hee beate the Christians with the losse of many thousand souldiers I would be loath to ouercome so very often Multiplicasti gentem sed non multiplicasti laetitiam saith Esay Thou hast multiplyed the Nation but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy And bee there not many of whom we may say Multiplicasti the saurum sed non multiplicasti laetitiam Thou hast multiplyed their treasure but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy Thou hast increased their children but thou hast not increased their ioy thou hast doubled their portion but thou hast not doubled their ioy thou hast enlarged their dominion but thou hast not enlarged their ioy Howsoeuer God dispose these things as he doth his Sunne and his raine sometimes on the good sometimes on the bad without distinction Hee will be sure to keepe ioy for his seruants if they haue it not in the flesh they shall haue it in the spirit if they haue it not in life they shall haue it in death if they haue it not in themselues they shall haue it in the Lord And the bones that are broken shall reioyce Good reason hath Christ to bid vs enter his ioy for such is the incomprehensible greatnesse thereof it may not enter vs. Eye hath not seene it eare hath not heard it neither hath it entred into the heart of man For the righteous are compassed with the goodnesse of the Lord and they haue ioy on euery side ioy within from the puritie of their conscience ioy without from the glory of their bodies ioy aboue from the sight of God and the fruition of his presence ioy beneath from the remembrance of death and the torments they haue escaped but this speech is figuratiue and by the ioy of my text we conceiue the place of ioy the garden of pleasure the Paradise of God the fountaine of liuing waters where his children do not onely sucke the breasts of comfort and milke them out but drinke and are satisfied with the plenty of delight as from a riuer crying to their soules in the fulnesse of securitie as the rich man did in the deceitfulnesse of vanitie Soule soule liue at ease and take thy pastime thou hast goods layd vp for many yeares or rather indeed for euerlasting generations For the Lord hath promised to create Ierusalem as a reioycing and the inhabitants thereof as ioy So that Paul writing of that heauenly kingdome saith it is Gaudium in spiritu sancto Righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost What ioy the world hath stands not vpon me to examine the world that is set vpon mischiefe the world that is subiect vnto vanity it is compared to the vayle of teares and a place of Dragons there is a curse lies on it from the dayes of Cain and it is reserued to fire against the day of iudgement If there be any pleasure in it it is but as Austin speakes miseriae solatium no degree of ioy but a solace of distresse to qualifie and temper the sower water of our manifold afflictions Like that hearbe which puts vs into a laugh and depriues vs of life Moritur ridet as Saluianus speakes he that eates it smiles dying But the hill of Sion is a faire place and the ioy of the whole earth Omne quod delectat continens as Saint Bernard writes containing euery thing that may please or satisfie Let the dry and thirsty soule bee iudge that counts no ioy to that of the cup no sweetnesse to that of the grape they shall haue Vinum aromaticum calicem inebriantem The King shall leade them into his wineseller and their cup shall ouerflow Let the hogs of Epicurus and the sonnes of Philoxonus be iudge that measure their delight by the extent of their throate and the dimensions of their belly they shall haue Panem Angelorum vitulum saginatum the Lord shall spread a table for them and kill the fatted Calfe There be Hinds and Roes that leape and skip vpon the mountaines for the braue Nimrods of this world that loue to hunt and course there be chariots of fire and horses of diuers colours the white and the blacke the pale and the red as Saint Iohn writeth for the stately Caualiers and such as desire to be mounted vpon their steeds Musicke for the pleasant and that delectable riches for the worldling and those durable euery dish for euery taste euery content for euery desire without loathing or scarcity O what ioy ariseth from the place the amaenitie of the place the gates are of pearle the foundation of pretious stones the streets are paued with gold and say Hallelu-iah Blessed be the Lord which hath extolled it for euer O what ioy ariseth from the company the swetnesse of the company they are Cherubins and Seraphins hierarchies of Angels families of men the noble army of Martyrs the goodly fellowship of the Prophets that call vpon the Lord and reioyce before him with songs of deliuerance their organs are the instruments of
videtur in terris The shew and manifestation of his presence is in the earth but the celebritie and declaration of his glory is in the heauens For if the Psalmist would haue a trumpet blowne in the new moone Blow the trumpet in the new moone There is a trumpet of praise and glorie that must sound and bee lifted vp shall I say in the new Moone or rather in the feast of Tabernacles Whilst the Tabernacle of God is with man and to speake in the phrase of Nyssen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Israel but the Lord of Israel dwelleth in a tent or a booth and is receiued into the darke mansion and earthly Tabernable of humane flesh and mortall corruption Yee haue a president from the Angels though hee were not a Sauiour to them but to vs. For he tooke not the Angels but the seede of Abraham Yet doe they begin the Antiphone and teach vs how to sing Though we may not compare with their knowledge and vnderstanding yet may wee emulate their pietie and deuotion My prayer shall be that which the Apostle vsed in the behalfe of the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of patience and consolation make yee like minded that with one mouth yee may praise God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ saying and singing as it is in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorie to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men That which I haue read vnto you is a sacred Hymne and diuine Embasie where there is discouered a threefold benefit of our Sauiours incarnation The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the loue and good will of him that dwelt in the bush Good will towards men The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peace and reconciliation with God the Father On the earth peace The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour and glorie and that from the noblest creatures I meane the Angels that dwell in the height and sublimitie of eternall blessednesse Glorie to God in the highest on the earth peace good will towards men But that which ariseth most clearely from this fountaine is a blessing receiued and a blessing returned A blessing receiued and that is peace On the earth peace A blessing returned and that is Glorie Glorie to God on high In the first wee note the Motiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuine loue and spirituall adoption Good will towards men In the second wee note a circumstance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the highest Either locall and so by the highest we vnderstand the heauens Or personall and so by the highest we vnderstand the Angels Glorie be to God on high on the earth peace c. Glorie bee to God on high For the heauens send downe and the clouds drop righteousnesse On the earth peace For saluation and Iustice are come forth it brings them forth together Good will towards men For we are satisfied with the abundance of his louing kindnesse Grace and Mercy compassion and bounty from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Who so great and eminent that he may not honour God it is the practise of the Angels Glorie to God in the highest Who so powerfull and magnificent that hee should not embrace peace it is the onely blessing on the earth On the earth peace Who so amiable and preualent that hee should not stand by this grace it is the onely stay of life and happinesse Towards men good will O the diuine maiestie of this heauenly Sacrament where hee that is despised of his owne is the attonement for his enemies hee that lyeth among the beasts is the securitie of man hee that cryeth in a stable is magnified in heauen and that by an host of spirituall souldiers saying and singing Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men Yee haue now seene the notes of my song I shall resume them in their order though to vse the words of Iohn I am not worthie to vntie the latchet of his shooe Ligatura calceamenti ligatura mysterij saith Gregorie the latchet of his shooe is the mysterie of his birth For the brightnesse of the Godhead lyeth shadowed and shrouded vnder the veile and couer of his manhood diuinitie in humanitie power in infirmitie maiestie in humilitie immortalitie in frailtie life in death and Christ in the flesh O let not that be wanting in you towards me which abounds in God towards all I meane voluntas bona a good will and beneuolous disposition whilst I begin with my first note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorie to God on high It is well the Angels set glorie before peace For there will be no peace with man if there be not glorie to the Lord it is one of those peculiars which he reserueth to himselfe the first is vengeance and therefore saith Moses Vengeance is mine and I will repay the second power and therefore saith the Euangelist The Lord hath giuen all power to his Sonne the last and chiefest is Glorie and therefore saith Esay I will not giue my glorie to another Indeed the Lord made all things for his glorie and if he be not glorified in their actions hee will bee glorified in their punishment by the seueritie of his iustice This made the Apostle to exclude euery creature from the fellowship hereof To the King euerlasting inuisible immortall and onely wise God bee honour and glory And the Psalmist is distinctly negatiue by a perfect abdication from himselfe and others Not vnto vs not vnto vs but to thy name be the glorie That wee may say vnto her as Ioseph vnto his Mistris My Lord hath committed all things vnto my hand and kept nothing from me but onely thee which art his wife How shall I do so great wickednesse and sinne against my Lord The Lord hath committed all things vnto our hands sent vs his Angels giuen his Sonne powred forth his Spirit multiplyed his graces and kept nothing from vs but this glorie which is espoused to him from euerlasting How shall wee do so great wickednesse as to sinne against the Lord and spoile him of his glorie Yet there is an inward glorie wherein wee may reioyce proceeding from a good conscience The holy Ghost bearing witnesse to our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God For glorie and honour and peace shall bee to euery soule that doth good to the Iew first and also the Grecian Yea and an outward glorie too so it bee limited within the bounds of pietie and charitie I meane the honour of God and the benefit of our neighbour In Deo secundum Deum propter Deum as the learned haue distinguisht First in Deo from God as the Author and fountaine then secundum Deum not after the will of man but after the will of God Last of all Propter Deum to the honour of God and the aduancement of his Gospell O gloriam licitam saith Tertulltan such Philotimie is very iustifiable and worthy of man the
temporall blessings are for the most part Catholike and Vniuersall bestowed promiscuously without exception yet grace and peace and righteousnesse and adoption are neuer giuen to the reprobate For there is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God but fightings without and frightings within as the Apostle noteth they fly when none doth pursue and are afraid where no feare is Horrendum quatiente animo tortore flagellum well are they compared to a raging sea that neuer rests whose waters cast out mire and dirt their desires as winds that stirre and raise their passions their passions are as waues that turmoile and tosse their soules their soules are as ships that float to and fro and are carried vp and downe with restlesse motion and violent agitation in the midst of their bodies For as Bees are driuen away with smoake forsake their hiues so the coales of wrath and the stifling fumes of choaking enuie do remoue and exterminate the diuine sweetnesse of Christian peace and quietnesse Whence is that of Chysologus Haeretici in ira Christiani in pace Simeon is glad Herod is troubled the sheepe of Christ are quiet Wolues are inraged the Angels reioyce and are exalted the Diuels tremble and are confounded The Arke of Gods Church is safe and lyeth at Anchor the barke of Infidels floates and lies in continuall danger I remember in the reigne of Selymus when a Persian Embassadour came to entreate peace of the Turkes a desperate fellow discharged a shot and would haue slaine him being taken and examined hee neuer changed countenance but replyed hee was an enemie to his Lord and most vnworthy any peace the like answer shall be giuen to the wicked when they seeke for peace and the Lord will sweare they shall not enter into his rest Looke vpon the troubles of their heart and consider their manifold distractions who is able to expresse the stroakes and the scourges the wounds and the torments that make them bleede within the furies that haunt their breast and twine as snakes about them the seuerall pleits of the writhen thoughts and perplexed cogitations They are cursed in the field and cursed in the Citie cursed in the fruit of their land and cursed in the fruit of their bodie their children perish and neuer behold the Sunne their cattell are smote with lightning and their flocks of sheepe with hot thunderbolts their vineyards are destroyed with hailestones and their mulbertie trees with frosts the Caterpiller eates their grasse and the Grashopper their labour the Lord doth smite them with Feuers and Agues and blastings and mildewes and neuer leaue till they be destroyed the Lord doth cast vpon them the furiousnesse of his wrath trouble and displeasure with the immission of diuels and incursion of euill spirits For they are enemies of God and most vnworthy of this peace that peace which is here published and confined to his seruants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To men of good will Not to men of good vnderstanding onely For knowledge puffes vp but to men of good will For charitie buildes vp Not to men of good deeds onely for sometimes they may bee hypocriticall and Pharisaicall but to men of good will for they are perfect and Angelicall Such as embrace Christ willingly and receiue his word ioyfully with true loue and hearty deuotion These are quadrati lapides as Saint Austin square stones that neuer fall howsoeuer they be turned Their life is like the breeding of those Halciones which makes their nest in the sea as long as the one liues the other breeds there is a great calme and wonderfull serennitie Beware then of enuie and the Lord deliuer vs from hatred malice and all vncharitablenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil as God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God so the Diuell is hatred and he that abideth in hatred abideth in the Diuell O yee that feele the arrowes of God sticke fast in you returne into your hearts and examine your consciences see whether your will bee good or bad rectified or depraued If the Lord make way to his indignation and giue your life to the destroyer if your riuers be dryed vp and your waters turned into bloud if the heauens bee as brasse ouer your head and the earth as iron vnder your feete if yee haue dust for raine for dew ashes if your sheepe be giuen to the enemy and your labour to the stranger if your hearts boyle with anguish and the sorrowes of death compasse you round about thinke it is for lacke of this good will because yee haue not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards your maker good will towards your neighbour If yee had good will ye would not be so much disquieted They are men of good will that are the vessels of peace and the subiect of this blessing and the good will that dwelt in the bush will dwell in none but such as haue good will In this God is like that Romane Emperour Odit pallidos macilentos His soule doth abhorre such as are leane with enuie and pale with malicious wickednesse O that diuine charity were shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and the vertue thereof spread as a veine through the body of our Church O that our soules were as the Pallace of Salomon and the midst thereof paued with loue toward the daughters of Hierusalem Then would the Lord couer vs all the day long and we shall dwell in safetie then would hee lie betweene our shoulders and wee should be as Ioseph that was separate from his brethren Beloued I may say of these breasts as Christ doth of the Churches Meliora vino â—bera Thy breasts are more pleasant then wine The breasts of pietie and deuotion the breasts of mercie and compassion the breasts of true loue and Christian affection I would to God I could see them run and flow as spouts and conduicts in the midst of your habitations And me thinks I do to the honour of God and the abundant increase of your rest and quietnes Yet this is not enough vnlesse yee adde bowels vnto breasts breasts will soone dry vp if they bee not fed with the melting of our bowels and therefore saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put yee on the bowels of compassion that as Christ was inuested in our flesh so we might be inurserated with his bowels the tender bowels of mercie louing kindnes If thy heart rise against thy neighbour remember the peace thou hast with God if thy soule delight in honour think of the glory that is giuen to the Lord. Non venit Dominus vt impleret aqua Hydrias sed vt animas spiritus sancti gratia irrigaret saith Ambrosius the Lord is not come to fill our water pots with wine but to water the soules of men with the graces of his spirit that we might haue peace with our selues good will towards others and the sacrifice of praise for him that dwelleth in the highest Neuer was that of the Psalmist more fitly vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the heauens reioyce and the earth be glad Let the earth be glad for there is peace in it Let the heauens reioyce for there is glorie in the highest Let the earth be glad for hee that was heauenly was made earthly Let the heauens reioyce for he that is earthly was and is heauenly and let both take vp that which the Angels sung vnto the sheepheards Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men when the Angels sang Christ was naked on the earth now we sing he is glorious in the heauens Therefore doth our solemnitie exceed theirs and we may better say Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I reade of one Pope that would haue none reade this verse but onely the Priests but we know that all the elect are Kings and Priests to God A royall Priesthood a holy Nation purchased redeemed with his bloud and therfore let vs ioyne in this dochologie and neuer rest saying Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I will shut vp all in that closure of the Apostle Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and the Spirit bee in honour and glorie in the earth as it is in heauen till the earth mooue and the heauens forget their motion Amen Amen FINIS
blacknesse of our nature the sacred Vnion and Sacramentall coalition of God and man Christ his Church in the cords of loue and the bands of mercie for there is no similitude able to reach the depth hereof shee will euer be in his sight he will euer be in her thoughts shee will be engrauened in the palmes of his hands he will be placed as the signet of her arme Shall I tell you the claime of this interest it is Loue for that was strong as death and cruell as the graue he spared not his life vnto death but gaue it as a ransome for the sinnes of many and sealed it with his bloud crying to her as Galba to his souldiers Ego vester vos mihi I am wholly deuoted vnto you you are wholly deuoted vnto me therefore will hee bee as a seale on her heart and as a signet on her arme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put me as a seale on thy heart and as a signet on thy arme The words of the Text are as a sacred armorie where you haue a shield for the hand and a couer for the heart or as an heauenly wardrobe where me thinkes I see the cloake and the ring which Iudah left with Tamar the ratification and assurance of spirituall grace and euerlasting holinesse they hold some Analogie with the offices of state the seale and the signet here is a seale a broad seale for the largenesse of our hearts Put me as a seale on thy heart here is a signet a little signet for the roundnesse of our armes As a signet on thine arme Pauca at salutaria expedita at sancta as we reade in Saluianus short and holy few and wholesome breefe in words and precept but in sence durable and permanent That which I shall punctually distinguish vnto you is first the habit and ornament of the Church that is Christ and his righteousnesse implyed in the affixe of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put me or set me Secondly the Part and the Subiect to be adorned that is the heart and the arme Put me on thy heart and on thine arme Thirdly the figure and semblance that is a seale or a signet Put me as a seale on thy heart and as a signet on thy arme Last of all the superinduction with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall which is vpon or the circumposition with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint which is about Put me as a seale on thy heart and a signet about thine arme All this is gathered and recapitulated in that of Paul to the Romans Put ye on Christ Iesus and take no care for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof But more perfectly in the same Apostle to his Corinthians Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your soules for they are his He will be on thy heart by Faith and Truth and inward sanctification he will be on thy arme by loue and holinesse and outward manifestation He will be here and he will be there as a seale or a signet that bearing the markes of Christ Iesus in our bodies wee may be like those thousands of Israel who were sealed in their fore-heads sealed and selected vnto the Lord against the day of our redemption Put him on thy heart for he is the wisedome of God Put him on thy arme for he is the power of God Put him on thy heart for he is the life of thy soule Put him on thy arme for he is the strength of thy flesh Put him on thy heart for he is the onely begotten Sonne of God who liueth in the bosome of his Father Put him on thy arme for he is the mighty Redeemer of the world that sitteth on the right hand of God in the glorie of the Father Put him on thy arme that he may direct thine actions Put him on thy heart that he may settle thy affections Put him as a seale and signet on both that he may know thee for his owne and bind thee to himselfe with an euerlasting couenant Quid enim prodest si Deum gestamus in fronte vitia in animo recondamus as Saint Augustine hath obserued What auailes it to haue God in the fore-head so we treasure vp wickednesse in the conscience If he be on thy heart by studie and meditation he will learne thee knowledge and make thee vnderstand the mysteries of his crosse and the righteousnesse of his kingdome If he be on thine arme for practice and imitation he will order thy goings and make thee delight in the way of truth and the custodie of his precepts If he be as a seale on the doore of thy heart and the posts of thy arme thou shalt not onely escape the punishment of the destroying Angell but exalt thy horne and triumph with the Lord and reioyce exceedingly in the power and glorie of his saluation Thus doth God call vpon vs but it is for our good and comfort There is much pleasure in that we loue though sometime absent but then is our ioy full and there is life in it when that we loue is at hand and present Therefore will he be in oculis in osculis as the signet of our arme for sight and presence as the seale of our hearts for delight and remembrance Put me as a seale on thy heart and as a signet on thine arme Hitherto wee haue lookt vpon the words of the Text as so many coynes of gold siluer I shall now put them in the ballance of the Sanctuarie and take their seuerall value that so I may proceed to my first obseruation Christ and his righteousnesse implyed in the affixe of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put me or set me Some play the Criticks and would haue the Church to speake vnto Christ not Christ to the Church because the affixe is not masculine but of the seminine gender indeed if points and vowels had bene equall with the Originall and not inuented after by the Iewish Rabbins they might deserue hearing but since it is otherwise our safest course is to run with the Fathers I meane Theodoret and the rest who make Christ the spokesman and that for himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put me and set me Great and wonderfull is the beautie of the creature such as might bewitch the heart of man with the inchanting cup of deceitfull vanitie but whether yee looke vpon the brightnesse of the starres whether ye behold the glorie of the Angels whether ye consider the treasures of the deepe whether ye admire the power of the elements from the center of the earth to the circle of the heauens there is nothing ought to be as a crowne to vs saue that gracious light which shined to Moses in the bush and sate in the Tabernacle amidst the golden Cherubins It is the word of Christ must be as the iewell of our eares it is the yoke of Christ must be as the chaine of our necks
on for the consummation of our glorie There we find his patience here we find his perseuerance euery where the oyle of ioy and of gladnesse whereupon saith Bernard Nemo saluus quanto minus saluator There is none can be saued much lesse a Sauiour without the constancie of perseuerance Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and ride on Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and begin what thou hast to do Ride on with thine honour and finish what thou hast began It is thy promise that doth bind thee and thy word that doth excite thee a word of truth that shewes vs thy precepts a word of meeknesse that forgiues our iniquities a word of righteousnesse that purifies the conscience Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse These are the drops of raine from aboue which I desire may fall gently into yoursoules as into a fleece of wooll with facilitie of patience and humilitie of deuotion Good lucke haue you in hearing good lucke haue I in speaking from him that rideth on the circle of the heauens and is now drawne throughout the whole world on the foure Euangelists that triumphant chariot the chariot of the Gospell And so I begin with my first obseruation and take the Omen of my text Fortunam Domini cantare nobile regnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good lucke haue thou with thine honour That inscription of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good fortune which Demosthenes bare on his shield Christ bore in his cradle and the starre that shined at his birth was auspicious through the whole course of his life it brought him to honour it kept him in honour and made him triumph gloriously ouer the whole power of the enemie for what is the magnificence of humane greatnesse without the assurance of diuine goodnesse but as Saluianus notes Sine medulla corpus as flesh with our life or bones without marrow Many refuse to be great none to be fortunate Marke the speech of Baiazet the fourth when his sonne was taken captiue and one of his chiefest Cities ransackt by the enemie he enuies the condition of a heard and his discontent breakes forth as lightning O happie sheepe heard that hast neither Orthobules nor Sebastia to loose And therefore I the lesse maruell what Saint Austin notes among the Romanes that when they built temples on to their Images and deified their seuerall powers they all giue place to Felicitie as Queene and Empresse among the gods of the Nations and Idols of the heathen for it is the dew of heauenly grace and coelestiall benediction that must crowne and establish not onely the labours and designes of mans wit and humane inuention but the highest aduancements and greatest preferments wee can sustaine You may compare it to that siluer cup which Ioseph put into the mouth of Beniamins sacke all the sonnes of Iacob returned laden from Aegypt with come and money in their sacks onely Beniamin had the cup as a singular pledge of his brothers fauour And though many reioyce for the corne and the wine and the oyle that hath increast yet this grace cup whether you terme it scyphum gratiae a cup of grace with Ambrose ore calicem benedictionis a cup of blessing with the Apostle this siluer cup this grace cup is still kept for Beniamin the sonnes of God and the children of his right hand that grow and flourish vnder the wing and shadow of his protection Great was the honour of Christ in regard of his threefold vnction he was annointed as a Prophet and spake as neuer man did he was annointed as a Priest and layd the holo caust of his bodie vpon the altar of his crosse he was annointed as a King and now sits regnant on the hill of Sion the house of Iacob the throne of Dauid hauing receiued all power both in heauen and earth by donation from the Father Yea saith Bernard Pretiosi magis panni saluatoris The robes of Kings are not to be compared with the raggs of Christ nor the throne of Princes with the crosse of our Sauiour There is more honour in the nayles of his crosse then in the pearles of their crownes that mannage the scepters of diuers Nations and mighty kingdomes But whether his arme be full of strength or his lippes be full of grace or his soule be full of knowledge or his flesh be full of glorie the ground is taken from the Prophet Quia Deus in eternum benedixit Because God hath blessed him for euer Full of grace are thy lippes because God hath blessed thee for euer And therefore let vs beseech our heauenly Father as the daughter of Caleb did her earthly father that he would giue vnto vs the springs aboue as well as the springs beneath that irriguum inferius of humane grace and temporall happinesse that irriguum superius of diuine grace and spirituall blessednesse wrestling with God as Iacob with the Angell till he blesse vs and make a vnion of that double character Traiano melior Augusto foelicior the vertue of Traian with the fortune of Augustus Non te demittam nisi benedixeris I will not let thee go except thou blesse me Yet let me not confine the honour of Christ to any particulars when he was lifted on a throne the whole Temple was full of his glorie and if wee desire to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and the bredth the height and the depth thereof wee must take the wings of the morning and flie to the vttermost parts of the earth the height reacheth vp to the clouds the depth pearceth below the center the length stretcheth from one generation to another the bredth extends from the riuer to the sea and from the sea to the worlds end But that which is here chiefly entended is militarie and Thriambeuticall like that of Knighthood and chiualry got as if it were in the field by the strength of his arme and the power of his owne right hand the triumphant honour of his glorious victorie ouer death hell world and the diuell When he was lifted from the earth and drew all things vnto him when he entred the strong mans house and tooke away his prisoners and smote Goliah with his owne sword and deliuered the prey from the iawes of the enemie when he destroyed the kingdome of Satan and bare away those gates of brasse vpon his shoulders and trode the wine-presse and came victoriously from Edom with his garments red from Bozrah leauing this encouragement to all posteritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of good cheere my friends I haue ouercome the world Beloued Christians that stand in the Courts of Ierusalem to behold the faire beautie of the Lord and to admire his glorie What greater honour then to smite his enemies on the cheeke bone and to drowne Pharoh and his chariots in the sea To cast the Dragon and his Angels into the bottomlesse pit of
one shewes the greatnesse of his Maiestie the other shewes the obedience of his ministry whilst hee takes the censure of his flesh and fills it with the coales of the altar and presents the supplications of his Church and makes the smoake of those spirituall odours ascend before the Lord as from the hand of an Angell O the gracious entrance of our triumphant Sauiour into that heauenly tabernacle before hee was from the earth earthly now hee is from heauen heauenly There be heauens corporall there hee is by the presence of his body there bee heauens mysticall there hee is by the influence of his Spirit For the soule of euery Christian may bee likened vnto heauen in the corporall heauens yee haue a Sunne to giue light in the mysticall heauens yee haue Christ to bee your guide in the corporall yee haue Starres that shine by night in the mysticall ye haue vertues eminent and conspicuous that shine in the night of aduersitie and the darknesse of tribulation in the corporall yee haue continuall serenitie in the mysticall perfect tranquilitie in the corporall ye haue an extension of parts in the mysticall of charitie the loue of God being spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and our bowels yearning with mercy and compassion towards the afflictions of our brethren So that God is still in the holy place there will he dwell there is his rest for euer Though we seldome frequent the place of his Sanctuary some perhaps once a yeare as the high Priests did the inward Tabernacle some perhaps once in their liues as Christ did this heauenly Tabernacle yea I feare many leaue the holy place and choose places most vnholy and defiled defiled with superstition and idolatrie defiled with riot and luxurie defiled with extorsion and crueltie defiled with vncleannesse and impuritie where the Sunne may scarce peepe without feare of darkening or the light without danger of infection O the deplored estate and lamentable condition of spirituall Gadarens and Daemoniacall Christians that abide in graues and lie as it were in the deepe of hell that sticke in the mire and clay or rather in the sinke and iakes of abhominable pollutions and Heliogabalian filthines How do they depart from the liuing God and forget the footsteps of their Sauiour The place where he goes is holy the ground where hee stands holy and as hee is holy in his words so is hee holy in his wayes O let there not bee such a distance betwixt head and members lift vp your heads raise vp your thoughts though your bodies lie on the earth let your soules be in heauen nay be yee a heauen vpon earth shining with truth establisht with hope adorned with righteousnesse extended with lour hung and spread with those gracious clouds of knowledge and instruction that Christ may bring his Father and come into your holy place and cast out the bond woman and take his rest as in a sanctuarie Vbi habitabo saith Austin in the name of God Where shall I dwell Dost thou thinke I will abide in the ruinous building of thy collapsed nature and depraued affections or in the sordid building of thy staind actions and wicked pollutions Surely no I looke my house should be cleane swept and garnisht with the flowers of vertue as the Diamond or the Carbuncle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nyssen he that is Lord of honour and glory will not bee owner of that which is dishonourable and inglorious If hee would not suffer the vncleane spirits to name him hee shall not suffer the vncleane men to enioy him they cryed and were rebuked if they cry they may bee refused Awake then and consider whose temples yee are this is the will of God euen your sanctification This is the will of God euen your glorification O my brethren me thinkes I see the names of all that stand before me written in the booke of life and I seeme to reade through that sea of glasse the diuine pedegree of your sacred race and heauenly genealogie There is Abraham your Father and Isaac his sonne or rather Iacob to whom the promises were made yea there is God your Father in whom all the families of heauen and earth are named and Christ his Sonne flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone together with that Spirit by whose grace we are knit and linkt in one fellowship and communion there is the ring and the robe which the Angells which bee his seruants shall cast vpon vs the ring of endlesse blisse and interminate happinesse the robe of perfect iustice and immortall holinesse Why do not we mooue as the clouds and flie as the Doues vnto our windowes Why is not our heart together with our treasure nay with our flesh and with our bloud with our strength and with our glorie He is gone before that we may follow after first by contemplation then by conuersation till at length we be inducted into mount Sion the blessed Temple of our spirituall Ierusalem hauing not onely quiet and peaceable but actuall and corporall possession Now we haue Ius ad rem then wee shall Ius in re Now wee are inuested with right and power then we shall be superinuested with immortalitie and honour like those blessed Elders that worshipt the Lambe which doth wipe all teares from their eyes and guide them to those fountaines of liuing waters Did wee consider how great and excellent things God hath promist to all that loue him in the heauens our hearts would bee turned and set more by the holy place then by the honourable place or the place of custome and of sweetnes or the place of maiestie and of greatnesse there is the flower of wheate and the abundance of delight Riuers of oyle and flouds of peace in comparison whereof our ioy is heauinesse our fulnesse vacuitie our pleasure bitternesse our riches pouertie our beautie ashes our comelinesse deformitie It is Dauids note that God hath set the wicked as a wheele and the reason is giuen by a learned Father Anterius cadit posterius eleuatur The former part turnes downe the hinder part turnes vp so they incline and how downe towards the glorious brightnes of that which is before and permanent but rise are lifted vp towards the emptie shadow of that which is past and transient let them be as a wheele so wee be as a Chariot or an Eagle mounted and soaring towards the place of vision where Christ sits in the glorie of the Father Sequar illum quem mea occidit tarditas was the speech of Cassius when Brutus had bene slaine by the stay of his aide and the negligence of his armie I will follow him that my slownesse hath put to death They are our sinnes that haue put Christ to death the slownesse and backwardnesse of our hearts and vnderstandings to do any thing that is good O let vs follow him in the bearing of his crosse and the entrance of his glorie Sequar eum quem mea
occidit prauitas I will follow him whom my sinnes hath put to death but his owne power hath raised to life that he may triumph and be exalted and seeme wonderfull in the holy places by working our peace and obtaining our redemption which is the fruite and benefit of all our trauell and expects the short continuance of our frailtie and patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing found an eternall redemption for vs. Sinne is the aduersary that deliuered man bound to God as to the Iudge God the Iudge that deliuered man bound to Satan as to the Iaylour Hee was bound to the diuell in the seruice of vnrighteousnesse he was bound to God for the punishment of his transgressions but now hee is redeemed from both and this stands as the Schooles note in the price and the solution the price the bloud of Christ the solution at the death of Christ In that he died we haue the ransome of our sinnes in that he died but once we haue the sufficiency of that ransome for with him there is plenteous redemption and for vs eternall redemption Eternall in respect of Gods decree which is before time Eternall in respect of those which are redeemed they are immortall spirits Eternall in respect of the worke it selfe which is perfect and absolute neuer to bee abolisht or renewed From the bricke and the clay of foule acts and more then Aegyptian seruitude but the originall is more Emphaticall then our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hauing found an euerlasting redemption Whereby we vnderstand that it was sought with paine and griefe and sorrow and trauell vnder the heauie yoke of his intollerable crosse and vnsupportable agonie yet so little doth he esteeme whatsoeuer he endures that he counts that found which he dearely bought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hauing found an euerlasting redemption Which indeed is full of comfort and sounds as musicke to the eare for as in a chaine hee that takes the first linke drawes on all the rest so in the golden chaine of our saluation redemption is that which drawes on all the rest if we be redeemed we shall be iustified if we be iustified we shall be sanctified if we be sanctified we shall be glorified so that to be redeemed is all that can bee imagined to escape the feare of death to receiue a crowne of life to put on white robes to iudge the Tribes of Israel and to possesse that which is farre more excellent aeternum gloriae pondus an eternall weight of glory It is like a cluster of grapes where all the benefits of Christs death and mans safetie are heaped and treasured vp together and therefore saith Chrysologus Plura nobis parta c. Wee got more by the tree of the crosse then euer wee lost by the tree of Paradise What shall I mention the dreame of Saint Origen That promiseth redemption after a thousand yeares to the diuell and his Angels Sure I am it is for vs and that it is for vs alone is manifest by his incarnation for that is redeemed which at first was assumed hee tooke not the Angels but the seede of Abraham and therefore hee saues not the Angels but the seede of Abraham Wee are the heritage which he redeemed with his pretious bloud agreeable to that of Fulgentius Id solum in corpore regnantium quod praecessit in capite ad coelum Wee that receiue his word beleeue his promises admire his loue embrace his mercies crying with these soules vnder the altar to him that was made a sacrifice vpon the altar how long sweet Iesu Holy and true wilt not thou auenge our bloud vpon those which dwell vpon the earth I know not how this moues you mee thinkes it should worke vpon the sencelesse creature and rayse vp children vnto Abraham from the very stones or rather praise and glory thankes and honour to the God of Abraham from the stonie hearts of most obstinate and rebellious children If Galen made profession when he lookt vpon man in his first creation that if all the members of his body had bene tongues they would not haue bene sufficient to expresse the glory of the Lord how should wee magnifie the goodnesse of our Sauiour that beheld man in his second creation deliuered from the bondage of sin and translated into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God redeemed from the curse of the Law and cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus That so he may shine as the stars of heauen in those euerlasting spheeres of safetie protection When Flaminius had deliuered many Cities of the Grecians and made open Proclamation of their libertie they lifted vp their voyces and cryed for ioy till the birds of the ayre were astonied and fell dead before them See beloued here is a generall Proclamation of saftie and redemption not from the Consull of the Romanes but from the Doctor of the Gentiles not to the Cities of Greece or the inhabitants of Iudea onely but to all the Nations and countries vnder heauen bond and free Iew and Gentile they are all deliuered and haue receiued vnfranchisement from their spirituall captiuitie O that our hearts were enlarged rowards God and the loud shout of our spirituall reioycings and doubled Haleluiahs might be as a clap of thunder to fright the Prince of the ayre and flat the top of vaine thoughts and proud imaginations that nestle in the clouds till they sinke and lie dead before vs. I wish that of Bernard might be an incentiue to your deuotion and blow the coales of true loue and Christian pietie in all that heare me Quam bonus suauis es Domine Iesu c. O sweet Iesu how good and pleasant art thou to all that seeke thee The Redeemer of such as are lost the Sauiour of those that are redeemed the hope of such as wander the helpe of those which labour the comfort and refreshing of euery bleeding soule that runnes after thee in the sweate of teares and the painefull anguish of their crosse and miserie Great is thy name and most worthy to be praised and let all the creatures both in heauen and earth giue thankes vnto thee for the humilitie of thy passion the glory of thy exaltation the might and power of thy victorious triumph and euerlasting redemption Thou hast saued vs from death and installed vs in the holy place that we may stand before thee and draw neare with boldnesse vnto the throne of Grace not with a few peeces of siluer as the Iewes bought thee but with many drops of bloud spilt vpon the earth This is it that dies our robes and turnes our sackcloth into scarlet that annoints our soules and makes vs Kings and Priests to God the Father or rather a sanctuarie of his Spirit and liuing temples of the holy Ghost What remaines but since he hath giuen himselfe for vs wee giue our selues to him our soules which he hath redeemed our bodies which he hath sanctified O yee house of Iudah
time yee should awake and returne with the Shunamite I would to God yee were as those Switzers who are ready to serue for the best pay If Satan bee able to giue more follow him If Satan be able to promise more follow him Quis fascinauit Who is it that hath bewitched you as the Apostle writeth to the Galatians had ye rather eate huskes and feede swine with the prodigall then haue bread enough and sit at table with the children Had yee rather lie in hell as sheepe that death may gnaw vpon you then raigne in heauen as Iudges that life may abide in you By how much it is better to sit in a throne and iudge the tribes of Israel then to stand at the barre and here the sentence of condemnation by so much is it more safe and comfortable to follow God then man Christ then Belial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazian Let vs flie the world and the Prince thereof but seeke Christ and sticke vnto his mercie the exhortation is enforced by that of Ambrose teneat clauus si reuocat infirmitas If the weaknesse of our flesh and the infirmitie of our nature draw vs from him let the remembrance of his death and the nayles of his crosse pin vs to him Who could make vs but hee who did saue vs but hee who but hee shall adorne vs with his grace and crowne vs with his glorie set vs in his presence where there is fulnesse of ioy and place vs at his right hand where there are pleasures for euermore how can yee neglect so great saluation how can ye leaue so great felicitie ye haue seene his starre in the East and hee that bringeth light out of darkenesse hath shined in your hearts to the light of knowledge in the face of Christ Iesus There is no excuse left but the stay of his promise and the expectation of his goodnesse that it is not yet but shall be hereafter in the second birth of the whole vniuerse which is the terme and point of this complement and perfection My last circumstance that knocks at the doore of your hearts and eares to keepe them open It is stored of a Romane that he neuer beheld the rubbish of old marble or lookt vpon the ruines of any ancient building but he wept and cryed Recordatione temporum meliorum ploro I grieue and lament to thinke of the dayes which are gone and past But wee are contrary and as he lookt backe with griefe and sorrow on that which is past so wee looke forward with ioy and comfort towards that which is to come the changing of our flesh the instauration of our nature the renewing of the world the transformation of the elements when the creature that trauels and groanes vnto this present shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption for then it is wee must enioy the right and seate of Iudicature and prehemmence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the regeneration Which some call the resurrection others call the redemption of our bodies when mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life and this corruptible shall put on incorruption For the first generation and birth of man is when hee comes into the world the second generation and birth of man is when hee is raised out of the world and taken into heauen Ad contemplandum lumen aeternitatis as Saint Gregorie speakes to contemplate the Lord and to behold eternitie and as there is a regeneration of the inward man after the image of God by grace and faith in the bloud of Christ and the lauour of Baptisme termed by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lauour of regeneration where he is begot of the immortall seede and borne as it were anew of water and the spirit so must there be a regeneration of the outward man by the power of God Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body which extends to euery creature sublunarie as the elements coelestiall as the heauens Behold saith God I create a new earth and a new heauen Behold saith Iohn I see a new earth and a new heauen So that we may boldly cry with Peter Expectamus nouos coelos We looke for a new earth and a new heauen according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse For he shall change them and they shall be changed the earth shall be changed and cloathed with beautie the aire shall be changed and purged from obscuritie the fire shall be changed that is do not consume the water shall be changed that it do not putrifie the heauens shall be changed for they shall rest from motion and receiue a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie the Sunne shall stand in the East and the Moone in the West where first they were created that wee may behold the faire beautie of the Lord and looke vpon his Sonne in a throne of glorie Sonne of God and yet Sonne of man for hee shall iudge as hee was iudged and returne in the same forme wherein he was despised that euery eye may see whom they pierst and be not affraid of him they crucified for the greatnesse of his power and the brightnesse of his presence Quid facturus saith that notable Moralist if his enemies went backe and fell to the ground when he came in weakenesse and humilitie to be iudged how shall they start and bee confounded when he comes in power and maiesty to iudge the world and to pronounce the sentence of condemnation against euery cursed malefactor Foelix trembled at the mention of it and these vnhappy Foelixes shall neuer be able to abide the sight of his glorious throne enuironed with a guard of heauenly souldiers At length wee see what our hope is and when it shall be reuealed not before the day of iudgement and the coming of our Sauiour Beware then lest yee bee ouer hastie to iudge before your time I speake onely of priuate censure vncharitable suspition malicious calumnie spightfull detraction which is not iudicium but praeiudicium not iudgement but preiudice Eagle-sighted in the faults of others and ready to sticke as flies in the sores and vlcers of their griefes and infirmities As for that golden pillar of publike iudicature The ground and basis of regular states and well ordered kingdomes it is strengthened in my text and ministerially with subordination deriued to such as are Apostolique For if wee shall iudge the tribes of Israel and the families of the earth nay the whole world together with the blessed Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much rather smaller things and such as pertaine vnto life the argument is not humane but diuine drawne from the mouth and pen of that great Doctor and vessell of election in the sixt Chapter and the first Epistle to the Corinthians Where hee speakes inclusiuely and makes himselfe a Iudge as well of things temporall as of things eternall and let all such as hold the sonnes of Zadocke most vnworthy of all iusticiarie function
thirsteth in the midst of waters but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come into the ioy of thy Master and take part of it with delight and satisfaction as one that doth feele and tast how good the Lord is Thus doth one deepe call vpon another Abyssus luminosa abyssum tenebrosam The depth of light and claritie vpon the depth of blindnesse and obscurity the depth of power and maiestie vpon the depth of weaknesse and humilitie the depth of goodnesse and mercie vpon the depth of wretchednesse and misery And all this for the noise of the water pipes which is nothing but the sound and the cry of repentance and humilitie Hee sware vnto the generation of our fathers they should neuer enter into his rest because they prouoked him in the wildernes Hee saith onely to the generation of their children they shall enter into his rest If they obey his precepts What is his word as good as his oath yes when he that speaketh is truth it selfe and he sweareth that hath none greater then himselfe For his passion was our redemption and if I may vse the words of Bernard Clauus penetrans clauis aperiens The nayles that fastned him to the crosse the speare that ran him through the lance that opened his side the iron that went into his soule is made a key to vnlocke heauen and to make vs enter Therefore do wee sing triumphantly in the Churches Liturgie When thou hadst ouecome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers Agreeable whereunto is the vision of Saint Iohn I lookt and behold there was a doore opened in the midst of heauen and the first voice I heard was as the sound of a trumpet saying Come vp higher But if God himselfe did not rest the seuenth day before he considered the works of his creation and found them good God saw all that was made loe it was very good Gen. 1. 31. How shall we hope to enter his rest that eternall Sabboth of our bodies and our spirits before we haue done some good examined our hearts tried our faith prooued our workes and found some goodnesse in the midst of their imperfections wee may not please God without faith or see God withour holinesse The bridegroome will passe by without notice of vs if wee haue neither faith in our hearts nor oyle in our vessels The oyle of grace the oyle of mercy the oyle of deuotion the oyle of charitie shining and burning to the comfort of our brethren As wisedome doth not enter the house of an euill soule so an euill soule doth not enter the house of wisedome Therefore doth he stand at the doore and knocke with an aperi sponsa aperi columba Open my loue open my done Open to me the gates of righteousnesse that I may open to thee the gates of blessednesse For except your righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharises yee shall neuer enter the kingdome of heauen Looke vpon those Elders which stand before the throne they are clothed with white robes and haue palmes in their hands which is nothing but the flower and beauty of their good workes and Christian pietie It is storied of the Scythians that once a yeare they made a great feast where none may come but such as haue slaine an enemie The feast God makes vs is the ioy of my Text a great feast and in the simplicitie of termes exceeding gaudies but there is no entrance or admission before we haue crucified the body of sinne slaine an enemie sacrificed a rebell yea many enemies and many rebels that fight against the soule by true confession and heartie repentance neuer to be repented of Adiebus Ioannis Baptistae saith Christ Since the time of Iohn Baptist the kingdome of heauen suffers violence Why since the time of Iohn Baptist But onely to shew the vertue of repentance because hee taught repentance and was neuer without a poenitentiam agite in his mouth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Whence is that of Gregorie Rapiamus fletibus quod non debetur meritis Let vs snatch that by force of teares which is not due to the merits of workes If any bee meeke patient humble penitent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ taught in a Sermon vpon the mount theirs is the kingdome of heauen and theirs onely is the kingdome of heauen I know there bee many pretend keyes and would faine leade vs into a fooles paradise by a vaine conceit of their deceitfull merits witnesse that great Clauiger of Rome that vsurpeth all power in heauen and earth as if he alone had the key of Dauid That openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth It is not enough for Christ to loose if hee binde it is not enough for Christ to remit if he retaine it is not enough for Christ to say enter if hee say be gone O the cursed blasphemie of that open sepulchre how doe they spoile God of his naturall right and peculiar iurisdiction And yet they are not the keyes of heauen but of hell which these men keepe abyssi claues as Saint Iohn writes the keyes of that bottomlesse pit where they leade many by the heresie of their doctrine and the impiety of their actions If not by the thunder and lightning of their fierce anathemaes and direfull imprecations It is a pretty story which I read of Pope Leo when he was troubled in conscience and toucht with the remorse for his iniquities his Confessor cheared him vp with a Quid times sancte pater Holy father what makes you affraid Haue not you the keyes of heauen and the merits of Christ at your dispose There is none in the world that hath so great power and command as your selfe O saith Leo know yee not that hee which sells any thing hath no right in that which is sold I feare since wee haue so often sold Christ and his merits we shall haue no right nor interest in them our selues Wretched men that yee are who shall deliuer yee from the body of despaire May we not say to them as Christ did to others in the Gospell Woe be vnto you yee take the keye of knowledge but yee do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid Woe be vnto you ye take vnto you the keyes of heauen but you do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid or rather indeed yee bid all that come at your publike Iubilies as base Hucsters of Gods free mercy in the sale and market of Pardons and Indulgences But howsoeuer these men abuse that power against the truth which is giuen for the truth we are sure Christ hath left keyes with his Church Tibi dabo claues was a grant made to the Apostles in the name of Peter and stands good to euery Minister of the Gospell vnder the broad seale of the Crosse To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen They haue all the
ioy their works are the acts of ioy their thoughts are the springs of ioy their language is the voice of ioy whilst they sing and cry Ioy within the gates of Hierusalem and peace bee on Sion One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord then to liue at ease in the tents of vngodlinesse Can there bee a feast or a bankquet without ioy there shall be the supper of the great King Can there bee a wedding or nuptials without ioy There shall bee the marriage of the Lambe where the Lord shall worke a greater miracle then euer he did in Cana and conuert the teares of outward heuinesse into the wine of inward gladnesse till wee bee drunke with the sweetnesse of his loue and the pleasures of his kingdome hauing as Nyssen writes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sober kind of drunkennesse for if ioy be an act of loue and the effect of charitie as the Schooles haue determined there must needs bee great ioy where there is so great loue perfect ioy where there is perfect charitie ioy in our owne saluation ioy in the felicitie of our brethren whom wee shall loue as our owne soules by the vnitie of the Spirit But we may not thinke to find out the springs of Nilus or the seuerall grounds of these infinite reioycings O that I had a pitcher large enough to draw the well is deepe and my heart is not able to containe much lesse to present you with the ioyes of that heauenly kingdome Helpe mee with your prayers raise mee with your spirits let not the cry of Rome drowne the cry of Ierusalem the one calls to paine and torment the other calls to ioy and comfort the one calls to a Limbus Patrum the other calls to the garden of Eden The one calls to the fire of Purgatory the other calls to the life of glory the one calls to the triall of your workes in imaginary flames the other calls to the crowne of your workes in reall blessednesse and that by the example of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Intra in gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy Here then is one key more to raise our ioy a little higher and that is a relatiue terme Domini gaudium our masters ioy It skils much who is ioyned with vs in the partaking of any good Some had rather die with their friends then liue with their enemies and the poore Indians chose rather to go to hell with their ancestors then to heauen with the Spaniards If then it bee sweet and comfortable to be in ioy what is it to be with our Lord and Gouernour To enter his ioy to eate and drinke with our master at his table and in his kingdome or rather to make him our meate and drinke that is the bread of life and the well-spring of saluation Yet thus doth God intreate his seruants and there is nothing so deare to him but they shall haue part with him His owne ioy his owne secret his owne sweetnesse his owne comfort his owne robe his owne iustice his owne clothing his owne righteousnesse nay his very life and spirit shall be giuen to them as a seale and pledge of extraordinary grace and speciall fauour Much like that of Cyrus though humane resemblances come short of diuine presidents who neuer liked any dish but he sent part to his friends Semesos anseres semesos panes saith my Author sometime the bread himselfe did eate sometime the meate himselfe did tast from his trencher with this kind and friendly salutation Cyrus tibi ista quod ipsi fuerint iucundissima The King sends you this because he likes it best himselfe and holds it choise and daintie It is a small thing for the Saints of God to reioyce vnlesse it bee in the Lord. The ioy of the creature is transient the ioy of the Creator permanent They must partake of their masters ioy and reioyce in that where his soule delighteth Quo gaudet quod praestat the ioy hee giues and the ioy hee takes the ioy he loues and the ioy he is Whereupon saith Bernard Non aurum pollicetur Dominus the Lord doth not promise gold nor siluer or pretious stones but himselfe He will be our ioy and hee will be our comfort our substantiall ioy our euerlasting comfort our solid ioy our euerlasting glorie and the very crowne of our ioycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speakes the giuer of the crowne and the crowne that is giuen the disposer of the treasure and the treasure that is disposed the merchant that sells the pearle and the pearle that is sold by the merchant from whose golden beames and smiling rayes all the creatures in heauen and earth receiue beauty and perfection The reason is taken from that diuine master of humane knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest good is most pleasant and voluptuous in himselfe because most good most blessed most absolute most perfect and as hee reioyceth in himselfe so wee must reioyce in him The vision of his nature the contemplation of his Dietie where there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for euermore It is his brightnesse must clarifie our vnderstanding his goodnesse must sanctifie our affections his fulnesse possesse our hearts and satisfie the vastnesse of our greatest spirits What though Adam were affraid at the voyce of God walking in the garden we shall triumph at the sight of God riding in the heauens Gauâ—isi discipuli viso Domino saith the Euangelist The disciples reioyced when they saw the Lord but the whole world shall be rauished with ioy when they looke vpon Christ not as hee is in his works but as he is in himselfe his Essence his diuinitie with the cleare eyes of loue and knowledge like those creatures in the Apocalyps Which are full of eyes about the throne and amidst the throne about the throne in the sight and comprehension as it were of diuine greatnesse amidst the throne in the tast and fruition of diuine goodnesse O thou bright Sonne of eternall glory that dost create the Saints exhilarate the Elders diaper the heauens serene the elements inspire the Cherubins inflame the Seraphins enlighten the temple of Ierusalem and make glad the Citie of our God thy loue is our ioy thy peace our ioy thine eyes our ioy thy lookes our ioy If thou wert like a bundle of my the in thy sufferings thou art as a heape of Camphire in thy blessings Thou dost cheare vs now but it is imperfectly and as it were by a proxie the proxie of thy creatures the proxie of thy seruants Sometimes the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heauen sometimes by the comfort of friends and the abundance of thy treasure at most by the pretious influence of thy inuisible graces but thou shalt one day cheere vs by thy selfe the maiestie of thy presence the fruition of thy company the vision of thy person the
betwixt the flesh and the Spirit the will and the vnderstanding the reason and the affections that all the powers and faculties of soule and body may agree with a sweet Harmony and gracious consent to serue God in true loue and perfect obedience Thus doth our Lord blesse vs with his peace by the wonderfull expiation of our sinnes and trespasses and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the earth for the earth of our hearts that brought forth thornes and briars doth now abound and flourish with the sauing fruit of truth and holinesse whilst euery one cryeth with the Psalmist Praise thy God ô Ierusalem praise thy God ô Sion which maketh safe the barres of thy gates and blesseth thy children within thee which maketh peace thy borders and doth satisfie thee with the flower of wheate All peace is sweet and acceptable without which spoile and rapine as a wild beast out of the forrest surprizes houses families temples cities and not onely deuoures the habitations of the righteous but subuerts and lays wast the greatest Empires mightiest kingdomes as a desart or a wildernesse But the interior peace which keepeth our hearts and minds in the knowledge and loue of God and exceeds the power of humane vnderstanding is the richest iewell that euer was bestowed vpon the earth Like a bed and palate where the Spouse of Christ may rest with ease and pleasure vntill his second comming O how beautifull are the feete vpon the mountaines of those that bring such tidings that speake comfortably to Hierusalem and say to her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquitie pardoned that shee is iustified by faith and hath peace with God that her righteousnesse is grauen on his fingers and her walls are euer in his sight that hee stands behind the wall of his flesh and hath broken downe the partition wall of her offences That neither height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any other creature is able to separate her from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Were this peace finished where it is begun we should haue a terrestriall Paradise and a heauen vpon earth but that which is imperfect in our trauell shall be perfect in our country that we may esteeme it as a pledge of future glory and not inuert the method of the Angels like those in Bernard who seeke peace in heauen and glory on the earth till they loose both peace and glory For it is peace that is our inheritance on the earth and that which followes her immoueable center as motion heauen is the tranquillity of rest holines Though Christ might haue promised many things to his Disciples and giuen them power ouer kingdomes and nations as well as ouer serpents and scorpions yet all that hee sayes vnto them is In me pacem habituri In mee yee shall haue peace as if this alone were able to counterpoize and weigh downe all the miseries and afflictions and calamities and persecutions and disgraces and reuilings that euer the world might cast vpon them That counsell of Seuerus was good vnto his souldiers In vobis pacem caeteros despicite So ye agree among your selues ye may despise the threats of your enemies and it must needs aduantage true Christians In vobis pacem caeteros despicite haue peace among your selues or rather with God and neuer feare what the Diuell or man can do against you Beware then lest at any time ye forgoe this peace yet if yee will not bee pacifici yet be pacati If ye will not make peace with others yet take peace vnto your selues from God and his Ministers that yee bee not as those against whom the Disciples shooke off the dust of their feete and left them in their wickednesse Seeke this peace loue this peace pray for this peace long for this peace keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace that as Christ is knit to vs in the vnitie of person we may be knit to him in the vnitie of profession O my brethren yee are the sonnes of peace and the heires of peace by the gracious visitation of our heauenly Salomon Christ Iesus his cradle his infancy his weaknesse his pouerty his exhibition to sheepeheards ouer their flocks his presentation to Simeon in the midst of the temple are all signes of peace and most infallible tokens of this spirituall tranquillitie Possesse your hearts with peace and your soules with patience peace towards your Maker and peace towards your neighbour Let it rest in your flesh and take sanctuary in the earth of your mortall bodies till yee feele that in your selues which is here published by the Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace As for these who haue neither peace with God nor peace with man but awake his beloued out of sleepe and disturbe the quiet of his Church they are worse then vnbeleeuing Iewes or Iewish souldiers for howsoeuer they cast lots for the garment of our Sauiour they would make no diuision of it but these rend and teare I will not say the garment but the body of Christ which is his Church with open strife and scandalous diuision Persecutor non fregit crura Donatus rupit Ecclesiam saith learned Austin the souldiers would not breake the legs of Christ but Donatus teares the Church of Christ As long as his body hung vpon the crosse among theeues and malefactors it remained whole but when it was receiued by Christians it was rent and torne into many parts and sections Beloued I feare they are more inhumane and intractable then Wolues or Tigres or whatsoeuer is of wild or sauage disposition for all creatures though neuer so fierce were gathered in Noahs arke and met together but these extrauagant Separatists will hardly assemble into the Arke of Christs Church or ioyne together in the vnitie of faith and conformitie of Religion If it bee for lacke of knowledge they are to be pittied if it be for lacke of charitie they are to be condemned And so I leaue them to the act and complement of all that hath bene spoken and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards men Towards men good will Some haue good will without peace they are infortunate and miserable some haue peace without good will they are perfidious and deceitfull but my Text puts both together On the earth peace good will towards men There be that referre this to God and take it for the eternall loue of diuine complacence which moued him first to the worke of our redemption There be that referre it vnto man and make it a limitation of that which goes before reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not peace on earth to men good will but peace on earth to men of good will This is the sence of Austin Bernard Cyprian Ambrose together with the most ancient and learned of the Fathers and may not be refused For howsoeuer