the World are his Trumpettors are his Labourers are his Ambassadors his Messengers of fire are his Angels his ministring Spirits Beares and Lions and Catterpillers and Wormes are the Executioners of his Iustice But Lambes and Doues are the voluntarie instruments of his mercie Nebuchadnezzar burnt the Temple Cyrus did build the Temple Both did the will of God Neyther intended to doe the will of God Both were Gods Seruants in execution neither of both were Gods Seruants in affection Both serued him with the hand neyther with the heart But to be Gods Seruants in affection to God and in protection from God is a singular prerogatiue For if the Seruants of Salomon were happie much more happie are they who serue a greater then Salomon If the Angell in the Reuelation acknowledgeth himselfe to bee the Apostles fellow-Seruant how great an honour is that to bee entertained into such a seruice where the Angels are our fellowes You call me Master saith Christ and you doe well for surely hee doth very ill that hath not Christ for his Master verie Ill indeed since it is mans necessitaled condition to be a Seruant Yee were the Seruants of sinne Rom. 6. 20. Yee are the Seruants of righteousnesse Rom. 6. 22. In both estates still Seruants Yee cannot serue God Mammon two Masters but you must serue God or Mammon one Master We must not halt betwixt God Baal but we must adhere to God or Baal We must eyther serue the Deuill as Simon Magus or wee must serue Christ as Simon Peter It is the percing contemplation of Basil that he enuied the Deuils happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who neyther made vs nor dyed for vs but seekes our bodies destruction and our soules perdition yet hee hath more Seruants then Iesus Christ that came downe from Heauen to redeeme vs and offered vp his bloud to saue vs. It is S. Augustines experience that to serue God is libertie to serue sin is slauery Seruus tot Dominorum quot vitiorum saith the Father a man is a slaue to so many Masters as hee is subiect to vices Many a great man endures Chams Curse he is Seruus Seruorum A Slaue of his Slaues Many a wiseman could not be abused as Herod was by Blastus his Chamberlaine Acts 12. Verse 20. if their owne guiltinesse did not make them feare their owne Seruants He that will not be the Slaue of men let him be the Seruant of God A good conscience is farre richer farre safer then the Brestplate of Aaron or the golden shield of Salomon To draw to a conclusion Will you haue a third rule to know when you are Gods Seruants Behold Simeon earnestly desiring to be with his Lord. Simeon had a patterne of Abrahams seruant Genesis 24. He went along iournie to fetch a Wife for Isaak he laded tenne Camels hee came at euening to the house of Bethuel he would not eate till he had told his errand the next morning hee would goe to his Master Send mee away verse 54. hinder me not verse 56. Send mee away that I may goe to my Master I will not stay tenne dayes for the Damsell not one day to refresh my wearie Camels I came in the euening I will returne the next morning Here is a true Seruant as soone as hee had Rebecca nothing pleased him but to returne to Abraham Here is a Simeon as soone as he had Christ nothing can content him but to returne to God Excellent is the meditation of Cyprian Eius est mortem timere quinon vult ad Christumire That man feares death that feâ—res to come to the Tribunall of Christ. You say you are Gods Seruants you boast of your faith you talke of Heauen let mee see the Caracter of Gods Seruants shew mee the power of your faith Expresse the desire of Heauen There is a secret infidelitie our tongues and hearts are contrarie to feare death and to desire eternall life are things incompatible Volumus ab eo praemijs honorari ad quem venimus inuiti How can we sayth Cyprian hope for Heauens happinesse when we are dragged thither with a fearefull vnwillingnesse God is not bound to make euerie Saul a King that only seekes for his Fathers Asses To conclude if we be Gods Seruants why doe wee feare to goe to God If wee feare to goe to God how are we Gods Seruants Simeon desired to be gone and we will leaue him and so passe from the Seruants condition to the Lords Dominion The Seruant was dutifull and the Lord is powerfull Lord IS the chiefe word in the Text and the chiefe word for the time For we see the Hearse of a dead Lord and we heare the power of a liuing Lord. There are many in earth who are called Lords but they are Lords of earth and those Lords are earth and those Lords must returne to earth as you see this day fulfilled in your eyes He who is the sonne of Ioseph Lord of Egypt the sonne of Iacob Lord of Caaaan who is the sonne of Isaak who is the sonne of Abraham who is the sonne of Nachor who is the sonne of Sem who is the sonne of Noah the sonne of Adam He is the sonne of Dust. There is a Lord of Lords who hath the power of life and death who rayseth out of the dust and setteth with Princes who powreth contempt vpon Princes and layeth their honour in the dust For none of vs saith the Apostle liueth to himselfe and no man dyeth vnto himselfe For whether wee liue wee liue to the Lord and whether we die we die to the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The very word which Simeon vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord sayth Varinus hath reference to a Freeman Master to a Bondman Intimating in the very proprietie of sillables that man is a verie Bondman vnder the despoticall power of God Which principle of Religion the light of Nature seeth In a storme at Sea euery Idolatrous Mariner calls vpon his God In a drought at Land euerie Churle howles vpon his bed euen those who neuer thinke on God in their life will call vnto the Lord for feare of death But by the light of grace Elias in his agonie Ionas in his furie Lord take my life death they desired but death by God permitted The Apostles in their feare Lord saue vs wee perish The thiefe in his paine vpon the Crosse Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome Stephen vnder the stones Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Saul cast downe from his Horse but cast downe lower in his soule Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe Lord Lord is the Eccho of miserie is the suppliant for mercie Saint Basil giues the reason GOD created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward man of the
lachrimas mundi What a madnes is it for men to dote vpon their golden fetters their guilded prison their painted dungeon for euery man to bee his owne Suffâ—nus and like Narcissus to bee enamored of Earth of Dust of Slime of our Bodies of rottennesse and Corruption When the silliest Bird that flyes is not content with a cage of Ivorie In the second sense our life is supposed an exile and we desire to goe into our Countrie Psalme 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee saith Dauid and a Soiourner as all my Fathers were Et ideo tanquam peregrinus ad illam Sanctorum omnium Patriam â—estinabat And therefore sayth Saint Ambrose Dauid made hast to be indenized possessed of the Kingdome of Heauen Why doth the fire moue vpward Why do the stones fal downward Why do the waters glide through rocks of Flint to pay their natural tribute to the Ocean Why doth the Ayre flye froÌ„ the bowels of the earth with shaking of the Worlds foundation But that euery thing moueth impetuously to the Center from whence it was takeÌ„ It is the speculation of Philosophie that Lapis cum stat amouetur That a stone lying stone-still hath notwithstanding a secret motion to the Center It is the subtiltie of the Schoole Aquinas was the Author that whilest wee are in this life wee turne and change as the Moone Quiescimus in desideriis We rest in the desire of rest and yet we haue restlesse desires But in Heauen there is Desideriorum quies the verie Center and quiet of desiring where our desires shall not be satiated but they shall bee satisfied It is the sweete contemplation of Saint Austen Fecisti nos Domine à te inquietum est Cor nostrum donec reuertatur ad te Lord our soules they came from thee and neuer are quiet till they returne vnto thee In the third sense Our life is supposed an Office and place of charge and we must not depart without the leaue of our Superiour Militia est vita hominis super terram Our life saith Iob is a warfare God placed some in the foreward some in the rerâ—ward some in the wings some in the battaile euerie man hath a station and no man must depart without his Dimittis without his Pasport Neyther the light of Nature nor the light of Grace directeth a man in anie case to put out the light of life In the monuments of Heathen History Lucrecia Cato Cleombrotus are honored for their owne dishonor for if Lucrecia was vnchast why is she honored If she were chast why was she murdred Si noÌ„ est illa impudicitia qua inuita comprimitur non est haec iustitia qua casta punitur If it were not want of Chastitie in her that was forced vnwillingly it was want of iustice in her that was slaine vniustly If Cato did well to teare out his owne bowels why did he commaund his sonne his owne bowels to begge his life of Caesar Tantum gloriae ipsius Caesaris invidit hee so much enuied Caesars glorie that hee was transported to vnreasonable furie Cleoâ—brotus read Platos Phoedo vnaduisedly else would he not haue destroyed his bodie to obtaine the soules immortalitie Maiori supplicio afficiendus est desertor vitae quà m desertor militiae hee is more to bee punished that voluntarily forsaketh his life then hee that flyeth from his Captaine and Leader The very light of Nature teacheth that there is more valour to endure a miserable life then to imbrace a wretched death But the light of grace commaunds vs not to kill others much lesse to violate our selues Sampson cannot be excused except by God hee was secretly inspired Nisi quia Spiritus latenter hoc iusserat qui per illum miracula faciebat Except the Spirit of God did secretly inspire him who did miraculously vpon his prayer at his death strengthen him Those sacred Virgins who in the sack of Rome sought to preuent the barbarous Adulterer by a voluntarie murder of themselues committed a certaine sinne to preuent an vncertaine shame Non sit tedio vobis vita vestra siludibrio fuit hostibus castitas vestra O blessed Soules saith Saint Augustine Why should you bee weary of life when your Chastitie was a prey to your enemies How could you endure the shame of the Crosse of Christ that cannot endure the rumours of Pagans There is no shame no sorrow no miserie that should force a Christian to a desperate prevention Consider what Saint Paul Phil. 1. ballanced together I am in a streight betwixt two hauing a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is farre better neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you Quasi sapiens amplectitur mortis lucrum Quasi seruus non refugit vitae obsequium As a wiseman hee desireth death as a seruant he endureth life Will you haue another rule for the act of departing as you had for the time of departing Behold Simeon patient in life patient in death Hee would not liue without a permittis a promise to see Christ hee would not die without a dimittis without a licence to enjoy Christ. Saint Augustine speakes plainely and yet acutely Some men that are crowned with Roses and enioy the Worlds Paradise they desire to liue Some men who are wasted with sorrowes they desire to die Now sayth the Father Si habes vitam in desiderio habe mortem in patientia Habes vitam in patientia si habes mortem in desiderio If you haue life in desire yet die patiently If you haue death in desire yet liue contentedly In summe WHen God will be not troubled to die Till God will be not troubled to liue To be thus prepared Simeon thought it his dutie for he confesses that he is a seruant And you know a seruant comes when his master bids come goes when his master bids goe and therefore it is not Dimitte me let mee depart nor let Simeon depart But let thy seruant depart Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth giue leaue O Lord for thy seruant obeyeth Seruum tuum I Find this title of Seruant giuen to them by God which I am sure neuer intended to serue God Ier. 25. verse 9. Ier. 27. verse 6. Nebuchadnezzar my Seruant Esay 44. verse 28. Cyrus my Shepheard and a Shepheard is a Seruant I find on the contrary that the best Saints of God haue no better title Iosu. 1. 2. Moyses my Seruant is dead Iob 1. 8. Hast thou not considered my Seruant Iob This Contrarietie implie some difficultie If Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus be Gods Seruants what priuiledge is it for Moyses and Iob to bee the Seruants of God One plaine distinction makes a perfect resolution It is one thing to serue God actiuely and another thing to serue God passiuely All the world are Gods Flailes Gods Mallets Gods Scepters of Iron to breake in pieces his enemies as a Potters vessell but some few in
soule God fashioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outward man of the bodie And God ioyned soule and bodie together with an incomprehensible vnion Fire and Water are not so contrarie as flesh and spirit Tell me then what are the strings what the buckles what are the cords of loue what slime of Euphrates what Gumme of Arabia what Cement and Glue doe ioyne an immortall incorporeall insensible soule in a house of Clay in a bodie of earth the most grosse most base most solid element Surely wee are wonderfully made None but God did cōpose vs none but God can preserue vs none but God by his permission or direction ordinarie or extraordinarie administration of second causes can dissolue vs. He with a breath gaue vs breath he with a word takes away our breath and all our thoughts perish Let no Asa trust in his Phisitian no Naamans trust to the Riuers of Damascus no Absolon to the lustre of Beautie no Maximus to the strength of an Elephant no Herod to the flattering clamour of Idolizing People that wee are not men but Gods Those who in regard of their constitutions communicate in the sanguine of the Rose and in the snowie beautie of the Lilly their bodies are sayth Saint Chrysostome but nidus hirundinum A Swallowes nest composed of durt and straw they are no fairer then Ionas Goord a Worme strooke it at the root and the Goord withered The greatest Lord that liues may make King Philips Fable his Motto and Morall Menippus the Satyricall Philosopher meeting Mercurie in the Elizian fields amongst all the ghosts would needs know which was Philip the great King of Macedon Hee quoth Mercurie is Philip of Macedon that hath the bald head Menippus I know him not by this for all their skuls are bald Mercurie Hee which hath a flat nose is Philip of Macedon Menippus Why all haue flat noses Mercurie Hee with the hollow eyes is King Philip of Macedon Menippus Why all haue hollow eyes bare teeth naked ribs open pores disiointed members all are carkasses Mercurie Why then Menippus in death there is no difference betwixt a King and a Beggar We must say that he that was Lord of Salomon the Prince he was Lord of Simeon the Prophet Wee must say with Iob the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away The ballance of life and death in which the highest and lowest are weighed is onely turned by the imperiall hand of God Simeon therefore as in the rest so in this hee is curious to die hee asketh death of him who only hath the power of life and death So absolute a power that as the Psalmist speaketh Dixit facta sunt hee spake the word and all things were made So Dicat non sunt let him speake but a word and all things will bee marde Therefore Simeon to the dutie of a seruant and the power of a Lord addeth Secundum Verbum tuum according to thy Word Knowing that it is the dutie of a seruant to depart at the least word of his Master Secundum Verbum tuum THis clause is plainely interpreted vers 26. Simeon had a reuelation by the holy Ghost that hee should not see death till he had seene Christ. This was Gods word and this was a certaine word but yet looke into this word and for one certainety you shall finde two vncertainties First the Text saith Expectabat consolationem hee expected the consolation of Israel To see Christ he was certaine but when to see Christ hee was vncertaine Againe he was to liue till Christ came that was certaine but whether hee should then immediately die that also was vncertaine Nicephorus saith he dyed presently at that instant But the Scriptures and Apostolicall Fathers are altogether silent therefore it is dangerous to be confident Simeon therefore had an absolute certainty of life no absolute certainty of death No more had Moses and Aaron they were certaine to die and neuer to enter into Canaan but they were not certaine when they should see Canaan from the Mount and so die Hezekiah that was promised fifteene yeeres life must so be vnderstood as he was threatned a present death both condicionall and limited to the order of second causes which haue not in them an absolute necessitie but a voluble contingencie God did not make Hezekiahs body impassible against externall violence nor incorruptible against internall corruption But thus saith the Lord I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares I will adde fifteene yeares of strength I will repaire the defects of nature and extend them to a possibilitie of fifteene yeeres with an implicite condition of thy repentance and so of thy liues continuance Yea to goe a little farther that which Christ said of the day of Iudgement is applyed by the Fathers to the day of death that neither the Angels nor Christ the Lord of Angels doth know that day and houre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee knoweth that saith Nazian as God but as Man he doth not know it I am not ignorant that the Schoole and some of the Fathers doe interpret those wordes in another sense But Bernard Ambrose and Chrysostome doe concurre with Nazian affirming that Christ as man did not know it not because he could not but because he would not Ne eam ignorantiam feramus molestius quaecum Christo Angelis nobis est communis that wee may beare that ignorance patiently which is common to vs with Christ and his Angels Many men I confesse are sicke of lingring consumptions the infallible harbingers of death and yet they are not certaine of the moment of their consumption Many at the beginning of their sicknesse feele in their hearts a presage of their death and yet they languish in hope and know not the certaine houre of their dissolution The generall rule remayneth that Simeon knew not that no man knoweth the place the manner the moment of death First not the place and it is no great matter since Rachel dyed in the high-way aswell as Iezabel in the streets since Iosias and Achab both dyed in the field since Saul and Ionathan dyed both in one battell and their carkases were hung vp as Trophees of a bloudie Victorie in a barbarous Citie Will you heare a Philosophicall comfort Earth you know is the Cēter heauen is the worlds circumference If any man shall draw a Circle with his pen with a point in the middest of the Circle the Circle is equally distant from all points of the Circle vnto the point of the Center There is therefore from all parts of the point and Center of the earth an equall distance to the Circle and Circumference of Heauen What matter therfore though the bodies of the Martyrs were intombed in the entrailes of wilde beasts though their ashes were scattered vpon Rhodanus though their carkases were made a prey to the fowles of heauen What glorie was it to Martials flie though it were buryed in concreted Christall what shame to Naboth though