their tentes about vs and keepe vs in all our wayes Indeed God is able to defend vs himselfe by himselfe thorough his immediate concourse which he hath in all things but to manifest his abundant loue to men which are wormes and rottennes and mere vanity he doth inioyne the pages of his honour princes of his court euen his glorious Angels to become messengers and Ministers for their sakes who shal be heires of saluation that all the time of this life in the houre of death and in the day of iudgement The good which Angels procure to the Saints in this life concerneth either the body or the soule as for the body these ministring spirits attend vs euen from the beginning of our dayes vnto the end most carefully performing all manner of offices appertaining necessarilie to the preseruation of our temporall life When Agar cast out of Abrahams family wandered in the wildernes an Angel appeared vnto her and aduised her to returne to her mistresse and to humble her selfe vnder her hands the reuenging Angels caught and carried Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrha before they did burne those Cities with fire and brimstone Abraham as being assured of the protection of Gods Angels in all his wayes said vnto his seruant the Lord God of heauen who tooke me from my fathers house c. will send his Angel before thee when Iacob feared his brother Esau hee met Angels comming vnto him and thereupon he did acknowledge that they should be his guard in his iourney saying this is Gods host an Angel appeared vnto Duke Iosua when he was about to sacke Iericho with a drawen sword in his hand as a captaine to fight for Israel an Angel comforted and fed Elias when he fled from Iezebel an Angel deliuered the three children out of the fierie furnace Dan. 3. An Angel assisted Daniel in the Lyons denne and kept him also from all manner of hurt Dan. 6. An Angel directed Ioseph to flie into Egypt An Angel ministred vnto Christ in his heauines and in our present text the Lords Angel brought Peter out of prison and deliuered him out of the hands of Herod and from all the waiting of the people of the Iewes Angels procure good vnto the soules of the faithfull illuminando confortando saith Aquine because they be maintainers and furtherers of the true worship of God and of all good meanes whereby saluation is attained The law was deliuered in mount Sina by the hands of Angels an Angel expounded vnto Daniel the 70. weekes an Angel forbids Iohn to worship him and inioyneth him to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth an Angel declared the will of God vnto father Abraham that he should not kill his sonne Isaac an Angel reuealed the mystery of Christs conception vnto the Virgin his mother of Christs birth vnto certaine shepheards in the field attending their flockes by night Luke 2. 10. Of Christs resurrection vnto Mary Magdalen and other deuout women Mat. 28. 5. In a word Angels are pursiuants harbingers and Heralds betwixt heauen and earth alwayes in a readines to make knowne the will of God vnto men In the houre of death Angels conuey the soules of the faithfull as they did the soule of Lazarus into blessed Abrahams bosome And in the day of iudgement they shall gather together all Gods elect from the foure windes and from the one end of heauen vnto the other that they may come before Christ and enter into the fruition of eternall glory both in body and soule The vse of this doctrine is manifold 1. It serues to terrifie the wicked who despise Gods children for so Christ himselfe reasoneth Mat. 18. 10. Despise not one of these little ones because I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alway behold the face of my father It behoues reuiling scoffers therfore to take heed whoÌ„ they mocke for though happily good men called little ones in respect of their innocency and humility for their parts are content to put vp abuses and iniuries yet their Angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them as they did Herod in this Chapter with heauy punishments for their offences 2. This may teach vs humility for if Angels high and holy serue vs let vs not thinke it any bad or base dutie to serue one another in loue 3. Wee may learne from hence to behaue our selues in open and in secret places after a reuerent and seemely manner as being spectacles vnto glorious Angels which are witnesses and obseruers of all our words and deeds To this purpose Paul saith that the woman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels That is not onely the Ministers of the Church but Gods heauenly Angels which daily wait vpon his children and guard them in all their waies 4. This ought to stirre vs vp vnto the Lords praise saying with Dauid Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest so regard and guard him Alas all flesh is grasse and man is like a thing of nought yet behold if hee truely loue God all things are for his good for God is his father the Church his mother Christ his brother the holy Ghost his comforter Angels his attendants all other creatures his subiects the whole world his Inne and heauen his home I will end this obseruation with a meditation of S. Augustine O Lord thou makest thy spirits messengers for my sake to whom thou hast giuen charge ouer me to keepe me in all my waies that I hurt not my foote against a stone For these are the watchmen ouer the walles of the new Hierusalem and of the mountaines about the same which attend and keepe watch ouer the flocke lest he as a Lion make a prey of our soules while there is none to deliuer he I meane that old serpent our aduersary the diuell who walketh about as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure These Citizens of Hierusalem aboue walke with vs in all our wayes they goe in and out with vs diligently considering how godly and how honestly we doe walke in the midst of a naughty and crooked generation how earnestly wee seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of with what feare and trembling we doe serue â—…hee and how our hearts reioyce in thee O Lord those which labour they strengthen those which rest they protect such as fight they encourage they crowne such as ouercome they reioyce with such as reioyce such I meane as reioyce in thee and they suffer with such as suffer I say with such as suffer for thy names sake great is the care which they haue of vs and great is the affection of their loue toward vs and all this for the honour of thine inestimable good will
the fetters from Saint Peters feete and the chaines from his hands it brake thorough the first and second watch and opened an iron gate and so deliuered the seruant of God from the waiting of the Iewes What should I say more prayer is so potent that it raiseth the dead it ouercommeth Angels it casteth out Deuils and that which is yet more wonderfull it mastereth euen God himselfe for when Iacob wrestled with God he said I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me when the Lord said let me goe becommeth it Iacob to say I will not let thee goe yea beloued there be some things wherein the Lord is very well content that his seruants striue with him as namely when they haue his word for their warrant it is a commendable strife to take no refusall at his hand and in effect it is nothing else but a constant affirmation that his truth is inuiolable So the woman of Canaan stroue with Christ shee would take no denyall of that which he had promised and blinde Bartimeus made Christ as he passed in his way to stand still hee could not for the multitude lay hands on him and yet his prayers reached vnto him and held him fast vntill he receiued a comfortable answere receiue thy sight thy faith hath saued thee So when almighty God would haue destroyed his people because they worshipped the golden calse saying these be thy Gods O Israel which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt Moses fell downe on his face before the Lord and prayed vnto his God he stood saith the Psalmist in the gap as a mediatour betweene God and his people to turne away his wrathfull indignation and this prayer was so powerfull as that it constrained the Lord in the midst of his anger to say vnto Moses let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them all the powers of heauen and the crying of all men on earth are not able to hold the Lord from doing any worke he is about to doe for he can measure the waters in his fist and mete heauen with his spanne and weigh the mountaines in scales and the hils in a ballance what soeuer pleaseth him he doth in heauen and in earth and in the sea yet the prayers of his children are able to binde him hand and foot and to compell him as it were to powre downe an vndeserued blessing and to turne away a iust deserued punishment the very crying of an infant that vtters no distinct voyce moues a mother vnto compassion and so the Lord pitying vs as a father and comforting vs as a mother heareth our very groanes and so fulfilleth our desires if we call vpon him in faith and feare Now the reason why the prayers of the faithfull are so powerfull is because they be not ours but the intercession of Gods owne spirit in vs powred out in the name of Christ his owne sonne in whom he is euer well pleased For as for vs we know not what to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe makes request for vs with sighes which can not be expressed it is the spirit whereby we cry abba father as in vs the spirit makes request for vs so with the father he grantes our suites and forgiues our sinnes that for which we pray euen he giueth vnto vs who giueth vs this grace to pray God inuiteth vs to come vnto him and to call vpon him in all our troubles and his holy spirit when as we present our selues before the throne of grace helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for vs and therefore no maruell if the Lord be bound by deuoute men with his owne promises as Sampson was by Dalila with his owne haire Let these godly meditations strengthen our feeble hearts and weake handes that they faint not in deuotion but according to the paterne of the Saintes here and the precept of Paul elsewhere we may without ceasing alwayes pray that is vpon all occasions offred as well for our selues as other Omne quod agis â—…ratione obsignato id verò maximè de quo mentem vides dubitantem Behold the Angel of the Lord was there present I am occasioned here to treat of two questions especially The first concerning Angelical protection in generall as namely whether Angels helpe and keepe men from euill or noe The second whether beside the generall protection of many or all Angels in common euery man hath one peculiar Angel as his peculiar guard and guide The doctrine concerning Angelicall protection in generall at the first appearance may seeme strange because the Scripture teacheth vs expresly that the pathes of man are directed by the Lord and Psalm 34. 18. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all and for this so particular care and prouidence God is often compared vnto a father mother pastour bridegroome buckler Eagle c. To shew that he only is to vs all in all Esay 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou O Lord art our father and our redeemer As who would say those that are fathers according to the flesh are not worthy of that name if they be compared with thee can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though she should forget saith the Lord Esay 49. 15. Yet I will not forget thee behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palme of my hands and thy walkes are euer in my sight If thou beest burdened with vnrighteousnes Christ is thy righteousnes if thou need helpe he is thy strength if thou feare death he is life if thou desire heaueÌ„ he is the way if thou hate darknes he is light if thou seeke for meate he is food for although he be but one in himselfe yet he is all things vnto vs for the relieuing of our necessities which are without number and therefore if the rule be true non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate what need any man expect other side from other powers though Angelicall and neuer so great seeing almighty God himselfe is the keeper of Israel our immediat protectour strength hope and helpe in trouble Answere is made that Angelical custody doth not extenuate but rather extoll the greatnes and goodnes of God toward mankind for as much as it is an execution of his high and holy prouidence For as by the wisedome of an excellent Emperour all the Towers all the Cities all the Castles are fortified with men and munition against the common enemies assault lest by barbarous inuasion they should be destroyed euen so because the deuils are in euery corner raging and ranging for our ouerthrow God hath ordained for our guard that an host of Angels should pitch
He set him by him according to the record of S. Luke and tooke him in his armes as S. Marke yet all agree for it may be saith Euthemius that Iesus first set him in the midst of them as S. Matthew then afterward set him beside him as S. Luke and last of all embraced him in his armes as S. Marke Some think that this childe was one Martialis afterward a famous Bishop in France but this idle tradition is beside the text and therefore not of the necessitie of faith Other imagine that Christ himselfe might be this little one being among his Disciples as a seruant Luke 22. 27. but this opinion is against the text Iesus called a childe and set him by him and tooke him in his armes it saith he set a childe in the midst of them but what child it doth not say not a great boy but a little child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Erasmus translates puellum Beza puerulum the vulgar Latine paruulum as Musculus vpon our text Oportet imitaripuellos anniculos fortè bimulos And so S. Peter exhorteth vs to be like new borne babes and surely parents are commonly so negligent in instructing their children as that Christ hardly could find any yongling aboue three or foure yeares old of such innocent behauiour of whom he might say Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as this child and except yee turne and become as children Let vs examine therefore wherein we must be like to children and wherein vnlike First We may not be like to children in ignorance so Paul 1. Cor. 14. 20. In malice be yee children but in vnderstanding men 2. Not like to children in vnconstancie wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine 3. Not weake in faith as children which are not able to discerne spirituall things for want of yeares of discretion 4. Not like to children in seeking after vntoward things because their senses are not yet setled our affections are to be set on things which are aboue hauing our conuersation in Heauen and therefore we may not imitate children in eating dirt in padling in the mire The child plaies with the light of the candle till his finger be burnt and so the reprobate-wicked plaies with Hell fier reputing it a fable till at the last he comes to be tormented in that vnquenchable flame The child doth esteeme an apple more then his fathers inheritance so the witlesse worldling prefers things temporall in this life before the things eternall in the kingdome of Heauen In these childish humors and the like we may not be like to children But we must be like children 1. As being mundi corpore sancti animo chast in bodie pure in mind 2. Like to children in obedience for good children stand not reasoning what manner of thing it is that their father commands but instantly they follow his will and word as their rule to work by So faithfull Abraham at Gods commandement was readie to sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac he stood not arguing the case the death of my child can doe no good vnto God and it will procure much euill vnto me but rather he thought that it is my father in Heauen who commands and I will obey Hee s loath alas his tender sonne to kill But much more loath to breake his fathers will 3. Like to children in respect of merit for as children can not boast of their owne deseruings against their parents euen so the followers of Christ may not brag of their merits before God but acknowledge themselues to be babes able to doe nothing without his fatherly fauour 4. As little children commit themselues altogether vnto the tuition of their parents and guardians euen so Christians ought to cast all their care on Christ as looking for euery good gift at his hand 5. Like to children as concerning malice both innocentia ignoscentia for as little children being iniured take not any reuēge but only make complaint either to their father or mother euen so when any wrong vs we may not auenge our selues in recompensing euill for euill or rebuke for rebuke but only complaine to God our father in Heauen or to the Church our mother on earth It is written that vengeance belongs vnto God and therefore we must humbly call vpon him in our persecutions as the Prophets did O Lord plead thou my cause with them that striue with me and fight against them that fight against me Giue sentence with me O God defend my cause against vngodly people And Psalme 80. 1. Heare thou sheepheard of Iraell thou that leadest Ioseph like a sheepe shew thy selfe thou that sittest vpon the Cherubims And Psalme 83. 1. Hold not thy tongue O God keepe not still silence refraine not thy selfe for thou Lord hast been our refuge from one generation to another I haue read of a reuerend and religious Archbishop of Mentz who being a long time depraued and in fine depriued of his dignities and office by two corrupt Cardinals his Iudges and a false harted Aduocate his familiar friend out of the bitternesse of his spirit made this appeal from them vnto the Lord of Heauen God knoweth vnto whom all things are naked that I am vniustly condemned yet I will not appeal here from your sentence for that I know yee shall sooner be beleeued in your lying then I am in speaking the truth and therefore I receiue this heauie censure for the rebellions of my youth and other sinnes Neuerthelesse I appeal from your iudgement to the Iudge eternall and only wise which is Christ Iesus before whom I summon you The Cardinals fell into a laughing and said That if he would goe before they would follow It hapned that the poore Bishop hauing withdrawen himselfe into a Monasterie dyed within a yeare and halfe after and the Cardinals hearing thereof in a scoffing manner said one to another that they must goe seeke the Archbishop Now within a few dayes after one of them was bloudily slaine and the other grinding his teeth eat vp his owne hands and dyed mad And lastly the Iudas who betrayed him I meane his false friend placed in his roome was so mortally hated of all men for his sedition and crueltie that being assaulted in a Monasterie he was there butchered and his carcase cast into the towne ditch where lying three dayes all sort of people both men and women vsed all maner of despite vpon it An example verie remarkable teaching vs not to despise one of these little ones because in heauen their angles alway behold the face of our Father which is in Heauen Againe we may complaine to the Church our Mother as in this present Chapter at the 17. verse If thy brother trespassing against thee will not vouchsafe to heare thy selfe alone nor yet thy witnesses and arbitrators Tell it to the Church He that commits his cause
to giue beauty for ashes and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse among many this one doubtlesse is the maine part in the Prophets office to comfort Hierusalem at the heart This ought to be performed plainely painefully powerfully Plainly cry to her and lift vp thy voice for if the Prophet whisper only this consolation happily might seeme doubtfull or weake but all doubting is taken away seeing it is to be deliuered freely with a loud voice Painefully comforting Hierusalem againe and againe comfort ye comfort ye c Powerfully for the Prophet ought to speake not only to Hierusalems eare but also fully to her heart that he may like a good Oratour relinquere aculeos in auditorum animis the wordes of the wise are like goades and like nayles fastened by the masters of the assemblies and the best way to fasten a nayle is to strike home Gods word is an hammer and our exhortations are like nayles and therefore we must often and earnestly strike home that we may pricke the hearts of our hearers as Saint Peter did Acts 2. 37. Or as other expound this clause to speake to the heart of Hierusalem is in Scripture phrase nothing else but to speake that which is pleasing and acceptable So Sychem the son of Hamor is said to speake to the heart of Dinah Gen. 34. 3. Now the glad message to be preached vnto Hierusalem is that her trauaile is at an end and her offence pardoned for as Physitians in healing bodily diseases ordinarily remoue first the cause from whence they spring euen so the Lord dealeth with vs in curing our spirituall infirmities The rods wherewith he beateth vs proceed from our sinnes hee must of necessitie therefore pardon them ere his strokes can cease so that remission of our sinnes is the ground of our comfort that man and only that man is blessed whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered he that trauayles with mischiefe conceiues sorrow Psalme 7. 15. There is no peace to the wicked saith our God a heathen Philosopher could say that the best way to shunne sadnes is to liue well I do latrie stincking drunkennesse and other sinnes are called by the Prophet Hosea shame because they bring with them alway confusion and shame Hierusalems warfare was neuer at an end till her sinnes on her part were repented and on Gods part pardoned But how was her offence forgiuen because she had receiued at the Lords hand double for all her sinnes that is double grace for her double griefe As Hierusalem had a double punishment one in her soule another in her body so now she shall haue by Christ a double blessing to wit in this world collation of grace and in the world to come possession of glory or a double fauour 1. in that her trauaile is ended 2. for that her sinne is pardoned or double that is many benefits a certaine number for an vncertaine the suffrings of Christ are a sufficient propitiation for all her sinnes and for the sins of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2. 2. Yea where sinne abounded there grace superabounded Rom. 5. 20. Other haue construed it as our Church here translateth it she hath receiued double that is sufficient correction for all her sinnes insinuating that the Lord will afflict his people no more so long nor so sharpely because his louing kindnes hath ouercome his heauy displeasure So the word double ought to be taken for enough or full as it is vsed Chap. 61. 7. Here then a question is moued if Hierusalems iniquity were forgiuen how did she receiue sufficient correction at the Lords hand for all her sinnes If she were pardoned freely what place could there be for satisfaction or satis-â—…assion answere is made that this punishment was inflicted on Gods people not as a satisfaction for their offence but as an exercise rather for their humiliation and when almighty God had exercised them enough in the schoole of affliction he commanded his Prophets againe and againe to comfort them at the very heart and whereas it is obiecteed further that their sinne deserued an eternall punishment ergo this temporarie could not be sufficient correction it is answered in a word that howsoeuer it was not in it selfe sufficient yet vnto God being pleased it was enough albeit they deserued to be beaten with a great many moe stripes yet those few blowes sufficed the Lord as smiting in measure moderating his strokes as a father who pitieth his children in his very wrath remembring mercy so the Prophet Ieremy desires the Lord to correct him in iudgement that is in measure that so the blowes might be proportionable to his infirmitie not answerable to his iniquitie God saith Paul is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare for he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust and therefore chastising vs for our good hee doth accept a little punishment for a sufficient correction A voyce cried in the wildernes all the foure Euangelists expound this of Iohn the Baptist how fitly see Gospell on the fourth Sunday in Aduent The summary pith of the proclamation verse 6. 7. 8. is in briefe this our selues are mortall it is good therefore that we should haue something else to rest our soules vpon we consist of flesh and that is like vnto the grasse and if we should imagine other men to be better then our selues and so put our trust in Princes yet are they but as we are for all flesh is grasse and all the grace thereof is as the flower of the field Wherefore let vs embrace the mercy which is offred by the sonne of God the Sauiour of the world the redeemer of mankind the great shepheard of our soules he shall gather the lambes together with his arme and cary them in his bosome c. All flesh is grasse and the grace that is the best of all flesh as Peter expoundes it all the glory of man as wisedome valour industry iudgement all is like grasse for the drift of the text sheweth euidently that Esay speakes not of the outward man only but also comprehends the gifts of the minde whereby men are beautified aboue other intelligit totum hominem quicquid in rebus humanis illustre all men are corruptible like grasse and the most gracefull among all men are like the flower of the field the which happily whilest it flourisheth is more glorious then Salomon in all his royaltie but the flower of the field being deuoured at a trice by the beast of the field becommeth in a few houres a stinking excrement I could here compasse you about with a very great cloud of witnesses the witty Poet Anacreâ—…n was in a moment choaked with the kernell of a raysen and Fabius a graue Senatour
it is apparant by comparing Mat. 27. 56. with Marke 15. 40. Was Solome the sister as some thinke of Ioseph husband vnto the blessed Virgine mother of Christ. Her sonnes were Iames and Iohn Iames the greater so called for that he was elected an Apostle before Iames the sonne of Alpheus otherwise stiled Iames the lesse Or Iames the greater because he was more familiar and great with his master Christ then that other Iames for as we read in the Gospels history Iesus suffered none of his Apostles to see his transfiguration or the raising of Iairus daughter from the dead save Peter and Iames and Iohn or Iames the greater for that hee was endued with great courage to drinke first of Christs cup and to become the first Martyr of all the 12. Apostles his brother Iohn was the Disciple whom Iesus loued who leaned on his masters breast at supper vnto whose care Iesus on the crosse commended his mother Iohn 19. 27. These two moue their mother to moue their master for their aduancement it was she who came worshipping Christ and desiring c but it was by the suggestion and instigation of her ambitious children And therefore Christ in his answere said not thou knowest not what thou doest aske but ye know not addressing his speech vnto the sonnes so well as to the mother and indeed Saint Marke reports expresly that they came to Christ in their owne name to make this suite they did vse the mediation of their mother happily that if Christ in any sort misliked the request it might be thought a fond womans errour if approued then it might be granted easily to a mother earnestly suing for her sonnes Now saith our text when the ten heard this they disdained at the two brethren all the twelue were faulty two sinned in ambition and tenne in enuie Isti quoth Anselm ambitiosi illi inuidiosi vtrique tamen nobis profuerunt Iames and Iohn were carnall in their pride the rest as carnall in their malice yet we may reape benefit by them all For here we may see that euen the best men haue their infirmities and they be recorded in holy Bible for our learning that we might neither presume because the chiefe Saints haue had their slippes nor yet despaire because Christ himselfe forgiues them inioyneth other also to strengthen them If a man be ouertaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meekenes considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted In the manner of Solomes suing obserue the time when and how she sued then came the mother of Zebedeus children c. That is after Iesus had tooke his Disciples apart in the way to Hierusalem and had said vnto them as you may read in the words a little before this text Behold we goe vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shall be deliuered vnto the chiefe Priests and vnto the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliuer him vnto the Gentiles to mocke to scourge and to crucifie but the third day shall he rise againe When the sonnes of Zebedeus heard this instantly they conceiued that Christ after his resurrection would restore the kingdome of Israel and so reigne as a Monarch in this present world Wherefore they thought it a fit time now to make some motion for their promotion in his kingdome namely that one might sit at his right hand and the other on his left in glory For the better effecting whereof their mother Solome commeth vnto Christ and worshippeth him and desireth c. Ambitious wretches as S. Iude speaketh in his Epistle haue the persons of men in admiration for aduantage till they receiue they kisse their hands and humble their voyce So long as they be mendicant they be Fryers obseruant what will they not say what will they not doe to serue their owne turnes the mother here comes worshipping and fawning and her sonnes flattering and lying for in the iudgement of many learned Doctors they did answere rashly we are able Christ himselfe was afraid to drinke of this cup O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt It is enough for the Disciple to be as his master is and the seruant as his Lord Mat. 10. 25. If Iames and Iohn had aduisedly considered of the businesse they would not haue giuen a peremptory possumus but haue rather answered in the words of Paul of our selues we are not sufficient all our sufficiency is of God able to doe all things thorough the helpe of Christ who strengtheneth vs. Ambition is charities ape for as loue for verity so ambition for vanity suffreth all things beleeueth all things hopeth all things endureth all things An ingenious man assuredly makes a parenthesis of his good nature whilest he runneth ambitious courses he seldome or neuer returnes to himselfe and true sense till his suites end For he must if hee will vnderstand his trade turne Gnatho pleasing euery mans humor as a reed shaken with euery winde blowing hot and cold out of the same mouth holding dissimulation and impudence commendable vertues in a word making preferment his God and Mammon his mediatour Grant that these my two sonnes Solome seemes here to beg of Christ for her children especially three things Ease riches honour Ease that they may sit Riches in thy kingdome Honour one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand that is next vnto thy selfe and before the rest of their fellowes on each hand first it is ordinarily seene that mothers are more fond in their loue and more solicitous in their care for their children then fathers are can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe the reason hereof as Aristotle teacheth vs is twofold 1. Because mothers are best assured that their children are their owne 2. Because mothers endure more paines then fathers in breeding in bearing and in bringing vp of their babes honour thy father that begat thee said Solomon and thy mother that bare thee that bare thee nine moneths in her wombe twelue moneths in her armes many yeares in her heart Illa te diu portauit in vterâ—… diu aluit difficiliores infantiae mores blanda pietate sustinuit lauit pannorum sordes immundâ—… saepe foedata est stercore c. Wherefore though a father in respect of his dignity being principium generationis nostrae per modum agontis is to be loued more then our mother as being rather principium per modum patientis materiae yet our mother as Phalaris aduiseth is to be reuerenced so much if not more then our sire for her affectionate tender care S. Augustine writes of his mother Monica maiori
solicitudine me parturiebat spiritu quà m carne and in another place ita pro nobis omnibus curam gâ—…ssit quasi omnes genuisset ita seruiuit quasi ab omnibus genita fuisset Ye wot not what ye aske for either ye erre very much in the matter or else in the manner in the matter if ye thinke that my kingdome is of this world in the manner if ye desire to sit in my kingdome before ye haue drunken of my cup I must as ye shall one day further vnderstand first suffer and then enter into glory If any man will be my Disciple let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me you must enter into my kingdome thorough many tribulations Acts 14. 22. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy Psal. 126. 6. He that will haue wages at night must labour first about the Lords vineyard in the day Mat. 20. 8. None receiue the price before they runne 1. Cor. 9. 24. And if any man also striue for a mastery yet is he not crowned except he striue as he ought to doe 2. Tim. 2. 5. Well then I tell you the truth if ye seeke to sit on my right hand and on my left in my kingdome ye must first drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of and bee baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized with that is ye must of necessity beare the crosse before ye can weare the crowne To him that ouercommeth wil I grant to sit with me in my throne euen as I ouer came and sit with my father in his throne when holy Moses Exod. 33. said vnto the Lord I beseech thee shew me thy glory the Lord answered thou canst not see my face but thou shalt see my backe parts Insinuating hereby that we can not enter into Christs glory vnlesse we follow him and see his hinder parts in this world why Christ called his sufferings a cup and baptisme see Iansen concord cap. 104. Theophylact Aretius Marlorat Maldonat in loc Ye shall drinke indeed of my cup he said not ye can as being able by their owne vertue but ye shall as being made able by grace but how did they drinke both of Christs cup seeing Iohn is said in Ecclesiasticall history to haue dyed in his bed peaceably Remigius answereth in one word bibit Iacobus in passione Ioannes in persecutione Iames dranke of Christs cup in his martyrdome being slaine with the sword by cruell Herod as our Epistle this day witnesseth and Iohn tasted of Christs cup as being banished into the Isle Pathmos for the word of God and for the witnes of Iesus Christ. Iohn dranke of the cup of confession as the three children in the fiery furnace though he were not actually martyred actually I say for in his readines to suffer he was a very martyr yea the Proto-martyr suffring for Christ vnder the crosse when he saw Christ suffer on the crosse But to sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to giue Christ saith in this Gospell Chap. 11. verse 27. All things are giuen vnto me of my father and chap. 28. 18. All power is giuen vnto me both inheauen and in earth and Iohn 14. 2. In my fathers house are many mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you and Luke 22. 29. I appoint vnto you a kingdome c. How then is it true to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to giue S. Augustine Basile Remigius and other answere thus it is not mine to giue as I am a man and allyed vnto you but as I am God equall to my father and heire of all things Or as Ardens it is not mine to giue you now namely before ye haue drunke of my cup. Or it is not in my power to giue as you conceiue to wit in respect of kindred alliance By which example Bishops may learne not to prefer their nephewes on their right hand on their left hand in their diocesse except they be men of merit For God saith expresly non afcendes per gradus ad altare meum Exod. 20. 26. And Melchisedeck the first Priest is said Heb. 7. 3. To haue hin without father without mother without kindred hereby signifying that we must ascend to dignities in the Church of God not by degrees of Consanguinitie but by steps of vertue or it is not mine to giue to such as you are now namely to proude ambitious men according to that in the 101. Psalme verse 7. Who so hath a proude looke and an hie stomacke I will not suffer him in mine house so that as Ambrose notes Asserit non sibi potestatem deesse sed meritum Creaturis or as Christ here construeth himselfe it is not mine to giue but it shall be giuen vnto those for whom it is prepared of my father I and my father are one and therefore most vnfit either for you to request or for me to grant any thing contrarie to the determination of my father His kingdome is an inheritance prepared before the foundations of the world Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified Concerning Christs direction here following addressed vnto all his Apostles and in them vnto all Christians see Gospell on S. Bartholomewes day The Epistle ACTS 5. 12. By the hands of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people c. SOme thing in this Epistle concernes more specially the Pastors by the hands of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed some thing more specially the people the people magnified them and the number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grew more and more some thing generally both Pastors and people they were all together with one accord in Solomons porch insinuating that it was their ordinarie custome to meete in that holy place not onely to preach and pray but also to consult about the proceedings of the Gospell and busines of the Church From which assembly no conuert absented himselfe either vpon any proud opinion of his owne priuat conceits or vnder pretence that the Temple was now superstitiously prophaned or for feare of the common enemie the Pharisies especially but all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according concording ioyned together for the good of the publike weale Wherein obserue not onely their vnanimitie but also their magnanimitie not onely their louing carriage one toward another but also their resolution and zeale for the Gospell exposing themselues vnto very much danger in a place of such sort and resort The chiefe poynt is the working of miracles by the hands of the Apostles and that is nothing else but an execution of Christs promise Mark 16. 17. 18. In my name they shall cast out
diuels and they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer c. of which I haue sufficiently spoken in my notes vpon the Gospell on Ascension day The Gospell LVKE 22. 24. There was a strife among them which of them should seeme to be the greatest c. CHrist in this Scripture teacheth his Apostles ambitiouslie contending for rule 1. By precept The kings of the nations c. but yee shall not so be c. 2. By paterne I am among you as one that ministreth c. But yee shall not so be Or as S. Matthew it shall not be so among you Now this kinde of speech is vsed in holy Scriptures and in our english tongue two manner of waies either forbidding a thing to be done or else foretelling a thing not to be done as a master in saying to his seruant this shall not be done to day forbids a thing to be done but when an Astronomer saith of the weather it shall not be cold or hot vpon such a moneth or day he doth not forbid but onely foretell a thing that shall not be so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are vsed Apocalip 10. 6. and 22. 5. According to this twofold acception I finde a twofold construction of this clause but yee not so first by way of prophecie secondly by way of proposition or prohibition if it be taken Prophetically then it is a prophecie concerning the disciples estate either in this or in the world to come If in this life the meaning is briefly this the kings of the Gentiles doe raigne and they that are in authoritie are called benefactors but ye not so that is I doe foreshew vnto you that ye shall not be so as if he should say they in their gouernement are called benefactors but you exercising authoritie shall be called malefactors they ruling ill are called good men ye ruling well shall be reputed euill men in the world ye shall haue affliction and ye must of necessitie drinke of my cup and be baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized with and so Christ is made to speake that in this place which he saith elsewhere The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lord if they haue called the master of the house Belzebub how much more them of his household If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you me who came to minister vnto them and to giue my life for them euen so you which in your authoritie shall intend the good of all and spend your liues in seruing them all This sense doubtles is true for by wofull experience we finde it to be so when as among vs some for their superioritie are called Antichrists other for their authoritie tyrants other for restraining the licentiousnesse of certaine factious people persecutors If we take but yee not so for a Prophecie touching the life to come the meaning is the kings of the Gentiles haue lordship ouer them c. but ye not so that is in my kingdome which you falsely conceiue to bee vpon earth I doe foretell vnto you that it shall not bee so For though I appoint vnto you a kingdome and yee shall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome and sit on seates iudging the twelue tribes of Israel in my kingdome yet my kingdome is not of this world yee shall not I assure you tyrannise in heauen as the kings of the nations vpon earth This sense likewise is good and fitting other places of Scripture but it doth not fit our present text for it will appeare by comparing one Euangelist with another that Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall not be is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let in not be for whereas Saint Marke saith chapter 10. 43. shall bee your seruant and verse 44. shall be seruant of all S. Matthew chap. 20. 26. hath it in tearmes imperatiue let him be your seruant and S. Luke here he that is greatest among you let him be as the least and he that is chiefe as he that doth serue These termes of command insinuate that our blessed Sauiour spake vos autem non sic imperatiuely forbidding a thing to be done Wherefore let vs examine two poynts especially first what is said secondly whom it concernes Some referre so to the word benefactors here translated gracious Lords making the sense to be they that are in authoritie are called gracious Lords but ye not so that is ye shall not be called gracious Lords Other referre so to the verbes reigne and rule making the sense thus the kings reigne and great men rule but you not so that is ye shall not rule other attribute so to the same verbes yet make the construction otherwise the kings of the Gentiles doe rule but ye not so that is ye shall not so rule to wit as the kings of the nations rule So that either titles of honour are forbidden as gracious Lords or ruling or else so ruling The Nouelists in the first exposition haue condemned the titles of our Archbishops in the second the iurisdiction of our Bishops our Diuines therefore like best of the third affirming that Christ here prohibited neither titles of honour nor ruling but onely so ruling Not titles of honour as Lord ruler benefactor for as Christ in saying elsewhere be not ye called Rabbi for one is your master and call no man father vpon 〈◊〉 for one is your father which is in heauen and be not called Doctors c. Forbids not simply the names of Rabbi father and Doctor for a childe may call his parent father and a scholler may call his teacher Doctor and a seruant may call him vnder whose gouernment he liues master and so Paul called himselfe the Doctor of the Gentiles and the Corinthians father As I say Christ there forbids not absolutely the names of father and master much lesse the functions but only the pharisaicall affection and arrogant affectation of superiority so Christ here likewise forbids not his Apostles to be called Lords or rulers or benefactors but condemnes only the carnall ambition of these titles and insolent vsing of the same For we reade in holy Scripture that these titles were giuen to Christ and his Disciples as Iohn 13. 13. Ye call me master and Lord saith he and ye say well for so am I. Yea his Apostles are stiled by that title which is rendred elsewhere Lords Acts 16. 30. Lords what must I doe to be saued said the Iaylor to Paul and Silas and yet they reprehended not this title which they would haue done had it beene vnlawfull as Paul and Barnabas rebuked the men of Lystra when they would haue sacrificed vnto them as vnto Gods O men why doe ye these things so likewise Preachers of the word are stiled rulers Heb. 13. 7. Remember those which haue the rule ouer you who haue preached vnto you
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed in Mat. and Marke is to tyrannize so learned Erasmus in his paraphrase qui principatum gerunt inter gentes dominatum ac tyrannidem exercent in illos quibus imperant and in his annotations dominantur in eas siue advâ—…rsus eas So Musculus in his comment vpon these words in S. Mathew non regunt populum sed premunt suisque affectibus seruire cogunt so Benedict Aretius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est dominari cum aliena tyrannide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in potestate violenter tenere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in other places of the new testament as namely 1. Pet. 5. 3 and Acts 19. 16. Whereas it is obiected that in our present text the simple verbe is vsed and therefore not tyrannie but iurisdiction is forbidden answere is made that this of Saint Luke must be construed by the places of Mat. and Marke seeing all three meane one and the same thing by the concent of all Harmonies 3. Christ expoundes himselfe thus in the words immediatly following let the greatest among you bee as the least and the chiefe as he that serueth As if he should say the Kings of the nations are tyrants in their gouernment making mischiefe their minister and lust their law but I would haue you to beare rule so moderatly that euen the soueraigne may behaue himselfe as a seruant and the master as a Minister I would haue Princes among you to be nursing fathers vnto the Church and Prelats among you to be pastors of my people So S. Paul exercising authority said we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus to be the Lord and our selues your seruants for Iesus sake and in another place I made my selfe a seruant vnto all men A Minister must as it is in our english phrase sâ—…rue his cure a magistrate must also minister vnto those which are vnder him euen the King himselfe is a great seruant of the common weale he must as Iob speakes become eyes to the blinde and feete to the lame he must with Epaminondas watch that other may the more securely sleepe and labour that other may the more freely play Magna seruitus magna fortuna quoth Seneca nam ipsi Caesari cui omnia licent propter hoc ipsum multa non licent omnium domos illius vigilia defendit omnium otium illius labor omnium delicias illius industria omnium vacationem illius occupatio As those Princes are most vnprofitable qui nihil in imperio nisi imperiuÌ„ cogitant which in their Empire thinke of nothing so much as of imperiousnes so they doubtles are most happy to the state who being greatest are as the least and being chiefe as they that serue I conclude this obseruation in Bernards aduise to Pope Eugenius praesis vt prouideas vt consulas vt procures vt serues praesis vt prosis c. O blessed is that faithfull and wise seruant whom his master when he commeth shall finde so ruling ouer his house Thus haue I shewed what is said let vs see now whom it concernes it is certaine that Christ spake this vnto his Apostles only but in them vnto some other representatiuely the question is then here whether hee spake representatiuely to the whole Church that is all Christians or else representatiuely to the ministers of the Church only We say with Aretius Bucer Musculus in their commentaries vpon Mat. 20. That he doth vnderstand all Christians as wel lay men as Clergy men and this also we proue by these reasons ensuing 1. Christ in this Chapter immediatly before and also presently after vsing this word you and speaking vnto his Disciples and none but them as in this place speaketh vnto them as representing the whole Church and not only the Ministers as verse 19. This is my body which is giuen for you and verse 20. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you by you though it be spoken only to the Disciples is not vnderstood the ministers only for if Christs body were giuen and his blood shed only for them it would follow that none should be saued but Ministers and that is contrary to the text elsewhere Christ died for all againe verse 29. I appoint vnto you as my father hath appointed vnto me a kingdome Where by you he meanes all true Christians of whatsoeuer estate quality degree for as many as receiued him and beleeued in his name to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God and if they be sonnes and children of God then heires also Rom. 8. 17. So that if thou wilâ—… haue any part in Christ and his kingdome then thou must also take some part of this text thou must become as one of vs and be numbred among these you but ye not so 2. The opposition here which is betweene Gentiles and you doth euidently proue that it is spoken vnto the whole Church as for example the Kings of the Gentiles doe tyrannize ouer them that is ouer the people among them are Kings tyrannizing and people tyrannized but you not so that is I doe command that among you there should bee neither Kings tyrannizing nor people tyrannized It is thus with them it shall not bee so with you Ministers is no good opposition it is thus with the Gentiles it shall not be thus with you Christians is a full and a fit antithesis the like whereof is found Mat. 6. 7. 8. 31. 32. Luke 12. 29. 30. 1. Thessal 4. 4. 5. 3. This place compared with that of Mat. chap. 23. vers 8. 9. shewes plainly that it is spoken vnto the whole Church for Christ in that place speaking of the same matter vseth a like forme of wordes as for example the scribes and the Pharisees are called Rabbi c. but be not ye so called Now that he deliuered this exhortation as well to the people as to the pastors is apparent in the very first verse of the Chapter then spake Iesus to the multitude and to his Disciples I will end this exposition with an Epitaph which I thinke may serue for a glosse to the whole Gospell Hic humilis diues res mira potens pius vltor Compatiens â—…itis cum pateretur erat Noluit osse suis dominus studuit pater esse Semper in aduersis mâ—…rus arma suis. The Epistle 2. COR. 4. 1. Seeing that we haue such an office c. THis text is part of S. Pauls Apologie iustifying his doctrine as well for the matter as the manner against all the slanders of his aduersaries the false Apostles he remembers here more particularly three vertues in his preaching sedulity seeing we haue such an office euen as God hath had mercy on vs we goe not out of kinde or we faint not sincerity but haue cast from vs the cloakes of vnhonesty humility for we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus
first of all the Gospels 3. Great as being the most large diuided by the moderne Latines into 28. Chapters but according to the partition of Hilarius in former ages into 33. or as Druthmanus into 67. Canons Among the Grecians Euthymius parteth it into 68. Chapters Eusebius Ammonius Suidas into 355. and lastly great as intending principally to shew that the man Christ is the Messias and Sauiour of the world promised by the Prophets and prefigured in the sacrifices of the law Saint Matthew hauing cheerefully followed Christ in hearing his Gospell in preaching his Gospell in writing his Gospell on this day suffered martyrdome constantly for his Gospell Christ euery day calleth vs and saith vnto vs as here to Matthew follow me though he doe not this immediatly by himselfe yet he speaketh vnto vs by the tongues of his Preachers as he spake in olde time to our fathers by the mouthes of the Prophets It is our duty therefore to come when hee calleth as his seruant Matthew quickly conueniently constantly cheerefully Quickly without delay make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord but to day while it is called to day let vs heare his voyce conueniently forsaking our selues and casting away euery thing that presseth downe and hindreth vs in our way to Christ Heb. 12. 1 constantly going from strength to strength and continuing faithfull vnto the death cheerefully making Christ a great feast in our owne house Happily thou wilt obiect if I had liued in that golden age when Christ my Sauiour blessed the world with his bodily presence then I would haue worshipped him and followed him and feasted him but alas I haue good cause to complaine with Mary Magdalene they haue taken away the Lord and where should I finde him if I would now feast him O beloued albeit Christ is in heauen and thou art on earth yet thou mayest and that in thine owne house make to him a double feast a spirituall feast and a corporall a spirituall for his meat is to doe the will of God Iohn 4. 34. And the will of God is to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Iohn 6. 29. So that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ and openeth the doore to his knocke maketh him a feast in the parlour of his heart So himselfe saith I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in vnto him and will sup with him and he with me The Poets feigned that their God Iupiter fed on Nectar and Ambrosia Iupiter Ambrosia satur est Nectare plenus But the God of heauen is refreshed with the fruites of the spirit loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance these dishes are his dainties Thou mayest also feast him corporally for whatsoeuer is done to his followers he taketh as done to himselfe because they be members of his body of his flesh and of his bone this hee will openly protest at the last day Mat. 25. 35. I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke for in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me And when the Pharisces saw it In the Pharisces accusation obserue these two circumstances especially To whom And of whom it was made to whom they said vnto his Disciples of whom of Christ and the rest of the guests in Matthewes house why eateth your master with publicans and sinners c. In making this obiection vnto the Disciples and not vnto Christ himselfe they shew themselues to bee crafty calumniatours It was craft to set vpon the weake Disciples being a little before confounded by their master and it was a calumnie to mutter that behind his backe which they dare not vtter vnto his face But this was their ordinary guile to vent their gaule when they conceited that the Disciples did amisse they cauilled with Christ why doe thy Disciples transgresse the traditions of the fathers for they wash not their hands when they eate bread And when they thought Christ offended they told his Disciples why eateth your master with publicanes and sinners In the fact of the Disciples they cauilled with Christ in the fact of Christ they cauilled with the Disciples in both their malitious intent was to dishonour the Gospell and estrange the Disciples from Christ and Christ from his Disciples In our age there be many such enuious sycophants who being once got betweene the pot and the wall chat in secret against that which Christ and his Ministers haue chaunted in publique The Pharisees accusing Christ and his company Publicanes and sinners offended in vncharitablenes pride in vncharitablenes toward Christ ac si consentiens in culpa qui consentiens in coena as if he had communicated with them in mischiefe as he did common with them at meate whereas Christ conuersed with publicans and sinners as the physitian with the sicke they made not him worse but he made them better he had no fellowship with vnfruitfull workes of darknes but only with the workers he did loue their persons but leaue their vices see Gospell on the 3. Sun after Trinity Againe the Pharisees were very cruell and vncharitable toward the Publicanes in that they despised them and had no feeling of their miseries or care for their conuersion and lastly they shew their pride by iustifying themselues impudently whereas they should rather haue confessed ingeniously with the Psalmist enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight and with Iob if the starres are vncleane in his sight how much more man a worme euen the sonne of man which is but a worme and with Esay we haue all bin an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes When Christ heard that he said vnto them He replied vnto the Pharisees not as hoping to mende them by his answere but least his Disciples otherwise might bee scandalized hereby giuing vs an example to meet with opprobrious cauils and calumnies against the Gospell and that not to satisfie so much our aduersaries as to strengthen our auditours They that be strong need not the physitian This sentence may be considered as a scomma to the Pharisees who were so righteous and strong in their own conceit as that they did not in any case need a physitian but as a Lemma for others in which as in the rest of his Apologie Christ insinuates that he came into the world not to constraine but to call not the righteous who iustifie themselues but sinners euen such as feele their wickednes and weakenes such as are broken hearted such as are laden and weary with the burden of their iniquity not to licentiousnes in their sinne or to punishment for their sinne or to satisfaction for their sinne
deuils oratory to deterre men from piety with an opinion of vnhappines and trouble which accompanie the godly but the rhetoricke of Gods holy spirit allureth vs contrariwise by sweet premises and gratious promises blessed are the poore blessed are they that mourne blessed are the meeke c. And it affordes comfort for hereby we knowe that the Gospell is a good-spell euen tydings of great ioy to all people when as we read that the first apothegme of Christs first Homily reported at large was blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen and the last period in his last homily behold I am with you alwayes vntill the end of the world Now beloued all his actions are our instructions it therefore behoueth vs in winning our children our friends our auditors vnto God and godlines to learne and vse this gentle craft being the sonnes of consolation as well as the Boanarges the sonnes of thunder As sometime we must mourne that the people may lament so likewise sometime pipe that the people may dance There was in the Arke of the testament Heb. 9. 4. The golden pot of Manna so well as the rod of Aaron and a Preacher as Bernard wittily should resemble a good mother which hath vbera so well as verbera like a Bee saith Ambrose which hath hony so well as a sting As it is our part to be disposers of the Gospell and messengers of peace so let it be our art to call home such as are out of the way and to restore such as fall in the way with the spirit of meekenes for blessed are the poore in spirit c. Of this Apothegme there be two parts a Proposition blessed are the poore in spirit Exposition for theirs is the kingdome of heauen In the proposition obserue the Subiect poore in spirit Predicate blessed for so wee may conuert it aptly the poore in spirit are blessed Concerning the subiect I finde three sortes of poore namely 1. The worldes poore 2. The deuils poore 3. Gods poore The worlds poore are either impotent or impudent poore impotent by birth or casualtie by birth as the fatherles orphanes and beggars children especially such as are creeples or borne blinde by casualtie as the decayed housholder the maymed souldier the visited with any grieuous plague or sicknes all these kindes of poore wretches are to be relieued as wel with our almes as aduise To binde vp their broken hearts and to beare part of their burden is a great euidence that thou art Gods heire mercifull as our father in heauen is mercifull Blessed in this world for so Dauid in the 41. Psalm Blessed is he that considereth the poore and needy the Lord comforteth him in his affliction and makes all his bed in his sicknes Blessed in the world to come for so the sonne of Dauid euen Christ himselfe come ye blessed of my father inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you for I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me It is therefore my humble suite to those which are by statute made ouerseers of our ouerseers for the poore that hereafter in euery village the distressed members of Christ euen flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone may be more charitably prouided for according to the true meaning of godly lawes established in this case Among impudent poore some be little beggars and some be great beggars among little beggars I marshall the riotous spend-all and the lasie get-nothing The drunkard and the glutton shall be poore saith Salomon and no maruell seeing in a little while they draw their whole patrimonie woods house land thorough the narrow passage of their throat c. It is therefore my humble suite to the reuerend and graue Iudges of the land that they would in their circuits vpon all occasions offered endeuour to suppresse and disgrace these brutish incorrigible ding-thriftie dearth-makers It is said of the Surgeon that he must haue a Ladyes hand and a Lyons heart But it is to be wished that a Iudge in this corrupt age should haue contrarywise the heart of a Ladye for Blessed are the poore in spirit yet in punishing notorious offenders the hand of a Lyon It is an old saying Qui non corripit corrumpit and all honest men howsoeuer otherwise poore in spirit haue notwithstanding euermore complayned of a cruell pittie which is the mother of licentiousnesse and licentiousnesse is the mother of contempt and contempt is the mother of sedition and sedition is the mother of rebellion and in fine rebellion is the mother of desolation Of Rogues I meane vagabond idle persons out of couenant out of course there be two sortes as namely wild rogues so bred a great part whereof is an vncircumcised generation vnbaptized out of the Church and so consequently without God in the world Other being better bred for want of good discipline turne rogues and become tame ruffians and these drones haue swarmed so much in some parts of our Countie that they driue many good bees out of their hiues in plaine English many Gentlemen and Iustices too during all the hard winter out of the Countrey into the Citie where they lye non-resident from their benefice their mansion house where their liuing is and non-resident also from their charge where they should execute his Highnesse Commission for the peace I do not think with Innocentius Iustitia non datur nisi vendatur that Iustice is dearely bought in any corner of our Kentish soyle God forbid and yet in the behalfe of my poore neighbors I must say that it is pittie Iustice should considering the number of Iustices be so farre fetched in the midst of winter Vngodly polititians who make the works of Lucian their old Testament and Machiuels prince their new thrust themselues into the center of the world as if all times should meet in them and their ends neuer caring in any storme what becommeth of the ship of estate so they may be safe in the coc-boat of their owne fortune But nature tels thee that no man is borne for himselfe and Scripture tels thee that we must in loue serue one another Our Christian estate necessarily requires that some should be great and other litle that some should be subiect and other soueraigne that some should command and other obey But saith our blessed Sauiour speaking to his Disciples as representing the whole Church He that is greatest among you let him be as the least and he that is chiefe as he that doth serue Praesis vt prosis as Bernard told Eugenius and as Martine Bucer noteth out of these words of Christ against Anabaptists He which according to the will of the Lord beares rule godly doth nothing lesse then domineere yea most of all
recouering of sight to the blind that I should set at liberty them that are bruised And I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of Heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes The carnal wise Credentes oculo magis quâ—…m oraculo rely more vpon their fiue senses then the foure Euangelists and therfore because they can not find a reason of naturall things they make to themselues false gods and because they can not find a reason of supernaturall things they denie the true God The curious while they desire to know what they should not are not able to coÌ„ceiue what they should by dyuing too much into the subtleties of reason they forget often the principles of Religion As wholsome Lawes are lost many times in the cases of the law so Religion it selfe is lost among Sophisters in the questions of Religion It was the Serpent that first opened Adams eyes and enticed him to prie into the secrets of God Our care therefore said Luther must be to shut vp our eyes againe that we seeke not ambitiously to see more then almighty God would haue vs to know Christ would haue vs to bring Faith and humilitie to his schoole leauing our arguments at home Non vult nos esse curistas quaristas He resisteth the proud and giues grace to the humble The poore receiue the Gospell as it is in our text Theirs is the kingdome of Heauen But other expositors vnderstand this of that incorruptible crowne of glorie for as this world seemes to be made for the presumptuous and proud so that other only for the humble and meeke It is Theirs and that in present Is and it is a kingdome and that a kingdome of Heauen According to the tearmes of our common Law there be two sorts of Freeholds A Freehold in deed when a man hath entred into lands or tenements and is seised thereof actually and really A Freehold in law when a man hath right to lands or tenements but hath not yet made his actuall entrie Now the kingdome of Heauen is our Freehold in law though as yet while we liue we can not actually be seised thereof It is ours as being prepared for vs by God the Father It is ours as being purchased in our behalfe by God the Sonne It is ours as being assured to our spirit by God the holie Ghost Rom. 8. 16. 17. We haue now right to this inheritance Habemus ius adrem as Melancthon acutely nondum in re Or as Augustine and other of the fathers vsually the kingdome of Heauen is ours alreadie Non in re sed in spe The Scripture saith as much in plaine tearmes We are saued by blessed hope which is immoueable without wauering Fides intâ—…etur verbum rei spes verò rem verbi Rom. 5. 2. Thorough our Lord Iesus Christ we haue accesse by Faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioice vnder the hope of the glorie of God And we may well vnder hope reioice seeing our reward when our fight is finished is no lesse then a kingdome The citizens of Tyrus are described by the Prophet Esay to haue been companions vnto Nobles and Princes but in that heauenly Hierusalem euery burgesse by his second birth is the brother of a king the sonne of a king and himselfe a king hauing in token hereof a triumphant palme in his hand and a golden crowne on his head And this kingdome is not a fading inheritance but a kingdome of Heauen an immortall and euerlasting life Men on earth haue Life but it is full of trouble and of small continuance not euerlasting The damned in Hell haue an eternall being but because they can not moue but are perpetually tyed vnto their torments it is not a Life but a death Only the rich in grace the poore in spirit shall haue when this world hath his end an euerlasting Life without end Tell O man what thou most earnestly desirest Is there any thing thou louest bettter then life Is there any life better then a blessed life Is there any blessed life without hope here and hold hereafter of euerlasting life Yet all these things and more then I can vtter or you conceiue are prepared and reserued for such as are poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen Preached at Maydston Assises Iuly 28. 1614. vpon the request of my much honoured and worthily beloued friend and kinsman Sir Anthonie Aucher Knight high Sherife of Kent Almightie God which hast knit together thy elect in one communion and fellowship in the mysticall bodie of thy Sonne Christ our Lord Graunt vs grace so to follow thine holie Saints in all vertuous and godly liuing that we may come to those vnspeakable Ioyes which thou hast prepared for them that vnfaynedly loue thee thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen a Proaem com in Esa. epist. Paulin. tom 3. fol. 9. Non prophetiam videtur texere sed Euangelium b Cap. 7. 14. c Cap. 9. 6. d Cap. 53. vers 3. 4. 5. 6. e Cap. 53. vers 8 f Musculus Hyperius Caluin in loc g Luke 2. 25. h 2. Cor. 1. 3. i Tertullian cont Marcian lib. 4. cap. 33. Cyril cat 3. August de Io. Baptist ser. 1. k Psal. 74. 1. 10. l Caluin m Psalm 68. 11. n Musculus Caluin o Geneuaglosse p 1. Pet. 54. q Rom. 4. 18. r Hyperius Musculus s Ecclesiast 3. 1. t Esay 58. 1. u Esay 5. x Amos 6. 1. y Philip. 3. 19. z Ezech. 33. 11. a Luke 3. 9. b Ionas 3. c Psalm 42. 9. d Esay 61. e Caluin f Musculus g Hyperius Dan. Arcularius h Ecclesiastes 12. 11. i Ieremy 23. 29. k Hierom Vatablus Caluin l Psalm 32. 1. m Esay 57. 21. n Socrates o Cap. 4. vers 18. See Ribera in loc p Musculus q Vatablus Arcularius r Hierom Hyperius Castalion s Caluin t Musculus in loc Idem Caluin Iâ—…stit lib. 3 cap. 4 §. 33. u Esay 27. 8. x Psalm 103. 13 y Abacuc 3. 2. z Cap. 10. ver 24 a Caluin in Esai 27. 8. b 1. Cor. 10. 13. c Psalm 103. 14. d Matth. 3. 3. Mark 1. 3. Luk. 3. 4. Ioan. 1. 23. e Melanc in Ioan. 1. See D. Abbots sermon at the funerall of Thomas Earle of Dorset pag. 2. f Psalm 146. 2. g 1. Epist. 1. 24. h Caluin i Arcularius in loc k Matth. 6. 29. l Plin. nat hist. lib. 7. cap. 7. m Idem n Ibid. Matth. Paris in Ric. 1. o Sr. Ric. Barckley discourse of felicity lib. 5. pag. 450. p Philip. Com mi. hist. lib. 8. cap. 18. q Eox Mart. fol. 1731. r Walsingham in Hen. 5. pag. 444 Idem Paradinus in sym bol pag.