matter to saue not onely as well with a small or a weak power as with a great or a strong power but also as well with no power as with some power It is a good carpenter who haâ—…ing crooked and rougâ—… timber put into his hands can hâ—…w it and make it fit for the building Onely the creator of all it is which can worke hauing no matter at all to worke vpon The ordinarie meanes for plants and hearbs to growe by is raiâ—…e Yet God prouided for Adam plants and herbes 〈◊〉 eâ—…er it had rainâ—…d The vsuall â—…eanes for light is the sunne Howbeit â—…od 〈◊〉 light before he made the 〈◊〉 Light the first day the sunne the 〈◊〉 day We see then that God is tiâ—… to no meanes God can saue with no 〈◊〉 as wel as with some power God can giâ—…e vs hearbs with no raine as wel 〈◊〉 with some raine God can giue vs light without any suâ—…ne as well as with â—…he sunâ—…e God can feede vs if it please him as well with no bread as with bread Therefore God can worke some matâ—…rs with no meanes and so Man liâ—…eth not by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouâ—…h of God Fourtâ—…ly that God can worke othersâ—…me 〈◊〉 wiâ—…h contrariâ—… meanes â—…e câ—…n noâ—… onely shewe vs light withâ—… any sâ—…nne but also bring light out of darkenesse So our Sauiour when â—…e went about to cure him that was 〈◊〉 blind tempred spittle and clay 〈◊〉 put it vpon his â—…yes This plaister 〈◊〉 more likely to put out his eyes 〈◊〉 sees then to cure his eyes who is blind Yet this is the power of the word proceeding out of Gods mouâ—…h So the Prophet Elizeus when colloquintida was put into the pot by casting in a little mealâ—… into it made of ranke poison a wholesome brotâ—… So when the Israelits wanted bread in the desert God sent them Manna from heauen and Moses said vnto them This is the bread which the Lord hath giuen you to eat Many things here were contrarie to nature One thing especially that the dew which made the manna fell in the morning whereas other dewe vseth to fall in the euening and ascend in the morning Therefore Moses putteâ—…h Israel in minde of this strange miracle afterward God made thee hungrie and fed thee with Manna saith he which â—…hou knewest not neither did thy fathers knowe it that he might teach them that man liueth not by bread only but by euerie word that proceedeth ouâ—… of the moâ—…th of the Lord doth a man liue Christs answer then to the tempter is as if he should haue said I vvant novve bread in the desert as long ago the Israelites wanted it But God by his word prouided for them Thereâ—…ore I neede not incroach vpon vnlawfull meanes but depeÌ„ding stil vpon his prouidence I shall â—…euer want For God can worke great matters with small meanes strong matters with weake meanes many matters with no meanes and some matters with contrarie meanes So that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And yet this is no doctrine of idlenesse and securitie neither As we must not by diffidence or distrust in God vse vnlawfull meanes so we must not by presuming vpon God neglect lavvfull meanes That vve be not too distrustful vve are sent to the lilly and yet that vve be not too negligent vve are sent to the ant S. Paul knevve right vvell neither he nor any of his companie should be cast avvay in that shipvvracke yet for all that he did not lay him dovvne vpon a pillovve and sleepe but he vsed all good meanes for the safetie of the compaâ—…ie He cast out the vvheat and the tackling of the ship he loosed the rudder bands and hoysed vp the main saile And vvhen the ship vvas splitted he persvvaded some by bords and other by other peices of the ship to svvim safe to land The more to blame vvere they yesternight vvhich vvhen they might haue done good stood by still and looâ—…ed on As though it vvere a disparagement or rather it vvere not a verie honourable part for any to help in a common danger Or as though the fire vvhich vvas kindled by negligence should haue beene extinguished vvith negligence also Yea rather the Lord did by this fire chastice the negligence of some that he might stirre vp the diligence of all No lesse blame vvorthie vvas the vvhole tovvne vvhich standing so neere the royall presence of the kings maiestie and the Qâ—…eenes maiestie yet vvas vtterly vnprouided of all helpe in this case No buckets no hookes no ladders no axes could be gotten no carpenters could be heard of vvhich might haue done most good at such a time So that if the mightie and mercifull vvord proceeding out of the mouth of God had not helped in necessity and time of neede suddainly caulming and stilling the vvind euen at that very instant vvhich had beene busie all the day before no question it had grovven to a farre greater dammage and danger But I am ill aduised to meddle vvith these things I make no doubt but order vvill be taken though I hold my peace that hereafter the â—…ovvne for all such casualties be better prouided Therefore here I ende God for his mercie sake grant that neither by too much presuming confidence vve may neglect the lavvfull meanes nor yet by too much distrusting diffidence vve may vse vnlavvfull meanes but that depending vpon thy prouidence O Lord vve may diligently follovve the vvorks of our calling and so continually receiue a blessing from thee thorough Iesus Christ to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glorie novve and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT HAMPTON Court before the Kings Maiestie the 23. day of September 1604. 2. Cor. 4. 17. The momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glorie SAint Peter foretelleth that some should peruert S. Pauls epistles to their ovvne damnation Such are they of the church of Rome Among other places of S. Pauls epistles they doe notably pâ—…ruert this For out of that the Apostle saith Affliction vvorketh glory they endeauour to conclude that the patience of the Saints and other their vertues merit euerlasting life But first the word To worke is verie generall and signifieth not onely causes properly so named but also any antecedent though it be but an adiunct or an accident Againe the Apostles words elsewhere are these I suppose that the afflictions of this life are not worthie os the glorie which shal be reuealed Wherefore they might haue done well to chuse some indifferet construction which would haue reconciled both these places together rather then to imbrace such an exposition of the one as doth iustle nay quite thrust out the other S. Bernard doth thus saying that good worâ—…es are not any cause meriting a
this cup onely full of redde wine that is of the wrath and indignation of God but mixt with diuerse comforts otherwise Then besides we meddle not with the dregs VpoÌ„ the vngodly he shall raine snares sire brimstone storme and tempest this shall be their portion to drinke We drinke only a little of the vppermost And therefore he saith God powreth out of the same That after we haue suffered a modicum as S. Peter speaketh we may then enter into glorie According to king Dauid his prayer Comfort vs O Lord now for the time wherein thou hast afflicted vs and for the dayes wherin we haue seene euill Hierome noteth that hauing first said wherein thou hast afflicted vs he expounds it after by these words wherein we haue seene euill Therefore that which Acteon wished that he might see only his hounds hunting and not feele it that happeneth indeede to vs. Our affliction is not a feeling of euill neare at hand but onely a feeling of it a farre off As the Persian Kings children in their minoritie if they had committed a fault were not corrected themselues but onely saw some of meaner birth chastised before them so God teacheth vs to take heed rather by other mens then by our owne harmes And looke how Abraham laid nothing but wood vpon his sonne Isaac carrying the knife and the fire himselfe after the sâ—…me sort dealeth our heauenly father with vs. He laieth vpon vs wood without â—… knife The Phisitian 〈◊〉 that is the best exercise which is ad ruborem non ad sudorem refreshing the spirits and stirring vp the blood a little but not putting a man into any great sweat But the diuine may say that is the best affliction which is ad sudorem non ad sanguinem Therfore God laieth vpon vs wood ad sudorem to make vs sweat In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread not a knife ad sanguinem to make vs bleed Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood God laieth vpon vs wood without fire Now wood without fire is not greatly dangerous Or say he lay vpon vs both wood and fire yet the voice of the Lord deuideth the flame of fire For in the flame of fire naturally there is heat and light But notwithstanding the omnipotent voice of the Lord diuideth these one from the other As the cursed in hell shew and the elect vpon earth I am tormented in this flame saith Dives There 's heat but no light Contrariwise the three children in the furnace shined as Angels for light but were so farre from heat that no one haire of their head or of their apparell perished When Moyses saw a bush burning and not consumed he saide I will goe and see this great vision A great vision indeede There was a flame of fire Els how was the bush burning There was light Els how did Moses see it There was no hear Els how was not the bush consumed Yet in euery faithfull one afflicted you may see this great vision The voice of the Lord in his affliction as in the flame of fire diuideth the heat from the light So that he is not consumed by the heat nay rather his infirmities and carnall concupiscences are consumed thereby but onely illuminated by the light According to that Onely vexation giueth vnderstanding And in an other place Light is sprung vp to the righteous and ioy to them that are true of heart Thus ye see how tenderly our deare faâ—…her dealeth with vs. He laieth either no fire at all vpon vs or els no burning fire for heat but onely a blasing fire for light To make short Many hands as we say make light worke Now wee haue many comparteners and fellowes which make the labour of our affliction light First all creatures sigh and grone with vs Then all the faithfull beare one an others burdens and so fulfill the lawe of God Thirdly the good angels haue a châ—…ge giuen them of vs that we hurt not our foot at any time against a stone Next God the father biddeth vs cast our burthen vpon him and promiseth to nourish vs. Fiftly the holy Ghost helpeth our infirmities and helpeth them euen when we are readie to be oppressed by them Lastly God the sonne setteth to his hand likewise and saith Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauie loaden and I will resresh you take my yoke vpon you for my yoke is easie and my burthen is light As is he should haue said To drawe in the yoake without me would be a hard matter and to beare the burthen without me would be aboue your strength but if you come to me if you drawe and beare with me I will refresh you For my yoake is easie and my burthen is light Thus light is our affliction For God measureth to vs the water with his fist which is the shorter measure he causeth vs to drink of the cup no otherwise but as it is mixt with many comforts he maketh vs not swallow vp the lees of it but onely a little modicum of the vppermost he laieth affliction vpon vs which is rather a seeing then a feeling of euill he laieth wood vpon vs to exercise vs but neither a knife to cut vs nor yet fire to burne vs. Lastly we haue many fellowes in our affliction which make it light All creatures all the faithfull all the good angels God the father God the holy Ghost God the Sonne who saith My yoake is easie and my burden is light Wherefore seeing our affliction is so many waies light we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Thirdly our glorie is eternall yea surpassing eternall The glorie we looke for is called a kingdome Of which the princely Prophet saith thus Thy kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages Whereupon Origen noteth that as there is a holy and a holy of holies as a saboth and a saboth of saboths as a heauen and a heauen of heauens as a song and a song of songs so there is an age and an age of ages And againe as that which is not onely a holy but also a holy of holies is the holiest place of all as that which is not onely a saboth but also a saboth of saboths is the perfectest rest of all as that which is not onely a heauen but also a heauen of heauens is the highest heauen of all as that which is not onely a song but also a song of songs is the excellentest song of all so that which is not onely an age but also an age of ages and especially as the Psalmist speaketh an age of all ages is the most infinite eternitie of all Which seeing it is attributed to the kingdome of Christ being likewise the kingdome of all true Christians it followeth that our glorie is surpassing eternall
walke on long enough and no man enuie you no man maligne you or malice you But because God hath inspired you with his principall spirit and endewed you with speciall great graces aboue your fellowes therefore doth your aduersarie the Deuill the old enemie of all goodnes and vertue who is readie to burst to see you doe so well he I say doth bestirre himselfe and raise vp enemies against you But O blessed be our good Lord what a wonderfull comfort and incouragement haâ—…e all you what a horrible terrour affrightment haue all your enemies in this text For the holy Ghost saies not They shall be clothed or you shall cloth them but I euen I shal cloth them with shame It is impossible saies he that you should alwaies be armed at all points circumspect at all places vigilant at all times prouided at all occasions to preuent the mischieuous practises of your deuillish enemies No counsell of man no policie no wisdome no wit can foresee all their barbarous vndertakings and complottes to escape them But in heauen in heauen there is an eye an hand there is in heauen an eye to descrie them and a hand to persecure and punish them both an eye and an hand to deliuer you from daunger and to cloath them with shame Therefore saith he Cast your care vpon me let me alone with them your perill is my perill your case my case I le pay them that they haue deserued He take the quarrell into mine owne â—…ands I le trimme them well enough As for your enemies I shall cloath them with shame RemeÌ„ber I pray you beloued though indeede they haue made themselues worthie neuer to be remembred or once to be mentioned in our mouthes any more yet remember I say to their egregious dishonour reproch how those are now clothed with shame who were the first cause of the solemnizing or as I may say of the sanctifying of this present day for the day of the weeke and of yesterday for the day of the moneth of the twelue moneth with so holy an exercise How odious how execrable is their very name vnto vs what true hearted loyall subiect such as I am sure all are here doth not detest them hate them loath them as a toad or as a viper or as some hidious mishapen monster and curse the very day wherein such a rebellious generation and such a trayterous brood were borne Certainly my good brethren if the mercie of God which is incomprehensible did not giue them grace at the last gaspe to repent and crie to God for pardon as they are cloathed with shame in this world so shall they be much more in the world to come And as we hold them for no better then cursed creatures so shall the Lord at last say vnto them Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire So let it be o Lord euen so to all the enemies of thine aâ—…ointed either open or secret so let it be to them As for his enemies doe thou thou O Lord thine owne selfe doe thou cloath them with shame But vpon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish These words vpon himselfe either are altogether impertinent and superfluous or else they are very important and materiall For it had beene sufficient to haue saide As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but as for himselfe his â—…rowne shall â—…lourish It is not greatly necessarie as it should seeme to 〈◊〉 his crowne shall â—…lourish vpon himselfe Yet the Lord in his gratious answer vnto Dauids praier thought good to put in this as a supernumerarie word ouer and besides the necessitie of the sentence to teach the good King and vs all likewise a very notable lesson Namely that he would blesse the crowne the dignitie the flourishing estate of his louing seruant not onely in his owne person and his posteritie in this world and in the world to come as I haue shewed alreadie but also from a lesser weight of glory still to a greater and greater Vpon himselfe saies he shall his crowne flourish For not onely it shall be as flourishing as Dauid left it at the day of his departure to God but after his dissolutioÌ„ and death as faâ—…t as his bodie corrupteth in the earth so fast shall his crowne encrease still in heauen Trust me truly I speake it before the liuing Lord and this high presence all the whole Church which shall be edified to saluation by Dauids blessed and godly gouernement euen after his death shal yet suffer his crown neuer to die but shall continually keepe it fresh and greene Yeâ—… as euery one brought to the building of the tabernacle and to the reedifying of the temple such as they were able so I assure you I speake now a great word euery particular subiect that is saithfull to God and to his Prince as he goeth on forward to God by the peace and by the religion which he hath enioyed vnder his Prince so he shall still beautifie and decke Dauids crowne one shall bring a white rose another shall bring a red rose and adde it to the crowne that so vpon himselfe still his crowne may slourish the white rose and the redde rose that are in the crowne alreadie beeing euer made more and more fragrant and slourishing O Christ what a crowne is this And what will it growe to much more in the ende You that are mighty Kings and Potentates vpon earth haue indeede great cares and continuall businesse in your heads but yet vouchsafe I pray you to hearken a little what I shal say vnto you You watch oftentimes ouer vs when we are asleepe our selues You care for our peace when it is not in our power to further it you procuring good to Sion and prosperitie to Ierusalem yet many times enioy the least part of it your selues But no force Take this still for your comfort We that cannot all our liues long doe the hundreth part of that good vvhich you doe euery houre shall haue nothing so flourishing a crovvne as you shall haue Vpon you vpon you shall euerlasting peace rest vpon you shall the glorie of Gods Maiestie shine vpon you vpon you shall your crovvne slourish Which the Lord of his mercie graunt I most humbly beseech him for Iesus Christs sake that as Dauids crovvne euer slourished till the first comming of Christ so our gratious Kings crovvne may euer flourish till the second comming of Christ and then that afterward for euer his royall Maiestie may be roy ally crovvned vvith eternall life thorough the same our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ to vvhom vvith the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glo rie povver and praise dignitie and dominion novv and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the Kings Maiestie that day he entred into Oxford at Woodstocke August 27. 1065. Luk. 8. 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring
Onely in one point I am proud and very proud namely in renouncing an◅ denying the deuill He is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out and spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iud◅ hath ouercome him He is an old serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath bin too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnovv Peter as corne is sifted yet no daunger Christ hath praised for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the vvay vve may marke the difference betvveen Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Novv a fanne casteth out the vvorst and keepeth in the best a siue keepeth in the vvorst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrarivvise the deuill is there be any ilthing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing els that he weakneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not saile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffeted by the angel of Sathan prayed that he might be deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficiēt for thee Whether Satan busset vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs. Much more his glorie who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory no good thing wil he withhold frō thē that liue a godly li◅e Therefore euerie child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the deuill doe against vs if God be with vs who can be against vs N◅ianzen makes a good conclusion This onely is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and seare nothing else feare no◅ God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregory he that in a chast and fili◅ll feare is subiected to God by a hopesull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainely God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great Potentates os the world who of late were some of them scarse our good friends doe now earnestly desire to be made partakers of our peace What doe I speake of men The very heauen the elements and this so seasonable haruest such as hath not beene known if one may take any gesse by these outward things doe plainely declare that God is now with vs and purposeth to powre out his blessings and benefits most abundantly vpon vs. Nothing then remaineth but that as God is with vs so we labour to be with God And as S. Peter admonisheth vs make our election sure by faith and good workes liuing soberly vprightly godlily in this present world That so we may feare no cruelty of man no miserie of the world no entisements of the flesh no terrors of the deuill but in all these things may be more then conquerours assuring our selues that if God be with vs nothing can be against vs. Which that it may be so God graunt for Iesus Christs sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euermore Amen Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the Holy ghost be with vs that nothing may be against vs this day and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT THE Court at Whitehall March 10. 1598. Iohn 20. 27. After saide he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull OVr blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie for foure causes First to approoue his resurrection secondly to appease his father thirdly to confound his enemies fourthly to comfort his friends After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull The first cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to approoue his resurrection When Iacobs children told him saying Ioseph is yet aliue his heart failed and he beleeued them not but as soone as he saw the chariots which were sent for him by and by his spirit reuined and he said I haue inough Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue In like manner when the dis◅iples said to Thomas we haue seene the Lord he beleeued them not but now that he beholdeth Christs glorious wounds the triumphant tokens o◅ his victorie and the chariots as I may say whereby we are with Elias carried vp into heauen he confesseth indeede that Christ is risen againe and that the true Ioseph is ye◅ aliue Euen as Anna seeing that spaniell cōming homeward which went forth with her sonne at the first knewe certainely that her sonne Tobias himselfe was not farre off but followed immediately after so Thomas seeing those wounds in Christ which accom◅anied him to his graue knew assuredly that no other bodie was risen again but onely the very selfe same bodie of Christ which was buried S. Peter being brought out of prison by an Angel went forth with to the house of Marie where kno◅king and calling to get in a maiden named Rhode before euer she sawe him knewe him by his voice And although they that were within told her she wist not what she said yet shee still constantly affirmed it was none other but he Christs rising out of the graue was as strange as Peters deliuerance out of prison the rovvling avvay of the stone as strange as the opening of the yron gate And albeit Thomas vvas not so forvvard as Rhode to knovv Christ by his voice vvhen he said Peace be vnto you yet as soone as Christ tooke him by the hand and shevv d him his side he made no more doubts but presently beleeued For if Protogenes seeing but a little line dravvne in a table knew straightwaies it was Apelles doing whome he had neuer seene how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ seeing not onely one line but very many lines
head and his left hand doth embrace vs so that though we should fall yet we can not be hurt because the Lord stayeth and supporteth vs with his hand Therefore S. Chrysostome giues vs good counsell not to haue iayes eyes but eagles eyes that we may behold these hands of Christ and see his side in the sacrament For indeede as o◅ten as we celebrate the memorie of our Lords death Christ our Sauiour deliuering the bread and the cuppe by his minister saith in a sort to euery faithfull receiuer Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull But yet we shall not alwaies drinke of this fruit of the vine The time will come when we shall drinke a new kinde of wine in Christs kingdome Wherefore he saies As often as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the Lords death til he come Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall be shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his Saints Euen as vve sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloody wounds are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe the Saints reioyce how glori◅ also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirituall banket of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither fhall the eagles resort And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shall vnsatiably desite to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the soule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the ◅hirstie as the poole of Bethesda which ◅ealeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my bodie is the paper Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selse of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall be The second cause to appease his father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his father onely between his ascension his second comming shal serue to confoūd his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherefore though we be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that we may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes wounds so let vs kisse the Sonne least he be angrie honour his holy wounds which are the pretious balme wherewith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the which we beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our owne deserts or merits but for the tender bowels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie toward vs to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Matth. 5. v. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then hands For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and doe so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand In so much as that may be aptly applied to them which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you do litle you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse thē they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to doe much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a whet stone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which beeing deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and
one onely holy and happy example hath done which we see euery day before our eies Neither need ye be greatly put in mind to keepe in mind the word heard Memorie ye haue enough vnderstanding enough knowledge enough learning enough When you haue heard a Sermon you can remember and repeat and carrie away and keepe much of it But this this is the thing which I must â—…all vpon my selfe and vpon all you to thinke of to wit that we bring forth the fruit of the word in patience in temperance and in all other vertues of a sanctified life For that Samaritan Woman did not fill her pitcher at the well â—…o spill it by the way but to carrie it home full of water and there to vse it as occasion seru'd Here where the word is preached is the well of liuing water flowing forth to eternall life But this water we must carrie away with vs and keepe it to wash and purge our consciences to clense our wayes to water the roots of Gods graces in vs continually that we may bring forth fruit with patience Rachel also that other holy woman did not desire the mandrakes so much to hold it in her hand or to smell â—…o it as to be made apt thereby 〈◊〉 bring forth the fruite of her wombe To teach vs that we must not labour so much to knowe the word that we may subtilly dispute or discourse of it as to practise it that we may shewe the fruite of it in the amendment of our liues Therefore king Dauid beeing readie to redresse diuers things among his people saith in one of the Psalmes O Lord teach me goodnesse and knowledge knowledge that I may keepe thy word and goodnesse that I may shewe the fruit of it For I am sure saies he that al my keeping without fructifying all my knowledge without goodnesse is to no purpose Wherefore ó Lord giue me goodnesse and knowledge But first goodnesse and then knowledge Because indeede a little goodnesse though it be neuer so small is better then all knowledge though neuer so great One handfull of goodnesse is worth an hundred headfulls of knowledge For the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it 〈◊〉 sor euer A good vnderstandâ—…ng 〈◊〉 all they that doe thereafter Why so Because an ill vnderstanding haue all they that doe not thereafter They that haue vnderstanding and doe not thereafter that is bring not forth fruit according to it they haue an ill vnderstanding But they that haue vnderstanding and do therafter lead their lise according to it such haue a good vnderstanding The praise of these shal endure for euer O how highly shall Christ praise you how richly shall he reward you if you haue a conscionable care to expresse his vertues to be transformed as it were into the obedience of his word Then he shall say vnto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome of heauen For ye haue not onely heard my word and kept it as farre as knowledge goes but also ye haue practised it and fructified thereby I was in prison and ye visited me I was harbourlesse and ye lodged me I was hungry and ye gaue me meate These and such other haue beene the good fruites which haue follovved your hearing and keeping of my word Therefore now ye shall be praised for your weldoing and for euer ye shall be blessed for your fruit-bearing Which God graunt to vs all for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS A FVNERALL SERMON PREACHED in S. Maries May 10. 1605. Psal. 32. 6. Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him THe principall scope os the Prophet in this place is to prooue that the righteousnesse and so the blessednesse of man consisteth onely in the free forgiuenes of his sinnes and gratious imputation of Christs merits His argument may be framed thus That which the whole Church and euery godly man therein hath euer especially praied for in all afflictions and troubles that is happinesse But for remission of sinnes euery godly man will â—…ray in time of tribulation Therefore this is the felicitie of the faithfull To confirme this reason more fully he setteth downe first the circumstances going before the prayer For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found Then the forme of the prayer it selfe Thou art a place to hide me in thou shalt preserue me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with â—…ongs of deliuerance Lastly the effect following the prayer Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Prayer is the true sacrifice of faith The efficacie whereof is briefly but pithily set downe to the Hebrewes And I haue spoken els-where somewhat largely of this point Now but a word onely to make a fit entrance into this sermon Take it therefore thus The effocts of prayer heretofore haue beene wonderfull Prayer hath fet down hailestones from heauen to ouercome fiue Kings with their armies Prayer hath shut vp the windowes of heauen that it should not raine and againe hath opened them that the earth might giue her encrease Prayer hath staied the swist course of the sunne and caused it to go backward fifteene degrees Prayer hath held Gods hands that he could not strike when he was readie to plague his people Prayer without any other helpe or meanes hath throwne downe the strong walls of Iericho Prayer hath deuided the sea that the floods thereof could not come neere the Israelites In this place it deliuereth the faithful man from all the dangers of this world Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him The summe is this That no calamities of this world no troubles of this life no terrours of death no guiltines of sinne can be so great but that a godly man by meanes of his faith and felicitie in Christ shall wade out of them well inough For howsoeuer other things goe still he shall haue such a solace in his soule such a comfort in his conscience such a heauen in his heart knowing himselfe reconciled to God and iustified by faith that Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Which that it may the better appeare I shall desire you to obserue two things The danger the deliuerance The danger is in these words In the flood of many waters Where the tribulations that the godly man is subiect to in this life are likened First to waters then to many waters thirdly to a flood of many waters In the flood of many waters The deliuerance is in these words Surely they shall not come neare him Where the deliuerance of the godly man hath three degrees also First they shall not come
turmoiled and tossed Wherfore let vs in time crie aloud and awake him with our praiers Or rather indeede he is not asleepe but awake alreadie We haue awaked him not with our praiers but with our sinnes Our sinnes haue cried vp to heauen And the Lord beeing awaked as a gyant comes forth against vs and as a mighty man refreshed with wine For not onely those are waters which are in the chanell or in the sea but as waters are here vnderstood euen those fires are waters those fires I say which very lately awaked vs at midnight affrighted vs at noone day which raged on the South side and anon after on the North side oâ—… the towne It was but a fewe mens losse but it was all mens warning And what shall we make nothing of this that one kind of disease deuoureth vp the townesmen an other the schollers This is now the tenth course of schollers which within this moneth hath beene brought forth to buriall not one of them dying of the plague whereas heretofore if one or two scholers haue died in a whole yeare out of all Colledges it hath beene accompted a great matter This and such like grieuous iudgements beloued doe plainely declare that the Lord beeing awaked with the cry of our sinnes is grieuously displeased and offended at vs. Wherefore let vs yet now at the length in the name of God rowfe vp our selues and awake out of our deadly sinnes Let this that our holy brother did so sodainly in a manner fall asleepe be a loud O yes as it were to awake vs all Let euery one of vs amend one iudge one accuse one condemne one that we be not all condemned of the Lord. Let euery one of vs I beseech you crie vp to heauen for mercie and say with Dauid I haue sinned and done wickedly Or with Ionas Take me for I knowe that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Then our most mercifull father shall blesse vs all as he hath done this holy Saint both in our life and in our death by the pardoning of our offences couering all our sinnes with the bowells and blood of Christ. And though in this world we be euer subiect to a flood of many waters yet he shall drawe vs still out of many waters as hee did Moses Surely in the floode of many waters no more then they did to Ionas they shall not come neare vs. Neither onely shall we be safe in the flood of death but also in the flood of the day of iudgement For that also is a flood and a terrible fearefull one too To wit not of water but of fire As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be at the comming of the sonne of man In the first flood they which had not an arke ranne vp to the toppes of houses to the tops of trees to the toppes of mountaines because they desired to hold vp their heads aboue the still rising raging water In the second they which are not found in Christ shall say to the mountaines Fall vpon vs and to the caues Couer vs and hide vs from the wrath of the Lambe Then they shall be glad to creepe into euery hold and corner that they may auoide the burning of fire But we that confesse our sinnes and forsake the fame shall lift our heads to no other mountain but tò Christ from whome commeth our saluation we shall desire to be couered with no other rocke but onely with that out of which came the blood and water of life For neuer did Noahs flood so cleane wash away all wicked men from the face of the earth as the blood of Christ shall purge vs from all our sinnes and present vs blamelesse before the face of our father onely if we be faithfull vnto death For then the next thing is felicitie and the crowne of life Which God for his mercie sake graunt vs all that as we make no doubt but this our holy brother now triumpheth with Christ so all and euery one of vs after we haue waded through this world as a flood of many waters may inherit that kingdome of glorie which our louing Lord Iesus hath purchased for vs with his deare blood to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITEhall before the King on tewsday after Lo Sunday 1604. 2. Cor. 3. 18. But all we with open face behold as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord and are transformed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the spirit of the Lord. THe old Testament and the new Testament in summe and substance are all one Christ Iesus the very summe substance of them both in himselfe is one and the same yesterday and to day and for euer Those mysticall wheeles which Ezekiel sees in a vision are one within an other After the same sort there is gospell in the lawe and there is lawe in the gospell One wheele is within another one testament is within another For neither is the lawe so full of threatenings but that it hath some comforts in it neither is the gospell so full of comforts but that it hath some threatenings in it So that the lawe is nothing else but a threatning gospell and the gospel is nothing els but a comfortable lawe The two cherubims which shadowe the merey-seat haue their faces one toward another In like manner the two testaments which shadowe out Christ the true mercy-seat vnto vs haue their faces one toward another For the old testament looketh forward toward the newe which is come and the newe testament looketh backeward toward the old which is past Those glorious seraphims which sing Holy Holy Holy do call to one another So the lawe and the gospell lauding him alone which is the holy one of God doe call to one another Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world There the lawe calls to the gospell when Iohn commends Christ. Among them that haue beene borne of women there hath not risen a greater then the Baptist. Here on th' other side the gospell calls to the lawe when Christ coÌ„mends Iohn Whereupon also commending his spouse he saies Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins feeding among the lillies The two breasts of the church are the tvvo testaments out of which vve that are the children of the church suck the pure milke of the vvord of God These testaments feede among the lillies Because they treate and discourse especially of Christ vvho saies I am the lilly of the valleyes These testaments also are like tvvo young roes that are tvvins Because tvvins as vve reade of Hippocrates tâ—…ins vvhen they goe they goe together vvhen they feede they feede together And after the same fashion the tvvo testaments beeing the tvvo breasts of the church go together and feede together like tvvo young roes that are
of the Iewes did consist onely of Israelites yet the Sidonians and all other nations should one day come together and put-too their helping hand to edisie and build vp the Church of Christ. Euen as the father of Salomon prophesied of it long before The kings of Tarsis and the Isles shall giue 〈◊〉 the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts Al people shall fall downe before him all nations shall doe him seruice We read that the Israelites remooued their tents from Marah and came to Elim where they found twelue fountaines of water and seauentie palme trees All the while they were in Marah which signifieth bitternes they saw no fountaine no palme tree But when they came to Elim which signifieth raâ—…s then they found twelue fountaines and seauentie palme trees This iourney of the Israelites did intimate thus much That the Church of Christ should neuer leaue iourneying on forward till it came from Marah to Elim That is from the Iewes whose mouthes are full of cursing and bitternes to the Gentiles which are the true flocke and sheepfold of Christ. Here the Church findeth twelue fountaines and seauentie palme trees twelue Apostles and seauentie Disâ—…iples Which twelue Apostles as â—…welue fountaines haue floâ—…ed more geneâ—…ally oâ—…er the face of all the earth to renew it theâ—… Noahs slood did to deâ—… it And thâ—… 〈◊〉 Disciples as seauentie palme trees haue flourished and spread theÌ„selues ouer all the world so that as the Psalmist speaketh The hills are couered with the shadow of them and the boughs thereof are like the goodly Cedar trees Almightie God commanded Moyses to make 12. cakes which should be set continually vpon the table of shewbread yet so as they should be changed euery Sabbaâ—…h dâ—…y These tvvelue cakes did presigure the twelue Apostles and all those disciples of Christ which continually shew to his people the bread of life that is the word of God Now these twelue cakes are changed when as the tvvelue fountâ—…ines and the seauentie palme trees are changed into twelue Apostles and seauentie disciples That so Gods promise to his Church may be fulfilled vvhich is this In steed of thy fathers thou shalt haue children vvhome thou maist make Princes in all lands As if in other words he should haue saide Thy shewbread shall be changed For in steed of thy tvvelue fountaines and thy seauentie palme trees thou shalt haue twelue Apostles and seauenty disciples vvhome thou maist make Princes in all lands To this mysterie of the tvvelue fountaines is ansvverable that vvhich is vvritten of the tvvelue oxen The molren sea did stand vpon twelue oxen whereof three looked towarde the North and three looked toward the West and three looked toward the South and three looked toward the East The great caldron was called a molten sea because it did foreshew the depth of the twelue Apostles doctrine which flowing from them as from twelue fountaines did make as it were a maine sea This sea did stand vpon twelue oxen that is as Saint Paul doth interpret it vpon twelue Apostles Which in that they looked fowre wayes East West North and South they did teach all nations And in that they looked three and three together they did represent the blessed Trinitie Not only teaching all nations but also in that sea of water baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Wherefore though the two kine which carried the Arke wherein were the tables of the Law went straight and kept one path turning neither to the right hand nor to the left Yet these twelue oxen which caried the molten sea signifying the doctrine of the Gospel went not straight neither kept one path but turned into the way of the Gentiles â—…ea they looked all manner of waies East West North and South And those two kyne stood still and lowed no more when they came to the feild of Iosua dwelling in Bethshemesh that is in the house of the sunne To note that all the kine and calues and sacrifices and ceremonies of the old law weare to cease and stand still when they came to Iesus which is the true Iosua dwelling in heauen which is the true Bethshemesh But these twelue oxen weare so farre from leauing off either to goe or to low when they came to Christ that euen then they went much faster and lowed much lowder so that now their sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world and in them hath god set Bethshemesh that is a house or a tabernacle for the sunne Therefore as the materiall sunne thorough the twelue sigâ—…es in the Zodiake goeth forth from the vâ—…termost parts of the heauen and runneth about to the end of it againe in like sort the spirituall Sonne of righteousnesse by the twelue Apostles as by twelue signes hath beene borne round about the world that he might be not onely the glorie of his people Israel but also a light to lighten the Gentiles and that al al the ends of the earth might see the saluation of our God Truth it is touching the Synagoge of the Iewes Christ saith My sister my spouse is as a garden enclosed and as a fountaine sealed vp For as Saint Ierome writeth the whole countrie of Iewrie where the Iewes dwelt lying betweene Dan and Beersabee was scarce a hundred and three score mile long So that it might well be likened to a garden enclosed and to a sountaine sealed vp But now this sealed fountaine hath beene turned into a springing well since the twelue fountaines haue flowed ouer all the earth and this enclosed garden hath beene turned into an open feild since the twelue oxen haue plowed the feild of all the whole world Therefore now Christ saith of himselfe I am a flower of the feild And so likewise to his spouse Come my welbeloued let vs go forth into the feild let vs remaine in the villages For though before his passion he was appreheÌ„ded in a garden yet at his passion he was crucisied without the gate To signisie that he would be not onely a garden-flower but also â—… feild-flower that he would remaine not onely for the saluation of the Iewes within the city of Ierusalem but also for the saluation of the Gentils without the gate of the citie in all the villages round about Nabuchadnezar saw in a vision a stone cut without hands which became a great mountaine and silled all the whole earth This stone cut without hands is Christ begotten of a pure Virgin without the companie of man Who was indeede a very little stone or as I may say but a sparke at the first Wherefore the Iewes for his pouertie and humilitie despised and refused him But now this poore little stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone in the corner and it is made a great mountaine which filleth all the
Whereupon Prosper noteth that that which Virgil writeth of Augustus Cesar He hath giuen vs an Empire without ende may much more fitly be applied to Christ. For though Augustus raigned very long aboue fiftie yeares yet at length his gouernment as all other earthly kingdomes was determined But of our heauenly king onely the angel Gabriel saide most truly Of his kingdome there shall be no ende Now this glorie is as well called a crowne as a kingdome And this crowne as S. Peter saith is vndefield which neuer fadeth away The Greeke words which S. Peter vseth are Latine words also and they are not onely appellatiues beeing the epithites of this crowne but also propers the one the proper name of a stone the other of a flower For Isidore writeth there is a pretious stone called Aniantus which though it be neuer so much soyled yet it can neuer at all be blemished And beeing cast into the fire it is taken out still more bright and cleane Also Clemens writeth that there is a flower called Aâ—…rantus which beeing a long time hung vp in the house yet still is fresh and greene To both which the stone and the flower the Apostle as I am verily perswaded alludeth in this place As if he should haue saide The crowne which ye shall receiue shall be studded with the stone Amiantus which cannot be defiled and it shall be garnished with the flower Amarantus which alwaies is fresh and neuer fades away ye shall receiue a crowne vndefiled and that neuer fades away Which as Beda noteth was insinuated in the crowne round about the Arke of the Testament For in a circle there is neither beginning nor ending Or rather euery where there is a beginning euery where an ending and so no where any beginning or ending To shew that the patient also shal haue a crown set vpon their head per circuituÌ„ running round in a circle neuer comming to any end of eternitie Well our glorie is called also a treasure Three kind of treasures there are A treasure in hell a treasure in earth a treasure in heauen That in hell is a treasure of torments that in earth is a treasure of snowe that in heauen is a treasure of eternitie For the first S. Iames sayes Go to nowe you rich men weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vp treasure for the last dayes Here 's a treasure in hell Which to be a treasure of torments the Apostle prooueth saying Thou after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent treasurest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath A treasure of wrath and of torments â—…roÌ„ which God for the deare blood of his sonne sake deliuer vs euery one The second is a treasure in earth Oâ—… which our Sauiour saith Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon earth where the moath and canker corrupt and where the eues dig thorough and steale And this is a treasure of snowe For S. Gregorie vpon those words of Iob Who entreth into the treasures of snowe sheweth that earthly treasures are treasures of snowe You see little children what paines they take tâ—…â—…ake and scrape snowe together to make a snowe-ball right so they that scrape together the treasure of this world haue but a snowe-ball of it as soone as the sunne shineth and God breatheth vpon it and so entreth into it by and by it comes to nothing The third is a treasure in heauen Concerning which our Sauiour saith Lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where are bagges that neuer waxe old Now this is a treasure of eternitie And therefore the Christians of the primitiue Church suffered with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in heauen a better and a more enduring substance They contemned all treasures of snow in respect of this substance For they haue no substance neither are simply good though they be called goods but melt away as snow this is a better and a more enduring substance yea a most enduring a surpassing eternall waight of glorie Thus ye see how eternall our gloâ—…ie is It is a kingdome a crowne a treasure And this kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome this crowne is an incorruptible crowne this treasure is an eternal treasure And therefore seeing our glorie is so surpassing eternall we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs surpassing exceeding â—…ernall waight of glorie Fourthly our glorie is weightie yea exceeding waightie â—…he glorie to come by some resemblances is shewed to be eternall by other to be weightie First to this purpose it is compared to wine Touching which our Sauiour saith Hereaâ—…r will I not drinke with you of the frâ—…ite of the vine till I drinke it nevve vvith you in my fathers kingdome Now how waightie this wine shal be appeareth in that the spies bringing clusters of grapes out of Caâ—… 〈◊〉 them vpon a poalâ—… on their 〈◊〉 To shewe in the celestiall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorie there shalâ—… be So when 〈◊〉 Lord turned water 〈◊〉 wine hâ—…â—…ommanded to â—…ll the vessels to the 〈◊〉 These vessels topâ—…ll of wine doe signifie at the mariage oâ—… the Lamb that â—…e 〈◊〉 shall hâ—… a â—…ll reward pressed downe shâ—…ken together râ—…g ouer So that euery one of them mâ—…y say Mâ—… cuppe doth ouerflowe Againe 〈◊〉 glorie is comâ—…d to a peny Now in a peny we consider fowre things The image the superscription the sound the waight So our Sauiour when they shewed him a peny aâ—…ked whose image and superscription it was First then for the image Christ shall change our vile bodies that they may be like the glorious bodie of his sonne that as we haue borne the image of the earthly so we may beare the image of the heauenly For the superscriptioÌ„ our Sauiour saith To him that ouercommeth will I giue a white stone and in it a name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it As a Prince seeing his name vpon a peice of coine knoweth it is of his owne mint so euery patient Christian seeing his owne name in this white stone which is a token of honour knoweth it properly belongeth to himselfe For the sound the Psalmist saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall alwaies praise thee This shall be the sound of the peny continually the praise of God As the foure and twentie elders neuer ceased day nor night to sing Holy holy holy to him that is and was and is to come Fourthly for the waight the shekel of the Sanctuarie was twise as weightie as the common shekel in like mâ—…ner our glorie shall be as the shekel of the Sanctuarie
wounded hands toward the throne of his heauenly father that he may mooue him to haue pitie and compassion of his people Pelopidas a noble Grecian â—…irmished with the Lacedemonians against the Arcadianâ—… vntill such time as beeing hurt in seauen places he fell downe at last for dead Then pâ—…esently Epaminondas stepping forth bestrid him and 〈◊〉 to defend his bodie he alone against many till beeing sore cut on his arme with a sword and thrust into the bâ—…east with a â—…ike he was euen readie to giue ouer But at that very instant Agesipolis king of the Lacedemonians came with the other point of the battell in a happie howre and saued both their liues when they were past all hope If we would applie this stoâ—…ie to our purpose now in hand we must make man like Pelopidâ—…s Christ like Epaminondas God like Agesipolis Since the ouerthrow of Adam who went downe from 〈◊〉 to Ierico how euery man hath beene wounded not onely with Pelopidas in seanen plaâ—…es of his bodie but euen in all the parâ—…s and powers of his soule each one knoweth best by experience in himselfe But Christ hath sheilded vs with his grace and fought for vs noâ—… till he was with Eâ—…aminondas cut oâ—… his arme with a sword and trust intâ—…â—…he breast with a piâ—…e but that which is in a manner all one till his hâ—…nds were goared with nayles and his side thrust â—…orough with a 〈◊〉 Wherefore God the father with Agesipolis seeing him in the work of his mediation sâ—…ght still for vs clothed euen now in heauen with a garment dipâ—… in blood can not be angrie either with him or vvith vs but vvhen vve are dead in sinne quicâ—…neth vs together in him by whose grace vve are saued and raiseth vs vp and maâ—…eth vs for his sake sit in the heauenly places aboue Marcus Servilius a valiant Romane who had sought three and â—…vventie combates os life and death in his ovvne person and had alwaies sâ—…ine as many of his enemies as chaleng'd him man to man vvhen as the people of Rome resisted Paulus Emilius â—…iumph stood vp and made an oration in his behalfe In the midst vvhereof he cast open his govvne and sâ—…evved befoâ—…e them the insâ—…ite skarres and cuts he had receiued vpon his brest The sight of vvhich so preuailed vvith the people that they all agreed in one and graunted Emilius triumph After the same fashion Christ hath spoiled principalities and povvers and hath made a shevv os them openly and hath triumâ—… ouer them in his erosse yea and yet now beareth about in his bodie the markes and tokens of this triumph that a finall agreement and attonement being made betweene God and vs by his onely mediation and meanes we also may be more then conquerours in him that loueth vs and may euerie one of vs say with Saint Paul Now thankes be vnto God which alwaies maketh vs to triumph in Christ. Among other ornaments of the Sanctuarie there was a golden censer sull of holes by which the sweete odours fumed forth when Aaron once a yeare burnt incense therin No other high Priest doe we acknowledge but Christ the true Aaron who hath entred not into any Sanctuarie made with hands but into heauen it selfe And his golden censer is his â—…wne body which through the wounds 〈◊〉 are in it as through chinks or holes fuâ—…eth forâ—…h alwaies a pleasing and a sweete sauour in the nosthrils of his father The signe of the coueant which God made wiâ—…h Noah was a rainebowe in the 〈◊〉 And indeede that is a sure token vnto vs that the world shall neuer be drowned againe with a generall slood of water as it was in Noahs time But the rainebowe which assureth vs we shall neuer be drowned in the pit of euerlasting perdition is no such thing Why may some man say what is it Marie it is the blood of Christ which maketh as it were a rainebowe in his side For the other rainebow is but a transitorie signe which shall passe away with the cloudes and with the world But this rainebowe whereof the other is but a shadowe shall continue for euer in the sight of God as the author to the Hebrewes sai's that Christ is entred into heauen vt appareat nunc vultui Dei pro nobis to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. Therefore S. Iohn in the Reuelation witnesseth that he sawe a doore open in heauen and a rainebow round about the throne of God He sawe a doore open in heauen to teach vs that we can haue no accesse vnto the father but by Christ neither yet by Christ simply but as he is crucified and hath set open a doore in his side for vs to enter by him He sawe a rainebowe round about the throne of God to teach vs that the throne of God would be altogether a throne of iustice a throne of wrath a throne of anger and indignation were it not that the blood of Christ spinning out as I may say still liuely and freshly in the sight of his father maketh a rainebowe round about his throne putteth him in mind of his couenant appeaseth his displeasure and so maketh his throne to all vs that loue him a throne of grace a throne of compassioÌ„ a throne of fauour and mercie in Christ. We read that Iacob â—…illed certaine rods which beeing laid in the watering troughes before the sheepe made them bring forth such lambes as afterward fell to his own share So likewise if we sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes The marke of the roddes in his woundes laid open in the sight of God ingendreth and breedeth in him a loue and a liking towards vs so that he conceiueth well of vs and seuereth vs as good sheepe from the goates and in the blood of the lamb is pleased and appeased and satissied for our sinnes This blood is the blood of sprinkling which speaketh betâ—…er things then that os Abel For Abels blood vpon earth cried our once for vengeance but Christs blood in heauen cries continually for mercie One deepe calleth another because of the noise of the water pipes Christs wounds are the watering troughs and the water-pipes by which all graces flowe vnto vs. So that one deepe calleth an other because of the noise of the water pipes because the wounds of Christ make a continuall noise in the eares of his father and the depth of the extreame miserie which he was in vpon earth calleth for the depth of Gods bottomlesse and insinite mercie in heauen Thus these holy wounds of Christ pacisie and appease his father For now Moyses standing in the gap sues sor pardon the poore creple lying at the beautifull gate begg's an almes Ezechias spreading open his letters makes his supplication Salomon streatching out his hands offers vp his prayer Epaminondas being wounded moues Agesipolis to saue Pelopidas Seruilius discouering
neare secondly him they shall not come neare him then Surely surely they shall not come neere him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him First the asflictions of the faithful are likened to waters Fire and water haue no mercy we say But of the two water is the worst For any fire may be quenched with water but the force of water if it begins to be violent can not by any power of man be resisted Canutus who was King of England Scotland Denmarke Norway and a great part of Suevia all at once sitting at a low water vpon the Thames shoare commanded the water not to come neare him But notwithstanding his commandement the water returning and flowing againe as that in Ezekiel which came to the ankles then to the knees and yet higher to the necke so neuer left rising till it came vp neere him and wet him Then turning about to his noble men that were there attendant on him he said You call me your Soueraigne Lord and Master and yet I can not command this little channell of water to keepe aloose osf from me Whereupon he went immediatly to Westminster and with his owne hands sâ—…t his Crowne vpon the Crucifix there and could neuer be perswaded after to weare iâ—… vpon his owne head This experience that Canutus so mightie a King made doth directly prooue that no man but God onely can set barres and doores against the water and say Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The afslictions of the righteous therefore beeing here compared to waters must needes be very violent For thus the Psalmist saith Thine indignation lieth hard on me and thou hast vexed me with all thy waues And God himselfe I will powre out my wrath vpon thee as water So that the securitie and selicitie of the faithfull man is inuincible He may be often in daunger of tribulations as of great waues or waters but they shall neuer ouerwhelme him Surely in the flood os many waters they shall not come neere him But these our tribulations which are waters are also many waters Our common prouerb is Seldome comes sorrow alone But as waters come rouling and wauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ther so the miseries of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophet Ezekiel saw the roulâ—… 〈◊〉 written with in and withouâ—… and there was written therein Lamentations and singing and woe This booke is written within and without to shew that many are the troubles of the righteous both outward and inward And it is two to one if any thing befall vs it is rather an ill happe then a good happe Seeing for one singing there is in the booke a double sorrowing lamentations and woe Or if it be read as some translate it Lamentations and mourning and woe then it is yet more plaine that in this world many troubles as many waters come one in the necke of an other no earthly ioy or comfort comming betweene This the good King greatly complaineth of One deepe calleth an other because of the noise of the water pipes all thy floods and stormes haue gone ouer me And Iob He hath giuen me one wound vpon another and he hath runne vpon me as a gyant And Saint Paul though in one place he write God shewed mercie 〈◊〉 him that he should not haue 〈◊〉 vpon sorow yet oftentimes elsâ—… 〈◊〉 speaketh of his owne manifoâ—…d daungers I soffered thrice shipwracke saies he night and day haue I bin in the deepe sea In iourneying I was often in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills of mine owne nation in perills among the Gentiles in perills in the citie in perills in the wildernesse in perills in the sea in perills among false brethren Thus we see how many waters the godly man is subiect to in this life For one ioy he hath at the least two sorowes if he haue no more one deepe calleth an other one wound bringeth another he hath sorow vpon sorow perills vpon perills Many waters many dangers Neuer thelesse Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neare him Thirdly the dangers of this life are as a â—…lood The very naming and mentioning of a flood must needes be very terrible euer since Noahs flood destroyed the whole world For euen as a horse or a mule of whom the Prophet a little after speaketh in this Psalm hauing beene once well lashed with a whippe doth euer after feare if he heare but the bell which is tied to the 〈◊〉 so man since the world was so well scoured and scourged with a flood could neuer almost abide either to talke or thinke of it Now though our whole life be nothing else but a flood of many waters yet nothing in the world may more fitly be so called then our going out of the world This indeede bringeth with it a â—…lood of many waters and an Ocean sea of infinite cares Aristotle writeth that nothing is so terrible as death which Antiochus feeling sensibly in himselfe crieth out thus Oh into what aduersitie am I come and into what floods of miserie am I now fallen He addeth the reason anon after For I must die with great sorrow in a strange land What speake I of a wicked tyrant Holy men often are in great perplexitie at the time of their departure S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that being ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Go forth my soule why fearest thou go forth why tremblest thou Thou hast serued Christ almost these threescore and ten yeares and dost thou now feare death Christ himselfe also feeling that he was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For he prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilâ—… And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could do nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his father both by his counsell and will had decreed and by his hand had ordained Hilarion also that holy antient Father comforteth himselfe with this that he had serued Christ almost seauentie yeares Other children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happie in Christ. Howbeit seeing many holy Christians and euen Christ himselfe feared death it remaineth that death simply and in it selfe considered is a flood of many waters But yet the faithfull man euen in death is out of all danger Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Thus much for the first part which is the danger In the flood of many waters The second part followeth which is the deliuerance Surely they shall not come neere