our Prophet saith in the next words If thou deale thy bread to the hungrie then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health shall grovve speedily For his Ciuill estate that is reputation and honour Learning and Valour are the vertues for which a man is most admired but humblenesse and bountifulnesse are the vertues for which a man is best beloued The loynes of the naked blesse him and the tongues of the poore praise him and the hearts of all men honour him his memoriall is blessed and had in an euerlasting remembrance sweet as hony in all mouthes and pleasant in all eares as musicke at a banquet of wine For this Spirituall estate the dealing of bread to hungry soules is acceptable to God for his almes ascend and come vp in remembrance before God Act. 10. 4. Where that he hath done faithfully to the least of Christes little ones shall be Construed as done to Christ himselfe and it is very comfortable to himselfe also which occasioned the blessed Martyr Tyndall to terme monday and Saturday which he vsually spent in visiting the sicke and relieuing the poore his owne dayes of pastime an happy recreation as Ambrose speakes in alieno remedio Vulnera sua curare To benefit our selues by helping other For his eternall estate the poore man is the Mercurit saith our Church set by God in the way to Hierusalem aboue whosoeuer will go thither must goe by his doore pointing at the path of Paradise directly Hee that Couers the naked shall put on Christ and bee Clothed with the long white robes of righteousnes couering all his sin hee that bringes the poore Cast-out into his house shall be receiued into euerlasting habitation he that hides not himselfe from his owne flesh shall enioy the presence of Christ and see God face to face He that deales bread to the hungry shal be satisfied with the plenteousnes of Gods house drinking of heauenly delights as out of the riuer he shal haue for a cup of Cold water which is the least almes a Crowne of glory which is the greatest of rewardes euen fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore GEN. 1. 26. And God sayd let vs make man in our Image after our owne likenesse THe Scripture considers man in a fourefold estate the first of his confection as being in his originall integrity created according to Gods owne likenesse The 2. of his infection as hauing by sinne defaced this imprinted Image The 3. of his refection as being renewed againe by Christ which is the brightnesse of Gods glory and expresse Character of his person The 4. of his perfection in the Kingdome of glory when he shall enioy Gods presence seeing him as the blessed Apostle speakes euen face to face Our present text is a briefe Chronicle reporting his first estate namely the creation of man wherein two poyntes are to be discussed especially 1. The mystery of the most high and sacred Trinity creating 2. The dignity of man Created The first is closely couched vnder these two words faciamus and Imago let vs make in the plural number noting the Trinity but in the singular Image not Images noting the vnitie the word our imports moe then one the word likenesse one and no moe this then in the Iudgement of all orthodoxe Diuines is meant of the three in heauen the Father the Word the Holy Spirit which three are one 1. Iohn 5. 7. Hereupon elswhere termed according to the Hebrew phrase God our makers Iob. 35. 10. psal 149. 2. Esay 54 5. and Eccle. 12. 1. Remember thy Creators in the dayes of thy youth If this note seeme to be forced and vnkind beside the streame of all antiquitie there be manifest and manifold reasons euidently demonstrating the same 1. Man is the workemanship of the whole Trinity Ergo these wordes of God let vs make concern the whole Trinity the antecedent is indeniable because opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt cōmunicabilia that is all the works of the Trinity without it selfe are communicable the workes of the Trinity within it selfe are incommunicable So God the father is sayd only to beget God the sonne to bee begotten and God the holy Ghost to proceed but all the workes of the Trinitie without it selfe are common vnto three persons and therefore Moses saith in the beginning of this chapter according to the wordes originall in principio dij creauit intimating the creation of the world to bee the worke of the whole Trinitie Creauit dij three persons but one God It is bad latine yet good diuinitie for God the sonne did create so well as God the father Iohn 1. 3. by him al things were made and God the holy Ghost also aswell as God the sonne for the spirit moued vpon the waters Gen. 1. 2. where by spirit we neither vnderstand an Angel which is Caietans idle phansie nor yet the winde as Tertullian and Dauid Kimchi conceited nor the piercing aire as Theodorete imagined but it was Gods owne spirit whereby the creatures were fostered and formed Iob. 26. 13. His spirit hath garnished the heauens and so diuines ascribe the work of creation in the masse of the matter vnto God the father In the disposition of the forme vnto God the sonne in the continuance and conseruation of both vnto God the holy spirit the consultation or rather agreement in saying let vs make man is of the whole trinitie wherein God the father as the first in order speaketh vnto the sonne and holy Ghost and the sonne and the holy Ghost speake it and order it with the father the which because it is written for mans instruction is also spoken after the manner of men 2. To whom I pray sayd God let vs make man If not to God the son and holy Ghost vnto some Demi-gods as Philo Iudaus a scholler of Plato most absurdly coniectured or because the workes and actions of men are partly good and partly bad that God he spake to some Cacodamon as the Manichees impiously dreamed refering the making of that which is good vnto God but the making of that which is bad vnto some badspirit Ista referre est refellere the very repetition of these fantasies is a sufficient confutation of them vnto you who know that all which God made was good yea very good and that God in the beginning made man righteous but they haue sought many inuentions Eccl. 7. 31. Or did God speake this in the plurall after the maner of great Princes only for his honour Nos Radulphus Romanus Imperator mandamus As some Iewes haue fondly construed it nb vcb vbi Answere is made that the stately stile Nos is not ancient at the least not so gray headed and Christian interpreters obserue from Aben Ezra who was himselfe a Iew That the Scripture doth not afford such an example of any King
or Potentate who speakes of himselfe plurally We wil and Command Againe Princes in our age vse that stile that they might seeme to doe nothing alone but all as it were by the Counsell of their Nobles and other great ministers of state Whereas God neither needes nor admits any Counsellour and so consequently could not speake of himselfe in this sense Let vs make Or did God say this vnto the beastes of the field or vnto the birdes of the Heauen or vnto the fish of the Sea Nō for then the base should haue made the more Noble and the seruants haue created their Lord and master for so the Scripture doth esteeme man as Lord of the creatures Rule saith God ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the foules of the ayre and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Gen. 1. 28. All things are put in subiection vnder his feete Psal. 8. 6. Againe man was created according to his Image who spake this and according to their Image to whom it was spoken But he was not framed to the likenesse of any beast Ergo the conceit is bruitish to thinke that Almighty God spake to beastes in saying Let vs make man Or did God speake this vnto his glorious Angels No Because then creatures should haue beene creators For albeit there be some question about the time when Angels were made Yet it is without all controuersie that they were created as Moses in his entrance to this Booke doth intimate saying In the beginning God created heauen and earth That is as himselfe doeth expound himselfe in the 4. Commandement The heauen and the earth and all that is therein And the blessed Apostle doth construe Moses all things inuisible aswel as visible Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers For the same hand saith Augustine that made silly worms creeping on the earth created also the stately thrones singing in the heauens If God then vttered these wordes neither to the creatures more base nor yet to his Angels excelling all earthly beauties It is certaine that they were addressed to God the Sonne and to God the holy Ghost And so without any further dispute we may conclude that the most ineffable mystery of the blessed Trinity in Vnitie is in them obscurely touched and couched I say not that it is here set downe clearely nor in any place of the old Testament lest happily Gods people the Iewes exceedingly giuen to superstition Idolatry should adore three gods in stead of three persons and so Tritheisme prooue so bad as Atheisme Nay beloued in the new Testament where these mysteries are reuealed more plainely you may well note That in the rehearsing of the Trinity there is an Item for the Vnity as in the wordes of our blessed Sauiour Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost He doth expresse three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost But saying In the Name not names He notes the vnity of essence For God is Vnus in Numine Howsoeuer Trinus in numero I and my Father saith Christ are all one Iohn 10. 30. Vnum sumus as Augustine pithily not vnus all one power but not all one person God the Father is not aliud but alius another person albeit not another essence then is God the Son For in speaking of the Trinity wee must especially take heede of two rockes of Arrius on the right hand who together with the Trinity of persons maintained a Trinity of essences of Sabellius on the left hand who with the vnity of essence maintained an vnity of persons These two we must heedfully shunne lest as S. Paul speakes wee make shipwracke of faith euen sayling in the middle way neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance But leauing this argument which is so high and hard that a good Christian ought rather by beleeuing to adore simply then by disputing explore subtilly I come to speake of mans dignitie more principally intended in our text and more naturally gathered out of euery word in the same 1. Out of the word faciamus When almighty God made light he sayd onely Let there be light and there was light and when hee made herbes hee sayd onely let the ground bring foorth herbes and it did so Hee spake the word and it was done He commanded and it was effected Psal. 33. 9. But when he made man he breathed himselfe as Abbinus is bold to speake and as Clemens Alexandrinus and other of the most ancient Doctours He held a Counsell let vs make man So that whereas all other creatures were made with his bare word only man was framed as it were with his owne handes as Prosper hath it hunc manibus quo plus genitoris haberet Dignatur formare suis. Neither was this in respect of any hardnesse in the doing for shall any thing be hard to the Lord Gen. 18. 14. If hee had sayd onely let man bee made as he sayd only let there be a firmament he could haue done the one aswell as the other and as easily but it was to shew the r greatnesse of the worke For as wise men in managing matters of importance vse the deeper consultation and mature care to performe them Euen so the scripture speaking after the manner of men affirmes of God that he tooke heere deliberation and so commends the wonderfull and exquisite workemanship of God in the creating of man as being a more noble creature then heauen itself 2. The dignity of mans creation is much amplified by the circumstance of time when he was made to wit after all other things were created for as Albinus and other obserue Deus imprimis parauit domum et deinde dominum Almighty God first created the whole world as an house then he made man as the master of this house God saith Ambrose like the feast maker in the Gospels history first prepared his dinner he prouided his oxen and his fatlings and got all things ready then he doeth inuite his guestes and say come to the marriage When he had created all thinges for man he put man in possession of all and sa◅d Ruleouer the fish in the sea ouer the foules in the heauen and ouer euery thing that moueth vpon the earth Againe Serum concilium is Serium vsually the last workes of a cunning Artificer are most absolute S. Ambrose therefore doth obserue that God hauing framed man instantly rested himselfe and made Holy-day He made birds flying in the aire fish swimming in the Sea worms creeping on the ground and yet he did not rest He made lilleys and other flowers of the field which are more beautifull in the spring then Solomon in all his Royalty but yet he did not rest he made the goodly lights glorious Angels of heauen and yet he did not rest But assoon as he had
heere distinguish betweene Image and likenesse Saint Basil in Hexam Hom. 10. Ambrose lib. De dignitate conditione humanae Lomb. 1. sent Dist. 16. and Aquin. vpon our text referre Image to the naturall giftes of the soule will vnderstanding memory but likenesse to the supernaturall gifts of grace holinesse and righteousnesse which occasioned Eucherius to say Imago est omnium similitudo paucorum Aquine doth auow that Gods Image may be seene in the most admirable frame of the body but the likenesse in our mindes onely For as Bernard obserues the mind of man is properly Gods similitude wherein there be three powers or faculâ—…ies Memory Vnderstanding Will. In our memory wee resemble God the Father which is the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. In our vnderstanding God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colos. 2. 3. in our will God the holy Ghost by whom his grace worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. 6. The which opinion Augustine fauoureth in his 102. Epistle and S. s Ambrose in his Treatise concerning mans dignity saith as the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both euen so the will is begotten as it were by the vnderstanding and memory proceedes from both Now beloued howsoeuer it be true that these naturall giftes of reason and supernaturall giftes of grace were conferred by God vpon man in his creation Yet if wee compare one Scripture with another it will appeare that Moses here makes no difference betweene likenesse and Image But that as Caluin and u other obserue they doe signifie the same thing For in the next verse without any mention of the word likenesse it is sayd that God created man in his Image in the Image of God created hee him And in the 5. Chapter at the 1. verse without any mention of the word Image God created Adam in the likenesse of God made he him And so the meaning of our text in our Image according to our likenesse is nothing else but in our Image which is likest vs. As if the Lord had sayd let vs make man in our Image that he may be as a creature may be like vs and the same his likenesse may bee our Image But wee shall vnderstand more fully what is Gods Image by considering in what part of man it was placed u Audius the founder of the monstrous Anthropomorphite heresie supposed it was placed in the figure of the body which lest happily there should be raysed any wicked errour which they would not acknowledge for their owne the Papistes are content to like well and defend in whose Churches and other places of deuotion it is euery where to find the likenesse of God the Father depictured vpon their walles and windowes in the figure of a man As if they had learned of Zeuxis to draw his Physiognomy and they professe it lawfull both to haue such Images and to worship them also from our text that God created Adam in his likenesse But it is a strange peruersenesse quoth Tertullian aduersus Marcion Lib. 2. Cap. 27. To thinke that there are humane thinges in God rather then diuine thinges in man and to conceiue of God to haue the Image of a man rather then a man to haue the Image of God Other affirme that the likenesse of God is placed in the mind only For saith Ambrose who sayd let vs make man in our Image Was it not God and what is God flesh and bones or a spirit Christ answereth in the 4. of S. Iohn at the 24. verse God is a spirit Ergo man is like to God as being endued with an vnderstanding spirit But because God created the whole man in his Image consisting of a body made of the dust of the ground and of a soule that was the breath oâ—… life which being vnited by the spirit became a liuing soule It is euident so farre as their seuerall nature could conteine that God creaâ—…ed in that Image both body and soule But as waxe is more apt then clay to receiue a print So the soule being a spirit was much more capable of the impression of the Image of God Yet that which the body could receiue it did in very notable sort expresse being so wonderfully framed of such an excellent proportion and beauty that no creature in the world may be compared with it and moreouer of so sound a temperature that had not Adam sinned it would haue continued without corruption for euer But the soule being a spirit as God is a spirit it is apter a great deale to beare Gods Image For in the very substance of the soule there is a liuely print thereof not as though the soule were of the substance of God for as Augustine pithily distinguisheth it is 〈◊〉 deo non de deo But first in that it is a substance spirituall and immortall as God is the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. Secondly for that it is indued with vnderstanding and memorie which are the very character of Gods wisdome Thirdly in respect of quicknesse and agility conceiuing at one time so many matters so different so farre distant which is the shadow of Gods vbiquity But St. Paul in saying man was in the beginning created after the Image of God in knowledge Colos. 3. 10. And the same in righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. Shewes plainely that this Image consists not so much in the substance of the soule or in the naturall faculties thereof as in the supernaturall giftes of grace knowledge illumination holinesse Iustice of the soule For Adam had an illuminated vnderderstanding and a rectified will louing God aboue all things and his neighbour as himselfe The two wordes of S. Paul Holinesse and Righteousnesse conteine mans whole duty holinesse his duty to God righteousnesse his duty to man In this Image man was created and so consequently this Image consists in the soule more then in the body and in the supernaturall graces of the soule more then in the naturall powers of the soule For 1. If this Image consisted onely in the soules spirituall essence then it would follow that wicked spirits and wicked men should haue Gods Image because the substance of the spirit and soule remaineth in them but the scripture teacheth expresly that the wicked haue not Gods Image but the deuils stampe So Christ affirmed of Iudas haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill and S. Peter when he committed a foule fact come behind me Sathan Mat. 16. 23. and of the Pharisees yee are of your father the deuill Iohn 8. 44. And the text is plaine 1. of Iohn 3. 8. he that committeth sin is of the deuill 2. God cannot properly be sayd to damne his owne Image or to send it into hell fire but the soules of reprobate sinners are damned Ergo this Image is not altogether in the soules substance that Image saith Ambrose wherein
vnder our feet haue denounced a woe the roaring waues and raging floods ouerwhelming some parts of the drie land haue denounced a woe The great frosts and great snowes and great stormes haue denounced a woe vnseasonable weathers turning our Winters into Summers and Summers into Winters haue denounced a woe Many strange signes and wonders in Heauen haue denounced a woe The blazing starre the last yeare was as Augustine sayd of the starre directing the wise men to the place where the blessed Babe lay magnifica lingua coeli the stately tongue of heauen And as we haue heard so haue wee seene what great wonders it hath prognosticated in the City of God Holcott makes mention of certaine strange flyes in Norfolke deuouring about the beginning of haruest almost all the blades of corne the which had imprinted on their paynted wings these two words IRA DEI vpoÌ„ the one wing IRA vpoÌ„ the other DEI. Beloued he that runnes may read in al the woes denounced against our Land IRA DEI the wrath of God inuiting vs to breake off our sinnes and by true repentance to cease from drawing iniquity with cordes of vanity and wickednesse as it were with a carte rope That draw sin To hale sin is to vse all allurements occasions and excuses to harden the conscience in sinne for the wicked hunt after sinne eneÌ„ with such a greedines that iniquity drawâ—… not them so much as they draw iniquity makâ—… sin strong by their wickednesse To draw wickednesse with cordes is nothing else but to heape sin vpon sinne binding sinnes together as the wiseman speakes adding to bad thoughts bad words and to bad wordes bad deedes vntill the threeds of iniquity by wrething grow to bee Cordes and the cordes in fine become so great as Cart-ropes It is reported in the Gospels historie that Christ raysed from the dead Iayrus daughter newly dead the Widowes sonne dead and wound vp and lying on the hearse and Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the Graue Now these three sorts of Coarses as Augustine notes are three sorts of sinners sayrus daughter lying dead in her Fathers house resembleth all those that sinne by inward consent the widdowes sonne being caried out of the gates of the City those that sinne by outward act Lazarus dead and buried foure dayes those that sinne by continuall habite being dead saith Augustine the first day by conceiuing sinne the second by consenting to sinne the third by committing sinne the fourth by continuing in sinne The bandes that tyed his hands and feet were his sinnes according to that of Salomon Eccles. 5. 22 The wicked is taken in his owne iniquity holden with Cordes of his owne sinne Consenting to sin is one corde acting of sin another continuing in sin a third and a threefold cord is not easily broken Eccles. 〈◊〉 12. If we writhe these cordes of vanity bigâ—…er and bigger adding to custome in sin boasting in sin to boasting defence to defence presumption At the last they will grow so great as cables cart-ropes so become fetters in this world and eternall chaynes in the next Whips on earth and boults in hell and therefore woe to them that draw c. Christ in the 2. Chapter of St Iohn at the 15. verse made a scourge of cordes and whipped out of the Temple such as bought and sold therein the strings of this whip as Augustine Hierom note were made of the cords of their vanity For all euill which we suffer in goods or good name either outwardly in our bodies or inwardly in our soules proceedeth altogether from that euill which wee doe sceleris in scelere supplicium sin like a penitent frier scourgeth it selfe As the worme deuouring the nutt is bred in the nutt so the punishment of sin is bred in sin Cognatum imò innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium Sicknesse is a scourge but it is made of the Cords of our owne vanity So St Paul 1. Cor. 11. 30. Hence many are weake sicke c. So Christ in the 5. Saint Iohn at the 14. verse behold thou art made whole sinne no more Insinuating that the sores of the body come from the sinnes of the soule all weaknesse from wickednesse all infirmity from iniquity woe therefore Dearth and Barrennes of ground is a mayne string of Gods whip against sin but it is made of the Cordes of our owne vanity When the Land saith the Lord sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I stretch out mine â—…nd vpon it and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof and will send famine vpon it If ye will not obey mee and hearken to my commandements I will make your Heauen as Iron And your Earth as Brasse Your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall your Land giue her encrease neither shall the trees of the Land giue their fruit woe therefore Extreme pouerty is a scourge too but the wicked draw his heauie burthen vpon them especially with the Cart-ropes of their owne iniquity For while they waste their estates in riot and spend their dayes in idlenesse no wonder if pouerty come vpon them as a trauailour and necessity like an armed man A trauailour knocks at our dores before wee looke for him and an armed man is so strong that wee cannot easily resist him and therefore woe to them c. Dishonour and ignominie is a scourge likewise but it is made of the cordes of our owne vanity For good deedes are the very Matrix of a good name honest and honourable report is the shadow that followes the body of vertue so that the righteous are had in an euerlasting remembrance their memoriall is blessed sweet as hony in all mouthes and pleasant in all eares as musicke at a banquet of wine But the name of the wicked shall rott Pro. 10. 7. Their memorie shall perish with them Psal. 9. 6. And therefore woe to them c. Beside these and infinite other outward scourges there is an inward whip of the soule made of the cordes of vanity To witt horrour and hell of conscience for albeit the wicked be fatt and lusty though he come to no misfortune like other men though hee florish like a greene bay-tree though his sheepe bring forth thousands and ten thousands in his ground though his oxen be strong to labour and no decay in his cattle Yet intra est quod contra est howsoeuer it be without him he hath that within him which is against him so that he can neither delight in company nor solace himselfe alone neither sport in the fields nor rest in his bed ut euery where his manyfold foule sinnes are so many foule fiends vnto him As when Gain had slaine his brother Abel albeit there were no Iustices or Constables to make hue and crie after him as Luther and Caluin expound the place Yet he said
Dishonour he departed went away returned Despaire he dwelt at Nineue His fal is described to be very fearefull in respect of three circumstances The first is of the persons who slew him Adramalech and Sharezer his own sonnes The second is of the place where he was slaine in the temple of his god Nisroth The third is of the time when he was slaine when he was praying and worshipping In that the spirit doth expresse Sennacheribs recoyling backe with so many words it is vndoubtedly to cast disgrace vpon his cowardly flight For it is no superfluous and idle repetition when he saith hee departed he weâ—…t his waâ—… he returned The name of King is added also to his further shame as if he should say see this King this great King whom impudent Rabseketh extolled so highly by reason of his power and pompe He that came vp against all the cities in Iudah and challenged in his rage the Lord himselfe meant not to retire with infamie But God for his trueth and mercy sake droue him out thence euen as chaffe before the wind the Lord who cannot lie sayd by the mouth of Esay the Prophet I will send a blast vpon him and accordingly the Lords Angel in one night smote in the campe of Ashur one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand So when the remnant rose early in the morning behold they were all dead coarses And whereas it is sayd He returned and dwelt at Niniue It sheweth euidently that he not only lost his courage but that his forces also quailed For if despaire had not bene as a chaine to keepe him in who was ambitious and insatiable hee would not willingly haue stayed at home and content himselfe with his owne kingdome This history may comfort vs in the perill of warre God which is the Lord of hostes and King of glory can and as shall make most for his honour and our good will protect his Church as with a shield And here wee may sing with Dauid As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of hostes in the city of our God God vpholdeth it for euer For in the yeare 88. did there not a Spanish Senacherth come vp against our English Iudah as himselfe fondly conceited with an inuincible Armado did not the Iesuites as foule-mouthed as euer Rabseketh defie God and his Gospel openly triumphing in pulpit and â—…e before the victory Did they not cry with a loud voice from Rhemes and Rome from Flanders and France that our blessed Queene Elizabeth was a miserable woman vnable to protect her subiects and that her Kingdome was deliuered ouer into the hands of the great king of Ashur But albeit the Pope such was his holinesse did blesse them in their endeauours yet the Lord did curse them in their ends He sent a blast among them a tempest in the mids of them on the sudden which in a trice so disordered their Nauy that few returned as Sennacherib into Niniue the same way they came Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him like as the smoke vanisheth euen so let them be driuen away and like as waxe melteth at the fire so let the vngodly perish at thy presence O God Hitherto concerning the flight of Sennacherib I am now to proceed in his fall amplified First by circumstance of persons as being slaine by his owne sonnes Adramelech and Sharezer Dauid complaining of Achitophel and Christ in the person of Dauid complaining of Iudas cryed out it is not an open enemie that hath done me this dishonour for then I could better haue borne it neither was it mine aduersary that did magnifie himselfe against me for then peraduenture I could haue hid my selfe from him But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together and walked in the house of God as friends It is base trechery to betray a friend but it is the serpents head and height of impiety to butcher a Father A sonne is the fathers liuing chronicle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone an expresse character of his person and walking Image neerer and deerer then any friend What greater indignitie then or iniury could fall vpon Sennacherib then thus vnfortunatly to perish by the hands of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sons What greater vnhappines then thus ignonimiously to lose his life by those who should haue preserued him aliue being of all other most oblieged vnto him as receiuing from him their being The Lords Angel smote in his camp one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand of his souldiers buâ—… God determined to reserue him for an heauier iudgment I wil send a blast vpon him and hee shall fall by the sword in his owne land verse 7. God which is the righteous Iudge doth often passe by the wicked in small dangers that he may bring vpon them a greater condemnation as when Sauls life was in Dauids hand he might haue cut off his head but hee cuts off only the lap of his garment and so lets him go God here suffered Saul to bee deliuered from the sword of Dauid that afterward he might fal vpon his owne sword Ham Noahs sonne escaped the great flood yet for discouering his fathers shame the flood of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed him The cities of Sodom and Gomorra had escaped doubtlesse many grieuous deserued punishments but at the length God rained out of heauen fire brimstone to consume them and so they were turned into ashes and made an ensample to those that afterward should liue vngodly 2. Pet. 2. 6. So many notorious malefactours who draw iniquitie with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart rope contriuing mischiefe on their beds and committing all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse often escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages and yet in fine they come to some fearefull and exâ—…mplarie Iudgement as here Sennacherib a great tyrant and a great blasphemer escaped the stroake of a glorious Angel that hee might more dishonorably perish in his owne land and in his owne house not by forreine foes or by popular sedition or by traytors or by seruants but by the sword of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sonnes And as it was in God great Iustice that hee who did intend to slay so many children of God should himselfe bee slayne by his owne children There were secondarie causes vndoubtedly moouing these thus vnnaturally to butcher their father For first it is thought that Sennacherib had assigned ouer his kingdome to Esaradon his third sonne whom he most affected and so meant to disinherit Adramelech and Sharezer Hereupon these two brethren in iniquity conspired against Sennacherib their cruell father as he was their King and their naturall father as he was their parent The Rabbins haue coyned another deuise saying that Sennacherib asked his idol why hee could not vanquish the
Iewes and it answered because Abraham the father of the Iewes out of faith and obedience was content to haue sacrificed his sonne to God Whereupon this tyrant following that example determined to offer vp his sonnes to get the fauour of his god But they hauing notice thereof and prouoked to wrath by this vncouth and abominable cruelty rushed in vpon him as hee was worshipping his Idol in his chappell and smote him with the sword Thus almighty God who brings light out of darkenesse and ordereth all things sweetly disposeth of bad men and of bad meanes for the compassing of his good ends As a cunning physitian he makes of deadly poyson a wholesome medicine Facit benè sinendo fieri quaecunq que male saith Augustine The text is plaine that Christ our blessed Sauiour was betrayed and crucified by Gods determinate counsell and foreknowledge Iudas betrayed Christ only for money the Iewes crucified him onely for malice But God gaue his Sonne and his Son gaue himselfe for vs only for loue So that in one and the same tradition as Augustine notably God is to bee magnified and man to be condemned Quia in re vna quam fecerunt causa non vna ob quam fecerunt Because God and Christ did that out of mercie which Iudas and the Iewes did out of malice God which is Causa causarum in whom we liue and moue and haue our being disposeth of all things in heauen and earth and hell according to his good will and pleasure Adramelech and Sharezer did ill in murthering their father but God ordered that bloody fact well in making Sennacherib a fearefull example to barbarous tyrants and blasphemers as a man hunteth one beast with another and catcheth one bird with another so God vseth one wicked man for the destruction of another Adramelech and Sharezer as the Poet sayd Nomina suntipso quae metuenda sono Adramelech signifies a great King and Sharezer Prince of treasure the which names happily Sennacherib imposed for this end that they might acquire great power and riches or that he might hereby make them a great deale more terrible to the people But oh the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdome and iudgements of God all the greatnesse of Adramelech and Sharezer was imployed to make Sennacherib little to bereaue him and that vnawares both of his kingdome and life for they slew him with the sword Hence we may learne that impunity for a time is no good argument of innocency because the wicked are reserued for the day of euill as the fish that playeth a great while with the hooke is caught at the last euen so the wicked into whose nostrils as it is sayd in this Chapter at the 28. vers God hath put an hooke reioice in doing euill and delight in frowardnesse vntill they perish at the last nay some of them are so shamelesse and gracelesse that howsoeuer they well escape present danger yet their sinnes as Paul speakes goe before vnto Iudgement and so they stand condemned in the conceit of themselues and others In their life their owne conscience condemnes them in such sort that here they begin to feele the flashes of hell fire No place quoth Seneca will make a wicked man quiet for that he thinkes Although I bee not as yet taken I may neuerthelesse be taken at the length and that I haue not hitherto beene taken is come rather of fortune then of confidence In their death other men and that iustly condemne them for a ranke Athiest obstinatly dying an Athiest may be sayd without breach of charity to be damned If any be thus openly known by his fruits woe to them which speake good of euill and euill of good who put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse who put bitter for sweet and sweete for bitter 2. The tragicall end of this vngodly tyrant murthered by those who came out of his owne bowels admonisheth vs what a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing Lord. His feete are sayd to bee of wooll but his hands of iron slow to wrath and of great patience before he comes to punish but when he commeth hee will pay home he hath in his hand a rod of iron to breake his enemies in pieces like a potters vessell 3. Here wee may note that the destruction of great blasphemers is vsually sudden acted not only in such a time and in such a place but also by such persons as they least suspect As Iob speakes they spend their dayes in wealth and suddenly goe downe to hell and Dauid oh how suddenly doe they consume perish and come to a fearefull end As Belshazzar in the mids of his carousing Haman in the mids of his malice Herod in the mids of his pride Iulian in the mids of his fury Sennacherib the great King of Assyria the terrour of nations who with the sole of his feet dryed vp all the riuers of besieged places and turned defenced cities into ruinous heapes in the mids of his idolatry for as it followeth in the next circumstance to be considered Hee was in his owne land in Nintue the strongest city of all his land in his stately palace the most inuincible fortresse of al Niniue in his Royall chappel the most secure place of all his palace Yet it so came to passe that as hee was in the temple worshipping Nisrock his god Adramelech and Sharezer slew him with the sword Out of this circumstance wee first obserue that when almighty Gods hue and cry commeth after any malefactor for wickednesse committed that nothing is able to shelter him as Dauid in the 1 9 Psalme whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whithâ—…r shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe vp into heauen thou art there If downe to hell thou art there also Iâ—…tra omnia sâ—…d non inclusus extra omnia sed non exclusus His eyes are all-seeing his eares all-hearing his handes all-doing when hee sent frogs into the land of Egypt Pharohs stately pallace was not able to keepe them out but they croked in euery corner of his house scrauling in his bed-chamber and creeping vpon his pillowes a malefactor escapeth happily the magistrates hand by forsaking the parish or the place where he dwels or if that will not serue by flying out of one liberty into another or if that fayle by running out of the countrey or if this will not doe the feate by leauing the countrey crossing the seas into forreine lands and forlorne Ilands as Adramelech and Sharezar fled into the land of Ararat But yet the Lords hand and stretched out arme wil euen while he thinks himselfe secure find him out and giue him a deadly blow The Lords hand found out Ionas on the seas and committed him close prisoner into the whales belly the Lords hand found out the cruell Idumeans albeit they did dwell in the clests of the rockes and sayd in the
the first Achan for his euill couetousnesse was by Gods commandement stoned to death and his wealth consumed with fire Geezi for his euill couetousnesse was striken with a leprosie that cleaued to him and his seed for euer Ananias and Saphira for their euill couetousnesse dyed disastrously Iudas for his euill couetousnesse first despaired and afterward hanged himselfe Nabuchodonosor whom our text poynts at chiefly for his euill couetousnesse was filled with shame for glory Concerning the second which is the woe spirituall of the soule If they who will be rich by common and commendable meanes fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lustes that fight against the soule then how much moâ—…e doe they sinne that couet an euill couetousnesse that build a towne with blood and erect a city with the wages of iniquity The spirituall life consists in faith and repentance now the couetous being drowned in his mucke makes shipwracke of his faith and a good conscience For faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. Buâ—… the deceitfulnesse of riches as our Lord shewes Maâ—… 13 choakes the word and hinders the passage thereof hee that coueteth an euill couetonsnesse is like the deafe adder mentioned in the 58. Psalme that stoppeth her eares and refuseth to heare the charmers voice though hee charme neuer so sweetely S. Augustine expounding that place writes that this venemous serpent delighteth in darkenesse clappeth one of her eares very hard to the ground and with her tayle stoppeth the other least hearing the Marso shee should be brought to light and so the serpentine worldling which hath his mind in his chest while his body is at Church stops one eare with earth that is with insatiable desires of riches and the other with his tayle that is with his heires and posterity building his nest on high that they may escape the euill to come and so little regard the Gospels harmony though the preacher should speake with the tongues of men and Angels As for repentance the couetous is scarce brought to confesse his fault seldome to be sory neuer to restore So that hauing neither true faith in God nor due loue toward men hee cannot be but spiritually dead and as the scripture speakes without God in this world As for eternall woe torturing both body and soule you haue Diues an example Luke 16. who for euill coueting and for building his nest on high suffers in hell fire woes of losse and woes of sense woes in respect of his paynes variety woes in respect of his paines inseparability woes in respect of his paynes vniuersality for the righteous Lord reigneth vpon the vngodly snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest against their euill auarice catching and spoyling other snares against their hot lust and luxury fire and brimstone against their putting vp ambition and pride storme and tempest PROV 22. 28. Remoue not the ancient boundes which thy fathers haue made THe word of God is termed by St. Paul a two edged sword as being sharpe say the Doctors in a litteral exposition and sharpe in a sense which is mysticall also This our text is litterally construed of markestones and bounders of inheritance betweene man and man but allegorically Diuines expound it of the limits of reason and religion and so by consequent of things appertaining to pollicy and piety According to the litterall and plaine sense this Scripture teacheth vs especially 3. lessons 1. That we may possesse lands 2. That we may possesse them in priuat bounded and inclosed 3. That wee may maintaine lawfully these seuerals and inclosures For the first the earth is the Lords and all that therein is and the earth hee hath giuen vnto the sonnes of men Psal 115. 16. Hee made all things for man and man for himselfe the Creator is Lord of man and man is lord of the creatures all things are in subiection vnder his feete Psal. 8. 6. Againe Christ is heire of all things Heb. 1. 2. and in Christ all things are ours as the blessed Apostle sweetely whether they be things present or things to come all are yours and you Christs and Christ Gods and Luke 15. 31. All that I haue is thine sayd the good father to his good sonne Euery man then before men In foro ciuili may claime the things of this world by right of his birth or creation as a man but euery Christian before God In foro conscientiae hath an interest in them by right of his second birth or regeneration as a Christian as some distinguish acutely the wicked as men haue Ius ad rem but good men as Christians haue Ius in re We may possesse lands and houses and riches and yet remooue no boundes of Gods law But our care must be that they do not possesse vs. Ita tenete ne teneaminâ—… quoth Gregorie the great if we command them and honour god with them according to their name they be goods in deed wherwith we may doe good vnto all men and bee rich in good works but if once they command vs then as the poet sayd they become irritamenta malorum euen the minsters of mischiefe and as the scripture speakes the roote of all euil The Church is described Apoc. 12. to be clothed with the Sunne and to haue the Moone vnder her feete that is all earthly things which are changeable like the Moone and the churches treasure was layd downe at the Apostles feete Act. 4. 35. Hereby signifiing as Hierom told Paulinus that when riches encrease we should not set our hearts on them as Dauid doth aduise but rather that wee should trample them vnder our feet first and most seeking the kingdome of God and then vsing the world as if we vsed it not hauing nothing and yet possessing all things 2. From hence we learne that we may haue lands in priuat bounded and inclosed so that euery one may say this is mine that is thine as God in the beginning bounded the raging Sea saying hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall it stop thy proud waues So Gods law prescribes certaine limits and boundes in euery mans inheritance which he may not transgresse and remoue hitherto shalt thou goe and no further for the distinction of possessions is founded not vpon the ciuill lawes of Emperors only but vpon the Diuine lawes of God also commanding thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke which they of old time haue set in thine inheritance Deut. 19. 14. and Deut. 27. 17. Cursed be hee that remooueth his neighbours marke and in our text remoue not the boundes c. All which appertaine to the commandement thou shalt not steale the which in one word doth ouerthrow Platonicall and Anabaptisticall community for if all things ought to be common and nothing proper in possession how can one man steale from another and why
being nothing else but a type of the new and the new nothing else but a trueth of the old The whole saith Iacobus de Valentia consists of one Syllogisme the Law and the Prophets are the Maior all that Christ did and sayd the Minor the writings of the blessed Euangelists and Apostles inferre the conclusion or the Gospell is hidden in the Law like the conclusion in the premises But albeit the Scriptures be deepe yet as Gregory speakes it is a riuer wherein the little lambe may wade so well as the great Elephant swimme it is the rolle of a booke spread abroad and written within and without Ezec. 2. 9. 10. In some places it is rolled vp from the most searching wits in other spread abroad to the capacities of the most simple Testamentum est testatio mentis Gods word therefore being his Testament reueales as much of his will as is to bee knowen In it wee may find the Father from whom and the Son by whom and the holy Ghost in whom are all things and therefore should bee much in our handes in our eyes in our eares in our mouthes but most of all in our hearts as Fulgentius saith it affordes enough abundantly for men to eate and children to sucke Maximus compares it to a man The old Testament resembling the body and the new Testament the soule or the letter of the Prophets is the body and the meaning is the soule and as the mortall part of man is seene but that which is immortall vnseene So the letter of the Scriptures is plaine but the spirit in some places inuolued and not easily discerned One deepe calling vpon another deepe S. Augustine and Hugo de S. Vict vnderstand it thus the depth of Gods knowledge findeth out the depth of mans heart for the Lord searcheth vs out he knoweth our downe-sitting and our vprising hee is about our paths and about our bed and spieth out all our wayes and vnderstandeth all our thoughts long before Psal 139. It is the duty then of euery Christian especially tempted to sinne to resolue with holy Ioseph How can I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Is there any thing so secret that shall not be disclosed If I commit it in the wood shall not a bird of the aire cary the voice that which hath wings declare the matter Ecclesiastes 10. 20. If I sinne in the forrest am I now to learne that a beast hath spoken Or if birdes and beasts happily should hold their peace would not as Christ sayd in the like case the very stones cry Luke 19. 40. If in my closet or study shall not my bookes of deuotion especially the Bible witnesse against mee There is one that accuseth you quoth our Sauiour to the Iewes euen Moses that is Moses law the which as it was once spoken by God so it dayly speakes in Gods cause to God Or if all these be silent shall not the sinne it selfe like the blood of Abel cry for reuenge Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if our enemies alway beheld vs. Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend person of great wisedome and account ouerlooked vs. Thales Milesius in the committing of any sinne wished vs when wee were alone to bee afraid of our selues and our owne conscience which is instead of a thousand witnesses a thousand Iuries a thousand Iudges te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorts women to carry themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels obseruing their behauiour But our text tels vs yet a better way then all these which is to remember alway that the depth of Gods science calleth vnto the depth of our conscience If any be deiected in his mind for that hee cannot remember the good lessons hee dayly reads in bookes and heares in sermons let him bee comforted againe because this one precept concerning Gods omni-presence comprehends amnia media et remedia all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule If he beare still in mind this one poynt that all things are naked to Gods eye Heb. 4. 13. Yea hell it selfe Iob 26. 6. To his eye which is all eye Ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Ecclesiasticus 23. 19. He hath already commenced Doctor in Israel and is a liuing and a walking library knowing so much as may serue for the well ordering of his whole life Gregory the great construeth our text thus one iudgement of God calleth vp another for his iudgements are a great depth Psal. 36. 6. So deepe that they be past finding out Rom. 11. 33. When as therefore for feare of Gods iudgement we iudge our selues one deepe occasioneth another and that at the noyse of the water pipes or cloudes which are the preachers exhorting vs as S. Paul his Corinthians If yee would iudge your selues yee should not be iudged Arnobius expoundeth it thus one deepe calleth another deepe When Christ on earth and in the nethermost hell also called to God the Father in the Highest Heauen the strong crying of our Blessed Sauiour vnto God with teares Heb. 5. 7. Was a very deepe base and Gods counter-verse was sung with an exceeding high voyce from heauen of heauen This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3 17. One deepe calleth another deepe when as truth flourished out of the earth and righteousnesse looked downe from heauen Psal. 85. 11. Hugo Cardinalis and Lyra thus Abyssus abyssum inuocat that is peccatum peccatum prouocat As one deepe calleth another deepe So one sinne prouoketh and calleth vp another sinne Pride to maintaine her selfe calleth vp Nigardise Gluttony calleth vp Wantonnesse Malice calls vp Murther Vnthriftinesse calls vp in great ones Oppression In the poore theeuery an vncleane thought calls vp vnsauoury wordes and bad wordes corrupt good manners and corruption in manners breeds a custome in sin and custome in sinne brings men to sencelesnesse in sinne such as giue themselues ouer or sell themselues to commit iniquity proceed from euill to worse Ieremy 9. 3. and fall from one wickednesse to another Psalme 69. 28. First there is walking in the counsell of the vngodly then standing in the way of sinners last of all sitting in the seate of the scornefull Hee that blowes a feather into the ayre or throwes a piece of paper into the riuer knowes not where it will settle So hee that begins with a sinne knowes not when or where it will end Herod happily began with a little dalliance but afterward he committed incest and that darling sinne caused him to adde yet this aboue all the rest of his faults to shut vp Iohn in prison And so Dania glutted with a large meale lusted after Bath saba and that fire did rage till hee had committed vncleannesse with her and for the couering of that foule fact
O Father of mercies wee know that thou canst not deny thy selfe and nothing is more thy selfe then thy mercy which is aboue all thy workes it is it wee want most it is it wee craue most it is it thou doest vse to giue most haue mercy then vpon vs according to the multitudes of thy louing kindnesses of old that forthe dayes wherein wee haue suffered for euill we may now from thy fulnesse receiue grace for grace PSAL. 84 10. One day in thy courts is better then a thousand THe most excellent thing in the world is man and the most excellent thing in man is the soule and the most excellent thing in the soule is religion and the most excellent thing in religion is to seeke God here that wee may see him hereafter in whose most amiable dwellings one day sayth our Prophetâ—… is better then a thousand For by the Courts of God in the iudgement of most and best expositors is here meant either the Church militant which is heauen on earth or the Church tâ—…umphant which is heauen in heauen and the least of time â—…pent in either of them is better then a thousand days or moneths or yeeres or ages elsewhere to wit as may bee supplied by the verse following in the tents of vngodlinesse Concerning the first it is well obserued by Placidus Parmensis and other that this one day is Christs day which Abraham reioyced to see Iobâ—… 8. 56. The day of sulâ—…ation and acceptable time 2. Cor. 6. 2. Wherein all of 〈◊〉 haue receiued from his fulnesse and grace for grace the day which the Lord hath made and all his Saints are glad in it Psal. 118. 24. One houre whereof among the faithfull in the true worship of God is better in respect of profit then a thousand in the market better in respect of pleasure then a thousand in the theater better in respect of honour then a thousand in the palaces of Princes For profit our euidence is cleare 1. Tim. 6. 6. Godlines is great gaine that is gaine of great things as Caietan or greater gaine so Theophilact or the greatest and enough gaine so Caluin as if the Blessed Apostle should haue sayd gaiâ—…e and more then gayne riches and better then riches as when the Scripture would difference the true liuing God from dumbe and dead Idols it calleth a great God and a great King aboue all gods So speaking of godlinesse which is the riches of the soule termes it great riches heauenly riches inâ—…stim able riches vnchangeable riches euerlasting riches For to spend our time well is the best husbandry saith Seneca to giue to the poore the best vsury sayth Augustine to coâ—…et spirituall giftes hereby to winne soules is the best auarice saith Hierome to buy the truth is the best bargaine sayth Solomon to bee rich in good workes is the best opulencie saith Paul 1. Tim. 6. 18. Other gaines are not without their inconueniences and incommodities as hauing in them an emptinesse and neuer enough as Bernard told his brethren nec verâ—… sâ—…t 〈◊〉 vestrâ—… but godlinesse affordeâ—…â—…way contentation either in dâ—…ed or desire In deed as hauing prâ—…mia reposita and prâ—…posita the promises both of the life present and of that which is to come the blessings of the right hand and of the left hand Prouerb 3. 16. The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger sayth our Prophet But they that feare the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good The couetous that goe about like roaring Lyons seeking whom they may deuoure by their oppression and cruelty sometime misse their prey yea the more they haue the greater is their hunger and thirst after the thinges of this world The Chronicle reportes of Peirce Gaueston that the more he was inriched the worse was his estate But they who seeke the Lord which is vnto those that serue him all in all things haue their meale so multiplyed in the barrell and oyle in the cruse that they want no manner of thing that is good habent omnia qâ—…ia habent habentem omnia It may bee some good thing is wanting in their estate but happily not good for them it was good for Naaman that he was a leper good for Dauid that hee was in trouble good for Bartimeus that he was blind as a nurse knowes what is best for her infant so God our heauenly Father knowes what is best for vs his children If he giue the subsâ—…iue saluation hee will afford like wise the adâ—…ectiue things necessary for this life Mat. 6 33. Caetera ad jeintur 〈◊〉 If hee giue his Son for vs how shall hee not with him giue vs all things also Rom 8. â—… Howsoeâ—…er godlinesse affordes contentation in respect of the desire because godly men If they haue not estatâ—… according to their minds they wil haue mindes according to their estates hauing nothing and yet possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. The couetous is only poore and the content is only rich omnia famulantur famulanti Deo The seruant of God is Lord of all as Christ sayd If the soâ—…e make you free then are you free indeed so deare Christians If godlinesse make you rich then are yee rich indeed a great deale more rich then they which of their corne and wine and oyle haue full encroase the Pompous Prelate who sayd hee would not loose his part in Paris for his part in Paradise nay Leo the 10. who got so much and in the Holy sea spent so much of S. Peters inheritance that Guicciardine writes in his history Whereas other were Popes no longer then they liued he was sayd to be Pope many yeeres after hee was dead was not so rich as Martine Luther a poore preacher who professeth of himselfe that of all faults hee was euer least subiect to the dirty sin of euil coueting If any then aske the question in the third of Malac 14. what profit is it to serue God answere is made by the father of lies in this truely Iob. 1. 9. doth Iob serue God for nought hath hee not made an hedge about him and about all that he hath on euery side the like may be sayed of euery man which is vpright and feares God is he not rich and his godlines gaine being blessed in his field blessed in his fold blessed in his corne blessed in his cattle loe thus shall the man be blessed that fâ—…areth the Lord On the contrarie sinnes are termed by Saint Paul vnprofitable works of darknes what fruite had ye saith he to the Romans in those things wherof ye are now ashamed he doth answere himselfe in the same place the wages of sin is death bad worke sad wages But our Sauiours question in the 16 of S. Matthew puts this matter out of all question what shall a man gayne though he winne the whole world and loose his owne soule put the whole world
his merite Luke 18. For blessed is the man that feareth alway but hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prouerbs 28. 26. Seeke not to the strength of your owne purse doe not sacrifice to your owne net make not gold your hope saying to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence for riches auaile not in the day of wrath noâ—… helpe in the time of vengeance Seeke not to the blessed spirits of iust men in heauen for Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not Esay 63. 16. They doe not vnderstand our wants in particular howsoeuer vndoubtedly solicitous for our good in generall grant they did clearely see what we lacke and that they be so well able as willing to helpe yet because the Scriptures afford neither precept nor promise nor paterne for inuocation in this kind seeking to the dead saints is an open iniurie to the liuing God at the best it is wil-worship at the worst adoring of old saints is an adopting of new sauiours To summe vp all in a word with our Prophet in the 73 Psalme verse 14. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee all other hopes and helpes are miserable comforters in respect of thee which art a present helpe in trouble vnder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce my soule hangeth vpon thee mine eyes are euer looking vnto thee to the throne of grace will I goe boldly that I may find mercy thou Lord art my strength and onely refuge thy face will I seeke euermore Hugo Cardinalis vnderstandeth here by Gods face that happinesse which is euerlasting in heauen They who seeke for Gods temperall blessings onely seeke his hinder parts as it were but they who first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof are sayd to seeke his priora because potiora the multitude who followed Christ in the 6. of S. Iohn for loaues and not for loue sought Gods hinder parts only but the blessed Apostle who sayd I forget that which is behind and endeauour my selfe vnto that which is before following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesu sought Gods face euermore Temporall goods as riches and honour are the blessings of Gods left hand but length of dayes that is euerlasting life the blessings of his right hand Prouer. 3 16. New creatures in Christ and new men are like the new Moone when the Moone decreaseth it is close aboue open below but when it increaseth it is open aboue close beneath euen so beloued if our mindes as nature framed our hearts are close downeward vsing the world as if wee vsed it not and enlarged vpward in seeking the things aboue then as S. Paul speakes our conuersation is in heauen and as Dauid here we seeke Gods face for euermore Arnobius and diuers moe by Gods face doe vnderstand Christ Iesus as being the brightnesse of Gods glorie and expresse character of his person Heb. 1. 3. And as our Prophet Psalm 67. vers 1. The light of his countenance God is manifested in his sonne as a man is knowen by his face for no man saith our Lord commeth vnto the Father but by me Iohn 14. 6. I am the way the trueth and the life non est quà eas nisi per me non est quò eas nisi ad me as Augustine sweetely Christ is the beginning of blessed and heauenly vision and therefore the way the meane and therefore the trueth the end and therefore the life No man knowes the Father saue the Sonne and to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him It is true that we may see Gods hinder parts by the light of nature for the power of God is manifested in the creation of the world the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke but we cannot see Gods face that is the most vnsearchable riches of his mercy but in by his Son only none know the Father that is a distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity but by the reuelation of God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. Or none know that God is their Father but by the spirit of the Sonne crying in our hearts Abba Father Galat. 4. 6. Wee speake the wisdome of God in a mysterie quoth Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew Hoc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit saith Hierome deepe Plato was altogether ignorant eloquent Demosthenes was vtterly silent in this argument they being secretaries of nature groped after God and found out also so much of him as may serue to condemne them but wee blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see seeking God in his Sonne in whom he is well pleased vnfainedly beleeue that he is our Father and that we are his children and further his heires euen heires annexed with Christ in his kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. verse 16. 17. The Turke seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in Mahumet the Iew seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in a Messias which is yet to come the Popeling seekes not aright for that he seekes him in moe Mediatours then one the Hereticke destroying either the natures of Christ or offices of Christ seekes not God aright the carnall Gospeller and worldling seekes not God aright for although he professe Christ in word yet in his workes he denieth him and the power of his Gospel as Augustine pithily the difference betweene an Hereticke and a bad Catholicke is briefly this the one is an Hereticke in his faith and the other is an Hereticke in his manners Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and with a liâ—…ely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne Image that so wee may seeke thy strength and see thy face euermore It is euident by the first of the Chronicles 16. Chap. That Dauid was authour of this Hymne and that it was indited for Asaph to be sung when the Lordes Arke was placed in the mids of the Tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it and therefore most expositours interpret here Gods face to be Gods Arke by which hee declared his poweâ—… and presence fauour and goodnes toward his people So we read 2 Chron 6. 41. Psal. 63. 3. Psal. 78. 61. Psal. 132. 1. Arise O Lord into thy resting place thâ—… and the Arke of thy strength The like is sayd of Gods holy Temple that it was his house Esay 56. 7. His amiable dwelling place Psal. 84. 1 Yea the very chamber of his presence Psal. 95. 2. Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing And they who worshipped in the Courts of the Lord are sayd to stand and appeare before him as Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the yeere shall all
the males appeare before the Lord thy God and Exâ—… 23. 15. None shall appeare before me empty The meaning then of Dauid is plaine that the seed of Abraham the children of Iacob should giue thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his Name tell his wonderous workes make songs of him and prayse him and seeke his strength in that holy place which himselfe hath appoynted euen where his Arke rested and resided As if hee should haue sayd goe not to Baal-Zebub the God of Ekron goe not to the calfe in Samaria seeke not to Bethel enter not into Gilgal goe not to Beer-sheba but seeke the Lord and ye shall liue seeke him while hee may bee found and where he may be found run not a whoring after your owne inuentions doe not serue him according to your owne voluntary religion and priuat spirit but let his holy word be a lanterne to your feete and a guide to your pathes euermore seeke him and his strength in his Tabernacle where he sheweth his fauour and face to Abraham his seruant to Iacob his chosen The ceremonies of Moses in their beginning were Mortales as being to continue but for a time when once Christ appeared in the fulnesse of time they were Mortuâ—… being only shadowes as S. Paul speakes of good things to come but now since the sound of Christes holy Gospel is gone throughout all the earth euen vnto the ends of the world they be mortiferae not only dead but also deadly so buried and abolished that they must neuer be raysed vp againe in the Church of God Legalia saith Augustine ante passionem Christi viua statim pòst mortua hodie sepulta Christ is the end of the Law not only of the morall in fulfilling all righteousnesse or of the Iudicial in satisfying Gods Iustice for vs but of the ceremoniall also giuing himselfe for vs to be both an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God of which all the legall offerings and sacrifices were types and figures Here then is a question asked seeing we haue neither such an Arke nor such a Tabernacle nor such a Temple as the Iewes had vnder the Law where shall we now seeke the strength of the Lord and his face Answere is made that albeit the houre is come foretold by Christ vnto the woman of Samaria that the seed of Abraham according to the Spirit doe not adore God at Hierusalem or vpon his Holy mountaine yet they worship him in his Church of which Hierusalem was a type the which is called expresly Gods house wherein his Honour delights to dwell and in the ministration of his blessed word and Sacraments hee sheweth vs the light of his countenance more clearely then vnder the ceremonies of Moses for in our prayers we confidently speake vnto him and in the word preached and read hee plainly speaketh vnto vs in both If we seeke we may see his face frequent then his house when it is the houre of prayer frequent then his house when it is the houre of preaching take heed that yee doe not neglect so great saluation hee that reiecteth these things reiects not man but God I beseech you suffer the wordes of exhortation and doctrine despise noâ—… Prophecying despise not I say the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience reuerence his blessed ordinances abhorre not his heauenly Manna quench not his spirit turne not O turne not his graces into contention and wantonnesse lest he hide his face from vs in his sore displeasure remoouing his golden Candlesticks from our Church and giuing his Gospell vnto some other people who will bring foorth better fruits of the same The Papists haue gods of lead and gods of bread but the faces of these gods as our Prophet telleth vs in the 115. Psalm haue mouthes and speake not eyes and see not noses and smell not neither speake they through their throat they that make them are like vnto them and so are all such as put their trust in them Images as they teach are the Laymens Gospel a wodden block is to them instead of the written booke they see their makers face better in a pulpit then out of the pulpit Beloued be not deceiued God is not mocked If yee seeke his strength and his face goe to his Law and his Testimony yee may behold a liuely Crucifix in the Scripture for what is the Center of the whole Bibles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely this one poynt Christ 〈◊〉 Ye may behold in each Sacrament a liuely Crucifix for the blessed Communion is a commemoration of Christs death vntill his comming 1. Cor. 11. 26. And sacred baptisme saith Aquinus is a Commemoration of Christs Passion which is past a Demonstration of his grace which is present and a Prognostication of his glory which is to come Yee may likewise behold a liuely Crucifix in the Churches Liturgie framed according to the tenour of Gods owne Spirit forasmuch as our prayers contemplate God the Father in his Sonne begun in his Name bounded vpon his nature concluded with his Merits as our onely Mediatour and Aduocate When the parents of Christ had lost him at the feast of the Passeouer and sought him in many places in fine they found him at Hierusalem in the Temple So when your soule longeth after God and is athirst for his presence Come to the Church and sav with our Prophet Psal. 27. 9. Thy face Lord will I seeke It is reported of Cain Gen. 4. 16. That he went out from the presence or from the face of Iehoua As Gods face signifieth his all seeing prouidence none can flie from it Ieremie 23. 24 Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I who â—…ill heauen and earth shall not see him saith the Lord The meaning of that text then is happily that Cain went out from the place of Gods word and publique worship For Adam his father being a Prophet as it is probable had taught his children how to sacrifice and serue the Lord On the contrary to come before God in 1. Chron. 16. 29. is explained Psal. 96. 8. To be comming into his courts and worshipping in his Sanctuary When our backs are turned toward the Temple no wonder if God turne his face from vs and absent himselfe in displeasure But if wee serue the Lord with gladnesse and enter into his gates with thankesgiuing If our songs are of him and our hearts reioyce in his holy Name when we remember the marueilous workes that hee hath done his wonders the iudgments of his mouth when one day spent in his Courts is accounted better then a thousand in the tents of vngodlines when wee search earnestly for him in the Scriptures and in the publique Ministry thereof his ordinary power to saluation and the strength of his arme Then as it is sayd in our text wee seeke him and his forces and his fauour and his face euermore There is a fift exposition of these words and that is of
the soule of the world the Clergie of the Church and the Iesuites of the Clergie Iesus in this answere to the Pharisees expressed equity trueth piety but the Iesuites in their disputes regarde quaestum magis quam quaestionem All seeking their owne and not the things of Iesus Christ as S. Paul phraseth it Philip. 2. 21. Which occasioned a learned Diuine to say that they were Suitae not Iesuitae louers of themselues and not followers of Christ. Iesus here would haue scandalous accusations of our brethren written in the dust and trodden vnder feet of all that passe by But their doctrine is composed of lyes and libels and all thinges are fed and mainteined by such things of which they are bred and made the aliments of Popery must be correspondent to the elements of which it consisteth aequiuocation is their Diana lying their best helpe Machiauel their fifth if not first Euangelist as Caesar sayd si ius violandum est regni causa violandum and I haue heard that Sambucus alluding to that Apophâ—…egme should say when he had stolen a manuscript out of a library si ius violandum est eruditionis causa violandum so these men are resolued if a man must lye hee must lye for the good of the catholike religion and if lye in so good a cause lye to some purpose Iesus is a Sauiour of his people the Prince of Peace the God of loue but the Iesuites are destructiue doctors as rash Empiricks they can cure none but by letting of blood no treason plotted as Camerarius obserues in any state but a Iesuit hath a finger if not his whole hand in it either at the beginning middle or end so drunken with the blood of the Saints that as their old acquaintance writes the very Canibals and Anthropophages shall condemne them at the last day Thus haue they nothing of Iesus except only the bare name and nomen inane saith a Father is Crimen immane for their nature they resemble more Christs aduersaries the Scribes and Pharisees as being their offall and off-spring not so much flesh of their flesh as spirit of their spirit Now beloued I beseech you giue me leaue to say that vnto you which Moses in the 30. Chap of Deuter. to his auditours I haue set before you this day life and death good and euill blessing and cursing chuse therefore life shun the wayes of Antichrist which are the paths of death and follow Christs example which is the way the truth and the life that foâ—… both you and your seede may liue good subiects in his kingdome of grace and blessed Saints in his kingdome of glory IAMES 5. 16. Confitemini invicem peccata vestra Confesse your faults one to another OVr iniquities make a separation betweene God and vs and withhold his good thinges from vs Ierem. 5. 25. Now then vt cessante causa cesset effectus that the cause ceasing its effect also may cease S. Iames in the closing vp of his Epistle prescribeth a three-fold remedie for the remouing of our sinnes Eclipsing the Sunne of righteousnesse and hiding his face from vs. The first is confession of our faults one to another in our present text The second is prayer one for another in the words immediatly following The third is exhorting one of another in the 19. and 20 verses Concerning confession hee sets downe fiue conditions especially to wit that it be 1 Non involuta sed aperta not inuoluved and intricate but ingenuous and plaine noted in the verbe fatemini 2 Non diuisa sed integra not a partiall acknowledgement but a Plenarie noted in the preposition Con. Confitemini 3 Non reciproca sed transitiua not recoyling toward our selues but vttered vnto others also noted in the Aduerbe Inuicem 4 Non defensiua sed accusatiua not defensiue but accusatiue noted in the Nowne peccata faults 5 Non aliena sed Propria not another mans but our own noted in the Pronoune Vestra your faults Touching prayer one for another he shewes the great power thereof illustrated by the Prophet Elias example who being a man subiect to the like passions as wee that is frayle both in respect of his mind and body in respect of his mind as fleeing from angry Iesabel 1. Kings 19. In respect of his body as being fed by Raueâ—…s and by the little cake of a poore widdow dwelling in Zarepta 1. Kings 17. Yet with one prayer he shut vp the windowes of heauen and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And with another earnest prayer hee did open them againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought soorth her increase As for exhorting one another he doth vrge that duty from the most excellent reward thereof If any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him know that hee that hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes It is the worke of God only to saue soules causally but occasionally good men as Ministers and Instruments of God are sayd to saue soules in conuerting sinners from euill courses vnto the right way by fruitfull instructions and good examples So the Scripture speakes Matth. 18. 15. If hee heare thee thou hast won thy brother and more plainly 1. Tim. 4. 16. Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto thy doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee I am at this time to treat of confession and the condition thereof I therefore resume my text Confesse your faults one to another A sinner vnregenerate is like Sampson grinding in the prison house corne for his enemies the greater his labour the more his losse Now the first step out of this vnhappy prison is the acknowledgement of his faults as the reuerend Father Nilus initium salutis est sui ipsius accusatio The condemning of his infirmities is the beginning of his sauing health Adam in couering his offence did offend more then in committing it all the sonnes of Adam haue this imbred cunning to hide their nakednesse with fig-leaues that is their naughtinesse with idle cloaks and excuses it is mother-wit to post and passe sinne from our selues vnto some other As when almighty God arraigned Adam in Paradise for transgressing his commandement in eating of the forbidden fruit hee presently layd the fault vpon Eua his wife she being questioned layd it vpon the serpent and the serpent vpon God Albeit vngodly men as our notes declines their sinnes throughout all the cases in the Nominatiue by their pride to get them a name in the Genitiue by their fornication in the Datiue by their Bribes in the Accusatiue by their Detracting and backbiting In the Vocatiue By their adulation and flattering In the Ablátiue By their oppression and robberies Yet they will not
against God other sinnes against our neighbours other sins against our selues against all which S. Paul exhorteth vs to liue soberly righteously and religiously in this present world that is as Bernard and other doctours vsually construe it Soberly toward our selues righteously toward our neighbors religiously toward Godâ—… And Dauid against these three kinds of sinnes prayeth in the 51. Psalme For a cleane right and holy spirit A cleane spirit to liue so berly a right spirit to liue honestly a Holy spirit to liue Godly Fourthly In respect of the law for as some commandements are Negatiue other 〈◊〉 so some sinnes are faults of commission and other are faults of omission Idolatrie Murther Adultery Thâ—…ft are sinnes of commission as being repugnant to the Negatiue law Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt not kâ—…ll Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Neglect of due reuerence to father and mother are sinnes of omission as violating the Affirmative precept Honour thy father and thy mother sinnes of commission are called by the Latines Peccaâ—…a sinnes of omission Delicta the which di inction Augustine collecteth out of the 7. Chap. of Leuâ—…ticus at the 7. verse As the sinne offering is so is the trespasse offering Fiftly in respect of our intention and mind in offending and so there be sinnes of infirmitie sinnes of ignorance sins of malice sins of infirmitie are sayd to be committed against God the Father whose speciall attribute is power sins oâ—… 〈◊〉 norance against God the Son whose speciaâ—… attribute is wisedome sinne of malice against God the Holy Ghost whose speciall attribute is loue Well then among all these partitions of sin let vs examine what faults are to be confessed one to another In the first kind of confeâ—…sion which is for the satisfaction of others our Apostle dâ—…th vnderstand only such offences as daily fâ—…ll out betweene neighbour and neighbour in our common conuersation and commerce we neede not in this case confesse other sins committed either against God or against our selues but onely those which are committed against them But in the second kind of confessioÌ„ which is for the satisfaction of our owne selues euery sin is to bee confessed that heauily burdeneth our conscience whether it be a carnall sinne or a spirituall a sinne of omission or a sin of commission a sinne of presumption or a sinne of ignorance a sin of weakenesse or a sinne of wickednesse a sin against other or a sin against our selues Aegypt was tormented with small flies as with great plagues a little fault that seemeth vnto thee great and troubleth thee much ought not to bee neglected but healed by thy confession and others consolation Obserue moreouer out of this place that we must acknowledge faults as faults not as vertues to be sory for them not to boast in them otherwise Bernard saith it is not confessio sed defenâ—… the courses of vngodlinesse as Dauid sheweth in the first Psalme There is first a consultation of ill then a working of ill and last of all an impudent maintaining of ill First a walking in ill Secondly a standing in ill Thirdly a sitting in ill First men are vngodly Secondly Sinners Thirdly Scornefull disputing and defending their sinne as it were in a Schoole chaire Sin seemeth to the Christian at first Importabile too heauy a burden for him to beare 2. Graue So burâ—…en some as a tallent of lâ—…ad quoth Zacharie or as a great loade quoth our Sauiour Matth. 11. 28. Thirdly Leue So light that he sins without any resisting before the fall or repenting after the fall Fourthly Insensibile for custome in sin taketh away the Sentiment of sin Fiftly Delectabile For as Abner called fighting a sport saying t Let the yong mâ—…n arise and play before vs So some make but a pastime of sinne Prouerbs 14. 9. The foole makes a mocke of sinne Sixtly Desiderabile When a man as the Scriptures speakes of Ahab selleth himselfe to worke wickednesse and to commit vncleannesse as S. Paul sayth euen with a greedinesse Eph. 4. 19. 7 Defensibile Which is the serpents head and height of iniquity when a sinner is set downe in the seate of the scornefull and brag of his faults so S. Augustine reports of himselfe before his conuersion how hee did boast of much villany done yea more then was done Thâ—…ore let men acknowledge their faults one to another not to prate of them but to pray for them humbly confessing them as vices and not idly glorying of them as if they were vertues The last obseruable condition of confession is tha it be not an acknowledgement of other mâ—…ns sinnes but of our owne Christ would not haue vs to gaze vpon the mote in our brothers eye but rathâ—…r to pull out the beame in our owne sight Wee may nor bee busie Bishops in another mans Dioces quoth S. Peter but meddle with our owne businesse quoth S. Paul 1. Thessa. 4. 11 S. Augustine complained of men in his time that they were curious in examining the liues of other but exceeding sloutâ—…full in amending their owne And so there bee men in our time whose veâ—…tue is nothing else but to heare gladly the reproofe of others vice despising thâ—…se for whom Christ despised himselfe and denâ—…ing them for brothers whom God takes for sonnes But the Scripture teacheth otherwise take away the euill of your workes Esay 1. 16. Rend your hearts 〈◊〉 2 13. Not another mans spirits but your owne let euery man examine himselfe saith Paul amend your liues saiâ—…h Peter acknowledge your faults saith S. Iames. In a word wee may not breake our neighbours head with the Pharisee but sinâ—…te our own breast with the Publicanâ—… Luke 18. 13. Sweeâ—…e 〈◊〉 which art bâ—…h our euerlasting Pâ—…â—…d al-sufficient sacrifice for sinne grant vs grace to confesse our faults humbly first vnto thee secondly to our selues lastly one to another that thy Holy Name may be glorified our neighbours iniuries repayred our consciences quieted our liues amended and our soules finally saued in the day of thy comming so come sweet Iesu come quickly Amen â—…NIS Eccles. 9. 4. Psal. 9. 13. 1. Sam 1. Gen. â—…0 4. 2. Sam. 1 21. â—… Sam. 18. 1â—… Psal. 112. 6. ecclus 44 14. 2 King 4. 13. Luke 23 35. Gen 35. 20. Ecclus. 7. 44 16. Psal 22 6. Serm. de assumpt 2. Sam 12. 2. Tim. 1 13. De vâ—…r hist. lib. 13. Cant. 1 6. Epistola 89. Psal. 3 â—… Epistola â—…1 a Aâ—… 6. 1. b Eâ—… â—…8 15. c Ezech. 13. 10 d Heb. 13. 22. e Ezech. 18. 32 f Esay 58 1. g Mark 3. 17. h 2 Tim. 4 2. i â—…in Ps 35. at Chrysost. homil 20. in Math k Math. 3. 10. l Psal. â—… 13. m 〈◊〉 3â—… n Psal. 145. 8. o â—… Cor. 4. 5. p Rom. 2. 5. q Ser de 〈◊〉 r Math 23. 37. s Aug. contra