heads like burning coales that were bewitched with such preachings he protesteth vnto them not hiding his face nor dissembling his name Behold I Paul say vnto you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing If he coulde not sustaine a little leaven in the lumpe as there hee calleth it what would he haue said of poyson I meane of an impious blasphemous sacrilegious manner of worship when this was rather curious frivolous and ceremonious When Moses and Christ togither were so offensiue vnto him he would never haue heard of a reconciliation betweene Christ and Belial light darknes righteousnes vnrighteousnes beleevers infidels the temple of God idols the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils the table of the Lord the table of Devils in the coÌ„munion wherof he noteth an impossibility in both his epistles to the Corinthians I will not stand to dispute how vnpossible it is for any either person or state to serue two maisters the one not subordinate to the other but flatly repugnant say for example God and Mammon or Melchom or Baal or any the like abomination Must they not vse a ballance a ballaÌ„ce a conscience a coÌ„science that do so go after two waies But what danger ensueth vpon such confected religions halting consciences as Elias named theÌ„ they may best learne both by word and deed from that zealous God who hath taken expresse order against strange Gods executed his fierce wrath vpon those that haue offered but strange fire and ordayned his law strictly to be kept without declining to the right hand or to the lefte and himselfe will be served alone without corrivals of his glory with al our heart soule and strength as he hath often enioyned There is but one Lord one mediatour one spirit one baptisme one supper one faith al in vnity The body and state is then strongest when the multitude of beleevers haue but one hart one soule amongst them all shall one people within the same land and vnder the same government sunder distract themselues into many religions Or can the Lord bee at vnitie with that people where immunity is given to deale in the manner or matter of his service otherwise then he hath prescribed Nazianzen writeth that many people lying rouÌ„d about theÌ„ as a circle about the ceÌ„ter did much obserue marvel at the Cappadocians not only for their sound faith but for the gift of coÌ„cord which God bestowed vpon theÌ„ For because they thought aright of the Trinity defended it iointly against the Arrians they were defended by the Trinity theÌ„selues Clemens Alexandrinus wisheth much happines to the king of the Scythians vvhosoever that Anachatsis were vvho tooke a citizen of his for imitating some Greekish effoeminate sacrifices offered to the mother of the Gods hung him vp by the necke shot him through with arrowes because he had both corrupted himselfe amongst the Grecians infected others with the like disease The counsaile which Mecoenas gaue to Augustus the Emperour is very sage the reasons by him alleaged such as touch the quickest vâ—ine of the question in hand Put his words into the mouth of some other man whose lips an Angell hath touched with a cole from the altar of the Lord the holy ghost sanctified they are then right worthy to be accounted of Thus he exhorteth The divine godhead see that thou reverence thy selfe according to the lawes of thy countrey cause others to do the like And those that change any thing in matters appertaining thereunto hate correct not only in behalfe of the Gods whom whosoeuer neglecteth he will never regard oughte els but because such as bring in new Gods draw others also to alteration change And hence come conspiracies seditions conventicles things not expedient to a government Religion is the truest band betwixt man and man the knot of al coÌ„munion coÌ„sociation Now what coniunction of mindes can there be what attonement of iudgements what inward peace syncere charity harty god-speed in that disparity of religions where one house hath Iewes an other Samaritans some calling vpon God some vpon Angels Saints creeping to crosses bowing to images so burning in emulation for their severall services as fire and water shall sooner agree then their iudgments affections Let our laws be grounded vpon the law of God it wil be the greatest safety of our land to enact as the Athenians sometimes did that whosoeuer should speak one word of their God beside their lawes should be punished vnmercifully for it It hath beene a favourable compromission of men more partiall then wise that the questions betwixt Rome and the reformed churches might easily be accorded I finde it not And I will be bolde to say as Tully somtimes of the Stoickes Academickes That the coÌ„tentioÌ„ between vs is not for bouÌ„ds but for the whole possession inheritaÌ„ce whether God or maÌ„ grace or nature the bloud of Christ or the merits of saints written verity or vnwritten vanities the ordinaÌ„ce of the most high in authorizing princes or the Buls of Popes in deposing them shall take place We haue altar against altar liturgie against liturgy praiers against praiers doctrine against doctrine potentate against potentate Pope against Prince Religion against Religion subiection against subiection faith against faith so diametrally opposed as the Northerne and Southerne poles shall sooner meet togither then our opinions standing as they do can be reconciled Looke vpon Fraunce and nether Germany for the proofe hereof The effusion of so much Christian bloud the eversion dissipation of so many noble houses the commotions and tumults of so many yeares whence haue they sprung The reason or pretence at least of those murthers massacres wasts tragedies hath beene contrary religions If this be the fruit then shall every subiect in a realme be priviledged in his house to haue a God to himselfe a priest to himselfe a worship to himselfe as Micah had in Ephraim shall hee beleeue and pray and obey shall he both feare God honor his king as himselfe listeth But what will yee doe in this case Their mindes are as free as the Emperours Every man is a king in his own house as Telemachus said his conscience is his castle and fortresse nothing is so voluntarie as religion wherein if the minde be averse it is now no religion We maie shifte the bodies of men from place to place wee cannot change their mindes Wee shall sooner enforce stockes and stones to speake vnto vs. Advise will doe more then threatning and faith commeth rather by perswasion then by compulsion I graunt it Therefore first speake to the conscience by good counsell but if the eare of the conscience bee stopt with wax shake the whole house about her and raise her vp speak to the eares of the body inheritance liberty let the body tel the
blessed for ever For to returne where I first began besides the folly of the thinge the mischiefe is behinde Go cry vnto your Gods which you haue chosen and let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation What a wofull discharge and dismission were this to be lefte vnto such Gods whose heads the hands of a carver hath polished and if their eies be full of dust and their clothes eaten vpon their backes with mothes they cannot helpe it the beastes are in better case then they for they can geâ— them vnder a covert or shadow to do themselues good Then they may cry as the Apostles did vpon the motion of the like departure Lorde whether shall I goe for as Christ there had the words so hath the blessed Trinitie alone the power and donation of eternall life When Senacherib and Rabsakeh bragged that both the kings and the Gods of the nations vvere destroied by them Ezâ—chias aunswered the obiection Trueth it is Lorde that the kings of Assur haue destoyed their nations and their lands and haue set fire on their Gods for they were no Gods but the worke of mens handes even wood and stone therefore they destroyed them now therefore O Lorde our God saue thou vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou O Lord art onely God This argument Moses tried vpon the golden calfe whereof Israell had said Behold thy Gods O Israell to shew that it was no God hee burnt it in the fire grounde it to powder strawed it vpon the water and then caused the people to drinke it To conclude the pointe It is most true which the Prophet resteth vpon Psalme 86. Amongst the Gods there is none like vnto thee O Lord and there is none that can doe like thy workes And as there is but one trueth encountered with as many falshods as there were gobbets and shreddes of dismembred Pentheus so is there but one true God opposed by as many false as happily there are falshoods It may be the maister of the ship finding a defect miscariage of their former labours that there was no succour to bee had vvhere they sought comfort that though they had all prayed they are not released standeth in a wavering touching the Gods which they called vpon and thinketh there may be a God of more might vvhome they knowe not so as in effect vvhen hee thus spake vnto Ionas he set vp an altar and tendered honour vnto an vnknowne God As if he had said I am ignorant whom thou seruest but such a one he may be as is pronest to do vs good and best able to saue our shippe For as an idoll is nothing in the worlde and there is no time in the worlde wherein that nothing can do good so there are many times vvhen idolaters that most dote vpon them as Ieremy speaketh are brought to perceiue it Esay in the second of his prophecie speaketh of a day vvhen men shall not onely relinquish but cast away their idols of siluer and golde vvhich they haue made to themselues to worship vnto the mowles and battes children of darkenesse fitter for those that are either bleare eied or that haue no eies to see withall then for men of vnderstanding go into the holes of the earth and toppes of cragged rocks from the feare of the Lorde and glorie of his maiestie when he shal arise to iudge the earth You see the fruit of idolaters that as they haue loved darkenesse more then the light so they leaue their Gods to the darkenesse and themselues enter into darkenesse a taste and assay before hand of that everlasting and vtter darknes that is provided for them If so bee God will thinke vpon vs. Now that this was the minde of the maister of the shippe to distrust his Gods I gather by this vvhich followeth vvherein the vncertaintie of his faith is bewraied and his hope hangeth as the crowe on the arke betwixt heauen and earth finding no rest without resolution of any comforte Si forte if so be is not a phrase fitte to proceede from the mouth of faith it is meeter to come from Babylon whereof the Prophet writeth Bring baulme for her sore si fortè sanetur if happilie shee maie bee healed her wounds were so desperate and vnlikely to be cured It is meeter to be applied to the sores of Simon Magus whome Peter counselled to repent him of his wickednesse and pray vnto God Si forte remittatur if so bee the thoughte of his hearte mighte bee forgiuen him The nature and language of faith is much different it nesteth it selfe in the woundes of Christ as Doues in the cleftes of rockes that cannot bee assaulted it standeth as firme and stedfast as mount Sion that cannot be removed it casteth an anchor in the knowledge of the true God and because he is a true God it doubteth not of mighte and mercy or rather mercie and might as the heathens call their Iupiter Optimus maximus first by the name of his goodnesse and then of his greatnesse His mercies it doubteth not of because they are passed by promise indenture covenaunt othe before vnmoueable vvitnesses the best in heaven and the best in earth His promises are no lesse assertained because they are signed with the singer of the holy Ghost and sealed with the bloud of his anointed and beloved By faith yee stande saith the Apostle to the Corinthians it is the roote that beareth vs the legges and supporters and stronge men that holde vs vp If we listen to the prophet Abacuk we may yet say more For by faith wee liue it is the soule and spirite of the new man wee haue a name that we liue but indeede are dead to Godwarde if wee beleeue not For if any withdrawe himselfe therehence the soule of God will take no pleasure in him Woe vnto him that hath a double hearte and to the vvicked lippes and faint handes and to the sinner that goeth two manner of waies woe vnto him that is faint hearted for he beleeueth not therefore shall hee not bee defended It is not the manner of faith to be shaken and waver like a reede to and fro nor of a faithfull man to bee tost of every winde as a waue of the sea that is ever rowling And therefore we are willed to come to the throne of grace with boldnesse and to drawe neare with a true hearte in assurance of faith and not to cast awaie that confidence vvhich hath greate recompence of rewarde and when we aske to aske in faith without reasoning or doubting and to trust perfectlie in that grace which is brought vnto vs by the revelation of Iesus Christ. Our life is a warfare vpon earth a tried and expert warriour one that bare in his body the skars of his faithful service keeping the tearmes of his owne art so named it and wee are not to wrastle against
the thirde was vnto GOD as rawe and vndigested meate which his hearte coulde not brooke His lukenesse and neutralitye of dealing in his service did so much offende him that although he had beene received into some inwarde favour as sustenaunce is taken into the stomacke yet hee is threatned to bee spued vp againe The phrase is some-what infrequent and rare in the scripture yet is it no where vsed but it deserveth wisely and waightily to bee considered In this place to conclude the meaning is that Ionas was not descended into the bellie of the fish to become a pray vnto him but to dwell in a desert and solitarie house for a time as Ieremie wisht him a cotage in the wildernesse and as it were to goe aside and hide himselfe from the anger of the Lord till the storme might be overpast The vvoordes of Micheas doe rightelye expresse my minde heerein I vvill beare the vvrath of the LORDE because I haue sinned against him vntill hee pleade my cause and execute iudgemente for mee Then vvill hee bringe mee foorth to the lighte and I shall see his righteousnesse VVhen thou that arte mine enemie shalt looke vpon it and shame shall cover thee vvhich sayest vnto mee vvhere is the LORD thy God Lastlye the place vvhich received Ionas was the drye lande VVhich noteth a qualitye of the earth commodious and fitte for habitation Hee felte the grounde before vvhen hee went downe to the bottome of the mounetaines and the earth vvas aboute him vvith her barres but he felte not the drie grounde He vvalked not then vpon the face of the earth vvhich is the manner of living soules but vvas vnder the rootes of the mounetaines vvhere hee had not libertye nor power to breath but by speciall providence In the beginning of the creation the vvaters were aboue the earth til the LORDE saide Let the vvaters vnder the heaven bee gathered into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it vvas so According to the vvordes of the Psalmes Hee hath founded it vpon the seas and established it vpon the flovvdes And againe Hee hath stretched out the earth vpon the vvaters for his mercie endureth for ever A straunge kinde of building when others lay the foundations vpon rockes the LORDE vpon the vvaters And yet hee hath so set the earth vpon those pillers that it shall never mooue VVhen thou callest to minde that thou treadest vpon the earth hanging like a ball in the aire and floting in the waters is it not evidente enough vnto thee even by this one argument that there is a God By the confession of all the naturall place of the waters is aboue the earth This at the first they enioyed and after repeated and recovered againe in the over-whelming of the worlde when the LORD for a time delivered them as it were from their bandes and gaue them their voluntarie and naturall passage And at this day there is no doubte but the sea which is the collection of waters lyeth higher than the lande as sea-faring men gather by sensible experimentes and therefore the Psalme saith Thou coveredst it with the deepe as with a garment For as a vesture in the proper vse of it is aboue the bodie that is clothed therewith so is the sea aboue the lande and such a garmente woulde it haue beene vnto the earth but for the providence of GOD towardes vs as the shirte that was made for the muthering of Agamemnon where the heade had no issue out Therefore the Psalme addeth immediately The vvaters woulde stande aboue the mounetaines but at thy rebuke they flee at the voyce of thy thunder they haste away And the mounetaines ascende and the vallies descende to the place which thou haste established for them But thou haste set them a bounde which they shall not passe neither shall they returne to cover the earth The like in the booke of Iob vvhere the phrases are that the LORDE hath established his commaundement vpon the sea though a wilde and vntamed creature and sette barres and doâ—es aboute it and saide Hitherto shalt thou come and no further heere vvill I staie thy prowde waues VVhat from the chambers that are aboue and from the fountaines and sluces that lie beneath howe easie a matter vvere it for the former of all thinges to set open his vvindowes and dammes and every howre of our life to over-runne vs with a newe deluge Nay he hath vvater enough to drowne vs vvithin our owne bodies Hee caâ—â—e there commaunde a full sea of distempered and redundant humors to take our breath from vs. VVee little bethinke our selues howe daylie and continually vvee stande beholding to the goodnesse of GOD for sparinge our liues VVho though hee with holde the forces of those outwarde elementes vvater and fire and the rest that they doe vs no harme yet vvee haue elementes vvithin whereof wee are framed and composed wee haue heate and colde moysture and drought which hee can vse at his pleasure to our owne destruction Let these brethren of one house but withall the fathers and founders as it vvere of our nature fall at variance within vs and they vvill rende our liues a sunder like vvilde boares Howe manye haue beene buryed aliue in the graues of their earthlye and melancholicke imaginations Howe many burned in the flames of pestilent and hote diseases Their bowelles set on fire like an oven their bloude dryed vp their inwardes withered and wasted vvith the violence thereof The vapours and fumes of their owne vicious stomacke as a contagious aire howe manye haue they poysoned and choked vp Finallye howe manye haue beene glutted and overcharged with waters betweene their owne skinne and bones And therefore we must conclude and crye with the Prophet It is the mercie of the LORDE that wee are not consumed both from without and from within because his compassions faile not Hitherto of the myracles the former parte of my promise and the seconde experimente of the ever-flowing mercye of GOD continued towardes Ionas his servaunt O livinge and large fountaine of grace alvvayes drawne yet never dryed vp because it runneth from the breast and is fed with the good pleasure of an infinite and immortall GOD. For what better reason canne bee given of his lovinge affection tovvardes vs than that which Micheas hath in the ende of his prophecie Because mercy pleaseth him VVhat other cause hath induced him not to remooue in haste from the sweete songue of that Prophete to take awaie iniquitie and passe by the transgressions of his heritage not to retaine his anger for ever though for ever deserved but to returne and haue compassion vpon vs to subdue our vnrighteousnesse and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of a sea deeper and farther from his sighte than were these seas of Ionas to perfourme his trueth to Iacob and kindnesse to Abraham accordinge to his othe in auncient time but because
precious than either bushes or fire or water therefore he hath spoken vnto him by flesh it was he that spake in Esaias in Elias and in all the prophetes and at length though he were equall to the Father in maiesty yet he was founde in the shape of a servaunt and spake vvith his owne lippes This gracious instrument of almighty God to shew the chandges of his notes both pittieth and chasteneth entreateth and threatneth and by threatning best admonisheth and by speaking roughly soonest converteth He that called Adam out of the thicker which was the first elementes of this learning whereof I speake he hath produced the same through all the ages of the world hee sent Angels to Sodome Noah to the old world Nathan to David Samuell to Saul Elias to Ahab prophets to Iudah and Ierusalem Iohn Baptist to the Scribes and Pharisees he reprooved the elders and Princes with many taunting parables corrected Peter with looking backe retracted Paule with a vision from heaven advertised the seaven Churches with epistles sent vnto them Leprosie vnto Miryam was a vvriting and skrolle vpon her flesh engraven in her skinne to teach her obedience dumbnesse vnto Zachary was not a dumbe instructour it taughte him faith against another time blindnesse sent vpon Paule tooke away his blindnesse and opened the eies of his minde making him to see more in the vvaies of life than all his learning gathered at the feete of Gamaliell could haue revealed vnto him Such are the admonitions that God sometimes vseth to mollifie our hard heartes least we shoulde freeze too long in the dregges of our sinnes and because wee proceede with impunity and freedome claime them for inheritance Beholde therefore as Eliphaz comforted Iob Blessed is the man vvhome the Lorde correcteth therefore refuse not the chastising of the Almightie for hee maketh the vvounde and bindeth it vp hee smiteth and his hande maketh it vvhole hee shall deliver thee in sixe troubles and in the seventh the evill shall not touch thee Nay he findeth a wound and bindeth it vp he espieth a blow and his hands heale it he letteth thee alone in sixe iniquities but in the seventh he will pull thee by the garment thou shalt no more offend On the other side wretched is the man whom the Lord correcteth not whos 's first messenger and monitioner is the first borne of death that is his life is taken from him before hee seeth his sins This were as Augustine calleth it lenâ—ty full of horrour and sparinge cruelty such precious balmes breake the head nay wound the conscience when bitter and biting corrosiues were more holesome for vs. This is also one parte of our duety who are to gather the sheepe into the sheepe fold of Christ we must not only teach but reprooue for otherwise as Origen noteth vpon Exodus we offerred but not scarlet the colour and die of our preaching goeth not deepe enough our fire giveth light and shining but kindleth not we lead men the righte vvay vnto knowledge but wee bring them not to the practicke and better part of divinity to feele a pricking in their consciences and to be driven to say men and brethren what shall we doe In the reprehension which God heere vseth 2. thinges come to be handled The manner thereof which is milde curteous and peaceable and the matter which altogither concerneth his anger The manner is as kinde and familiar and with asmuch indulgence as if Eli or the kindest father in the world were to deale with his childe whom hee most favoured no anger or gall vttered in the reprooving of his anger no vnpleasant expostulation and neither bitternesse nor length of speâ—ch but as fewe and as friendlye wordes as lenitye it selfe mighte devise Doest thou vvill to be angry I should haue looked for burning from his lippes and coales of fire from his nostrels that one who dwelt at his foote-stoole should dare to assault heaven with his indignation and crosse the doings of his dreadfull iudge but that the thoughtes of the LORDE are peace and of an other disposition than the thoughtes of man Doubtlesse if one of his brethren the prophetes of Israell out of his owne tribe and family had taken the cause in hande I cannot conceiue how he should haue vsed him with so favourable and sparing an increpation Doest thou wel to be angry If there bee any amongst you that taketh advauntage heere-at to say in your harts what meane our prophets and preachers to make such bitter invectiues declamations out-cries against the sinnes of our age their salte is too quicke and we are over-much seasoned with it our eares are not able to beare their vvordes we cannot offende in the wearinge of a garment in the vse of our money in eating our bread and drinking our drinke but the pulpits must presently ring our ears tingle and the world wonder at it God never taught them such roughnesse of speach it had beene an happier thing for vs to haue lived and sinned in former times and then to haue beene an adulterer then a drunkard or extortioner when God spake himselfe who knew how to temper his wordes and to shape his reprehensions in milder sort He would haue said but thus Dost thou wel to be angry well to be prowd well to be covetous well to giue thy mony vpoÌ„ vsury he would not haue threatned stormed as the maÌ„ner of our preachers is Surely my brethren God is the maister of his owne both speaches actions his wisdome is as the great deepe I cannot finde it out it may be he saw amendmeÌ„t in the hart reines of Ionas which we cannot do or he was able by his power to create his spirit a new to chaÌ„dge his hart that it should be rectified in an instante as well by one worde as if he had tyred and torne his eares with tenne thousand and hee dealt with a prophet an anointed servaunt of his one that was deare in his eies or he kept him for another time when his anger should be past and his heart more capable of discipline and correction or hee qualified his speach to schoole and scourdge him the more with actions Behold then and rest satisfied with vs our tongues should be still enough if we had wormes to coÌ„maund to eate vp your plantes and fruites or if we could chardge the sun in the sky or the east winde in the aire to beate vpon your heades and to grieue your soules as God grieved Ionas he spareth him in words but he paieth him in fact and though he vexe not his eares as wee doe hee vexeth his heade by taking away his shelter the onelye temporall comforte which he then enioyed I would we might see those daies wherein our speach might never exceede this compasse Doe you well to doe thus It is no pleasure to vs to sharpen our tongues like razors against you to speake by the pounde or talent mightye and fearefull vvordes if
preachers And let him make those preachers and hearers hearers and doers doers and perseverers good teachers good learners good liuers everlasting companions within our borders So shall our land be blessed with all both heauenly and earthly encrease and God even our owne God shall never repent that hee bestowed such blessing vpon vs Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE Cap. 1. vers 2. Arise and goe to Niniveh that great citie crie against it for their wickednesse is come vp before mee NOT to trouble you with longer repetition wee enquired in the former exercise of these three pointes 1. The place which Ionas was sent vnto 2. his busines there 3. the cause Touching the place we proposed foure reasons why God sent him to Niniveh 1. To keepe his manner and vse of foretelling the plague before hee inflicteth it 2. to set vp a standard of hope to the rest of the Gentiles that they also should pertake the goodnes of God 3. to prevent his people with mercy and to take vp favour in Assyria for them before hand against the time of their banishmente 4. to shame and confound the house of Israell with the singular repentance of a strange people Niniveh is further beautified in my text by two epithets or additions the one describing the nature or kind of the place A citie the other the quantity or amplenes thereof A great citie The inference from both these must needes be this that because it was a city and a great city it was therefore stately for wealthines glorious for buildings well peopled tedious to be gone through perillous to bee threatned where the prophet was likely to finde in all states of men Princes Counsellors Courtiers Marchants Communers mightie contradiction The greatnesse of Niniveh is more plentifullie set downe in the thirde of this prophecie vvhere it is tearmed a greate and an excellent citie of three dayes iourney It had an auncient testimony long before in the booke of Genesis for thus Moses vvriteth that Asshur came from the lande of Shinar and builte Niniveh and Rehoboth and Calah and Resin betweene Niniveh and Calah at length he singleth out Niniveh from the rest and setteth a speciall marke of preheminence vpon it This is a greate citie VVhich honour by the iudgement of the most learned though standing in the last place belongeth to the first of the foure cities namelie to Niniveh Others imagined but their coniecture is without grounde that the vvhole foure cities vvere closed vp vvithin the same vvalles and made but one of an vnusuall bignesse Some ascribe the building of Niniveh to Ninus the sonne of Belus of vvhome it tooke the name to bee called either Ninus as we reade in Plinie or after the manner of the Hebrewes Niniveh They conceiue it thus that when Nimrod had builte Babylon Ninus disdaining his governement went into the fieldes of Ashur and there erected a citie after his owne name betweene the rivers Lycus and Tybris Others suppose that the affinitye betwixt these names Ninus and Niniveh deceaved prophane writers touching the authour thereof and that it tooke to name Niniveh because it was beautifull or pleasant Others holde opinion that Ashur and Ninus are but one and the same person And lastly to conclude the iudgement of some learned is that neither Ashur nor Ninus but Nimrod himselfe was the founder of it But by the confession of all both sacred and Gentile historyes the citâ—e vvas verie spacious having foure hundred and eighty furlonges in circuite vvhen Babylon had fewer almost by an hundred and as afterwardes it grew in wealth and magnificence so they write is was much more enlarged Raphaël Volateranus affirmeth that it was eight yeares in building and not by fewer at once then ten thousand workemen There was no citie since by the estimation of Diodorus Siculus that had like compasse of grounde or statelines of walles the height whereof was not lesse theÌ„ an 100 feete the breadth sufficiently capable to haue received 3. cartes on a row they were furnished and adorned besides with a 1500 turrets The holy Ghost no doubt had a double purpose in giving this glorious title of distinction vnto Niniveh the one in respect of Ionas the other of Niniveh it selfe 1 In respect of Ionas it was the meaning of God to trie and arme his prophet before hand with commemoration of the greatest difficulties that by naming the worst at the first vnto him hee might prooue his obedience whether hee felt himselfe disposed to holde out and so settle his thoughts in some sort in declaring the costes of the building before hee vndertooke it least afterwardes when hee came and founde the danger of the place beyond his expectation hee might complaine of God as we read that Ieremy did I am deceived O Lord and thou hast deceived mee Thus hee dealt with Abraham his servant in the 22. of Genesis about the offering of his son whose faith and obedience hee sounded before by aggravating in his eares everye circumstance of the action that Abraham might forecast with himselfe whether the infirmity of his nature were able to brook it for it is written there that God did prooue Abraham The proofe was thus Abraham take 1 thy sonne 2 thine onely sonne 3 Isaac thy son 4 whome thou lovest take him 5 thy selfe take him 6 nowe presently 7 get thee into the lande of Moriah 8 there offer him offer him 9 for a burnt offeringe vpon one of the mountaines which I shall shew thee The weight of every worde is enough to bruise him in pieces and make him since downe vnder the burthen of that charge 1. Take thy sonne not thy bondman nor beast nor any common thing that belongeth vnto thee 2. thine onelie sonne the onely begotten of the free woman 3. not Ismaell but Isaac thy sonne to vvhome thy promises are established 4. Isaac whome thou lovest as tender and deare vnto thee as the bowelles of thine owne breast 5. take him in thine owne person even thou the father of the childe turne not over the execution to any other man 6. take him without delay I giue thee no time to deliberate nor day nor houre to conferre vvith thy selfe and to comfort thy broken harte about the losse of thy beloved 7. Get thee into the land of Moriah which will aske the travell of three daies so long vvill I holde and suspend thy soule in bitternes 8. leaue not thy sonne in Moriah as an Orphan without his father to soiourne in a straunge country offer him in sacrifice commit slaughter vpon his flesh 9. lastly vvhen thou hast slaine him thou shalt burne him in the fire and consume him to ashes thou shalt not spare thy sonne for my sake neyther quicke nor deade So likewise vvhen he sent Ezechiel to the rebels of Israell hee gaue him this provision Sonne of man I sende thee to the children of Israell What are they I will not
giftes a man of GOD having received a mandate from his Lorde is blinde deafe senslesse to performe it or rather hee goeth hastneth flieth saileth with the winges of the wind from the execution thereof Paul vpbraideth the Iewe Rom. 2. on this wise Thou art called a Iewe and restest in the lawe and gloryest in God and knowest his will and allowest the thinges that are excellent in that thou art instructed in the lawe and persuadest thy selfe that thou art a guide to the blinde a light to them which are in darkenesse an instructor of them which lacke discretion c. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest a man shoulde not steale dooest thou steale thou that sayest a man shoulde not commit adulterie dooest thou commit adulterie thou that abhorrest idolles committest thou sacrilege thou that gloriest in the lawe through breaking the lawe dishonourest thou God The coales of this scripture may bee heaped vpon Ionas his heade Thou art a Prophet a familiar friend with God thou hast seene visions and dreamed dreames and alwaies standest in the presence of the Lord to know his counsells thou art a seer to the blinde a teacher of the ignorant a watchman over those that are a sleepe thou therefore that teachest Israell teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest obedience to Ieroboam art thou disobedient thou that beginnest thy message Heare the worde of the Lorde doest thou reiect it What shall wee say then but that which Daniel yeeldeth vnto in the 9. of his Prophecy O Lorde righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs appertayneth open shame to our Kinges to our Princes to our Fathers wee may further say to our Prophets to our Priests because wee haue all sinned against thee There is no difference saith the Apostle he meaneth neither of Iew nor Gentile for all haue sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Christ Iesus And the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by faith in Christ Iesus shoulde bee given to those that beleeue I shew you your sinne and the propitiation your sicknes and the remedy to cure it thinke not of the other remedies If you deeme that either Tharsis or any other region beyond seas that a cabbin in a ship or a couch in a chamber that the cloudes of the day or darkenes of the night the top of the mountaines or the bottome of the sea a secret friend or more secret conscience heaven or hel or any the like evasion can hide it from the eies of God you are deceived His seaven eies goe through the whole world You may interpret them 7. thousand thousand of eies for hee is totus oculus altogither eie Therefore let vs not flatter our selues with those that plucke out the eies of knowledge it selfe in the tenth Psalme Tush who seeth vs God hath forgotten hee hideth away his face and vvill never see but rather let vs acknowledge with Iacob all places to be filled with the maiesty of God The Lord was in this place and I vvas not aware of it how fearefull is this place This is the house of God and the gate of heaven this and that and the other within the compasse of the round worlde all are alike Let vs reclaime our selues in time from sinning which Ionas could not doe and in a serious cogitation before wee goe too farre aske one the other what haue vvee done If wee forget it in Israell let vs remember it in Iapho Let either house or field land or sea youth or full strength put vs in minde of our duety neglected Let vs not followe our sensuality too far nor buy voluptuousnes with a price but rather say wirh the Athenian Oratour when we heare how chargeable pleasure is Non ema◠tanti poenitere I will not buy my repentance at so high a rare Or if wee haue paide the fare of pleasure let vs withdrawe our feete before wee descend into the bottome and sinke of it let not the sides and entrals of the ship bury vs nor a carelesse profounde sleepe bereaue vs of all sense Let not the waters goe over our heades nor a floude of iniquitie overwhelme vs least that which is the wages of sinne and presently overtooke Ionas in his transgression wee endanger both body and soule to the iustice of God THE FOVRTH LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 4. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea c. THe recusancie of Ionas was the abridgment of the whole third verse whereof 1. he accuseth himselfe by name 2. he noteth his readines in arising 3. his speede in flying 4. his perversnes because to Tharsis 5. open rebelliō in going from the face of the Lord to renounce his service 6. his confirmation therein that having such stops remembrances laide in his way as namely 1. to reach the haven not neare at hand 2. to finde a shippe not without enquiry and to stay the leasure thereof 3. to be at charge 4. therein to be more liberall or more hasty then cause was 5. to commit himselfe to so manifest a danger as the travell by the sea bringeth with it yet he swalloweth and digesteth all these hookes and is not revoked by any meanes to performe his obedience For all this he did to what end That he might goe to Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde Once againe hee repeateth the cause and by a retire to his former speech maketh the publication of his crime both α and ω the first and the last of the sentence thus he beginneth and thus he endeth That hee might flee c. With them To this you may adde as the conclusion of all the rest the company he made choice of that he might goe with them Who were they by accord of all opinions men of sundry nations languages conditions and as is evident in the fift verse idolatours Thus he mingleth himselfe in the exstasie of his wilfulnes as fire and water Hyena with dogges an Israelite with gentiles the circumcised with the vncircumcised a prophet with prophaners of sound religion and one that feareth the God of the Hebrewes with those that worship stran he Gods The parable in Matthew maketh mention of a man that had 2. sonnes the one he biddeth go to his vineyarde and he answered I will not yet afterwardes repented himselfe and went the other saide I will go yet went not The one is the image of the penitent the other of the hypocrire the one a deede without shew the other a shew without deede Ionas may stand in a third branche who neither saith that he will not and doth nor that he will and doth not neither in trueth nor in colour obedient but having cleared and dissolved all obiections of travell charge perill company is shipped as you see and vnder saile to goe to Tharsis But the Lord sent out a
great wind c. Behold a pursivant dispatched from heaven to attach him vengeance is shipped in a whirle-wind and saileth alofte in the aire to overtake him There is no counsaile as Ierome here noteth against the Lord. In a calme commeth a tempest the ship is endangered which harboureth a daungerfull passenger there is nothing peaceable where the Lord is an enemy Whome the voice of the Lord could not moue a storme solliciteth him as when Absolom could not drawe Ioab vnto him by entreatie and faire meanes he fiâ—eth his barley fieldes to make him come and whome a still spirit could not charme the turbulent spirit of a raging wind Severior Magister a rougher instructour to deale withal enforceth to harkeÌ„ There be spirits saith the son of Syrach that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes In the time of destruction they shew forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine and death all these are created for vengeance the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions the serpents and the sword execute iudgement for the destruction of the wicked Nay the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water fire and iron and salt and meale wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape oile clothing all these thinges are for good to the godly but to the sinners they are turned to evill To these you may adde the wind which being a meteor wherby we liue in some sort for our life is a breath a fanne in the hands of God to purge the aire that it be not corrupted as the lunges lie by the heart to doe it good is heere converted to bee a plague vnto them that as David was afflicted by the sonne of his owne bowelles who should haue beene the staffe of his age Sampson by the wife of his bosome who should haue bene his helper the children of Israell by Manna stinking and full of wormes and by quailes comming out of their nostrelles and the children of the prophets by a bitter hearbe in the pottage which were appointed for their sustenance and foode so these marriners for the sinne of Ionas are scourged with a winde a principall furtherance and benefit at other times required to sailing Obedience hath her praise both with God and men the of-spring of the righteous is obedience loue The Rechabites shall never want a testimony of their obedience vnles the booke of Ieremy the Prophet be againe cut with a penknife burnt vpon an hearth as in the daies of Zedekias Ionadab their father commaunded them to drinke no wine and they would not drinke it for that commaundement sake they nor their wiues their sonnes nor their daughters Christ prophecieth of himselfe Esay 50. The Lord hath opened mine eare and it was not rebellious neither turned I backe It was written of him in the booke that he should doe the will of his father he was ready to do it The law was in the midst of his bowels and without protracting the time he offered himselfe Loe I come He was obedieÌ„t vnto death even the death of the crosse And though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered qui ne perderet obedientiam perdidit vitam though he slept a wofull and heavy sleepe to flesh and bloud yet he slept in peace Disobedience on the other side hath never escaped the hands of almighty God It cast Ionas out of the ship and the angels before Ionas out of heaven Adam and Eue out of paradise Lots wife out of her life and nature to Saule out of his kingdome the children of Israell out of their natiue soile and further their naturall roote that bare them For no other reason is given but this Ieremy 35. I spake they would not heare I cried they would not answer To leaue forraine exaÌ„ples the iustice of God now presently manifesting it selfe against disobedience coÌ„meth in a storme the vehemency and fury whereof appeareth 1. By the author God sent it Who although he be the author of all windes weathers and bringeth them out of his treasures yet when it is singularly noted of God that he was the cause it carrieth a likelyhood not of his general providence alone but of some speciall and extraordinary purpose 2. By the instrument which is a winde and neither thunders nor raines to helpe it 3. By the epithet appositioÌ„ of the instrument a great winde 4. By the nature of the word here vsed it was sent nay rather throwne sent headloÌ„g as the lightning is shot from heaveÌ„ It was cast froÌ„ God as the marriners cast their ladings into the sea for the same word is originally vsed in both places A wind so sodain furious that they could gesse at other teÌ„pests before they fel they had no signes wherby to prognosticate this 5. By the place that receiveth it the sea a champian plaine channel an open flore where there was neither hill nor forrest nor any other impediment to breake the force of it 6. By the explication added there was a tempest vpon it eveÌ„ a mightie tempest 7. By the effects that ensued in 4. 5. verses marveilouslie described 1. The breaking of the ship a stroÌ„g an able ship by coÌ„iecture because so lately set forth to sea the danger is the more to be considered that it fel not vpon rockes or shelues but by the power of the onely winde was almost splitted the Hebrew phrase is very significant the ship thought to be broken as if it had soule and sense to feele the hazard it was in 2 The feare that followed vpon the whole companye of the passengers 3 The feare of the marriners men accustomed inured to the like adventures of whome it is truely spoken â—llis robur aes triplex c. their harts are of brasse and oke to encounter dangers 4 Their praiers nay their vociferations outcries vpon their Gods as the priests of Baal cried vpon their idoll 5 The casting out of their ladings the necessary instruments vtensiles for their intended voiage Al which whatsoever besides is set down to the end of the 5. ver may be reduced to 3. persons with their actions administratioÌ„s belonging vnto them the 1. is the Lord the 2. the marriners the 3. Ionas Of the first it is said that he sent out a great winde It was the error of the Paynims to devide the world amongst sundry Gods with every severall region city family almost chamber chimney therin with heaven hell land sea woodes rivers wine corne fruits of the ground al things whatsoever AmoÌ„gst the rest the winds in the aire they ascribed to Aeolus whoÌ„e they imagined to haue them closely mued vp housed in a lodge and to haue sent theÌ„ abroad either for calmes or teÌ„pests
at his discretion Horace commended Virgil his friend going towards Athens to the mighty goddesse of Cyprus the two brethreÌ„ of Helen the father of the winds that is to Venus the two twins Castor Pollux Aeolus wishing for his better speed that all the windes might be bounde vp besides Iapyx a quiet westerne winde with many the like fables not vnknowne to grammer schooles The blowing of the windes more or lesse wee impute not to Aeolus nor any the like devised God of the gentiles we honour the Lord of hosts alone in the power of this creature who sitteth vpon the circle of heaven and causeth both the sunne to shine and the raines to fall and the winds to blow in their seasons and at this time appointed this winde to a singular service It is he that flieth vpon the winges of the wind The channels of the waters haue beene seene and the foundations of the earth discovered at his rebuking and at the blasting of the breath of his nostrels You see it is called the breath of the Lord as also in the booke of Iob not that substantiall breath of his wherof we read in the 1. of Gen. the spirit of God moved vpon the waters but a created breath extracted and engendred out of other creatures The winde that came from the wildernes and overthrew the corners of the house wherin the children of Iob were feasting that saint acknowledgeth to haue come from heavenly disposition The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away Wind fire bands of robbers he assigneth not to any idol of the heatheÌ„ nor to the malice of men nor to the hazard of fortune which others made a goddes but to the almightines soverainty of him who ruleth al things And as his dominion is vndoubted in the aire so doth the sea submit it selfe likewise to his governance who sitteth vpon the water-flouds and is a king for evermore as the Psalme speaketh For who but he hath shut vp the sea with doores when it issued and came forth as out of the wombe who established his commandement vpon it when he set bars gates said hitherto shalt thou coÌ„e and no further here will I stay the proud waues Who els devided the red sea into two parts that the children of Israell passed through on dry foote But as for Pharaoh and his host the horse and the rider they were overthrown therin Who els turned the streame of Iordan the contrary way whereof the Prophet demandeth with admiratioÌ„ what aileth thee O IordaÌ„ that thou wentest backe who els turned the waters into bloud and drieth vp the rivers that the fishes rotte for wante of moisture Tell mee his name to vse the words of Iob if thou knowest it and what is his sonnes name It is he and his son who in the gospell of Marke rebuked the windes and saide vnto the sea peace and bee still and the winde ceased and there was a great calme and they could not be satisfied about it but asked who it was that both the winds the sea should thus obey him All kindes of vveather by lande or sea thunders and lightning even the coales of fire that were never blowne haile-stones stormy tempestes they come by his assignement who cleaveth the rockes asunder with his voice and shooteth forth his thunderbolts as arrowes at a marke who biddeth his lightnings walke and they say loe here we are and devideth the spouts in the aire to yeeld their moysture to the ground more or lesse at the will of their maker And we vtterly renounce herein not onely the palpable idolatrie of the Gentiles vvho gaue the glory of the most highe to â—heir base and inglorious abominations but the foolish ignorance of others nearer home vvho in the vvorking of these creatures never looke vp to the seate of maiesty that ordereth all thinges but whatsoever befalleth them by fall of fire blast of wind inundation of waters or the like they tearme it chance Alas chance is nothing for nothing is done in the whole world without an order from aboue and it vvas wisely noted by a learned man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature bringeth forth that which we wroÌ„gfully cal chaÌ„ce because it commeth vnexpected I read of a certaine people in Africke who being troubled with the North-wind driving heapes of sandes vpon their fieldes dwelling places they gathered an army of men to fight against it but with so evill successe that themselues were also buried vnder hilles of sandes Xerxes the Persian Monarke having received a losse by the rage of Hellespontus himselfe more mad then the sea caused fetters and manacles to be cast into the waters thereof as if he would make it his prisoner binde it with linkes of iron at his pleasure Darius did the like vpon the river Gynde who because it had drowned him a white horse threatned the river to devide it into so many streames so to weaken the strength of it that a woman great with child should goe over it dry-shod It is not vnlike the madnes of our daies who must not be crossed either with wet or dry winds or raines faire or fowle but we fall to repining murmuring banning blaspheming al kind of cursed either speaking or wishing at least But as God asketh Senacherib whome hast thou railed vpon or whome hast thou blasphemed so I aske these meÌ„ whome are you angry with who hath displeased you are you angry with the saw or with him that lifteth it do the winds and seas mooue your impatience they are but servantes vnto that Lord who saith vnto them smite and they do it favor they are obedient Rabsakeh speaketh to the nobles of Ierusalem Esay 36. Am I come hither without the Lord The Lord said vnto me Go vp against this land to destroy it So it is in the force of these creatures wheÌ„ either they drowne or blast or parch to much it is not done without the Lorde the Lord saith vnto them doe thus or otherwise Besides the impieties aboue named it is an error of our times heathenish enough to giue the honor of God in these and the like accidents to witches coÌ„iurers For if ever tempest arise more theÌ„ coÌ„mon experience hath inured vs vnto especially with the havock and losse either of life or limme in our selus or of our cattel or howsings forthwith the iudgmeÌ„t is given as if the God of heaveÌ„ earth were fallen a sleepe minded nothing there is some coniuring Be it so What is coniuring a pestilent commistion conveÌ„tioÌ„ stipulation betwixt men divels MeÌ„ divels what are they looke vpoÌ„ the sorcerers of Aegypt for the one Magorum potestas saith Augustine defecit in muscis they cried in the smallest plague that was sent and past their cunning to remoue this is the figure of the Lord their power is limited therfore Looke vpon
which foolish idolatry one of their owne sophists sometime spake in derision Bono estote animo quando Dij moriuntur ante homines Be of good courage since Gods die before men And not only men haue they thus hallowed but their qualities and vertues Iustice Prudence the like yea their affections perturbatioÌ„s Feare Hope Loue with the rest wherof Lactantius writeth Audax consilium Graeciae quòd Cupidinem Amorem consecrant Greece was very bold in making Loue a God Shal I adde moreover the defects infirmities of men they had their dumbe Goddesse by LactaÌ„tius a thing most ridiculously taxed in them Quid praestare colenti potest quae loqui non potest what good can shee do to her suitors that cannot speake They are not yet filthy enough vnlesse they erect altars and shrines to theis vices to Impudencie and Contumelye as Epimenides did at Athens and to those plagues which their sinnes deserved as to Furies and Fiends Revenge and the like mischiefes Tullus Hostilius put Feare Palenes in the number of his Gods It is pitty saith Lactantius that ever his Gods should go from him And the people of Rome helde Rust and the Ague in no lesse account The fruites of the grounde as Corne and Wine the very land markes in the fields rude unshapen stones were not debarred of this honor They had their God for dunging their lande and the basest thing that coulde bee imagined a goddesse for their draught-houses And not to disquiet any longer Christian eares with their hethnish absurdities drunkards harlots and the eues were not lefte without their patrons A Poet of their owne inveighed against their multitude of Gods in a Satyre long since Nec turba deorum Talis vt est hodie contentáque sydera paucis Numinibus miserum vrgebant Atlanta minore Pondere There were not wont to be so many Gods as now a daies the heavens were content with a smaller number of them laid lesse burthen vpon the shoulders of poore Atlas We read in the history of the sacred booke that Astaroth was the idoll of Zidon Melchon of Ammon Chemosh of Moab Beelzebub of Ekron for every natioÌ„ that came out of Asshur to inhabit Samaria who were therfore destroyed by lyons because they knew not that maner of worship which the God of the country required a several God was found out for the men of Babel Succoth-Benoth for the men of Cuth Nergal for Hamath Ashima Nibhaz Tirtak for the Avims for Shepharvaim Adramelech Anammelech to which they burnt their children in the fire Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum So much mischiefe coulde their verie religion persvvade vnto them Lactantius setteth dovvne the cause of this vainenes in the thoughtes and darkenes in the harts of men that wherein they professe themselues to bee most wise therein they become most fooles Men are therefore deceived because eyther they take vpon them religion vvithout vvisedome or studie vvisedome without religion so they fall to many religions but therefore false because they haue forsaken vvisedome vvhich coulde teach them that there cannot be many Gods or they bestow their paines in wisedome but therefore false because they haue let slip the religion of the highest God which might instruct them in the knowledge of truth To shew the absurdities wherwith this opinioÌ„ floweth of devising many Gods Cyprian proveth that the maiesty and sublimity of the godhead cannot admit an equal Let vs borrow an example from the earth saith he when did you ever know society communion in a kingdome either begin with fidelity or end without bloudshed Thus was germanity and brotherhood broken betwixt the Thebans Eteocles and Polynices One kingdome could not hold those brethren of Rome Romulus Remus though the harbor of one woÌ„be contained theÌ„ Pompey Cesar though so nearly allied yet they could not endure Caesarvé priorem Pompeiusvé parem either Caesar his better or Pompey his peere Neither mervaile sath he to see it thus in man when all nature doth consent therein The bees haue but one king flocks and heards but one leader much more hath the world but one governour That which was spoken to this effect in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the kingdome of many governours is not good Caesar applied to his owne name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in exception to the multitude of Caesars or Emperours The colledge of Bishops in Rome answered Marcellus when he would haue built but one temple both to Honour and vertue One chappel or chancel cannot wel be dedicated to two Gods I often alleadge Lactantius in these matters a man that hath notably deserved of the gospell of Christ against the vanities of Gentilitie who being as it were a streame issuing from the eloquence of Tully as Ierome commanded him converted all the force oâ— his eloquence to assault beate downe vanquish triumph over the enemies of true religion Thomas Beacon a countrey man of ours in an epistle to D. Nowell Cherubin to Cherubin giveth him this commendation to close vp his appetite amongst many others before vttered I cannot but cry out O Celius a man truely celestiall and divine O Lactantius an authour sweeter then any milke and hony O Firmianus a champion in defending Christian veritie most firme faithfull and constant Behold the man c. alluding to his happy names which he rightly fitted by answerable good conditions This Lactantius presseth his arguments nearer to the marke If there bee more Gods then one then singlelie and apart they must needes haue lesse strength for so much shall bee wanting to every one as the rest hâ—ue gleaned from him and the nature of goodnesse cannot bee perfitte and absolute but vvhere the whole not where a litle portion of the whole is It they shall say that as there are sundry offices to bee looked vnto so they are divided amongst many officers all commeth to the same ende For their severall iurisdictions cannot exceede their bounds because they are crossed kept in by others as two contrary windes cannot blow togither in one place For if they haue equall force one hindereth the other if vnequall the vveaker of the two must perforce yeelde Againe if offices be shared amongst them besides that the care of every God will goe no farther then his owne charge and province they must of necessitie often fall out as they did in Homer where the couâ—t is devided into two factâ—ons some alleadging for Troy that it should be defended otheir against it that it should be sacked If in an army of men there should be as many generals as there are regimentes bandes and companies neither coulde they well aray nor easilie governe and holde in their souldiers And to say that the worlde is ruled by the disposition of many Gods is such a kinde of speech as if a man shoulde affirme there were
flesh and bloude but against principalities and powers and vvorldly governours the princes of the darkenesse of this worlde against spirituall vvickednesses which are in high places Our enimies you see are furnished as enimies should be with strength in their handes and malice in their heartes besides all other gainefull advantages as that they are spirit against flesh privie and secret against that that is open high against that that is lowe and farre beneath them Now in this combate of our soules our faith is not onely our prize exercise and masteries which vvee are to prooue as it is called the good fighte of faith but a part of our armour which vvee are to weare our target to defend the place where the heart lieth Ephe. 6. our brest-plate 1. Thes. 5. and more then so For it is our victorie and conquest against the worlde of enimies So faith is all in all vnto vs. Blessed bee the Lorde for hee hath shewed his marveilous kindnes towards vs in a strong citty He hath set vs in a fortresse and bulwarke of faith so impregnable for strength that neither heighth nor depth life nor death thinges present nor things to come nor al the gates devils of hel nor the whole kingdome of darknesse can prevaile against it I grant there are many times whē this bulwarke is assaulted driven at with the fiery darts of the devill vvhen the conscience of our own infirmity is greater then the view of Gods mercy when the eie of faith is dim the eie of flesh and bloud too much open when the Lord seemeth to stand far of to hide himselfe in the needful time of trouble To be deafe and not to answere a word To hold his hād in his bosome not to pul it out whē this may be the bitter mone that we make vnto him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and this our dolefull song which we sing to our souls in the night season will the Lord absent himselfe for ever wil he shew no more favor is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgottē to be gracious doth hee shut vp his mercies in displeasure Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for ever and shall thy wrath burne like fire These be the dāgerous conflicts which the captaines of the Lordes armies and the most chosen children of his right hand sometimes endure The lyons themselues sometimes roare with such passions how shall the lambes but tremble if the soules of the perfite which haue beene fedde with the marrowe of fatnesse and drunke of the fulnesse of the cuppe haue sometimes fainted in themselues for want of such reliefe much more vnperfite and weake consciences which haue tasted but in part how gracious the Lord is I aunswere in a word The faithfull feare for a time but they gather their spirites againe and recover warmth at the sunne-shine of Gods mercies their feete are almost gone and their steppes well neere slipt but not altogither they finde in the sanctuary of the Lorde a proppe to keepe them vp at length they confesse against themselues This is my infirmity they curbe and reproue themselues for their diffidence and vvhatsoeuer they say in their haste that all men are lyars and perhappes God himselfe not true yet by leasure they repent it The Apostle doth pithily expresse my meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 staggering but not vvholy sticking Againe they feare the particular they distrust not the generall it may bee victorie on their sides it may be overthrowe it may be shipwracke it may be escape it may be life it may be death whether of these two they know not for both they are somewhat indifferent As when Shemei cursed David the speech that the king vsed for his comfort was this It may be the Lord will looke vpon my teares and doe mee good for his cursing this day As who would say if otherwise the care is taken I referre it to his wisedome Amos hath the like speech It may bee the Lorde God of Israell will bee mercifull to the remnante of Ioseph he meaneth in preventing their captivity But whether captivity or deliveraunce they are at peace as perswading themselues that if the mercy of God faile them in one thing it maie embrace them otherwise for they know that all thinges worke togither for the best to them that loue God as the Apostle writeth Though such be the hope of sonnes and daughters yet the case of straungers is otherwise For they are secure neither in particular nor in generall they measure all things by their sense and as the manner of brute beasts is consider but that which is before their feete and having not faith they want the evidence and demonstration of thinges that are not And therefore the master of the ship as I conceiue it knowing that life alone which belongeth to the earthly man perhaps not kenning the immortality of the soule or if hee thought it immortall by the light of reason in some sorte as the blinde man recovered savve men like trees vvith a shadowed and mistie light yet not knowing the state of the blessed setteth all the adventure vpon this one successe and maketh it the scope of all their praiers and paines Ne percamus That we perish not For such is the condition of heathen men they knowe not what death the righteous die as Balaam plainly distinguished it they are not translated like other men nor dissolved nor taken away nor gathered to their fathers and people nor fallen a sleepe which are the milde phrases of scripture whereby the rigour of death is tempered their life is not hid for a time to be founde out againe but vvhen they are deade in body they are deade in bodie and soule too their death is a perishing indeede they are lost and miscarried they come to nothinge their life their thoughtes their hope all is gone and vvhen others departe this life in peace as Simeon did and go as ripely and readily from this vale of miserye as apples fall from the tree with good contentation of heart and no way disquieted these as if they vvere giuen not lent to their liues must bee dravven and pulled away from them as beastes from their dennes vvith violence Hierome reporteth of Nepotians quiet and peaceable departure from his life Thou wouldest thinke that hee did not die but walke forth And Tertullian hath the like sentence It is but the taking of a iourney which thou deemest to be death Whereas the Emperour of Rome for want of better learning ignorant of the life to come sang a lamentable farewell to his best beloved nor long before they were sundred My fleeting fonde poore darling Bodies ghest and equall Where now must be thy lodging Pale and starke and stript of all And put from wonted sporting Compare with these wretched creatures some plainely denying the
but riotously wasted and consumed their whole ability In vvhich profusion of substance when the matter engaged ieopardeth the stocke and state of a man his passions must needes be stirred and a troupe of wretched sinnes commonly ensueth swearinge forswearinge banninge defying hart-burning fighting spilling of bloud vnsupportable sorrovves of hart cursed desperation weedes able to disgrace the lawfullest recreation wheresoever they are found as the Harpyes defiled the cleanest meates The third sort of lottes serving to diuination the law of God in a thousand expresse prohibitions comminatioÌ„s the lawes of men both civill canon mainly impugne as by their edicts penances anathemas hath bene puplished to the world They had many sorts of predictions presensions foreseeings none of theÌ„ all but either with the manifest invocatioÌ„ of devils or with their secret insinuation at the least In coÌ„iuring witchery it is too open but in their necromaÌ„cy such like prophecyings by signes characters in the fire are vvater ground entrales of beasts flying crying feeding of birds lineaments of the hand proper names numbers verses lead waxe ashes sage-leaues and the rest it is somewhat more secret but no lesse certaine The artificers and maisters of which faculty are most to be excused that vsed least earnest at whome a wise man marveiled that they laughed not one vpon the other when they met as being privie to themselues of enriching the eares of the worlde with fables to enrich their owne houses with treasure But how scrupulous and fearefull others were how deepely enthralled to the collusions of Sathan is most ridiculous to consider as that Pub. Claudius should be condeÌ„ned by full parliament because in the first Carthaginian warre being in sight by sea and asking how the birdes fared to take his good speede there hence vpon knowledge given him that they would not come out of their coope to feede hee answered so irreligiouslye as it was taken Beholde they will noâ— eate let them drinke and go with a mischiefe and so cast them all into the sea VVho woulde ever haue thought that C. Marius being condemned by the Senate of Rome seeing an asse to forsake his provendour and go to the water to drinke should take occasion thereby to forgoe the land and betake himselfe to sea for safety of his life Yet was the accident imputed both to the providence of his Gods that directed him and to the skill that himselfe had in interpreting religion Augustin writeth that one came to Cato and told him in great sooth that a ratte had gnawen his hose Cato answered him it was no marveâ—le but much more if his hose had gnawen the rat Fabius Maximus refused his dictatorship because he heard a ratte but squeake If a man should forsake but his meate or bed for the squeaking of many rattes or a scholler his bookes because a ratte had eaten the leaues thereof in our times who would not laugh at their folly This was their misery and seruility who went from the living to the dead from the mouth of the Lorde to the mouthes of enchanters birdes beasts devilles from the lawe and the testimony to those lawles curious idolatrous pernicious magicall devises The manner of our charmers is not much behinde these in impurity prophanenes Wherein what reason can be given of applying holy writte to vnholy actions of vttering vnsignificant words which carry no sense of drawing vnproportionate figures of tying to folish and vnnecessary conditions but a very secret operation wherby the devill doth infuse himselfe into such workings For curinge the tooth-ach or the like disease a writinge must bee red or kept but greate regard to be had vvhether it be written in paper or parchment in sheepe or in goate skin with the right or the lefte hande vvhether by a Virgin or common person Sometimes Christ himselfe is abused and his sacred word with apocryphall imaginarye false allegations as that Iesus spake to his wife when he was never married and such like blasphemies You vvill say they vse good prayers in their chambers I aunswere with Augustine they are either magicall or lawfull If magicall God vvil none of such praiers if lawfull yet not by such oratours I denye not but a good event hath sometimes ensued thy losse recovered thy teeth cured what then doest thou not know the power of Sathan that he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of lighte worketh by strong delusions lyinge wonders that if it were possible the very elect should be seduced Augustin wrote to Faustus the Manichee you worke no miracles vvhich if you did yet in you wee would beware your very miracles It is the deserved iudgement of God vpon those that haue recourse to these vnlawfull helpes vvherein though they vnderstand not themselues sometimes what they write or speake the Devill vnderstandeth well enough to leaue them to the God of this worlde the prince of darkenesse who ruleth in the children of disobedience because they flie from the revealed will of God to prestigiatorie and fraudulent impieties The Lord demaundeth in the 1. of Kinges who shall entice that is perswade deceaue Ahab that hee maie goe and fal at Ramoth in Gilead one saide thus an other thus Then there came forth a spirit and said I will entice him wherewith I will go be a false spirite in the mouth of all his Prophets Then the L. said thou shalt entice him shalt prevaile go forth and doe so Such is the counsell that the Lorde holdeth in heaven to bring to confusion al those whome the load-star of his written word cannot leade but they will take to themselues croked and perverse vvaies vvhich go downe to the chambers of death I now conclude all these with that memorable saying of Augustin He that desireth neither to liue happily hereafter nor godly in this present vvorld let him purchase eternall death by such rites Thus much of the course resolued vpon Come let vs cast lottes The reason why they resolved vpon lottery was that they mighte know for whose sake the evill was vpoÌ„ theÌ„ Who are they that enquire this vir ad amicuÌ„ suuÌ„ every one in the ship no doubte Ionas amongst the rest as quicke to dissemble his faulte as hee that was most innocent Looke froÌ„ the crowne of the head to the soule of the foote from the maister of the ship to the ship-boy they had all deserved this tempest full of idolatry impurity of life fitter for their vvickednesse whome the iawes of hell then the waues of the sea should swallowe vp Yet as if they were free from staine they will try by lottes for whose cause the evill is vpon them So is the nature of man wedded to it selfe leauing her eies at home in a boxe in discerning her own infirmities but in the faultes of others as quicke sighted as eagles Then every eie hath a double ball to see with and they stand without the
togither Say that being young thou wert riotous gluttonous libidinous given to drinking surfetting giving thy streÌ„gth to harlots shal not thine olde age rue it art thou not one the saÌ„e person both in thy yonger older years in the waxing in the waning of thy daies shall the difference and change of times exempt thee froÌ„ the gout dropsie the like distemperature Thy grandfather 2. or 3. degrees beyond thy father and thy selfe Et natinatorum qui nascentur ab illis thy childrens children nephews to come you are all but one house Aeacidae froÌ„ Aeacus springing froÌ„ one roote the head of the family in his sight account who esteemeth a 1000. generations but as one day Plutarch himselfe was wise enough to answere the argument There is not the like comparison betwixt father son as betwixte a workeman his worke neither can they alike be separated for that which is borne or begotten is not only from the father but of him as a part belonging vnto him The Castilions bloud in France spilt at the massacre may rightfully be required of the Guisian race in the 4. or 5. generation to come This is the cause that David curseth the wicked on both sides both in their descent let their children bee vagabondes begge their breade and in their ascent let the iniquity of his father be had in remembrance let not the sinne of his mother be done away The like is daily practised in the community and felowship of diverse partes within the same body as in a matter of felonie the hand only hath taken and borne away but the feete are clapt in iron the belly pinched with penury the bones lie hard the best iointe is endangered for it Sundry partes though distinguished both in place and office feele the punishment which they may fondly say the hand only deserved Yea the eie may bee sore and a veine prickt in the arme to cure it the hoofe tender and weake and the top of the hoâ—ne annointed for remedie thereof eveÌ„ so in the body of a city the body of an army the body of a church the bodie of a ship though happily few offend yet their iniquity is brought vpon the head of a whole multitude The kinges are mad the Greekes are plagued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vvhole citie oftentimes reapeth the fruite of one vvicked man amongst them What iniury is done therein is it more then one citie is not that citizen a member of their body Is not Socrates one and the same man at the head at the foote is not Englande one and the same land at Barwicke and at the Mount is not London one and the same city at Ludgate at Aldgate These may be the reasons why the whole number of passengers is plagued both in the losse of their wares in the hazard of their liues for the principall transgression of Ionas 1. they were wicked themselues because they were idolatrous what other corruptions they had the Lord knoweth 2. they were all but one body vnder the same discipline and government tied togither by orders lawes for sea as by iointes by reason they had entertained and consorted themselues with disobedient Ionas Other causes there may be secret vnto God which I dare not search out Why should I climbe into paradise or pâ—ie into the arke to behold his counsels wheÌ„ he hath set darknes clouds about his pavilioÌ„ why should I labor to remoue theÌ„ We know not the reasons of many a thing beloÌ„ging to our coÌ„moÌ„ life how it coÌ„meth that our clothes are warme about our backs when the earth is quiet through the south-winde shal we reach after hiddeÌ„ knowledge A plague begaÌ„ in Aethiopia filled AtheÌ„s killed Pericles vexed Thucy dides or to match the example a plague beginneth in FraÌ„ce taketh shipping at NewhaveÌ„ laÌ„deth in EnglaÌ„d with Englishmen harboureth it selfe in LondoÌ„ never departeth therehence againe Wil you know the reason hereof It may be that the works of God may be made manifest as Christ spake of the blind maÌ„ Ioh. 9. or to shew his power that he hath over his clay to exercise his iustice to practise proue our patience whether we wil curse him to his face as it may be the divel hath informed against vs or to apply the coÌ„tinual physick of afflictioÌ„ chastisemeÌ„t vnto vs that we ruÌ„ not into desperate maladies For there are 4. kinds of meÌ„ which by 4. kinds of means come to heaveÌ„ 1. some buy it at a price which bestow al their teÌ„poral goods for the better coÌ„passing therof 2. soÌ„e catch it by violeÌ„ce they forsake fathers mothers land living life al that they haue for that kingdomes sake 3. some steale it they do their good deeds secretly they are opeÌ„ly rewarded 4. others are enforced to take it by coÌ„tinual afflictioÌ„s made to fal into the liking therof Or whatsoever els be the cause which the sanctuary of heaven hath reserved to it selfe buried in light that may not be approached vnto this I am sure of that the challeÌ„ge of the Apostle shal stand like a wal of brasse against al the obiectioÌ„s in the world NuÌ„quid iniquitas apud DeuÌ„ Is there any vnrighteousnes with God And so farre was it of that these marriners receiued losse by their losse that it vvas their occasion to bring them to the knowledge and feare of the true God as hereafter shall appeare vnto you in the tendering of their vowes and other the like religious dueties Then saide they vnto him tell vs for whose cause this evill is vpon vs c. Having presumed that the lots could not lie being governed and guided by the wisdoÌ„e of God they gather theÌ„selues togither like bees al make a coÌ„mon incursion vpon Ionas For by likelihood of their demands because they are many in nuÌ„ber many to the same effect as some supposed it is not vnprobable that their whole troupe assaulted him each one had a pul after his fashioÌ„ as they had sundry heads mouthes so they had sundry speeches to expresse one the same thing therfore one asked vnde venis wheÌ„ce coÌ„mest thou another quae terra tua what is thy couÌ„try a third ex quo populo of what people art thou when his people couÌ„try dwelling place differ not in substaÌ„ce And certainely I cannot blame them if in such peril of their liues when the first borne of death the next immediatest death to sight was vpoÌ„ theÌ„ they al make an head open their mouthes without order or course against the worker of their woes When Achan was brought to the valley of Achor to be executed he his sons daughters asses sheepe the silver garment wedge of golde his tent all that hee had there produced it is said that all Israell threw stones at him and burnt them with fire and stoned
their owne confessions Tell vs. Whereunto we may adde that the lottery against Achan was both occasioned by an vnexpected overthrow taken at Ai by the direction of God himselfe in the whole maner thereof prescribed and as for Ionas he was a figure of Christ whose vesture was to be parted by lots and therefore the deprehension of his offence not to be brought into ordinary practise What is thine occupation If Ionas had confessed and opened his fact other likelihoodes helpes to finde it out had beene needlesse but it seemeth that before he could shape his answere to the 1. questioÌ„ they thrust an other vpoÌ„ him without intermission a third yet more like a peale of ordinance thundring about his eares that by the vnited strength of so many probabilities wound togither like a foure-folde corde Ionas may be entangled This first of the foure probabilities is of great moment to skan the life of man What is thine occupation thy art thy calling for 1. some haue no art or trade at all 2. some wicked vnlawful arts 3. others such artes as haue an easie provocation to iniustice and vngodlinesse Those that haue no arte are errand vagabond wandring persons as the planets in the Zodiacke never keeping a fixed place rather vsing their feete then their hands or whether they slitt abroad or gad at home their calling art is idlenes for Otium negotium Idlenes is a busines They are more troubled I doubt not how to spend the day then these that haue a trade wherin to be exercised they liue by the sweat of other mens browes will not disquiet the temples of their owne heades Let me freely speake without the offence of governours there are a number in this citty numerus tantuÌ„ a number onelie very artificial in this idle art those that can pleade their age impotencie necessary necessities I am their advocate I speake of pure and voluntary beggers who if they would worke haue it not it is pitty that you haue your wealth that your talent is not taken froÌ„ you giveÌ„ to others who would better vse it to Gods behoofe they should be Ditis examen domuâ— the bees that swarm in rich mens houses much more in opulent and wealthy cities many inferiour townes are superiour vnto you in the provision thereof but if they haue worke and wil not vndergoe it why are they suffered spontanea lassitudo a willing profered lazines in the body of a man is an introduction and argument of greater diseases these willing or wilfull rogues are not vnapt if ever occasioÌ„ be ministred to pilfer your goods cut your throtes fire your citty for their better advantage of maintenaunce When Iephtah was cast out of the house by his brethren because he was the sonne of a strange woman hee fled and dwelte in the lande of Tob and there gathered idle fellowes vnto him they went out with him The vnbeleeving Iewes in the Actes tooke vnto theÌ„ a coÌ„pany of waÌ„dring companions such as stand idle in the market place wicked men and gathered a multitude made an vprore in the whole citie and came to the house of Iason to fetch out Paul and Silas You see how readie they are to serue such turne to raise a tumult to make a conspiracie or rebellioÌ„ to associate theÌ„selues to any that will but leade them It were your wisest part to deale with such lewde and vnordinate vvalkers standers sitters in the vvaies of idlenesse as Philippe of Macedon dealt with 2. of his subiects in whome there was litle hope of grace he made one of them runne out of the countrey and the other driue him So his people was ridde of both Now there be other artes vtterly vnlawfull to be followed the very naming whereof doth condemne them as Coniurers charmers moone-prophets tellers of fortune our english Aegyptians robbers by lande pirates by sea cosenours harlottes bawdes vsurers which presently censure a man as soone as they are but hearde of to be wickedly disposed There are many besides vvhich though they haue vse lawfull enough in a common wealth yet there is but a narrow path betwixt fire and water as Esdras speaketh and one may easilie misse to do his duety there You looke perhappes that I shoulde rehearse them Though some are become more odious by reason of grosser abuses in them yet I will cover their face and keepe them from the light as they covered the face of Haman to keepe him from the eies of men because there is too much abuse to be espied in all our artes Monye hath marred them all they are all set to sale as Iugurthe spake of Rome and want but a chap-man Divines sell the liberty of a good conscience for favour and preferment Lawiers sell not onely their labours but the lawes and iustice it selfe Physitians sell ignoraunce vnskilfulnesse wordes vnsufficient drugges All men of all kindes of trades for the most part sell honesty trueth conscience othes soules for mony Our artes are artes indeede that is cosenages impostures fraudes circumventions Our English tongue doth well expresse the nature of the word vvee call them craftes and those that professe them craftes-men vvee may as well tearme them foxes as Christ tearmed Herode they are so bent to deceipt Others not content with so vulgar a name call them mysteries indeede the mysterie of iniquitie is in them misty obscure darke handling which God shall bring to light in due time Call we these callings sure they are such whereof the sentence shal be verified Many are called vnto them but few elected to partake the mercies of God O harken to the counsell which the Apostle giveth that ye may iustifie and warrant your vocations before God and man Let everie one abide in the same calling wherein hee was called and to make it significant let every one wherein he was called therein abide with God Let him not stay lâ—ke a passenger for a night but continue and hold himselfe not onely in the name but in the nature and vse of his calling that is let him walke worthy of it as in the sight of God who is a witnesse and iudge to all his proceedinges Let him not adde vnto the challinges and constitutions of God the callinges of the Devill as simony bribery forgery hypocrisie periuries for these are the Devilles challinges and let not those artes and professions which were given for the ornamentes and helpes of our life bee turned into snares and ginnes to entrappe our brethren In the audite of our Lorde and maister so farre shall wee bee from giving the accountes of faithfull servauntes Lorde thy piece hath gained other ten which we haue so falsified and defaced with the sleights of Sathan that wee cannot discharge our selues as the vnfaithfull reprobate servant did Beholde thou hast thine owne Our lawfull and honest vocations wherein wee were first placed wee haue
Vndoubtedly it was the purpose of Ionas to weigh his words to powder the whole speech delivered vvith as much honour towards the Lord as his heart could devise I feare 1. Iehovah a God in essence being yours in supposition 2. the God of heaven yours not the Gods of the poorest hālets in the earth 3. which hath made the sea the dry land as a litle monument of his surpassing art and strength yours not the garments of their owne backs The prophet keepeth the order of nature placing 1. the heavē then the sea afterwards the dry land as the principal parts whereof the whole consisteth for heaven is in nature positiō aboue the sea the sea aboue the dry land heaven as the roofe of that beautiful house wherein mā was placed the sea the dry land as the two floores or foundations vnto it But did not God make the heavens aswell as the sea the dry land doubtles yes It is plainly expressed Gen. 2. In the beginning God made heaven earth The beginning of the world is frō the beginning of al things whereto the name of the authour is first set as the seale God and vnder the names of the two extremities borders heaven earth all the rest is comprised quicquid mediū cum ipsis finibus exortum est whatsoeuer lieth midle betwixte the endes with the endes themselues Neither did the Lord only cause ordeine these creatures to bee formed but as the potter shapeth his vesselles so he fashioned and wrought them with his owne hands Totum coelum totamque tellurem ipsam inquam essentiam materiā simul cū forma non enim figurarū inventor est Deus sed ipsius naturae creator the whole heaven the whole earth I say the matter vvith the forme for God is not the deviser of shapes and features alone but the maker of nature it selfe And that God that hath made the heaven can fold it vp like a booke again role it togither like a skin of parchment he that hath made the sea at this time set the waues thereof in a rage caused it to boile like a pot of ointment can say to the flouds be yee dried vp hee that made the dry lande can cover it with waters as with a brest-plate or rocke it to fro vpō her foūdations as a drunkē man reeleth from place to place He can clothe the sun the moone in sackcloth and commaund the starres to fall downe to the earth and the mountaines of the land to remoue into the sea and it shal be fulfilled They all shall perish but the Lord their maker shall endure they all shall waxe olde as doth a garment as a vesture shall hee change them and they shal be changed but he is the same God for ever and ever and his yeares shall not faile The scope of the whole confession is briefly this the more to dilate his fall by how much the lesse he was able to plead ignorance as having the helpe of religion the knowledge of the true subsistent God able to giue a reckoning of every parcell of his creation Al excuse is taken away where the commandement is not vnknowne Peter lent the buckler of ignorance to the Iewes therewith in part to defende themselues against the weapons of Gods wrath even in the bloudiest fact that ever the sunne saw attempted I know that through ignoraunce you did it that is killed the Lord of life as did also your governours But least they should leane vpon the staffe of ignorance too much he biddeth them repent and reverte that their sinnes might bee done away This vvas the cloake that Paul cast over his blasphemies his tyrannies his vnmercifull persequutions of the Church I vvas received to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe So as ignorance in that place you see hath neede of mercie to forgiue it And if ignorance haue a tongue to pleade her owne innocencie why did the bloud of Christ cry to the father vpon the crosse father forgiue them they know not what they doe Is ignorance of the will of God sure to be beaten vvith rods shall not contempt of his will a carelesse vnprofitable knowledge of his hestes ordinances be scourged with scorpions Shal Tyre and Syd on burne like stubble in hell fire and the smoke of their tormente ascend for evermore wherein there was never vertue done that might haue reclaimed them shall Corazin Bethsaida go quit and not drinke down the dregs of destructiō it selfe whose streets haue beene sowen with the miracles of Christ and fatted vvith his doctrine Barbary shal wring her hands that she hath known so litle Christēdome rend her heart that she hath knowne so much to no better purpose It is no marvaile to see the wildernes lie wast deserte but if a ground wel husbāded manured yeeld not profit it deserveth cursing Lactantius saith that al the learning of philosophers vvas vvithout an heade because they knew not God therefore when they see they are blind when they heare they are deafe whē they speak they are speechles the sensens are in the head the eies eares tōgue We want not an heade for senses because when we see we perceaue when we heare we vnderstand and when we speake we can giue a reason wee want a heart onely for obedience And as our Saviour spake of the Scribes and Pharisees dicunt non faciunt they saie and doe not so it is true in vs wee see and heare and say and knowe but doe not as idle and idol Christians as those idol Gods in the Psalme to our greater both shame and condemnation So the Apostle enforceth it against the Galathians Nowe seeing you know God or rather are knowne of God howe turne you againe to impotente and beggerlie rudimentes To the like effect hee schooleth the Ephesians yee haue not so learned Christ. The nurture and discipline of this schoole is not like the institution of Gentility vvith whome it is vsuall to vvalke in the vanity of their mindes and in darke cogitations to bee strangers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them and being past feeling to giue over themselues vnto vvantonnesse to worke all vncleanenesse even with greedinesse But if yee haue hearde Christ and if yee haue beene taught by him as the trueth is in Iesus not corrupting the text with cursed glosses nor perverting the scriptures to your owne overthrow then with your new learning you must leaue your olde conversation as the eagle casteth her bill and know that the kingdome of God commeth not by observation but by practise nor that practise is availeable vvith ease but vvith violence and that the hottest and most laborious spirite is fittest to catch it away It had beene better for vs never to haue knowne the vvay of righteousnesse then after wee
the Apostle treadeth in this senteÌ„ce peradventure some man dareth die so it may bee when it is not and he dareth though hee will not doe it and but some one perhappes amongst a thousande Life to a naturall man who thinketh he liveth but whilst hee liveth is sweete vpon any conditions as may appeare in the example of the Gibeonites before produced who did that they did for feare of their liues And though they were cursed for their wilie dealinge and none of them ever aftervvardes freed from being a bondman but made hewers of woode and drawers of water for the congregation of the Lorde for ever yet they were content to escape vvith their liues and to endure any thing so the people might not slay them Beholde wee are now in thine handes doe as it seemeth good in thine eies to doe vnto vs. So true it is which Lactantius writeth of this transitory life that although it bee full of vexations yet is it desired and wished for of all men Olde and Younge Kinges and meane persons wise and foolish desire it alike Hee addeth the sentence of Anaxagoras Tanti est contemplatio coeli ac lucis ipsius vt quascunque miserias libeat sustinere The very beholding of heaven and the light it selfe is so much worth that vvee are contente to endure anie wretchednesse for it Nowe these marriners having an eie to their private estates to pacifie the anger of God and quiet the sea for their owne deliverie standing vpon the losse and miscariage not now of their substance which was already gone and might in time be supplied but of their liues which never could be raunsomed I marvell that they make delaies and take not the speediest way for the ridding of Ionas and safegarding of their endaungered liues There is no more required of man but this to doe good to men if it may be to many if not to few if not to those that are nearest him if not to himselfe and therefore the saâ—ing of Ionas being plainly despaired mee thinketh the care of their owne welfare shoulde presently and eagerly haue beene intended The other argument to spur them forwardes was the impatience of the sea the sea wrought nay the sea went was tempestuous An excellent phrase of speech The sea went it had a charge for Ionas as Ionas had for Niniveh for as God said to the one Arise go to Niniveh so to the other Arise goe after Ionas Doth the sea sit still as Elias sate vnder the Iuniper tree and cried it is enough or settle her waters vpon her slime and gravell and not fulfill the commandement of him that made it No but as a Gyant refresht with wine so it renueth and redoubleth her wonted force feeleth not the labour imposed but doth the worke of the Lord with all possible diligence The Lord saith go and it goeth and it goeth with a witnes as Iehu marched of whom the watchman gaue warning he marcheth like a mad man so doth the sea go furiously with an vnquiet hasty turbulent spirit full of impatience and zeale till God haue avenged himselfe against his disobedient servaunt Thus all the creatures in the worlde haue armes and legges as it were and all the members of living thinges and a spirite of life in some sorte to quicken them and activitie to vse them and courage with wisedome to direct them aright and convert them to the overthrow of those that with contemptuous security depart from Gods waies Do we then thinke that the will of God can ever be frustrated The Lorde of hostes hath worne surely as I haue purposed so shall it come to passe and as I haue consulted so shall it stand Who can make streight that which he hath made crooked There is no wisedome no vnderstanding no counsell against the Lord. He hath determined who shall disanull it his hand is stretched out and who shall turne it away See an experiment hereof Whilest the marriners were knitting and devising a chaine of delaies adding protraction to protraction wherewith to spend the time desirous either to saue or to reprieue the guilty person and with a number of shiftes labouring to evade that counsell which God had enacted howe vaine and vnprofitable are all their consultations If all the Senates and sessions in the world had ioyned their wisedome togither to acquit the offend our it had beene as bootelesse as to haue runne their heades against a wall of brasse to cast it down Vnlesse they caÌ„ see corrupt the heaveÌ„s with all that therein is the earth with al that therein is the sea with all that therein is to keepe silence to winke at the faultes of men and to favour their devises it cannot be For whilest these men are in counsell conference the sea is in action they are backewarde to punish the sea goeth forward with his service they loose time the sea will admit no dilatioÌ„ and to teach them more wit and obedience the sea is in armes against the marriners themselues and persecuteth them as consenters and abetters to the sin because the Lord had elected them ministers of his iudgments and they neglect their office The will of God must either be done by vs or vpon vs as it befell Ierusalem How often would I c. thou wouldest not Because it was not done by Ierusalem It was done vpon Ierusalem They would haue said afterwardes in Ierusalem when the blessings were all gonne and whole rivers of teares could not haue regained them Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. And therefore I conclude with Bernard Wo to all crossing and thwarting willes gaining nothing but punishment for their gainesaying What is so miserable as ever to intende that which never shall bee and ever to be against that which shall never but be they shall never attaine what they would and evermore sustaine what they would not And take this for a further warning out of this phrase the sea went and was troublous wherby is declared the travell paines it tooke to take vengeance that when the anger of the Lorde is once throughly fired all the waters in the South cannot quench it It lieth happely in a smother and smoke a long time before it breaketh out but when it is once ascended hath gotten height incaÌ„descit eundo it encreaseth by going gathereth more strength It burneth to the bottome of hell before it giveth over consuming the earth with her encrease setting on fire the foundations of the mountaines It followeth in the same scripture I lift vp mine hand to heaven say I liue for ever a solemne venerable protestation If I whet my glittering sword my hand take holde on vengeance I will execute my iudgment vpon mine enimies reward them thae hate me Mine arrowes shal be drunke with their bloud my sword shall eate their flesh There is a time I perceiue when his sword is dull
thy walles wee finde but rubbell nay wee finde not the grounde wherein thy walles haue stoode wee looke for Greece in Greece wee search for her cities and finde nothing saue their carkasses and ruinated fragmentes It is a paradoxe in common reason hardly to bee prooved but that experience findeth it true Brethren kinsmen or friendes when they fall to enmity their hatred is greater than betwixte mortall foes according to the prophecie of Christ Inimici viri domestici eius a mans enimies indeede and to purpose to worke him most harme shall bee they of his owne house Of all the vialles of the wrath of God powred dovvne vpon sinners it is one of the sorest vvhen a man is fed with his ovvne flesh and drunken with his owne bloude as with sweete wine that is taketh pleasure in nothing more than in the overthrow and extirpation of his owne seede Non nisi quaesitum cognatâ caede cruorem Illicitumque bibit careth not for any bloude but that which is drawne from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen Tacitus noteth no lesse than I speake of betweene Segestes and Ariminius the one the father the other the sonne in law both hatefully and hostilely bent That which bounde them togither in loue vvhilst they vvere at concorde put them further at variance being once enimies VVhat more eager and bitter contention hath euer beene betweene Christian and Saracen than betweene Christian and Christian we are brethren I confesse one to the other fratres vterini brethren from the wombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having one father in heavē and one mother vpon earth but it is fallen out vpon vs vvhich Iacob pronounced vpon Simeon and Levi vvee are brethren in evill they in their wrath slewe a man and in their selfe-will digged downe a wall and therefore their rage was accursed Can we escape a curse that haue slaine a man and a man digged downe a wall and a wal betraied a kingdome a kingdome laid opē the vineyard for the wild boar givē the soule of the turtle to the beast resigned vp many sanctified dominions wherein the scepter of Christ was acknowledged to capital and deadly enimies by our mutual intestine seditions I can better shewe you the malignity of the disease than prescribe the remedy But vvhere brethren kinsmen confederates contende togither what parte gayneth the vanquished and the victorers maie both beshrewe themselues They may fighte and embrue their handes in bloude and get the honour of the daie but they vvill haue little list to triumph at night Iocasta tolde her two sons rather her firebrands as Hecuba foresaw of Paris agreeing togither like fire water that whosoeuer conquered the other he would neither make shew nor beare signe of the conquest O pray for the peace of Ierusalē they shall prosper and speede right happilie that wish her prosperity Pray not for the peace of Edom whilst it is Edom pray not for the peace of Babylon whilst it continueth Babylon so long as they cry against Sion dovvne vvith it downe with it euen to the grounde the Lord returne it seven-folde into their bosome But pray to the prince of peace whose blessing and gift peace is that if ever we fight by moving either hand or pen vvee may fight against Edom Babylon Ammon Aram as Ioab and Abisai did those that are without but evermore desire procure ensue the peace of Ierusalem Thus far of the kindnes shewed by the marriners vnto Ionas who though they were but men strange vnknown vnto him yet vpon that knowledge of God which he had instilled into their mindes by his preaching they endevoured what they could to saue his life How sped their labours But they could not for the sea wrought c. I remit you for instructiō her-hence to the 11. ver where you haue most of these very words It shall stand more durable than the firmament of heauen which the king of Babylon testified of God Daniel 4. According to his will hee vvorketh in the army of heauen in the inhabitantes of the earth no man can staye his hand or say vnto him what doest thou he pronoūceth as much of himselfe Esay 46. My counsell shall stand I will do whatsoeuer I will The earnestnes improbity of mans labor nothing availeth if God be against it It is but the labour of Sisyphus labouring in the fire ploughing vpon the rockes as the mouth of God speaketh according to his word in Malachy They shall build but I will pull downe The vigour of the wordes once againe giueth this counsel vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to contēd or wrastle with the power of God which is as if a flie should oppose her force against a bulwarke They preach doctrine of sufferance patience at the will of God Quod ferendū est feras that which thou must beare of necessity beare with good contentment of minde Hee is an vnmeete souldiour that followeth his generall with groning Thou canst not striue vvith thy maker thou canst not adde to the stature of thy body nor chaunge one haire of thy head from the colour which God gaue it It is not thy rising early that can make thee rich nor barring the gates of thy citty that can make thee safe much lesse canst thou ransome thy life nor the life of thy brother from the hand of God thou must perforce let that alone for ever A league with all the elementes of the world with the beastes of the field stones in the streete with death hell themselues is vnable to secure thee Therefore whatsoever befall thee in thy body goods children or beasts enter into thy chamber bee secret still let the right hand of the Lord of hostes haue the preheminence This was the reason I conceiue that after those last words cast me into the sea though the men stroue with their ores cried to the Lord in the next verse yet there is no mention made either of deed or word added by Ionas For what shoulde he doe when the countenance of the Lord was against him but run the race set before his eies with patience fal to another meditatiō than before he had that although he were throwen into the sea yet God was the Lord both of the lād the waters whether he sunke or swam lived or died he was that Lords Impatientiae natales in ipso diabolo deprehendo I finde that impatience was borne of the devil saith Tertullian to him let vs leaue this plant which the hand of the Lord never planted to his mal-contented impes with whōe there is nothing so rife as banning blaspheming bitter and swelling speech against the highest power of heauen if ever they bee crost or wrung with the least tribulation They never learned how the linkes of that heauēly chaine are fastened one to the other that tribulation bringeth patience patience
arme thee vvhen thou commest home to thine house let prayer meete thee Receaue not thy meate without thankes-giuing take not thy cuppe without blessing pray for the sinne of thine owne soule and offer a sacrifice for thy sonnes and daughters vvhen thou lyest downe couch thy selfe in the mercies of GOD when thou arisest vp walke with the staffe of his providence In this prayer of the Marriners there are many notable specialities First it is common the vvorke of the whole multitude In the fifte verse there was mention of praiers I graunt but there it is saide Invocârunt quisque Deum suum though all praied yet all aparte to their proper Gods Secondly feruent they cryed in their praier It is not a formall seruice the sound of their lippes and the sighes of their soules are seâ—t with an earnest message to the eares of God Thirdly discreete they pray not to their idols as before but to the Lorde of hostes Fourthly vocall and publique there vvas a forme and tenour of supplication which their lips pronounced they saide Fiftly humble they come with the tearme phrase of obsecration we beseech thee O Lord. Sixtly importunate as appeareth by their ingemination vve beseech thee we beseech thee Seventhly seasonable and pertinent applyed to the thing then in hand to be executed bring not vpon vs innocent bloud Eightly reasonable and iust standing vpon a good ground fitted to the will and pleasure of the Almighty for thou Lord hast done as it pleased thee We are vvilled Matthew the sixt to enter into our chambers and shutte the doores and praie to our father in secret and our father that seeth in secret shall openly revvarde it because it was the fashion of hypocrites to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streetes to be seene of men Our Saviour neuer meant therby to coÌ„demne prayers in synagogues either standing or kneeling or praiers in the corners of the streets or in the height of the market places or vpon the house toppes in the sight both of men and Angels but only to exclude the affected ostentation of men-pleasing hypocrites vvho prayed to a wicked ende not to obtaine but only to bee seene of men Enter into thy chamber and pray go into the temple and pray commune with thine owne heart commune with the multitude both are good And that we may know that we are not stinted in our praiers onlie to our selues and our private families as the Athenians woulde offer sacrifice but only for their owne citty and theâ—r neighbours of Chios our Saviour hath taught vs the contrary in that absolute forme of his vvilling vs to say Our father vvhich art in heaeuen as if we al came from one wombe and vvhosoeuer spake pleaded the cause of the rest of his brethren Not that we may not say a sunder and in private My father as Thomas saide my God and my Lorde but as there is a time for the one so we must not omit the other in due season It is a principle both of nature and pollicie Vis vnita foâ—tior Strength vnited receiueth more strength it holdeth likewise in divinity If the prayer of one righteous person availeth much the praier of many righteous shall availe more If the Syrophoenician obtained for her daughter the sute shee made much more shall the Church and congregation of Christ obtaine for her children If vvhere two or three bee gathered togither in his name he is in the midst of them much rather in the midst of a people in the midst of thousandes in whom there is anima vna cor vnum one soule one hart one tongue as if they were all but one man Lorde heale the sores of our lande in this point and as it is thy worke alone that those who dwell togither in one house shall be of one minde so magnifie this worke amongst vs that the children of this Realme which flie from our Churches and oratories as Iohn from the bathe wherein Cerinthus was rending and tearing the soule of this countrey into two peeces dividing the voice and language thereof in their praiers to GOD Elias and his companye praying in one place and vvith one stile O Lorde GOD of Abraham and they in an other O Baal heare vs for so they doe in effect when they pray to such as heare them not some calling for fire to consume the sacrifice and some for water to consume the fire some praying for the life of Deborah the Queene of this land and some for the life of Iabin the king of Spaine thus mingling and confounding the eares of the Lorde vvith opposite petitions from crossing contrary affections that at length they may consider from whence they are fallen and severed both from the vnitie of this publique body of ours wherein they haue their maintenance and if they take not heed of that mystical body of their Lord and Redeemer Christ Iesus 2. They cryed It is a condition which Iames requireth the praier of the iust if it be fervent Else even the praiers of the iust if they be perfunctory and colde rather of custome than of devotion and piety they profit not but to condemnation Cursed bee hee that doeth the worke of the Lorde negligentlie praier is a vvorke of his The LORD is neare vnto all them that call vpon him faithfully not formally He giveth both aquam sitim the benefite and the grace to desire thirste after it VVee heare not our ovvne praiers I meane not for wante of sounde and much babbling but for vvante of invvarde desire the voice of our spirite is softe and submisse and dyeth in the aire before it ascendeth into the presence of GOD and shall vvee thinke that GOD will heare vs Our bodies happily in the Church our mindes vvithout our tongue vttereth praiers our hearte thinketh on vsuries wee bowe the knees of our flesh but not the knees of our heartes Hee that knewe in his soule that praier from feinedlippes and a fase heart vvoulde returne emptie into his bosome that sent it vp but a broken and contrite spirite the Lorde vvoulde not despise neuer preassed into the courtes of his GOD but the inwardest and deepest affections of his minde vvere giuen in sacrifice Every nighte vvasht hee his bed and watered his couch vvith teares hee in the night time when others slepte and tooke their naturall recreation yea there was not a night that escaped without taske and it washt not his plantes alone but the very pâ—llet and couch which he lodged vpon So richly was his soule watered with the dewe of heauen that it ministred continually both fountaines to his eies and a fluent expedition to his tongue to commende his praiers We may learne to be zealous in our praiers euen of those woodden priestes 1. King 18. of whome it is written that they called vpon the name of Baal from morning till noone and when
driue him to desperation the Sabaeans to store vp treasures of vvickednesse and to shew that stolne bread is sweet vnto them The envy and malignity of Sathan whence is it of God No. God borroweth and vseth his service I graunte but Sathan first profered it so the malice is his owne who was a murtherer from the beginning hee onely addâ—ng gouernement and moderation therevnto The furious and bloudy rapines of the other whence are they from God no. They lay in the cisternes of their owne heartes Sathan drew them forth by insâ—igation themselues let loose the streame and when it was once on flote the Lorde directed and disposed the course by his wisedome For this present I ende God is of pure eies and can beholde no vvickednesse hee hath 〈◊〉 righteousnesse to the rule and vveighed his iustice in a ballance his soule hateth and abhorreth sin I haue served with your iniquities It is a labour service thraldome vnto him more than Israell endured vnder their grievous task-masters his law to this day curseth and condemneth sin his hands haue smitten scrouged sin he hath throwne downe angels plagued men overturned cities ruinated nations and not spared his owne bowels whilst hee appeared in the similitude of sinfull flesh hee hath drowned the world vvith a floud of waters shall burne the world with a floud of fire because of sin The sentence shall stand vnmooueable as long as heaven and earth endureth tribulation anguish vpon every soule that doth evil Ievv or Gentile All adulterers murtherers idolaters sacrilegious blasphemous covetous wretches liers swearers forswearers whom the Apostle calleth dogges barking at the iustice of God making a causelesse complaint against him as if he were cause of their sins shall one day see the folly and feele the price of their vnrighteous inâ—ectation Let God therefore be true and let all men be liers let God be iust and all men sinners let God be iustified in al his iudgements and let all his accusers vanish and consume in the madnes of their heartes as the fome vpon the waters THE XIX LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 14. For thou Lord hast done as it pleased thee THe Mariners in this reason of their petition acknowledge 2. things directly 1. the worke of God in the casting foorth of Ionas Thou Lord hast done it 2. the ground of his workes his owne will as it pleased thee A third thing is acknowledged by implication the equity iustice of that will as the warrant for their deed for thou Lord c. their meaning is not therein either to charge him with a tyraÌ„nous will quod libet licet as the manner of grievous princes is to thinke that lawfull whatsoever pleaseth them either to insimulate and accuse him of iniustice to make him actor or patrone of any their sins who dealeth in the actions of meÌ„ sometimes with open sometimes with secret but alwaies with a righteous iudgement Therefore I noted their corruption who thinke themselues excused in their most enormous and execrable sins because they fulfill the will of God in one sense not that open and revealed will which he hath given in tables published by sound of a trumpet specified by blessings cursings promises threatnings exhortations dehortations and such like wherevnto they stand strictly bound but a secret and hidden will written in another booke wrapt vp in the counsâ—iles of his owne breast which neither they intended when they did their misdeedes neither were they ever charged therewith from Gods lips Secreta Domino revelata nobis filijs nostris Secret thinges belong to the Lord revealed to vs our children 1. Quantum ad ipsos fecerunt quod Deus noluit touching their owne purpose and intendment they have done that which God would not they have transgressed his lawe with contentation of heart perhappes with gladnes it may be with greedinesse taking a solace and pleasure therein and not wishing to have done otherwise they have pursued it to the third and fourth generation from the first assault or motion of sin to consent from consent to delight from delight to custome and yet not giving over till they come to a spirit of slumber or rather a death in sin 2. Quantum ad omnipotentiam Dei nullo modo id efficere valuerunt touching the omnipotencie of God they were never abâ—e to doe it he sitteth in heaven that laugheth them to scorne he besiegeth them round about and his hand is vpon them They are not able to depart from his will more than if a ship were going from Ioppe to Tharsis as this ship was from West to East and one by walking vpon the hatches a contrary course as if he would goe from East to West from Tharsis towardes Ioppe againe might stay the motion or flight of the shippe he doth his endevour to hinder it by bending both his face and his pace backewarde but the ship is too well winged and of too huge a burthen to be resisted so those others shewe their will to frustrate and faile the will of God by committing sinne prohibited but yet they shall doe a will of his or rather his will shal be done vpon them maugre their malicious and sworne contradictions De hijs qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult Of those that doe what he would not he doth what he would and as he commanded light to shine out of darknes so he can commaund good out of euill treasure from out the midst of drosse and commodity from the very heart of deepest wickednesse at least he will execute his iustice vpon offenders as he professeth Exod. 14. I will get me honour vpon Pharaoh and all his host for this cause he set him vp to shew his power in him and that his name might be declared to the whole earth Exod. 9. To reduce a diffused but a dangerous intricate question wherin as I then protested the warinesse of my proceeding so now I againe protest the subiection of my spirite to the spirites of prophets God forbid that I should not bee readier to learne than to teach I say to reduce it to heads I proposed vnto you the errors of some in 2. 〈◊〉 of extremities some going too far in that they make God the 〈◊〉 of sin others comming aâ— short that God doth only permit 〈◊〉 The former an error 〈◊〉 for devils than men the latter an error of humanity offending of simplicity rather then malice speaking truth of God when they acknowledge his permission of sinne but 〈…〉 who le truth because they thinke God only permitteth it both deny the godhead in effect the one destroying the goodnes and 〈◊〉 the other impairing the omnipotency providence government thereof in that they restraine it from some thinges The former of these two opinions that God is the author of sin most prodigious to coÌ„ceive though engendred in the braine I know not whether of men or devils yet is taken by
as neither counsell nor strength could deliver Ionas so neither counsel nor strēgth can deliver vs as it was the wil of God to drown Ionas so it is the will of God some way or other to dissolue vs whether the time is limited within 10. or 100. or 1000. yeares there is no defence against the hād of the grave the very remēbrance hereof would be as cōfortable and as fortunate a staffe vnto vs to walke the pilgrimage of our few evil daies as the staffe that Iacob had to go over Iordā with O looke vnto your end as the wise men looked vnto the star which stood over Bethlehē it shal happily guide you to heaven as that guided thē to Bethlehē where the king of the Iews now sitteth reigneth at his fathers right hād it shal lead you frō the East to the West as that led them frō the rising of the sun I meane the state and time where your life begā to the going down of the same But it is a death vnto vs to remēber death I will say with the son of Sirach whilst wee are able but to receive meat whilst ther is any strēgth livelihood in vs but appetite to our food it is a death to remēber death though we dwel in ruinous rottē houses built vpōn sand ashes which the wind raine of infinite daily casualties shake about our eares yet we walke in this brittle earthēhouse as Nabuchodonosor in his galleries and aske Is not this greate Babell Is not this my house a strong house is not my body in good plight haue I not bloud in my veines fatnesse in my bones health in my iointes am I not likelye to liue these many yeares and see the succession of my sonnes and nephewes what will bee the ende of all this Ducunt in bonis dies sues in puncto descendunt in infernum They passe their daies with pleasure and in an instant of time goe downe into hell Therefore they are deceived which thinke it an easie matter speedily to returne vnto God when they haue long beene straying from him that are gone with the prodigall childe in longin quam regionem into a farre countrey farre from the thought of death and consequently farre from the feare of God yet promise themselues a quicke returne againe Doe they not know that it will aske as long a time if not a longer to finde God as to loose God Ioseph and Mary left their sonne at Ierusalem and went but one daies iourney from him but they sought vp and down three whole daies before they coulde finde him these goinge from the wayes of the Lorde a iourney of fortie or fifty yeares hope in a moment of time to recover his mercies I woulde never wish so desperate an adventure to bee made by any man that the sinnes of his soule and the ende of his life shoulde come so neare togither as the trespasse of Ionas and his casting forth For thinke with your selues how feareful his thoughts were being at the best to be rockte tost to and fro in a dangerfull shippe the bones whereof aked with the violence of every surge that assayled it the anchors cables and rudders either throwne away or torne in pieces having more friendship profered him than he had happe to make vse of at length to bee cast into the sea a mercilesse and vnplacable sea roaring for the life and carkase of Ionas more than ever the lion roared for his pray the bottome whereof seemed as low vnto him as the bottomlesse destruction and no hope lefte to escape either by shippe boate or by a broken peece of boord or to bee cast to lande and besides all these the anger of GOD burning against his sinnes like a whole river of brimstone This is the case of vs all in any extreme and peremptorie sickenesse or to speake more largely in the whole course of our liues for our liues are nothinge but vncertainety as Ezechias sange in his songe From day to night thou wilt make an ende of mee We are tumbled and tossed in a vessell as fraile as the ship was which every streame of calamity is readie to breake in shivers where neither anchor nor rudder is lefte neither heade nor hande nor stomacke is in case to giue vs comforte where though wee haue the kindenesse of wife and friendes the duety of children the advise and paines of the Physitians to wish vs well vvee cannot vse their service where we haue a graue before our eies greedie inexorable reaching to the gates of hell opening her mouth to receiue vs and shutting her mouth when shee hath received vs never to returne vs backe againe till the wormes and creepers of the earth haue devoured vs. There is terrour enough in these thinges to the strongest man Aristippus feareth death as well as the common people But if the anger of God for our former iniquities accompanie them thrise woe vnto vs our heavy and melancholicke cogitations will exclude al thought of mercie and our soules shall sleepe in death clogged with a burthen of sinnes which were never repented of Therefore if we desire to die the death of the righteous as Balaam wished let vs first liue the life of the righteous and as wee girde our harnesse aboute vs before the battell is ioyned so let vs thinke of repentaunce before death commeth and the ordinance of God be fully accomplished that we must be cast forth And the sea ceased from her raging As the rising of the sea vvas miraculous so it is not a lesse miracle that her impatience was so suddainely pacified Heate but a pot with thornes and withdraw the fire from it can you appease the boyling thereof at your pleasure Here the huge bodie and heape of waters raised by a mightie winde in the aire or rather the winde and breath of Gods anger what shal I saie remitteth it the force of her rage by degrees falleth it by number and measure giveth it but tokens and hope of deliverance vnto them nay at the first sinking of Ionas it standeth as vnmooueable as a stone as dead as the dead sea having fretted it selfe before with the greatest indignation and wrath that might bee conceaved as if hee that bounded the sea at the first creation Hitherto shalt thou come and no further had spoken vnto it at this time Thus long shalt thou rage no longer Let me obserue vnto you thus much from the phrase If the commotion of the sea even in the greatest and vehementest pangues thereof as greater than these coulde not be by a translation of speech for likenesse of natures be tearmed her indignation and rage then by as good a reason on the contrary side the anger of man throughlie kindled may bee matched with the commotion of the most vnquiet sea And how vnseemely a thing it is that the heart of man should reake with anie passion as that vast
altered his nature to haue boyled him into nourishmente and to haue incorporated his flesh into an other substaunce Yet Ionas liveth But if the LORDE had not beene on my side might Ionas nowe say if the LORDE had not beene on my side vvhen the beast rose vp against mee hee had swallowed mee vp quicke vvhen his vvrath vvas so sore enflamed But praysed bee the LORDE vvhich hath not given mee over a pray to his teeth My saule is escaped even as a birde out of the snare of the fowler The snare is broken and I am delivered Let all those whome the LORDE hath redeemed from the hande of the oppressour from fire or water or from the perill of death take that songue of thankesgiving into their lippes and singe it to his blessed name in remembraunce of his holinesse O thou the hope of all the endes of the earth sayeth that other Psalme and of them that are farre of in the sea shevve vs but the lighte of thy countenaunce and vvee shall bee safe giue vs but the comforte of thy mercies and wee will not feare though the earth bee mooved and the mountaines fall dovvne into the middes of the sea and the sea and the vvaters thereof rage fearefully though Leviathan open his mouth wee will not quake at it yea though the Leviathan of the bottomelesse pit open the throate of hell never so vvide to devoure vs wee vvill not bee disquieted VVee knowe that there is mercy vvith the LORDE and that vvith him there is plentifull redemption I meane redemption a thousande waies by nature and against nature by hope and against hope by thinges that are and thinges that are not Hee that hath saved his people by gathering the vvaters in heapes like vvalles and making a path in the redde sea hee that hath kept his children in the middest of a fiery oven when if arte coulde adde any thinge to the nature of fire they shoulde have beene burnt seven times for one because it was seven times hote and delivered his prophet in a denne of lyons though dieted and prepared for their pray before hand yet shuttinge their mouthes so close and restrayninge their appetite that they forbeare their appointed foode and committed this servaunt of his to the belly of a fishe as if he had committed him to his mothers vvombe to be kept from harme he is the same GOD both in mighte and mercye to preserue vs no time vnseasonable no place vnmeete no daunger vncouth and vnaccustomed to his stronge designementes Our onely helpe therefore standeth in the name of the LORDE that hath made heaven and earth blessed and thrice blessed bee that name of the Lorde from this time forth for evermore Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. vers 1. Then Ionas praied vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and saide THIS second section or division of the prophecie wherein the mercy of God towardes Ionas is expressed I parted before into three branches 1. That he was devoured 2. praied 3. was delivered The tearmes that Lyra giveth are these the place the manner the successe of his prayer The marvailes that I haue already noted vnto you were 1. that so huge a creature was suddeinely provided by the providence of God 2. that a whole man passed thorough his throate 3. that he lived in his bowels three daies three nightes Now whither he fulfilled that time exactly yea or no three naturall dayes complete consisting of twenty foure howres neither can I affirme neither is it materiall over-busily to examine Our Saviour you know in the gospell applyeth this figure of Ionas to his buriall As Ionas was in the belly of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the sonne of man bee in the heart of the narth But if you conferre the shadowe and the body togither you shall finde in all the evangelistes that the Lorde of life was crucified the 6. howre of the preparation of the sabbath and the ninth gaue vp the ghost that late in the eveninge his bodie vvas taken downe from the crosse and buried that hee rested in the graue the night that belongeth to the sabbath togither vvith the daie and night nexte ensuinge after it and that in the morning of the first day of the weeke he rose againe So as indeede the body of Christ was not in the heart of the earth more than 36. hovvers to weete two nightes and a daie vvhich is but the halfe space of 72. howers Some to supply this defect of time accompte the lighte before the passion of Christ and the darkenesse till the 9. howre one day and a night because they say there vvas both lighte and darknes And then the light that followed from the 9. howre and the succeeding night a secōd day night likewise the third til the time he rose againe Others expoūd it by a mistery thus 36. hours they say to 72. which is the absolute measure of 3. daies 3. nights is but simplum ad duplū one to two or the halfe of the whole Now ours was a double death both in soule by sin in body by paine Christes was but single only in the body because concerning his soule he was free frō sin therfore they infer that the moity of time might suffice him Hugo Cardin. hath an other conceite that from the creation of the worlde till the resurrection of Christ the day was evermore numbred before the night both in the literall and in the mysticall vnderstanding first there was light then darknes but from the resurrection of Christ forwardes the night is first reckoned for which cause he thought the vigiles were apointed for sabbathes other festivall daies that vvee might be prepared with more devotiō to solemnize them herehēce he cōcludeth that the night which followed the sabbath of the Iews was the angular night must twice be repeated as the corner of a square serveth indifferently for either side which it lyeth betwixte for both it belonged saith he to the sabbath praeceding must be ascribed againe vnto the Christian sabbath or Lords day whereon the son of God rose from death And he thinketh there is great reason of his invention because Christ by one night of his tooke away two of ours So they are not content to be sober interpretours of the minde of God but they wil ghesse and divine at that which he never meant They thinke their cunning abased if they go not beyond the moone to fetch an exposition What needeth such curious learning to apoint every egge to the right hen that laid it as some did in Delos so these to think their labor vnprofitable in the church of God vnlesse they can make the devises of their own heads reach home to the letter of the booke in al respects Our soundest divines agree that the triduan rest of Christ in the graue must be vnderstood by the figure synecdoche
circle to the centre of it is the absolutest patterne of misery that ever sanke into humane invention For as nothing is more direfull and vnsufferable then hell so nothing more fit in the nature of things wherevnto the hugest tribulation may be compared The word in the Hebrew carryeth it selfe indifferently either for hell or the graue for they are both alvvaies craving Bring in and thence they haue their name the graue is never satisfied with the corpses of the dead nor hell with the soules of the damned that descende into it I rather take it to signifie hell in this place one saith because of the horrour an other for the darkenesse some for the depth some for the hugenesse of the belly of the fish· Venter inferni alvus caeti tanti magnitudiniâ— vt instar obtineat inferni The belly of hell is the belly of the fish so large and capable that it may goe insteeede of hell The belly of the fish saith an other alter mihi infernus erat vvas an other hell vnto mee David vseth the same phrase with Ionas the paines of hel compassed mee aboute and the snares of death over-tooke mee But in an other Psalme more distinctly Thou hast delivered my soule from the â—â—thermost hell What did Ionas or David ever descende into that fâ—ery lake to know the torments thereof Or as Pythagoras ghest at the stature and pitch of Hercules by the length of his foote which was but one part of his body so by a taste of bitternesse incident to this present life haue these conceived what sorrow and vexation is reserved to the wicked for times to come Vndoubtedly the griefe of heart hath beene infinite and as much as mortality coulde ever admitte The mournings of Hannah Iob David Ieremy Ierusalem such as his hart must needes bee harder then the stithy which the smith beateth vpon that readeth the catalogues of their woes and is not moved at them But if all those foresaide agonies and as many besides as ever wrunge and wrested the spirite of man since the breath of life was breathed into him were put togither to parte the tormentes of hell among them parte after parte as if they woulde empty the store-houses and breake the streame of it yet hath the hand of hell an vnmeasurable portion behinde to distribute to her children an endelesse patrimony of howling wringing and gnashing which all the forepassed mischiefes and maimes in this life haue skarse beene shadowes and counterfeites of The belly of hell you heare but in a type or figure where the worde is mistaken and abused and broughte from his proper sense though it be fearefull enough and the extremity of paine hath so beguiled and besotted some I speake it with sobriety in the iudgementes of their mindes that they haue thought it very hell indeede yet woe bee to them ten thousande times more and more then can be imagined by any heart as deepe as a floude whome the belly of very hell hath swallowed and closed vp It is not possible to be spoken it is more vnpossible to be endured yet it must bee endured what the terrours and tortures of hell are Take him saith the gospell binde him hande and foote is it no more but so I â—ictor liga manus goe seargeant binde his hands yes cast him into vtter darkenesse outwarde to those inwarde wherein they delighted before blindnesse of minde and vnderstanding outward because the whole man body and soule shal be folded and comprehended therein outward because in extremitie without the limites and borders of any favour of God to bee extended Where neither the lighte of the sunne moone and starres and much lesse the sight of Gods glorious face shal ever shine There shall bee vveeping and gnashing of teeth there is there shal bee no time set It standeth for all aeternity no myriade of yeares shall ever determine it There the eies shall destill like fountaines and the teeth clatter like armed men and all the partes of the body relinquish their natural vses and spend their cursed time in wretchednesse and confusion These are the straightes indeede not like to those vvhich before I mentioned when handes and feete are so bounde body and soule so hampered and snared not with cordes and withes as Sampsons were but vvith the vnexplicable bandes of longe nighte that not a part of either of the two shal haue any power or activity left to gratifie their owner with neither the minde to contemplate more then endlesse infelicity nor the memory to recounte more then auncient and thrice most hatefull sinnes nor the phantasie to present more then fearefull visions nor the eies to behold more then legions of vncleane spirites nor the eares to heare more then the roarings of findes nor the nostrelles to smell more then the smoake of brimstone nor the handes to catch hold of more then flames of fire nor the feete to walke further then their giues and chaines wil giue them leaue Tormentes invented and inflicted by tyrants haue been most hideous the teeth of vvilde beastes hote glowing ovens and fornaces caldrons of boyling oyle fiery brason bulles powning to death in motters rowling in barrels of nailes rosting vpon spittes boaring with angers parting the nailes and fingers-endes with needles nipping the flesh with pinsers racking and rending a sunder the iointes with wilde horses no pittye no remorse taken whilest there was either flesh or bloud or sinew or bone or I say not member but wound in the body to worke vpon But the torments of hell are in greater variety Had I an hundred tongues and mouthes to hold them A voice of iron yet could I not vnfould them and in an other kinde or rather indeede without kind Ibi ordo nullus horror sempiternus where there is no order but everlasting horrour For who can define either by speech or vnderstanding a thing so infinite so monstrously compact of natures most disparate and repugnant an ende not ending a death not dying vnquenchable fire yet a darkenesse withall to accompanie it more palpable then the fogges of AEgypt and blacker then blacknesse it selfe everlastingly burning yet not consuming So much more vnsufferable then any torments of tortours vpon earth as the inventions of devilles can better devise then man and the malice of devilles better put in execution This this is the cup of the deadliest wine that ever was tasted of these these are those deepe graves in the Psalme from whence there is no rising againe This is the fire that goeth not out the worme that never leaveth gnawing in the last of Esaie These are those waters of gall in Ieremy those fearefull thinges wherewith the Lorde shall pleade against the vnrighteous of the earth as he pleaded sometimes against Gog and Magog in Ezechiell pestilence and bloud and sore raine and huge hailestones and fire and brimstone not such as fell vpon the sisters Sodome and Gomorrhe the witnesses wherof for many succeeding
times to make full restitution of my ancient losses What needed writings in a booke graving in lead or stone but that he was carefull of posterity that the scripture sculpture of his owne conscience ' might be a monument in time to come for other afflicted soules The counsaile which David giveth his troubled soule again again repeated because his sorrowes were againe and often multiplied shal be my last for this time O my soule why art thou cast downe and why art thou disquieted within me I wil not forget to note vnto you that one of the greatest temptations hee then felt and that which fed him with his teares day and night in steede of meate was the daily vpbraiding of his persecutours where is now thy God If they could have battered the fortresse of his hope they had vtterly spoiled him Yet he encourageth that persecuted and downe-trodden soule with harty incitations Why art thou cast downe c. trust in the Lord for I will yet and yet give him thankes for the helpe of his presence Hope is never put to silence never abasheth nor shameth the man that ioyneth her vnto him the sweetest and plesantest companion that ever travailed with the soiourners vpon earth She carrieth them along through all the difficulties and crosses of the way that lie to interrupt them Though they have passed through fire and water shee saith be not discomforted we shall yet give him thankes for the helpe of his presence Though through a life so replenished with misery that they blesse the dead more than the living and count them happier then both that have never bene she saith be of good cheere we shall yet give him thanks and there is time and matter enough wherin to shew his goodnes Yea though they walke into the chambers of death and shut the dores after them and see not the light of heaven still shee biddeth them be bold for they that sleepe in the dust shall arise and sing the dew of their dry bones shal be as fresh as the dew of the hearbes and we shall yet give him thanks for the helpe of his presence I remember that valiant and thrice renowned Athenian when I speake of the tenure and pertinacy of hope who when other-meanes failed grasped the ships of the enimy with his handes to hold them to fight and when his handes were striken of staied them with his teeth till he lost his life Hope can never be put from her hold-fast her voice is according to her nature adhuc confitebor I will yet give thanks in the winter and deadest time of calamities she springeth and cannot die nay shee crieth within her selfe whether I live or die I will not loose my patience for I shall see the day when the Lord shall know mee by my name againe righten my wronges finish my sorrowes wipe the teares from my cheekes treade downe my enimies fulfill mee with the oile of ioy and I shall yet and for ever give thankes for the helpe of his presence THE XXVIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. vers 7. When my soule fainted within mee I remembred the Lorde and my praier came vnto thee into thine holy temple THE two last verses if you remember were but a varied repetition of that which two others had handled before The generall partes of all vvhich were the feare and the hope daunger and comfort of the prophet vvhich two affections or conditions you haue often hearde the whole songe spendeth it selfe vpon His feare and daunger in the last place was that neither water nor earth spared him The waters touching their pride and exaltation came vnto his soule touching their measure promised him no bottome touching their traine and confederates bounde their vveedes about his heade The earth neither lodged him in a smooth and easie floore but vnder the rootes and ragges of mountaines nor in an haven or any the like accessible place but vvithin her barres Notwithstanding the head of the serpent vvith all his subtile devises against the life of the prophet is bruised at the heele of the speech where one little particle of hope wipeth out all the former discomfortes Yet haste thou brought vp c. Once againe as heeretofore I dissembled not with you I must enter into the selfe-same matter of discourse and explication The soule of Ionas may fainte vvithin him as my texte telleth vs the sunne and moone may faile in their motions day night may faile in their courses the earth may faile and totter vpon her proppes the sea and rivers may faile and be emptied of their waters but the worde of the Lorde shall never faile neither in trueth nor in the riches and plentye thereof to minister an everlasting argument to him that dispenseth it Time and speech and audience shall faile but matter can never vvant vvhen that aboundant treasure commeth to bee opened It was well saide by Chrysostome that in a thousande talentes of worldely wordes a man shall hardly finde an hundreth pence of spirituall and heavenly wisedome scarsely tenne halfepence But infinite are the talentes of wisedome that are hidde in the vvoordes of God even when they seeme in the iudgement of man to bee most exhausted The Apostles exhortation to the Colossians is that the worde of the Lorde shoulde dvvell plentifullie amonge them Surely the woorde of GOD in one of the deepest and vvaightiest pointes of knowledgeâ— touching our hope howe to bee vsed and where to bee founded hath once and a seconde time alreadie offered it selfe vnto you VVhither as yet it hath gotten house-roume and dwelling among you I cannot tell Perhappes it did but soiourne in your heartes and was in nature of a passenger to tarry for a night or an howre Or happily as the Levite that came to Gâ—beah in the nineteenth of Iudges it hath sitten in the streetes and no man hath received it into house Or if it hath gotten entraunce and admission it was perforce as those that let downe the sicke man by the tyles of the house the dores being pestered and thronged with multitude that they coulde not haue entrance otherwise it may bee the gates of your heartes beeing stopped vvith multitudes of popular and worldely affaires it tooke some little fastening against your willes But that it may dvvell in your consciences never to departe from them and not in a narrovve corner thereof sparingly and vvith discontentment but in such plentifull manner as the Apostle spake of to enioye her full libertye all other in-mates and associates put aparte all distrustfull cogitations either from the wiles of Sathan or vveakenesse of our flesh remooved the providence of GOD hath so ordered it that after twise navigation as the proverbe is there shoulde bee a thirde iteration of the same doctrine that your heartes for ever might be established VVhen the vision of the sheete vvas sent vnto Peter in the tenth of the Actes the voice was vttered vnto him three times Arise Peter
as never were more rare in the rarest Queene and in the sex of woman-hode carry admiration Why doe I saye woman-hode Vertue is tied neither to revenew nor kinde Iulita a vvoman one that witnessed a good confession for the name of Christ as shee was going to the stake to be burnt exhorted womeÌ„ that they should not complaine of the weakenes of nature because first they were made of the same matter whereof man was finished Secondly to the image of the same God Thirdly as fit and as capable to receive any goodnes Fourthly invested into the like honour Why not saith shee Seeing vvee are kinned vnto men in all respectes For not their flesh alone was taken for the creation of women but wee are bones of their bones for which cause vvee are endebted to God for courage patience virility aswell as men And Basile addeth his owne advise that setting excuse of their sexe aside they shoulde set vpon piety and see vvhither nature hath debarred them of any thing that was common to men I note it the rather because I know it greeveth Abimelech at the heart that a vvoman shoulde cast downe a milstone vpon his head to kill him and therefore hee calleth his page to thrust him thorough that men might not say A woman slew him It greeveth Abimelech of Rome and his whole faction that the church of England and the whole estate of our land vnder the government of a woman shoulde bee better able to defend it selfe against his tyranny than any country in Christendome Their heartes breake with envy hereat their tongues and pennes dissemble not their grudge at the foeminine primacie that a woman should bee the head vnder Christ of the church of Englande But as Chrisostome sometimes spake of Herodias and Iohn Baptist so by a contrary application of their manners may I of two as vnlike as ever fire and water the one to Herodias the other to Iohn Baptist Mulier totius mundi caâ—ut truncavit A woman hath beheaded within her realmes and dominions the falsely vsurpinge and surmised heade of the whole worlde Her father and brother of most famous memory had broken his leggs before as they brake the leggs of the theeues vpon the crosse the one his right legge of rentes and revenewes the milke and hony of our lande the other his left legge of idolatrous worshippes the doctrine of men false and erronious opinions wherewith the children of this realme had beene poisoned a longe time Queene Elizabeth hath bruised his heade for though his legges were broken hee began to gather strengh againe Hee now commaundeth not liveth not within our land saving in a few disordered and luxate members which as the parts of an adder cutte a sunder retaine some life for a time but never I trust shall growe into a body againe neither ever is hee likely to revive amongst vs vnlesse the Lord shall raise him vp for a plague to our vnthankefulnesse And therefore as they saide of Tarquinius Priscus in Rome a Corinthian borne and a straunger to their city hee hath vvell deserved by his vertues that our city shall never repent it of chusing a straunger to the king so by her gracious and religious government amongst vs hath her most excellent Maiesty worthily purchased that England shall never be sory that a woman was the Queene thereof When shee came to her crowne shee found the country as Augustus the city of Rome of bricke shee turned it into marble Shee founde it in the sandes she set it vpon a rocke the foundation of prophets and apostles shee founde it a lande of images ignorances corruptions vanities lies shee hath hitherto preserved it and I hope shall leave it to posterity a lande possest of the truth and seasoned with the gospell of Christ crucified This this is the savingest salvation that the Lorde hath this the blessing and happinesse that we enioy vnder her gracious government besides our peace such as our fathers never presumed to hope for plenty prosperity corporall benefites in that we lend and borrowe not not onely our milke but our bloud mony and men too to those that want and when wee ringe our belles for ioy and give eare to the noise of timbrelles and tabrets others are frighted with other kindes of soundes the neying of horses roaring of great ordinance howling of women and children to see their orbities and miseries before their eies I say this is the blessing vvee reape that the gospell is free by her procurement our consciences not enthralled to the ordinances of men our zeale rectified by knowledge and our religion reformed by the statutes of the highest God Now as we have great reason to singe merily vnto the Lorde and vvith a good courage Salvation is the Lordes for these graces so vvhat was the cause of her owne so many miraculous deliverances both before and since shee sate vpon the seate of her fathers but the same Salvation that by saving her saved vs I am sure shee was in daunger either of vvolves or of butchers when her rightuous soule cried Tanquam ovis and as a sheepe was shee led to the slaughter or not far from it When her innocency coulde not be her shield but though shee were free from crime and God and man might iustly have cleared her yet shee was not free from suspicion When she feared that the scaffolde of the Lady Iane stood for an other tragedie wherein her selfe should haue plaide the wofullest part Since which almost despaired escapes but that her time as David spake and her soule was in the handes of that Lord who deposeth and setteth vp Princes how it hath fared vvith her both at home and abroade we al know partly from trayterous and false-hearted Achitophels which haue served her with an hearte and an hearte partely from the bloudy bishops of Rome and their pernicious seminaries as full of mischiefe to Christendome as ever the Troian horse to the inhabitants of Troy partly from the king of Spaine whose study long hath beene to bee the Monarke of Europe of whom it is true that they spake of another Philippe of Macedon that hee bought the more part of Greece before hee conquered it so he buyeth countries before he winneth them and would doe that by his Indian gold which will be little ease for him to doe by men They haue long maliced her and I trust long shall and malice shall doe the nature of malice that is drinke out the marrowe and moysture of those that foster it and bring their devises vpon their owne heades as Nadab and Abihu were consumed with the fire of their owne censors So long as Salus Iehovae endureth which is as long as Iehovâ—h himselfe our hope shall not perish He hath even sworne by his holinesse as he did to David his servaunt not to faile Queene Elizabeth He that prevented her with liberall blessings before shee tooke the scepter into
and the beautifull flowre of the roote of Iesse though withered and defaced for a while in his passion hath so reflourished by raysing him selfe that in him is the blooming and springing of all that loue his name This is that which Paul in his aunswere before Agrippa called the hope of the fathers and this I may as properly tearme The faith and patience of the Saintes For as in every action the vertue that mooveth the agent to vndertake it is the hope of good to come for hee that soweth soweth to reape and hee that fighteth fighteth to get the victory so take away the hope of resurrection and all the conscience or care of godlinesse will fall to the grounde Gregorie vpon these wordes of the last of Sainâ— Matthew But some doubted VVherevpon hee else-where â—oteth that it was the especiall providence of God that Thomas shoulde bee away and afterwardes come and heare heare and doubte doubte and handle handle and beleeue that so hee might become a witnesse of the true resurrection and that it was not so much a touch of infirmitye in them as a confiâ—mation to vs who by that meanes haue the resurrection prooved by so many the more argumentes there are many saith hee who considering the departure of the spirit from the flesh the goinge of that flesh into rottennesse that rottennesse into dust that dust into the elementes thereof so small that the eie of man cannot perceiue them denie and despaire of the resurrection and thinke it vnpossible that ever the withered bones shoulde be cloathed with flesh and waxe greene againe Tertullian frameth their obiections more at large Can that body ever bee sounde againe that hath beene corrupted whole that hath beene maymed full that hath beene emptied or haue any being at all that hath beene altogither turned into nothing Or shall the fire and water the bowels of wilde beastes gordges of birdes entralles of fishes yea the very throate that belongeth to the times themselues ever bee able to restore and redeliver it to the former services thereof Heerevpon they inferred vvho had no longinge after life nor desire to see good dayes let vs eate and drinke for to morrowe vvee shall die that is they will not die before to morrowe but in drunkennes and excesse they will bury themselues to day And liue whilest thou mayest liue And it is better to be a living dogge then a deade lion And there is nothing after death no not death 〈◊〉 selfe Who if they helde not saith Gregorie the faith of the resurrection by submitting themselues to the worde of God surelie they shoulde haue helde it vpon the verdite of reason For what doth the worlde daylie in the elementes and creatures thereof but imitate our resurrection VVe see by degrees of time the withering and falling of the leaues from the trees the intermission of their fruites c. And beholde vpon the suddaine as it vvere from a drye and deade tree by a kinde of resurrection the leaues breake foorth againe the fruites waxe bigge and ripe and the whole tree is apparrailed with a fresh beauty Consider wee the little seede whereout the tree ariseth and let vs comprehend if wee can in that small-nesse of seede howe so mighty a tree and where it was couched Where was the wood the barke the glorie of the leaues the plenty of the fruit when we first sowed it when wee threw it into the grounde was any of these apparant what marvaile is it then if of the thinnest dust resolved into the first elementes and remooved from the apprehension of our eies God at his pleasure reforme a man when from the smallest seedes he is able to produce so huge trees The Apostle vseth this similitude of the seed and the body that springeth from it Thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall bee but the naked and simple seede whereof the blade and the eare with the rest of the burthen and encrease ariseth And Tertullian much wondreth that the earth is so kinde vnto vs to returne our corne with such aboundance of a deceaver shee becommeth a preserver And before shee preserveth shee first destroieth First by iniurie then by vsurie First by losse then by gaine This is the manner of her dealing He addeth to giue more light even from the starre of nature the revolutions of winters sommers autumnes springes as it vvere so many deathes and so many resurrections the dying of the day dayly into night and vprising to the worlde againe as freshly be-decked with honour and bravery as if it had never died So true it is vvhich Arnobius wrote against the Gentiles Beholde howe the whole creature doth write a commentary to giue vs comfort in this pointe If wee shall shewe this booke to the Atheistes and Epicures of these daies and bid them reade therein the resurrection of the flesh liuely discoursed and they answere vs againe either that they cannot reade it because the booke is sealed and not plaine vnto them or will not because their heartes are seared I say no more but this at Paul of the hiding of the Gospell to the like nighte-birdes I am sure they are seared and sealed to them that perish So let them rest their bodies rotting in the grounde as the seede vnder the clods which God blesseth not the graue shutting her mouth and destruction closing her iawes vpon them and when others awake to singe themselues awaking to howling and everlasting lamentation For our owne partes wee rest assured in the authour and finisher of our faith that if the spirit of him who raised vp Ionas and Iesus from the dead dwell in vs hee that raised vp them shall also quicken our mortall bodies And as hee spake to the fish and it cast vp Ionas spake to the earth and it cast vp Iesus for vpon the trueth of his fathers word did his flesh rest in hope so the time shall come when all â—hat are in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God vvhen hee shall speake to the earth giue and to the sea restore my sonnes and daughters to all the creatures in the vvorlde keepe not backe mine inheritance and finally to the prisoners of hope lodging a while in the chambers of the grounde Stande foorth and shew your selues And as Ionas was cast vp against the wil of the fish his bowels not able to hold him longer then the pleasure of God was and Christ returned to life with a songe of triumph in his mouth O graue where is thy conquest because it was vnpossible that he should be hoâ—den of it so when that howre commeth the earth shall disclose her bloud and shall no longer hide her slaine And the sea shall finde no rest till the drowned be brought forth nor any creature of the world be able to steale one bone that hath bin
handes These are they that doe all the Popes businesse You see how actiue and stirring the handes are Surely as Anaxagoras thought man to bee the wisest of all creatures because hee onely had handes whereby hee is able to speake if neede bee and to expresse all signes so I doe thinke him the wickedst of all creatures because hee onely hath handes and no Tiger or vulture vnder heaven more hurtefull vvith his clawes or talentes then man with his excellente member vvhen hee is disposed to vse it to bad purposes But to returne from those vvicked hands the Popes factours As Paul albeit he knew nothing by himselfe yet was hee not iustified thereby so though I know nothing by either of those two places vvhich I speake of yet haue I not freed my soule nor dischardged my duety vnlesse I admonish them both of that which may bee I trust they will pardon my charitable iealousie over them the same reasons of mightinesse and authority agreeing to them which were founde in Niniveh For what is the reason that men first imagine iniquitie and afterwardes contriue wickednes in their beddes and vvhen the morning is lighte put it in practise but because their hande hath power First they covet fieldes and then take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and and his house even a man and his heritage When a malicious will and a mightie hand concupiscence and violence meete you see how a familie and posterity is overthrowne by it VVhatsoever either violence or fraude bee meante by the wickednesse of the handes the Hebrewes agree that the meaning of the king and his counsaile vvas to call for restitution In the observation whereof as R. Kimhi affirmeth their forefathers of godly memorie were so carefully carefull not to offende that they made this decree If any had wrongfully taken a beame or rafter and vsed it in the building of a greate tower hee vvas to plucke downe the whole tower againe and restore that peece to his owner Habacuk doeth not much dissent from them For the stone shall crie out of the vvall and the beame out of the timber shall aunswere it woe vnto him that buildeth a towne in bloude and erecteth a cittie vvith iniquitie It shall bee better for them to pull downe towers and townes and citties and countries to the grounde rather then to suffer such skâ—ich-owles of woe to singe in the chambers thereof Saint Augustine to Macedonius is as peremptory in tearmes as ever the oppressour was in his violence That if the goods of an other man the taking away whereof was vniust maie bee restored and is not repentaunce is never truelie done but counterfeited But vvhere it is truelye done the sinne shall never bee pardrned till the spoile bee restored But as I saide before vvhen it may hee restored Wherein thou mayest deceiue thy selfe For though thou canst not restore in identity the same for the same yet thou mayest restore in equalitie so much for so much which was the meaning of Augustine Fulgentius noteth vpon the vvordes of Matthew Every tree vvhich bringeth not good fruite c. If barrennesse shall bee cast into the fire what doeth rapine and robbery deserue If iudgement shall bee without mercy to him that sheweth not mercy vvhat iudgemente shall bee to him that doeth also shewe cruelty And Rabanus noteth no lesse vpon that complainte of Christ Matthew twenty fiue I was hungry and thou gavest mee no breade VVhat shall hee receaue for taking away other mens who shall ever burne in hell fire for not giving his owne I vvas hungry and thou gavest mee no breade Nay I was hungry and that little breade that I had thou tookest from me I was naked and thou gavest mee no cloathing Nay that simple coate and cloke that I had thou spoiledst mee of I had but one vineyarde and thou deceavedst mee of it These in their iudgementes and conclusions went not so farre touching the necessity of restitution but Nehemias avowed it as deepely by actuall demonstration for hee shooke the lap of his garment and wished that the Lorde woulde even so shake out all those that restored not But if so excellent a governour in so different a case the houses and lands of the people beeing laide to gage by themselues and monye received vpon them vvere so angrye in his minde for the crie of the poore that he rebuked the princes and rulers for their sakes and set a greate assembly against them and put them to silence telling them that for the reproach of the heathen they ought to haue vvalked in the feare of the Lorde Which nowe they did not and praying them to giue backe the pledges againe and to remitte some parte also of the debte and not contente with their worde binding them by oath before the priestes to perfourme it nor vvith their oath but sealing it for more assurance vvith that fearefull sacrament of emptying his garmente himselfe cursing them to their faces if they brake promise and all the congregation crying Amen what shall vvee then saie of them or vvith vvhat reasons shall vve vrdge them or vvhat bondes shall vve take for their restitution who haue taken the houses and fields and of their brethren not as pledges but praies not voluntarilye yeelded but violentlye wrunge ouâ— without either mony or recompence to those vvhome they haue displaced If they loose the accepted time they will come and restore hereafter as Iudas did He brought the thirty pieces of silver againe but it was too late Let them rather learne of famous Zacheus whose praise is in the gospell and the singularity of whose fact maketh it almost a miracle Hee was the chiefe receiver of the tribute and hee was rich withall and if the country belyed him not a man of a sinnefull life I vvil not say that his office made him rich and his riches an evill man but officers that grow rich in haste hardly escape that gradation howsoever it were little Zacheus but as great in example as ever we read of a chiefe receiver and a chiefe restorer rich in substance and rich in good workes and in the midst of his sinnefull life a renouncer of his sinnefulnesse no sooner hee received Christ into his house and much more into his conscience but as if hee had lien in his dregges of extortion before hee novve stoode vp and not caring to bee heard of men nor hunting after earthly commendation spake vnto the LORDE Beholde Lorde with a readie and cheerefull heart offering his service and sacrifice before the face of his Saviour not the crummes of my table nor morselles of my meate but halfe of my goods a franke and bountifull present and I take them to bee mine owne honestly and lawefully gotten I giue with as free a minde as ever thou gavest to mee not to my friendes and kindred or to the rich of the vvorlde who are able to make
iudge to pronounce sentence against them hee knewe besides the knowledge of their owne consciences that for envie they had delivered him Do we looke that envy should favour the honour and well-fare when it favoureth not the life or the life of man when the Lord of life himselfe is vile before it Poyson they say is life to a serpent death to a man and that which is life to a man his spittle and naturall humidity is death to a serpent I haue found it thus applyed vertue and felicity which is life to a good man is death to the envious and that which the envious liveth by is the misery and death of a good man For envie endevoureth either that hee may not liue at all as all the former examples declare for even the prodigall sonne vvas also deade and it grieved his brother that he was brought backe to life or that he may liue such a life as for the discomfortes thereof he may cal it happines to haue ended Therefore amongst other the fruites of a reprobate minde Rom. 1. those two are ioyned togither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envie and murther and likewise amongst the workes of the flesh Galathians the fifte vvith the same combination as if they vvere twinnes growing in one body and could not be put asunder It is not namely expressed in the former member of the verse what perturbation it was wherewith Ionas was so overborne But by the effectes it shewed in him in seeking so heartily the overthrow of Niniveh and wishing to die himselfe because the Ninivites lived besides the bidding of open battaile to charity one of whose properties is that shee envieth not setting pitty at naught which hath ever a miserable heart when it seeth the wretched we may reasonably suppose it to haue bin envy The nature whereof is this that God in his iustice hath apointed it to be a plague to it selfe and amongst many mischiefes it hath furnished it with one onely profitable quality that the owner thereof taketh most hurt He biteth is bitten againe becoÌ„meth his own punishment And as Aetna consumed it selfe so the malicious man is burnt with the fire of his own hart And therefore the Poet did notably describe her to haue a pale face without bloud a leane body without any iuice in it squint eies blacke teeth an heart full of gall a tongue tipt with poison never laughing but wheÌ„ others weepe never sleeping because shee studieth and thinketh on mischiefe It displeaseth Ionas exceedingly But the vexation which he tooke hurt himselfe more than Niniveh And Ionas was angrie We haue not ended the affections of Ionas Wee haue an other companion to adde to envie which for the most part is coupled with it For so we read Genes 4. Caine vvas exceedingly vvrath And 1. Sam. 18. Saul was wrath at the song of the vvomen And Luke 15. the elder brother was angry either with the father or the yonger son Angeâ— in a fit place is the gift of God and there is great cunning in being angry with advised speach and in a seasonable time But of that hereafter Meane-while the time and cause and measure of this anger in Ionas I thinke are worthy to be blamed For with whom is he angry It seemeth with himselfe Take away my life from me Or rather with God who if he had taken him at his worde the sun had gone downe vpon his anger I meane his life had ended in a froward and furious passion If God bee angry with vs there may be some remedy because God is mercifull But if we be angry with him there is no helpe for it Quis populo Romano irasci sapienter potest What man of wisedome can be angry with the people of Rome much lesse with God And that you may know howe righteous the Lord is in this affection of anger as before of envie vvhen we are vnruly and lawlesse therein Valerius Maximus comparing anger and hatred togither the one at the first setting forth the quicker the other in desire of reveÌ„ge the more obstinate saith that both those passions are full of consternation and amasement and never vse violence without torment to themselues for where their purpose is to offer wrong they rather suffer it as shall better appeare vnto vs hereâ—fter in the behaviour of Ionas I haue in parte described vnto you the nature and enormitye of these perturbations from the mouth of naturall worldly wisdome VVhat iudgement belongeth vnto them when they breake their bounds I learne in a better schoole Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shal be culpable of iudgement And they are numbred amongst the works of the flesh Gal. 5. whereof the Apostle gaue them double warning that they which did such things should not inherit the kingdome of God Notwithstanding the viciousnes hereof hath beene both opened and condemned by those who though they had not the law of God by peculiar assignement as the Iewes had written in books or in tables of stone yet the effect of that law was written in their harts they were a law to themselues their thoughts accusing or excusing them in most of their doings Precepts of moral conversatioÌ„ they haue as soundly delivered some as strictly observed as if Moses had taught and lived among theÌ„ The Apostles precept is Rom. 12. Giue place to wrath Ephes 4. Be angry and sin not Let not the sun goe downe vpon your wrath They had the same precepts in Gentility who sawe no lesse herein by their light of nature therefore devised lawes to represse anger That an angry man should not set hand or hart to any thing til he had recited the Greeke alphabet for by that time the heart of choller woulde be alaide and that he should sing to his passion as nurses to their babes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast not cry not anone I will content thee And the practise of Plato was according to these rules for his servant offending him he said he could haue killed him but that he was moved therefore desired a friend to punish him in his steede Likewise reprehensions of all sortes of vices and commendations of their contrarye vertues they haue both wisely conceaved faithfully penned earnestly perswaded And although they were ignorant of the ioyes of heaven and hell fire yet in their Gentile learning the saw reason sufficient that the embracers of these contrary qualities should be contrariwise recompensed Therfore I am not of opinion with those men who thinke that all secular and prophane learning should be abandoned from the lips of the preacher and whither he teach or exhort he is of necessity to tie himselfe to the sentence and phrase of onely scripture Good is good wheresoever I finde it Vpon a vvithered and fruitlesse stalke saith Augustine a grape sometimes may hange Shall I refuse the grape because the stalke is fruitlesse and vvhithered
the sight of God speake we in Christ. Againe vvee walke not in craftinesse neither handle vvee the worde of God deceiptfullie but in the declaration of the truth vvee approoue our selues to every mans conscience in the sighte of God Nay to every conscience of men that is bee the conscience good or bad light or darkenesse they shall haue no iust cause against vs. What needeth longer discourse the sonne of God himselfe Ioh. 18. confesseth before Pilate For this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the vvorlde that I mighte beare vvitnesse vnto the truth For when the truth of God is wronged then the advise of Cyprian taketh place wee must not holde our peace least it begin to savour not of modestie and shamefastnesse but distrust of our cause that wee keepe silence And vvhilst vvee are carelesse to refute false criminations vvee seeme to acknowledge the crime The trueth of Christians is comparably fairer than that Helen of the Greekes and the Martyres of our Church haue foughte more constantly in her quarrell against Sodome than ever those nobles and Princes for Helen against the Troianes There was never prophet true nor false in Israell nor Canaan but tooke it a greate reproach and stayne vnto them to bee toucht with falshood Micheas whome neither the court-like perswasions of the Eunuch that went for him nor the consent of foure hundred prophetes nor the favour of tvvo kings nor danger of his owne heade coulde drawe from the word of God standeth firmely in defence of the trueth Zedechias the false prophet in seeming as earnestly for the trueth likevvise yet these as contrary one to the other as Hiena and the dogge the one saieth goe to Ramoth Gilead and prosper the other sayth if thou returne in saftie the LORDE hath not sent mee The one to expresse it in life and by a visible signe maketh hornes of yron and telleth Ahab vvith these thou shalt push at Aram till thou haste destroyed him the other hath also an Image and a vision whereby to describe it I savv all Israell scattered vpon the mountaines like sheepe that had no shephearde Yet both for the truth Ieremy and Hanany agreeing like fire and vvater the one bidding the king to goe vnto Babylon the other advising the contrary the one sending fetters to the king and the nobles the other pulling the yoke from the necke of Ieremy and saying thus shall the yoke of Babell bee broken the one affirming the other denying yet both are champians for the trueth The devill a lyar and the father of lyes vvho abode not in the trueth because there is no trueth in him vvho vvhen he speaketh a lye speaketh of his ovvne that is his naturall and mother tongue is lying Ioh. 8. yet hee transformeth himselfe into an Angell of lighte therefore it is no greate thinge sayeth the Apostle though his ministers transforme themselues as though they vvere the ministers of righteousnesse vvhose ende shall bee according to their workes Christ is truth indeede Antichrist truth pretended The dayly exclamations of the Donatistes in Africke against the Orthodoxe and sounde beleevers was that they vvere traitours against the holy bookes and themselues the propugners of them Augustine answereth traitours not by conviction but by confiction and false accusation of their enemies Dioscorus crieth out himselfe an heretique in the Councell of Chalcedon I defende the opinions of the holy fathers I haue their testimonies not by snatches or at the seconde hande but vttered in their owne bookes I am cast out vvith the holy fathers as if truth it selfe had beene condemned in the condemnation of Dioscorus So is it at this day the Prophets of BabyloÌ„ though they haue received the marke of the beast in their foreheades that all the worlde may knowe them to bee such yet as Cyprian in his Epistle to Iubaianus wrote of the Novatian heretique that after an apish manner hee taketh vnto him the authority of the Church so these by the like imitation take vnto them the Church trueth Scriptures Fathers all antiquity consent perpetuity vnto the ende of the world and rather than the worlde shall thinke that they deale not truely in defense of truth they spend both conscience and sometime life vpon it O quantum tegmen est falsitatis O howe greate a shew doth falshod make For our owne partes vvho by the grace of God are that wee are put in chardge for the gathering togither of Gods Saintes if we be harmed in our goodes or good names or in the carriage of our liues or in our wiues and children as sometimes the maner is we accompt them our private wronges and easilye may digest them It hath beene done in the greene in all the times that haue beene ever of olde much more in the drie they haue called the maister of the house Belzebub much more those of the housholde We preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your servauntes for Iesus sake and for his sake we will endure it We are fooles for Christs sake and you are wise wee are weake and you are strong you are honourable and we despised Be it so But we will never abide that the honour of Christ Iesus himselfe shal be wounded through our loines that the rebukes which fall vpon vs shal redound to his disgrace that his gospell and truth shall be defamed the doctrine which we preach discredited our calling reproached which though in vessels of earth yet he hath sanctified and blessed to such a worke I meane the saving of soules as by the pollicy of man all forcible engins could never haue beene coÌ„passed How vsual a thing it is vpon every light surmise not only to chardge vs for false prophets but because we are prophets at al to coÌ„teÌ„ne vs to disdain vs for that wherin we are most to be 〈◊〉 I report me to that common phrase of speech when if men will shooâ—â—oorâ—h arrowes against vs with poisoned heads even bitter sharpe worâ—es they thinke it the greatest ignominy to cal vs Priests or Ministers Herein if the zeale of gods house his holy ordinaÌ„ce coÌ„sume vs if the maintenance of his cause our calling beare vs away make vs forget the spirit of gentlenes for a time let no man blame vs. For is our office dishonored amongst you We tel them whosoever they be as David told Michol who scorned him for dancing before the Arke it was before the Lord which chose me rather than thy father and all his house commaunded mee to be ruler over the people And therefore I will play before the Lord and I will yet be more vile than thus and will bee low in mine owne sighte It is before the Lord that we are Priestes and Ministers to serue in his house and at his table who hath chosen vs rather than their fathers and whole stocke to serue in this office And therefore we will
the Lawe had beene given Moses in the name of GOD protesteth vnto them by heaven and earth that hee had set before them life and death and wisheth them to choose life that they might liue they and their seede Death is called an enimy in open tearmes 1. Cor. 15 The last enimie that shall bee subdued is death But who loveth an enimy simply and for his owne sake And amongst orher blessings betrothed to the elect of God one is that Death shal be no more Revelation 21. And to reason with Augustine Si nulla esset mortis amaritudo non esset magna matyrum fortitudo If there vvere no bitternesse and discontentment in death the constancy of martyrs were not great Therefore when Elias heard the worde of Iezabell The Gods doe so and much more vnto mee if to morrowe by this time I make not thy life as the life of one of those vvhome thou hast slaine it is saide that he arose and went for his life to Beer-sheba Howe did David pleade for his life Psalm 30. What profit is there in my bloude when I goe downe into the pit shall the dust giue thankes vnto thee or shall it declare thy truth as if hee vvoulde mooue the Lorde for his owne good and glorye sake not to cut him of but aftervvardes vvith respecte to himselfe Staye thine anger a vvhile that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and am no more seene And being assured elswhere of that request graunted him hee sange ioyfullye to his soule vvithin Returne vnto thy rest O my soule the LORDE hath beene mercifull or beneficiall vnto thee Because thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eies from teares and my feete from falling and I shall walke before the Lord in the land of the living I speake not of the moane that Ezechias made howe hee turned his face to the vvaâ— after the Prophet gaue him vvarninge of his death and prayed vnto the Lorde and wept sore and like a crane or a svvallovv so did hee chatter and mourne like a doue and lifting his eyes vp on high said O Lorde it hath oppressed mee comfort mee and after his life was freed from the pit of corruption as it were leapt for ioy the living the living hee shall confesse thee as I doe this day when the beloved and blessed sonne of God hee that had power to lay downe his life and to take it vp againe against that time began to bee verye sad and grievously vexed and in the presence of Peter and the two sonnes of Zebedee let not to disclose his passion My soule is vvonderfullye heavy vnto death And but that the will of his father was in the midst of his bowelles and his obedience stronger than death hee vvould haue begged three times more that the cup might haue passed from his lippes Likewise Ioh. 12. vvhen Andrew and Philip tolde him of certaine Greekes that were desirous to see him hee seeing an image of his death before his eies witnessed vnto them saying Now is my soule troubled And what shall I say father saue mee from this howre and but that an other respect called him backe therefore I came and father glorifie thy name hee would still haue continued in that praier· Quis enim vult mori prorsus nemo ita memo c. For who is willing simply to die surely no man And so vndoubtedly no man that it vvas said to blessed Peter An other shall guide thee and leade thee to the place whither thou wouldest not goe Peter would not vnlesse he were carried But what then was the reason that the Apostle desired to bee dissolved and to be with Christ which hee said was best of all Philip 1. that the Saintes which were racked Heb. 11. cared not to be delivered that they might obtaine a beetter resurrection that Peter and Andrew welcommed their crosses as they were wont their dearest friendes embraced theÌ„ in their armes saluted them with kisses of peace that Ignatius called for fire sworde and the teeth of wilde beasts and other martyrs of Christ went to their deathes with cheerefullnes reioycing and singing and not lesse than ran to the stake as if they had run for a garland Wee may easily answere partly from the former authorities that they might bee with christ and that they might obtaine a better resurrection But the Apostle in excellent tearms decideth the question in the 2. to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVee will not be vnclothed and stripte of our liues we take no pleasure or ioy therein but wee woulde bee clothed vppon wee haue no other meanes to get that better clothing than by putting of this or that vpon this that mortality may bee svvâ—llowed vp of life and corruption of incorruption So that their thoughts subsist not in death but haue a further reach because they know it to bee the high way which must bring them to felicitie And it is no small perswasion vnto them when they thinke that by the ending of their liues they make an end of sinning For whilest they are in the flesh they see a law in their members striving against the lawe of their minde and subiecting them to the lawe of sinne Therefore they cry as hee did VVretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death In which postulations not witstandinge they evermore submit themselues to the straigtest and equallest rule of the will of God desiring no otherwise to haue their wishes acomplished than with that safe and wary condition Si dominus volet If the Lorde bee pleased with them And as they regarde their owne good therein so because the bloud of Martyrs is the seede of the Church and that which is fire to their flesh bones is water to the gospell to make it florish a good â—onfession witnessed before the vvicked tyrants of the world doth good service to the truth in this respect also they are not sparing of themselues that Christ may be magnified in their bodies whither it bee by their life or death Now Ionas hath more of all these fore-named endes to alleage for himselfe why hee desireth to die neither the glory of God nor the good of his brethren nor profit of his owne soule but in a peevish and froward moode because his minde is not satisfied and to avoide some little shame or to rid himselfe from the grievances of life which are not reasons sufficient hee will needes die and followe the streame of his foolish appetite with some such like affection as Dido at her departure expresseth Sic sic iuvat ire sub vmbras Thus I am disposed to dye not otherwise But to leaue generalities let vs looke a while into the partes of his wishe 1. It is his greate fault as Ioab offered his trechery to Abner vnder the pretence of a friendly and peaceable parle and Iudas his treason
terrâ Zach. 13. wickednesse out of the land or an vncleane spirit from the earth but a wicked and vncleane spirit from out his owne breast whereby hee was driven to so franticke a passion 5. Hee will also proove which is the reason annexed to the petition that it is better for him to die than to live and he prooveth it by comparing two opposites death and life the horrour of one of which he shoulde rather have commended the svveetenesse and comfort of the other Thales on a time giving forth incredibly and strangely enough that there was no difference betweene life and death one presently closed vpon him Cur ergo non moreris why then diâ—st thou not because saith hee there is no difference Albeit it appeareth sufficiently that hee shâ—wed a difference by refusing it But the paradoxe which Ionas heare alleadgeth addeth much to that of Thales For hee affirmeth in peremptory tearmes havinge them laide before his eies to compare togither and to make his choice Death is better than life Howbeit hee saith not simply it is better to die than to live but better for mee One as wise as ever Ionas was who had beene taken vp into the third heavens seene revelations in this very question betweene life and death gave no other answere or solution vnto it but per hoc verbum Nescio by this word I knowe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what to choose I knowe not And hee confessed that hee vvas streightened or pinched betweene these two whither it were better for him to abide in the flesh or to be with Christ. No doubt simply to bee with Christ. For that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely better but much and very much better but to abide in the flesh was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more needefull and profitable for the Church For wee were not borne to our selves but for the good of our parents countrey kinred and friendes saide Plato and much more for the flocke of Christ which he hath purchased with his bloud whither they bee Iewes or Gentiles weake or stronge Israelites or Ninivites to further their faith and to helpe them to salvation for thus we are debters to all men The speeches of Caesar were wont to be that hee had lived long enough whither hee respected nature or honour Tully aunswered him It may bee for honour and nature longe enough but that vvhich is chiefest of all not for the common wealth Againe I haue heard thee say that thou hast lived longe enough to thy selfe I beleeue it But then I would also heare If thou livedst to thy selfe alone or to thy selfe alone wert borne Wee are all placed and pitched in our stations and haue our watches and services apointed vs. Let vs not offer to depart thence till it bee the pleasure of our God to dismisse vs. Vnlesse wee haue learned that vndutifull lesson which the messenger vsed at the dores of Elizeus 2. of Kinges and the 6. Beholde this evill commeth of the Lorde should I attend on the Lord any longer It is better for mee to die than to liue Say not so for how knowest thou If thou wilt harken to counsaile leaue it to the wisedome of God to iudge what is best for thee for he will not giue that which is most pleasant but most convenient Charior est illis homo quam sibi A man is dearer to God than to himselfe Socrates in Alcibiades woulde not haue any man aske ought at Gods handes in particular but in generality to giue him good thinges Because he knew what was most behoofe-full for each one whereas our selues craue many thinges which not to haue obteined had bene greater ease At length hee concludeth For hee that is vvont to giue good thinges so easily is also able to choose the fittest The promises in the gospell I graunt are verye lardge Whatsoever you shall aske in my name that will I doe Ioh. 14 And Aske and it shall bee given you Math. 7. For every one that asketh receaveth Howe commeth it to passe then that the sonnes of Zebedee aske and receave not Wee woulde that thou shouldest doe for vs that that we desire Marke 10. The reason is given there by our Saviour Nescitis quid petatis You knowe not what you aske This is also the cause that Ionas receaveth not his asking he knoweth not what hee asketh You haue not because you aske not Iam. 4. that is one cause Yea but you aske and haue not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because you aske amisse both concerning the end to consume it on your lusts and touching the maÌ„ner because without faith and for the matter it it selfe because it is hurtfull vnto you And if you obserue it you shall espie a condition conveyed into the promise of Christ If you being evill giue good thinges to your children how much more shall your father in beaven giue good things to them that aske him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good thinges not such as may doe you hurt Another evangelist faith for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy or good Spirite Which is all in all able ready to rectifie your mindes order your affections set you to craue more holesome and profitable giftes For if vvee aske the contrary except when the Lorde is pleased to lay a curse vpon our praiers though wee call never so loude and impatientlye in his eares Vsque quó domine clamabo non exauâ—ies O Lorde hovve longe shall I cry vnto thee and thou wilt not heare me he answereth at least by his silence and deniall even as long as a man in a burning ague shall say to his Phisitian vsque quó how longe shall I cry for colde water I burne I am vexed I am tormented I am almost out of breath and hee answereth againe Non misereor modo I cannot yet pittye thee Such mercy were cruelty and thine owne will and wishe is daungerously bent against thee This is the cause to conclude that Ionas his suite speedeth not Ionas thinketh it better to die It is onely better in seeming as a distasted palate is soonest pleased with the worst meate God thinketh the contrary Naye Ionas thinketh God knoweth that hee dieth indeede if he die out of charity and that if hee shoulde giue his bodie to the fire or againe to the water or a thousand deathes more without loue it could not profite him Therefore hee is not suffered to dye when he would but by another mercy of God not inferiour to that in his former deliverye is reserved to an other repentance and to more peaceable dayes Saint Augustine vpon the wordes of the Evangelist If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes where hee proveth that there is no true life but that which is blessed nor blessed but that which is eternall noteth the manner of men to be in their miseries to call for death rather
worke vnder heaven proceede without it But I leaue those repetitions The sun the wind we see rise togither set thēselues against Ionas as the two smoaking fire-brāds Rezin Pekah against Ierusalē cōbining binding thēselues not to giue over til they haue both done their part in the vexing of the prophet The wind here mentioned is described by 2. attributes the one of the quarter or coast from whence it blew an East-wind the other of the quality which it had a fervēt East-wind The cardinall principal windes as appeareth both in many places of the scripture and in forreine authours are but 4. breathing from the 4. quarters or divisions of heaven as in the 37. of Ezechi come from the 4. vvindes O breath And Math. 24. God shall gather his elect from the foure windes Afterwardes they added 4. more which they cal collateral or side-windes subordinate to the principal thence proceeded to the nūber of 12. In these daies we distinguish 32. Betweene every two cardinal winds seven inferiour We may read Act. 27. that Paul was very skilful of the sea-card vsed in those daies for describing his voiadge to Rome he maketh mention not only of East West South but of South-west by West of North-west by West as the Westerne winde blew either nearer or further of But not to trouble you with these things the winde that is here spokē of some take to be Eurus or Vulturnus which is the Southeast by East followeth the sun in his winter rising others to be the principal high East-winde following the sun when he riseth in the Equinoctial Now the nature of an East-wind in any point therof is to be hote dry for the most part a clearer of the aire but this of al the rest being so serviceable to the sun going forth so righte with it walking in the same path which the sunne walketh in must needs be an hoter wind thā if it had crossed or sided the sun any way 2. Touching the quality or the effect which it wrought it is called a fervent East-wind some turne it vehement not for the sound and noyse that it maketh but for the excessiue heat For no doubt it is distinguished frō Caecias North-east by East which is a more soūding blustering wind not so fit for the purpose of God in this place Of that ye haue mention Exod. 14. where it is said that the Lorde made the sea run backe with a strong East◠winde all the night made it dry land Some translate it silent quiet to put a differēce betwixt this the former East-wind albeit others giue the reason because it maketh mē silent deafe with the soūd that it hath others because it maketh the rest of the winds silent quiet when it selfe bloweth Howsoever they vary otherwise they al agree in the heate for it is a gētle soft wind which whē the aire is enflamed by the sun is so far frō correcting the extremitie therof that it rather helpeth it forwarde becōmeth as a waggon to carry the beames of the sun forth-right It is manifest by many places of scripture that it is an easterne wind which burneth with his heate not only the fruites but the people of the earth The 7. thin eares of corne Gen. 41. were burnt with an East-winde so are the fruites withered Ezek. 19. so is the fountaine dried vp Ose 13. The vulgar edition doth evermore translate it vrentē ventum by the name of a burning winde and whersoever it is mentioned in the booke of God the property of it is to exiccate and dry vp Columella writeth that at some time of the yeare especially in the dog-daies mē are so parched with the East winde that vnles they shade thēselues vnder vines it burneth them like the reaking of flames of fire I haue now shewed you both the nature and the quarter of this winde that albeit it were a winde yet you may know it was not prepared to refrigerate but to afflicte the head of Ionas When the sunne and the winde are vp what do they the sunne not vvithout the helpe of the vvinde vvhich vvas in manner of a sling or other instrumente to cast the beames of the sun more violently vpon them although created for another end to governe the daie and to separate it from the night and to giue light in the earth yet here receiveth a new commaundement and is sent to beate all other inferiour partes omitted even the head of Ionas wherein is the government of the vvhole creature the seate of the minde the top of Gods workmanshippe from vvhence the senses and nerves take their beginning In this assault of the principall part the danger was no lesse to the body of Ionas than if an enimy had besiedged the Capitoll of Rome or the Mount Sion and Anthonies towre in Ierusalem But we shall the better conceaue the vexation of Ionas if we ioyne the effectes which these two enimies draue him vnto 1. It is saide hee fainted I marvell not for the force of heate is vntolerable vvhen the pleasure of God is to vse that rod. So hee telleth them Amos 4. Percussi vos vredine I haue smitten you with blasting or burning and you returned not On the other side it is numbered amongst the blessings of God which Christ shall bring vnto his people Esay 49. they shall not bee hungrie neither shall they thirst neither shall the heate smite them nor the sunne which is spoken I graunt by translation but that from whence it is transferred in the naturall sense must needes be very commodious because it is applyed to the highest mercies So likewise in the 3. of Act. the state of everlasting life is called the times of refreshing or respiration 2. Hee wishte in his hearte to die my text saith not so in tearmes though in effect but he desired his soule or he made petition and suite to his soule to die that is to relinquish and giue over his bodie or hee desired death to his soule as a man forlorne and forsaken having no friend to make his moane vnto he vttereth his griefe to his private spirit speaking therevnto that if it vvere possible some remedy might be had 3. Though the eare of ielousie which heareth all thinges heard the wishes and desires of his hearte yet hee is not contente with secret rebellion vnlesse his tongue also proclaime it for he saith it is better for mee to die than to liue I shewed the madnes of Ionas before in this very wish It was not better for Ionas to die than to liue nor for any other in his case a milstone about their necks to haue drowned them in the bottome of the sea had beene lesse vnhappinesse When they die let them pray to the Lord of life to close vp their eies and
more matter is ministred for pitty to worke vpon Ierusalem vvas more laboured and applied by Christ in the daies of his flesh than either Bethania a country towne or any other cittye of Iudah or Samaria lesse than Ierusalem Agesilaus a renowned Lacedaemonian was grieved in his heart when he had slaine tenne thousand of his enemies and when many of the rest that were left aliue had withdrawne themselues within the citty of Corinth his friends advising him to lay siedge vnto it he answered that it was not fit for him so to do for he was a man which would compell offendours to do their duety but not pull downe citties The ruinating and overthrowing of citties are miserable either spectacles or histories to those that vvith any humanity shall consider them Nero may sing and triumph when Rome is on fire a bloudy horse-leach feedinge vpoÌ„ the spoiles of men and townes but Abraham will pray for Sodome though the sinke of the earth and not onely Ieremy will lament write lamentations but Christ will mourne for the downe-fall of Ierusalem And Titus whilste he lieth in siedge when hee shall see such slaughter of the Iewes will throw vp his hands to heaven and lay the massacre vpon God to cleare himselfe That Sodome wherof I â—pake consider but the raine that fell vpon it brimstone and fire from the Lord in heaven it selfe overthrowne with her sisters and all the plaine and all the inhabitants of the cittie and all that grevv vpon the earth turned into ashes and whatsoever came vp afterwards from that ground vnholsome and vnprofitable fruite pestelent vines bitter clusters the whole lande mingled with cloudes of pitch and heapes of ashes the people suffering the vengeance of eternall fire and notwithstanding all this it selfe made a by-word to all ages that came after it as we read in Esay 1. and Rom. 9. vnlesse the Lorde had left vs a seede wee shoulde haue bene as Sodome I say consider but these thinges and pitty her ruine and desolation though she be Sodome because she was a citty Though Iericho were Iericho a citty of the vncircumcised idolatrous in the worshippe of God and hostile towards his people can it sincke into your eares without pittying and bemoaning the gate therof to heare that her walles fell flat and all that was therein was vtterly destroyed both man and woman young and olde oxe and sheepe and asse with the edge of the sworde and the citty burnt with fire all that was in the citty except some silver and gold that was reserved Though Iericho be suncke so low that it shall never rise againe to stand long for it is sealed with a curse to his person that should adventure to reedifie Iericho with the bloud of his eldest and yongest sonnne yet say to your selues when you reade that lamentable narration alas for Iericho because it was a citty sometimes girded with walles fortified with bulwarkes stored with treasure and wealth peopled with men and furnished with other such habilities as the very name of a citty presently implieth But that Ierusalem wherof I also spake Ierusalem the sanctified citty and the cittye of the everlasting God Ierusalem builte in vnitye Ierusalem the Queene and Empresse of the provinces so defaced and levelled with the ground that not a stone was left standing vpon a stone neither in their houses walles bulwarkes turrets no nor in the altars sanctuary temple of Ierusalem the old and young matrones virgins mothers infants princes priests prophets Nazarites all slaine famished fettered skattered abroade vtterlye consumed If it come into the minde of any man either by reading or hearing vvithout commiseration I say that his heart is more barbarous and rude than the very fragments and rubbell wherein Ierusalem is lodged Who can expresse those havockes by speech or finde teares enough to equall their miseries For this cause I vveepe faith the Prophet mine eye even mine eye casteth out water which it draweth vp from the fountaine of my over-flowing heart and he calleth to the daughter of Sion to let teares run downe like a river daie night to take no rest neither to suffer the apple of her eie to cease to arise cry in the night in the beginning of the watches to power out her heart like water before the Lord. Aeneas Silvius in his oration of the spoile of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople against the Turke with great compassion relateth the murdering of their children before the faces of their parents the noble meÌ„ slaughtered like beasts the Priests torne in pieces the religious flead the holy virgins incestuously defiled the mothers their daughters despightfully vsed at leÌ„gth he crieth out O miseraÌ„ vrbis faciem O the miserable face of that citty O vnhappy people O wicked Mahomet Who is able to report such things without tears there was nothing to be seene but ful of mourning murder bloud-shed dead carkasses At last converting himselfe to Greece his mind eveÌ„ quaking starting backe with sorrow he thus bewaileth it O famous renowmed Greece behold now thy end now thou art dead alas how many mighty wealthy citties haue heretofore bin extinguished what is become of Thebes of Athens of Micene of Larissa of Lacedemon of Corinth of other memorable townes whose wals if thou seekest for thou canst not find so much as their ruines no maÌ„ caÌ„ shew the grouÌ„d werein they are are laid along our meÌ„ do oftentimes look for Greece in Greece it selfe only CoÌ„staÌ„tinople is no remaining of the carkasses of so many citties Such so lamentabl hath ever been the devastation of citties to meÌ„ of any affection such it seemed to God in this place shall not I spare Niniveh that great city Ionas could haue found in his hearte to haue seene it in the dust corne fieldes ploughed vp where the walles buildinge stood or rather an heape of nettles and salt-pits in the place thereof the smoake of the fire waving in the aire hiding away the light of the sun the flames spiring vp into heaveÌ„ the king his senatours marchants people those that walked with staues for age those that were nourished at the breasts for weaknes their flocks of sheepe heards of cattle all wasted and consumed in the saÌ„e pile if God would haue yelded to the madnes of his cruel appetite But he aunswereth with more clemency shall not I spare Niniveh that great citty Hitherto were but titles names the proofe followeth Wherein are sixe thousand persons that cannot discerne c. It may easily be ghessed quantus sit numerus alteriuâ— aetatis cúm tantus sit parvulâ—ruÌ„ how great the number of other ages when there were so many infants The prophecie was here fulfilled vvhich vvas given to Israel Iudah Ier. 31. Behold the daies come that I vvill sowe the house of Israell the house of Iudah with the seede of man and the seede of
than life Deus mitte mihi mortem accelera dies meos O LORDE send death vnto mee shorten my daies And sometimes sicknesse commeth indeede but then there is coursinge to and fro Phisitians are brought mony and giftes are promised and death it selfe perhappes speaketh vnto them Ecce adsum beholde here am I Thou calledst for mee thou desiredest the LORDE not longe since to sende mee VVherefore doest thou flye mee now I haue founde thee a deceaver and a lover of this vvretched life notvvithstandinge thy shew to the contrary It is the vse of vs all with the like forme of petitioÌ„ rather oâ— banning and imprecation to wish for death yea strange and accursed kindes of death wherein God sheweth a iudgement Let mee sinke as I stande let the earth open vnto mee let mee never speake worde more And every crosse and vexation of life make it irkesome and vnsavoury vnto vs vvoulde God I vvere dead If God shoulde then answere vs Ex â—re tuo out of your owne mouthes I graunte your requestes Be it vnto you according to your wordes howe miserable and desperate were our case But as olde Chremes in the Comedy tolde Clitipho his sonne a younge man and without discretion vvho because hee coulde not wringe from his father tenne poundes to bestowe vpon Bacchis his lover had none other speach in his mouth but Emâ—ricupio I desire to die First knovve I praie thee vvhat it is to liue vvhen thou haste learned that then if thy life displease thee vse these vvordes so first knowe my brethren you that are so hastye to pronounce the sentence of death against your selues vvhat belongeth to the life of a Christian vvhy it vvas given you by the LORDE of life to vvhat endes hee hath made you living soules what duties and offices hee requireth at your handes these thinges rightlye weighed if you thinke good call for death for by that time I thinke you vvill learne more vvisedome than to doe it It is good for you to see to the vvhole course and transaction of your liues they shoulde bee prelusions and preparations for a better life to come Beginne not then to liue vvhen you must giue over vvhich is the follie of most men or rather take heede that you giue not over life before you haue begunne it As one haire shall not fall from your heades vvithout GODS providence so nor the least haire and minute of time from your yeares vvithout his account taken But especially remember your end looke to the fallinge of the tree consider hovv the sunne goeth dovvne vppon you Novve if ever before cast your accountes you builde for heaven now if ever before bring forth your armies you fight for a kingdome Lay not more burthen of sinne vppon your soules at their going forth Let the last of your vvay be rest and the closing vppe of the day a sweete and quiet sleepe vnto you My meaninge is vvish not for death before you bee very ready for it Nay rather desire GOD to spare you a time that you may recover I say not your strength and bodilye abilitie but his favour and grace before hee plucke you away and you bee no more seene It is not comforte enough vnto you to saie Vixi quem dederat cursum natura peregi I haue lived indeede and finished some time vpon the earth vnlesse you can also adde your consciences bearing you vvitnesse and ministring ioy to the end of your daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seconde to Timothy and 4. chapter I haue finished my race I haue not onelye broughte it to an end but to a perfection though I haue died soone yet I haue fulfilled much time my life hath beene profitable to my countrye and to the Church of God and nowe I depart in his peace THE XLIIII LECTVRE Chap. 4. ver 4. Then saide the Lord Doest thou well to be angry The first of those 3. parts wherinto this chapter was devided touching the impatience discontentment of Ionas we haue in part discovered out of the former verses reserving a remnant thereof to be handled afterwardes The reprehension of God which was the 2. beginneth at these wordes and is repeated againe in the 9. verse vpon the like occasioÌ„ given by Ionas The mercy of God towardes his prophet manifesteth it selfe in this fatherly obiurgation many waies 1. That the Potter vouchsafeth huÌ„bleth himselfe to dispute with his Clay 2. that he is ready to giue a reason of all his actions as a righteous Lord who doth not enforce any thing by his absolute and meere authority but dealeth reasonably and iustly much more that the Lord speaketh vnto him who spake fretted against the Lorde giveth an accouÌ„t vnto him why he spared Niniveh of whoÌ„ no maÌ„ wisely durst to haue demaÌ„ded what dost thou that hee that dwelleth in light vnapproachable his counsailes are so high in the cloudes as who caÌ„ finde theÌ„ out placeth theÌ„ notwithstanding in the eies of the world to be examined sifted by the reason of man But most of all that he ministreth a word in season vnto Ionas wheÌ„ the streame of his anger was so violent that it bare him into an hearty desire longing after death then that the Lord intercepteth him aunswereth in his course as Elihu answered Iob Beholde I haue waited vpon thy wordes and harkened vnto thy speach whilst thou soughtest out reasons I will now speake in my turne shew thee mine opinion Doest thou well to be angry It is the singular wisedome of God without which pollicy it were hard for any flesh living to be saved that when we are running on in our sinnes wearying our selues in the waies of wickednes amongst other his retentiues stops he hath the hooke of reprehension to thrust into our noses pull vs backe againe Our iniquities would wander with out measure become rottennes in our bones our wounds woulde dwell for ever in our bowels and fester to the day of iudgement with out this medicine So wisedome began her lore Pro. 1. O yee foolish how long will ye loue foolishnes the scorner take pleasure in scorning the fooles hate knowledge She giveth vs our right names according to our corrupt natures for wisdome is able to iudge of fooles knoweth that without her instructioÌ„ we are wedded to our follies therefore she addeth turne ye at my correction loe I will powre out my minde vnto you make you vnderstand my words ClemeÌ„s Alexandrinus compareth our Saviour to an expert Musitian such as Terpander or Capito never were for hee singeth new songs hath sundry kindes of moodes and varieties to worke the salvation of man Sometimes he hath spoken by a burning bush vnto him sometimes by a cloude of water sometimes by a piller of fire that is he hath beene light to those that were obedient fire to those that rebelled and because flesh is more