the meanest among men to be equall with God yet there he is not vnmindfull of vs but sitting on the right hand of God he maketh continuall intercession for vs and sendeth his spirit to comfort vs for though corpus intulit Coelo he hath placed his body in Heauen yet maiestatem non abstulit mundo hee leaues his spirit which filleth all places heere on earth Mat. 28. vlt. for loe saith he I am with you vntill the end of the world that is to deliuer vs from all miseries and to giue vs all those good things that hee seeth good for vs And therefore though Abraham should forget vs or Israell be ignorant of vs or as Mardoceus sayd vnto Queene Hester if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time Hester 4.14 and doest nothing in the world for vs yet shall there inlargement and deliuerance arise vnto the Iewes from another place euen so though we should feare men will forsake vs and forget vs and do nothing for vs either to deliuer vs from any troubles feared or to helpe vs vnto any good desired yet this our good God which neither slumbereth nor sleepeth though he be ascended to heauen yet he will defend vs on earth and hee will lift vs vp out of the mire if we put our trust in him hee will send vs comfort out of some other place Feare you not but stand still Exod. 14 13. and see the saluation of God which he will shew vnto you Secondly the resurrection of Christ is our hope but his ascention is our glorification Si ergo rectè si fideliter si deuotè ascentionem domini celebramus ascendere debemus cum illo and therefore if we doe rightly if we doe faithfully and deuoutly celebrate and make a right vse of the ascention of Christ then must wâ—e labour and striue to ascend with him That in heart and affection we should alwayes ascend to Heauen and if by reason of the infirmitie of our flesh we are so detained and kept backe that we cannot ascend as we would to be where he is yet let vs indeauour to follow after passibus amoris et affectu cordis with the best paces of loue and the most earnest desires of our hearts And indeede it is not the lifting vp of our eyes nor the holding vp of our hands that is the right ascending into Heauen for this may bee as it is many times meere hypocrisie euen as the witch of Endor lifted vp Samuell to deceiue Saule so doth this witch hypocrisie cause many a one to lift vp their hands and eyes to Heauen to deceiue the world and to make vs beleeue they are true Saints whereas in deede they be very Diuells but we must haue sursum corda our hearts lifted vp for this is that chieffest place of man which both God and the Diuell laboreth most of all to attaine Prouerb 23.26 for God saith Sonne giue mee thy heart and lift vp the same to Heauen and so the Diuell seekes but the heart if riches increase set your hearts vpon them and therefore the heart of man is called by Macarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Throne of God or els 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Throne of Satan for if we lift vp the same to God and set our affections on the things that are aboue then is our hearts the Throne of God but if our loue and affections bee on the things of this world then is our hearts the seat of the scornefull and the habitation of Diuells Psal 1.1 And therefore that we may the better learne how to ascend and to lift vp our hearts to God I will desire you to consider these three things first terminum secondly modum thirdly signum Three things to be considered touching our spirituall ascention vnto Heauen 1. The place from whence and vnto what we must ascend 2. By what meanes we shall raise vp our selues vnto God 3. The signe whereby wee may know whether wee haue ascended any way towards Heauen or not First the place from whence we must ascend is this world behold saith Christ I leaue the world and I goe to the Father so if we would goe to Christ we must leaue the world and neuer enuie at the prosperity of them quorum tectorum gloria attenditur labes autem animorum non attenditur whose outward glorie we doe see but whos inward miseries wee doe not see And the place where we must ascend is in altum vnto the Kingdome of Heauen where the eye hath not seene 1 Cor. 2.9 and the eare hath not heard the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Secondly the meanes how to raise our selues from this valley of miseries vnto the height of Heauen is by casting from vs all the things that may presse vs downe and assuming the things that may helpe vs vp And you knowe that whatsoeuer is heauie presseth downe Nothing is so heauie as sin and we know that there is nothing so heauie vpon the soule as sinne this is like a Talent of lead it makes the whole world to reele to and fro like a drunken man Atlas en ipse laborat and it was so heauie vpon Christ his shoulders Mat. 27.46 that in the Garden it made him to sweate the drops of blood and vpon the Crosse it made him to crie out my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and therefore if wee would ascend to Heauen then as Elias did throwe downe his mantle 2. Kings 2.13 and as the blinde man in the Gospell did cast offe his beggars cloake when hee would runne to Christ so must we cast offe the mantle of hypocrisie and disrobe our selues of all the beggarly ragges of sinne or els they will presse vs downe to Hell And as wee know sinne is that weight which keepes vs downe so we knowe wings are the best meanes to helpe vs vp and therefore Dauid prayes that hee had wings like a doue Psal 55.6 that hee might flie away and be at rest and Christ himselfe is said to haue fledde super pennas ventorum vpon the wings of the winde so must wee wee must get vs wings if wee will ascend to Heauen But what are those wings that will carrie vs thither Bern. in Ser. de asc they must not bee like Icarus his waxen wings the wings of pride and ambition but as Saint Bernard sayth they must bee What are the wings whereby we ascend to Heauen 1. Meditatio Consideration 2. Oratio Prayer for Meditatio quid desit docet oratio ne desit obtinet Meditation sheweth vs what wee want and prayer obtayneth whatsoeuer we want but we neuer knowe our estate because wee neuer consider in what estate wee are and wee haue not grace nor goodnesse because we aske not Saint Augustine saith these wings must be 1. The loue of God 2. The loue of our neighbours And it is not vnlikely that loue
Cantic quem pro nobis bibit nothing in the world makes Christ to be loued of vs more then that Cup which he hath drunke vp for vs. Quia amor amoris magnes durus est qui amorem non rependit Because loue is as a loadstone to draw loue againe and greater loue then this hath no man that a man should giue his life for his friends and therefore the remembrance of this cannot choose but cause vs to loue him againe Euripides in Alceste It is reported subeuntem fata mariti Alcesten that Alcestes was contented to vndergoe the destinies of her husband for when Apollo had obtained of the Fates to spare Admetus life if any one of his friends or kindred would willingly die for him and that all his friends refused the same his wife Alcestes redeemed his life with her owne death So was Pythias ready to die for Damon and Damon likewise for Pythias and so the Codri for the Athenians and the Curtij for the Romans did willingly giue themselues to die Sic fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit And surely these are arguments of great loue yet farre farre short of the loue of Christ For First these did it for them that loued them as much Lactant. institut l. 5. c. 18. and were as ready to doe as much for them againe but Christ did it for vs when we were his enemies Rom. 5.8 Secondly these owed so much vnto their friends and countrey for in that they were they were from these and whatsoeuer they had they had from them and therefore Cicero l. 1 offic Partem ortus nostri patria partem patres sibi vendicant Our Country our friends and our parents doe rightly challenge no small part of euery man saith Cicero and as Lucan saith Haec duri immota Catonis Lucan l. 2. secta fuit Nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo It was Cato's mind that he was not borne for himselfe but to doe what good he could to others but Christ oweth vs nothing he is a debter to no man for who hath first giuen vnto him Rom. 5 8. and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe And therefore seeing the loue of Christ to vs was so great as when we deserued no good at his hands but deserued so much euill as is due to mortall and perfidious enemies to suffer so many things for vs how can it choose but the remembrance therof should exceedingly kindle our loue towards him againe for who can behold and consider the grâ—â— price that was paid for his redemption and not loue his Redeemer or who can thinke of that bitter potion which he drunke for our saluation and not be inflamed with the loue of his Sauiour There be 3. things saith Mirandula that doe moue vs to loue any one First The vertues of the person Mirand de morte Christi li. 1. c. 17. Secondly The benefits that we haue receiued of him Thirdly The good that we doe expect from him But Christ is the vertue of God his Father the chiefest good and all goodnesse and although euery vertue doth challenge loue yet no vertue deserueth the same so much as liberality and what greater bounty or liberality can there be then this to shedde his precious bloud and to offer vp himselfe vpon the Altar of his Crosse to deliuer vs from eternall death and what greater good can be desired then that eternall happinesse which hee hath purchased for vs and which we doe expect from him And therefore who would not loue so good a Sauiour It is reported of Ignatius Bishop of Antioch that he did so continually meditate vpon those great things which Christ had done and suffered for him Jdem quo supra c. 10. that hee was thereby brought so intirely to loue him as when he was demanded why hee would not forsake and forget Christ rather then suffer himselfe to be torne and deuoured of wilde and sauage Beasts He answered That hee could not forget him because the sufferings of Christ were not onely words transient in his mouth or remoueable obiects before his eyes but they were indelible Characters so engrauen in his heart that all the torments of the Earth could neuer race them out And therefore being commanded by that bloudy Tyrant Traiane to be ript and vnbowelled they found Iesus Christ written vpon his heart in Characters of Gold Oh that it might be so with vs that wee would euer set the sufferings of Christ before our face and with Saint Paul desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified that so by the continuall consideration of Christ his great loue to vs we might be induced to loue him againe The meditation of Christs suffering supporteth our hope Thirdly As the continuall meditation of Christs suffering suppresseth sinne and kindleth our loue so it supporteth our hope for though I haue sinned grieuously and my conscience is much troubled yet it shall not be ouer-cha◠〈◊〉 despaire Quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor â—od ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini Bernard Ser. 61. in Cant. Becaus◠〈◊〉 will remember the wounds of my Lord Iesus and whatsoeuer is wanting in my selfe I will assume from the bowels of my Sauiour for when my wisedome faileth my righteousnesse sufficeth not my holinesse helpeth not the sufferings of Christ shall suffice for all This shall be my last refuge this shall be mine onely remedy saith Saint Bernard Idem Ser. 22. in Cant. And so Saint Paul after hee had shewed how doe he what he could he serued with his flesh many times the Law of sinne and therefore cryeth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death He saith I thanke God Rom. 7.24.25 through Christ our Lord As if hee should haue said Seeing I am so prone to sinne and so vnapt to goodnesse I haue none other refuge but onely to flie vnto the sufferings and merits of Iesus Christ and I know that is sufficient for me in stead of all for as Israel sucked honey out of the rocke and oyle out of the flint stone Deut. 32.13 so doe wee sucke all our comforts and refresh our selues with those streames of teares and bloud that gushed out of that stonie Rocke Iesus Christ And as the high hilles are a refuge for the wilde Goates Psal 104.18 and the stony Rockes for the Conies those poore silly fearefull Creatures that haue none other shift to saue their liues but to hide themselues in the holes of the Rockes so the poore silly simple soules of sinnefull men haue none other place to hide themselues in from the wrath of God Cantic 2.14 but onely with the Doue in the Canticles In foraminibus petrae In the clefts of this Rocke in the secret places of his stayres as some translate it that is in the wounds and stripes of Iesus Christ for
therefore the Holy Ghost descended on Christ like a Doue Matth. 3.16 to shew these Doue-like qualities of this Lambe of God and to teach that we must be thus qualified like Doues if we would haue this heauenly Doue this Holy Spirit of God to remaine within vs for on them that are otherwise this Doue hath not yet descended Fourthly like a mighty winde Fourthly He appeared like the rushng of a mighty winde for a true winde it was not saith Oecumenius but the Spirit of God Qui à spirando flando dicitur which from blowing or breathing is called spirit is said to appeare First Like the winde and that for these fiue reasons Iohn 9. â— First As the winde bloweth where it listeth so the graces and gifts of Gods Spirit are giuen to whomsoeuer it pleaseth him for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto winde Secondly As the winde scattereth the dust and driueth away the chaffe from the corne so the graces of Gods Spirit doth winnow the consciences of the Saints and driue away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Thirdly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine streame so will the grace of Gods Spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination for if Socrates by the sole helpe of morall instructions was able to bridle his loose disposition how much more shall those men bee restrained from all lewdnesse which are led by diuine inspiration Fourthly As the winde cooleth and recreateth all those that are scorched with the heate of the Sunne so doth the grace of Gods Spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sinnes Fiftly As the winde will passe vnresistably so will the grace of Gods Spirit worke it owne â—ffect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore Secondly It is said 1 Kings 10.11 that he appeared like the rushing of a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde in the first booke of Kings the 10. and the 11. did rend the mountaines and brake the rockes before the Lord so the grace of Gods Spirit and the Word of God is mighty in operation Why the Holy Ghost is compared to a mighty winde able to shake the stoutest and the proudest man and to breake in pieces the stoniest heart Indeed our people do esteeme our words none otherwise then winde which makes vs spend so much winde to little purpose to weary our selues and scarce to waken them but here let them know that the Spirit of God like Aeolus which shutteth vp the windes in his bagges can when he pleases let out the same in a mighty manner to amaze the consciences of the stoutest Peeres and either to driue away their sinnes Exod 10.19 Psal 1.5 as it droue away the Grashoppers and Locusts that ouerspread the land of Egypt or else to driue them away like the Chaffe from off the face of earth Fiftly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire First Like tongues for though the tongue Fiftly like clouen tongues of fire i. e. such a tongue as is set on fire from Hell as Saint Iames saith is many times the instrument of the Diuell to doe much mischiefe to blaspheme God and to abuse men yet Vt non debent oues odere pelles suas quia induunt eas lupi As the sheepe should not hate their skins because the Wolues doe many times put them on so ought none that is wise reiect that which is good because it is often abused by the bad therefore seeing as Pittacus saith the tongue as it is the worst member in a wicked man so it is one of the best members in a godly man Iames 5.6 Why the Holy Ghost appeared like tongues the Holy Ghost did appeare like tongues First Because as a Father saith Symbolum est lingua spiritus sancti à patris verbo procedentis The tongue is a symbole of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Word of the Father for as the tongue hath the greatest cognation and the neerest affinity with the Word and is moued by the Word of the heart to expresse the same by the sound of the voyce saith Saint Gregory Iohn 16.14 so the Holy Ghost hath the neerest affinity that may be with the word God and is the expressor of his voyce and the speaker of his will that receiueth of him and reueileth all vnto vs. Secondly Because as the tongues are the sole instruments of knowledge which conuayes the same from man to man for though the soule be the fountaine from whence all wisedome springeth yet the tongue is the channell and the conduite pipe whereby this wisedome this knowledge is communicated and transferred from man to man so the Holy Ghost is the sole Author and Teacher of all truth Christ is the wisedome of God but the Holy Ghost is the Teacher of this wisedome vnto men 1 Cor. 1.21 and it pleased him by this onely way to conuay this wisedome of God vnto men for seeing the world by their wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God through the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue those that beleeue Why he appeared like clouen tongues Secondly He appeared like clouen tongues because all tongues and all languages are alike knowne and vnderstood of God and because this Spirit can teach all men all languages and the gift of tongues is a gift of God Why he appeared like clouen tongues Thirdly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire they were ignitae non politae fiery tongues and not fine polished tongues because the Spirit of God delighteth rather in the zealous and the feruent tongues of Saint Paul and Apollos that warme the heart then in those eloquent tongues of Cicero and Demosthenes that delight the eares for this is the desire of Gods Spirit to kindle the hearts of men and to set them on fire with the loue of God and our brethren So when our Sauiour preached vnto the two Disciples that trauelled towards Emaus they said Did not our hearts burne within vs Luke 24. while hee talked with vs by the way This is the effect of the tongue of the Holy Ghost to worke zeale and feruency in the hearers And so you see the thing wherewith they were said to be filled that is the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. IIII. Of the filling of the Apostles with those gifts of the Holy Ghost and the signes of their fulnesse SEcondly They are said to be filled with these gifts and Dydimus saith that wee cannot be filled with any creature Quia deus solus implet creaturas Because nothing but God can replenish and satisfie his creatures Vnus pellaeo Iuueni non sufficit orbis The whole world is not able to content vs so large
and in euery corner of our Soules he lurketh and lyeth vpon a bed of fornication suggesting falsehood into our hearts lightnesse into our heads adulteries into our eies oathes into our mouths intemperancies into our whole bodies The first suggestions of Satan are sinnes And although this suggestion is from Satan yet is it a transgression in vs Inest enim peccatum cum suggeritur regnat cum delectaris primum peccatum cogitasse quae mala sunt for sinne entreth when it is suggested it raigneth when thou consentest and art delighted with it because the first sinne is to haue any thoughts of sinne saith Saint Hierome Hierome lib. 1. in Amos. and therefore we should labour and striue what lyeth in vs to preuent the comming of the Deuill to suggest any sinne vnto vs and this we may doe if wee looke vpon him before he comes vnto vs and if wee shut him out when hee comes vnto vs. Hee that would see the deuill comming How we may auoyde the suggestions of Satan must behold him before he comes too neere for as in the optikes if a man would perfectly see the perfection of any picture hee must stand a pretty distance from it so in the aspects of Satan if a man would throghly perceiue the deceitfulnesse and the vglinesse of his shadowes 1. By beholding his vgglinesse in others and the filthinesse of his forme hee must looke vpon him before he comes to neere him and this is the reason why many doe not detest him because they neuer looked on him before he imbraced them for as our eyes being too neere any obiect the beames of our sight will be confounded so-Satan hauing closed with vs he darkeneth the eyes of our vnderstanding that we cannot see him as he is And therefore it would be well for vs if we could bee induced to behold his pride his drunkennesse his oathes his auarice and all his foule deformities in other men that this might make vs to detest him and shunne him before he comes into our selues for Faelix quem saciunt aliena pericula cautum euery schoole-boy learnt it let vs all learne to practise it behold the vglinesse of Satan in his sinners before he comes into our Soules and Secondly When wee haue beheld him 2. By the continuall following of our vocation let vs not stand still while hee comes vnto vs but let vs quickely runne vnto the workes of our vocations before he can fasten on vs any of his suggestions For as a bird sitting still vpon the pearch when shee seeth the fowler may bee easily catched but if shee soone flies she is safe enough from all danger so a man giuing himselfe to idlenesse is soone tempted to wickednesse Idlenesse is a great furtherance to wickednesse Quaeritur Aegistus quare sit factus adulter in promptu causa est desidiosus erat How apt our flesh is to committe sinne but if he giues himselfe to reading praying or any other worke of his vocation he shall be the freer from the deuills suggestion and therefore Saint Hierome exhorteth his friend Rusticus to be neuer idle but alwayes busied about some good worke or other vt quando diabolus veniret inueniret occupatum that whensoeuer the deuill should come he should finde him working in Gods vineyard Secondly When Satan by his wicked suggestions hath emised the seed of sinne into our hearts like a father then our corrupted flesh by wicked thoughts and imaginations receaueth and conceaueth sinne as a mother and it is as fruitfull of all manner of sinne as Diodorus Siculus reporteth the Egyptian Ilands to bee of vermines and therefore as the wise man sayth cum omni diligentia obserua cor tuum Prouer. 4.22 Looke not onely to thy hands and to thy feete to thy words and to thy workes though these also should be carefully looked vnto but especially aboue all things looke to the thoughts and inward affections of thy heart How wicked thoughts will bring foorth wicked works for as the wood is so the fire will be vnsauory wood will make vnholesome fire but sweete Frankincense or drie Iuniper will yeeld a pleasant perfume so wicked thoughts and affections will bring foorth Ieude words and wicked actions Matth. 12.34 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Aug de trinit lib. 12. And therefore Saint Augustine sayth that our hearts should be very wary neuer to be delighted with any sinne suggested by Satan Nam cum sola cogitatione mens delectatur illicitis for when the minde in the thoughts and cogitations onely That the least titillation of the minde with sinne is sinne is delighted with vnlawfull things though it purposeth not to doe them but doth as it were thinke of them and is tickled with them that litle delight it conceaues of those thougths Non negandum esse peccatum etsi longe minus quam si opere statuatur implendum It cannot be denied but it is a sinne though not neere so great as when we purpose to bring the said cogitations into actions and therefore saith he Statim vt attigerunt animum respui debent assoone as euer such thoughts of euill do inuade or touch our mindes we should presently smother them and cast them off and then De talibus quoque cogitationibus venia petenda est pectusque percutiendum atque dicendum Dimitte nobis debita nostra We should craue pardon of God for such wandering thoughts and striking our breasts say O Lord forgiue vs our sinnes for who can tell how oft he offendeth Thirdly When Satan like the serpent hath perswaded and the concupiscence of our flesh like Eua is delighted when she sees the fruite faire vnto the eye and the sinne pleasant vnto the taste Genesis 3. How the flesh laboureth to draw our mindes to yeeld consent to sinne Rom. 7.17 Gregor mar 16. then they draw in Reason like Adam to giue consent and so to finish all and perpetrate the sinne and this agrauates the sinne and makes vs voide of any excuse for whereas before when the flesh was onely delighted but the spirit was not consenting a man might say It is not I that doe it but the flesh that is ioyned with me and so if reason had refused when the flesh was delighted a man might in some sort be excused quia peccata non nocent si non placent Because sinnes shall not hurt our soules if our soules doe not delight in sinnes and that man haud est nocens Seneca in Her oet quicunque non sponte est nocens is scarcely guilty that is not willing to offend saith Seneca and therefore recipe iam sensus hera quid te ipsa lacerans omnium aspectum fugis mens impudicam facere non casus solet those that are violently haled to sinne Idem in hippol Act 3. like Lucretia that was rauished against her wil need not so much vexe themselues with griefe and
now I come to restore it to make him ashamed to confesse his sinnes And surely thus hee deales with vs all hee makes vs shamelesse to commit all sinnes euen with Absolon in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 and in the sight of the Sunne but he makes vs ashamed to confesse any sinne But if wee feare this punishment of sinne all miseries in this life death shortning life and eternall torments after death and would bee deliuered from it then let vs not make the Ministers afrayde to reproue our sinnes nor be our selues ashamed to confesse our sinnes for as the first degree of righteousnesse is not to sinne so the second is to acknowledge and forsake our sinnes If we had not sinned we had not died and if we doe acknowledge and forsake them we shall receiue no dammage by death but if we continue in sinne we shall die and we shall iustly die for the reward of sinne is death And so I come to the third part which is the equitie of this reward because death is the wages of sinne PART III. The equity of this payment Death is the stipend of Sinne. Part. 3. CHAP. I. How iust a thing it is to punish Sinne. The reward of Sinne is Death YOu haue heard of a world of miseries that are inflicted on man for sinne here in this life you haue heard of eternall death and intollerable torments for euer and euer that shall be inflicted on sinfull soules in the future life and now it resteth that I should shew the equity of this punishment how iust it is with God to render all this on man for sinne and therefore that I may the more fully cleere this point Three points to be considered to shew the equity of the punishment of sinne I must desire you to consider these three especiall things 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish it 3. That this punishment which God imposeth and inflicteth for sinne is most right and iust First there is nothing in the world Cicero de nat deorum l. 1. saith Cicero more agreeable to reason then that true and honest labour should bee commended and rewarded and the vices of men should be seuerely punished according to their iust desert for it is vnpossible saith he that either house or Common-wealth should stand Si in ea nec rectè factis proemia extant vlla Idem l. 3 de nat deor nec supplicia peccatis if there be not in the same both rewards for good deeds and punishments for sinnes and therefore Solon being demanded what was most profitable for the well-fare of a Common-wealth said Si boni proemijs innitantur mali paenis coercentur Stobaeus ser 41. to defend and reward the good and to restraine and punish the bad and M. Cato saith that there is nothing more pernicious vnto any state Plutarch in Apoth Quam si improborum mores paena non coerceantur then to suffer wicked men to goe away vnpunished and therefore he would haue those Magistrates that did not punish the impieties of the wicked and dissolute fellowes Non tantum non ferendos The Law of Nature teacheth that sinne should be punished sed lapidihus obruendos not onely not to be suffered but to be stoned with stones to death and so the Lawes of all Nations doe prouide that good and vertuous deeds should be rewarded and euill deeds should be punished for wee finde it very true by experience that impunitas delicti inuitat homines ad malignandum To forbeare the punishment of sinne doth increase the number of sinners Prou. 17 15. because punishment is deferred the hearts of the children of men are euen set to doe euill and therefore God himselfe doth say that whosoeuer iustifieth the wicked is a like culpable before him as if he had condemned the innocent and Saint Ambrose tels vs plainely that it is sometimes miserecordia punire crudelitas parcere a pious work to punish and a cruelty for to spare for this doth not onely incourage sinners to goe on from one wickednesse to another but it is an ill patterne and a great prouokement to draw others to doe the like and therefore wee may well conclude this first point that it is a most iust thing to punish sinnes and offences CHAP. II. How God is the iustest Iudge to punish Sinne. SEcondly that God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sin it appereth by these 3. reasons God loueth righteousnesse Psal 45.7.8 Heb. ◠9 First because he loueth righteousnesse For it is the propertie of a iust Iudge not onely to iudge righteously to iustifie the innocent and to punish the offenders but also to loue righteousnesse and to hate iniquitie but of God the Prophet saith Psal 5.5 Thy throne O God is for euer and euer thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe thou hatest all those that worke vanitie Secondly because he iudgeth without any respect of persons God is no respecter of persons for this is one of the chiefest properties of a righteous Iudge to iudge according to the equitie of the cause and according to the quality of the person and therefore Iethro Iehosophat Exod. 18.21 and others doe make this not respecting of persons 2 Chron 19 7. to be one of the essentiall properties of a righteous Iudge Prou 24.23 1 Sam. 6.7 Act. 10 33. Gal. 1.6 Psal 50.10 Psal 149 8. Deut. 26.7 but with God there is no respect of persons for he will not be corrupted with the reward of the rich for all the beasts of the Forrest are his and so are all the cattell vpon a thousand hills he will not be terrified for feare of the mighty for he will binde Kings in fetters and Nobles in linkes of iron neither is he angred or molested with the incessant complaynings of the poore but he will heare their cry Psal 145.19 and will helpe them Psal 145.19 Indeed with men it is a common practise With men we finde Iustice often peruerted to haue our lawes like a spiders webbe wherein the little flies are catcht and the great buzzing bumble bees doe easily passe through and therefore it is truely said of mans Law That Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas It spares the rich but spoiles the poore But Gods law is rete Vulcanium like Vulcans iron net That God is most iust which apprehends and condemnes all alike for if the greatest men hurt the poorest and those poore men cry vnto me saith the Lord I will heare them that is to helpe the oppressed and to punish the wrong doer and therefore Moses saith of him Deut. 10.17 that he is a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no person nor taketh reward but
and that indeede we were preserued to that end that we might serue him as Zacharias telles vs That wee were deliuered from our enemies that wee might serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Wee ought to endeauour what lyeth in vs to serue this Lord and we should the more ioyfully doe it because as Philo saith Philo in l. de Regno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To serue the Lord is not onely better then liberty but also more excellent then all Soueraignty And Hugo de prato setteth downe three especiall reasons to perswade all men to serue the Lord. Hugo de prato ser 6. de temp 1. Because we owe our seruice vnto God 2. That we may obtaine a good reward from God 3. That we may escape the punishment of them that neglect to serue God for Three speciall reasons to perswade vs to serue God First The Lord hath made vs redeemed vs preserued vs inriched vs with all that we haue and therefore What reward shal we render vnto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done vnto vs vnlesse we will be contented to take the Cuppe of saluation and to call vpon the name of the Lord and so dedicate our selues wholly to the praysing and glorifying of his name Secondly if we will serue him we shall be sure to haue in this life his grace to guide vs his Angels to guard vs his holy Spirit to comfort vs and whatsoeuer he knoweth to be needfull for vs and in the life to come wee shall haue eternall happinesse wee shall haue the Crowne of euerlasting glory Thirdly if we will not serue him but say Nolumus hunc regnare super nos We will not haue him to be our Lord and Master but wee will serue our selues and the lusts of our owne flesh then you must know what he will say to such Those mine enemies that would not serue me bring them hither and slay them before me nay if you will despise my Statutes and abhorre my iudgements so that you will not doe all my Commandements I also will doe this vnto you I will euen appoint ouer you terror consumption and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and you shall sow your seede in vaine Leuit. 26.15.16.17 and I will set my face against you hee manes here in this life and at the last dreadfull day they shall be bound hand and foote and cast into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euermore There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And therefore to discharge our duty to attaine vnto eternall felicitie and to escape this endlesse miserie let vs serue the Lord with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence And blessed are all they that serue him Psal 2.11 And so much for the first Part What God is or of the Essence of God PART II. Of the Nature of God Part. 2. or what manner of God he is CHAP. I. Of the power of God and how many sorts of Aduersaries there be which doe oppose the Truth of this Doctrine of the power of God YOu haue heard what God is IEHOVA that is an Eternall being in himselfe and a giuer of being vnto all the things that doe subsist and now we are diligently to consider The nature of God or what manner of God he is for I find that God doth here expresse himselfe vnto Moses by three especiall attributes 1. His Power to make vs beleeue in him 2. His Goodnesse to make vs loue him 3. His Iustice to make vs feare him 3. excellent points to bee throughly knowne to be euer learnt neuer to be forgotten for The first attribute of God i. e. His Power First the Doctrine of Gods Power is the very Anchor of our Faith and the foundation of all Christian Religion for hence proceede all Heresies because the Heretickes know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God and hence proceeds all Faith because we beleeue with the blessed Virgin Stella in Luc. c. 1. p. 36. b Quia potens est that God is able to doe all these things which Reason is not able to comprehend and therefore here immediately after Iehoua he addeth E L Jeron tom 3. p. 95. in ep ad Marell which the Septuagint turned and translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GOD and Aquila searching into the Etymologie of the word interprets it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Strong saith Saint Hierome and so Zanchius euery where Tremelius and some other Latine versions and the old English Translation reads it strong How needfull is the Doctrine of the Power of God Psal 62.11 and so in Lege credendi in the Symbole of our Beliefe as soone as euer he sheweth himselfe to be he sheweth himselfe to be Almighty and so the Prophet Dauid saith God spake once and twice I haue also heard the same that Power belongeth vnto God And surely this Doctrine of GODS Power is so vsefull for all Christians and so necessary for the vnderstandâ—ng of the Scriptures that among all the Attributes of God this deserueth first to be discussed because there is almost no page of Scripture Zanch. de nat Dei l. 3. c. 1. wherein there is not some mention made of the Power of God and the ignorance or not rightly vnderstanding of this Truth is the cause of so many Infidels and Heretickes in the world and therefore I must craue leaue to insist a little vpon this point of Doctrine of the Power of God And for Method sake I will diuide my whole discourse of this point into these foure heads 1 I will set downe the number Foure points handled touching the Power of God and the qualitie of the Aduersaries of this Truth 2 I will explaine this point and shew wherein and how farre this Power of God extendeth 3 I will sufficiently confirme the truth hereof and answere to whatsoeuer is or can be said against it 4 I will briefly shew the vsefull application of the whole Doctrine For the first the Aduersaries of this Truth which doe either exceedingly erre or be mightily deceiued are almost infinite but I may reduce the chiefest of them into these foure sorts whereof two by impayring and denying his Power doe vnto him the greatest wrong that is Foure sorts of men doe erre about the Truth of this Doctrine of the Power of God 1. The Infidels that will not beleeue in him 2. The desperate men that will not hope in him Because they thinke he cannot do those things which in very deed are most facile and easie for him to doe And the other two by mis-vnderstanding the extent of his Power doe not shew much lesse indignitie vnto God then the former and they are 1. The Vbiquitaries of Germany 2. The Pontificials of Rome Which say hee can doe those things which indeed are agreeable neither to the Power nor to the Truth of
teach vs Psal 103.1 35.10 that all parts of man at all times of the yeere are to be imployed in Gods seruice but also to shew vnto vs that wee are not onely to abstaine from euill 1 Cor. 15.58 but also to doe good because not onely the riotous and wastfull Steward that imbezelled his Masters goods but also the idle and thriftlesse seruant that did no good with his Masters goods shall be bound hand and foote and be cast cut into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And so we reade of Diues that he is tormented in flaming fire Non quia tulit aliena sed quia non dedit propria Not because he did euill to any but because hee did not good to poore Lazarus Luke 18 11. And therefore we should all striue not onely with the Pharisee to be truly able to say that we thanke God we are not Adulterers Swearers Extortioners Drunkards Raylers Lyars or such like but also as Saint Peter bids vs to adde vnto our Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 Vertue and to our Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and to Brotherly kindnesse Charity and so to goe on from one grace vnto another vntill at last we doe attaine vnto the perfection of goodnesse for assuredly to doe good will be our chiefest comfort Rom. 2.7 in life in death and after death for glory and honour and peace shall be to euery one that doth good and God himselfe will say vnto him Euge serue bone Well done thou good and faithfull seruant Math. 25.23 enter thou into thy Masters ioy Fiftly we should loue the Truth and say the Truth euery man vnto his Neighbour yea and so accustome our selues to Truth Vt mentiri lingua prorsus ignoret 5. To accustome our selues to say the Truth That our tonguâ—s should not know how to lye for as God is Truth so Truth makes vs the Children of God And therefore Pythagoras being demanded wherein men become likest vnto God answered Cum veritatem exercent Stobaeus Ser. 11. When they accustome themselues to say Truth I doe not know two more excellent things Zach. 8. Veritatem pacem diligite and more comfortable for the life of man while hee liues here in this World then Peace and Truth Peace to free vs from all euill and Truth to preserue vs in all good And yet I feare me we may now take vp the Prophet Esayes complaint that Truth is fallen in the streete yea and as Ieremy saith Is perished and cleane gone Esay 59.4.14 Jerem. 7.18 for though as Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is a simple speech that requires neither welt nor guard yet now we doe so cunningly and craftily adorne lyes That there is a great want of practising to say the Truth amongst vs. and falshoods that we make them passe currantly for Truth and he that cannot dissemble and deceiue his Neighbour is accounted but a foole that cannot liue in the World So that now it is growen into a common speech to say We know not whom we may trust and we doe verifie that ancient saying Multis annis iam peractis Nulla fides est in factis Mel in ore verba lactis Fel in corde fraus in factis Many yeeres past and gone Faith in deeds there is none Hony in mouth words sweete Gall in heart deceit in deede But if we will haue any part in this God of Truth we must neither vse to speake a lye nor to conceale the Truth for Qui veritatem occultat qui mendacium prodit vterque reus est ille quia prodesse non vult iste quia nocere desiderat Aug. in l. de Agon christiano He that conceales a Truth and he that inuenteth lyes are both alike culpable in the sight of God the one because hee will not doe good the other because hee desireth to doe euill And though Veritas odium parit The Preachers of Truth shall finde little grace with men as Saint Ambrose saith yet must we not hide the Truth for any feare nor yet speake a falshood for any gaine but in all things we must hold fast the Truth Heraclid in sua hist Theat Zwing if we will be like vnto this God of Truth It is reported of one Idor an Abbat that for three things he was most excellent First that he neuer lyed at any time Secondly that he neuer spake euill of any man Thirdly that hee neuer spake any thing without great necessitie I onely wish we were all like him herein 6. To abound in the workes of mercy Sixthly we should reserue mercy for thousands that is to abound in the workes of mercy and compassion and that towards all men either in action or affection for where effecting meanes are wanting God neuer reiects a charitable meaning whereas the doing of good without good will or a large giuing with small charitie proues to be of no validity because he giues but externally some things without himselfe and not internally De semetipso From his heart And thus our mercy should extend it selfe to thousands because wee haue alwayes those before our eyes that haue neede of mercy and that in a double respect The outward workes of mercy are principally sixe 1. Of a corporall necessitie 2. Of a spirituall miserie The Schooles auouch the first to consist chiefly in sixe points 1. Visiting the sicke 2. Feeding the hungry 3. Clothing the naked 4. Redeeming the Captiue 5. Intertayning the Stranger 6. Burying of the Dead And for the second I see not lesse formes of pitty then there be deeds of Charity or acts of iniquity In the first respect the rich may be mercifull and shew pitty vnto the poore and in the second respect the rich may be pittied by the poorest men in the World because none are more lamentable then those that are poore and naked and destitute of the true spirituall riches And therefore in both respects we ought euer to shew mercy and compassion vnto our distressed Brethren Now in mercy there are two speciall acts Sinners are the men that are chiefly to be pittied 1. To see their miseries 2. To helpe their infirmities 1. To see with our eyes and then to helpe with our hands or at least to pitty with our hearts Diues saw Lazarus full of sores and we see men now full of sinnes and yet he did not pitty him nor these will not be helped by vs for if either by reprehension or instruction or by the mildest manner of aduising them yea or by most humbly requesting the Spirituall Lords That it is dangerous to seeke to redresse the dangerous estate of great men and temporall Potentates of this age to looke into their miserable estate wee would seeme to pitty them or make any attempt to helpe them they would make vs all to be
keepe my saying my Father will loue him and wee will come vnto him and make our abode with him but to abide with vs doth not signifie to remaine without vs but to dwell within vs as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 3.16 17. when hee prayeth that the Saints might bee strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man and that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith That to bee with God and to be in God is the same Thirdly He proueth that to be with God and to bee in God is aequiualent and the very same in many things for Moses sayth God is faithfull in whom there is no iniquitie and Dauid sayth the Lord is righteous and there is no iniquitie in him and yet Saint Paul sayth numquid iniquitas apud Deum is their iniquitie with God God forbid and Saint Iames sayth with whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning i. e. in whom there is no mutabilitie and therefore as the Euangelist sayth eere The Word was with GOD so our Sauiour sayth else-where Iohn 10.38 I am in the Father and the Father is in mee And therefore it appeareth plainely that Christ is not with God as one man is with another as Saint Paul sayth that hee remained with Saint Peter fifteene dayes for so to be with one is to be without him as a guest by the affection of charitie and not to be substantially in him as the same by the law of equity but Christ is with God as the word is within the minde or the councell is within the heart or life it selfe within the soule so that as the soule cannot bee without life no more can God bee without this Word And therefore also wee must obserue a great difference That we are not in God as Christ is in God betwixt our being with God and in God and Christ his being with God and in God for when it is spoken of vs our naturall vnion with God is no wayes meant but either the power of the Creator or the pietie of the redeemer is alwayes vnderstood and therefore it is sayd that hee gaue vs power to be the sonnes of God but this Word is not made but naturally and eternally begotten the Sonne of God and therefore though we be called sonnes and hee called Sonne wee called Gods and he called God we sayd to be begotten and hee sayd to bee begotten yet heerein is the difference that hee is so naturally and essentially we so called by grace whereby it is giuen vnto vs to be made the sonnes of God And so much for the co-essentialitie of the Word with his Father CHAP. V. Of the co-equalitie of the Word with his Father and the chiefest obiections made against the same most cleerely and sufficiently answered THirdly You haue seene that this Word is co-eternall and co-essentiall with his Father it followeth that I should speake of his co-equalitie with his Father and this poynt is as cleere as the former because in an essence most simple there cannot be so much as imagined more or lesse and therefore Fulgentius sayth most excellently that seeing Christ is from euerlasting Baruch 3.25 because he is the eternall Wisedome and power of God seeing he is immeasurable because hee is great and hath no end and seeing he is most highest as Zacharias sheweth in his speech of Iohn the Baptist Luke 1.76 that hee should bee called the Prophet of the most Highest that is of Christ he must needs be in all respects equall vnto his Father Nam quid anterius sempiterno quid maius immenso quid superius altissimo For what can be before him that hath beene before all things what can bee greater then that which is immeasurable or what can be higher then that which is highest and so Saint Iohn sayth that the Iewes sought the rather to kill him Iohn 5 1â— because hee did not onely breake the Sabboth but also sayd that God was his Father making himselfe equall to God But the Arrians doe obiect that Christ did not teach himselfe Ob. 1 to bee equall with his Father but that the Iewes mistooke him and thought he did so I answere that this is false for as Saint Cyrill Sol. That the Iewes rightly vnderstood that Christ taught that he was aequall with God Saint Chrysostome Saint Augustine and others doe affirme the Iewes did rightly vnderstand our Sauiour and the Euangelist sheweth as much for if they had either mis-conceiued his meaning or mis-construed his words then surely either Christ or the Euangelist would haue giuen vs some notice thereof that so we might not erre after them especially in so great a matter for so we finde that when the Capernaits vnderstood his words of an Orall eating of his flesh our Sauiour perceiuing their error how they mis-vnderstood his words John 6.62 sayd presently the flesh profiteth nothing and that the words which hee spake were Spirit and Life and so when he sayd John 2.20 Destroy this Temple and I will build it vp againe in three dayes and the Iewes thought that he spake it of their stately Materiall temple v. 21. that was forty sixe yeeres a building the Euangelist presently tells vs that hee spake it of the temple of his Body but neither Christ nor the Euangelist doe here giue vs the least intimation of their mistaking of his meaning but doe rather approue their right apprehension of our Sauiours words and therefore it must needs follow that Christ taught himselfe to be aequall vnto his Father Ob. 2 Secondly They doe obiect that Christ himselfe sayth my Father is greater then I Iohn 14.20 and therefore Christ is not aequall vnto his Father Sol. Basil l. 1. in Eunomium Nazian orat 4. de Theol. Hilar. l. 9. de trinit To this Saint Basill answereth that the Father is greater then the Sonne ratione principij in respect of his beginning for that there is noted a certain kind of authoritie or maioritie in the Father because hee is the beginning of the sonne and doth communicate his whole essence vnto the sonne which the sonne doth not vnto the Father that is that the Father is the beginning of the person of the sonne but not of the essence of the sonne as I sayd before Others would haue the Father to be greater then the sonne ratione nominis onely in respect of the name because the name of a Father seemeth to be greater then the name of a Sonne How the Father is greater then Christ But Athanasius in my iudgement answereth best that Christ is aequall to the Father as touching his Godhead but inferiour to the Father as touching his manhood for Christ sayth I goe to the Father Iohn 4.28 because the Father is greater then I and therefore he is inferiour to the Father in respect of that nature wherin he goeth to the Father but hee cannot bee sayd to goe to the Father as he is
all heauens we must learne the way of him if wee would ascend to heauen for hee came downe from heauen and he is gone vp into heauen and now he sitteth in heauen vpon the right hand of God CHAP. II. That Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is hee that is meant by the Prophet Dauid and Saint Paul to haue ascended vpon high Quest BVt who is he of whom it is written that hee ascended vp on high for many ascend as you heare but which is he that is here meant I confesse the 68. Psalme Resp Psalme 68. wherein these words are first written is literally to be vnderstood not of any triumph for the slaughter of the hoste of Senacherib which was done in the time of King Hezekias as the Iewes doe most fabulously dreame when the very Title of this Psalme that ascribeth it vnto Dauid doth sufficiently confute this vanity nor yet for any of the victories of Dauid which he obtained against his bordering enemies the Ammonites Literally these words were spoken of the Arke of the Couenant the Moabites the Idumeans and the Philistines as some would haue it but of that great and glorious pompe which was then done and shewed when King Dauid with great ioy and triumph did bring the Arke of the Couenant into the hill of Sion and therefore these words thou art gone vpon high Mollerus in Psalme 68. doe signifie that the Arke which formerly had layne in an obscure place was transported from one place to another was now ascended and seated in a most illustrious and conspicuous place euen in the Kingly pallace and these words thou hast led captiuitie captiue to signifie those enemies which formerly had spoiled and wasted diuers Countreyes but now being vanquished by King Dauid were led captiue in this triumph for so it was the manner of those times as Plutarch doth excellently declare in the life of Paulus Aemilius and the other words thou hast receiued gifts for men Plutarch in vita Pauli Aemilij doe signifie those spoyles that were freely offered for conditions of peace and were triumphantly carried about in this pompous showe for the greater solemnitie of the same and then as the manner was among the chiefftaines when they triumphed Bellica laudatis dona dedisse viris to bestow warlike gifts vpon worthie men were bestowed on seuerall men in seuerall manner as Sigonius sheweth Sigon l. 2. de antiquo iure pro. Yet I say that mystically this Psalme is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a tryumphall song penned by King Dauid vpon the foresight of Iesus Christ arising from the dead and with great ioy and triumph ascending vp into Heauen Mystically these words were first spoken of Christ ascending vp into Heauen and thence sending his holy spirit vnto his Apostles and Disciples and hauing ouercome all his enimies collecting by the ministerie of his Preachers his Church and chosen seruants together and so guiding and defending them heere in this life vntill he doth receaue them into eternall glorie for so the authoritie of Saint Paul interpreting them and all other Diuines with one consent doth compell vs to vnderstand them and to know that that pompous shew and tryumph of King Dauid was but the praeludium and type of this triumph of our Sauiour Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh in this place and it was an vsuall thing for the Prophet Dauid in all his chiefest and most glorious acts so to behold the Proto-type that is the Messias whose type he knew he was and so to accommodate all his actions vnto what the Messias should doe that all men might perceiue these things to be done not through any humane inuention All the chiefest acts of Dauid were types of Christ but as he was moued and guided by the inward inspiration of Gods spirit and that for the instruction and edification of the whole Church when by these outward perspicuous acts of Dauid as by certaine visible lectures all men might see and reade those things that should be done by Iesus Christ And therfore I say that the person prophesied of by King Dauid and here spoken of by Saint Paul to haue ascended vp on high is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hauing vanquished and ouercome sinne death Hell and all our enemies did most gloriously ascend vp to Heauen in the presence of all his Apostles and Disciples and thence sent the holy Ghost to replenish and fill their hearts with all spirituall gifts and graces and this will more fully appeare vnto vs out of the second point which is the action or the motion of this person set downe in the word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high CHAP. II. A fuller declaration of the person ascending and of the time place and manner of his ascention Saint Paul collecteth two things out of the word he ascended YOV haue heard of the person ascending who he is Iesus Christ we are now to consider of his ascention out of this word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high but first we must obserue that our Apostle out of this Word he ascended doth collect both the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ First the humiliation of Christ First his humiliation in the 9. v for that he saith he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth wherein the Apostle would haue Dauid when hee forespake of the glorification and the ascention of Christ into Heauen to haue foreseene his humiliation and descention from Heauen to bee incarnate and made man Secondly the exaltation of Christ Secondly his exaltation in the tenth verse hee that descended is the same also that ascended farre aboue all heauens for these two verses are read by a parenthesis and are added by the Apostle for the fuller explication of those hidden mysteries that are included in the word he ascended First touching the descention the Apostle setteth downe two things 1. The descent it selfe that he descended 2. The extent of his descent into the lower parts of the earth The first sheweth vs that hee was first in Heauen Christ first descended i. e. was incarnate before he could ascend i. e. according to his God-head or else he could neuer haue descended out of Heauen and that he descended to be incarnate and mâ—de man before the man Christ could ascend vp into Heauen and therefore the Prophet Dauid fore-seeing the ascention of the man Christ must needs foresee the humiliation of the Sonne of God to be made man The second is a point more controuerted for first some doe expound the lower parts of the earth to signifie his mothers wombe because the descent of the Sonne of God is nothing else but his incarnation and that was done in his mothers wombe and because the Prophet Dauid vseth the like saying of himself I was formed beneath in the earth i. e. in my mothers wombe In inferioribus terra secondly
should carry vs vp vnto God because God is loue and loue brought downe God vnto men Huc me syderio descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vulnere fixit amor And therefore no maruell that loue should carry vs vp into Heauen Aug. in Psal 83. p. 376. d. 1. wherefore Saint Augustine sayth that by loue we doe either ascend to Heauen or descend to Hell quia amando Deum ascendis in Coelum amando seculum descendis vsque ad abyssum because by louing God wee ascend to Heauen and by louing the world we descend downe to Hell Saint Gregory saith these wings are 1. The contempt of worldly things 2. The desire of heauenly things And this may well stand with Saint Augustines saying because as the same Saint Gregorie saith tanto ab inferioribus disiungimur quanto superioribus delectamur by how much the more earnestly we loue heauenly things by so much we are ascended and sequestred from earthly things And therefore if you would ascend 1. Iohn 2.15 Colos 3.2 then loue not the world nor the things of this world but set your affections on those things that are aboue and because our life is iust like a clocke that vnlesse his waight be alwayes wynded vp will soone stand therefore wee must be euer winding vp our affections and weaning them from these worldly things and with Noahs doue neuer suffer the soales of our feete to rest vntill our hearts and soules returne to him that gaue them vs. Thirdly for the signes whereby wee may know whether we haue ascended or doe ascend towards Heauen or not I might shew you many How we may know whether our hearts ascendeth to Heauen or not but now take this for all if things aboue our heads shew greater vnto vs then they did before and things beneath vs lesser that is an apparant argument that we ascend and grow higher and higher for so Saint Gregorie saith if a man were aloft in the cloudes it would appeare vnto him quam abiecta sunt quae iam alta videntur how base are the things of this earth which to a man on earth doe seeme so great for then hee should see mountaines no bigger then Mole-hills and the Sunne which before while hee was on earth did seeme but instar pilae pedalis like a footeball hee should now finde it to be a great and immens glorious body all bodies aboue him would seeme greater and all below him would seeme lesser euen so if our hearts and affections be ascended vp to Heauen then surely the things of this world doe seeme vnto vs but as they are indeede damnum stercora Dung and drosse Phil. 3.8 or as nothing and worth nothing as Nazianzen saith and the things of Heauen are the onely desires of our hearts and the delights of our soules but if folia venti lilia agri the vanities and the pleasures of this world the Titles of Honour and the confluence of wealth be the desires and delights of our hearts then certainely wee are fast bound in misery and iron wee are fastened and fettered here on earth and it may bee with Golden chaynes but fast inough from ascending vp to Heauen I will not iudge of any by this rule you may all iudge your selues if you doe highly esteeme of the preaching and Preachers of Gods Word If you make much of them that feare the Lord and loue good men and a good conscience and make none account of this world nor of the things of this world then is your heart ascended vp to Heauen but if not Nudus humi iaces Thou lyest poore and miserable fettered here in earth a flaue and captiue of the Deuill and hast neede to cry and call for Christ to lead captiuitie captiue which is the second part of my Text. And so much for the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. Of the victory and triumph of Christ ouer our enemies of our deliuerance from them and of our restoring into the seruice of God againe SEcondly Touching the victory and triumph of Christ set downe in these words Thou hast led captiuity captiue we must vnderstand that this is taken two wayes 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely And I say first Passiuely because our enemies must be vanquished before we can be deliuered and therefore How Christ ouercame death Hell sinne and Satan First This phrase may be taken Passiuely for the World Death and Hell and all other enemies of Mankinde which Christ hath conquered and led captiue that they should not raigne and rule ouer his seruants any more And thus Saint Augustine doth expound it saying Quid est captiuauit captiuitatem vicit mortem mortem procurauit diabolus ipse diabolus de morte Christi est captiuatus What is he led captiuity captiue but he ouercame death for the Diuell had procured death for sinne and now the Diuell himselfe is captiuated by the death of Christ For as Victors were wont to doe to leade in triumph those Tyrants that opprest their subiects or those enemies that they had vanquished being fast bound with chaines with their heads and feet bare for their greater shame and reproach so the Psalmist alludeth vnto the same when he saith Coloss 2.15 Thou hast led captiuity captiue and the Apostle doth more cleerely expresse it when hee saith that Christ hauing spoyled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly tryumphing ouer them in it Quest But here it may be demaunded how are they captiuated when as the Diuell compasseth the earth like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure And so doth the world still oppresse vs 1 Pet. 5.8 our flesh lusteth against the spirit and Death still raigneth ouer vs all I answere that Christ hath destroyed their Power Resp hee hath taken away their strength and hee hath quite subuerted the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and taken away the sting of death and yet they compasse about not as hauing any power ouer vs but as a Lyon tyed will teare vs in pieces if he can catch vs within his clawes so will sinne and Satan if wee yeeld vnto them for though Christ ouercame all our enemies yet hee hath not quite taken them out of our wayes but left them as it were aliue though bound that we might still beware to come within their reach if we would escape their teeth and therefore wee say that sinne is so taken away that it doth not raigne ouer the Saints though perhaps through their negligence it doth often wound them so Satan is bound though like a bridled horse he often fumes against vs and sometimes bites vs too 1 Cor. 15.54 if we beware not of him and so death is swallowed vp into victory and the sting thereof is taken away so that it can neuer hurt the Saints of God though it layes them stil into a sleepe because they shall all awake at the last day But if sinne and
haec similitudinem corporis refert illa cordis vnanimitatem demonstrat Aug. in apend de diuersis Ser. 10. Psal 647. to 10. haec interdum sibi inimica illa sine intermissione pacifica est for that sheweth onely the likenesse and similitude of the body and the sympathy of naturall dispositions but this sheweth the vnanimity of the heart and a concurrent desire in all holy affections those are sometimes contrary vnto themselues but these haue alwayes cor vnum animam vnam one heart and one minde to loue the same things and to agree in the same points and therefore of all brethren the loue of Christian brethren should excell and exceed all other loue of brethren 1 Iohn 3.16 and these of all others should be ready to lay downe their liues for the Brethren How gentile brethren loued one another And yet in former times the loue of naturall brethren was such that when a souldier which was in the army of Pompey had vnawares vnto himselfe slaine his brother that was in the company of Sertorius Val Max. l. 5. Aug. de ciuit l. 5. Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 2. c. 25. Idem de ciuit l. 8. c 5. and knew the same when he bestript his body seipsum ibi perimens fraterno corpori adiunxit he slew himselfe for very griefe and left his owne body vpon his brothers carkeise and Saint Augustine reports of the sonnes of Tyndarus that when Castor was slaine by Idas Pollux besought Iupiter that hee might impart halfe his owne life vnto his brother Sic fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit And so we reade of these signes Castor and Pollux that vterque alternis diebus lucet each one of them appeareth euery second day and so the Poet saith of Pylades and Orestes Extitit hoc vnuÌ„ quod non conuenerat illis caetera par concors sine lite fuit Ire iubet Pylades charus periturus Orestem Hic negat inque vicem pugnat vterque mori They neuer disagreed but onely in this which of them should first lay downe his life for the other And now amongst Christian brethren we finde Ouids saying to be true Fratrum quoque gratia rara est They doe shew lesse loue among themselues then the heathen did the loue of most is waxen cold all are become louers of themselues Bern. de aduent dominiser 3. p. â— and no man remembreth the afflictions of Ioseph for although as Saint Bernard saith Iure fraternitatis consilij sumus auxilij fratribus debitores consilij quo erudiatur ignorantia auxilij quo iuuetur infirmitas in respect of our brotherhood we doe owe vnto our brethren both aid and aduice aid to helpe his infirmity and aduice to direct his simplicity yet al fâ—e Of the great want of vnity among Christian brethren the whole world seeth how we doe insult ouer the weake and lay stumbling blockes before the blinde what wrongs and oppressions in the Common-wealth what more hostility then among Christian Princes where now more bloudy warres then among the Christians that doe imbrew their swords in the bloud of each other which should rather ioyne their strength against the enemies of the Lord and what bitter contentions doe we likewise see in the very Church of Christ Oh how many bitter lines haue ambitious spirits so contentiously scattered in euery place to obscure the cleare light of verity Idem ser in ad in Pasto Synod O poore Church and distressed Spouse of Christ Pax ab extranijs pax à paganis sed filij nequam filij scelerati scauiunt in eam Shee hath peace from strangers peace from pagans peace from all but her owne children her owne wicked children doe raile and rage against her they struggle in her wombe like Rebeccaes twinnes they sharpen their tongues and blunt their pens in writing either against the other and so they make the Church of Christ Iohn 19.23 1 Reg. 11.30 1 Reg. 16.21 which should be like the coat of Christ without a seame to be torne in pieces like Iereboams garment for as in Israel one halfe followed Tibni and the other halfe followed Omry or as in Rome the wiser followed Pompey the middle sort tooke part with Caesar and the rest followed Crassus or in Attica the people of the mountaines ranne after Pysistratus Plut. in vit Crass those of the valley chose Lycurgus and those of the Sea-coast Megacles euen so in the Church of God one is of Paul 1 Cor. 1.3 4. another is of Apollo one is of this minde and another is of that minde and as the Poet said of the vulgar sort Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus We may now say of the better sort Scinditur incertus studia in contraria clerus They are full of all oppositions each one inuenteth some new points each one dissenteth from the rest and so by this their dissentions and multiplicity of opinions they make grieuous contentions in euery place and cause many men with the effusion of a little inke haue inuented in their Cells for I doe assure my selfe if there were more charity and vnanimity among the Clergy there would be lesse controuersie and more vnity among the Laytie But it was enough for Abraham to disswade from all contention betwixt him and Lot to say wee bee brethren and I wish that it were enough for vs for we be brethren and there be enough against vs we neede not be against our selues and therefore Ignat. ep 9. ad Philadel Fugite vt filij lucis sectionem vnitatis we should by all meanes shunne dissentions because there bee many Wolues abroad in sheepes clothing but if we keepe vnity and brotherly loue among vs they shall neuer preuaile against vs but otherwise Salust coniurat Catel vt concordia crescunt minutissima ita discordia dilabuntur maxima as in the time of peace through vnity the smallest things doe grow happy so in the time of discord the greatest things doe come to ruine and therefore we say that peace and vnity are the best of all earthly blessings that God bestoweth on men during their pilgrimage in the state of mortality Pax optima rerum quas homini nouisse datum est pax vna triumphis innumeris potior Sylius Ital. Aug. in Psal 29. and so Brunfelsius saith that a Christians life is nothing else but mutuall charity or a continuall louing of God and of our neighbours Quia omnis homo est vnus homo because all men in Christ Iesus should be as one man like Hypocrates twinnes which willed and nilled the same things for the whole Church of Christ is nothing else but Ecclesia multorum fratrum an vnited company of louing brethren and therefore they should euer owe this duty of loue and charity one towards another for though the Apostle biddeth vs to owe nothing vnto any man yet he excepteth this to loue one another because
of publique prayer lest God should visite you with some mortall sicknesse cast not your accounts on the Sabbaoth day lest God should then call you to giue your last account in a fearefull iudgement and aboue all play not then in your houses when you should be at prayer in the house of God lest God should then smite you in earnest and your play would proue to be like the play of Abners seruants nothing else but death and destruction 2 Sam. 2.16 but all excuses set a part let vs all frequent the Church and there pray to God for grace if we would haue God to be mercifull vnto our soules CHAP. III. Of the time when we must pray and of the manner how wee ought to pray FOr the time when we must pray Saint Paul bids vs to pray continually Colloss 4.2 and in the Epistle to the Collossians and so in that to the Ephesians we are aduised to be instant in prayer quidem omni tempore Ephes 6.18 and that at all times But this is not so to be vnderstood as that we should doe nothing but pray as the Heretickes called Euchytae professed to doe for prayer is considered two manner of wayes First as it respecteth the cause which is a certaine vehement desire of charity and so in minde and spirit it is perpetuall Quia in fide spe charitate continuato desiderio semper oramus Because in Faith Hope and Charity with a continuall desire we doe alwayes pray saith Saint Augustine and the spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 and maketh intercession for vs with gronings that cannot be expressed and thus euery Christian man may say with the Church in the Canticles Though I sleepe yet mine heart waketh or though I doe not alwayes pray with my tongue yet my desires doe alwayes speake vnto God Secondly as it respects its owne proper reason and manner to be done and so it ought to endure so long as without tediousnes or wearines it may be stirred vp by the zeale and feruor of the inward desire of the heart and therefore we say that 1. Aliud est sermo multus 2. Aliud est diuturnus affectus It is one thing to speake alwayes and another thing to desire continually and that it is one thing to pray with the voyce and tongue and another thing to pray in minde and spirit Now you must vnderstand that in heart and affection we should alwayes thinke of God We should euer pray in heart and affection and commend our selues by our desires vnto him continually and whether we eate or drinke worke or play sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer we doe else wee should desire all to be according to his will for the glory of his Name that he seeing our desires may grant our requests to giue vs grace and glory that so both mentalis manualis oratio as the old Postillers terme them our outward actions and our inward affections may be as continuall prayers crying alwayes in the eares of God but in voyce and tongue wee are not inioyned alwayes to pray but to keepe our appointed times both in our priuate and in our publique prayers and as often as occasion shall be offered either extraordinary afflictions befall vs or some blessings bestowed on vs we should ouer and besides our vsuall times betake our selues to our extraordinary prayers either for our deliuerance from our troubles or of thankefulnesse for our blessings receiued First for priuate prayers although in respect of the efficacy and powerfull mouing of God to obtaine our requests or the honour that we shew vnto God I cannot equalize it with publique prayers yet as I said before this argueth more familiarity with God and is the truest triall of a Christian man and in some respects yeeldeth better fruit of honour vnto God and more profit vnto our selues then the publike prayers vsually doth or conueniently can doe because that in a priuate prayer a man may both aske those things and confesse those sinnes which in the face of the Church he would be loath to doe and therefore the practise of Gods seruants the Counsell of Gods Church and the precept of Christ himselfe should exceedingly moue vs to the practise of this excellent exercise Gen. 24.63 for Isaac euery euening would walke abroad to talke with God Dan. 6.12 Daniel would neuer misse to pray to God three times euery day and the Prophet Dauid saith Seauen times a day will I praise thee Psal 119.164 because of thy righteous iudgements and I haue read it decreed in one of the Councels that euery Christian man should pray vnto God twice at least euery day that is at morning when hee riseth and at night when he goeth to bed and especially before he goeth to bed for as Seneca saith most truly of men rising in the morning Quem dies vidit veniens superbum Hunc dies vidit fugiens iacentem Many a man rose well in the morning and hath beene seene dead before the euening So may I say of men going into their beds many haue been seene going liuely into the same and neuer seene aliue come out againe and therefore euery man should so prepare himselfe when he goeth into his bed as if he went into his graue for as Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sleepe is nothing else but a short kinde of death and so the Poet saith Stulte quid est somnus gelidae nisi mortis imago Sleepe is the image of death And so Somnus vt est mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri As sleepe is the image of death so our beds are the very pictures of our graues And our Sauiour Christ doth most earnestly exhort euery man to priuate prayer saying When thou prayest enter into thy closet and shut the doore and pray vnto thy Father in priuate and he that seeth thee in secret will reward thee openly and therefore euery man should appoint certaine times vnto himselfe for his priuate prayer to God That we shold neuer misse the appointed time for publique prayers Secondly as we should not misse our appointed times of priuate prayers so much lesse should we omit the inioyned times for Gods publique seruice for God himselfe hath appointed vs a day in the weeke to serue him and to pray vnto him hee might haue inioyned sixe for himselfe and haue left but one for thee but he did in a manner make himselfe poore to inrich vs leauing sixe for vs to do our owne affaires and requiring but one for himselfe to be serued by vs. And our Church hath appointed an houre or two of that day to pray to praise our God And yet we see many times on that day yea sometimes in that houre of prayers the Tauernes full and the Churches emptie and as those men in the Gospell had each one his seuerall excuse for not comming vnto the supper so haue these their exceptions for not comming vnto the Sermon
our inward mindes but also outwardly with our bodies and as I said before meekely kneeling vpon our knees Secondly In faith Quia iuxta mensuram fidei erit mensura impetrandi because the more faith we haue the more grace we shall receiue and this is proued vnto vs out of the examples of them that came to Christ for the ruler of the Synagogue beleeued that if Christ came and layd his hands vpon his daughter shee should be healed the woman with the bloodie fluxe beleeued that if she might but touch the hemme of his garments she should bee healed but the Centurion said dic verbum doe but speake the word and my seruant shall be whole and so we finde that euery one of them receiued according as hee beleeued and therefore euery man that prayes to God should be like the Leper in the 8. of Mat. who though hee was weake in body yet was he strong in Faith for in regard of the Law hee ought not to haue come and in regard of his sicknesse hee was scarce able to come and yet venit hee came vnto Christ though non tam passibus corporis quam fide cordis not so much with the feete of his body as by the faith of his heart for had his heart bin no better then his legges Aug. hom 23. and his faith no better then his feete he would neuer haue troubled himselfe to come vnto Christ so ought euery man to draw neere vnto God in the assurance of faith quia irrisio dei est si quid illum ores quod exoraturum te non certe confidas because it is a mocking of God Pellic. in Math. saith Pellican to pray vnto him and to doubt that we shall not haue our requests therefore Christ teacheth vs to say Our Father to make vs confident of obtaining and concludeth with Amen significare indubitanter à domino conferri quod petitur to signifie that we shall vndoubtedly receiue what wee faithfully desire Aug. de temp ser 182. saith S. Augustine And therefore when we pray to God let vs draw neere vnto him with a true heart in assurance of Faith that we shall be sure to haue either what we desire of him or what he seeth good for vs. Thirdly In zeale and affection because the Lord respecteth not much babling sed ad cordis potius vocem quam ad corporis aures eius apertae sunt because he lookes rather into the desire of the heart then he doth to the voice of the tongue saith Saint Bernard for he heareth the desire of the poore when he stoppeth his cares against the prayers of the hypocrite and therefore we finde that the outward voice without the inward attention and deuotion of the heart will auaile vs nothing at all God neuer regarding the voice of the tongue talking with him when the thoughts of the heart are wandring in the world where-as many times wee finde that an earnest seeking with the heart That we ought to pray in zeal hath preuailed without any words vttered by the tongue as Moses when hee cried to God with his heart Exod. 14.15 and yet opened not his mouth for that is most true which Saint Gregorie saith tanto minus quis clamat quanto minus desiderat tanto fortius coelos penetrat quanto fortius desiderat the more earnestly we desire any thing the more loudly we doe crie vnto God and the colder is our desire the flower is our calling on him and the harder to obtaine it of him and therefore when wee pray to God O let vs not be like the Iewes Esay 29.14 who drew neere vnto him with their mouthes and their hearts were farre from him but as the Apostle saith that he will pray with his mouth 1 Cor. 14.15 and hee will pray with his vnderstanding so let vs pray with our hearts and affections and not suffer our wandring thoughts to walke about worldly vanities when our tongues are talking about heauenly things Fourthly with perseuerance because that good is done in vaine which is not continued vnto the end Resolution of Pilate page 145 c. and so I shewed at large in my Treatise of the resolution of Pilate and therefore our zeale herein should be like the fire that the Vestall Virgins kept in Rome Leuit. 6.13 or rather like the Sacrificing fire vpon the Altar that euer burnt and neuer went out Fiftly In charitie because God will not forgiue vs That we should pray in charitie nor giue vs any thing except we forgiue one another Sixtly In piety because God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him hee heareth Iohn 9.31 and so Saint Iohn saith if our hearts condemne vs not That when we pray we should clense our selues from all sinne Gregor in moral then haue wee confidence towards God and whatsoeuer we aske we receiue of him because we keepe his Commandements and doe those things that are pleasing in his sight et tum cor nostrum fiduciam in oratione accepit cum sibi vitae prauitas nulla contradicit and our hearts haue then onely confidence towards God when there is no prauitie of our life nor any wickednesse of our conuersation to contradict it saith Saint Gregory and therefore Saint Basil saith that a prayer should be filled vp non tam syllabis quam operibus not so much with words as with workes because it is the prayer of a righteous man as the Apostle saith which auaileth much with God and not the prayer of sinners which as the Prophet saith shall be turned into sinne Psal 109.6 because hee taketh the name of God in vaine when hee vseth the same in his mouth and yet hateth to be reformed And therefore seeing the Lord himselfe saith Esay 1.15 that although wee should multiply our prayers vnto him at all times and in euery corner yet he will not heare vs if our hands be full of bloud or our hearts full of malice and enuie towards our neighbours let vs pray euery where 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting vp pure hands as the Apostle saith and let vs wash our selues from all sinnes and be readie to doe all good if we would obtaine any thing at the hands of God And so you see to whom when how and for what wee ought to pray CHAP. IIII. Of the motiues that should perswade and moue euery man to pray Psal 27.8 NOw there be many reasons that should moue vs to pray continually but especially the charge of God seeke yee my face and that in a double respect 1. Of God 2. Of our selues Prayer an essentiall part of Gods worship First because it is an essentiall part of Gods worship whereby we doe most chiefely honour God by acknowledging and professing him first to be euery where secondly to be the giuer of all goodnesse thirdly to be full of pittie fourthly to be almighty fiftly