Tamsubito Cygnus qui modo consonus erat Who could perswade himselfe that a crow in a trice could be turned into a swanne Of the second sort was that light of angels and the spirit of God Luc. 24.4 Act 1.10 There were some looking for Christ and behold two men stood suddainely before them in shining vestures There were some looking on Christ and behold a light did shine suddainly from heauen Act. 2. There were some gathered in daily expectation of the comforter whom Christ promised to send and suddainly there came a sound from heauen Nescit tarda molimma gralia S. S. as of a rushing and a mightie wind What then came those illustrious messages without hope or no Indeed hope was much weakened as one trauailing long is wearie but it did but seem weake they hoped still for that vigorous resurrection they looked still for that glorious ascension they longed still for the gladsome comming of the holy Ghost Beda Yet all those maruellous vertuous famous workes were suddaine As wee all looke for that hopefull appearing of the Iudge of quicke and dead and how long soeuer his stay may be with whom a thousand yeares are but as a day hope maketh not to be ashamed Spes est sanctorum baculus de quo sustinentur ne cadant sustentātur ne deficiant Matth. 24.27 yet for all our serious vigilancie commanded it shall be suddaine As the lightening which flieth from the East to the West so shall the comming of the sonne of man be O blessed Iacob thy long promised blessing is come suddainely in a day thou thoughtest not our blessed Sauiour annointed with the oyle of grace aboue his fellowes was long and often foretold yet is his comming exceeding suddaine Therefore call his name make haste make speed Esay 8. speed to the pray and haste to the spoile Our gracious Prince his honour hath stated long in the glowing eares of ten thousand whose eies burned with zealous desire to behold it And behold of a suddaine the smell of my sonne This is the stemme of honour for which great Britaine did sacrifice their daily prayers our bounteous Queene did breath out her iust desires our renowmed king did yeeld his sacred promise and now of a suddaine is that ioyfull day come the day of playing of Organes of singing of birds and sounding of Trumpets Now is the day come in which king Iames doth pay his vowes his vowes to God his right to the Prince his honour to the Land his fauour to the subiect his word to the Queene assuredly thy sonne Salomon shall raigne after me 3. Reg. 3.30 O King liue for euer Vita hominis sabillum animae The life of man is but a small point and hath slipperie hold on earth Lex mortis firma non abrogatur mutatur Bosquier dispensatur c. Deaths doome is bound vp so fast that it cannot bee loosed It is set downe that euery man must die once Seriùs ant citius mortem properamus ad vnam I am perswaded Serniamus regi precibus qui seruit Deo legibus that neither Queene nor Prince nor any Impe royall that none truely noble or gentle or true Christian desireth to see thy last day Yet is mans life but a span long and now here is a pawne for the state a nurserie for grace the standard to religion a beautie to the crowne the peace health and wealth of the land this is Salomon the Kings sonne Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Thus much for Ecce the head of the Text and head of the springs Behold Now to the Smell the first riuer of the head Here might I shew you many delightsome turnings to many wholesome walks in this word There is odor merus metaphoricus Againe odor metaphoricus est Christiaut Christianorum But I must necessarily passe by these paths till I find other oportunitie and more leisure The common partition of Odour is into good and euill but what haue wee to doe with euill Quid argijs cum sacrificijs quid canibus cum sanctis There is no communion betwixt God and Belial without shal be dogges and idolaters Apoc. 21. all their smell is of the sulphure of Sodome Et si doctores illi scientissimi ductores aulici porcos obscaene defaedatos ne vno digitorum ostendant aut verbulo corripiant quid ego miser homuncio aut Balaami asinus I know that bookes and sermons which are admonitions of other mens faults as the blacke bill are exceeding necessarie in these times of darkenesse but they are all out of my way All our labour here should bee spent in searching out the good Odours of Iacob Christ and the Prince and thrice happy both they which haue Christ the sauour of life betwixt them All their sweet smell is of the sauour of his oyntments O blessed Sauiour Cant. 2.3 Cant. 1.2 these are the virgins which delight in thy sauour Thy name is as an oyntment powred out therefore the virgins loue thee But it is high time to distinguish of good Odours There is a good odour of pietie a sweet sacrifice Phil. 4.18 2. Cor. 2.15 2. Cor. 2.14 a good odour of good report so Saint Paul his name had a good smell a good odour of the Gospel so is it a garland all of sweet flowers a good odour of zealous prayer so is it as the perfume of the Censor Apoc. 8.4 Shall I tell you more what a sauour is there where all these meet in one soule as the incense of one altar pure religion sweet conuersation true faith and holy loue they are altogether as the offering of Noahs Altar And Noah built an Altar to the Lord and tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane bird and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. Genes 8 How them what was the issue Reade further and the Lord smelled a sauour of rest Such is the smell of all faithfull hearts as the smell of Noahs Altar to the Lord Iaacobs heart is as Noahs Altar Behold the smell of my sonne But I haue more in my way of my poore readings in which I find good odours of many distributions There is one smell of the flower of the Vine S. Gregorie another of the Oliue of the Rose of the Lilly of the Violet and of the Corne-eare and all sweet The Vine is Faith the Oliue is Victory the Rose is Charity the Lillie is Chastity the Violet is Humility the Corne-eare is many cornes good workes in their ripenesse all in one odour Such Vines and Oliues and Roses and Lillies and Violets and Corne-eares were the Philippians Phil. 4.18 an odour that smelleth sweet a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God Such as Israel whilst the dew was vpon him hee shall grow as the Lillie Ose 14.6.7 and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon his beauty
shall be as the Oliue tree and his smell as Lebanon Iaacob had the Vine true faith in his heart his father Abrahams faith not an agnus Dei about his necke or hanging in a tablet at his brest Fides purificans cor est vna integra vera viua Ioh. 12.3 as some abused Saint Iohns Gospell but a sound faith growing within and without his heart all his affections as the branches of a vine for his Sauiour all the vine as a bower to rest in and all the bower as the house filled with sweet sauour what a smell is the smell of this vine Iacob had the Oliue victory in his faith Colos 1.13 against all Principalities and powers of darknesse hee was short of Christ in respect of circumstance of time but he had the substance which cheered his heart at all times with thoughts of his Captaine the Siloe the Conquerer the Lion Gen. 49 whose paw should be in the necke of his enemies By this power Iaacob wanne the victory of the world so sweete is the smell of this Oile Iacob had the Rose-loue in his faith Ezek. 47 whose leaues did not fade inuincible loue as appeareth by his wrestling Let me be gone saith the Angel for the morning appeareth Genes 32 What let thee goe my life and my glory I will not let thee goe vnlesse thou blesse mee Lord let me loue the smell of this Rose Iacob had a Lilly chastity in his faith a faire Lilly within the borders of his paradise Eccles 50.8 as the Lillies by the springs of waters white as the light and faire without spot His brother hastened to his Cananitish women and sent an ill sent into the soules of his parents yet Iacob kept his vessell in holinesse O honour let me counsell you all to keep the smell of this Lilly 1 Thess 4 4 Iacob had the Violet humble deuotion in his faith the Violet groweth low by the ground so doth humble deuotion to daily praiers Bartholomaes Gen. 17.3 1 Sam. 1.13 as Abraham fell vpon his face and Hannah was humbled before the Lord. Shall I stay you a while to heare Iaacobs daily praiers All yee which liue in plenty or scarsity remember Iaacobs Vow Wee are all in our iourny as Iaacob was and desirous as hee to come to our fathers house our father wich is in heauen Iaacob vowed a Vow saying Gen. 28.20 If God will be with me and will keepe me in my iourney which I go and will giue mee bread to eat and cloathes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie then shall the Lord be my God Here was sweet contentment in a lowly estate humble contentation was Iacobs staffe which did flourish all with Violets as Aarons Rod did but with flowers and almonds with this staffe came I ouer Iordane Surely there is an wholesome breath in the smell of this Violet Iaacob had the corne eare the fruites of faith Nomb 17.8 Gen. 32.10 Gal. 5 Gen. 41.5 those praise-worthy fruites of the spirit Loue Ioy Peace Long Suffering Meeknesse Temperance Goodnesse all specious vpon one faith as those seuen eares of corne ranke and goodly all vpon one stalke Shall I make bold to inuite you all to taste this corne for the smell of this corne eare Now Prince of Wales where is thy smell Hast thou neither Vine Oliue Rose Lilly Violet nor Corne-eare Surely then thou art a poore Prince and they are poore whom God hateth Behold here the smell of the fauour of God to the Prince The Prince hath them all as Iacob had them he is all Suckoth Suckoth as the Tabernacles of God his eies eares lippes heart all Suckoth Tents of godlinesse pitched in Rephidim the mansion of the medicines of Gods blessings The Philosophers describe an house of desier non quidem opulentam et ambitiosam stuffed with the pelfe of the world and faced with proud ambition No sed cui nihil testit in se supellectilis with workes not any thing of necessarie vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold here is that house as that happy little world all furnished with necessaries And here is one thing more then all those necessaries and more worth Luke 10.42 John 13.1 that one thing which is necessary and cannot be taken from him For whom God loueth hee loueth to the end This the smell of my sonne The Prince hath the Vine the Gospell in his faith it is the fountaine in which he doth daily refresh his soule it is the lauour through which he doth daily wash himselfe This is his Bason and Ewre of honour the Gospel is the Ewre his heart the Bason This is a Princely Bath the Kings Bath all perfumed with health all with sauing health Let young and old and all wash themselues in this Bath Knights of the Bath all the which are souldiers in this militant life vnder the banner of Iesus Christ Christ is the Prince who gaue himselfe Eph. 5.26 that he might sanctifie you and clense you by the washing of water through the word The Prince is knight of the order of the comely order of King Salomon Cant. 4.15 washed in the springs of Lebanon perfumed with Spikenard Saffron Calamus Cynamon and all sweet spices Cant. 4 2. Knights of the Bath come forth like a flocke of sheep in good order which goe vp from the washing come forth as the daughters of Sion and behold King Salomon with the crowne in the day of the gladnesse of his heart Knights of the Bath come forth and behold your Prince let him be your looking glasse as the ruiers of waters are to the faire doues washed with milke The Prince is bathed and washed in lordan seuen times the leprosie and luxurie which doth commonly cleaue to the youth of our age euen to the sides of their house is washed away It is written of Otho Suetonius one of the Emperours that hee repaired often to his glasse to see his face that he might keepe it cleane The Prince as report telleth vs goeth often to his glasse the streames of the waters of life Psal 23. the still streames where Dauid walked Indeed Dauid calleth them waters of comforts right worthy of that title where he perceiued himselfe saued by the washing of the new birth in the blood of the vine Thus is the Prince washed Tit. 3.5 his heart clensed his affections purified his delights sanctified Nobilitas morum plus ornot quam genitorū all like clusters of the vine who would not smel at the smell of this vine The Prince hath the Oliue victorie in his faith victorious holinesse It was told vs long our eyes were blessed with the sight of our most prudent King that he hath the print of a Lyon vpon him I doe beleeue it though I did neuer see it that the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah is printed vpon him he hath put on Christ And loe
the Church beleeueth If these holy Catholikes thus deuoted to images doe by mischance loose their gods alacke good people it fareth with them impatiently as it was with Laban He searched Iacobs tent and Leahs and that of the two handmaids and last of all Rachels Wretched poore Laban his daughter had a womās excuse ready to disappoint him that neither could hee finde his gods nor his gods finde him Surely his gods were dead or in Endimeons sleepe or at the least in a slumber with Epimenides that they could not hearken to their orators no more then Baal to his priests Yet for all those infirmities of their gods these holy fathers proclaime openly to their children omnia bene all their parishioners are in good health and they say priuately to themselues A ha I haue warmed my selfe loe these are our Ladies pretious gods If I had skill in their tongue I could call them Pedlers in French dicunt album intendunt nigrum they haue an heart and an heart Ose 10.2 like those Partridges of Paphlagonia neither one haunt nor one way for their haunt is diuided There is a question anciently descended and easily answered Why there are so many sheep and so few wolues since men and wolues doe eate sheepe Indeed the loue of man to mans profit is a singular preseruatiue to sheepe But now the question is crosse why the wolues in crease and the sheepe decrease Iamdiu inoleuit quaerela de millibus ouium vnitatibus hominum sed nostra infertur de vnitatibus ouium inter mille hominum Their complaint in the common wealth is of the pluralities of sheepe and the nullities of men but our moane which is made in the Puritane countie of North-hampton as it hath beene nicknamed is for our decaied flockes of sheepe and our multiplied heards of wolues Shall I reade the cause Foelix qui potuit I haue no such skill yet would I guesse at two causes The one is of the aduersarie against man the other of man against himselfe 1. Pet. 5.8 Sathan our aduersarie hath more care paines watches deuices for breeding and nourishing of Wolues then ours is for the prosperity of the people of Gods pasture Psalm 95.7 and sheep of his hands And more then so our conniuencie either to seeme not to see or to see only when we list or to see some thing and do nothing is to shake hands with Sathan in connubio malorum that their combinations are daily stronger and are christian connexions more weake Giue the holy Prophet leaue to speake in this case Esay 26.10 Let mercy bee shewed to the wicked yet hee will not learne righteousnesse no more then the Hogge manners with a chaine of Pearles about his necke I would willingly speake here Rom. 3 what the Apostle hath spoken both of Authores et fautores how they are both guiltie Methodus confessionis Or if any angry Pope-ling should cauill I would wipe of his blow with their owne verdict which witnesseth how many waies one man may bee faulty in an other mans fault Consulo praecipio consentio prouoco laudo Non retego culpam non punio non reprehendo Participo defendo meum in caput ista redundant All excuses of ancient acquaintance are but idle pretenses in this businesse miseratio effaeminata and I thinke it hath beene called foolish loue to nourish a Serpent in the bosome or to suffer Wolues to breed in the Wood to wast Sheepe Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Our predecessour could say odimus accipitrē qui semper viuit in armis who can once loue the Kite which euer liues in spite I pray you what are the liues of the Remish wolues but fier and sword warre and bloud-shed Fare and softly Iesuitae faces Romanae Surely you English Clergy play the Iauelles with vs per hoc Ly. For those holy Votarists are goodly torches sent hither to enlighten our darke thoughts as Iohn Baptist who was a burning and a shining candle Ioh. 5.35 Indeede good patients you answere well for your Physitions propter hoc Ly. But there is great oddes in these lights Iohn Baptist was to the Church as the candle in the womans hand to helpe her to finde her lost groat and the Iesuites are as the fier which came out of the bramble Graeta fide volantes Esay 9.16 to consume the Cedars of Lebanon Yea those mount-backes of Rome put out many eies and giue sight to none ignes fatui they walke wilde in the darke blind-fold their followers misleade them out of the true way and are too often as wildfier but touch and take Iud. 15.5 We reade of Foxes tied by the tailes with fier-brands and sent into the corne fields to destroy them It might haue bin said of England Iohn 4.35 look on the regions how all the field is white vnto haruest But out of question our field is not so pleasant as it was for the Foxes fier which hath wasted much corne They are but tied by the tailes and so they runne into Ladies chambers it were good that they were tied by the neckes and laid to sleepe in the middest of their own fier-brands But shall I turne my thoughts from these witch-blasts to the Rose of England all sweet loue to his Sauiour all and all inuiolable loue to his sauing word No flatterer hath seduced him no craft hath snared him no canker-worme hath wasted him Who should not loue the smell of this Rose The Prince hath a Lillie chastitie in his faith a faire Lillie growing on a golden pillar the pillar of honour the honour of the Temple the Temple of God him that ouercommeth I will make a pillar in the Temple of my God Looke all on this Onichinus this peerclesse Preatle alwaies clasped in white belts faire siluer girdles the chastity of his minde body gesture conuersation with the aspect of his eies Prou 22.11 and the grace of his lippes This is he which loueth purenesse of heart and for the grace of his lippes the King shall be his friend Wee reade of the Lilly that which we know that it beareth aureum semen within the flowers the golden seede is sanctitie the seede fell in good ground and hath brought foorth an hundred folde Luke 8. Ose 7. Ose 10.12 Many other haue sowen the wind and reaped the whirle-wind but hee hath sowen to himselfe in righteousnesse and reaped after the measure of mercy Let euery true heart here call his soule to praier The Lord grant when that time may happely come that his spouse shall bee chosen among the honourable women that then the Kings daughter may be brought to him with ioy and with gladnesse enter into the Kings pallace So shall wee then reioice and againe I say reioice in the smell of this Lillie The Prince hath the Violet humility in his faith an elect valley all of beautifull prospect so high a Prince
so lowly in his seruice to think so highly of God and so truly of himselfe Aquae descendunt ad valles God giueth grace to the humble to bee frequent at praiers sermons holy quiers as if his cheefe desire were as Dauids was to dwell in the courts of the Lord to bee a friend to the Church and a stay to the Altar as good Iosiah was 4 Reg. 23 Quanto magis arbor abundat fructibus tanto magis inclinatur more any tree doth abound with fruite more doth it bend it selfe to their commodity who are vnder it Thus doth he increase in fauour with God and man Charilaus the peoples ioy all his garments smell of the Sanctuary his fathers ioy as Iacob was to Isaac Who doth not ioy in the smell of this Violet The Prince hath the Corne-care holy workes in his faith as if hee had digested that counsell of the wise-man All that thine hand shall finde to doe Eccl. 9.8.10 doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge S. Augustine nor wisdome in the graue Qui vult sine fine remunerari debet sine fine bonum operari hee which would haue endlesse reward 1 Pet. 2.15 must haue endlesse perseuerance for so is the will of God that by well doing you put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men Iob. 29 as Iob did who continued an eâ—e to the blind and a foot to the lame If any enemie thinke heere hee can smell oleum peccatoris I professe to hate it splendiduml ubricum dulce damnosum as yee for slipping and the cup of a whore for poisoning And I dare bee bold to giue in an instance for mine owne defence that of al others we poor despised Ministers haue cause to blesse the daies of the Prince Why so for Christ his Mandrakes haue sweetned his and his Mandrakes haue sweetned ours O heauenly Mandrakes graces of the spirit which dispose to the conception of good workes The Church is Abigaile her fathers ioy and Christ hath lodged with her the Prince is a sonne and heire in the Church and Christ hath lodged with him by spiration of his holy word by inspiration of his holy Spirit that the Prince may say Cant. 5.4 as the Church hath said My bowels were mnooued towards him Heere is our true cause of ioy without sophistically oppilations Therefore seeing his inclination to good workes by those spices of our Sauiour which haue spiced him wee all consent in that concent of the Canticle of Christ Cant. 7.13 Thy Mandrakes haue giuen a smell and in our gates are all sweet things The Princes words are often as the words of the seuenth day words of grace apples of gold in pictures of siluer Prou. 2.11 Leu. 25 his works are as the works of the seuenth yere works of grace a goodly tree full of fruites You may know the tree by the fruites Apoc. 2 and praise the fruites for the smell This smell is as Smirna all sweet myrrhe and wee all are refreshed with the smell of this Corne-care Now then let vs compare Iacob and Iacob Hebrew and English vterinos fratres two twins both in one womb of the Church both as Castor and Pollux Act 28.11 the badge of our Ship Castor is descended and as the Sun gone vnder a cloud he was gathered to his people and is gone to sleep with his fathers Gen. 49.33 What then albeit he sleep he is aliue shall rise againe as the Sun in his faire horizon Exod. 3.6 God is the God of the liuing the God of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iaacob But I say Castor is layd down in peace and Pollux is vpon our Ship in daily aduentures for the golden flece When I was of younger yeares Apollonius Theocritus I did reade of the famous Acts of Castor and Pollux in that egregious voyage for the Golden Fleece But what idle dreames were those with all their resolutions to the high resolutions of religious hearts for the golden fleece the fleece of the Lambe the Lambe of God the inualuable righteousnesse of the Lambe of God is the golden fleece Ioh. 1. Iacob and Iacob are both naked as Adam before the Lord without this fleece Consider the amplitude of the honour and efficacie of this fleece Rom. 4. Psal 32. wherewith all our sins are couered Many many thousands haue yeelded vp their blood for this fleece hoc expeditionum Christianarum praetium praemium This hath beene the faire paiment for many Christian aduentures The holy lambe alloweth vs his flesh to feed vs Ioh. 6.1 Tim. 6.8 his fleece to couer vs. Therefore when we haue food and raiment let vs be therewith content Such was Iacobs contentment in his new coate when he got the blessing in his elder brothers coate Christ is our elder brother our first borne a sonne to Iacob yet elder then Iacobs grandfather before Abraham was I am A lambe without spot was this Lambe Ioh. 8 yet that he might lend his spotlesse coate to spotted Iacob hee was slaine from the beginning of the world Apoc. 13.8 Behold then a world of wonders in these two Iacob the elder and the younger notwithstanding sundry generations betwixt them doe both part stakes in Christ either of them haue all their riches of Christ yet neither of them haue all which is of Christ either of them haue all Christ for Christ is not diuided 1 Cor. 3. Rom. 11. neither of them haue all that which is Christs for Christ is not comprehended Christ is the Owner of all in the shippe and of the shippe and all and they both are but partie borrowers of all their parts So that Iacob aboue with Christ in glorie and Iacob below with Christ in grace may both sing with that sweet singer of Israel Psal 142. The Lord is my portion in the land of the liuing But now let vs see the distance of perfection betwixt Christ these two brothers Iacob hath the vine and Christ is the vine Iacob possesseth all those pleasant riches in Christ and Christ possesseth them all himselfe Christ is the vine the true vine which runnes all mercie and life to Iacob and all wither and perish which doe not abide in this vine Ioh. 15. Christ is the Oliue the true Oliue stocke what branch soeuer abideth not in him hath no life in it for the branches beare not the roote Rom. 11.18 but the root the branches all fade and fall away which are not grafted into this Oliue Christ is the rose 1. Cor. 13. of all flowers the rose is cheefest and of all vertues loue the chiefest of those three is loue God is loue and he that dwelleth in him dwelleth in loue out of this habitation there is no health nor safetie Christ is the Lillie Cant. 2. Jsidor the most delightfull Lillie for he which is the Rose is the Lillie I am
the Rose and the Lillie of the field Multiplicis medicinae to open dangerous passages to soften hardnesse of heart to heale wounds Matth. 6. and repell venemous infections O consider this Lillie of the field for our chiefest comforts are in this Lillie Christ is the Violet Matth. 11. the sweetest Violet which groweth lowe by the ground Learne of me for I my selfe am mecke and lowely This violet was remoued from heauen to the earth to raise vs from the earth to heauen Some Philosophers hold opinion that the dew which falleth from the highest part of that Region of the aire worketh deepest vpon the earth for being more oylie and rich matter it doth more fatten the ground and with gentle kisses entice forth the fruites thereof Hosoeuer this be of that dew it is most sure of the fattest dewe lesus Christ This is the dew of the morning which commeth from the highest and falleth lowest euen into the center into the heart of Iacob The dew of heauen is the cause of the fatnesse of the earth else hath the earth no fatnesse idest the diuinitie of Christ is the fatnesse of our humanitie The Lord giue thee of the dew of heauen and the fatnesse of the earth Here here is mans blessed abundance This is Manna Exod. 16. sweet Manna the bread of Angels all about the Church as the dew lay round about the host sweet dew sweet as the violet and the smell of life was in it Christ his humilitie is our glorie and his lowest steppe to death was our high staire to life Yea in his humilitie we are exalted Esa 53. as with his stripes we are healed Behold the smell of this violet But last of all 1. Cor. 15. Christ is the corne eare the right wheat corne which dieth and liueth againe Ioh. 10.18 of it selfe it dieth and liueth againe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe and all other liue by this The spirit of grace and the holy Scriptures are the flower of this wheat The disciples of Christ gathered eares of corne on the sabbath day and we here in England euery Sabbath day trauaile through the corne field Jnâ—erlin Rupertus Spicae Scripturarum Spiritum viuificantem habent Sentences of Scripture haue the spirit of life in them Is any man hungrie and can forbeare gathering Ambulant per Sata cum Domino qui in Scripturarum meditatione delectantur Rabanus c. They keepe the Lord company in his corne field which walke on in holy meditations of the Scriptures Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungrie and began to plucke the eares of corne and rubbe them in their hands and to eate common walkers sometimes plucke and rubbe but eate not These feele no necessitie of eating else would they eate for hunger as the Disciples did If we be Christians we are farre short of our selues to care onely for necessaries to the body as the Ant or Mouse make their prouision not caring if the soule pine and perish for want of Sabbath daies coâ—ne What shall we say then to the contentious oppositions of proud spirits against the necessitie of such sustenance The Papists themselues some of them will say that the word of God either read or preached doth clense the vncleane enlighten the blind heale the broken and raise the dead Yea sometimes ouercome with the power of the word of God they will confesse a matter of truth Rodolph Francis Verbum Dei maioris efficaciae quà m medicinae vel reliquiae sanctorum The word of God is the sicke mans falue more effectuall then all the drugges of Traditions Wherefore thinke you did the Prophet Esaie deliuer from God that Sermon of the excellent abilitie of the word of God That as raine and snowe maketh the earth to bring forth the budde Esa 55. that it may giue seed to the Sower and bread to him that eateth thus the word of God should hearten and releeue the needie 1. Cor. 9.16 Wherefore did the Apostle so much preferre spirituall riches before carnall and pronuounce a woe against himselfe if he did not preach the Gospel to minister the bread of life to the Church The Lord had commanded him to this seruice and therefore he knew he should be beaten with many stripes Luc. 12.47 if hee did the worke of the Lord negligently Ad hoc Apostolus tenetur quod debuit fecit etiamsi non potuit quantum debuit The Apostle being bound by Gods precept to his office hee ought to doe as much as hee could albeit he could not as much as hee ought A learned man calleth this dispensation Necessitas debiti iustitiae Caietane It is indeed of iustice and dutie to distribute the childrens bread to whom it is appointed And this is the cause why it is called Necessitie of obligation releefe of obligation in respect of Gods commandement of releefe in lew of the peoples want Thus to this purpose was it said That the minister may euer find causes too many to cause him to worke propter populi indigentiam where is more neede to bestow more feed This is the corne which we all neede for a remedie against ignorance Gregorie or errour or sinne or any vnbeleefe therefore come all and taste and smell how sweet the Lord is what varieties of recreations are in the smell of this corne eare Sithence then it is euident that there are such store of gentle contentments in our blessed Sauiour that he is all in all the vine oliue rose lillie violet and corne eare I would begge an Office to bidde a feast Prou. 9. Let me this once take vpon me to inuite guests for wisedom Whosoeuer is simple let him come hither yea whosoeuer is wise let him come hither The King Queene Prince and all the royall Progenie the Nobles Counsellors Iudges Rulers Teachers and all come taste O dor Christi est Spiritus sempiternè recreatiuus and feele and smell the kindnesse of the Lord. He is all word of eternall life here is our feeding he is all mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes here is our healing he is all fulnesse of grace here is our smelling He is sweet in speaking sweet in smelling sweet in speaking neuer man spake like this man John 7.46 sweet in smelling all merits and fauours of sustentation preseruation and of saluation O blesse Sauiour in the sauour of thy oyntments we will runne after thee that we may be as the King Cant. 1. and the Kings sonne sweet in thy sweetnesse Thus we praise and blesse the smell of the Kings sonne and passe here the first riuer of Paradise all of the sweet smell of mercie Mercies of God to the King in his gift of this sonne mercies of God to this sonne in the gifts of his graces and mercies of God to vs all in both these gifts of the King and
breeds another but there is too much already in word and deed of this badde matter Now let vs with ioy looke againe on the Kings sonne trie his spirit hitherto vnvanquished smell the sweetnesse of his pretious oyntments which the Popes dead flies haue not yet corrupted Fathers behold the Kings sonne and see of what fashion opinion and affection your sonnes should be he smels as Iacob did Iacob did smell of Christ Psal 12.1 all of truth I must confesse my sorrow of heart in that iust complaint for the faith and truth are diminished from among the children of men There are many numbers of them like idoles of the heathen which haue eyes and see not or in speciall like Harpocrates the dumbe god which did see as they supposed but could not or would not speake To all those whatsoeuer they be we may truly say Quid igitur profuit te vidisse veritatem quam nec defensurus es nec secuturus As the nice dame which can looke vpon the table richly furnished with sumptuous prouisions and hath no stomacke to put them vp It hath beene vrged against the Separatists long agoe that the perfection of the Church is aboue and not belowe in heauen and not on earth And to this purpose are instances pressed out of Pater noster which was all hands without eies and our Father which is all eies with out few hands But see here the true proportion of true religion both hands to doe and eies to see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince and the Princesse in mutuall armes embracing and feeding one the other as Prou. 8 Exalt her and she shall exalt thee This sonne is filius dextrae the right sonne royall the sonne of the right hand compendium gratiarum a treasure of the treasures of gladnesse The eies of the multitudes looke on him and the noblest of all the Nobles say of him thou art worth ten thousand of one of vs. 2 Sam. 18.3 The true sonne and true heire to a true King The son the heire the title the inheritance the creation all sauour of truth Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field Heere wee must leaue the second riuer where mercy and truth are mette together in the Prince as the light and warmth of the sunne to reioice together as two riuers of Paradise to runne one with an other So that the Prince may happilie say in the end Psal 119.32 I haue runne the way of thy commandements and the Lorde may say of the Prince Behold the smell of my sonne Now are wee come to the cordiall waters of righteousnesse There is among men a Merchants Righteousnesse There is among men a poore mans Righteousnesse There is among men a proud mans Righteousnesse There is among men a Christians Righteousnesse The first is the righteousnesse of a prophane Merchant who selles all his righteousnesse for smoke of vaine glory Matth. 6.1 Take heede of this righteousnesse The second is the righteousnesse of a proud Lady a proud heart in a beggers purse Thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable Apoc. 3 Matth. 5. and poore But except your righteousnesse do exceed the righteousnesse of Scribes c. The third is the righteousnesse of the man with a gold ring and goodly apparell who must euer bee the best of the company What hath God commanded which he will not do This man is as the foole which hearing that God commanded man to walke streight neither turning to the right hand nor the left he would ouer hedge and ditch hilles and houses till hee fell and could passe no further Eccle. 7.17.18 There is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice but be not thou iust ouermuch The fourth is Abrahams righteousnesse Hee beleeued and it was counted to him for righteousnesse So vnderstand this Scripture that good Christians may put off that slander of Solifidians For the true Christan is not fier without heat or day without light No the way of the righteous shineth as the light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day This is Iaacobs righteousnes glistring with his father Abrahams righteousnesse both righteous in Christ The ground in which wee find this current of righteousnesse is called a field where wee haue of field roome good store In the word of God we finde diuerse fields the field of the fatherlesse the field of beasts Prou. 23.10 Psalm 8.7 Prou. 24 and the sluggards field In the field of the fatherlesse the wild Boare doth often roote and the greedy Wolfe doth make subtill entrance In the field of beasts Nebuchadnezar liued all in pride blasphemie rapine lust drunkennesse as too many in our times Psalm 104 liue more like beasts then men where all the beasts of the field doe meete and the wilde Asses quench their thirst In the sluggards field are thistles and nettles as a wicked mans life is all full of offensiue transgressions for want of Christian exercise But I haue thought to speake of other fields Luke 6.1 Iohn 18.1 There is ager frumenti the corne-field where Christ walked hortorum the field of gardens where Christ praied the field of bloud the potters field bought with the price of bloud and ager Meridianus the sun-shine field whither Christ is ascended This Meridian field is the ioyfull Theatre for all true beleeuers whither Iaacob and Iaacob are risen with Christ Colos 3 the one spe the other re one initians the other initiatus one in via the other in patria one in possession 1. Joh. 3.14 Ioh. 5.24 the other in infallible assurance For we know that we are translated already from death to life But what field is Iaacob a corne-field so haue we heard of him in the corne-eare that his Corne and Wine and Oile increased Faith Hope Cant. 4 16. and Loue. Iaacob is a field of gardens all of vigent flowers and pinguous hearbes of grace that of his owne heart he may say with excellent desire Let my beloued come into this garden and eate his pleasant things Let come prosperity aduersity or terror or flattery or what ill blast soeuer Ionah 4 7. Iob. 1 Cant. 4.16 as on Ionahs gourd or Iobs house yet this field shall prosper and the more it is blowen more sweet it smelles Arise O North and come O South and blow on my garden that the spices thereof may flow Iacob is a field of bloud the vndefiled bloud of the Redeemer was sprinkled vpon him Apoc. 14.1 the bloud of the Lambe of God which standeth on mount Sion The bloud of the Lambe was let out by his enemies in the field of bloud but it was shed vpon his friends as water on the thirsty ground to comfort it This is the bloud of the Testament which God hath appointed vnto you Hebr. 9.12 Yea this precious bloud was powred
out vpon the rich fields of heauen and earth that we might be all one flocke bought and paid for and seised into possession by his precious bloud-shedding he hath set at peace through the bloud of the Crosse both things in heauen Col. 1 20 and things in earth Iaacob is a potters field Christ Iesus was laid vp in this field 2. Cor. 4.7 that Iacob might die to sinne and liue to righteousenesse Iaacob hath heauenly treasure in an ear then vessell Matth. 13.4 Christ is the hidden treasure in the potters field more worth then all the field But shall I say that Iaacob is a Meridian field yes a goodly sun-shine field of common ioy and profit to the Church As the common court of the Tabernacle was vpon the sun-shine side a faire and comely passing to the Church Exod. 27.9 Thus was Iacob a faire field of common passage for the Saints for all must come by Iaacob This is the generation of them which seeke him Psalm 24.6 of them which seeke thy face O Iaacob Nostrum est rapere regnum coelorum per gratiam quod quis nequeat attingere per naturam our nature being lame Ierome Chrisostome we must be strengthened in grace to hold heauen by violence So then albeit Iaacob be a common field in whose faire paths and steppes of faith we repaire daily towards the house of God Yet is he but a figure of a fairer field for Christ himselfe is for vs all our rich faire common field He is ager frumenti where we haue all our bread of life Ioh. 6. Hee is ager hortorum where all the Church hath all her spices He is ager sanguinis our mercy truth righteousnesse and peace beeing all died in his bloud who did tread the winepresse alone Hee was ager figuli a man of earth in all things like vnto man sinne onely excepted hee bare the shape of a seruant in our potters field Yet this was his priuiledge that his vessell was not broken Hee was pierced with thornes and scourges and bored through with nailes and speare but he could not be broken among the spoiles of death Not a bone of him shall be broken Esa 12.46 Esa 53.5 Hee was broken for our iniquities in the separation betwixt his body and soule but his body could not be corrupt because it was neuer attaint with sinne with which seale the stay of our field is put together Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psalm 16.10 When all his enemies had done against him what they could hee wonne the masterie from them all as the sun at none day doth winne the victory of all the clouds of darknesse and is thus become our Meridian field Heere stands our glorious sonne the King of glory as the sunne in Gibeon on the top of the hil whilest the Lord doth fight for Israel Iosh 10 Vers 13.14 Apoc. 1 The sunne abideth in the middest of our heauen as the son of man in the middest of seuen golden candlestickes and there is no day like this Christ Iesus is our common field 1. Cor. 1.24 and there is neither Iewe nor Grecian nor bond nor free shut out which haue any title in this field as the righteousnesse of Christ for a wedding garment Matt. 22.11 There are none secluded which making right vse of their talents haue right desire to enter into the Lords ioy Matt. 25.21 as the wise virgins which went in with the bridegroome into the wedding Here we all gather plenteous redemption as Ruth gathered plentie of releese in the field of Boaz Ruth 2.15 Let her gather among the sheaues and doe not rebuke her O blessed Boaz our Sauiour what strength is in thee for vs all what strong charity what faire righteousnesse hast thou scattered for vs all to gather As Boaz scattered some of his sheaues of set purpose for Ruth Vers 16 so Christ himselfe let fall some of his sheaues for vs that we might gather without rebuke Ecclesia militans est sancta imputatione inchoatione segregatione sanctitate multimoda à sancto sanctorum imbuta Nay who can tell how many thousand more Christ hath done for vs that we may gather heauenly fruits and after feede thereon for euer It is said of Ruth that shee gleaned in the field till euening Heere vntill euening till the day of this life bee spent wee gather all our good conditions comforts profits pleasures all our mercies sweet remissions all our truth true faith all our righteousnesse faire beauty and all our peace sweet rest vntill our euerlasting sabbaths rest in that blessed field of Gods rest for euer But all this while where is the Prince hath hee no place heere or doth he beare no Armes in this Field Yes now let all the worthies of the world looke on him the Prince is Hur all white cleane hands and cleane heart and vpholdeth the armes of his worthy father as Hur did the hands of Moses to the discomfiture of our enemies 〈◊〉 he going downe of the sunne The Prince is a field of Corne Colos 3. â—6 Nom. 24.6 Heb. 10.22 Psalm 78.39 the Word of God doth plentifully dwell in him A field of gardens as the gardens by the riuers side A field of bloud sprinkled in his heart from an euill conscience and yet a potters field Let him remember that he is but flesh and a winde that turneth not againe What then are all those sanctities lost in him no now let my tongue touch my heart and let my voyce shout out for ioy that the Prince is our English Paradise Henricus campus meridianus magnae Britanniae The Lord sent him out of the North into the South and now is he becom our meridian field for the health and wealth of Christendome The Lord hath brought againe the captiuitie of Sion Psalme 126.1 and here is the health and wealth of these dominions Now shake thy selfe from the dust arise and sit downe O Ierusalem loose the bands of thy necke O captiue daughter Sion Shall I compare with that happie time of our blessed Queene Elizabeth They which were banished in Queene Maries time for sowing were sent for againe in Elizabeths daies to reape a fauourable recompence of God Psal 126 5 that they which did sowe in teares might reape in ioy In former time the people went downe into Egypt and Ashur oppressed them without cause but now how beautifull vpon the mountaines are the Watchmen which see lift vp their voyce and shout together Now is our mouth filled with laughter Vers 2 and our tongue with ioy our ioy renewed new ioy doubled double ioy multiplied our manifold ioyes established in the King and the Kings sonne Heere is cause enough for vs all to confesse the largesse of Gods mercifull true and righteous dealing in the performance of his promise Leu. 26.9 I will haue respect vnto you and make you
increase and multiply you and establish my couenant with you A most happie performance that now we haue hope for feare truth for doubt righteousnesse for iniustice peace for warre right heires for wrong as firre trees for thorns Esay 55.13 and mirrhe trees for nettles Now are our fairest riuers in the South the faire streames turned hither in righteousnesse with ioy and honour to themselues and all iust men Lord thou hast turned our captiuitie as riuers in the South How did the ioyes of good subiects hearts sparkle out at their eies attending to the Kings comming as the Angel of the Lord to leade his people The King came first and his Angel came after as the hawke doth flie by thy wisdome Iob. 39.29 stretching out his wings towards the South It is written of the South-winde that his originall is in the North but when he passeth the coasts of the Zodiacke towards the South there to meet the sunne as the sole Lord of all those beautifull passages then is he whot and moist and yeeldeth power to all the nurseries of Nature to worke from the worme that creepeth to the bird which flieth If I doe not mistake the likenesse this is a likely president of the faire arriuall here of the King and the Kings sonne to the gladnesse of Nature and Art and Grace and to the common solace of poore and rich both naked wormes and feathered fowles Now all true subiects eased of all their feares may sing vnder their owne vines Loe how our clothes are warme Iob. 37.17 when he maketh the earth quiet through the South winde In what corners are those to be found which doe not reioyce in this ioy Henrie Prince of Wales is our Meridian field richly mantled with pleasant varieties of high honours His Father Apollo the King hath watered him his excellent father his God his high father hath increased him in holy infusions of grace and rich ornaments of the purest Discipline Now is the Prince his Court more seemely to behold then the bankes of the Muses all bright and famous with faire fountaines of knowledge all garnished as a mellifluous garden where many Bees doe gather hony vnder the Master Bee Lord of the soyle Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field Some write of the magnanimous aduentures of the Holy Land Mantuan Sotterus Eusebius Faber some of the spatious propagation of the Gospel through Ethiopia Egypt India and Grecia in the time of the Apostles some of the wide spreading of the triumphant banner of Iesus Christ in these latter times among the Arabians Persians and Indians but who can write wherefore God hath giuen such iudgements to the King and such righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal 72. this were worth the Penne of a ready writer This wee all ought to doe to offer vp our hands and hearts and all our aid to the King and the Kings sonne The Gospel is yet in bondage in our neighbour countries and states remote and there is no Prince in the world of more assurance for Gods assistance Psal 144.1 to teach his hands to warre and his fingers to fight There is none more likely to helpe by the smell of his field all zealous pietie and resolute integritie that euery confident heart may say to him who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time In my weake meditations I haue found that God hath fowen his diuers kinds of seeds in three sundry fields in Paradise in the wide World and in the soule of man In Paradise a pure man in the world a pure word and in the soule of man pure seedes of grace In Paradise the first man Adam was made a liuing soule 1. Cor. 15.45 without hang-bies of originall sinne or in-bred hostilities of strong preuaile Therefore the complaint of mans fall is two-fold one against mans securitie the other against the Serpents enuie whilest Adam slept the enuious man sowed tares Matth. 13. Thus was man corrupt both within and without in his body and his soule when the pure Adam receiued in the impure sting of sinne as Ishbosheth liuing receiued in his sleepe his deaths wound 2. Sam. 4.6 Man did not continue in honour but became like vnto the beasts which perish Psal 49.12 In the second field the Lord hath bestowed his liuely word of which the great sower saith himselfe For this cause was I borne Ioh. 18.37 Esay 1.9 Rom. 9.29 and for this cause came I into the world Therefore well may we say Except the Lord had reserued seed for vs wee had beene as Sodome and like to Gomorrha Here then among many indifferent questions of the Astrologers I reioyce much in this one to know where is the best influence of the heauens Many men haue many opinions and if it may please you to accept mine among them all I thinke the best is there where is a most plentifull prosemination of the word of God This is the sacred aspersion wherewith the most parts of our nation is copiously sprinckled Therefore Iacob shall reioyce and Israel shall be glad Psalme 14.7 This was the pleasant meate and drinke wherewith the King of the Prophets did cheere vp the hearts of his friends and his owne he shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery nation Psa 147 19 20 all people haue not had such wholesome influence This was Ecclesiae gloria circumfluens vbertim mala superans Pellican the satiable riches of the Church Thus the mercy and kindnesse of the Lord doth follow vs hee maketh our cuppe to ouerflowe Yea this blessed influence filleth innumerable orchards full of figge-trees Christian consciences full of the fauours delights of God The word of God is a fig tree worth keeping and tending where we haue our daily nutriment and comfort Prou. 27.8 For he which keepeth the figge-tree shall eate the fruit thereof But shall I speake what I haue heard from the clamours of the wisdome of the world That this great allowance of the word of God is abundant and superfluous To such I haue offered a bold some will say a blinde answere That their wisedom is the sooles bable which hath said in his heart There is no God Psal 14.1 Excellentia regiminis Christiani non est ex opinatione politica sed ex ordinatione dominica dirigenda Jac. de Valen. Aqua nobilis ex frigore saepe gelatur There are too many wise men of the West which hold opinion of common preaching as some Philosophers doe of the light about the Southerne pole That as by the absence of the Sunne there the aire is not hindred in his light so by the want of ordinary preaching religion is not darkened in her beautie Circa polum Australem per absentiam solis non defieit lumen conueniens ad vitam felicem Indeed some to compare