made many proclamations and edicts in fauour of the Christians in so much as the whole rable of the hatefull enemies of God as Eusebius reportes seemed to bee wiped away from the sight of men according to that of the Psalmist I saw the wicked exalted as the Caedars of Libanus and florishing like a greene bay tree but I went by and loe he was gone I sought his place but it could no where be found Other construe this rather of Christ as being Angelus testamenti the messenger and Angel of the couenant the sunne of righteousnes manifesting himselfe in the great darknes of Anti-christianisme He hath indeed the seale of the liuing God as being the character of his person and brightnes of his glory declared mightily to bee the sonne of God He cryes with a loud voyce to the foure foule Angels that is he fights against such as fight against his elect seruants and deliuereth vs out of the handes of all our enemies In the darkenes of blind superstition he doth illuminate his and seale them in their forehead making them openly to confesse his faith vnto saluation among an adulterous and sinnefull generation This sealing in the forehead is not an allusion to the signe of the crosse for many reprobates haue receiued that in baptisme the true marke whereby Gods elect are discerned from all other is a liuely faith in the heart breaking forth into confession with the mouth according to that of Paul with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth he confesseth to saluation Now for as much as faith is by hearing and hearing is not without a preacher and how shall any preach except they be sent Rom. 10. 14. 15 Therefore some diuines haue conceiued that the true Prophets and Preachers are this Angell ascending from the rising of the sunne They haue power to marke the faithfull vnto life euerlasting their tongues are the writing pennes of the holy Ghost by whom the word of God is registred in the heartes of them that beleeue This Angell had the seale of God in his hand and the Prophets haue the powerfull and effectuall word of truth in their mouth and they crie with a loud voyce to the wicked instruments of Satan hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees As if they should say though some hearts are worldly some consciences wauering some mindes vnfruitfull and barren yet they may repent and come to goodnes When the seed is sowen some falleth vpon good ground and brings forth fruit in abundance cease therefore from with-holding the sweet blast of the Scriptures till we haue sealed vp the chosen seruants of our God in their forehead and imprinted a true beliefe in their hearts by his spirit S. Paul hath said all this in a fewe words after that ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospell of your saluation and therein beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Some thinke this Angell is Elias the Prophet imagining that he shall in the latter end of the world come againe to fight against Antichrist and to seale Gods elect in their fore-head But our renowned Soueraigne King Iames in his premonition hath excelleÌ„tly discouered the vanity of this idle Iewish fable besides our text saith in the plurall number till we haue sealed c. Insiâ—…uating that by this Angell is not meant one Preacher only but many yea so many as be both instant and constant in crying with a loud voyce to the leâ—…d Angels hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees If this one point were well vnderstood and learned it would make you more diligent in comming to the temple which is the house of God in reading the Scriptures which is the booke of God in hearing the true Prophets which are the Ministers of God appointed for this end to separate you from the wicked of the world and to seale you with his marke for his kingdome Hitherto concerning the Minister sealing I am now to treat of the men sealed all agreeing in one confession howsoeuer differing in condition and countrey There were sealed one hundred and forty and foure thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel The Iewes are sealed first as being Gods eldest sonnes a peculiar and pretious people chosen to himself aboue all other in the world After them in course follow the Gentiles as the yonger sonnes of God for there was sealed an infinite number of other nations as well as a great number of the Iewes And among both Iewes and Gentiles all sortes of men were sealed the people so well as the Priest euen twelue thousand of euery tribe so well as twelue thousand of the tribe of Leui. And among the people men of all occupations and trades for by the land he meanes such as till the ground and by the sea marriners and Merchants occupying their busines in great waters and by trees such as are noble rich and potent in a flourishing estate So that men in euery nation of euery fashion if they feare God and worke righteousnes are sealed with his seale for his chosen seruants Ezechiel reportes that none are sealed but such as mourne and crie for all the abominations that are done here none but such as grieue to see the Gospell of Christ despised and his Church despited On the contrary such as are common blasphemers of his name contemners of his word and persecutors of his Prophets haue not the seale of the liuing God but the marke of the dying beast In that it is said one hundred and forty foure thousand were sealed of the children of Israel Aretas obserues that euery one of the twelue Apostles multiplied his talent twelue times a curious and a conscionable conceit too but how consonant to the text I leaue to the iudicious examination of the learned and godly remembring the resolution of S. Augustine in a case not much vnlike quisquis haec legit vbi pariter certus est pergat mecum vbi pariter haesitat quaerat mecum vbi errorem suum cognoscit redeat ad me vbi meum reuocet me Nam in his vt in omnibus meis scriptis non modò pium lectorem sedetiam liberum correctorem desidero The Gospell MAT. 5. 1. Iesus seeing the people went vp into a mountaine and when he was set his disciples came to him and after that hee had opened his mouth hee taught them saying blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen c. THe first word of the first lesson in Christs first Sermon is blessed a point of conning and of comfort of conning and good art woeing vs in the very first entrance to marke well his whole discourse because neuer any was is or shall be but he desires according to his owne sense to be blessed It is the
conuersation is in Heauen Albeit the deuill and his associats besiege Gods elect euery day yet they finde in them no resting place their dwelling is among the reprobate wicked according to that of S. Matthew When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thorow out drie places seeking rest and findes none then he saith I will returne into mine house from whence I came and when he is come he findeth it emptie swept and garnished then he goeth and taketh vnto him seauen other spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the end of this man is worse then the beginning The Deuill is cast out of Heauen into the earth as in the text following that is into men of earthly minds who go vpon their bellies and eat dust all the dayes of their life The Deuill is cast out of the Temple into the court which is without the Temple that is out of the bounds of the Church among the Gentiles and such as know not God or else knowing God glorifie him not as God Rom. 1. 21. professing that they know God but deny him in their workes Tit. 1. 16. In these who mind earthly things Satan ruleth and worketh as their God and prince I heard a loud voyce saying in Heauen is now made saluation Here begins the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or victoriall hymne for the loud voyce from Heauen is nothing else but the publique consent of the faithfull in magnifying the mercies of God toward them in their fight against the Dragon and his angels And this conquest is tearmed in respect of men Saluation in respect of God the strength of his kingdome and the power of his Christ. Where Satan and sinne reigne there destruction is at hand for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. But when once Satan is cast out and the word of God which is the sauing Gospell and the word of life dwelleth in vs plenteously then as Christ said vnto Zacheus saluation is come to our house It is tearmed the power of Christ and strength of Gods kingdome because this euidently sheweth his might and Maiestie So the Text following They ouercame the Dragon by the bloud of the Lambe Christ fighteth in vs and for vs and thorough his help we are able to doe all things euen to cast out Satan and to cast downe holdes and whatsoeuer is exalted against the knowledge of God 2. Cor. 10. 4. So that we may triumph and say with Paul Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea rather that is risen againe who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs And 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. And by the word of their testimonie the bloud of the Lambe that is the death of Christ our paschall lambe is the chiefe cause of this one victorie but Faith is the hand and instrument applying the merits of Christ and opposing them against all the dangerous assaults of the dragon For when that common informer and accuser of his brethren shall accuse thee before God for breaking his Lawes as in many things all of vs offend then thou maiest answere The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne and there is no condemnation vnto those which are in Christ he so loued me that he died for my sinnes and rosâ—… againe for my iustification All that is borne of God ouercommeth the world and this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world and the prince of this world euen our Faith 1. Iohn 5. 4. See Epistle Sun 1. after Easter And therefore Paul aduiseth the Christian souldiour aboue all other weapons in the spirituall war-fare to put on Faith Aboue all take the shield of Faith wherewith yee may quench all the fierie darts of the deuill Ephes. 6. 16. See Epistle Sun 21. after Trinitie Now for as much as it is not sufficient vnto saluation to beleeue with thine heart vnlesse thou likewise confesse with thy mouth It is said here that the souldiours of Christ ouercame the dragon by Faith in the Lambs bloud and by the word of their testimonie And for as much as a true Faith is neuer idle but alway manifesting it selfe by good workes it is added in the next clause they loued not their lines vnto the death as who would say they were willing to sacrifice their loues and their liues in the quarrell of Christ against the Dragon and his Angels they remembred the words of their Generall he that loueth his life shall loose it and he that giueth his life in this world shall keepe it to life eternall and who soeuer shall loose his life for my sake and the Gospell he shall saue it The Gospell MAT. 18. 1. At the same time â—…ame the Disciples vnto Iesus saying who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen THere be two parts of this text 1. A question verse 1. wherein obserue 1. When it was asked at the same time 2. By whom the Disciples 3. Of whom they came vnto Iesus 4. What who is the greatest in the kingdome c. 2. An answere to the same verse 2. 3. c. The summe whereof is briefly this he that in Christs Church is most seruant is the greatest and he that is most Lordly the least or he that is least in his owne conceit is the greatest in Gods eye the least in this kingdome of heauen which is present shall be the greatest in that kingdome of heauen which is to come The which one point is pressed by the great Doctor of humility with a great deale of earnestnes for 1. as S. Marke reportes he sat downe 2. He called the twelue 3. When they were called together hee taught them by spectacle to their eye so well as by precept to their eare he set a childe in the midst of them and said 4. He vsed a vehement asseueration verily I say vnto you 5. A commination except ye turne and become aâ—… children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen At the same time the occasion of this question among the Disciples as Hierom and other learned Doctors write was vpon emulation toward Peter whom alone they saw preferred before the rest in the payment of the tribute by these words of Christ in the former Chapter at the last verse that take and pay to them for me and thee But S. Marke relates Chap. 9. verse 34. that this contention began in the way before they came into the house where Christ appointed Peter to pay tribute
first of all the Gospels 3. Great as being the most large diuided by the moderne Latines into 28. Chapters but according to the partition of Hilarius in former ages into 33. or as Druthmanus into 67. Canons Among the Grecians Euthymius parteth it into 68. Chapters Eusebius Ammonius Suidas into 355. and lastly great as intending principally to shew that the man Christ is the Messias and Sauiour of the world promised by the Prophets and prefigured in the sacrifices of the law Saint Matthew hauing cheerefully followed Christ in hearing his Gospell in preaching his Gospell in writing his Gospell on this day suffered martyrdome constantly for his Gospell Christ euery day calleth vs and saith vnto vs as here to Matthew follow me though he doe not this immediatly by himselfe yet he speaketh vnto vs by the tongues of his Preachers as he spake in olde time to our fathers by the mouthes of the Prophets It is our duty therefore to come when hee calleth as his seruant Matthew quickly conueniently constantly cheerefully Quickly without delay make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord but to day while it is called to day let vs heare his voyce conueniently forsaking our selues and casting away euery thing that presseth downe and hindreth vs in our way to Christ Heb. 12. 1 constantly going from strength to strength and continuing faithfull vnto the death cheerefully making Christ a great feast in our owne house Happily thou wilt obiect if I had liued in that golden age when Christ my Sauiour blessed the world with his bodily presence then I would haue worshipped him and followed him and feasted him but alas I haue good cause to complaine with Mary Magdalene they haue taken away the Lord and where should I finde him if I would now feast him O beloued albeit Christ is in heauen and thou art on earth yet thou mayest and that in thine owne house make to him a double feast a spirituall feast and a corporall a spirituall for his meat is to doe the will of God Iohn 4. 34. And the will of God is to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Iohn 6. 29. So that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ and openeth the doore to his knocke maketh him a feast in the parlour of his heart So himselfe saith I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in vnto him and will sup with him and he with me The Poets feigned that their God Iupiter fed on Nectar and Ambrosia Iupiter Ambrosia satur est Nectare plenus But the God of heauen is refreshed with the fruites of the spirit loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance these dishes are his dainties Thou mayest also feast him corporally for whatsoeuer is done to his followers he taketh as done to himselfe because they be members of his body of his flesh and of his bone this hee will openly protest at the last day Mat. 25. 35. I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke for in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me And when the Pharisces saw it In the Pharisces accusation obserue these two circumstances especially To whom And of whom it was made to whom they said vnto his Disciples of whom of Christ and the rest of the guests in Matthewes house why eateth your master with publicans and sinners c. In making this obiection vnto the Disciples and not vnto Christ himselfe they shew themselues to bee crafty calumniatours It was craft to set vpon the weake Disciples being a little before confounded by their master and it was a calumnie to mutter that behind his backe which they dare not vtter vnto his face But this was their ordinary guile to vent their gaule when they conceited that the Disciples did amisse they cauilled with Christ why doe thy Disciples transgresse the traditions of the fathers for they wash not their hands when they eate bread And when they thought Christ offended they told his Disciples why eateth your master with publicanes and sinners In the fact of the Disciples they cauilled with Christ in the fact of Christ they cauilled with the Disciples in both their malitious intent was to dishonour the Gospell and estrange the Disciples from Christ and Christ from his Disciples In our age there be many such enuious sycophants who being once got betweene the pot and the wall chat in secret against that which Christ and his Ministers haue chaunted in publique The Pharisees accusing Christ and his company Publicanes and sinners offended in vncharitablenes pride in vncharitablenes toward Christ ac si consentiens in culpa qui consentiens in coena as if he had communicated with them in mischiefe as he did common with them at meate whereas Christ conuersed with publicans and sinners as the physitian with the sicke they made not him worse but he made them better he had no fellowship with vnfruitfull workes of darknes but only with the workers he did loue their persons but leaue their vices see Gospell on the 3. Sun after Trinity Againe the Pharisees were very cruell and vncharitable toward the Publicanes in that they despised them and had no feeling of their miseries or care for their conuersion and lastly they shew their pride by iustifying themselues impudently whereas they should rather haue confessed ingeniously with the Psalmist enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight and with Iob if the starres are vncleane in his sight how much more man a worme euen the sonne of man which is but a worme and with Esay we haue all bin an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes When Christ heard that he said vnto them He replied vnto the Pharisees not as hoping to mende them by his answere but least his Disciples otherwise might bee scandalized hereby giuing vs an example to meet with opprobrious cauils and calumnies against the Gospell and that not to satisfie so much our aduersaries as to strengthen our auditours They that be strong need not the physitian This sentence may be considered as a scomma to the Pharisees who were so righteous and strong in their own conceit as that they did not in any case need a physitian but as a Lemma for others in which as in the rest of his Apologie Christ insinuates that he came into the world not to constraine but to call not the righteous who iustifie themselues but sinners euen such as feele their wickednes and weakenes such as are broken hearted such as are laden and weary with the burden of their iniquity not to licentiousnes in their sinne or to punishment for their sinne or to satisfaction for their sinne
fight against such as fight against vs here the Gospell and Epistle meete Michael and his Angels saith our Epistle sight against the Dragon and his Angels and the Gospell insinuates as much in saying take heede that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels doe alway behold the face of my father c. And here you may note the reason also why both are appointed by the Church to be read on this festiuall of Angels Other expound this of the Ministers of Christ often stiled in respect of their honourable function and mission Angels These beare the Captaines colours preaching the true faith whereby the souldiers of Christ are distinguished from all other Or as other by the word Angels is meant all the members of Christ in heauen and on earth as well Magistrates as Ministers as well people as Pastors all his Apostles Confessors Martyrs and whosoeuer else fighteth vnder his banner The Deuill is the generall on the contrarie side called here for his open mischiefe a great Dragon for his cunning and secret malice an old Serpent for his false cauils an accuser of his brethren and a Deuill for his obstinate contradiction and opposition of God and godlinesse Satan And the Dragon is not only chiefe of Deuils but also god of this world that is of all wicked men in the world Deceiuing saith our text all the world that is endeuouring to deceiue all in the world but actually deceyuing all such as are of the world stirring them vp alway to fight against Michael and his angels against the Lord and against his annointed Entising the Magistrate to tyrannie the people to securitie the learned to curious impietie the simple to brutish Epicurisme all to disorder and dissolutenesse Quò enim vel vnde seducit vel abducit orbem terrarum nisi à cultu Dei debito ad cultum suimet indebitum Now we know the Captaines and the souldiers let vs see when the battell is fought and where when there was a battell indefinitely for there was is and euer will be warre betweene Michaell and the Dragon vntill the worlds end And therefore this battell is called in our and some other translations praelium magnum as being great not only in regard of the great number of those who fight or in regard of our enemies great might great malice great experience great cunning all which are verie great But also great in regard of the great time this warre shall continue for God said vnto the Serpent in the beginning of the world I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed he shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele And S. Paul liuing in the latter ends of the world saith in his epistle to the Galatians as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so it is now so that as long as there is a world and a prince of the world so long the children of God must put on the armour of light and fight against the workes and princes of darknesse Euery Christian is a professed souldiour not only for a time to see the fashion of the warres as young gentlemen vse in our time but as he hath in holy baptisme vowed manfully to fight vnder Christs banner against sinne the world and the deuill and to continue his faithfull souldiour and seruant vnto his liues end When William the Conquerour had landed his men in Sussex he caused all his ships to be suncke that all hope of flying back might be taken away Beloued seeing we are landed on this valley of teares as it were the Battell of the world let vs neither faint nor flye but fight it out valiantly till death our last enemie be destroied 3. This battell is described by the place there was a great battell in heauen this cannot fitly be construed of heauen in heauen for the Deuill in the beginning was cast out of that heauen and there is no war-fare but all well-fare no iarre but loue yea such a peace as passeth all vnderstanding But by Heauen is meant the Church of God on earth as Interpretours obserue generally called in holy Scriptures Heauen and Hierusalem aboue for that her chiefe treasure is in Heauen Matth. 6. 20. her affections in Heauen Colloss 3. 2. her conuersation in Heauen Philip. 3. 20. and for that the Lord of Heauen dwels in her heart by Faith Ephes. 3. 17. All this battell then is fought in Heauen vpon earth according to that of Iob. The life of man is a war-fare vpon earth Here is the field where we must so run that we may obtaine so fight that we may ouercome no part of the battell is fought in Hell or purgatorie but all vpon earth Or this battell is said to be fought in Heauen as being a spirituall war-fare Ephes. 6. 12. We wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against spirituall wickednesses which are in high places Grosse wickednesse is easily seen and preuented soone but our aduersaries abound with inuisible wickednesse being our greatest enemies while they seeme our best friends and therefore seeing we liue in a besieged citie which is assaulted on euery side by cruell and cunning opposers as the wiseman speakes in the midst of snares it behoueth vs as Paul exhorts to put on the whole armour of God that we may stand against all the assaults of the Deuill Let vs feare nothing in this holy warre for our captaine is good our Michaell is the Lord of hosts Nil desperandum Christo duce auspice Christo our cause good for we fight for the word of Truth against the father and fauourers of lyes against the Dragon and his angels our companie good all the glorious Angels in Heauen and all the good men on earth are on our side our reward good when our fight is finished palmes in our hands and crownes on our heads See epistle 21. Sund. after Trinitie And preuailed not Albeit the Deuill as a great dragon and an old serpent and a roaring lion seeke daily whom he may deuoure yet the gates of Hell are not able to conquere the Church albeit Satan rage and raue neuer so much he shall haue no preuailing power against Gods elect he shall not pluck any of Christs sheepe out of Christs hand Iohn 10. 28. The prince of this world is cast out and hath nought in mee saith our blessed Sauiour Iohn 14. 30. no part in mee no part in mine which are flesh of my flesh and bones of my bones I know the Dragon and his angels assault Michaell and his angels euery houre but all the hurt they can doe is to bruise the heel Gen. 3. 15. Neither was their place any more found in Heauen That is in the hearts of the godly whose