How the want of loue is the cause of many mischiefes in the world I onely pray it may neuer be so with any Christian soule that we make not the truth of God with all reuerence be it spoken as a Packe-horse to support our vile desires I am sure if there were more loue and charity among Christians lesse faults lesse errours would appeare to bee in the Church of God then now there seemes to be 1 Cor. 13. for charity suffereth all things beleeueth all things and is euer willing to make faults and errours lesser then they be whereas the want of loue will make the worst of euery thing euery errour to be an Heresie and euery infirmity to be hainous impiety nay want of loue will make sinnes where God made none We ought to loue all men and to hate all vices in whomsoeuer they be and make vertues to be vices whereas perfect charity will neuer hate the man though he be full of iniquity and therefore my conclusion of this point is that as Christ hath loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs so let vs loue Christ and loue one another for Christ his sake and he that doth these things shall neuer fall Part. 4 PART IIII. CHAP. Of the manner of Christs suffering how he suffered all that I haue shewed so as the Prophets fore-told and as the Apostles had seene the same with their eyes The incomprehensible manner of Christ his sufferings FOurthly Hauing heard of the person suffering Christ of the chiefest things that he suffered which are recorded by the Euangelists and of the necessity of that suffering in respect of those causes which did necessitate the same wee are now to cōsider the maner how he suffered expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to suffer that is so humbly so louingly so meekely so patiently and so euery way in respect of himselfe as that neither the tongues of men nor Angels are neuer able by any like to expresse it by any words to declare it That all predictions touching the Messias were all accomplished in Iesus Christ or by any apprehensions or thoughts of man to conceiue it And so in regard of men as the Prophets had foretold and the Apostles had already seene for so it pleased Almighty God before the comming of the Messias to fore-tell almost euery thing that should happen throughout all the whole life of the Messias euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the very last act of his Ascention that so all men might beleeue in him in whom they saw all those predictions fulfilled none other for the Prophet Esay had said that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Hos 11.1 Esay 9.1 Micheas said that hee should be borne in Bethlehem-Iuda Hoseas foretold of his flight into Egypt and to be briefe the place of his dwelling in the borders of Nepthali the manner of his liuing Healing all manner of infirmities Cap. 53.4 and preaching the glad tydings of saluation and almost euery one of the least particulars that should happen vnto him at his death Zach. 2.9 as how he should be sold and betrayed by his owne Disciple Psal 41 2. how all his followers should flie from him how craftily and maliciously he should be apprehended Esay 53.10 how falsly he should be accused how basely he should be handled buffeted whipped and spitted vpon how vniustly hee should bee condemned and how cruelly he should be fastned vnto the Crosse to die an accursed death and as most accursed betwixt the wicked and how he should be generally mocked his garments taken from him and haue Gall to eate and Vinegar to drinke and what not all was fore-shewed that should happen vnto the Messias and therefore it behoued Christ so to suffer because it was prophesied that he should so suffer And as the Prophets did fore-shew how the Messias should suffer so the Euangelists and Apostles testifie how Christ did suffer all and euery one of those things that were written of him for they were eye-witnesses of the same 1 Iohn 1.1 and soth ey testifie vnto vs that which was from the beginning which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled of the Word of life that testifie wee vnto you i. e. that all the things that were written of him which was promised from the beginning wee haue seene them fully accomplished fulfilled in him which liued and conuersed amongst vs and which we preach vnto you Iesus Christ S. Mathew recollects 32. seuerall Prophesies that he saw fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ Saint Iohn addes many other and so doe the rest diuers more So that whosoeuer would with the men of Berea search the Scriptures from the first Booke of Moses vnto the last Prophet Malachy and marke out all the things that were spoken of the Messias that was for to come we shall if we doe but looke finde them all recorded in the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists to be most fully fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christ A sufficient condemnation to all Iewes that still looke for another Christ for why should not they beleeue their owne Prophets they said the Messiah should suffer these things Christ suffered them so as they were prophesied who then can be the Messias but he in whom all these prophecies were fulfilled but Saint Paul tels vs why they will not beleeue in him Why the Iewes beleeue not in Christ Rom. 11. because partly blindnesse is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And now Lord if it be thy will open their eyes that they may see this truth and circumcise all infidelity from their hearts that they may beleeue thy Sonne Iesus Christ to be the Sauiour of the world And as this condemneth all vnbeleeuing Iewes so it confirmeth all true Christians in the faith of Christ and I wish to God that as the seeing of all these things fulfilled in Christ makes vs all to beleeue in Christ so the suffering of all these things for vs would make vs all to praise this our Lord Iesus Christ for his goodnesse to feare him in all our wayes to loue him with all our hearts and to serue him truly and faithfully all the dayes of our life O blessed God grant this vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit three distinct persons of that one indiuided essence be ascribed all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most blessed God that hast giuen thy dearest and thine onely Sonne not onely to be made man subiect to all infirmities but also to suffer all miseries throughout his whole life and in the end to be put vnto a most shamefull painefull and accursed death by wicked men for sinnefull men that hee suffering what wee deserued wee might be deliuered from thy wrath we most humbly beseech
soules Now after the holy Ghost bestoweth vpon the Saints faith to beleeue in him hope to expect all happinesse from him and charity most feruently to loue him and all men for his sake then hee worketh many other graces in the hearts of his Elect to preserue them blamelesse in the sight of God and to defend them from the malice of that roaring Lion as a filiall feare neuer to offend him and a speciall care alwaies to please him and beside and aboue all the rest he infuseth into their soules these two excellent gifts viz. 1. Prouidence to fore-see 2. Patience to indure all things First Moses in his last speech and best song that hee made vnto the children of Israel saith O that they were wise Deut. 31. that they vnderstood this that they would consider their latter end that is that they would remember things past vnderstand things present and consider things to come for this is the onely difference betwixt man and beast the one craues for the present time the other fore-seeth and prouideth for the times to come and the want or neglect of this consideratiue fore-sight is the cause of many miseries for as hee that fore-seeth euill either preuenteth it or prepareth himselfe for it and so it is more easily borne of him because it doth not suddenly apprehend him so he that neuer seeth it till it strikes him is the more amazed with it because hee feeleth that which hee neuer feared and therefore as Iob saith that he was surprised with that which he feared so the Saints of God haue this grace giuen them by God to expect and fore see miseries before they come that they may be the more tollerable vnto them if they come And as they haue one eye open to feare and fore-see euill before it commeth so they haue the other eye open to fore-see and to hope for good that when it comes it may be the more welcome to them and that vsing all lawfull meanes to compasse it they may the sooner attaine vnto it But here it may be some wil obiect say as it was said of old Ob. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scire si liceret quae debes subire non subire pulchrum sit scire Sed si subire oportet quae licet scire quorsum scire nam debes subire That is Doctor Euerard in his Aâ—rere han p. 76. as Doctor Euerard doth as wittily translate them as they were prettily composed If a man might know the ill that hee must vndergoe and shunne it so then were it good to know But if he vndergoe it though he know it what bootes him know it he must vndergoe it And so of good things if he might the sooner obtaine them by fore-seeing them it were worth our paines to looke after them but seeing no care no prouidence can either helpe vs vnto the good we desire or preuent the euill we feare because as one truly saith What shall be shall be sure there is no chance For the eye eterne all things fore-sees And all must come to passe as he decrees And therefore to what end should wee trouble our selues in vaine to fore-see that which we cannot forbid Sol. To this I answere briefly that although God worketh all things according to his will yet it is his wil ordinarily to work by ordinary meanes and secondary causes as we may see in the second of Osee 21. Osee 2.21 I will heare the Heauens and they shall heare the Earth and the Earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel And therefore whom God hath decreed shall escape euill or attaine vnto any good God decreeth the meanes as well as the end of any thing he hath also decreed that they should by their care and diligence the one to preuent it and the other to vse all lawfull meanes to procure it and they that will not vse all possible care to obtaine these ends doe most apparantly shew an infallible argument against themselues they shall neuer attaine vnto their desired end because it is a sure rule that whatsoeuer end God hath decreed hee hath also decreed the meanes to bring to passe that end And therefore as he hath decreed the saluation of his Saints so he hath decreed to giue them his grace to fore-see all things that are necessary for them to know that they may the better vse all diligence to eschew the euill and to obtaine the good Secondly seeing our estate in this life is a state full of miseries and that we are long expecting good before we can inioy it therefore wee haue neede of patience Heb. 10.36 that after wee haue done the will of God wee might receiue the promise and therefore God seeing how needfull patience is for his seruants hee giueth this gift vnto vs and it is indeed a most excellent gift without which I know not how the Saints could well subsist that we might patiently and contentedly suffer whatsoeuer happeneth vnto vs and as Iob saith quietly to waite all our dayes Iob. vntill our change shall come It is recorded in the books of the Gentiles that in the Olympian combates that Champion wan the Garland that bestowed most blowes vpon his Antagonist but in the warres of the Lord where God himselfe is our rewarder wee finde that hee beares away the Crowne which beareth patiently the most blowes from his aduersaries and in lieu thereof returneth nothing but good words But here we must vnderstand patience is vsed either Patience is taken two waies 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abusiuely and improperly 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly and properly and In the first sence wee finde the word vsed foure manner of wayes First for a sinnefull carelesnesse when men per patientiam asininam will suffer themselues like lazie asses to bee drawne and compelled by lewd companie to drinking swaggering or any other sinne whatsoeuer Secondly for a stoicall apathie when men will locke vp all naturall passions and striue to bee insensible of any thing that shall befall them Thirdly for a customarie induring of all stormes when like children in the Schoole which doe so much the lesse care for whipping the oftner they are whipped we grow insensible of all crosses by a continuall custome of bearing crosses Fourthly for a naturall fortitude when through the strength of nature and the courage of a heroick minde men will vndergoe whatsoeuer aduersities shall betide them and will seeme to beare the same as if their strength were the strength of stones Iob. 6.12 and their flesh of brasse as Iob speaketh In the second sence we doe likewise finde the word vsed many wayes as Rom. 2.4 First for a contayning of our selues from the reuenging of any iniuries done vnto vs. Secondly for a contented waiting and a most quiet expecting of what we desire Rom. 2.7 Heb. 10.36 Psal 9.18 without muttering
meaner Schollers cannot doe so profoundly as the grauer Diuines can doe and the older men cannot doe it so often as the yonger sort can doe and yet neither must be contemned for if the young men had had the time of the aged no doubt but they would doe as well as the aged Aristotle Et si senex haberet oculum inuenis videret vt iuuenis And if the ancient men had the strength bodies of yong men it is not vnlikely but that they would still take paines as young men Neither doe I say this to vphold sloath or negligence in any Age for to our vttermost ability as I said before we must all continue constant vnto death but to reproue our partiall Age that adoreth the Sunne rising in the East and applaudeth the quicke wits and many Sermons of youth but make none account of aged Paul and the best labours of declining age Philemon v. 9. vnlesse with the Israelites they can make vp the same tale of Brickes as they did in youth though they haue neither Straw nor Stubble neither sight of eyes nor strength of bodies to performe it and to shew how euery man should doe his best Iuxta mensuram Donationis Christi according to that measure of grace which he hath receiued from Christ And so much for the filling of the Apostles with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. Of the effects and fruits of their filling with the Holy Ghost and how this Spirit sealeth them and sheweth them to be the true seruants of Iesus Chist THirdly For the effects of their filling it is said The fruits and effects of the holy Ghost that they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance First They began to speake because the Spirit of God is neuer idle but where it sees cause will speake though it should cost the speakers life Secondly They spake with other tongues i. e. not as carnall men talking of fleshly or worldly matters nor as wicked prophane wretches belching forth Blasphemia in deum Blasphemies against God but as regenerate and sanctified men they shew forth magnalia dei the wonderfull workes of God And hereby all men might know whether they were the seruants of Christ by this Spirit of Christ for as our Sauiour saith of the false Apostles the same is true of all Apostles Matth. 7.16 by their fruits you shall know them for as in whomsoeuer the spirit of Satan is you shall see that he will reueale them by their lewd words and by their wicked works which are the workes of darkenesse so in whomsoeuer the Spirit of God is hee will seale them and marke them with a foure-fold marke saith Bonauenture that is signo 1. Veritatis credendorum 2. Honestatatis morum 3. Contemptus mundanorum 4. Charitatis Dei et proximorū 1. With true Religion The holy Ghost sealeth vs with a four-fold seale 2. With an vpright conuersation 3. With contempt of vanity 4. With perfect charity First It worketh Faith in their hearts for this is the fundamentall root of all other graces and therfore the Apostle well obserueth out of the Prophet that a man first beleeueth Faith is the root of all graces and then speaketh for we haue beleeued saith he and therefore haue wee spoken whereas if they had not beleeued they would neuer haue spoken of the wonderfull workes of God and therefore the holy Ghost did first worke faith in their hearts and then it caused the same to speake and to expresse it selfe by this preaching of the works of God And Secondly of good workes which are Secondly because the verity of our faith is euer knowne by the sinceritie of our life therefore these signes shall follow them that beleeue Gregor de 7. pec Magdal First to suppresse sinne First They shall cast out Deuils i. e. vitia voluptatis they shall suppresse all sinnes as Saint Gregory expounds it because euery sinne is as bad as the Deuill Secondly They shall speake with new tongues i. e. vtter forth verba vtilitatis Secondly to praise God holy and heauenly words and because our naturall tongues were like the poison of Aspes these may well be called new tongues when they doe sing a new song Thirdly to bridle their lusts Thirdly They shall take vp serpents i. e. concupiscentias sensualitatis the biting and poisonous concupiscences of our sensuall flesh shall be though not quite taken away from them yet they shall bee taken vp in their hands as Hercules is said to haue held the two serpents which Iuno sent to deuoure him in both his hands while hee was but a childe in his cradle and they shall be so restrayned and held fast that they shall not be able to doe them violence Fourthly to beare all iniuries Fourthly If they drinke any deadly poison it shall not hurt them i. e. iniurias aduersitatis if they must swallow downe lies and slanders yet for all the malice and the mischiefe of the wicked non inflammantur per superbiam non suffocantur per maliciam non disrumpuntur per inuidiam they shall neither swell with enuy nor burst with malice nor any wayes perish through their indignity Luke 21.19 but in their patience they shall possesse their soules And Fiftly to doe good vnto all men Fiftly They shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recouer them i. e. adiutoria charitatis remedia iniquitatis they shall exercise such deeds of charity that by their good counsels and admonitions they shall recouer many a languishing dying soule Thirdly of contempt of vanities and bring them backe againe to sauing health And Thirdly because these things cannot be practised vnlesse the pompe and pride of worldly vanities be quite contemned and troden vnder feet therefore the Spirit of God worketh in them a minde to forsake all worldly things And Fourthly Fourthly of charity Rom. 5.5 because no worke is good vnlesse it proceedeth from the root of charity therefore the Spirit of God diffuseth this loue into the hearts of his seruants that they wish no euill to any man but are ready to doe good euen to them that hate them And these foure seales and signes of Gods Spirit are expressed in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation where Saint Iohn saw a woman clothed with the Sunne Apoc. 12.1 and the Moone vnder her feet and vpon her head a crowne of twelue Starres and she being with childe cryed trauelling in birth and paine to be deliuered For this woman signifieth the Church of Christ or euery faithfull Christian soule And first her Sun-like shining is the brightnesse of her good workes and heauenly conuersation which doth so shine before men Matth. 5.16 that they glorifie God which is in heauen Secondly the Moone vnder her feet signifieth her contemning and trampling vnder feet all the vaine and variable things of this sublunary world Thirdly her crowne
there cannot be but one Iehoua one infinit eternall being that both the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Each person of the Trinity is the true Iehoua are called each one of them Iehoua as you may most apparently see if you compare the 6. of Esay and the 9. where the great Iehoua saith vnto the Prophet Goe and tell this people heare and vnderstand not see but perceiue not make the heart of this people fat with the 12 of Iohn 41. Where the Euangelist saith that these words of the Prophet were spoken of Christ when hee saw his glory and spake of him and with the 28 of the Acts 25. Where Saint Paul saith The Holy Ghost spake these words by Esayas the Prophet and if you looke into the first of the Reuelations 8. where Christ assumeth the same name vnto himselfe saying I am Alpha Omega the beginning the ending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was which is which is to come And so into the 8 of Iohn the 58. where our Sauiour alludeth vnto the same Name saying Before Abraham was I am It doth sufficiently proue each one of these persons to be an infinite God subsisting in that one eternall Essence Zanch. de natura dei l. 1. c. 13. p. 35. because it is most certaine that the Name Iehoua is so propper vnto God that it can be ascribed to none else as Zanchius saith But because many other places of Scripture are more plaine and pregnant to proue this great Mystery of godlinesse I will not insist to wring out an apparant truth from the obscurest places Chrysost hom 2 in Heb. and because as Saint Chrysostome saith Nequue ad loquendum digne de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praeualet Our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our vnderstandings are not sufficient to conceiue of him as we ought to doe yea and that De deo loqui etiam vera aliquando periculosissimum est It may be dangerous sometimes to speake truths of God for as Euclides being demaunded of one what God did and in what things he most delighted did most truly answere that he knew not well what he did but he was certaine he delighted not in vaine and curious persons Maxim ser 33. That it is not safe to search too farre into the seeing of God so I say that curiosity in this highest point of Diuinity is very dangerous or as Saint Bernard saith to inquire too farre into this point is peruerse curiositie to beleeue it as the Scripture teacheth is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity therefore I will wade no further into this depth but I will exhort and desire you all Potius glorificare eum qui est quam inuestigare quid est Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Rather most faithfully to serue him which is then curiously to search what he is Ne in hac illicite curiosi in illa damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati least in this wee be found vnlawfully curious Prosper de vocat gentium and in the other most damnably vnthankefull as Prosper speaketh CHAP. II. How God is the giuer of Being to all Creatures and the fulfiller of all his promises AND yet I must note vnto you Zanch de natura Dei l. 1. c. 18. Why Jehoua is twice repeated that here Iehoua is twice repeated not to make Moses the more attentiue as some doe thinke it for the very speech of God at such a time and in such a manner was enough in my iudgement to moue attention but rather to signifie as I take it that as he is an eternall being in himselfe so he giueth being to all things else viz. 1. To all Creatures 2. To all his promises For First In him we liue we moue and haue our being Acts 17.1.28 saith the most learned Apostle of the Gentiles euen in the streetes of Athens and of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 saith the same Apostle vnto the Romans the sole Monarchs of the whole World and so GOD himselfe saith Esay 44.24 I am Iehoua that made all things Which is all one as if hee had said As I am called the Creator because I haue made That all things doe subsist in God and created all things so I am called Iehoua Being because I gaue and doe giue their being vnto all the things that are And it is obserued that as in the Hebrew word Iehoua there is nothing but Consonants Iod He Vau Am which without their prickes that doe stand for the vowels can not be pronounced to shew how ineffable How ineffable is God and how vnexpressable the essence of God is So in the Latine word Iehoua there are contained all the vowels a. e. i. o. u without some of which no word can be spoken no name can be vttered and that in it there is nothing but vowels excepting h. which is no letter but the aspiration of the word to note vnto vs That God is the very life of all things that as the vowels together with the aspiration is the life and as it were the soule of euery word so is Iehoua the Lord God the very life and being as it were of euery Creature that can be named because that of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 Non quod illa sunt quod ipse est sed quia ex ipso sunt Not that they are the same Bern. in cant serm 4. that he is but because they haue their existence and perfection from him as Saint Bernard saith Exod. 6.3 This place of Exodus explained Secondly when God saith He was not knowne vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah it is not to be vnderstood of his essentiall being for so they knew him euen by this very name Iehouah as we may see in the fifteenth of Genesis and the seauenth verse and in the eight and twenty of Genesis and the thirteenth verse of the originall Text and so Tremellius reades it Gerard. l. 3 de nat Dei Neither is it to be vnderstood De gradibus diuinarum patefactionum Of the degrees of the diuine manifestations of God as Gerardus saith because sometimes it is the manner of the Scriptures to say that things are then when they are manifested to be Alsted Lexic Theol. c. 2. as it is said of the holy Ghost Quod nondum erat quia nondum innotuerat That he was not because as yet he had not manifested himselfe to be Iohn 7.39 for so he may be said not to be knowne vnto Moses nor vnto any man else because neither himselfe nor any of his names can be knowne of any man 1 Cor. 13. but onely in part as the Apostle sheweth And the example alleaged of the holy Ghost is mis-interpreted because
Alij atque alij aliud atque aliud opinati sunt Diuers men haue diuers iudgements but in diuiding the worlds age into seauen parts I finde most agreeing in the same iudgement and in affirming Christ to be borne in the sixt age of the world the latter end of the same That Christ was borne in the sixt age of the world and why if we follow Damascens account or in the beginning of the same if we follow Saint Augustines account but which soeuer it was in the sixt age that there might be a correspondencie betwixt the workes of creation and of redemption Nam sicut primus Adam conditus fuit sexta aetate ad totius creaturae perfectionem Because that as the first Adam was made on the sixt day to be the complement and perfection of all creatures so the second Adam was made in the sixt age of the world to restore all mankinde vnto their integrity And this teacheth vs patiently to waite for the comming of Iesus Christ for if God deferred the first comming of Christ almost 4000. yeares but did at last fulfill his promise and came in his appointed time we may assure our selues that he will doe the like for his second comming 2 Peter 2 4. against all those that say Where is the promise of his comming Why Christ was borne in the raigne of Augustus and Herod Secondly He was borne in the Raigne of Augustus the two and fortieth yeare of his raigne as Tertullian and Saint Augustine say and in the one and thirtieth yeare of King Herods raigne as Beda saith or the two and thirtieth yeare as Eusebius saith And he was borne in the raigne of Augustus to shew vnto vs first that as Augustus was a temporall monarch so Christ should be a spirituall Monarch for that as the world can no more beare two temporall Monarchs then the heauens can beare two Sunnes Omnisque potestas impatiens consortis erit so the Church of Christ can haue but one head Secondly that as Augustus was the second Emperour so Christ was the second person of the Trinity Esay 9.6 Thirdly that being borne when all the world was at peace and yet taxed we might hereby see that although Christ was the Prince of peace Matth. 11.29 that immaculate Lambe which was meeke and lowly in heart yet he should be taxed for our sinnes and burthened for our transgressions Esay 53.5 And hee was borne in the raigne of Herod i. e. Herod the great to distinguish him from Herod Antipa and Herod Agrippa whereof Ascolanita necat pueros Antipa Iohannem Agrippa Iacobum mittitque in carcere petrum this first killed the children the second Iohn Baptist and the third Iames the brother of the Lord to shew vnto vs as both Saint Chrysostome and Leo obserue Chrysost in Matth. hom 9. Leo hom 3. in Epâ—ph Josephus antiq lib. 14. c 26. Phila de part temp that this is that Shiloh which was for to come because a Prince as Saint Hierome reads it or the Scepter should not depart from Iuda vntill Shiloh came but now Herod Patre Idumes matre ortus Arabica being an Idumean hauing got the Scepter from Iuda by Augustus his meanes and hauing in the thirtieth yeare of his tyrannicall rule destroyed all the Sanhedrim i. e. the Eldership of seauenty Iudges of the house of Dauid it must needs be the Messias must be borne Thirdly Why Christ was borne in December He was borne in December the tenth moneth of the yeare to shew that he came to make satisfaction for the 10. commandements and to shew that as 10. consist of the figure 1. and the cipher 0. so his person did consist of the figure of his Deity and the cipher of our humanity as some Diuines haue obserued Fourthly He was borne in the shortest day of this moneth Three things obseruable in this day of Christs Natiuity which was the fiue and twentieth day in the Winter Solstice in which day three things are obseruable first the Cold is greatest secondly the Sunne is lowest and thirdly thence-forward the dayes begin to increase So Christ was borne in the coldest day to teach vs not to pamper vp our vntamed flesh hee was borne when the Sunne was lowest to teach vs true humility and as when the day is shortest the Sunne is in his Tropicke so called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turne because now it turneth towards vs and so increaseth the length of our dayes more and more Ambros ser 2. de Natiuit and ascendeth vp into the Heauens higher and higher so from the day of Christs Natiuity the fauour of God is turned to vs our comforts are increased and the Kingdome of Heauen is inlarged for as Iohn Baptist saith I must decrease and he must increase John 3.30 so we find that after the birth of Iohn Baptist which was in the longest day as the Sunne descended so the obseruation of the ceremoniall and iudiciall Lawes decreased for the Law and the Prophets continued vntill Iohn but after the birth of Christ Matth. 11.13 which was in the shortest day as the â—unne thence ascended so the Kingdome of Heauen increased more and more Fiftly He was borne vpon the first day of the Weeke That Christ was borne vpon the first day of the Weeke which is our Saboath i. e. vpon the Sunday as Rupertus Antoninus Bonauenture Petrus de Natalibus S. Augustine and others doe affirme Vt quo die dixerat fiat lux facta est eiusdem diei nocte oriretur in tenebris lumen rectis corde retinens ordinem mirabilium suorum That vpon the same day as he said Let there be light and it was so there should spring vp light for them that are true of heart and therefore Saint Augustine saith that this day was euer venerable because that on this day God the Father began to create the world on this day God the Sonne began to redeeme the world on this day God the Holy Ghost began to sanctifie the world when he appeared on the Apostles Act. 2.3 like clouen tongues of fire on this day God made the light on this day was the true light produced that lighteneth euery one that commeth into the world John 1.9 on this day the children of Israel came out of Egypt on this day Christ came out of his graue and like enough that on this day Christ will come to giue vs an euerlasting rest and therefore we should alwayes sanctifie this day aboue all the dayes of the yeare that when he commeth he may not finde vs singing in the Tauernes but seruing him in his Church Tertul. l. 6. c. 9. contra Marc. Sixtly Tertullian and Saint Augustine say that he was borne in the night-time in the time of darkenesse because he came to dissolue the workes of darkenesse Luc. 2.8 and to proue this they alledge not onely what Saint Luke saith that the Shepheards
from God and the chiefest argument of his Diuine loue towards man for though it was great loue to be clothed with the vaile of our flesh and to take the infirmities of our fraile and feeble nature yet is it farre greater loue to be compassed with the shadow of Death and to vndergoe the penalty of our sinfull nature And therefore seeing the mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done this maruellous worke Psal 111 4. that it ought to be had in remembrance I may well say with the Prophet Lam. 1.12 Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Stay here and consider and behold If euer there were any sorrow like his sorrow or any suffering like the suffering of Christ your businesse may be great and your occasions vrgent yet none so great none so waighty as this and none so acceptable vnto God as this for if you must remember when he rested how much more should you remember how he suffered Secondly It is most profitable vnto men in three respects Secondly As no worke more acceptable vnto God so none more profitable for vs for the serious meditation of the sufferings of Christ effecteth in vs besides many others these three especiall good 1. It hindereth vs to sinne 2. It kindleth our charity 3. It erecteth our Hope For Orosius sup ep ad Rom. l. 6. First Tanta vis crucis vt si ante occulos ponatur c. So great is the power and efficacy of the sufferings of Christ that if it were alwayes fixed in the mindes of the faithfull How the meditation of Christs Passion driueth away sinne so that they did intentiuely behold the death of Christ no concupiscense no lust no enuy no fury could ouercome them but presently vpon the consideration of Christ his sufferings the whole hoste of the flesh and of sinne would flie away saith Orosius and Saint Bernard saith Bern. ser 62. in Cant. Quid tam efficax ad curanda coÌ„scientiae vulnera necnon ad purgandam mentis aciem quam Christi vulnerum sedula meditatio What can be more powerfull to cure the sinfull wounds of our consciences yea and to purge our mindes from all sinnes then the sedulous meditation of the wounds of Christ for the Passion of Christ sheweth how dearely it cost him to redeeme vs from sinne and therefore it should make vs afraid to sinne for when the Harlot Lais asked of Demosthenes 1000. Dracmas i. e. almost 24. pound of our money or as some report 10000. Dracmas i. e. 200. pound for one nights lodging with her he wisely answered her Non tanti emam paenitere I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate so when Satan suggesteth vs to sinne if we did but consider the great price that Christ did pay for sinne and must be paid before it can be pardoned for we are bought with a price yea with a great price 1 Cor. 6.1 saith the Apostle there is no doubt but it would be a great meanes to preserue vs from sinning for it is most certaine saith Origen Origen in c. 6. ad Rom. that the true consideration of the Passion of Christ in the heart of a Christian is the chiefest munition to guard vs against euery sinne for as Vriah said vnto King Dauid The Arke and Israel 2 Sam. 11.11 and Iuda abide in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord are incamped in the open field Sap. 2.8 and shall I then goe downe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife as thou liuest and as thy soule liueth I will not doe this thing So euery good Christian man will say My Sauiour Christ did weare a Crowne of thornes and shall I say come let vs crowne our selues with rose buds his hands are extended vpon the Crosse to imbrace me and shall I stretch forth mine hands vnto wickednesse to disgrace him he being ready to die had gall to eate and vineger to drinke and shall I being perfectly whole say with them in the booke of Wisedome Come Wisedome 2.7 let vs fiâ—l our selues with Wine and pleasant oyntments He suffered his breast his side and his heart to be opened and pierced for me and shall I harden my heart and shut the doore of my soule against him he was contented to heare himselfe reuiled and scorned for mee and shall I still scorne him and stop mine eares from hearing him so graciously speaking and so louingly calling me by the mouth of his holy seruants And as Origen saith Pro me Dei filius iugulatus est iterum me peccare delectat The Sonne of God was slaine for my sinnes and shall I euer againe delight in sinne So will euery true remembrancer of Christs sufferings say the desire of mony betrayed my Sauiour and shall I euer after that loue couetosnesse my wanton pleasures my vaine delights my swelling pride my greedy desire and all my wicked sinnes were the onely cause of my Sauiours want Chrys hom 88. in Matth. of his bitter sorrowes and his shamefull cruell death and shall I euer loue those sinnes that brought these sorrowes vnto him no sure I will not doe it saith euery soule that thinkes of this Etiam si lapis esset yea though his heart were made of stone yet the true meditation hereof would mollifie the same like waxe and cause him to depresse his pride and to detest all sinne saith Saint Chrysostome for as the destroying Angell could not hurt any of them whose doore-posts were sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe so the subtlety of Satan that destroying enemie can neuer preuaile against them which haue their mindes and hearts alwayes sprinkled with the true meditation of the suffering and shedding of the pretious blood of Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 And therefore as that blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith God forbid that I should glory in any thing The meditation of Christs Passion cannot choose but make vs to loue Christ saue in the Crosse of Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world that is whereby all worldly vanities and pleasures are become loathsome vnto me and I am become a hater and detester of them as being the cause of Christ his Crosse so I say vnto euery man if euer Satan or the lust of the flesh inticeth thee to sin I pray thee doe but this one thing before thou dost the sin call to mind and consider what thy deare Sauiour suffered for thy sinnes and I doubt not but it will proue a most wholesome antidote and a most excellent preseruatiue against sinne And Secondly As the consideration of Christs Passion is a great meanes to preuent sinne so it is of maine force to stirre vp our loue and to kindle our affection towards Christ as Saint Bernard saith Nihil est quod eum ita nobis amabilem reddit quam calix ille Bern. ser 20. in
beget Ecclesiam resurgentium a Congregation of beleeuers that through him might liue to God and with God for euer Christ rose the third day to be a patterne of our condition Fourthly Christ by his example was to set downe a patterne and a sampler of our state and condition and we are all to learne of him and to doe as he did if we desire to be happy where hee is but here we see Christ had his three dayes and no more and therefore we must haue the same three dayes and the same like to his if we would be Christians like to him Now these three dayes of Christ were thus distinguished the first day was called the day of preparation and this was the day of his Passion the second day was called the Sabbaoth and this was the day of his rest and the third day was called the first day of the weeke and this was the day of his resurrection and so must our three dayes beare equipage and proue to be like his if we would be his The first day is a day of Passion The first is a day of preparation a day of Passion a day of cloudes and darkenesse wherein with strong cries and teares and prayers we must commend our selues vnto the tuition and protection of God for in this day we must striue and struggle against sinne and Satan wee must suffer all their bitter darts against vs and we must fight till we die against them and though this bee a day of sorrow yet wee haue some comfort in this day for as this his first day was the shortest of all his three dayes so is our life but a day giue vs this day our daily bread and this day is but a span long the shortest time that may be like vnto a dreame or a tale that is told and therefore we should be the more ready and willing to beare our crosse Our suffering is but short because the time of our suffering is but very short The second is a day of rest in our graues The second day is a day of rest The third day is a day of resurrection where our flesh shall rest in hope to be raised vp at the last day And The third is a day of resurrection vnto glory the first day of the weeke and the first beginning of a neuer-ending world But as Christ could not haue risen in glory had he not rested in hope neither could he haue rested in hope had he not suffered and dyed in faith so cannot we attaine vnto a ioyfull resurrection vpon our third day vnlesse we rest in hope in our second day neither can we rest in hope in our graues the second day vnlesse we doe valiantly fight and suffer vnto death on the first day for this is the order that Christ tooke and the Disciple is not aboue his Master and therefore if any bid vs come downe from the Crosse let vs stoppe our eares like the Cockatrice and let vs bide on still with Iesus that so we may rest and rise with Iesus And so you see how and why our Sauiour Christ was to rise againe the third day But here it may be some will say as they qui disputare mallent quam credere Ob. which had rather dispute about his resurrection then beleeue in his resurrection that he was not only to rise the third day but also to remaine three dayes How Christ remained three dayes in his graue and three nights in the heart of the earth and yet we finde that he was buried by Ioseph and Nicodemus about three houres before Sunne-set on Good friday and rose againe about foure or fiue a clocke on Sunday morning which maketh not in all aboue thirty sixe or thirty eight houres or not aboue forty houres if wee cast it to the highest account and therefore how could hee bee three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth To this Leo answereth that Christ Sol. Leo Ser. 1. de resur lest his long absence should too much perplexe the afflicted mindes of his Disciples Denuntiatam tridui moram tum mira celeritate breuiauit c. Did so exceedingly shorten the fore-spoken three dayes space that while the last part of the first day and the first part of the last day is numbred with the second day the time is onely shortned but the number of the dayes is not diminished and so Saint Augustine saith that the last part of the first day is taken for the whole day and so likewise the first part of the last day is taken for the whole day Ob. But then though this taking of part for the whole might bee sufficient to proue his being three dayes in the earth yet this is deficâ—ent to shew how he was three nights as well as three dayes in his graue Matth. 12 40. for our Sauiour saith Hee must be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth whereas by this reckoning wee finde but two nights in all and therefore to say what I thinke Sol. I answere that twelue houres was the Iewes perfect day according to that saying of Christ Iohn 11.9 How Christ remained three dayes three nights in his graue Are there not twelue houres in the day and the very same twelue houres in the opposite Region of the Heauens is a perfect night and wee finde that Christ remained in his graue three whole twelue houres cast it how you will and therefore thus he may be truly said to be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth Or else I say secondly that if wee measure the time according to Gods measure of a day in the beginning i. e. from the beginning of the Euening vntill the Euening returned againe as the Euening and the Morning was the first day i. e. the Euening of the night and the Morning of the day was the first day then I say that vnder these parts of the first and last day must be as there in Moses it is vnderstood the nights also Gen. 1.5 for as Moses reckoneth the Euening and the Morning of the day for the day and night so must we here vnderstand these three dayes for three dayes and three nights and so Christ remained three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth And thus wee see both by types and the predictions of the Prophets and by the assertion of Christ himselfe that the Messias and Sauiour of the world should be slaine and must rise againe the third day CHAP. V. Of the Iewes reasons why they beleeue not Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Messiah and why they thinke he raysed not himselfe from the graue SEcondly For the confirmation of this point The question betwixt vs and the Iewes à posteriori From the apparant proofe of the fulfilling of the same truth in the person of any one that was slaine and did rise againe the third day
beleeue the testimonies of the Apostles to moue and perswade men to giue credit vnto their testimony yet me thinkes the plainenesse of their declaration and the smalnesse of their expectation of any manner of profit or reward in the World for the testifying of these things should be sufficient to make all men beleeue them For First All the World may see First Their plainenesse they sought not with any tricks of wit to set a faire die vpon a bad cloth nor with any glozing speeches fine sentences subtile arguments or any such like sophisticall wayes to procure credit vnto themselues and to draw men to beleeue fabulous inuentions but their proceeding is plaine carrying nothing with it but a declaration of simple truth nakedly reported without any manner of humane subtilty to confirme it And Secondly All the World may see Secondly their desire what they aimed at by their testimony they looked for no gaine in the World but the gaine of Soules no credit by their writing no profit by their preaching but onely that men would beleeue the truth to saue their owne soules If the man whom they had affirmed to be dead and to haue risen againe to life had still continued with them and had beene in expectation to be some great Monarch of the world it might be said they auouched his rising from the dead in hope to be raised by him to some eminent place in the world but you see they looke for no such thing neither by their testimony to raise him to any humane honour nor by him to be raised or to be any wayes rewarded in this life themselues vnlesse it be to be afflicted and persecuted vnto death for this testimony of Iesus Christ This was the best that they could expect and therefore the testimony of these men must needs be faithfull and true to proue more then abundantly sufficient that Iesus is the true Messias and that being dead he raised himselfe to life againe the third day And yet CHAP. VII Of many other circumstances that doe infallibly prooue the Resurrection of Christ and so consequently this Iesus Christ to be the true Messias and Sauiour of the world The circumstantiall proofes of the Resurrection of Christ THirdly Besides all this there be many other circumstantiall proofes and declarations of this same truth God not desirous to make men beleeue so great a matter as is the eternall saluation of all the world without more then abundantly sufficient witnesse And therefore First the great earth-quake First At the very instance of his Resurrection and descending of the Angels as Caietan saith there was a very great earth-quake Caietan in Math. 28. the earth either dancing for ioy that Christ was risen or trembling for feare that men would not beleeue this Resurrection of Christ Secondly the sudden courage of the Apostles Secondly The Apostles and Disciples hearts were presently changed for whereas a little before they durst not peepe out of doores because they did but waueringly thinke that this was hee which should haue redeemed Israel they doe now couragiously compasse the whole world and confidently teach and auouch there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby men may be saued but the name of Iesus Thirdly Many that were dead rose from their graues Thirdly the apparitions of the raised bodies and appeared vnto many of their acquantance in Ierusalem to testifie vnto them and to assure them of the Resurrection of Christ Diues thought if one was sent from the dead his brethren would beleeue him and behold here are many sent and yet the Iewes the brethren of Christ will not beleeue them Fourthly Pilate himselfe that condemned him to death Fourthly the testimony of Pilate did testifie of his Resurrection vnto life in a letter that he wrote vnto Tiberius Caesar and therefore Tiberius desired the Senate to admit Christ into the number of their gods for it was their custome saith Tertullian Vt nisi homini deus placeret Tertull. l. cont gentes c. 5. deus non esset That God should be no God vnlesse he were approued of men and because they refused to receiue him God not suffering the Arke and Dagon to stand together vpon the same Altar nor Christ and Beliall to be worshipped together in the same Temple Tiberius was incensed against the Romans God working all things together for the best for them that loue him that he gaue free leaue and liberty vnto all Christians to beleeue and professe the Name of Iesus Christ Fiftly Iosephus the most learned among the latter Iewes saith Fiftly the testimony of Iosephus Iosephus antiq l. 8 c. 9. Sixtly the sufferings of the Martyres that cum Pilatus eum in crucem agendum decreuisset c. After Pilate had crucified him he appeared vnto his followers the third day according as the Prophets had fore-shewed Sixtly All Martyres haue most boldly confessed this truth and haue most constantly suffered in defence of this truth Tertullian doth most excellently shew the difference betwixt the Martyres and Malefactors saying Mali apparere deuitant deprehensi trepidant accusati negant condemnati maerent Euill doers are loth to be seene being taken they tremble being accused they deny it being condemned they deplore themselues but with the Martyres there is no such matter for they are neither ashamed of their profession neither doe they grieue at their apprehension but if they be noted for Christians they reioyce at it if they be accused they confesse it if adiudged to die they deeme it better then life and therefore saith he Quid hoc mali est cuius reus gaudet cuius accusatio votum est cuius paena felicitas What euill is this when the guiltie of the fact reioyceth in his accusation and is made happy in his condemnation Zephan 2.11 Seauenthly the confession of Christ his enemies Seauenthly The very enemies of Christ yea and his greatest aduersaries did confesse and iustifie this truth of Christ for as the Prophet said that the Messias should famish all the gods of the earth so Christ did spoyle them all and stopped the mouthes of all infernall spirits that by their lying oracles they could speake no more but against their wils to confesse that hee was the Holy One of God and that this Galilean had ouercome them all as Iulian that great Apostata to his great cost at last confessed saith Nicephorus Eightly the heauy punishments of Christs persecutors Eightly The great plagues and punishments that were presently inflicted and haue still to this very day continued vpon all the persecuters and denyers of Christ doe sufficiently proue the Resurrection of Christ and that Christ to be the true Messias for Pilate being accused by the Iewes was inforced to appeale from Vitellius the chiefe Gouernour of Syria Ioseph antiq l. 18. c. 11. and to goe to Rome to defend himselfe before Caesar who before Pilate came there was dead and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and descended alone into Hell and brake downe that Rampier wall which had stood from the beginning of the world Athanasius in that Creede which wee doe professe saith that Christ suffered for our saluation descended into Hell and rose againe the third day from the dead this is the Catholicke faith which except a man beleeue faithfully he cannot be saued Saint Augustine saith Aug. ep 99. that Christ in soule was in Hell the Scripture doth sufficieÌ„tly declare so prophesied by the Prophet so vnderstood by the Apostle and so expounded vnto vs and therefore Quis nisi Infidelis nâ—gauerit fuisse apud infâ—ros Christum Who saith hee but an Infidell will deny Christ to haue beene in Hell Saint Hillary saith Hilarius de trinit l. 2 in Psal 138. that because the Law of humane necessity was such that when our bodies were buried our soules were to descend to Hell Ideo istam descentionem dominus ad consummationem veri hominis non recusauit Christ himselfe did not refuse to descend into the same place Pope Leo saith as much and Fulgentius is as plaine as any of them all Fulgent ad Tras l. 3 â—e resurrect dom I might reckon many more but my purpose is not to say what I could in this point onely I say that he descended into Hell not to suffer for that was finished on the Crosse but for the subiection of Satan and the deliuerance of men not of those that were in Hell but of vs that we should not goe to Hell for how can we be deliuered if Satan be not destroyed how is he destroyed if hell be not vanquished Zach. 9.11 for that is the Pallace of his pleasure and the horrour of our soules the pit wherein there is no water but for as much as this is the condemnation of man and the Law of humane necessity that the body should to the graue and the soule to hell for sinne it remained for the full effecting of our Redemption that Christ should thither descend whither man fell by desart of sinne that is into Hell where the soule of the sinner was wont to be tormented and to the graue where the flesh was wont to be corrupted that by the death of the iust temporally dying Fulgen. quo supra Athanas de incar hath the like saying eternall life might be giuen to our flesh and by the soule of the lust descending into Hell the torments of Hell might be abolished saith Fulgentius And so I beleeue this for mine exceeding comfort that now I need not feare any enemy because Christ suffered for my sins destroyed all mine enemies descended into Hell vanquished the Diuels and rose againe the third day to make an open shew of this his most victorious conquest and blessed bee his name for the same CHAP. IX Of the manner how Christ rose and of the particular application thereof vnto our selues SEcondly we are to consider the manner how our Sauiour rose and many other particulars concerning his resurrection but chiefly we should obserue that his resurrection was 1. in respect of the place from the dead 2. in respect of the time earely 3. in respect of his person it was 1. true 2. perfect 3. glorious I will not stand vpon these particulars The application of the resurrection vnto our selues Rom. 10.9 but to apply all vnto our selues that we may reape some fruit by all I must intreat you to remember what the Apostle saith If thou shalt confâ—sse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued for as I told you before that the resurrection of Christ is the only maine vnanswerable argument to proue Christ to be the true Messias and the Sauiour of the world so heere you see the Apostle putteth the true beliefe in our Sauiours resurrection as the onely chiefest point that is necessary and sufficient for our saluation and therefore it is not without cause that the doctrine of the resurrection should be insisted vpon to be preached and manifested by vs and to be learned and beleeued by you That it is not the Theoricke but the applicatiue knowledge of Christs resurrection that will helpe vs. But here wee must know that it is not the bare Theoricke and intellectuall knowledge that Christ is raised from the dead at that time from that place and in that manner as I haue shewed vnto you before is sufficient for our saluation for so the deuils know it and beleeue it too and yet they receiue no fruit nor benefit thereby but it is the practicke experimentall and applicatiue knowledge and beliefe in the resurrection of the sonne of God that is effectuall for the saluation of man Philip. 3.10 11 And therefore Saint Paul prayes that Hee may know Christ and finde in himselfe the vertue and power of the resurrection of Christ for as the rising of the head doth euer cause the rising of all the parts of the body which is vnited vnto the the head so the resurrection of Christ doth euer worke a resurrection of all the members of Christ for so the Apostle teacheth vs Rom. 8 11. If the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken and so raise vp your mortall bodies by that spirit which dwelleth in you That the resurrection of Christians is twofold And we finde this resurrection of vs that are his members to be two fold 1. from sinne and from all the vanities of this world 2. from death and from the corruption of the graue First if wee be the members of Christ then certainely wee are risen with Christ risen I say from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse and if wee bee risen with Christ then doth our hearts wish and desire those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Coloss 3. saith the Apostle and therefore whosoeuer walloweth in sinne and delighteth in the things of this world it is certaine that hee hath not as yet any part or portion in the resurrection of Iesus Christ for if wee bee the members of Christ wee must also rise with Christ and wee must rise as Christ hath risen for otherwise we would all rise That the resurrection of Christ is a patterne to teach vs how we should rise from sinne and from the company of sinners and many doe rise but not as Christ rose and therefore such risers tolluntur in altum vt lapsu grauiore ruant the higher they rise the greater is their fall But we must rise as Christ hath risen and that is as I told you before First in respect of the place from the dead First from the society of the wicked so must we rise from the dead workes of sinne and from all those that are dead in sinne Christ left the dead in their
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
Thirdly for a sensible and a well-pleasing suffering of all afflictions wants pouertie losses persecutions malice contempt contumelies pouertie death it selfe and that not for any game of worldly good for so worldings suffer much losse of sleepe labour and toyle to get a little wealth the drunkard many a fall and some hurts for the loue of his pleasant wine and the enuious man many a blow and some wounds perhaps to wreak his malice vpon his aduersarie and yet in these men which doe thus suffer much that they may doe euill nec miranda nec laudanda est patientia quae nulla est admirandâ— duritia neganda patientia Aug in l. de patientia c. 5. their patience is neither to be admired nor to bee commended because it is a suffering for ill ends but our suffering must be for to shew vnto the world that rather then we will in the least degree dishonor God or make shipwrack of our faith and good conscience we are most willing to indure whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs. All these kindes of diuine patience the holy spirit of God worketh in the hearts of the godly to make them patiently to waite for good Iob. 1.22 and quietly to suffer all euill and all this without grumbling or charging God foolishly CHAP. III. Of the formes wherein the holy Ghost appeared and why and how the Apostles are said to be filled with the holy Ghost FOr the third that is The gifts of edifying the Church how giuen how God bestoweth these gifts vnto men we must vnderstand that as his gifts be diuers so he doth diuersly bestow them for First those gifts which are giuen for the edifying of his Church he gaue them after two speciall manner of waies 1. Abundantly and visibly in the infancie of his Church 2. Sufficiently and inuisibly euer since First the Scripture tells vs Acts 2.1 2 3 4. that when the day of Pentecost was come they were with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a mightie rushing winde and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it sate vpon each of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and beganne to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtteranee Out of all which we may chiefely obserue these three speciall poynts 1. Who were filled 2. With what they were filled 3. The effects of their filling First Saint Chrysostome saith that all the companie both of men and women were filled with these graces Cyprian ser de spiritu sancto Saint Cyprian saith the whole multitude of the beleeuers that were gathered together were replenished with this spirit Saint Augustine Saint Gregorie and Lorinus saith that all the Apostles and Disciples were filled with the holy Ghost Hieron in epitaph Paulae but Saint Hierome and Theod. Beza and others do affirme that none but the Apostles onely were replenished with these gifts howsoeuer the matter is not great it deserues not contention though it may afford discussion for mine owne part I thinke all that were there Who were filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost were not replenished because it is said many of the beholders wondered and others derided at this there sudden alteration which certainely they would neuer haue donne because there had beene none to doe it if they had bin all filled and I cannot easily yeeld that the Disciples were filled with these gifts because the promise of sending downe the holy Ghost was onely made vnto the Apostles as we may easily collect out of the fift verse of the first Chapter and because Saint Peter with the other Eleuen doe onely stand vp to answer for themselues as we may plainely see in the fourth verse of the second Chapter and especially because some antient copies haue bin found which doe expressely say that all the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost And 1 Cor. 13.32 God can blesse or preserue his seruants in the midst of the wicked This sheweth how the spirit of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets and that as God can powre downe his plagues vpon multitudes of men and yet preserue one free in the midst of thousands as the Prophet Dauid sheweth so he can powre down his spirit vpon one in the midst of millions of men and hee can bedewe that one with his grace like Gedeons fleece while all the rest are drie Iudges 61.38 and destitute of the same which doth exceedingly commend the wise dispensation of almighty God and affoord a great comfort vnto the Saints of Christ that although they liue in the midst of a most crooked and peruers generation yet they may see how God can preserue them as the lilie in the midst of the thornes and indue them with his grace when all the rest of the world flowes with sinne Secondly they are sayd to bee filled with the holy Ghost where we must obserue these two things 1. The thing wherewith they are sayd to be filled 2. The filling of them with that thing First they are said to bee filled with the holy Ghost and we finde that the name of the holy Ghost is taken two wayes 1. For the essence of the holy Ghost 2. For the effects and gifts of the holy Ghost First it is taken for the essence of the holy Ghost as by the spirit of the Lord were the heauens made That the holy Ghost is a true God by nature and in this sence all creatures are filled with the holy Ghost because they liue and moue in him for the spirit of the Lord filleth the world and containeth all things saith the wise man And yet some haue bin so bolde as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created qualitie or a godly motion in the hearts and mindes of righteous men But the very works of the holy Ghost as creating all things as Iob sheweth the spirit of the Lord hath made me Iob. 33. and the breath of the Almighty hath giuen me life and as the Prophet Dauid more expressely affirmeth saying that by the spirit of the Lord were the Heauens made and all the Host thereof by the breath of his mouth Psal 33. and here assuming on him visible formes and sitting vpon each one of the Apostles onely and none els which no created qualitie could possibly doe and especially the comparing of Esayas words with the words of Saint Paul will sufficiently confute this damnable error and most manifestly shew vnto vs this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Esay 6.9 for whom Esayas calleth the Lord of Hosts which said vnto him Goe tell this people heare yee indeede but vnderstand not and see yee indeed but perceiue not Saint Paul calleth the holy Ghost saying well spake the holy Ghost by Esayas the Prophet saying Goe vnto this
people and say hearing yee shall heare and shall not vnderstand and seeing yee shall see and not perceiue Acts 28.25 26. and therefore our Sauiour biddeth vs to goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost But it is obiected as Nazianzen saith that he is no where called God but the holy Ghost or the spirit of God Nazian orat 5. de Theol. and therefore he is not God I answer briefely that this is false for Saint Peter said vnto Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart Acts 5.3.4 to lye to the holy Ghost thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God And therefore seing the spirit of God created all things and being created preserued them as Moses sheweth Gen. 1.2 the spirit of God moued vpon the waters i. e. to cherish and to retayne them together and now in like manner hee sanctifieth and preserueth vs as Melancthon sheweth in that godly wish which he maketh Spiritus vt Domini nascentia corpora fouit cum manus artificis couderat ipsa Dei Sic foueat caetus qui Christi oracula discunt accendatque igni pectora nostra suo And especially seeing that the holy Scripture doth more plainely testifie the same almost in euery place wee say that the name of the Holy Ghost is first taken for the Essence of God Secondly The name of the Holy Ghost is taken for the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost as where the Prophet saith Take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 2 Cor. 13.5 and where the Apostle saith Know you not that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And againe Rom. 8.9 you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the spirit of God dwell in you and so when it is said that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost we must vnderstand it of the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost And these gifts and graces of Gods Spirit are excellently deciphered and set downe vnto vs vnder the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the Holy Ghost did appeare vnto vs and that is if I doe rightly collect them three speciall times The Spirit of God appeared in the likenesse of fiue speciall things First vnto the Israelites 1. In a pillar of cloud by day 2. In a pillar of fire by night Secondly at the Baptisme of Christ he descended vpon him like a Doue Thirdly At the day of Pentecost he appeared 1. Like the rushing of a mighty winde 2. Like clouen tongues of fire First like a cloud First He appeared in a pillar of cloud to shew vnto vs that as the cloud betokeneth 1. A shadowing from heate 2. A sending downe of raine As 1 King 18.45 the Heauens were blacke with cloudes and windes and there was a great raine so the Spirit of God doth ouershadow vs from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull In what râ—spect the holy Ghost is like vnto waters so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all good workes for the Holy Ghost in many places is compared vnto water because that as water 1. Mollifieth the hard earth 2. Fructifieth the barren ground 3. Quencheth the greatest heate 4. Cleanseth the foulest things and so forth So doth the Spirit of God In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto water 1. Soften our hard hearts 2. Fructifie our barren soules 3. Quench the heate of lust 4. Clense vs from all our sinnes And so make vs to become fit temples for himselfe to remaine in vs. Secondly He appeared in a pillar of fire Secondly like fire to shew his consubstantiality with the Father and the Sonne saith Nazianzen because God is fire and so appeared in the fiery bush from whence it may be came that custome among the Chaldeans which afterward spread it selfe among many other Nations of the Gentiles to worship the fire for their God whereas indeed they should haue worshipped that God which is fire and did appeare like fire to teach vs that as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius 1. Calorem 2. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heate to warme mollifie and purifie In what respects the Holy Ghost is like vnto fire 2. Splendor to giue light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Euen so the Spirit of God First Warmeth and heateth the hearts of the godly with a feruent and a fiery zeale of all godlinesse he mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and it consumeth all the drossie substance of sinne and so purifieth their soules from all wickednesse Secondly Iohn 6.13 He illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God for he bringeth them into all truth and he maketh their light to shine before men that they seeing their good workes Mat. 5.16 doe glorifie their Father which is in Heauen Thirdly He maketh them alwayes to be in action and neuer idle but as it is said of Christ euer going about doing good Thirdly He appeared like a Doue Thirdly like a Doue when he descended vpon our Sauiour Christ at his Baptisme first because as Bonauenture saith he came not then to strike our sinnes by the zeale of his fury but to beare them and to take them away through the meekenesse of his Passion but on the other side Greg. hom 30. in Euang. hee descended vpon the Apostles like fire because in these which were simply men and therefore sinners he would kindle a spirituall feruency against themselues and cause them to punish those sinnes in themselues by repentance which God had pardoned vnto them through his mercy and secondly he descended on Christ like a harmelesse Doue and not like vnto tongues of fire because Christ was not to be taught Cyrillus hierosol Catech. 7. which is signified by the tongues for his lippes were full of grace nor to be sorrowfull for his sinnes which is signified by the fire because in him there was no sinne but his Doue-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent Iohn 1.29 meeke and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the field the little silly Lambe is in most respects best qualified and therefore is Christ called the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world In what respect the Holy Ghost is like a Doue so of all the fowles of Heauen the Doue in most respects is most excellent for she is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace shee brought the Oliue branch vnto Noah she wanteth gall she hath no bitternesse in her she neuer hurts with her bill nor clawes she is full of loue and yet she neuer sings any wanton tune but woo woo is her matutinus vespertinus cantus her mournfull morning and euening song and
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
is the capacitie of mans desire And yet we finde that in some sense euery man may be truely said to be full for nature it selfe abhorres vacuity Rom. 1.29 and therefore the wicked are said to be full of all vnrighteousnesse full of sinnes full of worldly cares and being full of these things they must bee voide of grace and empty of goodnesse their braines empty that they vnderstand nothing their memory empty that they remember nothing and their hearts empty that they practise nothing that is good All men are either full of sinnes or of grace But as the vessell that is full of water must be emptyed of that water before it can be filled with Wine or as thy hand full of Counters saith Saint Chrysostome must be emptied of the Counters before thou canst fill the same with gold so must wee empty our selues of sin before we can be filled with grace we must cast away the cares of this world before wee can be satisfied with the ioyes of Heauen and therefore the Apostles did forsake the world and left all things to follow Christ and then hauing emptyed themselues of all worldly vanities to follow Christ they were presently filled with these heauenly graces of Christ Hugo de Prato apud Discip Now as Hugo de Prato saith there be foure speciall signes of fulnesse 1. Not to murmure 2. Firmely to stand 3. To receiue no more 4. To flow ouer And wee finde this to be true in each sort of them that are full For First The wicked which are full of all vnrighteousnesse First They are dumbe and open not their mouthes to giue thankes to God for any thing and if God knocketh on these vessels with the fingers of his blessings yet we shall not heare the least sound of any thankefulnesse they are full of sinnes and therefore they cannot speake of grace Secondly They are so constant in their wickednesse Mens immota manet that as a full vessell cannot easily be remoued so all the preaching in the world cannot make them to alter their lewde and wicked courses Thirdly They are so full of sinnes that there is no roome in them for grace because nothing can receiue but his fulnesse Fourthly They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemy and their talking is against the most highest and so their sinnes doe flow and ouerflow the whole Countrey to shew indeed that they are full and more then full of sinnes Secondly The Apostles and Disciples and all good Christians being replenished with Gods Spirit they haue the same properties but in a farre different sense For First If God should knocke on these vessels with the fingers of afflictions with any plagues or troubles yet they murmure not at any thing they open not their mouthes whatsoeuer they suffer but they reioyce in tribulation that they are counted worthy to suffer any thing for the Name of Christ Act. 5.41 Secondly They stand constant in their profession that neither life nor death can remoue them from their most holy Faith Rom. 8.35 And yet here you must not thinke that the constancy of standing while a man is full of Gods Spirit doth imply a necessity of continuing full with the said graces for though the Holy Ghost sate vpon the Apostles and they stood firme while hee sate on them or remained in them yet for their sinnes if they take not heede 1 Sam. 16.15 this Spirit may be taken from them as he was from Saul and their Candlestickes may be remoued as they were from the seauen Churches of Asia and he that standeth may soone fall if he doth not warily looke vnto his wayes for though the gifts and graces of God be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance i. e. The sauing graces once giuen are neither finally nor totally taken away but the common graces are oftentimes taken away from the wicked by reason of their wickednesse though the sauing grace of God being once receiued by the Elect can neuer after totally be extinguished yet those gifts and graces which are commonly giuen as we see many times to the bad as well as to the good or else for the edifying of the Church may wholly cease and be extinguished as we reade of Nicholas the Deacon on whom the Spirit sate and was one of them that were filled with the Holy Ghost if Saint Augustine Saint Gregory Lorinus and others iudgement be to be followed and yet fell from the faith as Bonauenture collecteth against Saint Chrysostome But from hence it is well concluded that as all or most of the Apostles and Disciples that were here filled did continue vnto the end as our Sauiour requireth so it sheweth that we should be all not like the Aegyptian dogges at Nilus Qui bibunt fugiunt Which for feare of Crocodiles doe take a snatch of the Riuer and then slinke away but very carefull to giue attendance euery man in his calling Donec venerit vntill our Master commeth and neuer to slinke away Thirdly They forsooke all and followed Christ Matth. 19.27 There was no roome in their hearts for worldly vanities and they deemed them but as dung and drosse as the Apostle calleth them Fourthly Hest 10.6 in Apocryph As the little Well in Hester grew into a great Riuer and flowed ouer with great waters so now the Apostles being filled with the Holy Ghost they powre out the graces of God ouer all the face of the earth to renue it as the waters of Noah preuailed to destroy it for now they speake with other tongues as the spirit giues them vtterance And yet here we must obserue that although they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and that from them all the graces of Gods Spirit did flow and ouerflow the earth yet they had not all the same measure of grace That the Apostles receiued not all the like measure of grace and therefore that grace could not flow in the same measure from them all for as Richardus de sancto Victore doth well obserue there is infusio defusio effusio gratiae A giuing of a quantity of some grace and there is a filling with a fulnesse of grace and there is a superabundancy of grace or there is a small and a middle and a superordinary measure of grace and so we finde it both in the Preachings and in the Pennings of these Apostles for Iames staide onely in Ierusalem and the maior part of the rest preached ouer all the world Iude writ but one Epistle and that one a very short one and most of them writ nothing at all but Saint Iohn and Saint Paul writ very much That we must not expect the same measure of fruites from all men and therefore of those as well Preachers as others which haue receiued grace not onely to sanctifie themselues but also to edifie the Church we must not expect the same measure of fruits from all For young men and the
how can a man carry fire in his bosome Prou. 6.27 and not be burnt so how can we haue the fire of Gods Spirit in our hearts and not bee feruent to all good works Thirdly the holy Ghost being like a Doue if hee bee in vs then we are meeke and lowly in heart for this heauenly Doue remaineth in none but those that are Doues but if with the Ducke that flying aloft among the wilde Duckes did presently alight and so brought them all with her into her owners net whereof Alciat saith Alciat de Anate Perfida cognato se sanguine polluit ales Officiosa alijs exitiosa suis They doubting not her trayterous heart at all Did flie with her and downe with her did fall We doe deceiue our friends and wrong our neighbours then surely this Doue-like spirit of God is not in vs for this holy spirit of discipline flieth from deceit Wisdome 1. Gal. 5.22 and the fruit of this spirit is all meekenesse gentlenesse and goodnesse Fourthly the holy Ghost being like winde if hee bee in vs then all the dust of vanitie is scattered from our hearts and our soules are carried against the streame of naturall desires to wish and long for heauenly things And Fiftly the holy Ghost being like tongues if he be in vs then our tongues will be like the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.2 Matth. 12.14 and our talking will be of the most highest Quia ex abundantia cordis os loquitur loquela tua te manifestum facit because a religious heart will euer expresse it selfe by a godly and a religious tongue Rom. 10.10 for as with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so with the tongue confession is made vnto saluation but if wee talke laciuiously and speake all words that may doe hurt if the poyson of aspes be vnder our lippes and the holy name of God or the good fame of men be euill spoken of through vs then surely surely If we haue not the spirit we ought to seeke him this holy spirit of God is not in vs. And if he be not in thee then I aduise thee to seeke him while he may be found for the time will come when he cannot be found Bern. ser 75. in cant i. e. cum optauerimus salutem in medio gehennae quae facta est et praedicata est in medio terrae when wee shall wish for saluation in the midst of Hell which was wrought and is preached in the midst of the earth and therefore now while it is to day we ought to seeke vnto him and to pray with the Prophet Dauid yea and to pray earnestly that God would renue his spirit within vs Psal 51.10 and stablish vs with his free spirit for whosoeuer hath not the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 the same is none of his the same hath no comfort in the world no assurance of his saluation no Faith no Hope no God no good But if by these infallible rules thou findest that thou hast the spirit If we haue the spirit of God we ought not to grieue him and canst say with that worthie Martyr of our Church I haue it I haue it as hee went vnto the stake to be burned then remember what the Apostle speaketh grieue not the spirit quench not the spirit spill not this water lest that spilling this oyle thy lamp goeth out and then 1 Thes 5.19 thy last end will be farre worse then thy beginning and it had bin better for thee Luc. 11.26 2 Pet. 2.21 neuer to haue knowne it then to turne aside from the holy Commandement for as Sampson and Saul hauing the spirit of God liued honorably and did performe most worthie exploits A fearefull thing to be depriued of Gods spirit Iud. 16.10 1 Sam. but hauing lost the same by their sinnes they became in their liues most miserable and in their deaths most lamentable euen so it will happen from the Lord vnto all backe-sliders vnto all them that quench the spirit therefore I say grieue him not quench him not How Preachers may know whether they haue the gifts to edifie the Church But because the chiefest of these gifts for the collecting and the edifying of the Church is the gift of tongues whereby the Ministers are inabled for the preaching of Gods Word therefore we that are Preachers should here chiefely looke whether we haue this gift of tongues or not for Psal 45.2 First if our tongues be the pens of a readie writer that wee can readily speake of the things that we haue made vnto the King and Preach the Word of Truth in season and out of season Secondly if these our tongues be not double tongues but clouen tongues i. e. able to diuide the Word of God aright and to giue vnto euery man his owne portion in due season Luke 12.42 that is mercie and comforts vnto the repentant soule and woes and iudgement vnto the obstinate transgressors and to teach Faith and workes loue to God and man Thirdly if these our clouen tongues be of fire that is vsed rather to gaine soules then to get applause or to gather wealth to draw men to glorifie God Numb 12.21.30 1 Sam. 25.36 and not to magnifie our selues then we may be assured we haue receiued a part and portion of these gifts and graces of Gods spirit But if we be like those great clarks which they say are rare Schollers but neuer man was heard to be the better for their learning they haue it in them like the fire in the flint-stone but it neuer comes out of them they are lothe to preach they are lothe to write for then perhaps they should not be deemed so learned as now they are iudged to be for a foole holding his peace may be thought to be wise or if we be like Baalams Asse that neuer spake but twice in all her life or vse to preach as Naball feasted once a yeere when they receiue their rents or if wee would preach and cannot but it were better for vs not to preach at all then to preach so idly and so foolishly as we doe or if we preach more for profit or the praise of men then for the glorie of God then assuredly we doe proclayme vnto the world that we haue not yet receiued these gifts of fierie clouen tongues from God Vsher de Christ ecccles Vrbanus writes vnto Baldwin Arch-Bishop of Canterburie Monacho feruentissimo Abbati calido episcopo lepido Archi-episcopo remisso and so it was sayd of Alexander the sixt De vitio in vitium de flamma transit in ignem They grew worse and worse as they did grow greater and greater and I pray God it be not true among vs that high preferment spoyle not many a Preacher I say no more but so you see how the gifts which are giuen for the edifying of Gods Church were giuen vnto the Apostles and how euer since they
belongeth not to any wicked man so long as he remaineth wicked and therefore lest as the men of Bethshemesh were slaine fiftie thousand and threescore and ten men in one day 1 Sam. 6.19 because they looked into the arke which belonged onely vnto the Priests wee be found guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ and so pull vpon our selues swift damnation if we snatch the childrens bread that belongeth not to vs or receiue these blessed Sacraments vnworthily let vs with blinde Bartimaeus cast off our mantles the old raggs of Adam the lusts of the flesh and let vs put on our wedding garment the new man which chiefely consisteth of Faith towards God and loue towards men if Mark 10.50 when we come to receiue these Sacraments wee would receiue the grace of Christ But Mat. 22.11 Secondly though such a hearing of the Word as I haue aboue shewed be a speciall meanes to obtaine grace yet we must know that this meanes is not sufficient vnlesse as God opened the heart of Lydia when Saint Paul Preached vnto her eares so he doth worke faith in your hearts when we doe Preach expound the Word vnto your eares Quia inanis est sermo docentis nisi spiritus adsit cordi audientis because as the Preaching of the Word is the gift of God in vs so the beleeuing of the same is the operation of the same God in you And so likewise though the receiuing of the blessed Sacraments be a singular meanes to worke Faith and all other graces in the right receiuers of the same yet wee must vnderstand that it is not opus operatum the doing of the worke that begetteth grace in any man but the spirit of God onely conuayeth grace through the conduit pipes of these outward meanes and therefore wee should alwayes pray to God not onely for the graces of attention vnto our eares and illumination vnto our eyes but also of sanctification vnto our hearts that what wee doe attentiuely heare with our eares and doe most perfectly see with our eyes Wee may most faithfully beleeue with our hearts and so attaine vnto these gifts and graces of Gods spirit CHAP. VIII On whom God bestoweth these gifts and graces of his spirit FOr the third i e To whom God bestoweth these gifts we must know that he bestoweth neither the graces of edifiying the Church nor the other graces to sanctifie and to saue our soules vpon all men but onely vpon those whom it pleaseth him for as when he was to choose his Apostles it is said that he chose whom he pleased so of the graces of preseruation sanctification and such like he giueth them to whom he pleaseth Mar. 3.13 and though hee giueth liberally vnto all men Iames 1.51 yet he giueth not all of these nor any of them all inconsiderately vnto any man for he lets not his graces drop through his fingers as if he cared not what became of them and so suffer all men to gather them Mat. 10.29 who will but as a sparrow lights not vpon the ground without his prouidence so not one grace falls to any man without his speciall guidance and direction And this the Apostle sheweth when he saith Rom. 9.16 non est currentis neque volentis sed miserentis Dei it is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie and this Christ himselfe declareth when he saith no man commeth vnto me except the Father draw him Iohn so no man can receiue these gifts and graces but they to whom they are giuen and as we finde a gradation of the loue and fauour of God As First he loueth all the things that he hath made and That there is a gradation in Gods loue Secondly he loueth man in a more speciall manner aboue all the things that he made And Thirdly among men he loueth some better then others yea Fourthly among those that he loueth best hee loueth some better then the rest As wee see hee loued Noah and Abraham among the Patriarks Moses among the Prophets and Iohn among the Apostles Why God loueth some men better then others so hee loues these best not because these were in themselues better then any others but because it pleased him to loue them better then others for as if he had made a toad a man and the man a toad the toad had bin the better of the twaine so if hee had bestowed more grace vpon the wicked and with-held the same from the now best men in all respects then no doubt but the wicked had bin the best but he loueth them best because it pleaseth him so to doe and therfore he bestoweth more graces and tokens of his loue vpon them to make them better then all others whatsoeuer for the gifts of God make vs good and our goodnesse maketh not him to bestow his gifts on vs. And this I say What this doctrine teacheth vs. not to accuse God of any niggardlinesse or close-handednesse because he giueth not these gifts vnto all God forbid for he is a debter to no man but may freely without censure doe with his owne what he list But I say this First to shew his exceeding great bountie and fauour First to behold the great goodnesse of God to his elect towards vs that deseruing no more good at Gods hands then all the rest of the race of mankind should notwithstanding when we iustly deserued so much euill it may be as much or more then the rest of men receiue so many great gifts and graces aboue and before all the rest of the world Secondly Secondly to be truely thankfull vnto God and specially to moue vs to all thankefulnesse to this our good and gratious God that with-holding his graces from many thousand others he would notwithstanding so graciously bestow them vpon vs for had not he giuen vs the grace to beleeue in Christ to hate our sinnes and to loue all righteousnesse I see not how the best of vs could doe any of these no more then the wickedest men in the world and therefore I would to God that we would euer praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth as generally for all men so specially for these chosen children of men Thirdly and lastly to teach vs Thirdly to pray for what we want and to praise our God for euermore that when wee feele our owne wants wee should pray to him for helpe to supply our need and when we see any of our neighbours voyd of grace we should rather piously pittie them and pray for them then proudly to contemne them and to spurne against them for as if God would hee might haue made thee a beast and the beast a man so if it had pleased him hee might haue filled them with that grace which he bestowed on thee and he might haue iustly left thee in that fullnesse of sinne wherein they doe
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