and troubled him not a little that any King of the Iewes should be worshipped beside himselfe So then their faith is no bosome-bosome-faith kept to them-selves without ever a dicentes without saying any thing of it to any body No Credidi propter quod locutus sum They beleeved and therefore they spake Psal 116.10 The starr in their hearts cast one beame out at their mouthes And though Herod who was but Rex factus could evill brooke to heare of Rex natus must needes be offended at it yet they were not afraid to say it And though they came from the East those parts to whom and their King the Iewes had long time been captives and underlings they were not ashamed neither to tell that One of the Iewes Race they came to seeke and to seeke Him to the end to worship Him So neither afraid of Herod nor ashamed of CHRIST but professed their Errand and cared not who knew it This for their confessing Him boldly But Faith is said by the * Heb. 11.1 Pro. 14.15 Apostle to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so there is a good Ground 2 Their Ground Vidimus enim and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so hath a good Reason for it This puts the difference betweene Fidelis and Credulus or as Salomon termes him fatuus qui credit omni verbo between Faith and Lightnesse of beliefe Faith hath ever a Ground Vidimus enim an Enim a Reason for it and is ready to render it How came you to believe Audivimus enim For we have heard an Angell say the Shepheards Vidimus enim Luc. 2.20 for we have seene a Starre say the Magi And this is a well grounded Faith We came not of our owne heads We came not before we sawe some reason for it saw that which set us on comming Vidimus enim Stellam Ejus Stellam Ejâ—s Vidimus stellam We can well conceive that Any that will but looke up may seâ— a staâ—â— But how could they see the Ejus of it that it was His Either that it belonged to any Or that He it was it belonged to This passeth all Perspective No Astronomie could shew them this What by course of Nature the starrs can produce that they by course of Art or Observation may discover But this Birth was above Nature No Trigâ—n Triplicitie Exaltation could bring it forth They are but idle that set figures for it They starr should not have been His but He the starr's if it had gone that way Some other light their they saw this Ejus by Now with us in Divinitie there be but two in all 1 Vespertina and 2 Matutina luâ— Vespertina the Owle light of our Reason or skill is too dimm to see it by No remedie then but it must be as ESAY calls it Matutina lux The Morning-light the Light of GODâ— Law must certifie them of the Ejus of it There or not at all to be had whom this starr did pâ—â—â—end And in the Law there we find it in the XXIV of Numbers One of their owne Prophetts that came from whence they came from the Mountaines of the East was ravished in spirit fell in a trance had his eyes opened and saw the Ejus of it many an hundred yeares Num. 24.17 Ibid. before it rose Saw Orietur in IACOB that there it should rise Which is as much as Natus est heer Saw stella that He should be the bright Morning-starr and so might well have a starr to represent Him Saw Sceptrum in ISRAEL which is just as much as Rex IVDAEORVM Ibid. that it should portend a King there Such a King as should not only smite the corners of Moab that is Balaac their enimie for the present but should reduce and bring under Him all the sonnes of SETH that is all the World For all are now SETH's sonnes CAIN's were all drowned in the Flood Heer now is the Ejus of it cleer A Prophetts eye might discerne this Never a Chaldaean of them all could take it with his Astrolabe BALAAM's eyes were opened to see it and he helped to open their eyes by leaving behind him this Prophecie to direct them how to apply it when it should arise to the right Ejus of it But these had not the LAVV It is hard to say That the Chaldee Paraphrase was extant long before this They might have had it Say they had it not If MOSES were so carefull to record this Prophecie in his Booke it may well be thought that some memorie of this so memorable a Prediction was left remaining among them of the East his own Countrey where he was borne and brought up And some helpe they might have from DANIEL too who lived all his time in Chaldaea and Persia and prophecied among them of such a KING and set the just time of it And this as it is conceived putt the difference between the East and the West For I aske Was it vidimus in Oriente with them Was it not vidimus in Occidente In the West such a starr it or the fellow of it was seen nigh about that time or the Romane Stories deceive us Toward the end of AVGVSTV's reigne such a starr was seene and much scanning there was about it Plinie saith It was generally holden that starr to be Faustum Sydus a Lucky Comet and portended good to the World which few or no Comets doe And Virgil who then lived would needs take upon him to set downe the Ejus of it Ecce Dionaei c Entitled Caesar to it And verily there is no man that can without admiration read his sixt Eglogue or a Birth that time expected that should be the Ofspring of the GODDS and that should take away their sinns Where-upon it hath gone for current the East and West Vidimus both But by the light of their Prophecie the East they went streight to the right Ejus And for want of this Light the West wandred and gave it a wrong Ejus As Virgil applying it to little Salonine and as evill hap was while he was making his Verses the poore Child died and so his starr shott vanished and came to nothing Their vidimus never came to a venimus They neither went nor worshipped Him as these heer did But by this we see When all is done hither we must come for our Morning-light to this Booke to the Word of Prophecie All our vidimus stellam is as good as nothing without it That starr is past and gone long since Heaven and earth shall passe but thâ—â— Word shall not passe Heere on thiâ— we to fixe our eye and to ground our faith Having this though we neither heare Angell nor see starr we may by the Grace of GOD do full well For even they thâ—t have had both those have been feign to resolve into this as their last best and chiefest point of all Witnesse Saint Peter 2. Pet. 1.17 He saith he and they with him saw CHRIST's
prophetabunt it is removed farther of To Invocaverit it is a degree neerer at least Nay the very next of all The Text shewes this in a sort but the thing it self more for when all comes to all when we are even at the last cast salvabitur or no salvabitur then as if there were some speciall vertue in invocaverit we are called upon to use a few words or signes to this end and so sent out of the world with invocaverit in our mouthes Dying we call up on men for it living we suffer them to neglect it It was not for nothing it stands so close it even touches salvation It is we see the very immediate act next before it And yet I would not leave you in any error concerning it To end this point shall invocaverit serve then needs there nothing but it no faith no life Saint Paul answers this home Rom. 10 14. 2. Tim. 2 19. He is direct X. Rom. How can they call upon Him unlesse they beleeve So invocation presupposeth faith And as peremptorie he is II Tim. II. Let every one that calleth on Nay that but nameth the name of the LORD depart from iniquitie so it presupposeth life too For if we incline to wickednesse in our hearts GOD will not heare us Psal. 66.18 No invocation that not truly so called a provocation rather But puâ—t these two faith and recedit ab iniquitate to it and so who so calleth upon Him I will put him in good Sureties one Prophet and two Apostles both to assure him he shal be saved 4. Salvabitur And that is it we all desire to be saved Saved indefinitely Applie it to any dangers not in the Day of the LORD onely but even in his our Day For some terrible dayes we have even heer I will tell you of one The signes heer sett downe bring it to my mind A day we were saved from the Day of the Pouder-treason which may seen in a sort heere to be described blood and fire and the vapor of smoke a terrible day sure but nothing to the Day of the LORD From that we were saved but we all stand in danger we all need saving from this When this Day comes another manner of fire another manner of smoke That fire never burnt that smoke never rose but this fire shall burne and never be quenched this smoke shall not vanish but ascend for ever I say no more but in that in this in all Qui invocaverit salvus erit Invocation rightly used is the way to be safe Rev. 19.3 This then I commend to you And of all invocations that which King David doth commend most and betake himselfe to as the most effectuall and surest of all and that is Accipiam calicem salutaris et nomen DOMINI invocabo Psal. 116 1â— To call on His Name with the Cup of Salvation taken in our hands No invocation to that That I may be bold to add which is all that can be added Quicunque calicem salutaris accipiens nomen DOMINI invocaverit salvus erit Another effundam yet this Why what vertue is there in the taking it to helpe invocation A double For whither we respect our sinnes they have a voice a cry an ascending cry in Scripture assigned them They invocate too they call for somwhat Even for some fâ—arefull judgement to be powred downe on us and I doubt our owne voices are not strong enough to be heard above theirs But bloud that also hath a voice specially innocent blood the bloud of Abel that cries loud in GOD 's eares but nothing so loud as the bloud whereof this cup of blessing is the communion the voice of it wil be heard above all the cry of it will drowne any cry els And as it cries higher so it differs in this that it cryes in a farre other key for far better things then that of Abel not for revenge but for remission of sinnes for that wherof it is self the price and purchase Heb. 12.24 for our salvation in that great and terrible Day of the LORD when nothing els will save us and when it will most import us when if we had the whole world to give we would give it for these foure syllables salvabitur shal be saved But it was not so much for sin David took this cup as to yeeld GOD thanks for all His benefits In that case also there is speciall vse of it and both fit us As the former of drowning of our sinn's crye so this also For to this end are we heer now mett to render publikely and in solemne manner our thanksgiving for His great favour this day vouchsafed vs in powring out His Spirit and with it His saving hâ—alth upon all flesh all that call upon Him then to take place when we shall have speciall use of it in the Great Day the Day of the LORD And very agreeable it is per hunc sanguinem pro hoc Spiritu for the powring out of this his Spirit to render Him thanks with the bloud that was powred out to procure it And this is our last effundam and a reall â—ffundam too For this effusion of both the one and the other and for the hope of our salvation the worke both of the one and of the other To the finall atteinment whereof by His holy word of prophesie by calling on His Name by this Sacrament of His bloud powred out and of His Spirit powred out with it He bring us c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT Greenwich on the XVI of May A. D. MDCXIX being WHIT-SVNDAY ACTS CHAP. X. VER XXXIV XXXV Aperiens autem PETRVSOS suum dixit In veritate comperi quia non est personarum acceptor DEVS Sed in omni gente qui timet Eum operatur justitiam acceptus est Illi Then PETER opened his mouth and sayd Of a truth J perceive that GOD is no accepter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with Him I Forget not that we celebrate to day the Comming of the HOLY GHOST and I goe not from it You shall finde in the next Chapter at the fifteenth that to this Text belongeth a Comming of the Holy Ghost For at the uttering of these very words as Saint Peter began to speake them the Holy Ghost fell upon all that heard them It is indeed the second solemne comming of the Holy Ghost That in the second Chapter was the first and this the second that ever was Of which twaine this is the Comming that comes home to us and that two waies 1 One in respect of the Parties on whom 2 The other in respect of the Time when The Parties For those whom the Holy Ghost came on before were Gentiles indeed but yet Prâ—selytes that is halfe Iewes Out of every Nation under heaven Act. 2.5 Act. 8.27 but that came to Ierusalem to worship And the same was the
as they be togither now so to continue still The continuance of this meeting We had much adoe to get them togither thus Now we have them so let us keepe them so in any wise For as this meeting made Christianitie first So there is nothing marres it but the breaking it of againe No greater bane to it then the parting of these Let me tell you this Saint Augustine is very earnest upon this point of the keeping of righteousnesse and peace upon this Psalme and this Verse and of truth and mercie togither in the next upon misericors and verax against them that would lay hold on mercie and let go truth O saith he that will not be they mett together they will not part now Either without either will not be had And so of the two others There be that would have Peace and passe by Righteousnesse Tu fortè unam habere vis altâ—ram non vis sayth he you would gladly have one Peace and for Righteousnesse you could be contented to spare it Aske any would you have Peace With all my heart he will answere There is no having one without the other Osculantur hae amant hae why they kisse they love togither Si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit to paâ—e if ye love not â—er friend that is Righteousnesse she will none of your love Take that from Saint Augustine Set this downe then Christianitie is a meeting One cannot meet Two there must be and they may But it is not a meeting of two but of two with two so no lesse then foure As CHRIST Himselfe was not one nature So neither doth Christianitie consist of any one vertue Not under foure There is a quaternion in CHRIST His 1 Essence and His 2 Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hypostasis in divinis His 3 Flesh and His 4 reasonable Soule in humanis Answerable to these foure are these heer these foure to His foure And as it is a meeting so a crosse meeting of foure Vertues that seeme to be in a kind of opposition as hath been noted No matter for that They will make the better refraction the coole of one allay the heat the moist of one temper the drought of the other The soft vertues need to be quickned the more forward to be kept from Altum sapere So are the elements of which our bodie So are the foure winds of which our breath doth consist which gives us life And these in the Text have an analogie or correspondence Psal. 93.1 Esa. 66.12 Psal. 46.4 with the elements observed by the Auncients 1 Truth as the earth which is not moved at any time 2 Quasi fluvius Pax saith Esay Peace as a water-streame the quills whereof make glad the Citie of GOD. 3 Mercie we breath and live by no lesse then we doe by aire Esa. 66.16 and 4 Righteousnesse she ventura est judicare saeculum per ignem in that element You may happen find one of these in Scripture stood much upon and of the other three nothing sayd there but all left out Conceive of it as a figure Synecdoche they call it As ye have heer man called earth yet is he not earth alone but all the other three elements as well No more is Christianitie any one but by Synecdoche but in very deed a meeting of them all foure Ioh. 17.3 It deceived the Gnostique this place This is aeternall life to know thee Knowledge saith he is it As if it were all and so he bad care for nothing els but to knowe and knowing live as they list The Encratite he was as farr gone the other way He lived streightly and his tenet was non est curandum quid quisque credat Id curandum modò quod quisque faciat So that ye hold a streight course of life it skills not what ye hold in points of faith No meeting with these Single vertues all Yes it skills For both these were wrong both goe for Heretiques Christianitie is a meeting and to this meeting there goe Pia dogmata as well as Bona opera Righteousnesse aswell as truth Err not this error then to single any out as it were in disgrace of the rest Say not one will serve the turne what should we do with the rest of the foure Take not a figure and make of it a plaine speech Seeke not to be saved by Synecdoche Each of these is a quarter of Christianity you shall never while you live make it serve for the whole The truth is sever them and farewell all take any one from the rest and it is as much as the whole is worth For as Bernard well observed non sunt virtutes si separentur upon their separation they cease to be vertues For how loose a thing is Mercie if it be quite devoid of Iustice We call it foolish pitie And how harsh a thing Iustice if it be utterly without all temper of mercie Summa injuria then that is Iniustice at the highest Mercie take truth away what hold is there of it who will trust it Truth take Mercie from it it is Severitie rather then veritie then Righteousnesse without Peace certeinly wrong is much better better then perpetuall brabbling And Peace without Righteousnesse better a sword far This if you sunder them But temper these togither and how blessed a mixture Sett a song of all foure and how heavenly a melodie Enterteine them then all foure 1 Hope in mercie 2 Faith in truth 3 Feare of righteousnesse 4 Love of peace O quam praeclara concordia O how loving a knot how by all meanes to be maintained how great pitie to part it The Time of this meeting A little of the Time now when this meeting would be No time amisse no day in the yeare but upon entreaty they will be got to meet Yet if any one day have a prerogative more then another of all the daies in the yeare on this day most kindly the day we hold holy to the memorie of this meeting the day of orta est the occasion of it In remembrance of the first meeting then they are apt and willing to meet upon it againe forward ever to meet the day they first mett of themselves But CHRIST this day being borne this day to meet of course One special end that He was borne was that at His birth this meeting might be If to day then they should not meet that were in a sort to evacuate CHRISTS birth if there should be a Veritas orta without an obviaverunt sibi So that if we procure it not we had as good keepe no Feast at all What is then the proper worke of this day but still to renew this meeting on it For CHRISTS birth we cannot entertaine but all these we must too Necessarie attendants upon it every one They be the vertues of His Nativitie these At His birth CHRIST bethought Himselfe of all the vertues which He would have to attend
There was wont to be a ceremonie of giving ashes this day to put us in mind of this convertâ—ris I feare with the ceremonie the substance is gone too If that conversion into ashes be well thought on it will helpe forward our turning This returning to our heart the sad and serious bethinking us there of Nature's conversion into dust of sinne 's into ashes for ashes ever presuppose fire that the wheele turns apace and if we turne not the rather these turnings may overtake us GOD 's Spirit assisting may so worke with us as we shall thinke Ioel's counseile good that if we have not been so happy as to keepe the way yet we be not so unhappy as not to turne againe from a way the issues whereof surely will not be good And would GOD these would serve to worke it If they will not then must Conversus sum in aerumnâ dum configitur spina some thorne in our sides Psal 32.4 some bodily or worldly griefe must come and procure it But that is not to turne but to be turned And there is great odds between these two As one thing it is to take up the crosse another to have it layd upon us To be turned I call when by some crosse of body or mind as it were with a ring in our nose we are brought about whither we will or no to looke how we have gone astray To turne I call when the world ministreth unto us no cause of heavinesse all is ex sententiâ yet even then the grace of GOD moving us we set our selves about and representing those former conversions before us we worke it out having from without no heavy accident to force us to it We condemne not Conversus sum in aerumnâ Many are so turned and GOD is gracious and reiects them not But we commend this later when without wrench or skrew we turne of our selves And that man who being under no arrest no bridle in his iawes shall in the dayes of his peace resolve of a time to turne in and take it that man hath great cause to rejoice and to rejoice before GOD. And thus much for Convertite or if it may not be had for Convertimini Turne and turne to Me and He that saith it is GOD. Why 2. To Me that is GOD. Ier. 4 â— whither should we turne from sinne but to GOD Yes we may be sure it is not for nothing GOD setteth downe this In Ieremie it is more plaine If ye returne returne to Me saith the LORD Which had been needlesse if we could turne to nothing els wâ—re it not possible to find diverse turnings leaving one by-way to take another from this extreme turne to that and neuer to GOD at all They that have been fleshly given if they cease to be so they turne but if they become as worldly now as they were fleshly before they turne not to GOD. They that from the dottage of superstition runne into the phrensie of prophanesse They that from abhorring Idols fall to commit sacriledge howsoever they turne to GOD they turne not Rom. 2.22 And this is even the motus diurnus the common turning of the world as Moses expresseth it to add drunkennesse to thirst from too little to too much from one extreme to runne into another Deut. 29.19 Would GOD it were not needfull for me to make this note But the true turne is ad Me So from sinne as to GOD. Els in very deed we turne from this sinne to that sinne but not from sinne Or to speake more properly we tuâ—ne sinne we turne not from sinne if we give over one evill way to take another To Me then and with the heart And this also is needfull For I know not how 3. Wâ—th the heart but by some our conversion is conceived to be a turning of the braine only by doting to much on the word resipiscere as a matter meerly mentall Where before thus and thus we thought such and such positions we held now we are of another mind then before and there is our turning This of Ioël's is a matter of the heart sure This Nay to say truth where is conversion mentioned but it is in a manner attended with in corde And so requireth not only an alteration of the mind but of the will a change not of certaine notions only in the head but of the affections of the heart too Els it is vertigo capitis but not conversio cordis Neither doth this in corde stand only against the braine but is commonly in opposition to the whole outward man Els the heart may be fixed like a Pole and the body like a sphaere turn round about it Nay heart and all must turne Not the face for shame or the feete for feare but the heart for very hatred of sinne also Hypocrisie is a sinne being to turne from sinne we are to turne from it also and not have our body in the right way and our heart still wandring in the by-pathes of sinne But if we forbeare the act which the eye of man beholdeth to make a conscience of the thoughts too for unto them also the eye of GOD pierceth Thus it should be Els Conversion it may be but heart it hath none 4. With the whole heart With the heart and with the whole heart As not to divide the heart from the body So neither to divide the heart in it selfe The divell to hinder us from true turning turnes himselfe like Proteus into all shapes First turne not at all you are well enough If you will needs turne turne whither you will but not to GOD. If to GOD leave your heart behind you and turne and spare not If with the heart be it in corde but not in toto with some ends or fractions with some few broken affections but not entirely In modico saith Agrippa somewhat Act. 26.28.29 there is a peece of the heart In modico in toto saith S. PAVL somewhat and altogether there is the whole heart For which cause as if some converted with the brimme or upper part only doth the Psalme call for it de profundis Psal. 130.1 and the Prophet from the bottome of the heart To rent the heart in this part is a fault which is a vertue in the next For it makes us have two hearts hovering as it were and in motu trepidationis and feigne we would let goe sinne but not all that belongs to it And turne we would from our evill way but not from that which will bring us backe to it againe the Occasion the Object the Companie from which except we turne too we are in continuall danger to leave our way againe and to turne backe to our former folly the second ever worse then the first When the heart is thus parcelled out it is easily seene See you one would play with fire and not be burned touch pitch and not be defiled with it love perill and not perish in it
as Libentissimè the good heart wherewith it is bestowed And will you see the minde wherewith Saint Paul will doe both these By this adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may looke into his very heart Bestow he will and be bestowed too and that not Vicunque in any sort be contented to come to it but willingly willingly Nay readily Readily nay gladly and the degree is somewhat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most gladly in the very highest of all in the â—â—â—erlative degree To spend and spending to make no more reckoning of it then of chaffe Nay it is more to be glad of our losse more glad then others would be of their gaine To be spent and in being spent not to hold our life precious Nor so but to rejoyce in it and as if death were advantage In hoc est charitas certainely Death of it selfe is bitter and losse is not sweet Then so to alter their natures as to find sweetnesse in losse whereat all repine and gladnesse in death which maketh all to mourne verily heerein is love Or if not heere where Nay heer it is indeed and before now we had it not For in flat termes he avoweth in the XIII Chapter before of his former Epistle if we sever this from the other two One may part withall his goods to feede the poore and yet have no love One may give his body to be burnt and yet have no love And then though he doe impendere bestow all he hath and though he doe impendi be bestowed himselfe nihil est he is nothing if he want this affection which is love indeed the very soule of love and the other but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the skinne and bones and indeed nought els but the carcasse without it Therefore it was that Saint Paul set this in the first place before the other two because the other two be but ciphers and after this the figure set they be tenn's and hundreds and have their valuation but without it of themselves they be put ciphers just nothing Thus much Saint Paul hath said in saying these three words 1 Impendam 2 Impendar 3 Libentissimè Thus much they amount to And now must we pause a little to see what will become of all this and what these three will worke in the Corinthians We marvell at the Love we shall more marvell when we see what manner of men on whom it is bestowed What his proofs are we have heard how large and how loving and thus farre is he come only to winne favour and like mutuall love at their hands Ver 14. without eye to any other thing in the world No Vestra no but Vos onely This is all And not this not so much Nay not so little as this will come Which if it did come what singular thing were it since the very Publicans doe the like love him Matt. 5.46 that loveth them Which we gather by his Etsi Wherein as he may in no lowd and bitter manner he complaineth but complaineth though that seeking their love and nothing els so hard was his hap he found it not Not in a greater or as great a measure as his but minus for magis and so he a great loser by it The more the higher the neerer his the lesse the lower the further off theirs so that little likelihood of ever meeting This is S. Paul's case to meet with unkindnesse and not only his but CHRIST met with nine for one Luk. 17.14.15 c. too Indeed it is common and not to be noted but for commonnesse De ingratis etiam ingrati queruntur They that are vnkind themselves inveigh against the vnkindnesse of others And as it was said of them that made Caesar away Oderunt tyrannum non tyrannidem so may it truly heere The Persons that are vnkind they hate rather then the vice itselfe Yet even to know this doth no hurt what Saint Paul met with in the Corinthians and this too that all vnâ—inâ— persons dwell not at Corinth And as he to be pitied so they to be blamed All other commodities returne well from Corinth onely Love is no traffique Saint Paul cannot make his owne againe but must be a great loser withall We cannot but pity the Apostle in this Minus of his Saint Augustine saith well Nulla est maios ad amorem provocatio quam praevenire amando Nimis enim durus est animus qui amorem etsi nolebat impendere nolit tamen rependere No more kindly attractive of love then in loving to prevent For exceeding stony is that heart which though it like not to love first will not love againe neither neither first not second Yet so hard were theirs that neither one way nor other rectè nor reflexè would either beginne or follow No not provoked by all those so many forcible meanes that Saint Chrysostome maketh a wonder at it Quomodo non converterentur in amorem that they were not melted and resolved into love it selfe Which cold successe openeth a way to the last point 4. Amoa Extensivus Etsi minus 〈◊〉 the point indeed of highest admiration and of hardest imitation of all the rest in the coniunction Etsi Which Conjunction is situated much like Corinth it selfe in a narrow land as it were betweene two seas beaten upon the one with selfe-love on th' other with vnkindnesse Hitherto we have had to doe but with selfe-love and his assaults but now vnkindnesse also is up These Corinthians saith Saint Paul my affection standeth toward them in all love Love them and spare not saith Self-love but tene quod habes Nay sure Impendam I will bestow it Well if there be no remedie But heare you Propitius esto tibi for all that Nay nor that neither Impendar I will be bestowed my selfe too Potèsne bibere calicem hunc saith Selfe-love and can you get it downe Matt. 16.22 Mar. 10.46 thinke you Yea Libentissimè exceeding gladly There is the Conquest of Selfe-love But all this while he lived still vnder hope hope of winning their love for whose sakes he had trodd vnderfoot the love of himselfe Hope that it had beene but impendam all the while he should have had returned his owne againe at least But at this Etsi all is turned out and in For this is as much to say as All is to little purpose for to his griefe he must take notice they care for none of them nor for him ever a whit the more yea rather the lesse by a great deale So that all three be in vaine Et supra omnem laborem labor irritus No labour to lost labour Nor expense of life or goods to that is spent in vaine For that is not impendam but perdam not spent but cast away Therefore the former though it were funiculus triplex a threefold cord and not easily broken would not hold but fly in peeces but for this Etsi To have then an Etsi in our love this Etsi this
Sorrow That which we are called to behold and consider is his Sorrow And Sorrow is a thing which of it selfe Nature enclineth us to behold as being our selves in the body Heb. 13.3 which may be one day in the like sorrowfull case Therefore will every good eye turne it selfe and looke upon them that lie in distresse 1. Bâ—hold Luc. 10.32 Those two in the Gospell that passed by the wounded man before they passed by him though they helped him not as the Samaritane did yet they looked upon him as he lay But this party here lieth not Ioh. 3 14. he is lift up as the Serpent in the wildernesse that unlesse we turne our eyes away purposely we can neither will nor choose but behold him Act. 1.11 But because to Behold and not to consider is but to gaze and gazing the Angeâ— blameth in the Apostles themselves we must do both both Behold and Consider 2. Consider looke upon with the eye of the body that is Behold and looke into with the eye of the mind that is Consider So saith the Prophet here And the verie same doth the Apostle advise us to do First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to looke upon him that is Heb 12 23. to Behold and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke upon him that is to Consider his Sorrow Sorrow sure would be considered The quality If ever the lâ—ke Now then because as the qualitie of the Sorrow is accordingly it would be considered for if it be but a common sorrow the lesse will serve but if it be some speciall some very heavy case the more would be allowed it for proportionably with the suffering the consideration is to arise To raise our consideration to the full and to elevate it to the highest point there is upon his Sorrow set a Si fuerit sicut a note of highest eminency for Si fuerit sicut are words that have life in them and are able to quicken our consideration if it be not quite dead For by them we are provoked as it were to Consider and considering to see whether ever any Sicut may be found to set by it whether ever any like it For if never any Our nature is to regard things exceeding rare and strange and such as the like whereof is not else to be seene Vpon this point then there is a Case made as if he should say If ever the like Regard not this but if never any be like your selves in other things and vouchsafe this if not your chiefest yet some Regard To enter this Comparison and to shew it for such That are we to do In the three parts of his Sorrow three sundry waies For three sundry waies in three sundry words are these Sufferings of his here expressed all three within the compasse of the Verse The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac-ob which we read Sorrow taken from a wound or stripe as all do agree The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gholel we reade Done to me taken from a word that signifieth Melting in a fornace as S. Hierome noteth out of the Chaldee who so translateth it The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoga where we read Afflicted from a word which importeth Renting off or Bereaving The old Latine turneth it Vindemiavit me as a Vine whose fruit is all plucked off The Greeke with Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Vine or tree whose leaves are all beaten off and it left naked and bare In these three are comprized His Sufferings Wounded Melted and Bereft leafe and fruit that is all manner of comfort Of all that is poenall or can be suffered the common division is 1 Of the quâ—litie Fâ—rst of his Passion Sensus Damni Griefe for that we feele or for that we forgoe For that we feele in the two former Wounded in body Melted in soule for that we forgoe in the last Bereft all left neither fruit nor so much as a leafe to hang on him According to these three To consider his Sufferings 1. Poe na seâ—sus in the bodie and to begin first with the first The paines of his Body his wounds and his stripes Our verie eye will soone tell us no place was left in his Bodie where he might be smitten and was not His skin and flesh rent with the whips and scourges His hands and feet wounded with the miles His head with the thornes His very heart with the speare-point all his senses all his parts loden with whatsoeuer wit or malice could invent His blessed Body given as an Anvile to be beaten upon with the violent hands of those barbarous miscreants till they brought him into this case of Si fuerit sicut For Pilate's Ecce Homo his shewing him with an Ecce Ioâ— 19 5. as if he should say Behold looke if ever you saw the like ruefull spectacle This very shewing of his sheweth plainly he was then come into woful plight So wofull as Pilate verily believed his verie sight so pitifull as it would have moved the hardest heart of them all to have relented and said This is enough we desire no more And this for the wounds of his body for on this we stand not In this one peradventure some Sicut may be found 2. Poena sâ—nsus in the Soule in the paines of the bodie but in the second the Sorrow of the Soule I am sure none And indeed the paine of the Body is but the Body of paine the verie Soule of Sorrow and Paine is the Soule 's Sorrow and Paine Syra 15.57 Pro. 18.14 Give me any griefe save the griefe of the mind saith the Wise-man For saith Salomon the spirit of a man will sustaine all his other infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare And of this this of His soule I dare make a Case Si fuerit sicut Ioh 12.27 Luc 22.44 Mar. 14 35. Mat 26.38 He began to be troubled in Soule saith S. Iohn To be in an agonie saith S. Luke To be in anguish of mind and deepe distresse saith S. Marke To have his Soule round about on every side invironed with Sorrow that Sorrow to the death Here is trouble anguish agonie sorrow and deadly sorrow But it must be such as never the like So it was too The aestimate whereof we may take from the second word of Melting that is from his sweat in the Garden strange and the like whereof was never heard or seene Luc. 22.44 No manner violence offered him in body no man touching him or being neer him in a cold night for they were faine to have a fire within dores lying abroad in the aire and upon the cold earth to be all of a sweat and that sweat to be Blood and not as they call it Diaphoreticus a thin faint sweaâ— but Grumosus of great Drops and those so many so plenteous as they went through his apparell and all and through all
we live have a lesse liking to looke toward it as being the onely procurer and cause of this Crosse and this shame Nay not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turne our eye from it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turne our feet from it too and to runne from yea to flie from it quasi à facie colubri as from the face of a Serpent At least-wise if not to runne from it not to runne to it as we have to naile downe our feet from running to sinne and our hands from committing sinne and in a word have Saint Peter'â— practise of the Passion 1. Pet. 4.1 to Cease from sinne This abstractive force we shall find and feele it will draw us from the delights of sinne And not onely draw us from that but draw from us too something make some teares to runne from us or if we be drie-eyed that not them yet make some sighes of devotion some thoughts of grace some kind of thankfull acknowledgements to issue from our soules Either by way of compassion as feeling that He then felt or by way of compunction as finding our selves in the number of the parties for whom He felt them It is a proper effect of our view of the Passion this as S. Luke setts it downe at the very place where he termes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they returned from it smiting their brests as having seene a dolefull Spectacle Luc. 23.48 themselves the cause of it Now as the looking from worketh a moving from so doth the looking to a moving to For first who is there that can look unto those hands and feet that head and that heart of His that endured all this but must primâ facie at the first sight see and say Ecce quomodò dilexit nos If the Iewes that stood by said truly of him at Lazarus's grave Ecce quomodo dilexit eum when he shedd but a few teares out of his eyes how much more truely may it be said of us Ecce quomodò dilexit eos Ioh. 11.36 for whom He hath shedd both water and bâ—ood yea even from His heart and that in such plenty And he loving us so if our hearts be not iron yea if they be iron they cannot choose but feele the magneticall force of this load-stone For to a load-stone doth he resemble himselfe when He saith of himselfe Were I once lift up Ioh. 12 3â— Omniatraham ad me This vertue attractive is in this sight to draw our love to it With which as it were the needle our faith being but touched will stirr streight We cannot but turne to Him and trust in Him that so many waies hath shewed himselfe so true unto us Quando amor confirmatur fides inchoatur saith S. Ambrose Prove to us of any that he loves us indeed and we shall trust him streight without any more ado we shall believe any good affirmed of him And what is there tell me any where affirmed of CHRIST to-us-ward but this love of his being believed will make it credible Iam. 2.22 Now our faith is made perfect by workes or well-doing saith S. Iames it will therefore set us in a course of them Of which every vertue is a stadium and every act a stepp toward the end of our race Beginning at humilitie Phil. 2.5 the vertue of the first setting out Let the same mind be in you that was in CHRIST IESVS who humbled himselfe And so proceeding from vertue to vertue till we come to patience and perseverance that keep the gole end So saith S. Peter 1. Pet. 5.10 Modicum passos perficiet suffering somewhat more or lesse some crossing if not the Crosse some evill report though not shame So and no otherwise we shall come to our race end our finall perfection And as the rest move us if we stand still to runne So if we runne already these two Patience and Perseverance Patience will make us for all our encounters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saiâ—h the Apostle in the next verse not to be weary Ver. 3. Not in our minds though in our bodies we be And Perseverance will make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to faint or tire though the time seeme long and never so tedious Both these in the Verse following But hold on our course till we finish it even till we come to Him who was not onely Author but Finisher who held out till he came to Consummatum est And so must we finish Gal. 5.7 not stadium but dolichum not like those of whom it was said Currâ—batis benè ye did well for a start but like our Apostle that said and said truely of himselfe 2. Tim. 4.7 Cursum consummavi I have finished my course I have held out to the very end 3 That we faint not And in this is the Praxis of our first theorie or sight of our love But our love without hope is but faint That then with better heart we may thus doe and bestirre our selves it will not be amisse once more to lift up our eyes and the second time to looke on Him We have not yet seen the end the Crosse is not the end There is a better end then so And is set downe in the Throne As the Prophet saw him we have seen him in such case as we were ready to hide our faces at him and his sight Heer is a new sight as the Evangelist saw him so we now may even his glorie as the a Ioh. 1.14 glorie of the onely begotten SONNE of GOD. b Ioh. 19.5 Ecce homo Pilate's sight we have seene c Ioh. 20.18 Ecce Dominus DEVS meus S. Thomas's sight we now shal The former in his hanging on the Crosse the beginning of our faith This latter sitting on the Throne the consummation of it Wherein there is an ample matter of hope as before of love all being turned in and out He sitts now at ease that before hoong in paine Now on a throne Zac. 3.1 that before on the Crosse. Now at GOD 's right hand that before at Sathan's left So Zachary saw him Satan on his right hand and then must he be on Satan's left All changed His Crosse into ease his shame into glorie Glorie and rest rest and glorie are two things that meet not heere in our world The glorious life hath not the most quiet and the quiet life is for the most part inglorious He that will have glorie must make accompt to be despised oft and broken of his rest and he that loveth his ease better must be content with a meane condition farre short of glorie Heere then these meet not there our hope is they shall even both meet togither and glorie and rest kisse each the other So the Prophet calleth it a glorious rest Esay 11.10 And the right hand addeth yet a degree further For dextera est pars potior So that if there be any rest more easie or
any glorie more glorious then other there it is on that hand on that side and He placed in it in the best in the chiefest the fulnesse of them both At GOD 's right hand is not only power power while we be heer to protect us with His might outward and to support us with His grace inward but at His right hand also is the fulnesse of joy for ever saith the Psalme Ioy and the fulnesse of joy Psal. 16.11 and the fulnesse of it for evermore This is meant by his Seat at the right hand on the Throne And the same is our blessed hope also that it is not His place only and none but His but even ours in expectation also The love of His Crosse is to us a pledge of the hope of his throne or whatsoever els He hath or is worth For if GOD have given us CHRIST and CHRIST thus given himselfe what hath GOD or CHRIST they will denie us It is the Apostle's owne deduction Rom. 8.32 To put it out of all doubt heare we His owne promise that never brake his word To him that overcommeth Apoc. 3.21 will I give to sit with me in my Throne Where to sit is the fulnesse of our desire the end of our race omnia in omnibus and further we cannot go Of a joy sett before Him we spoke yer-while heer is now a joy sett before us another manner joy then was before Him The worse was sett before Him the better before us and this we are to runne to Thus do these two theories or sights th' one worke to love th' other to hope both to the well performing of our course that in this Theater between the Saints joyfully beholding us in our race and CHRIST at our end ready to receive us we may fulfill our course with joy and be partakers of the blessed rest of His most glorious Throne Let us now turne to Him and beseech Him by the sight of this day by himselfe first and by his Crosse and Throne both both which He hath sett before us th' one to awake our love the other to quicken our hope that we may this day and ever lift up our eyes and hearts that we may this day and ever carie them in our eyes and hearts look up to them both so look that we may love the one and waite and hope for the other so love and so hope that by them both we may move and that swiftly even runne to Him and running not faint but so constantly runn that we faile not finally to atteine the happy fruition of Himselfe and of the joy and glory of His blessed throne that so we may find feele Him as this day here the Authour so in that day there the Finisher of our Faith by the same our LORD IESVS CHRIST Amen Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS OF THE Resurrection PREACHED ON EASTER-DAY A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the VI. of Aprill A. D. MDCVI being EASTER-DAY ROM CHAP. VI. VER IX X.XI Scientes quod CHRISTVS c. Knowing that CHRIST being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over Him For in that He died He died once to sinne but in that He liveth He liveth to GOD. Likewise think or accompt ye also that ye are dead to sinne but are alive to GOD in Iesus Christ our Lord. THE Scripture is as the Feast is both of them of the resurrection And this we may safely say of it it is thought by the Church so pertinent to the feast as it ever hath beene and is appointed to be the very entry of this daies Service to be founded forth and soong first of all and before all upon this day as if there were some speciall correspondence betweene the Day and it Two principall points are sett downe to us out of the two principall words in it One Scientes in the first verse Knowing the other reputate in the last verse Compt your selves Knowing and Compting Knowledge and calling our selves to accompt for our Knowledge Two points very needfull to be ever joyntly called upon and more then needfull 〈◊〉 our times â—eing 〈◊〉 much we know and 〈◊〉 we compt oft we heare and when we have heard smâ—ll reckonâ—ng we make of it What CHRIST did on Easter day wâ— know well what we aâ—e 〈◊〉 to do we give no great regard our Scientes is withoâ—t a Reputantes Now this Scripture ex totâ— Substantiâ out of the whole frame of it teacheth us oâ—herwise that Câ—â—tiaâ— kâ—â—â—ledge is not a knowledge without all manner of accompt but that we are accomptants for it that we are to keepe an Audite of what we heare and take accompt of our selves of what we have learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Auditor's tearme thence the HOLY GHOST hath taken it and would have us to be Auditors in both Senses And this to be generall in whatsoever we know But specially in our knowledge touching this Fâ—â—st of CHRIST 's resurrection where there are speciall words for it in the Text â—herein expresse termes an accompt is calld for at our hands as an essenâ—â—all duâ—y of the Day The benefit we remember is so great the Feast we hold so high aâ— though at other times we might be forborne yet on this day we may not Ver. 11. Now the summe of our accompt is set down in these words Similiter vos that we fashion our selves like to CHRIST dying and rising cast our selves in the same molds expresse Him in both as neere as we can To accompt of these first that is to accompt our selves bound thus to doe To accompt for these second that is to accompt with our selves whither we do so First to accompt our selves bound thus to doe resolving thus within our selves that to heare a Sermon of the Resurrection is nothing to keepe a feast of the Resurrection is as much except it end in Similiter vos Nisi saith Saint Gregorie quod de more celebratur etiam quoad mores exprimatur Vnlesse we expresse the matter of the Feast in the forme of our lives Vnlesse as He from the grave So we from sinne and live to godlinesse as He vnto GOD. Then to accompt with our selves whither we doe thus that is to sit downe and reflect upon the Sermons we heare and the feasts we keepe how by knowing CHRIST 's death we die to sinne how by knowing His Resurrection we live to GOD how our estate in soule is bettered how the fruit of the words we heare and the feasts we keepe doth abound daily toward our accompt against the great Audite And this to be our accompt every Easter-day The division Of these two points the former is in the two first verses what we must know the later is in the last What we must accompt for And they be joyned with Similiter to shew us they be and must be of aequall and like regard and we as
found by GOD for men had lost you They that gladly would knew not how to find you or get to you Great odds then but you had been quite lost It was GOD that found you then and made you to be found of them not by eny skill of their owne or by eny direction but His. By hap it might seeme but your selfe do and we all acknowledge the hand of GOD in it His providence that so guided them His doing it was that they did it So that God it was that found you then or we had not now found you heere It may then truly be called your finding-day and God truly say the second time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found 1. No enemie professed but two Sonnes of wickednesse for it Of it then of this day We shall faile a little in the first point Heere is an enemie professed And you had not then you never had eny professed To make amends for that there is but one sonne of wickednesse in the Text You found not one but two and they found you 2. A Sonne of wickednesse he was Sonnes of wickednesse well might they be called For if no Religion taking Religion upon it be wickednesse as it is double wickednesse a Sonne of wickednesse he was If witch craft be wickednesse as it is wickednesse in the highest degree he was a Sonne of it it was found about him If to doe evill gratìs to do evill for good be wickednesse and it is the wretchedest wickednesse that can be you had done them many favours and to bite the brest then that had given them milke these are they in the Text right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ever there were eny 3. Meant violence wickedly covered it How neere the doing it These then violence they intended and with wickednesse they covered it Wickedly they entised you and drew you along till they had you fast shut up And then violent hands they layd on you the markes were to be seen many a day after And were you not then within the compasse of the Text of violence and hurt that is of hurt by violence Yes so neer you was the hurt that the hurtfull point touched your naked brest Was David ever so neer Never He was indeed hart bestead and forced to fly but he never came in their hands you did He never was under lock you were He never had the dagger's point at his heart you had And when you had all the world then certenly would have given you lost 4. Yet did it not Noâ— proficient Did they you any harme for all this Not any to speake of We may take up that before Fuerunt fecerunt sed non perfecerunt so farr from that as non profecerunt Such here were and doing they were but it would not do for it was not done the violence they intended Noâ— appâ—â—ent Proposuerunt nocere sed non apposuerunt a purpose they had an offer they made that was all further they went not You were not lost we find you heer now and we find you serving GOD safe and well thanks be to the great Finder of Kings as ever you were 5. The cause they did it not The hand and arme of GOD to 〈…〉 The defensive part of the Covenant What was it then that it came so neer you and yet did you no hurt It was the good hand of GOD His holy arme that was upon you held you held you fast you fast from taking hurt and them fast from doing any Can any doubt that it was the hand of GOD He that stood there armed for that end when he was so strucken suddenly as he had neither heart nor hand to do that he 〈…〉 waâ— it not the hand of God that so struck him When his hand held the others hand that was ready to give the deadly blow ut 〈◊〉 opponeret nocere they be the very words of the Text And was it not the hand in 〈◊〉 Text then That You were so stablished as to resist that You were so strengthened as to 〈◊〉 the two effects set downe in the verse both And yet was it not the hand there specified The Popular tumult that rose after this enraged by odious surmises was it not God hand that layed the raging of the waves then that stayed the madnesse of the People Psal 65.7 When the violence was over the hurt was not The lewd tongue of Shemei doth hurt no lesse then the sword of Abisai It would not be beleeved that all this was 〈◊〉 there were that slandered the footsteps of His Annointed David's case in the end of 〈◊〉 Psalme was it not God then that so touched the heart of him Ver. 51. that was 〈◊〉 â—nknowne that he had not the power to be true to himselfe to keep it in but was 〈◊〉 driven by remorse to bewray himselfe though with evident hazard of his owne 〈◊〉 was not this digitus Dei And since that by a further strange discoverie hath He not sett your innocencie in the sight of the Sun that now the mouth of all wickednesse is stopped Psal. 63.11 so that neither Abisai's sword nor Shemei's tongue now can do you any hurt And was not the hand and arme of God in this Yes the whole arme and every joint the whole hand and all the fingers of it Yet lack we the last verse 6. The hand and arme to 〈◊〉 them thâ— â—ffensivâ— part of the Covenâ—nt To smite them downe before your face Psal. 37.15 1. Reg. 2.32 Heer was the hand with the shield but where was the arme with the sword Heer too and it smitt them smitt them down down it smitt them both both in the very place where they designed your hurt and in the very wickednesse of the act both were smitteâ— down starke dead and there starke dead you saw them both lie before you as the verse is before your face Non profecerunt Nay defecerunt et in ipso scelere 〈◊〉 their sword went through their owne heart and their blood was upon their owne 〈◊〉 God found you then and you found Him certainly O let him ever find you 〈◊〉 servant whom you then found your so gracious good Lord. But they must be plagued too to make the Text up full So were they For as if they had beene smitten with some pestilent foule disease so from them from their mention there goeth an odious sent odious and abhorred of all Yea the very house as if the plague of leprosie had beene in it razed downe and that there might no infection come from this plague of theirs their very name put out from under heaven And all this so done and with such circumstances as all that heare it This done by God himselfe Psal 64 9. Psal. 218.23 â— must acknowledge it was GOD 's doing and that from heaven came the hand that did it Factum 〈◊〉 a Domino factum est both And so you are found and they
manus mea super te he twise cries 13.14 Let not my hand be 〈◊〉 thee There is David's hand 3. His heart smote him we see for putting but his knife into the edge of Saul's 〈◊〉 There is David's heart 4. His mouth from that we heare vox clamantis Absit mihi a Domino with great 〈◊〉 of passion There is David's mouth 5. So sayes David and will ye heare how he sings Heare it upon his harp 〈◊〉 his heart and harp agree heare him say it and sing it both Ye may For to 〈◊〉 for ever this day in memorie he made a Psalme of Saul's being in the cave heer and of his scaping out of it And gives it this title destroy not no not in the cave 〈◊〉 not By this meanes to sing into his mens minds their duty in this point And not into theirs alone but into the hearts and minds of all posteritie not to give their wayes to destroy Kings No though they have them in a cave as these had Saul Even there to sing destroy him not Ne perdas in the cave is worth all So have you David at full if any be of his side thus to see and say and sing and thinke and doe Sic ille oculos sic ora ferebat If you would know what his heart beleeveth touching this point percussit eum cor that gave him a shrewd check for buâ— a shred taken of Saul's cloke he beleeves he did not well in it If what his mouth confesseth Absit mihi facere rem hanc Absit saith his mouth Ne sit saith his hand Ne fiat saith his heart Ne perdas saith his harp All keepe time all 〈◊〉 one way this way all It seemed not good in his eyes to doe it that is the text Nor to his hand Let not that be upon him Nor to his mouth he spitt it out with an absit Nor 〈◊〉 his heart least of all to that that for a lesse matter for but drawing his knife though without minde of drawing a dropp of bloud fell on beating and cast him into a cardiack passion And eny who thinking but a thought that way if his heart smite not him let him smite it hardly Els is he not according to David's and so not to God's heart Thus have our eares heard of a King delivered in the Text And the like may our eyes see of a King delivered on this day Sicut audivimus sic vidimus III. The Ecce of this our day Psal 48.8 is the Psalme but Plus vidimus quà m audivimus may it truly be sayd of this day of ours I report me to You if it may not if there be not a greater Ecce nay many greater Ecce's on this day then on that Many wayes I know the ballance is even Kings both in danger and danger of Ecce tradam both Both in a cave for all caves are not under ground some above staires And of a knife or worser then a knife both And of a tumultuous rising both and yet both preserved from both Thus farr even But then in other points they are not No nor even in these For weigh them well and Saul wil be found as Balthasar was Tekel minus habens too light in the ballance Dan. 5.27 and this of ours to over-weigh to weigh him and all his downe many waies To reflect a little on this I have sayd a great deale I have sayd nothing if nothing be sayd of this It is the life of all If of the twaine the Ecce dies of this day be the greater if more Ecce's upon it The more of them the more Behold's the more beholden are we to God the more mervailous His mercies have beene to us the more plenteous our thanks to be to Him for them The Ecce dies is as the Ecce diei Ever the more remarkeable the day the 〈◊〉 the things are so that happen upon it The Ecce diei is of two sorts 1 Ecce 〈◊〉 2 Ecce abijt Rex Tradam the deliverie into the danger Abijt the 〈◊〉 from it And ever this we hold the worse the Tradam that is the danger the better the Abijt the escaping from it and the better it the more is our joy and the more our joy is the more our thanks should ever be Iehova Liberatori And O that such an Ecce might be on our thanks as there is on the day as it and the Ecce's of it do well deserve at our hands 1. To shew then the Tradam is worse I beginne with the Tradent or Traditor Ecce tradam Behold I will deliver him it is GOD that saith this this was GOD'S doing Saul's deliverie into Heer is no trecherie in the Text. Into the cave he came of his owne accord was casually found there not guilefully drawen thither So was it not to day but the King trained thither most treacherously Ecce Behold then it is farr worse when wretched men by wicked alluring meanes shall those one meaning no harme at all into a secret corner as evill as Saul's cave every whit and there set on him Worse I say for heer the Devill betrayes GOD delivers not Suffers I graunt but is not agent in it GOD never co-operates with treason So then no day this de quo dixit Dominus rather de quo dixit diabolus a day in respect of them and their trecherie of the Devill 's owne bespeaking This then the first odds that A Domino factum est illud a Diabolo factum est hoc that of GOD'S this of the Devill 's owne tradam and so the Traditor worse I am sure with an Ecce And who was delivered Inimicum tuum an enemie in the Text. Some reason in that Saul was so indeed David's enemie You were not theirs they were Yours without a cause Nay cause to the contrarie Nay â—â—uses more then one And in that regard worse Worse to deliver an innocent then a deadly enemie And delivered whither The text is into a cave Where Saul indeed saith he was shutt up but to say truth simply he was not so the cave's mouth was open he might have come forth his men might have come to him at his call But with us in our cave the King was secundùm literam in the literall sense shutt up indeed Many locks and doores fast upon him no going out for him no comming in for others The worse his case Nay a worse could not be So doth the Holy Ghost describe the hardest case of all 2. Reg. 14.26 by these three 1 Conclusus 2 derelictus 3 non erit auxiliator All three heere shutt up quite left none to help In farr worse taking then ever was Saul in the cave There is no hurt in a cave if there be no hurtfull thing in it But David saith in the Psalme Psal. 57.4 his was and sure it is Your soule was there among Lions The text is Tradam in manus tuas Tradam in manus I aske into whose hands
is a service sure A third and that very common of them that make the law of man Righteousnes measuâ—ed by the Common Law Esa. 29.13 Mica 6 16. a scantling of their righteousnesse and further then that will compell them they will not go not â—n inch nor so farre neither sine timore but for feare Yea not onely our righteousnesse to men but even our feare to God is taught us by man's precepts and in both so the Statutes of Omri be observed all is well But whatsoever a man els may make sure he cannot make sure his soule by the law of the Land This righteousnesse heer goes â—p to God and his law and pierces deeper beyond the outward act even to the inwâ—rd man whence if ours come not or whither if it reach not Man we may perhaps but God in righteousnesse serve we not But even according to man's Law our righteousnesse goes not well so neither Our righteousnes too much worke The Philosopher gives a rule when a people is just or righteous according to man's law God's he knew not and that is when justice wants work hath little to do By which rule ours is in no very good case Men are so full of suits so many causes depending before every feat of justice so much to do and all to repaire the wrongs of our unâ—ighteous courses while each one seekes rather to over-rule men by wrong then to serve God by right Anâ— this were not so evill if all the injustice were below The Seats of righteousnes faultie Hos. 5.10 if the Seates which are 〈◊〉 to do justice and righteousnesse were themselves right For fares it not even with 〈◊〉 as the Prophet Hosee saith The Princes of Israël are as they that remoove the land 〈◊〉 Each Seate seeking to enlarge their own border and to set their meer stones 〈◊〉 â—he others ground A full â—nnaâ—â—rall thing in a body that one arme should â—ever think it selfe strong enough untill it had cleane shrunk up the sâ—nnewes of the 〈…〉 These thing◠〈…〉 we shall be so much the more in a 〈…〉 serve GOD 〈…〉 and righteousnesse And so for the 〈…〉 service keepe our 〈◊〉 II. The 〈◊〉 of our service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manner 〈…〉 1 sine timore without feare â— coram ipso befoâ—e Him 〈…〉 all the daies of our life 1. Sine 〈…〉 And so in a sense we do So without feare at all as iâ— men were afraid 〈…〉 to feare GOD. But this is no part of his meaning Without feare heeâ—◠〈◊〉 withoâ—t feare of Him of GOD but that being now without feare of our 〈◊〉 we should do it the rather For who being in a bodily feare who 〈…〉 and his host hard at their backes could quietly thinke of serving GOD 〈…〉 GOD himselfe Exod. 14. Exod. 20. did rid his people of that feare before ever He gave them 〈◊〉 Lâ—w to serve Him by But when mens minds are quiet from the agonie and 〈◊〉 oâ— it when they are setled in tranquillo they should in all reason then better intend 〈◊〉 service And will we thinke you if we be so out of feare intend it the better without doubt in experience we finde it contrary For except we be held in feare we scarse serve Him at all how soone we are out of feare we forget our selves and our service yea GOD and all True yet for all that the service so done in feare is but a dull heavie service It likes him not GOD loves laetus lubens when being at libertie with a liberall minde Gen. 47.25 we do that we do Laeti serviemus Regi say they in Genesis and it pleased the King And it pleaseth GOD as well if the service we do we do it cheerefully without mixture of feare or any servile affection Without This feare to serve Him but not without His feare Nam si Dominus If He be a Lord as if we be His servants Mal. 1.6 a Lord he is vbi timor where is my feare saith he in Malachi As love to a father so feare to a Lord doth belong most properly And this is not Old Testament onely the Apostle is as direct in the New if we will serve Him to please Him and as good not serve as serving not please if we will so serve Him Heb. 12.28 we must do it with reverence and feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither rudely then without feare nor basely with feare But reverently with feare and cheerefully without feare that is the meaning That before Him Exod. â—0 3 2. To serve Him Coram Ipso before Him Coram Ipso for coram me is the terme of the Law As if He were present and looked on And it helps much to our service so to do it Helps our reverence not to do it rudely we do it before Him Helps our sincerenesse without hypocrisie to doe it as before Him For these two words coram Ipso are the bane of hypocrisie All things are before Him In nothing can we get behind Him or where He cannot seenâ— But some things are before Him and men both Those we call not before Him properly Properly that is before Him that is before none but Him That is the heart Corâ—m homine the service of the eye Coram Ipso the service of the heart Men love no eye service neither if they could discover it but they are faine to take it the heart 〈…〉 ipsis Coram ipso it is Vpon that is His eye and nothing pleases Him if the heart be away for that of all other is His peculiar Coram Ipso It 〈…〉 service if any part chiefly if the chiefe part the heart be away It 〈…〉 and with all parts since all are before Him It is 〈…〉 as if what serves man would serve Him as if we could complement it with 〈…〉 with faces and phrases as with men we do 〈…〉 3. The last 〈…〉 nostris As sâ—ncere without faining So constant 〈◊〉 fainting 〈◊〉 excludes the â—harisâ—icall service of the outside of the platter Omnibus diebus the Bethuliaâ— service for certaine daies and no longer 〈◊〉 â—hall have â—ew 〈…〉 timâ— â—ave certaine pangs of godliâ—â—ss◠〈…〉 them at timâ—◠〈…〉 the present with a delivery grow a little 〈…〉 little is littl◠〈◊〉 GOD complâ—â—â—â—s in Malachi That in their 〈…〉 〈…〉 and ble◠〈…〉 of it and soone out 〈…〉 〈…〉 that thei◠〈…〉 the morning clâ—â—d scattered and 〈…〉 was 〈…〉 â—o serve Him then not with usura exigui temporis some small time primis diebus 〈◊〉 three dayes at the first and then defuncti we have quit our selves well but from 〈◊〉 to day as long as there is a day left to serve Him in So long to serve Him To 〈◊〉 Him to the very last The mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done his marveilous acts Some dayes more then some other though Psal. 111.4 that they ought to be 〈◊〉 in everlasting remembrance all of them But some more especially for