Country of Earth describe the glorious Court of Heauen Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Glorious Cities haue beene and are in the world Rome was eminently famous all her Citizens like so many kings yet was it obserued Illic homines more that men did die there But in this Citie there is no dying Mors non erit vltra There shall be no more death I will narrow vp my discourse to consider in this City only 3. things The Situation Society Glory The Situation It is placed aboue Gal. 4. Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all Heauen is in excelsis His foundation is in the holy mountaines So was Ierusalem seated on earth to figure this Citie built on the Quarrey of heauen Dan. 2. On Saphyres Emeralds and Chrysolites Reu. 21. There is a heauen now ouer our heads but it shall vvaxe olde as a garment It is corruptible and so combustible This Citie is eternall Mount Sion neuer to bee moued a kingdome neuer to be shaken Wee are now vnder this lower heauen then this shall be vnder vs. That which is our Canopy shall be our Pauement The Society The King that rules there is one Almighty God in three distinct persons Hee made this City for himselfe In his presence is the fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore If hee gaue such a house as this world is to his enemies what may we thinke hath hee prouided for himselfe and his friends But will GOD dwell there alone He is neuer alone himselfe is to himselfe the best and most excellent company Neuerthelesse he vouchsafes a dwelling here to some Citizens and these are eyther Created so Assumed or Assigned 1. Created Citizens are the blessed Angels who from their first creation haue enioyed the freedom of this City They stand alwaies in the presence of God they can neuer lose their happinesse 2. Assumed those whose spirits are already in heauen Hebr. 12. There are the spirits of iust men made perfect They are already in soule taken vp and made free Denisons of this Citie 3. Assigned the Elect that liue in the militant Church waiting for the day of their bodies Redemption crying still Come Lord Iesus come quickly These are Conscripti written in the Lambes booke of life Now though we are not already in full possession because our apprentiship of this life is not out yet we are already Citizens Ye are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens vvith the Saints and of the houshold of God And we haue three happy priuiledges of Citizens 1. Libertas Freedome from the Law not from obedience to it but from the curse of it Praestemus quod possumus quod non possumus non damnabit Let vs keepe so much of it as we can what wee cannot keepe shall not eondemne vs. Liberty in the vse of these earthly things heauen earth ayre sea with all their creatures do vs seruice Whether things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. Tutela Imperij The Kings protection Psalm 91. Angelis mandauit Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in all our wayes Is this all No. vers 4. Hee couers vs with his fethers and vnder his wings doe wee trust his truâ—…h is our shield and our buckler Our dangers are many in some places and some in all places we haue Gods owne Guard royall to keepe vs. They are sent from God to minister for their sakes which shall be heyres of saluation I need not determine whether euery particular person hath his particular Angell Saint Augustine hath wel answered Quando hoc nesciatur sine crimine non opus est vt definiatur cum discrimine Since our ignorance is no fault let vs not trouble our selues with curious discussion Bernard directs vs a good vse of it Quantam debet hoc tibi inferre reuerentiam afferre deuotionem conferre fiduciam The consideration of the guard of Angels about vs should put into our mindes reuerence into our hearts deuotion into our soules confidence 3. Defensio Legis the defensiue protection of the Law Christis our Aduocate Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Wee are impleaded Paul appeales to Caesar wee to Christ. The Deuill accuseth vs we are far remote behold our Counsellor is in heauen that will not let our cause fall or be ouerthrowne If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Thus are we Citizens in present shall be more perfectly at last We haue now right to the Citie wee shall then haue right in the City Wee haue now a purchase of the possession shall then haue a possession of the purchase Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen mee bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory This is our Sauiours Will Testament and shall not be broken The Company then addes to the glory of this City We are loth to leaue this world for loue of a few friends subiect to mutual dislikes but what then is the delight in the Society of Saints where thy glorified selfe shall meet with thy glorified friends and your loue shall be as euerlasting as your glory There be those Angels that protected thee those Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs that by doctrine and example taught thee yea there is that blessed Sauior that redeemed thee Often heere with grones and teares thou seekest him whom thy soule loueth loe there he shall neuer be out of thy sight The Glory The glory Non mihi si centum linguae If I had a hundred tongues I was not able to discourse throughly the least dramme of that inestimable weight of glory The eye hath seene much the eare hath heard more and the heart hath conceiued most of all But no eye hath seene nor eare heard nor heart apprehended the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Augustine after a stand Deus habet quod exhibeat God hath something to bestowe on you If I say wee shall be satiate you will think of lothing if wee shall not be satiate you will thinke of hunger But Ibi nec fames nec fastidium there is neither hunger nor lothing Sed Deus habet quod exhibeat No sooner is the soule within those gates but she is glorious Similem sibi reddit ingredientem Heauen shall make them that enter it like it selfe glorious As the ayre by the Sunnes brightnesse is transformed bright Quanta falici tas vbi nullum erit malum nullum deerit bonum How great is that blessednesse where shall be no euill present no good absent This is a blessed Citie Men are ambitious heere and seeke to be free of great Cities and not seldome buy it dearer then the Captaine bought his Burgeship But no such
thy robes of glory but not thy rags of pouertie They loue him whiles the people cry Hosanna but shrinke backe when they cry Crucifie him All pleaseth them but the Crosse all the faire way of delights they will accompany him but at the Crosse they part They would share with him in his kingdome but they will none of his vassalage The Lyon in a Fable had many attendants and he prouided for them good cheare They like well of this and are proud of their master to whom all the other beastes gaue awe and obedience But it chanced that the Lyon fell into the daunger of the Dragon who had got him downe readie to deuoure him His followers seeing this quickly betake them to their heeles and fell euery beast to his old trade of rapine Onely the poore Lambe stood bleating by and though hee coulde not helpe would not forsake his Lord At last the Lyon gets the victory and treads the Dragon vnder his feet to death Then he punisheth those revolting traytors with deserued destruction and sets the Lambe by his owne side The great Lyon of Iudah feeds many of the Iewes and at this day profane wretches whilest his bountie lasts Christ and none but Christ. But when the Red Dragon hath got him vnder nailed him to the crosse Crucified him dead away goe these runnagates no more peny no more Paternoster If affliction come for Christ his cause they know where to find a kinder Master Backe to the world one to his fraud and hee will ouer-reach others with the sinne of deceitfulnesse though himselfe be ouer-reached with the deceitfulnesse of sinne Another to his vsurie and hee chymically proiects money out of the poores bowels A third to his couetousnesse and hee had rather that the very frame of the world should fall then the price of corne A fourth to his Idols and hee hopes for cakes from the Queene of heauen as if the King of heauen was not able to giue bread If the Lord pinch them with distresse they runne to Rome for succour expecting that from a blocke which they would not tarry to obtaine from the God of mercie Then they cry like the Israelites Vp make vs gods to goe before vs for as for this Moses wee know not what is become of him But at last this Lyon conquers the Dragon ouercomes Sathan his damnation what shall he then say to those Rebelles that would not haue him raigne ouer them But Bring those mine enemies and slay them before me But the poore and pure innocent Lambs that suffer with him shall raigne with him Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 The other vse is St. Pauls Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus What mind is that Humilitie Ver. 7. He that thought it no robberie to bee equall with God humbled himselfe to become Man we should haue found it no robberie to be equall with Deuils and shall we be proud What an intolerable disproportion is this to behold Humilem Deum superbum hominem an humble God and a proud man Who can indure to see a Prince on foot his vassall mounted Shall the Sonne of God be thus humble for vs shall not we be humble for our selues For our selues I say that deserue to be cast downe among the lowest for our selues that we may be exalted He that here cals himselfe the Sonne of man is now glorified they that humbly acknowledge themselues to be the Sonnes of men that is mortall shal be made the Sonnes of God that is immortall In the first of King 19. There was a mightie strong winde that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes but God was not in the Wind the Lord will not rest in the turbulent spirit puffed vp with the wind of vaine-glory There was an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake He will not dwell in a couetous heart buryed in the furrowes of the earth and cares of the world There was a Fire but the Lord was not in the fire Hee will not rest in a cholericke angry soule full of combustion and furious heate There was a still soft voyce and the Lord came with it In a milde and humble spirit the God of heauen and earth will dwell The high and loftie One that inhabiteth eternitie will dwell in the contrite and humble soule It is a sweet mixture of Greatnesse and Goodnesse Vt dum nihil in honore sublimius nihil in humilitate submissius When the highest in dignitie are the lowest in courtesie Augustine called himselfe Minimum non solùm omnium Apostolorum sed etiam Episcoporum the least not onely of all the Apostles but of all the Bishops wheras he was the most illuminate doctor and best Bishop of his times Paul thought himselfe not worthy to be called an Apostle and behold he is called The Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Paul but The Apostle Abraham that esteemed himselfe dust and ashes is honoured to bee the Father of all them that beleeue Dauid sits content at his sheepe-folds the Lord makes him King ouer his Israell But as Humilitie like the Bee gathers Honey out of ranke Weeds very sinnes mouing to repentance So Pride like the Spider suckes poyson out of the fairest flowers the best graces and is corrupted with insolence Vna superbia destruit omnia Onely Pride ouerthrowes all It thrust proud Nabuchadnezzar out of mens societie proud Saul out of his kingdome proud Adam out of Paradise proud Haman out of the Court proud Lucifer out of heauen Pride had her beginning among the Angels that fell her continuance in earth her end in hell Poore man how ill it becomes thee to be proud when God himselfe is humble Is come We vnderstand the person let vs come to his Comming And herein Ecce veritatem behold his Truth Did God promise a Sonne of a virgin Emanuell a Sauiour He is as good as his word Venit he is come Did the sacrificed bloud of so many Buls Goates and Lambes prefigure the expiatory bloud of the Lambe of God to be shed Ecce agnus Dei Behold that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Is the Seed of the woman promised to breake the head of the serpent Behold he breakes the heauens and comes downe to doe it For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill Did God ingage his word for a Redeemer to purge our sinnes Call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Against vnbeleeuing Atheists and mis-beleeuing Iewes here is sufficient conviction But I speake to Christians that beleeue he is come Hac fide credite venturum esse qua creditis venisse Beleeue that he will come againe with the same faith wherewith you beleeue he is come alreadie Doe not curtall Gods
per eos aliqua nuntiantur they are then onely Angels or it is all one messengers when they are sent on some message Therefore he concludes Hi qui minima nuntiant Angeli qui summa nuntiant Archangeli vocantur They that are sent on businesse of lesse moment are called Angels of greater importance Archangels August Ex eo quod est Spiritus est ex eo quod agit Angelus est They are Spirits in regard of their Being Angels in regard of their Dooing Good Angels saith Isidor are deputed for the ministery of mans saluation God hath giuen man three helps Sense to see danger neere Reason to suspect danger far off Angels to preuent that he neither sees nor suspects Now the ministery of Angels is three-fold to God to his Church to his Enemies 1. To God which consists principally in two things 1. In adoring and ascribing glory to him So the Seraphims cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts An Army sung Glory to God on high The whole Quire of heauen Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue honour and power 2. In standing in his presence ready at his command They do his commandements harkning to the voice of his Word For this promptnes of obedience wee pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Quod oramus agamus Thus Angels were messengers that Christ should bee conceiued Luke 1. 31. that he was conceiued Mat. 1. 20. that he was borne Luke 2. 11. that he was risen Luke 24. 4. that hee vvas ascended Act. 1. 11. These were great mysteries therefore were confirmed vvith the testimonie of Angels 2. To the Church Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation And by this their ordination to seruice the Apostle shewes how infinitely farre the preeminence of Christ transcends theirs But did not Christ put vpon him the forme of a seruant Doth not himselfe professe that hee came not to be ministred vnto but to minister The answer is easy Non esse hoc naturae sed voluntariae exinanitionis This was not a natural or enforced but a willing abasement of himself Humilitatem non habitam induit celsitatem habitam non exuit Hee put on an humiliation that he had not hee did not put off the glory that he had But the Angels were created to this end that they should serue Totamque conditionem sub ministerio contineri Istis naturale illi aduentitium To them it was necessary to Christ voluntary Now then ministery to the Church is three wayes considerable 1. In this life and that to our Bodies and to our Soules 1. To our Bodies for they necessarily tend to the preseruation of our temporall estates euen from our Cradles to our Graues This is true in Doctrine and in Example In Doctrine There shall no euill befall thee nor any plague come nigh thy dwelling Why how shall wee be protected ver 11. Angelis mandabit For hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee vp in their hands lest thou dash thy foote against a stone In example an Angel comforts directs feedes Elias Angels plucke Lot out of Sodome An Angel aduiseth Ioseph to fly into Egypt with Iesus Abraham so encouraged his seruant The Lord will send his Angell before thee Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God â—…et him Peter was in prison and the Angel of the Lord freed him 2. To our Soules furthering the meanes of our saluation The Law was giuen by them sayth Steuen Yee receiued the Law by the disposition of Angels GOD makes them instruments to conuey knowledge to his Church It was Gods charge Gabriel make this man to vnderstand the Uision it was the Angels performance Daniel I am come forth to giue thee skil and vnderstanding Saint Iohn acknowledgeth in his Reuelations that an Angel shewed him those things They preserue vs in the true worship of God and cannot endure any attribution of his glory to a creature no not to themselues When Iohn fell downe at the Angels feete to worshippe him he preuented him See thou doe it not They reioyce in our conuersion There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth They ioy in this for two causes 1. To behold the glorious fruite of their labours for it delights a man to see the works of his hands prosper GOD hath sent them to guide vs to good to gard vs from euill when we follow their guidance they reioyce Let vs hate to sinne as we would not wish to bring griefe to the thresholds of heauen 2. That their number might be made vp againe They lost a number of Spirits they are glad to haue it made vp with Soules The Angels ioyned company with men praysing God on earth so they delight to haue men made their fellow-Choristers in heauen 2. At the end of this life to carry our soules to heauen When the begger died hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome He that in life was scorned of men and had no companions but the dogges is so regarded of God that he is garded by Angels Hee that could neither goe nor sit nor stand is now carried not on the shoulders of men as the Pope the proudest on earth but hee rides on the wings of Angels He is carried to a glorious Port by gracious Porters 3. At the last day Christ shall send his Angels vvith a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together the Elect from the foure winds from one end of heauen to the other These are those Reapers that in the time of haruest must gather the tares to the fire and the Wheat to Gods barne This is their ministerie to vs. But it is the Lord that ordereth all our steppes hee spreads the gracious wings of his prouidence ouer vs and the Lord Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs. Now the rule is Non multiplicanda Entie sine necessitate and Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora It seemes then the helpe of Angels is more then needes For hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleepes I answere that Angelicall custody doth not extenuate but extoll Gods goodnesse and Greatnesse towards vs for this is but the execution of his high holy Prouidence It is the wisedome of the King that gouerns all the Cities and Castels in his Dominions yet he leaues not these vnfurnished of men and munition to withstand the enemies inuasion The diuels range and rage against vs in euery corner therefore God hath ordained for our gard an Host of Angels The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them True it is that God is able to defend vs himselfe by himselfe through that immediate concourse
Feruour of Charitie These are couertly implied from Psal. 104. He maketh his Angels spirits his ministers a flaming fire Spirits there is the Puritie of their substance ministers there 's the Readinesse of their obedience Flame of fire there 's the heate of their Charitie Thus were the Cherubims of the Tabernacle made figuring these three vertues in the Angels Exod. 25. First they were made of Pure gold ver 18. This shewes the excellencie of their substance for gold is the purest and best of mettals To this Gods owne Word is compared We will make thee borders of gold with studdes of siluer Secondly they had two wings stretched out to witnesse Promptitudinem obedientiae Gabriel did fly swiftly Of all creatures the winged are the swiftest O that I had wings like a Doue then would I fly away and be at rest The most suddenly transient thing riches is compared to a winged creature Riches makes it selfe wings like an Eagle Thirdly they were made with their faces one towards another to manifest the truth of their loue not like proud men turning away their countenance from their brethren Lastly though one were toward another yet both toward the Mercie-seate beholding him in sight to whō they were beholden in dutie Thus we see 1. that their nature is pure and this their mansion declares which is heauen for into it shall enter no vncleane thing They are shining and singing starres When the morning starres sang together and all the sonnes of God shouted for ioy Heauen like fire Similem sibi reddit ingredientem makes that it receiues like it selfe 2. That their obedience is ready and swift their very name imports Angels Aquo dominatio ab eo denominatio for a name is giuen from some supereminent qualitie Hee rode vpon a Cherub and did fly 3. That their Charity is great appeares by their busie protecting vs grieuing at our falls reioycing at our perseuerance in good helping vs forward to saluation Let vs imitate them in foure things 1. In Puritie nothing is more pleasing to God It hath the blessing of this life of the life to come Of this life Truly God is good to Israel euen to such as are of a pure heart God is good to the whole vvorld with his common benefites better to Israel with extraordinary blessings but best of all to the Pure in heart with his sauing Graces Of the life to come Who shall stand in Gods holy place he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Thereis no ioy like to this beatificall vision to see God is the height of happinesse But so shall the wicked they shal see him whom they haue pierced Diuines vsually distinguish of that sight They shall see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud they shall see him as man not as God as their iust Iudge not mercifull Sauiour 2. In Pietie and obedience wherein the Angels are ready and speedy resolute and absolute As they helpe vs to commaund the creature so let them teach vs to obey the Creator They fly when God sends them true obedience hath no lead at the heeles Paul herein was like an Angel hauing his Commission hee stood not to conferre with flesh and bloud Quantum morae addis tantum obedientiae detrahis So much as a man addes to delay hee takes away from obedience The truely obedient man doth not procrastinate Sed statim parat aures auditui linguam voci pedem itineri manum operi cor praecipienti He instantly prepareth his eare for the message Speak Lord for thy seruant heareth His tongue giueth a ready answer to the question Simon louest thou me Lord thou knowest that I loue thee His foote is shod for the iourney his feete be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace His hand is fit for the worke Abraham stretched forth his hand to slay his sonne His heart is pliable to the Commander Paratum cor O Lord my heart is ready 3. In Charitie Angels looke vpon and loue one another and all loue vs Let this teach vs to loue them our selues Doe they seeke our peace and shall wee vncharitably warre It was the Angels song Luke 2. Pax in terris Peace vpon earth warre with none but with Antichrist the diuell The Angels haue no need of our loue vve of theirs Loue we that on earth which shall dwell vvith vs for euer in heauen Charitie 4. In humility those glorious spirits stoope to do vs seruice let vs not thinke it bad or base to serue one another in loue No one man can so farre exceede another as the Angels excell the best men doe they abase themselues to our succour and shall we in a foolish pride soorne our brethren The haughty peece lookes on the poore betwixt scorne and anger Touch mee not I am of purer mould yet Mors dominos seruis blended together in the forgotten graue none makes the finer dust we cannot say such a Ladies rottennesse smells sweeter then such a beggers Come downe thou proud spirit deny not succour to thy distressed brother lest God deny his high Angels to succour thee Thus for imitation now for application learne we other vses 1. This is terror to the vvicked who contemne and condemne the righteous Despise not these little ones for their Angels are with my Father in heauen Beware you that scoffe at poore Innocents their Angels may plague you They for their parts may be content to put vp abuses and to forgiue iniuries but their Angels may take vengeance Herod vexed certaine of the Church killed Iames with the sword and seeing it please the Iewes hee tooke Peter also They could not helpe this but their Angels did for an Angel of the Lord smote him that he died Thou maiest haue euasion from the executioners of men but no protection against the Officers of GOD. When they are bidden to strike they will lay on sure strokes Wee will destroy this place for the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it 2. They teach vs deuout reuerence so to behaue our selues as in the sight and presence of holy Angels The consideration of so blessed a company doth not onely Conferre fiduciam and afferre deuotionem but inferre reuerentiam saith Bernard When to Iacob in his dreame was presented that Ladder and the Angels ascending and descending on it wakening hee saies How fearefull is this place This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Seneca said that the conceit of Cato and Plato such graue men in our company would restraine vs from euill but what are these to the holy Angels of heauen Wee are a spectacle to the Angels they are obseruers and witnesses of all our actions For this cause the vvoman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels
personam Iudicis quisquis amici induit He hath put off the person of a Iudge that puts on the person of a friend The good Iudge neither hath his right hand filled with loue nor his left with hatred the scole of Iustice is not swayed Indeed tamdiu Iudex quamdiu Iustus he is so long a Iudge as he is iust Nomen quod ab â—…quitate sumitur per praeuaricationem admittitur Zeleucus was commended that when according to his Law for adultery which tooke froÌ„ the offender both his eyes his sonne was deprehended in that fact put out one of his owne eyes and one of his sonnes Duo lumina cacantur iuxta legem duo supersunt iuxta misericordiam Two eyes are lost according to iustice and two remaine according to mercy A maruelous temper Inter iustum Iudicem misericordiem Patrem betweene a iust Iudge and a kind Father But GOD is so iust that because sin would let him saue none of vs hee slew his Sonne to saue all of vs. God commendeth his loue to vs in that vvhile wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs. God commends his loue indeed he might iustly commend it and to vs by this token that being rebels he bought vs with the bloud of his own Sonne He will euer continue so iust in punishing traytors in crowning his faithfull subiects Iudex damnatur cùm nocens absoluitur Sen. He that iustifies the guilty transferres the guilt to himselfe But Shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right Yes we haue all sinned but Thou continuest holy O thou vvorship of Israel 5. Aequitas Sententiae the equity of Sentence it shal be giuen vpon good testimonie Ambrose saies It is not the part of a Iudge to condemne any man without an accuser Christ did not cast away Iudas though hee knew him a theefe because he was not accused When that adulteresse was left alone before Christ he said Woman where are thine accusers Hath no man condemned thee She said No man Lord. Then said Iesus Neither doe I condemne thee goe and sinne no more But here shall be no want of accusers their owne conscience all the creatures all the Elements Angels men diuells shall accuse then Christ shall iudge Heu miser sic deprehensus quò fugias Latere erit impossibile apparere intolerabile Whither wilt thou flie O wretch thus accused To lie hidden it wil be impossible to appeare insufferable Euery man shall receiue the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euill The same neither more nor lesse but iust waight The wicked wrought their pleasure while God did suffer therefore God will worke his pleasure while they suffer Of all both good and euill Elect and Reprobates men and Angels but of these in a different manner To shew how this shall be done I must lead your attentions orderly through fiue passages a Citation Separation Probation Sentence and Retribution 1. The Citation there is a summons sent out to make all appeare before Christs Tribunall This citing is done by the voice of Christ. All that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forth The power of this voice is vnspeakeable to empty earth sea ayre heauen and hell and presently to fill earth ayre heauen and hell To empty all vpon his summons and to fill all vpon his Sentence Therefore it is compared to a Trumpet the lowdest of all musicall instruments The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised Uerè vox tubâ—… terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa Petras scindit Inferos aperit portas aereas frangit vinculae mortis dirumpit et de profundâ—… abyssi animas liberatis corporibus assignat A terrible voice that shall shake the world rend the rocks breake the mountaines dissolue the bonds of death burst down the gates of hell and vnite all spirits to their owne bodies There shall be no concealing no keeping backe from this voice Now Christ calls Come vnto me all that labour yet you wil not come vnto me that you might haue life Then he shall call Come you that must labour in torments and be laden for euer then they must come to receiue the doome of death Now awake thou that sleepest Christ shall giue thee light but they will not rise At that day awake thou wicked that art dead and Christ shall send thee to darknesse and then they must rise This is that generall day that shall congregate all they shall come from the foure winds and corners of the world to make an vniuersall apparance But if this be the voice of Christ how is it then said the Archangel shall sound the Trumpet of collection Hee shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather all together The Lord shall descend from heauen with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpe of God I answere the voice is originally Christs ministerially the Angels As now he speakes to vs by men so at that day by Angels O what a glory of our Sauiour shall then appeare vvhen he is set on his Throne before so full a Court as all the reasonable creatures GOD euer made Uideat nosiam in sanctimonia vt tunc videamus eum in gaudio Let him now behold vs in holinesse that then we may behold him in happinesse 2. The Separation wee haue thus brought all together now we must separate one from another The forme hereof is giuen by Christ himselfe Before hâ—…m shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard diuideth his sheepe from the goates This full and finall separation is reserued for Christ and not performed till that day For Siâ—…ite crescere Let them grow both together corne and tares vntill the haruest This world is the floore fan while you will there will be some chaffe fish neuer so discreetly you shall meet with some sturdy dogge-fish that will rend the nette In Heauen are none but Saints in Hell none but reprobates on earth they are both promiscuously blended together Do you wonder that the Lambes cannot liue in quiet consider the number of goates among them Ezek. 34. 18. They eate vp the good pasture and tread downe the residue with their feet they drinke of the fountaines and foule the residue with their feet My flocke are faine to eate that they haue troden and to drinke that they haue fouled with their feet But GOD shall iudge and separate ver 20. Behold I euen I will iudge betweene the fatte cattell and the leane cattell Because they haue thrust with side and shoulder and push'd all the diseased vvith their hornes therefore I will saue my flocke and they shal no more be a prey and I will iudge betweene cattell and cattell The goates will annoy till they be quite separated Too many among vs haue
God It is a common opinion in the world that Religion doth dull a mans wits and deiect his spirits as if mirth and mischiefe were onely sworne brothers But Gods word teacheth and a good conscience findeth that no man can be so ioyfull as the faithfull nor is there so merry a land as the holy Land no place of ioy like the Church Let the wicked thinke that they cannot laugh if they be tied to the Law of Grace nor be merry if God be in the company But the Christian knowes there is no true ioy but the good ioy and if this be any where it is in the Temple I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Indeed therefore we are not merry enough because we are not enough Christians Can you wish more ioy to be receiued then that Rom. 14 Peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Hilaris cum pondere virtus a ioy that can neither be suppressed nor expressed Or more ioy to be communicated then Colos. 3. in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing vvith grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thinke thinke thy God is here The Angels of heauen reioyce in his glorious presence and crowne it as their cheefe felicity and shall not poor man reioyce in his gracious presence as it were his most blessed society yes the light of thy Countenance O Lord shall put more gladnesse into our hearts then into the worldlings their aboundance of corne and wine Cast away then your dulnesse and vnwillingnesse of heart Come merrily and with a ioyfull soule into the house of God 3. With Holinesse It is holy ground not by any inherent holinesse but in regard of the religious vse For that place which was once Bethel the House of GOD proued afterwards Bethauen the house of iniquity But it is thus Gods Sanctuary the habitation of his Sanctity Procul hinc procul este profani Put off thy shooes d' off thy carnall affections the place vvhere thou standest is holy ground wash thy hands yea thy heart in innocency before thou come neere to Gods Altar Bee the Minister neuer so simple neuer so sinfull the word is holy the action holy the time holy the place holy ordained by the most Holy to make vs holy said a reuerend Diuine Gods house is for godly exercises they wrong it therefore that turne Sanctuarium into Promptuarium the Sanctuary into a Butterie and spirituall food into belly-cheere And they much more that peruert it to a place of Pastime making the house of praise a house of playes And they most of all that make it a house not laudis but fraudis My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a d◅nne of theeues robbing if not men of their goods yet God of the better part sincerity of conscience What a horrid thing would it bee Beloued if you should depart from this Church where you learne to keepe a good conscience but into the market and there practise deceit circumuentiō oppression swearing drunkennesse O doe not deriue the commencement of your sinnes from Gods house What a mockery is this and how odious in the sight of heauen if you should begin your wickednesse with a Sermon ◅as the Papists beginne their treasons with a masse I taxe no knowne person but for the facts and faults Non ignota cano I doe not speake of things vnknowne I would to God your amended liues might bring me with shame againe hither to recant and vnsay it But it often so falls out that as those conspirators met at the Capitol so the Church is made the Communis Terminus where many wickednesses haue appointed to meete What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Begin not the day with God to spend all the rest vvith Satan Your tongues haue now blessed the Lord let not the euening finde them redde with oathes or black with curses Let not that saying of Luther be verifyed by you that In nomine Domini incipit omne malum in the name of God begins all mischiefe Whatsoeuer your morning Sacrifice pretend looke to your afternoone You haue done so much the worse as you haue made a shew of good and it had beene easier for your profane hearts to haue missed this admonition This Caueat before I leaue Gods house I thought to commend to your practise when you leaue it I haue held you too long in the Church speaking of the Church It was the most materiall point I propounded to my discourse forgiue the prolixity the breuity of the rest shall make amends The first straine or staire was his entrance into GODS house now hee is in what doth he what bringeth hee vve finde Burnt Offerings I haue three disswasions from punctuall tractation of this point 1. The poore remnant of the fugitiue time 2. I haue liberally handled it on former occasions 3. The necessity is not great of discoursing the Sacrifices of the Law in these dayes of the Gospell wee haue the light and therefore need not trouble our selues to call backe the shadowes Sacrifices are of great Antiquity not onely the Booke of God but euen the Law of nature hath imprinted in mans heart that Sacrifices must be offered It is written in the conscience that an homage was due to the superiour power which is able to reuenge it selfe of dishonour and contempt done it and to regratifie them with kindnesse that serued it But Dauids Sacrifice was the earnest of a thankefull heart I might amplifie it and perhaps picke vp some good gleanings after others full carts I could also obserue that Dauid came not before God empty-handed but brought with him some actuall testimony of his deuoted affection Burnt offerings To the confusion of their faces who will no longer serue God if hee growes chargeable to them If they may receiue from God good things and pay him onely with good words they are content to worship him But if they cannot bee in his fauour but it must cost them the setting on they will saue their purses though they lose their soules If hee requires ought for his Church poore Ministers or poore members they cry vvith Iudas Ad quid perditio haec why is this waste They are onely so long rich in deuotion as they may be rich by deuotion and no longer But for our selues be we sure that the best Sacrifice we can giue to God is obedience not a dead beast but a liuing soule The Lord takes no delight in the bloud of brutish creatures a spirit in bodies the impassible in sauours arising from Altars It is the minde the life the soule the obedience that he requires To obey is better then sacrifice Let this be our burnt offering our Holocaust a sanctified Body and Mind giuen vp to the Lord. First the heart My Sonne giue me thy heart Is not the heart enough no the hand also wash the hands from bloud and
prescribes his iourney From Faith to vertue from vertue to knowledge from knowledge to temperance from temperance to patience c. till hee comes to enter into the euerlasting Kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ. Hence we see there is somwhat more hope of a vicious person that hath a good vnderstanding then of an vtterly darke and blind soule though he walkes vpon zealous feete Let them knovv that they will come to heauen without eyes when the wicked come out of hell without feet Which lets vs see the kind loue of the Popish Clergie to their people and how vnfainedly they desire their going to Heauen when they pluck out their eyes send them thither So they may grope for it as the Sodomites did for the dore of Lots house That which they call the Mother of Deuotion Ignorance Augustine calls Pessimā matrem the worst Mother Pessimae matris Ignorantiae pessimae itidem duae filiae sunt scilicet falfitas et Dubietas illa miserior ista miser abilior illa perniciosior ista molestior There are two euill daughters of the most euill Mother Ignorance Falshood and Doubting the former is more miserable the latter more pityable that more pernicious this more troublesome Let them that plead so impetuously their Religion authenticall from the Fathers not cum Patribus reijci◅r read the opinion of a great Father concerning a maine point of their doctrine Ignorance Chrysostome saies Praecedit scientiae virtutis c◅ltum knowledge of vertue must euer goe before deuotion For no man can earnestly affect the good he knowes not and the euill whereof he is ignorant hee feares not So that true loue to good and hatred to euill cannot occurre to a heart nescient of them both For Scientia conscientiam dirigit conscientia scientiam perficit Knowledge rectifies conscience so well as conscience perfits knowledge Con must euer be in composition and so kindly vniting knowledge to deuotion there ariseth Conscience If they allow not then their people eyes they may as well lame their feet and so send them like the Syrian band in stead of Dothan to Samaria They say This is not the way to heauen nor is this the Citie of life follow me I will bring you to the man Iesus Christ whom yee seeke But he led them to Samaria 2. This reprehends a common fashion of many Auditors When the Preacher beginnes to analyse his Text and to open the points of doctrine to informe the vnderstanding they lend him very cold attention That part of the Sermon is spent in slumber as if it concern'd vs not But when he comes to apply his conclusions and to driue home the vse of his inferences by application then they beginne to rouse vp themselues and lend an eare of diligence As if they had onely need to haue their hearts warmed and not to haue their minds warned enlightned with knowledge But alas no eyes no saluation Your affections are stirred in vaine without a precedent illumination of your soules You must know to doe before you can doe what you know And indeed hee that attends onely to exhortation and not to instruction seemes to build more vpon mans zeale then Gods Word Both doe well together attend to the Doctrine and suffer also the Word of exhortation that you may haue both cleare eyes and sound feete those which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder I come from the Situation to the Qualification Of this spirituall eye enlightned For this blessing the Apostle prayes to the Father of lights from whom comes euery good and perfect gift from him and from him onely comes this grace of Illumination Mans mind is not onely darke but darknesse till the Spirit of knowledge light on him and lighten him Though Zedekiah was in Nebuchadnezzars Court that great Monarch newly deliuerd of his monstrous ambition to whom all the glories and pleasures of the world came a gossiping yet hee saw none of this pompe and magnificence his eyes vvere wanting So blind Samson among the merry Philistins saw none of their rich apparrell costly cheere and glorious triumphs When the naturall man comes into the Temple among the Cōgregation of Gods Saints his soule is not delighted with their prayers praises psalmes and seruice he sees no comfort no pleasure no content in their actions True he doth not hee cannot for his vnderstanding is not inlightned to see the hope of their calling and the glorious riches which the Spirit of grace and consolation sheds into them Hee sees no whit into the awfull Maiestie of God filling all with his glorious presence and ruling all euents with his prouidence euen disposing euill to his glory Nothing of the beautie mercy pitie of his Sauiour sitting at the right hand of his Father not his Highnesse being in heauen nor yet his Nighnesse to his brethren on earth Nothing of Mount Sion the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem not of the company of innumerable Angels nor of the generall assembly and company of the first borne which are written in Heauen not of God the Iudge of all nor of the spirits of iust men made perfect nor of Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament nor the bloud of sprinkling that speaks better things then that of Abel What more then a world of happinesse doth this mans eye not see Hereupon wee call a meere foole a naturall The worldlings haue esteemed and misnamed Christians Gods fooles but wee know them the fooles of the world The greatest Philosopher is but a sot to the weakest Christian therefore Philosophy vnbaptized vvith grace is said to be monoculate to haue but one eye and that is of naturall Reason a left eye of the soule But the Christian hath two eyes the left eye of Reason whereby he may see into the secrets of nature as farre as the Philosopher and the right eye of faith which the other wanting cannot conceiue the mystery of godlinesse This mysterie to him is but like a high candle to a blind man God onely then must giue Salomon wisedome and to his Father a knowledge aboue his Teachers If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God The first Character our forefathers taught vs was Christs Crosse. Our first spelling lesson In the Name of the Father c. To teach vs that euen all humane knowledge much more diuine is deriued from Gods fountaine There are two reasons why we must all begge of God for our selues as Paul did for his Ephesians this grace of Illumination 1. Our spirituall blindnesse came vpon vs by Gods iust curse for our sinnes As the Philistins put out Samsons eyes for his many mischiefes done them so GOD on farre greater cause blinded Adam and his perpetuall issue He had pure and good knowledge but because his ambition was appetere prohibitum to desire that was forbidden his punishment was perdere concessum to lose that hee had
man to my horse So these worldlings looke to their bodies let who will take care of their soules But when this night comes with what a price would they purchase againe their Soules so morgag'd to the deuill for a little vanitie Now curare non volunt then recuperare non valent With what studious and artificiall cost is the body adorned whiles the beggerly soule lyes in totterd ragges The flesh is pleased with the purest flowre of the Wheat and reddest bloud of the grape the soule is famished The body is allowed libertie euen to licentiousnesse the Soule is vnder Satans locke and key shackled with the fetters of ignorance and impietie At this nights terrour to what bondage hunger cold calamitie would they not subiect their bodies to free their soules out of that friendlesse and endlesse prison Why cannot men thinke of this before it be too late It will sound harshly in thine eare O thou riotous or auarous worldling when this Passing-bell rings Thy soule shall be required If the Prince should confiscate thy goods which thou louest so dearly this newes would strike cold to thy heart but here thy soule is confiscate The deuill prizeth this most he sayes as the King of Sodome to Abraham Da mihi animas caetera sumetibi Giue me the Soule take the rest to thy selfe Of whom Of thee that hadst so prouided for thy soule in another place for though earth be a dungeon in regard of heauen yet is it a Paradise in respect of hell This world was his selected and affected home and from thence shall death plucke him out by the eares If this newes of the Soules requiring had come to a faithfull Christian hee would haue welcommed it and iudged it onely the voice of the Feast-maker finding him in the humble roome of this base earth Friend sitte vp higher Or that voice of heauen that spake to Iohn Come vp hither Sit no longer in the vale of teares but ascend the mountaine of glory A trumpet calling him to Mount Tabor where he shall be transfigured for euer This time would be to him the non vltra of his ioyes and desires he fought all his combate for this that he might receiue the end of his faith the saluation of his soule Hee is content to liue here till God call him but his desire is to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Bonus vitam habet in patientia mortem in desiderio Hee is patient to liue but vvilling to die To him the day of death is better then the day of his birth Iob cursed the day of his birth And Ieremie said Let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed But blessed is the houre of death So saith the Spirit blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Both Philosophers and Poets could so commend the happinesse of this time that they thought no good man truly happy till it saluted him Dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet The Ethnikes ignorant of a better life future honour'd this with great solemnities and kept prodigall feasts on their Birth-dayes as Herod when he was serued vvith the Baptists head for his second course But the Christians were wont to celebrate the funeralls of the Martyrs as if we did then onely begin truely to liue when we die For though the soule is gotten when man is made yet it is as it were borne when he dies his body beeing the wombe and death the Midwife that deliuers it to glorious perfection The good man may then well say Mors mihi munus erit with a Poet or rather Death shall be my aduantage with an Apostle His happiest houre is when In manus tuas Domine he can say Into thy hands Lord I cōmend my soule For Anima nō amittitur sed praemittitur But this Of thee is terrible Thou that neuer preparedst for death were at a league with hell securely rocked asleep in the cradle of thy Barne that didst put farre away from thee the euill day giuen it a charge de non instando thou that cryedst Peace peace on thee shall come sudden destruction thou that saidst Soule be merry to sorrow shall Thy soule be required Thou that neuer esteemedst thy soule so deare as thy wealth but didst set that after thy stables which might haue been equal to Angels Thy soule Thou that wert loth to heare of death as hauing no hope of future bliss that wouldest not giue thy possession on earth for thy expectation in heauen as that French Cardinall that said He would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Of thee shall a soule be required This poynt is sharpe and makes vp his miserie Hovv Required The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall require it This is such a requiring as cannot be withstood GOD requires thy obedience thou deniest it the poore require thy charitie thou deniest it the World requires thy equitie thou deniest it But when thy soule shall be required there must be no denying of that it cannot be withheld Who shall require this soule Not God he required it in thy life to sanctifie it and saue it thou wouldest not harken to him now hee vvill none of it What should God doewith a drunken profane couetous polluted sensuall soule He offerd it the Gospell it would not belieue the bloud of Christ it would not wash and be cleane it is foule and nastie God requires it not Or if he require it it is to iudge and condemne it not to reserue and keepe it Recusabit Deus iam oblatum quod negabas illi requisitum God will refuse thy soule now offred which thou deniedst him vvhiles hee desired Not heauen those chrystalline walks are not for muddy feete nor shall lust-infected eyes looke within those holy dores In no wise shall enter into that City any thing that defileth or worketh abomination There is a roome without for such Chap. 22. 15. a black roome for blacke workes What should a worldling doe in heauen his heart so full of enuie and couetice would not brooke anothers felicitie If there be no gold there he cares not for comming at it But he shal be fitted for as he requires not heauen so heauen requires not him It will spare him no place not that it wants roome to receiue him but because his heart wants roome to desire it The vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God But because this generall menace doth not terrifie him read his particular name in the bill of inditement ver 10. Nor the Couetous Heauen is for men of an heauenly conuersation It was but Nebuchadnezzars dreame Dan. 2. GOD will not set a golden head vpon earthen feet giue the glory of heauen to him that loues nothing but the basenesse of this world The Angels require it not those celestiall Porters that carry the soules
of the Saints as they did the soule of Lazarus into the bosome of Abraham haue no commission for this mans soule This rich man might be wheeled and whirled in a Coach or perhaps Pope-like be borne on mens shoulders but the poore begger vvhose hope is in heauen though his body on earth that could neither stand goe nor sitte is now carried in the highest state by the very Angels when the other dying hath no better attendance then deuils And so if you aske who then require his soule sith neither God nor heauē nor the blessed Angels wil receiue it why deuills they that haue right to it by Gods iust decree for his vniust obedience Gods iustice so appoints it for his sinnes haue so caused it Sathan chalengeth his due his officers require it Thou hast offended oh miserable Cosmopolite against thy great Soueraignes Law Crowne and Maiestie now all thou hast is confiscate thy goods thy body thy soule Thou whose whole desires were set to scrape all together shalt now find all scattered asunder thy close congestion meets with a vvide dispersion Euery one claimes his owne the vvorld thy riches the wormes thy carkase the deuill thy soule Lust hath transported thine eyes blasphemie thy tongue pride thy foote oppression thy hand couetousnesse thy heart now Satan requires thy soule Not to giue it ease rest or supply to the defects of thy insatiate desires no dabit in cruciatum he shal deliuer it ouer to torment When. This night In this darke Quando lie hid two fearefull extremities Sadnesse and Suddennesse It is not onely said In the night but in This night 1. In the Night this aggrauates the horror of his iudgement The night is a sad and vncomfortable time therefore misery is compared to the Night and ioy said to come in the Morning Pray that your flight be not in the night saith Christ to the Iewes as if the dismall time would make desperate their sorow The night presents to the fantasie which then lies most patient of such impressions many deceiuing and affrightfull imaginations Well then may a true not fantasied terror worke strongly on this wretches heart whiles the night helps it forward All sicknesse is generally stronger by night then by day this very circumstance of season then aggrauates his miserie making at once his greefe stronger himselfe vveaker But what if wee looke further then the literall sense and conceiue by this night the darknesse of his soule Such a blindnesse as he brings on himselfe though the day of the Gospell be broke round about him The cause of night to a man is the interposition of the earth betwixt him and the Sunne This worldling hath placed the earth the thicke and grosse body of riches betweene his eyes and the Sunne of righteousnesse And so shine the Sunne neuer so cleare it is still night with him There is light enough without him but there is darknesse too much within him And then darkenesse must to darkenesse inward to outward as Christ calls it vtter darkenesse He would not see whiles he might hee shall not see when he would Though hee shall for euer haue fire enough yet it shall giue him no light except it bee a little glimmering to shew him the torments of others and others the torments of himselfe 2. This night the sadnesse is yet encreased by the sodainnesse It will be fearefull not onely to bee surprised in the night but in that night when hee doth not dreame of any such matter when there is no feare nor suspition of apprehension His case is as with a man that hauing rested with a pleasing slumber and beene fedde with a golden dreame suddenly waking findes his house flaming about his eares his wife and children dying in the fire robbers ransacking his coffers and transporting his goods all louers forsaking no friend pitying when the very thrusting in of an arme might deliuer him This rich man was long asleepe and beene delighted with prety wanton dreames of enlarged barnes and plentifull haruests as all worldly pleasures are but waking dreames now he starts vp on the hearing of this Soule-knell and perceiues all was but a dreame and that indeed hee is euerlastingly wretched The suddennes encreaseth the misery The rich man hath no time to dispose his goods how shall he doe with his soule If in his health wealth peace strength succoured with all the helps of nature of opportunity preaching of the Gospell counsell of ministers comfort of friends he would not worke out his saluation what shall hee doe when extreame pangs deny capablenesse to receiue them and shortnesse of his time preuents their approaching to him He hath a huge bottome of sinne to vnrauell by repentance which he hath beene many years winding vp by disobedience now a great worke and a little time doe not well agree This sudden call is fearefull This night shall thy soule be required Yet before I part from this point let me giue you two notes 1. There is mercy in God that it is hac nocte this night not this houre not this moment Hac nocte vvas suddaine but hoc momento had beene more sudden and that this larger exhibition of time is allowed was Gods meere mercy against the worldlings merit He that spared Niniueh many forties of yeares will yet allow her forty daies He that forbore this wretch many daies receiuing no fruit worth his expectation will yet adde a few houres God in the midst of iustice remembers mercie much time he had receiued and abused yet he shall haue a little more When the Lords hand is lifted vp to strike him yet he giues him some lucida interualla monitionis warning before he lets it downe But let not the worldling presume on this sometimes not an houre not a minute is granted Sword Palsie Apoplexie Impostume makes quicke dispatch and there is no space giuen to cry for mercy But what if a paucity of houres be permitted ancient wounds are not cured in haste the plaister must lie long vpon them There was one man so saued to take away desperation and but one so saued to barre presumption Conuersion at the eleuenth houre is a wonder at the twelfth a miracle All theeues doe not goe from the gallhouse to glory because one did no more then al Asses speak because God opened the mouth of one Flatter not thy selfe with hope of time Nemo sibi promittat quod non promittit Euangelium Let no man promise himselfe a larger patent then the Gospell hath sealed to him 2. The day of the wicked turnes at last to a night After the day of vanity comes the night of iudgment Now is the time when the rich mans Sunne sets his light and his delight is taken from him His last sand is runne out the clocke hath ended his latest minute his night is come His day of pleasure was short his night of sorrow is euerlasting Extremum gaudij luctus occupat Vexation treads on the
fall into the hands of the liuing God It is then wretchedly done thou Foole to iest at sinne that angers God who is able to anger all the vaines of thy heart for it 6. Sinne which was punished euen in heauen Angeli detruduntur propter peecatum 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell It could bring downe Angels from heauen to hell how much more men from earth to hell If it could corrupt such glorious natures what power hath it against dust and ashes Art thou better or dearer then the Angelles were Dost thou flowt at that which condemned them Goe thy wayes make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes mocke at that which threw downe Angels Vnles God giue thee repentance and another minde thou shalt speed as the lost Angels did For God may as easilie cast thee from earth as he did them from heauen 7. Sinne which God so loathed that hee could not saue his owne elect because of it but by killing his owne Sonne It is such a disease that nothing but the bloud of the Sonne of God could cure it He cured vs by taking the receits himselfe which we should haue taken He is first cast into a Sweat such a sweat as neuer man but he felt when the bubbles were droppes of bloud Would not sweating serue he comes to incision they pierce his hands his feete his sides and set life it selfe abroach Hee must take a potion too as bitter as their malice could make it compounded of vineger gall And lastly he must take a stranger and stronger medicine then all the rest he must die for our sinnes Behold his harmles hands pierced for the sinnes our harmefull hands had committed His vndefiled feete that neuer stood in the wayes of euill nailed for the errors of our pathes Hee is spitted on to purge away our vncleannesse clad in scornefull Robes to couer our wickednesse whipped that we might escape euerlasting scourges He would thirst that our soules might be satisfied the Eternall would die that we might not die eternally He is content to beare all his Fathers wrath that no pang of that burden might be imposed vppon vs and seeme as forsaken a while that we by him might be receiued for euer Behold his side become bloudie his heart dry his face pale his armes stiffe after that the streame of bloud had ran downe to his wounded feet O thinke if euer man felt sorrow like him or if he felt any sorrow but for Sinne. Now is that Sinne to be laughed at that cost so much torment Did the pressure of it lie so heauie on the Sonne of God and doth a son of man make light of it Did it wring from him sweat and bloud and teares and vnconceiueable groanes of an afflicted spirit and dost thou O foole iest at it Alas that which put our infinite Redeemer God and man so hard to it must needs swallow vp and confound thee poore sinfull wretch It pressed him so farre that he cryed out to the amasement of earth and heauen My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Shall he cry for them and shal we laugh at them Thou mockest at thy oppressions oathes sacriledges lusts frauds for these hee groaned Thou scornest his Gospell preached he wept for thy scorne Thou knowest not O foole the price of a Sinne thou must doe if thy Sauiour did not for thee If he suffred not this for thee thou must suffer it for thy selfe Passio aeterna erit in te si passio Aeterni non erat pro te An eternall passion shall be vpon thee if the Eternals passion were not for thee Looke on thy Sauiour and make not a mocke at Sinne. 8 Lastly Sinne shall be punished with Death you know what death is the wages of it not onely the first but the second death Inexpressible are those torments when a reprobate would giue all the pleasures that eâ—…er he enioyed for one drop of water to coole his tongue Where there shall be vnquencheable fire to burne not to giue light saue a glimmering ad ag grauationem vt videant vnde doleant non ad consulâ—…ionem ne videant vnde gandeant to shew them the torments of others and others the torments of themselues But I cease vrging this terrour and had rather win you by the loue of God then by his wrath and Iustice. Neither neede I a stronger argument to disswade you from sinne then by his passion that dyed for vs being enemies For if the agonie anguish and heart-bloud of Iesus Christ shed for our sinnes will not moue vs to repentance we are in a desperate case Now therefore I fitly leaue Pauls adiuration so sweetely tempered in your bosomes commending that to your consciences and your consciences to God I beseech yâ—… brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto GOD. THE FIRE OF CONTENTION OR The trouble that followes the Gospell Lvk. 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be alreadie kindled BEfore I run vpon Diuision and yet Diuision is the subiect of my Text and for methods sake I must vse some diuision in my discourse I must let you vnderstand what this Fire is that is sent and how innocent our Sauiour is that sendeth it 1. There may be Dessention betwixt the good and the good and hereof is the Deuill the author It is the Enemie that sowes those Tares This is one of the abominations that the Lord abhorreth A false witnes that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren God is neuer the immediate cause of that which he abominates If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God To cleare Christ and his Gospell from causing this the tenour of all Scriptures admonisheth vs with Saint Peter Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous Vnitie is the badge of Christianitie wee are all the members of one bodie The eye cannot say to the hands I haue no need of you c. We are all stones of one building therefore must not iarre one with another least we ruine the whole house Christ sayth that a kingdome diuided cannot stand The Souldiours would not diuide the vnseamed coate of Christ farre bee it from vs to rent his bodie There are three grounds of loue vertue pleasure profite Vertue all consent to be the surest and best That then which is grounded on the best vertue is the best vnitie and this is Faith Loue issuing from Faith is a bond able to tie God to man man to God and therefore man to man This knot is tyed so fast that the powers of hell cannot vndoe it All other vnities but the Communion of Saints may be broken There is no peace so indissoluble as the peace of faith So contrarily there
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
shalt forsweare Gods Law Couet not Satans couet all Nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil Diabolus nisi cupiditatem God commands nothing but loue the Deuill nothing but lust Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel Cain a Citizen of the world Abel a Citizen of God Their names signifie their natures Cain signifies a profession and he built a Citie for the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt Wicked men set their whole delight in this present world What moued Cain to this Not to be defended against wilde beasts which Plato sayes first moued men to build Cities for then Abel would haue builded so well as Cain nor because man is animal sociale a sociable creature which Aristotle makes a special motiue hereof for then the righteous would also haue builded But because Cain was a fugitiue he builded for a protection against Gods curse especially because he had no expectation of a better City Vnlike to Abraham who looked for a City that hath a foundation whose builder and maker is God The Greekes say that Cecropolis built by Cecrops the Aegyptians that Thebes the Argiues that Argos was the first City But it is manifest that this City built by Cain was the first Hee called the name of this City Enoch but Henoch in the righteous line is the seuenth Enoch the seuenth from Adam So the wicked dedicate worldly possessions in the first place the righteous in the last Cain and Henoch had their possession and dedication here But Abel signifies mourning and he built no Citie Our possession is in heauen this City of God inuisible to the eye incredible to the faith of the world but infallible to all beleeuers And for Cain it is not properly translated Aedificauit but Erat aedificator as Iunius erat aedificans as the Septuagint he began to build but he finished not hee was still a runnagate So all worldlings are but aedificantes like the Babel-erecters they but began to reare the tower but neuer could come to roofe it This man began to build saith Christ but could not make an end They are perswaded yea their inward thought is that they build houses to all ensuing generations but this their way is their folly Aedificat mortalis mors diruit aedificantem Mortall man builds and death puls downe both builder and edifice You haue heard it talked of Castles built by day and still no man knowes how pul'd downe againe by night That fabulous report is mystically true of the worldlings hope what euer he erecteth in the day of his prosperity the night of his ruine shall ouerthrow Here are the two Cities Omnis homo vel in coelis regnaturus cum Christo vel in infernis cruciandus cum Diabolo Euery one shall eyther reigne with Christ in Heauen or be tormented with the Deuill in hell But how then is it said that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe therefore the whole world is reconciled But Saint Iohn contradicts it Mundus positus in maligno the whole world lieth in wickednesse therefore the world is not reconciled to this Citie Heere qui bene distinguit bene doeet a proper distinction doth cleare this difficulty The world is sometimes taken for good then Denominatio sequitur meliorem partem often for euill then Denominatio sequitur maiorem partem In a word saith Augustine Amor Dei constituit Ierusalem amor mundi Babylonem The loue of God intitles vs to Ierusalem the loue of the world to Babylon Thus may wee distinguish the Citizens for Bonos vel malos mores faciunt boni vel mali amores Our good or bad loues make our good or bad liues There is no man which belongs not to one of these two Cities No To which of them belongs the Hypocrite to Babylon his face is toward Ierusalem To Ierusalem his heart is with Babylon His misery is great because hee weares Gods outside the world will not be his mother because he weares the worlds inside God will not be his Father Hee hath lost eartâ—… for Heauens sake and Heauen for earths sake We haue some such rushers into authority vncalled vicious correctors of vice that vndertake to cleanse the Augean stables perhaps somewhat the sweeter till themselues came in officious Scauengers of iniquitie If with this lome they dawbe ouer their owne debauchednesse they are like dung which is rotten and stinking of it selfe yet compasseth the ground makes it fruitfull Or like the shepheards dogge that hunts the stragling sheepe to the fold yet is a dogge still and hath his teeth beaten out lest hee should worry them Will you heare to what City hypocrites belong The wicked seruant shall haue his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth So then the Hypocrites home is the city of weeping and gnashing of teeth But in this blessed City God is King Christ his eldest Sonne the elect are his younger brethren his Viceroyes are Kings Angels his Nobles Iust Iudges his Magistrates good Preachers his Ministers holines his Law the godly his Subiects Prouidence his gouernement Heauen his Court and saluation his recompence Further obserue that if this City be Gods then so are all things in it Whence I inferre that all sacred things in this City beeing Gods must not bee violated For the things in heauâ—…n they are safe enough out of the Incrochers reach but the holy things of this militant City are vniuersally abused Sacrilegium quasi sacrilaedium a profaning that is holy Now holinesse is ascribed to Persons Places or Things Sacriledge may be committed saith Aquinas 1. Uel in Personam against a person vvhen one Ecclesiasticall man is abused Hee that despiseth you despiseth me 2. Vel in locum against a place when the Temple is profaned My house is called the house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of thieues 3. Vel in Rem when things dedicated to holy vses are peruerted You haue robbed me in tithes and offerings Simon Magus would haue bought a power to giue the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 imposition of hands Hee would haue giuen money for it no doubt to haue gotten money by it No Spirituall things are to bee barterd for money Now Spirituall things are of foure sorts 1. Essentialiter the gifts of Gods Spirit iustification sanctification loue peace patience goodnesse faith Charismata salutis which make those that haue them spirituall 2. Causaliter The Word and Sacraments which are the conduct-pipes to conuey our soules those graces from the fountaine of all grace Iesus Christ The words that I speake vnto you they are spirit and they are life 3. Effectualiter as power to heale to worke miracles to excommunicate to absolue gifts not imparted to secular hands but committed with the keyes to the
de terra tua said God to Abraham Get thee out of thy Country yea rather de terra non tua from a Country that is none of thine vnto a Land that I will shew thee thy owne Land the kingdome of Heauen Though man be called Earth Earth Earth thrice with one breath earth by procreation earth by sustentation earth by corruption saith Bernard yet the Christian is not Habitator sed accolaterrae not a dweller but a passenger on the earth For here we haue no continuing City but we seek one to come An Englishman that traffiques in Turkie and gets wealth in Turkie yet plants not in Turkie but transports for England A Christian what euer hee gets on earth treasures vp in heauen Socrates being asked what Country-man he was answered Sum ciues mundi I am a Citizen of the world But a Christian must answere Sum ciues coeli I am a Citizen of heauen Forsake wee this home-stall with a ready mind when GOD calls vs. And the Lord grant vs so to liue in this Citie of Grace that wee may all liue for euer in the City of Glory through Iesus Christ. To an innumerable company of Angels Behold one speciall dignity the Gospel brings vs Consociari Angelis to be made companions with the Angels The incorporeall spirits are of two sorts Celestiall Infernall If we weigh the malignancie of the one with the benignitie of the other we shall truly meditate this benefite Infernall spirits are tempters to euill and tormentors for euill Homines seducunt seductos damnant damnatos torquent They seduce mortalls seduced they damne thē damned they torment them Because they lost being like God they striue to make men like themselues The diuell enhanceth his owne damnation to procure others Hee knowes himselfe irrecouerably lost therefore is desperate These are wretched companions Lord grant vs to know no more of them then by hearesay But the good Angels striue by all meanes to vphold vs in our integritie to keepe vs in the feare of that God they know and worship to preserue vs from dangers whilst we liue and beeing dead to transport vs to euerlasting ioy Blesse vs O Lord with the society of these Angels for euer Here we must consider two circumstances Quales and Quoti the Persons what they are Angels the number how many they are An innumerable company First what they are Angels An Angel is an intellectuall and incorporeall substance free of will a seruant to God by his grace immortall in blessednes Cuius substantiae speciem et terminum solus qui creauit nouit We cannot sufficiently know them whiles we are on earth O may wee one day see and know them in heauen That we may receiue comfort by this consorting with Angels and vnderstand what good they doe vnto vs let vs consider in them these sixe particulars Their nature their knowledge their power their dignitie their distinction their ministery 1. Their nature they are not qualities and motions but spirituall substances really subsisting This their actions testifie running on Gods commands executing his hests c. They are not flesh and bone yet sometimes haue taken visible formes Abraham intertaining three Angels set meate before them and they did eate Theodoret sayes they did take the meate simulatis manibus and did put it into simulatum os they seemed to eate not in truth But they had palpable and tractable bodies for the time as appeares plainely verse 4. by washing their feete Thomas thinkes they assumed a true body but non fuit vera comestura it was not a true eating But this is an idle opinion for there may be a true eating though the meat be not conuerted into the substance of the body So our Sauiour did eate after his rising from death yet no man thinkes his meate was turned into his substance It is safe to say with the Text they did eate and performe other offices of a body truly Now this was by diuine dispensation for a time the bettter to accomplish their enioyned duties Yet were these bodies no part of their natures but onely as garments are to vs. But whence had they these bodies They were eyther immediately created of God or conflate of some presubsistent matter What became of these induments deposed Eyther as they were made of nothing so resolued into nothing or else turned into the first matter whereof they were composed and so was also the meate they did eate Thus they haue beene called men Three men came to Abraham The women that came to Christs Sepulcher found two men standing by them in shining garments This is their nature which in it selfe saith Isodore is mutable for some of them fell from that blessed estate and left their owne habitation But now for the rest Seruauit eos incorruptos charitas aeterna the eternall loue of God hath made them vnchangeable For Christ hath reconciled all things to himselfe whether they bee things in earth or things in heauen This is their excellent nature inferiour to God superior to man In the Prophets vision each of the Seraphins had sixe wings with twaine he couered his face and with twaine be couered his feete and with twa◅ hee did flie They haue two wings to couer their faces as not able to behold the glory of God and two to couer their feet because wee are not able to behold them in their excellency 2. Their knowledge Austin sayes They are taught of God in the eternal contemplation of whose truth they are most blessed Quomodo quae scienda sunt nesciant qui scientem omnia sciunt How should they bee ignorant of such things as are fit to be known that know him that knowes all Their knowledge is three-fold Naturall Experimentall and Reuealed 1. Naturall receiued of God in their creation endued with an extraordinary light aboue man 2. Reuealed as God according to processe of time hath manifested to them God reuealed things to the Angels they to the Prophets 3. Experimentall which they haue acquired by obseruation they marke Gods doings For it is certaine the Angels did not know all things from the beginning which they know now They knew not perfectly the manner of mans redemption That mystery from the beginning of the world hath beene hidde in God and is Now made knowne to the principalities and powers in heauenly places Great is the mystery of godlinesse God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels Res mira Angelis quanta hominibus A matter worthy the wonder of Angels much more of men There be things which yet the Angels do not know 1. not the day of iudgement Of that day houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen 2. not mans heart Thou Lord onely knowest the hearts of all men If Angels knew mens hearts they were Gods 3. Neyther doe I thinke with Saint Augustine that they know Quanti numeri
supplementum de genere humano integritas illus ciuitatis expectat what definite number of mankind must concurre to the perfection of that heauenly Citie Man is circumscribed in place knowledge and mortality Angels are circumscribed in place and knowledge not in mortality God is not circumscribed in eyther place knowledge or mortality Man knoweth much Angels know more onely God knoweth all 3. Their Power Christ suffering himselfe to be apprehended said hee could command more then twelue Legions of Angels Whereupon one notes the mightinesse of his rescue for euery Angell is stronger then a Legion of men They are said to excell in strength Blesse the Lord â—…e his Angels that excest in strength Mighty Angels The Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen with his mighty Angels Mighty but His the originall hath it the Angels of his mighty power Innumerable first borne of Aegypt were slaine by one Angell An hundred eighty fiue thousand Assyrians smitten by one Angell 2. Sam. 24. Seuenty thousand killed by one Angell Therefore they are called Potestates Powers Powerfull in themselues but how mighty when they are strengthened by the Almighty This is wonderfull comfort to vs they are not weake that fight for vs. Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his angels but preuailed not The Deuill hath a raging malice but no preuailing power One Angell is too hard for many deuils But against the power of Angels it is obiected that a man preuailed against an Angell Iacob had power ouer the Angoll and preuailed Some had a sottish opinion that this Angell was the Deuill in Esau's likenesse and that by the power of a good Angell Iacob ouercame Now lest hee should ascribe the victory to himselfe and his owne strength the Angell smote him on the thigh so that hee halted But there is no mention made saue of one Angel he that wrastled with him was the same that blessed him he that blessed him was the same that touched him a good Angell for an euill would neuer haue blessed him But indeed this Angell was the Sonne of God 1. Because he blessed him God blesseth not Angels 2. It is said Gen. 32. 28. that he preuayled with GOD and verse 30. that hee saw God face to face therefore it was God not an Angell Whether it were God or an Angell you may see the power of faith that it can preuail with mighty Angels with almighty God Hee that wrastled with Iacob gaue him power to ouercome Seipso fortior est so God is stronger then himselfe Hee could not preuaile because he would not he disposeth his power according to his will not his will according to his power Haste thee to Zoar for I cannot doe any thing till thou bee come thither Let mee alone that I may consume them As if Lot and Moses could hinder God Faith Prayer are manicles to his hands vvhereunto he giues victorie against himselfe 4. Their dignity consists in two things In respect of their Place and of their Grace 1. For their abode it is in heauen Euill Angels dwell belowe they are cast downe into hell good aboue The Angels doe behold the face of my Father in heauen They are heauenly Courtiers and heauenly Quiristers eternally singing Ichouahs praise 2. In respect of their Grace so that they are called the Angels of GOD and are farre more excellent then man It is true that the Sonne of God dignified mans nature more then theirs For he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Timet Angelus adorari ab humana natura quam videt in Deo sublimaâ—…am The Angels refuse to be worshipped of mans nature which they see GOD himselfe hath accepted But though he tooke not their nature yet he dignified their office for he is often called by the name of Angel The Angel that redeemed mee sayes aged Israel the onely redeeming Angel is Christ. The Angel that went with the Campe of Israel is called ver 24. The Lord. Paul sayes expresly it was Christ. 1. Cor. 10. 4. 9. He is called Angelus foederis the Angel of the Couenant I saw an Angel hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit and he bound Satan but onely Christ can bind Satan and hath the keyes of death and hell Thus Christ hath accepted the name of Angels yet hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but of man no more then the Angels tooke on them the nature of man vvhen they appeared in an humane shape 5. Their distinction Gregory collects from the Scriptures Nouem Angelorum ordines nine seuerall orders of Angels Angels Archangels Vertues Powers Principalities Dominations Thrones Cherubim and Seraphim We grant indeed that there be certaine distinctions degrees in the Quire of Heauen but whether distinguished by nature gifts or offices none can determine The Papists plead much for the Princedome of Michael aboue all other Angels Their ground is Reuel 12. 7. Michael his Angels fought c. Bellarmine affirmes that euer since the fall of Lucifer Michael is head of the glorious Angels and the Rhemists collect from that place the reason why Michael is ordinarily painted fighting with a Dragon But the foolish Painter so well as wise Bellarmine can tell vs how Michael came to be chose in Lucifers roome Iude saith the wicked Angels that left their habitation are reserued in chaines of darknesse but hee tells vs not that such as did not fall are preferred to higher places but rather coÌ„tinue still in their first estate and dignitie Indeed Iude calls Michael an Archangel and Daniel Vnum de principibus one of the principall Angels but it can neuer be proued that he was is or shall be Monarch or head of all Angels Themselues say that the greatest Angel is vsed in the greatest Embassage but Gabriel not Michael was sent for the contracting of that sacred match betweene the GOD of Heauen and the blessed Virgin Therefore Gabriel not Michael should be supreme both in naturall graces and supernaturall prerogatiues Indeed Christ is the Michael there mentioned for the blessed Angels cannot be said to be any other Michaels Angels then Christ. So August Bulling Marlor Perhaps in the vision Michael an host of Angels appeared to Iohn but they represented Christ and his members Christus est Ecclesiae suae Promachus Angeli eius Symachi It is against the principles of holy beliefe to ascribe this victory to Michael or any other Angel whatsoeuer They ouercame Satan by the bloud of the Lambe not by Michael or any Angel 6. Their ministerie from hence some of the Fathers say the Angels tooke their names So Gregor Angeli vocabulum nomen est officij non naturae Angel is a name of office not of nature The Inhabitants of that celestiall Country are alwaies Spirits but cannot alwaies be called Angels Tunc solùm sunt Angeli quando
that hee hath in all things But to shew that the Almighty God being tied to no meanes doth yet worke by meanes to vphold the weakenesse of our natures A Prince sees his little children besieged and sends his stronger sonnes able souldiers to relieue them Their helpe to vs is certaine though not visible we cannot describe it nor prescribe it but vvee feele it in the successe they preserue vs. Against the Syrian band the mountaine was full of horses and charets of fire to defend Elisha Neither is this all but to manifest his abundant goodnesse to mankind What is man O Lord or the sonne of man that thou so gardest and regardest him They are dust and vanity and rottennesse yet the Lord sends his glorious Angels his Pages of honour and Princes of his Court for their messengers and ministers As if a King should not onely giue his subiect a charter and Patent of safe conduct but also sends his own gard to attend him So the Lord honors vs with his own gard royall through Iesus Christ. 3. To enemies not for their safety but for the execution of Gods iudgements on them The huge Armie of Senacherib was ouerthrowne by an Angel Indeed they will not the destruction of any man further then the Iustice of God ordaines it But sometimes they are sent out for the protection of the very wicked so Daniel speakes of the Grecians Angel and of the Persians Angel The Romists allot a particular tutelar Angel to euery Colledge and Corporation yea to the generation of flies fleas and ants yea to euery Infidell kingdome such an Angel yea to Antichrist lastly euen to hell it selfe Sure then they vvill not pinch themselues they appoynt to the Pope two principall Seraphims Michael and Gabriel euer attending his Person For that Michael is the chiefest Victorellus produceth two very equall witnesses the Roman Liturgie and Tasso's Ierusalem as a worthy Diuine obserued To the Conclaue they assigne one speciall assistant Angel But mee thinks as they Ideate their Hierarchy this Angel should desire the roome and become a suter to the holy Ghost to name him Pope in the next Conclaue For by this meanes hee doth wonderfully enlarge his Diocesse hauing all the lower world vnder him all particular Angels of speciall Societies subiect to him yea all the Archangels and Principalities officed to seueral Estates must concurre to his gard and assistance The truth is God sometimes allowes the help of Angels to the very reprobates but to this scope purpose Populs sui promouere salutem to further the welfare of his owne people For all the atchieuements and victories which come to the heathen by helpe of Angels are intended not for their good but the good of the Saints It is for the Sonne of Gods sake they minister to vs and to none do they performe these comfortable seruices but to the Elect in Iesus Christ. Thus you see what these Angels are now let vs consider how many An innumerable company The originall is Myriades Myrias is tenne thousand innumerable a finite number is put for an indefinite Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand times ten thousand stoode before him I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throue and the number of them vvas tenne thousand times tenne thousand and thousands of thousands Gregory thinks there are so many Angels as there are Elect. Superâ—…a illa ciuitas ex Angelis et hominibus constat ad quam tantum credimus humanum genus ascendere quantos illiâ—… contigit electos Angelos remansisse Vt scriptum est statuit terminos Gentium iuxta numerum Angelorum Dei So many Angels saith hee as fell from heauen so many soules shall goe vp to heauen It is a question much disputed whether besides the protection of Angels in common euery particular man haue one particular Angel for his Guardian I find many of the Fathers allotting euery one a particular Angel Isidor Singulae Gentes praepositos Angelos habere creduntur imo omnes homines Angelos suos Origen Basil Hierome Chrysostome Theophylact Gregory Nyssen Primasius Iustin Martyr Augustin most of the Schoolemen and some Protestant Diuines all conclude that euery man from his birth or especially from his Baptisme hath a particular Angel I will not dispute it yet I must doubt it because I see no cleare ground in the Scriptures to proue it The two chiefe places cited are these Math. 18. 10. Despise not these little ones for their Angels behold the face of my Father in heauen This place Caietan and others expound not that euery little one hath a peculiar guardant Angel but Omnes omnibus that all the Angels take care of all Gods little ones As the Scriptures construe it selfe All the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of one sinner The other place is Acts 12. 15. Peter being vnexpectedly deliuered out of prison came to Maries house where the Saints were gathered together Rhoda hearing his voice ranne in and told them how Peter stood at the gate They said to her Thou art mad but when shee constantly affirmed it they said It is his Angel I answere that the Disciples amazed at the strange report spake they knew not vvhat On the like reason because Peter transported in beholding Christ transfigured said Let vs build here three Tabernacles some might inferre that Saints departed dwell in Tabernacles Because the two sonnes of Zebede desired to sit one at Christs right hand the other on his left in his kingdome they might haue concluded that Christ was to be a temporall King Or because the Disciples seeing Iesus walking on the Sea in their troubled minds said It was a spirit others might proue that spirits walke Omne dictum sancti non est dictum sanctum All are not Christian truths that true Christians haue spoken Dicunt errores non Christiani sed homines they erre not as they are Christians but as they are men But it is obiected that they spake after the common opinion of men in that age Wee reply that in that age it was a common opinion that dead men walked so it appeares by Herod hearing the fame of Iesus This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead Uox populi is not euer vox Dei common errors are no rules of truth And if the place were so manifest as they could wish it why might it not rather be vnderstood thus It is his Angel that is some Angel that God hath sent for his deliuerance Sometimes many men haue but one Angel other times one man hath many Angels Exod. 14. 10. There was but one Angel for many people 2. King 6. 17. There were many Angels for one man Let vs now make some vses concerning this discourse of Angels These may be two-fold some for imitation others for application First for imitation there are three things specially to be obserued in Angels Purenesse of substance Readines of obedience
This is not to be vnderstood of offence onely giuen to the Ministers of the Church but to signifie that a woman throwing off the vaile of modestie and token of subiection to her husband doth make euen the Angels of heauen witnesses of her dissolute contumacie The Angels are present with thee when all men on the earth are absent from thee I aske thee when thou pollutest the marriage bed attemptest an homicide plottest a treason forgest a vvriting wouldest thou then haue the Angels present with thee or absent from thee If thou desirest them present why dost thou offend them by thy turpitudes If absent thy protectors are gone and the diuels would easily confound thee Nonfacias coram Angelis Dei yea coram Deo Angelorum Do not that thing before the Angels of God yea before the GOD of Angels vvhich thou wouldest shame to doe in the sight and presence of an earthly man Yet let vs marke here by the way that albeit the Angels deserue our reuerence yet they desire not our adoration Indeed the euill Angels request it it was a speciall boone which the Diuell begd of Christ to fall downe worship him But the good refuse it See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to kneeling Iohn As we vsually come too short in our due reuerence to the Angels so the Papists goe too farre in vndue adoration They haue a set prayer for it Angele Dei Custos mei me tibi commissum lege superâ—…a semper rege custodi guberna This sacrilegious honour those holy spirits refuse they take no charge of such superstitious soules Accipiunt commissum non arripiâ—…nt inconcessum Honorandi non adorandi sunt Angeli Let them be honored but not adored Loue and reuerence the Angels onely worship God and Iesus Christ. 3. This declares to vs the excellent company that is in heauen Were the place lesse noble and maiesticall yet the company it affords is able to make the soule right blessed We are loth to leaue this earth for the societie of some friends in whom we delight yet wee are all subiect to mutuall dislikes Besides the meeting of those good friends againe in heauen there be also glorious Angels There is nothing in them but is amiable admirable nothing in possibilitie of changing our pleasures There thou shalt see and conuerse with those ancient Worthies Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Fathers of the Primitiue times all of them out-shining the starres where our loue shall be as eternall as is our glory There wee shall liue familiarly in the sight of those Angels whom now we receiue good from and see not Yea there is the fountaine of all felicity that Sauiour of ours whose grace onely brings vs to the blessed vision of the whole Trinitie Neither can there be a higher happinesse then the eternall fruition of Iesus Christ. Let this teach vs all to blesse our God that hath thus aduanced vs. Man is corporeall dust O that this clay of ours should come to dwel with those incorporeal spirits We shal be as the Angels of God in heauen Sicut non ipsi like Angels though not Angels in nature Communicatione spei non speciei we haue now a communion of hope with them hereafter of glory To this place O thou Creator of men Angels bring vs through Iesus Christ. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heauen Our Apostle hath spoken of the Churches glory typically and topically now he describes it materially First the Essence of it what it is The Church Secondly the Propertie of it what kind of Church it is Generall or Catholike Thirdly what are the parts of it of whom it consists Of the first borne written in Heauen The Church This word is taken in diuerse significations For the materiall Temple 1. Cor. 11. 18. When ye come together in the Church I heare there are diuisions among you For the faithfull domestikes of one Familie 1. Cor. 16. 19. Aquila and Priscilla salute you vvith the Church that is in their house For the professors of one Prouince The Church of Corinth of Ephesus c. For some famous company of Beleeuers gathered together in one place 1. Cor. 14. 4. He that prophecieth edifies the Church For an Ecclesiasticall Senate or Synode Mat. 18. 17. If he shall neglect to heare them Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the Church For the whole number of the Elect. Mat. 16. 18. Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church Acts 5. 11. Great feare came vpon all the Church 1. Tim. 3. 15. Which is the Church of the liuing GOD the pillar and ground of truth Here first let me premise three circumstances concerning the Church 1. Though it be a Generall Assembly yet it is but one There be threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number but my Doue my vndefiled is but one shee is the onely one of her Mother Indeed there be two parts of this One Church Triumphant in Heauen and Militant on Earth The Triumphant part is a company of Iustified spirits triumphing ouer the flesh vvorld and diuell spirits I say for bodies are not yet ascended They haue two happy priuiledges 1. To reioyce in the conquest ouer sinne and death the most righteous man liuing is in praelio in a continuall warfare But so are the other for Saint Iohn saith There was warre in Heauen This must be vnderstood of heauen on earth vvhere there is no truce with Satan Pax cum Deo bellum cum diabolo We haue peace with God but on this condition that warre with the diuell Therefore so runne the promises Uincenti dabitur To him that ouercomes shall be giuen Palmes to shew that they had been warriours are now conquerours 1. To praise God continually and to sing Amen Blessing and glory thankesgiuing and honour be vnto God for euer and euer The militant part is a company of men liuing vnder the crosse and desiring to be with Christ. They suffer and this is their way to glory through much tribulation entring into the kingdome of God They desire dissolution being willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord not simply and absolutely desiring death but first that they might leaue sinning and so cease to displease God and then to come neerer to their blessed Sauiour whose loue hath rauished their hearts Now this militant Church may haue many parts as the Ocean sea is but one yet distinguished according to the Regions vpon which it lies So there is the Spanish Ocean the English Ocean the German Ocean There is a Church in England a Church in France a Church in Germany yet there is but one militant Church Multa Ecclesiae vna Ecclesia saith S. Augustine One Sunne many beames one Kingdome many shires one tree many branches 2. We must note that Christ is the alone head of his
the Popes gaine He must be Iudge yea he shall be an vnerring Iudge Yet if the Pope haue this infallibility I wonder what need there is of Councells Here they fly to distinctions as to familiar spirits The Pope may erre Argumentatiuè not Definitiuè in his chamber not in his chaire Personaliter non Formaliter as man not as Pope How proue they such an exposition of the Scripture Here they fly to the Pope hee so expounds it How prooue they the Pope cannot erre Here straight they fly back againe to Scripture Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shal not faile These hang gether like a sick mans dreame Insequeris fugio Fugis insequor Yet thus they conclude against their own wills whiles they only proue the Pope by the Scripture spight of their teeth they preferre the Scripture aboue the Pope If this be so that the truth of the Gospell being professed belieued obeyed among vs manifest vs against all aduersaries to be true members of this Generall assembly then two subordinate questions offer themselues collaterally here to be handled First whether corrupters of our Truth and disturbers of our peace are to bee tolerated Secondly whether for some corruptions of doctrine or vices in manners it be lawfull for any of vs to make separation from vs. 1. Seditious and pestilent seedsmen of heresies are to be restrained If a little leuen sowre the whole lumpe what will a little poison do If Paul to his Galatians could not endure Christ and Moses together how would he to his Corinthians endure Christ and Belial together Hee sticks not to ingeminate Anathema's to them that preached another Gospel The Papists cry out against vs for persecution they that shame not to bely the Scriptures will not blush to bely vs. Their prosperity their riches their numbers among vs directly proue that a man may be a Papist in England and liue But if their religion turne to treason shall it scape vnpunished A Papist may liue a Traitor may not liue To perswade that a Christian king at the Popes will may yea must be decrowned or murdered is this the voice of Religion or Treason If this be conscience there is no villany if such an act merite Heauen let no man feare Hell I would aske a Papist vvhether he be not bound by his religion to execute the Popes doctrinall will whether if he bid him kill his King hee may refraine from that sacred bloud and not sinne If he refuse treason he is not constant to his Religion if hee keepe his Religion hee must not sticke at any act of treason So that who knowes whether this day a mere Papist may not on the Popes command to morrow be a Traytor But say they this a supposition as likely as if Heauen should fall the Pope will neuer command it I answere that Popes haue commanded it But we hope his present Holinesse will not we were in a pitious case if our securitie was no better then your hope God blesse our gracious Soueraigne from euer standing at the Popes mercy Why should such Seminaries of heresie and Incendiaries of conspiracie be suffered What atonement of affection can there be in such disparitie of Religion when some cry God helpe vs others Baal heare vs. They to Angels and Saints wee to the Lord that made Heauen and Earth But the euent hath often prooued which of these could best heare prayers As in that memorable fight on the Leuant Seas of fiue English ships against eleuen Spanish they crying for victory to our Lady wee to our Lord it seemes the Sonne heard better then the Mother for the victory was ours The Common-vvealth that stands vpon legges partly of yron and partly of clay is neuer sure One wombe held Romulus Remus in peace one kingdome could not containe them But euery mans mind is as free as the Emperors Conscience is a Castle and there is nothing so voluntarie as religion faith comes by perswasion not by compulsion Yield all this and say with Tertullian Nihil minus fidei est quà m fidem cogere And with Bernard Suspendite verbera ostendite vbera Make a man in error rather blush then bleede But if they breake the foundation Non ferendi sed feriendi First speake to the Conscience by good counsell but if that eare be stopt shake the whole house about it Speake to the eares of the inheritance of the liberty of the body by mulct by prison by exile Let the Liberty say to the Conscience For thy sake I am restrained let the Inheritance say For thy sake I am empouerished let the Body say For thy sake I am afflicted But because heresie dies not with the particular person but kills also others and Centum inficit dum vnum intersicit And because it strikes at the life of a Christian that is his Faith For the iust shal liue by his faith Therfore pereat vnus potius quà m vnitas Haretici corrigendi ne pereant reprimendi ne perimant Heretikes are to be corrected lest they damne themselues to be restrained lest they damne others Persecutio facit Martyres haeresis apostatas plus nocuerunt horum togâ—… quà m illorum galeae Persecution made Martyrs heresie makes Apostates the Heretikes words haue done more hurt then the tyrants swords Apertè sauit persecutor vt Leo haereticus insidiatur vt draco Ille negare Christum cogit iste docet Aduersus illum opus patientià aduersus istum opus vigilantia The persecutor rageth like a Lyon the heretike insinuates himselfe like a serpent To deny Christ he compels this man instructs Against the former wee haue need of patience against the latter of vigilance Excommunication bondage exile haue bin thought fit punishments for heretikes fire and fagot is not Gods Law but the Popes Canon-shot An heretike dying in his heresie cannot be saued therefore Luther thinkes hee that puts an heretike to death is a double murderer destroying his body with death temporall his soule with death eternall But saith Augustine Diligite homines interficite errores Loue the persons kill the errors Presume on the truth without pride striue for it without rage Seueritas quasi sâ—…ua veritas but verity and seuerity doe not agree Fire and sword may put to death heretickes but not heresies See heere the difference betwixt the Papists proceedings against vs and ours against them They dye not among vs for refusing our faith but vs they burned not for denying any article of faith but for not beleeuing Transubstantiation So strange an Article that Bellarmine himselfe doubts whether it may bee proued from Scripture or no but that the Church hath declared it so to be But though faith be aboue reason yet it is not against reason This is my body saith Christ. Hoc This bread this Pronoune demonstratiue they will haue to demonstrate nothing Hoc aliquid nihil est How then this nothing is my body not this bread but this nothing
errors I beleeue saued for others Nescio quid dicere I know not what to say They haue damnable heresies as that of Free will of Merites c. yet the persons that of weakenesse defend them may be saued God pardons euen wilfull errors if they be truly repented Therefore I belieue that many of our forefathers went to Heauen though through blindnesse Now indeede they are more inexcusable because our sound is gone out among them There are Seducentes and Seducti the wilfull blind lead the wofull blind vntill both fall into the ditch If they will not see there is no helpe no hope If simple ignorance mislead there is hope of return but if affected it is most wretched Our office is to helpe them with our prayers and let vs pray for them as Paul for his Ephesians That the eyes of our vnderstanding beeing enlightened they may know what is the hope of Gods calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the Saints Many of them haue ready hearts but they want eyes wee haue open eyes God grant vs ready hearts The first borne which are written in heauen This is a description of the persons of whom the Church consists The Church it selfe is a number of men which God hath set apart by an eternall decree and in time sanctified to become reall members of it They are written in heauen there 's their eternall election and they are the first borne that is 〈◊〉 borne there 's their Sanctification For the two parts of the description Their Primogeniture and Registring in Gods booke are but borrowed speeches whereby God would ratifie the euerlasting Predestination and saluation of his Church That as the First borne is not to bee defeated of his inheritance and the Enrolled names are neuer to be obliterated so certainly shall they inherite eternall life The first borne Some vnderstand by the first borne not all the Elect but onely the Patriarchs and such ancient Saints the noble primitiue parts of the Church Caluin Then this should haue beene referred onely to the Church triumphant in heauen but the Catholike Church is here expresly meant which coÌ„prehends also the Saints vpon earth therefore they also are first borne Besides they are said to be written in heauen which had beene a superfluous speech of those who are already in heauen they that are there need no writing Unusquisque Electâ—…est Pimogenitus But this seemes to infringe the Primogeniture of Christ to whom that Name is by speciall title and right giuen Primogenitus inter multos fratres saith Paul he is the First begotten among many brethren Primogenitus vniuersae creaturae the first borne of euery creature Primogenitus mortuorum the first borne from the dead He is the first borne as he is the Sonne of God and as hee is man As he is the Sonne of God in respect of time before all things the beginning of all in respect of dignity because hee is the foundation of all good to his Church Of his fulnesse haue we all receiued and grace for grace As he is man he is the first borne not in respect of time but of excellency and vertue In respect of his miraculous conception the first that euer was conceiued without sinne and by the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost In respect of his birth he was the first borue of Mary Shee brought forth her first borne Sonne and called his name Iesus In respect of his resurrection when GOD raised him out of the graue he is said to beget his Sonne Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee And lest the interpretation of birth onely should be deduced from that place Saint Paul expressely applies it to his resurrection Acts 13. 33. God raised vp Iesus againe as it is written in the second Psalme Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Lastly in respect of his preeminence hee is the first borne from the dead that in all things he might haue the preeminence So the priuiledge of primogeniture is singularly and indiuidually his How then are the faithfull heere called the first borne To answer this we must know that God hath sonnes by nature and by grace Christ by nature onely all the elect by grace Christ is a Sonne begotten not made we are sonnes made not begotten in respect of nature Christ as God is begotten not borne as man he is borne not begotten We see the priuiledge of Christs primogeniture from his let vs looke to ours for from him wee haue it The elect are called First-borne in three respects 1. Because they are vnited to the first borne For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren Hee that is made vnus cum primogenito may be well called primogenitus one with the first borne is a first borne 2. Because they are culled and called out of the world Many wicked are created before them but they are elected in Gods decree to life before the other for the wicked are not chosen at all Esau was Isaaks first borne but Iacob was Gods first borne Many of the worlds first-borne haue beene reiected Israel laid his right hand vpon Ephraim the younger and his left vpon Manasseh the elder Reuben thou art my first borne but thou shalt not be excellent Cain Adams first borne Ismael Abrahams first borne were cast off Thus saith the Lord Israel is my sonne euen my first borne The Lord had first chosen that nation to be his people yet afterward reiected them and accepted the Gentiles so that the elder serue the younger But Gods first borne are neuer refused whom hee hath predestinated to be sonnes hee hath also called to bee heyres So that this primogeniture is not in respect of generation but of regeneration Though they be not primò conditi they are primò reconditi Flesh and bloud hath no worke in this birth nor the will of man but the will of God Of his owne will begate he vs with the word of trueth that wee should be a kinde of first fruits of his creatures The Spirit begets of immortall seed grace in the wombe of the Church the meanes of this Birth being the Word Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God Out of that vniuersall apostacie God sent his Sonne to beget some first borne to himselfe 3. Because the priuiledges of the first borne are theirs These were many as we may find in allusion to the Law 1. The excellency of strength Reuben my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignitie and the excellencie of power Man decayes and the children of age are not so strong as the children of youth therefore the first borne are called the beginning of power and the excellency of strength True it is that there 's no
making straight paths for our feete lest that which is halting be turned out of the way 3. The sacrifices must be Males because the best and most perfect things are to be giuen to God Multi homines pauci viri Let vs offer vp our masculine vertues growing to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. We must aime at this perfect sacrifice Besides in the Law there were three other rules obseruable in the consecration of the first borne 1. That they should be seuen daies with the damme and the eight day be giuen to God Exod. 22. 30. wherein there vvas not onely a respondence to the rule of circumcision limited to the eight day Gen. 17. 12. But to preuent their fraud in offering to God things of no seruice being too soone taken from the damme 2. In voluntary oblations they were forbidden to dedicate to the Lord any of the first borne The firstling of the beasts which should be the Lords firstling no man shall sanctifie it The reason is because that vvas the Lords already Wee haue such names highly recorded on our Hospitall-walls painted on the windowes of our Churches often engrauen in marble the memorable tenent of worthy acts for excellent benefactors Yet All their beneuolence to God is not the Tenth of that they haue robbed God taken from his Church Foole giue of thine owne if thou wilt haue reward in Heauen first restore iustly what thou hast gathered vniustly To giue of that is not Liberaliter dare sed partialiter retribuere thou bestowest on God a Lambe of his owne Evve Doost thou looke for thanks for such a gift Alas it was Gods owne before 3. They were commanded neither to worke nor sheare the first borne Thou shalt doe no worke with the firstling of thy Bullocke nor sheare the firstling of thy Sheepe To curbe their couetousnesse though they would not deceiue the Lord of his first borne yet they would take so much profit of it as they could But they are restrained from diminution they must not present a worne Bullocke nor a shorne Sheepe Now if the Lord was so ielous of first borne beasts how is hee ielous of first borne soules Let vs not thinke our choisest and most excellent things too deare for God that hath made vs his first borne in Iesus Christ. 3. Lastly let vs vpon no condition part vvith our Birthright Hath God aduanced vs to this honour I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth then let vs neuer sell it Let there be no person profane as Esau who for one morsell of meate sold his Birthright Hath the elder brother Primariam potestatem Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers sonnes bow downe vnto thee Let no lust subiect vs seruire minori to serue the younger The enemies rage against them but saith God to Pharaoh Let my sonne goe that hee may serue me if thou refuse to let him goe behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy first borne Thus saith the Psalmist God reproues euen Kings for their sakes Now Omne beneficium petit officium euery benefite is obligatory and binds to some thankful duty Hath God dignified vs with a Priuiledge he expects that our carefulnesse should neuer forfetit Naboth would not sell his Vineyard yet his Vineyard was but a part of his Inheritance his Inheritance but a part of his birthright Though Ahab profferd him a better vineyard or the worth of it in money yet saith Naboth The Lord forbid it me that I should giue the inheritance of my fathers vnto thee And shal we for trifles passe away our eternall Birthright It is a wretched bargaine yet the Blasphemer sweares away his birthright the Epicure feasts away his birthright the wine-bibber drinks away his Birthright the Lauish spends his birthright the couetous sels his birthright for ready mony There be some 1. that sell their Birthright it is said of the Lawyer that hee hath linguam venalem a saleable tongue the couetous venalem animam a saleable soule the harlot venalem carnem a saleable flesh Esau sold his birthright Ahab sold himselfe to worke wickednesse Iudas sold his soule for thirty peeces There is not a more wicked thing then a couetous man for such a one setteth his soule to sale because while he liueth he casteth away his bowels Others pawne their Birthright they are not so desperate as to sell it outright but they will pawne it for a while They seeme to make conscience of their waies generally and to be good husbands of their talents but when an opportune temptation comes with meat in the mouth a fit aduantage of much wealth of high honour of secret pleasure they will embrace and fasten on it though they pawne their soules for a season And indeed he that knowingly ventures to sin doth as it were morgage his birthright puts it to the hazard of redeeming by repentance But it is dangerous to be a Marchant venturer in this case the birthright is precious if that infernall Broker get but a colour of title in it hee will vse tricks to make thee breake thy day and then sue out a Iudgement against thee 3. Some lose their Birthright profane and negligent wretches that leaue their soule perpetually vnguarded vnregarded They may be carefull about many things but one thing is necessary to keepe their Birth-right While they sleepe the enemy sowes tares it is a wretched slumber that sleepes and slips away the birth-right 4. Others giue away their birthright these are specially the enuious and the desperate Malice giues it away and hath nothing for it The Ambitious bargaines to haue a little honour for his Birthright the Couetous to haue some gold for his birthright the voluptuous to haue some sensuall pleasure for his birthright but the malicious giues it away for nothing except it be vexation that doth anguish him and languish him The desperate destroying his body giues away his birthright hee hath nought for it but horrors within and terrors without These men serue the diuels turne for nothing Looke O miserable man vpon the Purchaser of thy Birthright Christ consider the price it cost him if thou sell that for a little pleasure that he bought with so much paine thou thinkest him an idle Marchant No Lord as thou hast giuē it to vs so keepe it for vs that hauing now the assurance of it in grace vvee may haue one day the full possession of it in glory Written in heauen This phrase is often vsed in the Scripture and is but a metaphor whereby God declares the certaintie of some mens eternall predestination and eternall saluation Tostatus makes three written bookes of GOD. 1. The great booke wherein are written all persons actions and euents both good and bad Out of this are taken two other bookes 2. The booke of Predestination consisting onely of the Elect. 3.
mouth of Christ. Let mee conclude with that sigh from his soule Could ye not watch with me one houre It will not bee long ere the glasse be runne the houre out Iudas is at hand iudgement is not farre off then may you sleepe and take your rest This day is neerer you now then when you first entred the Church Twice haue the blasted eares eat vp the full corne twice haue the leane kine deuoured the fatte Pharaohs dreame is doubled for the certainty and expedition Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry If wee shall haue comfort in this day when it is come wee must long for it before it doe come What comfort shall the Vsurer haue hee desires not this day for then the Angell sweares there shall bee no more time and his profession is to sell time He sels it deare very costly to anothers purse but most costly to his owne soule Such as bribe for Offices farme Monopolies contract an vsurious rent for life doe they desire it Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darkenesse and not light The soule groaning vnder sinne desires it Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death The suffering soule may desire it Come Lord Iesus The faithfull Spouse wedded to Christ desires this comming of her Husband she is now espoused that is the plenary consummation of the marriage Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and the Bride hath made her selfe ready Blessed are they that bee called to this marriage supper To the vngodly it will be a fearefull day Ignis vbique ferox ruptis regnabit habenis there shall follow an vniuersall dissolution Downewards goe Satan his angels and reprobates howling and shriking gnashing of teeth the effect of a most impatient fury to be bound hand and foote with euerlasting chaines of darkenesse Where fire shall torture yet giue no light wormes gnaw the heart yet neuer gnaw in sunder the strings eternall paines punire non finire corpora Small sorrowes grow great with continuance but O misery of miseries to haue torments vniuersall and withall eternall not to be endured yet not to be ended Vpwards goes Christ the blessed Angels and Saints singing with melodie as neuer mortall eare heard The onely song which that Quire sung audible to man was that which the Shepheards heard Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Yet Christ was then comming to suffer what may we thinke are those Halleluiahs euerlastingly chanted in the Courts of Heauen we know not yet we may know one speciall note which an vniuersall Quire of all nations kinred and tongues Angels Elders All shall sing Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen To the spirits of iust men made perfect The Citizens of heâ—…uen are of two sorts by Creation or Adoption Created and naturall Citizens are the Angels Adopted are Men. Of these be two kindes some Assumed and others Assigned The Assigned such as are decreed in their times to be Citizens said before to bee written in heauen The Assumed such as are already possessed of it here Spirits of iust men made perfect But how then is the Apostles meaning cleared How are the militant on earth said to be come vnto these iust spirits in heauen Yes wee haue a Communion with them participating in Spe what they possesse in Re. Now we are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD. Onely our apprentiship of the flesh is not yet out but they haue their freedome But as wee haue all an vnion with Christ so a Communion vvith Christians the combatant on earth with the triumphant in heauen Spirits this word hath diuerse acceptions It is taken 1. Pro animo for the Mind Luke 10. 21. Iesus reioyced in spirit 1. Chron. 5. 26. God stirred vp the spirit of the King of Assyria 2. Pro sede rationis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 2. 11. What man knowes the things of man saue the spirit of man which is within him 3. Pro Affectuvel Afflatu for the motion of the mind whether good or bad Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what maner spirit ye are of So there is called the spirit of lust the spirit of pride c. 4. Pro donis spiritus sancti for the gifts of Gods Spirit Act. 8. 15. Peter and Iohn prayed for the disciples at Samaria that they might receiue the holy Spirit meaning the graces of the holy Spirit Gala. 3. 2. Receiued yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith 5. Pro efficacia Euangelij for the effectuall working of the Gospel and so it is opposed to the letter 2. Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giueth life 6. Pro spiritualibus exercitijs for spirituall exercises Gala. 6. 8. He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape euerlasting life Iohn 4. 23. True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit truth 7. Pro regenerata parte for the regenerate part of a Christian and so it is opposed to the flesh Gala. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh 8. Lastly Pro anima immortalâ—… for the immortall soule Eccl. 12. 7. Dust shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it This spirit did Steuen commend into the hands of Christ. Act. 7. 59. And Christ into the hands of his Father Math. 27. 50. yielding vp the spirit Thus it is taken here Spirits he doth not say bodies they lie in the dust vnder the hope of a better resurrection Spirits Wee find here what becomes of good mens soules when they forsake their bodies they are in the heauenly Citie There are many idle opinions what becomes of mans soule in death Some haue thought that the soules then though they die not yet are still kept within the body as it were asleepe vntill the last day But the Scripture speakes expresly the contrary for Diues his soule was in hell and Lazarus his soule in Abrahams bosome I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the Word of God Some haue imagined a transmigration of soules forsakeÌ„ of their owne bodies into other bodies Herod seemes to be of this opinion when newes was brought him concerning the fame of Iesus he said to his seruants This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead He thought that the soule of Iohn was put into the body of Iesus It is alleaged that Nebuchadnezzar liuing and feeding with beasts vntill seuen times were passed ouer him had lost his owne soule and the soule
the Church by vsurpations to exact interests and forfets these be nothing So the mony might not be put into the Treasury that might hire Iudas to betray his master The tenne brethren were so iust as to returne the mony in their sackes yet stucke not to sell their brother Ioseph Some are iust in great things not in small As the other straine at a gnat and swallow a camell so these are like the nette that takes the great fishes and le ts goe thâ—… little frie. Wantonnesse is no fault with them if it extend not to adultery They sticke not to sweare so long as they sweare not to a lie Maliciously to hate or peeuishly to quarrell is triuiall if they proceede not to blowes and bloud So long as they are not drunke swallow downe wine and spare not De minimis non curat Lex the Law takes no notice of small faults But indeed Eadem ratio rotunditatis there is the same respect of roundnesse in a penny that is in a platter though not of largenes To steal the bridle as to steale the horse is Tam though not Tantum such a sin though not so great a sinne Thou sayest minimum est minimum est it is little it is little Sed in minimo fidelem esse magnum est to bee faithfull in a little is a great vertue Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commandements hee shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen Erit minimus that is Nullus he shall be least in heauen that is he shall not be there at all But well done good seruant Because thou hast beene faithfull in a very little haue thou authority ouer tenne Cities Benè vtere paruo fruere magno the iust dispensation of a little shall bring thee to be intrusted with much Whether great or small wee must be iust if we looke euer to raigne with these iust spirits Ad societatem iustorum non admittuntur nisi iusti I wonder what place the defrauder expects that wraps vp his conscience in a bundle of stuffes and sweares it away The buyer thinkes he is iust and hee is iust cousoned no more The Vsurer would storme and stare as if had seene a spirit if hee were taxed for vniust Presently he consults his Scriptures his bonds and his Priest his Scriuener and there the one sweares the other shewes in blacke and white that he takes but ten in the hundred Is he then vniust Yes Thou hast taken vsury and increase and hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion Hee takes hire for that should be freely lent is not this vniust Besides the people curse it and they curse not but for iniustice I haue neyther lent on vsurie nor men haue lent me on vsury yet euery one doth curse me Insinuating that if a man lend vpon vsury it is no wonder if the people curse him Where must the Lay-Parson sit that fattes himselfe with the Tyth-graine will not giue the poore Minister the straw Is this iust He takes the tenth of his neighbours profits and neuer so much as reades him an Homelie for it is this iust Hee layes sactilegious hands on Gods sanctified things and neuer askes him leaue is this iust Where shall the Engrosser appeare that hoords vp commodities bought with ready mony and when he vents them makes the poore pay treble vsury for it is this iust What shall become of that vnspeakeably rich Transporter who carries out men and money to the impouerishing of the Land and brings home gawdes and puppets fitte for no bodies vse but prides Surely as heauen is for Iust spirits so there is some other place for the vniust Know ye not that the vniust shall not inherite the kingdome of God If not Gods kingdome then the kingdome of darkenes downewards hell I do not say that euery vniust deed throwes a soule thither Iniustum esse damnat non iniustè semel agere to be vniust is damnable not one thing vniustly done the habite not the act But for others Qui iniustè dominantur iâ—…stè damnantur They haue vniustly liued but they shall bee iustly condemned Made perfect This is a passiue quality non qui se perficiunt sed qui perficiuntur not such as haue made themselues perfect but are made perfect The other property is actiuely expressed Iust it is not said Iustified not that they made themselues iust but that Christs righteousnesse hath iustified them so both they are and are reputed iust But here passiuely Perfected which plainely shewes that all is from God for omne maius includit minus If onely Christ make them perfect then only Christ doth make them â—…ust For it is nothing so difficult for a iust man to become perfect as for an euill man to become iust As it is easier for a man healed and directed the way to come to the goale then for him that lies lame in darknesse Qui dedit ingressum must also dare progressum conficere perficere to make and to make vp to doe and to perfect are both the workes of God Wee could neuer be iust vnlesse Christ iustifie vs neuer come to perfection vnlesse he perfect vs. He that begun this good work must also finish it Made perfect In heauen are none but the perfect Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem such a house requires such an inhabitant On earth there is a kind of Perfection all the faithfull are perfectly iustified but not perfectly sanctified The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti the godly imperfectè perfecti those perfectly imperfect these imperfectly perfect They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ and there remaines no iudgement for them but onely a declaration of their pardon Iustification admits no latitude in it nec magis nec minus for none can be more then iust But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees non plenam induimus perfectionem donec totam exuimus infectionem all the staines of our infection must first be cleansed and quite washed away before this full perfection be giuen vs. Christs bloud doth now wholly take from vs the guiltinesse of sin not wholly the pollution of sinne that blessednesse is reserued only for heauen Let vs therefore be perficientes going and growing vp that at last we may be Perfecti made perfecti This is not wrought on a sodain a child doth not presently become a man Euen the Lord Iesus had his time of growing and can any member grow faster then the Head Indeed the malefactor on the crosse shot vp in an houre but this was miraculous and God seldome workes by such miracles God neyther sends Angels from heauen nor the dead from hell to giue warning to men vpon earth If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead But repentance hath the promise of a Qandocunque whensoeuer a sinner repents c. I will not limit Gods infinite mercy but onely
put on obedience if for stubbornnesse he must put on patience he must serue if he will deserue this God alone cannot doe if to die he must be mortall this onely God cannot be Therefore this Mediator is made man to be himselfe bound as he is GOD to free others that are bound Man to become weake God to vanquish Man to die God to triumph ouer death This is that sacred Ladder whose top in heauen reaching to the bosome of God expresseth his Diuinitie his foote on earth close to Iacobs loynes witnesseth his Humanitie We are bankrout debters God is a sure Creditor Christ sets all on his score We are ignorant Clients God is a skilfull Iudge Christ is our Aduocate to plead our cause for vs. God is a iust Master we are vnfaithfull vnfruitfull vnprofitable seruants this Mediator takes vp the matter betweene vs. Of the new Couenant For Moses may seeme to be a Mediator of the Old Couenant I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the Word of the Lord. This Mediatorship of the New couenant is a high office competible to none but the Lord Iesus Who should appeare betweene a iust God and sinfull men but he that is mortall with men and iust with God It is a Couenant for there is something agreed on both sides we couenant to belieue and God to forgiue A New couenant there was cold comfort for vs in the old A man reading Fac hoc et vines Doe this and thou shalt liue thinks of it as if he were bidden to catch a starre from the firmament take it for his labour But in the New Crede et vine belieue liue for euer The condition on mans part is belieuing the couenant on Gods part is Sauing Now though it be true that it is as easie for man of himselfe to fulfill the Law as it is to belieue the Gospel yet the New couenant Dat credere giues a man power to belieue for faith is the faire gift of God Praecipit non adiuvat Lex offert et affert Euangelium The Law giues commandement but not amendment the Gospel brings saluation to our hearts our hearts to saluation As it chargeth vs so it aydeth vs. As this Mediator giues Fidem quam credimus the faith which we belieue mercy and remission so also Fidem qua credimus the faith whereby we belieue grace to apprehend this mercy Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Couenant which was established vpon better promises Briefely here consider the excellencie of this New and Euangelicall Couenant aboue the Old and Legall In the beginning God made man righteous for he created him in his owne Image which the Apostle saies consisted in righteousnesse and the holinesse of truth But man soone defaced this goodly and godly picture This I haue found that God made man righteous but he sought out many inuentions waves to make himselfe wicked and wretched Hence it followed that our restitution was a greater work then our constitution The house was with more ease built vp new then repaired being old and ruinous That was done per verbum enuntiatum this per verbum annuntiatum There he spake the word and all things were created here the Word was made flesh Fecit mira tulit dira passus dura verba duriora verbera There it was done by saying Dic verbum tantùm here by doing yea by dying suffering grieuous words more grieuous wounds Factus in terris fractus in terris There all begun in Adam who was Terrae filius a sonne of the earth here all in Christ who is Coeli Dominus the Lord of Heauen Spirituall life is better then naturall firmer surer There man had onely a power to stand but with it a power to fall according to his owne pleasure heere he hath a certaintie of inseparable coniunction to Christ. He so stands as neuer to fall so liues as neuer to die so is loued as neuer to bee hated There Adam and Eue were married to propagate filios carnis children of the flesh heere Christ is married to his Church to beget filios spirituales children in the Spirit and that with a bond neuer to be diuorced Thus at first God commanded that to exist which was not before now he makes one contrary to be changed into another flesh into spirit darknesse into light corruption into holinesse greater miracles then changing stones into bread Dignus vindice nodus a knot worthy the finger of God to vntie Here is the wonderfull worke of the New Couenant we were made Ex spirituoris redeemed ex sanguine cordis created by the breath of Gods mouth but saued by the bloud of his heart Therefore not sixe Cherubims as in the vision of Esay nor foure and twenty Elders as in the Reuelation of Iohn but a royall Armie of heauenly souldiers were heard praysing GOD at the birth of Iesus Christ. In summe there is but one Mediator of the New Couenant neither Saint nor Angel hath any part in this dignity Melancth Idem est multos Deos fingere ac sanctos mortuos inuocare to worship old Saints is to make new Gods He that shall pray to dead men dishonours the liuing Mediator Saint Paul saith expresly There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus Whence it is manifest that it is the same blasphemous presumption to make moe Mediators then one that to make moe Gods then one Heere the Romanists distinguish Christ is the sole Mediator of Redemption not of Intercession Opus est mediatore ad mediatore Christum VVee must haue a Mediator of intercession to this Mediator of redemption A blind answere for Paul directly there speakes of prayers and Intercession ver 1. c. But say they Our prayers are to be made to God alone tanquam per cum implenda because our desires are fulfilled onely by him but vnto the Saints tanquam per eos impetranda because they are obtained by them As if Christ were so busie that hee could not tend to heare vs or so stately that hee vvould not bend to heare vs or so vniust as to deny his owne Venite and not to performe his promise Come vnto me all that labour We oppose against them that comfortable saying of S. Iohn If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous They answere Indeed Christ is our chiefe Aduocate Saints and Angels secondary or subordinate Aduocates But the word Aduocate is borrowed of the Lawyers signifies him only that doth plead the iustice of his clients cause A stranger in the court may become a petitioner to the Iudge intreat fauor for the person guilty but Aduocates are Patrons Proctors of their Clients Angels in heauen Saints on earth are suitors in our behalfe to God but Christ alone is our Aduocate And
vpon good cause for who but he can so well plead his own righteousnes whereby he hath iustified vs Therefore the Apostle calls him there our Propitiation he that wil be our Aduocate must also be our Propitiation no Saints or Angels can be a Propitiation for vs therefore no Saints or Angels can be our Aduocates Augustine sayes that if S. Iohn had offered himselfe to this office he had not been Apostolus sed Antichristus We obiect further Christs promise Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Not in Maries or Peters but in my Name Bellarmine answers that there may be a Mediator between disagreeing parties three waies 1. By declaring who hath the wrong and so there is no controuersie for all agree that GOD is the party grieued 2. By paying the Creditor for the Debter so Christ is alone Mediator 3. By desiring the Creditor to forgiue the Debter and in this sense he saies Angels and Saints are Mediators But this distinction is no other then Bellarmines mincing who indeed seemes to be ashamed of the blasphemous phrases in their Missals As Maria mater gratiae Sancte Petre miserere mei salua me c. These saith he are our words but not our meanings that Mary or Peter should conferre grace on vs in this life or glory in the life to come Yet both their Schoole and Practice speakes more For Aquin sayes our prayers are effectuall by the merits of Saints that Christs intercession is gotten by the patronage of Apostles by the interuention of Martyrs by the bloud of Becket and merits of all Saints And the practice of the people is to hold Angels and Saints immediate Mediators able to satisfie and saue But as one hath well obserued if euery Saint in the Popes Calender be receiued as a Mediator we shall worship vnknowne men as the Athenians did vnknown gods For the best Papists doubt whether there were euer any S. George or S. Christopher But say they The Virgin is a knowne Saint she can and may by the right of a Mother command her Sonne Christ. Their whole Church sings O foelix puerpera nostra pâ—…ans scelera inre matris impera And Maria consolatio infirmorum redemptio captiuorum liberatio damnatorum salus uniuersorum They haue giuen so much to the Mother that they haue left nothing for the Sonne Ozorius the Iesuite saies Caput gratiae Christus Maria colluÌ„ Christ is the Head of grace but Mary is the Neck no grace can come from the head but it must passe through the necke They inuocate her their Aduocate but of Christs mediation the medium or better halfe is taken from him as if he were still a child in subiection to his Mother But as he is Mariae filius so he is Mariae Dominus the Sonne and the Lord of his Mother Therefore the first words that we read Christ euer spake to his Parents were rough and by way of reproofe According to Saint Luke these were his first How is it that yee sought mee Wist yee not that I must be about my Fathers busines According to Saint Iohn more sharply Woman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee Quanquà m locuta est iure matris tamen duriter respondet Where was then their Monstra te esse Matrem Though at the commaund of his Mother he spake yet hee spake roughly Whereas Gods kingdome consists of his Iustice and Mercy the Papists attribute the greatest part which is his Mercy to Mary making her as one noted the Lady high Chancelour Christ as it were the Lord chiefe Iustice. As we appeale from the Kings-Bench barre to the Chancerie so a Papist may appeale from the Tribunall of God to the Court of our Lady So they make her Domina fac totum when one flatteringly wrote of Pope Adrian Traiectum plantauit Louanium rigauit Caesar autem incrementum dedit Traiectum planted Louaine watered but the Pope gaue the increase one wittily vnderwrites Deus interim nihil fecit God did nothing the while So if Mary be the comfort of the weake the redeemer of captiues the deliuerer of the damned the saluation of all the Aduocate of the poore the Patronesse of the rich then sure Christ hath nothing to doe No beloued Abraham is ignorant of vs the blessed Virgin knowes vs not but the Lord Iesus is our Redeemer Prayer is not a labour of the lippes onely but an inward groning of the spirit a powring out of the soule before God Now Saints and Angels vnderstand not the heart it is the righteous God that tryeth the heart and the reynes Christ is the master of all Requests in the Court of Heauen there needs no porter nor waiter It is but praying Lord Iesus come vnto me and he presently answeres I am with thee Heare mee O Christ for it is easie to thy power and vsuall to thy mercie and agreèable to thy promise O blessed Mediator of the new Couenant heare vs. To the bloud of sprinkling Aspersionis Hebraico more pro asperso Two things are implyed in the two words Sacrificium and Beneficium Bloud there is the sacrifice of Sprinkling there is the benefite To the bloud To speake properly it is the death of Christ that satisfies the Iustice of God for our sinnes and that is the true materiall cause of our redemption Yet is this frequently ascribed to his bloud The bloud of Christ purgeth the Conscience from dead works Out of his pierced side came forth bloud and water As God wrote nothing in vaine so what he hath often repeated hee would haue seriously considered Non leuiter praetereat lectura nostra quod tam frequenter insculpsit Scriptura sacra There are some reasons why our saluation is ascribed to CHRISTS bloud 1. Because in the bloud is the life Flesh with the bloud therof which is the life therof you shall not eat Leu. 17. 14. The soule of a beast is in the bloud and in the bloud is the life of euery reasonable creature on earth The effusion thereof doth exhaust the vitall spirits and death followes In Christs bloud was his life the shedding of that was his death that death by the losse of that bloud is our redemption 2. Because this bloud answeres to the types of the legall sacrifices This our Apostle exemplifies in a large conference The first Testament was not dedicated without bloud Moses sprinkling the booke and all the people sayd This is the bloud of the Testament Almost all things are by the Law purged by bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission No reconciliation no remission without bloud All directed vs to this Lambe of GOD whose bloud onely vindicates vs from eternall condemnation Not that the bloud of a meere man could thus merite but of that man who is also God therefore it is called the Bloud of God 3. Because bloud is fitter for applyment to the heart of man who
wicked will not grapple vpon equall termes they must haue either locall or ceremoniall aduantage But the godly are weake and poore and it is not hard to prey vpon prostrate fortunes A lowe hedge is soone troden downe and ouer a vvretch deiected on the base earth an insulting enemy may easily stride Whiles Dauid is downe or rather in him figured the Church the plowers may plow vpon his backe and make long their furrowes But what if they ride ouer our heads and wound our flesh let them not wound our patience Though we seale the bond of conscience vvith the bloud of innocence though we lose our liues let vs not lose our patience Lactantius sayes of the Philosophers that they had a sword and wanted a buckler but a buckler doth better become a Christian then a sword Let vs know Non nunc honoris nostri tempus esse sed doloris sed passionis that this is not the time of our ioy and honour but of our passion and sorow Therfore let vs with patience runne the race c. But leaue vvee our selues thus suffring and come to speake of that we must be content to feele the oppression of our enemies Wherein we will consider the Agents Actions The Agents Are Men. Thou hast caused men to ride c. Man is a sociable liuing creature and should conuerse with man in loue and tranquillity Man should be a supporter of man is he become an ouerthrower He should help and keep him vp doth he ride ouer him and tread him vnder foot O Apostacie not onely from diuinitie but euen from humanitie Quid homini inimicissimum Homo The greatest danger that befalls man comes whence it should least come from man himselfe Caetera animantia saith Plinie in suo genere probe degunt c. Lyons fight not vvith Lions Serpents spend not their venims on serpents but Man is the maine suborner of mischiefe to his ovvne kind It is reported of the Bees that â—…grotante vna lamentâ—…ntur omnes when one is sicke they all mourne And of Sheepe that if one of them be faint the rest of the flocke will stand betweene it and the Sunne till it be reuiued onely man to man is most pernicious Wee knowe that a bird yea a bird of rapine once fed a man in the Wildernesse that a beast yea a beast of fierce cruelty spared a man in his denne Whereupon saith a learned Father Ferae parcunt aues pascunt hommes saeuiunt The birds feed man and the beasts spare him but man rageth against him Wherefore I may well conclude with Salomon Prou. 17. Let a Bearerobbed of her whelps meet a man rather then a foole in his folly God hath hewne vs all out of one rock temperd all our bodies of one clay and spirited our soules of one breath Therefore saith Augustine Sith we proceed all out of one stock let vs all be of one mind Beasts molest not their owne kind and birds of a feather flie louingly together Not onely the blessed Angels of heauen agree in a mutuall harmonie but euen the very diuells of hell are not diuided lest they ruine their kingdome We haue one greater reason of vnitie and loue obserued then all the rest For whereas God made not all Angels of one Angell nor all beasts of the great Behemoth nor all fishes of the huge Leuiathan nor all birds of the maiesticall Eagle yet hee made all men of one Man Let vs then not iarre in the dispensation of our mindes that so agree in the composition of our natures You see how inhumane and vnnaturall it is for man to wrong man of his owne kinde and as it were of his owne kinne Thus for the Agents The Action Is amplified in diuers circumstances climbing vp by rough staires to a high transcendency of Oppression It ariseth thus In Riding Riding ouer vs. Riding ouer our Heads Driuing vs through fire and water 1. They ride What need they mount themselues vpon beasts that haue feete malicious enough to trample on vs They haue a Foote of Pride Psalm 36. from which Dauid prayed to bee deliuered A presumptuous heele which they dare lift vp against God and therefore a tyrannous toe to spurne deiected man They need not horses and mules that can kicke with the foote of a reuengefull malice 2. Ouer vs. The way is broad enough wherein they trauell for it is the Deuils roade they might well misse the poore there is roome enough besides they need not ride Ouer vs. It were more braue for them to iustle with champions that will not giue them the way wee neuer contend for their path they haue it without our enuie not without our pitie why should they ride Ouer vs 3. Ouer our heads Is it not contentment enough to their pride to ride to their malice to ride ouer vs but must they delight in bloudinesse to ride ouer our heads will not the breaking of our armes and legges and such inferiour limbes satisfie their indignation Is it not enough to wracke our strength to mocke our innocence to prey on our estates but must they thirst after our blouds and liues Quò tendit saua libido whither will their madnesse runne But we must not tie our selues to the latter Heere is a mysticall or metaphoricall gradation of their cruelty Their Riding Ouer vs Ouer our heads is Proud Malicious Bloudy Oppression They Ride This phrase describes a vice compounded of two damnable ingredients Pride and Tyrannie It was a part of Gods fearefull curse to rebellious recidiuation Deut. 28. that their enemies should ride and triumph ouer them and they should come downe very low vnder their feet It is deliuered for a notorious marke of the great Whore of Babylons pride that she rides vpon a scarlet-colou'rd Beast Saint Paul seemes to apply the same word to oppression 1. Thes. 4. That no man oppresse his brother The originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe vpon him climbe on him or tread him vnder foote O blasphemous height of villany not onely by false slanders to betray a mans innocence nor to lay violent hands vpon his estate but to trip vp his heels with frauds or to lay him along with iniuries and then to trample on him And because the foote of man for that should bee soft and fauouring cannot dispatch him to mount vpon beasts wilde and fauage affections and to ride vpon him Ouer vs. This argues their malice It were a token of wilfull spight for a horseman in a great rode to refuse all way and to ride ouer a poore traueller Such is the implacable malice of these persecutors Esa. 59. Wasting and destruction are in their paths yea wasting and destruction are their paths They haue fierce lookes and truculent hearts their very breath is ruine and euery print of their foot vastation They neyther reuerence the aged nor pity the sucking infant Virgins cannot auoid their rapes nor women with
praemium tantis lobâ—…ribus quaesitum lest the reward be lost which thou with much labour hast aymed at It is not enough Quaerere coelum sed acquirere non Christum sequi sed consequi To seeke heauen but to find it not to follow Christ but to ouertake him not to be brought to the gates but to enter in Many will say to Christ in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy Name But the Master of the house is first risen hath shut to the doore Either they come too soone before they haue gotten faith and a good conscience or too late as those foolish Virgins when the gate was shut If then wee haue begun let vs continue to entrance Cuiusque casus tantò maioris est criminis quantò prinsquam caderet maior is er at virtutis Euery mans fault hath so much the more discredite of scandall as he before he fell had credite of vertue Let vs beware that we doe not slide if slide that we do not fall if fall that wee fall forward not backward The iust man often slips and sometime falls And this is dangerous for if a man whiles hee stands on his legges can hardly grapple with the deuill how shall he do when he is falne downe vnder his feete But if they doe fall they fall forward as Ezekiel not backward as Eli at the losse of the Arke or they that came to surprise Christ Iohn 18. They went backward and fell to the ground Cease not then thy godly endeuours vntill Contingas portum quò tibi â—…ursus erat Say we not like the woman to Esdras whether in a vision or otherwise when he bade her goe into the Citie That will I not doe I will not goe into the Citie but here I will die It is a wretched sinne saith August after teares for sinne not to preserue innocence Such a man is washed but is not cleane Quia coÌ„missa flere definit et iterum flenda committit He leaues weeping for faults done and renues faults worthy of weeping Think not thy selfe safe till thou art got within the gates of the Citie Behold thy Sauiour calling thy Father blessing the Spirit assisting the Angels comforting the Word directing the glory inuiting good men associating Go cheerfully till thou enter in through the gates into the Citie The manner Through the gates Not singularly a Gate but gates For Chap. 21. the Citie is said to haue twelue gates On the East three gates on the North three on the South three and on the West three To declare that men shall come from all the corners of the World from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of GOD. These Gates are not literally to be vnderstood but mystically Pro modo intrandi for the maner of entrance The gates are those passages whereby we must enter this Citie Heauen is often said to haue a Gate Striue to enter in at the strait Gate saith Christ. Lift vp your heads O yee Gates and be ye lift vp yee euerlasting doores saith the Psalmist This is none other but the house of God and this is the Gate of Heauen saith Iacob There must be Gates to a Citie they that admit vs hither are the Gates of Grace So the analogie of the words inferre dooing the commandements is the way to haue right in the tree of Life obedience and sanctification is the Gate to this Citis of saluation In a vvord The Gate is Grace Citie Glory The Temple had a gate called Beautifull Act. 3. But of poore beauty in regard of this Gate Of the gates of the Sanctuary spake Dauid in diuerse Psalmes with loue and ioy Enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his courts with praise This was Gods delight The Lord loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob This was Dauids election to be a Porter or keeper of the gates of Gods house rather then dwell in the Tents of wickednesse This his Resolution Our feete shall stand within thy gates O Ierusalem Salomon made two docres for the entring of the Oracle they were made of Oliue trees and wrought vpon with the carnings of Cherubins The Oliues promising fatnesse and plenty of blessings the Cherubins holinesse and eternitie These are holy gates let euery one pray with that royall Prophet Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them I wil praise the Lord. This is the Gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter In briefe we may distinguish the gates leading to this Citie into two Adoption and Sanctification Both these meet in Christ who is the onely gate or doore vvhereby we enter Heauen I am the doore saith our Sauiour Ianua vitae the gate of life by mee if any enter in hee shall be saued Adoption Is the first Gate We haue receiued the spirit of Adoption Without this passage no getting into Heauen The inheritance of glory cannot be giuen to the children of disobedience they must first be conuerted adopted heires in Christ. The Grace of God is two-fold There is Gratia gratis agens and Gratia gratum faciens This second grace which is of Adoption is neuer in a reprobate not by an absolute impossibilitie but by an indisposition in him to receiue it A sparke of fire falling vpon water ice snow goes out on wood flaxe or such apt matter kindles Baptisme is the Sacrament of admission into the Congregation of Insition and Initiation whereby vve are matriculated and receiued into the motherhood of the Church Therefore the sacred Font is placed at the Church-doore to insinuate and signifie our Entrance So Adoption is the first doore or gate whereby wee passe to the Citie of glory This is our new Creation whereat the Angels of heauen reioyce Luke 15. At the creation of Dukes or Earles there is great ioy among men but at our new creation Angels and Seraphins reioyce in the presence of GOD. Our Generation was A non esse ad esse from not being to be But our Regeneration is A malè esse ad benè esse from a being euill to be well and that for euer Through this gate we must passe to enter the Citie vvithout this death shall send vs to another place No man ends this life well except he be borne againe before he ends it Now if you would be sure that you are gone through this gate call to mind what hath been your Repentance The first signe of Regeneration is throbbes and throwes you cannot be adopted to Christ without sensible paine and compunction of heart for your sinnes The Christian hath two Birthes and they are two gates hee can passe through none of them but with anguish Both our first and second Birth begin with crying Our first birth is a gate into
giues a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall not lose his reward This hire and reward is not the stipend of our labours but of Gods loue He giues vs the good of grace and then rewards it with the good of glory It is a reward Secundum quid a gift simpliciter Compare eternall life to the worke looking no farther it is a reward Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen But examine the Originall from whence it proceedes then it is the gift of God Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. He is said to Shew mercy to them that keep his Commande◅ents the very keeping the Commandements is not merit it hath neede of mercy Loe thus the Lord giues grace then praiseth it blesseth it rewards it Christ cloatheth his Spouse with his owne garments the smell of Myrrhe Alloes and Cassia A white robe of his perfect righteousnesse imputed with his golden merits and inestimable Iewels of graces and then praiseth her Thou art all faire my Loue there is no spot in thee When God made the world with all creatures in it he beheld it and Euge bonum behold it is exceeding good so when hee makes a Christian Maiorem meliorem mundo and hath furnished him with competent graces hee turnes backe and lookes vpon his owne workemanship Ecce bonum it is exceeding good hee forbeares not to commend it Now what doth hee specially commend in this conuerted Leper his praysing of God The Leper prayseth God God praiseth the Leper He prayseth in his praysing two things the Rightnesse and the Rarenesse 1. The Rightnesse that he gaue praise to God directed it thither where it was onely due He returned to giue glory to God non mihi sed Deo saith Christ not to me but to God Perhaps his knowledge was not yet so farre enlightned as to know him that cured him to be God therefore bestowed his praise where hee was sure it should be accepted where onely it is deserued on God I seeke not my owne praise saith Iesus but mittentis the praise of him that sent me If I honour my selfe my honour is nothing 2. The Rarenesse and that in two respects 1. That hee alone of tenne blessed God God had but his Tenth it is much if the tenth soule goe to heauen The godly are so rare that they are set vp for markes and signes and wonders as if the world stood amazed at them 2. That hee onely was the Stranger a Samaritan Many great vertues were found among the Samaritans Faith Charity Thankfulnesse First Faith Many of the Samaritans of that Citie beleeued on him Secondly Charity It was the Samaritan that tooke compassion on the man wounded between Ierusalem and Iericho The Priest and the Leuite passed by him without pitie but the Samaritan bound vp his wounds Thirdly Gratitude exemplified in this Samaritan Leper none of the Iewes gaue God praise for their healing but only the Samaritan It was strange that in Gentiles should be found such vertue where it was least looked for Verily I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel The least informed did proue the best reformed Samaritan was held a word of reproach amongst the Iewes as appeares by their malicious imputation to Christ. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Diuell They were esteemed as dogges It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And at the first promulgation of the Gospell the Apostles receiued a manifest prohibition Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not It was therefore rare to reape such fruites out of the wild Forrest cursed like the mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither raine vpon you nor fields of offerings To be good in good company is little wonder for Angels to be good in heauen Adam in Paradise Iudas in Christs Colledge had been no admirable matter to apostate in these places so exemplary of goodnesse was intolerable weakenesse But for Abraham to be good in Chalde Noah in the old world Lot in Sodome for a man now to be humble in Spaine continent in France chaste in Venice sober in Germany temperate in England this is the commendation Such a one is a Lilly in a Forrest of thornes a handfull of wheate in a field of cockle Let me not here omit two things worthy my insertion and your obseruation 1. Gods iudgement and mans do not concurre the Samaritans were condemned of the Iewes yet here nine Iewes are condemned by one Samaritan They that seeme best to the world are often the worst to God they that are best to God seeme worst to the world When the Moone is lightest to the earth she is darkest to heauen when she is lightest to heauen she is darkest to the earth So often men most glorious to the world are obscurest to the diuine approbation others obscure to the worlds acknowledgement are principally respected in Gods fauor Man would haue cleared the Pharise and condemned the Publican when they both appeared in the Temple together the one as it were in the Quire the other in the Belfrey But Christs iudgemēt is that the Publicane departed rather iustified The Iewes thought that if but 2. men in the world were saued the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharise But Christ saith neither of them both shall come there You shall see others in the Kingdome of heauen and you your selues thrust out Some like the Moone are greater or lesse by the Sunne of mens estimation Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen Dauid Isaac preferred Esau but God preferred Iacob and made the father giue the blessing to that sonne to whom he least meant it All this iustifies that my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes ◅aith the Lord. 2. Learne we here from Christ to giue men their due praise to them that deserue praise God ◅akes of vices with commination of vertues wit◅◅endation Let vs speake of others sinnes with griefe of their good workes with praise and ioy Of others sinnes with griefe so did S. Paul Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ. So Dauid Riuers of waters ru◅ downe mine eyes because men keepe not thy Law Our Sauiour wept ouer apostate Ierusalem he wept ouer the people beholding them as scattered sheep without a shepheard Who can forbeare weeping to see soules muffled misse-led by ignorance like the babes of Niniuch not able to distinguish the right hand from the left Alas there are innumerable soules that know not their owne estate O pitie them Because thou wilt not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for thy pride But let vs mention
the other walke after that direction and they vvill bring the soule to heauen For Transition or Passing as the feete corporally so these spiritually mooue and conduct the man from place to place Indeed none can come to the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him but when he hath giuen vs feet he looks we should goe Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare he that hath hands let him worke hee that hath feet let him goe Hence is that exhortation Draw neer to God he will draw neer to you In this foot-manship there is Terminus à quo recedimus Terminus ad quem accedimus motus per quem procedimus From the waies of darknes from the wages of darknes to the fruition of light to the counersation in light From darknes exterior interiour inferiour Outward this land is full of darknes fraught operibus tenebrarum with the works of darknesse Inward Hauing the vnderstanding darkned being alienated froÌ„ the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnes of their heart Outer darkenesse that which Christ cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lower darkenesse Hee hath reserued the Lost angels in euer lasting chaines vnder darkenesse Vnto light externall internall eternall Outward Light Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path Inward light In the hidden parts thou shalt make mee to know wisedom Euerlasting Light They shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer Blessed feet that carry vs to That light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the world and to the beames of that Sunne which giues light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death happy feet they shall bee guided into the way of peace Looke to thy foote wheresoeuer thou treadest beware the gardens of temporall pleasures Est aliquid quod in ipsis floriâ—… angat It is worse going on fertile ground then on baâ—… the smooth wayes of prosperity are slippery in rough â—…fflictions we may take sure footing Let your feet bee â—…od saith Paul your affections restrained barre lust of her vaine obiects turne her from earth to heauen Set her a trauelling not after riches but graces Keepe the foot of desire still going but put it in the right way direct it to euerlasting blessednes And this is 3. The End whither we must goe to perfection Thou hast done well yet goe on still Nihil praesumitur actum dum superest aliquid ad agenduÌ„ nothing is said to be done whiles any part remaines to doe No man can goe too far in goodnesse Nimis iustus et nimis sapiens potes esse non nimis bonus Thou maiest be too iust thou maist be too wise but thou canst neuer be too good Summae religionis est imitari quem colis It is a true height of religion to be a follower of that God of whom thou art a worshipper Come so nigh to God as possibly thou canst in imitation not of his power wisedome maiestie but of his mercie Be holy as the Lord is holy Be merciful as your heauenly Father is mercifull The going on forward to this perfection shall not displease him but crowne thee Giue not ouer this going vntill with Saint Paul thou haue quite finished thy course Aime at perfection shoot at this marke though thou cannot reach it When the wrastling Angel said to Iacob Let me goe for the day breaketh he answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me happy perseuerance When I caught him whom my soule loued I held him and would not let him goe O sweet Iesus who would let thee goe Qui tenes tenentem apprehendentem fortificus fortificatum confirmas confirmatum perficis perfectum coronas Thou that holdest him that holdeth thee that strengthenest him that trusteth thee confirmest whom thou hast strengthened perfectest whom thou hast confirmed and crownest whom thou hast perfected In the behalfe of this continuance the Holy Ghost giues those exhortations Hold fast Stand fast Hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne The same to the Church of Thyatira Tene quod habes Reu. 2. 25. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free It is an ill hearing Ye not doe but did runne well The Prophet in his threnes weepes that they which were brought vp in scarlet embrace dunghils It is iust matter of lamentation when soules which haue beene clad with zeale as with scarlet constantly forward for the glory of God fall to such Apostacie as with Demas to embrace the duÌ„ghil of this world and with an auarous hausture to lick vp the mudde of corruption Ioseph had a coat reaching downe to his feete our religion must be such a garment neither too scant to couer nor too short to continue ad vltimum to the last day of our temporary breath Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life this crowne is promised to a good beginning but performed to a good ending Striue to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height If we can comprehend with the Saints not onely the height of hope the depth of faith the breadth of charity but also the length of continuance we are blessed for euer Euen the tired horse when he comes neere home mends his pace be good alwaies vvithout wearinesse but best at last that the neerer thou commest to the end of thy dayes the neerer thou mayest be to the end of thy hopes the saluation of thy soule Omnis coelestis Curia nos expectat desideremus eam quanto possumus desiderio The whole Court of heauen waites for vs let vs long for that blessed society with a hearty affection The Saints looke for our comming desiring to haue the number of the elect fulfilled the Angels blush when they see vs stumble grieue when vve fall clappe their vvings vvith ioy when vve goe cheerefully forward our Sauiour Christ stands on the battlements of heauen and with the hand of helpe and comfort wafteth vs to him When a noble Souldier in a forraine Land hath atchieued braue designes wonne honourable victories subdued dangerous aduersaries and with worthy Chiualry hath renowned his King and Country home he comes the King sends for him to Court and there in open audience of his Noble Courtiers giues him words of grace commendeth and vvhich is rarely more rewardeth his Valour heapes dignities preferments and places of honour on him So shall Christ at the last day to all those Souldiers that haue valiantly combated and conquered his enemies in the sight of heauen and earth audience of men and Angels giue victorious wreathes crownes and garlands long white robes to witnesse their innocency and Palmes in their hands to expresse their victory and finally he shall giue them a glorious kingdome
to enioy for euer and euer Now yet further to encourage our going let vs thinke vpon our company Foure sweet associates go with vs in our Iourny good Christians good Angels good works our most good Sauiour Iesus Christ. 1. Good Christians accompany vs euen to our death If thou go to the Temple they will go with thee Many people shall say Come and let us go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob If thou say Come let vs build vp the walles of Ierusalem they will answer Let vs rise vp and build So when Ioshua protested to Israel do what you will but as for mee and my house we will serue the Lord they ecchoed to him God forbid that we should for sake the Lord to serue other gods we also will serue the Lord. Thou canst not say with Elias I am left alone there be seuen thousand and thousand thoâ—…sands that neuer bowed their knee to Baal 2. Good Angels beare vs company to death in our guarding after death in our carrying vp to heauen Angelis mandauit He hath giuen his Angels charge over vs There are malicious deuils against vs but there are powerfull Angels with vs. That great Maiestie whom wee all adore hath giuen them this commission Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation An Angell counsels Hagar to returne to her Mistresse an Angell accompanies Iacob in his iourney an Angell feeds Elias an Angell pluckes Lot out of Sodome Gaudent Angeli te conuersum illorum sociari consortijs The Angels reioyce at our conuersion that so their number might haue a completion 3. Good workes beare vs company Good Angels associate vs to deliuer their charge good workes to receiue their reward Though none of our actions bee meritorious yet are none transient none lost They are gone before vs to the Courts of ioy and when wee come they shall welcome our entrance Virtutis miseris dulce sodalitium What misery soeuer perplexeth our voyage vertue and a good conscience are excellent company 4. Lastly Iesus Christ beares vs company Hee is both Via and Conuiator the way and companion in the way When the two Disciples went to Emaus Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them If any man go to Emaus which Bernard interpreteth to be Thirsting after good aduice he shall be sure of Christs company If any man entreate Iesus to goe a mile he will go with him twaine None can complaine the want of company whiles his Sauiour goes along with him Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. There we finde two Persons of the blessed Trinity our Associates the Father and the Sonne now the Holy Ghost is not wanting The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Goe we then comfortably forward and God will bring vs to our desired Hauen But Pauci intrant pauciores ambulant paucissimi perâ—…nt Few enter the way fewer walke in the way fewest of all come to the end of the way their saluation Men thinke the way to heauen broader then it is But straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there bee that finde it All say they are going to glory but the greater number take the wrong way A man somewhat thicke-sighted when he is to passe ouer a narrow bridge puts on spectacles to make it seeme broader but so his eyes beguile his feete and he fals into the brooke Thus are many drowned in the whirle-poole of sinne by viewing the passage to heauen onely with the Spectacles of flesh and bloud They thinke the bridge broad so topple in Happy eyes that well guide the feete and happy feet that neuer rest going till they enter the gates of heauen Thus much for the Pasport now we come to The Certificate Thy faith hath made thee whole Wherein Christ doth comfort and encourage the Leper First he comforts him that his faith was the meanes to restore health to his body then thereby hee encourageth him that this faith encreased would also bring saluation to his soule I might here obserue that as faith is onely perceiued of God so it is principally commended of God The Leper glorified God and that with a loud voyce there was his thankfulnesse he fell downe at Christs feet there was his humblenesse The eares of men heard his gratitude the eyes of men saw his humility but they neither heard nor saw his faith But how then saith Saint Iames Shew mee thy faith Himselfe answeres By thy workes It cannot be seene in habitu in the very being yet may easily be knowne in habente that such a person hath it No man can see the winde as it is in the proper essence yet by the full sailes of the ship one may perceiue which way the winde stands The sap of the tree is not visible yet by the testimony of leaues and fruites we know it to be in the tree Now Christ sees not as man sees man lookes vpon the externall witnesses of his gratitude and humility but Christ to that sap of faith in the heart which sent forth those fruits Thy faith hath saued thee The words distribute themselues into two principall and essentiall parts The Meanes Thy faith Effects Hath made thee whole The meanes is partly Demonstratiue Faith partly Relatiue Thy faith The Quality and the Propriety the Quality of the meanes it is Faith the Propriety it is not anothers but Thy faith Faith This is the demonstratiue quality of the meanes of his healing But what was this Faith 1. There is a faith that beleeues veritatem historiae the truth of Gods word This we call an Historicall Faith but it was not this faith King Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleeuest 2. There is a faith that beleeues Certitudinem Promissi the certainety of Gods promises that verily is perswaded God will bee so good as his word that he will not breake his couenant with Israel nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile vnto Dauid yet applyes not this to it selfe but it was not this faith 3. There is a faith that beleeues Potestatem Dicentis the Maiestie and Omnipotencie of him that speakes so the deuill that God is able to turne Stones into brâ—…d so the Papist that he can turne bread into flesh and cause one circumscribed body to supply millions of remote places at once But it was not this faith 4. There is a faith beleeues se moturam Montes that it is able to remoue Mountaines a miraculous faith which though it were specially giuen to the Apostles In my name shall they cast out deuils take vp Serpents cure the sicke by imposition of hands say to a Tree
bird shall as soone flie with another birds feathers as thy soule mount to heauen by the wings of anothers faith It is true faith and thy faith true with other mens faith but inherent in thy owne person that saues thee True not an empty faith Nuda fides nulla fides Inseparabilis est bona vita â fide imò verò ea ipsa est bona vita saith Augustine A good life is inseparable from a good faith yea a good faith is a good life So Irenaeus To belieue is to doe Gods will Thine therefore vve say Credo not Credimus I belieue not we belieue Euery man must professe and be accountant for his owne faith Thus much of the Meanes now to The Effect Hath made thee whole or saued thee It may be read eyther way It hath saued thee or It hath salued thee First of them both ioyntly then seuerally Faith is the meanes to bring health to body comfort to soule saluation to both I call it but the meanes for some haue giuen it more Because the Apostle saith that Abraham obtained the promise Through the righteousnesse of faith therefore say they Fides ipsa Iustitia Faith is righteousnesse it selfe But let S. Paul answere them and expound himselfe I desire to be found in Christ not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ whose is that the righteousnesse which is not of vs but of GOD by Faith Thus faith is said to saue vs not of it selfe the hand feeds the mouth yet no man thinkes that the mouth eates the hand onely as the hand conueyes meat to the body so faith saluation to the soule Wee say the Ring stancheth bloud when indeed it is not the Ring but the stone in it There are many that make faith an almighty Idoll it shal saue but thus they make themselues idle and trust all vpon nothing That faith is a meritorious cause of iustification this a doctrine that may come in time to trample Christs bloud vnder feet Now these speeches rightly vnderstood Faith adopteth faith iustifieth faith saueth are not derogatory to the glory of God nor contradictory to these speeches Christ adopteth Christ iustifieth Christ saueth One thing may bee spoken of diuers particulars in a different sense God the Father adopteth the Sonne adopteth the holy Spirit adopteth Faith adopteth all these are true and without contrariety They be not as the young men that came out of the two armies before Ioab and Abner euery one thrust his sword into his fellowes side and fell down together But like Dauids Brethren dwelling together in peace God the Father adopteth as the Fountaine of adoption God the Sonne as the Conduit God the holy Ghost as the Cesterne Faith as the Cocke whereby it runnes into our hearts Faith brings iustification not by any speciall excellency it hath in it selfe but onely by that place and office which God hath assigned it it is the condition on our parts So the Apostle instructed the Iailour Belieue â—…n the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house Gods ordinance giues that thing the blessing which it hath not in the owne nature If Naaman had gone of his owne head and washed himselfe seuen times in Iordan he had not been healed it was Gods command that gaue those waters such purging vertue If the Israelites stung with these fiery serpents in the Desart had of their owne deuising set vp a brazen Serpent they had not beene cured it was neyther the materiall brasse nor the serpentine forme but the direction of God which effected it It was not the Statue but the Statute that gaue the vertue So Faith for it owne merit brings none to heauen but for the promise which the God of Grace and Truth had made to it In common speech wee say of such a man His Lease maintaines him is there any absurdity in these words No man conceiues it to bee a parchment lined vvith a few words accompanied with a vvaxen Labell that thus maintaines him but that House or Land or rents so conueyed to him So Faith saueth I ascribe not this to the Instrument but to Iesus Christ whom it apprehends and that inheritance by this meanes conueyed But now wouldest thou know thy selfe thus interessed looke to thy faith this is thy proofe If a rich man die and bequeath all his riches and possessions to the next of bloud many may challenge it but he that hath the best proofe carries it To Christs Legacy thou layest claime looke to thy proofe it is not Lord Lord I haue prophecied in thy Name nor We haue feasted in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe and then thou shalt heare Bee it vnto thee according to thy faith And this a little faith doth if it bee true There is a faith like a graine of mustard seede small but true little but bite it and there is heate in it faith warmes where euer it goes In a word this is not the faith of explication but of Application that is dignified with the honor of this conueyance Hath made thee whole Faith brings health to the body There was a woman vexed with an vncomfortable disease twelue yeres shee suffered many things of Physicians some torturing her with one medicine some with another none did her good but much hurt Shee had spent all her liuing vpon them and heerein saith Erasmus was bis misera her sicknesse brought her to weakenesse weakenesse to Physike Physike to beggery beggery to contempt Thus was shee anguished in body vexed in mind beggerd in estate despised in place yet faith healed her Her wealth was gone Physicians giuen her ouer her faith did not forsake her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole There was a vvoman bowed downe with a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeeres yet loosed there was a man bedrid eight and thiâ—…ty yeeres a long and miserable time when besides his corporall distresse he might perhaps conceiue from that Eccl. 38. 15. He that sinneth before his Maker let him fall into the hand of the Physician that God had cast him away yet Christ restored him Perhaps this Leprosie was not so old yet as hard to cure yet faith is able to doe it Thy faith hath made thee whole But it was not properly his faith but Christs vertue that cured him why then doth not Christ say Mea virtus and not Tua â—…ides My vertue not thy faith hath made thee whole True it is his vertue onely cures but this is apprehended by mans faith When that diseased woman had touched him Iesus knew in himselfe that vertue had gone out of him and hee turned him about in the prease and said Who touched my clothes Yet speaking to the woman he mentioneth not his vertue but her faith Daughter thy faith hath
with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp The workes of mens hands the workes of their brines their very thoughts shall perish The Lords voyce shooke the earth and hee hath saide yet once againe I will shake not the earth onely but also heauen O blessed place that is not subiect to this shaking whose ioyes haue not onely an amiable countenance but a glorious continuance The things that are shaken shall be remoued but the things that are not shaken remaine for euer All the terrours of this worlde mooue not him that is fixed in heauen Impauidum ferient ruinae They that put their trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot beremoued but abideth for euer But the Tabernacles and hopes of the wicked shall perish together For the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth euer Whereon sayth August Quid vis Vtrum amare temporalia transire cum tempore an amare Christum viuere in aeternum Whether wilt thou loue the world and perish with it or loue Christ liue for euer 3. Myracle The rockes rent A wonderfull act to breake stones and rend rockes This giues vs two obseruations 1. This did foresignifie the power and efficacie of the Gospell that it should bee able to breake the very rockes As the death and passion of Christ did cleaue those solid and almost impenetrable substances so the publishing of his death and passion shall rend and breake in pieces the rockie hearts of men So Iohn Baptist said God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham The hearts of Zaccheus Mary Magdalene Paul were such rockes yet they were cleft with the wedge of the Gospell This is that Rod of Moses able to breake the hardest Rockes till they gush out with flouds of penitent teares This is Ieremies hammer powerfull to bruise the most obdurate hearts The bloud of the Goate sacrificed of force to dissolue Adamant There is power in the bloud of Iesus to put sense into stones Blessed are you if you be thus broken-hearted for him whose heart was broken for you For the broken heart the Lord will not despise 2. Obserue the wonderfull hardnesse of the Iewes hearts The stones rent and claue in sunder at the cruell death of Iesus but their hearts more stony then stones are no whit moued They rend not their garments much lesse their hearts when as the earth rent the Stones her bones and the rockes her ribbes The flints are softer then they the flints breake they harden They still belch their malicious blasphemies the rocks relent the stones are become men and the men stones O the sencelesnesse of a hard heart rockes will sooner breake then that can be mollified Euen the hardest creatures are flexible to some agents flints to the raine iron to the fire stones to the hammer but this heart yeelds to nothing neyther the showers of mercie nor the hammer of reproofe nor the fire of Iudgements but like the stithy are still the harder for beating All the plagues of Egypt cannot mollifie the heart of Pharaoh It is wondrously vnnaturall that men made the softest hearted of all should be rigidiores lupis duriores lapidibus more cruell then wolues more hard then stones I woulde to GOD all hard-heartednesse had dyed with these Iewes but it is not so Howe often hath Christ beene here crucified in the word preaching his Crosse to your eares in the Sacraments presenting his death to your eyes thinke thinke in your owne soules haue not the stones in the walles of this Church beene as much moued God forbid our obduratenesse should be punished as theirs was since they would be so stony-hearted Ierusalem was turned to a heape of stones and the conquering Romanes dasht them pitifully against those stones which they exceeded in hardnesse Here let the wicked see their doome the stones that will not be softned shall be broken There is no changing the decree of God but change thy nature and then know thou art not decreed to death Stony harts shall bee broken to pieces with vengeance doe not striue to alter that doome but alter thy owne stony heart to a heart of flesh and so preuent it in the particular Wolues and goates shall not enter into heauen thou maiest pull starres out of heauen before alter this sentence but doe it thus Leaue that nature and become one of Christes sheepe and then thou art sure to enter No adulterâ—… nor couetous person sayth Paul shall inherite the kingdoâ—… of heauen this doome must stand but not against thee if thou bee conuerted Such were ye but ye are washed c. You are not such Had the Iewes ceased to be stones they had beene spared God will roote thornes and bryers out of his vineyard if thou wouldst not haue him roote out thee become a Vine and bring forth good grapes God threatens to breake the hairy sealpe of him that goes on in sinne yet mayest thou ward this blow from thy selfe Goe no further on in sinne When God comes in iudgement to visite the earth to shatter rockes and breake stones in peeces thou hast a heart of flesh mollified with repentance Let the earth quake and the rockes teare thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace 4. Miracle The graues were opened and many bodyes of Sanits which slept arose Concerning this two questions are moued 1. Where their soules were all this while before I answere where the scripture hath no tongue we should haue no eare Most probably thus their soules were in heauen in Abrahams bosome and came downe to their bodyes by diuine dispensation to manifest the power and Deitie of Christ. 2. Whither they went afterwards I answere by the same likelyhood that they died no more but waited on the earth till Christs resurrection and then attended him to heauen But these things that are concealed should not be disputed Tutum est nescire quod tegitur It is a safe ignorance where a man is not commanded to know Let vs then see what profitable instructions we can hence deriue to our selues They are many and therefore I will but lightly touch them 1. This teacheth vs that Christ by his death hath vanquished death euen in the graue his owne chamber That gyant is subdued the graues flie open the dead goe out This beares ample witnesse to that speach of Christ. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue The bodies of the Saints what part of the earth or sea soeuer holds their dusts shall not be detayned in prison when Christ cals for them as the members must needs goe when the Head drawes them He shall speake to all creatures Reddite quod deuorastis restore whatsoeuer of man you haue deuoured not a dust not a bone can be denyed The bodyes of the Saints shall be raised sayth August Tanta
haue Crucem Coronatam pictured a Crosse with a Crowne on the top of it Tolle crucem si vis et babere coronam Their Hieroglyphicke taught men to attaine the Crowne by bearing the Crosse. Though the friends and factours of hell compasse vs round yet wee haue heauen within vs would we haue it within vs and without vs too that is only the priuiledge of glory Cannot Paul endure the thornes and buffets of Satan Let him quiet his heart with Gods encouragement My grace is sufficient for thee It is enough to haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding though we lacke the ill condition'd peace of the world Murmure not that the world denies her wanton solaceâ—… to tickle thee with vaine pleasures thou hast the ioy of the holy Ghost God is thy portion Though the lot fall short in earthly meanes wealth and worship yet he is well for a part that hath God for his portion Content thy selfe this fire must goe with the Gospell and thou art vnworthy of the immortall gold of grace if thou wilt not endure it to be tryed in the Fire Your faith is much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire and shall be found at last to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. 4. That we esteeme not the worse of our Profession but the better It is no small comfort that God thinkes thee worthy to suffer for his Name This was the Apostles ioy not that they were worthy but that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ. He refused not to be our Sauiour for the shame he was put to hee brooked a purple robe to couer his white innocencie his face which is worshipped by the Angels in heauen to be spit on his soule in the midst of all his vnutterable pangs to be derided and iested at some wagging their heads others mouing their tongues to blasphemie and if the maner of death could adde to his ignominie hee suffered the most opprobrious yet sayth Paul for our sakes he endured the Crosse and despised the shame this all this shame that he might bring saluation to vs and vs to saluation And shall we be ashamed of his profession that was not ashamed of our protection If wee be wee haue read his iudgement Hee will be ashamed of vs before his Father in Heauen The King doth not cast away his Crowne though it be the occasion of many treasons Loose not thy hope and holde of a royall Inheritance because this Title hath many enemies Hee was neuer worthy to weare a wreath of victorie that coward-like ran out of the bloudie field The vnthriftie soule is iustly starued that will not reape and gather his corne because there be thistles amongst it He neuer knew how precious a mettall gold is that will rather throw away his oare then take paines at the fornace It is pitie that euer the water of Baptisme was spilt vpon his face that forsakes the Standard of Christ because hee hath many enemies Israel had neuer gotten that promised Canaan had they beene afraid of the sonnes of Anak It is honour enough to be a Christian though others that are contemptible doe cast contempt vpon it Our Sauiour hath armed vs with a sweet prediction These things haue I spoken vnto you that in mee you might haue peace in the world you shall haue tribulation but be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world 5. Seeing the fewell is our integritie and this they specially strike at let vs more constantly hold together confirming the Communion of Saints which they would dissolue Let vs more strongly fortifie our vnitie because they so fiercely assault it and cling faithfully to our Head from whom their sacrilegious hands would pull vs Lord whether shall we goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life Where those words are found woe be to vs if we are not found Multitudo inimicorum corroboret vnitatem a micorum Let not brethren fight with themselues whiles they haue enough forraine enemies It is enough that foes strike vs let not vs strike our friends No nor yet part with our friends and Christs because some aduersaries are scattered among them What though the miscellane rabble of the prophane as the Brownists terme them be admitted among vs shall the lewdnes of these disanull Gods Couenant with his Yes say they this is their mercie Gods is more Hee still held Israel for his when not many in Israel held him for theirs The desert was a witnesse of their mutinous rebellion against God and his Minister yet the pillar of protection by day and night left them not Moses was so farre from reiecting them that he would not endure that God should reiect them though for his owne aduantage In all companies there will be euill intruders Sathan among the Angelles Saul among the Prophets Iudas among the Apostles Nicholas among the Deacons Demas among Professors Yet though Thiatira retaines a Iezebell the good are commanded but to holde their owne But wee reserue the ceremonies of a superstitious Church but we reserue no superstition in those ceremonies We haue both abridged their number and altered their nature As it was a paines not amisse vndertaken of late to reduce the feast of Christes natiuitie as neare to the right Quando and period of time as art and industrie could deuise by taking vp the loose minutes which in tract of time and multiplication of degrees had drawne out a wider distance by certaine dayes then was congruent to the first Calendar So hath our Church so neare as shee could abridged the ranke superfluities and excrescent corruptions which the Traditionall ceremonies and ceremoniall Traditions of Rome had brought in and thereby remooued her from that neerenes to her Sauiour which shee formerly enioyed striuing to reduce her selfe concerning Ceremonies for their number to paucitie for their nature to puritie for their vse to significancie Separate we not then from the Church because the Church cannot separate from all imperfection But keepe the Apostles rule Follow the truth in loue not onely the Truth but the truth in loue Diuerse follow the truth but not truely 1. Some there are that embrace the truth but not all the truth those are Heretickes 2. Some embrace the truth but not in vnitie and those are Separatists 3. Others embrace the truth in vnitie and veritie but not in heart and those are hypocrites Therefore the Apostle so often vrgeth it Be ye all of one minde haue the same affection As children of one house haue most vsually one and the same education so all Gods children must be like affected to God to Christ to the Church and one to another To God in obedience and pietie to Christ in faith and synceritie to the Church in peace and vnitie to their owne sinnes in hatred and enmitie to one another in loue and charitie Employing the graces
propitiate for sinne that were themselues guilty of sinne and by nature lyable to condemnation Wretched Idolaters that thrust this honour on them against their wils how would they abhorre such sacrilegious glory Not the riches of this world We were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold Were the riches of the old world brought together to the riches of the new world were all the minerall veines of the earth emptied of their purest mettals this pay would not be currant with God It will cost more to redeeme soules They that trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches Yet cannot by any meanes redeeme their brother nor Giue to God a ransome for him The seruant cannot redeeme the Lord. God made a man master of these things hee is then more precious then his slaues Not the bloud of Bulls or Goates Hebr. 9. Alas those legal sacrifices were but dumbe shewes of this tragedie the meere figures of this oblation mystically presenting to their faith that Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world This Lambe was prefigured in the sacrifices of the law now presented in the sacraments of the Gospell slaine indeed from the begining of the world Who had power Prodesse to profit vs before hee had Esse a being himselfe None of these would serue Whom Gaue he then Seipsum Himselfe who was both God and man that so participating of both natures our mortalitie and Gods Immortalitie he might be a perfect Mediator Apparuit igitur inter mortales peccatores immortalem iustum mortalis cum hominibus iustus cum Deo He came betweene mortall men and immortall God mortall with men and iust with God As man he suffered as God hee satisfied as God and man he saued He gaue himselfe Se Totum Himselfe Wholy Solum Onely 1. All himselfe his whole Person soule and body Godhead and manhood Though the deitie could not suffer yet in regard of the personall vnion of these two naturs in one Christ his very passion is attributed in some sort to the Godhead So Act. 20. It is called the bloud of God And 1. Cor. 2. 8. The Lord of glory is said to be crucified The Schooles distinction here makes al plaine He gaue Totum Christum though not Totum Christi All Christ though not All of Christ. Home non valuit Deus non voluit As God alone he wold not as man alone he could not make this satisfaction for vs. The Deitie is impassible yet was it impossible without this Deitie for the great worke of our saluation to be wrought If any aske how the manhoode could suffer without violence to the God-head being vnited in one Person let him vnderstand it by a familiar comparison The Sunne-beames shine on a tree the axe cuts downe this tree yet can it not hurt the beames of the Sunne So the God-head still remaines vnharmed though the axe of death did for a while fell downe the man-hood Corpus passum est dolore gladio Anima dolore non gladio Diuinitas nec dolore nec gladio His bodie suffered both sorrow and the sword his soule sorrow not the sword his Deitie neither sorrow nor the sword Deitas in dolente non in dolore The God-head was in the Person pained yet not in the paine 2. Himselfe onely and that without a Partner Comforter 1. Without a Partner that might share either his glory or our thankes of both which he is iustly iealous Christi passio adiutore non eguit The sufferings of our Sauiour need no helpe Vpon good cause therefore we abhorre that doctrine of the Papists that our offences are expiated by the passions of the Saints No not the blessed Virgin hath performed any part of our iustificatiō payed any farthing of our debts So sings the Quire of Rome Sancta virgo Dorothea tua nos virtute bea cor in nobis novum crea Wherin there is pretty rime petty reason but great blasphemie as if the Virgin Dorothy were able to create a new heart within vs. No but the bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne His bloud and his onely O blessed Sauiour euery drop of thy bloud is able to redeeme a beleeuing world What then need we the helpe of men How is Christ a perfect Sauiour if any act of our redemption be left to the performance of Saint or Angell No our soules must die if the bloud of Iesus cannot saue them And whatsoeuer wittie errour may dispute for the merits of Saints the distressed conscience cries Christ and none but Christ. They may sitte at Tables and discourse enter the Schooles and argue get vp into the Pulpits and preach that the workes of good men is the Churches treasure giuen by indulgence and can giue indulgence and that they will doe the soule good But lie we vppon our death-beds panting for breath driuen to the push tost with tumultuous waues of afflictions anguished with sorrow of spirit then we sing another song Christ Christ alone Iesus and onely Iesus Mercie mercie pardon comfort for our Sauiours sake Neither is there saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued 2. Without a Comforter he was so farre from hauing a sharer in his Passion that he had none in compassion that at least might any wayes ease his sorrowes It is but a poore comfort of calamitie Pittie yet euen that was wanting Is it nothing to you all yee that passe by Is it so sore a sorrow to Christ and is it nothing to you a matter not worth your regard your pittie Man naturally desires and expects if he cannot be deliuered eased yet to be pittied Haue pittie vpon me haue pittie vpon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Christ might make that request of Iob but hee had it not there was none to comfort him none to pittie him It is yet a little mixture of refreshing if others be touched with a sense of our miserie that in their hearts they wish vs well and would giue vs ease if they could but Christ hath in his sorest pangs not so much as a Comforter The Martyrs haue fought valiantly vnder the banner of Christ because hee was with them to comfort them But when himselfe suffers no reliefe is permitted The most grieuous torments find some mitigation in the supply of friends and comforters Christ after his monomachie or single combate with the deuill in the desart had Angels to attend him In his agonie in the garden an Angell was sent to cofort him But when he came to the maine act of our redemption not an Angell must be seene None of those glorious spirits may looke through the windowes of heauen to giue him any ease And if they would haue relieued him they could not Who can lift vp where the Lord wil cast downe What Chirurgion can
heale the bones which the Lord hath broken But his mother other friends stands by seeing sighing weeping Alas what doe those teares but euerease his sorrow might hee not iustly say with Paul What meane ye to weepe to breake mine heart Of whom then shall he expect comfort Of his Apostles Alas they betake them to their heeles Feare of their owne danger drownes their copassion of his miserie He might say with Iob Miserable comforters are ye all Of whom then The Iewes are his enemies and vie vnmercifullnes with deuils There is no other refuge but his Father No euen his Father is angry he that once said This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased is now incensâ—…d He hides his face from him but layes his hand heauy vpon him buffets him with anguish Thus Solus patitur he gaue himselfe only himselfe for our redemptioÌ„ To whom To God and that is the fourth circumstance To whom should he offer this sacrifice of expiation but to him that was offended and that is God Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight All sinnes are committed against him his iustice is displeased and must be satisfied To God for God is angry with what and whom with sinne and vs and vs for sinne In his iust anger he must smite but whom In Christ was no sinne Now shall God doe like Annas or Ananias If I haue spoken euill sayth Christ beare witnesse of the euill but if well why smitest thou me So Paul to Ananias God will smite thee thou whited wall for Sittest thou to Iudge me after the Law and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law So Abraham pleads to God shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right Especially right to his Sonne and to that Son which glorified him on earth and whom he hath now glorified in heauen We must fetch the answere from Daniels Prophecie The Messiah shall he cut off but not for himselfe Not for himselfe For whom then For solution hereof we must steppe to the first point and there we shall finde For Whom For vs. He tooke vpon himour person he became suretie for vs. And loe now the course of Iustice may proceed against him He that will become a Suertie and take on him the debt must be content to pay it Hence that innocent Lambe must be made a Sacrifice and he that know no 〈◊〉 in himselfe must be made sin for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Seauen times in three verses doth the Prophet Esay inculcate this We Our vs. Wee were all sicke greeuously sicke euerie sinne was a mortall disease Quot Vitia tot febres He healeth our infirmities sayth the Prophet he was our Phisician a great Physician Magnus Venit medicus quia magnus iacebat agrotus The whole world was sicke to death therfore needed a powerfull Physician So was he and tooke a strange course for our Cure Which was not by giuing vs physicke but by taking our Physicke for vs. Other patients drink the prescribed potion but our Physician drunke the potion himselfe and so recouered vs. For vs. Ambr. Pro me doluit qui pro se nihil habuit quod doleret He suffered for me that had no cause to suffer for himselfe O Domine Iesu doles non tua sed vulnera mea So monstrous were our sinnes that the hand of the euerlasting Iustice was ready to strike vs with a fatall and finall blow Christ in his owne person steppes betweene the stroke and vs and bore that a while that would haue sunke vs for euer Nos immortalitate malè vsi sumus vt moreremur Christus mortalitate benè vsus est vt viueremus We abused the immortality we had to our death Christ vsed the mortality he had not to our life Dilexit nos he loued vs such vs that were his vtter enemies Here then was loue without limitation beyond imitation Vnspeakable mercy sayes Bernard that the king of eternall glory should yeeld himselfe to be crucified Protam despicatissimo vernaculo immò vermiculo for so poore a wretch yea a worme and that not a louing worme not a liuing worme for we both hated him and his and were dead in sinnes and trespasses Yea for All vs indefinitely none excepted that will apprehend it faithfully The mixture of Moses Perfume is thus sweetly allegorized God coÌ„mands him to put in so much frankincense as Galbanum and so much Galbanum as frankincense Christs Sacrifice was so sweetly temperd as much bloud was shed for the peasant in the field as for the Prince in the Court The offer of saluation is generall whosoeuer among you â—…areth God and worketh rightousnes to him is the word of this saluation sent As there is no exemption of the greatest from misery so no exception of the least from mercie Hee that will not beleeue and amend shall be condemned be he neuer so rich he that doth be hee neuer so poore shall be saued This one point of the Crucifixe For vs requires more punctuall meditation Whatsoeuer we leaue vnsaid we must not huddle vp this For indeed this brings the Texthome to vs euen into our consciences speakes effectually to vs all to me that speake and to you that heare with that Prophets application Thou art the man Wee are they for whose cause our blessed Sauiour was crucified For vs he endured those greeuous pangs for vs that we might neuer tast them Therefore say we with that Father Toto nobis figatur in corde qui totus pro nobis fixus in cruce Let him be fixed wholy in our hearts who was wholy for vs fastned on the Crosse. We shall consider the vses we are to make of this by the ends for which Christ performed this It serues to Saue vs. It serues to Moue vs. It serues to Mortifie vs. 1. To saue vs. This was his purpose performanceâ—…l he did all he suffered was to redeeme vs. By his stripes we are healed by his Sweat we refreshed by his sorrows we reioyced by his death wee saued For euen that day which was to him Dies Luctus the heauiest day that euer man bore was to vs Diessalutis the accepted time the day of saluation The day was euill in respect of our sinnes his sufferings but eventually in regard of what he payed and what he purchased a good day the best day a day of ioy and Iubilation But if this Saluation be wrought for vs it must be applied to vs yea to euery one of vs. For that some receiue more profite by his passion then others is not his fault that did vndergoe 〈◊〉 but theirs that doe not vndertake it to apply it to their own coscienceâ—… But we must not only beleeue this Text in grosse but let euery
afflicting obiects of shame and tyrannie Those â—…ares which to delight the high Quorillers of heauen sing their 〈◊〉 notes must be wearied with the taunts and 〈◊〉 of blasphemie And all this for vs not onely to satisfie those sinnes which our Senses haue committed but to mortifie those senses and preseâ—…e them from those sinnes That our eyes may be no more full of adulteries nor throw couetous lookes on the goods of our brethren That our â—…ares may no more giue so wide admission and welcome entrance to lewd reports the incantations of Sathan That sinne in all our senses might be done to death the poison exhausted the sense purified 4. In all members Looke on that blessed Body conceiued by the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin it is all ouer scourged martyred tortured manacled mangled What place can you find free Caput Angelicâ—… spiritibus tremebundum densitatâ—… spinarum pungitur facies pulchraprâ—… filijs hominum Iudâ—…orum spâ—…t is detâ—…rpatur Oculi 〈◊〉 sole in 〈◊〉 caligantur c. To begin at his head that head which the Angels reuerence is crowned with thornes That face which is fairer them the sonnes of men must be odiously spit on by the filthy Iewes His hands that made the heauens are extended fastned to a crosse The feet which tread vpon the neckes of his and our enemies feele the like smart And the mouth must be buffeâ—…ed which spake as neuer man spake Still all this for vs. His head bled for the wicked imaginations of our heads His face was besmeared with spittle because we had spit impudent blasphemies against heauen His lips were afflicted that our lips might henceforth yeeld sauoury speeches His feet did bleed that our feet might not be swift to shed bloud All his members suffered for the sinnes of all our members and that our members might be no more ser uants to sin but seruants to righteousnes vnto holines CoÌ„spâ—…i voluit vt nos Lauaret velari voluit vt velamen ignorantia a mentibus nostris 〈◊〉 in capite percuti vt corpori sanitatem restitueret Hee would be polluted with their spettle that hee might wash vs hee would bee blindfolded that he might take the vaile of ignorance from our eyes He suffered the head to be wounded that hee might renew health to all the body Sixe times we read that Christ shed his bloud First when he was circumcised at eight dayes old his bloud was spilt 2. In his agonie in the garden where he swett drops of bloud 3. In his scourging when the merciles tormentors fetch'd bloud from his holy sides 4. When he was crowned with thornes those sharpe prickles raked and harrowed his blessed head and drew forth bloud 5. In his crucifying when his hands feet were pierced bloud gushed out 6. Lastly after his death One of the souldiours with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water All his members bled to shew that he bled for all his members Not one drop of this bloud was shed for himselfe all for vs for his enemies persecutors crucifiers our selues But what shall become of vs if all this cannot mortifie vs How shall we liue with Christ if with Christ wee bee not dead Dead in deed vnto sinne but liuing vnto righteousnesse As Elisha reuiued the Shunamites child hee lay vpon it put his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warme So the Lord Iesus to recouer vs that were dead in our sinnes and trespasses spreads and applies his whole Passion to vs layes his mouth of blessing vpon our mouth of blasphemie his eyes of holinesse vpon our eyes of lust his hands of mercie vpon our hands of crueltie and stretcheth his gratious selfe vpon our wretched selues till we begin to waxe warme to get life and the holy Spirit returnes into vs. 5. In his Soule All this was but the out-side of his Passion Now is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but for this cause came I vnto this houre The paine of the bodie is but the bodie of paine the very soule of sorrow is the sorrow of the soule All the outward afflictions were but gentle prickings in regard of that his soule suffered The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare He had a heart within that suffered vnseene vnknowne anguish This paine drew from him those strong cryes those bitter teares He had often sent forth the cryes of compassion of passion and complaint not till now He had wept the teares of pittie the teares of loue but neuer before the teares of anguish When the Sonne of God thus cryes thus weepes here is more then the bodie distressed the soule is agonized Still all this for vs. His Soule was in our soules stead what would they haue felt if they had bin in the stead of his All for vs to satisfaction to emendation For thy drunkennesse and powring downe strong drinks he drunke vineger For thy intemperate gluttonie he fasted For thy sloth he did exercise himselfe to continuall paines Thou sleepest secure thy Sauiour is then waking watching praying Thy armes are inured to lustfull embracings hee for this embraceth the rough Crosse. Thou deckest thy selfe with proud habiliments he is humble and lowly for it Thou ridest in pompe he iourneys on foote Thou wallowest on thy downe beds thy Sauiour hath not a pillow Thou surfeiâ—…est and he sweats it out a bloudâ—… sweat Thou fillest and swellest thy selfe with a 〈◊〉 of wickednes behold incision is made in the Head for thee thy Sauiour bleeds to death Now iudge whether this point For vs hath not deriued a neere application of this Text to our owne consciences Since then Christ did all this for thee and me pray then with August O Dâ—… Iesâ—… da cordi 〈◊〉 tâ—… deâ—…derare 〈◊〉 qâ—…rere quâ—…rendo inuenâ—… iâ—…enien do 〈◊〉 amâ—…do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redempta 〈◊〉 â—…rare Lord giue me a heart to desire thee desiring to seeke thee seeking to find thee finding to loue thee louing no more to offend thee There are two maine parts of this Crucifixe yet to handle I must onely name them being sorry that it is still my hap to trouble you with prolixitie of speech 6. The next is the Manner An offering and Sacrifice His whole life was an Offering his death a Sacrifice He gaue himselfe often for vs an Eucharisticall oblation once an explatorâ—… Sacrifice In the former hee did for vs all that we should doe in the latter hee suffered for vs all that we should suffer Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne 〈◊〉 on the tree Some of the Hebrewes haue affirmed that in the fire which consumed the legall Sacrifices there alwayes appeared the face of a Lyon
Which mysterie they thus resolue that the Lyon of Iudah should one day giue himselfe for vs a perfect expiatory Sacrifice Thus Once in the end of the world hath hee appeared to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe 7. The last poynt is the Effect Of a sweet smelling sauour Here is the fruit and efficacie of all Neuer was the Lord pleased with sinfull man till now Were he neuer so angry here is a pacification a sweete sauour If the whole world were quintessenced into one perâ—…ume it could not yeeld so fragrant a smell We are all of our selues putida putrida cadâ—…vera dead and stinking carkases the pure nostrels of the most holy cannot endure vs behold the perâ—…ume that sweetens vs the redeeming bloud of the Lord Iesus This so filles him with a delightfull sent that hee will not smell our noisome wickednesse Let me leaue you with this comfort in your bosomes How vnsavoury soever our owne sinâ—… haue made vs yet if our hand of faith lay hold on this Saviours censor God will sent none of our corruptions but we shall smell sweetely in his nostrels Beâ—…d for all O deare Iesus Mori debâ—… tusolvis 〈◊〉 peccaviâ—…us tu â—…uis Opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito châ—…as sine â—…do We should die thou payest it we haue offended thou art punished A mercie without example a favour without merite a loue without measure Therefore I conclude my Sermon as we all shut vp our prayers with this one clause Through our Lord Iesus Christ. O Father of mercie accept our Sacrifice of Prayer and Prayse for his Sacrifice of payne and merite even for our Lord Iesus Christ his sake To whom with the Father blessed Spirit be all glory for ever Amen THE GOOD POLITICIAN DIRECTED MATTH 10. 16. Be ye wise as Serpents and harmelesse as Doues OVâ—… of euery creature simply considered there is some good to bee learned The diuine Poet sweetly The World 's a Schoole where in a generall siâ—…rie God alwayes reads dumbe lâ—…ctures of his glorie It is a three leau'd booke Heauen Earth and Sea and euery leafe of this booke euery line of euery leafe euery creature in this vniuerse can read to man for whom they were made a Diuinitie lecture In a speaking silence they preach to vs that Deitie which made both them and vs and them for vs. Seculâ—…m Speculum the world is a glasse wherein wee may behold our Creators Maiestie From the highest Angell to the lowest worme all instruct vs somewhat For one and the same almightie hand that made the Angels in heauen made also the wormes on earth Non superior in illis non inferior in istis Besides this generall lecture they haue all their particular schoole Salomon sends vs to the Aâ—…t to learne Prouidence Esay to the Oxe to learne thankfulnesse Many beasts doe excell Man in many naturall things Nos aper auditu praecellit aâ—…anea tactu Vultur odoratu Lynx visu simia gustu The Bore excels vs in hearing the spider in touching the Vulture in smelling the Lynx in seeing the Ape in tasting Some haue obserued that the art of curing the eyes was first taken from the Swallowes The Eâ—…gles haue taught vs architecture we receiued the light of Phlebotomie from the Hippopotamas The Egyptian bird Ibis first gaue to Physicians knowledge how to vse the Glister The Spider taught vs to Weaue Here the Serpent instructs vs in Policie the Doue in simplicitie Now we are falne among Serpents stinging serpents enemies to man can wee fetch away any good from them Yes those very venemous and malicious creatures shall afford vs Documenta not Nocumenta they shall teach vs not touch vs. I may say of them as it is sayd of the Iewes Hostes sunt in cordibus suffragatores in codicibus They are our enemies in their hearts our friends in their bookes The malice of Serpents is mortall their vse shall be vitall So it may so it shall if our sobrietie keepe the allowed compasse For our imitation is limited qualified We must not be in all points like Serpents nor in all respects like Doues but in some but in this Be ye wise as serpents harmelesse as doues Perhaps other vses might be accommodated As the Serpent might teach vs how with wisedome to dwell below on the earth and the Doue with wings of innocence to flie vp to heauen aboue We may in earthly matters keepe a serpentine and winding motion but to heauen with the Doue we must haue a strait course But I confine my selfe to the pith of the Text and our Sauiours meaning Be wise as Serpents innocent as Doues The words may not vnfitly be distinguished into a Perhibition Cohibition as it were the Raines and the Curbe The Perhibition allowance or Raines Be wise as serpents The Cohibition correctiue restraint or Curbe Be harmelesse as Doues They must goe hand in hand without disiunction Vnited they are commodious parted dangerous There is a necessitie of their vnion to our peace diuide them and you loose your selues Witte without innocence will offend others Innocence without witte will not defend our selues Prudentia sine simplicitate malitia simplicitas sine prudentia stultitia Witte without innocence is wickednesse innocence without witte is foolishnes Whosoeuer hath the one and wants the other must needs be either guiltie of follie or of dishonestie Least we be too craftie and circumuent others let vs keepe the innocencie of the Doue least we be too simple and others circumuent vs let vs keepe the wisedome of the Serpent Let vs first see from the Serpent how we should bee wise and then goe to the Doue for innocence Sixe principall Lessons of Wisedome the Serpent may teach vs. 1. Their first policie is by all possible meanes to defend their head If they must encounter with danger they expose their whole body to it but howsoeuer they will safeguard their head They write of them that though all a serpents body be mangled vnlesse his head be cut off which he cunningly hides by a kind of attractiue power and vigor one part will come to another againe This is to vs a singular document of Wisedome to looke well to our Head Christ is our Head and the sinewes and nerues that knitte vs to him is our Faith and Hope let vs preserue these indanted indamaged We fight against an enemie that seekes especially to wound vs there He strikes indeed at euery place he hath sayth Ierome noâ—…ina mille mille nocendi artes therefore Paul chargeth vs to Put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against all the wâ—…les of the Deuill but especially the head Aboue all take the shield of Faith and the Helmet of saluation saue the Head Protect all parts if it be possâ—…le let not oppression wound thee in the hand nor blasphemie in the tongue nor wantonnes in the eye nor couetousnesse
the eyes of Doues by the riuers of water washed with milke â—…d fitly set as a precious stone in the foile of a Ring A white doue is a pleasing sight but not like a white soule 2. Chastitie Nescit aduâ—…erij flaâ—…am inteâ—…erata Columba The Doue knowes not the luxurious pollution of an adulterate bed Who euer saw Doue sicke of that lustfull disease Happie bodie that hath such continencie and blessed soule which shall be presented a pure virgin to Iesus Christ. They are virgines and follow the Lambe whether sâ—…euer he goeth 3. Fruitfulnesse Most moneths in the yeare they bring forth young The faithfull are in this respect Doues for faith is euer pregnant of good workes trauels with them and on all occasions brings them forth 4. Amitie They loue their owne mates not changing till death giue one of them a bill of diuorce Gâ—…mit â—…urtur the turtle groanes when hee hath lost his mate Nature teacheth them what Reason aboue nature and Grace aboue Reason teacheth vs to reioyce with the wiues of our youth 5. Vnitie They liue feed flie by companies Many of them can agree quietly in one house Euen teaching vs how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie That as we haue one hopâ—… so to haue one heart Therefore the holy Ghost came downe in the likenesse of a Doue of all birds and it was the Doue that would not leaue Noahs Arke But these are but circumstances my Câ—…nter is their Innocence Columba simplex est animal felle caret rostro non lâ—…dit Other fowles haue their talons and beakes whereby they gripe and deuoure like vsurers and oppressors in a Common-wealth The Doue hath no such weapon to vse no such heart to vse it They write that she hath no gall and so free from the bitternesse of anger Talem Columbam audiâ—…imus non talem hominem We haue heard of such a Doue not of such a Man Who can say he hath innocent hands and a simple heart Indeed none perfectly in Gods sight yet some haue had and may haue this in part by the witnesse of their owne consciences Samuel could chalenge the Israelites to accuse him Whose â—…xe haue I taken Whom haue I defrauded Of whose hâ—…d haâ—…e I receiued any bribe And Iob sweetly My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes If I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherles let it be broken If I reioyced at the destruction of him that hated me For that is true Innocence sayth Augustine quae nec inimico nocet that hurts not our verie enemie If my land cry against me or the furrowes thereof complaine Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockles in stead of barley How few amongst vs dare thus plead So Dauid O Lord thou knowest mine innocencâ—… O blessed testimonie This is Munus aâ—…eneus a wall of brasse about a man In 〈◊〉 sperâ—…re bonum nisi innocens nâ—… potest To hope for good in the middest of euils no man can but the Innocent He goes fearlesse of danger though not secure Impauidum ferient ruinae Neâ—… suspectus est paâ—… quod se non 〈◊〉 fecisse He cannot looke to suffer that wrong which he knowes hee hath not done Innocence sayth Chrysoft is free in seruitude safe in danger ioyfull in bonds Cum humiliatur erigitur â—…um pugnat vincit cum occiditur coronatur When it is cast downe it is raysed vp when it fights it conquers when it is killed it is crowned This is that â—…elesnes which must be ioyned with the Serpents Wisedome So Paul to his Romans I would hâ—…ue you wise vnto that which is good and simple concerning euill This is an excellent mixture sayth Gregor Vt simplicitatem 〈◊〉 astâ—…ia serpentis instrueret vt serpentis astutâ—… simplicitas coluâ—…â—…emperaret That the wisedome of the Serpent might instruct the simplicity of the Doue that the Doues simplicitie might temper the Serpents policie So â—…eda on the first of Iob. Iob is sayd to be simple and vpright simple in innocencie vpright in discreet equitie Simplex quia alijs non lâ—…dit rectus quia se ab alijs non corrumpi 〈◊〉 Simple in that he did not hurt others vpright in that he suffered not himselfe to be corrupted by others Non mulâ—…ùm distat in vitio aut decipere aus decipiposse There is small difference in that vice which either deceiues or may be deceiued The one is weakenesse the other wickednesse This is that grace to which the gates of heauen stand open Innocence But alas where shall the robbers and workers of violence appeare What shall become of the vsurer No creature in heauen or earth shall testifie his innocencie But the sighes cryes and grones of vndone parents of beggard widdowes and Orphanes shall witnesse the contrary All his money like Hempe seede is sowed with curses and euery obligation is written on earth with inke and bloud and in hell with bloud and fire What shall become of the Encloser of Commons Who shall plead his innocence Hedges ditches fields and townes the weeping of the poore the very lowings of beastes shall witnesse against him Where shall fraud cosenage racking of rents iniurie periurie mischiefe appeare You may conceale your craft from the eyes of man defraud the minister beguile your neighbour impouerish the Common-wealth vnperceiued vnpunished but know that the Lord will not hold you innocent I conclude Make you the picture of Innocencie and hang it in your houses but especially draw it in the table of your hearts Let it bee a Virgin faire and louely without any spot of wrong to blemish her beautie Let her garments be white as snow and yet not so white as her conscience Let the teares of compassion drop from her eyes and an Angell holding a bottle to catch them Let her weepe not so much for her owne afflictions as for the wickednes of her afflicters Let the wayes be milke where she sets her foote and let not the earth complaine of her pressure Let the Sun offer her his beames the clouds their raine the ground her fruits euery creature his vertue Let the poore blesse her yea let her very enemies be forced to prayse her Let the world be sommoned to accuse her of wrong and let none be found to witnesse it Let peace lie in her lappe and Integritie betweene her brests Let religion kisse her lippes and all Lawes reuerence her Patience possesse her heart and humilitie sit in her eyes Let all Christians make her the precedent of their liues and studie the doctrine that her mouth teacheth Let the Angels of heauen be her guardians and the mercie of God a shield of defence vnto her Let her tread vpon iniurie and stampe the Deuill and violence vnder her feete Let her greatest aduersaries Oppression and Hypocrisie flie from her presence Let rapine malice extortion depopulation fraud and wrong be as farre
skip out of the way of righteousnes at euery dog that reproachfully barkes at it nor at euery Siren that temptingly would call it aside The Deuill with all his force of terror or error cannot seduce it Constancie it is euer trauelling though through many hindrances It hath a heauy load of flesh to burden it and make euery step tedious yet it goes Cares for family troubles of contentious neighbours frowning of great aduersaries malicious turbulencie of the world all offer to stay it but it goes on As if it had receiued the Apostles Commission Salute none of these Remora's by the way it resteth not till it see the saluation of God The Lord deliuers the feete from falling that it may walke before God in the light of the living 3 We must not returne backe to Herod Why not to Herod He was a fit type of the Deuill and they that are recouered and escaped from him should not fall backe into his clutches The Deuill is like Herod both for his subtletie and crueltie The Herods were all dissemblers all cruell There was Herod Ascalonita Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa all cruell in the butchering of Gods Saints Ascalonita necat pueros Antipa Iohannem Agrippa Iacobum mittitque in carcere Petrum Ascalonite makes an earnest shew of zeale to Christ but he desired not subijcerese Christ◅ sedsib◅ Christum not to become subiect to Christ but to make Christ the sub iect of his furie Antipas seemed to loue Iohn the Baptist but he suffers a dancing foote to kicke off his head The crueltie of the other Herod was monstrous He slew all those whom hee could suspect to issue from the line of Dauid all the Infants of Bethlem vnder two yeares old at one slaughter Hee slew his kinred his sister his wife his sonne Hee cut the throates of many noble Iewes whiles he lay on his death bed Yea made it in his will that so soone as euer the breath was out of his body all the sonnes of the nobler Iewes shut vp into a safe place should be instantly slaine to beare him company By this meanes hee resolued that some should lament his death which otherwise would haue bin the cause of great ioy A wretched Testament and fit for such a deuill to make That Deuill wee are charged not to returne to exceeds this both in subtletie and crueltie euen as much as a father may his Sonne Herod was not so perfect a Master of his art The wise men deceiued Herod hee must be a wise man indeed that ouer-reaches Satan Herod was a bungler to him he trusted to instruments to destroy Christ the Deuill lookes to that busines himselfe Hee can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light and rather then not draw men to hell hee will dissemble a loue to heauen He will speake good that he may worke euill and confesse the truth that therby hee may procure credit to greater falshood He can stoope to the reprobate like a tame horse till they get vp and ride him but when he hath them on his backe he runs post with them to hell When he hath thus excercised his policie wil he spare his power when his Foxes part is done hee begins his Lyons Bloud massacre destruction are his softest embraces horror and amazement are the pleasures of his Court kill kill burne burne is the language of his tongue to those miserable wretches which must euer be burning neuer consumed euer killing and neuer die Oh then let vs neuer returne to Herod nor venture on his mercie The poore bird that hath escaped the hawkes talons is carefull to auoyd his walke The strayed Lambe falne into the wolfes caue and deliuered by the Shephard will no more straggle out of the flocke If the Lord Iesus hath sought and brought vs to himselfe by the Starre of his Gospell let vs no more goe backe to Herod flying the workes of darknes and seruing the liuing God with an vpright heart Indeed they that are truely freed from his seruitude will neuer more become his vassalls Many seeme escaped that are not If the adulterer returne like the Hogge to the mire and the drunkard like the Dog to his vomit it is likely that they loue Herod well for they goe backe to him The minister may desire to offer them vp a liuing sacrifice to the Lord but like wild beasts they breake the rope and will not bee sacrificed But wee being deliuered by Christ out of the hands of our enemies must serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life 4. Wee must goe to our owne Countrey In this world wee are but strangers though perhaps we thinke too well of these vanities yet they are but forraine things wee haue another home We may be rauished with this earth as Peter with Tabor Bonum hic it is good being here but if wee looke vp to that heauen which is our Countrey Mundi calcamus inutile pondus Behold the very outside is faire the outmost walls are beautified with glorious lights euerie one as a world for greatnes so a heauen for goodlinesse All those spangles bee as radiant stones full of Lustre pure gold to the drosse of earthly things What may wee then thinke there is within Yea whatsoeuer the wicked thinke yet this world is but the through-fare and it is not their home neither though indeede they haue their portion in this life It is sayd of Iudas going to hell that he went to his owne place therefore that and not this is their owne countrey as sure as they thinke themselues of this world In heauen there is all life no death in hell all death no life on earth men both liue and die passing through it as the wildernes either to Egipt or Canaan This earth as it is betweene both so it prepares vs for both and sends euery one to their owne countrey eternall ioy or euerlasting sorrow Hee that here dies to sinne shall hereafter liue in heauen he that liues in sinne shall hereafter die in hell All soiourne either with GOD feeding on his graces or with Satan surfe◅ing on his iniquities They that will haue Sathan for their host in transgression shall afterwards be his guests in perdition But they that obey God as theyr master shall also haue him their father and that for euer Contemne we then this world what though we haue many sorrows here a still succession of miseries we are not at home What stranger looks for kind vsage amongst his enemies As well might the captiue Iewes expect quiet among the Babilonians Thou art sure of a countrey wherein is peace In that heauen the wicked haue no part though here much pleasure When thou considerest this truely thou wouldst not change portions with them Let it be cōfort sufficient since we cannot haue both that we haue by many degrees the better Their owne countrey Heauen is our owne countrey 1. Ours ordained for vs by
word beleeuing onely so much as you list Faith is holy and catholicke if you distrust part of Gods word you prepare infidelitie to the whole Did God promise Christ and in the fulnes of time to send him Then since he hath againe promised him and appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world by that man he shall come As certainly as he came to suffer for the world so certainely shall he come to iudge the world Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation He that kept his promise when he came to die for vs followed by some few poore Apostles will not breake it when he shal come in glory with thousaÌ„ds of Angels Neither did God onely promise that Christ should come but that all beleeuers should be saued by him As many as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name Misit filium promisit in filio vitam He sent his Sonne to vs and saluation with him Wretched and desperate men that distrust this mercie Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Whosoeuer Qui se ipsum excipit seipsum decipit Did not God spare to send his promised sonne out of his bosome to death and will hee to those that beleeue on him deny life No all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ may these also be Yea and Amen in our beleeuing hearts A yeelding Deuill could say Iesus I knew yet some men are like that tempting deuill Math. 4. Si filiu Dei sis If thou be the sonne of God Si if as if they doubted whether he could or would saue them Is come There is a threefold Comming of Christ according to the threefold difference of Time Past Present Future As Bernard Venit Ad homines In homines Contra homines 1. First for the time past he came among men Iohn 1. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. 2. For the present he comes into men by his Spirit and grace Reu. 3. I stand at the dore and knock if any open vnto me I will come into him 3. For the time to come hee shall come against men Rom. 2. At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. Or as it is wittily obserued the Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo Virgo Libra 1. In the Law like a Lyon roaring out terrible things with a voice not indurable And they sayd to Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs least we die 2. In the Gospell hee appeared in Virgo an Infant borne of a virgin Math. 1. 25. 3. At his last Audite hee shall appeare in Libra weighing all our thoughts words and workes in a balance Behold I come quickly my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shal be Is come He was not fetched not forced sponte venit of his owne accord he is come No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Ambrose on these words of Christ Are ye come out against a theefe with swords and staues to take me Stultum est cum gladijs eum quarere qui vltro se offâ—…rt It was superfluous folly to apprehend him with weapons that willingly offered himselfe to seeke him in the night by treason as if he shunned the light who was euery day teaching publiquely in the Temple Sed factum congruit tempori personis quia cùm essent tenebrae in tenebroso tempore tenebrosum opus excercebant The fact agrees to the time and Persons they were darknesse therefore they doe the worke of darknesse in a time of darknesse Indeed hee prayes Father saue mâ—…e from this houre but withall hee corrects himselfe Therefore came I to this houre But he is said to feare dâ—…th Hebr. 5. What is it to vs Quòd timuit that hee feared nostrum est quòd sustinuit that hee suffered Christs nature must needs abhorre destructiue things but his Rationall ouercame his Naturall will Hee feared death Ex affectu sensualitatis not Ex affectu rationis Hee eschewed it secundum se but did vnder goe it propter aliud Ex impetu naturae hee declined it but ex imperio rationis considering that either hee must come and die on earth or wee all must goe and die in hell and that the heads temporall death might procure the bodies eternall life behold the Sonne of man is come Neither was it necessary for him to loue his paine though hee so loued vsto suffer this paine No man properly loues the rod that beats him though hee loues for his soules good to be beaten As Augustin sayd of crosses Tollerare iubemur non amare Nemo quod tollerat amat etsi tollerare amat We are commanded to beare them not to loue them No man that euen loues to suffer loues that he suffers Voluntarily hee yeelds himselfe saluting Iudas by the name of Friend Amice â—…r venis He suffered not his followers to offend his enemies nor commands the Angels to defend himselfe O blind Iewes was it impossible for him de paruo slipite ligni descendere qui descendit a coelorum altitudine to come downe from a peice of wood that came downe from heaueÌ„ Nunquid tua vincula illuÌ„ possunt teâ—…ere quem câ—…li non possunt capere Shall your bonds hold him when the heauens could not containe him He came not to deliuer himselfe that was in freedome but to deliuer vs that were in bondage Is come Is Christ come to vs and shall not wee come to him Doth the Sonne of God come to the Sonnes of men and doe the Sonnes of men scorne to come to the Sonne of God Proud dust wilt thou not meet thy maker If any aske Whether is thy beloued gone that wee may seeke him with thee The Church answers My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies You shall haue him in his Garden the Congregation of the faithfull Wheresoeuer a number is gathered together in his Name Behold Venit ad limina virtus Manna lies at your thresholds will you not goe forth and gather it The Bridegrome is come will you not make merrie with him The nice piece of dust like Idolatrous Ieroboam cryes the Church is too farre off the iourney too long to Christ. Hee came all that long way from heauen to earth for vs and is a mile too tedious to goe to him Goe too sede ede perde sit still eate thy meate and destroy thy selfe who shall blame the iustice of thy condemnation But for vs let vs leaue our pleasures and goe to our Sauiour Non sedeas sed cas ni pereas
occîdit peccatum he killed sinne In loue he seekes vs in wisedome he saues vs here was Amare sapere This sweet and comfortable note I must leaue to your meditations my speech must end his sauing though of his saluation there be no end Paruum est seruare bonos it is a small thing to saue those that are in no danger of spilling therefore lastly looke to the Obiect The lost There Ecce Potestatem behold his power He is that strongest man that vnbound vs from the fetters of sin and Sathan Fortissimus for caetera excellit caetera expellit he excels the rest he expels the rest He had need be powerfull that redeemes so weake man from the hands of so strong enemies Magnus venit medicus quia magnus iacebat aegrotus The whole world was sicke there had need be a great Physician for there was a great Patient Loe where wretchednes lies at the foot of Goodnesse ecce miserum ante misericordem What but infinite Miserie should be the fit obiect of infinite Mercie Here was then the purpose of Christs comming to seeke the lost to recall wanderers to heale the sicke to cleanse the Leprous to reuiue the dead to saue sinners He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He leaues the nintie nine in the Wildernesse to seeke the lost sheepe Whether it bee meant of the iust Angels in Heauen as Ambrose Chrysostome Hilary Euthymius thinke Or those that thought theÌ„selues iust as Bucer and Ludolphus the Scribes and Pharises that presumed they needed no repentance He embraceth Publicans and sinners that confesse themselues sicke and lacking a Physician sinfull wretches and needing a Sauiour Those worldlings in the Gospell haue better cheare at home what care they for Christs supper It is the dry ground that thinkes well of raine the hungry soule that is glad of sustenance The mercie of God falls most welcome on the broken spirit They that feele themselues miserable and that they stand in need of euery droppe of his sauing bloud to those it runnes fresh and sweet They that feele themselues lost are found They are least of all lost that thinke themselues most lost they are nearest to their health that are most sensible of their sicknesse These hee seekes these he saues to these Nascens se dedit in socium conâ—…escens in cibum moriens in pretium regnans in praemium In his birth he became their companion in his life their food in his death their redemption in his glory their Saluation Lost but where was man lost There are diuerse loosing places 1. A garden of delights and there the first man lost himselfe and all vs in a Garden therefore our Sauiour found vs againe We were Lost in a garden of rest we are found in a garden of trouble The serpent could neuer take the hare he was too light footed for him till hee found him sleeping in a garden of sweet flowers vnder which the serpent lay hidden Whilst man not onely surfeits on pleasures but sleepes in them Satan that old serpent wounds him to death 2. A wildernesse is a place able to loose vs and that 's this world a wide and wilde forrest many lost in it Wee read of a rich man Luk. 12. that lost himselfe in one corner of this wildernesse his very barnes strange to be lost in a barne And yet how many loose themselues in a lesse roome their Counting house The vsurer hath there lost his soule and no man can find it It is so long wrapped vp among his bonds till Satan take the forfeit The depopulator takes a larger field to loose his soule in and to make sure worke that grace may neuer find it he hedges and ditches it in 3. Another loosing place is a Labyrinth or Maze In the Orchard of this world the God of it hath made a Labyrinth which St. Iohn describes The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life The entrance hereinto is easie as you haue seene in that Embleme of Suretiship the Horne a man goes gently in at the Butte end but comes hardly out at the Buckall the comming forth is difficult It is so full of crooked meanders windings and turnings out of one sinne into another from consent to delight from delight to custome from custome to impenitencie that in this Labyrinth men soone grow to a maze and know not how to be extricated Labyrinthus quasi labor intus the wicked wearie themselues in the wayes of destruction Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes pride of life Haec trâ—…a pro trino Numine mundus habet This is the trinitie the world worships Lust of the flesh The adulterer looseth himselfe in the forbidden bed Inter mammillas perditur he is lost betweene the brests of a Harlot He that seekes for him must as the Pursuivant for the Seminary not forbeare the Mistresses bed to find him Lust of the eyes Ahab casts a couetous eye at Naboths vineyard Dauid a lustfull eye at Bathsheba The eye is the pulse of the soule as Physicians iudge of the heart by the pulse so wee by the eye A rolling eye a rouing heart The good eye keepes minute-time and strikes when iâ—… should the lustfull crotchet-time and so puts all out of tune Pride hath lost as many as any her fellow Deuils They say shee was borne in heauen and being cast downe wandred vpon earth where a woman tooke her in and there shee hath dwelt euer since Indeed Esay 3. the shop of pride is the womans wardrobe in this wardrobe many soules both of women and men too are lost The common studie is new fashions but it is an ill fashion thus to loose the soule If we would get out of this maze we must as God warned the Wisemen depart another way Out of lust we must wind forth by Chastitie out of couetousnesse by Charitie out of Pride by Humilitie Penitence is the clew to guide vs forth howsoeuer wee came in we must goe out by Repentance 4. A fourth loosing place is the multitude of new and strange wayes wherein men wander as Saul after his Asses and are lost There is a way to Rome a way to Amsterdam a way to the sillinesse of ignorance a way to the fullennesse of arrogancie None of all these is the way to Sion In the multitude of wayes multitude of soules loose themselues 5. Lastly some are lost in the darke vault of ignorance applauding themselues in their blindnes and like Bats refusing the Sun-shine They haue an Altar but it is Ignoto Deo to an vnknowne God Like the Hoast of the King of Syria they are blind and lost betwixt Dothan and Samaria They may grope as the Sodomites for the dore of heauen but let not the Pope make them beleeue that they can find it blind-fold Ignorance is not Gods Starre-chamber of light but the Deuils vault of darkenes By that doctrine
panis thou wantest bread God is thy bread of life We want a pillow God is our resting place We may be Sine veste non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo sine Domo non sine Domino Without apparell not without faith without meate not without Christ without a house neuer without the Lord. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heauenly assurance giues vs not peace and ioy Are we clapt vp in a darke and desolate Dungeon there the light of the Sunne cannot enter the light of mercie not be kept out What restrained bodie that hath the assurance of this eternall peace will not pittie the darknes of the prophane mans libertie or rather the libertie of his darkenesse No wals can keepe out an infinite Spirit no darkenes can be vncomfortable where the Father of lights and the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth The presence of glorious Angels is much but of the most glorious God is enough Are we cast out in exile our backes to our natiue home all the worlds our way Whether can we goe from God Whether shall I goe from thy face or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend c. That exile would be strange that could separate vs from God I speake not of those poore and common comforts that in all Lands and coasts it is his Sunne that shines his elements of earth or water that beares vs his aire we breath But of that speciall priuiledge that his gracious presence is euer with vs that no sea is so broad as to deuide vs from his fauour that wheresoeuer we feed he is our host wheresoeuer we rest the wings of his blessed prouidence are stretched ouer vs. Let my soule be sure of this though the whole world be traytors to me Doth the world despise vs We haue sufficient recompence that God esteemes vs. How vnworthy is that man of Gods fauour that cannot goe away contented with it without the worlds Doth it hate vs much God hates it more That is not euer worthie which man honours but that is euer base which God despises Without question the world would bee our friend if God were our enemie The sweetnes of both cannot bee enioyed let it content vs wee haue the best It may be pouertie puts pale leannes into our cheeks God makes the world fat but withall puts leannesse into the soule We decay in these temporall vanities but we thriue in eternall riches The good man laughes at destruction and dearth Doth sicknes throw vs on our weary beds It is impossible any man should miscarry that hath God for his Physitian So Martha confessed to Iesus Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed Thy bodie is weake thy soule is strengthened dust and ashes is sicke but thy eternall substance is the better for it It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Lastly doth the ineuitable hand of death strike thee Egredere anima mea egredere Goe forth my soule with ioy and assurance thou hast a promise to be receiued in peace Happie dissolution that parts the soule from the bodie that it may knit them both to the Lord. Death like the proud Philistine comes marching out in his hydeous shape daring the whole Hoast of Israell to match him with an equall combatant The Atheist dares not die for feare non esse that hee shall not be at all the couetous vsurer dares not die for feare male esse to be damned the doubtfull conscience dares not die because he knowes not an sit an non sit an damnatus sit whether he shall be or be damned or not bee at all Onely the resolued Christian dares die because he is assured of his election he knows he shall be happie and so lifts vp pleasant eyes to heauen the infallible place of his eternall rest He dares encounter with this last enemie trample on him with the foote of disdaine and triumphantly sing ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie He conquers in being conquered and all because God hath sayd to his Soule I am thy Saluation The poore Papist must not beleeue this such an assurance to him were Apocryphall yea hereticall He must lie on his death-bed call vpon what Saint or Angell he list but must not dare to beleeue hee shall goe to heauen O vncomfortable doctrine able to loose the soule What can follow but feares without and terrours within distrustfull sighes and heart-breaking grones Goe away he must with death but whither he knows not It would be presumption to be confident of heauen How should Purgatory stand or the Popes kitchin haue a Larder to maintaine it if men might be sure of their saluation Herefore they bequeath so great summes for masses and Dirge's and Trentals to bee sung or sayd for them after they are dead that their soules may at the last be had to heauen though first for a while they be reezed in Purgatory If this be all the comfort their Priests Iesuites and Confessors can giue them they may well say to them as Iob to his friends Miserable comforters are ye all But he that hath Stephens eyes hath also Pauls heart and the Saints tongue He that with Stephens eyes can see that Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God as if his armes were open to wel-come and embrace him must needs with Paul desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and with the Saints cry Come Lord how long Amen euen so come Lord Iesus Thus much for the matter of the Assurance let vs now come to the manner Dic Animae Say vnto my soule Say but is God a man hath he a tongue how doth Dauid desire him to speake That God who made the eare shall not he heare he that made the eye shall not â—…e see he that made the tongue shall not he speake He that sees without eyes and heares without eares and walkes without feete and workes without hands can speake without a tongue Now God may be sayd to speake diuerse wayes 1. God hath spoken to some-by his owne voice To Adam vocem audiuerunt they heard the voyce of God c. To Israel The Lord spake vnto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voyce of the words but saw no similitude onely you heard a voyce To Christ I here came a voyce from heauen saying I haue both glorified it and I will glorifie it This S. Peter testifies There came a voyce from the excellent glory This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased 2. To omit visions and dreames and cloudes and Cherubins and Angells vrim and thummim God speakes also by his workes The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Mâ—…nus loquuntur his workes haue a tongue Opera testantur de me
is passed from death to life Patience Is one of the Pillars Hebr. 10. Ye haue need of Patience that when you haue done the will of God yee might receiue the Promise That when you haue suffered before the gates ye may enter the Citie There bee three Enemies that assault the soule before shee enter the gates a Lyon a Leopard and a Foxe The Lion is the Deuill who roareth with hideous cryes and bloudy iawes The Leopard is the world which hath a gay spotted hide but if it take vs within the clutches it deuoures vs. The Foxe is our Concupiscence bred in vs which craftily spoyles our grapes our young vines our tender graces Patience hath therfore an armed Souldier with her called Christian Fortitude to giue repulse to all these encounters And what he cannot conquer feriendo by smiting she conquers ferendo by suffering Uincit etiam dum patitur She ouercomes euen while shee suffers Patience meekely beares wrongs done to our owne person Fortitude encounters couragiously wrongs done to the Person of Christ. She will not yeeld to sinne though she die She hath the spirit of Esther to withstand things that dishonour God If I perish I perish Innocence Is the other Pillar As Patience teacheth vs to beare wrongs so Innocence to doe none Patience giues vs a Shield but Innocence denyes vs a sword Our selues we may defend others we must not offend Innocence is such a vertue Quae cùm alijs non nocet nec sibi nocet Which as it wrongs not others so nor itselfe Hee that hurts himselfe is not innocent The Prodigall is no mans foe but his owne saith the prouerbe but because hee is his owne foe he is not innocent Triumphus Innocentiae est non peccare vbi potest It is the triumph of Innocence not to offend where it may No testimony is more sweet to the conscience then this Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Iob My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes Blessed soule thus comforted it smiles at the frownes of earth and dares stand the thunder Though there bee no Innocency but reioyceth to stand in the sight of Mercy Yet thus in the middest of iniuries it cheeres it selfe O Lord thou knowest my innocence The wicked couer themselues with violence as with a garment therefore confusion shall couer them as a cloake But Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth That part of the earth they liue in shall afford them quiet and their part in heauen hath no disquiet in it Si amoueanâ—… admouentur in locum à quo non remouentur in aeternum If they be mooued they are moued to a place from whence they shall neuer be remoued I will wash mine hands in Innocency so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord. If Innocence must leade vs to the Altar on earth sure that must bee our gate to the glory of heauen Charity Is the Roofe Diligendo perficitur loâ—… makes vp the building Now abideth faith hope and charity but the greatest of these is charity It is a grace of the loueliest Countenance and longest Continuance For Countenance it is amiable all loue it The poore respect not thy faith so much as thy charity For Continuance faith and hope takes their leaues of vs in death but charity brings vs to heauen-dore vshers vs in to glory I know not what to say more in thy praise O charity then vt Deum de coelo traheres hominem ad coelum eleuares Then that thou didst bring downe God from heauen to earth and dost lift vp man from earth to heauen Great is thy vertue that by thee God should be humbled to man by thee man should be exalted to God You haue the Gates described Let vs draw a short conclusion from these two former circumstances and then enter the Citie The Summe There is no entrance to the Citie but by the Gates no passage to Glory but by Grace The wall of this Citie is said to be great and high High no climbing ouer Great no breaking through So Christ saith No theefe can breake through and steale Therefore through the gates or no way Corruption doth not inherit incorruption This corrupted man must bee regenerate that hee may bee saued must be sanctified that he may be glorified Babel-builders may offer faire for hâ—…uen but not come neer it the Gyants of our time I meane the monstrous sinners may imponere Pelion Ossae lay rebellion vpon presumption treason vpon rebellion blasphemy vpon all as if they would sinke heauen with their loud and lewd ordinance and plucke God out of his Throne but hell gapes in expectation of them This Gate is kept as the gate of Paradise with a flaming sword of Iustice to keepe out Idolaters Adulterers theeues couetous drunkards reuilers extortioners and other dogges of the same litter from the kingdome of God Some trust to open these gates with golden keyes but bribery is rather a key to vnlocke the gates of hell Let Rome sell what she list and warrant it like the Seller in the Prouerbs It is good it is good Yet it is naught but were it good God neuer promised to stand to the Popes bargaines Others haue dream't of no other gate but their owne righteousnesse Poore soules they cannot finde the gate because they stand in their owne light Others thinke to passe through the gates of other mens merits as well one bird may flie with another birds wings For all those hote promises of the workes of Saints for their ready money they may blow their nailes in hell Onely grace is the gate Per portam Ecclesiae intramus ad portam Paradisi Wee must bee true members of the Church or the dore of life will be shut against vs. Heauen is a glorious place therefore reserued for gracious men Admittuntur ad spiritus iustorum non nisi iusti To those spirits of iust men made perfect must be admitted none saue they that are iustified Kings are there the Companie none of base and ignoble liues can be accepted Heauen is the great White Hall the Court of the high King none are entertained but Albi such as are washed white in the bloud of Christ and keepe white their owne innocence Vngracious offenders looke for no dwelling in this glory You that haue so little loue to the gates are not worthy the Citie If you will not passe through the gates of holinesse in this life you must not enter the Citie of happinesse in the life to come Thus wee haue passed the gates and are now come to The Citie Now if I had beene with Paul rapt vp to the third heauen or had the Angels Reed wherewith he measured the wall I might say something to the description of this Citie But how can darkenesse speake of that light or the base