Christ may keep his heaven to himself hee 'l have none How many have we now 〈◊〉 that must be gainers by their religion which must be another Diana to the 〈◊〉 They are resolved howsoever to loose nothing suffer nothing but rather kick up all Jeroboamo gravior 〈◊〉 regionis quam religionis The King of Navarre told 〈◊〉 that in the cause of Religion he would launch no further into the sea then he might be sure to return safe to the haven A number of such Politick professours we have that come to Christ as this young man did hastily but depart heavily when once it comes to a whole-sale of all for Christ which yet is the first lesson the removens prohibens Verse 23. A rich man shall hardly enter With that burden of thick clay that camels-bunch on his back heaven is a stately pallace with a narrow portall there must be both stripping and 〈◊〉 ere one can get through this strait gate The greatest wealth is ordinarily tumoured up with the greatest swelth of rebellion against God Vermis divitiarum est superbia saith Augustine Pride breeds in wealth as the worm doth in the apple and he is a great rich man indeed and greater then his riches that doth not think himself great because he is rich Charge those that are rich that they be not high-minded for the devil will soon blow up such a blab in them if they watch not and that they trust not in uncertain riches so as to make their gold their God as all worldlings do and worse for could we but rip up such mens hearts we should finde written in them The God of this present world They that minde earthly things have destruction for their 〈◊〉 Philip. 3. Have them we may and use them too but minde them we may not nor love them 1 John 2. 15. that's spirituall 〈◊〉 such as Gods soul hateth and he smiteth his hands at 〈◊〉 22. 13. Verse 24 It is easier for a camell c. Or cable rope as some render it Either serves for it is a proverbiall speech setting forth the difficulty of the thing Difficile est saith St Hierom ut praesentibus bonis quis fruatur futuris ut 〈◊〉 ventrem 〈◊〉 mentem 〈◊〉 ut de 〈◊〉 ad delicias transeat ut in coelo in terrâ gloriosus appareat Pope Adrian the sixth said that nothing befell him more unhappy in all his life then that he had been head of the Church and Monarch of the Christian common-wealth When I first entered into orders said another Pope I had some good 〈◊〉 of my salvation when I became a Cardinall I doubted of it but since I came to be Pope I do even almost despair And well he might as long as he sate in that chair of pestilence being that man of sinne that sonne of perdition 2 Thes. 2. 3. Ad hunc statum venit Romana Ecclesia said Petrus Aliacus long since ut non esset dignareginisi per reprobos The Popes like the devils are then thought to do well when they cease to do hurt saith Johan Sarisburiensis They have had so much grace left we see some of them howsoever as to acknowledge that their good and their blood rose together that honours changed their manners and that they were the worse men for their great wealth and that as Shimei seeking his servants lost himself so they by reaching after riches and honours lost their souls Let rich men often 〈◊〉 this terrible text and take heed Let them untwist their cables that is their heart by humiliation James 5. 1. 1. 10. till it be made like small threeds as it must be before they can enter into the eye of a needle that is eternall life Verse 25. They were exceedingly amazed Because they knew that all men either are or would be rich and that of rich man scarce any but trusted in their riches Therefore though our Saviour told them Mark 10 24. that he meant it of those only that relied upon their riches yet they remained as much unsatisfied as before and held it an hard case that so many should misse of heaven We have much ado to make men beleeve that the way is half so hard as Ministers make it Verse 26. With men this is impossible Because rich mens 〈◊〉 are ordinarily so wedded and wedged to the world that they will not be loosned but by a powerfull touch from the hand of heaven Think not therefore as many do that there is no other hell but poverty no better heaven then abundance Of rich 〈◊〉 they say What should such a man ail The Irish ask what they mean to die c. The gold ring and gay clothing carried it in St James his time But he utterly 〈◊〉 ked 〈◊〉 partiality and 〈◊〉 us that God hath chosen the poor in this world rich in faith to be heirs of his kingdome In which respect he bids the brother 〈◊〉 low degree 〈◊〉 in that he is exalted in Christ. But with God all things are possible He can quickly root out confidence in the creature and rivet rich men to himself He can do more then he will but whatsoever he willeth that he doeth without stop or hinderance Men may want of their will for want of power Nature may be interrupted in her course as it was when the fire burnt not the three Worthies the water drowned not Peter walking upon it c. Satan may be crossed and chained up But who hath resisted the Almighty who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered Nature could say All things are 〈◊〉 to God and nothing impossible howbeit for a finite creature to beleeve the infinite Attributes of God he is not able to do it throughly without supernaturall grace Verse 27. Behold we have for saken all c. A great All sure a few broken boats nets houshold stuffe and Christ maintained them too and yet they ask what shall we have Neither is it without an emphasis that they begin with a Behold Behold we have forsaken all as if Christ were therefore greatly beholden to them and if the young man were promised treasure in heaven doing so and so then they might challenge it they might say with the Prodigall Give me the portion that pertains unto me Verse 28. Ye which have followed me in the Regeneration As if our Saviour should have said to forsake all is not enough 〈◊〉 ye be regenerate So some sense it Others by Regeneration understand the estate of the Gospel called elswhere a new heaven and a new earth 2 Pet. 3. 13. the world to come Heb. 2. 5. for God plants the heavens and laies the foundation of the earth that he may say to Zion thou art my people There are that understand by regeneration the generall resurrection of which 〈◊〉 some think Plato had heard and therefore held that in the revolution of so many years men should be just
he had poured forth his sorrowfull complaint there he rose up triumphing as Psal. 6. c. So shall it be with such They 〈◊〉 forth and weep bearing precious seed but shall surely return with rejoycing and bring their sheaves with them Gripes of gladnesse said that Martyr when Abraham the good housholder shall fill his bosome with them in the Kingdome of heaven Then as one hour changed Iosephs fetters into a chain of gold 〈◊〉 rags into robes his stocks into a charriot his prison into a palace his brown bread and water into manchet and wine So shall God turn all his 〈◊〉 sadnesse into gladnesse all their sighing into singing all their musing into musick all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into triumphs Luctus in laetitiam convertetur lachrymae in risum saccus in sericum cineres in corollas unguentum jejunium in epulum 〈◊〉 retortio in applausum He that will rejoyce with this joy unspeakable must stirre up sighes that are unutterable Verse 5. Blessed are the meek Meeknesse is the fruit 〈◊〉 mourning for sinne and is therefore fitly 〈◊〉 next after it He that can kindely melt in Gods presence will be made thereby as meek as a lamb and if God will forgive him his ten thousand 〈◊〉 he will not think much to forgive his brother a few farthings Hence the wisdome from above is first pure and then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated c. Jam. 3. 17. And love is said to proceed out of a pure heart a good conscience and 〈◊〉 unfeigned And when our Saviour told his Disciples 〈◊〉 must forgive till seventy times seven times Lord encrease 〈◊〉 faith said they Give us such a measure of godly mourning as that we may be bold to believe that thou hast freely forgiven us and we shall soon forgive our enemies David was never 〈◊〉 rigid as when he had sinned by adultery and murther and not yet mourned in good earnest for his sinne He put the 〈◊〉 under saws and harrows of iron and caused them to passe thorow the brick-kilne c. which was a strange execution and fell out whiles he lay yet in his sinne Afterward we finde him in a better frame and more meekned and mollified in his dealings with 〈◊〉 and others when he had soundly soaked himself in godly sorrow True it is that he was then under the rod and that 's a main means to make men meek The Hebrew words that signifie 〈◊〉 and meek grow both upon the same root and are of so great 〈◊〉 that they are sometimes by the 〈◊〉 rendered the one for the other as Psal. 36. 11. Adversa enim hominem mansuetum 〈◊〉 saith Chemnitius And how ever it goe with the outward man The meek shall finde rest to their souls Mat. 11. 29. Yea the meek in the Lord shall 〈◊〉 their joy Isa. 29. 19. And for outward respects Meek Moses complains not of Miriams murmurings but God strikes in for him the more And he that said I seek not mine own glory addes But there is one that seeketh it and judgeth God takes his part ever that fights not for himself and is champion to him that strives not but for peace sake parteth with his own right otherwhiles For they shall inherit the earth One would think that meek men that bear and forbear that put up and forgive committing their cause to him that judgeth righteously as Christ did should be soon baffled and out-sworn out of their patrimony with honest Naboth But there 's nothing lost by meeknesse and yeeldance Abraham yeelds over his right of choice Lot taketh it And behold Lot is crossed in that which he chose Abraham blessed in that which was left him God never suffers any man to leese by an humble remission of right in a desire of peace The heavens even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men Yet with this proviso that as heaven is taken by violence so is earth by meeknesse And God the true proprietary loves no tenants better nor 〈◊〉 longer leases to any then to the meek They shall inherit that is peaceably enjoy what they have and transferre it to posterity they shall give inheritance to their childrens children As on the other side frowardnesse forfeits all into the Lords hands and he many times taketh the forfeiture and outs such persons 〈◊〉 upon them with a 〈◊〉 ejectione as upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Plato The Lord Treasurer Burleigh was wont to say That he over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will more by patience then pertinacy His private estate he managed with that integrity that he never 〈◊〉 any man no man ever sued him He was in the number of those few saith M. 〈◊〉 that lived and died with glory For as 〈◊〉 of heart 〈◊〉 make you high with God even so meeknesse of spirit and of speech shall make you 〈◊〉 into the hearts of men 〈◊〉 M. Tindall in a letter of his to Iohn Frith afterwards his fellow-Martyr Verse 6. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in Christ for us being wrought by his value and merit and is called the righteousnesse of justification This is in us from Christ being wrought by his vertue and spirit and is called the righteousnesse of sanctification Both these the blessed man must hunger and thirst after that is earnestly and 〈◊〉 desire as Rachel did for children she must prevail or perish as David did after the water of the well of Bethlehem to the jeopardy of the lives of his three mightiest as the hunted Hart or as the 〈◊〉 readeth it Hinde braieth after the water brooks The Philosophers observe of the Hart or Hinde that being a beast thirsty by nature when she is pursued by dogs by reason of heat and losse of breath her thirst is encreased And in females the passions are stronger then in males so that she breaths and braies after the brooks with utmost desire so panteth the good soul after Christ it panteth and fainteth it breatheth and breaketh for the longing that it hath unto his righteousnesse at all times She fainteth with Ionathan swooneth and is sick with the Spouse yea almost dead with that poor affamished Amalekite And this 〈◊〉 appetite and affection ariseth from a deep and due sense and feeling of our want of Christ whole Christ and that there is an absolute necessity of every drop of his bloud There must be a sad and serious consideration of mans misery and Gods mercy Whence will arise as in hunger and thirst 1. A sense of pain in the stomack 2. A want and emptinesse 3. An eager desire of supply from Christ who is the true bread of life and heavenly Manna the Rock flowing with honey and fountain of living water that reviveth the fainting spirits of
the Gospel and know no other happinesse 〈◊〉 to have and to hold these have their eyes blinded by the god of this world as Isaac had his wels stopped up with earth by the Philistines And as a small dish being held near the eyes hideth from our sight a great mountain and a little hill or cloud the great body of the Sun though it be farre bigger then the whole earth So these earthly trifles being placed near mens 〈◊〉 do so shadow and over-cloud those great and glorious excellencies that are above that they can neither truly behold them nor rightly judge of them When men travell so farre into the South that the sight of the North-pole is at length intercepted by the earth it is a signe they are farre from it so is it that men are farre from heaven when the love of the earth comes in betwixt their souls and the sight thereof Earth-damps quench the spirits lamp Much water of affliction cannot quench that love that yet a little earth may soon do Verse 24. No man can serve two Masters c. The Mammonists minde must needs be full of darknesse because utterly destituted of the Father of lights the Sun of the soul for ye cannot serve two Masters God and Mammon By Mammon is meant earthly treasure worldly wealth outward abundance especially when gotten by evil arts it commeth to be the gain of ungodlinesse the wages of wickednesse riches of unrighteousnesse filthy 〈◊〉 When Joseph was cast into the pit by his bloudy brethren What gain saith Judah will it be if we kill him The Chaldee there hath it What Mammon shall it be What can we make of it What profit shall we reap or receive thereby Now these two God and Mammon as they are incompatible Masters so the variance between them is irreconcileable Amity with the world is 〈◊〉 with the Lord Jam. 4. 4. Emnity I say in a sense both active and passive for it makes a man both to hate God and to be 〈◊〉 by God so there 's no love lost on either side If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him that 's flat But the 〈◊〉 any one is drowned in the world 〈◊〉 more desperately he is divorced from God who requireth to be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be 〈◊〉 halving Cambden reports of Redwald the first King of the East Saxons that was 〈◊〉 that he had in the same Church one Altar for Christian religion and another for sacrifice to devils And Callenucius telleth us of a Noble-man of Naples that was 〈◊〉 profanely to say that he had two souls in his body one for God and another for whomsoever would have it The Ebionites 〈◊〉 Eusebius would keep the Sabbath with the Jews and the Lords-day with the Christians as if they were of both religions 〈◊〉 in truth they were of neither So Ezekiels hearers sate devoutly before the Lord at his publike Ordinances and with their 〈◊〉 shewed much love but their heart meanwhile was on their half-penny it went after their covetousnesse So the Pharisees heard Christs Sermon against the service of Mammon and derided him and while their lips seemed to pray they were but chewing of that murthering-morsell those widdows houses that their throats as an open sepulchre swallowed down soon after Thus filled they up the measure of their fathers those ancient Idolaters in the wildernesse who set up a golden calfe 〈◊〉 then caused it to be proclaimed To morrow is a feast to Jehovah And such is the dealing of every covetous Christian. S. Paul calleth him an idolater S. James an adulterer for he goeth a whoring after his gods of gold and silver And although he bow not the knee to his mammon yet with his heart he serveth it Now obedience is better then sacrifice and Know ye not saith the Apostle that his servants ye are to whom ye obey c Inwardly he loves it delights in it trusts on it secures himself by it from whatsoever calamites Outwardly he spends all his time upon this Idol in gathering keeping increasing or honouring of it Hence the jealous God hateth him and smites his hands at him Ezek. 22. 13. and hath a speciall quarrell against 〈◊〉 that blesse the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth As for his servants he strictly chargeth them to 〈◊〉 their conversation without covetousnesse Heb. 13. 5. yea their communication Ephes. 5. 3. yea their cogitation 2 Pet. 2. 14. branding them for 〈◊〉 children that have so much as their thoughts exercised that way He will not have his hasten to be rich or labour after superfluities 〈◊〉 nor anxiously after necessaries For worldlinesse 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 when men oppresse themselves with multiplying of 〈◊〉 or suffer their thoughts and affections to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken up with minding these things on earth as a main hinderance from heaven It fills the heart with cares and so unfits 〈◊〉 deads it to divine duties The thoughts as wings should carry 〈◊〉 in worship even to the mansions of God which being laden 〈◊〉 thick 〈◊〉 they so glue us to the earth that the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 word and ordinances cannot draw us one jot from it The 〈◊〉 is also hereby made like a mill where one cannot hear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noise is such as takes away all intercourse If conscience call 〈◊〉 them to take heed of going out of Gods way they are at as little 〈◊〉 to listen as he that runs in a race who many times 〈◊〉 with so much violence that he cannot hear what is said unto him 〈◊〉 it never so good counsel And having thus set their hearts and 〈◊〉 their hopes upon earthly things if ever they 〈◊〉 them as it 〈◊〉 falleth out they are filled almost with unmedicinable sorrows 〈◊〉 as they will praise the dead above the living and wish they had 〈◊〉 been born Eccles. 4. 1 2 3. Lo this is the guise and guerdom of those Inhabitants of the earth those viri divitiarum as the 〈◊〉 stiles them those miserable muck-worms that prefer Mammon before Messias gold before God money before mercy earth before heaven as childish a weaknesse as that of Honorius the Emperour that preferred a Hen before the City of Rome 〈◊〉 saith one is a monster whose head is as subtill as the serpent whose mouth is wide as hell eyes sharp as a Lizard scent quick as the Vulture hands fast as Harpyes belly insatiable as a Wolfe feet swift to 〈◊〉 as a Lionesse robbed of her whelps Ahab will have Naboths vineyard or he will have his bloud Judas was both covetous and a murderer and therefore a murderer because covetous He is 〈◊〉 also a thief and why a thief but 〈◊〉 a Mammonist 〈◊〉 draws a man from all the Commandments Psal. 116. 36. And there want not those that have drawn the covetous person thorow all the Commandments and proved him
the heart to the very dividing and disturbing thereof causing a man inordinately and over-eagerly to pursue his desires and to perplex himself like wise with 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 thoughts about successe Now our Lord Christ would have none of his servants to care inordinately about any thing but that when they have done what they can in obedience to him they should leave the whole matter of good or evil successe to his care To care about the issue of our lawfull endeavours is to usurp upon God to trench farre into his prerogative divine to take upon us that which is proper to him And it is no lesse a fault to invade Gods part then to neglect our own Adde hereunto that God out of his wise justice ceaseth caring for such an one and because he will not be beholden to God to bear his burthen he shall bear it alone to the 〈◊〉 of his back or it least till he is much bowed and 〈◊〉 under it If we 〈◊〉 such as will put no trust in us but love to stand upon their own ground we give them good leave as contrarily the more we see our selves trusted to 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carefull for them that stay upon us Thus it is with 〈◊〉 heavenly Father Saying what 〈◊〉 we eat 〈◊〉 Our Saviour by these distrustful Questions graphically expresseth the condition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their endlesse projects and discourses in the air They are full of words and many questions what they 〈◊〉 doe and how they and theirs shall be provided for They haven ver done either 〈◊〉 themselves or consulting to no purpose in things that either cannot be done at all or not otherwise And so some understand that of our Saviour Luk. 12 29. Hang not in doubtfull suspences after he had brought in the rich fool vers 17. reasoning and saying What shall I doe c. And Solomon brings in such another fool full of words and he recites his words A 〈◊〉 cannot tell 〈◊〉 shall be and what shall be after him who can tell Eccles. 10. 14. And in the next Chapter ver 1. and so forward he makes answer to many of these mens 〈◊〉 queries and 〈◊〉 when moved to works of mercy Old men specially are 〈◊〉 of this weaknesse who are apt to cark because they 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they shall not have enough to keep them and bring them well home as they call it whence some conceive that covetousnesse is called The root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. because as there is life in the root when no sap in the branches so covetousnesse oft liveth when other vices die and decay It groweth as they say the Crocodile doth as long as he liveth Verse 32. For after all these things doe the Gentiles seek With whom if you should symbolize in sins or not exceed in vertue it were a shame to you They studiously seek these things they seek them with all their might as being without God in the world and therefore left by him to shift for themselves When we observe a young man toiling and moiling running and riding and not missing a market c. we easily guesse and gather that he is fatherlesse and friendlesse and hath none other to take care for him Surely this immoderate care is better beseeming infidels that know not God but rest wholly upon themselves and their own means then Christians who acknowledge God most wise and all-sufficient to be their loving father As we differ 〈◊〉 Heathens in profession so we should in practice and a grosse businesse it is that Jerusalem should justifie Sodom and it should be said unto her Neither hath Samaria committed half af thy sinnes but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more then they Ezek. 16. 51. Such as have hope in this life only what marvell if 〈◊〉 labour their 〈◊〉 to make their best of it Now many of the poor Pagans believed not the immortality of the soul and those few of them that dreamt of another life beyond this yet 〈◊〉 of it very 〈◊〉 and scarce believed themselves Socrates the wisest of Heathens spake thus to his friends at his death the time is now come that I must die and you survive but whether is the better of these two the gods only know and not any man living that 's mine opinion But we have not so learned Christ neither must we do as Heathens and alients from the Common-wealth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now in Christ 〈◊〉 we who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by his bloud and have an accesse through him by one spirit to the 〈◊〉 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all 〈◊〉 things Not with a bare barren notionall knowledge but with a fatherly tender care to provide for his own in all their necessities which who so doth not he judgeth him worse then an infidel We need not be carefull of our maintenance here in our 〈◊〉 and none-age nor yet for our eternall inheritance when we come to full age We are cared for in every thing that we need and that can be good for us Oh happy we did we but know our happiness How might we live in a very heaven upon earth could we but live by faith and walk before God with a perfect heart He made himself known to be our gracious and 〈◊〉 father before we were born And did we but seriously consider who kept and fed us in our mothers womb Psal. 22. 9 10. when neither we could shift for our selves nor our 〈◊〉 do ought for us how he filled us two bottles with milk against we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light bore us in his arms as a nursing-father Numb 11. 13. fed us clothed us kept us from fire and water charged his Angels with us 〈◊〉 all windes to blow good to us Cant. 4. 16. all creatures to serve us Hos 2. 21 22 23. and all occurrences to work together for our good how could 〈◊〉 but be confident Why art thou so sad from day to day and what is it thou 〈◊〉 or needest Art not thou the Kings sonne said Jonadab to Amnon say I to every godly Christian. Profane 〈◊〉 could go to his father for a childes portion so could the Prodigall 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 and had it Every childe of God shall 〈◊〉 a Benjamins portion here and at length power over all 〈◊〉 Revel 2. 26. and possession of that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. Either 〈◊〉 disclaim God for your Father or else rest confident of his fatherly provision Certa mihi spes est quod vitam qui dedit idem Et velit possit suppedit are cibum God that giveth mouths will not fail to give meat also Verse 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his 〈◊〉 That as the end 〈◊〉 as the means for grace is the way to glory 〈◊〉 to happinesse If men be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no heaven to be
as Samuel Verse 10. Take heed that ye despise not c. Gr. Look to it if you do a foul mischief is towards you Look to it as you tender your own safety here or salvation hereafter Cast not the least contempt upon Christs little ones As little as they are they have a great champion Isa. 37. 22 23. and so many Angels to right them and fight for them that a man had better anger all the witches in the world then one of these little ones I tell you some great ones have been fain to humble themselves and to lick the very dust of their feet sometimes that they might be reconciled to them Isa. 60. 14. If Cain do not lowre upon Abel God will arraign him for it Why is thy countenance cast down c Why dost look so doggedly If Miriam do but mutter against Moses God will spet in her face And if Aaron had not made the more hast to make his peace by repentance he also had tasted of the lame sawce Their Angels do allwaies behold the face Angels in the Syriack are named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the face because it is their office and honour to look alwaies on Gods face They are sent about Gods messages to this earth yet are never out of their heaven never 〈◊〉 of the vision of their maker No more are godly men when busied in their callings And howsoever slighted in the world yet Angels are sent forth for their safeguard and service Heb. 1. 14. yea for the accomplishment of all designes for the Saints good they stand alway looking God full in the face to receive commandments Verse 11. For the Sonne of man came c. Therefore Angels are so active and officious about them This the 〈◊〉 Angels could not bring their hearts to yeeld to and therefore fell 〈◊〉 envie from their first estate and whereas the society 〈◊〉 Angels was much maimed by their fall their room say some is supplied by the Saints whom therefore they take such care of and content in Verse 12. 〈◊〉 he not leave the ninety and nine I am not saith a Divine of their fond opinion that think the Angels are here meant by the ninety nine sheep as if they were 〈◊〉 infinite in number beyond the number of mankinde yet without question they are exceeding many and that number cannot be known of us in this world Dan. 7. 10. Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai c. that is those myriads of Angels make Sion as dreadfull to all her enemies as those Angels made Sinai at the delivery of the law But the application of this 〈◊〉 makes it plain that the hundred sheep are Gods elect 〈◊〉 ones all which are set 〈◊〉 by Christ upon the everlasting mountains and not one of them lost Joh. 10. Matth. 24. Verse 13. And if so be that he finde it As he will most surely for none can take them out of his hands nor can he discharge his 〈◊〉 should he suffer any one of them to wander and perish as they will do undoubtedly if left to themselves such is their sheepish simplicity Isa. 53. 6. God hath charged Christ to see to the safe-keeping of every true sheep Joh. 6. 39 40. and he performed it to the full Joh. 17. 12. As for that sonne of perdition there excepted he was never of Christs body yet is excepted because he seemed to be by reason of his office Verse 14. It is not the will of your father Happy for us that we are kept by the power of God to salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. for else it were possible for us to fall away and perish an intercision there might be nay an utter excision from Christ were not his left hand under us and his right hand over us and both his hands about us to clasp and hold us fast to himself But his right hand is our 〈◊〉 and his left hand our Boaz. Both which pillars in the porch of Solomons Temple did shew not only by the matter whereof they were made but also by the names whereby they were called what stedfastnesse the Elect stand in before God both for present and future For present they have strength in themselves for future God will so stablish them with his grace that they shall never wholly depart from him As for reprobates God saith of them 〈◊〉 that will die let it die they shall die in their sinnes as the Lord threatneth the Jews which is a thousand times worse then to die in a ditch or in a dungeon Verse 15. If thy brother shall trespasse As trespasse he will for it must needs be that offences come vers 7. such is humane 〈◊〉 Two flints may 〈◊〉 smite together and not fire come out as two or more men converse together and not trespasses in one kind or other fall out A Heathen could say Non amo 〈◊〉 nisi offendam for so I shall know whether he love me or no by his forbearing of me And Augustine saith Qui desinit 〈◊〉 desinit amare He that ceaseth to bear with me ceaseth to love me Here therefore our Saviour after he had deterred his from doing wrong instructeth them how to suffer wrong If it be not considerable it must be dissembled As if it be Go and tell him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get thee gon to him presently lest else the sore 〈◊〉 and thou hate him in thy heart 〈◊〉 not he should come to me c. but get thee to him with speed Lech lecha as God said to Abraham up and be packing 〈◊〉 not to strain courtesie with him when both have haste but seek peace and ensue it it is best to be first in a good matter Remember said Aristippus to 〈◊〉 with whom he was fallen out that though I were the elder mao yet I first sought to thee Verily said 〈◊〉 thou 〈◊〉 not only an elder but a better man then I for I was first in the quarrell but thou art first in seeking reconciliation Tell him his fault Gods little ones are so to be loved as not to be let alone in their trespasses but freely and friendly admonished that they may see their sinne and amend their way as Denkius did when admonished by Oecolampadius He being a learned man held this heresie that no man or devil should be damned eternally but all saved at last c. But being withall an humble man he repented being converted by Oecolampadius in whose presence he died at Basil of the plague but piously 〈◊〉 Dom. 1528. Thou hast gained thy brother To God and thy self and if to God to thy self surely for ever as Philemon how much 〈◊〉 Onesimus to Paul to whom they therefore owed themselves also St Anthony Kingston thus spake to Mr Hooper a little before his Martyrdome I thank God that ever I knew you for God did appoint you to
to grace his own ordinance for us Verse 14. But John for bad him Flatly forbad him and kept him out of the water with both hands earnestly not out of disobedience but reverence though faulty and erroneous The very best have their blemishes Omnibus malis punicis inest granum putre dixit Crates And the fairest Apple-tree may have a fit of barrennesse But for involuntary infirmities and those of daily incursion there is a pardon of course if sued out And although Satan stood at the right hand of Jehoshuah the high Priest because as some will have it his accusation was as true as vehement and so Satan seemed to have the upper hand of him Yea although he was so ill clothed yet he stood before the Angel Christ did not abhor his presence nor reject his service I have need to be baptised of thee There can be no flesh without filthinesse as a grave Divine noteth upon this text Neither the supernaturall conception nor austere life of John could exempt him from need of baptisme And commest 〈◊〉 to me Amica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a friendly falling out but quickly made up Most of our jarrings grow from mistakes Be swift to hear slow to wrath easily satisfied Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being once broken cannot be peeced again Quae modò pugnârant jungunt sua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 15. Suffer it to be so now Or Let be now for the Baptist seems to have laid hands upon Christ to keep him off Our Saviour assents to that John had said but yet shews cause why he should suffer it so to be for present To fullfill all righteousnesse Not legall only and of equality but that of his present condition also and of equity to the end that all kinde of sinners might have all kinde of comfort in Christ an absolute and all-sufficient Saviour Then he suffered him The wisedom from above is gentle and easie to be perswaded when better 〈◊〉 is alledged as in Peter Joh. 13. 8. first peremptory but after conviction pliable An humble man will never be an heretick shew him his errour and he will soon retract it Joannes Bugenhagius a Reverend Dutch Divine lighting upon Luthers book de captivitate Babylonica and reading some few pages of it as he sate at supper rashly pronounced him the most pestilent and pernicious heretick that ever the Church had been troubled with since the times of Christ. But a few daies after having seriously read over the book and well weighed the businesse he returned to his Collegioners and recanted what he had said amongst them affirming and proving that Luther only was in the light and all the world besides in grosse darknesse so that many of them were converted by him to the truth Ioannes 〈◊〉 a learned Bavarian held this heresie That no man or Devil should be damned eternally because God willeth that all should be saved and Christ saith There shall be one shepherd and one sheep-fold But being an humble minded man he was convinced and converted by Oecolampadius and died of the plague but piously at Basile Anno 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 the heretick because he praid ardently and lived unblameably Bucholeerus the Chronologer was wont to say that his heart was good but his head not well regulated But how that could be I see not so long as he lived and 〈◊〉 in his detestable opinions and would not 〈◊〉 them If the 〈◊〉 were gotten into the head the Priest was to pronounce such utterly unclean Levit. 13 44. And the Prophet pronounceth 〈◊〉 soul that is lifted up with pride and pertinacy not to be upright in him Verse 16. And Iesus when he was baptised Many of the Ancients held that the day of Epiphany was the day of our Saviours baptisme But that I think is but a 〈◊〉 The Habassines a kinde of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Afrique baptise themselves every year on that day in lakes or 〈◊〉 thereby to keep a memoriall of 〈◊〉 Saviours baptisme in Iordan This is as 〈◊〉 was wont to say of a like matter to passe by the provision and lick the signe-post Went up straightway out of the 〈◊〉 And stood upon the shore apart from the company that all might see and hear what was now to be done St Luke addeth that he fell thereupon his knees and prayed thereby teaching us with what deep devotion we are to receive the Sacraments Which are given us of God to signifie as by signe to assure as by seal and to convey as by instrument Jesus Christ and all his benefits the Father Son and holy Ghost are there one in covenanting and working thy salvation 〈◊〉 up thy self therefore to hope and faith at the Sacrament speak to thy faith as Deborah did to her self Awake awake Deborah 〈◊〉 a song Give glory to God lay claim to the covenant lean on Christs bosom at that supper and be think thy self with Hesther at the feast what suit thou hast to commence what Haman to hang up what lust to subdue what grace chiefly to get growth in c. But for most communicants urge them to prayer afore in and after Sacrament and they must say if they say truly as David did of Sauls armour I cannot go with these for I have not been 〈◊〉 omed to them And lo the heavens were opened unto him As he was praying for prayer is the 〈◊〉 of heaven wherewith we may take out of Gods treasury plentifull mercy for our selves and others He 〈◊〉 possibly be poor that can pray Rom. 10. 12. One said of the Pope that he could never want money so long as he could hold 〈◊〉 pen in his hand of the faithfull Christian it may safely be affirmed He cannot want any good thing while he can call to God for it If he can finde a praying heart God will finde a pitying heart and a supplying hand Now he is worthily miserable that will not make himself happy by asking The Ark and the Mercy-seat were never separated God never said to Israel Seek ye me in vain The hand of faith never knockt at Heaven gates but they were opened and the Spirit descended though not so visibly as here at the baptisme of our Saviour nor a voice heard so audibly from Heaven as then yet as truly and effectually to the support of the poor suppliant Who while he prayeth in the holy Ghost Jude 20. 〈◊〉 new supplies of the Spirit Phil. 1. 19. and is sweetly but secretly sealed up thereby to the day of redemption And he saw the Spirit of God descending From the Father who spake from the most excellent glory upon the Son who stood upon the shore so that here was concilium augustissimum a most majesticall meeting of the three Persons in Trinity about the worke of mans redemption as once about his creation Gen. 1. 26. Let us make 〈◊〉 The Hebrews interpret it I and my Iudgement-hall by which
This his dealing with rebels and reprobates Neither so only but 〈◊〉 he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he had before prepared to glory He loved his 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay 〈◊〉 and effectually called them 〈◊〉 only not deserving but not so much as 〈◊〉 it For when 〈◊〉 were 〈◊〉 we were reconciled to God by the death of his 〈◊〉 God so loved the world the wicked and wayward world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent his only be gotten Son c. Now Qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immisit spiritum promisit 〈◊〉 quid 〈◊〉 tibi 〈◊〉 est He that 〈◊〉 thee his son imparted unto thēe of his 〈◊〉 promised thee his favour What will he deny thee how shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his Son give thee all things also Rom. 8 Oh let his 〈◊〉 be our patern his 〈◊〉 our precedent to love and 〈◊〉 kindnesse to our greatest enemies So shall we force a 〈◊〉 if not from the mouthes yet at least the consciences of all 〈◊〉 the worst that we are born of God and doe love him better 〈◊〉 our selves when to please him we can so much crosse our selves 〈◊〉 the practice of this most difficult duty For he maketh his sunne to arise on the evil A sweet mercy 〈◊〉 not prized because ordinary as Manna was counted a light 〈◊〉 because lightly come by But should we be left in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as were the AEgyptians for three daies together so that 〈◊〉 man stirred off the stool he sate on this common benefit would 〈◊〉 better set by The sunne is as it were a 〈◊〉 whereinto the 〈◊〉 gathered the light which till then was scattered in the whole 〈◊〉 of the heavens This David beheld with admiration Psal. 8. 〈◊〉 with adoration as those Idolaters that worshipped 〈◊〉 Queen of heaven not so Iob Chap. 31. 26. Truly saith Solomon the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun and S. Chrysostom wondreth at this that whereas all 〈◊〉 naturally ascendeth God hath turned the beams of the Sun 〈◊〉 the earth made the light thereof to stream downwards It is 〈◊〉 our sakes and service doubtlesse whence also the Sun hath 〈◊〉 name in the Hebrew tongue Shemesh a servant as being the servant generall of man-kinde whiles he shines indifferently 〈◊〉 the evil and the good and to both imparteth light and heat And his rain to fall Not only upon flowers and fruit 〈◊〉 but also upon the briars and brambles of the wildernesse 〈◊〉 bottles of rain the clouds are vessels saith one as thin as the liquor which is contained in them there they hang and 〈◊〉 though weighty with their burden but how they are upheld 〈◊〉 why they fall here and now we know not and wonder This 〈◊〉 know and may well wonder that God maketh his Sun to shine and his rain to fall on the evil and unjust also What so great 〈◊〉 is it then if we light up our candle to such or let down our 〈◊〉 that they may drinke This is our Saviours inference here The dew we 〈◊〉 falleth as well upon the dayes-eye and thistle as upon the rose and violet On the just and on the unjust Those whom S. Matthew 〈◊〉 unjust S. Luke calleth 〈◊〉 Ingratitude is an 〈◊〉 degree of injustice God is content we have the benefit of his creatures and comforts so he may have the praise of them This is 〈◊〉 the rent he looks for and this he stands upon he indents with 〈◊〉 for it Psal. 50. 15. and Gods servants knowing how he expects and accepts it doe usually oblige themselves to it as that which pleaseth him better then an oxe that hath horns and hoofs And they have been carefull to return it as the solid bodies that reflect the heat they receive from the Sun-beams upon the Sun again But most men are like the Moon which the fuller it is of light the 〈◊〉 it gets off the Sun from whom it receiveth light Like springs of water that are coldest when the Sun shineth hottest upon them Like the Thracian flint that burns with water is 〈◊〉 with oyl or the dead sea that swalloweth the silver streams of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet grows thereby neither greater nor sweeter Doe ye thus requite the Lord O ye foolish people and unwise Doe ye thus rob him of his praise and so run away with his rent Is this the best return we make him for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and miraculous deliverances Out upon our unthankfullnesse and unrighteous dealing that can devour Gods blessings as beasts doe their prey swallow them as swine their 〈◊〉 bury them as the barren earth the seed use them as homely as Rachel did her fathers gods yea abuse them to his dishonour as if he had hired us to be wicked and fight against him with his own weapons as Iehu did against 〈◊〉 with his own men as David against Goliah with his own sword as Benhadad against Ahab with that life that he had given him This injurious usage at the hands of the sons of men was that that caused God to make a world and unmake it again to promise them 120 years respite 〈◊〉 to repent him so that he cut them short 20 years of the 〈◊〉 number yea to perform the promised 〈◊〉 and to repent 〈◊〉 of it when he hath done as Divid did of the kindnesse he had 〈◊〉 unworthy Nabal Will not God take his own from such 〈◊〉 be gone Hos. 3. 9 turn their glory into 〈◊〉 Hos 4. 7 〈◊〉 their blessings Mal. 2 2 〈◊〉 them after he hath done them good losh 24. 20 〈◊〉 them to serve their enemies in the want of all things that would not serve so good a Master in the 〈◊〉 of all things Deut. 28. 47 What 〈◊〉 a Prince doe 〈◊〉 take a sword from a rebell what should a mother doe but 〈◊〉 away the meat from the childe that 〈◊〉 it And what 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and just Lord doe 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 off the meat from the monthes and take away his corn and his wine his wool and his 〈◊〉 from such as not only not own him to it but go after other 〈◊〉 hearts with it paying their rents to a wrong 〈◊〉 Thus he dealt by his 〈◊〉 vineyard Isa. 5. 5. by the unprofitable servant 〈◊〉 25 28. by the foolish 〈◊〉 for as the Chronicler speaketh of 〈◊〉 Thomas Moore I know not whether to call them 〈◊〉 wise-men or wise foolish men that imprisoned the truth in 〈◊〉 and made not the best of that little light they had God not only made fools of them but dilivered them up to a reprobate sense and only for their unthankfullnes which is robbing God of his 〈◊〉 O therefore what will become of us that so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his daily dishonor our health wealth wit prosperity plenty peace friends means marriage day might all comforts and creatures our times our talents
before we aske as he did David Psal. 32. He prevents us with many mercies we never sought him for that our praises may exceed our prayers I am found of them that sought me not saith God but yet in the same place it is said I am sought of them that asked not for me Importing that we never seek to him for grace till effectually called by his grace Howbeit no sooner is any truly called but he presently prayeth Say not then if God know our needs what need we open them to him The truth is we doe it not to inform him of that he knows not or to stir up mercy in him who is all bowels and perfectly pitieth us but 1. Hereby we acknowledge him as a childe doth his father when he runs to him for food 2. We run that course of getting good things that he hath prescribed us Jer. 29. 11 12. Which Moses and Elias knew and therefore the former turned Gods predictions the later his promises into prayers 3. Hereby we prepare our selves holily to enjoy the things we crave for prayer both sanctifieth the creature and encreaseth our love and thankfullnesse Psal. 116 1. 4. Prayer prepareth us either to go without that we beg if God see fit as David when he prayed for the childes life and was fitted thereby to bear the losse of it or else to part with that we have got by prayer for the glory of God the giver of it Those that make their requests known to God with thanksgiving shall have at least the peace of God that passeth all understanding to guard their hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus They shall have strength in their souls the joy of the Lord shall be their strength the glory of the Lord shall be their rereward In their marching in the wildernesse at the fourth Alarm arose the standard of Dan Asher and Nepthali these were the rereward of the Lords host and to these were committed the care of gathering together the lame feeble and sick and to look that nothing was left behinde Unto this the Prophet Isaiah seems in that text to allude and so doth David Psal. 27. 10. When my father and mother forsake me the Lord will gather me And this comfortable assurance was the fruit of his prayer Verse 9. After this manner therefore pray ye Forms of wholesome words are profitable A set form of prayer is held fittest for the publike and for such weak Christians as are not yet able to expresse their own desires in their own words The utterance of wisdom is given to some Christians only 1 Cor. 12. 8. yet are all to strive unto it that the testimony of Christ may be confirmed in them 1 Cor. 1. 5 6. God will take that at first that afterwards will not be accepted If words be wanting pray that God that commands thee to take words and come before him to vouchsafe thee those words wherewith thou mayest come before him Speak as the poor man doth supplications so did the prodigall Forecast also with him what thou wilt say Praemeditate of the matter disposing it in due order as one would doe that is to speak to a Prince God is a great King Mal. 1. 23. Some thinke we must never pray but upon the sudden and extraordinary instinct and motion of the spirit This is a fancy and those that practise it cannot but fall into idle repetitions and be confused going forward and backward like hounds at a losse saith a good Divine and having unadvisedly begun to speak they know not how wisely to make an end This to prevent premeditate and propound to thy self fit heads of prayer gather catalogues of thy sinnes and duties by the decalogue observe the daily straits of mortall condition consider Gods mercies your own infirmities troubles from Satan pressures from the world crosses on all hands c. And as you cannot want matter so neither words of prayer The Spirit will assist and God will accept if there be but an honest heart and lawfull petitions And albeit we cannot vary them as some can our Saviour in his agony used the self-same words thrice together in prayer and so may we when there is the same matter and occasion He also had a set form of giving thanks at meat which the two Disciples at Emaus hearing knew him by it A form then may be used we see when it is gathered out of the holy Scriptures and agreeable thereunto Neither is the spirit limited hereby for the largenesse of the heart stands not so much in the multitude and variety of expressions as in the extent of the affection Besides if forms were unlawfull then neither might we sing Psalms nor join in prayer with others nor use the forms prescribed by God Our Father which art in Heaven Tertullian calls this prayer a breviary of the Gospel and compend of saving doctrin It is framed in form of the decalogue the three former Petitions respecting God the three later our selves and others Every word therein hath its weight Our there 's our charity Father there 's our faith In heaven there 's our hope Father is taken sometimes personally as in that of our Saviour My father is greater then I sometimes essentially for the Whole Deity so here Now that God is in Heaven is a notion that heathens also have by nature and do therefore in distresse lift up eyes and hands thither-ward And lest man should not look upward God hath given to his eyes peculiar nerves to pull them up towards his habitation that he might direct his prayer unto him and look up Psal. 5. 3. that he might feelingly say with David Whom have I in heaven but thee Unto thee lift I up mine eyes ô thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their Masters c. Psal 123 1 2. It is reported of 〈◊〉 that he preached so powerfully that he seemed to thunder and prayed so earnestly that he seemed to carry his hearers with him up into heaven Hallowed be thy Name 1. Honoured be thy Majesty According to thy Name O God so is thy praise Psal. 48. 10. Now Gods Name is holy and reverend Psal. 111. 9. Great and terrible Psal. 99. 3. Wonderfull and worthy Psal. 8. 1. Jam. 2. 7. High and honourable Isa. 12. 4. Dreadfull among the Heathen Mal. 1. 14. and exalted above all praise 〈◊〉 9. 5. His glory is as himself eternally infinite and so abideth not capable of our addition or detraction The Sun would shine though all the world were blinde or did wilfully shut their eyes Howbeit to try how we prize his glory and how industrious we will be to promote it God lets us know that he accounts himself as it were to receive a new being by those inward conceptions of his glory and by those outward honours we do him when we lift up his Name
the leaven of Egypt And was transfigured before them This was whiles he was praying as St Luke noteth Prayer rightly performed is a parling with God 1 Tim. 2. 1. a standing upon Intergatories with him 1 Pet. 3. 21. a powring out of the heart unto him Psal. 62 8. a familiar conference with him wherein the soul is so carried 〈◊〉 it self other whiles 〈◊〉 ut caro est penè nescia carnis as St 〈◊〉 speaks of certain holy women in his time that they seemed in place only remote but in affection to joyn with that holy company of heaven So Dr Preston on his death-bed said he should change his place but not his company Peter praying fell into a trance 〈◊〉 praying saw heavenly visions Mr Bradford a little before he went out of the Counter praid with such plenty of tears and abundant spirit of prayer that it ravished the mindes of the hearers Also when he shifted himself in a clean shirt made for his burning he made such a prayer of the wedding garment that the eies of those present were as truly occupied in looking on him as their ears gave place to here his prayer Giles of Brussels 〈◊〉 was so ardent in his prayers kneeling by himself in some secret place of the prison that he seemed to forget himself Being called many times to meat 〈◊〉 neither heard nor saw them that stood by him till he was lift up by the armes and then gently he would speak unto them as one awaked out of a deep sleep Amor Dei est ecstaticus sui nec se sinit esse juris Verse 3. Moses and Elias appeared Those 〈◊〉 is Candidati as the 〈◊〉 called them God had buried Moses but brought him forth afterwards glorious the same body which was hid in the vallie of 〈◊〉 appeareth here in the hill of Tabor Christ by rotting refines our bodies also and we know that when he who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory 〈◊〉 3 4. As in the mean space be not we conformed to this world but rather transformed by the renewing of our mindes and in whatsoever transfiguration or ravishment we cannot finde Moses and Elias and Christ to meet as here they did in this sacred Synod that is if what we finde in us be not agreeable to the Scriptures we may well suspect it as an illusion Verse 4. Lord it is good 〈◊〉 us to be here 〈◊〉 plura absurda quam verba But he knew not what he should say he was so amused or rather amazed at that blessefull-sight So Paul whether in the body or out of the body when rapt into the third heaven he cannot tell God knoweth and again he cannot tell God knoweth 2 Cor. 12 2. 3. Only this he can tell that he heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordlesse Words such things as words are too weak to utter and at the thought whereof Claudicat ingenium delir at linguaque mensque It is as impossible to comprehend heavens joyes as to compasse the heaven with a span or contain the Ocean in a 〈◊〉 No wonder then though Peter cry out it is good being here Or it is better being here then at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St Chrysostom senleth it whither our Saviour had said he must go and suffer many things of the Elders and be killed c. That St Peter liked not but would build here rather All men would have heaven but not the rough way that leads to it they would enter into Paradise but not through that narrow portall of afflictions they would sit in the seat of honour with Zebedees children but not drink of Christs cup much lesle be baptized with his baptisme that is be dowzed over head and eares in the waters of miseries They would feed on manchet tread on roses and come to heaven as 〈◊〉 at sea do many times to the haven whiles they are sleeping or before they are a ware But this is no lesse a folly then a delicacy thus to think to divide between Christ and his crosse to pull a rose without pricks to have heaven without hardship One for thee one for Moses one for Elias He never thought of one for himself he was so transported but he had provided 〈◊〉 for himself and us if Christ had taken his 〈◊〉 for so he should have declined death whereby life and immortality was brought to light to the Saints And this unadvised advie was so much the worse in Peter because but six daies before he had been sharply shent by our Saviour and called Satan for such carnall counsell and besides that even then he heard Moses and Elias 〈◊〉 with Christ about his departure confirming him against it It 's hard to say how oft we shall fall into the same fault though foul if left to our selves Verse 5. Whiles he yet spake But had no answer because he deserved it not to so foolish a proposition Only the Father answereth for the Sonne by the oracle out of the cloud according to that I bear not witnesse to my self but the Father that sent me he it is that beareth witnesse of me A bright cloud over shadowed them As a eurtain drawn betwixt them and the heavenly glory to the contemplation whereof they were not yet sufficient Hereby also their senses were drawn off from beholding Christs glory to hear the voice from Heaven which by the cloud as by a charet was carried into their ears with greater sound and solemnity Non loquendum de Deo sine lumine was a saying of Pythagoras God may not be mentioned without a light This is my beloved Son in Whom Here God maketh use of three diverse passages and places of his own book Psal. 2. 7. Isa. 42. 1. 〈◊〉 18. 18. to teach us when we speak to speak as the Oracles of God to inure our selves to Scripture language The voice also which Christ heard from heaven at his baptisme in his first inauguration is here repeated totidem verbis in his transfiguration which was no small confirmation to him doubtlesse as it was also to Peter and the rest that this voice was the same in esfect with his and their confession of Christ in the former Chapter ver 16. Thou art Christ the Sonne of the Living God In Whom I am Well pleased In whom I doe 〈◊〉 and have perfect and full complacency singular contentment And as in him so in us thorow him Zeph. 3. 17. he rests in his love 〈◊〉 his he will seek no further effecit nos sibi dilectos in 〈◊〉 Dilecto he hath made us accepted in that beloved one Here we have Gods acquittance for our better security Hear ye him As the Archprophet of the Church Deut. 18. 15. that Palmoni hammedabber as Daniel calleth him that excellent speaker that master of speech that came out of the 〈◊〉 of his father and hath his whole minde at his fingers ends as we say Hear ye him
earth Isa. 11. 4. that is the 〈◊〉 of carnal men glued to the earth Gods words 〈◊〉 them full in the teeth and makes them spit 〈◊〉 Now if they rage as Tygres tear themselves at the noise of a drum if they flee in the faces of their teachers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon them they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 escape the visible 〈◊〉 of God Verse 46 But when they 〈◊〉 to lay 〈◊〉 on him And so shewed themselves to be the same our Saviour spake of ver 39 42. As the Pope and his emissaries do well approve 〈◊〉 to be that false prophet and 〈◊〉 locusts 〈◊〉 forth in the Revelation Their daily practice is a clear Commentary upon that obscure prophecy which the ancient Fathers that lived 〈◊〉 to see it fulfilled could not tell what to say to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are best understood by their events CHAP. XXII Verse 1. Spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again THat by one 〈◊〉 he might peg in another He had but a 〈◊〉 to be with men and see how he bestirs him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more swift and violent toward the end of it It was as 〈◊〉 to Christ to seek mens salvation as it is to the devil to 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 who therefore doth his utmost because he 〈◊〉 that he hath but a short time Rev. 12. 12. his malevolence is 〈◊〉 to his 〈◊〉 Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto a 〈◊〉 King God is a great King and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 Mal. 1. 8. will be served of the best and curseth that cosener that doth 〈◊〉 verse 14. He scorneth to drink the devils 〈◊〉 to take his leavings Verse 3. They would not come They proved Recusants and this rendered them unworthy of eternall life Act. 13. 46. Gods Ministers sent to call them must turn them over to him with a Non 〈◊〉 and let him deal with them Verse 4. Behold I have prepared my dinner Luke calleth it a supper The Kingdom of heaven is compared to both to shew that the Saints do both dine and sup with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at his table continually as 〈◊〉 did at ` Davids yea they have as 〈◊〉 had a continuall 〈◊〉 from the King every day a certain all the 〈◊〉 of their lives My Oxen and my fatlings are killed Gr. Are sacrificed but 〈◊〉 it is translated to common use because even Heathen Princes began their 〈◊〉 feasts with sacrifices which was craving a blessing on their food in their way and for that men should come to a feast as to a Sacrifice Adeò ut gulae 〈◊〉 appetitus as Novarinus here noteth Verse 5. But they made light of it Gods rich offers are still sleighted and vilipended and most men turn their 〈◊〉 upon those blessed and bleeding imbracements of his as if heaven were not worth 〈◊〉 after Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus Cogi posse negat One to his farm another to 〈◊〉 merohandise Licitis perimus 〈◊〉 More die by meat then poison Worldlinesse is a great let to faith though men cannot be charged with any great covetousnes See that ye shift not off him that speaketh to you from heaven Heb. 12. 〈◊〉 Verse 6. Intreated them spitefully and slew 〈◊〉 This is that sinne that brings ruine without remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. Josiahs humiliation could not expiate Manasseh's bloud-shed Our Popish Prelates in lesse then four years sacrific'd the lives of eight hundred innocents to their idols here in Queen 〈◊〉 daies That precious bloud doth yet cry to heaven for vengeance against us And it was a pious motion that one made in a Sermon to this present Parliament That there might be a day of publike humiliation purposely set apart and solemnly kept thorowout the Kingdom for the innocent bloud shed 〈◊〉 in those Marian daies of most abhorred memory Verse 7. But when the King 〈◊〉 thereof And Kings have long ears this King of heaven especially Cui 〈◊〉 muta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ut taceant homines jumenta loquentur In case of the abuse of Gods 〈◊〉 a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Eccles. 10. 20. John Baptist was beheaded in the prison as if God had known nothing of the matter said that Martyr But when he maketh inquisition for blouds which he oft doth with great secrecy and severity he 〈◊〉 such to purpos Ps 9 12. as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charles the ninth of France Felix of 〈◊〉 and sundry other bloudy 〈◊〉 Sent forth his Armies The Roman spoilers who were the rod in Gods hand and revenged the quarrell of his Covenant 〈◊〉 they thought not so Isa. 10. 7. As in 〈◊〉 bloud by leeches the Physitian seeks the health of his patient the leech only the filling of his gorge So when God turns the wicked upon his people he hath excellent ends howbeit they think not so but to destroy and cut off nations not a few Verse 8. They which were bidden were not worthy Who were then Such as came from the high waies and hedges vers 9. that is such as sit and shew their sores to God as the cripples and others do by the high-way-side to every passenger to move pitty Such sensible sinners shall walk with Christ in white for they are worthy Verse 9 Goe ye therefore to the high-waies Those sinners of the Gentiles Gal 2. 15. who wandered in their own waies Act. 14. 16. and were till now without God in the world Ephes. 4. 18. These are those other husbandmen to whom the housholder would let out his vineyard chap. 21. 41 43. which truth to illustrate this parable is purposely uttered and principally as it may seem intended Verse 10. Both bad and good c. Such a mixture there ever hath been and will be here in the Church Doeg sets his foot as far within the Sanctnary as David There are sacrificing 〈◊〉 Isa. 1. 10. sinners in Sion Isa. 33. 14. We cannot avoid the company of those from whom we shall be sure to carry guilt or grief Verse 11. And when the King came in to see He is in the assemblies of his Saints to observe their carriage and to adde measure unto them in blessing as they do to him in preparation he goes down into his garden to see whether the vinc flourish and the pomgranats bud Cant. 6. 11. he 〈◊〉 in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks c. Now therefore we are all here present before God said 〈◊〉 Act. 10. 33. Which had not 〈◊〉 a wedding garment i. 〈◊〉 Christ apprehended by faith 〈◊〉 expressed in his vertues by holy life Justification and sanctification are the righteousnesses of the Saints wherewith arraied they are beautifull even to admiration as without the which Satan stood at the right hand of 〈◊〉 the high Priest because as some will have it his accusation was as true as vehement so that Satan had the upper hand of him tell such time as Christ bad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 garments from him there
prayer made by a penitent malefactour executed at Evesham in Worcestershier many years since But our Lord Christ was forsaken of all these creature-comforts and which was worse then all of his Fathers favour to his present apprehension left forelorne and destitute for a time that we might be received for ever Howbeit perplexed though he were yet not in despair persecuted yet not forsaken cast down yet not destroyed He could say My God in the midst of all by the force of his faith which individuateth God as a Father saith and appropriateth him to a mans self And Hilary hath a good note which here comes in not out of place Habes conquerentem relictum se esse quia homo est habes eundem profitentem Latroni in paradiso regnaturum quia Deus est As man he cryes out My God my God c when as God he promiseth paradise to the penitent theef Verse 47. This man calleth for Elias A malicious mistake a devilish sarcasme Whiles darknesse was upon them they were over-awed and husht their mouths were haltered as horses must be saith the Psalmist as the sea was by our Saviour and held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee But no sooner was it light again but they are at their old trade again deriding our Saviour and depraving his words as if forsaken of his hope in God he had fled to Elias for help So when Cranmer standing at the stake cryed out often Lord Jesu receive my spirit a Spanish Monk that heard him ran to a Noble-man there present and tells him that those were the words of one that dyed in great despair Verse 48. And filled it with vineger Sorrow is dry we say This man of sorrows more to fulfill the Scriptures then for his own satisfaction though extream dry no doubt for now was the Paschall lamb a roasting in the fire of his Fathers wrath he saith I thirst and had vineger to drink that we might drink of the water of life and be sweetly inebriated in that torrent of pleasure that runs at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16. 11. See the Note on Joh. 19. 29. Verse 49. Let us see whether Elias c. This mocking is the murther of the tongue which therefore our Saviour suffered ut nos illusori Satanae insultaremus saith one It is reported of Aretine that by a longer custome of libellous and contumelious speaking against men he had got such a habit that at last he came to diminish and disesteem God himself May not the same be made good of these malicious miscreants Verse 50. Yeelded up the Ghost Or let go his spirit viz. to God that gave it to whom also he recommended it Luk. 23. 46. teaching us what to do in like case Our care herein may make even a Centurion a gracelesse person to glorifie God saying Certainly this was a righteous man vers 47. When so great a clark as Erasmus dying with no better words in his mouth then Domine fac finem fac finem is but hardly thought of How much more that English Hubertus a covetous oppressour who dying made this wretched will-paroll I yeeld my goods to the King my body to the grave my soul to the devil Verse 51. The vail of the Temple was rent To shew than there was an end of the Leviticall liturgy and that now there was free and open accesse for all Saints to the throne of Gods grace for the vail was a figure of the spirituall covering which was before the eyes of the Church till Christs coming And the earth did quake To work a heart-quake in the obstinate Jews as in some it did others of them had contracted such an habituall hardnesse such a hoof upon their hearts as neither ministry nor misery nor miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie And the rocks rent So they do wherever Christ makes forcible entrance into any heart I will shake all nations and then the desire of all nations shall come Hag. 2. 7. A man will never truly desire Christ till soundly shaken Gods shaking ends in setling he rents us not to ruine but to refine us Verse 52. And the graves were opened To shew that death was now swallowed up in victory by life essentiall like as the fire swallows up the fuell and as Moses his serpent swallowed up the enchanted serpents And many bodies of the Saints To shew that the 〈◊〉 strings of death which before bound them in their 〈◊〉 were now broken and they enlarged to attend our Saviours resurrection Verse 53. And appeared unto many Not to converse again as heretofore with men but to accompany Christ that raised them into heaven and to be as so many ocular 〈◊〉 of Christs quickning power whereby he shall also raise our vile bodies and conform them to his glorious body the standard Phil. 3. ult Verse 54. Truly this was the Sonne of God i.e. A divine man a de my-god as these Heathens reputed those in whom they beheld and admired any thing above the ordinary nature of 〈◊〉 and their expectation Naturall conscience cannot but stoop and do homage to the image of God stamped upon his people as being afraid of that name of God whereby they are called Deut. 28. 10. There are that think that these souldiers our Saviours executioners were truly converted by the miracles they 〈◊〉 seen according to what Christ had prayd for them Luk. 23. 34. And it may very well be like as Paul was converted upon 〈◊〉 Stevens prayer as Justine Martyr and others were by behold ing the piety and patience of the Primitive Christians and as James Silvester 〈◊〉 at the Martyrdome of Simon Lalot at 〈◊〉 He seeing the great faith and constancy of that heavenly Martyr was so compuncted with repentance saith Mr Fox and fell into such despair of himself that they had much ado to fasten any comfort on him wich all the promises of the Gospell till at length he recovered repented and with all his family removed to the Church of Genova Christians have shewed as glorious power and have as good successe in the faith of Martyrdome as in the faith of miracles working wonders thereby upon those that have sought and suckt their blood Verse 55. And many women were there More hardy then the Disciples who all save John were fled and hid Oh stand saith a Divine and behold a little with those devout women the body of thy Saviour hanging upon the crosse See him afflicted from top to 〈◊〉 See him wounded in the head to heal our vain 〈◊〉 See him wounded in the hands to heal our evil actions See him wounded in the heart to cure our 〈◊〉 thoughts See his eyes shut up that did enlighten the world See them shut that thine might be turned from seeing of vanity See that countenance so goodly to behold spetted upon and 〈◊〉 that thy face 〈◊〉 shine glorious as the Angels in heaven