one shewes the greatnesse of his Maiestie the other shewes the obedience of his ministry whilst hee takes the censure of his flesh and fills it with the coales of the altar and presents the supplications of his Church and makes the smoake of those spirituall odours ascend before the Lord as from the hand of an Angell O the gracious entrance of our triumphant Sauiour into that heauenly tabernacle before hee was from the earth earthly now hee is from heauen heauenly There be heauens corporall there hee is by the presence of his body there bee heauens mysticall there hee is by the influence of his Spirit For the soule of euery Christian may bee likened vnto heauen in the corporall heauens yee haue a Sunne to giue light in the mysticall heauens yee haue Christ to bee your guide in the corporall yee haue Starres that shine by night in the mysticall ye haue vertues eminent and conspicuous that shine in the night of aduersitie and the darknesse of tribulation in the corporall yee haue continuall serenitie in the mysticall perfect tranquilitie in the corporall ye haue an extension of parts in the mysticall of charitie the loue of God being spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and our bowels yearning with mercy and compassion towards the afflictions of our brethren So that God is still in the holy place there will he dwell there is his rest for euer Though we seldome frequent the place of his Sanctuary some perhaps once a yeare as the high Priests did the inward Tabernacle some perhaps once in their liues as Christ did this heauenly Tabernacle yea I feare many leaue the holy place and choose places most vnholy and defiled defiled with superstition and idolatrie defiled with riot and luxurie defiled with extorsion and crueltie defiled with vncleannesse and impuritie where the Sunne may scarce peepe without feare of darkening or the light without danger of infection O the deplored estate and lamentable condition of spirituall Gadarens and Daemoniacall Christians that abide in graues and lie as it were in the deepe of hell that sticke in the mire and clay or rather in the sinke and iakes of abhominable pollutions and Heliogabalian filthines How do they depart from the liuing God and forget the footsteps of their Sauiour The place where he goes is holy the ground where hee stands holy and as hee is holy in his words so is hee holy in his wayes O let there not bee such a distance betwixt head and members lift vp your heads raise vp your thoughts though your bodies lie on the earth let your soules be in heauen nay be yee a heauen vpon earth shining with truth establisht with hope adorned with righteousnesse extended with lour hung and spread with those gracious clouds of knowledge and instruction that Christ may bring his Father and come into your holy place and cast out the bond woman and take his rest as in a sanctuarie Vbi habitabo saith Austin in the name of God Where shall I dwell Dost thou thinke I will abide in the ruinous building of thy collapsed nature and depraued affections or in the sordid building of thy staind actions and wicked pollutions Surely no I looke my house should be cleane swept and garnisht with the flowers of vertue as the Diamond or the Carbuncle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nyssen he that is Lord of honour and glory will not bee owner of that which is dishonourable and inglorious If hee would not suffer the vncleane spirits to name him hee shall not suffer the vncleane men to enioy him they cryed and were rebuked if they cry they may bee refused Awake then and consider whose temples yee are this is the will of God euen your sanctification This is the will of God euen your glorification O my brethren me thinkes I see the names of all that stand before me written in the booke of life and I seeme to reade through that sea of glasse the diuine pedegree of your sacred race and heauenly genealogie There is Abraham your Father and Isaac his sonne or rather Iacob to whom the promises were made yea there is God your Father in whom all the families of heauen and earth are named and Christ his Sonne flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone together with that Spirit by whose grace we are knit and linkt in one fellowship and communion there is the ring and the robe which the Angells which bee his seruants shall cast vpon vs the ring of endlesse blisse and interminate happinesse the robe of perfect iustice and immortall holinesse Why do not we mooue as the clouds and flie as the Doues vnto our windowes Why is not our heart together with our treasure nay with our flesh and with our bloud with our strength and with our glorie He is gone before that we may follow after first by contemplation then by conuersation till at length we be inducted into mount Sion the blessed Temple of our spirituall Ierusalem hauing not onely quiet and peaceable but actuall and corporall possession Now we haue Ius ad rem then wee shall Ius in re Now wee are inuested with right and power then we shall be superinuested with immortalitie and honour like those blessed Elders that worshipt the Lambe which doth wipe all teares from their eyes and guide them to those fountaines of liuing waters Did wee consider how great and excellent things God hath promist to all that loue him in the heauens our hearts would bee turned and set more by the holy place then by the honourable place or the place of custome and of sweetnes or the place of maiestie and of greatnesse there is the flower of wheate and the abundance of delight Riuers of oyle and flouds of peace in comparison whereof our ioy is heauinesse our fulnesse vacuitie our pleasure bitternesse our riches pouertie our beautie ashes our comelinesse deformitie It is Dauids note that God hath set the wicked as a wheele and the reason is giuen by a learned Father Anterius cadit posterius eleuatur The former part turnes downe the hinder part turnes vp so they incline and how downe towards the glorious brightnes of that which is before and permanent but rise are lifted vp towards the emptie shadow of that which is past and transient let them be as a wheele so wee be as a Chariot or an Eagle mounted and soaring towards the place of vision where Christ sits in the glorie of the Father Sequar illum quem mea occidit tarditas was the speech of Cassius when Brutus had bene slaine by the stay of his aide and the negligence of his armie I will follow him that my slownesse hath put to death They are our sinnes that haue put Christ to death the slownesse and backwardnesse of our hearts and vnderstandings to do any thing that is good O let vs follow him in the bearing of his crosse and the entrance of his glorie Sequar eum quem mea
temporall blessings are for the most part Catholike and Vniuersall bestowed promiscuously without exception yet grace and peace and righteousnesse and adoption are neuer giuen to the reprobate For there is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God but fightings without and frightings within as the Apostle noteth they fly when none doth pursue and are afraid where no feare is Horrendum quatiente animo tortore flagellum well are they compared to a raging sea that neuer rests whose waters cast out mire and dirt their desires as winds that stirre and raise their passions their passions are as waues that turmoile and tosse their soules their soules are as ships that float to and fro and are carried vp and downe with restlesse motion and violent agitation in the midst of their bodies For as Bees are driuen away with smoake forsake their hiues so the coales of wrath and the stifling fumes of choaking enuie do remoue and exterminate the diuine sweetnesse of Christian peace and quietnesse Whence is that of Chysologus Haeretici in ira Christiani in pace Simeon is glad Herod is troubled the sheepe of Christ are quiet Wolues are inraged the Angels reioyce and are exalted the Diuels tremble and are confounded The Arke of Gods Church is safe and lyeth at Anchor the barke of Infidels floates and lies in continuall danger I remember in the reigne of Selymus when a Persian Embassadour came to entreate peace of the Turkes a desperate fellow discharged a shot and would haue slaine him being taken and examined hee neuer changed countenance but replyed hee was an enemie to his Lord and most vnworthy any peace the like answer shall be giuen to the wicked when they seeke for peace and the Lord will sweare they shall not enter into his rest Looke vpon the troubles of their heart and consider their manifold distractions who is able to expresse the stroakes and the scourges the wounds and the torments that make them bleede within the furies that haunt their breast and twine as snakes about them the seuerall pleits of the writhen thoughts and perplexed cogitations They are cursed in the field and cursed in the Citie cursed in the fruit of their land and cursed in the fruit of their bodie their children perish and neuer behold the Sunne their cattell are smote with lightning and their flocks of sheepe with hot thunderbolts their vineyards are destroyed with hailestones and their mulbertie trees with frosts the Caterpiller eates their grasse and the Grashopper their labour the Lord doth smite them with Feuers and Agues and blastings and mildewes and neuer leaue till they be destroyed the Lord doth cast vpon them the furiousnesse of his wrath trouble and displeasure with the immission of diuels and incursion of euill spirits For they are enemies of God and most vnworthy of this peace that peace which is here published and confined to his seruants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To men of good will Not to men of good vnderstanding onely For knowledge puffes vp but to men of good will For charitie buildes vp Not to men of good deeds onely for sometimes they may bee hypocriticall and Pharisaicall but to men of good will for they are perfect and Angelicall Such as embrace Christ willingly and receiue his word ioyfully with true loue and hearty deuotion These are quadrati lapides as Saint Austin square stones that neuer fall howsoeuer they be turned Their life is like the breeding of those Halciones which makes their nest in the sea as long as the one liues the other breeds there is a great calme and wonderfull serennitie Beware then of enuie and the Lord deliuer vs from hatred malice and all vncharitablenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil as God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God so the Diuell is hatred and he that abideth in hatred abideth in the Diuell O yee that feele the arrowes of God sticke fast in you returne into your hearts and examine your consciences see whether your will bee good or bad rectified or depraued If the Lord make way to his indignation and giue your life to the destroyer if your riuers be dryed vp and your waters turned into bloud if the heauens bee as brasse ouer your head and the earth as iron vnder your feete if yee haue dust for raine for dew ashes if your sheepe be giuen to the enemy and your labour to the stranger if your hearts boyle with anguish and the sorrowes of death compasse you round about thinke it is for lacke of this good will because yee haue not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards your maker good will towards your neighbour If yee had good will ye would not be so much disquieted They are men of good will that are the vessels of peace and the subiect of this blessing and the good will that dwelt in the bush will dwell in none but such as haue good will In this God is like that Romane Emperour Odit pallidos macilentos His soule doth abhorre such as are leane with enuie and pale with malicious wickednesse O that diuine charity were shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and the vertue thereof spread as a veine through the body of our Church O that our soules were as the Pallace of Salomon and the midst thereof paued with loue toward the daughters of Hierusalem Then would the Lord couer vs all the day long and we shall dwell in safetie then would hee lie betweene our shoulders and wee should be as Ioseph that was separate from his brethren Beloued I may say of these breasts as Christ doth of the Churches Meliora vino â—bera Thy breasts are more pleasant then wine The breasts of pietie and deuotion the breasts of mercie and compassion the breasts of true loue and Christian affection I would to God I could see them run and flow as spouts and conduicts in the midst of your habitations And me thinks I do to the honour of God and the abundant increase of your rest and quietnes Yet this is not enough vnlesse yee adde bowels vnto breasts breasts will soone dry vp if they bee not fed with the melting of our bowels and therefore saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put yee on the bowels of compassion that as Christ was inuested in our flesh so we might be inurserated with his bowels the tender bowels of mercie louing kindnes If thy heart rise against thy neighbour remember the peace thou hast with God if thy soule delight in honour think of the glory that is giuen to the Lord. Non venit Dominus vt impleret aqua Hydrias sed vt animas spiritus sancti gratia irrigaret saith Ambrosius the Lord is not come to fill our water pots with wine but to water the soules of men with the graces of his spirit that we might haue peace with our selues good will towards others and the sacrifice of praise for him that dwelleth in the highest Neuer was that of the Psalmist more fitly vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the heauens reioyce and the earth be glad Let the earth be glad for there is peace in it Let the heauens reioyce for there is glorie in the highest Let the earth be glad for hee that was heauenly was made earthly Let the heauens reioyce for he that is earthly was and is heauenly and let both take vp that which the Angels sung vnto the sheepheards Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men when the Angels sang Christ was naked on the earth now we sing he is glorious in the heauens Therefore doth our solemnitie exceed theirs and we may better say Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I reade of one Pope that would haue none reade this verse but onely the Priests but we know that all the elect are Kings and Priests to God A royall Priesthood a holy Nation purchased redeemed with his bloud and therfore let vs ioyne in this dochologie and neuer rest saying Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I will shut vp all in that closure of the Apostle Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and the Spirit bee in honour and glorie in the earth as it is in heauen till the earth mooue and the heauens forget their motion Amen Amen FINIS
set vpon miracles and labour to conuert water into bloud colour seas die riuers as if they would sayle and swim to Paradise through bloud of their enemies that Christs bloud may witnesse against them and charge them with the bloud of their slaine which hee so dearely purchast that as his bloud calls for pardon so their bloud calls for vengeance and may one day come vpon the desperate malefactor without repentance to his ruine and confusion Whence is that resolution of Anastasius the Emperour cited by Euagrius in the third booke of his storie Quod nihil velit aggredi that he would aduenture no exploit though neuer so honourable and glorious if he thought it might cost him a drop of bloud But such mildnesse requires a golden age that we cōdemne is the brutish violence of sauage furie It were good some bloud were let in vs not the bloud of our flesh but the bloud of our soules I meane the lust of our desires and the heate of our affections For as Bernard speakes Sanguis animae voluntas mea The bloud of my soule is the will of my heart and if there were a vent made for the corruptions thereof wee should find a more easie passage into heauen for there is a spirituall galarie and milken path that leadeth vnto God euen truth and holinesse puritie and righteousnesse our hearts being sprinkled from an euill conscience with the bloud of Christ and assured confidence in the merit of his passion O the rubricke and witnesse of eternall glorie that makes vs Saints in the kingdome of heauen and washeth our soules from their spirituall leprosie How should we adore the Sacrament of his bloud how should wee thirst after the fountaine of his bloud Crying with our Sauiour in the Gospell sitio I am a thirst He thirsts after our good let vs thirst after his bloud He thirsts after our saluation let vs thirst after his righteousnesse till our bloud-thirstinesse take away our bloud-guiltinesse and his bloudie wounds cure our bloudie issue the naturall fluxe of originall impuritie that it may bee true in vs which is spoken of the Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Riuers of the water of life shall flow out of their bellie The wild beast finds sweetnesse in the bloud of man and hunts for it Shall not wee more in the bloud of Christ and thirst for it it is milke to the weake and makes him strong it is wine to the strong and makes him chearefull O bee not slow to frequent the Temples and to loue the seruice and to honour the stones and to worship the alters where so grieuous a veine is opened to the house of Israel When Vitellius came into a field of bloud died with the slaughter and strewed with the bodies of the dead others were annoyed he onely cryes out Optime hostis occisus melius ciuis There is a good smell in the bloud of an enemie much better in the bloud of a subiect A most inhumane speech and full of tyrannie but had he said Optime hostis melius Christi There is a good smell in the bloud of an enemie but much better in the bloud of Christ that had bene religious pietie which is now recorded for outragious crueltie For indeed it is his bloud that is the sauour of life and smell of a field which the Lord hath blest that fills the nostrils of our heauenly Father and makes him forget the stinke of our wounds and the putrifactions of our iniquities whilst he stands like Phineas to mediate for vs in that holy place where now hee makes his entry and so I passe from his humiliation to his exaltation from the key of his bloud to the closet of his glorie Hee entred the holy place The sonnes of Israel came to their earthly Canaan through the red sea the Sonne of God to that heauenly Canaan through a sea of bloud that flowed with milke and honie this with the sweetnesse of peace and glorie that a land of holinesse this a place of holinesse where peace and holinesse and truth and righteousnesse haue taken vp their rest and made their habitation For holinesse becomes the house of God for euer perfect holinesse vniuersall holinesse with a vniuersality of time it is for euer with a vniuersality of subiect it is so that no vncleane thing may enter It was a good inscription which a bad man set vpon the doore of his house Per me nihil intret mali no euill may passe through me whereupon said Diogenes Quomodo ingredietur Dominus How then shall the master get into his owne house I know not how it may agree with our mansions vpon earth sure I am the first part is most conuenable with that coelestiall Bethel the gates of heauen and blessed sanctuarie of eternall righteousnesse For whatsoeuer is there is holy the Saints holy the Patriarchs holy the Martyrs holy the Prophets holy but the Lord himselfe most holy and blessed neither is this holinesse originall in those coelestiall bodies but deriuatiue from the Lord of all things It is he that sanctifies and makes them holy times places men Angels names ceremonies vessels instruments things animate things inanimate with the gracious spirit of his sauing righteousnesse They are holy because the Lord is holy and must needs subscribe to that great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cherubins Holy holy holy Lord God almightie which is which was and which is to come But wherein stands the differerence betwixt the holinesse of God and the holinesse of his place Deus sanctus quia sanctificans the Lord is holy because he sanctifies and is not sanctified that is holy because it is sanctified and cannot sanctifie else might Adam haue continued holy as long as hee was in Paradise and the diuell as long as hee was in heauen but the one was cast out and the other was cast downe that so the holy one might come into the holy place and say with the Prophet Deus non homo I am God and not man The holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Hos 9. 11. For though hee were humbled vnto death and lay melting on the fornace of his crosse yet was he exalted vnto life and snatched as a brand out of the fire and that as Saint Ambrose speakes In vmbraculo nubis vt foueantur vulnera passionis In the coole shade of a spreading cloud to qualifie the heate of his bleeding wounds Neither is there any Christian but may discerne as farre with the ioyes of faith as euer Stephen did with the eyes of his body when hee said Behold I see the heauens opened and the sonne of man stand at the right hand of God Luke saith hee stands Dauid he sits yet are they both true he sits as a Iudge for the Lord hath giuen all power to his Sonne he stands as an Aduocate For we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins The
time yee should awake and returne with the Shunamite I would to God yee were as those Switzers who are ready to serue for the best pay If Satan bee able to giue more follow him If Satan be able to promise more follow him Quis fascinauit Who is it that hath bewitched you as the Apostle writeth to the Galatians had ye rather eate huskes and feede swine with the prodigall then haue bread enough and sit at table with the children Had yee rather lie in hell as sheepe that death may gnaw vpon you then raigne in heauen as Iudges that life may abide in you By how much it is better to sit in a throne and iudge the tribes of Israel then to stand at the barre and here the sentence of condemnation by so much is it more safe and comfortable to follow God then man Christ then Belial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazian Let vs flie the world and the Prince thereof but seeke Christ and sticke vnto his mercie the exhortation is enforced by that of Ambrose teneat clauus si reuocat infirmitas If the weaknesse of our flesh and the infirmitie of our nature draw vs from him let the remembrance of his death and the nayles of his crosse pin vs to him Who could make vs but hee who did saue vs but hee who but hee shall adorne vs with his grace and crowne vs with his glorie set vs in his presence where there is fulnesse of ioy and place vs at his right hand where there are pleasures for euermore how can yee neglect so great saluation how can ye leaue so great felicitie ye haue seene his starre in the East and hee that bringeth light out of darkenesse hath shined in your hearts to the light of knowledge in the face of Christ Iesus There is no excuse left but the stay of his promise and the expectation of his goodnesse that it is not yet but shall be hereafter in the second birth of the whole vniuerse which is the terme and point of this complement and perfection My last circumstance that knocks at the doore of your hearts and eares to keepe them open It is stored of a Romane that he neuer beheld the rubbish of old marble or lookt vpon the ruines of any ancient building but he wept and cryed Recordatione temporum meliorum ploro I grieue and lament to thinke of the dayes which are gone and past But wee are contrary and as he lookt backe with griefe and sorrow on that which is past so wee looke forward with ioy and comfort towards that which is to come the changing of our flesh the instauration of our nature the renewing of the world the transformation of the elements when the creature that trauels and groanes vnto this present shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption for then it is wee must enioy the right and seate of Iudicature and prehemmence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the regeneration Which some call the resurrection others call the redemption of our bodies when mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life and this corruptible shall put on incorruption For the first generation and birth of man is when hee comes into the world the second generation and birth of man is when hee is raised out of the world and taken into heauen Ad contemplandum lumen aeternitatis as Saint Gregorie speakes to contemplate the Lord and to behold eternitie and as there is a regeneration of the inward man after the image of God by grace and faith in the bloud of Christ and the lauour of Baptisme termed by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lauour of regeneration where he is begot of the immortall seede and borne as it were anew of water and the spirit so must there be a regeneration of the outward man by the power of God Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body which extends to euery creature sublunarie as the elements coelestiall as the heauens Behold saith God I create a new earth and a new heauen Behold saith Iohn I see a new earth and a new heauen So that we may boldly cry with Peter Expectamus nouos coelos We looke for a new earth and a new heauen according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse For he shall change them and they shall be changed the earth shall be changed and cloathed with beautie the aire shall be changed and purged from obscuritie the fire shall be changed that is do not consume the water shall be changed that it do not putrifie the heauens shall be changed for they shall rest from motion and receiue a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie the Sunne shall stand in the East and the Moone in the West where first they were created that wee may behold the faire beautie of the Lord and looke vpon his Sonne in a throne of glorie Sonne of God and yet Sonne of man for hee shall iudge as hee was iudged and returne in the same forme wherein he was despised that euery eye may see whom they pierst and be not affraid of him they crucified for the greatnesse of his power and the brightnesse of his presence Quid facturus saith that notable Moralist if his enemies went backe and fell to the ground when he came in weakenesse and humilitie to be iudged how shall they start and bee confounded when he comes in power and maiesty to iudge the world and to pronounce the sentence of condemnation against euery cursed malefactor Foelix trembled at the mention of it and these vnhappy Foelixes shall neuer be able to abide the sight of his glorious throne enuironed with a guard of heauenly souldiers At length wee see what our hope is and when it shall be reuealed not before the day of iudgement and the coming of our Sauiour Beware then lest yee bee ouer hastie to iudge before your time I speake onely of priuate censure vncharitable suspition malicious calumnie spightfull detraction which is not iudicium but praeiudicium not iudgement but preiudice Eagle-sighted in the faults of others and ready to sticke as flies in the sores and vlcers of their griefes and infirmities As for that golden pillar of publike iudicature The ground and basis of regular states and well ordered kingdomes it is strengthened in my text and ministerially with subordination deriued to such as are Apostolique For if wee shall iudge the tribes of Israel and the families of the earth nay the whole world together with the blessed Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much rather smaller things and such as pertaine vnto life the argument is not humane but diuine drawne from the mouth and pen of that great Doctor and vessell of election in the sixt Chapter and the first Epistle to the Corinthians Where hee speakes inclusiuely and makes himselfe a Iudge as well of things temporall as of things eternall and let all such as hold the sonnes of Zadocke most vnworthy of all iusticiarie function
on for the consummation of our glorie There we find his patience here we find his perseuerance euery where the oyle of ioy and of gladnesse whereupon saith Bernard Nemo saluus quanto minus saluator There is none can be saued much lesse a Sauiour without the constancie of perseuerance Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and ride on Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and begin what thou hast to do Ride on with thine honour and finish what thou hast began It is thy promise that doth bind thee and thy word that doth excite thee a word of truth that shewes vs thy precepts a word of meeknesse that forgiues our iniquities a word of righteousnesse that purifies the conscience Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse These are the drops of raine from aboue which I desire may fall gently into yoursoules as into a fleece of wooll with facilitie of patience and humilitie of deuotion Good lucke haue you in hearing good lucke haue I in speaking from him that rideth on the circle of the heauens and is now drawne throughout the whole world on the foure Euangelists that triumphant chariot the chariot of the Gospell And so I begin with my first obseruation and take the Omen of my text Fortunam Domini cantare nobile regnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good lucke haue thou with thine honour That inscription of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good fortune which Demosthenes bare on his shield Christ bore in his cradle and the starre that shined at his birth was auspicious through the whole course of his life it brought him to honour it kept him in honour and made him triumph gloriously ouer the whole power of the enemie for what is the magnificence of humane greatnesse without the assurance of diuine goodnesse but as Saluianus notes Sine medulla corpus as flesh with our life or bones without marrow Many refuse to be great none to be fortunate Marke the speech of Baiazet the fourth when his sonne was taken captiue and one of his chiefest Cities ransackt by the enemie he enuies the condition of a heard and his discontent breakes forth as lightning O happie sheepe heard that hast neither Orthobules nor Sebastia to loose And therefore I the lesse maruell what Saint Austin notes among the Romanes that when they built temples on to their Images and deified their seuerall powers they all giue place to Felicitie as Queene and Empresse among the gods of the Nations and Idols of the heathen for it is the dew of heauenly grace and coelestiall benediction that must crowne and establish not onely the labours and designes of mans wit and humane inuention but the highest aduancements and greatest preferments wee can sustaine You may compare it to that siluer cup which Ioseph put into the mouth of Beniamins sacke all the sonnes of Iacob returned laden from Aegypt with come and money in their sacks onely Beniamin had the cup as a singular pledge of his brothers fauour And though many reioyce for the corne and the wine and the oyle that hath increast yet this grace cup whether you terme it scyphum gratiae a cup of grace with Ambrose ore calicem benedictionis a cup of blessing with the Apostle this siluer cup this grace cup is still kept for Beniamin the sonnes of God and the children of his right hand that grow and flourish vnder the wing and shadow of his protection Great was the honour of Christ in regard of his threefold vnction he was annointed as a Prophet and spake as neuer man did he was annointed as a Priest and layd the holo caust of his bodie vpon the altar of his crosse he was annointed as a King and now sits regnant on the hill of Sion the house of Iacob the throne of Dauid hauing receiued all power both in heauen and earth by donation from the Father Yea saith Bernard Pretiosi magis panni saluatoris The robes of Kings are not to be compared with the raggs of Christ nor the throne of Princes with the crosse of our Sauiour There is more honour in the nayles of his crosse then in the pearles of their crownes that mannage the scepters of diuers Nations and mighty kingdomes But whether his arme be full of strength or his lippes be full of grace or his soule be full of knowledge or his flesh be full of glorie the ground is taken from the Prophet Quia Deus in eternum benedixit Because God hath blessed him for euer Full of grace are thy lippes because God hath blessed thee for euer And therefore let vs beseech our heauenly Father as the daughter of Caleb did her earthly father that he would giue vnto vs the springs aboue as well as the springs beneath that irriguum inferius of humane grace and temporall happinesse that irriguum superius of diuine grace and spirituall blessednesse wrestling with God as Iacob with the Angell till he blesse vs and make a vnion of that double character Traiano melior Augusto foelicior the vertue of Traian with the fortune of Augustus Non te demittam nisi benedixeris I will not let thee go except thou blesse me Yet let me not confine the honour of Christ to any particulars when he was lifted on a throne the whole Temple was full of his glorie and if wee desire to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and the bredth the height and the depth thereof wee must take the wings of the morning and flie to the vttermost parts of the earth the height reacheth vp to the clouds the depth pearceth below the center the length stretcheth from one generation to another the bredth extends from the riuer to the sea and from the sea to the worlds end But that which is here chiefly entended is militarie and Thriambeuticall like that of Knighthood and chiualry got as if it were in the field by the strength of his arme and the power of his owne right hand the triumphant honour of his glorious victorie ouer death hell world and the diuell When he was lifted from the earth and drew all things vnto him when he entred the strong mans house and tooke away his prisoners and smote Goliah with his owne sword and deliuered the prey from the iawes of the enemie when he destroyed the kingdome of Satan and bare away those gates of brasse vpon his shoulders and trode the wine-presse and came victoriously from Edom with his garments red from Bozrah leauing this encouragement to all posteritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of good cheere my friends I haue ouercome the world Beloued Christians that stand in the Courts of Ierusalem to behold the faire beautie of the Lord and to admire his glorie What greater honour then to smite his enemies on the cheeke bone and to drowne Pharoh and his chariots in the sea To cast the Dragon and his Angels into the bottomlesse pit of
candle in a darke place did not Paul so and the holy men of old I could leade you to that noble armie of heauenly Martyrs that wash their garments in the bloud of the Lambe and now stand about the throne of God with crownes on their heads and palmes in their hands Though I know the encounter of my text is not outward and temporall but inward and spirituall Yet let mee call to mind one exploit for the word of truth when these generous Argonauts were transported to the Citie of the great King for the honour of God and the libertie of his seruants France Germanie Denmarke Italie with this our mother Iland sent forth their strength and were mooued with zeale towards the house of God and the place of his Sanctuarie The greatest Princes and most heroicall worthies of this European clime engaged their liues their persons their honors their fortunes to redeeme Sion to recouer Ierusalem from the miserable bondage of Turkish slauerie Beloued the remembrance hereof is as fire within my bones and I must needs recount with exceeding ioy and exultancie of spirit how they rode on for the word of truth as the Knights of Rhodes or of Malta till their right hand shewed them terrible things and neuer left before they had hewne the enemies of God in peeces and crowned themselues with honour and renowne The stars from heauen in their order fought against that man of sinne and euery Christian tooke vp that song of Deborah Thou hast marched valiantly ô my soule thou hast marched valiantly the Lord grant that we may still preuaile against Amalek by the inuiolable faith of Christian Princes that keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace and ride on daily for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse For its sake and by its power for it is the onely prop that beares vp the thrones of Princes and makes their crownes flourish Ferrum tuetur Principes melius fides The munition of armes doth well the armes of faith doe better Whereupon said Nestorius the Bishop to Theodosius the Emperour in the seauenth booke of Socrates Tuin profligandis c. Do thou see Gentilisme and impietie do not annoy the Church and wee will see violence and hostilitie do not hurt thee agreeable to that of Solomon mercie and truth preserue the King and his throne is establish by iustice I will not argue the translation yet let me tell you the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for the word of truth and of meekenesse and of righteousnesse but for the word of truth and the meekenes of righteousnesse for the word of truth there is the Law for the meeknesse of righteousnesse there is the Gospell The one as the Court of Iustice the other as the Court of Chancery that qualifies and mittigates the rigor of the former yet what is the word of truth but the word of Christ Hee is truth and in him are the figures verified what is the meeknesse of righteousnesse but the meeknesse of Christ He is righteousnesse and in him we are all iustified though he be true and iust it is not without the spirit of clemencie and of meeknesse that ye know is inseparable from a Lambe and must needs adhere to the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world If hee that walkt in the midst of the golden candlestickes had eyes like fire the head and the haire were as snow or as wooll It was not wine alone nor oyle alone which that good Samaritane poured into the hurt of the wounded neither was God in the fire nor in the earthquake nor in the wind that brake the rocks and tare the mountaines but in the still and soft voyce which is more powerfull then all the force of Periclean lightning and Pannicall execrations I remember in Plutarch a conspiracie betweene the Winde and the Sunne which should take away the trauellers cloake first the winde blowes cold and sharpe and makes him gather it close and hold it faster at length the Sunne pierceth with the subtle heate of his melting beames This makes him cast away both cloake and coate So that is often done by the mild insinuation of loue and gentlenesse which the blustering winds of terrible threats can neuer bring to passe How then do they recede from conformitie with our Sauiour in life and doctrine that speake stones and haue words as sharpe as arrowes that euer stand on the top of mount Horeb and breath nothing but thunder and lightning iudgement without mercie to their afflicted brethren well may they haue the word of truth they haue not the meeknes of righteousnes yet the Prophet ioynes them both Christ rides on for both and with both for we are not come to the mount that might not be toucht nor to the blacknesse and darknesse of a tempest where Moses said I feare I quake but to mount Sion the Citie of the liuing God and to that coelestiall Ierusalem and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men and to Christ the mediator that rideth on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse I haue done with Christ the substance I come to Solomon the type and yet what Solomon haue wee to mention saue onely the sonne of Dauid and the heire of peace that is gone forth and rides on full of glorie and honour that he may spread the truth of Christ as farre as the name of Christ beyond the pillars of Hercules and heale those waters of Ierico as with the salt of his most gracious spirit and incontaminate holinesse enuying the glorie of Iouinian Qui exercitum paganum fecit Christianum that made such Romans very good Christians as hee found heathenish and giuen to Idols Sure I am it is vpon the word of truth and of meeknesse and of power and of righteousnesse that sacred chariot I will not say of cardinall but heroicall and Princely vertues for they are the wings and the horses that aduance and lift him vp aboue his fellowes how can wee choose but wish him good lucke and send our prayers after him Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse there is little Beniamin their Ruler the Princes of Iudah the Princes of Zabulon Good lucke haue ye with your honor c. O ye heauens resolue into showers and melt ye waters aboue the heauens into a dew of coelestiall benedictions crowne him with the blessings of Iacob and let all the gifts of the Patriarches descend on the top of him that was separated from his brethren from the vtmost bounds of these euerlasting mountaines say to him as to Zabulon reioyce in thy way as to Isachar reioyce in thy tents let him sucke the abundance of the sea and giue him the treasures that lie hid in the sands ô thou which sittest aboue the water-floud and treadest on
on a thousand mountaines For Christ is our Passeouer and it is the sprinkling of his bloud that must purifie the vessels of our Sanctuarie Who shall take away the sins of the world but the Lambe of God or what satisfaction to bee made without price of his bloud that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nissen speakes the abolisher and destroyer of Mosaicall rites but the establisher and confirmer of spirituall righteousnesse This made the Lord cloathe him with a garment dipt in bloud Apoc. 19. and verifie that Prophesie of Iudah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall wash his coate in wine and his cloake in the bloud of grapes Caro eius stola eius saith Ambrosius his coate is his flesh and his cloake is the puritie of his manhood that hides our sinnes and couers our infirmities This did he wash and rence and purge and clense in the bloud of grapes that he might consecrate the whole bodie of his Church and present her glorious to the Father without spot or wrinkle Whence is that elegant speech of learned Austin Non vis habere maculam lauare in sanguine non vis habere rugam in crucem extendere Wilt thou haue no spot be thou washt in the bloud of Christ wilt thou haue no wrinkle bee thou stretcht vpon his crosse Oh the staine and pollution of our sinnes that will not bee purged without the bloud of Christ Iesus O the bowels and compassion of our Sauiour that is prodigall of his life to purge our iniquities hee tooke from vs the death of his flesh and spilt for vs the bloud of his life or rather as the text is read by Hierome Sanguinem animae the very bloud of his soule Hic est sanguis noui foederis this is the bloud of the new Couenant which is shed for you and for many shed and showred on the face of the whole earth in great plentie and abundance that it might worke in vs the fruite of good liuing and produce those heauenly flowers of loue charitie patience humilitie deuotion pietie and whatsoeuer is most pleasing to the Lord of glorie Indeed God tooke a Ramme for Isaac but if his owne Sonne do not come with his owne bloud there will neither be entrance for him nor redemption for vs. Hee is the Ramme that was caught in the bush of thornes and must be a sacrifice for all the sonnes of Abraham It is his bloud that stickes vpon the doores of the Isralites and to this day keepes away the destroying Angell from the Tabernacles of the Christians Well might the Iewes haue spared that scarlet robe which they cast vpon his loynes for before they had left him they made scarlet of his flesh died and dipped in the bloudie torrent of his rosie passion The best scarlet is but dibaphum twise died but his once and againe and a third time yea there were seuen effusions of his bloud as so many streames from the head of Nilus The first as soone as hee was borne when they tooke away the fore-skin of his flesh and spilt his bloud before it was well receiued A second in the garden when he was cast into a bloudy sweat the curtaines of Solomon were rent and the pores of his body were opened whilst euery part sent forth bloud and water trickling on the ground The third in his scourging when they plowed his backe with whips and made long furrowes on his shoulders A fourth at his coronation when they placed him as a rose among thornes and set a prickling crowne on his head the white rose became red and the puritie of his innocencie tooke colour from the misery of his sufferings The fift in the nayling of hands A sixt in the piercing of his feete but the seauenth and last when his side was opened and the depth of his wounds discouered the tendernesse of his bowels the iron went into his soule the speare toucht his very heart that hee might haue a feeling and sympathie of our infirmities Now did the spouts runne and the fountaines streame with the sweetnesse of the grape and though he were fastened on the crosse yet died he like Seneca in a bath not of water but of bloud and that his owne once shed but euer springing to safetie and redemption that it might drowne our sins and purge our soules and quench that sierie blade which the Cherubin hangs ouer the gate of Paradise to keepe vs from the tree of life the portion of our inheritance Where but on the crosse when but at the effusion of his bloud did hee say to that cursed malefactor Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso this day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise Then were the gates of heauen set wide open and there was a way through bloud to that euerlasting portion which he tooke from the hand of the Amorite by his sword and by his bow his sword his word his bow the mysterie of his incarnation where the maiestie of the Godhead stoopt to the weakenesse of the manhood and bowed as it were to the strings of humane frailtie In vaine then do men crucifie themselues and are perswaded that martyrdome is the onely way to heauen like those Priests of Baal and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Rome that teare their flesh with hookes and whips the bloudie instruments of voluntarie pennance as if they would redeeme the transgressions of their soules with the fruite of their bodies and expiate diuine iustice with the cruell butchering and most vnnaturall oblation of their sonnes and daughters vnto Idols It cost more to redeeme soules neither shall any deliuer his brother by the execrable practises of so great impieties Nor by Orizons nor by Dirges nor by Pardons nor by Indulgences or the like inuentions of superstitious dotage In this case we may vse the words of Saluianus Semper redempti nunquam liberi They are euer redeemed but neuer freed For we are not bought with things corruptible but with the pretious bloud of Christ as a Lambe without spot If the Sonne free vs then are we free and where the Spirit is there is libertie Qui melior aduocatus saith Ambrose what better aduocate then hee which gaue himselfe for vs Are not the figures ended and the ceremonies abolished Is not the Temple destroyed and the Priesthood of Aaron quite extinguished Let the Iewes meete and seeke to repaire their temple fire shall breake from out the earth as in the dayes of Iulian to deuoure them and roote out their foundation for we haue no Priest but Christ no altar but his Crosse no sacrifice but his flesh no ransome but his bloud no incense but deuotion no fire but the Spirit no temple but heauen no order but that of Melchisedech which stands and abides for euer And let all such know that wallow in flesh and bloud the bloud of their sinnes and the bloud of their iniquities that delight in bloud and make no conscience how they spill innocent bloud Christian bloud that are
thirsteth in the midst of waters but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come into the ioy of thy Master and take part of it with delight and satisfaction as one that doth feele and tast how good the Lord is Thus doth one deepe call vpon another Abyssus luminosa abyssum tenebrosam The depth of light and claritie vpon the depth of blindnesse and obscurity the depth of power and maiestie vpon the depth of weaknesse and humilitie the depth of goodnesse and mercie vpon the depth of wretchednesse and misery And all this for the noise of the water pipes which is nothing but the sound and the cry of repentance and humilitie Hee sware vnto the generation of our fathers they should neuer enter into his rest because they prouoked him in the wildernes Hee saith onely to the generation of their children they shall enter into his rest If they obey his precepts What is his word as good as his oath yes when he that speaketh is truth it selfe and he sweareth that hath none greater then himselfe For his passion was our redemption and if I may vse the words of Bernard Clauus penetrans clauis aperiens The nayles that fastned him to the crosse the speare that ran him through the lance that opened his side the iron that went into his soule is made a key to vnlocke heauen and to make vs enter Therefore do wee sing triumphantly in the Churches Liturgie When thou hadst ouecome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers Agreeable whereunto is the vision of Saint Iohn I lookt and behold there was a doore opened in the midst of heauen and the first voice I heard was as the sound of a trumpet saying Come vp higher But if God himselfe did not rest the seuenth day before he considered the works of his creation and found them good God saw all that was made loe it was very good Gen. 1. 31. How shall we hope to enter his rest that eternall Sabboth of our bodies and our spirits before we haue done some good examined our hearts tried our faith prooued our workes and found some goodnesse in the midst of their imperfections wee may not please God without faith or see God withour holinesse The bridegroome will passe by without notice of vs if wee haue neither faith in our hearts nor oyle in our vessels The oyle of grace the oyle of mercy the oyle of deuotion the oyle of charitie shining and burning to the comfort of our brethren As wisedome doth not enter the house of an euill soule so an euill soule doth not enter the house of wisedome Therefore doth he stand at the doore and knocke with an aperi sponsa aperi columba Open my loue open my done Open to me the gates of righteousnesse that I may open to thee the gates of blessednesse For except your righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharises yee shall neuer enter the kingdome of heauen Looke vpon those Elders which stand before the throne they are clothed with white robes and haue palmes in their hands which is nothing but the flower and beauty of their good workes and Christian pietie It is storied of the Scythians that once a yeare they made a great feast where none may come but such as haue slaine an enemie The feast God makes vs is the ioy of my Text a great feast and in the simplicitie of termes exceeding gaudies but there is no entrance or admission before we haue crucified the body of sinne slaine an enemie sacrificed a rebell yea many enemies and many rebels that fight against the soule by true confession and heartie repentance neuer to be repented of Adiebus Ioannis Baptistae saith Christ Since the time of Iohn Baptist the kingdome of heauen suffers violence Why since the time of Iohn Baptist But onely to shew the vertue of repentance because hee taught repentance and was neuer without a poenitentiam agite in his mouth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Whence is that of Gregorie Rapiamus fletibus quod non debetur meritis Let vs snatch that by force of teares which is not due to the merits of workes If any bee meeke patient humble penitent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ taught in a Sermon vpon the mount theirs is the kingdome of heauen and theirs onely is the kingdome of heauen I know there bee many pretend keyes and would faine leade vs into a fooles paradise by a vaine conceit of their deceitfull merits witnesse that great Clauiger of Rome that vsurpeth all power in heauen and earth as if he alone had the key of Dauid That openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth It is not enough for Christ to loose if hee binde it is not enough for Christ to remit if he retaine it is not enough for Christ to say enter if hee say be gone O the cursed blasphemie of that open sepulchre how doe they spoile God of his naturall right and peculiar iurisdiction And yet they are not the keyes of heauen but of hell which these men keepe abyssi claues as Saint Iohn writes the keyes of that bottomlesse pit where they leade many by the heresie of their doctrine and the impiety of their actions If not by the thunder and lightning of their fierce anathemaes and direfull imprecations It is a pretty story which I read of Pope Leo when he was troubled in conscience and toucht with the remorse for his iniquities his Confessor cheared him vp with a Quid times sancte pater Holy father what makes you affraid Haue not you the keyes of heauen and the merits of Christ at your dispose There is none in the world that hath so great power and command as your selfe O saith Leo know yee not that hee which sells any thing hath no right in that which is sold I feare since wee haue so often sold Christ and his merits we shall haue no right nor interest in them our selues Wretched men that yee are who shall deliuer yee from the body of despaire May we not say to them as Christ did to others in the Gospell Woe be vnto you yee take the keye of knowledge but yee do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid Woe be vnto you ye take vnto you the keyes of heauen but you do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid or rather indeed yee bid all that come at your publike Iubilies as base Hucsters of Gods free mercy in the sale and market of Pardons and Indulgences But howsoeuer these men abuse that power against the truth which is giuen for the truth we are sure Christ hath left keyes with his Church Tibi dabo claues was a grant made to the Apostles in the name of Peter and stands good to euery Minister of the Gospell vnder the broad seale of the Crosse To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen They haue all the