Iesus the King in their hearts his first comming had beene as dreadfull to the whole Land as the vnworthy receiuing of his body and blood was to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. God in his wisedome as some of the Fathers very well obserue had so ordained that the same Element by which the old world besides Noahs Family were destroyed should bee consecrated as an especiall meanes for preseruation of the new world The baptisme of water which Iohn administred was as a renouation or ratification of the promise which God had made to Noah a visible signe that GOD had freed the earth or Land of Iewry from that curse which Malachy speaks of and was withall a visible pledge or sacrament of a new blessing Whatsoeuer the curse or anger was which hanged at this time ouer the peoples head the Doue which descended vpon our Sauiour at his baptisme did bring to this generation a more expresse release from it and a more soueraigne pardon for all their sinnes than Noahs Doue did bring of Noahs and his families deliuerance from the curse of waters or from the danger of the Floud when she came with an Oliue branch in her mouth Now inasmuch as Iohns baptisme by water was as the medius terminus or as the way and passage betweene Noahs Arke and that holy Catholike Church which our Sauiour Christ was now to erect whereof Noahs Arke as you heard before was the expre type it is no maruell if that which was literally fulfilled or verefied in the dayes of Noah were fulfilled according to its emblematicall importance or mysticall sense in the dayes of Iohn or at his baptisme The congruity betweene Noahs Arke and the holy Catholike Church or new Ierusalem which was now to descend from heauen doth herein partly consist First not onely Noah and his Family but the Beasts as well cleane as vncleane which entred into the Arke were all preserued from bodily destruction So not onely the Off-spring of Abraham which was pre-figured by Noahs Family nor such Proselyâ—es onely of the Gentiles as were made visible members of the Iewish Church which answered in proportion to the cleane Beasts in Noahs Arke but euen the worst sort of the Gentiles such as had most oppugned the Children of Abraham in their Religion so they will be admitted into the Holy Catholique Church or mysticall body of Christ shall be as vndoubtedly preferued both in body and soule from the curse of Hell-fire as the vncleane Beasts which entred into Noahs Arke were from the curse of waters 58. That the admission of the Heathens which had been no Proselytes of the Iewish Church before into the Catholique Church now erected by Christ was prefigured by the vncleane beasts is more than probable vnto vs from the Vision which Saint Peter saw Acts 10. vers 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Peter after his prayer became very hungry and would haue eaten but while they made readie he fell into a trance and saw Heauen opened and a certaine vessell descending vnto him as it had beene a great sheete knit at the foure corners and let downe to the earth wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts of the earth and wilde beasts and creeping things and Fowles of the Ayre And there came a voyce to him Rise Peter kill and eate But Peter said Not so Lord for I haue neuer eaten any thing that is common or vncleane And the voyce spake vnto him againe the second time What GOD hath cleansed that call not thou common This was done thrice and the vessell was receyued vp againe into Heauen The opening of Heauen and the letting downe of the vessell wherein were all manner of beasts as well vncleane as cleane did signifie that the Kingdome of Heauen or gates of the new Ierusalem were now set open to all beleeuers and the way to true beliefe manifested to all of what Nation soeuer they were the one as open and the other as manifest to the Italians or Romanes which neuer had beene Proselytes as to the seed of Abraham or the Proselytes which they had made That matters of fact or emblematicall representations by vision or apparences are as truely doctrinall as words vttered and vnderstood according to the literall sense wee neede no further proofe than Saint Peters application of this vision vers 28. And hee said vnto them vnto Cornelius and his Italian friends and attendants Ye know how that it is an vnlawfull thing for a man that is a Iew to keepe company or come vnto one of another Nation but God hath shewed mee not in expresse words but by vision or representation emblematicall that I should not call any man common or vncleane Nor did Peter in expresse termes or conceit deem any man vnclean Onely hee had said whether in expresse words or in thought onely I haue neuer eaten any thing that is vncleane Yet when answere was made What God had cleansed that call not thou common hee knew by the circumstances of the time and by the tenor of Cornelius his message vnto him that God in this answer did not meane beasts or things edible but men represented by vncleane beasts whose vse the Lord at this time had sanctified vnto his people in token that men or Nations before vncleane were now capable of sanctification The mystery included in this vision was fulfilled in the baptisme with the Holy Ghost and was prefigured by the admission as well of Publicans Roman Souldiers as of Pharises Iewes or Proselytes vnto the Baptisme of Iohn Now S. Peters owne interpretation of this vision will warrant our former Interpretation of the Prophet Isay cap. 11. vers 6. as also of most other places in this Prophet which as you heard before were to bee vnderstood not according to the literall plaine and Grammaticall signification of the words but according to their poeticall or emblematicall importance Howbeit when we affirme that the aforesaid Prophesie Isay 11. vers 6. was specially fulfilled according to its poeticall parabolicall or emblematicall sense we no way deny that it might in part be verified or exemplified according to the plaine literall or historicall signification of the words Certainely it was so verified in our Sauiour whilest hee remained after his Baptisme in the Wildernesse And immediately after his Baptisme the Spirit driueth him into the Wildernesse And hee was there in the Wildernesse fortie dayes tempted of Satan and was with the wilde beasts and the Angels ministred vnto him Mark 1. ver 12 13. Wee doe not reade that any wilde beast or noysome creature of which the Wildernesse had plenty did eyther annoy our Sauiour or attempt any violence against him whilest hee was with them Wee doe not reade that Satan did euer tempt Him to encounter with a Lyon or a Beare as his Father Dauid had done or to tread on Serpents or Scorpions to see whether they would sting him or no because he saw by experience that this Iesus of
returned before hee preached the acceptable yeere of the LORD in Nazareth cannot so easily be gathered from the circumstances of the Euangelist but as all Interpreters I thinke agree this Answer was giuen within the compasse of that yeere wherein our Sauiour was baptized Now this was the last Legall Iubile which this people were to enioy and the first beginning of the Euangelicall Iubile which was to continue here on earth vntill the Worlds end to bee fully accomplished in the World to come So that this great mystery of our eternall Rest and Ioy in heauen had first a shaddow in the Law to wit the Legall Iubile Secondly a Picture in the Prophet Isay or in the History of Hezekias and his miraculous deliuery from the Assynians Thirdly a liue body in the Gospell or dayes of the Messias euery-way answerable to the picture drawne by the Prophet The first conception of this liue body or Euangelicall Iubile was from the day of our Sauiours Baptisme and the birth of it from the deliuery of our Sauiours Sermon vpon the Mount Fourthly the accomplishment ful growth or perfection of this liue body is to be expected onely in the life to come where our Ioy our Rest and Peace shall be for measure boundlesse and for terme endlesse Now according to these seuerall degrees of shaddow of picture of life and growth one and the same Scripture euen according to its natiue and literall sense may be often verified and fulfilled All the former Prophesies likewise concerning the planting of the Wildernesse with pleasant Trees though actually fulfilled according to the importance of the parabolicall or Emblematicall sense in that yeere of Iubile which Iesus of Nazareth did proclaime shall not bee finally accomplished vntill the beginning of that Iubile which shall haâ—e no end Thus much is specified Isay 60. vers 20 21 22. Thy Sâ—â—ne shall no more goe downe neyther shall thy Moone with-draw it selfe for the Lord shall bee thine euerlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people shall bee all righteous they shall inherit the Land forâ—euer the Branch of my planting the works of my hands that I may bee glorified A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time This last verse though partly fulfilled in the conuersion of whole Nations by our Sauiours Apostles and Disciples made Citizens of the new Ierusalem descending from Heauen at our Sauiours Baptisme shall not be accomplished vntill these Trees of Righteousnesse be transplanted into the Heauen of Heauens and set there by the Tree of Life Then shall the least sprig that hath been truely ingraffed into the stock of Iacob the meanest â—â—â—ne of Abraham by faith become more fruitfull in himselfe than Abraham was in his posterity and a greater King and Lord of more than Dauid or Salomon in their prime Thus much is included in that saying of our Sauiour Marke 10. vers 29 30. There is no man that hath left house or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life If the least of them that forsake all for Christs sake grow in this life into an hundred how great or strong a Nation euery small one that is not in this life offended in him shall after this life ended become is vnexpressable But we beleeue our Sauiour that the least and smallest of such as forsake all for him and the Gospell shall haue life eternall And wee beleeue Gods Word that life eternall is more than tenne thousand liues temporall though a thousand liues of a mans own be much more worth than a million of other mens liues whereof we might hope to be Lords and Disposers 80. That other Prophesie likewise before mentioned Isay 35. vers 4. though literally verified at Gods first comming into the World to be made man and then punctually fulfilled when IESVS of Nazareth GOD and MAN came to Iohns Baptisme is to be finally accomplished when the same Iesus shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Then shall hee manifest himselfe to be God the Auenger and God the Recompencer by pronouncing that Sentence from which there shall be no appeale Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels The former part of this Sentence shall proceed from him as hee is God the Rewarder of all such as diligently seeke him The latter part of this Sentence Goe yee cursed c. proceedeth from him as hee is God the Auenger In that accomplishment of dayes which shall vtterly abolish all night and not before shal that other part of the same Prophesie Isay 35. vers 5 6. bee likewise finally accomplished Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall bee vnstopped c. The eyes of many blinde were opened at the time when this Answer was giuen yet not the eyes of all the blinde men then liuing which were not offended in Him but onely the eyes of all the blinde throughout Iudea and neighbour-Regions that came vnto him without offence At his second comming the eyes of all that after perpetuall darkenesse haue beene finally shut vp by death shall bee opened to see the glory of God so opened to see it without offence as they shall neuer be shut againe neuer bee depriued of this beautifull vision In that day shall all the halt and lame that haue not bin offended in him eâ—â—n such as neuer enioyed the vse of limbes from their coÌ„ming out of the wombe vnto their going vnto their graâ—e become more strong agile than the Hart and mâ—re swift and nimble than the Roe Then shall the eares and tongues of all that haue beene borne deafe and dumbe be so vnstopped and vnloosed as vpon the first opening they shall bee enabled to hold consort with the Quire of Angels to descant vpon those hidden mysteries and Prophetique Songs about whose literall sense or plaine Grammaticall meaning there hath beene much discord amongst greatest Criticks and amongst Schoole-men continuall iarres This is all which I haue at this time to say concerning the three particular Branches proposed in the beginning of the second generall Obseruation which was thus What satisfactioÌ„ this answer of our Sauior The blinde receiue their sight c. could giue to Iohn or his Disciples or to any that doubted whether Iesus of Nazareth was He that was to come Somewhat more is to be said concerning the Conclusion Blessed is he whosoeuer shall not be offended in mee MATTH 11. VERS 6. Blessed is hee whosoeuer shall not be offended in mee THe vniuersality
offended in Christ than the fore-mentioned Iewes or Pharises were is to compare our liues conuersations and practice with our Sauiours doctrinall precepts especially with those fundamentall ones solemnely vttered by him in the Sermon vpon the Mount Matth. 5. Amongst which this is a principall and peremptory one I say vnto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heauen vers 20. Now from entring into the Kingdome of heauen which is the Kingdome of happinesse nothing can barre vs vnlesse wee be offended in Christ who is the way and doore vnto it Is there any amongst vs that seeketh as earnestly after the prayse of men or after any honour that commeth not from GOD alone as the Iewes mentioned Ioh. 12. Ioh. 5 Is there any amongst vs as couetous as the Pharises were mentioned Luke 16 If any such there be eyther in this or any other Christian Congregation be they many or few all and euery of them are as farre from the Kingdome of Heauen altogether as much offended in Christ as the fore-mentioned Rulers Iewes and Pharises were Is there any amongst vs of disposition towards his Brother or Neighbour or towards any professing the name of Christ as implacable or irreconcileable as the Scribes and Pharises were towards Publicans and sinners Let such a man if any such there be know and remember that whilest hee continueth in this mood he is as much offended in Christ as they were and if hee so continue our Sauiour Christ will bee as much offended at him in the last Day as at those that crucified him Is any man as carefull for the things of this life as these Iewes were Hee is as farre from the Kingdome of Heauen and the happinesse here promised as the Iewes yea as the Heathen were It is our Sauiours inference not mine Take no thought saying What shall wee eate or What shall wee drinke or Wherewith shall wee bee cloathed For after all these things doe the Gentiles seeke For your heauenly Father knoweth that yee haue need of all these things Matth. 6. 31 32. His Precept for our direction followeth But seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall bee added vnto you Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it selfe vers 33 34. This is the perpetuall Law of the Euangelical Iubile whose obseruance was prefigured in the legall obseruation of the seuenth yeere of rest or the yeere of Iubile In both which yeeres as you heard before the Iewes were forbidden to sow or reape commanded to rely vpon Gods extraordinary blessing in the sixth yeere and to rest contented with such things as should grow of their owne accord in the seuenth yeere of rest or yeere of Iubile Not to sow at all or not to reape in these two yeeres was a temporary Law meerely legall or ceremoniall The morall Law hereby prefigured and perpetually to bee obserued by vs Christians is That wee buy so as if wee possessed not that in sowing or reaping or in whatsoeuer other businesse concerning this life wee vse the world as if wee vsed it not That our prime and chiefe care bee in seeking the Kingdome of God or matters of the life to come That euery present day wee take more payne and care in imploring Gods blessings vpon our present and future labours than in contriuing meanes or disposing of labours in worldly coniecture most auaileable for procuring our ends or that good which wee seeke This practice and method our Sauiour had inioyned vs in that prayer which hee hath taught vs. First wee pray that Gods name may bee sanctified and that his Kingdome may come that his will may be done in earth as in heauen and in the next place that he would giue vs bread this day for to morrow and the dayes following that is as the Apostle saith to cast all our care on him who careth for vs all But what auayles it vs to know by how many wayes and meanes wee may bee offended in Christ vnlesse wee know withall by what meanes possible these or the like offences may be auoydable It is true and therefore our Sauiour teacheth a compendious way or meanes for auoyding offences As first in this very Chapter Matth. 11. vers 29. Learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules To the same end or purpose are all those places of Scripture addressed which exhort vs to humility to deny our selues to take vp our Crosse and follow Christ. Of these and other good rules to this purpose you may reade at large Luke 14. 90. But others happely will say What auayleth it to propose these good rules vnto vs vnlesse it bee in our power to practise them Wee beleeue it as a dictate or maxime of faith that God giues grace vnto the humble or vnto such as for sake all and deny themselues but what is this to vs vnlesse wee may likewise be assured that God will eyther giue vs grace or some free-will or naturall power to deny or humble our selues Here indeed were the true and fruitfull issue of all these intricate controuersies which in later yeres haue much troubled the peace of the Church as well the Romish as the Reformed The controuersies I meane of Election and Reprobation betweene the Lutherans and the Caluinists betweene the Arminians and the Gomarists as also the controuersie concerning concurrence of Grace and Free-will prosecuted with eager and bitter contention for these many yeeres betweene the Iesuites and the Dominican Friers But of this radicall controuersie about Free-will a poynt necessary to be knowne and yet inwrapped with as many vnnecessary intricate disputes and on all parts as illâ—stated and handled for the most part as any other question whatsoeuer I shall haue fitter occasion to speake at large when I come to handle that argument concerning our seruitude to sin which must be the entrance vnto our knowledge concerning Iesus Christ and him crucified vnto both which these discussions vpon this Text haue beene premised 91. At this time I will onely acquaint you with that which I haue elsewhere deliuered as the true meane betweene the contrary opinions of the Lutherans and the Caluinists betweene the Iesuites Dominicans betwixt the Stoickes and the Pelagians in the poynt of free-will or power of man to worke or not to worke his owne saluation The meane is that albeit man hath no freedome of will or ability to doe that which is good or to dispose his heart for the better receiuing of Grace yet hee hath a true possibility or freedome of will to doe or not to doe something required by God which thing being done by man God will dispose his heart and make it fit for his grace The same thing not being done or neglected
to true and perfect happinesse can be perfected and accomplished vntill this corruptible haue put on incorruption and these our mortall bodies become impassible and immortall As for those externall comforts or supplyes which are necessary to that small portion of happinesse which we haue in this life as meate drinke apparell and the like wee shall haue no need nor vse of them in the life to come In that life wee shall bee so fully happy within our selues and in the fruition of God as wee shall neede nothing without vs nothing besides Gods presence and the fruition of our selues The want or penurie of any thing vsefull in this life is a degree or part of misery but not to neede them not to want them is a portion of true felicity And for this reason happely it is that amongst all the good workes and miracles which our Sauiour did wee neuer reade that he made any needy beggers exceeding rich in worldly riches because riches are neither vsefull nor necessary to that happinesse wherevnto all his miracles doe leade and draw vs but as he did neither make nor promise to make his followers rich so hee would not suffer any of them whilest hee liued heere on earth to continue in want or penurie These euils or degrees of misery in this life he often preuented by miracles when they were ready to befall them 18. Here we are by the way to consider that whilst our Sauiour was bodily present with his Disciples and followers none of them were in want or need but he instantly relieued them If any fell sicke he presently cured them if they were in danger by Sea they could no sooner cry out Master wee perish but he as soone checked the winde with the breath of his mouth and turned the storme into a calme he did not suffer them so much as to weepe or mourne but rather ministred continual matter of ioy and comfort vnto them Nay as wee reade Mark. 2. vers 18. It was a solaecisme for them to fast whilest he was with them When Iohns Disciples or the Pharises came vnto him and demanded of him Why doe the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharises fast but thy Disciples fast not Iesus said vnto them Can the Children of the Bridegroome fast whilest the Bridegroome is with them As long as they haue the Bridegroome with them they cannot fast but the dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those dayes Thus you see a great difference betwixt the estate of his Disciples whilest he was with them and whilest hee was taken from them the one was an estate of ioy and contentment without bodily grieuance or molestation the other had his ioy and internall comfort mixt with sorrow of bodily discontentments What was then the reason of this difference Surely it was our Sauiours will and pleasure in affording these contentments which did accompany his bodily presence here on earth to exhibit a perfit Map or Modell of that fulnesse of all ioy and contentment which wee shall be made partakers of by his bodily presence with vs in heauen So then for conclusion of the first poynt and for more commodious passage vnto the second our Sauiour by the miracles here mentioned and the like did openly and euidently declare himselfe to be the Author Lord and free doner of all these three rankes or sorts of good things which the Heathen by light of nature saw to be requisite or necessary for the attainement of true felicity or in the fruition whereof in full and perfit measure true and perfit happinesse did consist 19. First for these externals which the Heathens call Bona fortunae as meat drinke apparell or means necessary for maintenance of life without which wee can rather receiue no contentment than be throughly contented with them albeit our Sauiour gaue them in lesse measure than worldly mindes desire them yet his bounty in bestowing of them did herein farre exceed the magnificence of greatest Princes in that hee herewith pleasured his Disciples without any grieuance vnto others This was a foundation of publike happines which no Monarch or State-founder could euer lay in that no man did euer fare a whit the worse because his followers or fauourers how many soeuer they were did fare the better For thus our Sauiour plentifully fedde multitudes of people in the Wildernesse without occasioning any dearth or scarcity of bread or victuals vnto such as remained in the townes or villages The reliques or offalls of the Feasts that hee made were alwayes greater than the prouision it selfe Once wee reade of his feeding fiue thousand men with seuen Barly-loaues and two Fishes and the fragments or broken meate was seuen Baskets full Marke 8. vers 20. Another time of his feeding fiue thousand men with fiue loaues when there remained twelue baskets full of fragments Nor did this his bounty extend onely in cases of necessity or for preuenting want or penury but vnto matter of delight or decency For as hee fed thousands of people in the Wildernesse where no food was to be had for them without miracle so to grace the marriage feast at Cana in Galilie hee turned water into wine not of the worst sort but of the pleasantest and cheerefullest taste Thus when tribute or pole-money was vniustly exacted of him hee did not demand a beneuolence from those men on whom hee had wrought those mighty cures or whom hee had otherwise benefited extraordinarily Hee supplyeth himselfe and Peter with this necessary from a Fish which had no more vse or need of money whereof the Romane Caesar had want than the poore Indian had of the Spaniards gold So that albeit he sent his pole-money to Rome with others yet was there not one penny lesse in Iury than there was before 20. But to come to the second sort or ranke of good things which the Heathens by light of nature saw necessary vnto felicity as bona corporis what greater bodily happinesse could befall the blinde or lame than for the one to be restored vnto his perfit fight the other to the right vse of limbes What could the deafe more desire than to be able to heare or the Lepers than to be cleansed from their leprosie What so great a bodily blessing if any at all besides could be bestowed vpon the dead as to be restored to life againe Yet those and many like blessings our Sauiour bestowed vpon all that were not offended in him by his meere word thereby shewing himselfe to be the Lord and disposer of all the blessings or parts of happinesse which concerne the body And Iohns Disciples might heare and see the parties here mentioned made thus farre truely happy by him Happy they were in respect of all other men happier by much than those men which still continued blinde or lame or leprous or deafe or in that estate of death from which our Sauiour raysed these dead here
hearts can desire euen the fulnes of that true happines which is all that you or any man can desire is only to be sought in Christ in whom it may be found by all For confirming your particular Interest in him and in the blessednes which heere he promiseth the right receiuing of this blessed Sacrament is of all other meanes most effectuall For your better preparation to the due receiuing of it it will bee auaileable to consider the doctrine which my Text affoords that although Christ be a fountaine of happines infinite and inexhaustible although his death whose memory we celebrate whose vertue in this Sacrament we seeke be as it were the opening of this fountaine yet are the streames of blisse and happines which issue from him by his death deriuable onely vnto such as are not offended in him Though the Gospell as our Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. ver 16. be the power of God vnto saluation yet as my Text saith the poore in spirit only take the impression of it Euen power it selfe and goodnesse infinite sufficient in it selfe to saue all though in number infinite is effectuall only in such as are of an humble and contrite heart Of their humiliation or contrition or their poorenes in spirit which is heere mentioned in my Text that might be truely said which our Sauiour doth of Thomas the Apostle his faith Thomas thou beleeuest because thou hast seene happy are they which haue not seene and yet beleeue The most of these men were therefore poore and humble in spirit because the Lord had humbled broken or chastised them some with bodily blindnes others with lamenes some with deafenes others with leprosie or like grieuous sicknes some with death Howeuer becōming once truely humble and poore in spirit though by these and like meanes all of them were truely happy in Christ but much happier and more blessed shall they be whom the Lord hauing not so grieuously chastised in body yet doe become as humble and poore in spirit as they were The best consideration I can commend vnto you for working this humiliation and contrition of spirit is this that as the Ceremonies of the Law were but shaddowes of these things which are now fulfilled in Christ so all the bodily calamities which Christ heere cured in so many seuerall bodies were but as so many sensible types or shaddowes of more grieuous maladies in euery mans soule although by nature wee doe not feele them Some of them were dead in body and all of vs as our Apostle saith are by nature dead in trespasses Now if we doe as truely and heartily bewayle this deadnes of our soules as the poore Widdow of Naim did the bodily death of her onely sonne then as our Apostle saith in the same place Wee are quickned in Christ and he will deliuer our soules vnto vs safe and sound as he did him vnto his mother Some of those were blind in body all of vs were darke in mind euen from the wombe and if we supplicate vnto him with like earnestnes to enlighten our minds as these poore men did to receiue their bodily sight wee shall bee as happy in this cure as they were in the other Some of them were halt and lame and not able to go and we after we haue seene and knowne the wayes of God are more vnable to walke in them than they were to runne a race Some of them were Leapers in body so are we all by nature Leapers in soules But whatsoeuer lamenes infirmitie or disease hath befalne our soules by Adams transgression or by our owne corruption he is both able and willing to worke more miraculous cures vpon our soules than hee did vpon these pooremens bodies so we intreat him as earnestly and heartily as they did 23. None of you I hope conceiueth Christs bodily presence to be either necessary or expedient for curing or healing your soules No mans faith in Scripture is more commended than the Centurions which did not desire our Sauiours bodily presence when he offered it for the healing of his seruant His answere was Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come vnder my roofe but speake the word onely and my seruant shall be healed Matth. 8. 8. If this acknowledgement were a document of liuely faith and Christian modesty in this Centurion what can it be but arrogancy and vnbeliefe in the Romanist to thinke himselfe worthy not only of Christs bodily presence vnder the roofe of his house but vnder the roofe of his mouth yea in his stomach But farre bee all such vncleane and carnall thoughts from any heere present Let vs stedfastly belieue that Christs Word is now as powerfull in heauen as it was on earth yet haue wee not onely his Word but the visible pledges of his body and blood for the healing of our soules Whateuer other defect there may be in our preparation for receiuing these pledges of his passion let vs be sure that our intention to humble our selues and amend our liues be sincere and without hypocrisie The second Member of the generall diuision proposed in the former Discourse Parag. 8. What satisfaction this Answere of our Sauiour did giue to Iohn § 24. VErbum sapienti sat est A man of vnderstanding and experience in part acquainted with any businesse on foot perceiueth more by a word or Hint than another of lesse vnderstanding or experience altogether vnacquainted with the same busines would doe by instructions giuen in Folio Now Iohn we know was a man of extraordinary vnderstanding and experience in matters spirituall specially such as concerned Christ to whom hee was the immediate fore-runner vnto which office he was qualified or set apart from the wombe yea sanctified vnto it euen in the wombe as you may reade Luke 1. verse 41. As this qualification made him more docile or capable of good instructions than other children were so his father Zacharias was better able to instruct him in the knowledge of Christ of whose Kingdome and Office he had prophesied than any other Priest or sonne of Aaron could For Zacharias was for ought that wee can gather the onely Prophet then in Israel at least the spirit of Prophesie which for a long time had bin as a fountaine dryed vp did first breake forth in him After that Iohn himselfe came to maturitie of age and vnderstanding he was directed by speciall commission from his God to vsher Christ into the world to induct him into his Propheticall function to declare him to be the Redeemer of Israel to proclaime him to be the high Priest of our soules that was to make the full atonement for the sinnes of the whole world Now vnto Iohn thus well qualified and instructed in matters concerning Christ and in particular acquainted with the carriage of all businesses concerning Christs baptisme or other actions vntill his imprisonment this Answere of our Sauiour Christ especially being framed out of that Prophets words which had penned Iohns Cōmission for being