written on a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious written on the Hospitall-gates yet goe to hell written on his own house yet another come to possesse it All these are but writings in the dnst or vpon the vvaters where the characters perish so soone as they are made They no more proue a man happy then the foole could proue Pontius Pilate a Saint because his name was written in the Creed But they that be written in heauen are sure to inherite it Now to apply all this vsefully to our selues some perhaps would be satisfied how wee may know our names written in heauen It is certaine that no eye hath looked into Gods booke yet himselfe hath allowed certaine arguments and proofes whereby wee haue more then a coniecturall knowledge The principall is the Testimonie of Gods Spirit concurring with our spirit Rom. 8. 16. But of this I haue liberally spoken in some later passages of this booke together with the most pregnant signes of our election Here therefore I am straightned to insert onely some there omitted effects Which are these foure If our hearts be on Gods booke If the poore be in our booke If wee well order the booke of our conscience Lastly if we can write our selues holy in earth then be bold we are vvritten happy in heauen 1. If our heart be on Gods booke and this wee shall find è conuerso if Gods booke be in our heart Mary laid vp Christs words in her heart It must not lye like loose corne on the floore subiect to the pecking vp of euery fowle but it is ground by meditation digested by faith manet alto corde repostum God saies My sonne giue thy heart to me doe thou pray My Father first giue thy selfe to my heart I aske not whether this booke lyes in thy study but whether the study of it lyes in thy heart The life of the Scriptures is not in verborum folijs sed in medulla cordis not in the letters and leaues but in the inwards of the heart It is not lectio nor relectio but dilectio not reading but leading a life answerable that assures vs. If we syncerely loue this booke wee are certainly in Gods booke Mary zealously louing Christs word is said to chuse the better part that shall neuer be taken from her 2. If the poore be in thy booke and this is reciprocall then thou art in their booke and the conclusion is infallible thou art in the booke of Life For the relieued poore by their prayers entertaine or make way for thy entertainement into euerlasting habitations And Christ at the last day calls them to himselfe that haue beene charitable to his members Come yee blessed receiue the kingdome prepared for you Your works haue not merited this kingdome for it was prepared for you but as that vvas prepared for you so your charitie hath prepared you for it Come and take it Let not thy left hand knowe vvhat thy right hand doth Doe thou write it in the dust the poore will write it in their hearts GOD findes it in their prayers their prayers preuaile for thy mercie mercy writes thy name in heauen Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God Therefore Cast thy bread vpon the waters drowne it in those watry eyes it is not lost in that Riuer like Peter thou throwest in an angle bringest vp siluer enough to make thee blessed Via coeli est pauper si non vis errare incipe erogare The poore is the high-way to heauen if thou wouldest not wander in thy iourney shew mercy Non potes habere nisi quòd acceperis non potes non habere quod dederis Thou canst haue nothing vnlesse thou receiue it thou canst keepe nothing vnlesse thou giue it Him that the poore writes not charitable on earth nor doth God write saueable in heauen 3. If thy name be written Christian in the booke of thy Conscience this is a speciall argument of thy registring in heauen For if our heart condemne vs not vvee haue boldnesse and confidence towards God Ang. VVhat if mans ignorance and vnmercifull ielousie blot thee out of the booke of his credite Si de libro vinentium nunquam propria deleat conscientia so long as thy owne conscience doth not blot thee forth the booke of blessednesse If the good spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that glory is our shame If the euill spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that shame is our glory Therefore it is that Hugo calls the cōscience Librum signatum et clausum in die Indicij aperiendum a booke shut and sealed onely at the Resurrection to be opened Conscientiam magis quà m famam attende falls saepe poterit fama conscientiae nunquam Looke to thy Conscience more then to thy credite fame may often be deceiued conscience neuer The beames that play vpon the water are shot from the Sunne in heauen the peace and ioy that danceth in the conscience comes from the Sonne of righteousnes the Lord Iesus If a hearty laughter dimple the cheeke there is a smooth and quiet mind within Vpon the wall there is a writing a man sitting with his backe to the wall how should hee read it but let a looking-glasse be set before him it vvill reflect it to his eyes he shall read it by the resultance The writing our names in heauen is hid yet in the glasse of a good conscience it is presented to our eye of faith and the soule reades it For it is impossible to haue a good conscience on earth except a man be written in heauen 4. If the booke of Sanctification haue our names written then surely the booke of Glorification hath them and they shall neuer be blotted out For God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the vvorld that wee should be holy and vvithout blame before him in loue Now as we may reason from the cause to the effect so certainely from the effect to the cause Election is the cause Holinesse the effect as therefore euery one written in heauen shall be holy on earth so euery one holy on earth is written in heauen This sanctitie is manifested in our obedience vvhich must be Ad totum I had respect to all thy commandements Per totum I haue enclined my heart to keepe thy statutes Alway euen to the end De tote to keepe thy precepts with my whole heart In Rome the Patres conscripti were distinguished by their robes and they of the Liuery in London haue a peculiar habite by themselues to differ from the rest of the Company Is thy name enrolled in that Legend of Saints thy liuery will witnes it thy conuersation is in heauen A Senator relating to his sonne the great honours decreed to a number of Souldiers whose names vvere written in a booke the sonne was importunate to see that booke The father shewes him the
rest in thee Nothing but the Trinity of persons in that one Deity can fill the triangular concaue of mans own heart The fire flieth to his sphere the stone falleth to his center the riuers run to the sea as to their end and rest and are but violently detained in any other place The needle touched with the Loadstone stands euer trembling and quiuering till it enioy the full aspect of the Northerne Pole Thus the Lord is onely our Center the very life of satisfaction full of perfect and infallible comfort and he alone can content the boundlesse apprehension of this intellectuall eye All other are but shadowes and vanities but this matter obiected in my Text satisfies The world cannot but this can the hope of Gods calling and his glorious inheritance c. 5. Clearnesse of space betwixt the Organ and the obiect For the interposition of some thicke and grosse body preuents the faculty of the Eye The quickest eye cannot see through hils and a crasse cloud is able to hide the Sunne from vs at noone day On necessity that wee may behold with our vnderstandings eyes this celestiall obiect the hope of our calling there must be a remouing of all thicke and impenetrable obstacles 1. Some haue whole mountaines betwixt their eyes and heauen the mountaines of vaineglory hinder their sight They are rauished with the brauery of earth they thinke there is no heauen but at Court no further scope of ambition then to be great in this world If you tell them of the glory of Gods Inheritance giuen to his Saints alas they beleeue not your prattle they cannot see it They cannot indeed for who can see through mountaines 2. Others to make surer preuention against their sight of heauen haue rolled the whole earth betwixt that and their eyes These are the couetous who are rooting downe to the Center If you tell them of this hope c. they answere Non videmus nisi terram wee see nothing but earth Well may they say so for what eyes can see through the vast and condensed body of the earth 3. Others yet haue interiected such obscure and pitchy clouds between their sight and this Sunne of glory that they cannot see Whether of errors that darken the light of the truth Or of affected ignorance that blindes their owne eyes Or of blasphemous Atheisme they will see nothing but what they doe see Where is the promise of his comming Since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation Nil noui video I see no new thing it was so and it is so Non aliud vidêre patres aliudue nepotes Aspicient Or of rude and crude impieâ—…ies which both bleare their owne eyes and shadow heauens graces from them Thus the Deuill deales with theÌ„ as the Pharises seruants dealt with Christ first they blinde him and then buffet him and bid bim prophecie who smote him First hee puts out their eyes with their owne iniquities and then leades them about to make himself sport They cannot see the way to blisse they haue blinded themselues interposed such clouds betwixt them and heauen that this glorious light cannot shine vnto them There must be then a clearer space and this God grants to faith Stephen full of the holy Ghost looked vp stedfastly into heauen and saw the glory of GOD c. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God Though this bee taken for more then a spirituall sight yet hence we haue this comfort that our eyes of Faith shall see God now in Grace and our eyes of flesh heereafter in glory 6. Lastly the obiect must be stable and firme for if it moue too swiftly it dazeleth the eye and cannot be truly according to the perfect forme of it beholden An oare in the riuer often seems to the passengers as if it were brokeâ—… by reason of the swift and violent motion of the water An arrow cuts the ayre with such quicknesse that we can scarce discerne it which lying at the marke is easily seene God hath therefore answered our desires and fitted our vnderstandings with a stable obiect which Paul calls an exceeding eternall waight of glory A waight substantiall and permanent not a light transient matter nor a swift voluble nature but waighty Therefore let vs not looke on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall It is here called an Inheritance which none can take from vs that subtle Lawyer Satan shall neuer be able to picke cauils against it You must not expect that I should enter into a particular resolution of our obiected comforts I must reserue that to a more liberall time Onely now let vs set them in our meditation and settle our selues to attaine them Contemne we condemn we the foolish choice of worldlings in regard of our portion and better part neuer to bee taken from vs. Why should I dislike my gold because he preferres his copper The least dramme of these ioyes shall outwaigh all the pleasures of earth And as one torment in hell shall make the reprobate forget all earthly vanities so the least drop of this pleasure shall take from vs the remembrance of our former miseries Wee shall not thinke on our pouerty in this world when we possesse those Riches and forget our contemptible basenesse when God shall giue vs that Glory of Saints Hee shall not much remember the dayes of his life because God answereth him in the ioy of his heart God giue vs to see these things now in grace that we hereafter may see them in glory Amen THE COSMOPOLITE OR WORLDS FAVOVRITE LVKE 12. 20. But God said vnto him Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided THIS is the Couetous mans Scripture and both like an vnflattering glasse presents his present condition what he is and like a fatall booke premonstrates his future state what hee shall bee And because as no man would be thought of others or will thinke himselfe a worldling so nor apply to himselfe the terrour of this Text therefore this Scripture doth both indigitate and single him out with a Tu es hâ—…mo and when it hath set himselfe before himselfe it tels him how he shall stand before the Tribunall of God vvith a lost name with a lost soule with a lost world with a lost and neuer to be recouer'd heauen We shall perceiue more plainly the Cosmopolites fearefull iudgement if we take a precursory view of the Parables former passages First we haue the Rich man vers 16. prospering in his wealth not onely in the vsurious gaines which his money fraud oppression or vniust dealing might get but euen in those things which God by the hand of nature did reach
panis thou wantest bread God is thy bread of life We want a pillow God is our resting place We may be Sine veste non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo sine Domo non sine Domino Without apparell not without faith without meate not without Christ without a house neuer without the Lord. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heauenly assurance giues vs not peace and ioy Are we clapt vp in a darke and desolate Dungeon there the light of the Sunne cannot enter the light of mercie not be kept out What restrained bodie that hath the assurance of this eternall peace will not pittie the darknes of the prophane mans libertie or rather the libertie of his darkenesse No wals can keepe out an infinite Spirit no darkenes can be vncomfortable where the Father of lights and the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth The presence of glorious Angels is much but of the most glorious God is enough Are we cast out in exile our backes to our natiue home all the worlds our way Whether can we goe from God Whether shall I goe from thy face or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend c. That exile would be strange that could separate vs from God I speake not of those poore and common comforts that in all Lands and coasts it is his Sunne that shines his elements of earth or water that beares vs his aire we breath But of that speciall priuiledge that his gracious presence is euer with vs that no sea is so broad as to deuide vs from his fauour that wheresoeuer we feed he is our host wheresoeuer we rest the wings of his blessed prouidence are stretched ouer vs. Let my soule be sure of this though the whole world be traytors to me Doth the world despise vs We haue sufficient recompence that God esteemes vs. How vnworthy is that man of Gods fauour that cannot goe away contented with it without the worlds Doth it hate vs much God hates it more That is not euer worthie which man honours but that is euer base which God despises Without question the world would bee our friend if God were our enemie The sweetnes of both cannot bee enioyed let it content vs wee haue the best It may be pouertie puts pale leannes into our cheeks God makes the world fat but withall puts leannesse into the soule We decay in these temporall vanities but we thriue in eternall riches The good man laughes at destruction and dearth Doth sicknes throw vs on our weary beds It is impossible any man should miscarry that hath God for his Physitian So Martha confessed to Iesus Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed Thy bodie is weake thy soule is strengthened dust and ashes is sicke but thy eternall substance is the better for it It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Lastly doth the ineuitable hand of death strike thee Egredere anima mea egredere Goe forth my soule with ioy and assurance thou hast a promise to be receiued in peace Happie dissolution that parts the soule from the bodie that it may knit them both to the Lord. Death like the proud Philistine comes marching out in his hydeous shape daring the whole Hoast of Israell to match him with an equall combatant The Atheist dares not die for feare non esse that hee shall not be at all the couetous vsurer dares not die for feare male esse to be damned the doubtfull conscience dares not die because he knowes not an sit an non sit an damnatus sit whether he shall be or be damned or not bee at all Onely the resolued Christian dares die because he is assured of his election he knows he shall be happie and so lifts vp pleasant eyes to heauen the infallible place of his eternall rest He dares encounter with this last enemie trample on him with the foote of disdaine and triumphantly sing ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie He conquers in being conquered and all because God hath sayd to his Soule I am thy Saluation The poore Papist must not beleeue this such an assurance to him were Apocryphall yea hereticall He must lie on his death-bed call vpon what Saint or Angell he list but must not dare to beleeue hee shall goe to heauen O vncomfortable doctrine able to loose the soule What can follow but feares without and terrours within distrustfull sighes and heart-breaking grones Goe away he must with death but whither he knows not It would be presumption to be confident of heauen How should Purgatory stand or the Popes kitchin haue a Larder to maintaine it if men might be sure of their saluation Herefore they bequeath so great summes for masses and Dirge's and Trentals to bee sung or sayd for them after they are dead that their soules may at the last be had to heauen though first for a while they be reezed in Purgatory If this be all the comfort their Priests Iesuites and Confessors can giue them they may well say to them as Iob to his friends Miserable comforters are ye all But he that hath Stephens eyes hath also Pauls heart and the Saints tongue He that with Stephens eyes can see that Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God as if his armes were open to wel-come and embrace him must needs with Paul desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and with the Saints cry Come Lord how long Amen euen so come Lord Iesus Thus much for the matter of the Assurance let vs now come to the manner Dic Animae Say vnto my soule Say but is God a man hath he a tongue how doth Dauid desire him to speake That God who made the eare shall not he heare he that made the eye shall not â—…e see he that made the tongue shall not he speake He that sees without eyes and heares without eares and walkes without feete and workes without hands can speake without a tongue Now God may be sayd to speake diuerse wayes 1. God hath spoken to some-by his owne voice To Adam vocem audiuerunt they heard the voyce of God c. To Israel The Lord spake vnto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voyce of the words but saw no similitude onely you heard a voyce To Christ I here came a voyce from heauen saying I haue both glorified it and I will glorifie it This S. Peter testifies There came a voyce from the excellent glory This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased 2. To omit visions and dreames and cloudes and Cherubins and Angells vrim and thummim God speakes also by his workes The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Mâ—…nus loquuntur his workes haue a tongue Opera testantur de me
that is called by my Name as I haue done to Shiloh It lies in the power of sinne to make the most blessed places accursed God turnes a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of the inhabitants that dwell therein Ciuitatis euersio morum non murorum casus The ruine of a Citie is not the breach of the walls but the apostacie of manners Were our Fences stronger then the seuen-folde walls of Babylon the sinnes within would hurle downe the Bulwarkes without If there be Prauilegium among vs there is no Priuilegium for vs. This Sion then stands not on earthly foundations for at the generall dissolution the earth with all the workes in it Cities Castles Townes Towres shall be burnt vp If it were built on a saâ—…dy foundation when the raine the flouds and windes shall conspire against it it would fall and the fall of it would be great But Sion is built on Christ Behold I say in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious he that beleeueth on him shall not be confounded This is conspicuous by the Antithesis of Mount Sion with the Gospell to Mount Sinai with the Law The Apostlecals that montem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mount that might be touched if this had beene vpon earth it had also beene contrectabilis touchable but it is onely spirituall Hee alludes to Gods Prophesies and Promises Euangelium proditurum de monte Sion that the Gospel should come out of Mount Sion This is manifest to those that will consider and conferre these places Obad. vers 21. Esa. 2. 3. Mie 4. 2. Come let vs goe vp to the Mount of the Lord for out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the word of God from Ierusalem Esa. 59. 20. with Rom. 11. 26. There shall come out of Sion the Deliuerer and shall turne away vngodlinesse from Iacob Sinai gaue thraldome by Moses Sion giues freedome and saluation by Iesus These two words giue vs two comforts of grace Fortitudinem quia mons Beatitudinem quia mons Sion Securitie because it is a mountaine Felicity because it is Mount Sion 1. Heere is considerable the validity and strength of grace that comes by Christ we are not built in a valley but on a mount A mountaine hath euer beene held the place of safety I said in my prosperity I shall neuer be moued What is his reason Lord thou of thy fauour hast made my mountaine so strong But alas what are all the mountaines of the earth to mount Sion Woe to them that trust in the mountaines of Samaria The prophane Edomite stands on his mountain and derides the iudgement of God The Syrians thought God only Deum montium a God of the mountaines It was vpon the high mountaine that Israel played the harlot Many sit on their mountains and giue defiance to heauen The couetous mans mountaine is his riches there he thinkes himselfe safe Soule rest thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeares The ambitious mans mountaine is his honour and who dares finde fault with so promontorious a celsitude yes Euery mountaine shall be brought low Sensualitie is the voluptuous mans mountaine there he refugeth himselfe against all reproofes But when the iudgements of God shall come vpon the earth in vaine they shal cry to the mountaines Fallon vs and to the hills Couer vs. As neyther against the waters in the former Deluge so nor against the fire in the latter dissolution shall the mountaines defend onely this Mount Sion shall saue vs. The mountaine of worldly confidence hath not more strength of defending against the assaults of men then danger of exposing to the violences of heauen Heere is the difference betwixt the worldlings building and the Christians 1. They thinke themselues onely to build high aspiring to an equality with mountaines and as low builders poore deiected and reiected creatures But indeed they build low for all sublunary things are low buildings onely he that builds on this Mount Sion builds high and sure when all oppositions and aduersary forces haue done their worst he stands firme like Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but abideth fast for euer The Wise mans mind is euer aboue the Moone yea aboue the Sun What turbulencies soeuer be in the world all is peace there In my Fathers house there are many mansions In domo it is a house not a Tabernacle Of my Father for if he hath afforded such a house for his enemies how glorious is that he hath reserued for himselfe and his friends Patris mei saith Christ My Father your Father is able to giue you a cottage for your short life My Father giues a house for euer There are Mansions à manendo not moueable tents but mansions Many enow for all none shall be troubled for want of elbow-roome Therefore let all Mountaines stoope to this The mountaine of the Lord shall be established in the top of mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hills and all Nations shal flowe vnto it This is Gods Mountaine who hath chosen of all Nations Israel of all Tribes Iuda of all Cities Ierusalem of all Temples that of Salomon of all Mountaines Mount Sion 2. The worldlings thinke this Mountaine is but a dreame because they cannot see it nor touch it But our Apostle sayes it is intrectabilis it cannot be touched with earthly fingers no profane feet must tread in those holy Courts Naturall mens vnderstandings are led by their senses Plus oculo quà m oraculo they will belieue no further then they see Giue mee good cheare sayes the Epicure this I can see and taste and tell not me of your spirituall banket in heauen Giue me good liquour sayes the Drunkard the bloud of the grape this giues colorem saporem odorem colour to the eye sauour to the palate odour to the sent heauen hath no Nectar like this Giue me honour saith the Ambitious which may aduaunce me that from this Mountaine of preferment I may ouerlooke the inferiour world and behold vassals prostrate to my Celsitude this I can feele and see tel not me of your inuisible kingdome and Such honour haue all his Saints Giue mee gorgeous apparell sayes the proud this vvill make me admir'd giue me admission among the great ones tell not me of our Robe of Glory Giue me gold saies the Couetous this I can see it is my Sunne by day and my Moone by night I can spend my time delightfully in telling feeling treasuring this neuer tell me of your treasure in heauen Well if there be no remedy but Sense must be your Religion and this world your God take your choise these grosse palpable things trust you in these Mountaines but Lord giue vs this Mount Sion which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established for vs. Now sith we are built vpon a Mountaine let vs know that we are conspicuous all the world takes notice of vs. The faithfull
supplementum de genere humano integritas illus ciuitatis expectat what definite number of mankind must concurre to the perfection of that heauenly Citie Man is circumscribed in place knowledge and mortality Angels are circumscribed in place and knowledge not in mortality God is not circumscribed in eyther place knowledge or mortality Man knoweth much Angels know more onely God knoweth all 3. Their Power Christ suffering himselfe to be apprehended said hee could command more then twelue Legions of Angels Whereupon one notes the mightinesse of his rescue for euery Angell is stronger then a Legion of men They are said to excell in strength Blesse the Lord â—…e his Angels that excest in strength Mighty Angels The Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen with his mighty Angels Mighty but His the originall hath it the Angels of his mighty power Innumerable first borne of Aegypt were slaine by one Angell An hundred eighty fiue thousand Assyrians smitten by one Angell 2. Sam. 24. Seuenty thousand killed by one Angell Therefore they are called Potestates Powers Powerfull in themselues but how mighty when they are strengthened by the Almighty This is wonderfull comfort to vs they are not weake that fight for vs. Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his angels but preuailed not The Deuill hath a raging malice but no preuailing power One Angell is too hard for many deuils But against the power of Angels it is obiected that a man preuailed against an Angell Iacob had power ouer the Angoll and preuailed Some had a sottish opinion that this Angell was the Deuill in Esau's likenesse and that by the power of a good Angell Iacob ouercame Now lest hee should ascribe the victory to himselfe and his owne strength the Angell smote him on the thigh so that hee halted But there is no mention made saue of one Angel he that wrastled with him was the same that blessed him he that blessed him was the same that touched him a good Angell for an euill would neuer haue blessed him But indeed this Angell was the Sonne of God 1. Because he blessed him God blesseth not Angels 2. It is said Gen. 32. 28. that he preuayled with GOD and verse 30. that hee saw God face to face therefore it was God not an Angell Whether it were God or an Angell you may see the power of faith that it can preuail with mighty Angels with almighty God Hee that wrastled with Iacob gaue him power to ouercome Seipso fortior est so God is stronger then himselfe Hee could not preuaile because he would not he disposeth his power according to his will not his will according to his power Haste thee to Zoar for I cannot doe any thing till thou bee come thither Let mee alone that I may consume them As if Lot and Moses could hinder God Faith Prayer are manicles to his hands vvhereunto he giues victorie against himselfe 4. Their dignity consists in two things In respect of their Place and of their Grace 1. For their abode it is in heauen Euill Angels dwell belowe they are cast downe into hell good aboue The Angels doe behold the face of my Father in heauen They are heauenly Courtiers and heauenly Quiristers eternally singing Ichouahs praise 2. In respect of their Grace so that they are called the Angels of GOD and are farre more excellent then man It is true that the Sonne of God dignified mans nature more then theirs For he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Timet Angelus adorari ab humana natura quam videt in Deo sublimaâ—…am The Angels refuse to be worshipped of mans nature which they see GOD himselfe hath accepted But though he tooke not their nature yet he dignified their office for he is often called by the name of Angel The Angel that redeemed mee sayes aged Israel the onely redeeming Angel is Christ. The Angel that went with the Campe of Israel is called ver 24. The Lord. Paul sayes expresly it was Christ. 1. Cor. 10. 4. 9. He is called Angelus foederis the Angel of the Couenant I saw an Angel hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit and he bound Satan but onely Christ can bind Satan and hath the keyes of death and hell Thus Christ hath accepted the name of Angels yet hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but of man no more then the Angels tooke on them the nature of man vvhen they appeared in an humane shape 5. Their distinction Gregory collects from the Scriptures Nouem Angelorum ordines nine seuerall orders of Angels Angels Archangels Vertues Powers Principalities Dominations Thrones Cherubim and Seraphim We grant indeed that there be certaine distinctions degrees in the Quire of Heauen but whether distinguished by nature gifts or offices none can determine The Papists plead much for the Princedome of Michael aboue all other Angels Their ground is Reuel 12. 7. Michael his Angels fought c. Bellarmine affirmes that euer since the fall of Lucifer Michael is head of the glorious Angels and the Rhemists collect from that place the reason why Michael is ordinarily painted fighting with a Dragon But the foolish Painter so well as wise Bellarmine can tell vs how Michael came to be chose in Lucifers roome Iude saith the wicked Angels that left their habitation are reserued in chaines of darknesse but hee tells vs not that such as did not fall are preferred to higher places but rather coÌ„tinue still in their first estate and dignitie Indeed Iude calls Michael an Archangel and Daniel Vnum de principibus one of the principall Angels but it can neuer be proued that he was is or shall be Monarch or head of all Angels Themselues say that the greatest Angel is vsed in the greatest Embassage but Gabriel not Michael was sent for the contracting of that sacred match betweene the GOD of Heauen and the blessed Virgin Therefore Gabriel not Michael should be supreme both in naturall graces and supernaturall prerogatiues Indeed Christ is the Michael there mentioned for the blessed Angels cannot be said to be any other Michaels Angels then Christ. So August Bulling Marlor Perhaps in the vision Michael an host of Angels appeared to Iohn but they represented Christ and his members Christus est Ecclesiae suae Promachus Angeli eius Symachi It is against the principles of holy beliefe to ascribe this victory to Michael or any other Angel whatsoeuer They ouercame Satan by the bloud of the Lambe not by Michael or any Angel 6. Their ministerie from hence some of the Fathers say the Angels tooke their names So Gregor Angeli vocabulum nomen est officij non naturae Angel is a name of office not of nature The Inhabitants of that celestiall Country are alwaies Spirits but cannot alwaies be called Angels Tunc solùm sunt Angeli quando
giues a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall not lose his reward This hire and reward is not the stipend of our labours but of Gods loue He giues vs the good of grace and then rewards it with the good of glory It is a reward Secundum quid a gift simpliciter Compare eternall life to the worke looking no farther it is a reward Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen But examine the Originall from whence it proceedes then it is the gift of God Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. He is said to Shew mercy to them that keep his Commande◅ents the very keeping the Commandements is not merit it hath neede of mercy Loe thus the Lord giues grace then praiseth it blesseth it rewards it Christ cloatheth his Spouse with his owne garments the smell of Myrrhe Alloes and Cassia A white robe of his perfect righteousnesse imputed with his golden merits and inestimable Iewels of graces and then praiseth her Thou art all faire my Loue there is no spot in thee When God made the world with all creatures in it he beheld it and Euge bonum behold it is exceeding good so when hee makes a Christian Maiorem meliorem mundo and hath furnished him with competent graces hee turnes backe and lookes vpon his owne workemanship Ecce bonum it is exceeding good hee forbeares not to commend it Now what doth hee specially commend in this conuerted Leper his praysing of God The Leper prayseth God God praiseth the Leper He prayseth in his praysing two things the Rightnesse and the Rarenesse 1. The Rightnesse that he gaue praise to God directed it thither where it was onely due He returned to giue glory to God non mihi sed Deo saith Christ not to me but to God Perhaps his knowledge was not yet so farre enlightned as to know him that cured him to be God therefore bestowed his praise where hee was sure it should be accepted where onely it is deserued on God I seeke not my owne praise saith Iesus but mittentis the praise of him that sent me If I honour my selfe my honour is nothing 2. The Rarenesse and that in two respects 1. That hee alone of tenne blessed God God had but his Tenth it is much if the tenth soule goe to heauen The godly are so rare that they are set vp for markes and signes and wonders as if the world stood amazed at them 2. That hee onely was the Stranger a Samaritan Many great vertues were found among the Samaritans Faith Charity Thankfulnesse First Faith Many of the Samaritans of that Citie beleeued on him Secondly Charity It was the Samaritan that tooke compassion on the man wounded between Ierusalem and Iericho The Priest and the Leuite passed by him without pitie but the Samaritan bound vp his wounds Thirdly Gratitude exemplified in this Samaritan Leper none of the Iewes gaue God praise for their healing but only the Samaritan It was strange that in Gentiles should be found such vertue where it was least looked for Verily I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel The least informed did proue the best reformed Samaritan was held a word of reproach amongst the Iewes as appeares by their malicious imputation to Christ. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Diuell They were esteemed as dogges It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And at the first promulgation of the Gospell the Apostles receiued a manifest prohibition Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not It was therefore rare to reape such fruites out of the wild Forrest cursed like the mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither raine vpon you nor fields of offerings To be good in good company is little wonder for Angels to be good in heauen Adam in Paradise Iudas in Christs Colledge had been no admirable matter to apostate in these places so exemplary of goodnesse was intolerable weakenesse But for Abraham to be good in Chalde Noah in the old world Lot in Sodome for a man now to be humble in Spaine continent in France chaste in Venice sober in Germany temperate in England this is the commendation Such a one is a Lilly in a Forrest of thornes a handfull of wheate in a field of cockle Let me not here omit two things worthy my insertion and your obseruation 1. Gods iudgement and mans do not concurre the Samaritans were condemned of the Iewes yet here nine Iewes are condemned by one Samaritan They that seeme best to the world are often the worst to God they that are best to God seeme worst to the world When the Moone is lightest to the earth she is darkest to heauen when she is lightest to heauen she is darkest to the earth So often men most glorious to the world are obscurest to the diuine approbation others obscure to the worlds acknowledgement are principally respected in Gods fauor Man would haue cleared the Pharise and condemned the Publican when they both appeared in the Temple together the one as it were in the Quire the other in the Belfrey But Christs iudgemēt is that the Publicane departed rather iustified The Iewes thought that if but 2. men in the world were saued the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharise But Christ saith neither of them both shall come there You shall see others in the Kingdome of heauen and you your selues thrust out Some like the Moone are greater or lesse by the Sunne of mens estimation Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen Dauid Isaac preferred Esau but God preferred Iacob and made the father giue the blessing to that sonne to whom he least meant it All this iustifies that my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes ◅aith the Lord. 2. Learne we here from Christ to giue men their due praise to them that deserue praise God ◅akes of vices with commination of vertues wit◅◅endation Let vs speake of others sinnes with griefe of their good workes with praise and ioy Of others sinnes with griefe so did S. Paul Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ. So Dauid Riuers of waters ru◅ downe mine eyes because men keepe not thy Law Our Sauiour wept ouer apostate Ierusalem he wept ouer the people beholding them as scattered sheep without a shepheard Who can forbeare weeping to see soules muffled misse-led by ignorance like the babes of Niniuch not able to distinguish the right hand from the left Alas there are innumerable soules that know not their owne estate O pitie them Because thou wilt not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for thy pride But let vs mention
that can helpe thee No measure of earthly things can giue thee ease but this measure of grace that shall bring thee to the full measure of glory Grow thou as high in this world as Ionas gourd a worme shall smite thee and thou shalt wither Grow vp to this stature of Christ so fast as thou mayest and so farre as thou canst and what is here wanting to thy holy endeuours God shall make vp with his happy mercies Of the fullnes of Christ. Adulti Christi It is not meant the full growth of Christ in the flesh which was as other children Luk. 2. The child grew and waxed stronger We reade him a babe sucking at 12. yeares old disputing at 30. preaching and about 33. dying His encreasing was not habitualiter sed effectualiter But here we must consider Christ as Head of his Body the Church and so said to haue mensuram staturae adultae the measure of full stature when his body is Perfected now some predestinated members of this Body are yet vnborne which must concurre to the perfection and making vp of this stature of the fullnesse of Christ. Whence we haue a sweet and comfortable obseruation offred vs. Till the church be fully gathered together there is in some sort a want to the perfection of Christ. But we must consider Christ two wayes Personally and mistically Personall or abstractiuely in himselfe he is not onely perfect but perfection it selfe Colos. 1. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell And. chap. 2. In him dwelleth not passeth by the fullnesse not a good reasonable measure and this not onely a sufficient fullnes but all the fullnesse not of any created nature but of the Godhead and that not fantastically but bodily Mistically or in relation to his Bodie the Church now ye are the bodie of Christ and members in perticular And Christs will is that where he is his members may be there also So that till the whole Bodie be gathered to the Head the head is in some sort not perfect And in this sence may that Cant. 3. be vnderstood Behold King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousalls where the Church is sayed to set a Crowne on Christs head as if his full and perfect coronation were not come till the day of his espousalls and marriage in heauen when his whole Church shall be crowned together with him Time was that the other Disciple out ranne Peter to the Sepulcher and Peter out went that other Disciple into the sepulcher but at this day they that are aliue shall not preuent them that sleepe For God hath prouided better for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect We shall all goe together to glory What a treasure of ioy and comfort is heere opened vs Our Sauiour so loues vs that he thinkes not himselfe perfect without vs. What is man O Lord or the sonne of man that thou soreckonest of him Thou hast Saints the spirits of iust blessed and obedient Angells thy owne infinite selfe to delight thee Quid opus vermiculo What need hast thou of a worme What am I O Sauiour that thou shouldest not thinke thy selfe perfect without me Well may this sweeten all our pouertie miserie disgrace and ignominie that the world casts vpon vs. A great Gallant blusheth to see thee take acquaintance of him lookes vpon thee betwixt scorne and anger thinkes himselfe disparaged by thy companie be content the God of heauen and earth thinkes himselfe not perfect without thee He that can breake thy contemners to pieces respecteth thee Thou art vnworthy of the fauour of Iesus Christ if thou canst not content thy selfe with it without the worlds What a terrour shal this be to the wicked to see those men crowned Kings with Christ to whom they disdained to giue notice in the world Diues lookes with pitifull eyes on glorified Lazarus who once lay at his gates without the releese of crummes It shall be no small aggravation to the vngodly's torments to say of the Saint This was he whom we had some times in derision and a proverbe of reproch We fooles accounted his life madnesse and his end without honour Now he is numbred a mong the children of God and his lot is among the Saints I conclude Euery Saint shall enioy this full measure of glorie there shall be no scanting no limitation None shall complaine of lacke there is the fountaine drinke thy fill there is the heape take as much as thou wilt There shall be in all an equalitie though not of quantitie yet of proportion which ariseth not from the obiect wherein is plenitude but from the subiect which is not alike capable A vessell throwne into the sea can be but full another is but full though it containe a greater measure Euery one shall possesse this fulnesse and being full there is no want therefore no enuie But let vs take no thought who shall sit highest in this kingdome with the sonnes of Zebedee it is enough that we shall be crowned kings Trouble not thy selfe for order onely striue for admission We cannot desire to be more then blessed Let vs get into the Citie of glory and let God appoint vs a roome Here we see the great difference betwixt this life and the next In this life we grow vp to our full Stature and then we decrease till we decease we decline and die In the other we come at first to a perfect stature and so continue for euer We are here subiect to sorrowes and sinnes the first grieuous to vs as we are men the other as we are good men loe we shall one day be freed bee perfect It is a sweete meditation that fell from a reuerend Diuine that many vegetable brute creatures doe exceede men in length of dayes and in happinesse in their kind as not wanting the thing they desire The Oake the Rauen the Storke the Stagge fill vp many yeares in regard of whom man dies in the minoritie of child-hood This made the Philosophers call Nature a Stepdame to man to the rest a true mother For shee giues him least time that could make best vse of his time and least pleasure that could best apprehend it and take comfort in it But here diuinitie teacheth reacheth a large recompence from our God Other creatures liue long and then perish to nothing man dies soone here that hereafter he may liue for euer This shortnesse is recompenced with eternitie Dost thou blame Nature O Philosopher for cutting thee so short that thou canst not get knowledge Open thine eyes perfect knowledge is not to be had here though thy dayes were double to Methushalems Aboue it is Blesse God then rather for thy liues shortnes for the sooner thou diest the sooner thou shalt come to thy desired knowledge The best here is short of the least there Let no man blame God for
euen to them that beleeue on his Name By one offering hee hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified This is sure comfort to vs though hee dyed almost 1600. yeares agoe his bloud is not yet dry his wounds are as fresh to doe vs good as they were to those Saints that beheld them bleeding on the Crosse. The vertue of his merits is not abated though many thousand hands of Faith haue taken large portions out of his treasurie The riuer of his Grace which makes glad the citie of God runnes ouer the bankes though infinite soules haue drunke heartie draughts and satisfied their thirst But because we cannot apprehend this for our selues of our selues therefore he hath promised to send vs the Spirit of truth who will dwell with vs and applie this to vs. for euer Thus you haue seene the first Triplicitie how he is the Same Obiectiuely in his Word Now he is Subiunctiuely in his Power the Same and that Yesterday for he made the world To day for he gouerns the world For euer for he shall iudge the world Yesterday in the Creation All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made By him were all things created that are in heauen and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him All things euen the great and faire booke of the world of three so large leaues Coelum Solum Salum Heauen Earth and Sea The Prophet cals him the Everlasting Father Daniel Auntient of dayes Salomon sayes that the Lord possessed him in the beginning of his way before his workes of old So himselfe told the vnbeleeuing Iewes Before Abraham was I am We owe then our selues to Christ for our creation but how much more for our redemption Si totum me debeo pro ine facto quid addam iam pro me refecto In primo opere me mihi dedit in secundo se mihi dedit If I owe him my whole selfe for making me what haue I left to pay him for redeeming me In the first worke he gaue my selfe to me in the second he gaue himselfe to me By a double right we owe him our selues we are worthy of a double punishment if we giue him not his owne To day in the Gouerning Hee vpholdeth all things by the word of his power Hee is Paterfamilias and disposeth all thinges in this vniuerse with greater care and pâ—…ence then any house-holder can menage the buâ—…nesse of his priuate familie Hee leaues it not as the Carpenter hauing built the frame of a house to others to perfect it but lookes to it himselfe His Creation and Prouidence is like the Mother and the Nurse the one produceth the other preserueth His creation was a short prouidence his prouidence a perpetuall creation The one sets vp the frame of the house the other keepes it in reparation Neither is this a disparagement to the Maiestie of God as the vaine Epicures imagined curare minima to regard the least things but rather an honour curare infinita to regard all things Neither doth this extend onely to naturall things chained together by a regular order of succession but euen to casuall and contingent things Oftentimes cùm aliud volumus aliud agimus the euent crosseth our purpose Which must content vs though it fall out otherwise then we purposed because God purposed as it is falne out It is enough that the thing attaine the owne end though it misse ours that Gods will be done though ours be crossed But let me say Hath God care of foâ—…les and flowers and will he not care for you his owne Image Yea let me goe further Hath God care of the wicked Doth he powre downe the happie influences of heauen on the vniust mans ground And shall the faithfull want his blessing Doth hee prouide for the Sonnes of Beliall and shall his owne children lacke He may giue meate and rayment to the rest but his bountie to Beniamin shall exceed If Mâ—…b his Wash-pot tast of his benefites then Iudah the signet on his finger cannot bee forgotten The King gouernes all the Subiects in his Dominions but his seruants that waite in his Court partake of his most Princely fauours God heales the sores of the very wicked but if it be told him Lord hee whom thou louest is sicke 〈◊〉 enough hee shall bee healed The wicked may hâ—…â—…utward blessings without inward and that is Esau's pottage without his Birth-right but the elect haue inward blessings though they want outward and that is Iacobs inheritance without his pottage For euer because he shall iudge the world GOD hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that Mâ—…n whom he hath ordained In the day that God shall iudge the secrets of mâ—…n by Iesus Christ. Let the wicked flatter themselues that all is but talke of any comming to Iudgement non aliud videre patres aliudve nâ—… pâ—…tes aspicâ—…nt all is but terriculamenta nutricum meere scar-babes Scribarâ—…m peâ—… mendaces they haue written lies there is no such matter But when they shall see that Lambe whom they haue pearced and scorned they shall cry to the mountaines and rockes Fall vpon vs and couer vs. Now they flatter themselues with his death mortuus est hee is dead and gone and Mortuum Caesarem quis â—…etuit Who feares euen a Caesar when he is dead But he that was dead liueth behold I am aliue for euermore Amen Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and for euer Quâ—…sitor scâ—…erum veniet vindexque reorum Here is matter of infallible comfort to vs. Lift vp your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Here wee are imprisoned martyred tortured but when that great Assise and generall goale-deliuery comes Mâ—…s non â—…rit vltra there shall be no more death nor sorrow but all teares shall be wiped from our eyes For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen with his mightie Angels We shall then find him the Sâ—… the same Lambe that bought vs shall giue vs a venitâ—… beati Coâ—…e ye blessed receiue your kingdome Surely I come quickly Aâ—…on Euen so Come Lord Iesus Effectually in his Grace and Mercie so he is the Same Yesterday to our fathers To day to our selues For euer to our children Yesterday to our Fathers All our Fathers whose soules are now in heauen those Spirits of iust men made perfect Hebr. 12. were as the next words intimate saued by Iesus the mediatour of the new Couenant and by the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abell Whether they liued vnder Nature or vnder the Law Christ was their expectation and
heauen hic affuit inde non defuit Humana natura assumpta est Diuina non consumpta est Hee tooke Humanitie he lost not his Diuinitie He abideth Mariae Pater the Father of Mary who is made Mariae Filius the Sonne of Mary To vs a child is borne to vs a sonne is giuen Whereon Emissenus Natus qui sentiret occasum datus qni resciret exordium Hee was borne that should feele death hee was giuen that was from euerlasting and could not die Natus qui matre esset iunior datus quo nec Pater esset antiquior He that was borne was younger then his mother hee that was giuen was as eternall as his father He was Sonne to both God and Mary Non alter ex Patre alter ex Virgine sed aliter ex Patre aliter ex virgine As the flowers are said to haue Solem in coelo patrem solum in terra matrem so Christ hath a father in heauen without a mother a mother on earth without a father Here is then the wonder of his Humanitie The euerlasting Father is become a litle child He that spreads out the heauens is wrapd in swadling clouts Hee that is the Word becomes an Infant not able to speake The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man His Humilitie If your vnderstandings can reach the depth of this bottome take it at one view The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man The omnipotent Creator becomes an impotent creature As himselfe sayth Greater loue hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends So greater humilitie neuer was then this that God should be made man It is the voyce of Pride in man I will bee like God but the action of Humilitie in God I will be man Proud Nebuchadnezzar sayes Ero similis altissimo I will be like the Highest meeke Christ sayth Ero similis infimo I will be like the lowest hee put on him the the forme of a seruant yea hee was a despised Worme God spoke it in derision of sinfull man Behold hee is become as one of vs but now we may say God is become as one of vs. There the lowest aspires to bee the Highest here the Highest vouchsafes to be the lowest Alexander a sonne of man would make himselfe the sonne of God Christ the Sonne of God makes himselfe the sonne of man God in whose presence is fullnesse of ioy becomes a man full of sorroâ—…es Eternall rest betakes himselfe to vnrest hauing whilst hee liued i passiue action and when hee dyed actiue passion The LORD ouer all things and Heire of the world vndertakes ignominie and pouertie Ignominie the King of glory is become the shame of men Pouertie Pauper in nativitate pauperior in vita pauperrimus in cruce Poore in his Birth for borne in another mans stable poore in his Life fed at another mans table poore in his Death buried in another mans sepulcher There are sayth Bernard some that are humbled but not humble others that are humble not humbled and a third sort that are both humbled and humble Pharaoh was humbled and cast downe but not humble smitten with subuersion not moued with submission Gothfrey of Boloigne was not humbled yet humble for in the very heate and height of his honour he refused to be crowned in Ierusalem with a Crowne of gold because Christ his master had bin in that place crowned with a crowne of thornes Others are both humbled and humble When he slew them they sought him they returned and enquired early after GOD. Our Sauiour Christ was Passiuely humbled hee was made lower then the Angels by suffering death the Lord did breake him Actiuely he humbled himselfe he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant he humbled himselfe Habitually hee was humbled Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart Let this obseruation lesson vs two dueties 1. Esteeme wee not the worse but the better of Christ that hee made himselfe the Sonne of man Let him not lose any part of his honour because hee abased himselfe for vs. Hee that tooke our flesh is also over all GOD blessed for ever Amen There is more in him then humanitie not alia persona but alia natura not another person but another nature Though hee bee verus homo hee is not merus homo And euen that Man that was crucified on a crosse and layed in a graue is more high then the heauens more holy then the Angels Stephen saw this very Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God The bloud of this Sonne of man giues saluation and to whome it doth not this Sonne of man shall adiudge them to condemnation Vnder this name and forme of Humilitie our Sauiour apposed his Disciples Whome do men say that I the Sonne of Man am Peter answeres for himselfe and the Apostles whatsoeuer the people thought Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God He cals himselfe the Sonne of man Peter cals him the Sonne of God The Iewes see him onely a stâ—…mbling blocke and the Greekes foolishnesse but Christians see him the Power of God and the Wisedome of God The wicked behold him without forme or comelynesse or beauty to desire him but the faithfull behold him crowned with a Crowne his face shining as the Sunne in his glory Therefore Quantò minorem se fecit in humilitate tantò maiorem exhibuit in bonitate Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior The lower hee brought himselfe in humilitie the higher hee magnified his mercie By so much as hee was made the baser for vs by so much let him be the dearer to vs. Obserue it O man quia limus es non sis superbus quia Deo iunctus non sis ingratus because thou art dust of thy selfe be not proud because thou art made immortall by Christ be not vnthankefull Condemned world that despisest him appearing as a silly man The Iewes expected an externall pompe in the Messias Can hee not come downe from the Crosse how should this man saue vs They consider not that hee who wanted a Rest for his head Bread for his followers fed some thousands of them with a few loaues that hee which wanted a pillow giues rest to all beleeuing soules that hee could but would not come downe from the crosse that the deare price of their redemption might be payed Many still haue such Iewish hearts what beleeue on a crucified man But Paul determines to know nothing but this Iesus Christ and him crucified They can be content to dwell with him on mount Tabor but not to follow him to mount Caluary They cleaue to him so long as hee giues them bread but forsake him when himselfe cryes for drinke Oderunt pannos tuos O Christ they like well
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
shalt forsweare Gods Law Couet not Satans couet all Nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil Diabolus nisi cupiditatem God commands nothing but loue the Deuill nothing but lust Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel Cain a Citizen of the world Abel a Citizen of God Their names signifie their natures Cain signifies a profession and he built a Citie for the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt Wicked men set their whole delight in this present world What moued Cain to this Not to be defended against wilde beasts which Plato sayes first moued men to build Cities for then Abel would haue builded so well as Cain nor because man is animal sociale a sociable creature which Aristotle makes a special motiue hereof for then the righteous would also haue builded But because Cain was a fugitiue he builded for a protection against Gods curse especially because he had no expectation of a better City Vnlike to Abraham who looked for a City that hath a foundation whose builder and maker is God The Greekes say that Cecropolis built by Cecrops the Aegyptians that Thebes the Argiues that Argos was the first City But it is manifest that this City built by Cain was the first Hee called the name of this City Enoch but Henoch in the righteous line is the seuenth Enoch the seuenth from Adam So the wicked dedicate worldly possessions in the first place the righteous in the last Cain and Henoch had their possession and dedication here But Abel signifies mourning and he built no Citie Our possession is in heauen this City of God inuisible to the eye incredible to the faith of the world but infallible to all beleeuers And for Cain it is not properly translated Aedificauit but Erat aedificator as Iunius erat aedificans as the Septuagint he began to build but he finished not hee was still a runnagate So all worldlings are but aedificantes like the Babel-erecters they but began to reare the tower but neuer could come to roofe it This man began to build saith Christ but could not make an end They are perswaded yea their inward thought is that they build houses to all ensuing generations but this their way is their folly Aedificat mortalis mors diruit aedificantem Mortall man builds and death puls downe both builder and edifice You haue heard it talked of Castles built by day and still no man knowes how pul'd downe againe by night That fabulous report is mystically true of the worldlings hope what euer he erecteth in the day of his prosperity the night of his ruine shall ouerthrow Here are the two Cities Omnis homo vel in coelis regnaturus cum Christo vel in infernis cruciandus cum Diabolo Euery one shall eyther reigne with Christ in Heauen or be tormented with the Deuill in hell But how then is it said that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe therefore the whole world is reconciled But Saint Iohn contradicts it Mundus positus in maligno the whole world lieth in wickednesse therefore the world is not reconciled to this Citie Heere qui bene distinguit bene doeet a proper distinction doth cleare this difficulty The world is sometimes taken for good then Denominatio sequitur meliorem partem often for euill then Denominatio sequitur maiorem partem In a word saith Augustine Amor Dei constituit Ierusalem amor mundi Babylonem The loue of God intitles vs to Ierusalem the loue of the world to Babylon Thus may wee distinguish the Citizens for Bonos vel malos mores faciunt boni vel mali amores Our good or bad loues make our good or bad liues There is no man which belongs not to one of these two Cities No To which of them belongs the Hypocrite to Babylon his face is toward Ierusalem To Ierusalem his heart is with Babylon His misery is great because hee weares Gods outside the world will not be his mother because he weares the worlds inside God will not be his Father Hee hath lost eartâ—… for Heauens sake and Heauen for earths sake We haue some such rushers into authority vncalled vicious correctors of vice that vndertake to cleanse the Augean stables perhaps somewhat the sweeter till themselues came in officious Scauengers of iniquitie If with this lome they dawbe ouer their owne debauchednesse they are like dung which is rotten and stinking of it selfe yet compasseth the ground makes it fruitfull Or like the shepheards dogge that hunts the stragling sheepe to the fold yet is a dogge still and hath his teeth beaten out lest hee should worry them Will you heare to what City hypocrites belong The wicked seruant shall haue his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth So then the Hypocrites home is the city of weeping and gnashing of teeth But in this blessed City God is King Christ his eldest Sonne the elect are his younger brethren his Viceroyes are Kings Angels his Nobles Iust Iudges his Magistrates good Preachers his Ministers holines his Law the godly his Subiects Prouidence his gouernement Heauen his Court and saluation his recompence Further obserue that if this City be Gods then so are all things in it Whence I inferre that all sacred things in this City beeing Gods must not bee violated For the things in heauâ—…n they are safe enough out of the Incrochers reach but the holy things of this militant City are vniuersally abused Sacrilegium quasi sacrilaedium a profaning that is holy Now holinesse is ascribed to Persons Places or Things Sacriledge may be committed saith Aquinas 1. Uel in Personam against a person vvhen one Ecclesiasticall man is abused Hee that despiseth you despiseth me 2. Vel in locum against a place when the Temple is profaned My house is called the house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of thieues 3. Vel in Rem when things dedicated to holy vses are peruerted You haue robbed me in tithes and offerings Simon Magus would haue bought a power to giue the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 imposition of hands Hee would haue giuen money for it no doubt to haue gotten money by it No Spirituall things are to bee barterd for money Now Spirituall things are of foure sorts 1. Essentialiter the gifts of Gods Spirit iustification sanctification loue peace patience goodnesse faith Charismata salutis which make those that haue them spirituall 2. Causaliter The Word and Sacraments which are the conduct-pipes to conuey our soules those graces from the fountaine of all grace Iesus Christ The words that I speake vnto you they are spirit and they are life 3. Effectualiter as power to heale to worke miracles to excommunicate to absolue gifts not imparted to secular hands but committed with the keyes to the
per eos aliqua nuntiantur they are then onely Angels or it is all one messengers when they are sent on some message Therefore he concludes Hi qui minima nuntiant Angeli qui summa nuntiant Archangeli vocantur They that are sent on businesse of lesse moment are called Angels of greater importance Archangels August Ex eo quod est Spiritus est ex eo quod agit Angelus est They are Spirits in regard of their Being Angels in regard of their Dooing Good Angels saith Isidor are deputed for the ministery of mans saluation God hath giuen man three helps Sense to see danger neere Reason to suspect danger far off Angels to preuent that he neither sees nor suspects Now the ministery of Angels is three-fold to God to his Church to his Enemies 1. To God which consists principally in two things 1. In adoring and ascribing glory to him So the Seraphims cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts An Army sung Glory to God on high The whole Quire of heauen Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue honour and power 2. In standing in his presence ready at his command They do his commandements harkning to the voice of his Word For this promptnes of obedience wee pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Quod oramus agamus Thus Angels were messengers that Christ should bee conceiued Luke 1. 31. that he was conceiued Mat. 1. 20. that he was borne Luke 2. 11. that he was risen Luke 24. 4. that hee vvas ascended Act. 1. 11. These were great mysteries therefore were confirmed vvith the testimonie of Angels 2. To the Church Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation And by this their ordination to seruice the Apostle shewes how infinitely farre the preeminence of Christ transcends theirs But did not Christ put vpon him the forme of a seruant Doth not himselfe professe that hee came not to be ministred vnto but to minister The answer is easy Non esse hoc naturae sed voluntariae exinanitionis This was not a natural or enforced but a willing abasement of himself Humilitatem non habitam induit celsitatem habitam non exuit Hee put on an humiliation that he had not hee did not put off the glory that he had But the Angels were created to this end that they should serue Totamque conditionem sub ministerio contineri Istis naturale illi aduentitium To them it was necessary to Christ voluntary Now then ministery to the Church is three wayes considerable 1. In this life and that to our Bodies and to our Soules 1. To our Bodies for they necessarily tend to the preseruation of our temporall estates euen from our Cradles to our Graues This is true in Doctrine and in Example In Doctrine There shall no euill befall thee nor any plague come nigh thy dwelling Why how shall wee be protected ver 11. Angelis mandabit For hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee vp in their hands lest thou dash thy foote against a stone In example an Angel comforts directs feedes Elias Angels plucke Lot out of Sodome An Angel aduiseth Ioseph to fly into Egypt with Iesus Abraham so encouraged his seruant The Lord will send his Angell before thee Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God â—…et him Peter was in prison and the Angel of the Lord freed him 2. To our Soules furthering the meanes of our saluation The Law was giuen by them sayth Steuen Yee receiued the Law by the disposition of Angels GOD makes them instruments to conuey knowledge to his Church It was Gods charge Gabriel make this man to vnderstand the Uision it was the Angels performance Daniel I am come forth to giue thee skil and vnderstanding Saint Iohn acknowledgeth in his Reuelations that an Angel shewed him those things They preserue vs in the true worship of God and cannot endure any attribution of his glory to a creature no not to themselues When Iohn fell downe at the Angels feete to worshippe him he preuented him See thou doe it not They reioyce in our conuersion There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth They ioy in this for two causes 1. To behold the glorious fruite of their labours for it delights a man to see the works of his hands prosper GOD hath sent them to guide vs to good to gard vs from euill when we follow their guidance they reioyce Let vs hate to sinne as we would not wish to bring griefe to the thresholds of heauen 2. That their number might be made vp againe They lost a number of Spirits they are glad to haue it made vp with Soules The Angels ioyned company with men praysing God on earth so they delight to haue men made their fellow-Choristers in heauen 2. At the end of this life to carry our soules to heauen When the begger died hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome He that in life was scorned of men and had no companions but the dogges is so regarded of God that he is garded by Angels Hee that could neither goe nor sit nor stand is now carried not on the shoulders of men as the Pope the proudest on earth but hee rides on the wings of Angels He is carried to a glorious Port by gracious Porters 3. At the last day Christ shall send his Angels vvith a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together the Elect from the foure winds from one end of heauen to the other These are those Reapers that in the time of haruest must gather the tares to the fire and the Wheat to Gods barne This is their ministerie to vs. But it is the Lord that ordereth all our steppes hee spreads the gracious wings of his prouidence ouer vs and the Lord Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs. Now the rule is Non multiplicanda Entie sine necessitate and Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora It seemes then the helpe of Angels is more then needes For hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleepes I answere that Angelicall custody doth not extenuate but extoll Gods goodnesse and Greatnesse towards vs for this is but the execution of his high holy Prouidence It is the wisedome of the King that gouerns all the Cities and Castels in his Dominions yet he leaues not these vnfurnished of men and munition to withstand the enemies inuasion The diuels range and rage against vs in euery corner therefore God hath ordained for our gard an Host of Angels The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them True it is that God is able to defend vs himselfe by himselfe through that immediate concourse
Feruour of Charitie These are couertly implied from Psal. 104. He maketh his Angels spirits his ministers a flaming fire Spirits there is the Puritie of their substance ministers there 's the Readinesse of their obedience Flame of fire there 's the heate of their Charitie Thus were the Cherubims of the Tabernacle made figuring these three vertues in the Angels Exod. 25. First they were made of Pure gold ver 18. This shewes the excellencie of their substance for gold is the purest and best of mettals To this Gods owne Word is compared We will make thee borders of gold with studdes of siluer Secondly they had two wings stretched out to witnesse Promptitudinem obedientiae Gabriel did fly swiftly Of all creatures the winged are the swiftest O that I had wings like a Doue then would I fly away and be at rest The most suddenly transient thing riches is compared to a winged creature Riches makes it selfe wings like an Eagle Thirdly they were made with their faces one towards another to manifest the truth of their loue not like proud men turning away their countenance from their brethren Lastly though one were toward another yet both toward the Mercie-seate beholding him in sight to whō they were beholden in dutie Thus we see 1. that their nature is pure and this their mansion declares which is heauen for into it shall enter no vncleane thing They are shining and singing starres When the morning starres sang together and all the sonnes of God shouted for ioy Heauen like fire Similem sibi reddit ingredientem makes that it receiues like it selfe 2. That their obedience is ready and swift their very name imports Angels Aquo dominatio ab eo denominatio for a name is giuen from some supereminent qualitie Hee rode vpon a Cherub and did fly 3. That their Charity is great appeares by their busie protecting vs grieuing at our falls reioycing at our perseuerance in good helping vs forward to saluation Let vs imitate them in foure things 1. In Puritie nothing is more pleasing to God It hath the blessing of this life of the life to come Of this life Truly God is good to Israel euen to such as are of a pure heart God is good to the whole vvorld with his common benefites better to Israel with extraordinary blessings but best of all to the Pure in heart with his sauing Graces Of the life to come Who shall stand in Gods holy place he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Thereis no ioy like to this beatificall vision to see God is the height of happinesse But so shall the wicked they shal see him whom they haue pierced Diuines vsually distinguish of that sight They shall see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud they shall see him as man not as God as their iust Iudge not mercifull Sauiour 2. In Pietie and obedience wherein the Angels are ready and speedy resolute and absolute As they helpe vs to commaund the creature so let them teach vs to obey the Creator They fly when God sends them true obedience hath no lead at the heeles Paul herein was like an Angel hauing his Commission hee stood not to conferre with flesh and bloud Quantum morae addis tantum obedientiae detrahis So much as a man addes to delay hee takes away from obedience The truely obedient man doth not procrastinate Sed statim parat aures auditui linguam voci pedem itineri manum operi cor praecipienti He instantly prepareth his eare for the message Speak Lord for thy seruant heareth His tongue giueth a ready answer to the question Simon louest thou me Lord thou knowest that I loue thee His foote is shod for the iourney his feete be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace His hand is fit for the worke Abraham stretched forth his hand to slay his sonne His heart is pliable to the Commander Paratum cor O Lord my heart is ready 3. In Charitie Angels looke vpon and loue one another and all loue vs Let this teach vs to loue them our selues Doe they seeke our peace and shall wee vncharitably warre It was the Angels song Luke 2. Pax in terris Peace vpon earth warre with none but with Antichrist the diuell The Angels haue no need of our loue vve of theirs Loue we that on earth which shall dwell vvith vs for euer in heauen Charitie 4. In humility those glorious spirits stoope to do vs seruice let vs not thinke it bad or base to serue one another in loue No one man can so farre exceede another as the Angels excell the best men doe they abase themselues to our succour and shall we in a foolish pride soorne our brethren The haughty peece lookes on the poore betwixt scorne and anger Touch mee not I am of purer mould yet Mors dominos seruis blended together in the forgotten graue none makes the finer dust we cannot say such a Ladies rottennesse smells sweeter then such a beggers Come downe thou proud spirit deny not succour to thy distressed brother lest God deny his high Angels to succour thee Thus for imitation now for application learne we other vses 1. This is terror to the vvicked who contemne and condemne the righteous Despise not these little ones for their Angels are with my Father in heauen Beware you that scoffe at poore Innocents their Angels may plague you They for their parts may be content to put vp abuses and to forgiue iniuries but their Angels may take vengeance Herod vexed certaine of the Church killed Iames with the sword and seeing it please the Iewes hee tooke Peter also They could not helpe this but their Angels did for an Angel of the Lord smote him that he died Thou maiest haue euasion from the executioners of men but no protection against the Officers of GOD. When they are bidden to strike they will lay on sure strokes Wee will destroy this place for the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it 2. They teach vs deuout reuerence so to behaue our selues as in the sight and presence of holy Angels The consideration of so blessed a company doth not onely Conferre fiduciam and afferre deuotionem but inferre reuerentiam saith Bernard When to Iacob in his dreame was presented that Ladder and the Angels ascending and descending on it wakening hee saies How fearefull is this place This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Seneca said that the conceit of Cato and Plato such graue men in our company would restraine vs from euill but what are these to the holy Angels of heauen Wee are a spectacle to the Angels they are obseruers and witnesses of all our actions For this cause the vvoman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels
the Popes gaine He must be Iudge yea he shall be an vnerring Iudge Yet if the Pope haue this infallibility I wonder what need there is of Councells Here they fly to distinctions as to familiar spirits The Pope may erre Argumentatiuè not Definitiuè in his chamber not in his chaire Personaliter non Formaliter as man not as Pope How proue they such an exposition of the Scripture Here they fly to the Pope hee so expounds it How prooue they the Pope cannot erre Here straight they fly back againe to Scripture Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shal not faile These hang gether like a sick mans dreame Insequeris fugio Fugis insequor Yet thus they conclude against their own wills whiles they only proue the Pope by the Scripture spight of their teeth they preferre the Scripture aboue the Pope If this be so that the truth of the Gospell being professed belieued obeyed among vs manifest vs against all aduersaries to be true members of this Generall assembly then two subordinate questions offer themselues collaterally here to be handled First whether corrupters of our Truth and disturbers of our peace are to bee tolerated Secondly whether for some corruptions of doctrine or vices in manners it be lawfull for any of vs to make separation from vs. 1. Seditious and pestilent seedsmen of heresies are to be restrained If a little leuen sowre the whole lumpe what will a little poison do If Paul to his Galatians could not endure Christ and Moses together how would he to his Corinthians endure Christ and Belial together Hee sticks not to ingeminate Anathema's to them that preached another Gospel The Papists cry out against vs for persecution they that shame not to bely the Scriptures will not blush to bely vs. Their prosperity their riches their numbers among vs directly proue that a man may be a Papist in England and liue But if their religion turne to treason shall it scape vnpunished A Papist may liue a Traitor may not liue To perswade that a Christian king at the Popes will may yea must be decrowned or murdered is this the voice of Religion or Treason If this be conscience there is no villany if such an act merite Heauen let no man feare Hell I would aske a Papist vvhether he be not bound by his religion to execute the Popes doctrinall will whether if he bid him kill his King hee may refraine from that sacred bloud and not sinne If he refuse treason he is not constant to his Religion if hee keepe his Religion hee must not sticke at any act of treason So that who knowes whether this day a mere Papist may not on the Popes command to morrow be a Traytor But say they this a supposition as likely as if Heauen should fall the Pope will neuer command it I answere that Popes haue commanded it But we hope his present Holinesse will not we were in a pitious case if our securitie was no better then your hope God blesse our gracious Soueraigne from euer standing at the Popes mercy Why should such Seminaries of heresie and Incendiaries of conspiracie be suffered What atonement of affection can there be in such disparitie of Religion when some cry God helpe vs others Baal heare vs. They to Angels and Saints wee to the Lord that made Heauen and Earth But the euent hath often prooued which of these could best heare prayers As in that memorable fight on the Leuant Seas of fiue English ships against eleuen Spanish they crying for victory to our Lady wee to our Lord it seemes the Sonne heard better then the Mother for the victory was ours The Common-vvealth that stands vpon legges partly of yron and partly of clay is neuer sure One wombe held Romulus Remus in peace one kingdome could not containe them But euery mans mind is as free as the Emperors Conscience is a Castle and there is nothing so voluntarie as religion faith comes by perswasion not by compulsion Yield all this and say with Tertullian Nihil minus fidei est quà m fidem cogere And with Bernard Suspendite verbera ostendite vbera Make a man in error rather blush then bleede But if they breake the foundation Non ferendi sed feriendi First speake to the Conscience by good counsell but if that eare be stopt shake the whole house about it Speake to the eares of the inheritance of the liberty of the body by mulct by prison by exile Let the Liberty say to the Conscience For thy sake I am restrained let the Inheritance say For thy sake I am empouerished let the Body say For thy sake I am afflicted But because heresie dies not with the particular person but kills also others and Centum inficit dum vnum intersicit And because it strikes at the life of a Christian that is his Faith For the iust shal liue by his faith Therfore pereat vnus potius quà m vnitas Haretici corrigendi ne pereant reprimendi ne perimant Heretikes are to be corrected lest they damne themselues to be restrained lest they damne others Persecutio facit Martyres haeresis apostatas plus nocuerunt horum togâ—… quà m illorum galeae Persecution made Martyrs heresie makes Apostates the Heretikes words haue done more hurt then the tyrants swords Apertè sauit persecutor vt Leo haereticus insidiatur vt draco Ille negare Christum cogit iste docet Aduersus illum opus patientià aduersus istum opus vigilantia The persecutor rageth like a Lyon the heretike insinuates himselfe like a serpent To deny Christ he compels this man instructs Against the former wee haue need of patience against the latter of vigilance Excommunication bondage exile haue bin thought fit punishments for heretikes fire and fagot is not Gods Law but the Popes Canon-shot An heretike dying in his heresie cannot be saued therefore Luther thinkes hee that puts an heretike to death is a double murderer destroying his body with death temporall his soule with death eternall But saith Augustine Diligite homines interficite errores Loue the persons kill the errors Presume on the truth without pride striue for it without rage Seueritas quasi sâ—…ua veritas but verity and seuerity doe not agree Fire and sword may put to death heretickes but not heresies See heere the difference betwixt the Papists proceedings against vs and ours against them They dye not among vs for refusing our faith but vs they burned not for denying any article of faith but for not beleeuing Transubstantiation So strange an Article that Bellarmine himselfe doubts whether it may bee proued from Scripture or no but that the Church hath declared it so to be But though faith be aboue reason yet it is not against reason This is my body saith Christ. Hoc This bread this Pronoune demonstratiue they will haue to demonstrate nothing Hoc aliquid nihil est How then this nothing is my body not this bread but this nothing
of a calme and composed spirit Others conclude that Moses preferred the safety of the people before his own soule Caluin He thought of nothing but vt sâ—…luus sit populus that the people might be saued But this is against the rule of charity for though anothers soule be dearer to me then my owne body yet my owne soule ought to be dearer vnto me then all mens soules in the world yea if all the soules of the Saints yea of the Virgin Mary her selfe should perish except my soule perished for them saith Tostatus Citius deberem eligere omnes illas perire quà m animam meam I ought rather to chuse to saue my owne soule then all theirs Lastly the most and best rest vpon this sense Because the saluation of Israel was ioyned with the glory of God both in respect of the promises made to the Fathers which was not for his honour to frustrate and to preuent the blasphemies of the enemies insulting on their ruine God hath forsaken his people Moses ante omnia gloriam Deispectaâ—…t He respected the glory of God aboue all in regard whereof he was carelesse of his owne saluation Precious to vs is the saluation of others more precious the saluation of our selues but most precious of all is the glory of God Such a wish as this great Prophet of the olde Testament had that great Apostle of the new I could wish my-selfe accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh They say to cleare both these desires from sinne there is no other solution but this that both of them for Gods glory in Israels safety desired a separation from glory for a time not damnation of body and soule for euer Howsoeuer there was some difference in their wishes Chrys. Moses wished Perire cum caeteris Paul perire pro caeteris Moses cum pereuntibus Paulus ne pereant Moses desired to perish with them that perished Paul desired to perish that they might not perish But the aime of both was the Lords glory and the peoples safety Their zeale was ineffable their example inimitable their affection vnmatchable Yet thus farre desirable that all Ministers like Moses and Paul zealously seeke their peoples saluation And I am perswaded that a Parent doth not more earnestly desire the welfare of his childe then doth a good Minister the sauing of his flocke What we desire for you doe you labor for your selues and the Lord Iesus worke for vs all There be some that would haue it granted that Moses and Paul did sinne in those wishes and the concession thereof doth safely end all controuersie I see no preiudice in this answere for the best Saints liuing haue had their weakenesses But if you please after all these to admitte also the hearing of my opinion Mine I call it because I neuer read or heard any yet giue it I call it an opinion because vnusquisque abundat sensu suo and may take which his owne iudgement best liketh By this Booke I thinke he meanes Gods fauour as we vsually say to be in a mans fauour is to be in his bookes We speake of one that dissemblingly cousoned vs such a man shall neuer come in my bookes For you will not enter that man into your booke whom you doe not both trust and fauour To be blotted out of Gods booke is to bee liable to his displeasure subiectuall to his iudgements Now I cannot bee perswaded that Moses euer imagined God would eternally destroy Israel therefore nor did he beg eternall destruction to himselfe Hee wished no more to himselfe then he feared to them But it is expresly set downe ver 14. that God would not cast away Israel to euerlasting perdition The Lord repented of the euill which hee thought to doe vnto his people But thus Lord if they must needs vndergoe thy wrath and seuere punishment for their sin so punish me in the same measure that haue not sinned If thou wilt not fauour them forget to fauour me let mee feele thy hand with them It was not then euerlasting damnation that hee eyther feared to them or desired to himselfe but onely the desertion of Gods present loue and good pleasure to him together with subiection to his iudgements whereof they should taste so deepely as if God had neuer booked them for his owne This seemes to be the true sense by Gods answere Those that haue sinned I will blot out of my booke The offenders shall smart they that haue sinned shall bee punished So Dauid and other Saints felt grieuous impositions though they neuer perished but were ordained to eternall life To conclude they that are written in heauen can neuer be lost Woe then to that Religion which teacheth euen the best Saint to doubt of his saluation while hee liueth Hath Christ said Beleeue and shall man say Doubt This is a racke and strappado to the conscience for hee that doubteth of his saluation doubteth of Gods loue and he that doubteth of Gods loue cannot heartily loue him againe If this loue be wanting it is not possible to haue true peace O the terrors of this troubled conscience It is like an Ague it may haue intermission but the fit will come and shake him An vntoward beast is a trouble to a man an vnto ward seruant a great trouble an vntoward wife a greater trouble but the greatest trouble of all is an vntoward conscience Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiuen where there is no remission of sinnes there is no blessednesse Now there is no true blessednesse but that is enioyed and none is enioyed vnlesse it be felt and it cannot be felt vnlesse it be possessed and it is not possessed vnlesse a man know it and how does he know it that doubts whether he hath it or not All soules are passengers in this world our way is in the middle of the sea we haue no sure footing which way soeuer we cast our eyes wee see nothing but deepe waters the Deuill and our owne flesh raising vp against vs infinite stormes God directs vs to Christ as to a sure Anchor-hold he bids vs vndoe our Cables and fling vp our Anchors in the vaile fasten them vpon Iesus we doe so and are safe But a sister of ours passing in the shippe with vs that hath long taken vpon her to rule the helme deales vnkindly with vs shee cuts in pieces our Cables throwes away our Anchors and tels vs wee may not presume to fasten them on the Rocke our Mediatour Shee rowes and roues vs in the midst of the sea through the greatest fogs and fearefullest tempests if wee follow her course wee must looke for ineuitable shipwracke The least flaw of winde will ouerturne vs and sink our soules to the lowest gulfe No they that are written in the eternall leaues of heauen shall neuer be wrapped in the cloudy sheetes of darkenes A man may haue his name written in the Chronicles yet lost written in durable marble yet perish
their sensuall pleasures vt cogitationes accusatrices non audiant Lyran That they heare not the accusation of their thoughts but then it vvill be heard and felt Novv it may plucke a man by the sleeue and craue audience but it is drowned vvith the noyse of good fellowship Besides Hactenus est â—…ccultus testis it is hitherto a secret vvitnesse only known to him that hath it but then the booke that is now sealed shall be opened and all the world shall read it As the seale leaues a print in the waxe behinde it so the conscience an impression of past sinnes in the thoughts indeleble characters vvhich death it selfe shall not eate out Conscience here doth vvitnesse accuse or excuse but Christ shall there iudge the secrets of all hearts God the Iudge of all let vs now looke into the particulars Quis Qualis Quorum Deus Iudex vniuer sorum The three vvords answer to three questions Who God What is he A Iudge Of whom Of all God It is manifest that this honour belongs to Christ therefore Christ is God God hath appointed a day wherin he vvil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath ordained He hath giuen him authority to execute iudgment because he is the Son of man To this consents that article of our faith in the Creed that he who suffred vnder Pilate shall come to iudge quicke and dead But it is obiected that to iudge is the action of the whole Trinity true it is commoÌ„ to all but the execution of it pertains to one God iudgeth but by the Son so distinctly Rom. 2. 16. God shal iudge the secrets of al harts by Iesus Christ God by Christ. But it is further obiected that the Saints shall iudge Ye shall sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the world This truly is a great honour to the Apostles and Saints To be Iudge of a Circuit is an honourable office vvhat is it then to iudge the vvorld But there is great difference they haue potestatem accessoriam an accessory power Christ imperatoriam a principall and imperiall power All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth He hath Honorem Primarium the prime honour they subordinatum deriued from his Christ giues Sententiam iudicatoriam they onely apprâ—…batoriam hee the sentence of iudgement they of approbation As the Iustices on the bench are in some manner Iudges not in giuing the sentence but in approuing the sentence giuen The Saints therefore may be said to iudge Vel exemplo vel testimonio vel â—…ffragio 1. By their example for their liues shal condemn the wicked as Noahs handy work did the old vvorld So the Apostles shall iudge Israel because their faith shall take froÌ„ Israel all excuse Such a iudgement Christ speaks of The Niniuits shal rise in iudgement with this generation shall condemn it The Queen of the South shall rise vp in iudgement with it and shall condemne it The goodnes of the one shal iudge condemne the badnes of the other So Christ stops the blasphemous mouthes of the Iewes accusing him to worke by Beelzebub If I doe it by him by whom doe your children cast out Deuils Therfore they shall be your Iudges 2. By their Testimony who can vvitnes that the meanes of saluation was offered them in the Gospell which they not accepting are iustly condemned Hee that reiecteth me and receiueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him The word that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day So shal Babylon be iudged by those that would haue cured her but she would not be cured 3. By their suffrage and approuall of Christs righteous sentence Thus shall the Elect iudge the world yea euen the Angels Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels By world we must vnderstand the wicked and by the Angels Deuils And certainly the Saints haue some place in this iudgment They shall iudge the Nations and haue dominion ouer the people their Lord shall raigne for euer Christ shall set all his aduersaries before his own face and the face of his Church where they shall behold those become their Iudges whom they once esteemed and vsed as their slaues This is he whom we sometimes had in derision now hee is numbred among the children of GOD and his portion is among the Saints But vvhy is the execution of this iudgement committed to the second person in the Trinitie to Christ 1. It is fit that he who came to be iudged should also come to iudge Tunc manifestus veniet inter iustos iudicaturus iustè qui occultè vener at iudicandus ab iniustis iniustè He that came in humility to be iudged by the vniust vniustly shall come in glory to iudge all iustly 2. As it is for the honour of Christ so is it for the horror of his enemies when they shall see him whâ—…m they haue pierced intreating the Rockes and mountaines to hide them from the presence of him that sits on the Throne In maiestate visuri sunt quem in humilitate videre noluerunt Vt tantò districtius virtutem sentiant quantò contemptius infirmitatem dâ—…riserunt They shall behold him in Maiesty whom they would not daigne to looke vpon in humility The baser they esteemed his vveakenesse the heauier they shall finde and feele his mightinesse Then Christ stood like a Lambe before Pilate a Lyon now Pilate like a malefactor shall stand before Christ his Iudge Crucifie him crucifie him vvas the sentence of the Iewes Bind them hand and foote and throw them into vtter darkenesse will be the sentence of Christ. We will not haue this man raigne ouer vs was their sentence Bring those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne â—…uer them slay them before me this is Christs sentence The vngodly conspire Let vs breake his bonds afunder and cast away his câ—…rds from vs therefore vers 9. hee shall breake them with a rod of yron and dish them in pieces like a potters vessell Thus he that was once made the footstoole of his enemies shall raigne till hee hath made all his enemies his footstoole As Ioshua dealt vvith the fiue Kings hid in the Caue of Makkedah brought them out caused his Captaines of warre to set their feet on the neckes of them then slew them and hanged them on trees So shall Christ triumph ouer his enemies their neckes subiected to the feet of the Saints and their substances cast into endlesse torments 3. For the comfort of his chosen ones hee is their Iudge that is their Sauiour He that gaue the bloud of mercy to saue them from the hand of Iustice wil not now condemne them O blessed mercy that so triumphs against Iudgement yea Iustice and Mercy are met together in this Iudge Iustice vpon them that
personam Iudicis quisquis amici induit He hath put off the person of a Iudge that puts on the person of a friend The good Iudge neither hath his right hand filled with loue nor his left with hatred the scole of Iustice is not swayed Indeed tamdiu Iudex quamdiu Iustus he is so long a Iudge as he is iust Nomen quod ab â—…quitate sumitur per praeuaricationem admittitur Zeleucus was commended that when according to his Law for adultery which tooke froÌ„ the offender both his eyes his sonne was deprehended in that fact put out one of his owne eyes and one of his sonnes Duo lumina cacantur iuxta legem duo supersunt iuxta misericordiam Two eyes are lost according to iustice and two remaine according to mercy A maruelous temper Inter iustum Iudicem misericordiem Patrem betweene a iust Iudge and a kind Father But GOD is so iust that because sin would let him saue none of vs hee slew his Sonne to saue all of vs. God commendeth his loue to vs in that vvhile wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs. God commends his loue indeed he might iustly commend it and to vs by this token that being rebels he bought vs with the bloud of his own Sonne He will euer continue so iust in punishing traytors in crowning his faithfull subiects Iudex damnatur cùm nocens absoluitur Sen. He that iustifies the guilty transferres the guilt to himselfe But Shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right Yes we haue all sinned but Thou continuest holy O thou vvorship of Israel 5. Aequitas Sententiae the equity of Sentence it shal be giuen vpon good testimonie Ambrose saies It is not the part of a Iudge to condemne any man without an accuser Christ did not cast away Iudas though hee knew him a theefe because he was not accused When that adulteresse was left alone before Christ he said Woman where are thine accusers Hath no man condemned thee She said No man Lord. Then said Iesus Neither doe I condemne thee goe and sinne no more But here shall be no want of accusers their owne conscience all the creatures all the Elements Angels men diuells shall accuse then Christ shall iudge Heu miser sic deprehensus quò fugias Latere erit impossibile apparere intolerabile Whither wilt thou flie O wretch thus accused To lie hidden it wil be impossible to appeare insufferable Euery man shall receiue the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euill The same neither more nor lesse but iust waight The wicked wrought their pleasure while God did suffer therefore God will worke his pleasure while they suffer Of all both good and euill Elect and Reprobates men and Angels but of these in a different manner To shew how this shall be done I must lead your attentions orderly through fiue passages a Citation Separation Probation Sentence and Retribution 1. The Citation there is a summons sent out to make all appeare before Christs Tribunall This citing is done by the voice of Christ. All that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forth The power of this voice is vnspeakeable to empty earth sea ayre heauen and hell and presently to fill earth ayre heauen and hell To empty all vpon his summons and to fill all vpon his Sentence Therefore it is compared to a Trumpet the lowdest of all musicall instruments The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised Uerè vox tubâ—… terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa Petras scindit Inferos aperit portas aereas frangit vinculae mortis dirumpit et de profundâ—… abyssi animas liberatis corporibus assignat A terrible voice that shall shake the world rend the rocks breake the mountaines dissolue the bonds of death burst down the gates of hell and vnite all spirits to their owne bodies There shall be no concealing no keeping backe from this voice Now Christ calls Come vnto me all that labour yet you wil not come vnto me that you might haue life Then he shall call Come you that must labour in torments and be laden for euer then they must come to receiue the doome of death Now awake thou that sleepest Christ shall giue thee light but they will not rise At that day awake thou wicked that art dead and Christ shall send thee to darknesse and then they must rise This is that generall day that shall congregate all they shall come from the foure winds and corners of the world to make an vniuersall apparance But if this be the voice of Christ how is it then said the Archangel shall sound the Trumpet of collection Hee shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather all together The Lord shall descend from heauen with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpe of God I answere the voice is originally Christs ministerially the Angels As now he speakes to vs by men so at that day by Angels O what a glory of our Sauiour shall then appeare vvhen he is set on his Throne before so full a Court as all the reasonable creatures GOD euer made Uideat nosiam in sanctimonia vt tunc videamus eum in gaudio Let him now behold vs in holinesse that then we may behold him in happinesse 2. The Separation wee haue thus brought all together now we must separate one from another The forme hereof is giuen by Christ himselfe Before hâ—…m shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard diuideth his sheepe from the goates This full and finall separation is reserued for Christ and not performed till that day For Siâ—…ite crescere Let them grow both together corne and tares vntill the haruest This world is the floore fan while you will there will be some chaffe fish neuer so discreetly you shall meet with some sturdy dogge-fish that will rend the nette In Heauen are none but Saints in Hell none but reprobates on earth they are both promiscuously blended together Do you wonder that the Lambes cannot liue in quiet consider the number of goates among them Ezek. 34. 18. They eate vp the good pasture and tread downe the residue with their feet they drinke of the fountaines and foule the residue with their feet My flocke are faine to eate that they haue troden and to drinke that they haue fouled with their feet But GOD shall iudge and separate ver 20. Behold I euen I will iudge betweene the fatte cattell and the leane cattell Because they haue thrust with side and shoulder and push'd all the diseased vvith their hornes therefore I will saue my flocke and they shal no more be a prey and I will iudge betweene cattell and cattell The goates will annoy till they be quite separated Too many among vs haue
Thou O Lord art onely vvoorthy to receiue glory and honour They haue nec boni inopiam nec in bono superbiam They are not poore in good workes nor proud of good workes They wrote their charity in the dust therefore did God write it in Marble They seeme to forget the works of mercie they haue done therefore are they remembred by Iesus Christ. 4. The answere of Christ Mat. 25. 40. In as much as yee haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me The miseries of my brethren are my own miseries Wee haue an high Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities That invulnerable and glorified brest is still touched with the sense of our wounds Saul thou persecutest mee he sayes not mine but me me in mine He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Surely he will pity the misery of euery one that is afflicted with the sorowes of all Quis recusabit pro Christo pati quando Christus compatitur patienti Who would refuse to suffer for Christ when he is sure that Christ suffers with him Here is excellent direction for our works of mercy that no sinister end draw them from vs but syncere loue to Christ. If any fish for the applause of men his bait shal be his owne hooke to snare himselfe Da Christo looke on the poore man and in that member behold the Head Christ. He that shall giue a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward A cup of water is but a small gift yet done in that Name and for that cause it is rewarded as an excellent worke of mercy It is the true note of a child of God to shew mercy to a Christian because he is a Christian. Naturall men haue their priuate ends and aduantagious respects in their beneficences Such a one shall doe me seruice flatter my addiction bring intelligences to mine eare I will make him my property my charity shal bind him to me Morall men will sometimes giue euen for pities sake but the true Christian doth it for Christ his sake and lookes no further Dooing good vnto all especially to them that are of the houshold of faith Some thinke that the best worke is to build Temples and Monasteries but indeed the best worke is to relieue not the dead but the liuing Temples of Christs mysticall Body It was an ancient complaint Fulget Ecclesia in parietibus â—…get in pauperibus The Church flourisheth in her glorious buildings but mourneth and pines away in her poore members Deny not due cost to the dead walls but first satisfie the liuing bowels that Christ may say Come yee blessed I come now to the sentence of Condemnation Math. 25. 41. Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels In this forme of damnatory iudgement are foure points considerable A Reiection of the vvicked a Reason of that reiection an Obiection against that reason a Confutation of that obiection In the Reiection are many particulars gradually inhancing their iudgement They are partly Priuatiue partly Positiue Depart from mee yee cursed there is Poenadamâ—…i Into euerlasting fire there is Poena sensus As there be two kindes of sinne Delictum and Peccatum Delictum est desertio boni Peccatum perpetratio mali the one a forsaking of that is good the other a committing of that is euill So there is a like proportion of punishment a depriuing of ioy and a giuing ouer to torment Heere is 1. A grieuous refusall Depart This seemes nothing to the wicked now such is their dead securitie Depart Why they are content to be gone Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore their heart is fully set in them to doe euill But as when a Prince opening his long locked vp Treasurie graciously takes some in with him and saying to other ill-meriting followers Depart it will be a disgracefull vexation So when the glory of heauen and those vnualuable treasures shall be opened and dealt about to the faithfull vvhat horror will it be to the Reprobates to be cast off with a Depart Blessed are the eyes that see the things vvhich yee see saith Christ to his Saints For Kings haue desired to see them and were not suffered If it were such a Blessednes to see Iesus in humility what is it to see him in glory But from this the wicked are bidden Depart 2. The losse of Saluation From mee your Sauiour that was wounded for you that offered my bloud to you which was offered for you And if from mee then from all that is mine my mercy my glory my saluation Consider here what an excellent thing it is to haue familiarity with Christ on earth that he may not cast vs off as strangers from heauen He that would haue Christ know him there must not be a stranger to Christ here He must haue some fellowship with GOD How If wee walke in the light we haue fellowship with God and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. To walke in the darke is to haue fellowship with the Prince of darknesse to walke in the light is to haue fellowship with the Father of lights VVill a Reprobate that hath alwaies turned his back vpon Christ here presse into his company Vpon what acquaintance Yes Wee haue eate and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets as if they should say We haue fed at thy Communion table and heard thee preach in our Pulpits Still this proues no acquaintance for in the one you did eate Panem Domini non Panem Dominum the bread of Christ but not Christ with the bread In the other you haue heard Uerbum Domini not regarded Dominum verbi Your eare hath beene open but your conscience shutte Therefore ver 25. Non noui vos as familiar as you presume yet you are such strangers to me that I know you not They neuer vvillingly came neere Christ but to persecute him therefore hee shall then cast them farre enough off for euer 3. The deserued Malediction Yee cursed Hee is cursed that being borne in sinne liues in it and dyes in it without seeking recouery I call this curse merited because they loue it As hee loued cursing so let it come vnto him Hath he loued it Let him take his loue As hee clothed himselfe with cursing as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like vvater and like oyle into his bones ver 18. It was his outside let it be his linings it was his outward stuffe let it be his inward stuffing Euery one that hath not first a pardon by Christ must heare this curse pronounced against him from Christ. O then suffer not thine eyes to sleep till Christ hath sealed thee a Quetus est Giue
the Church by vsurpations to exact interests and forfets these be nothing So the mony might not be put into the Treasury that might hire Iudas to betray his master The tenne brethren were so iust as to returne the mony in their sackes yet stucke not to sell their brother Ioseph Some are iust in great things not in small As the other straine at a gnat and swallow a camell so these are like the nette that takes the great fishes and le ts goe thâ—… little frie. Wantonnesse is no fault with them if it extend not to adultery They sticke not to sweare so long as they sweare not to a lie Maliciously to hate or peeuishly to quarrell is triuiall if they proceede not to blowes and bloud So long as they are not drunke swallow downe wine and spare not De minimis non curat Lex the Law takes no notice of small faults But indeed Eadem ratio rotunditatis there is the same respect of roundnesse in a penny that is in a platter though not of largenes To steal the bridle as to steale the horse is Tam though not Tantum such a sin though not so great a sinne Thou sayest minimum est minimum est it is little it is little Sed in minimo fidelem esse magnum est to bee faithfull in a little is a great vertue Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commandements hee shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen Erit minimus that is Nullus he shall be least in heauen that is he shall not be there at all But well done good seruant Because thou hast beene faithfull in a very little haue thou authority ouer tenne Cities Benè vtere paruo fruere magno the iust dispensation of a little shall bring thee to be intrusted with much Whether great or small wee must be iust if we looke euer to raigne with these iust spirits Ad societatem iustorum non admittuntur nisi iusti I wonder what place the defrauder expects that wraps vp his conscience in a bundle of stuffes and sweares it away The buyer thinkes he is iust and hee is iust cousoned no more The Vsurer would storme and stare as if had seene a spirit if hee were taxed for vniust Presently he consults his Scriptures his bonds and his Priest his Scriuener and there the one sweares the other shewes in blacke and white that he takes but ten in the hundred Is he then vniust Yes Thou hast taken vsury and increase and hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion Hee takes hire for that should be freely lent is not this vniust Besides the people curse it and they curse not but for iniustice I haue neyther lent on vsurie nor men haue lent me on vsury yet euery one doth curse me Insinuating that if a man lend vpon vsury it is no wonder if the people curse him Where must the Lay-Parson sit that fattes himselfe with the Tyth-graine will not giue the poore Minister the straw Is this iust He takes the tenth of his neighbours profits and neuer so much as reades him an Homelie for it is this iust Hee layes sactilegious hands on Gods sanctified things and neuer askes him leaue is this iust Where shall the Engrosser appeare that hoords vp commodities bought with ready mony and when he vents them makes the poore pay treble vsury for it is this iust What shall become of that vnspeakeably rich Transporter who carries out men and money to the impouerishing of the Land and brings home gawdes and puppets fitte for no bodies vse but prides Surely as heauen is for Iust spirits so there is some other place for the vniust Know ye not that the vniust shall not inherite the kingdome of God If not Gods kingdome then the kingdome of darkenes downewards hell I do not say that euery vniust deed throwes a soule thither Iniustum esse damnat non iniustè semel agere to be vniust is damnable not one thing vniustly done the habite not the act But for others Qui iniustè dominantur iâ—…stè damnantur They haue vniustly liued but they shall bee iustly condemned Made perfect This is a passiue quality non qui se perficiunt sed qui perficiuntur not such as haue made themselues perfect but are made perfect The other property is actiuely expressed Iust it is not said Iustified not that they made themselues iust but that Christs righteousnesse hath iustified them so both they are and are reputed iust But here passiuely Perfected which plainely shewes that all is from God for omne maius includit minus If onely Christ make them perfect then only Christ doth make them â—…ust For it is nothing so difficult for a iust man to become perfect as for an euill man to become iust As it is easier for a man healed and directed the way to come to the goale then for him that lies lame in darknesse Qui dedit ingressum must also dare progressum conficere perficere to make and to make vp to doe and to perfect are both the workes of God Wee could neuer be iust vnlesse Christ iustifie vs neuer come to perfection vnlesse he perfect vs. He that begun this good work must also finish it Made perfect In heauen are none but the perfect Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem such a house requires such an inhabitant On earth there is a kind of Perfection all the faithfull are perfectly iustified but not perfectly sanctified The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti the godly imperfectè perfecti those perfectly imperfect these imperfectly perfect They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ and there remaines no iudgement for them but onely a declaration of their pardon Iustification admits no latitude in it nec magis nec minus for none can be more then iust But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees non plenam induimus perfectionem donec totam exuimus infectionem all the staines of our infection must first be cleansed and quite washed away before this full perfection be giuen vs. Christs bloud doth now wholly take from vs the guiltinesse of sin not wholly the pollution of sinne that blessednesse is reserued only for heauen Let vs therefore be perficientes going and growing vp that at last we may be Perfecti made perfecti This is not wrought on a sodain a child doth not presently become a man Euen the Lord Iesus had his time of growing and can any member grow faster then the Head Indeed the malefactor on the crosse shot vp in an houre but this was miraculous and God seldome workes by such miracles God neyther sends Angels from heauen nor the dead from hell to giue warning to men vpon earth If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead But repentance hath the promise of a Qandocunque whensoeuer a sinner repents c. I will not limit Gods infinite mercy but onely
this same Ite maledictâ—… Goe yee cursed is a fearefull and vnanswerable argument Thus flesh and bloud speedes when it will deale with God on termes of disputation If Gods owne reason Thou shalt not do this be not stronger then all ours now it shal be one day Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes for for these things the wrath of God shall come vpon the children of disobedience Be not deceiued As euery particular Sinne hath the particular colour so there are generall pretexts for generall sinnes whereby many soules are deceiued I find this doctrine though plaine so necessary that I must be bold to pursue it You may easily forgiue all good faults There are seuen generall pleas for sinne 1. Predestination is pleaded If I be written to life I may doe this for many are saued that haue done vvorse If not were my life neuer so strict hell appointed is not to be auoided These men looke to the toppe of the Ladder but not to the foote God ordaines not men to iump to Heauen but to climbe thither by prescribed degrees Non per saltum sed scansum Qui ordinauit finem ordinauit media ad finem He that decreed the end decreed also the meanes that conduce to it If thou take liberty to sin this is none of the way Peter describes the rounds of this ladder faith vertue knowledge teÌ„perance patience godlines charity Thou ruÌ„nest a coÌ„trary course in the wild paths of vnbeleefe profanenes ignorance riot impatience impietie malice this is none of the way These are the rounds of a Ladder that goes downeward to hell Gods predestination est multis causa standi nemini labendi helps many to stand pusheth none downe Looke thou to the vvay let God alone with the end Belieue repent amend and thou hast Gods promise to be saued Be not deceiued God is not mocked 2. It is Gods will I should doe this vvickednesse hee saw it and might haue preuented it It is vniust to damne a man for that he willâ—… him to doe Answ. This is a blasphemous and most sacrilegious â—…uill Where did God euer will thee to lie to sweare to oppresse to adulterize His will is his word and where findest thou his word commanding sin And shall Gods prescience make him guilty of thy euill Then must thy memory make thee guilty of other mens euill As thou by thy memory dost not cause those things to haue been done that are past So God by his foreknowledge doth not cause those things to be done which are to come 3. Ignorance is pleaded I knew not the deed to bee euill or if euil not so dangerous Indeed Ignorance may make a sinne Minus not Nullum a lesse sinne but not no sinne I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in vnbeleefe saith our Apostle And Peccata scientium peccatis ignorantium praepoâ—…ntur The sinnes of them that know are more haynous then the sins of them that know not But if thou hadst no other sin thy ignorance is enough to condemne thee for thou art bound to know 〈◊〉 ea que sunt Domini nesciunt a Domino nesciuâ—… They that will not know the Lord the Lord will not know them But I speake to you that may know your ignorance is affected Some of you haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to your shame Mulâ—… vt liberiùs peccarent libenter ignorant Many that they may sinne the more securely are ignorant wilfully Thus you may goe blindfold to hell Be not deceiued God is not mocked 4. A fourth saith I haue many good deeds to weigh with my euils Indeed I am an Vsurer an Adulterer a Swearer but I keepe a good house I giue almes and I will doe more when I am dead Indeed these are good workes Bona accipientibus non facientibus Good to the receiuers not to the Giuers So a man may be borne for the good of many not for his owne They write that the Pyramides of Egypt was built for that great Pharaohs Tombe but the Red Sea disappointed him Many thinke by good workes to build vp a heauen for themselues but leading vnsanctified liues hell preuents their purpose And such a man as robbes many hundreds to relieue some may at last for his charity goe to the Deuill The Papists indeed stand extremely for building Abbies Colledges for Iesuites and augmenting the reuenues of Monasteries that Masses and Dirige's may bee sung for their soules they giue full absolution to such a man and seale him a generall acquittance of all his sinnes They make the besotted Laity especially some rich Burger belieue that without any more adoe it is impossible for a man to bee damned that liues in such a Profession and which is strange here they equiuocate truely so long as a man liues in it but if he dyes in it there is the danger But wee know the poison must be iustified or else the worke is not sanctified Be not deceiued GOD is not mocked 5. But say some God is mercifull Comfortable truth else woe woe to miserable man But shall God shew mercy to those that abuse his mercy Hee will not be so mercifull to thee as to be vniust to himselfe God will be iust goe thou on and perish God shewed mercy to the relenting not to the railing theefe Wouldst thou haue him mercifull to thee that art vnmercifull to him to thy selfe Misericordia amplectenti non tergiuer santidatur They that will lead a wicked life sub spe misericordiae in hope of mercy shall meet with a fearefull death sub terrore Iustitiae in the horror of Iustice. Kisse the mercy of God abuse it not Where is Praesumptio veniae will follow Consumptio poenâ—… a presuming of fauour shall bee punished with a consuming wrath Be not deceiued c. 6. Others alledge Christ died for our sinnes and his satisfaction is of infinite price This is the dore of hope from which the profanest wretch is angry to be driuen The most presumptuous sinner flatters his soule with this comfort as if the gates of Heauen were now set open and hee might enter with all his iniquities on his backe Indeed there is no want in Christ but is there none in thee In him is plenteous redemption but how if in thee there bee scarce fayth whatsoeuer Christ is what arâ—… thou God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely beâ—…otten Sonne Hee did not let or lend or sell but giue not an Angell nor a seruant but a Sonne not anothers but his owne not his adoptiue but naturall his begotten Sonne not one of many but his onely begotten Sonne Many degrees of loue but what of all this That whosoeuer beleeueth on him should not perish but haue euerlasting life But thou hast no faith therefore no priuiledge by this gift I am the good shepheard saith Christ. Why I giue my life but for whom for my sheepe Not for lustfull goates or
this world our second is a gate into the world to come There is some paine in both For this vvorld but little ioy after the paine for the other after short sorrow eternall glory Sanctification Is the second gate Make your calling and election sure saith Peter by a holy life For so an Entrance shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lie Therfore Paul prayes the God of Peace to sanctifie vs wholly Holinesse is the way to Happinesse Grace the gate of Glory But some may obiect frō that of Paul that this Sanctification must be totall and perfect but who can come so furnished to the gate therefore who can enter the Citie I answer There is required onely Sanctificatio viae non Patria such a Sanctitie as the gate can afford though farre short of that within the Citie The Schoole distinguisheth vvell It must be communiter in toto vniuersaliter in singulis partibus but not totaliter et perfectè This Sanctification must be communicated to the whole man and vniuersally propagated to euery part though it haue in no place of man a totall perfection Indeed Nullum peccatum retinendum est spe remissionis No sinne is to be cherished in hope of mercy But wee must striue for euery grace vve haue not and for the encrease of euery grace wee haue Quaerendum quod deest bonum indulgendum quod adest Let vs make much of that we possesse and still seek for more striuing to the marke And yet when all is done Profectio haec non Perfectio est Wee haue made a good steppe forward but are not come to our full home But stil Lord be mercifull to me a sinner And Enter not into iudgement with vs. Now sith this gate stands in our owne Heart giue me leaue to describe it and that briefely by The Properties The properties are 2. It is Lovve Parts Little Lowe Heauen is well called a Building not made with hands for it differs both in Matter and Forme from earthly edifices For matter it is Eternall not momentany for maner fabricked without hands Great Mannors on earth haue large answerable Porches Heauen must needes be spacious when a little starre fixed in a farre lower Orbe exceedes the earth in quantitie yet hath it a lowe gate not a lofty comming in They must stoope then that will enter here He hath filled the bungry with good things and the rich hee hath sent empty away The rich in their owne conceits and proud of their owne worth shall be sent empty from this gate Zaccheus climes vp into a Sycamore tree to behold Iesus but when Iesus beheld him got vp so high he said Come downe Zaccheus Luke 19. Make haste and come downe Whosoeuer will entertaine Iesus must come down The haughtie Nebuchadnezzar that thinks with his head to knock out the starres in heauen must stoope at this gate or hee cannot enter Be you neuer so lofty you must bend Gods honour must be preferred before your honours It is no discredite to your Worships to vvorship GOD. Little Christ calls it a narrow gate They must be little that enter little in their owne eyes slender in the opinion of themselues Whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdome of God as a little child he shall not enter therin Samuel to Saul When thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel When Iesse had made all his Sonnes passe before Samuel he asked him if none remained yet Iesse answeres Yes a little one tending the flockes Fetch that little one saith Samuel for wee will not sit downe till he come That little one was hee Sayes the Angell to Esdras 2. Esdras 7. A citie is built and set vpon a broad field full of all good things Yet the Entrance thereof is narrow This is spatiosa speciosa Ciuitas A citie beautifull and roomthy yet it hath but a narrovv wicket a little Gate Alas how will the surfeted Epicure do to enter whose gluttonous body is so deformed that it moues like a great Tunne vpon two pots What hope hath an Impropriator with foure or fiue Churches on his backe to passe this little gate The bribing Officer hath a swolne hand it will not enter and the gowtie Vsurer cannot thrust in his foote The factious Schismaticke hath too bigge a head the swearer such forked blasphemies in his mouth that here is no entrance Pride hath no more hope to get into the gates of that Citie aboue then there is hope to cast it out the gates of this City below Much good do 't with earthly Courts for it must not come into the Courts of Heauen Thinke O sinners you cannot goe with these oppressions with these oathes frauds bribes vsuries with these wickednesses into the gates of this Citie You must shift them off or they will shut you out You heare the Properties the Parts are now to bee considered and these are foure The foundation the two sides and the roofe The Foundation is Faith One of the sides Patience The other Innocence The Roofe Charitie Faith Is the foundation Coloss. 1. Be ye grounded and setled in the Faith Credendo fundatur saith Augustine It is grounded in faith All other graces are as it were built on this foundation Credimus quōd speramus quod credimus speramus diligimus quod credimus speramus diligimus operamur What we hope wee beleeue what wee beleeue and hope we loue what we beleeue hope and loue wee endeuour to attaine So all is built on Faith Hope on faith Nulla spes increditi it is impossible to hope for that wee beleeue not to be Charity on faith why should a man giue all to the poore vnlesse hee belieued an abundant recompence Repentance on faith why else suffer we contrition for sin if we beleeued not remission of sinne Temperance on faith why forbeare wee the pleasing vanities of the world but that we belieue the transcendent ioyes of eternity whereof these harlots would robbe vs Patience on faith why would we endure such calamities with willing quietnesse and subiection if wee belieued not an euerlasting peace and rest to come All obedience on faith that God would accept it in Iesus Christ. If all bee built on faith I may call it the basis and foundation of this Gate Without faith it is impossible to please God for hee that commeth to God must belieue that he is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Faith is the passage-way to God not one of that holy ensuing Legend entred the City of life without this He that hath faith shall enter yea hee is entred Iohn 5. He hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but
must not liue in glory with Christ. Thus farre the Rich man acts now comes in Gods part which turnes the nature of his play from Comike purposes to Tragike euents He behights all peace and ioy to himselfe But God said Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from tâ—…e c. The words containe an Agent Patient Passion Question The Agent is God But God said The Patient is the rich Foole. The Passion This night shall thy soule be required of thee The Question which God puts to him to let him see his folly Then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided The Agent God The Rich man was purposing great matters but he reckoned without his host he resolues thus and thus But God said to him Hence two obseruations 1. That the purposes of men are abortiue and neuer come to a happy birth if God blesse not their conception Man purposeth and God disposeth The horse is prepared to the battell but the victory is of the Lord. It is a holy reseruation in all our purposes Si Deo placuerit If it shall please the Lord. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeere buy and sell and get gaine Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morow Ye ought to say If the Lord will For neither tongue can speake nor foote moue if the Lord shal eneruate them as he did Zaobaries tongue in the Temple and Ieroboams arme when he would haue reached it out against the Prophet In vaine man intends that whereagainst God contends Sisera resolues on victory GOD crosseth it with ouerthrow Yet thinks Sisera Iael vvill succour me For there is peace betweene Iabin King of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite No euen there â—…he arme of the Lord is ready to encounter him a draught of milke shall be his last draught and the hand of a vvoman shall kill him that hath escaped the hand of an Armie The Iewes may say We will flie away 〈◊〉 swift horses But God saith Your Persecutors shall be swifter Senacherib purposeth to lick vp Israel as the Oxe grasse and though he found the Land before him as an Eden to leaue it behind him as Sodome But God said He shall goe home without his errand An hooke in his nostrils shall reine him back The King of Babylon sayes in his heart I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the starres of God and I will be like the most High But God said Thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit Hâ—…d made himselfe so sure of Christ that rather then to faile of cutting off the prophecied King he slayes his owne sonne Hee might so but he shall not touch Gods Sonne With what lauish promises do the Spanyards flatter themselues when they baptised their Nauie with the name of Invâ—…nsible England is their own they are already grasping it warme with gore in their clutches But God said Destruction shall inherite their hopes and the remainder of ruine shall be onely left to testifie vvhat they vvould haue done Mens thoughts promise often to themselues Multa magna many things great things they are plotted contriued commenced yet die like Ionah's Gourd when we should expect their refreshing Quia non fortâ—…it Deus because God hath not blessed them Ambition may reare turrets in emulation of heauen and vaine-glory build Castles in the ayre but the former shall haue no roofe as the latter hath no foundation Philip threatned the Lacedemonians that if he entred their Countrey he would vtterly extinguish them They wrote him no other answere but Si If meaning it was a condition well put in for hee neuer was like to come there Si S I non esset perfectum quidlibet esset But in the menaces of angry Tyrants and purposes of hastie intenders there is an If an included coÌ„dition that infatuates all Let our lesson hence be this That our purposes may be sped with a happy successe let vs intend in the Lord for the Lord. 1. Let vs deriue authoritie of our intentions from his sacred Truth which giues rules not onely to liue well and to speake well but euen ad bene câ—…gitandum to thinke well It is a wicked purpose to fast till Paul be killed to wreake malice to satifie lust Inauspicious and without speed are the intents whose beginning is not from God Let no purpose passe currant from thy heart till God hath set on it his stampe and seale of approbation Let his Word giue it a Fiat Whatsoeuer ye doe yea or intend to doe let both action of hand and thought of heart be all to Gods glory 2. Let vs in all our purposes reserue the first place for Gods helping hand Without mee yee can doe nothing saith Christ. But it is obiected that Paul spake peremptorily to his Corinthians I will come vnto you when I shall passe through Macedonia And Dauid I will goe to the house of the Lord. I answere Cor tenet quod lingua tacet they that had so much grace in their hearts wanted not this grace et noscere et poscere facultatem Domini to know and desire the Lords permission You shall neuer take men so well affected to good workes that doe not implore Gods assistance Though they doe not euer expresse in vvord yet they neuer suppresse in thought that reseruation If it please God as Paul doth afterwards in that place If the Lord permit If any will dare to resolue too confidently patronizing their temeritie from such patterns as if their voluntates were potestates let them know that like Taylours they haue measured others but neuer tooke measure of themselues that there is great difference betwixt a holy Propet or Apostle and a profane Publican 2. Obserue that God now speakes so to the Couetous that he will be heard he preacheth another kind of Sermon to him then euer he did before a fatall finall funerall Sermon a Text of Iudgement This night shal they fetch away thy soule For this is Gods Lecture himselfe reades it But God said Hee had preached to the vvordling often before and those Sermons were of three sorts 1. By his Word But cares of the world choake this Seed the heart goes after couetousnesse euen whiles the flesh sits vnder the pulpit This is the deuills three-wing'd arrow wealth pride voluptuousnesse vvhereby hee nailes the very heart fast to the earth It is his talent of lead which he hangs on the feet of the soule the affections that keepes her from mounting vp into heauen with the printed beauty of this filthy Harlot hee bewitcheth their mindes steales their desires from Christ and sends them a whoring to the hote Stewes of hell Thus is Gods first Sermon quite lost 2. By Iudgements on others whose smart should amaze him For God when hee strikes others vvarnes thee Tua
a thousand wiues and concubines and consequently many children yet at last hee wants one of his seed to sit vpon the throne of Dauid or to beare rule in Iudah and S. Luke deriues Christ from Nathan the yonger brother For thus saith God of C◅oniah whom hee calls Coniah cutting short at once his name his life his hope of posterity Write this man childlesse It often so fals out that to a man exceeding wealthy is denied a fuccessour of his owne loynes Let him haue children hee is not sure those children shall possesse his riches But those riches perish by euill trauell and he begetteth a sonne and there is nothing in his hand A scatterer succeedes a gatherer auari heres dissipans the father loued the world too well and the sonne cares not for it The sire was all for the rake and the sonne is all for the pitchforke So Whose shall these be euen his that will one day pitty the poore Hee will loue the poore so well that he will not rest til he be poor with them for company This is the portion of the wicked the heritage which oppressors shall receiue of the Almighty If their children be multiplied it is for the sword and their ofspring shall not be satisfied with bread Children are a great plea for Couetousnesse for Oppression Art thou couetous because thou hast children Remember to make Christ one of thy children If thou hast one make him the second if two make him the third if three the fourth how many soeuer thou hast let Christ be one let the poore haue a childes part This is the way to get a blessing to all the rest when Christ is made a brother to thy children and hath a legacy bequeathed him hee will blesse the portions of the other the seed of the righteous shall not begge their bread It is a sweet verse of the Psalme worthy of obseruation as it is full of comfort The good man is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed The world thinkes the more a man giueth away the lesse should be left to his children but the Lord witnesseth otherwise let a man lend to the borrower giue to the begger be mercifull to the distressed and this is the way to make his Seed blessed Charitable works doe not hinder the childrens wealth but further it what thou giuest to the poore will be a sure vndecaying portion to thy posterity Duplicatum erit filijs iusti quod iustus dedit filijs Dei GOD will double that to thy children which thou hast giuen to his children Men flatter themselues and couzen their consciences with a tolerablenesse of vsury when moneyes bee put out for their childrens stocks Alas saith a man I can leaue my children but a little but by that they come to age of discretion to vse it it will be iollily increased I may be quickly gone when I am dead they haue no skill to employ it I will therfore safe-bind it for them by good bonds with allowance of interest God often in the Scriptures hath promised to be a Father of the fatherlesse and to prouide for those whom the Parents faith haue left to his protection By this promise did Christ commend himselfe to his Disciples I will not leaue you Orphanes we translate it comfortlesse the originall is Orphans or fatherlesse children The Lord relieueth the fatherlesse and the widow You may read 2. Kin. 4. that God would worke a miracle rather then a poore vvidow with her two fatherlesse children should want Hath God made himselfe their Guardian and must their meanes be secured by vsurious contracts Surely GOD hath iust reason to take this the most vnkindly of all the rest Leaue not thy children the inheritance of thy sinne turne not the prouidence of God from them by iniquitie who hath promised to protect them if cōmitted to him Loe the wit of a worldly man he takes thought to make his children rich and yet takes the onely course to vndoe them No casualtie shall fall vpon their stocks so they plot by an act of God or man but here certain losse falls presently vpon their soules and a finall ruine shall impartially at last consume their estates For God will blast the stocks and branches that are planted in the moorish and muddy ground of vsury The dependance on God is abandoned and how iustly may the Lord forsake them that forsake him Neither is this sinne onely damnable to the Parents but also dangerous to the children who are by this meanes dyed in the very wooll of their youth with the scarlet wickednes of Vsury There was a Deuill whom the Disciples of Christ could not cast out and when Christ expelled him the spirit tare the man and he fell on the ground wallowing and foaming Christ then asked How long is it agoe since this came vnto him To which the Father answered Of a child If Vsury be hardly throwne out of the affections the wonder is little seeing that deuill hath possessed him of a child The new morter wherein Garlike hath beene stamped will not a great while lose the smell It is a fearefull aduantage that thou giuest Satan ouer thy children when thou bringest them vp in Vsurie As much might be said for Oppression thy depopulations pull downe the Countrey that thou mayest build vp thy posteritie Which way canst thou turne thine eyes from beholding the infatuation of such hopes One generation is thus raised vp high and the next comes downe as lowe euen to contempt and beggerie But perhaps if thou hast no children yet thou hast a brother There is one alone and there is not a second yea he hath neither child nor brother yet is there no end of his labour Say thou hast a brother yet is not Christ thy brother in Heauen dearer to thee then any sonne of thy mother Is not he that hath adopted thee coheire to his eternall purchase an inheritance of glory woorthy of some part of thy earthly possessions Neuer brother did so much for thee as he hath done Nature made a man thy brother in thy Parents bloud hee made thee his brother by his owne bloud Remember then his needy brethren and in him thine He is neerest in bloud that is dearest in good but if thou hast any faith none did thee euer so much good as Christ. And to take away all plea from the hart of vncharitablenesse Christ calls the poore his Brethren affirmes their releeuers Blessed and inuites them to an euerlasting kingdome In as much as ye haue done it to the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto mee But thou hast a brother in the flesh wilt thou therefore couet extort oppresse and so goe to hell for thy brother It is ill done in any to diuert amorem fratris in odium sui the loue of his brother into hate against himselfe Yet is not this all but when thou hast purposed most for
or ill motion is his whether wee lift vp our hands to prayer or murder but the prauity and corruption of these is none of his Is any part of body or power of soule depraued This commeth not from him that calleth vs. What is then the cause of sinne I answere properly nothing it hath indeed a deficient cause but no efficient cause It is a defect priuation or orbity of that God made the thing it self he neuer made Will you aske what is the cause of sickenesse I answere the destitution of health If what 's the cause of darknes the absence of the Sunne if of blindnesse the deficiency of seeing What is the cause of silence no cause there are causes of speech organs ayre c. take away these what followes but silence you see the light who euer saw darkenesse you heare speech who euer heard silence Man forsooke grace sinne came in at the backe-dore It is a bastard brought into Gods house by stealth Woe to them that shall roote their filthinesse in the deity If they bee seduced to cry Lord thou hast deceiued vs. No destruction is of thy selfe O Israel in mee is thy 〈◊〉 We haue all gotten this sinne from Adam Mulier quam tu c. The woman which Thou gauest me as if GOD had giuen him a woman to tempt him Haec est ruina maxima Deum putare causam ruinae This is the greatest destruction that can be to charge God with the cause of our destruction No O Father of heauen be thou iustified and the faces of all men ashamed Let vs looke home to our owne flesh from thence it commeth that destroyeth Me me adsum qui feci The Lord put not onely this confession in our mouthes but this feeling in our hearts that all our euill commeth from our selues all our good from Iesus Christ. Of him that called you He hath called you to liberty will you intangle your selues in new bondage who pitties him that being redeemed from prison wilfully recasts himselfe into it Or that saued from the fire will runne into it againe Art thou Titio ereptus and yet hast a mind to be burned He hath called you not to the ceremonies but to their Antitype not to those legall Lambes but to that Euangelicall Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Will you be directed by Lampes when the Sunne is risen no hee hath called you to the truth and comforts of the Gospell obey that call And then he that hath perswaded you to vertue by calling you to grace shall crowne you with eternall glory Now one argument whereby the Apostle deterres them from blending Iudaisme with Christianity is deriued from the danger of corrupting the doctrine of the Gospell A little Leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe One ceremony of the legall rites obserued with an opinion of necessity sowreth all that sweetnesse of redemption that commeth by Christ. This Diuine Aphorisme may thus logically be resolued into a Predicate Subiect and Copula The Predicate leauen the Subiect lumpe the Copula leaueneth Or thus there is a thing Actiue Leauen Factiue sowreth Passiue the lumpe But because the whole speech is allegoricall let vs first open the metaphor with the key of proper analogie and then take out the treasure such obseruations as may be naturally deduced from it Most properly our Apostle by leauen vnderstands false doctrine and by lumpe the truth of the Gospell so the sense is this one heresie infects a masse of truth Or if we restraine it to persons by leauen he meaneth false Teachers and by lumpe the Church of Galatia and so a teacher of the bondage to the Law sowres the liberty of the Gospell Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Or if yet we will looke vpon it with more generall view we may by leauen vnderstand sinne by lumpe man by leauening Infection Here are three respondences and all worthily considerable First taking leauen for false Doctrine so we find in the new Testament foure sorts of leauens Math. 16. Beware of the leauen of the Pharises and of the Sadduces there bee two of them the Pharisaicall and the Sadducean leauens Mark 8. Beware of the leauen of Herod there 's the third The fourth is my Text the leauen of mingling Mosaicall ordinances with Christs Institutions It will not bee amisse to take a transient view of these Leauens for though former times had the originals wee haâ—…e the Counterpaines we haue paralell leauens 1. To begin with the Pharises to these I may well liken our Seminaries one egge is not liker another Euen a Iesuite wrote in good earnest Non malè comparari Pharisaeos Catholicis Papists are fitly compared to the Pharises Whether he spake it ignorantly or vnwittingly or purposely I am sure Caiphas neuer spoke truer when he meant it not Shall we take a little paines to confer them The Pharises had corrupted yea in a manner annulled the Law of God by their Traditions and for this Christ complaines against them Now for the Papists this was one of their Tridentine decrees With the same reuerence and deuotion doc we receiue and respect Traditions that wee doe the bookes of the olde and new Testaments Shut thine eyes and heare both speake and then for a wager vvhich is the Pharise which the Seminary Indeed to some traditions we giue locum but locum suum a place but their owne place They must neuer dare to take the wall of the Scripture Again the Pharises corrupted the good Text with their lewd Glosses The law was that no Leper might come into the Temple their traditionall Glosse was that if hee were let downe through the roofe this was no offence As that drunkard that hauing for sworne going to a certaine Tauerne yet being carried thither euery day on mens shoulders thought hee had not broken his oath Their Sabbath dayes iourney was a thousand Cubits their Glosse vnderstood this without the walls and walking all day through the city no sinne The Papists are not behinde them in their foule interpretations not shaming to call that sacred Writ a nose of waxe formable to any construction Paul subscribes his two Epistles to the Thessalonians thus Missa fuit ex Athenis a Papist cryes out strait Here 's a plaine text for the Masse Psal. 8. Omnia subiecisti pedibus eius Thou hast put all things vnder his feete This is spoken of the beasts subiection to man their Glosse construes it of mens subiection to the Pope So Esa. 49. They shall bow downe to thee with their face toward the earth and licke vp the dust of thy feete Here saith their Glosse is a plaine proofe for kissing the Popes feet Our Sauiour sayes Except ye become as little children ye shall not enter the kingdome of heauen Heereupon Saint Francis commands one Massaeus to tumble round on the earth like a little childe that he might
him from walking to standing from standing to sitting stil and this is limen inferni the very threshold of hell Wee iudge of sinne as of the Sunne little because far off yet indeed it is bigger then the earth The neerer wee come to the sense of iniquity the greater it appeares Was it such a sinne for Adam to eate a forbidden Apple Yes the greatnes is remonstrable in the euent it brought destruction vpon himselfe and his posterity Is it such a haynous offence for Dauid to know the number of his people Doe not Princes make good their Muster-books by such a Quare and numeration The plague witnessed the greatnesse of it and himselfe cryes Peccaui I haue done wickedly Looke on the least sin in Satans false glasse and it seemes contemptible behold it in the true glasse of Gods Law and it appeares abhominable The Deuill stands betwixt wicked men and their sinnes all their life but placeth their sinnes betwixt heauen and themselues in death writes them in Text letters on the Curtaines that their amazed soules cannot chuse but read them Thus he that led them liuing by sin to presumption now driues them dying by sinne to desperation Satan seemes modest and will bee contented vvith a little when hee can get no more he will play at small game before he sit out Wilt thou not cut throats yet quarrell and appoint fields not so yet hate thine enemies not professe hatred yet watch occasions to hinder his good if thou wilt not iniure his estate yet at least scandalize his good name He will take little rather then nothing The Israelites in the Desart had no rich and costly sacrifices to offer to Baal Peor They had not such store of beasts but the oblations to God tooke them vp I cannot see what they should haue fit for this sacrifice to Baal except Manna and water too good for the Deuill but hee â—…s content with this Yet it is euident that they committed Idolatry Neyther be yee Idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Rather then want their custome Satan will take such as they had Will Naaman worship God yet let him worship Rimmon too no hee will not doe so yet let him bow to Rimmon no nor so much yet let him bow before Rimmon the Deuill is glad of this where he can get no more Thus Pharaoh minceth and limits with Moses concerning the dismission of Israel Gods charge was Let my people goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse to celebrate a feast to the Lord. Now marke how Pharaoh would compound it First Sacrifice to God in this land no saith Moses wee must goe into the wildernesse Then saith Pharaoh If there be no remedy Goe and goe to the wildernesse and sacrifice to your God but goe not farre nay wee must goe three dayes iourney Then Pharaoh Goe ye the men but leaue your children behinde you nay we must goe old and young sons and daughters Then Pharaoh Goe ye men women and children so farre as your feet can measure in three dayes but your flocks and your heards shall be stayd nay we will not leaue a hoofe behinde vs. So when the Deuill perceiues no remedy hee falls to indenting with niggardly grants and allowances Somwhat hath some sauor giue him at least a thought a word a looke as Lots wife and it something pleaseth him Among the Heathen they vsed to ioyne together Epula and Sacrificia with solemne sacrifices to their gods solemne bankets among themselues So the Apostle deliuers the custome of the Moabites 1. Cor. 10. 7. In the midst of their Idolatry they sate downe to eate drinke So the Psalmist writes of that cursed commixtion of Israel with Moab that they had Idolatrous feasts They ioyned themselues to Baal-Peor and did eate the sacrifices of the dead One nation had a custome in these superstious feasts to sacrifice to their Idol Capita some Noble mens heads according as it fell to their lots together with their hearts and their liuers It came to the turne of the Kings speciall fauourite thus to lose his life the King resoluing both to keep the custome yet to saue his friend obiected that God was no murderer nor delighted in the bloud of men That if he were a God he was certainely good and goodnesse stood not in the desire of his owne creatures destruction Therefore in stead of the mans head he offered the head of an onyon and for bloud heart and liuers of men all these of birds or beasts The Deuill must be pleased with this hee saw that this little homage was some acknowledgement of his soueraignty Satan can hold a mans soule in by a little as a bird that hangs in the net by a claw Perhaps shame feare keepes some from eruption into scandalous things the appearance is vizarded the affection is not mortified Like an Eunuch he doth not beget palpable grosse turpitudes yet hath a lust itch and concupiscence this little serues the Deuils turne Satan would keepe away the light of the Truth from a man well he is so seated that hee will haue it by knowledge he seemes to cast out Satan Yet if he can but insinuate into his affection this little cord will pull him in againe with ease Must he lose the Sconce of thy vnderstanding Let him hold the Cittadell of thy desires this little gate will let him in at his pleasure I draw to conclusion let this teach vs all to make a scrutiny in our soules and seriously to repent of this little leuen Little in quantity great in quality little in estimation powerfull in operation Little in the sight of men iudging by outward appearance great in the sight of God iudging in truth Lot said of the City of Zoar Is it not a little one and my soule shall liue thou sayest of thy sinne Is it not a little one and why should my soule die A little Posterne opened may betray the greatest City Ionathan tasted but a little honey on the top of his wand and hardly he escaped death for it A little leauen makes the head heauy and the heart sicke Eschevv this little if thou wouldst be great in heauen For whosoeuer shall breake one of these least Commandements hee shall bee called least in the kingdome of heauen Minimus that is indeed Nullus the least there because he shall not be there at all Let no tang of corruption come to thy least part if thou desirest to preserue body and soule blamelesse to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. Repentance must be to all dead workes sanctification takes liberty in no sinne Nullum peccatum retinendum spe remissionis No euill must be reserued vnder the hope of forgiuenesse God gaue a Law but no dispensation for any breach of it his Generall rules haue no exceptions vnlesse it please the Diuine Oracle
Libera nos Domine wee are naturally downe do thou O Lord graciously raise vs vp 3. Wee must Arise before we can Goe First arise then goe thy way saith Christ. Hee that is downe may creep like a serpent cannot go like a man Thou art to sight with cruell enemies Not flesh and bloud but Principalities and Powers wicked spirits in high places Thou wilt performe it poorely whiles thou art along on the ground The flesh will insult ouer thee with vndenyed lusts Quicquid suggeritur caeteris aggeritur there is not a sinfull motion suggested but it is instantly embraced and added to that miserable dunghill of iniquity And is not this wretched to haue Chams curse vpon thee to be a slaue to slaues The world will hold thy head vnder his girdle whiles he tramples on thy heart thou shalt eate no other food then he giues thee he will feed thee with bribes vsuries iniuries periuries blasphemies homicides turpitudes none of these must be refused The deuill will tyrannize ouer thee thou canst hardly grapple with that great Red Dragon when thou art mounted like Saint George on the backe of faith Alas how shouldst thou resist him being downe vnder his feet Arise therefore and take the whole armour of God that you may both Stand and Withstand Arise lest God comming and finding thee downe strike thee lower From him that hath not shall bee taken away that he seemed to haue Pauper vbique tacet is a Prouerbe more plentifully true in a mysticall then temporall pouerty We say Qui iacet in terris non habet vnde cadat hee that lies on the ground hath no lower a descent to fall to yes there is a lower place Iudas found a lower fall then the earth when hee departed In locum suum into his owne place Such was that great Monarchs fall How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer how art thou cut downe to the ground This was a great descent from heauen to earth But ver 15. Thou shalt be brought downe to hell to the sides of the pit This was a greater descent from heauen to hell Wee esteeme it a great fall ceremonially from a Throne to a Prison and the deuill meant it a great fall locally from the Pinacle to the ground But there is Abyssus inferna a lower precipice Dauid beginnes a Psalme of prayer De profundis Out of the depths haue I cryed vnto thee O Lord. But there is a depth of depths and out of that deepe there is no rising Arise now lest you fall into that deepe then Arise for if thou wilt not thou shalt be raised Si non surrexeris volenter suscitaberis violenter If thou refuse to rise willingly thou shalt be rowsed against thy will If thou wilt not heare the first Surge which is the Ministers voice thou shalt heare the last Surge which is the Arch-angels voyce Dicis Surgam thou saist I will rise but when Modo Domine modò Anon Lord all in time Will not this be a silly excuse at the day of Iudgement I will rise anon Thou must rise in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trumpe Though thou cry to the Mountaines Fall on me and to the Rockes Hide me yet Nulla euasio thou must arise and appeare There are two voices that sound out this Surge one Euangelicall and that is of mercy yet we drowne this as Italians do thunder by Drums Bels Cannons The other Angelicall and that is of Iustice a voice vnpossible to be auoided This is that last Sermon that all the world shall heare Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Arise let vs now raise vp our selues from corruption of soule that we may one day be raised from corruption of body They that will not rise their soules must must and carry their bodies to iudgement This vvorld was made for man not man for this world therfore they take a wrong course that lye downe there He that lyes downe when he should arise and goe shall rise and goe when he would lie downe He that sleepes in the cradle of securitie all his life sinnes soundly without starting when he once starts and wakes he must neuer sleepe againe The deuill and mischiefe are euer watching and shal man whom they watch to hurt sleepe Hee that would deceiue the deuill had need to rise betimes The Lyon is said to sleepe with one eye open the Hare vvith both the worldling with both eyes of his soule shut He neuer riseth till he goes to bed his soule wakens not till his body falls asleepe on his death-bed then perhaps he lookes vp As sometimes they that haue been blind many yeeres at the approching of death haue seene whereof Physicians giue many reasons so the death-bed opens the eyes of the soule Indeed at that time there is possibilitie of waking but hazard of rising That poore winter-fruit wil hardly rellish with God Miserum incipete viuere cum definendum est It is wretched for a man then to begin his life when hee must end it It is at the best but morosa et morbosa panitentia a wearish and sick repentance wheras God requires a quicke and liuely sacrifice this is as sick as the person that makes it This indeed is not a Conuersion but a Reuersion or meere refuse To raise the secure from their vnseasonable vnreasonable sleepe God doth ring them a peale of fiue Bells 1. The first Bell is Conscience this is the trebble and doth somewhat trouble especially if the hand of GOD pulls it Many thinke of their consciences as ill Debtors doe of their Creditors they are loth to talke with them Indeed God is the Creditor and Conscience the Seriant that will meet them at euery turne It makes a syllogisticall conclusion in the mind Reason like Dauid drawes the sword and Conscience like Nathan knocks him on the brest with the hilts Dauid made the Proposition The man that hath done this shall dnee the death Nathan the Assumption Thou art the man Conscience the Conclusion Therefore thou must die If you heare not yea feele not the sound of this bell suspect your deadnesse of heart for that Citie is in danger where the Alarme-bell rings not 2. The second Bell is the Stint or certaine to all the rest Uox Euangelij the voice of the Gospell This Bell of Aaron is so perpetually rung amongst vs that as a knell in a great mortalitie quia frequens non terrens so cōmon that no man regards it Indeed if some particular clapper ring melodiously to the eare we come to please that rather then the soule Luxurient wits thinke the Scripture-phrase grosse nothing delights them but a painted and meretricious eloquence There are some that vvill not heare this Bell at all like Ieroboam they will not trauell to Ierusalem for a Sermon but content themselues with a Calfe at home Others looke that the Preachers tongue should incessantly walke but let their
Altisona grandisona Tuba the lowdest Instrument of warre euery eare shall heare it As it was in the dayes of Noah and Lot So shall it be in the day when the Sonne of man is reuealed From eating and drinking building and planting buying and selling marrying and dancing shall this Trumpe call them It shall fetch the Drunkard from his Ale-bench the Harlot from her luxurious bed the Epicure from his riotous table the Vsurer from his Charnell house of mens bones and beasts skins his study now Surgendum est vndeque there must be an vniuersall rising Well let vs waken before this last Trumpets last summons lest then wee rise onely to iudgement and bee iudged to lie downe againe in torments God long expects our rising Quantò diutius nos expectat vt emendemus tantò districtius iudicabit si neglexerimus With how much patience he waits for our neglected conuersion with so much vengeance hee will punish our continued rebellion The Lord of his mercy giue vs the first resurrection to Grace that we may enioy the Rising to Glory Arise and Goe Being got vp it is not fit we should stand still we must be going The maine worke was to raise vs now we are vp I hope an easie matter will set vs a going And to helpe forward our iourney let our meditations take along with them these three furtherances the Necessity the Conueniency the End The Necessity we must goe the Conueniency how we must goe the End whither we must goe 1. The Necessity all that haue hope of heauen must be going The seruants of God vnder the Law Exod. 12. 11. the sonnes of God vnder the Gospell Ephes. 6. 15. are commanded to haue their Feet shod to vvitnesse their preparation of Going God doth not onely charge Eliah with a Surge Arise but also with a Vade Goe The sitting bird is easily shot so long as shee is flying in the ayre the murdering piece is not leuelled at her There were two principall occasions of Dauids sinne Otium Oculus Idlenesse and his Eye The one giues Satan oportunity the other conueniency to iniect his temptation Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus Dauid hast thou nothing to doe Come walke with mee on thy Palace roofe I will shew thee beauty a snare able to take a Saint It is necessary therefore to be going for so we are not so fair a mark for Satan Adam so long as he was at his work in the Garden vvas safe enough when he became lazie and fell a dallying with Eue Satan shot him It vvas Ieromes counsell to Rusticus Be euer doing vt quando diabolus veniat inueniat occupatum that when the Deuill comes with his businesse he may find thee at thine owne businesse So thou shalt answere him knocking at thy dore I am busie I haue no time to talke with you Satan Do you think the Deuill could be so sure to meet his friends at the Theater Tauerne Brothell-house but that mistresse Idlenesse sends them thither Yea by this he takes a worldling by the hand at Church well mette you are so full of businesse all the weeke that you breake your sleepes cannot take your rest come heere be two Sermons on the Sunday sleepe out them The Sabbath seemes tedious to some they haue nothing to doe Nothing Alas they know not a Sabbaths dayes worke To pray to heare to reade to meditate to conferre to visit to pray againe is all this nothing Because they labour not in their worldly calling they thinke there needes no labour about their Christian calling the working out their saluation they holde no paines indeede they take no paines about it If they did performe these duties they should find the right spending the Sabbath not Nullum laborem sed alium not no labour but another kinde of labour then euer they conceiued And this not Opus taedij sed gaudij Thinke on that sweete vicissitude of workes and comforts And Breue videbitur tempus tantis variet atibus occupatum that time must needs seem short that is spent in such variety of delights It was the principall of those three faults whereof Cato professed himselfe to haue so seriously repented One was passing by water when he might goe by land another was trusting a secret to a woman but the maine one was spending an houre vnprofitably How many houres not only on common dayes but euen vpon the holy Sabbath that concernes the businesse of our soules haue vvee vnprofitably lauished and yet neuer heartilie repented them 2. The Conueniencie if we Goe we must haue feete All our Preaching is to beate the bush put you from your couerts and set you a going but now Quitus pedibus on vvhat feet must you goe The Foot is the Affection or Appetite saith S. Augustine Eô feror quocunque feror that carries me vvhither soeuer I goe The foote moues the body the affection moues the soule The regenerate soule hath three principall faculties as the naturall body hath three semblable members the eye hand and foote In the soule the Eye is Knowledge the Hand is Faith the Foote is Obedience The soule without knowledge is like Bartimeus blind without faith like the man with a vvithered hand vvithout obedience like Mephibosheth lame True Christians are not Monopodes one-footed the Apostle speaks in the plural number of their feet Stand hauing your Feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Hee meant not corporall feet the soule must therefore haue spirituall feete like the bodies for Number Nature For Number the body hath two feet so hath the Soule Affection and Action desiring and doing The former that puts forward the soule is a hopefull affection One said Hope is a foote Pes Spes but hope is rather a nerue that strengthens the motion of this foot then the foot it selfe The latter is Action or operatiue obedience that rightly walkes in the blessed way of holinesse I desire to doe thy will O my God there 's the foot of affection I will runne the way of thy Commandements ther 's the foot of action I haue longed after thy precepts there is the foote of desiring I turned my feet vnto thy testimonies there 's the foot of obeying For nature they are fitly compared to feet and that Ratione Situs for Placing Transitus Passing For Site or placing the feete are the lower parts of the body so are affections of the soule The head is the directer the foote the carrier the feet helpe the head the head guides the feete The vnderstanding and affection are like the blinde man and the lame the lame hath eyes but no feet the blinde hath feete but no eyes But whiles the blinde carries the lame and the lame directs the blind both may come to their iourneyes end The vnderstanding sees well but of it selfe cannot goe the Affection is able to goe but of it selfe cannot see let the one direct well
the other walke after that direction and they vvill bring the soule to heauen For Transition or Passing as the feete corporally so these spiritually mooue and conduct the man from place to place Indeed none can come to the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him but when he hath giuen vs feet he looks we should goe Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare he that hath hands let him worke hee that hath feet let him goe Hence is that exhortation Draw neer to God he will draw neer to you In this foot-manship there is Terminus à quo recedimus Terminus ad quem accedimus motus per quem procedimus From the waies of darknes from the wages of darknes to the fruition of light to the counersation in light From darknes exterior interiour inferiour Outward this land is full of darknes fraught operibus tenebrarum with the works of darknesse Inward Hauing the vnderstanding darkned being alienated froÌ„ the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnes of their heart Outer darkenesse that which Christ cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lower darkenesse Hee hath reserued the Lost angels in euer lasting chaines vnder darkenesse Vnto light externall internall eternall Outward Light Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path Inward light In the hidden parts thou shalt make mee to know wisedom Euerlasting Light They shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer Blessed feet that carry vs to That light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the world and to the beames of that Sunne which giues light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death happy feet they shall bee guided into the way of peace Looke to thy foote wheresoeuer thou treadest beware the gardens of temporall pleasures Est aliquid quod in ipsis floriâ—… angat It is worse going on fertile ground then on baâ—… the smooth wayes of prosperity are slippery in rough â—…fflictions we may take sure footing Let your feet bee â—…od saith Paul your affections restrained barre lust of her vaine obiects turne her from earth to heauen Set her a trauelling not after riches but graces Keepe the foot of desire still going but put it in the right way direct it to euerlasting blessednes And this is 3. The End whither we must goe to perfection Thou hast done well yet goe on still Nihil praesumitur actum dum superest aliquid ad agenduÌ„ nothing is said to be done whiles any part remaines to doe No man can goe too far in goodnesse Nimis iustus et nimis sapiens potes esse non nimis bonus Thou maiest be too iust thou maist be too wise but thou canst neuer be too good Summae religionis est imitari quem colis It is a true height of religion to be a follower of that God of whom thou art a worshipper Come so nigh to God as possibly thou canst in imitation not of his power wisedome maiestie but of his mercie Be holy as the Lord is holy Be merciful as your heauenly Father is mercifull The going on forward to this perfection shall not displease him but crowne thee Giue not ouer this going vntill with Saint Paul thou haue quite finished thy course Aime at perfection shoot at this marke though thou cannot reach it When the wrastling Angel said to Iacob Let me goe for the day breaketh he answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me happy perseuerance When I caught him whom my soule loued I held him and would not let him goe O sweet Iesus who would let thee goe Qui tenes tenentem apprehendentem fortificus fortificatum confirmas confirmatum perficis perfectum coronas Thou that holdest him that holdeth thee that strengthenest him that trusteth thee confirmest whom thou hast strengthened perfectest whom thou hast confirmed and crownest whom thou hast perfected In the behalfe of this continuance the Holy Ghost giues those exhortations Hold fast Stand fast Hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne The same to the Church of Thyatira Tene quod habes Reu. 2. 25. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free It is an ill hearing Ye not doe but did runne well The Prophet in his threnes weepes that they which were brought vp in scarlet embrace dunghils It is iust matter of lamentation when soules which haue beene clad with zeale as with scarlet constantly forward for the glory of God fall to such Apostacie as with Demas to embrace the duÌ„ghil of this world and with an auarous hausture to lick vp the mudde of corruption Ioseph had a coat reaching downe to his feete our religion must be such a garment neither too scant to couer nor too short to continue ad vltimum to the last day of our temporary breath Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life this crowne is promised to a good beginning but performed to a good ending Striue to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height If we can comprehend with the Saints not onely the height of hope the depth of faith the breadth of charity but also the length of continuance we are blessed for euer Euen the tired horse when he comes neere home mends his pace be good alwaies vvithout wearinesse but best at last that the neerer thou commest to the end of thy dayes the neerer thou mayest be to the end of thy hopes the saluation of thy soule Omnis coelestis Curia nos expectat desideremus eam quanto possumus desiderio The whole Court of heauen waites for vs let vs long for that blessed society with a hearty affection The Saints looke for our comming desiring to haue the number of the elect fulfilled the Angels blush when they see vs stumble grieue when vve fall clappe their vvings vvith ioy when vve goe cheerefully forward our Sauiour Christ stands on the battlements of heauen and with the hand of helpe and comfort wafteth vs to him When a noble Souldier in a forraine Land hath atchieued braue designes wonne honourable victories subdued dangerous aduersaries and with worthy Chiualry hath renowned his King and Country home he comes the King sends for him to Court and there in open audience of his Noble Courtiers giues him words of grace commendeth and vvhich is rarely more rewardeth his Valour heapes dignities preferments and places of honour on him So shall Christ at the last day to all those Souldiers that haue valiantly combated and conquered his enemies in the sight of heauen and earth audience of men and Angels giue victorious wreathes crownes and garlands long white robes to witnesse their innocency and Palmes in their hands to expresse their victory and finally he shall giue them a glorious kingdome
be so invisible but the fruites of a good life will declare it Thus by degrees you see what is the right sauing faith As a Lapidary that shewes the buyer an orient pearle and hauing a little fed his eye with that outpleaseth him with a Saphyre yet out-values that with some Ruby or Chrysolite wherwith rauished he doth lastly amaze him with a sparkling Diamond transcending all Or as Drapers shew diuers cloathes of excellent colours yet at last for a Master-piece exceed all wiâ—…h a piece of Scarlet So there are diuers vertues like Iewels but the most precious Iewell of all is Faith And there are diuers degrees of faith as diuers coloured cloathes but the sauing faith is arrayed in the Scarlet robe hath dipped and died her selfe in the bloud of her Sauiour Iesus yet is she white pure white as the snow of Lebanon so are all that be washed in that red fountaine They haue washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe Thy Faith This is the property of that faith that healed him his owne faith But how could Christ call it His faith when as faith is Gods gift It is indeed Datum so well as mandatum Commanded This is his Commandement that we should beleeue on the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ. So also giuen To you it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ to beleeue on him And This is the worke so well as the will of God that ye belieue on him whom he hath sent But this is not giuen without meanes as the woman of Tekoah said to Dauid GOD doth deuise meanes What 's that Faith comes by hearing Now when God hath giuen a man Faith he calls it his Thy faith for what is freer then gift So the Prophet calls it their own mercy They that wait on lying vanities for sake their owne mercy As the water in the Cesterne is said to be the Cesternes though it haue it from the fountaine But yet how doth Christ call it his faith had he a faith by himselfe There is one faith therefore not more his then others In regard of the Obiect vpon whom our faith reflects there is but one faith in regard of the subiect wherein faith resides euery one must haue his owne faith There is no saluation by a common faith but as all true beleeuers haue one and the same faith so euery true beleeuer hath a singular and indiuiduall faith of his owne Thy faith thine for two reasons to distinguish his Person from common men Faith from common Faiths 1. To distinguish his person from others the Nine had not this Faith They beleeued not but thou beleeuest Thy faith this declares him to be out of the common road Thoushalt not follow a multitude to doe euill that Bâ—…llua multorum capitum must not lead thee Some were deuoted to Christ but they could not come nigh him for the prease It was the multitude that rebuked the blind mans prayers As a riuer leades a man through sweet medowes greene woods fertile pastures fruit-loden fields by glorious buildings strong Forts famous Cities yet at last brings him to the salt Sea So the streame of this world carries along through rich commodities voluptuous delights stately dignities all possible content to flesh and bloud but after all this brings a man to death after death to iudgement after iudgement to hell Heare one of the Romists authenticall pleas for their Church falls to the ground vniuersality They pleade Antiquity so a homicide may deriue his murder from Cain They plead vnity so Pharises Sadduces Herodians combined against Christ. They plead vniuersality yet of the ten Lepers but one was thankfull The way to hell hath the greatest store of passengers Company is good but it is better to goe the right way alone then the broad with multitudes It is thought probably that at this day Mahometisme hath more vnder it then Christianity though wee put Protestant and Papist and Puritan and Separatist and Arminian and all in the scale to boote and that meere Paganisme is larger then both Where many ioyne in the Truth there is the Church not for the many's sake but for the Truths sake Saint Augustine teacheth vs to take Religion not by tale but by waight Numbers make not a thing good but the waight of truth Some are so manerly that they will not goe one steppe before a great man no not to heauen Many say with Hushai Whom the people and all the men of Israel chuse his will I be But they leaue out one principall thing which Hushai there put in as the prime ingredient Whom the Lord chuseth they leaue out the Lord. But Ioshua was of another minde Chuse youwhat gods soeuer you will serue I and my house will serue the Lord. The Inferiour Orbes haue a motion of their owne contrary to the greater good men are moued by Gods Spirit not by the Planetary motions of popular greatnesse Let vs prize righteousnes highly because it is seldom found The pebles of the world are common but the pearles of graces rare The vulgar streame will bring no vessell to the land of peace 2. To distinguish his faith from the common faith Thine another kinde then the Pharises faith To belieue the Word but traditions withal vera fides non pura fides is a true but not a pure faith To beleeue the Maior of the Gospell not the Minor Vera non sana fides is a true not a sound faith To belieue a mans own saluation how debauchedly soeuer he liues nec vera pura sana nec omnino fides is neyther a true pure sound faith nor indeed a faith at all but a dangerous presumption To belieue thy owne reconciliation by the merits of Christ and to strengthen this by a desire of pleasing God is a true found sauing faith and this is Fides tua Thy Faith Whosoeuer vvill goe to heauen must haue a faith of his owne In Gedeons Campe euery souldier had his own pitcher among Salomons men of valour euery one wore his owne sword and these were they that got the victories The fiue wise Virgins had euery one oyle in her owne lampe and onely these enter in with the Bridegroome Anothers eating of dainty meate makes thee neuer the fatter Indeed many haue sped the better for other mens faith so the Centurions seruant was healed for his masters sake As thou hast beleeued so be it done vnto thee But for the saluation of the reprobates Though Moses and Samuel stood before me saith the Lord yet my minde could not be toward such people Though Noah Daniel and Iob interceded yet they should deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnesse Pious mens faith may often saue others from temporall calamities but it must be their own faith that saues them from eternall vengeance Lutâ—… was wont to say There is great Diuinity in Pronounes Thy faith One
shall manumit and set free our soules from the prison of the body there shal be a second meeting Many haue come from east from west farre remote in place and haue met with Abraham and Isaac and the holy Patriarches which liued long before them in this world in the kingdome of heauen So already in Mount Sion are the Spirits of iust men made perfect The purer part is then glorified and meets with the triumphant Church in blisse This meeting exceeds the former in comfort 1. In respect that our miseries are past our conflict is ended teares are wiped from our eyes The very release from calamitie is not a litle felicitie So Austin meditates of this place negatiuely Non est ibi mors non luctus c. There is no death nor dearth no pining nor repining no sorrow nor sadnes neither teares nor feares defect nor lothing No glory is had on earth without grudging emulation in this place there is no enuie Non erit aliqua inuidia disparis claritatis quum regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis None sâ—…all malice anothers glorious clearnesse when in all shall be one gratious dearenesse God shall then giue rest to our desires In our first meeting we haue Desiderium quietis in this second Quietem desiderij Here we haue a desire of rest there we shall haue rest of desire 2. In regard that we shall see God behold him whose glory filleth all in all This is great happinesse for in his presence is the fullnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euer We shall not only meete with the spirits of iust men made perfect but also with him that made them iust and perfect Iesus the mediatour of the new couenant euen God himselfe 3 Our last meeting which is called the Generall assembly and Church of the first borne written in heauen is the great meeting at the end of the world When our re-vnited bodies soules shall possesse perfect glory and raigne with our Sauiour for euer When as no mountayne or rocke shall shelter the wicked from doome terrour so no corruption detayne one bone or dust of vs from glory We shal be caught vp together in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be euer with the Lord. Who We. There is a time when the elect shall meete in one vniuersalitie Though now weare scattered all ouer the broad face of the earth dispersed and distressed yet we shall meet There is now a Communion of Saints 1. As of all the members with the Head all haue interest in Christ. For he is not a garden flower priuate to few but the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleys common to the reach of all faythfull hands So Iude calls this our common saluation 2. So of one member with another euen of the Church triumphant with this militant They sing Hosanna's for vs we Halleluia's for them they pray to God for vs we prayse God for them For the excellent graces they had on earth and for their present glory in heauen We meete now in our affections to solace one another and serue our God there is a mutuall sympathie betweene the parts If one member suffer all suffer with it But this meeting shal be voyd of passion and therfore needlesse of compassion though loue shall remaine for euer This Instruction is full of comfort We part here with our parents children kinred friends death breakes off our societie yet there shall be a day of meeting Comfort one another with these wordes Hast thou lost a wife brother child you shall one day meete though not with a carnall distinction of sexe or corrupt relation which earth afforded No man carries earth to heauen with him the same body but transfigured purified glorified There shall be loue hereafter not the offals of it A wife shall be knowne not as a wife there is no marriage but the Lambes Thou shalt reioyce in thy glorified brother not as thy brother according to the flesh but as glorified It is enough that this meeting shall affoord more ioy then we haue knowledge to expresse This giues thee consolation dying with griefe thou leauest those thou dearely louest Yet first thou art going to one whose loue is greater then Ionathans that gaue his life to redeeme thee And well pondering the matter thou art content to forsake all to desire a dissolution that thou mayest be with Christ. Yet this is not all thou shalt againe meet those whom thou now departest from and that with greater ioy then thou hast left in present sorow This comforts vs all if it be a pleasure for friends to meet on earth where Satan is still scattering his troubles of dissention what is it to meete in heauen where our peace is free from distraction from destruction where if there be any memorie of past things meminisse iunabit it shall rather delight vs to thinke of the miseries gone and without feare of returning It is some delight to the merchant to sitte by a quiet fire and discourse the escaped perills of wrackes and stormes Remoue then your eyes from this earth whether you be rich for whom it is more hard or poore for whom it is easier and know it is better liuing in heauen together then on earth together So then run your race that in the end you may meet with this blessed societie the Congregation of Saints in glory We yea All we In this world we must neuer looke to see an vniuersall Church but at that generall day we shall All meete In heauen there are none but good in hell none but bad on earth both good and bad mingled together I confesse that the Church militant is the Suburbes of heauen yea called the Kingdome of heauen because the King of heauen gouernes it by his celestiall lawes but still it is but heauen vpon earth In Gods floore there is chaffe mixed with the wheat in his field cockle with corne in his net rubbish with fish in his house vessells of wrath with those of honour The Church is like the moone somtimes increasing somtimes decreasing but when it is at the full not without some spottes Now this mixture of the vngodly is suffred for two causes either that themselues may be conuerted or that others by them may be excercised Omnis malus aut ideo viuit vt corrigatur aut ideo vt per illum bonus excerceatur 1. For their owne emendation that they may be conuerted to embrace that good which they haue hated So Saul a persecutor becomes Paul a professor Mary Magdalen turpissima meretrix fit sanctissima mulier a putrified sinner a purified Saint Zacheus that had made many rich men poore will now make many poore men rich when he had payed euery man his owne and that now he iudged their owne which he had fraudulently got from them Behold halfe my goods
eye Faith like the Hand layes vnremoued hold on Christ Hope like the Foote walkes toward him in an holy expectation patiently enduring all wrongs in hope of sweet issue Sight which belongs to the Eye shall fully apprehend him when it is gloryfied In this bright knowledge we shall all meete Our present knowledge shall be excelled by our future in 5. differences 1. In qualitie this is an abstracted knowledge of Christ absent that a plenary knowledge of Christ present Ex abstractiua fit intuitiua notitia The light of a lampe vanisheth when the glorious sunne appeareth If our knowledge were mundus eruditionis a world of learning yet is it but eruditio mundi the learning of the world of narrow bounds in regard of the knowledge in heauen 2. In quantitie euen that we know now shall be known then in a greater measure The orbes elements planets plants the herbes of the field parts of our own bodyes we know now but alas weakly in regard of that perfection which this future life shall giue vs. Indeed the Christian for his owne sauing health knowes so much as is able to make him euerlastingly blessed for he knowes Christ his Sauiour and that is eternall life But then he shall know him in a higher measure and perfectly see those things now vnconceaueable Paul heard vnspeakable words in his rapture aboue which below he confesseth not possible for man to vtter 3. In perfection or maturitie Our knowledge heere growes from degree there it shall be one and the same receauing or requiring no augmentation They goe from strength to strength how long till they appeare before God in Sion 4. In continuance Earthly knowledge is momentany all skill in tongs and arts is like the authors mortall and shall come to an end The most famous Artists haue often either mette with a derogate name or beene buried in obliuion The study of Christ is onely eternall and shall not be abrogated but perfected we shall know then as we are knowne 5. In vnitie various dissonant and not seldome repugnant is humane knowledge indeed not worthy the name of knowledge for it is Opinion Man is contrary to man yea man to himselfe this same vnum sentire to be of one minde is difficult if not impossible to be found Though wee ayme our knowledge at one marke yet some shoote on the right hand some on the left some short others shoote ouer hauing a knowledge that puffeth vp Whose learning hath in it some poyson if it be let goe without the true correctiue of it But at this expected day we shall all meete in an vnitie of knowledge Of the Sonne of God That eternall Sonne of God who in the fulnesse of time became for vs the Sonne of man shall then be more clearly knowne to vs. We now beleeue his truth of perfection we shall then see his perfection of truth We shall brightly apprehend the vnconceiueable mysterie of him who is Filius Dei sine matre filius hominis sine patre the Sonne of God without mother the sonne of man without father If any aske whether our knowledge shall extend no further then to Christ our Sauiour There is no doubt but as we know our elder brother set in his throne aboue all the powers of heauen so we shall also knowe the rest of our fraternitie Loue is a grace that neuer fades and therefore shall haue knowledge to make way before it We shall loue the Saints I may inferre wee shall know them Peter knew Moses and Elias on the Mount whom yet before he neuer saw why then should we not know them in heauen and if them why not other of our glorified friends If nothing but that which is earthly and sauours of corruption shall cease and fall off like Eliah's mantle then knowledge must needs remaine being a diuine grace pure and euerlasting as the soule But seeke we to know the Sonne of God here to be our Sauiour and without doubt hereafter we shall know him to be our glorifier Whereunto To a perfect man Before hee speakes in the plurall number of a multitude We shall All meete noweby a sweete kind of Solaecisme he compacts it into the singular all into one We shall All meete to a perfect man Here lie three notes not to be balked 1. This shewes what the vnitie of the Saints shall be one man Here they are sometimes sayd to haue one heart one soule there they shall be one man That not a carnall corruptible sinfull man for he may dissent from himselfe but a perfect man Not materially for there shall bee distinct bodies and soules still as here but metaphorically in regard of the neuer-iarring harmonie Oh sweete musicke where the symphonie shall exceedingly delight vs without diuision without frets 2. The whole Church is compared to a man we haue often read it compared to a body here to a man As in other places to a Body cuius Capâ—… est Christus whose Head is Christ so our Apostle here ver 16. speaketh of our growing to the Head which is Christ. So in this place to a Man cuius anima est Christus whose soule is Christ. Now the soule in the body encreaseth not augmentatiuely but secundum vigorem transfusing into the bodie her vertuall powers operations more strongly Christ is euer the same Heb. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer In this soule there is no mutation but the body encreaseth with the encrease of God For as Christ encreaseth the strength of his grace in vs so we grow to perfection 3. Full perfection is onely reserued for heauen and not granted till we meete in glory then shall the Church be one perfect man We may be now mundi saith Aug. cleane yet still mundandi to be cleansed Not so perfect but still glad of mercie Our puritie is not in facto but in fieri inchoate not finished though begunne All our righteousnes consists in the not imputation of our sinnes Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie Summa perfectio imperfectionis confessio Our greatest cleannesse is the free acknowledging our vilenesse The other immunitie shall be when there are no passions in men no lusts capable of sinne nowe it is well if wee liue without scandall without eruption though not without corruption Non sine culpaâ—…ed sine querela And so the commendation of Zacharie must be vnderstood which calleth him righteous walking in all the commaundements of the Lord blamelesse He liued blamelesse in the worlds eye not in the Lords If thou shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand Especially when his eye of iustice onely shall looke vpon it Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutiatur Woe to the most commendable life of man if mercie bee remooued when it is examined It is enough to proue Zacharie a sinner in that hee
you are now ashamed or at last in vengeance let them be ashamed that transgresse without a cause Let this teach vs how to iudge rightly of sinne that driues vs from the face of God But doth not the glory of the Lord fill all the earth Whither then shall they goe from his face whither fly from his presence we shall find the Prophet concluding in that Psalme that there is neither heauen nor hell nor vttermost part of the sea nor day nor night light nor darknes that can hide vs from his face Our sitting lying downe rising vp the words of our tongues wayes of our feete thoughts of our hart our reines bones and mothers wombes wherein we lay in our first informitie are well knowne to him Let vs not flatter our selues as if we would plucke out the eye of knowledge God hideth his face he will neuer see vs. For there is neither couch in chamber nor vault in the ground neither bottomes of mountaines nor holes of rockes neither secret friend nor more secret conscience neither heauen nor hell that can conceale vs. Of him that sitteth Christ now sittes in glory Whiles he was on earth how little rested he He dearly earned that voice before he heard it Sitte thou at my right hand now behold he sittes Good rest is the reward of good labour the weeke of our dayes spent we shall haue an eternall Sabboth enter into Gods rest Apoc. 14. rest from our labours Hast thou laboured thou shalt haue ease hast thou trauelled in the wayes of grace thou shalt sitte on the seate of glory On the throne Christ at this day shall appeare in his true Maiestie on earth he would not be crowned the reason of his refusall was my Kingdome is not of this world now he sittes in his Throne He hath a Kingdome here but it is secret in the conscience then it shall be conspicuous sitting in his Throne His maiestie hath beene despised but now Bring those mine enemies that would not haue me raigne ouer them and slay them before me Thus differs Christs first comming and his second Then in humilitie now in glory then with poore shepheards now with mightie Angells then the contempt of nations now the terror of the world then crowned with thornes now with maiestie then iudged by one man now iudging all men then in a cratch now in a Throne You see his All-knowledge now for his Almightines From the wrath The wrath of Christ is his Iustice Attribuitur ira Deo per effectum As man offended seekes reuenge so when God executes iudgment it is called his wrath But passion in vs perfection in him He hath long beene prouoked giue him now leaue to stricke You that made so light to trample his bloud vnder your sensuall feet shall now find what his wrath is Let vs now thinke of this wrath that we may escape it The commination of hell doth not lesse commend Gods prouidence then the promise of heauen Nisi inâ—…ntata esset gehenna oâ—…es in gehennam Câ—…beremur Now or neuer is this wrath to be escaped therefore Kisse the Son least he be angry and so ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled yea but a little Blessed are all they that put their trustin him Of the Lambe Christ was called a Lambe in his passion so here in his comming to iudgment not that he should suffer any more but to shew that the same Lambe that was slaine shall giue sentence on his murderers The Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgment vnto the Sonne And hath giuen him authoritie to execute iudgment because he is the sonne of man It shall aggrauat their vexation that the Lambe who offred his bloud for their redemption shall now censure them for despising He that would haue beene their mediatour to pray for them their aduocate to plead for them must nowe bee their Iudge to sentence them The Lambe that saueth the sheepe on the right hande shall cast off the goats on the left The Lambe they haue contemned by this Lambe they shall be condemned Woefull men whome the wrath of the Lambe lights on for he shall giue them an Ite maledicti What shall then become of them but to knocke at the gates of heauen whiles those gates are standing and crie for euer to God but to no purpose I haue no will to end with a terrour yet no time to sweeten your thoughts with those comforts which fayth might sucke from this last word the Lambe I say no more the godly shall find him a Lambe indeede as willing now to saue them as before to suffer for them He hath purchased promised and prepared a kingdome they shall Raigne mith him that sittes on the Throne and with the Lambe for euermore To whom be eternall glory Amen MAIESTIE IN MISERIE OR The power of Christ euen dying MATH 27. 51. And behold the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the rockes rent and the graues were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose IN the lowest depth of Christs humiliation GOD neuer left him without some euident and eminent testimony of his diuine power He hangs here on the crosse dying yea dead his enemies insulting ouer him whereis now his God If he be able to saue vs let him saue himselfe He beares not onely the wrath of God but euen the reproch of men Yet euen now shall his Diuinitie appeare and breake like a glorious Sunne through these clouds of miserie he rents the vaile shakes the earth breakes the stones raiseth the dead These two verses stand gloriously adorned with foure myracles 1. The vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine You will say perhaps the substance of it was not so strong but an easie force might rend it But ver 50. Christ was dead before or dyed at that very instant It was aboue nature that a dying yea a dead man crucified in so remote a place from it should rend the vaile within the Temple 2. The earth did quake Say the vaile was of lesse substance yet the huge bodie of the earth will trie a mans strength In vaine should silly man contend with that which shall deuoure him He cannot moue the earth the earth shall remoue him from walking aliue on it to lie dead in it Behold the power of Christ Terram mouet hee makes the vast bodie of the earth to tremble 3. The rockes rent Will any yet say naturall causes can shake the earth then let their malicious cauill bee choaked with this third myracle beyond exception he breakes the stones not little stones but huge massie rockes 4. Lastly to stop the mouth of all aduersaries to his diuine power he rayseth vp the dead Suscitare mortuos esepulchro is onely proper to God No man can giue a ransome to God for his brother that hee should liue for euer and
the whole If he spare not the Holy of holyes then much lesse the rest Ezek. 9. When God had comanded Slay vtterly old young maides and children he addes withall And begin at my Sanctuary If God begin at his Sanctuary he will not faile to end with the rest if that shall not scape being profaned how much lesse houses built for riot disorder pride ambition If the Temple of praiers then surely the dens of theeues For loe I begin to bring euil on the citie which is called by my name shall ye go vnpunished sayth God to the Heathen If the sacredst things defiled by Idolatry shall be subuerted neuer thinke that your faire houses shall stand when they are made couerts of oppressions and convents of superstition when the better things are not fauoured the worst haue small hope So Peter reasons If Iudgment shall beginne at the house of God what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell If the strong Cedars in Lebanon be rooted vp woe to the rotten-rooted poplars If the dragons taile swoope starres from heauen what shall become of squalid earthy vapours The Temple was one of the worlds greatest wonders as curious a workemanship as sixe and thirtie yeares could make it it wanted not the art of man yea the blessing of heauen was added to it Yet now loe Etiam periere ruinae this goodly building by sin was brought to ruine yea euen the very ruines are perished Shall then your Forts and Pallaces worldlinges Paradises full of rapine emptie of charitie stand against all weathers and stormes of iudgement No stone shall fall after stone and ruine shall one day tell the passengers as GOD threatned of Ierusalem Here stood a goodly Manner a sumptuous edifice a royall Pallace Or if they fall not downe in themselues they shall fall to the owners whose iniquities haue defiled them God punisheth by certaine degrees first he rents the vaile then rents away the Temple As by Dauids hand he first rent Saules garment and then rent away his kingdome God at first toucheth men lightly in their goods quiet health if these stirre not to repentance he proceeds against the whole Know yee not that ye are the Temple of God If you set vp in this Temple Idoles lusts and euill affections God first rents the vaile toucheth you with some gentle afflictions but if you still continue to make this Temple a denne of theeues the Temple it selfe will be destroyed You haue heard the first myracle the renting of the vaile As the Iewes were wont to rend their garments when they heard blasphemie against God so it may seeme the Temple tore his garments rent his vaile in pieces when it heard those execrable blasphemies against the Sonne of God 2. Myracle The earth did quake The Philosophers haue giuen diuers naturall causes of earth-quakes as by hote and dry exhalations shut vp in the bowels of the earth and labouring for vent resisted by the earths solidnes there ensueth terrae motus a shaking of the earth c. But this was an extraordinary earth-quake for it hapned exactly at the very instant of Christs death It might bee to set forth the glory of the new Testament and to vindicate it from inferioritie to the olde The law was both giuen and renewed with an earthquake Giuen Exod. 19. to the hand of Moses The whole mount quaked greatly As at the giuing mount Sinai so at the renewing mount Horeb quaked As Eliah stood vppon the Mount there passed by a strong wind and after the wind an Earth-quake So when the Lord of the Gospell dyed the earth shooke that the ministration of righteousnesse might not be lesse glorious then the ministration of death This myracle shall giue vs a threefolde instruction 1. To consider the fiercenesse of Gods wrath against sinnes and sinners For God by shaking the earth did no lesse then threaten the vtter subuersion of those desperate and bloudie wretches Corah and his confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for rebelling against Moses the Lords seruant Of much how sorer punishment were these worthy that had crucified not the seruant but the Son of God! If the mercies of God had not bin greater then their iniquities they had not escaped By this we see how able God is to punish sinners he shewes what he can doe it is his mercie that hee forbeares Some of these were to be conuerted therefore concussi non excussi moued not remoued shaken but not destroied Ostendisti populo grauia saith the Psalmist Thou hast shewed thy people hard things Shewed not imposed shooke the rod not laid it on This forbearance of God should lead vs on to repentance if not it is but the forerunner of vengeance Though nowe by mouing the earth he scare and spare these Iewes yet after the earth spued them out as an offence to her stomacke O obstinate hearts that quake not when the sencelesse ground quakes that beares so vnprofitable a burden Cannot the earth admonish thee it shall deuour thee Si non mâ—…nebit mouebit If the almighties hand stirring it hath not stird thee to repentance a Sextons hand shall couer thee with moulds a weake shaker shall doe it Thinke when God moues the earth he preacheth to thy soule if thy heart so little in comparison of that great vast bodie will not tremble know God hath one thing that shall shake thee to peices death 2. The nature of sinne is here considerable so heauie that it makes the very earth to quake The Iewes sinnes were such a burden that the earth could not beare them without trembling The earth is fixed and standeth fast sayth the Psalmist as the Center of the world it is strange that to bee moued euen so strange is the cause that moues it It must needs bee a monstrous waight of iniquitie that totters the earth on her foundations But why is the earth so quiet now Doe not innumerable wretches daily crucifie Christ by their oathes blasphemies and rebellions in his head by their persecutions oppressions in his members Is not his word derided his Sacraments despised his good creatures abused Why doth not the earth shrinke and shake at these horred impieties Be still he that holds his hand from myracles wil not hold it from plagues They are for borne not forgiuen God keepes silence but hee sleepeth not the earth may spare them but Desolation in a moment shall swallow them To the Iewes the earth moued and they stood still to these the earth shall stand still and themselues shall be moued 3. There is nothing on the earth that is not moueable if the earth it selfe be moueable God hath laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be moued Yet so that hee who laid it can shake it If the earth then whatsoeuer is built vpon it The earth shall be burnt sayth Peter What alone no the earth
fall into the hands of the liuing God It is then wretchedly done thou Foole to iest at sinne that angers God who is able to anger all the vaines of thy heart for it 6. Sinne which was punished euen in heauen Angeli detruduntur propter peecatum 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell It could bring downe Angels from heauen to hell how much more men from earth to hell If it could corrupt such glorious natures what power hath it against dust and ashes Art thou better or dearer then the Angelles were Dost thou flowt at that which condemned them Goe thy wayes make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes mocke at that which threw downe Angels Vnles God giue thee repentance and another minde thou shalt speed as the lost Angels did For God may as easilie cast thee from earth as he did them from heauen 7. Sinne which God so loathed that hee could not saue his owne elect because of it but by killing his owne Sonne It is such a disease that nothing but the bloud of the Sonne of God could cure it He cured vs by taking the receits himselfe which we should haue taken He is first cast into a Sweat such a sweat as neuer man but he felt when the bubbles were droppes of bloud Would not sweating serue he comes to incision they pierce his hands his feete his sides and set life it selfe abroach Hee must take a potion too as bitter as their malice could make it compounded of vineger gall And lastly he must take a stranger and stronger medicine then all the rest he must die for our sinnes Behold his harmles hands pierced for the sinnes our harmefull hands had committed His vndefiled feete that neuer stood in the wayes of euill nailed for the errors of our pathes Hee is spitted on to purge away our vncleannesse clad in scornefull Robes to couer our wickednesse whipped that we might escape euerlasting scourges He would thirst that our soules might be satisfied the Eternall would die that we might not die eternally He is content to beare all his Fathers wrath that no pang of that burden might be imposed vppon vs and seeme as forsaken a while that we by him might be receiued for euer Behold his side become bloudie his heart dry his face pale his armes stiffe after that the streame of bloud had ran downe to his wounded feet O thinke if euer man felt sorrow like him or if he felt any sorrow but for Sinne. Now is that Sinne to be laughed at that cost so much torment Did the pressure of it lie so heauie on the Sonne of God and doth a son of man make light of it Did it wring from him sweat and bloud and teares and vnconceiueable groanes of an afflicted spirit and dost thou O foole iest at it Alas that which put our infinite Redeemer God and man so hard to it must needs swallow vp and confound thee poore sinfull wretch It pressed him so farre that he cryed out to the amasement of earth and heauen My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Shall he cry for them and shal we laugh at them Thou mockest at thy oppressions oathes sacriledges lusts frauds for these hee groaned Thou scornest his Gospell preached he wept for thy scorne Thou knowest not O foole the price of a Sinne thou must doe if thy Sauiour did not for thee If he suffred not this for thee thou must suffer it for thy selfe Passio aeterna erit in te si passio Aeterni non erat pro te An eternall passion shall be vpon thee if the Eternals passion were not for thee Looke on thy Sauiour and make not a mocke at Sinne. 8 Lastly Sinne shall be punished with Death you know what death is the wages of it not onely the first but the second death Inexpressible are those torments when a reprobate would giue all the pleasures that eâ—…er he enioyed for one drop of water to coole his tongue Where there shall be vnquencheable fire to burne not to giue light saue a glimmering ad ag grauationem vt videant vnde doleant non ad consulâ—…ionem ne videant vnde gandeant to shew them the torments of others and others the torments of themselues But I cease vrging this terrour and had rather win you by the loue of God then by his wrath and Iustice. Neither neede I a stronger argument to disswade you from sinne then by his passion that dyed for vs being enemies For if the agonie anguish and heart-bloud of Iesus Christ shed for our sinnes will not moue vs to repentance we are in a desperate case Now therefore I fitly leaue Pauls adiuration so sweetely tempered in your bosomes commending that to your consciences and your consciences to God I beseech yâ—… brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto GOD. THE FIRE OF CONTENTION OR The trouble that followes the Gospell Lvk. 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be alreadie kindled BEfore I run vpon Diuision and yet Diuision is the subiect of my Text and for methods sake I must vse some diuision in my discourse I must let you vnderstand what this Fire is that is sent and how innocent our Sauiour is that sendeth it 1. There may be Dessention betwixt the good and the good and hereof is the Deuill the author It is the Enemie that sowes those Tares This is one of the abominations that the Lord abhorreth A false witnes that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren God is neuer the immediate cause of that which he abominates If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God To cleare Christ and his Gospell from causing this the tenour of all Scriptures admonisheth vs with Saint Peter Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous Vnitie is the badge of Christianitie wee are all the members of one bodie The eye cannot say to the hands I haue no need of you c. We are all stones of one building therefore must not iarre one with another least we ruine the whole house Christ sayth that a kingdome diuided cannot stand The Souldiours would not diuide the vnseamed coate of Christ farre bee it from vs to rent his bodie There are three grounds of loue vertue pleasure profite Vertue all consent to be the surest and best That then which is grounded on the best vertue is the best vnitie and this is Faith Loue issuing from Faith is a bond able to tie God to man man to God and therefore man to man This knot is tyed so fast that the powers of hell cannot vndoe it All other vnities but the Communion of Saints may be broken There is no peace so indissoluble as the peace of faith So contrarily there
consequence for priuate ends 1. First he begets in a mans minde a dislike of the word for it selfe This man esteemes preaching but follie he sees no good it doth to haue one pratling an houre or two in a Pulpit He is a parishioner to two parishes to the Congregation he liues with Quoad corpus to the Synagogue of Satan Quoad animam 1. Cor. 1. The preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God It is horrible when man dust and ashes meere follie shall censure the Wisedome of God Let them haue their wils be it in their account follie yet it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And without this they must liue in errour and die in terrour hell fire will make them change their opinions 2. Others are wrought to hate it onely for second and simister respects The Masters of that Damosell Act. 16. Possessed with a spirit of diuination seeing the hope of their gaines gone brought Paul and Silas to scourging and neuer left them till they saw them in prison When Demetrius perceiued the ruine not so much of the Ephesian Diana as of his owne Diana gaine and commoditie in making of siluer shrines he sets all Ephesus in a tumult The losse of profite or pleasure by the Gospell is ground enough of malice and madnesse against it Cannot a tyrant be bloudie cannot an oppressor depopulate an vsurer make benefite of his money a swearer braue with blasphemies a drunkard keepe his tavern-session but the Pulpets must ring of it Downe shall that Gospell come if they can subiect it that will not let them runne to hell vntroubled Non turbant Evangelium â—…um ab Evangelio non turbentur let them alone and they will let you alone But if you fight against their sins with the sword of the Spirit they will haue you by the eares and salute you with the sword of death You see the fires that the Deuill Kindleth It is obiected 1. Satan knowes that hee can do nothing but by the permission of God Ans. Therefore not knowing Gods secret will who are elect who reprobate hee laboures to destroy all And if he perceiue that God more especially loues any haue at them to chuse If he can but bruise their heeles O hee thinkes hee hath wrought a great spight to God 2. He knowes that though with his taile he can draw stars from heauen discouer the hypocrisie of great Professors yet he cannot wipe the name of one soule out of the booke of life which the Lambe hath written there Answ. It is the Devils nature to sinne against his owne knowledge Contra scientiam peccabit qui contra conscientiam peccavit 3. He knowes he shall receiue the greater damnation and the more aggravated torments And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire brimstone where the beast the false prophet are shall be tormented day night for ever ever Ans. He sins alwaies with purposed malice of heart proudly against God and blasphemously agaynst the holy Ghost though he receiue the smart himselfe We perceiue now the Fire the Fewell and the Kindler let vs looke to The Smoke There goes lightly a Smoke before this Fire Reu. 9. He opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoake of a great fornace and the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts vpon the earth When we see smoke wee conclude their is fire Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe for the smoke without shewes a sparke of faith within When Abraham saw the smoke of the countrey going vp as the smoake of a fornace He knew that the fire was begun in Sodom This smoke is the signe of persecution ensuing and it is either Publique or Priuate Publique is two fold 1. The threatning of Tyrants this smoke came out of the mouth of Saul Act. 9. And Saul yet breathing out threatnings Such were the Romish vaunts of the Spanish ships but God quenched that fire in water and it was but a smoke Hee that could forbid the fire to burne can also forbid the smoke to become a 〈◊〉 Onely the massacre at Paris was a fire without a smoke vnles it be smoke enough as indeed it is for Papists to liue among Protestants 2. Securitie is a publique Smoke when men cry Peace peace this is the smoake of warre The carelesse liues of the old world and Sodom were portentuous smoakes of their enkindled destruction Our secure and dead-harted conuersations are arguments of the like to vs. God both auert that and conuert vs. We feast reuel daunce sin and sing like swannes the prognostickes of our owne funerals We are not circumspect to looke vp on those which watch vs with the keene eyes ofmalice our sleepâ—… giues themhope our selues danger Neglect of defence hartens on a very coward enemie Our comfort only is He that keepeth Israel doth not sluÌ„ber nor sleepe The priuate Smoke particularly laid to a Christian is a gentler more soft teÌ„tation But if this Smoke preuaile not Satan coms with a fiery trial Ifhe cannot peruert Io seph with his tempting mistres a kind smoke he will trie what a Iayle can doe If the deuill can draw thee to his purpose with a twine threed what needes he a Cable rope If Sampson can be bound with greene withes the Philistines need not seeke for iron chaines But Sathan knows that some will not like Adam and Esau be wonne with trifles that some will sticke to Christ whiles the weather is faire and there is peace with the Gospell yet in time of persecution start away When he comes with tempests and flouds then the house not built on a rocke fals If our foundation be straw and stubble we know this fire will consume it but if gold it shall rather purge and purifie it He will not goe about that can passe the next way If a soft puffe can turne thee from Christ Sathan will spare his blustring tempests if a smoake can doe it the fire shall be forborne If Ioâ—… could haue beene brought to his bow with killing his cattell seruants children perhaps his bodie had beene fauour'd So that after gentle temptations looke for stormes as thou wouldst after smoake fire Inure thy heart therefore to vanquish the least that thou mayst foile the greatest let the former giue thee exercise against these latter as with wooden Wasters men learne to play at the sharpe Be thy confidence in him that euer enabled thee and affie his promise that will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue thy strength Onely handle this weapon with more heedfull cunning and when thou perceiuest the dallyings of the Deuill play not with his baites Corrupt not thy conscience with a little gaine
Now therefore Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of minde c. As you claime any portion in those gracious blessings Election Sanctification and the loue of God as you would haue the sweet testimonie of the Spirit that you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption Put on mercie kindnes meeknes long suffering let them be as robes to couer you all ouer Yea bowels of mercies let them be as tender and inward to you as your most vitall parts Lay forbearance and forgiuenes as deare friends in your bosomes Depart from iniquitie for the high way of the vpright is to depart from euill and he that keepth his way preserueth his soule And above all these things put on Charitie which is the bond of perfectnesse Walke in loue And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israell of God Amen LOVES COPIE OR The best Precedent of Charitie EPHE 5. 2. As Christ loued vs. WE distinguished the whole verse into a Canon and a Crucifixe The Canon consisted of a Precept and a Precedent Loue is the Subiect and it is both commanded and commended Commanded in the Charge which you haue heard Commended in the Example which you shall heare I determined my speach with the Precept Walke in loue The Precedent or Patterne remaines to be propounded and expounded As Christ loued vs. Every word is emphaticall and there be foure signifying foure seuerall natures Here 1 As is a word of 1 Qualitie 2 Christ 2 Maiestie 3 Loued 3 Mercie 4 Vs 4 Miserie Two of these words be Vincula or Media that ioyne and vnite other things Sicut and Dilexit As and Loued As directs our loue to God and Man by the exemplified rule of Christ louing vs. Walke in loue to others As Christ loued vs. Loued is that blessed reconciling nature whereby Gods good Greatnes descends to our bad basenesse and the Iust giues to the vniust Saluation For what other nature but Mercie could reconcile so high Maiestie and so low Miserie As According to Zanchius his obseruation on this place is a note of Qualitie not Equalitie of Similitude not of Comparison We must loue others As Christ loued vs As for the manner not for the measure His loue was strong as Death for to the death hee loued vs. It was a bright cleare fire many maters could not quench it yea water and bloud could not put it out God so loued the World so freely so fatherly so fully as no tongue can tell no heart thinke The loue of Christ passeth knowledge To thinke of equalling this loue would be an impossible presumption Our loue is inconstant weake a mingled and often a mangled loue mingled with selfe loue and mangled with the wounding affections of the world Our loue is faine his strong ours ficle his constant ours limited his infinite Yet wee must follow him so fast as we can and so farre as wee may Walking in loue as he loued vs. His Walking in loue was strange and admirable hee tooke large steps from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen As Bernard on that speech of the Church concerning her Beloued Behold hee commeth leaping vpon the mountaines skipping vpon the hils He leaps from heauen to the Virgins wombe from the wombe to a manger from the manger to Egypt from Egypt to Iudah from thence to the Temple from the Temple vp to the Crosse from the Crosse downe to the graue from the graue vp to the earth and from the earth vp to the highest glory And he shall yet haue another leap from the right hand of his Father to iudge quicke and dead These were great iumpes large paces of loue When he made but one stride from the clouds to the cradle and another from the Cradle to the crosse and a third from the crosse to the crowne To come from the bosome of his immortall father to the wombe of his mortall mother was a great step From the lowest hell or depth of his humiliation to the highest heauen or top of his exaltation was a large pace We cannot take such large steps nor make such strides These leaps are beyond our agilitie our abilitie Yet we must follow him in loue stepping so farre as we can and walking so fast as we may Follow we carefully and chearfully though non passibus aequis The Father that takes his yong son into the field with bowes shafts and bids him shoot after him doth not expect that the child should shoote so farre as he but so farre as he can Though we cannot reach Christs marke yet If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not Now this particle As is not barely similitudinary but hath a greater latitude and serues To Confine the Measure of our Imitation Define Matter Refine Manner 1. This Sicut Confines Our imitation and limits it to that circumference which the present rule or compasse giues it We may not follow Christ in all things but in this thing Loue As he loued vs. Our imitation hath a limitation that it may not exorbitantly start out of the circle There are speciall workes which God reserues to himselfe and wherein he did neuer commaund or commend mans following but rather strikes it downe as presumption His Power his Maiestie his Wisedome his Myracles cannot without a contumacious ambition be aymed at When Lucifer aspired to be like God in Maiestie he was throwne out of heauen When Adam contended to be like God in knowledge he was cast out of Paradise When Nebuchadnezzar arrogated to be like God in Power he was expulsed his kingdome When Simon Magus mounted to be like God in working Miracles and to flie in the ayre he was hurld downe and broke his necke God must not be imitated in his Finger in his Arme in his Braine in his Face but in his Bowels Not in the Finger of his Myracles nor in the Arme of his Power nor in the Braine of his Wisedome nor in the Face of his Maiestie but in the Bowels of his Mercy Be ye mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull And sayth Paul Put on the Bowels of mercy as Christ put them on Forbeare forgiue Walke in Loue As hee loued vs. Neither Angell nor Man did euer or shall euer offend in coueting to be like God in Loue Grace Mercy Goodnes So that this Sicut excludes his Myracles and directs vs to his Morralls Walke in Loue 〈◊〉 c. 2. This Sicut Defines What our Loue should be As Christ was to vs. Now his loue to vs had an infinite extention and is past the skill of men or Angels to describe Yet because this is the perfect Copy of our imitation and the infallible Rule whereby we must square our Charitie I must according to my shallow power wade a litle
Court who often fed vs in the countrey Or if wee vouchsafe to acknowledge them as friends we will not as Sutors Hereon was the verse made Quisquis in hoc mundo cunctis vult gratus haberi Det Capiat Quaerat Plurima Pauca Nihil He that would be of worldly men well thought Must alwayes Giue Take Beg Much Litle Nought Men cannot brooke poore friends This inconstant charitie is hatefull as our English phrase premonisheth Loue me Little and Loue me Long. 3. This Sicut Refines Our loue Walke in loue as Christ loued vs. Where As is not onely similitudinary but causall Loue because Christ loued vs for this cause as after this maner Which serues to putrifie our loue to purge it from corruption and to make it perfect Dilectio Dei nosfacit diligibiles diligentes both such as God can loue and such as can loue God For it is the loue of Christ to vs that works a loue to Christ in vs. A man will euer loue that medicine that hath freed him from some desperate disease Christs Loue hath healed vs of all our sores and sinnes let vs honour and loue this medicine compounded of so precious simples water and bloud And let vs not onely affectionately embrace it our selues but let vs inuite others to it Come and harken all ye that feare God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule Christ. I haue beene so punctuall in this word of Qualitie that I can but mention the rest The word of Maiestie is Christ who being almightie God coequall and coeternall with the Father and the Spirit tooke on him our nature and was factus homo vt pro homine pacaret Deum God was made man that for man he might appease God Thus did so great a maiestie stoupe low for our loue Non exuendo quod habuit sed induendo quod non habuit not by loosing what he had but by accepting what he had not our miserable nature Ipse dilexit nos Tantus tantum gratis tantillos tales Hee that was so great loued so greatly vs that were so poore and vnworthy freely Loued Is that word of Mercy that reconciles so glorious a God to so vngracious sinners The cause which moued Christ to vndertake for vs was no merite in vs but meere mercy inhim He Loued vs because he loued vs in our Creation when we could not loue him in our Redēption when we would not loue him Loued vs notbutthat he loueth vs stil. But the Apostle speaks in this time to distinguish the loue wherewith he now loueth vs from that whereby he once Loued vs. For if when wee were enemies we were reconciled to God by his death much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life Though it be also true that from euerlasting he Loued vs. Vs Is the word of Miserie Vs hee loued that were so wretched The word is indefinite Us all vs. Vs be wee neuer so vnworthy All vs be wee neuer so many 1. Vs that were vnworthy of his loue from whom he expected no correspondence That hee loued the blessed Angels was no wonder because they with winged obedience execute his hests and doe his word Yea that he loued his very reason-lesse and insensible creatures is not strange for fire and haile snow and vapour stormy wind and tempest fulfill his word But to loue vs that were weake vngodly sinners enemies Rom. 5 weake no strength to deserue vngodly no pietie to procure sinners no righteousnes to satisfie enemies no peace to atone for wee hated him and all his yee shall be hated of all men for my names sake To loue such vs was an vnexpectable a most mercifull Loue. Hee that wanted nothing loued vs that had nothing Immortall eternitie loued mortall dust and ashes O if a man had Ora mille fluentia melle yea the tongues of Angels he could not sufficiently expresse this loue So God loued the world Mundum immundum the vncleane world that not onely not receiued him but euen crucified and killed him 2 All of vs without acception of persons This is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world The Gospell proclaimes an vniuersall Si quis Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Qui seipsum excipi◅ se ipsum decipit He that excepts himselfe beguiles his owne soule Hence I find three inferences obseruable which I will commend to your consciences and your consciences to God Dilecti diligamus Dilectos Diligentes 1. We are loued our selues therefore let vs loue He that bids vs loue loued vs first This is my Commandement that yee loue one another Why As I loued you Non aliud iussit quam gessit he chargeth vs with nothing in precept which he performed not in practise Therefore Si tardi su◅us ad ◅andum non tardi simus ad redamandum Though we haue not beene forward to loue first let vs not be backward to returne loue Dilecti diligite If God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another Magnes amoris amor and the sole requitall which God requires for his rich loue is our poore loue that onely may loue him but haue nothing to giue him that is not his 2. They are beloued whom thou art charged to loue He that bids vs loue others loues them himselfe It is fit we should loue those whom Christ loues If thou loue Christ thou art bound to loue others because he loues them yea with that very same loue wherewith he loues thee Therefore Dilectos diligamus 3. They also loue God whom God commands thee to loue The loue of Christ is so shed abroad into all Christian hartes that they vnfainedly affect Iesus their Sauiour They loue him whom thou louest therefore loue them It is fit we should loue them highly that loue God heartily Therefore Diligentes diligamus Thus you haue heard Loues Walke or Race now then sayth Paul So runne that you may obtaine I will end with an Apologue an Epilogue a Parable Charitie and certaine other her riualls or indeed enemies would runne a race together The Prize they all ranne for was Felicitie which was held vp at the Gaoles end by a bountifull Lady called Eternitie The runners were Pride Prodigalitie Enuie Couetousnes Lust Hypocrisie and Loue. All the rest were either diuerse or aduerse neighbours or enemies to Charitie I will Herald-like shew you their seuerall equipage how they begin the Race and end it 1. Pride you know must be formost and that comes out like a Spanyard with daring lookes and a tongue thundring out braues mounted on a spritely Iennet named Insolence His Plumes and Perfumes amaze the beholders eyes and nosthrils He runnes as if he would ouerthrow Gyants and Dragons yea euen the great Red-Dragon if he encountred him and with his lance burst open heauen gates But his Iennet stumbles and downe comes Pride You know
Ricâ—… when he recâ—…ed of the wise men preciouâ—… 〈◊〉 Gâ—…ld Frankincense and Myrth Que 〈◊〉 ipsissiâ—…â—…la dedignatus essâ—…t Which if they had beene simply euill he would not haue accepted 2. In hiâ—… Life hee sanctified 〈◊〉 when hee was maintained 〈◊〉 hauing no garment to put on and the good women kept him by their contributions Hee was glad to borrow an Asse colt when he was to ride and to angle for monâ—…y in the sea when he payd tribute And 〈◊〉 if he wanted a bed to complaine Thâ—… Foxes haue holes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the Sonne of 〈◊〉 hath not whâ—…re to rest his head Hee sanctified Riches when hee called Zaccheus a wealthy vsurer and raised Lazarus a wealthy citizen had his Sâ—…d which gaue almes to the distressed and boâ—… his pâ—…se And like a Prince feasted thousands at one banket 3. In his Death He sanctified Pâ—…ertie when he had not a Graue of his owne but was buried in another mans Sepulchre nay not a sheete to wrappe him in but was beholding to another for his linnen And euen dying conuerted a poore malefactor on the Crosse by him He sanctified Riches when he accepted the kindnes of Ioseph whom Matthew calls a rich man Marke an honourable for his sepulture and Nichodemus his costly vnction euen an hundreth pound waight mixed with myrrhe and aloes Though riches be to some pernicious a fuming wine which turnes their braines yet to others they are a vessell wherein they may with more speed saile to heauen though no compasse starre or cause to bring them thether Others are called by Dauid â—…iri diuitiarum Men of riches because they possesse not their riches but their riches haue subiugated them We haue a kind of presage though we conceiue it not in saying of such a one He is a man of wealth The speach signifies him a slaue to his riches the wealth is not the mans but the man the wealths But otherwise a rich man may be a good man for wickednesse is not bound to wealthinesse as heate is to fire and arrogancie or lewdnesse may be incident to pouertie and basenes Pauper superbus a poore man proud was one of Cyprians twelue abuses A rotten log will yeeld as much saw-dust as a piece of good timber a peasant ill nurtured is also ill natured A great gentleman will shew more humble courtesie then a thrashing hind or a toiling ploughmaÌ„ Hagar was but a Gipsee a bondwoman yet was her excellent mistres Sara dispised in her eyes As Ierâ—…m reproued the Monkes Quid facit sub tâ—…ica pâ—…nitentis regimus animus So not seldome a â—…sset coate shrowds as high a heart as a silken garment You shall haue a palâ—…rie cottage send vp more blacke smoke then a goodly mannor It is not wealth therefore but vice that excludes men out of heauen The Fryers and Iesuites haue very strongly strangly backbited Riches but all their railing on it is but behind the backe secretly and in their hearts they loue it When they are out of the reach of eyes then Gold is their Sunne by day and siluer their Moone by night Some of them for enforced want like the foxe dispraise the grapes they cannot reach Or as Eusebius notes of Licinius the Emperor that he vsed to raile at learning to say nothing worse became a prince because himself was illiterate So they coÌ„mend nothing more then Pouerty because they are must be poore against their wills Others of them find fault with Riches whereof they haue great store but would that none should couet it beside themselues So the cosening Epicure made all his fellow guests beleeue that the banket was poysoned that all they refusing hee might glut himselfe alone These often cheate themselues and worke their owne bane whiles they so beat off others from the world and wrappe themselues vp in it to their confusion The foxe in the fable with diuerse other beasts found a rich bootie of costly robes and iewels Hee perswades the Lyon that he needs not trouble himselfe with them because he is king and may command all at his pleasure He tells the Stagge that if he should put them on they would so molest him that hee could not escape the huntsmen For the Boare hee sayes they would euill fauouredly become him and the wolfe he shuffles off with the false newes of a fold of Lambes hard by which would doe him more good So all gone he begins to put on the robes himselfe and to reioyce in his lucky fraud But instantly came the owners and surprised him who had so pusâ—…led himselfe in these habiliments that hee could not by flight escape so they tooke him and hanged him vp The subtle foxes Iesuites and Fryers diswade kings from coueting wealth because of their power to command all and Great men because it will make them enuied and hunted after for their trappings Countrey men it will not become they say and all the rest that it will hinder their iourney to heauen So in conclusion they driue all away and get the whole world for their master Pope and themselues But at last these foxes are caught in their owne noose for the deuill finds them so wrapp'd hamperd in these ornaments and their hearts so besotted on money and riches that he carries them with as much ease to hell as the charriot drew Pharaoh into the red sea For vs beloued we teach you not to cast away the bagge but couetousnesse Non facultatem sed cupiditatem reprehendimus We bid you vse the world but enioy the Lord. And if you haue wealth make you friends with your riches that they so made friends by your charitie may receiue and make way for you into euerlasting habitations It is not your Riches of this world but your riches of grace that shall doe your soules good Not my wealth nor my blood but my Christianitie makes me noble quoth that noble Martyr Romanus And though the Philosopher merrily when he was asked whether were better wisedome or Riches answered Riches for I haue ofteÌ„ said he seene poore wise men at rich fooles dores but neuer rich fooles at poore wise mens dores Yet wealth may be ioyned with wisedome goodnesse with greatnesse Mary and Martha may bee sisters righteousnesse and riches may dwell together Chrysostome on that aphorisme of Christ Yee cannot serue God and Mammon obserues that hee doth not say Yee cannot haue God and Mammon but ye cannot serue God and Mammon for hee that is the seruant of God must bee the master of his wealth The Lord Iesus is able to sanctifie and saue the rich mans soule as well as the poores and to send poore Lazarus into the bosome of rich Abraham Where consider not onely Qui sublatus but Quò sublatus Poore but good Lazarus is carried into Rich but good Abrahams bosome to signifie that neither Pouertie deserues heauen nor Riches
thy robes of glory but not thy rags of pouertie They loue him whiles the people cry Hosanna but shrinke backe when they cry Crucifie him All pleaseth them but the Crosse all the faire way of delights they will accompany him but at the Crosse they part They would share with him in his kingdome but they will none of his vassalage The Lyon in a Fable had many attendants and he prouided for them good cheare They like well of this and are proud of their master to whom all the other beastes gaue awe and obedience But it chanced that the Lyon fell into the daunger of the Dragon who had got him downe readie to deuoure him His followers seeing this quickly betake them to their heeles and fell euery beast to his old trade of rapine Onely the poore Lambe stood bleating by and though hee coulde not helpe would not forsake his Lord At last the Lyon gets the victory and treads the Dragon vnder his feet to death Then he punisheth those revolting traytors with deserued destruction and sets the Lambe by his owne side The great Lyon of Iudah feeds many of the Iewes and at this day profane wretches whilest his bountie lasts Christ and none but Christ. But when the Red Dragon hath got him vnder nailed him to the crosse Crucified him dead away goe these runnagates no more peny no more Paternoster If affliction come for Christ his cause they know where to find a kinder Master Backe to the world one to his fraud and hee will ouer-reach others with the sinne of deceitfulnesse though himselfe be ouer-reached with the deceitfulnesse of sinne Another to his vsurie and hee chymically proiects money out of the poores bowels A third to his couetousnesse and hee had rather that the very frame of the world should fall then the price of corne A fourth to his Idols and hee hopes for cakes from the Queene of heauen as if the King of heauen was not able to giue bread If the Lord pinch them with distresse they runne to Rome for succour expecting that from a blocke which they would not tarry to obtaine from the God of mercie Then they cry like the Israelites Vp make vs gods to goe before vs for as for this Moses wee know not what is become of him But at last this Lyon conquers the Dragon ouercomes Sathan his damnation what shall he then say to those Rebelles that would not haue him raigne ouer them But Bring those mine enemies and slay them before me But the poore and pure innocent Lambs that suffer with him shall raigne with him Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 The other vse is St. Pauls Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus What mind is that Humilitie Ver. 7. He that thought it no robberie to bee equall with God humbled himselfe to become Man we should haue found it no robberie to be equall with Deuils and shall we be proud What an intolerable disproportion is this to behold Humilem Deum superbum hominem an humble God and a proud man Who can indure to see a Prince on foot his vassall mounted Shall the Sonne of God be thus humble for vs shall not we be humble for our selues For our selues I say that deserue to be cast downe among the lowest for our selues that we may be exalted He that here cals himselfe the Sonne of man is now glorified they that humbly acknowledge themselues to be the Sonnes of men that is mortall shal be made the Sonnes of God that is immortall In the first of King 19. There was a mightie strong winde that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes but God was not in the Wind the Lord will not rest in the turbulent spirit puffed vp with the wind of vaine-glory There was an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake He will not dwell in a couetous heart buryed in the furrowes of the earth and cares of the world There was a Fire but the Lord was not in the fire Hee will not rest in a cholericke angry soule full of combustion and furious heate There was a still soft voyce and the Lord came with it In a milde and humble spirit the God of heauen and earth will dwell The high and loftie One that inhabiteth eternitie will dwell in the contrite and humble soule It is a sweet mixture of Greatnesse and Goodnesse Vt dum nihil in honore sublimius nihil in humilitate submissius When the highest in dignitie are the lowest in courtesie Augustine called himselfe Minimum non solùm omnium Apostolorum sed etiam Episcoporum the least not onely of all the Apostles but of all the Bishops wheras he was the most illuminate doctor and best Bishop of his times Paul thought himselfe not worthy to be called an Apostle and behold he is called The Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Paul but The Apostle Abraham that esteemed himselfe dust and ashes is honoured to bee the Father of all them that beleeue Dauid sits content at his sheepe-folds the Lord makes him King ouer his Israell But as Humilitie like the Bee gathers Honey out of ranke Weeds very sinnes mouing to repentance So Pride like the Spider suckes poyson out of the fairest flowers the best graces and is corrupted with insolence Vna superbia destruit omnia Onely Pride ouerthrowes all It thrust proud Nabuchadnezzar out of mens societie proud Saul out of his kingdome proud Adam out of Paradise proud Haman out of the Court proud Lucifer out of heauen Pride had her beginning among the Angels that fell her continuance in earth her end in hell Poore man how ill it becomes thee to be proud when God himselfe is humble Is come We vnderstand the person let vs come to his Comming And herein Ecce veritatem behold his Truth Did God promise a Sonne of a virgin Emanuell a Sauiour He is as good as his word Venit he is come Did the sacrificed bloud of so many Buls Goates and Lambes prefigure the expiatory bloud of the Lambe of God to be shed Ecce agnus Dei Behold that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Is the Seed of the woman promised to breake the head of the serpent Behold he breakes the heauens and comes downe to doe it For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill Did God ingage his word for a Redeemer to purge our sinnes Call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Against vnbeleeuing Atheists and mis-beleeuing Iewes here is sufficient conviction But I speake to Christians that beleeue he is come Hac fide credite venturum esse qua creditis venisse Beleeue that he will come againe with the same faith wherewith you beleeue he is come alreadie Doe not curtall Gods
word beleeuing onely so much as you list Faith is holy and catholicke if you distrust part of Gods word you prepare infidelitie to the whole Did God promise Christ and in the fulnes of time to send him Then since he hath againe promised him and appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world by that man he shall come As certainly as he came to suffer for the world so certainely shall he come to iudge the world Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation He that kept his promise when he came to die for vs followed by some few poore Apostles will not breake it when he shal come in glory with thousaÌ„ds of Angels Neither did God onely promise that Christ should come but that all beleeuers should be saued by him As many as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name Misit filium promisit in filio vitam He sent his Sonne to vs and saluation with him Wretched and desperate men that distrust this mercie Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Whosoeuer Qui se ipsum excipit seipsum decipit Did not God spare to send his promised sonne out of his bosome to death and will hee to those that beleeue on him deny life No all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ may these also be Yea and Amen in our beleeuing hearts A yeelding Deuill could say Iesus I knew yet some men are like that tempting deuill Math. 4. Si filiu Dei sis If thou be the sonne of God Si if as if they doubted whether he could or would saue them Is come There is a threefold Comming of Christ according to the threefold difference of Time Past Present Future As Bernard Venit Ad homines In homines Contra homines 1. First for the time past he came among men Iohn 1. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. 2. For the present he comes into men by his Spirit and grace Reu. 3. I stand at the dore and knock if any open vnto me I will come into him 3. For the time to come hee shall come against men Rom. 2. At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. Or as it is wittily obserued the Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo Virgo Libra 1. In the Law like a Lyon roaring out terrible things with a voice not indurable And they sayd to Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs least we die 2. In the Gospell hee appeared in Virgo an Infant borne of a virgin Math. 1. 25. 3. At his last Audite hee shall appeare in Libra weighing all our thoughts words and workes in a balance Behold I come quickly my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shal be Is come He was not fetched not forced sponte venit of his owne accord he is come No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Ambrose on these words of Christ Are ye come out against a theefe with swords and staues to take me Stultum est cum gladijs eum quarere qui vltro se offâ—…rt It was superfluous folly to apprehend him with weapons that willingly offered himselfe to seeke him in the night by treason as if he shunned the light who was euery day teaching publiquely in the Temple Sed factum congruit tempori personis quia cùm essent tenebrae in tenebroso tempore tenebrosum opus excercebant The fact agrees to the time and Persons they were darknesse therefore they doe the worke of darknesse in a time of darknesse Indeed hee prayes Father saue mâ—…e from this houre but withall hee corrects himselfe Therefore came I to this houre But he is said to feare dâ—…th Hebr. 5. What is it to vs Quòd timuit that hee feared nostrum est quòd sustinuit that hee suffered Christs nature must needs abhorre destructiue things but his Rationall ouercame his Naturall will Hee feared death Ex affectu sensualitatis not Ex affectu rationis Hee eschewed it secundum se but did vnder goe it propter aliud Ex impetu naturae hee declined it but ex imperio rationis considering that either hee must come and die on earth or wee all must goe and die in hell and that the heads temporall death might procure the bodies eternall life behold the Sonne of man is come Neither was it necessary for him to loue his paine though hee so loued vsto suffer this paine No man properly loues the rod that beats him though hee loues for his soules good to be beaten As Augustin sayd of crosses Tollerare iubemur non amare Nemo quod tollerat amat etsi tollerare amat We are commanded to beare them not to loue them No man that euen loues to suffer loues that he suffers Voluntarily hee yeelds himselfe saluting Iudas by the name of Friend Amice â—…r venis He suffered not his followers to offend his enemies nor commands the Angels to defend himselfe O blind Iewes was it impossible for him de paruo slipite ligni descendere qui descendit a coelorum altitudine to come downe from a peice of wood that came downe from heaueÌ„ Nunquid tua vincula illuÌ„ possunt teâ—…ere quem câ—…li non possunt capere Shall your bonds hold him when the heauens could not containe him He came not to deliuer himselfe that was in freedome but to deliuer vs that were in bondage Is come Is Christ come to vs and shall not wee come to him Doth the Sonne of God come to the Sonnes of men and doe the Sonnes of men scorne to come to the Sonne of God Proud dust wilt thou not meet thy maker If any aske Whether is thy beloued gone that wee may seeke him with thee The Church answers My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies You shall haue him in his Garden the Congregation of the faithfull Wheresoeuer a number is gathered together in his Name Behold Venit ad limina virtus Manna lies at your thresholds will you not goe forth and gather it The Bridegrome is come will you not make merrie with him The nice piece of dust like Idolatrous Ieroboam cryes the Church is too farre off the iourney too long to Christ. Hee came all that long way from heauen to earth for vs and is a mile too tedious to goe to him Goe too sede ede perde sit still eate thy meate and destroy thy selfe who shall blame the iustice of thy condemnation But for vs let vs leaue our pleasures and goe to our Sauiour Non sedeas sed cas ni pereas
that this mourning for Gods absence is an euident demonstration of his presence 2. Of Reprehension to others that say they are sure of the purchase before they euer gaue earnest of the bargaine Presumption is to be auoided so well as despaire For as none more complaine that they want this assurance then they that haue it so none more boast of it then they that haue it not The fond hypocrite takes his owne presumption for this assurance he liues after the flesh yet brags of the Spirit This false opinion ariseth partly from his owne conceite partly from Satans deceite 1. From his owne Conceit he dreames of the Spirit and takes it granted that it euer rests within him but when his soule awakes he finds there no such manner of guest the holy Spirit neuer lodged there There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes yet are not washed from their filthinesse These pure people so vaunt theâ—… assurance of saluation that they will scarce change places in heauen with St. Peter or St. Paul without boote The infallible marke of distinction which the Apostle sets on the Sonnes of God is this they are led by the Spirit Rom. 8. So many as are led by the Spirit of God 〈◊〉 sonnes of God The holy Ghost is their God and their guideâ—… and this Spirit 〈◊〉 them into all truth and guides them into the land of righteousnes But these men will Spiritum dâ—…ere lead the Spirit They are not ductible they will not be led by the Spirit into truth and pence but they will lead the Spirit as it were ouer-rule the holy Ghost to patronize their humours Let them be adulterers vsurers bribe-corrupted sacrilegious c. yet they are still men of the Spirit But of what Spirit Nesâ—…tis we may say to them as Christ to hit two hote disciples ye know not of what Spirit you are It is enough they thinke to haue oculos in coelo though they haue manus in fundo animos in profundâ—… It is held sufficient to haue eyes fixed on heauen though couetous hands busie on earth and crafty minds deepe as hell This ouer-venturous conceite that heauen is theirs how base and debauched liues so euer they liue is not assurance but presumption 2. This ariseth from Satans Deceite who cryes like Corah Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the congregation is â—…ily euery one of them You are holy enough you are sure of heauen what would you more You may sit downe and play your worke is done Hereupon they sing peace and Requiems to their soules and begin to wrappe vp their affections in worldly ioyes But Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the most grieuous storme This is carnall securitie not heauenly assurance As the Iewes went into captiuitie with Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord c. in their lips so many go to hell with the water of Baptisme on their faces and the assurance of saluation in their mouthes 3. Of Instruction teaching vs to keepe the euen-way of comfort eschewing both the rocke of presumption on the right hand and the gulfe of desperation on the left Let vs neither be Tumidi nor Timidi neyther ouer bold nor ouer-fainting But endeuour by faith to assure our selues of Iesus Christ and by repentance to assure our selues of faith and by an amended life to assure our selues of repentance For they must here liue to Gods glory that would hereafter liue in Gods glory 3. In the next place obserue the meanes how we may come by this assurance This is discouered in the text Dic animae Say vnto my Soule Who must speake God To whom must he speake to the Soule So that in this assurance God and the Soule must meet This St. Paul demonstrates The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestari to beare witnesse together Neither our spirit alone nor Gods spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring Not our spirit alone can giue this assurance for mans heart is alwayes euill often deceitfull At all times euill Euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely euill continually At some times deceitfull The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked Who can know it Non noui animam meam sayth Iob. I know not my owne soule though I were perfect And Paul concerning his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified And if Dauids soule could haue made a sufficient testimony alone what needed he pray Dic animae say Thou to my soule Some haue a true zeale of a false Religion and some a false zeale of a true Religion Paul before his conuersion had a true zeale of a false Religion I was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers The Laodiceans had a false or rather no zeale of a true Religion I know thy works that thou art neither hote nor cold So that when about this certificate a man deales with his heart singly his heart will deale with him doubly No nor doth Gods spirit alone giue this Testimony least a vaine illusion should be taken for this holy perswasion But both Gods spirit and our spirit meeting together are Concordes and Contestes ioynt witnesses Indeed the principall worke comes from Gods spirit he is the primary cause of this assurance Now he certifies vs by word by deed and by seale By word terming vs in the Scripture Gods children and putting into our mouthes that filiall voyce whereby wee cry Abba Father By deed the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering c. By these is our Election made sure sayth Saint Peter By Seale Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption Now our spirit witnesseth with him from the sanctitie of our life faith and reformation He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 4. Lastly this is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life euen an heauen vpon earth to be ascertained of his saluation There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexfull studies striue to apprehend But without this he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Vnum necessarium this one thing is onely necessary whatsoeuer I leaue vnknowne let me know this that I am the Lords Qui Christum discit satis est si caetera nescit He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truely knows Iesus Christ. There is no potion of miserie so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a cofortable rellish When enemies assault vs get vs vnder triumph ouer vs imagining that saluation it selfe cannot saue vs what is our comfort Noui in quem credidi I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure the Lord will not forsake me Deficit
our land is ours our garment ours our money seruant beast ours and that he is a theefe who robs vs of these But all the men in the world cannot warrant vs our Saluation but onely Iesus Christ. Therefore that we may haue assurance that all these are ours and that wee shall neuer answere for euery bit of bread we haue eaten and for euery drop of wine we haue drunke that our possessions are our owne our gold robes rents revenues are our owne let vs be Christs Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or thinges present or thinges to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is Gods Be sure of saluation and be sure of all For he that spared not his owne sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things To whom My saluation not others onely but Mine A man and a Christian are two creatures he may bee a man that hath reason and outward blessings he is onely a Christian that hath faith and part in the saluation of Christ. God is plentifull saluation but it is not ordinary to find a Cui to whom Much of heauen is lost for lacke of a hand to apprehend it All passengers in this world presume they are going to heauen but we may guesse by the throng that the greater part take the broader way Christ leauing the earth in respect of his bodily presence left there his Gospell to apply to mens soules the vertue of his death and passion Ministers preach this Gospell people heare this Gospell all boast of this Gospell yet himselfe foretels that when he comes againe he shall scarce find faith vppon earth No doubt he shall find Christians enow but scarce faith Saluation is common as St. Iude speaketh When I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation but few make it proper to themselues That God is my saluation and thy saluation this is the comfort When. In the time present I am Sum non sufficit quòd ere It is comfort to Israell in captiuitie that God sayes Ero tua redemptio I will redeeme thee But the assurance that quiets the conscience is this I am thy saluation As God said to Abraham feare not I am with thee Deferred hope faints the heart Whatsoeuer God forbeare to assure vs O pray we him not to delay this Lord say to our soules I am your saluation To conclude it is saluation our Prophet desires that God would seale him vp for his childe then certifie him of it He requests not Riches he knew that man may be better fed then taught that wealth doth but franke men vp to death He that preferres Riches before his soule doth but sell the horse to buy the saddle or kill a good horse to catch a hare He begs not honour many haue leapt from the high throne to the low pitte The greatest commander on earth hath not a foote of ground in heauen except hee can get it by entitling himselfe to Christ. He desires not Pleasures he knowes there are as great miseries beyond prosperitie as on this side it And that all vanitie is but the indulgence of the present time a minute begins continues ends it for it endures but the acting knowes no solace in the memorie In the fairest garden of delights there is somewhat quod in ipsis floribus angat that stings in the midst of all vaine contents In a word it is not momentany variable apt to eyther change or chance that hee desires but eternall saluation He seekes like Mary that better part which shall neuer be taken from him The wise mans minde is euer aboue the moone saith Seneca let the world make neuer so great a noise as if it all ran vppon Coaches and all those full of roarers yet all peace is there It is not sublunary vnder the wheele of changeable mortalitie that he wishes but saluation To be saued is simply the best plot beate your braines and breake your sleepes and wast your marrowes to be wealthy to be worthy for riches for honours plot studie contriue be as politicke as you can and then kisse the childe of your owne braines hugge your inuentions applaud your wittes doat vpon your aduancements or aduantagements yet all these are but dreames When you awake you shall confesse that to make sure your saluation was the best plot and no studie shall yeeld you comfort but what hath bin spent about it What should wee then doe but worke and pray worke sayth Paul Worke vp your saluation with feare and trembling and then pray with our Prophet Lord say to our soules thou art our saluation with comfort and reioycing THE SOVLES REFVGE 1. PET. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creator ATRVE Christians life is one daie of three meales and euery meale hath in it two Courses His first meale is Nascâ—… renasci to be borne a sinner to bee new-borne a Saint I was borne in iniquitie and in firme did my mother conceive me there is one Course Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God there is the other Course His second meale is Benè agere malè pati to doe well and to suffer ill Doe good vnto all but especially to those that are of the houshold of Faith ther 's one Course of Doing c All that liue godly in Christ Iâ—…sus shall suffer persecution there 's the other Course of Suffering His third meale is Morâ—… viuere to die a temporall death to liue an eternall life The first is his Break-fast and herein he is naturally Natus daâ—… borne in sinne and condemned for sinne spiritually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne againe in righteousnesse and iustified from sinne The last is his Supper wherein there is one bitter dish Death Statutum est omnibus semel mâ—…ri It is appoynted to all men to die once Omnibus semel plorisque bis to all once to many twice for there is a second death And that is truely a dâ—…th because it is mors vita the death of life the other rather a life for it is mors mâ—…rtis the death of death after which mors non erit vltra there shall be no more death Therefore rise that you may not fall rise now by a righteous life least you fall into an euerlasting death If the soule will not now rise the bodie shall one day bee raised and goe with the soule to Iudgement The second Course is incomparably sweet vinere post mortem to liue after death I say after death for a man mâ—…st die that hee may liue So that a good supper brings a good sleepe hee that liues well shall sleepe well Hee that now apprehends mercie mercie shall hereafter comprehend him Mercie is the vltimus 〈◊〉 no hope beâ—…nd
It is not the death but the cause that giues the honour of Martyrdome Indeed there is no man that suffers contrary to the will of God but many suffer not Secundùm not according to the will of GOD. In his concealed will he allowes the sufferings of the Reprobates this is his iust iudgement They are smitten but for their faults Moerent merentur they lament and deserue to lament When the Adulterer is wounded for his lust he cannot thinke himselfe a patient secundum beneplacitum Dei according to the will of God When the vsurer is fetch'd ouer for his extortion the depopulator for his enclosing the slanderer for his libelling all these suffer but not for conscience toward God not according to his will They onely are said to suffer according to his will that suffer first innocently then patiently 1. Innocently for the wicked suffer mali malè sed meritò Euill men beare euill things but after their deserts The Pope hath made many Saints from this kind of suffering Straw-saints such as Garnet was If they be first drench'd at Tyber and after hang'd at Tyburne Martyres sunt they can be no lesse then Martyrs Not seldome their names are put into the Rubricke but they stand there in those red letters for nothing els but to remember their red bloudie actions They may pretend some shew of religion as if for cause thereof they suffered but it is not a meene but a mixt cause not for faith but for faction not for truth but for treason It is obserued that as the Physitians say none die of an ague nor without an ague so none of them suffer for the Romish religion nor without the Romish religion Therfore as Aristides dying of the bite of a Weasell exceedingly lamented that it was not a Lyoâ—…so these Seminaries may greatly lament that they die not for the Lyon of Iudah but for the Weasell of Roe Not secundum voluntatem Dei but secundum voluptatem Antichrists not according to the will of Christ but according to the lust of Antichrist But hee can make them amends with Sainting them men shall kneele to them pray to them climbe to heauen by the ladder of their merites Alas poore Saints the Pope sends them to heauen but how if they were in hell before May wee not say of them as Augustine did of Aristotle woe vnto them they are praysed and prayed vnto where they are not and condemned where they are Vnlesse as the vision was to Ormus that among the Apostles and Martyrs there was a vacant place left in heauen which sayth he was reserued for a Priest in England called Thomas Becket and this reuelation was full twelue years before Becket dyed So except the Pope can make them Saints before they die I feare his authoritie can doe little afterwards Yet indeed the Pope is a great Saint-maker and hath helped abundance of men to heauen For he sent them thither through the fire for the cause of Christ he condemned cursed burnt them to ashes and thus spight of his teeth he hath helped to make them martyrs and Saints For our selues if wee suffer any wrong of men let vs be sure we haue not deserued it Our Innocence cómends our suffering for this is according to the good will and pleasure of God 2. Patiently a murmuring mind evacuates the vertue of thy sufferings For what glory is it if when ye bee buffetted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye doe well and suffer for it ye then take it patiently this is acceptable to God Let me therefore helpe your patience by two considerations 1. What Christ our head suffered for vs bitter words and more bitter wounds Obserue him Looke to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame So let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs. If we cannot endure an angry word from our brothers mouth how would we suffer boyling lead boyling coales as the Martyrs did How to be crucified as our Lord Iesus was What would we doe then Shew me now one dram of this patience Among gallants a word and a blow among ciuill men a word and a writ The backe of Patience can beare no load But ought not Christ first to suffer these things and then to enter into his glory First he was crowned with thornes then crowned with honours Caput spinosum in terris si sit gloriosum in coelis That head must first weare a wreath of sorrow on earth that shall weare a wreath of ioy in heauen Hereunto are we called because Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps 2. That all this is according to the will of God Our blowes come at least mediately from the hand of God And this hand is guided with prouidence temperd with loue Distressed worldlings cry out it was my owne folly that ran me into this danger or the malice of mine enemy vndid me or surfeit on such meat made me sicke So the cur bites the stone which could neuer haue hurt him but from the hand that threw it Looke vp to the first mouer O mad man and discharge the meanes The Instrument may be vniust in thy wrongs but the cause is iust from him that inflicted it What rod soeuer beats thee consider it according to the will of God and be patient His hand sets theirs on worke I hope thou wilt not dispute with thy maker The medicine of thy passion is composed by God himselfe no euils nor deuils shall put in one dram more then his allowance no man nor Angell can abate one scruple The impatient man wants eyther wisedome or obedience Wisedome if he be ignorant from whom his crosses come obedience if he knowes it and is not patient This is the Integritie of the Suffering now followes The Comfort of this Integritie Let him commit the keeping of his soule to God Euery man cannot with this confidence but qui patitur propter Deum recurrit ad Deum He that suffers for Christs testimonie is confident of Gods mercie Let vs come therefore vnto the throne of grace boldly that we may obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in the time of need Here let vs obserue three circumstances Quis Quid Cui Who What to Whom Who They that suffer according to the will of God Felicitie thinkes it hath no neede of God But God is more daintie of spirituall comforts then to giue them to such as are confident in worldly comforts The Balme of the Spirit shall not be sophisticated or mixed veneno mundi with the poyson of this world Giue strong drinke to the heauie sayth Salomon God will not giue his consolations to those that are drunke with prosperitie mad-merry with the world but his wine to the heauy heart He will comfort them that mourne Let them that
pardon they for merits we for mercies they for iustifying workes of their own we only for our sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ. 3. They that will neither trust others with their soule not keepe it theÌ„selues but either do sell it for ready money as Esau sold his Birthright Iudas 〈◊〉 Iesus Or pawne it for a good bribe some large teÌ„ptation of profit pleasure or honor they will not sell it out-right but morgage it for a while with a purpose that seâ—…dome speeds to redeeme it Or loose it walking negligently through the streets of this great Citie the world their soule is gone they are not aware of it Or giue away their soule as do the enuious and desperate haue nothing in lieu of it but terrors without horrors within they serue the deuills turne for nothing 4. They that will trust God with their soule but haue no warraÌ„t that God will keep it They lay al the burtheÌ„ vpon the shoulders of Christ meddle no more with the matter As if God would bring them to heaueÌ„ euen whilst they pursue the way to hel or keep that soule for the body when the body had quite giuen away the soule He neuer promised to saue a man against his will As he doth saue vs by his Son so he comands vs. to worke vp our saluation with feare trembling He that lies still in the myrie pitt of his sin trusts to heauen for helpe out without his owne concurring endeuour may hap to lie there still 2. Dying there is no comfort but to trust the soule with God So Dauid Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit So Steuen Lord Iesus receiue my spirit with these words our Lord Iesus himselfe gaue vp the Ghost It is iustice to restore whence we receiue It is not presumption but faith to trust God with thy spirit The soule of the king the soule of the beggar all one to him Dauid a king Lazarus a beggar God receiues both their soules From giuing vp the Ghost the highest is not exempted from giuing it into the hands of God the poorest is not excepted There is no comfort like this when riches bring aut nequam aut nequicquam either no comfort or discomfort when the wardrobe furniture iunkets wine offend thee when thy money cannot defend thee when thy doctors feed themselues at thy cost cannot feed thee when wife childreÌ„ friends stand weeping about thee where is thy helpe thy hope all the world hath not a dramme of comfort for thee this sweetens all Lord into thy hands I commend my soule Thou hast redeemed me O thou God of truth Our Spirit is our dearest iewell howle and lament if thou thinke thy soule is lost But let thy faith know that is neuer lost which is committed to Gods keeping Spiritum emittis non amittis Duriùs seponitur sed melius reponitur That soule must needs passe quietly through the gates of death which is in the keeping of God Woe were vs if the Lord did not keepe it for vs whiles we haue it much more when we restore it While our soule dwels in our breast it is subiect to manifold miseries to manifest sinnes temptations passions misdeedes distemper vs in heauen it is free from all these Let the soule be once in the hands of God nec dolore pro peccato nec peccato prae dolore torquetur it is neither disquieted with sorrow for sinne nor with sinne which is beyond all sorrow There may be trouble in the wildernesse in the land of promise there is all peace Then may we sing Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the foulers the snare is broken and wee are escaped Inuadit Satanas euadit Christianus It is there aboue the reach of the deuill There is no euill admitted into the citie of heauen to wrastle with the citizens thereof Death is ready at hand about vs we carry deaths enow within vs we know we shall die we know not how soone it can neuer preuent vs or come too early if our soules bee in the keeping of God Man was not so happy when God gaue his soule to him as he is when he returnes it to God Giue it cheerefully and then like a faythfull Creator that thou giuest to him in short paine hee will giue thee backe with endlese ioy And so we come fittly from the Comfort of our Integritie The Boldnesse of this Comfort As vnto a faithfull Creator Wherein our confidence is heartned by a double argument the one drawne ex maiestate the other ex Misericordia from Maiestie from mercie His greatnes a Creator his goodnes a Faithfull Creator 1. Creator not a stranger to thee but he that made the. It is naturall to man to loue the worke of his owne hands Pigmalion dotes vpon the stone which himselfe had carued But much more naturall to loue his owne Images his children the walking Pictures of himselfe the diuided pieces of his owne body God loues vs as our Creator because his owne hands haue fashioned vs. But creauit vermiculos hee also made the wormes yeeld it and therefore non odit vermiculos hee hates not the very wormes Creauit Diabolum hee made the deuill no God made him an Angell hee made himselfe a deuill God loues him vt naturam as he is a nature hates him vt Diabolum as he is a corrupted nature an euill a deuil But we are not onely his creatures the workmanship of his hands but his children so Adam is called The sonne of God His owne Image fecit hominem in similitudinem suam he made man after his likenes in his Image We are more then opus Dei the meere worke of God for Imago Dei the very Image and similitude of God We may therefore be bold to commend our soules to God as a faithfull Creator Diuerse men haue that for their God which neuer was their Creator The proud man makes his Honour his god the couetous makes his gold his God the voluptuous makes his belly his God now whereas God not onely charged in the first Precept Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me but added further in the next Thou shalt not make to thee any Image or Similitude of any thing whether in heauen aboue or earth beneath or water vnder the earth c. These three sinnes seeme to crosse God in these three interdicted places For the proud man hath his Idol as it were in the aire the couetous man hath his Idol in the earth the drunken Epicure hath his Idol in the water Let them take their Gods to themselues let no Rachel that hath married Iacob steale away Labans Idols Our Creator is in heauen boldly giue thy soule to him who should better haue it then he that made it 2. The other argument of our comfort is that he is Fidelis a Faithfull Creator He is faithfull to thee how vnfaithfull soeuer thou hast beene
to him Hee made thee good thou madest thy selfe naught he doth not there yet leaue thee as man his friend in miserie but sent his Sonne to redeeme thee Here was great faithfulnesse He sends his holy Spirit into thy heart to apply this redemption of Christ here is great faithfulnesse Thou often turnest thy backe vpon him and following sinne leauest him he leaues not thee I will not leaue thee nor for sake thee here is great faithfulnesse He hath promised Poenitenti veniam credenti vitam to him that repenteth pardon to him that beleeueth saluation here is faithfulnesse Now hath he promised he is faithfull to performe it What man or deuill dares stand vp to chalenge God with vnfaithfulnesse This infalibilitie Christ knew when to his Fathers faithfull hands he gaue vp the Ghost You will say who might better do it the Sonne might well be confident of the Father Not he alone the seruants haue bin faithfull also in this emission and found God as faithfull in acception So Dauid Stephen c. God is faithfull there is no distrust in him all the feare is in thy selfe How canst thou trust thy Iewell with a stranger God is thy Creator and a Faithfull Creator but how if thou be an vnfaithfull creature Thou wilt frequent the doores of thy Patron present gifts to thy Landlord visite thy friend but how if to him that made thee thou makest thy selfe a stranger How often hath God passed by thee without thy salutation In the temple he hath called to thee thy heart hath not eccho'd and sent out thy voice to call vpon him There hath hee charged thee Seeke my face thou hast not answered Thy face O Lord I will seeke By his Spirit he hath knocked at thy doore thou hast not opened to him Now vpon some exigent thou bequeathest thy soule to him vpon what acquaintance Will this suddaine familiaritie be accepted It is our owne ignorance or strangenes or vnfaithfullnes that hinders vs. The reprobates thinke Christ a stranger to them When did wee see thee hungry c. But indeed they are strangers to Christ and hee may well say when did I see you visite me I was sicke and in prison and yee came not at me Would you haue God cleaue to them that leaue him Doth a man all his life runn from God and shall God on his death-bed runne to him No you would not know mee and therefore now non noui vos I know not you But the faithfull creature knowes God a faithfull Creator I know whom I haue beleeued Thou mayst say with that good father Egredere anima mea quid times Goe forth my foule goe forth with ioy what shouldst thou feare Yea it will go without bidding and fly chearfully into the armes of God whom it trusted as a faithfull Creator I haue serued thee beleeued on thee now I come vnto thee sayth Luther I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ sayes Paul These are not the voyces of worldlings but of Saints God will bee a faithfull Creator to receiue and preserue their soules I haue serued thee sayth man I haue preserued thee sayth God In me credis ad me venis thou beleeuest on me thou comest to me Here is now the Boldnes of our comfort there is yet A Caution of this Boldnes In well doing The wicked man may commit his soule to Gods keeping but how is hee sure God will take the charge of it what should God doe with a fowle and polluted soule The soule must at last bee committed to some now hee onely is the receiuer of it in death that was the keeper of it in life If Satan haue alwayes ruled it GOD will not embrace it As Ieptha sayd to the Elders of Gilead Did ye not hate me and expell me out of my fathers house and why are yee come vnto me now when you are in distresse Did you thrust God out of your hearts out of your houses out of your barnes out of your closets and shall God open heauen to your soules They that thus commit their soules to God God will commit their soules to Sathan It must be deliuered vp in Patiendo malum but in faciendo bonum in suffering that is euill but in doing that is good Otherwise if we thrust God from vs God will thrust vs from him Thus is God euen with man They say now to the holy one of Israel Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Hereafter God shall say to them Depart from me I know you not Mans soule is but an inmate to the bosome sent to lodge there for a time but must not take it vp for a dwelling God is the Lord of the Tenure to him it must be surrendred We haue a soule within vs but it is not ours and yet what is ours if our soule be not it must bee committed to God either in euill doing as to a Iudge or in well doing as to a faithfull Creator Some liue as if they had no soules more belluino like humane beasts The vicissitude of drunkennesse whoredome sleepe share all their time Others liue as if they should neuer part with their soule Therefore Reppnunt in muâ—…tos annos they lay vp for many yeares this was the Cosmopolites selfe flatterie Luk. 12. Soule bee merry thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares Yet others liue as if their soule was not meerely their owne but giuen them to spend at their pleasure without euer being accountable for it But the good liue as if their soule was Gods to him they commend it in a sweet conuersation with God corporalier mouent in terris animaliter viuunt in coelis Their bodyes moue on earth their soules liue in heauen To him they may boldly commend their spirits for they that fit their soules for God in health shall neuer find the offer of their death-bed refused If a man had no soule if a mortall one if his owne if neuer to be required hee might without wonder be induced to liue sensually he that knowes the contrary will liue well that he may die well commit his soule to God in well doing Here further obserue A man may do good yet come short of this comfort it is giuen bene facientibus to them that doe well It is not doing good but doing well that gets God to keepe the soule You haue serued me sayes God to Israel but after your owne lusts To serue God is doing good but after their owne lusts is not doing well To build a Church is a good worke yet if the foundations of it be layed in the ruines of the poore their children come not to pray for but curse the builder Great and good were the workes of the Pharises yet all spoiled for want of a Benè Except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises you cannot enter the kingdome of heauen Therefore Saint Pauls councell directs vs So not
but the goates are not written in his booke The foundation of God standeth sure hauing the seale the Lord knoweth them that are his It is a goodly thing to be famous and remarkable in the world Est pulchrum digito monstrari dicier hic est It is a goodly thing to bee sayd this is the man whom the world honours but perhaps this is not he whom God honours He that suffers and does according to the will of God the Lord will take that man into his bosoâ—… Such honour haue all his Saints It is no great matter for men to be knowne to kings and nobles if the Lord know them not nothing to ride in the second Coach as Ioseph to be next to the Prince if they bee strangers to the Court of heauen Therefore let vs all lay hold on well-doing that we may haue comfort in well-dying Wee desire to shut vp our last scene of life with In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum Lord Into thy handes I commend my spirit Behold while we liue GOD sayes to vs In manus tuas homo commendo spiritum meum Man into thy hands I commend my spirit As we vse Gods Spirit in life God will vse our Spirit at death If we open the doores of our hearts to his Spirit he will open the doores of heauen to our Spirit If we feast him with a supper of Grace he will feast vs with a supper of Glory If wee grieue his Spirit he will grieue all the veines of our hearts When such shall say Lord into thy handes wee commend our soules no sayth God I will none of your Spirit for you would none of my Spirit You shut him out when hee would haue entred your hearts hee shall shut you out when you would enter heauen Let vs therefore here vse Gods Spirit kindly that hereafter hee may so vse our spirits Let vs in life entertaine him with Faith that in death he may embrace vs with mercy So Lord into thy handes wee commend our soules keepe and receiue them O thou faithful Creator and God of truth through Iesus CHRIST Amen FINIS a 2 Cor. 3. 9. b Mal. 4. 2. c Iohn 1. 8. d Ioh. 1. 17. Heb. 3. 6. e Paraeus f Ioh. 6. 44. g Can. 1. 4. h Psal. 143. 10. i 2. Kin. 25. 7. k Acts 3. 2. Ber. l Heb. 11. 6. m Rom. 8. 24. n Iohn 5. 24. o Phil. 3. 20. 1 p Psal. 87. 2. q Math. 4. 8. r Deu. 34. 4. 2 s Ioh. 14. 2. t Gen. 30. 8. u Psal. 36. 6. x Ion. 3. 3. y Psal. 106. 28. a Heb. 9. 14. b Mat. 22. 32. c Psal. 49. 11. d Mat. 24. 2. 3 4 e Reu. 21. 27. 5. 6. f Rom. 4. 25. 7. Aug. g Iohn 3. 16. h Psal. 87. 2. i Psa. 78. 60. k Psal. 107. 34. l 2. Pet. 3. 10. m Mat. 7. 27. n 1. Pet. 2. 6. o Psal. 30. 8. p Amos 6. 1. q Esa. 21. 11. r 1. King 20. 23. s Ierem. 3. 6. t Luk. 12. 19. u Esay 40. 4. x Luk. 23. 30. a Psal. 125. 1. b Sen. c Iohn 14. 2. d Esay 2. 2. e Psal. 149. 9. f Mat. 5. 14. g Psal. 48. 2. h Rom. 2. 24. i 1. Pet. 2. 12. k Exod. 10. 23. l Iud. 6. 37. m Psal. 4. 6. n Reu. 2. 17. Sen. Greg. o Iob. 31. 24. p Dan. 4. 30. Ambr. Aug. q Gal. 4. 29. r Rom. 5. 1. s 1. Iohn 3. 2. t Ioh 16. 22. Aug. u Psal. 84. 10. x Mat. 17. 2. y Psal. 84. 1. a Mat. 25. 23. b Psal. 2. 6. c Reu. 14. 1. d Acts 8. 32. e Psal. 121. 4. f Psal. 97. 5 8. g Psal. 114. 4. h Psal 78. 68. i Psal. 132. 13. k Psal. 48. 4. c l Gene. 19. 20. m Gen. 4. 17. n Gene. 11. 4. o Psal. 127. 1. p Iere. 22. 15. q Acts 12. 23 r Psal. 122. 3. s Psal. 101. 8. t Mat. 10. 23. u Luk. 13. 23. x Rom. 8. 29. y Rom. 7. 9. a Mat 10. 16. b Luke 12. 32 c Esay 1. 9. d Esay 6. 13. e Esay 17. 6. f Esay 24. 13. g Mich. 7. 1. h Iere. 3. 14. i Amos 3. 12 k Gene. 6. 12. l Esay 8. 18. m Ioh. 7. 51. n 2 Tim. 4. 16 o Act. 19. 34. p Reu. 13. 16. q 1. Kin. 20. 27. r Rom. 9. 27. s Reue. 3. 1. t 2. Esdr. 5. 23. u Luk. 13. 14. x 2. Esd. 7. 6. Aug. a Reu. 18. 2. b Gal. 4. 26. c Psal. 2 6. d Ephes. 2. 2. e 2. Tim. 2. 19. f 1. Ich. 2. 16. Greg. g Hebr. 11. 10. h Iud. ver 14. i Psal. 49. 13. Aug. k 2. Cor. 5. 19. l 1. Iohn 5. 29. m Mat. 24. 51. a Hebr. 1. 6. b Rom. 8. 29. c Rom. 13. 4. d 2. Cor. 5. 20. e 1. Thes. 4. 3. f Mat. 6. 32. g Mat. 5. 34. h Rom. 6. 23. n Luk. 10. 16. o Mark 11. 17. p Mala. 3. 8. q Act. 8. 19. r Gala. 5. 22. s Ioh. 6. 63. Theodoret. t Prou. 20. 25. u 2. Chr. 26. 19. x Psal. 80. 13. y Iudg. 7. 22. a Iudg. 4. 9. b 1. King 21. 19 c Ier. 5. 29. 1 Sam. 5. 11. Exod. 12. 31. Aug. e Mark 12. 17. Aug. f Psal. 116. 12. g Psal. 51. 15. h Luk. 10. 39. i Gal. 1. 2. k Eph. 3. 14. l Act. 7. 60. m Luk. 6. 38. n 1. Cor. 8. 5. o Psal. 82 6. p Rom. 13. 1. q Ioh. 19. 11. r Rom. 13. 2. s Acts 17. 18. t Acts 14. 11. u Psal. 106. 28. x 1. Cor. 8. 4. y Psal. 135. 17. a 1. Thes. 1. 9. b 2. Cor. 4. 4. c Iohn 16. 11. d Rom. 16. 20. e Eph. 4. 27. f 〈◊〉 Cor. 6. 13. g Esa. 2. 20. * 1. Tim 6. 16. h Psal 104. 3. i Gal. 2. 20. k Col. 3. 3. l Ver. 4. m Prou. 23. 5. n Luk. 6. 25. o Mat. 27. 53. p Gene. 22. 14. q Heb. 7. 2. r Gala. 5. 12. s 2. Cor. 13. 11. t Gala. 4. 25. u Reu. 21. 2. x Gala. 4. 26 Hugo Card. y Psal. 132. 13. a 1. Pet. 2. 9. b Esay 5. 2. c Eph. 4. 3. d 1. Tim. 3. 15. e Psal. 122. 5. f Reue. 3. 7. g Iam. 1. 18. Phil. 3. 20. Ambr. h Ephe. 1. 3. i Iob 4. 19. k Iohn 17. 24. Plato l Gen. 12. 1. m Iere. 22. 29. n Hebr. 13. 14 Damasc. o Gene. 18. 8. Caluin p Gen. 18. 2. q Luk. 24. 4. r Iude. ver 6. s Col. 1. 20. t Esa. 6. 2. Greg. u Eph. 3. 10. x 1. Tim. 3. 16. a Mat. 24. 36. b Acts 1. 24. c Psal. 103. 20. d 2. Thes. 1. 7. 2. Kings 19. 35. e Reu. 12. 8. f Hos. 12. 9. g Gen. 19. 22. h Exod. 32. 10. i 2. Pet. 2. 4. k Mat. 18. 10. l Heb. 2. 16. m Greg. n Gene. 48. 16. o Exo. 14. 19. p Mal. 3.
own hearts lie still Thus often our Lecturer shall preach we will giue the hearing when we list Thus many Ministers come to a Parish with their bones full of marrow veynes full of bloud but all is soone spent and the people neuer the better We ring but you doe not rise 3. The third Bell is the Meane and this is Suspiria gemitusque morientium the cryes grones of the dying Anothers Passing-bell is thy warning-bell Death snatcheth here and there about vs thousands on our left tenne thousands on our right yet as if we had a Supersedeas or Protection against it we neither relent nor repent Our securitie is argued of the more madnesse because we haue so common motions and monitions of death Yet Nonerimus memores esse necesse mori How horrible is it to be drunke in a charnell house As Christ spake Let the dead bury the dead So we bring to the Church dead bodies with deader soules Forma fauor populi feruor inuenilis opesque Surripuere tibi noscere quid sit homo We confesse our selues mortall yet we liue as if death had no quarrell against vs. This Bell is the Meane but it is too meane to wake vs. 4. The fourth Bell is the Counter-tenor vox pauperum the cry of the poore This bell rings loud either to vs for mercy or against vs for crueltie Let vs know that if it cannot waken vs it shal waken God aganst vs. Their cryes are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbaoth Set not thy soule in danger of the peoples curse by inhauncings ingrossings oppressions c. But thou sayest they are wicked men that will curse and God will not heare the wishes of the wicked I answere it is often seene that the curse of the vndone waster lights vpon the head of the vndooing Vsurer The imprecation of one euill man may fall vpon another God so suffers it not because he cursed thee but because thou hast deserued this curse Let this Bell make Oppressors arise to shew mercy that God may rise to shewe them mercy Otherwise the poore man is ready to pray Arise O Lord in thine anger lift vp thy selfe because of the rage of our enemies awake for vs to the iudgement thou hast commanded Yea though they pray not for it God will doe it For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord. I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at it If this Bel sound mournfully to thee for bread to the hungry arise to this sound as that neighbor rose at midnight to relieue his importunate friend If it cannot waken thy couetous soule to shew mercy to Christ tempore suo in his time of need nor will Christ arise to shew mercy to thee tempore tuo in thy time of need 5. The last Bell is the Tenor the Bow-bell able to waken all the Citie But though that materiall Bell can teach vs when it is time to goe to bedde yet this mysticall bell cannot teach vs the time to arise This is the abuse of the creatures The rust of the gold cryes against the hoorder the stone out of the wall against the Oppressor the corne and wine against the Epicure This is a roring and a groning Bell. The whole creature grones and trauells in paine vnder vs. This is the creatures ordinary Sermon Accipe redde caue vse vs without abusing return thankfulnesse without dissembling or looke for vengeance without sparing They seeme to cry vnto vs We desire not to be spared but not to be abused Necessitati subseruire non recusamus sed luxui we would satisfie your naturall necessity not intemperate riot We are the nocent creatures that cause their innocencie to become miserable And but that the Diuine prouidence restraines them it is maruell that they break not their league with vs and with their hornes and hoofes and other artillery of nature make warre vpon vs as their vnrighteous and tyrannicall Lords Let some of these Bells waken vs lest as God once protested against Israel that seeing they would not when it was offered therefore they should neuer enter into his rest so a renuntiation come out against vs If any will be filthy let them be filthy still if they will not arise they shal lie still for euer If this peale cannot effect it yet God hath foure things more to rouze vs. 1. A Goad that pricks the skin and smarts the flesh Affliction he hath Crosses and Curses those gall these deepely wound they are able to make any but a Pharaoh arise It was affliction that waken'd Dauid It is good for me that I was troubled The Leprosie brought Naaman to the Prophet the Prophet brought him to God It is strange if bloudy sides put not sense into vs. Yet such was the obduracy of Israel Thou hast stricken them but they haue not sorrowed thou hast consumed them yet they refused to returne Insensible hearts The people turneth not to him that smiteth them neyther doe they seeke the Lord of Hosts Hast thou beene wounded and wilt thou not be wakened beware lest God speake to thy soule as in another sense Christ did to Peter Sleepe on now and take thy rest 2. Hee hath to rouze vs Thunder of heauier Iudgements perhaps the light scratches which some aduerse thornes make are slightly reckoned scarce change countenance for them But he sleepes soundly whom thunder cannot wake Humanas motura tonitrua mentes When God thundred that menace in the cares of Niniueh it waked them Let Absolon fire Ioabs barley fields and he shal make him rise Shake the foundations of the Prison and the sterne layler will rise a conuerted Christian Sirs what shall I doe to be saued This thundring of iudgements should cleanse our ayre awaken our sleepy mindes purge our vncleane hearts If the Lyon roare who will not feare If the Lord thunder what man will not be afraid 3. He hath an Ordnance to shoot off Death Statutum est omnibus mori It is a Statute-Law of heauen an Ordinance from the Court of Iustice Euery man shall die When this Canon is discharged at thy paper-walls then let thy soule rise or neuer The shooting off this Ordinance made Belshazzar stagger before hee was drunke His knees smote one against another when that fatall hand wrote his destiny on the wall Indeed most doe slumber on the Couch of health they are quiet no sicknesse stirs them they are at a couenant with the graue Sed cito finitam datur istam cernere vitam Praeceps mortis iter Death makes a headlong progresse This Ordinance carries death in the mouth it is an euen hand that shootes one that will neuer misse the marke let this rouze vs. 4. God hath a Trumpet to sound The Lord shall descend from heauen with a shout with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpe of God
bird shall as soone flie with another birds feathers as thy soule mount to heauen by the wings of anothers faith It is true faith and thy faith true with other mens faith but inherent in thy owne person that saues thee True not an empty faith Nuda fides nulla fides Inseparabilis est bona vita â fide imò verò ea ipsa est bona vita saith Augustine A good life is inseparable from a good faith yea a good faith is a good life So Irenaeus To belieue is to doe Gods will Thine therefore vve say Credo not Credimus I belieue not we belieue Euery man must professe and be accountant for his owne faith Thus much of the Meanes now to The Effect Hath made thee whole or saued thee It may be read eyther way It hath saued thee or It hath salued thee First of them both ioyntly then seuerally Faith is the meanes to bring health to body comfort to soule saluation to both I call it but the meanes for some haue giuen it more Because the Apostle saith that Abraham obtained the promise Through the righteousnesse of faith therefore say they Fides ipsa Iustitia Faith is righteousnesse it selfe But let S. Paul answere them and expound himselfe I desire to be found in Christ not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ whose is that the righteousnesse which is not of vs but of GOD by Faith Thus faith is said to saue vs not of it selfe the hand feeds the mouth yet no man thinkes that the mouth eates the hand onely as the hand conueyes meat to the body so faith saluation to the soule Wee say the Ring stancheth bloud when indeed it is not the Ring but the stone in it There are many that make faith an almighty Idoll it shal saue but thus they make themselues idle and trust all vpon nothing That faith is a meritorious cause of iustification this a doctrine that may come in time to trample Christs bloud vnder feet Now these speeches rightly vnderstood Faith adopteth faith iustifieth faith saueth are not derogatory to the glory of God nor contradictory to these speeches Christ adopteth Christ iustifieth Christ saueth One thing may bee spoken of diuers particulars in a different sense God the Father adopteth the Sonne adopteth the holy Spirit adopteth Faith adopteth all these are true and without contrariety They be not as the young men that came out of the two armies before Ioab and Abner euery one thrust his sword into his fellowes side and fell down together But like Dauids Brethren dwelling together in peace God the Father adopteth as the Fountaine of adoption God the Sonne as the Conduit God the holy Ghost as the Cesterne Faith as the Cocke whereby it runnes into our hearts Faith brings iustification not by any speciall excellency it hath in it selfe but onely by that place and office which God hath assigned it it is the condition on our parts So the Apostle instructed the Iailour Belieue â—…n the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house Gods ordinance giues that thing the blessing which it hath not in the owne nature If Naaman had gone of his owne head and washed himselfe seuen times in Iordan he had not been healed it was Gods command that gaue those waters such purging vertue If the Israelites stung with these fiery serpents in the Desart had of their owne deuising set vp a brazen Serpent they had not beene cured it was neyther the materiall brasse nor the serpentine forme but the direction of God which effected it It was not the Statue but the Statute that gaue the vertue So Faith for it owne merit brings none to heauen but for the promise which the God of Grace and Truth had made to it In common speech wee say of such a man His Lease maintaines him is there any absurdity in these words No man conceiues it to bee a parchment lined vvith a few words accompanied with a vvaxen Labell that thus maintaines him but that House or Land or rents so conueyed to him So Faith saueth I ascribe not this to the Instrument but to Iesus Christ whom it apprehends and that inheritance by this meanes conueyed But now wouldest thou know thy selfe thus interessed looke to thy faith this is thy proofe If a rich man die and bequeath all his riches and possessions to the next of bloud many may challenge it but he that hath the best proofe carries it To Christs Legacy thou layest claime looke to thy proofe it is not Lord Lord I haue prophecied in thy Name nor We haue feasted in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe and then thou shalt heare Bee it vnto thee according to thy faith And this a little faith doth if it bee true There is a faith like a graine of mustard seede small but true little but bite it and there is heate in it faith warmes where euer it goes In a word this is not the faith of explication but of Application that is dignified with the honor of this conueyance Hath made thee whole Faith brings health to the body There was a woman vexed with an vncomfortable disease twelue yeres shee suffered many things of Physicians some torturing her with one medicine some with another none did her good but much hurt Shee had spent all her liuing vpon them and heerein saith Erasmus was bis misera her sicknesse brought her to weakenesse weakenesse to Physike Physike to beggery beggery to contempt Thus was shee anguished in body vexed in mind beggerd in estate despised in place yet faith healed her Her wealth was gone Physicians giuen her ouer her faith did not forsake her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole There was a vvoman bowed downe with a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeeres yet loosed there was a man bedrid eight and thiâ—…ty yeeres a long and miserable time when besides his corporall distresse he might perhaps conceiue from that Eccl. 38. 15. He that sinneth before his Maker let him fall into the hand of the Physician that God had cast him away yet Christ restored him Perhaps this Leprosie was not so old yet as hard to cure yet faith is able to doe it Thy faith hath made thee whole But it was not properly his faith but Christs vertue that cured him why then doth not Christ say Mea virtus and not Tua â—…ides My vertue not thy faith hath made thee whole True it is his vertue onely cures but this is apprehended by mans faith When that diseased woman had touched him Iesus knew in himselfe that vertue had gone out of him and hee turned him about in the prease and said Who touched my clothes Yet speaking to the woman he mentioneth not his vertue but her faith Daughter thy faith hath
the eyes of Doues by the riuers of water washed with milke â—…d fitly set as a precious stone in the foile of a Ring A white doue is a pleasing sight but not like a white soule 2. Chastitie Nescit aduâ—…erij flaâ—…am inteâ—…erata Columba The Doue knowes not the luxurious pollution of an adulterate bed Who euer saw Doue sicke of that lustfull disease Happie bodie that hath such continencie and blessed soule which shall be presented a pure virgin to Iesus Christ. They are virgines and follow the Lambe whether sâ—…euer he goeth 3. Fruitfulnesse Most moneths in the yeare they bring forth young The faithfull are in this respect Doues for faith is euer pregnant of good workes trauels with them and on all occasions brings them forth 4. Amitie They loue their owne mates not changing till death giue one of them a bill of diuorce Gâ—…mit â—…urtur the turtle groanes when hee hath lost his mate Nature teacheth them what Reason aboue nature and Grace aboue Reason teacheth vs to reioyce with the wiues of our youth 5. Vnitie They liue feed flie by companies Many of them can agree quietly in one house Euen teaching vs how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie That as we haue one hopâ—… so to haue one heart Therefore the holy Ghost came downe in the likenesse of a Doue of all birds and it was the Doue that would not leaue Noahs Arke But these are but circumstances my Câ—…nter is their Innocence Columba simplex est animal felle caret rostro non lâ—…dit Other fowles haue their talons and beakes whereby they gripe and deuoure like vsurers and oppressors in a Common-wealth The Doue hath no such weapon to vse no such heart to vse it They write that she hath no gall and so free from the bitternesse of anger Talem Columbam audiâ—…imus non talem hominem We haue heard of such a Doue not of such a Man Who can say he hath innocent hands and a simple heart Indeed none perfectly in Gods sight yet some haue had and may haue this in part by the witnesse of their owne consciences Samuel could chalenge the Israelites to accuse him Whose â—…xe haue I taken Whom haue I defrauded Of whose hâ—…d haâ—…e I receiued any bribe And Iob sweetly My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes If I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherles let it be broken If I reioyced at the destruction of him that hated me For that is true Innocence sayth Augustine quae nec inimico nocet that hurts not our verie enemie If my land cry against me or the furrowes thereof complaine Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockles in stead of barley How few amongst vs dare thus plead So Dauid O Lord thou knowest mine innocencâ—… O blessed testimonie This is Munus aâ—…eneus a wall of brasse about a man In 〈◊〉 sperâ—…re bonum nisi innocens nâ—… potest To hope for good in the middest of euils no man can but the Innocent He goes fearlesse of danger though not secure Impauidum ferient ruinae Neâ—… suspectus est paâ—… quod se non 〈◊〉 fecisse He cannot looke to suffer that wrong which he knowes hee hath not done Innocence sayth Chrysoft is free in seruitude safe in danger ioyfull in bonds Cum humiliatur erigitur â—…um pugnat vincit cum occiditur coronatur When it is cast downe it is raysed vp when it fights it conquers when it is killed it is crowned This is that â—…elesnes which must be ioyned with the Serpents Wisedome So Paul to his Romans I would hâ—…ue you wise vnto that which is good and simple concerning euill This is an excellent mixture sayth Gregor Vt simplicitatem 〈◊〉 astâ—…ia serpentis instrueret vt serpentis astutâ—… simplicitas coluâ—…â—…emperaret That the wisedome of the Serpent might instruct the simplicity of the Doue that the Doues simplicitie might temper the Serpents policie So â—…eda on the first of Iob. Iob is sayd to be simple and vpright simple in innocencie vpright in discreet equitie Simplex quia alijs non lâ—…dit rectus quia se ab alijs non corrumpi 〈◊〉 Simple in that he did not hurt others vpright in that he suffered not himselfe to be corrupted by others Non mulâ—…ùm distat in vitio aut decipere aus decipiposse There is small difference in that vice which either deceiues or may be deceiued The one is weakenesse the other wickednesse This is that grace to which the gates of heauen stand open Innocence But alas where shall the robbers and workers of violence appeare What shall become of the vsurer No creature in heauen or earth shall testifie his innocencie But the sighes cryes and grones of vndone parents of beggard widdowes and Orphanes shall witnesse the contrary All his money like Hempe seede is sowed with curses and euery obligation is written on earth with inke and bloud and in hell with bloud and fire What shall become of the Encloser of Commons Who shall plead his innocence Hedges ditches fields and townes the weeping of the poore the very lowings of beastes shall witnesse against him Where shall fraud cosenage racking of rents iniurie periurie mischiefe appeare You may conceale your craft from the eyes of man defraud the minister beguile your neighbour impouerish the Common-wealth vnperceiued vnpunished but know that the Lord will not hold you innocent I conclude Make you the picture of Innocencie and hang it in your houses but especially draw it in the table of your hearts Let it bee a Virgin faire and louely without any spot of wrong to blemish her beautie Let her garments be white as snow and yet not so white as her conscience Let the teares of compassion drop from her eyes and an Angell holding a bottle to catch them Let her weepe not so much for her owne afflictions as for the wickednes of her afflicters Let the wayes be milke where she sets her foote and let not the earth complaine of her pressure Let the Sun offer her his beames the clouds their raine the ground her fruits euery creature his vertue Let the poore blesse her yea let her very enemies be forced to prayse her Let the world be sommoned to accuse her of wrong and let none be found to witnesse it Let peace lie in her lappe and Integritie betweene her brests Let religion kisse her lippes and all Lawes reuerence her Patience possesse her heart and humilitie sit in her eyes Let all Christians make her the precedent of their liues and studie the doctrine that her mouth teacheth Let the Angels of heauen be her guardians and the mercie of God a shield of defence vnto her Let her tread vpon iniurie and stampe the Deuill and violence vnder her feete Let her greatest aduersaries Oppression and Hypocrisie flie from her presence Let rapine malice extortion depopulation fraud and wrong be as farre
remoued from her as hell is from heauen Let the hand of mercie dry her eyes and wipe away her teares Let those glorious spirits lift her vp to the place of rest Let heauen adde to her beautie Immortalitie set her in a throne of ioy and Eternitie crowne her with glorie Whether may all her children follow her through the bloud and merites of that most innocent Lambe Iesus Christ. Amen THE WAY HOME MATTH 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame that they should not returne to Herod they departed into their owne Countrey another way WHen these Wise men had presented to Christ their gifts which indeed he first gaue them for the earth is his and the fulnesse thereof yet he rewardes them They emptied their Treasures of Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense and he filled the treasure of their hearts with heauenly graces For their Gold he returnes them pure wisedome They were called Wise men before but their wisedome was infernall downewards to hell perhaps consulting with Deuils Now he giues them Wisedome from aboue pure and refined as gold For their Frankincense he purgeth them of their former superstitious Idolatries from sacrificings to Satan and instructs them to whom frankincense is due and all other offerings of pietie to their Creator and Sauiour For their Myrrhe he giues them Charitie a true loue to him that so truely loued them and for his sake a loue to others They made then a blessed exchange with Christ when for Gold Frankincense Myrrhe they receiued Wisedome Devotion Charitie Now to testifie how highly the Lord fauoured them he speakes to them in a dreame and reveales his mind for the safety of his Sonne that they should not returne to Herode And to witnesse how truely they serued the Lord they gaue obedience They departed into their owne countrey another way The whole may be distinguished into An Informing into a word Performing worke God giues the word the Magi doe the worke God doth informe and they performe Hee instructeth and they execute He giues direction they obedience His word informance instruction direction is He warned them in a dreame that they should not returne to Herod Their worke performance pliable obedience They departed into their countrey another way In the direction or monition Informing are considerable these three circumstances The Men Wise men Magicians Maner In a dreame Matter That they should not returne to Herod The Persons to whom God gaue this admonition are expressely called Wise men Some say they were also Great men If so then was this reuelation made Potentibus Petentibus 1. To great men It is the opinion of some that these magi were kings that the Euangelist in calling them wise men gaue them a more honourable title then if hee had called them kings So Ludolphus sayes that Magus was in those dayes more noble then Magnus But wee must know who they are that thus stile them Fryers Iesuites such as can by no meanes endure the superiority of Princes That are Derisores hominum maxime potentū Hereon some of them haue mooted strange problemes able to fill whole volumes An Sacerdotes Regibus praeferendi Whether Priests be not aboue kings But still the conclusion is against Princes Some more moderate on that side haue confessed them not Reges but Regulos litle kings petit Princes Like those one thirtie kings that conspired against Iosuah Or those fifty that met at Troy There is a kind of king in France whom the common people call Le Roy Dlynetot But that these were but three in number and kings in power it may be painted in a popish window is not in Catholickes bible therefore needs not be in a Christians creed 2. Howsoeuer these Magi were Potentes or no they were Petentes Though they were great men yet they humbly seeke the greatest of men yea the great God Iesus And behold gratiously the Lord offers himselfe to their search according to his infallible promise that he will be found out of al that seeke him Dedit aspicientibus intellectum qui praestitit signum quod fecit intelligi fecit inquiri So he offers himselfe to all faithful searchers But we cannot find him we seeke vnles he find vs first that came to seeke to saue that which was lost We seeke in vaine vnles we seeke him wee seeke him in vaine vnles he find vs. Nos ad se quarendum suscitat-se ad inveniendum porrigit He stirres vp our hearts to seeke him offers himselfe to be found There was neuer faithfull hart sought the Lord Iesus but he found him whom his soule loued His patience might be excercised his fidelity tried his desires extended by Gods hiding himselfe for a season In the night of obscurity security ignorance he may misse him ver 1. Though hee enquire among the deepest Philosophers honestest worldlings ver 2. he may not find him But. ver 3. the watchmen wil bring him to him yea ver 4. Christ himselfe wil appeare in gratious mercy He may say for a while as the Poet of Anchises Quaregio Christum quis habet locus Illius ergo Venimus Where is Christ in what countrey may I find him But the Lord Iesus will reueale himselfe yea meete him halfe way as the mercifull father mette his vnthrifty Sonne when he returned Wee shall conclude with ioy We haue found the Messias euen him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth You heare the Persons to whom this admonition was giuen the next Circumstance is The Maner In a dreame I might here enter into a cloudy and confused discourse of Dreames till I brought you all asleepe But I loue not to fetch any bowtes when there is a neerer way Herein I may say with Augustine I would to God I could discerne betweene dreames Some are Naturall Preternaturall Supernaturall 1. Naturall and such arise either from Complexion Affection 1. From complexion or constitution The Sanguine hath merry dreames the melācholy sorrowful dreames the Cholericke dreames of fire and such turbulent thoughts the Phlegmaticke of raine of flouds and such warry obiects And as these elementall humours do abound in a man the dreames haue a stronger force and more violent perturbation 2. From Affection what a man most desires hee soonest dreames of Omnia quae sensu voluuntur vota diurno Tempore nocturno reddit amica quies Venator defessa toro dum membra reponit Mens tamen ad siluas sua lustra redit Gaudet amans furto permutat nauit a merces Et vigil elapsas quarit a◅arus opes So Augustine S◅ nascitur ex studi◅s praeteritis what man desires in the day he dreames in the night The hunters mind is in the forrest whiles his wearied bones are reposed on a soft bed The souldiour dreames of batteries assault◅ encounters the Lawyer of quirkes and demurres the citizen of trickes and frauds
skip out of the way of righteousnes at euery dog that reproachfully barkes at it nor at euery Siren that temptingly would call it aside The Deuill with all his force of terror or error cannot seduce it Constancie it is euer trauelling though through many hindrances It hath a heauy load of flesh to burden it and make euery step tedious yet it goes Cares for family troubles of contentious neighbours frowning of great aduersaries malicious turbulencie of the world all offer to stay it but it goes on As if it had receiued the Apostles Commission Salute none of these Remora's by the way it resteth not till it see the saluation of God The Lord deliuers the feete from falling that it may walke before God in the light of the living 3 We must not returne backe to Herod Why not to Herod He was a fit type of the Deuill and they that are recouered and escaped from him should not fall backe into his clutches The Deuill is like Herod both for his subtletie and crueltie The Herods were all dissemblers all cruell There was Herod Ascalonita Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa all cruell in the butchering of Gods Saints Ascalonita necat pueros Antipa Iohannem Agrippa Iacobum mittitque in carcere Petrum Ascalonite makes an earnest shew of zeale to Christ but he desired not subijcerese Christ◅ sedsib◅ Christum not to become subiect to Christ but to make Christ the sub iect of his furie Antipas seemed to loue Iohn the Baptist but he suffers a dancing foote to kicke off his head The crueltie of the other Herod was monstrous He slew all those whom hee could suspect to issue from the line of Dauid all the Infants of Bethlem vnder two yeares old at one slaughter Hee slew his kinred his sister his wife his sonne Hee cut the throates of many noble Iewes whiles he lay on his death bed Yea made it in his will that so soone as euer the breath was out of his body all the sonnes of the nobler Iewes shut vp into a safe place should be instantly slaine to beare him company By this meanes hee resolued that some should lament his death which otherwise would haue bin the cause of great ioy A wretched Testament and fit for such a deuill to make That Deuill wee are charged not to returne to exceeds this both in subtletie and crueltie euen as much as a father may his Sonne Herod was not so perfect a Master of his art The wise men deceiued Herod hee must be a wise man indeed that ouer-reaches Satan Herod was a bungler to him he trusted to instruments to destroy Christ the Deuill lookes to that busines himselfe Hee can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light and rather then not draw men to hell hee will dissemble a loue to heauen He will speake good that he may worke euill and confesse the truth that therby hee may procure credit to greater falshood He can stoope to the reprobate like a tame horse till they get vp and ride him but when he hath them on his backe he runs post with them to hell When he hath thus excercised his policie wil he spare his power when his Foxes part is done hee begins his Lyons Bloud massacre destruction are his softest embraces horror and amazement are the pleasures of his Court kill kill burne burne is the language of his tongue to those miserable wretches which must euer be burning neuer consumed euer killing and neuer die Oh then let vs neuer returne to Herod nor venture on his mercie The poore bird that hath escaped the hawkes talons is carefull to auoyd his walke The strayed Lambe falne into the wolfes caue and deliuered by the Shephard will no more straggle out of the flocke If the Lord Iesus hath sought and brought vs to himselfe by the Starre of his Gospell let vs no more goe backe to Herod flying the workes of darknes and seruing the liuing God with an vpright heart Indeed they that are truely freed from his seruitude will neuer more become his vassalls Many seeme escaped that are not If the adulterer returne like the Hogge to the mire and the drunkard like the Dog to his vomit it is likely that they loue Herod well for they goe backe to him The minister may desire to offer them vp a liuing sacrifice to the Lord but like wild beasts they breake the rope and will not bee sacrificed But wee being deliuered by Christ out of the hands of our enemies must serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life 4. Wee must goe to our owne Countrey In this world wee are but strangers though perhaps we thinke too well of these vanities yet they are but forraine things wee haue another home We may be rauished with this earth as Peter with Tabor Bonum hic it is good being here but if wee looke vp to that heauen which is our Countrey Mundi calcamus inutile pondus Behold the very outside is faire the outmost walls are beautified with glorious lights euerie one as a world for greatnes so a heauen for goodlinesse All those spangles bee as radiant stones full of Lustre pure gold to the drosse of earthly things What may wee then thinke there is within Yea whatsoeuer the wicked thinke yet this world is but the through-fare and it is not their home neither though indeede they haue their portion in this life It is sayd of Iudas going to hell that he went to his owne place therefore that and not this is their owne countrey as sure as they thinke themselues of this world In heauen there is all life no death in hell all death no life on earth men both liue and die passing through it as the wildernes either to Egipt or Canaan This earth as it is betweene both so it prepares vs for both and sends euery one to their owne countrey eternall ioy or euerlasting sorrow Hee that here dies to sinne shall hereafter liue in heauen he that liues in sinne shall hereafter die in hell All soiourne either with GOD feeding on his graces or with Satan surfe◅ing on his iniquities They that will haue Sathan for their host in transgression shall afterwards be his guests in perdition But they that obey God as theyr master shall also haue him their father and that for euer Contemne we then this world what though we haue many sorrows here a still succession of miseries we are not at home What stranger looks for kind vsage amongst his enemies As well might the captiue Iewes expect quiet among the Babilonians Thou art sure of a countrey wherein is peace In that heauen the wicked haue no part though here much pleasure When thou considerest this truely thou wouldst not change portions with them Let it be cōfort sufficient since we cannot haue both that we haue by many degrees the better Their owne countrey Heauen is our owne countrey 1. Ours ordained for vs by
God the Father Come ye blessed of my Father inherite ye the kingdome 2. Ours purchased for vs by God the Son We haue boldnes to enter into the Holyest by the bloud of Iesus 3. Ours sealed to vs by God the holy Ghost The Spirit of God seales vs vp to the day of redemption The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Ours thus though we are not yet fully entred into it Habemus ius ad rem nondum in re Wee are heires to it though now we be but wards Our minoritie bids binds vs to be as seruants The heire as long as he is a child differs nothing from a seruant though he be Lord of all When we come to full yeares a perfect growth in godlynes in mensuram staturae adulti Christs to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ we shall haue a plenary possession It is ours already not in re but in spe as Aug. Our common Law distinguisheth betweene two maner of freeholds A freehold in deede when a man hath made his entry vpon lands and is thereof really seised A freehold in law when a man hath right to possessions but hath not made his actuall entry So is this Countrey ours ours Tenore iuris though not yet iure tenoris ours in the inheritance of the possession though not in the possession of the inheritance To this countrey our countrey let vs trauell and that we may do it the better 5. The last circumstance shewes vs how Another way we must change the whole course of our inordinate conuersation and walke another way euen the Kings high-way to Paradise Immutatio viâ—… emendatio vitae The changing of the way is the amending of our life Repentance must teach vs to tread a new path To man truely penitent Optimus portus est mutatio consiâ—…y The best hauen is the change of his life not to turne againe by the same way that he came Thus must we renounce our owne wils old wayes and being made new creatures take new paths So Gregory o We departed from our countrey by pride disobedience doting on visible delights and pleasing the lusts of the flesh we must therefore returne by humiluâ—…e obedience contemning the world and condemning the flesh Quia Paradisi gaudijs per delectationem recessimus ad hâ—…c per poenitentiam tanquà m per nouam viam reuocaâ—…ur We that departed from Paradise by sinne must returne thether by a new way Repentance Hast thou walked in lust take another way by puritie and chastitie Didst thou trauell with pride there is another way to heauen humilitie Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Wert thou giuen to auarice there is a new way to heauen by charitie Ye haue fed me hungry c. therefore come ye blessed Didst thou trudge with contention and molesting thy neighbours with sutes this is the way to Westminster hall there is another way to heauen Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God Didst thou trade in vsurie this is the way to the Exchange thou must exchange this way if thou wilt come to glory Hast thou forredged with oppression Thou must with Zaccheus seeke out another way If I haue taken any thing from any man by false dealing I restore him fourefold Let the drunken epicure malicious repiner seditious incendiary dissembling hypocrite vniust oppressor leaue their wretched pathes seeke another way to happines God giue vs all grace to find this way of Repentance that wee may come at last to our owne Countrey peace and rest with Iesus Christ. Amen SEMPER IDEM OR The Immutable mercie Of Iesus Christ. HEBR. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for euer BY the name of Iehouah was God knowne to Israel from the time of the first mission of Moses to them and their manumission out of Egypt and not before For sayth God to Moses I appeared vnto Abraham and vnto Isaac and vnto Iacob by the Name of God Almightie but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them This I Am is an eternall word comprehending three times that was that is and is to come Now to testifie the equalitie of the Sonne to the Father the Scripture giues the same Eternitie to Iesus that it doth to Iehouah He is called Alpha and Omega Primus nouissimus the First and the Last which is which was and which is to come Reuel 1. and here the same yesterday and to day and for euer Therefore he was not onely Christus Dei the Annointed of God but Christus Deus God himselfe Annointed Seeing that Eternitie which hath neither beginning nor ending is only peculiar and proper to God The words may be distinguished into a Center CircuÌ„ference Mediate Line referring the one to the other The immoueable Center is Iesus Christ. The Circumference that runs round about him here is Eternitie Yesterday to day for euer The Mediate line referring them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for euer The Center is Iesus Christ. Iesus was his proper Name Christ his appellatiue Iesus a name of his nature Christ of his Office and dignitie as Diuines speake Iesus a Name of all sweetnes Mel in ora Melos in aâ—…re iubilus in corde A reconciler a Redeemer a Sauiour When the conscience wrastles with Law Sin Death nothing but horror and despaire without Iesus He is the way the Truth and the Life without him Error Meâ—…dacium Mors. Si scribas non placet nisi legam ibi Iesum saith Bernard If thou writest to me thy letter doth not please me vnles I read there Iesus If thou conferrest thy discourse is not sweet without the name of Iesus The blessed restorer of all of more then all that Adam lost for we haue gotten more by his regenerating grace then we lost by Adams degenerating Sinne. Christ is the Name of his Office being appointed and annointed of God a King a Priest a Prophet This Iesus Christ is our Sauiour of whose names I forbeare further discourse being vnable though I had the tongue of Angels to speake ought worthy â—…anto Nomine Tanto Numine All that can be said is but a litle but I must say but a litle in all But of all names giuen to our Redeemer still Iesus is the sweetest Oâ—…er sayth Bern. are names of Maiestie Iesus is a name of mercie The Word of God the Sonne of God the Christ of GOD are titles of Glory Iesus a Sauiour is a title of grace mercie redemption This Iesus Christ is the Center of this Text and not onely of this but of the whole Scripture The Summe of Diuinitie is the Scripture the Summe of the Scripture is the Gospell the Summe of the Gospell is Iesus Christ. In a word Nihil
was lost THE first word is Causall and puts vs in mind of some reference In briefe the dependance is this Litle Zacheus became great in Gods fauour he was ver 2. a Publican a chiefe Publican a rich Publican Yet he hath a desire to see Iesus and Iesus hath a purpose to see him A figtree shall helpe him to the sight of Christ Christ to the sight of him Our Sauiour calls him downe it is fit they should come downe in humilitie that entertaine Christ and bids himselfe to his house to dinner He is made Zacheus his gest for temporall food and Zacheus is made his guest for euerlasting cheare This day is saluation come to this house ver 9. This mercy is not without the Pharises grudging ver 7. When they saw it they all murmured saying That hee was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner Murmuring is betweene secret backbiting and open railing a smotherd malice which can nether beevtterly concealed nor dare bee openly vented The cause of their murmuring was that hee was become a guest to a sinner as if the Sunne of righteousnesse could bee corrupted in shining on a Dunghill of sinne No whiles hee did associate the bad hee made them good feeding them spiritually that fed him corporally Hee did not consent to their sinne but correct it not infecting himselfe but affecting their soules and effecting their blisse A man may accompany those whom hee desires to make better or them to make him better And that the mouth of all wickednesse might be stopped our Sauiour sayes that his comming into the world was not onely to call home Zacheus but euen many such Publicans For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue c. Wee are thus gotten ouer the threshold For let vs now looke into the house and suruay euery chamber and roome in it The foundation of this comfortable scripture is Iesus Christ and the building may bee distinguished into fiue seuerall Parlours all richly hung and adorned with the graces and mercies of God and the midst thereof paued with loue for the daughters of Ierusalem CHRIST is the Buttresse or corner stone and in him consider here His Humilitie The Sonne of man Veritie Is come Pittie To seeke Pietie To saue Power That which was lost 1. The Sonne of man Ecce Humilitatem Hee that is the Sonne of eternall God cals himselfe the Sonne of mortall man 2. Is come Ecce veritatem What God had promised his Seruants prophecied his Types prefigured he hath now performed They all foretold in their kinds that he should come he makes all good he Is come 3. To seeke Ecce compassionem He knew that we were vtterly gone that we had Nec valentis oculum nec volentis animum neither an eye able nor a mind willing to seeke him in Pittie he seekes vs. 4. To saue Ecce Pietatem He seekes vs not in ruinam to our destruction as we deserued but in salutem to our saluation as he desired Amissos quaerit quaesitos invenit inventos seruat He seekes them that were lost hee finds them he seekes he saues them he finds To saue 5. The lost Ecce Potestatem He is not onely able to strengthen vs weake nor to recouer vs sicke nor to fetch vs home offring our selues to bee brought but when we had neither will nor power to procure this yea when wee had a reluctancie against this for wee were his enemies and hated him he did recall vs gone reviue vs dead seeke and saue vs that were lost You see the Chambers how they lie in order let mee keepe your thoughts in this house of Mercie a while wherein may all our soules dwell for euer In survaying the Roomes it is fit wee should begin with the lowermost and thither the Text aptly first leads vs. The Sonne of Man Christ is called a Sonne in three respects 1. In regard of his Deitie the Sonne of God begotten of him from all eternitie coequall and coessentiall to him 2. In respect of his flesh the Son of Mary naturally borne of her 3. He cals himselfe the Sonne of Man in regard that he tooke on him mans nature and vndertooke the performance of mans redemption Man like vs in all things sinne onely excepted So that in this circumstance two things are considerable in Christ the one necessarily involved in the other His Humanitie Humilitie His Humanitie When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a Woman Ex muliere non in muliere as Gorran notes against Valentinus whose heresie was that Christ passed through the Virgin as water through a Conduit-pipe But this Preposition Ex signifies a pre-existent matter as a house is made of tymber stones bread of wheat wine of grapes Christ had therefore the materials of his bodie from the virgin Mary though not his Formale principium for the holy Ghost was agent in this wonderfull conception Neither is this a thing impossible to God though wonderfull to Man that this Christ should be the Son of Mary without man As it was possible to God in the first creation to make a Woman out of a Man without the helpe of a Woman so in this new creation to make a Man out of a Woman without the helpe of a man There is the same reason of possibilitie It is as easie to bring fire from a steele without a flint as from a flint without a steele But he that could dare essentiam nihilo can raise a nature ex aliquo God had foure diuerse manners of creating humane creatures 1. The first man Adam was made of no man but immediately created of God 2. The second that was Eue was made not of a woman but of a man alone 3. The third sort all men and women else are begotten of man and woman 4. Christ the last sort was of a different maner from all these 1. not of no precedent flesh as Adam 2. Not of a man without a woman as Eue. 3. Not of man and woman as all we 4. But after a new way of a woman without a man We are all in this sort opposed to Adam Christ to Eue Adam was made of neither man nor woman wee of both man and woman Eue of a man without a woman Christ of a woman without a man Now as this was a great worke of God so it is a great wonder to man Three miracles here Deum nasci virginem parere fidem haec credere That the Sonne of God should become the Sonne of woman a great myracle That a virgin should beare a child and yet before at after the birth remaine still a virgin a great myracle That the faith of man should beleeue all this Maximum miraculum this is the greatest wonder of all Thus you haue Diuinitie assuming Humanitie a great mystery God manifested in the flesh In mundum venit qui mundum condidit he comes downe to earth but hee leaues not