him Apoc. 1.7 even they that nailed him to the Crosse and pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall mourne before him Yea and Amen then he shall bring or send forth judgement unto victory He brought forth judgement in his life by preaching the Gospel in his owne person and he sent it forth after his death by the ministery of his Apostles and doth still by propagating the Church but hee bringeth not forth judgement unto victory in the Evangelists phrase because this his judgement is much oppressed the light of his truth smoothered the pure doctrine of the Gospel suppressed the greater part of the Kings of the earth and Potentates of this world refusing to submit their scepter to his Crosse and saying as it is in St. Lukes Gospel Luke 17.14 Wee will not have this man to reigne over us but when the sonne of man shall display his banner in the clouds and the winds shall have breathed out their last gaspes and the sea and the waters shall roare when heaven and earth shall make one great bonefire when the stage of this world shall be removed and all the actors in it shall put off their feigned persons and guises and appeare in their owne likenesse when the man of sinne 2 Thes 2.3 8. that exalteth himselfe above all that is called God shall be fully revealed and after consumed with the spirit of Christs mouth and be destroyed by the brightnesse of his comming then he shall suddenly confound the rest of his enemies Atheists Hypocrites Jewes Turkes Idolatrous Gentiles and Heretikes and breake the neckes of all that stubbornly resist him and then the truth shall universally prevaile and victoriously triumph All this variety of descant which you heare is but upon two notes a higher and a lower the humility and the majesty the infirmity and the power the obscurity and the glory the mildnesse and the severity of our Lord and Saviour his humility upon earth his majesty in heaven his infirmities in the dayes of his flesh and his power since hee sitteth at the right hand of his Father the obscurity and privacy of his first comming and solemnity of his second his mildnesse and clemency during the time of grace and mercy and his wrath and severity at the day of Judgement and Vengeance Ecce tibiâ cecinimus vobis Behold out of this Scripture I have piped unto you recording the pleasing notes of our Redeemers mildnesse and mercy who never brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe now I am to mourne unto you sounding out the dolefull notes of his justice and severity which shall one day bring forth judgement unto victory But before I set to the sad tune pricked before mee in the rules of my Text I am to entreat you to listen a while till I shall have declared unto you the harmony of the Prophet Esay and the Evangelist S. Matthew the rather because there seemeth some dissonancy and jarre between them For in Esay we reade Esay 42.3 Hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth that is give sentence according to truth but in St. Matthew He shall send forth judgement unto victory which importeth somewhat more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that the judgement he shall send forth viam inveniet aut faciet shall either finde way or force it take place or make place no man or divell being able to withstand it Besides this discord in their notes there is a sweet straine in the Prophet he shall not faile Verse 4. nor bee discouraged till hee have set judgement on the earth left out in the Evangelist To the first exception the Jesuit Maldonat saith that the Syriack word signifieth both truth and victory and that Saint Matthew wrote not in pure Hebrew but in the Hebrew then currant which was somewhat alloyed and embased with other languages which if it were granted unto him as it is not by those who defend that the Greeke in the New Testament is the originall yet the breach is not fully made up For still the originall Hebrew in Esay and the Greeke in Saint Matthew which hath been ever held authenticall are at odds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifying truth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke signifying victory and not truth I grant the truth of Christ is most victorious and hath subdued all the false gods of the Heathen as the Arke laid Dagon on his face and the rod of Aaron devoured all the rods of the Magicians yet truth and victory are not all one A weake Judge may bring forth judgement unto truth yet not unto victory as on the contrary a potent and corrupt Judge may bring forth judgement unto victory yet not unto truth Tully in a bad cause prevailed against Oppianicus by casting dust in the Judges eyes And Aeschines prevailed not against Ctesiphon in a good cause Right is often overcome by might and sometimes by the sleight of a cunning Advocate for the false part To the second objection Beza answereth that these words that hee will not faile nor be discouraged till he hath set judgement on the earth were anciently in St. Matthew but of late through the carelesnesse of some transcriber from whose copy ours were drawne are left out But sith this Verse is wanting in all the copies of Saint Matthew now extant neither can Beza bring good proofe of any one in which this Verse was ever found it is not safe to lay any such imputation upon the first transcribers of St. Matthewes Gospel whereby a gap may be opened to Infidels and Heretickes to cavell at the impeachable authority of the holy Scriptures in the originall languages A safe and easie way to winde out of these perplexed difficulties is to acknowledge that the Evangelist who wrote by the same spirit wherewith the Prophet Esay was inspired tyed nor himselfe precisely to the Prophets words but fitteth the Prophets sense to his owne purpose and what the Prophet delivered in two Verses he contracteth into one For what is hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth and he shall not faint nor be discouraged till hee hath done it but that he shall doe it effectually and powerfully and what is that but he shall send forth judgement unto victory Hee shall send forth Cal. in Mat. 1. Hoc verbum educere quo utitur Propheta significat officium Christi esse Regnum Dei quod tum inclusum erat in angulo Judeae propagare in totum orbem This phrase reacheth forth unto us a twofold observation the first touching the extent the second touching the freedome of this judgement here spoken of By judgement is here meant the Kingdome of Christ which must not bee confined to Jury nor bounded within the pale of Palaestine but hee sent forth that is propagated and spread over the whole world according to the prophecy of the Psalmist a Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send a rod of thy strength out
grace especially the grace of meeknesse which in the heart is tendernesse in the disposition softnesse in the affections temper in the minde calmenesse in the carriage sweetnesse Aristotle briefly defineth it Rhet. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bridle of wrath which because it is a passion of all other most head-strong it requireth both a strong curb and a skilfull rider for whose direction the Spirit of God in holy Scripture hath set downe divers rules The first rule is not to be suddenly or easily provoked This is laid downe for us by the Apostle St. James Let every man bee swift to heare James 1.19 slow to speake slow to wrath To follow this rule it will be behoofull according to the advice of a Hyper. citat à Lips Comment in Sen. de clem l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hyperides to prevent the occasion of quarrels and stop the passages of wrongs to nip the seeds of discords because if anger take root like an inveterate disease it will hardly bee cured b Senec. l. 1. de clem In primis finibus hostis arcendus est nam cum portis se intulit modum à captivis non capit Seneca strikes the same note though on a different string Above all things saith hee keep the enemy from entring the City for if hee once thrust his head into the gate he will give thee the law and not take it from thee Ovid giveth it as a character of a gracious Prince to be tardus ad iram Slow to wrath Certainly it is no strong piece that will suddenly bee out of frame the bone was never well set that easily slips out of joynt A man full of juice and sap of grace is like green wood which is long before it be kindled they who easily take fire seem rather to be annointed with brimstone than the sweet oyntment of the spirit above mentioned The second rule is to tolerate some infirmities in others as likewise others tolerate us in many things for as St. Austin speaketh Toleramus toleramur we tolerate and are tolerated our selves James 3.2 Galat. 6.2 because all offend in many things and many in all This rule is laid downe by St. Paul Be are yee one anothers burthens and so fulfill the law of Christ in which words hee enjoyneth us not onely to beare light injuries but those that are grievous and burthensome and the more burthens we beare in this kinde the lesse we have upon our owne conscience How can we expect that Christ should put his shoulders to our crosses if wee withdraw our necke from his yoke The third rule is to consider the nature of our brothers temptation and accordingly to deale with him This is laid down by the Apostle Galat. 6.1 If any man be overtaken in a fault restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Abraham lyed to Abimelech Peter denied his Master Job uttereth speeches of impatience Paul answereth very smartly to Ananias The Lord smite thee thou painted wall Acts 23.3 but this they did either transported in passion or upon great provocation or out of feare to save their lives The greater the temptation is and the more forcible the assault of Sathan upon the frailty of our nature the lesse the sinne is or at least more pardonable This sole consideration moved Saint Cyprian to take pity on some of them that in time of persecution denied their Master and were therefore deservedly excommunicated whom hee thus bringeth in pleading for themselves not with teares but with drops of bloud falling from their tortured members * Câ—pr de lapsis Manabat proffetibâ—s sanguis pro lachrymis câ—â—ot semâ—â—stulatis viscetibâ—â— defluebâ—t stâ—tit mens stabilis fide fortis cum torqâ—entibus pâ—â—nis â—mmobilis dâ—â— anima lactata est sed cum duâ—â—ssimi Judicis recrudescente saevituâ â—am fatigatum corpus nunc flagella scinderent nunc contunderent fustes c. caro nos in colluctatione destruit For a long time say they our resolution remained firme and our faith strong and we held out the fight against our tormenting paines but when the malice and cruelty of the Judge was exasperated against us and our savage tormentors fell afresh upon our wearied and worne-out bodie sometimes tearing it with whips sometimes bruising it with clubs sometimes stretching it upon the racke sometimes scorching it with fire our flesh forsooke us in the conflict the weaknesse of our bowels gave place and our body not our soule was in the end overcome with the violence of paine Beloved you were never yet brought to the fiery tryall that you might know how farre the extremity of torment might worke and prevaile upon the infirmity of your flesh thanke God for it and judge charitably of them whose faith and constancy shone not so cleerly in the middest of the fire but that they might be compared to the smoaking flaxe in the Verse following my Text. The fourth rule is to admonish before we punish and give warning before wee strike This is laid downe by a Deut. 12.10 Moses When thou commest nigh to a City to besiege it first offer conditions of peace to it This course God hath most strictly kept sending Noah to the old World Moses and Aaron to Egypt Lot to Sodome Obadiah to Edom Jonah to Nineveh the old Prophets and Christ himselfe to Jerusalem that they might prevent Gods judgements by repenting them of their sinne as the Ninevites had the grace to doe who had certainly been destroyed if destruction had not been threatned them by the Prophet Whereat Saint Chrysostome standeth amazed and in the end breakes out into this passionate exclamation O new and admirable thing the denuntiation of death brought forth life the prophecy of the overthrow overthrew the prophecy the sentence of destruction made a nullity in the sentence And if Jerusalem had knowne the things that belonged to her peace even in that day in which our Saviour fore-shewed her fatall doome his prophecy had fell and the City had stood For therefore God and man threaten to inflict severe punishment that they may not inflict what they threaten as b Phil â—ct l. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philostrates and c Nazian epist 194. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen observe The fifth rule is first to use faire and gentle meanes before wee take a more severe course This is laid downe by the Apostle 1 Corinth 4.21 What will you shall I come unto you with a rod or in love and the spirit of meeknesse You see the soft drops of raine pierce the hardest stones and the warme bloud of a Goat dissolveth the Adamant Nature seemeth to prescribe this method which alwayes sendeth a flash of lightening before we heare a clap of thunder Et afflatur omne priusquam percutitur And nothing is struck which is not blasted before And Art
teares from their eyes These are they that came out of great tribulation Great tribulation in the judgement of Marlorat is a periphrasis of the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist which shall be the hottest service the souldiers of Christ shall ever be put to As the last endevour of nature before death putteth the patient to most paine and the last assault of Pharaoh put the Israelites to the greatest extremity so the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist shall exceed all the former i Mat. 24.29 For then the sunne that is the knowledge of the truth or the light of Gods countenance shall be darkned and the moon that is the beauty of the Church shal be obscured turned into bloud that is deformed by bloudy persecutions and the stars shall fall from heaven that is the greatest lights of the Church shall fall from it and there shal be such perplexity and distresse of nations as never was before then as k Aug. ep 80. Tunc Ecclesia non apparebit impiis ultra modum persequentibus St. Augustine inferreth the Church shall have no outward appearance wicked men raging and cruelly persecuting her above measure But I see no reason why we should restraine tribulation to persecution or persecution to that of Antichrist For every great affliction and heavie crosse which the faithfull beare in this world be it losse of goods or of friends banishment imprisonment infamy torture of body or vexation of mind is great tribulation through which any elect child of God may enter into heaven Albeit we yeeld Martyrs a precedency amongst Saints yet they alone enter not into their masters joy Let their garlands have a red rose added unto it and their crowne a rubie above the rest yet assuredly all other that are l Apoc. 2.10 faithfull unto death shall receive the crowne of life all that fight a good fight and keepe the faith after they have finished their course shall receive a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all that love his appearing The article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not demonstrative pointing to any singular persecution but intensive intimating that many and very great tribulations abide the faithfull servants of God and they must through them enter into the kingdome of heaven their life is nothing else but a m Hieron ep ad Heliodor Etras frateâ— erras si unquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnatis si te oppâ—gnati nescis race of patience through many tribulations and a battell of faith against all kind of temptations A Christian is never without an enemy to persecute him inwardly or outwardly even this is a temptation of the Divell to thinke that wee are at any time free from all temptation For either wee are in warre with the World Flesh and the Divell or God will fight against us either we are afflicted for our sinnes or afflicted with our sinnes and if God for a long time spare us even this afflicteth us that we are not afflicted For sith God afflicteth them whom he affecteth we have just cause to feare because wee are not under his rod we are out of his care and that therefore he chasteneth us not here because he reserveth us to eternall torments If any demand why God carrieth a more severe hand over his children than over the wicked that deserve lesse favour I answer by propounding them the like questions Why doth a father when hee seeth two boyes fighting in the street correct his sonne and not the other Why doth the Schoolemaster take a stricter account of the Scholar hee best affecteth than of others whom hee suffereth often to play the trewants Why doth the husbandman let unfruitfull and unsavory trees grow out at length without any cutting or pruning but pruneth the fragrant roses and pricketh the fruitfull vines till they bleed Why doth the Physician when hee seeth his patient desperate give order to them that are about him to deny him nothing that he hath a mind unto but if he hath any hope of recovery of any patient of his he keepeth him in diet forbiddeth him such things as he most desireth and prescribeth for him many meats drinkes and potions which goe against his stomacke Lastly why doth a Captaine set the best Souldiers in the forefront of a battell and appointeth them to enter at a breach with apparent hazzard of their lives To the first question they will answer that a wise father taketh up his son sharply and correcteth him for his misdemeanour and not the other because he hath a speciall care of his sonnes behaviour and not of the other thus let them thinke of the Father of Spirits his dealing with his children who chasteneth those faults in them which he seemeth to winke at in others because he beareth a singular affection to his owne and hath a speciall care of their nurture To the second they will answer that a good schoolemaster taketh a more strict account of his best scholar and more often plyeth him with the rod or feruler than any other because he most desireth his profit let them thinke so of our heavenly Teacher that hee holds a stricter hand over those in Christs schoole who outstrip others that they may more profit by him To the third they will answer that an understanding husbandman letteth other trees grow to their full length without cutting or pruning them because they are good for nothing but for fire wood but he pruneth the roses to make them more savoury and the vines to make them more fruitfull let them thus conceive of themselves that they are like vines that runne into luxuriant stemmes and roses apt to grow wilde therefore God the Father who o John 5.1 is an husbandman pruneth them to make them more savourie in their prayers and meditations and more fruitfull in good workes To the fourth they will answer that the Physician doth according to his art to cure the body and God doth the like in wisedome to cure the soule they whom he ordereth not setting them in a course of physick but letteth them doe what they will and have what they call for are in a desperate case To the last they will answer that the experienced Captaine setteth the most valiant souldiers in places of greatest danger that they may get the greater honour so doth God set the most valiant Christian upon the most dangerous service that thereby he may gaine greater honour and a more massie crowne of glory Moreover sinne taketh us oftentimes after the nature of a falling sicknesse out of which our heavenly Father awaketh us by the stroake of his rod. Whereby also hee beateth downe the pride of our flesh and keepeth us alwayes in awe and constraineth us to cry aloud unto him in our prayers he maketh us sensible of our sinnes
similitudes of true things similitudines auri with studs or points of silver id est scintillis quibusdam spiritualis intelligentiae that is points spangles or sparkles of precious and spirituall meaning For example Aarons mitre and his breast-plate of judgement engraven with Urim and Thummim and his golden bells were similitudines auri similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs or points of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall truth in them were Christ his three offices His Priestly represented by the breast-plate His Princely by the mitre His Propheticall by the bells Againe in the breast-plate of Aaron there were set in rowes twelve precious stones here were similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall meaning were the l Apoc. 21.14 twelve Apostles laid as precious stones in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem that is the Church Take yet a third example in the Arke there were the two m Heb. 9.4 Tables and the golden of Manna and the rod that had budded these were similitudines auri golden similitudes and the puncta argenti that is the cleere and evident points of spirituall truth in them are the three notes of the true Church 1 The Word or the Old and New Testament signified by the two Tables 2 The Sacraments prefigured in the golden pot of Manna 3 Ecclesiasticall discipline shadowed by Aarons Rod. Thus I might take off the cover of all the legall types and shew what lieth under them what liquor the golden vessell containeth what mysteries the precious robes involve what sacraments their figures what ablutions their washings what table their Altars what gifts their oblations what host their sacrifices pointed unto The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes observeth such an admirable correspondency betweene these things that in this respect the whole Scripture may be likened to one long similitude the protasis whereof or first part is in the Old Testament the antapodosis or second part in the New For in the Old as the Apostle testifieth there were n Heb. 9.23.24 similitudes of true things but in the New we finde the truth of those similitudes Which if our new Sectaries of the precisian or rather o Mr. Whittall Bradburn and their followers circumcision cut had seriously thought upon they would not like Aesops dog let fall the substance by catching at the shadow they would not be so absurd as to goe about to bring the aged Spouse of Christ to her festraw againe and reduce all of us her children to her p Gal. 4.2.3 nonage under the law they would not be so mad as to keepe new moones and Jewish Sabbaths after the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen so long agoe and hath made us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven These silly Schismatickes doe but feed upon the scraps of the old Ebionites of whom q Hay hist sac l. 3. Ebionitae pauperes interpretantur verè sensu pauperes ceremonias adhuc legis custodientes Haymo out of Eusebius writeth thus The Ebionites according to the Hebrew Etymologie of their name are interpreted poore and silly and so indeed they are in understanding who as yet keepe the ceremonies of the old Law Nay rather they licke the Galathians vomit and therefore I thinke fit to minister unto them the purge prescribed by the r Gal. 3.1 2 3. Apostle O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath beene evidently set forth crucified among you This onely would I learne of you received yee the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith Are yee so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh Behold I ſ Gal. 5 2. Paul testifie unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing we may adde If you keepe the Jewish Sabbath or abstain from swines flesh out of conscience and in obedience to the ceremoniall Law Christs flesh shall profit you nothing if you abstaine from bloud in any such respect Christs bloud shall profit you nothing For I testifie againe saith St. Paul to every man that is circumcised that he is become a debter to the whole Law And will they not yet learne that Mosaicall rites and ceremonies were at severall times 1. Mortales or moriturae 2. Mortuae 3. Mortiferae They were mortales at their first constitution mortuae that is dead at Christs death and now mortiferae deadly to all that observe them Will they put off the long white robes washed in the bloud of the Lambe and shrowd themselves with the old rags or as St. Paul termeth them beggarly rudiments of the Law If they are so minded I leave them and fill up this Border with the words of Saint t Ser. 7. Antiqua observatio novo tollitur sacramento hostia in hostiam transiit sanguinem sanguis excludit legalis festivitas dum mutatur impletur Leo The ancient rite is taken away by a new Sacrament one host passeth into another bloud excludeth bloud and the Legall festivity is fulfilled in that it is changed The second exposition of this Scripture which understandeth the golden borders and silver studs of the glorious and pompous splendour of the Christian Church seemeth to come neerer unto the letter faciemus wee will make thee the verbe in the future tense evidently implyeth a promise or prophesie and the sense of the whole may be illustrated by this or the like Paraphrase O glorious Spouse of Christ and blessed Mother of us all who art compassed with a straight chaine about thy necke that suffereth thee not to breathe freely being confined to the narrow limits of Judea in the fulnesse of time the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and in stead of a straight chaine of gold or small string of pearle we will make thee large borders we will environ thee with Christian auditories and congregations as it were borders of gold and these borders of gold shall be set out and supported with studs of silver that is enriched with temporall endowments and upheld by regall authority u Esay 49.23 King shall bee thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nursing mothers Nay such shall be thy honour and power that thou shalt binde Kings with x Psal 149.8 chaines and Nobles with linkes of iron who for their ransome shall offer unto thee store of gold to make thee borders and silver for studs Which prophesie seemed to have been fulfilled about the dayes of Constantine or a little after when such was the sumptuous statelinesse of Christian Churches and so rich the furniture thereof that it dazled the eyes of the Heathen Foelix the Emperours Treasurer blessing himselfe when hee beheld the Church vessels and vestments saying En qualibus vasis ministratur Mariae filio See what plate the sonne of Mary is served
and easilier spell the letters of the Gospel he vouchsafed to worke them in embroidered silkes and engrave them in gold silver and such precious treasure as fill the rowes in my text Thus much concerning the legall Hieroglyphicks we learne by St. Paul who in his Epistles to the Galathians Corinthians and Hebrewes expounding divers types and stories of the old law spiritually satis ostendit caetera quoque ejusdem esse intelligentiae b Hieron ep ad Fabiol teacheth us plainly that the rest are of the same nature and admit of the like interpretation And hereto S. c In Cant. hom 1. Origen fitteth the words spoken to the Spouse in the Canticles Faciemus tibi similitudines auri cum puncturis argenti we will make thee golden resemblances of true things cum * With certain points rayes notes or sparkles of spirituall meaning puncturis argenti id est scintillis quibusdam spiritualis intelligentiae According to which allusive interpretation of that allegorizing Writer the gold it selfe of the Altar was but a similitude of the true gold d Apoc. 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou maist be rich profered by our Saviour to the Angell of Laodicea and the precious stones named in my text are but similitudes of that precious stone to which St. e 1 Pet. 2.6 Peter pointeth Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect precious whereupon St. f Jer. in Ezek. de gemmis coro Reg. Tyr. 28.13 Jerome sweetly inferres that all the Jewels mentioned in my text are to bee sold by the wise Christian Merchant to buy that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pearle of great price mentioned in the g Mat. 13.46 Gospel Omnes istae gemmae Prophetarum Apostolorum sunt quae comparatione Christi venduntur in Evangelio ut ematur preciocissima Margarita h Mart. ep l. 5. Sardonychas Smaragd ' Adamantas Jaspidas uno Portat in articulo stella Severe tuus O Severus thou settest out thy mistresse most richly with every joint in her fingers laden with Jewels Rubies Emralds Jaspers and Diamonds but pardon me if I beleeve there are more gemmes of art in thy verses than of nature on her fingers Multas in digitis plures in carmine gemmas Invenies inde est haec puto culta manus Behold here in Aarons breast-plate all those and many more precious stones in all twelve bearing the name of the twelve Patriarkes set in ouches of gold and tied to the golden rings of the Ephod a sacred vestment which Aaron and his successours were to put on before they gave judgement when the people asked counsell of God So much of the pectorall is cleerely set downe in this booke but that Aarons breast-plate of judgement was a perfect astrolab is but Abenezra his fantasie without judgement refuted by Tostatus Likewise that together with the names of the Patriarkes there was engraven in every stone the name of some Starre or Angel ut confirmaretur memoria tribus apud Deum is but a muddie talmuddie tradition implying ridiculously and impiously that God needeth or useth the helps of artificiall memorie i Antiq. Judaic l. 3. c. 9. Per duodecimas gemmas quas in pectoâ—â—â—â—ontifex insuâ—â—◠〈◊〉 in bello â—â—â—toriam Deus pronunciare solebat Nam priusquam exercitus se moveret tantus fulgor ex iis emicabat ut toti populo facilè innotesceret adesle Deum opemque iis esse allaturum Josephus telleth us a faire tale and Baronius graceth his annals with it of an unusuall and marvellous lightning of some of these gemmes which clearly foreshewed victory to the people when they asked counsell of God by the Ephod before they went into warre a strange kinde of propheticall illumination not by the irradiation of the Spirit into their mindes but by the scintillation and lustre of stones to the eye But the Scriptures silence in a matter of such note and Josephus his owne confession that for the space of two hundred yeares before his time there was no such new kind of soothsaying not by the aspect of the heavens but of the Priests breast not by twinckling starres but by sparkling stones giveth us just cause to suspect the truth of this narration and much more of an appendix thereunto which we find in Suidas and Epiphanius that the Diamond in the second row of stones as it cleerely foreshewed victorie by the extraordinary glare of it so it portended bloody slaughter by suddenly turning into a red colour and finall desolation by changing into blacke For in the booke of Judges we have the manner of Gods revealing future events to the Priests when they had on the linnen Ephod set downe not by mute signes but by created voyce and therefore St. l Qu. 117. in Exod. Austine accounteth the former relation to be a meere fable Fabulantur quidam lapidem fuisse cujus color sive ad prospera sive ad adversa mutaretur Howbeit sith the m Ca. 18. v. 24. Author of the booke of wisedome affirmeth that the glorie or as others translate the memorable acts of the patriarches were engraven in the foure rowes of stones whether in the choyce of these jewels respect were not had to such as fittest resembled by their beautie or vertue something memorable concerning the Patriarch or his posteritie whose name it bare I determine not absolutely on either side First because neither the Jewish nor the Christian Interpreters agree in the reckoning of the stones or the order of the Patriarches names engraven in them The Thargum of Jerusalem and the Chaldee Paraphrase expresse them after this manner Upon the 1 Sardine was graven 1 Reuben Sonnes of Leah 2 Topaze 2 Simeon 3 Smaragd 3 Levi 4 Chalcedonie 4 Judah 5 Saphir 5 Issachar 6 Sardonyx 6 Zabulon 7 Hyacinth 7 Dan Of Bilhah Rachels maid 8 Chrysoprase 8 Napthali 9 Amethyst 9 Gad Of Zilpha Leahs maid 10 Chrysolite 10 Asher 11 Beryll 11 Joseph Of Rachel 12 Jasper 12 Benjamin Others differ in translation of the stones and conceive the names of the Patriarches to have beene graven in them according to the order of nature according to which after Judah they place Dan and then Napthali after Gad then Asher after Issachar then Zabulon then Joseph and Benjamin The Author of the vulgar translation which the Councell of Trent defineth to be authenticall thus ranketh the stones in the foure rowes In the first 1 Sardius 2 Topazius 3 Smaragdus In the second 4 Carbunculus 5 Saphirus 6 Jaspis In the third 7 Ligyrius 8 Achates 9 Amethystus In the fourth 10 Chrysolitus 11 Onychinus 12 Beryllus The Kings Translatours thus In the first 1 Sardius 2 Topaze 3 Carbuncle In the second 4 Emrald 5 Saphire 6 Diamond In the third 7 Alygure 8 Agate 9 Amethyst In the fourth 10 Beryll 11 Onyx 12 Jasper Secondly because Aben Ezra a great Rabbin ingenuously confesseth that there is no certainty to
of his discourse which was the promise of our Saviour I will ease you This indeed is Caput bonae spei the only Cape of good hope If these allusions seem defective and not so apposite as before I searched the land so now I will the sea for fitter and the fittest of all seem to mee to be these foure seas 1. Rubrum 2. Orientale 3. Mediterraneum 4. Pacificum The first because it ran all upon the bloudy passion of our Saviour I liken to the read sea The second I compare to the orientall Ocean not onely in respect of the immensity of matter in it depth of the authors judgment and rare pearles of wit and art but especially because Extulit Oceano caput aureus igniferum sol because out of this Easterne Ocean we saw the Sun of righteousnes Christ Jesus arising The third because it interveyned between the former the latter sea and passed through the whole continent in a manner of Divinity I call the Mediterranean or mid-land sea The fourth for the equall current of it but especially for the subject and matter resembleth mare del zur commonly called Pacificum for his whole discourse tended to this that though the life of a Christian be a sea yet that it is so calmed by Christs promise I will ease you that to every childe of God in the end it proves mare pacificum My peace I give unto you The still sea be not troubled nor feare Et si vultis accipere these judicious and methodicall Sermons foure in number are the foure rowes in Aarons breast-plate of judgement the jewels are their precious doctrines the imbossments of gold in which these jewels were set were their texts of Scripture Sed ubi spiritualis tabernaculi Å¿ Vincent Lerin advers haer Bezaliel qui pretiosas divini dogmatis gemmas exculperet fideliter adornaret sapienter adjiceret gratiam splendorem venustatem I know not how it comes to passe that as sometimes in Israel though there were much metall yet no Smith so at this time in this famous University though we have store of jewels yet there is none who will professe himself in this kind a Jeweller If the true reason hereof be the difficulty danger of this work wherein we fish as it were with a golden hook Cujus jactura nullâ piscium capturâ compensari potest then have all sorts of auditors great reason favourably to interpret their best endeavours who for their sake not only undertake so great a taske but hazzard so great a losse If the Rehearser acquit himself never so well what can he expect for all his pains but the bare commendation of a good memory but if he faile not only his memory but his judgement and discretion also are called in question In which consideration when authority first laid hands on mee I drew backe with all my might till the command for repeating being repeated againe and againe in the end the power of authority more prevailed with mee than the sense of mine owne infirmity Adamas ferrum à magnete tractum ad se rapit vehementiùs though the iron as Agricola observeth is drawn powerfully by the load-stone yet if a diamond be in place the load-stone loseth his force Artificiall memory as t Lib. 3. Rhet. ad Heren Constat artificiosa memoria ex locis imaginibus Cornificius saith consisteth of images and places We need not goe farre for them we have them both in my Text places Ver. 17. Thou shalt set it full of places for stones images most resplendent in the Verses following and very happy were I if as here I have the names so I had the naturall effects attributed to some of these jewels for 1. The Agat keepeth a man moist saith Dioscorides 2. The Beril sharpeneth the wit saith Ystella 3. The Carbuncle infuseth spirits saith Barraeus 4. The Chrysolite helpeth the breathing parts saith Rueus 5. The Emrald is good for the sight and memory saith Vincentius 6. The Onyx strengtheneth the whole body saith Albertus 7. The Saphir freeth a man from wrath and envie saith Tostatus but I perswade my self that many of these authors when they wrote these things had an Amethyst on their fingers the last jewell in the third row in Hebrew called ×”×ž×œ×—× from מלח u Buxtorf epit radic heb From a word signifying to dreame because they that weare it are much subject to dreaming Amethystus lapis pretiosus sic dictus quòd gestantibus eum somnia inducit and therefore leaving such incredulous relations to * Aben Ezra in Exod. 28.19 Rabbinicall and Philosophicall legends in a warrantable Scripture phrase I will pray to Almighty God to touch my tongue with a coale mentioned by the x Esay 6.6 7. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me having a coale in his hand and he laid it upon my tongue Prophet Esay which S. Jerome interpreteth a Carbuncle that I may enflame the hearts of this great assembly with a zeale of his glory and both now whensoever I am to speak to the edification of his people so to furnish mee with materialls and assist mee in laying them that upon the true foundation Christ Jesus I may build not hay and stubble but gold silver and precious stones such as shine in my Text which I divide according to the foure rowes into foure parts THE FIRST ROW And in the first row a Ruby a Topaze and an Emrald WHether the Ruby fit not the modesty of the Speaker the Topaze quae sola gemmarum limam sentit his limate and polished stile the Emrald the fresh and green verdour of his sentences I leave to your learned censures sure I am the green and ruddy stones some of them generated in the red sea lively set forth the green wounds and bloudy passion of the worlds Redeemer the subject of his discourse The Ruby hath a perfect colour of flesh whence it is called in Latine Carneolus but with a lustre and resplendency farre above the nature of flesh What fitter embleme of the rayes of divine majesty shining in the flesh of our Saviour which was the argument of the Preachers first part This Ruby nubeculâ quâdam offundebatur as the naturall to wit in his passion and then changed colour and resembled the other two gems death displaying its colours in his flesh which he suffered to pay the wages of sinne for us which was the scope of his latter observations The imbossment of gold in which these gems of divine doctrine were set was his Text taken out of JOHN 11.50 It is expedient for us that one man should dye for the people The first Sermon preached on Good-friday by Master Ozborstone Student of Christ-Church BEhold I bring you a prophesie but of no Prophet I present you lying malice speaking truth unwittingly unwillingly and savage cruelty providing a salve to cure the wounds of all mankind Out of one fountain bitter and sweet out of