in generals often in particulars euery man almost is a good ludge in Thesi but not in Hypothesi thou wilt in Thesi say that murther is a crying sin drunkennes a stinking vice whoredome as the Pharisees here worthy to be punished with death but in Hypothesi descend from the generall to the particular and then the case quoth Ployden is altered the murther committed by thee was full of honour and fayre thy drunkennes was but good fellowship thy want onnesse but a tricke of youth example hereof in the 2. of Sam. 12. Dauids anger was greatly kindled against the rich man who tooke from the poore man his only lambe As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye But when once the Prophet told him to his beard thou art the man his heart instantly smote him and he sayd I haue sinned against the Lord. The refractarie spirits of the towne censure the Church and the Church hath happily those that censure the town the countrey peraduenture doth censure both there be Criticks in this age which either out of the bitternesse of spirit or spirit of bitternesse as Augustus Caesar taxe all the world but I say to you beloued as Christ here to the Pharisees he that is without sinne let him cast the first stone Cedat huic sententiae pietas Christianorum cui cessitimpietas Iudaeorum cedat humilitas obsequentium cui cessit superbia persequentium as Augustin exhorteth in 54. Epist which is to Macedonius But the patterne concerneth especially Ministers of the word intimating that they should bee very cautelous in answering their aduersaries and circumspect in all their wayes toward those that are without our enemies are mighty and many we need therefore to beg of God as Solomon did an vnderstanding heart that wee may bee wise like serpents in defending our selues albeit simple like doues in offending others it is written of Laurentius Medices that famous Florentine that hee had two men in him as being a playne and pleasant man at home but a stoute man and a prudent in the Senate Christ would haue his disciples to be like children not in vnderstanding but as Paul construeth him in malitiousnesse 1. Cor. 14. 20. It is not sayd the kingdome of heauen is of children but of such is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 19. 14. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome obserues of such as are children in meekenesse albeit men in ripenesse of iudgement But why should any Doctour haue a tongue to speake where the spirit hath not a pen to write quod lego credo We build our saith vpon the scriptures of God and not vpon the coniectures of men And therefore seeing the spirit did not reueale to S. Iohn nor S. Iohn expresse to the Church nor the Church deliuer to vs what it was our blessed Lord here wrote with his finger I say with Tertullian in this case nihil scire omnia scire est To know nothing is to know all and with Ambrose quod scripturarum authoritate non didici quà si secretum praetereo Confessing with Augustine that there is a learned ignorance taught by the spirit of wisedome and with Salutanus the desire to know that which Almighty God would haue hidden it is a kind of sacriledge And vpon these premises I conclude with x Euthymius y Caluin z Maldonat a Gualter and b many moe that Christ here wrote nothing at all only seemed to write that he might expresse by this gesture his distast of their idle question and that hee did not attend their captious cauilling as men vse when they disregard vnsauourie speeches and vaine prattle to strike the ground with their staffe to play with their gloues or to write with their fingers in the aire manifesting by these behauiours and the like contempt and scorne Yet I beleeue this to be so not because these Doctors say so but as the Samaritane in the fourth of S. Iohns Gospel at the 42 verse because wee haue heard himselfe construe himselfe so for saith our Euangelist according to the last and best English Translation herein agreeing with diuerse Greeke copies as Beza reportes He stooped downe and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not 2 If Christ had written any sentence concerning the Pharisees they would rather haue framed a reply then continued asking 3 It is not easily granted that Christ would stoope downe againe to write that which he had written before 4 Had Christ written any remarkeable saying it is probable S. Iohn here would haue reported and repeated it But as whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning So this not written is for our instruction also teaching vs by this example that we need not answere cauils obiected by schismaticks and Hereticks in all things and at all times not in all things for Aristotle telleth vs it is absurde to reforme ridiculous opinions accuratly the best answere to words of scorne is Isaacks Apology to his brother Ismael the Apology which patience and silence makes our answere sayd reuerend Hooker to their reasons is no to their scoffes nothing Not at all times for there is a season and an opportunity for euery purpose when our blessed Lord was on the Crosse the Iewes mocked him If thou be the Sonne of God and King of Israel come down from the Crosse saue thy selfe But he did answere nothing because it was tempus patiendi non faciendi His work was now to suffer not to do to be crucified and not magnified And so when his aduersaries here would haue him censure this adultresse he doth intimate that his houre was not yet come to condemne his worke was now to saue sinners and not to destroy distingue tempora et conuenient omnia Christ hath a three-fold comming into the world according to the three-fold distinction of time Past Present Future In time past as Bernard pithily venit ad homines He came to men in the time present venit in homines he commeth into men by his spirit In the time to come venit contra homines He shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead His first and second comming is to conuert sinners his third only to condemne he sayd therefore to the woman hath no man condemned thee neither doe I condemne thee goe thy way and sinne no more And this may serue for the resolution of the second question also touching what was written to fill vp the rest of the time remaining I might examine how the serpentine brood of Ignatius Loiola deuoted only to the name of Iesus imitate the person of Iesus in nothing He was stooping but it may be sayd of them as Henry the third of the hospitallers at Clearken well their extraordinary faculties and priuiledges haue made them rich their riches proud their pride madde impudently bragging that the Church is
our Prophet saith in the next words If thou deale thy bread to the hungrie then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health shall grovve speedily For his Ciuill estate that is reputation and honour Learning and Valour are the vertues for which a man is most admired but humblenesse and bountifulnesse are the vertues for which a man is best beloued The loynes of the naked blesse him and the tongues of the poore praise him and the hearts of all men honour him his memoriall is blessed and had in an euerlasting remembrance sweet as hony in all mouthes and pleasant in all eares as musicke at a banquet of wine For this Spirituall estate the dealing of bread to hungry soules is acceptable to God for his almes ascend and come vp in remembrance before God Act. 10. 4. Where that he hath done faithfully to the least of Christes little ones shall be Construed as done to Christ himselfe and it is very comfortable to himselfe also which occasioned the blessed Martyr Tyndall to terme monday and Saturday which he vsually spent in visiting the sicke and relieuing the poore his owne dayes of pastime an happy recreation as Ambrose speakes in alieno remedio Vulnera sua curare To benefit our selues by helping other For his eternall estate the poore man is the Mercurit saith our Church set by God in the way to Hierusalem aboue whosoeuer will go thither must goe by his doore pointing at the path of Paradise directly Hee that Couers the naked shall put on Christ and bee Clothed with the long white robes of righteousnes couering all his sin hee that bringes the poore Cast-out into his house shall be receiued into euerlasting habitation he that hides not himselfe from his owne flesh shall enioy the presence of Christ and see God face to face He that deales bread to the hungry shal be satisfied with the plenteousnes of Gods house drinking of heauenly delights as out of the riuer he shal haue for a cup of Cold water which is the least almes a Crowne of glory which is the greatest of rewardes euen fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore GEN. 1. 26. And God sayd let vs make man in our Image after our owne likenesse THe Scripture considers man in a fourefold estate the first of his confection as being in his originall integrity created according to Gods owne likenesse The 2. of his infection as hauing by sinne defaced this imprinted Image The 3. of his refection as being renewed againe by Christ which is the brightnesse of Gods glory and expresse Character of his person The 4. of his perfection in the Kingdome of glory when he shall enioy Gods presence seeing him as the blessed Apostle speakes euen face to face Our present text is a briefe Chronicle reporting his first estate namely the creation of man wherein two poyntes are to be discussed especially 1. The mystery of the most high and sacred Trinity creating 2. The dignity of man Created The first is closely couched vnder these two words faciamus and Imago let vs make in the plural number noting the Trinity but in the singular Image not Images noting the vnitie the word our imports moe then one the word likenesse one and no moe this then in the Iudgement of all orthodoxe Diuines is meant of the three in heauen the Father the Word the Holy Spirit which three are one 1. Iohn 5. 7. Hereupon elswhere termed according to the Hebrew phrase God our makers Iob. 35. 10. psal 149. 2. Esay 54 5. and Eccle. 12. 1. Remember thy Creators in the dayes of thy youth If this note seeme to be forced and vnkind beside the streame of all antiquitie there be manifest and manifold reasons euidently demonstrating the same 1. Man is the workemanship of the whole Trinity Ergo these wordes of God let vs make concern the whole Trinity the antecedent is indeniable because opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt cōmunicabilia that is all the works of the Trinity without it selfe are communicable the workes of the Trinity within it selfe are incommunicable So God the father is sayd only to beget God the sonne to bee begotten and God the holy Ghost to proceed but all the workes of the Trinitie without it selfe are common vnto three persons and therefore Moses saith in the beginning of this chapter according to the wordes originall in principio dij creauit intimating the creation of the world to bee the worke of the whole Trinitie Creauit dij three persons but one God It is bad latine yet good diuinitie for God the sonne did create so well as God the father Iohn 1. 3. by him al things were made and God the holy Ghost also aswell as God the sonne for the spirit moued vpon the waters Gen. 1. 2. where by spirit we neither vnderstand an Angel which is Caietans idle phansie nor yet the winde as Tertullian and Dauid Kimchi conceited nor the piercing aire as Theodorete imagined but it was Gods owne spirit whereby the creatures were fostered and formed Iob. 26. 13. His spirit hath garnished the heauens and so diuines ascribe the work of creation in the masse of the matter vnto God the father In the disposition of the forme vnto God the sonne in the continuance and conseruation of both vnto God the holy spirit the consultation or rather agreement in saying let vs make man is of the whole trinitie wherein God the father as the first in order speaketh vnto the sonne and holy Ghost and the sonne and the holy Ghost speake it and order it with the father the which because it is written for mans instruction is also spoken after the manner of men 2. To whom I pray sayd God let vs make man If not to God the son and holy Ghost vnto some Demi-gods as Philo Iudaus a scholler of Plato most absurdly coniectured or because the workes and actions of men are partly good and partly bad that God he spake to some Cacodamon as the Manichees impiously dreamed refering the making of that which is good vnto God but the making of that which is bad vnto some badspirit Ista referre est refellere the very repetition of these fantasies is a sufficient confutation of them vnto you who know that all which God made was good yea very good and that God in the beginning made man righteous but they haue sought many inuentions Eccl. 7. 31. Or did God speake this in the plurall after the maner of great Princes only for his honour Nos Radulphus Romanus Imperator mandamus As some Iewes haue fondly construed it nb vcb vbi Answere is made that the stately stile Nos is not ancient at the least not so gray headed and Christian interpreters obserue from Aben Ezra who was himselfe a Iew That the Scripture doth not afford such an example of any King
Dishonour he departed went away returned Despaire he dwelt at Nineue His fal is described to be very fearefull in respect of three circumstances The first is of the persons who slew him Adramalech and Sharezer his own sonnes The second is of the place where he was slaine in the temple of his god Nisroth The third is of the time when he was slaine when he was praying and worshipping In that the spirit doth expresse Sennacheribs recoyling backe with so many words it is vndoubtedly to cast disgrace vpon his cowardly flight For it is no superfluous and idle repetition when he saith hee departed he weâ—…t his waâ—… he returned The name of King is added also to his further shame as if he should say see this King this great King whom impudent Rabseketh extolled so highly by reason of his power and pompe He that came vp against all the cities in Iudah and challenged in his rage the Lord himselfe meant not to retire with infamie But God for his trueth and mercy sake droue him out thence euen as chaffe before the wind the Lord who cannot lie sayd by the mouth of Esay the Prophet I will send a blast vpon him and accordingly the Lords Angel in one night smote in the campe of Ashur one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand So when the remnant rose early in the morning behold they were all dead coarses And whereas it is sayd He returned and dwelt at Niniue It sheweth euidently that he not only lost his courage but that his forces also quailed For if despaire had not bene as a chaine to keepe him in who was ambitious and insatiable hee would not willingly haue stayed at home and content himselfe with his owne kingdome This history may comfort vs in the perill of warre God which is the Lord of hostes and King of glory can and as shall make most for his honour and our good will protect his Church as with a shield And here wee may sing with Dauid As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of hostes in the city of our God God vpholdeth it for euer For in the yeare 88. did there not a Spanish Senacherth come vp against our English Iudah as himselfe fondly conceited with an inuincible Armado did not the Iesuites as foule-mouthed as euer Rabseketh defie God and his Gospel openly triumphing in pulpit and â—…e before the victory Did they not cry with a loud voice from Rhemes and Rome from Flanders and France that our blessed Queene Elizabeth was a miserable woman vnable to protect her subiects and that her Kingdome was deliuered ouer into the hands of the great king of Ashur But albeit the Pope such was his holinesse did blesse them in their endeauours yet the Lord did curse them in their ends He sent a blast among them a tempest in the mids of them on the sudden which in a trice so disordered their Nauy that few returned as Sennacherib into Niniue the same way they came Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him like as the smoke vanisheth euen so let them be driuen away and like as waxe melteth at the fire so let the vngodly perish at thy presence O God Hitherto concerning the flight of Sennacherib I am now to proceed in his fall amplified First by circumstance of persons as being slaine by his owne sonnes Adramelech and Sharezer Dauid complaining of Achitophel and Christ in the person of Dauid complaining of Iudas cryed out it is not an open enemie that hath done me this dishonour for then I could better haue borne it neither was it mine aduersary that did magnifie himselfe against me for then peraduenture I could haue hid my selfe from him But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together and walked in the house of God as friends It is base trechery to betray a friend but it is the serpents head and height of impiety to butcher a Father A sonne is the fathers liuing chronicle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone an expresse character of his person and walking Image neerer and deerer then any friend What greater indignitie then or iniury could fall vpon Sennacherib then thus vnfortunatly to perish by the hands of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sons What greater vnhappines then thus ignonimiously to lose his life by those who should haue preserued him aliue being of all other most oblieged vnto him as receiuing from him their being The Lords Angel smote in his camp one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand of his souldiers buâ—… God determined to reserue him for an heauier iudgment I wil send a blast vpon him and hee shall fall by the sword in his owne land verse 7. God which is the righteous Iudge doth often passe by the wicked in small dangers that he may bring vpon them a greater condemnation as when Sauls life was in Dauids hand he might haue cut off his head but hee cuts off only the lap of his garment and so lets him go God here suffered Saul to bee deliuered from the sword of Dauid that afterward he might fal vpon his owne sword Ham Noahs sonne escaped the great flood yet for discouering his fathers shame the flood of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed him The cities of Sodom and Gomorra had escaped doubtlesse many grieuous deserued punishments but at the length God rained out of heauen fire brimstone to consume them and so they were turned into ashes and made an ensample to those that afterward should liue vngodly 2. Pet. 2. 6. So many notorious malefactours who draw iniquitie with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart rope contriuing mischiefe on their beds and committing all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse often escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages and yet in fine they come to some fearefull and exâ—…mplarie Iudgement as here Sennacherib a great tyrant and a great blasphemer escaped the stroake of a glorious Angel that hee might more dishonorably perish in his owne land and in his owne house not by forreine foes or by popular sedition or by traytors or by seruants but by the sword of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sonnes And as it was in God great Iustice that hee who did intend to slay so many children of God should himselfe bee slayne by his owne children There were secondarie causes vndoubtedly moouing these thus vnnaturally to butcher their father For first it is thought that Sennacherib had assigned ouer his kingdome to Esaradon his third sonne whom he most affected and so meant to disinherit Adramelech and Sharezer Hereupon these two brethren in iniquity conspired against Sennacherib their cruell father as he was their King and their naturall father as he was their parent The Rabbins haue coyned another deuise saying that Sennacherib asked his idol why hee could not vanquish the
into one ballance and thy soule into the other and thou shalt vnderstand that the saying of thy soule is better in it sefe and much more better vnto thy selfe then all the world yea more worth then as many worldes as there be men in the world thy soule is better in it selfe for all the things of the world are vanities of vanities Mâ—…ndus transit et concupiscentia eius The pomps of the world and the world it selfe is mutable but the soule is an immortall and heauenly substance breathed into thee by God and if thou dwell in his Courts and continue faithfull in his seruice to death it shal be blessed euerlastingly And to thy selfe it ought to bee more precious then all the treasures of Empires for according to the â—…ules of charity that ought to bee dearest vnto thee which is neerest vnto thee but nothing as diuine Plato said is so much thy selfe as thy soule The sauing whereof is the principall and mayne businesse and all other affayres are to bee respected or reiected as they more or lesse tend to the furthering of this one most important employment If therefore thou loue thy profit desire to dwell in the Courts of the Lord for the Church as Iohn Baptist shewes thee is Christ and Christ is the way to God and godlinesse is great gaine by which is obteyned an inheritance which is immortall vndefiled and neuer fading away granted in our election promised in our vocation assured in our iustification actually possessed of vs in our glorification 2 One day spent in the Courts of the Lord is better then a thousand in the tentes of vngodlinesse in respect of pleasure An old disciple of Christ being asked the cause why he was euer such a merry man answered When I was a yong man I studied how to liue well and when I was an old man I studied how to dye well and so desiring to seeke God in his kingdome of grace and hoping to see him in his kingdome of glory one day to me was better then a thousand vnto those who weary themselues in the wayes of wickednesse and destruction Doe ye desire to please your eare no musicke is comparable to the Gospels harmony that is newes of great ioy that comforts Hierusalem at the very heart Doe yee desire to please your taste O taste and see how gracious the Lord is it is hee that feedeth and filleth euery liuing thing with his plenteousnesse and his word is sweeter then hony or the hony combe Psal. 19. 10. Doe ye desire to please your eye what beauty like to that of Christ as being fayrer then all the sonnes of men or what beauty like to that of the Temple for ouâ—… of Sion hath God appeared in perfit beauty Psal. 50. 4. That which Ouid sayd of one kind may bee verified of euery sort of worldly delight breuis est et non vera voluptas it is short and not sound Heb 11. 25. The pleasures of sinnes are but for a season as the night doeth ouertake the day and the day driue away the night so worldly lusts runne one after another and the best of them all endures not long it is but a baite and a bayt is but a bit it may stay the stomacke for a while but it is not able to giue full content the eye sayth Solomon is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing the reioycing of hypocrites is but a moment Iob. 20. 5. Againe worldly delights are no true pleasures but bitter sweets hauing like the peacocke faire feathers but foule feete or like the Meremayd quoth Horace Mulier formosa supernè desinet in turpem piscem or like a tragedy mirthfull in the Prologue dolefull in the Epilogue and therefore we should doe by pleasures as great Princes doe by banquets come and looke a little vpon them and turne away To speake more particularly the lips of a strange woman drop as an hony combe sayth Solomon and her mouth is more soft then oyle but the end of her is bitter as wormewood and sharpe as a two edged sword her feete goe downe to death and her sleppes take hold on hell Laeâ—…a venit Venus tristis abire solet It may bee that the beginnings of ryotus meetings are good fellowship and merriment but euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of such mirth is heauinesse it is like Ioabs kisse attended with a secret stab happily the gamester is pleased enough at play but when he hath made away all he is ready to make away himselfe also As for the pleasures of other sinnes an enuious man is a murtherer to himselfe a prodigall man is a thiefe to himselfe a proud man a witch to himselfe a couetous man a deuil vnto himselfe for as the riuers of sweete waters runne their course to dye in the salt sea so the hony of all earthly pleasures doe end in the gall of griefe On the contrary the goodman and godly delights in the law of the Lord and exerciseth himselfe therein day and night hee serues God with gladnesse other it may bee they haue legem in corde they know the Law but he sayth Hugo de victor hath Cor in lege his heart is set on the law to performe the workes thereof and to him it is ioy to doe well and his ioyes are solide being ioyes of the soule ioyes in the holy Ghost whatsoeuer happeneth outwardly his heart is established and his mind setled intus bene And his ioyes are permanent a good conscience being a continuall feast a dayly Christmas a standing Holiday a ioy that no man or deuill is able to take away whatsoeuer he doeth or suffereth all things worke together for his good he takes pleasure in reproaches in necessities in anguish for Christs sake when he is weake then is hee strong afflicted on euery side but not in distresse death it selfe which other account the worst of all is to him best of all ipsa paenarum vltima mors Christiano ludus est as Prudentius sings of S. Vincent and a Protestant Martyr being at the stake in the middest of furious and outragious flames cryed out Behold yee Papists yee looke for miracles and here now yee may see a miracle for in this fire I feele no more payne then if I were in a bed of downe yea it is to me like a bed of roses Godlinesse in euery sickenesse is a Physitian in euery contention an aduocate in euery doubt a schoole-man in all heauinesse a Preacher and a comforter vnâ—…o whatsoeuer estate it commeth it sayth as the blessed Apostles peace bee to this house Peace be to this man Peace to this heart which occasioned one to say that the life of a good christian is a perpetuall Halleluiah In the duell of Essendon as we read in our English Chronicle betweene Canutus and Edmund Ironside for the
his merite Luke 18. For blessed is the man that feareth alway but hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prouerbs 28. 26. Seeke not to the strength of your owne purse doe not sacrifice to your owne net make not gold your hope saying to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence for riches auaile not in the day of wrath noâ—… helpe in the time of vengeance Seeke not to the blessed spirits of iust men in heauen for Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not Esay 63. 16. They doe not vnderstand our wants in particular howsoeuer vndoubtedly solicitous for our good in generall grant they did clearely see what we lacke and that they be so well able as willing to helpe yet because the Scriptures afford neither precept nor promise nor paterne for inuocation in this kind seeking to the dead saints is an open iniurie to the liuing God at the best it is wil-worship at the worst adoring of old saints is an adopting of new sauiours To summe vp all in a word with our Prophet in the 73 Psalme verse 14. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee all other hopes and helpes are miserable comforters in respect of thee which art a present helpe in trouble vnder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce my soule hangeth vpon thee mine eyes are euer looking vnto thee to the throne of grace will I goe boldly that I may find mercy thou Lord art my strength and onely refuge thy face will I seeke euermore Hugo Cardinalis vnderstandeth here by Gods face that happinesse which is euerlasting in heauen They who seeke for Gods temperall blessings onely seeke his hinder parts as it were but they who first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof are sayd to seeke his priora because potiora the multitude who followed Christ in the 6. of S. Iohn for loaues and not for loue sought Gods hinder parts only but the blessed Apostle who sayd I forget that which is behind and endeauour my selfe vnto that which is before following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesu sought Gods face euermore Temporall goods as riches and honour are the blessings of Gods left hand but length of dayes that is euerlasting life the blessings of his right hand Prouer. 3 16. New creatures in Christ and new men are like the new Moone when the Moone decreaseth it is close aboue open below but when it increaseth it is open aboue close beneath euen so beloued if our mindes as nature framed our hearts are close downeward vsing the world as if wee vsed it not and enlarged vpward in seeking the things aboue then as S. Paul speakes our conuersation is in heauen and as Dauid here we seeke Gods face for euermore Arnobius and diuers moe by Gods face doe vnderstand Christ Iesus as being the brightnesse of Gods glorie and expresse character of his person Heb. 1. 3. And as our Prophet Psalm 67. vers 1. The light of his countenance God is manifested in his sonne as a man is knowen by his face for no man saith our Lord commeth vnto the Father but by me Iohn 14. 6. I am the way the trueth and the life non est quà eas nisi per me non est quò eas nisi ad me as Augustine sweetely Christ is the beginning of blessed and heauenly vision and therefore the way the meane and therefore the trueth the end and therefore the life No man knowes the Father saue the Sonne and to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him It is true that we may see Gods hinder parts by the light of nature for the power of God is manifested in the creation of the world the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke but we cannot see Gods face that is the most vnsearchable riches of his mercy but in by his Son only none know the Father that is a distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity but by the reuelation of God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. Or none know that God is their Father but by the spirit of the Sonne crying in our hearts Abba Father Galat. 4. 6. Wee speake the wisdome of God in a mysterie quoth Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew Hoc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit saith Hierome deepe Plato was altogether ignorant eloquent Demosthenes was vtterly silent in this argument they being secretaries of nature groped after God and found out also so much of him as may serue to condemne them but wee blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see seeking God in his Sonne in whom he is well pleased vnfainedly beleeue that he is our Father and that we are his children and further his heires euen heires annexed with Christ in his kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. verse 16. 17. The Turke seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in Mahumet the Iew seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in a Messias which is yet to come the Popeling seekes not aright for that he seekes him in moe Mediatours then one the Hereticke destroying either the natures of Christ or offices of Christ seekes not God aright the carnall Gospeller and worldling seekes not God aright for although he professe Christ in word yet in his workes he denieth him and the power of his Gospel as Augustine pithily the difference betweene an Hereticke and a bad Catholicke is briefly this the one is an Hereticke in his faith and the other is an Hereticke in his manners Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and with a liâ—…ely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne Image that so wee may seeke thy strength and see thy face euermore It is euident by the first of the Chronicles 16. Chap. That Dauid was authour of this Hymne and that it was indited for Asaph to be sung when the Lordes Arke was placed in the mids of the Tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it and therefore most expositours interpret here Gods face to be Gods Arke by which hee declared his poweâ—… and presence fauour and goodnes toward his people So we read 2 Chron 6. 41. Psal. 63. 3. Psal. 78. 61. Psal. 132. 1. Arise O Lord into thy resting place thâ—… and the Arke of thy strength The like is sayd of Gods holy Temple that it was his house Esay 56. 7. His amiable dwelling place Psal. 84. 1 Yea the very chamber of his presence Psal. 95. 2. Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing And they who worshipped in the Courts of the Lord are sayd to stand and appeare before him as Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the yeere shall all