conuersation is in Heauen Albeit the deuill and his associats besiege Gods elect euery day yet they finde in them no resting place their dwelling is among the reprobate wicked according to that of S. Matthew When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thorow out drie places seeking rest and findes none then he saith I will returne into mine house from whence I came and when he is come he findeth it emptie swept and garnished then he goeth and taketh vnto him seauen other spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the end of this man is worse then the beginning The Deuill is cast out of Heauen into the earth as in the text following that is into men of earthly minds who go vpon their bellies and eat dust all the dayes of their life The Deuill is cast out of the Temple into the court which is without the Temple that is out of the bounds of the Church among the Gentiles and such as know not God or else knowing God glorifie him not as God Rom. 1. 21. professing that they know God but deny him in their workes Tit. 1. 16. In these who mind earthly things Satan ruleth and worketh as their God and prince I heard a loud voyce saying in Heauen is now made saluation Here begins the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or victoriall hymne for the loud voyce from Heauen is nothing else but the publique consent of the faithfull in magnifying the mercies of God toward them in their fight against the Dragon and his angels And this conquest is tearmed in respect of men Saluation in respect of God the strength of his kingdome and the power of his Christ. Where Satan and sinne reigne there destruction is at hand for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. But when once Satan is cast out and the word of God which is the sauing Gospell and the word of life dwelleth in vs plenteously then as Christ said vnto Zacheus saluation is come to our house It is tearmed the power of Christ and strength of Gods kingdome because this euidently sheweth his might and Maiestie So the Text following They ouercame the Dragon by the bloud of the Lambe Christ fighteth in vs and for vs and thorough his help we are able to doe all things euen to cast out Satan and to cast downe holdes and whatsoeuer is exalted against the knowledge of God 2. Cor. 10. 4. So that we may triumph and say with Paul Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea rather that is risen againe who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs And 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. And by the word of their testimonie the bloud of the Lambe that is the death of Christ our paschall lambe is the chiefe cause of this one victorie but Faith is the hand and instrument applying the merits of Christ and opposing them against all the dangerous assaults of the dragon For when that common informer and accuser of his brethren shall accuse thee before God for breaking his Lawes as in many things all of vs offend then thou maiest answere The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne and there is no condemnation vnto those which are in Christ he so loued me that he died for my sinnes and rosâ—… againe for my iustification All that is borne of God ouercommeth the world and this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world and the prince of this world euen our Faith 1. Iohn 5. 4. See Epistle Sun 1. after Easter And therefore Paul aduiseth the Christian souldiour aboue all other weapons in the spirituall war-fare to put on Faith Aboue all take the shield of Faith wherewith yee may quench all the fierie darts of the deuill Ephes. 6. 16. See Epistle Sun 21. after Trinitie Now for as much as it is not sufficient vnto saluation to beleeue with thine heart vnlesse thou likewise confesse with thy mouth It is said here that the souldiours of Christ ouercame the dragon by Faith in the Lambs bloud and by the word of their testimonie And for as much as a true Faith is neuer idle but alway manifesting it selfe by good workes it is added in the next clause they loued not their lines vnto the death as who would say they were willing to sacrifice their loues and their liues in the quarrell of Christ against the Dragon and his Angels they remembred the words of their Generall he that loueth his life shall loose it and he that giueth his life in this world shall keepe it to life eternall and who soeuer shall loose his life for my sake and the Gospell he shall saue it The Gospell MAT. 18. 1. At the same time â—…ame the Disciples vnto Iesus saying who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen THere be two parts of this text 1. A question verse 1. wherein obserue 1. When it was asked at the same time 2. By whom the Disciples 3. Of whom they came vnto Iesus 4. What who is the greatest in the kingdome c. 2. An answere to the same verse 2. 3. c. The summe whereof is briefly this he that in Christs Church is most seruant is the greatest and he that is most Lordly the least or he that is least in his owne conceit is the greatest in Gods eye the least in this kingdome of heauen which is present shall be the greatest in that kingdome of heauen which is to come The which one point is pressed by the great Doctor of humility with a great deale of earnestnes for 1. as S. Marke reportes he sat downe 2. He called the twelue 3. When they were called together hee taught them by spectacle to their eye so well as by precept to their eare he set a childe in the midst of them and said 4. He vsed a vehement asseueration verily I say vnto you 5. A commination except ye turne and become aâ—… children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen At the same time the occasion of this question among the Disciples as Hierom and other learned Doctors write was vpon emulation toward Peter whom alone they saw preferred before the rest in the payment of the tribute by these words of Christ in the former Chapter at the last verse that take and pay to them for me and thee But S. Marke relates Chap. 9. verse 34. that this contention began in the way before they came into the house where Christ appointed Peter to pay tribute
prison souldiers chaines and keepers all which Herod vsed in the persecution of S. Peter at this time 1. He put Peter in prison 2. Doubting that the prison was not strong enough he deliuered him vnto foure quaternions that is sixteene souldiours for quaternion is not as centurion a word of office but of number Now these sixteene by foure and foure did euery sixe houres thoroughout the whole night and day watch Peter or else euery three houres in the night only or it may be that all the sixteene did watch all the night two within the prison and the rest in a guard without 3. Herod fearing that his prisoner notwithstanding all this might escape caused him to be bound with two chaines 4. Least haply chaines and all should faile the keepers before the dore kept the prison his intent was to make all sure that he might after Easter bring him foorth and expose him vnto the peoples malice Poore Peter was bound not only with one but with two chaines and he slept betweene two souldiers and he was guarded by two watches the first and the second So Nebuchadnezzar full of indignation and rage cōmanded that the fiery fornace into the middest wherof Shadrach Meshech and Abednego were to be cast should at once be made hot seuen times more then it was wont So the persecutors of Daniel after he was thrown by them into the Lions den layd a stone vpō the mouth of the den least otherwise he might escape their violent iawes and pawes So the Priests and Pharisees intreated Pilate when Christ was dead that he would giue command for the making of his Sepulchre sure least his disciples should come by night and steale him away Now the Lord who dwelleth in heauen is a present help to his seruants in trouble laughs them to scorne for whē the three children were now ready to be cast into the flames of the scorching fornace they told Nebuchadnezzar vnto his face wee are not carefull to answere thee in this matter And Daniel in the Lions den had an Angel of God for his guard who stopped the mouthes of the beasts and so no maner of hurt was found vpon him and so S. Peter here though he were cast into prison and bound with two chaines yet hauing a good cause and a good conscience securely slept betweene two souldiers euen the night before cruel Herod would haue brought him out to the people The prophane Poet spake diuinely sat fautorum habet semper qui rectè facit and therefore Peter in his indurance cast his burden vpon the Lord and sayd happily with Dauid I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makes me dwell in safety God either deliuereth his seruants out of persecution as he did Peter or else if he crowne them with martyrdome as he did S. Iames he will in his kingdome of glory giue them in stead of this bitter a better inheritance Pro veritate morientes cum veritate viuentes Prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation Prayers and teares are the Churches armour and therefore when Peter was imprisoned by cruell Herod the congregation commeth vnto prayer and not vnto pouder for his deliuerance they did not assault the prison nor kill the souldiers nor breake the chaines only prayer and patience were there weapons arma christianorum in aduersis alia esse non debent quà m patientia precatio prayer quoth Augustine is the key of heauen and as it were that fiery chariot of Eliah whereby we mount vp and haue our conuersation with God on high it is the hand of a christian which is able to reach from earth to heauen and to take forth euery manner of good gift out of the Lords treasure so the Scripture speakes in expresse termes aske and yee shall haue c. The prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5. 16. Aske in faith and then all things are possible to him that beleeueth Marke 9. 23. Many times our Prayers are sent out like to incense made happily according to the Lords direction but not kindled with fire from his altar that is petitions lawfull enough and agreeable to Gods holy word but not poured out in feruency We fall into them often without preparation and vtter a number of wordes without deuotion and therefore no maruaile if we misse when as we thus aske amisse But if our prayer be like the Churches here made without ceasing if it be faithfull and feruent the God of all grace will out of the riches of his mercy giue vs either that we desired as Eliah prayed for raine and the heauen gaue raine or else that which is better as God tooke Moses into the spirituall Canaan because he did not enioy that earthly Canaan or at the least that which is sufficient as he told Paul 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee See Gosp. Sun 5. after Easter There is nothing in the world more strong then a man who giueth himselfe to feruent prayer his deuotion is so powerfull as that it commandeth all things in heauen earth and hell it commandeth all the foure Elements ayre fire water earth Ayre Iames 5. 17. Elias prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and sixe moneths he shut vp heauen as the wiseman reportes of him hee said as the Lord God of Israel liueth before whom I stand there shall be neither dew nor raine these yeeres but according to my word againe he prayed for raine and the raine fell and the earth brought forth her fruite Fire the same Prophet Elias by his prayers three times brought fire from heauen Ecclesiasticus 48. 3. Water at the crying of Moses vnto the Lord the red sea runne backe and was made drie land so that Gods Israel walked vpon firme ground in the middest of the sea but whē their enemies pursued them all the diuided waters returned and ouerwhelmed them in the deepe and at the prayer of the same Moses bitter waters were made sweete Exod. 15. 25. Earth vpon the complaint of Moses vnto God the earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp Korath Dathan and Abiram and all their families and all their goods in so much that they together with all theirs went downe quicke into the pit and the ground closed vpon them and they perished in the sight of Gods people Nay the prayer of one deuoute man is able to conquer an hoast of enemies in battaile for in the fight betweene Israel and Amalek when Moses held vp his hand Israel preuailed but when he let his hand downe Amalek preuailed In this present text the prayer of the congregation without ceasing fetched an Angel out of heauen and brought a shining light into the darke dungeon and loosed
he saw Peter weeping and with the same eyes he saw Nathanaell vnder the fig-tree Now the greatnesse of his exceeding rich mercies is amplified here by circumstances of the person and of the place and of the time By circumstance of person he saw and called Matthew a rich man a couetous rich man a couetous rich man in a corrūpt office Matthew the Publican Other Euangelists in relating this history cals him leui but he cals himselfe by that name he was best knowne he confessed his fault and acknowledged his folly stiling himselfe Matthew the Publican And this he did vnto Gods glory for the greater was his misery the greater was his Sauiours mercy the children of Israel payed no custome before their captiuity wherefore toll-gatherers as being subiect to many foule extorsions and oppressions were most odious officers among the Iewes in so much as Publicans and notorious malefactors are coupled vsually together in the gospell as if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be to thee as an heathen man and a Publican and Mat. 21. 31. Verily I say vnto you that the Publicans and the harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God and Luke 15. 1. Then resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners and in our present text why eateth your master with Publicans and sinners So that Publicans are ioyned sometime with heathens sometime with harlots alway with sinners But the goodnes of Christ is amplifyed more by circumstances of place and time for that he called Matthew sitting at the receit of custome he called Peter and Andrew while they were fishing Iames and Iohn while they were mending their nets hee called other while they were doing some good but O the deepenes of the riches of Christs vnspeakeable mercies hee called Matthew when he was doing hurt executing his hatefull office sitting at the receit of custome There be three degreees in sinne mentioned Psalm 1. 1. The first is walking in the counsell of the vngodly the second is standing in the way of sinners the third is sitting in the seat of the scornefull now Matthew the Publican had proceeded Doctor in his faculty he was seated in the chaire sitting at the receit of custome the which is worse then either walking in the counsell of the vngodly or standing in the way of sinners Hence we may learne not to despaire of other much lesse of our selues not of other albeit they be neuer so couetous misers and great oppressors Indeed Christ said it is easier for a Camel or as other read for a cable to goe thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God but he doth adde withall and say with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible He can vn-twine a cable rope in euery cord and thred and so drawe it thorough the eye of a needle he can vndoe the cordes of vanity and cart-ropes of iniquity which hold couetous men from him and so make them as he did here Matthew to follow him He did vntwine Zacheus when he said behold Lord halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefold and so Zacheus notwithstanding his Camels backe that is in former time his prodigious wealth entred into the straite gate of heauen And let no man euer despaire of himselfe seeing Christ called Matthew when he was doing of euill and the thiefe on the crosse Luke 23. when he was suffering for euill According to his name so is his praise Iesus is his name and he is a sauiour of his people comming into this world as hee protesteth and proueth in this Scripture not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In Matthewes obedience to Christs call obserue with Ardens a threefold abrenunciation 1. Of his wickednes he arose namely from his old vnconscionable course vnto newnes of life 2. Of his wealth he left all Luke 5. 28. 3. Of his will he followed him and that as one writes celeriter laetanter conuenienter perseueranter 1. He followed Christ immediatly without delay for assoone as Christ had said follow me forthwith he arose and followed him 2. He followed Christ cheerefully without any murmuring or disputing who should execute his office or looke to his account It was in the worlds eye a great folly to leaue such a gainefull occupation a greater folly to forsake that which he had already got and the greatest of all to follow him who was so poore that he wanted a nest and an hole where to rest his head Mat. 8. 20. Yet Matthew beholding his Sauiour with eyes offaith and looking not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene simply and cheerefully followed him and in token hereof as Saint Luke reportes hee made him a great feast in his owne house 3. Matthew followed Christ conueniently because he left all and followed him all his worldly busines all his vnconscionable gaines all his corrupt affections and whatsoeuer hindred him in the way to God And herein he dealt not as prophane Porphirius and Iulian obiect vnaduisedly to forsake all things and to follow one which had nothing for Matthew doubtles had before seene many myracles of Christ and at this present he was also drawen by the holy spirit according to that of our Sauiour no man can come to me except the father which hath sent me drawe him And this spirit assured his spirit that Christ as God is all sufficient and a rewarder of such as seeke him and come vnto him Here the Gospell and Epistle meete Paul preached not the word for worldly gaine Matthew left all and followed Christ. He did not abandon all his estate for hee feasted Christ in his owne house but hee was willing to leaue the whole world to gaine that good which hee could neither prodere nor perdere 4. Matthew followed Christ constantly being first a Disciple then an Apostle afterward an Euangelist and last of all a Martyr as a Disciple he heard the Gospell of Christ as an Apostle he preached the Gospell of Christ as an Euangelist hee wrote the Gospell of Christ as a Martyr he suffered for the Gospell of Christ. He was not only a Disciple but an Apostle numbred among the twelue preaching the Gospell in Iudea and Aethiopia for I remember one saith of him Aethiopiam nigram doctrinâ fidei fecit candidam And that hee might preach vnto the whole world after his death he penned the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ c. In which as Euseb. Emisen obserueth he makes a great feast vnto Christ and that in sundry respects as 1. His Gospell is great as being written in Hebrewe the most ancient and most holy tongue 2. Great as being the