did arise Then is this societie a shadow or figure of the visible Church By visible and invisible I do not mean two distinct Churches as our Adversaries falsly charge us as if a member of the visible were not also a member of the invisible but I distinguish the divers considerations of the same Church which is visible in respect of profession and use of the Word and Sacraments but invisible in respect of saving grace wherein only elect doe communicate and whose bodies profession is visible but saving grace invisible unknown of us saving in the judgement of charity As all men might know Nathaniel to be an Israelite but to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile that Christ only knew so that many of the invisible lie hid in the visible as a part in the whole which visible Church may be thus described viz. It is a mixed company that professe that doctrine which is according to godlines having the word of God for matters fundamentall purely preached Sacraments for substance sincerely administred And I say this is a mixed company For in such a company may be ludas and many unregenerate and hypocrites in the visible which are not of the invisible Church This Church was shadowed out by Noahs Arke wherein were both cleane and uncleane beasts by a floare having a heape of corne and chaffe mingled together a field wherein wheat and tares grow together a draw-net gathering all sorts of fishes good and bad a wedding wherein are guests that have the wedding garment and that want it by a company wherein are both wise and foolish virgins the one having lampes and oyle the others lampes onely a flocke of sheepe and goats Matth. 25. 32. a great house wherein there are vessels of gold and siluer so also of wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour And this visible Church is two-fold Vniversall and Particular the Vniversall visible Church is the company of all such as professe the doctrine of godlinesse and enioy the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments wheresoever in the world they be A Particular visible Church is a company professing as before but receiving denomination from the Countrie Kingdome or Citie as the Church of England Scotland Bohemia Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi which is the reason why particular visible Churches are so affected with ioy or griefe at one anothers prosperitie or adversitie because in effect they are even the same and as members of the same bodie parts of the whole Thus we have shipped the passengers Now as friends at parting have commonly some loving Charge or other suffer me before they launch forth to give to them and in them to you and us all a double warning viz. Beware of departure from and of division among I say beware of departure and division goe not out fall not out For the first howsoever Iudas the covetous wretch and who afterwards was Traitor be in the company yet let none depart from the ship and forsake the fellowship of Christ and the rest of the disciples for his sake it had been no lesse dāgerous to the bodie of any of them to have gone out of the ship into the sea than it is to the soule of any to depart from a true visible Church where Christ and his Disciples are I doe not deny but for many respects it may be warrantable for a man to depart from one visible Church to become a member of another yea for a time to dwel where no visible Church is but to depart because of some corruptions specially in discipline or manners is the dangerous departure condemned by the Scriptures and the ancient Fathers in Donatists Novatians Catharists and such like Separatists of all whom S. Iohn hath pronounced They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt haue continued with us neither shall such departers ever satisfie their blind and preposterous zeale There never was nor will be a visible Church in this world without great blemishes faults and corruptions Looke upon the state of the Church from the beginning of the world and you will finde it so yet in all the Scriptures there is no precept rightly understood commanding to depart nor warrantable example of any that have so departed A thing also which the Fathers in their times haue exceedingly declamed against Not that we should sit downe carelesse and not take to heart the corruptions of Church or Common-wealth or as if Magistrates and Ministers by word and sword should not endeuour reformation Indeed the Master said to his servants Let both grow together till the harvest which place the Anabaptists abuse amongst others to proue a toleration and S. Augustines opinion was so at the first as himselfe confesseth and gave his Reason lest professed Heretikes should become dissembling Hypocrites but Luther hath both shortly and soundly expounded the place saying It is not a sentence of approbation but of consolation that we should not endevour reformation but a comfort when we cannot so reforme but still there will be corruptions yet for them not to forsake the fellowship as the manner of some is But these things I have more largely handled and pressed in this place hereto fore from some other Scriptures and because such departure is not now so hot and common as it hath beene I passe it over with this touch and caution in few words given The second charge I give is the same that Ioseph gave to his brethren Beware of division and falling out All division is dangerous be it of Kings Cities or Families as our Saviour saith Every kingdome divided against it selfe shall be brought to desolation and every citie or house divided against it selfe shall not stand but no division so dangerous as that in a ship and specially in a storme what doth that threaten but ship wrack and destrucction to them all Wherefore there is nothing that Sathan more laboureth and wherein he doth more hurt than by causing of divisions and nothing more commanded than peace amitie and unitie Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another The Angels at Christ his comming into the world proclaimed peace and Christ at his going out of the world bequeathed peace My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you The Apostles still wished Grace and Peace to those Churches to which they wrote and inioyned the Saints If it be possible and as much as lieth in them to liue peaceably with all men yea to follow peace with all men and to striue to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace And here I cannot sufficiently wonder at the Romanists that considering our unite and the great and grievous divisions in the Synagogue of Rome yet the Romanists are not ashamed
smoaking flâ—x Let the comparisons be well marked and can the meeknesse of Christ towards poore sinners be more lively expressed How tender a plant is a reed yea at the strongest how doth it yeeld and bow with every puffe of wind but much more when it is bruised how easie a thing is it then to snap it asunder How weake is that sparke of fire which in flâ—x doth but cause smoake Now whereas it is said he will not break the one nor quench the other his meaning is he will noâ—ish and cherish them strengthen the one and kindle the other Againe He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Christ was sent to binde up the broken hearted The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all them that be bowed downe Christ hath called Come to mee all yee that travell and are heavie loaden and I will refresh you hath promised that he will cast away none that come unto him yea that hee will give them eternall life and none shall be able to plucke them out of his hand Indeed Christ gave great commendation to such as have had great faith as to the Centurion Verily I say unto you that I have not found so great faith no not in Israel and to the woman of Canaan hee said O woman great is thy faith But yet in all ages God hath witnessed his loving acceptance of small and weake faith and of the first beginnings of Conversion How weake a faith was that in the Ninivites Who can tell if God will returne and repent yet God did repent and spare them What a weake faith had the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane he received him and did make him cleane How weake that fathers faith who could scarce tell whether he beleeved or no and ceased to pray for his sonne and prayed for himselfe Lord helpe mine unbeleefe and he both helped his unbeleefe and cured his sonne Our Saviour did but heare a young man make profession of the practise of outward and civill righteousnesse All these I have observed from my youth and the Text saith he looked upon him and loved him And when he heard a Scribe utter but one good speech That to love God with all the heart is above all sacrifices he said unto him that he was not farre from the kingdome of heaven Oh now should the Apostles faith have shone bright as a lampe but the tempest had almost blowne it out that it did but smoake yet Christ quencheth it not he reproveth but accepteth of it He arose and rebuked the winds and seas These and many such Scriptures both Positive and Exemplarie of prophesie and promise are written for the comfort of all such as have but little weake and feeble faith and we had need to have them in remembrance for Satan is very skilfull in the Scriptures and hath them readie to assault weake ones with all as Faith is the evidence of things which are not seene And we are Gods house if we hold fast the reioycing of the hope firme unto the end and Faith is the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast Doth not S. Iames bid every one that prayeth to pray in faith without wavering or doubting How canst thou thinke thou hast faith or make account that ever God will heare thee when thine heart is so full of wavering doubting Oh quench this fiery dart and say Avoid Satan it is true thou hast presented unto me a strong faith which I doe strive after but the Apostles had but a little weake faith yet were not rejected and Satan thou shalt never bee able to quench that little sparke which God hath kindled in my soule nor destroy that little graine of mustard-seed which is sowen in the furrowes of mine heart Lastly note that Christ said His Disciples had but little faith and surely as yet they had but little knowledge little honour little wealth and little of any thing that was esteemed and accounted of in the world being but poore Fisher-men Tole-gatherers and men of meane condition as Amos a great Prophet was before but an Herdman God many times bringeth greatest things to passe by weakest meanes Passing by the noble mightie rich and wise of the world and chusing the foolish weake and base and despised things of the world that no flesh may glory in it selfe To which purpose S. Augustine hath an excellent saying If God had chosen Kings to bee his Disciples they would have said We are chosen for our power If Orators for our eloquence Iâ— Philosophers for our wisdome If Senators for our dignitie If rich men for our wealth Wherefore he called Fishermen and Publicans Follow me you poore ignorant and simple you that have little or nothing worthy esteeme or admiration in your selves that you may be all in me Even so still the Lord many times passeth by such as are of great knowledge learning and wisdome of high degree in Schooles of eminent Bloud and Families by birth and calleth farre meaner men in these respects by whom he is most powerfull in the ministery of the Word So for the Church of God Christ told Iohns Disciples The poore receive the Gospell And God hath chosen the poore of the world that they may bee rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome This is it was intended in the parable where the great men that had their Farmes Oxen and Merchandise to follow were rejected and the poore maimed halt and blinde who lay in the Streets and Lanes of the Citie and High-wayes and Hedges were compelled to come in And this is it which the chiefe Priests and Pharises objected to the officers Doe any of the Rulers or Pharisies beleeve in him But this people that knoweth not the Law is cursed Indeed it is not said no wise no noble no mightie are chosen for Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses David Solomon Nicodemus Lazarus of Bethaniah Ioseph of Arimathea the two Centurions the Proconsull and many others were some of them noble some wise some mightie c. But as Andrew said of the loaves What are these amongst so many to the end that wee should not looke upon Gods people and servants with a carnall eye wherein they may seeme base and contemptible but behold them with a spirituall eye as they are in Christ and so most glorious And thus much for the first part in the performing of the calme viz. The reprehension of his disciples for their excessive feare and defective faith It followeth Then he arose Christ having stilled the greater and more dangerous tempest in the affections of his disciples and settled their soules in peace and tranquillity patience and comfort hee now proceedeth to still the roaring winds and raging seas which hee doth by powerfull and angry reprehension Wherein two things
sleeve and they depend on his mouth what to beleeve and doe and receive his decrees with greater reverence pietie and devotion than that of Christ himselfe it being most true in them that Christ imputed to the Pharisies they made the Commandement of God of none effect through their traditions yea teach for doctrine the commandements of men and do glory to be called Papists acknowledging the Pope to be their Nauclerus or Pilot we leave that to the Franciscans Dominicans Benedictines Iesuits and many other sorts which some of the best writers of our Adversaries well know as Orladius Salmeron D. Carr. pag. 158 Iansenius that have verbatim transcribed whole leaves and Pighius reading Calvin upon Iustification by Faith with a purpose to confute him was converted by him as Tapperus in his 2. Tom. 8. Artic. confesseth who sometimes was his fellow-pupill under Adrian the sixt What need I tell you what wonderfull testimonie Thuanus D. Stapleton and Panygirolla have given him though Doctor Carrier a seduced malecontent doe spight him a man not worthy to light his candle when he went to his studie More precisely observing the rules of their order and following the prescripts of their Founders than they doe of Christ As for Master Calvin and Luther whom they doe so extremely hate for that they have given an incurable wound to Popery we know they were learned men and singular instruments of Gods glory such as lived and died godly notwithstanding that lying Cochlaeus and Bolsecus most wickedly slandered them and Bellarmine in his Oration prefixed to his 4. Tome would make the world beleeve hee and his followers are the wickedest men in the world but we neither follow them no nor Saint Paul himselfe further than they followed Christ and so farre we have good warrant for Saint Paul biddeth Be followers of me and looke on them which walke so as you have us for an example And againe Be yee followers of me even as I am of Christ He nor they never required more to him nor them we never yeelded more we doe not make Master Calvin our Nauclerus Let men be never so learned and holy yet in this life wee know but in part are sanctified but in part never any so deare to God but have had their errors and blemishes none ever wrote so faire but blurred his copie only Christ is the perfect copie for doctrine and conversation and him only wee teach and perswade you to follow Oh follow follow him And thus that I have directed you in what societie to ship your selves and shewed you what men are Now be pleased that I encourage al such as are godly minded to this following of Christ whereunto I exhort them Which I shal the better doe if I remove such lets and hinderances which the Devill the world and their owne corrupt reason doe cast in their way to hinder them First me thinketh I heare some complaine Alas Christ is so perfect and absolute an example I cannot come neere him so faire a copie I am cleane out of heart to write or once to take pen in hand I answer that in following Christ requireth qualitie but not equalitie a similitude but not proportion a perfection indeed as Christ saith You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect but a perfection of parts not of degrees what we doe let vs doe it in truth and sinceritie be loving humble diligent zealous without hypocrisie and the Lord will accept according to that which wee have so there be an holy and honest endevour with godly sorrow that wee come so farre short and with Peter that we follow so farre off and heartie and continuall prayer with the Church Draw Lord and wee will runne after thee Hee knoweth what pase wee are able to make better than ourselves he will beare with our limping and halting and accept of the will for the deed Wherefore so there be truth and sinceritie in the inner parts let vs not be out of heart with our weaknesse but follow after though we creepe with the Snaile What dulnesse did David finde in himselfe when he said My soule cleaveth to the dust oh quicken me And I shall runne the waies of thy Commandements when thou hast enlarged mine heart How did our holy Mother Church finde her soule and affections fettered and shackled with worldly cares carnall pleasures vaine delights when shee prayed Christ to draw her with his Word Spirit Mercies Corrections Therefore streng then the weake hands and comfort the â—eebleknees Whosoever followeth with an holy endevour shall be sure to obtaine A good Scribe will beare with his scholar if against his will and purpose he make a blot or deformed letter and if he eye his copie and have a care and desire to imitate he will guide his hand but no man on earth hath that loving regard to his scholar that Christ hath to the weaknesse of all such as follow him Oh but hereby I shall expose my selfe to many euils checkes mockes taunts disgraces it may be persecution to the losse of goods libertie life Indeed it is true it many times fareth better here with those that follow the Devill world flesh that protesse any doctrine follow the Pope and Mahomet and live never so prophanely than it doth with the holy servants of Christ professing the Gospell in sinceritie and striving to live accordingly wherein Christ and his Apostles have dealt faithfully deceiving none with vain hopes he said his Kingdome is not of this world and telling him that with an earthly mind offered his service Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest The Foxes have holes and birds of the aire have nests but the Sonne of Man hath not whereon to rest his head And called Zebedees sonnes from the crowne to the crosse Are yee able to drinke of the cup and be baptised with the Baptisme I must be baptised with Whosoever will be my disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow me Yea He that doth not forsake father and mother wife children house and lands for my sake and the Gospels cannot be my disciple And therefore would have all men to sit down and cast their account what it will cost them because to set hand to Gods plough and looke backe maketh a man utterly vnfit for Gods Kingdome And it were better never to have knowne the waies of godlinesse than afterwards to depart from the holy Commandements given unto them Oh no marvell that so many are so loth to goe from home and so hard a taske to get them aboord But see oh see the happie reward of all followers in the end Behold saith Peter in the name of all the Apostles yea of all disciples wheÌ„ ever living that for action or affection can truly say with him we have forsaken all and followed thee what shal we
this Miracle might be the more which redoundeth to Christ froÌ„ causing this calme the Euangelist telleth us there was a tempest a sudden tempest a great tempest and it appeareth it was so from divers passages of the storie For first the instrumentall Cause was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sudden and furious winde which God did cast upon the Sea for so the word in Ionah signifieth the waves also so lifted up and tossed with it that the very ship was covered with them or as the word signifieth was filled brim full for S. Marke useth the same word which is used in S. Iohn at the Mariage-Feast in Cana of Galile where the Water-pots are said to be filled up to the brim yea the passengers whereof some of them were Fishermen as Peter Andrew Iames Iohn were exceedingly fearefull they should be drowned Surely they had seene many a tempest before and were men inured and accustomed to such dangers of whom the Poet saith truly Their hearts are of brasse and oake to encounter dangers yet even they are as at their wits end as David saith and distracted with the greatnesse of this perill and cry out to their Master Saue vs wee perish All which declare the truth of my Text that this was a great dangerous tempest indeed wherof more hereafter wheÌ„l come to speake of the ship being covered with waves In the meane time receive this doctrine which coÌ„taineth both the History Mysterie viz. That God many times suffereth his people to come into great perills dangers extremities and very hard exigents before he deliuer them which being a doctrine lately and largely in this place handled from another Text I onely now barely propose it and proceed Vpon the Sea When God divided the waters from the dry land he called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters Seas and ever since the Hebrewes have usually called all collections and gatherings together of waters Seas Yea that vessell which Solomon made for the vse of the Temple in stead of the Laver in the Tabernacle and was for containing of two or three thousand Baths of water for the Priests to wash with is called a Brasen Sea and Moulten Sea And howsoever my Text calleth this gathering of waters Sea and elsewhere it is called the sea of Galile because the promised Land being divided into three Provinces Galile Samaria and Iewrie this Sea was in the Province of inferiour Galile It is also called the Sea of Tiberias from a Citie on the banke of it of that name It is in the Old Testament called the Sea of Chinnereth and in the New Testament it is called the Lake of Genesarâ—th A lake and so it might more properly be called than Sea and so S. Luke calleth it even in recording this storie A storme of winde came on the Lake for that it was but a few leagues in compasse and the Lake of Genesereth because the countrey of Genesereth adioyned unto it Iâ— was a Sea that abounded with Fish and there was the place where Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn were Fishers It was nourished with that sweet and pleasant Riuer of Iordan which rising at the foot of Mount Libanus running in a narrow channell did first inlarge it selfe in a small Lake called Merom where Iosuah discomfited the Canaanites Ios 11. 4 5 7. and then contracting it selfe againe kept channell till it came secondly more to inlarge it selfe in this Lake or Sea and then passing out of it againe did at the last emptie it selfe into the dead Sea a Sea though having no entercourse with the Ocean and dead because no fish or other creature doth liue in it because of the bituminous sulphureous matter I know no waters in the world comparably renowmed to this Riuer and this Sea Howsoever disgracefully Naaman once said Are not the riuers of Damascus Abanaâ— and Pharpar better than all the waters of Israel Yet hath God enabled the waters of Israel aboue all the waters of the world and the waters of Iordan aboue all the waters of Israel The waters of this Riuer betwixt this and the salt Sea did stand as on an heape at that time when Iordan overflowed all his bankes till his people Israel passed over it on drie ground into the land of Canaan right over against Iericho Eliah and Elishah divided the waters of this Riuer with their cloake and went over on dry ground Naaman the Syrian washing seuen times in it according to the word of the Prophet was clensed of his leprosie In this did the Prophet Elisha cause the Iron to swim Yea in this was Christ baptised and the Baptist saw heauen open heard the voice of the Father and saw the Spirit in likenesse of a Dove descend and light on Christ Oh that famous River of Iordan no Sea more ennobled than this thorow which it ran Here did Christ call â—oure of his first and prime Apostles On this sea Christ and Peter walked Here did hee calme the Tempest and here hee appeared after his Resurrection when they tooke an exceeding multitude of fishes On this famous sea now this great Tempest was So much for the Letter I having formerly shewed how marvellous God is in this Creature and provoked you to give him due glorie As the Ship representeth the Church so the Sea this world and may so fitly in a threefold respect First as the sea is alwaies in motion but specially tempestuous when the winds doe blow so this world is restlesse ever in action but then specially stormie and tempestuous when Tyrants and Heretikes doe blow upon it Againe as the sea is Dangerous for shelfes rocks sands unlesse men saile by a very good compasse and thousands doe make shipwracke to the losse of lives and goods So in this world are many dangers and perils and specially heresies and sins are as rockes whereon thousands even all that doe not saile by the true compasse of Gods word doe make shipwrack to the eternall destruction of soule and bodie as Saint Paul saith that Hymeneus and Alexander did Lastly as the â—ea is full of fishes and living Creatures there goe things creeping innumerable so is the world and as fishes in the sea are caught with nets so are men by the net of the Gospell as Christ said to his Apostles Follow me and I will make you fishers of men And the kingdome of heaven is like to a draw-net cast into the sea Matth. 13. 47. And as in the sea small fish are a prey to greater so in this world the poore and weake are as a prey devoured of the rich and strong In which respect the Lord by his Prophet calleth them Fishers for which and divers other respects if I would stand upon them the world may very fitly be compared to
slumber Whilest the bridegroome tarried long they all slumbred or as the word signifieth nodded with the head And David placeth this in the eye-lids I will not suffer mine eye-lids to slumber for this is only a heavinesse in the eies the lids falling downe and by and by lifted up againe it commeth not neere the heart as the Church describeth it I sleepe but mine heart awaketh and such are very easily awakened but there is a greater degree in sleeping when senses are fast bound and locked up and this is expressed in English many times by addition of some other word as deepe sound heavie fast and dead sleepe or as the Scripture phrase is A sleepe of God as when David tooke away the Speare and Cruse of water from Sauls head no man saw it nor knew it for a sleepe of God was fallen upon them Which kinde of sleepe the Poets call the Image and brother of death So it is said When God tooke a rib out of Adams side God cast him into a deepe sleepe and Stserah when Iael drove the naile of the tent into his head is said To be fast on sleepe and Eutichus whilest Paul continued long preaching is said to fall into a deepe sleepe And Ionah went downe into the ship and lay fast on sleepe fast indeed when in stead of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suadentia somnos that Ovid and Virgil speake of as silence c. neither the raging nor roaring of the Sea tumbling nor cracking of the Ship like to be broken with euery wave the crying of Mariners on their gods their noise in casting out their goods could awake him Well might the Ship-master say What meanest thou ô sleeper And verily our Saviours sleepe at this time was very fast deepe sound and as I may say a dead sleepe for that the word which is here in Saint Marke used signifieth His senses were well and fast bound he was fast asleepe But what Had hee any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Soporiferum Where was he or what meanes of sleepe did he use Was he betaken into some Cabin or with Ionah into the Ship and there laid upon some bed of Downe No indeed onely Saint Marke telleth us Hee was in the hinder part of the Ship asleepe on a pillow which yet if we beleeve good Authors was but a woodden pillow and indeed it is most true of the Apostle He that was rich for our sakes became poore poore in his birth borne in a stable poore in purse borrowing mony of a Fish to pay his tribute poore in his greatest triumph and solemnitie riding on an Asse into Ierusalem Matt. 21. poore in apparell wearing a Seamelesse coat poore in diet feeding on Barley bread poore in lodging not having where to rest his head poore in his Disciples not Princes and Philosophers but Fisher-men and Tole-gatherers of the poorest of the people Matthew 4. 18. poore in death dying on a Crosse poore in his buriall being laid in another mans toombe Ioh. 19. 41. And all because his kingdome was not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. Yet alwaies contented and thankfull and thereby teaching all his Disciples so to bee with what it pleaseth God to send But alas how proud are his Disciples Proud in their houses diet apparell lodging c. because they set their hearts on these things as if their kingdome were of this world But probable it was he was wearie with exercise of his Ministery amongst the multitude on the shore or had spent some night before in praier and therefore now fell so fast on sleepe But though these might be naturall meanes they were but subordinate to his good pleasure for though his sleepe was sound and not fained yet was it so by Divine providence and dispensation that the Faith of his Disciples might be the more throughly tried For even this did not a little adde to their feare that in this dangerous tempest hee was so fast asleepe Thus much be said for the opening of the Literall and Historicall sense From whence first according to the sense Literall we learne That Christ is true man Which some ancient Heretikes as Manichees and Marcionites denied But hee not onely tooke upon him the true nature and substance of our soules and bodies with the Essentiall properties of both as in Soule Will Understanding in Bodie dimensions but also the infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomnes of body hunger thirst spitting on ground weeping sleeping paine ache sorenesse c. Even like unto us his brethren in all things except sin Which doctrine yet must be understood and qualified with a double caution First That infirmities of soule are either unblameable or sinfull Hee tooke the first onely and not the second Secondly That infirmities of body are of two sorts viz. either generall which accompany the nature of man and may be found in everie true man as hunger thirst sleeping wearisomnesse to be sicke or sore if beaten c. Or else such as are personall and particular arising from some priuate naturall causes or laid on some as the particular judgements of God As to be borne blinde deafe dumbe lame crooked deformed or to be sicke of a burning fever consumption dropsie plurisie Now Christ tooke but such as are generall and doe accompany humane nature not the particular for then hee could not haue beene our Redeemer no nor have liued one houre but hee need not take any personall infirmities no more than hee did any mans person And verily here is a matter of most sweet comfort to the children of God that wee have not a stranger to our nature for our Redeemer but as Iob calleth him a Goel a Kinsman a Shiliah as Iacob saith one that hath beene wrapped in the Secundine or Tunicle borne after the manner of men yea that hath had experience of our infirmities c. This comfort the Apostle laieth downe in these words Hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham yea in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that hee might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God for in that hee hath suffered and beene tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And againe We haue not a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted as wee are yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Who can fully expresse the sweetnesse of this comfort that wee have such a Saviour to flie unto in all our wants and necessities as was true man not senslesse as yron and steele but sensible of miseries as having
Lord Paramount Christ Iesus over all creatures He is the great King over all the world though his kingdome be not of this world Aske of me said God and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession And againe I will set his hand in the sea and his right hand in the rivers and I will make him my first-borne higher than the kings of the earth And againe He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Many Kings have had large and great Dominions as Ahashuerosh who reigned from India to Aethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces Some Kings have so far doted and beene besotted with admiration of their owne sublimitie and excellencie as to forget themselves to bee but Lords Paravall and in stomacke have asked Who is the Lord and have answered themselves with scorne and contempt I know not the Lord But the sea will know none but the Lord. There was a great storme when Ionah was in the ship and the Mariners thought to have mastered it and with their oares did digge and delve into the surges but the sea wrought and was troublous and would have drowned them all if they had not cast Ionah into it For God had given the sea a commission to fetch in that fugitive Prophet and it would execute it with effect There was a great storme when Paul was in the ship and they cast out both lading and tacklings as if they would have bribed the Sea to be still but it would not till it had broken the ship with violence of waves Some have beene angry with the Sea That great Persian Monarch Xerxes was in as great a rage as Hellespont it selfe who threatned to be avenged for breaking downe of the Bridge which he had builded for the passage of his numberlesse Armie yea he commanded three hundred stripes to be given it and so many fetters to be cast into it and others with hot Irons as it were to set marks upon it but Hellespont felt no hurt by all this nor cared for the Executioners words The Lord hath inflicted this punishment upon thee for the hurt thou hast done him Tush Hellespont knew not his Lordship but raged still and if they had come within it reach would have drowned both him and his Canutus a Danish King in this Land set his foot on the Sea shore close by the Sea whilst it was flowing commanded it not to rise and wet his feet or clothes but the Sea kept his course rose and wet both feet and thighes whereupon the King started away and said All men may know that the power of Kings is vaine and meere vanitie and none worthy to have the name of King but he that hath all things subject to his command and lawes and after this never wore Crowne on his head but set it on the head of a Crucifix at Winchester Ex Huntington Fox Martyrolog 1. Tom. p. 147. But let the Lord the great Iehovah come who is of man invisible and the Sea hath eyes to see him withall The Sea saw thee and fled Iordan was driven backe Let him rebuke and the Sea hath eares to heare let him say Peace and be still and there is as sudden and as great a calme as there was a storme Let him be pleased to walke and the Sea is as firme as a pavement Let him be angry and it hath an heart to feare The waters saw thee ô God and were afraid No winds doe so trouble it as the blasting of the breath of his nosthrils Yea let Moses but take the rod of God in his hand and the Sea divideth Elijah with his cloke shal divide Iordan and if the spirit of Elijah rest upon Elishah he shall doe so too and so long as Peters faith holdeth he shall walke on it that as the evill spirit answered the sonnes of Sâ—evah Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee so the Sea may say JESVS I know and Elijah Elisha and Peter and all the servants of the most High God but for Pharaoh Xerxes Canutus and others who are yee We regard not your rebukes wee feare not your threats Oh what can be more usefull than to speake and heare and meditate on the omnipotent soveraigntie of Christ over all creatures and namely over that huge boisterous uncontroulable and fearefull Element And therefore how often in the holy Scriptures is there mention made thereof and specially of the drying up of the Red Sea and Iordan giving passage to Gods people God himselfe asked Who shut up the Sea with doores Who set barres and said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves And againe Feare yee not me saith the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it Holy David as he was much given to devout meditation and contemplation of the Heavens Sunne Moone and Starres Thunder Lightning Haile Meteors so very frequent in meditation of Gods power and providence in the creation and disposition rule and government of the Sea as He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heape and layeth up the deepe as in store-houses Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him And againe It is God that stilleth the raging of the Sea and the noise of it waves And againe I will meditate of all thy works and talke of thy doings thou art the God that dost wonders the waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled Againe O Lord God of Hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee thou rulest the raging of the Sea and stillest the waves thereof when they arise And many such like in the Psalmes and Prophets whereof these are but a taste And lest any Atheist should object for the straitning of his dominion that Gods power is but over some few and small Lakes as this was as if he were but Vice-Admirall of narrow Seas note how Gods power hath appeared on many Seas Streams and Flouds yea when all the world was Sea at the first by the power of his word they were gathered into one place and the dry land appeared Whereof David thus rendreth the praise unto God Thou laiedst the foundation of the earth that it never should be removed at any time thou coveredst it with the deepe as with a garment The waters stood above the mountaines at thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away Which