affected that they had rather bee Kings though it were but of a mole-hill then to be in subiection vnder any Yea the intemperancy of Nero his mother is reuiued againe who being very desirous that her sonne should be Emperour and being certified by the sooth-sayers that if he were he should kil her she brake out into this vnstayed and out-ragious speech * Occidat dum imperet Cor. Tacit. Annal. lib. 14. Let him kill mee and spare not so he may be Emperor So many do not sticke to say let mee perish so that I may but beare rule As wee see in the example of K. Richard the Vsurper in our owne Chronicles * Ad honores festinatur quocunque periculo quocunque detrimento yea men make hast to preferment by any danger by any damage * Solinus The Dragon as it is written of him is so thirsty as no water can satisfie him which maketh him stand gaping against the wind when it bloweth that so his flame may bee asswaged And therefore when he espyeth the sailes of ships a farre off he flyeth to them that he may sit on the Mast but many times hee rusheth against them with such violence that he ouer-turneth the ship and so falleth himselfe headlong into the sea In like maner ambitious persons as we haue heard before do so earnestly thirst after honor as they cannot be satisfied and therfore they aspire to the high sailes of preferment with such eagernesse as many times it turneth to their own destruction In other affaires of this life there is no man so foolish or so mad as to vndertake any businesse which he is not fit to accomplish But euery peasant thinketh himselfe fitte for any aduancement neuer considering his owne weaknes As the bramble the basest plant that groweth thought it selfe fitte and able enough to be King ouer the trees For when the Oliue tree and the Fig tree and the Vine refused it the Bramble readily accepted it Iudg. 9 12 13 saying If ye will indeed annoint me King ouer you come and put your trust vnder my shadow And this we see plainely in these Disciples of our Sauiour Christ to goe no further Our Sauiour had taken these two brethren from their fish-nets and made them fishers of men Mat. 4 21 22. Hee had called them to be Apostles to beare his Name before the Gentiles Acts 9 15. c. as he said of S. Paul What could be more honourable then this diuine vocation For what is more base and abiect then the state of fishermen especially such as are occupied in mending their broken nets And on the other side what is more high and eminent in the Church then the dignity of the Apostolicall function So that it might be truely said of them Psal 113 7 8. that hee raised the needy out of the dust and lifted vp the poore out of the dung 1 Sam. 2 8. to set them with Princes and to make them inherite the seate of glory And yet these base fishermen aduanced to such an height of excellency are not content with this honour but come to our Sauiour and they that a little before were with their father patching their torn nets doe now desire to be great Princes Rulers in the kingdome of the Messiah Who wold euer haue sought so great ambition vnder fishers mantles but that we finde it in this place For the most part ambition beareth sway in Princes Courts but heere wee see it descendeth euen to fisher-boats It was a witty question that one made * Sphinx aenig mat Why Honos that signifieth honour was written with an aspiration and Onus that signifieth a burden was written without And it was as wittily answered because there are none that desire the burthen that accompanieth honour but all men gape after the honor and preferment And therefore we are heere to bee exhorted and admonished to subdue this immoderate affection in vs by all meanes possible and not suffer it to breake out in this manner It was a good speech that S. Augustine had of himselfe and woorthy our imitation * Quod esse potui esse nolui nec tamen quae siui esse quod sum c. de vita morib Cleric I would not bee that which I might be neither yet did I euer seeke to be that I am But this was all my care and al my endeuour that I might be safe in a low estate and not bee in danger in an high estate And that we may the better performe this it shall bee good for vs to consider our Originall and our resolution what wee are and what we shall be For as one saith well He that desireth superiority and preferment he doth it because he knoweth not himselfe Now both by our originall and by our resolution we are no better then earth Of the earth we were framed and to the earth wee must returne It was the doome of Adam after his fall and in him of all mankinde Dust thou art Genesis 3 19. to dust thou shalt returne And therfore what a shame is it that such base creatures should conceiue such high thoughts and nourish such haughtie spirites As the mountaines seeme to bee high and yet they are but earth and haue their foundation below so ambitious persons when they are at their greatest height they are but earth nay as Abraham confessed of himselfe they are but dust and ashes Genes 18 27 The consideration of this shold nurture vs to humility and keep vs from aspiring too high And indeed if the proud hearts could be brought to acknowledge it the best and readiest way to come to preferment is by humility As our Sauiour Christ told the Iewes when hee marked how they chose out the cheefe roomes Hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And we see it in our owne experience that honor accompanieth none more then such as least desire it And therefore it is fitly compared to the shadow of a mans body * Gloria fugientes magis ac magis sequitur Sen. benes lib. 5 which if hee follow after it it goeth away from him but if he runne from it it followeth after him So if men do eagerly pursue after honour many times they come short of it but if they neglect it and be carelesse of it God will cause the Spirit of glory to rest vpon them vnlooked for 1 Pet. 4 14. as the Apostle Peter saith Yea many haue beene had in exceeding great honour after their death that haue refused all honour while they liued Last of all here is a good admonition for all that that are aduanced vnto honour not to bee puffed vp with their preferment but carry thēselues lowly towards their inferiors according to the exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 12 16. Be not high minded but make your selues equall to thē of the lower sort And great reason there is why it should be so For as the
it a shamefull thing to cast away themselues for nought Precious things and things that cost much are carefully kept Thinges that are gotten with much labour and sweate and bought with much money are most commonly much set by So should wee esteeme highlie of our selues beeing bought with so great a price and with an holy kinde of pride contemne and despise sinne * Meditat. cap. 3. This whole world saith Bernard is not to be esteemed in comparison of the price of one soule For Christ would not giue his life for the world and yet hee gaue it for mans soule Therefore the price of the soule is greater which could not be redeemd but by the blood of Christ * Noli ergo vilipender animae tuae passionem cui à tanta maiestate tantam vides exhiberi compassionem Heb. 12 16. Ge. 25 29 30. Do not therefore set light by the passion of thy soule whereon thou seest so great a maiesty hath had compassion The Apostle exhorteth Let there be no prophane person as Esau who for a portion of meate sold his birth-right But all vngodly sinners are farre worse then Esau for he was faint and weary and almost dead for want of food therfore sold it to saue his life But these wretched persons doe sweare away their soules drinke and whore away their soules and basely sell theÌ„selues to the deuill to satisfie their owne beastly lusts Secondly it serueth to teach them that in token of their thankfulnesse they must willingly serue Iesus christ The name of seruants as S. Augustine saith * Seruorum nomen proprie à seruari quod eos domine victores seruauere quos iure belli occidere sas illis â—urt de Ciuit. dei lib. 19. c. 15 properly cometh of being saued because they that were conquerors in the wars did saue them whom by the law of armes they might haue slaine But it is also applied to them that being taken prisoners were ransomed and so set free * Nomen admonet beneficij officii The name putteth vs in mind of the benefite we haue receiued of the duty that we owe. You are bought with a price sayeth the Apostle therfore glorifie God in your body 1 Cor. 6 20. and in your spirit for they are Gods And this vse doth Zacharias make of it in his song when he saieth Wee are deliuered out of the hands of our enemies that we should serue him without feare in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life He hath Saued vs wee must Serue him And this we must do not only in the generall duties of Christianity but also in the seuerall places and callings wherein the Lorde hath set vs. The Magistrate must serue God in his place as Dauid exhorted Salomon 1 Chron. 28 9 wheÌ„ he was to succeed him in the kingdom And thou Salomon my son know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and a willing minde So must euery Magistrate serue the Lord in labouring to promote and aduance his seruice in looking carefully to the obseruation of the Sabbath and in punishing all dishonour that is done to his Name So likewise Ministers must serue the Lord in their places by faithfull and diligent preaching of the word in season 2 Timoth. 4 2 and out of season And euery priuate man must also serue God in the conscionable performance of those duties that appertaine vnto him And indeed it is the greatest glory of all meÌ„ though they bee neuer so highly aduanced in the world to be the seruants of God Dauid though hee were a King yet he glorieth more in this that he was the seruant of God then in all the titles that belonged to his crown Behold Lord saith he I am thy seruaÌ„t Psalm 116 16 I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid c. And at the least twelue seuerall times in the 119. Psalme hee calleth himselfe the seruant of God And the blessed Virgin though shee were preferred before all other women to be the mother of the Sonne of God yet shee boasteth not of anie such title but stileth her selfe the seruant of God Behold saith she Luke 1 38. to the Angel that brought her that heauenly tidings the seruant of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy word And againe in her song she saith and 48. Hee hath looked on the poore estate of his seruant And all the holy Apostles thogh they were aduanced to the most honorable calling that euer was in the church yet in all their Epistles they call theÌ„selues the seruants of Iesus Christ And no maruel for the seruice of God is perfect freedome yea to serue him is to reign as a king Apoc. 1 ver 6 For our blessed Sauior hath made vs Kings priests vnto God his father Onely we must take heede that wee content not our selues with the outward name and bare Title onely but labour to bee the seruants of God indeede and to approue our selues to be so by performing acceptable seruice and obedience vnto his will as the Prophet Malachi saith Malachi 1 6. A sonne honoreth his father a seruant his Master If then I bee a Father where is mine honor And if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes Thirdly and last of all it serueth for our imitation that we by the example of our Sauiour Christ should to the vttermost of our power deliuer them that are in captiuity Diuers is the captiuity of men according to the diuers calamities whereunto they are subiect The poore man is a captiue to want and penury hee that is rich 1 Iohn 3 17. hath the worlds good as the Apostle saith must be his redeemer by releeuing of him A man that is sicke is a captiue to his disease he that is able any way to helpe him must seeke to redeeme him by what meanes hee can And he that is not able to redeem the body if he comfort the mind that is afflicted he playeth the part of a redeemer He that liueth in errour and blindnes is a bondslaue to satan as he also that serueth sin whosoeuer relieueth this man with the worde of doctrine and admonition is his redeemer According to that speech of the Apostle What knowest thou ô wife 1 Cor. 7 6. whether thou shalt saue thy husband or what knowest thou ô man whether thou shalt saue thy wife And S. Iames saith to the same purpose Iames 5 20. Hee that hath conuerted a sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death In these such like things let vs follow our Sauiour Christ and euery man labor to deliuer another out of bondage And he that is endued with any faculty let him imploy the same 2 Cor. 12 15. yea let him bee willing to bestow himselfe as the Apostle saith to doe seruice to his brethren
wherein soeuer he is able For many This is the last circumstance noting the persons for whome our Sauiour Christ paide this price where we are taught that all haue not benefite by the death of Christ This our Sauior testifieth in another place when hee instituted and administred his last Supper in deliuering of the cup he said Math. 26 28. This is my blood of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes If any man shall demand who these many are I answer they are all the beleeuers and all that do belong to Christ As hee himselfe saith Iohn 3 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And this was signified by the angell before hee was borne Mathew 1 21 in the giuing of his name Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Whereby it is plaine and euident that hee saueth none by his death but them that are his people Iohn 10 15. So hee saith in another place I lay downe my life for my sheepe But wee know that all are not the sheepe of Christ Mat. 25 32 33 There are manie Goats that belong to another folde But it may be obiected that Christ gaue his life for many and the beleeuers are but few as our Sauiour saith in diuers places as namely The gate is straite Mathew 7 14 and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it And againe he saith to his Disciples Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Luke 12 32. The flock of Christ then is but a little flocke I answer that if the children of God bee compared with the multitude of the wicked then indeede they are but a fewe euen an handfull A small remnant Isaiah 1 9. as the Prophet Isaiah saith but if wee consider them in themselues they are innumerable as it is said in the Reuelation where besides the manie thousands Apoc. 7 â— 9 euen 144000 that were sealed for the seruants of God of the Tribes of Israel there was a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people tongues which stoode before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white Robes and palmes in their handes 2 Cor. 5 15. But it will bee further obiected that the Scripture saith plainely that Christ dyed for all I answere that there the Apostle speaketh of the Church or of the elect alone Beza vniuersallie considered And therefore of necessitie the particle or note of generality must be restrained to the point whereof the Apostle intreateth And this is verie vsuall in the Scripture Our Sauiour alledgeth a place out of the prophesie of Isaiah in this maner Iohn 6 45. Isaiah 54 13. It is written saith he in the Prophets and they shall all be taught of God Now in the Prophet it is thus And all thy children shall be taught of God That which our Sauiour speaketh vniuersally the Prophet restraineth onely vnto the children of God Againe it is certaine that our Sauiour Christ died for all sorts of men of whatsoeuer nation degree or condition they are According to that speech of Peter in his sermon to Cornelius Of a truth I perceiue Act 10 34 3â— that God is no accepter of persons But in euery Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him And this is agreeable to other places of Scripture where the word All is restrained in this manner Genesis 7 1. As where it is saide That euery beast and all cattle and euery thing that creepeth and moueth vpon the earth and euery Towle and euery bird came into the ark vnto Noah Now it is certaine that all the beasts and all the cattle and all the soules that then were did not vniuersally come into the Arke for there came but two and 9. 21. a male and female of euery kind and all the rest were drowned in the flood And therefore the meaning of the place must needs bee that there came all kind of cattle and fowles c. into the Arke So likewise it is said of our Sauiour Christ That he healed euery sicknesse Math. 4 23. and euerie disease among the people Now there is no man can imagine that hee healed all diseases generally for doubtlesse there were many died in his time but he healed all kinds and sorts of diseases So when it is saide that our Sauiour Christ died for all wee may safely vnderstand it that he died for men of all sorts and conditions whether they be high or low rich or poor bond or free But it wil be obiected again that our Sauior saith Iohn 3 16. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son c. and therefore hee was giuen for the whole world I answer that our Sauiour saith in another place I pray for them that is for my disciples Iohn 17 9. I pray not for the world Heere the worlde is excluded from the benefite of Christ his prayer So that wee haue a Worlde opposed to a World There is a World of them that shall bee saued for them Christ was giuen there is a Worlde of them that shall bee damned for them Christ doth not pray I doe not deny but that the death of Christ is sufficient to saue al men for his blood as wee haue heard is of infinite value But it is not effectuall to saue all because many do reiect it trample it vnder their feete This serueth for the reproofe of them that thinke that all shall be saued by the death of Christ It is a fearefull error where-with the deuill carried many thousandes of poore soules to hell But they shall finde and feele the contrarie to their woe vnlesse they preuent it by repentance For certainely there are many in the world to whome it may be saide as Simon Peter saide to Simon Magus Acts 8 21 They haue neither part nor fellowship in this businesse There are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Rom. 9 22 23 as well as vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory Iude verse 4. There are some that were before of olde ordained vnto condemnation that were appointed to bee damned before euer they were borne There are many vngodly personnes 2 Thess 7 8 9 Which know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And our Sauiour describing the maner of his comming to iudgement telleth vs plainly that at that day there shall be a separation made betweene the sheepe the Goats though heere they graze all in one pasture and the Sheep shall be set on his right hand and shall heare a most comfortably sentence Math. 25 32 33 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world But the Goates shall bee set on his left hand shall heare a fearefull doome denounced against them Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire 41. which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels And therefore let euery one of vs be admonished according to the exhortation of the Apostle to giue al diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1 10. We are very careful to make sure our outward estates in the world and we had neede to doe so in respect of this cunning and subtle age wherein we liue Much more should we make it our cheefe care by all good means to assure our hearts that we are in the number of those that shal be saued by the death of Christ Otherwise wee can haue no sound comfort neither in life nor in death FINIS