head and his left hand doth embrace vs so that though we should fall yet we can not be hurt because the Lord stayeth and supporteth vs with his hand Therefore S. Chrysostome giues vs good counsell not to haue iayes eyes but eagles eyes that we may behold these hands of Christ and see his side in the sacrament For indeede as o◅ten as we celebrate the memorie of our Lords death Christ our Sauiour deliuering the bread and the cuppe by his minister saith in a sort to euery faithfull receiuer Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull But yet we shall not alwaies drinke of this fruit of the vine The time will come when we shall drinke a new kinde of wine in Christs kingdome Wherefore he saies As often as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the Lords death til he come Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall be shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his Saints Euen as vve sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloody wounds are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe the Saints reioyce how glori◅ also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirituall banket of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither fhall the eagles resort And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shall vnsatiably desite to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the soule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the ◅hirstie as the poole of Bethesda which ◅ealeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my bodie is the paper Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selse of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall be The second cause to appease his father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his father onely between his ascension his second comming shal serue to confoūd his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherefore though we be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that we may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes wounds so let vs kisse the Sonne least he be angrie honour his holy wounds which are the pretious balme wherewith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the which we beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our owne deserts or merits but for the tender bowels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie toward vs to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Matth. 5. v. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then hands For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and doe so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand In so much as that may be aptly applied to them which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you do litle you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse thē they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to doe much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a whet stone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which beeing deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and
Lord giue me goodnes and knowledge But first goodnes and then knowledge Because indeede one heartfull of goodnesse is worth a hundred headfulls of knowledge one handfull of doing is worth a hundred tongue-fulls of teaching For what is the hand else but the very seale of the tongue So that as a writing is not pleadable by the law of man without seales no more is a word warrantable by the law of God without works And theresore if they which serue the beast receiue the marke os the beast not onely in their foreheads but also in their haâ—…ds how much more theâ—… ought we which serue the huing God to receiue the marke of God not onely in our foreheads by open professing of him but also in our hands by faithfull â—…sing that which we professe Therefore it is a vsuall phrase well-nigh in all the Prophets to say The word of the Lord by the hand of Amos by the hand os Zacharie or such like I know indeede it is an Hebrevve phrase vvhere the hand of the Prophet signifieth the ministerie of the Prophet But yet this phrase may giue vs thus much to vnderstand that if the Prophets dealt so as euery vvord of God passed not only thorough their mouthes but also through their hands that then vve also must so deale in hearing handling the vvord of God as vve may bring vnto God saies Agapetus not onely a profering of vvords but also an offring of vvorks Wherefore deare brethren let your light so shine before men that they not onely hearing your good vvords but also seeing your good vvorks may glorifie your father vvhich is in heauen For then I assure you if vve glorifie our father vvhich is in heauen he vvill glorifie vs his children vvhich are vpon earth and in the ende make vs great in the kingdome of heauen O remember therefore that golden saying in the Scripture The seare of the Lord is the beginning of vvisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter Why so Because an ill vnderstanding haue all they that doe not thereafter They that haue vnderstanding and doe not thereafter that is according to it haue an ill vnderstanding But they that haue vnderstanding and doe thereafter according to it haue a good vnderstanding A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer It shall be eternally rewarded O how richly are the Apostles rewarded how highly are they nowe honoured in heauen because when they were vpon earth they had a good vnderstanding They had clouen tongues Clouen tongues What 's that I 'le tell you Doe you not see how our hands are cloauen and diuided into fingers So were the Apostles tongues They in a manner if I may so say had fingers vpon their tongues as well as we haue vpon our hands It was but a word and a worke with them They had no sooner taught others any good thing as O Lord what good thing did they not teach vs all but by and by they were readie to practise it and to performe it themselues Therefore they are alreadie great in the kingdome of heauen yea and much more shall be The twelue Apostles shall sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel And if we can happely obtaine so much grace and goodnes of God as that we may haue a care and a conscience as well to doe as to teach then as sure as God's in heauen we likewise shall be great in the kingdome of heauen We shall be enstalled with Christ and his Apostles in the throne of glorie when we shall heare him say vnto vs Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome of heauen prepared for you For ye haue not onely professed but practised ye haue not onely taught well but wrought well ye haue not onely said well but done well therefore now you shall be great in the kingdome of heauen To the which kingdom of heauen we beseech thee O Lord to bring vs euen for Iesus Christs sake Amen A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the Kings Maiestie at Drayton in Northhamptonshire August 6. 1605. Psal. 132. 18. As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but vpon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish THe Royall Prophet hauing setled himselfe in his kingdom according to his owne desire and besides hauing after many wandrings to and fro at length brought backe the Arke againe to Ierusalem maketh here his most zealous and deuout praier to God for the continuance of his fauour both to the Church and Common-wealth committed to his gouernement Returne O Lord to thy resting place sai's he thou and the Arke of thy strength Let thy Priests be cloathed vvith righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing vvith ioyfulnesse For thy seruant Dauids sake turne not avvay the face of thine anointed Novv that he might apparantly see hovv neere the Lord is to all them that call vpon him in faithfulnesse and truth he vvaiteth not long for an ansvver but carries it avvay vvith him before he depart For to Dauids petition Returne O Lord vnto thy resting place thou and the arke of thy strength Gods ansvver is this This shall be my resting place here vvill I dvvell for I haue a delight therein I vvill blesse her victualls vvith increase and vvill satisfie her poore vvith breade To Dauids petition Let thy Priests be cloathed vvith righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing vvith ioyfulnesse Gods ansvver is this I vvill cloath her Priests vvith saluation and her Saints shall reioyce and sing Lastly to Dauids petition For thy seruant Dauids sake turne not away the face of thine anointed Gods answer is this There shall I make the horne of Dauid to flourish I I haue ordained a light for mine anointed As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but vpon himself shal his crown slorish As if he should haue said Turne away the face of mine anointed Nay that will I neuer doe I will indeede turne away the face of the enemies of mine anointed Their face shall be couered with confusion and cloathed with shame But contrariwise I haue ordained a light for mine anointed He euer shall haue a light in his face and a crowne vpon his head As for his enemies I shall cloth them with shame but vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish These words are principally to be vnderstood of Christ. For neuer were any so cloathed with shame as his enemies the cursed Iewes which murthered him There eitie was sacked not one stone of it beeing left vpon another and they themselues as stubble or chaffe were scattered ouer the face of the earth So that they are the very shame of men and the out-cast of all people Insomuch as when we would signifie we hate a man deadly indeede we commonly vse to say we hate them worse then a Iewe. On the other side
kingdome but onely a way directing to a kingdome For seeing they are no cause neither haue any correspondence or proportion in them in respect of the glorie to come therefore the Apostle saith The afflictions of this life are not worthie the glorie that shal be reueiled And yet againe because the possessing of our soules in patience is a way directly tending to the saluation both of our soules and bodies therefore he saith The momentarie â—…ightnesse of our affliction worketh vs â—… surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glorie To which our Sauiour subscribeth in these words The gate is straight and the way narrowe which leadeth vnto life This straightnesse therfore and narrownesse of affliction is not a cause which deserueth but a gate or a way which leadeth vnto life So in an other place we haue that by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen Not by many tribulatioÌ„s no not by any tribulations we must merit heauen but by many tribulations as by a gate or way we must enter into the kingdome of heauen And in this sense S. Paul saies The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie But now though this sentence doe not confirme any Popish error yet it doth excellently comfort any distressed and afflicted For it exhorteth vs to be patient in all afflictions and that for foure reasons The two first drawn from the nature of our affliction the two last from the nature of that glory which shal be the reward of our affliction Tâ—… first is because our affliction is momentarie the second because our affliction is light the third because our glorie shal be eternall yea surpassing eternall the fourth because our glorie shall bâ—… weightie exceeding weightie And therefore he saith The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Ineede not here make any apologiâ—… for my selfe nor yet render any reason why I discourse of pouertie before the rich of affliction before those that are euere way slourishing This point was cleared so reuerently and so learnedly of late in this high presence that I am sure it must needes be yet well remembred Certainely though ye haue not beene afflicted heretofore neither are at this time yet beeing men ye may be hereafter Wherefore it is noâ—… 〈◊〉 that we all learne the doctrine of patience in tribulation Partly that we may be more thankfull to God iâ—… hitherto we haue not beene afflicted and plagued like other men Partly that if any time of affliction happen hereafter as any griefe any losse any sickenes or such like we may be prepared aforehand and as it were armed with patience to endure it For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie First our afflictioÌ„ is momentarie Wel sai's Eucherius Nothing is of great importance which is of small coÌ„tinuance Now our whole life is very short What is our life saith S. Iames It is a vapour which for a time appeareth but anon after vanisheth away Therefore saith the Prophet O Lord thou knowest my life as it is in the Septâ—…agint but as it is in the Hebrewe Thou knowest my fliâ—…ting And theresore seeing our whole life is but a vapour or a flitting certenly our afflictions which are all comprised within the compasse of this life must needes be much more momentarie All afflictioÌ„ as the Apostle writeth for the present seemeth not to be ioyous but grieuous but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby He saith not that affliction is but that it seemeth to be So that affliction seemeth to be one thing and is indeede an other It seemeth to be grieuous it is indeede ioyous it seemeth to be troblesome it is indeede comfortable it seemeth to be long and tedious it is indeede momentarie and short Euen as God himselfe determineth this matter For a moment saith he in mine anger for a little season haue I hid my face from you but in euerlasting mercie will I turne vnto you againe That we should not doubt of this doctrine he redoubles the promise for a moment for a little season Therefore the Princely Prophet say's plainly Heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning As the two Angels then that came to Lot log'd with him for a night and when they had dispach't their arrant went away in the morning so afflictions which are the Angels or the messengers of God God sendeth afflictions to doe an arrant vnto vs to tell vs we sorget God we forget our selues we are too proud too selfe conceiâ—…ed and such like and when they haue said as they were bad then presently they are gone Whereupon we read that the spirit of life returned into the two witnesses which had beene slaine by the beast after three dayes and an halfe Why after three dayes and an halfe To teach vs that affliction and persecution may perhaps tyranize ouer vs three dayes and an halfe but they shal not fill vp the whole fowre dayes For the elects sake those dayes shall be shortened Agreeably to that which Iohn Baptist begun his preaching with Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Repent that 's a matter of mortification and affliction to the flesh For the kindome of heauen is at hand That 's a matter of comfort and ioy So our Sauiour Behold I come quickly and my reward with me if Christ will come quickly then affliction will be gone quickly Thus momentarie is our affliction For our whole life is short much more then the afflictions of this life affliction is grieuous but for the present heauinesse endureth but for a night persecution lasteth but three dayes and an halfe the kingdome of heauen is at hand theresore deliuerance is at hand Christ will come quickly therefore affliction will be gone quickly Wheresore seeing our affliction is so momentarie let vs be patient in affliction For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Secondly our affliction is light Almightie God setting forth his owne excellency saith Who hath measured the heauens with his span and the waters with his fist By the heauens are meant the diuine blessings of God by the waters afflictions woes Those he measureth with his span which is a longer measure these with his fist which is a shorter measure So that the Lord is as I may say a rhetoritian verie plentifull and copious in his blessings he measureth them with his spanne but he is a logitian more short and sparing in his afflictions these he measureth with his fist For in the hand of the Lord there is a cuppe the wine is redde and full mixt he powreth out of the same as for the dregges thereof the wicked of the earth doe drinke them vp First we drinke not
Whereupon Prosper noteth that that which Virgil writeth of Augustus Cesar He hath giuen vs an Empire without ende may much more fitly be applied to Christ. For though Augustus raigned very long aboue fiftie yeares yet at length his gouernment as all other earthly kingdomes was determined But of our heauenly king onely the angel Gabriel saide most truly Of his kingdome there shall be no ende Now this glorie is as well called a crowne as a kingdome And this crowne as S. Peter saith is vndefield which neuer fadeth away The Greeke words which S. Peter vseth are Latine words also and they are not onely appellatiues beeing the epithites of this crowne but also propers the one the proper name of a stone the other of a flower For Isidore writeth there is a pretious stone called Aniantus which though it be neuer so much soyled yet it can neuer at all be blemished And beeing cast into the fire it is taken out still more bright and cleane Also Clemens writeth that there is a flower called Aâ—…rantus which beeing a long time hung vp in the house yet still is fresh and greene To both which the stone and the flower the Apostle as I am verily perswaded alludeth in this place As if he should haue saide The crowne which ye shall receiue shall be studded with the stone Amiantus which cannot be defiled and it shall be garnished with the flower Amarantus which alwaies is fresh and neuer fades away ye shall receiue a crowne vndefiled and that neuer fades away Which as Beda noteth was insinuated in the crowne round about the Arke of the Testament For in a circle there is neither beginning nor ending Or rather euery where there is a beginning euery where an ending and so no where any beginning or ending To shew that the patient also shal haue a crown set vpon their head per circuituÌ„ running round in a circle neuer comming to any end of eternitie Well our glorie is called also a treasure Three kind of treasures there are A treasure in hell a treasure in earth a treasure in heauen That in hell is a treasure of torments that in earth is a treasure of snowe that in heauen is a treasure of eternitie For the first S. Iames sayes Go to nowe you rich men weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vp treasure for the last dayes Here 's a treasure in hell Which to be a treasure of torments the Apostle prooueth saying Thou after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent treasurest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath A treasure of wrath and of torments â—…roÌ„ which God for the deare blood of his sonne sake deliuer vs euery one The second is a treasure in earth Oâ—… which our Sauiour saith Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon earth where the moath and canker corrupt and where the eues dig thorough and steale And this is a treasure of snowe For S. Gregorie vpon those words of Iob Who entreth into the treasures of snowe sheweth that earthly treasures are treasures of snowe You see little children what paines they take tâ—…â—…ake and scrape snowe together to make a snowe-ball right so they that scrape together the treasure of this world haue but a snowe-ball of it as soone as the sunne shineth and God breatheth vpon it and so entreth into it by and by it comes to nothing The third is a treasure in heauen Concerning which our Sauiour saith Lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where are bagges that neuer waxe old Now this is a treasure of eternitie And therefore the Christians of the primitiue Church suffered with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in heauen a better and a more enduring substance They contemned all treasures of snow in respect of this substance For they haue no substance neither are simply good though they be called goods but melt away as snow this is a better and a more enduring substance yea a most enduring a surpassing eternall waight of glorie Thus ye see how eternall our gloâ—…ie is It is a kingdome a crowne a treasure And this kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome this crowne is an incorruptible crowne this treasure is an eternal treasure And therefore seeing our glorie is so surpassing eternall we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs surpassing exceeding â—…ernall waight of glorie Fourthly our glorie is weightie yea exceeding waightie â—…he glorie to come by some resemblances is shewed to be eternall by other to be weightie First to this purpose it is compared to wine Touching which our Sauiour saith Hereaâ—…r will I not drinke with you of the frâ—…ite of the vine till I drinke it nevve vvith you in my fathers kingdome Now how waightie this wine shal be appeareth in that the spies bringing clusters of grapes out of Caâ—… 〈◊〉 them vpon a poalâ—… on their 〈◊〉 To shewe in the celestiall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorie there shalâ—… be So when 〈◊〉 Lord turned water 〈◊〉 wine hâ—…â—…ommanded to â—…ll the vessels to the 〈◊〉 These vessels topâ—…ll of wine doe signifie at the mariage oâ—… the Lamb that â—…e 〈◊〉 shall hâ—… a â—…ll reward pressed downe shâ—…ken together râ—…g ouer So that euery one of them mâ—…y say Mâ—… cuppe doth ouerflowe Againe 〈◊〉 glorie is comâ—…d to a peny Now in a peny we consider fowre things The image the superscription the sound the waight So our Sauiour when they shewed him a peny aâ—…ked whose image and superscription it was First then for the image Christ shall change our vile bodies that they may be like the glorious bodie of his sonne that as we haue borne the image of the earthly so we may beare the image of the heauenly For the superscriptioÌ„ our Sauiour saith To him that ouercommeth will I giue a white stone and in it a name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it As a Prince seeing his name vpon a peice of coine knoweth it is of his owne mint so euery patient Christian seeing his owne name in this white stone which is a token of honour knoweth it properly belongeth to himselfe For the sound the Psalmist saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall alwaies praise thee This shall be the sound of the peny continually the praise of God As the foure and twentie elders neuer ceased day nor night to sing Holy holy holy to him that is and was and is to come Fourthly for the waight the shekel of the Sanctuarie was twise as weightie as the common shekel in like mâ—…ner our glorie shall be as the shekel of the Sanctuarie
doe against vs If God haue called vs what can the vvorld doe against vs If God haue iustified vs vvhat can the flesh doe against vs If God haue glorified vs vvhat can the deuill doe against vs If God be vvith vs vvho can be against vs The first enemie against vs is man Homo homini lupus And an other 〈◊〉 saith Either a god or a deuill â—…or to say nothing that no time is sreeed no place priuiledged no degree secured no torment vnpractised onely thiâ—… I vvill touch that no age is exempâ—…ed But the crueltiâ—… of man rageth not â—…y vpon â—…e old after they aâ—…e buried but also vpon the young before they are bâ—…e Thus saith the Lord â—…or â—…ree transgressions and for foâ—… I vvill â—…ot turne vnto Moab because they digged vp the bones of the king of â—…dom and burnt them to liâ—… The king of Edom vvas a vvicked man yet God deâ—…sted so thiâ—… vnnaturall and 〈◊〉 câ—…uelty oâ—… the Moabits â—…ard the dead that for this especially he would not be reconciled to them Thâ—… like 〈◊〉 haâ—…e not wanted in oâ—…r laâ—…d aâ—…d almost in our time Trâ—…cie two yeares Wickliffe two and fortie yeares after he was buried was digged vp So euen of late they vsed Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius in Cambridge and Peter Martyrs wife in Oxford Such cruell men if they had as great power ouer these holy Martyrs soules as they had ouer their bodies doubtles they would haue puld them out of heauen For as long as they had a finger or a foote or a bone or a piece of a bone in the graâ—…e they neuer left mining and digging till they had rooted it out So that at the least wise we may say of them with the Psalmist The dead bodies of thy seruants O Lord haue they giuen to be meate to the foules of the ayre and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the field Now the crueltie of man against man as it endeth not when life endeth so it beginneth before life beginneth For not onely Esaâ—… that cruell and cursed reprobate strugled and wrastled with his brother Iacob in their mothers wombe but also the Ammonites ript vp the women of Gilead beeing greâ—… with child and the Babylonians causeâ—… the women of Ierusalem to â—…ate their owne fruit and their children of a spaâ—… long And not long agoe in the Isle oâ—… Garnsey wheÌ„ a faithful women whosâ—… â—…ame neede not heare to be rehearsed while shee was burning at the stake waâ—… deliuered of a goodly man-child somâ—… were so hard-hearted to fling him bacâ—… againe into the fire there to be murtheâ—… red as they meanâ—… it but indeede maâ—…tyred with his mother O blessed babe Because there is no roome for him 〈◊〉 â—…he inne as soone as he is borne he is laide in a manger Nay because there is no roome for him in anâ—… one corner of all the world by and bâ—… he is baptized with the holy Ghost anâ—… with fire O blessed I say againe blesseâ—… babe Before thou art lapped in swadliâ—…g clothes thou art crowned wiâ—…â—…tyrdome before thou fully brâ—…thest in the breath of life thou happeâ—…â—…est out thine innocent soule to God But fie vpon such beastly and cruell murthers Out vpon such deuilliâ—… â—…nd fiendish tormentors These Saints â—…ese Catholiks who are Scythians if â—…ese be Saints who are Canibals if â—…ese be Catholiks which holding it as â—…n article of their faith that all children â—…ying without baptisme are damned â—…et wittingly did put this innocent â—…hild to death before he was baptized â—…nd theresore as they made the moâ—…er suffer the most vntollerable â—…aines â—…f childbirth and martyrdome both toâ—…ether so as they verily thought and â—…eleeued they slung the infant also â—…odie and soule into an earthly fire and â—…to hell fire all at once This is the â—…rueltie of man He would if he could â—…ull some out of heauen after they are â—…uried and thrust some into hell before â—…hey are borne But God hath predestinated vs. And â—…ot onely before we were borne but alâ—…o bâ—…fore the world was created hath â—…hosen vs in Christ. Euen as Christ shal â—…ay at the last day Come ye blessed of â—…y father inherit the kingdome of heaâ—…en prepared for you before the founâ—…ations of the world For looke how carefull parents prouide for their children and put them in their will before they are borne so God giues vs the grace to liue with him before he giue vs time to liue â—…ere Euen as the Sonne saith Feâ—…re not little flock for it is youâ—… fathers will to giue you a kingdome And the father â—…imselfe I eueâ—… I am hâ—… that comsort you who art thou theâ—… that searest a mortall man who fadeth away as grasse Therefore euery couragioâ—…s Christian may comfort his heaâ—… in God and say with the princely Prophet The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare thâ—… Lord is the streÌ„gth oâ—… my life of whoâ—… then shall I be afraid when the wicked euâ—… mine enemies and my foes comâ—… vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stuÌ„bleâ—… and sâ—…ll Tâ—…ough an hoast of men weâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me yet shall not my heaâ—… be afraid and though there rose 〈◊〉 warre 〈◊〉 me yet will I put my truâ—… iâ—…â—…im I will â—…ot be afraid of ten thousâ—… of thâ—… people that haue set themselâ—… 〈◊〉 me round about Yeâ—… 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 through the valley of â—…he shadow of death yet will I fearâ—… no â—…uill for thou O Lord art with me thy â—…od and thy staffe they comfort me So â—…hat I may boldly say The Lord is my â—…elper neither will I seare what man can doe vnto me The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge And if the Lord of hosts haue predestiâ—…ated vs vnto life wâ—…at can man doe agâ—…st vs what before we liue what while we liue what after we liue If God be with vs who can be against vs The second eâ—…emie against vs is â—…he world Which assâ—…ileth vs as well â—…y aduersitie 〈◊〉 by prosperitie What is the world saith S. Ambrose but a race or a course full of trialls and troubles It is a fiâ—…ld wherein is little corne but much cockle It iâ—… a garden wherein are fewe roses but many thornes Yet these thornes of aduersitie doe not so much oftentimes 〈◊〉 vs as the baites of prosperitie The world is more dangerous saith S. Austin when it slattereth then when it threatneth and is more to be feared when it allureth vâ—… tâ—… loue it then when it enforceth vs to contemne it For euen as Iudas by a kisse betraied his master so the world is a very Iudas It meaneth most falsly when it imbraceth most friendly Wherefore the Apostle saith thus of Demas Demas hath forsaken vs and imbraced this present world So that the immoderate embracing of this world is a flat forsaking oâ—… Christ and his gospell
turmoiled and tossed Wherfore let vs in time crie aloud and awake him with our praiers Or rather indeede he is not asleepe but awake alreadie We haue awaked him not with our praiers but with our sinnes Our sinnes haue cried vp to heauen And the Lord beeing awaked as a gyant comes forth against vs and as a mighty man refreshed with wine For not onely those are waters which are in the chanell or in the sea but as waters are here vnderstood euen those fires are waters those fires I say which very lately awaked vs at midnight affrighted vs at noone day which raged on the South side and anon after on the North side oâ—… the towne It was but a fewe mens losse but it was all mens warning And what shall we make nothing of this that one kind of disease deuoureth vp the townesmen an other the schollers This is now the tenth course of schollers which within this moneth hath beene brought forth to buriall not one of them dying of the plague whereas heretofore if one or two scholers haue died in a whole yeare out of all Colledges it hath beene accompted a great matter This and such like grieuous iudgements beloued doe plainely declare that the Lord beeing awaked with the cry of our sinnes is grieuously displeased and offended at vs. Wherefore let vs yet now at the length in the name of God rowfe vp our selues and awake out of our deadly sinnes Let this that our holy brother did so sodainly in a manner fall asleepe be a loud O yes as it were to awake vs all Let euery one of vs amend one iudge one accuse one condemne one that we be not all condemned of the Lord. Let euery one of vs I beseech you crie vp to heauen for mercie and say with Dauid I haue sinned and done wickedly Or with Ionas Take me for I knowe that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Then our most mercifull father shall blesse vs all as he hath done this holy Saint both in our life and in our death by the pardoning of our offences couering all our sinnes with the bowells and blood of Christ. And though in this world we be euer subiect to a flood of many waters yet he shall drawe vs still out of many waters as hee did Moses Surely in the floode of many waters no more then they did to Ionas they shall not come neare vs. Neither onely shall we be safe in the flood of death but also in the flood of the day of iudgement For that also is a flood and a terrible fearefull one too To wit not of water but of fire As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be at the comming of the sonne of man In the first flood they which had not an arke ranne vp to the toppes of houses to the tops of trees to the toppes of mountaines because they desired to hold vp their heads aboue the still rising raging water In the second they which are not found in Christ shall say to the mountaines Fall vpon vs and to the caues Couer vs and hide vs from the wrath of the Lambe Then they shall be glad to creepe into euery hold and corner that they may auoide the burning of fire But we that confesse our sinnes and forsake the fame shall lift our heads to no other mountain but tò Christ from whome commeth our saluation we shall desire to be couered with no other rocke but onely with that out of which came the blood and water of life For neuer did Noahs flood so cleane wash away all wicked men from the face of the earth as the blood of Christ shall purge vs from all our sinnes and present vs blamelesse before the face of our father onely if we be faithfull vnto death For then the next thing is felicitie and the crowne of life Which God for his mercie sake graunt vs all that as we make no doubt but this our holy brother now triumpheth with Christ so all and euery one of vs after we haue waded through this world as a flood of many waters may inherit that kingdome of glorie which our louing Lord Iesus hath purchased for vs with his deare blood to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITEhall before the King on tewsday after Lo Sunday 1604. 2. Cor. 3. 18. But all we with open face behold as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord and are transformed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the spirit of the Lord. THe old Testament and the new Testament in summe and substance are all one Christ Iesus the very summe substance of them both in himselfe is one and the same yesterday and to day and for euer Those mysticall wheeles which Ezekiel sees in a vision are one within an other After the same sort there is gospell in the lawe and there is lawe in the gospell One wheele is within another one testament is within another For neither is the lawe so full of threatenings but that it hath some comforts in it neither is the gospell so full of comforts but that it hath some threatenings in it So that the lawe is nothing else but a threatning gospell and the gospel is nothing els but a comfortable lawe The two cherubims which shadowe the merey-seat haue their faces one toward another In like manner the two testaments which shadowe out Christ the true mercy-seat vnto vs haue their faces one toward another For the old testament looketh forward toward the newe which is come and the newe testament looketh backeward toward the old which is past Those glorious seraphims which sing Holy Holy Holy do call to one another So the lawe and the gospell lauding him alone which is the holy one of God doe call to one another Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world There the lawe calls to the gospell when Iohn commends Christ. Among them that haue beene borne of women there hath not risen a greater then the Baptist. Here on th' other side the gospell calls to the lawe when Christ coÌ„mends Iohn Whereupon also commending his spouse he saies Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins feeding among the lillies The two breasts of the church are the tvvo testaments out of which vve that are the children of the church suck the pure milke of the vvord of God These testaments feede among the lillies Because they treate and discourse especially of Christ vvho saies I am the lilly of the valleyes These testaments also are like tvvo young roes that are tvvins Because tvvins as vve reade of Hippocrates tâ—…ins vvhen they goe they goe together vvhen they feede they feede together And after the same fashion the tvvo testaments beeing the tvvo breasts of the church go together and feede together like tvvo young roes that are