me with their mouth c. were fulfilled in them O hypocrites Esay prophesied well of you that is of such as are like to you 4. When as it is daily more and more fulfilled as Iam. 2.23 the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God Abraham assuredly beleeued God before but his offering vp of Isaac was a greater probate of his faith then the scripture was fulfilled that is more and more fulfilled when Abraham thus far trusted in God Now Christ fulfilled Zacharies saying in a literall and plaine sense for he sent for an Asse and rode thereon into Hierusalem that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Reioyce O daughter Sion for behold thy King commeth c. S. Iohn and S. Matthew relate not the precise text of Zachary but keeping the sense they somewhat alter the words On the contrary blasphemous Heretikes and Atheists vse to keepe the words of scripture but altogether to change the sense Children full fed often play with their meate so Lucianists of our time play with the food of their soule making the Bible their babble The Lord who will not suffer his Name to be taken in vaine mend or end them As for Heretikes it is alway their custome to make the scriptures a ship-mans hose wreathing and wresting them euery way to serue their turne Non ad materiam scripturas sed materiam ad scripturas excogitant First they make their Sermon and then they looke for a text Herein the Papiâ—ts of later time most offend who doe not only faine new Fathers and falsifie the old Doctors putting out putting in chopping and changing as shall best fit their purpose so that the Fathers as Reuerend Iewell said are no Fathers but their children no Doctors but their schollers vttering not their owne mind but what the Papists enforce them to speake they do not I say wrong humane authors only but also presume to censure and constâ—ue Gods own bookes as they list as Augustine said of Faustus the Manichee Legant qui volunt inuenient aut falli imprudentèr aut fallere impudentèr Hence kill and eate to Peter is a warrant for the Pope to depose Princes It is written Thou shalt goe vpon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feet therfore the Pope may tread vpon the Emperors neck God made two great lights in the firmâ—ment that is two great dignities in the Church the Priest and the Prince but that which ruleth the day to wit spirituall things is the greater that which ruleth carnall things is the lesser as Innocentius the third disputes in the Decretals and their Glosse further addes out of Pâ—olomie that the Sunne containes the bignes of the Moone seuen thousand seuen hundred fortie foure times and so many degrees iump is euery Prelaâ—e aboue euery Prince Sometime they cite the beginning without the end sometime the end without the beginning sometime they take the words against the meaning sometime they make a meaning against the words and so they do not receiue but giue the Gospell as Maldonate fitly not admit the old scripture but vpon the point coine a new for in controuerted places either they suppresse the words or else not expresse the sense as if a man should pick away the corne and giue vs the chaffe or conuey away the iewels and throw vs the bag The blessed Euangelists had warrant from God and we warrant from them to quote scripture sometime more fully for explication and sometime more shortly for breuitie yet without alteration of the sense though there be some little alteration of the sentence Marlorats annotation is good that our Euangelist and other doe not alway repeate the very words in the Prophets and the Law that we might hereby take occasion to peruse the text and to conferre place with place Let vs then examine the words in Zachary which are these Reioyce greatly ô daughter Sion shout for ioy ô daughter Hierusalem Behold thy King commeth vnto thee They contain 2. remarkable points an Exultation Reioyce greatly c. Exaltation or commendation of Christ as a reason of this exceeding ioy Behold thy King commeth vnto thee iust meeke c. In the former obserue the Persons Exhorting Principall God for the worde of the Lord came to Zachary cap. 1. vers 1. This then is not the word of man but the voyce of God Instrumentall Zachary Exhorted Hierusalem Act reioyce In that Zachary was Gods organ marke the worthines of holy Prophets as being the very tongues and pens of the blessed Spirit and this dignitie belongeth also to their successors Apostles and other Preachers of the word for S. Matthew speakes in the plurall dicite tell ye concluding thâ— Prophets and Preachers whose office is to tell Hierusalem â—hat her King and Sauiour is come into the world to seeke and saue that which is lost Almighty God hath had in all ages either Patriarks or Prophets or Apostles or Preachers a Moyses or an Elias a Zachary or a Paul or an Athanasius or an Augustine or a Luther or a Iewel by whom he spake to his beloued Spoâ—se comfortably Reioyce greatly daughter Sion especially the Lord vseth to châ—se Zacharies that is such as are mindfull of God such as delight in the law of the Lord and exercise themselues therein day and night The persons exhorted are daughter Sion and daughter Hierusalem that is according to the vulgar Hebraisme Sion and Hiâ—rusalem as the sonne of man for man and sonne of floors for floore Esay 21.10 and Psalm 72.4 the childâ—en of the poore for the poore as Augustine vpon that place so daughter Sion daughter Babylon daughter Hierusalem for Sion Babylon and Hierusalem a phrase not strange to the Poet who called the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Hierusalem was the Metropolis of the Iewes and Sion an eminent mount adioyning to Hierusalem and at this time the Iewes were the people of God and Hierusalem the citie of God Aâ— Salâ—m was his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Whereas therefor S. Matthew Tell ye the daughter of Sion he meaneth vsing a synecdoche Hierusalem And whereas Zachary names Hierusalem he meaneth the Church of God ouer the face of the whole earth of which Hierusalem is a figure and so the text iâ— to be construed typically not topically for this ioy concernes the Gentile so well as the Iew the one as the roote the other as the branch as Paul sheweth in his epistle to the Rom. cap. 11. Indeed Christ is the glory of his people Israel but he is the light of the Gentiles illuminating all such as sit in darknes and in the shadow of death Heere then obserue that Christ is the Churches ioy and only the Churches ioy dumb Idols are the Gentiles ioy Mahumet is the Turks ioy Circumcision is the Iewes ioy
the works of darknesse put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind which are weapons of light It is due debt that you should be followers of God forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ forgaue you See epist. dom 3. quadrages The Nouelists except against our Seruice Booke for omitting here two titles holy and beloued Our answer is that the word elect implies the rest for if elect then beloued and holy The Church omits not the greater and infers the lesser as the Churches of Scotland and Middleburge call Gods heauy iudgements vpon the wicked a little rap Psal. 74.12 and bread of affliction broâ—ne bread Psal. 127.2 Contrary not onely to the Geneua Bible but euen Câ—luins exposition of the place If these friuolous obiections be their aqua coelestis to keepe life in their fainting cause we may toll the passing bell and ere long ring out to the funerall Let the word of Christ That is the Scripture the Gospell especially so called in respect of three causes Efficient for he speakes in the Prophets and Apostles I am he that doth speake behold it is I. Materiall for hee is the contents of all the Bible shadowed in the Law shewed in the Gospell vnam vocem habent duo Testamenta The word of the Lord containes nothing but the word which is the Lord. Finall as being the end of the whole Law scope of all the Prophets euer since the world began Wherefore seeing the Scriptures haue Christ for their author Christ for their obiect Christ for their end well may they be called the word of Christ. Dwell We must not entertaine the word as a stranger giuing it a cold complement and so take our leaue but because it is Gods best friend the Kings best friend and our best friend we must vse it as a familiar and domesticke receiuing it into the parlor of our heart making it our chamber fellow study fellow bed fellow Things of lâ—sse moment are without doore the staffe behind the doore sed quae pretiosa sunt noâ— vno seruantur ostio things of worth are kept vnder many locks and keyes It is fit then that the word being more pretious then gold yea the most fine gold a peerlesse pearle should not be laid vp in the Porters lodge onely the outward eare but euen in the cabinet of the mind Deut. 11.18 Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule so the word that now doth plenteously dwell among you may dwell plenteously in you Plenteously Reade heare meditate with all attention exactly with all intention deuoutly with all diligence throughly Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Esay 8.20 to the law to the testimony Apocalyps 1.3 Blessed is he that reades and heares and keepes the words of this prophecie not onely reade nor onely heare nor onely meditate but all sometime reade to rectifie meditation and sometime meditate to profit by reading Lectio sine meditatione arida meditatio sine lectione erronea It is reported of Alphonso King of Spaine that hee read ouer all the Bible with Lyraes postil fourteene times And Augustine writes of Antonius an Egyptian Monke that hauing no learning he did by hearing the Scriptures often read get them without booke and after by serious and godly meditation vnderstand them This one word plenteously confutes plenteously first ignorant people who cannot secondly negligent people who will not reade and heare thirdly delicate people who loath the Scriptures as vnpleasant preferring the Poets before the Prophets admitting into their house the writings of men before the word of God fourthly perfunctory students in the Bible turning ouer not the whole but some part and that so coldly that as it is said of the Delphicke Oracle quoties legitur toties negligitur a lesson is no sooner got but it is forgot fiftly couetous people who will not giue to their Pastor plenteously that the word may dwell in them plenteously Nehemia complained in his time that the Leuites for want of maintenance were faine to leaue the Temple and follow the plow And Saint Augustine made the like complaint in his age whereupon in processe of time Clergy men inuented such points of superstition as were most aduantageous vnto them Hence they â—aked heil and found out Purgatory to make the Popes kitchin smoke an inuention not knowne vnto the Greeke Church for the space of 1500. yeeres after Christ and but of late knowne to the Latine Hence praier for the dead indulgences and other new trickes of popery which are more for the Priests belly then the peoples benefit God of his infinite goodnesse forgiue Britans ingratitude in this kind and grant that the burning lamps in our Temple may be supplied with sufficient oile that the light of Israel goe not out Sixtly this condemes Enthusiasts despising the word and ministery Seuenthly the Marcionits and Manichees reiecting Moses and the Prophets Last of all and most of all the Papists in denying the vulgar translations of Scripture to the common people Let the word of God dwell in you that is in all you Priest and people Non in nobis modo sed in vobis as Saint Hierom peremptorily Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficientèr sed abundantèr etiam laicos habere debere docerese inuicem vel monere The word must dwell in vs Ergo the Bible must be in our house It must dwell plenteously Ergo we must reade daily but as it followes in the text With all wisdome The Papists as well in the Church as in the street chant scripture plenteously but because their hymnes are not in a knowne tongue it is without vnderstanding The Brownists in their bookes and sermons often cite scripture plenteously but it is not in wisdome Learned Origen notes well and where hee doth well none better that heretikes are scripturarum fures great lurchers of holy writ but they so wrest it that as Hierom speaks Euangelium Christi fit euangelium hominis aut quod peius est dâ—aboli Table Gospellers are full of text It is ordinary to discusse diuinitie problemes euen at ordinaries a custome very common but by the censure of our Church no way commendable For the 37. Iniunction forbids all men to reason of diuine scripture rashly and the greatest part of Archbishop Cranmers preface before the Church Bible is spent against idle brabling and brawling in matters of Theology And a graue Diuine much esteemed in our daies held it better for venturous discoursers of predestination and sinne against the holy Ghost that they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should continue in this irreuerend vsage Manlius reports how two meeting at a tauerne contended much to little purpose about their faith One said he was of Doctor Martins religion and the other sware he was of Doctor Luthers
other presuming too much vpon Gods mercie Euery man is naturally like Simon the Sorcerer Act. 8. conceiting himselfe to be some great man as Martin Luther said All of vs haue a Pope bred in vs an opinion of our owne workes albeit there be in vs no reall vertue no true substance yet Narcissus like we are inamoured with our owne shadowes and this is the Serpents head the beginning of all euill Omnium iniustitiarum est ferè sola causa iustitia Wherefore we must labour euerie day to dig downe this high mountaine we must descend that wee may ascend as wee fell by ascending so wee must be raised by descending Beda wrote of the Publican Appropinquare noluit ad Deum vt appropinquaret ad illum Hee that will not be a mountaine in Christs way must not be a mount-bank of his owne vertue but leuell himselfe euen with the ground working his saluation in feare and trembling The second kinde of mountaines are such as raise themselues vpon meere presumption of mercie boasting of a shorter cut to heauen then either the good works of Papists or good words of Puritanes abusing that sweete text of Paul Where sinne aboundeth there grace superaboundeth Indeed where sinne is felt and grieued for theâ—e Gods grace is greater then our sinne both in imputation and effect for our sinnes are finite whereas his goodnesse is infinite the salue is greater then the sore Non peccantis merito sed superuenientis auxilio But when we draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as with cartropes when wee speake good of euill and euill of good when as without any remorse we sin presumptuously when as we fall not forward as Abraham and Ezechiel but backward as old Eli and the Iewes who tooke Christ then assuredly the more sin the lesse grace Shall wee continue still in sinne that grace may abound God forbid Yea God hath forbidden it enioyning vs to bee holie as hee is holie that being deliuered out of the hands of all our enemies wee might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life A man is deiected and made a valley two waies in regard of his Great faults Little faith The voice of the Crier must pronounce Gods proclamation and generall pardon for the one and applie it in particular for the strengthening of the other The fift and last question of the Pharisies is Why baptizest thou then if thou be not the Christ neither Elias nor the Prophet Vnto which Iohn answered I baptize with water c. This last interrogatorie was the first in their intention for the Pharisies had a tradition that none might baptize but Christ or some great Prophet and therefore they did first aske craftily whether hee were Christ or a Prophet and then hauing vndermined him thoroughly with what authoritie doest thou baptize being neither Christ nor Elias nor a Prophet S. Iohns answere is opposite but apposite I am a Minister but not a Messias I giue the outward signe but Christ is he who doth giue the inward grace I baptize you with water but hee that commeth after me shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and fire In which he compareth the ministerie of man with the power of God the outward baptisme with the spirituall baptisme where of the first is done by the hand of man the other is peculiar only to Christ. The comparison is not as the Papists imagine betweene the baptisme of Iohn and Christ but betweene the person of Iohn and Christ for the baptisme of Iohn and Christ are one both in effect and authoritie for Iohns baptisme was not of his owne deuising but of Gods institution as hee sheweth his commission in the first of Ioh. 33. He that sent me to baptize with water c. a text which hath made Bellarmine contradict himselfe twice in one page For whereas he first had set downe peremptorily that Iohn instituted his owne baptisme now hee confesseth honestly that God was author of it for the matter in generall but not for the manner in particular and yet after long search hee cannot finde in what rite Iohns baptisme differs from Christs It is an axiome deliuered in their owne schoole that there are but two things essentiall in Baptisme verbum elementuÌ„ the outward element of water and inuocation of the blessed Trinitie So S. August Accedit verbum ad elementuÌ„ fit sacramentuÌ„ Other things are required in a SacrameÌ„t circumstantially not substantially Now Bellarmine out of this text grants that Iohn vsed the right element for he saith I baptize you with water and out of Ambrose cites against himselfe that Iohn inuocated the sacred Trinitie Father Sonne and holie Ghost Ergo. the baptisme of Iohn and Christ are one for essence so likewise one in effect for Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes Ergo forgiuenes of sinnes is by the baptisme of Iohn so well as by the baptisme of the blessed Apostles as Augustin Basil. Greg. Nyssen out of that text obserue neither doth the Cardinal disauow their glosse though the Councell of Trent hath denounced anathema to such as hold baptismum Ioannis habuisse eandem vim cum baptismo Christi â— let Matthaeus Tortus if he can vnloose this wedge for his Master I feare that ouerthwart Diuine so little that I say with Luther Hunc noduÌ„ neque soluunt neque soluent vnquam omnes papicolae in vnum Chaos confusi The Scripture makes no difference betweene Iohns and our baptisme but this only that we baptise in Christum passum râ—suscitatum whereas Iohn baptised in Christum passurum resurrecturum See Epist. Dom. 17. post Trin. The Epistle GALAT. 4.1 I say that the heire so long as he is a child differeth not from a seruant c. IGnorant people behold rather an Image well painted then a booke well written and are sooner perswaded with plaine similitudes and familiar examples then with subtill reasons and accurate discourses Our Apostle therefore after hee had vsed for his purpose namely to proue that iustification is not by the law but by faith in Christ the comparison of a mans will of the prison of the schoolemaster in the former Chapter addes also this of an heire wherein as in euery similitude two points are remarkable the proposition vers 12. reddition in the rest In which our twofold estate must bee considered of Thraldome vâ—der Moses Freedome by Christ when the lawes tyrannical gouernement ends and that is Two maner of waies as Interpreters out of the text 1. By the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh once at the fulnes of time vers 4.5 2. By the coÌ„ming of Christ in the spirit daily vers 6.7 In his firstcomming note the Fact vers 4. and in it the Giuer God whose good wil appeares in bestowing
will haue our sacrifice acceptable they must be first holy So diuine Plato Whatsoeuer is good and holie that is accepted of God Secondly sacrifice must be performed in faith otherwise though it be warraÌ„ted by Gods own word it is not acceptable prayer receiuing of y e Sacraments hearing of the Scriptures c. are holy sacrifices and yet not pleasing God if done without faith As our Apostle Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne that is whatsoeuer is against our conscience so when the Recusant comes to Church against his conscience to satisfie the law of man not to certifie his loue to God it is not an acceptable sacrifice If a man be a Lawyer a Physitian a Merchant a Souldier against his conscience though his calling be neuer so good yet his oblation is bad Or as other expound that text more fitly Whatsoeuer is not done in a good assurance that God for Christs sake will accept of it and vs it is sinne Christians are Priests offering spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. All good works without faith in him are like the course of an horse that runneth out of the way which taketh great labour but to no purpose For vnbeleeuing Gentiles and misbeleeuing heretikes albeit they be neuer so wittie neuer so vertuous are no sweete fauour to the Lord. Reasonable We reade in the Law that euery sacrifice was seasoned with salt now sâ—lt mystically notes discretion as Coloss. 4.6 Let your speech be gracious alwaies and powdred with salt that is with wisedome and sobrietie When Paul then exhorteth vs to giue our bodies a reasonable sacrifice his meaning is that al things must be done in order comely discreetly The prouerbe is good An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of learning for as zeale without knowledge is blinde quo vehementius irruit eo grauius corruit so knowledge without discretion is lame like a sword in a mad mans hand able to doe much apt to doe nothing Tolle hanc virtus vitium erit Hee that will fast must fast with discretion he must so mortifie that he do not kill his own flesh He that giueth almes to the poore must doe it with discretion omni petenti non omnia petenti quoth Augustine to euery one that doth aske but not euery thing that he doth aske so likewise pray with discretion obseruing place and time place left thou be reputed an hypocrite time lest accounted an heretike like the Psallianists and Euchitai Other expound the word reasonable as opposite to the Iewes oblations As if Paul should speake thus In the Law dead beasts but in the Gospell reasonable liuing men are to be sacrificed vnto God Euery Christian is a sacrificer euery layman a priest but the pastor is a priest of priests one that sacrificeth his people by teaching and exhorting them to giue vp their bodies a quicke and holie sacrifice to the Lord. I am saith Paul the minister of Iesus Christ toward the Gentiles ministring the Gospell of God that the offering vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost Hitherto concerning the first generall branch of Saint Pauls exhortation Now as Musitians doe not only teach their schollers what they shall sing but also what they shall not sing that they may follow that which is good and eschue that which is euill so Paul doth not onely shew what we must doe but also what we must not doe Fashion not your selues like vnto this world World vsed in the worse sense signifieth either the wicked men of the world or else the vaine things of the world the wicked men as Ioh. 12.31 the diuell is termed the prince of the world that is of the wicked in the world who make themselues his vassals by yeelding to his temptations according to that of Paul He is our master to whom we submit our selues as seruants It is not Satans power that hee doth thus dominere in the Church for he was bound and cast out of the Church but it is the weaknes and wickednes of men who loose him and open the gate when he was shut out admitting him as a lord of misrule ruling and ouerruling those who are children of disobedience Ephes. 2.2 Secondly the word World taken in a bad and more strict sense signifies the pomps and vanities of the world As 1. Epist Ioh. 2.15 Loue not the world neither the things of the world that is as himselfe construeth himselfe the lust of the flesh and pride of life According to both acceptions it may be well expounded in this text as if S. Paul should say Brethren I beseech you by the tender mercies of God that yee fashion not your selues either according to the wicked men or according to the vaine things of this world For y e first 2. things occasion fashioÌ„ in the world Multitude for as Cyprian said Incipit esse licituÌ„ quod solet esset publicum Custome is not onely another nurture but as it were another nature And as the Lawyers speake Quod est consuetum praesumitur esse iustum That which is done by many is thought at length lawfull in any Greatnes for as Paterculus writes Imperio maximus exemplo maior He that is highest hath alway most followers Augustus a learned Prince filled the Empire with schollers Tiberius with dissemblers Canstantine with Christians Iulian with Atheists So that Paul vnderstanding how prone men are to follow fashions aduiseth vs here not to conforme our selues according to the world In complements of courtesies and common ciuilities it is not amisse to follow either the most or the best In matter of Church orders and Ceremonies it is insolent singularitie not to fashion our selues according to that which is inioined by the best and vsed by the most yea euen in the maine points of holy religion If the great be good and the most best we may follow both But Saint Pauls meaning is that wee may not follow wicked men in their wickednesse nor worldly men in their worldlinesse nor good men but in that they are good as hee saith elsewhere Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ for as in imitation oratorie there are two sorts of examples one necessarie to be followed alwaies in all things as Demosthenes among the Grecians and Tully among the Latines another to be followed in some things and at some times as Poets and Historiographers Euen so there are two sorts of examples in Christian imitation the one necessarie which is Christ the way the truth and the life Via in exemplo veritas in promisso vita in praemio The truth in his learning the way for his liuing as the Fathers vsually glosse that place The other are to be followed in some things and at some times as Paul Peter Augustine Chrysostome Nazianzen and other blessed Saints of God whose liues and
and valediction the which custome is reteined in the Christian Church that no man depart out of the Temple before the diuine prayers and sermon end so the 4. Councel of Carthage decreed excoÌ„municating all such as offend in this kind Thus you see Christ was instructed by good lessons and life so that if Iesus had not been Iesus to be saued and not a Sauiour hee might haue said of his mother Mâ—râ— which Augustine writes of his mother Monica Mâ—â—ori sollâ—citudiâ—e me parturiebat spiritu quà m carne pepererat parturiâ—it carne vt in hanc tempâ—ralem nascerer corde vt in aeternam lucem râ—nascerer Now for his bodie when he was missing Ioseph and Mary sought him instantly with all diligence till hâ—e was found Behold thy father and I haue sought thee weeping Where literally note Maries humble carriage toward her husband Ioseph and the care of them both ouer Christ their childe The dutifull respect of Marâ— toward Ioseph is obserued ex ordine verborum in that she saith thy father and I not I and thy father as Cardinall Wolsees stile Ego rex meus I and my king is insupportable in the Politâ—kes so I and my husband insufferable in the Oeconomicks It was Assuerus his edict and it is Gods law that all women both great and small shall giue their husbands honour and that euery man shall beâ—re rule in his owne house for the man is the wiues head and the wife is her husbands subiect Subdita eris sub potestate viri Thou shalt bâ— subiect to thine husband and he shall rule ouer thee Gâ—n 3.16 So that a woman murthering her husband is accounted by the Ciuill lawes a parricide by the statutes of our land a traitor The next remarkable point is the ioynt care of them both ouer Iesus Thy father and I haue sought thee weeping As Paul said to Timothie so we to euery father serâ—a deposiâ—um keepe that which is committed to thee Haue a tender eye ouer thy childe which is a pledge of Gods goodnesse and that happily which may moue thee more flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone not only a liuely picture but a liuing and walking image of thy selfe Barren Sâ—ra was so glad of a childe that she called her onely sonne Isack that is laughter How wicked then is that parent who neglecteth his owne flesh his owne childe which is a token from heauen and ordinarilie the best monument of himselfe after death on earth As this example concernes the naturall father so likewise the ciuill and ecclesiasticall for incuria praepoâ—iti iniuria depositâ— detrimentum pecoris ignominia pastoris c. Pastor and Prince must sâ—â—ke the good of such as are vnder them as Ioseph and Mary did Christ with carefull hearts c. In a mysticall sense these words insinuate when where and how Christ is to be found of vs. 1. When On the third day 2. Where In the Temple 3. How Socialiter in vnitie thy father and I. Desidâ—rabiliter with an earnest desire to finde Lachrymâ—biliter with teares haue sought thee sorrowing First Christ is to be found on the third day vers 46. It came to passe three daies after that they found him in the Temple The first day was the time before the law in which as Christ told his Apostles all the Patriarks and holy fathers desired to see the things which they saw and could not see them and to heare the things which they heard and could not heare them The second day was the time vnder the law when also the Priests and Prophets expected Christ but they could not finde him therefore the Prophet Esay crieth out in his 64. Chapter Oh that thou wouldest breâ—ke the heauens and come downe The third day is the present time thiâ— acceptable time of grace wherein Christ is to be found hora est nâ—nc The houre is now Therefore to day while it is to day seâ—ke the Lord euen while he may be found call vpon him while he is neer for the next day which is the fourth day is the time after death and then he cannot be found or sought Ioseph and Mary could not finde Christ among their kinsfolke c. Non humana cognatione nec cognitione comprehenditur He that wil finde Christ must forsake friends forget his owne people and his fathers house They found him in Ierusalem that is in the Church among the faithfull not among barbarous Heathens or blasphemous heretikes his dwelling is at Sion there you may finde him among the Doctors in the Temple not in the market not in the tauerne but in the Temple for hee is to be found in his word in his sacraments among the Doctors and Preachers If this lesson often taught were once learned it would make you to frequent Gods house more diligently thirst after his word more greedily respect Christs ambassadours more reuerently The third point to be considered is how Christ is to be found Socialiter in vnitie pater tuus ego God is loue and his followers are the children of peace and his Ministers the messengers of peace his doctrine the doctrine of peace and therefore if we wil finde him we must follow the truth in loue God said to the serpent I will put enmitie between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed But if wee seeke Christ in contention all the feud is among our selues and not betweene Satan and vs. Odium in nos ipsos conuertimus all our fight is against our friends and not against our foes Againe we must seeke Christ earnestly Quaerebamus te nihil extrate Iesus for Iesus and lastly we must seeke Christ lachrymabilitèr sorrowing Now Mary did feare for three causes as Interpreters obserue 1. Lest Christ should leaue her and ascend to his father in heauen 2. Lest he should fall into the hands of persecutors 3. Lest he should forsake the Iewes and goe to some other nation So we must seek Christ with three sorts of teares of Deuotion lest he withdraw his gracious countenance froÌ„ vs. Contrition when he doth absent himselfe for a time Compassion when any member of his is afflicted and persecuted And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them As the former part of this Gospell is a paterne for parents how they should instruct their children so this latter is a glasse for children how they should obey their parents Omnis enim actio Christi instructio Christiani For euery line of Christ is a copie for a Christian. In that therefore the Lord of all submitted himselfe to the gouernment of his supposed father and vnderling mother as Hierome notably Venerabatur matrem cuius ipse erat pater colebat nutritium quem nutriuerat and that for the space of thirty yeeres executing filial and oeconomicall duties