both a God and his diuine prouidence x Arist 1. de ani Aristotle commends Anaxagoras because he taught that there was an immixt and most simple vnderstanding which knew all things this is God The Platonists cal'd him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is the Beholder of all things whatsouer Orpheus confessed that there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One begotten of himselfe by whom all things were made and this is God and yet we haue fooles amongst vs. which in their harts say there is no God The second weed is Papisme a weed that ouerspreads our Bed for euil weeds euer grow apace it is like Lotos which Homer speaks of he that tasts it is bewitched with the sweetnesse thereof like the companions of Vlisses for doth not Papistrie dispense with all licentiousnesse and hath not the whore of Babilon y Reuel 17.4 a golden Cup in her hand with which she makes drunken the inhabitants of the earth and yet this weed must grow still who plucks it vp it is cropt sometimes I confesse and the leaues are cut off but as long as the root is quick both leaues and branches will encrease and multiply like the Heads of Hydra Vpon this weed breeds the Grashopper the Canker-worme the Caterpillar and the Palmer-worme which make our Vines wast and pill the barke off our figge-trees I meane those z Reuel 9 7.8 Locustes spoken of by Iohn the Diuine comming out of the smoake of the bottomlesse pit whose forme is like vnto horses prepared for battell and on their heads as it were ermines of gold their faces like vnto the faces of men their haire like the haire of women their teeth like Lyons In a word the whole Swarme of Iesuites and Seminaries Romish Alastores Euill spirits which must not be driuen away with Dauids Harpe but Elijahs sword These make profession of Religion yet are their actions died in blood they vow voluntarie pouertie yet ayme at crownes and are euer medling in matters of State they seeme humane and as tender-hearted as women Oh there is their aequiuocation but their Teeth are Lyon-like their disseignes violent their stratagems cruell These Iebusites liue amongst vs and are prickes in our sides they haue euer yet beene forgers of I reason and euen now no doubt they are hammering some mischiefe and yet must they still gall vs I what remedie can be found Plucke downe the Cages of these vncleane birdes and giue the law liberty to punish their harbourers without any respect of persons then see if these Locustes doe not quickly vanish away like smoake and flie to their smokie dungeon The third weede is Simonisme the roote whereof was first set by Simon Magus a Act. 18.18 who offered Peter mony for the gift of the holy Ghost and at this day it is watered by Bels Priests and Baals Prophets such as make their profession a meere Mechanicke Trade or Occupation and their Ministerie a Ladder onely to climbe to preferments Mercenaries no true Pastors Creepers in through the window no true Preachers you shall know them by their workes for they seeke their owne and not Christes they feede vpon the fat of the flocke and cloath themselues with the wooll but suffer the sheepe to starue for want of foode They be like vnto the b Strab. Geog. lib. 15. Astomi of whom Strabo writes which people haue no mouthes but onely a certaine hole in steede thereof whereby they receaue the sweet sent of flowers which is their sustenance So these Simonistes haue no mouthes to shew forth the praise of God but onely a tongue-lesse hole by which they sucke vp the sweetnesse of Church-liuings purchased by briberie at Steeple-faire Well it was not so from the beginning for Aarons c Exod. 28.34 robe round about the skirtes was hung with golden bels and Pomgranates the first betokening Doctrine d Mal. 2.7 the second Hospitalitie to signifie that the Priests lips should preserue Knowledge and his mouth should be a siluer bell to call the people to Gods tabernacle likewise his dore must be euer open to the harbourlesse and his bread continually cast vpon the waters Sed motos praestat componere fluctus I must speake as e Pli. lib. 35.8 Timantes painted Polyphemus onely shewing you the thumb of these Monsters thereby you may proportionate their whole bodies and as f Aug. Ep. 48. S. Augustine said of the Tares Totus mundus in maligno positus est propter Zizania quae sunt per totum mundum So may I say of these three weedes Atheisme Papisme and Simonisme by them our bed of Spices is almost spoiled Secondly the Garden shut vp is the Church Inuisible of this Salomon thus speaketh g Cant. 4.12 My sister my spouse is as a Garden enclosed as a Spring shut vp and a Fountaine sealed vp Which inuisible Church is the Catholicke Societie of the faithfull elected and chosen to eternall life and it is said to be inuisible because it is onely of the Elect who are not Visible to men but onely to God h 2. Tim. 2.19 for he alone knoweth who are his The Papists vtterly distaste this distinction of visible and inuisible and yet they themselues confirme it saying i Inter relig Caes cap. 9. Ecclesia quatenus constat membris talibus quae secundum charitatem viuunt Sanctorum est tantum eatenùs spiritualis inuisibilis The Church as it consisteth of such members which liue after the rule of Charitie is onely of the Saints and is so farre forth spirituall and inuisible To this also their owne decrees giue consent k Dec. P. 3. dist 2. cap. 9. Societas corporis membrorum Christi est Ecclesia in praedestinatis The societie of the body and the members of Christ is the Church consisting of the praedestinate This Garden then is like the garden of Eden which was kept by a Cherub l Gen. 3.24 shaking a fierie sword This Cherub is Christ who suffereth no vncleane thing to enter into it neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies but they which are written in the book of life In the olde Paradise grew two principall trees m Gen. 3.22 the tree of Life and n Gen. 2 17. the tree of Knowledge the like are in this garden For o Ioh. 3.15 whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall not perish but haue eternall life here is the tree of Life p Ioh. 17.3 And this is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Here is the tree of Knowledge And as Eden was watered with q Gen. 2. foure Riuers Pishon Gihon Hiddekel and Perath so hath this enclosed Garden the Church inuisible foure waters of comfort namely Election Vocation Iustification and Glorification r Rom. 8.29.30 for whom God hath praedestinate to be made like the Image of his Sonne them also he calls whom he calls
not be saued because he respecteth a further end namely the setting forth of his owne glory which consisteth as well in Iustice as in Mercie Secondly touching the death of Christ that he dyed for all men is most certaine the Apostle affirmes it yet because else where the Spirit of God saith h Ioh. 10.15 That he dyed for his sheepe and for the i Ephe. 5.25 Church least the Word should seeme to thwart itselfe we must not take the letter but follow the Scence which is this The death of our Sauiour in respect of it's sufficiencie hath satisfied for all men but is k Mag. sent li. 3. dist 20. efficacious onely to those which were fore-ordained to life aeternall in Christ Iesus so saith Augustine l Aug. tom 7. ad artic fals imposit Quoad magnitudinem potentiam precij Sanguis Christi est redemptio totius mundi quoniā tamen non omnes captiuitate eruti sunt redēptionis proprietas hand dubipenes illos est qui mēbra sunt Christi In respect of the greatnes of the price the blood of Christ is the redemption of the whole world but because all are not redeemed frō captiuitie the proper effect of redemption is onely wrought in the members of Christ So likewise for his Birth I say with Ambrose m Amb. lib. 3. de fide cap. 4. Ille quidem misericordia sua omnibus natus est sed perfidia hocreticorum fecit vt non omnibus nasceretur qui omnibus natus est Hee in mercie was borne for all but the vnfaithfulnesse of haeretickes is the cause that he which is borne to all is not borne for all Therefore the Elect onely are the selected Guests whom Christ inuites to his banquet saying Eate O my friends drinke and make you merry O Welbeloued Secondly What is their entertainment Marueilous kind and louing as may appeare by the Bridegromes words Eate drinke and be merrie But me thinkes this is a strange speech why doth hee that saith n Luc. 6.25 Woe be to them that be full here bid vs eate and drinke Why doth he that saith Wo be to them that laugh here bid vs be merry What are God and Mammon confederate is there friendship betwixt Christ and Belial no far be it from vs so to imagine for these words are the language of the Spirit howsoeuer the flesh may mis-expound them They be like Musicke which according to the hearers disposition doth euer alter it's operation for play vpon an instrument before a Tyger and he will grow more furious and rent his owne flesh from his bones for anger but let the Dolphin or the Hart heare any melodie it so rauisheth and delights them that thereby they may be trained to their death euen so let one of those whom Lucillius calleth Venties Bellie-gods or him that Athenaeus tearmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Wine-bottle and a Mealebarrell read these words and he will forth-with grow more luxurious for his apprehension will reach no further then the flesh-pots of Aegypt Let any of our Hermophrodites effoeminate and wanton chamberers heare them and they wil presently begin to be as mad-merrie as the o Pom. Mel. lib. 1. Tabareni of whom Pomponius Mela writes which doe nothing all day long but make merrie pipe and daunce but of the contrary part the Regenerate whose eares are circumcised they heare Christs voice and they know his heart They heare him say Eate O my friends and they know that he meanes Myrrhe and Spice the Gospel the food of the hungry soule which euery one that hopes to be saued must be willing to eate They heare him say Drinke O my friends and they know it is Wine and Milke Grace and Mercie which whosoeuer refuseth being offred him will Christ at the last day reiect with an Ito maledictie depart thou cursed They heare him say Be merrie O my welbeloued and they know it is because the Hony-combe with the honie is eaten by Christ that is to say hee hath made our peace with God the Father Eate O my friends saith Christ hee inuites all to his Table the word is preached to all but all will not heare it all will not come to his Feast for they haue either married a Wife or hyred a Farme or bought a yoke of Oxen and therefore they must be excused These are the children of Martha they are euer combred about worldly affaires and wholy drawne from God by the Diuels three golden hookes Honour Pleasure and Wealth Others being bidden in plaine wordes refuse to come for they had rather like the barbarous p Pom. Mel. lib. 1. Trogloditae feed on Toades and Serpents then Mirrhe and Spice their stomacks are onely for traditions of men their plats distaste the Word of life such be our English Recusants to whom if I were Iacob Isachars blessing should be theirs which was this q Gen. 49.14 Isachar is a strong Asse couching betwixt the burthens why may not I tearme them so seeing that Gregorie commenting vpon these words in Iob the r Iob. 1.14 Oxen were plowing and the Asses feeding in their places by them by Oxen vnderstand the Clergie and by Asses the Laytie which must feed by the Oxen and beleeue as the Church beleeues being contented with an implicite faith for Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion and so doe our Recusants whose backes are euen broken with the burthens of Antichrist and his disciples Some againe will come and sit downe at the Table of Christ and eate but they neuer disgest the Mirrhe and Spice such are they which either in heart being Romish will come to the Church to saue their Lands or else being Atheists and of no Religion come for feare of being suspected to be Papists you shall know them by their attention for like as Adders refusing the voyce of the Charmer doe euer stoppe one eare by laying it close to the ground and the other with her tayle so they barre the entrance of the Word either by worldly Cogitations or priuate Conferences but of the contrary part the Elect which are the true friends of Christ they come to the table willingly eate chearfully for they euer hunger and thrist after righteousnesse what though the Word be bitter in respect of the Profession yet it is sweet in regard of Contemplation therefore they eate it as the food of their Soules Secondly saith Christ Drinke O my friends Here our Sauiour exhorts vs to embrace his grace mercy being freely offered vnto vs. And who would not pledge this health considering that he which drinkes shall neuer thirst again s Apulei lib. 3. Apuleius reporteth an excellent speech of a certaine wise-man at his table which was this Prima eratera ad sitim pertinet secunda ad hilaritatē tertia ad voluptatem quarta ad insaniam The first bowle of wine is drunke to quench the thirst the second to prouoke mirth the third for pleasure the forth makes a
shal waxe cold And out of the first Epistle to the Corinthians i 1. Cor. 9.27 I do chastice my body lest when I haue preached to others I shuld be a Reprobate In making answer to these obiections let vs but obserue the true meaning of these words Righteousnesse Faith Loue and Reprobate and then this Gordian knot wil with ease be loosed First wheras the Prophet Ezechiel speaketh of the fall of a righteous man you must note that he meaneth such righteous persons as to the worlds eye rather seeme so to be then be so indeed thus S. Luke teacheth vs to expound it who where as other Euangelists write thus From him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath hee saith k Luke 8.18 that which hee seemed to haue God taketh away his grace from him that hath it not but onely seemeth to haue it and giueth still to him that hath he then that is hypocritically righteous wee grant may fall away finally but he that is truely righteous and a Pillar in the Temple of God shall goe no more out Secondly Faith is either Viua or Mortua A liuely or a dead faith of the dead faith there may be made a shipwracke it was Iudas his case such a faith is a reed shaken with euery blast of winde it is a combustible substance like Timber hay and stubble the least flame of any fire will burne it but the Liuely faith which is euer accompained with a good Conscience like the Ship in which our Sauiour slept may be tost and shaken with wind and waues but neuer cast away neuer swallowed vp in any gulfe for it is a house built vpon the rocke no tempestuous gust can ouer-turne it It is a well of liuing water springing vp to euerlasting life he that drinkes of it shall neuer thirst againe l Ioh. 5.24 For hee that beleeueth is already passed from death to life he is made a Pillar in the house of God and shall no more goe out Thirdly as there is a dead faith so there is a Counterfait Loue the one being the roote the other the branch therefore where there is such a faith charitie there must needs waxe cold m Cant. 8.7 but true Loue by much water cannot be quenched neither can the floods drowne it n 1 Cor. 13.8 It doth neuer fall away o Caus 33. dist 2. cap. 8. In quocunque fuerit haec charitas radix illi erit arescere non potest in whom soeuer this charitie is it shall be a roote vnto him hee cannot wither but euer flourish like a greene Oliue tree in the court of Gods Temple neuer to be transplanted neuer to goe out any more Fourthly this word Reprobate vsually in the Scriptures signifieth such a one as is p Iud. vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before of old ordained to condeÌ„nation reiected or reproued of God But sometimes it is taken in another sence and is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is it reproued q 1. Cor. 9.27 or reprobate to men and so doth S. Paul vse it when hee saith I chastice my body lest when I haue preached to others I should be a Reprobate In this speech the Apostle doth not feare lest God should cast him away or finally reiect him for he professeth the contrary saying r Rom. 8.38.39 for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But his meaning is this lest if hee preached one thing and practised an other hee might be reproued and reproached of men No s Aug. de cor grat cap. 7. he that is Elect and whose faith worketh by loue either neuer falleth at all or if he doe hee is reuiued and raised vp againe before this life be ended for hee that is a Pillar in the Temple of God shall goe no more out Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar c. Vpon this Pillar Christ promiseth to write three Names The Name of God the Name of new Ierusalem and his owne new Name And I will write vpon him the Name of my God t Pro. 22.1 A good name saith Salomon is to be chosen aboue great riches it is better then a good oyntment it fatteth the bones What honor was it for Moses to be called Gods Seruant and for Dauid to be adorned with this Title a man after Gods owne heart Publius Scipio did reckon his name Africanus amongst his greatest glories And Paulus Aemelius thought himselfe well satisfied for his paines and seruice in the wars because the Romanes gaue him the name of Macedonius u Catal. glor mâ—nd part 11. consid 23. Honor decus est habere pulchruÌ„ nomen saith Cassanaeus it an honour and glory to haue a faire name and therefore Socrates wished that parents would giue their 〈◊〉 significant and wel-sounding names Such a name 〈◊〉 our Sauiour promise to write vpon them that perâ—â—â—â—e in goodnesse saying I will write vpon him the name of 〈◊〉 God God hath diuers names in the Scripture some being deriued from his substance other from his properties as he is a Being of himselfe and an aeternall Essence hee is called Iehoua of Haia to Be as he is mightie El as holy Cadoseh as all-sufficient Schaddai but his principall name is Iehoua a name of such holinesse that the Chaldaeans as Reuchlinus saith to auoid prophanation would not write it but expressed it in their Bookes by certaine prickes and the Iewes blinded with a superstitious conceit in stead thereof vsed Tetragrammaton Adonai and Elohim this name so holy shall be grauen vpon them that be pillars in Gods Temple Whereby Christ signifieth that God will be their Iehoua and they shall be his Israel x Apoc. â—1 7 hee will be their God and they shall be his people This name is y Apoc. 7.2 that Seale wherewith the seruants of God are marked in their fore-heads which who so hath no hellish z Apoc. 9.4 Locust can hurt him this name is like the a Exod. 12.13 strokes of blood vpon the postes of the Israelites houses no plague nor destruction shall light vpon them that beare it this name is like vnto the b Ioshua 2.18 Corde of red thread in Rahabs window it preserues them that haue it from the Sword in the day of Vengeance The Letters of his name Iehoua are by the Iewish Rabbins called Literae flatus literae quietis Breathing resting letters Wherby thus much may be collected First as God is a spirit so he is the sole Father and giuer of life he will raise vp the Elect at the last day in incorruption clothing them with immortalitie and bestowing vpon them life aeternall Secondly there is no way to finde Rest but in
of the earth and wilde beasts and creeping things and fowles of the heauen for in this life the Elect and the Reprobates are mixt together as the Iewes and Iebusites in old Hierusalem but it shall not be so at the last day for when our Sauiour comes to Iudgement hee shall like a Shepheard separate the Sheepe from the Goates his Reapers shall gather the Tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them but gather the Wheate into his barne and the true Israelites that haue done his Commandements shall haue right in the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the Citie but without shall be Dogges and Enchanters and Whore-mongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes This Separation shall be as the Springes of Lebanon to the righteous but as the Waters of Marah to the vngodly as sweet as honie and the hony-combe to the true beleeuer but as bitter as Gall and wormewood to the Infidell In this world the commixion of the Good and the Euill is euill for the Good but good for the Euill First it is euill for the Good to liue amongst and conuerse with the wicked for which cause Dauid complaineth saying Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue my habitation amongest the Tents of Kedar but on the contrary part it is good for the Euill because the Euill by the Good are shielded from many plagues if z Gen. 18.32 ten righteous men had bene found in Sodome God would not haue destroyed it for the tennes sake and one * Gen. 39.5 Ioseph was the cause that the blessing of the Lord was vpon the whole house of Potiphar This life is a time of weeping and mourning to Gods Children but a time of laughing and dauncing to the Sonnes of Beliall the Righteous mourne to see the Vngodly daunce and the Reprobate laugh to see the Elect weepe a Eccles 3.1 But as all things haue their appointed time and are subiect to change and alteration euen so the estate of Men for when that Generall Separation shall be made then they that haue sowne it teares shall reape in ioy and to such whose Seed-time hath beene Mirth a haruest shall befall of weeping and gnashing of teeth As one heauen cannot hold b Apo. 12.7.8 Michael and the Dragon nor one Temple c 1. Sam. 5. Gods Arke and Dâ—â—gon nor one ground beare both the Oke and the Oliue no more shall the glorious Citie New Hierusalem containe both the Sheepe and the Goates the pure in heart and the polluted in soule no no Within onely the Lambe shall be and the blessed Virgins his followers but without shall be dogges These two words Within and Without are like Hercules Pillars vpon which was written Nil vltrà Nothing further for in them we see the end of all flesh Within shewes the Map of heauen Without declares the Topographie of hell Within promiseth life euerlasting Without threatneth death aeternall d Exod. 28.30 The two words Vrim and Thummim being by Gods appointment written vpon the brest of the High Priest were to put him in minde of Zeale and Knowledge two essentiall and necessarie vertues in the Ministers of God so these two Within and Without being Characters of Separation doe intimate vnto vs the glorious Estate of the Righteous and the miscrable Condition of the Wicked in the world to come First Within like a Remembrancer puts vs in minde of that felicitie which the Apostle calleth a Mysterie because e 1. Cor. 2.7.6 The things which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard neyther came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him oh then thrice happy are the Elect which shall be free Denizons in Paradise and coheyres with Christ in his Kingdome enioying f Iohn 16.22 a ioy which none shall take from them euen the g Mat. 25.21 ioy of their Lord being with him to behold his glorie whose presence shall be to them saith Austin tanquam Cythara Speculum Balsamum Mel Flos like a Harp for their hearing like a Glasse for their seeing like Balme for their smelling like Hony for their tasting and like a Flower for their touching the Meditation hereof worketh in the Regenerate strange effects First as the sweet sound of h 1. Sam. 16.13 Dauids Harp did driue away the Euill Spirit from King Saul and as the i Exod. 15.25 Wood which Moses cast into Marah changed the bitternesse of the Water into sweetnesse so though the righteous be enuironed and encompast with a thousand bitter afflictions in this life and be euen heauy loaden with crosses laid on them by Sathan and the world yet when they cast vp their eyes to heauen the bright and glorious countrie of the soule as Zoroastres cals it then is their Wormewood turned into hony and their griefe of minde into gladnesse of heart because they know that a time shall come when the Saints that are now eclipsed by the shadow of aduersitie k Dan 12.3 shall shine like the Sunne and the Starres of the Firmament and they that now weare Sackcloth with Dauid hairecloth with Eliah and garments of Camels hair with Iohn Baptist shall be cloathed with long white robes made white in the bloud of the Lambe Secondly as the sight of the blood of grapes made the Elephants of King Antiochus fight more furiously so euen the very thought of heauenly ioy stirres vp the mindes and the hearts of the Righteous to fight a good fight to runne a good race and to offer violence to the Kingdome of heauen by taking paines to heare Gods word preached in season and out of season by praying continually by beating downe the flesh and keeping it in subiection by Fasting and Abstinence by sweating blood and water and watring their Couches with teares had it not beene for the remembrance of Chanaan a land flowing with milke and honie the barrennesse of the Wildernesse would haue broken the hearts of the people of Israel our life is a pilgrimage and the World is a Wildernesse through it the way to the land of Promise is straite and hard to find Is not this enough to daunt and dismay a Passenger but hope of beeing at the last within the gates of the holy City cheares vp the Christian pilgrime armes him with patience against all dangers and hope once to bee separated from the societie of dogges causeth him to thinke Christs yoke sweet and his crosse a tree of Life Secondly this word Without points vs to Hell the habitation of Deuils the hold of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird k Esay 30.33 which of old is prepared for the wicked and by Almighty God is made deepe and large the burning whereof is fire and much wood As was the banishment of Adam and Heuah out of Paradise such shall bee the exile of Dogges God to debarre