infinite difference bewixt Gods teaching and mans teaching which driueth away our sinnes as the winde the mist which ouercommeth our ignorance as the light the darknesse which consumeth our euils as fire the wax and the Sunne melts the Snow which couereth our nakednesse as the Heauens couer the earth which createth our newnesse as he created heauen and earth of nothing See the Apostles being taught by the spirit which were idiots and simple men as was knowne to all men are not onely at the instance repleat with all heauenly knowledge themselues but are made the onely Doctors and Teachers of all the world beside And cannot that Son which made those silly fishermen the lights of the world by one whole infusion of faith lighten my closet and chamber I meane the secret corners of my heart Heare we what Saint Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. But you will obiect the Apostles had the gift of that knowledge by miracle and those gifts were extraordinary and now they cease euery man that will haue knowledge now must eyther learne of others or seeke it in his booke I deny not but that those gifts which are gratis data giuen freely and not gratum facientia as is the distinction of the Schoole-men not iustifying or making a man acceptable to God of which sort were the gifts of tongues and vnderstanding all Scriptures I say I doe not deny but they are ceased and were giuen onely to the Apostles and Ministers and some others by imposition of the Apostles hands in the primitiue Church for these are not giuen them which receiue them for their owne saluation but for the saluation of others and we haue the vse and collation and benefit of the same gifts being by their preaching brought to the knowledge of God but this I say the gift of faith which is giuen vs by which we are inwardly regenerate and know God though it be ordinary and shall be euer in Gods Church to the end of the world yet is it of higher power and greater miracle for regeneration of euery Soule that is grafted in Christ speaketh as much to the prayse of Gods power and glory as the creation of heauen and earth made of nothing and this is wrought in vs by which wee are made the sonnes of God in the same instant as was that knowledge extraordinary and by God immediately and by Gods free gift and in all that are saued alike absolutely necessary for all that are saued Lastly we can shew this by examples of them which beleeued Zaccheus a Publicane an Heathen man the first houre he beleeued heareth Christ say vnto him This day is Zaccheus a childe of Abraham The Thiefe is admitted to Paradise for one confession Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Christ our Lord replyeth Verily verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The soule and bodie-sicke Woman in one houre goes away sound thy faith hath made thee whole The Eunuch in that houre that he beleeueth Iesus to be the sonne of God is baptised Three thousand are conuerted to Christ at one Sermon and that same day were added to the Church This ground of Scripture was there all to be beleeued No more did Saint Paul require of the Iaylour but this Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household This was eternall life this is eternall life this euer shall be eternall life to beleeue c. Thus we haue the way of life made compendious and playne and that â—…um necessarium that one thing which is necessary cleere and euident at the first opening of the Scriptures for as God hath so ordered for our bodily life that those things which make not for necessity but for lifes beauty onely and ornament are abstruse and hard to finde and stâ—…ut vp in the bowels of the eaâ—…th or hidden in clests of the Rockes or in the bottome of the Sea as Pearles and Gold and pretions stones because they are neyther necessary nor fit for all men but those things that are of lifes substance and are necessary for our being and sustenance are ready and offer themselues to euery mans hand as ayre and water and corne and fruits of the earth so many things with which the Spouse of Christ may be adorned and beautified he buried as it were in deepe and prefound sense of Scripture which yet many by continuall meditation and study doe dig forth like pearles and precious stones but that without which our soules life cannot haue her being or subsisting those things which are the very bread and drinke of our soules viz. to know the true God and Iesus Christ whom the father hath sent that I say is so plaine perspicuous and easie to finde in holy Scriptures that we cannot misse of eternall life vnlesse we will deny our selues to it What then was thy purpose O Sauiour Christ to set downe this one rule and ground for all to end all controuersies to stay all disputation to take away all doubts to cut off all schismes and factions to build vs sure vpon the rock to set the marke of all trueth high in the tower of the Scriptures to make plaine the way to Heauen When a way is vnknowne to a farre country where is much treasure many will seeke it some by climbing Mountaynes some will venter the Desart some will seeke passage by Sea some by Land and some by East and some be West but when discouery is made of a passage and the way is knowne being made playne and easie no man will seeke dangerous circuits and windings but passe by the knowne way For this way to eternall life was vnknowne to the world some climbed vp by the steepe of their owne workes some wandred in the desarts of mens doctrines some had blinde Phylosophers for their guides some seducing Southsayers some were led by the light of the creatures some sounded the deepe of mans reason Iesus Christ hath made this way straight and knowne and discouering the neerest cut or passage sayth this is it haec est to beleeue the Father of Christ the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Now that we may not doubt let vs stand and inquire of the passengers let vs aske our Father Abraham this was his way as our Lord Iesus said Abraham desired to see my day and saw it Let vs aske the Prophets To him all the Prophets beare witnesse Let vs enquire of the law The Law was our Schoolemaster to Christ. Aske the Apostles all the blessed Martyrs this was the onely poynt they sealed with their bloud that Christ was God Aske our Lord Iesus I heare him say I am the Way the Truth and the Life Whom shall we beleeue of the Way but the way it selfe whom of the Truth but the truth Whom of Life but
Christi the law of Christ for tables of stone tables of flesh Writing my law in their hearts For circumcision of the flesh Circumcision of the heart in the spirit For annoynting annoynting You haue an oyntment from him that is holy For washing washing so S. Paul Such were you thieues couetous c. but you are washed but you are sanctified Wee haue for outward the inward sprinkling Let vs draw neere c. sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water For sacrifice sacrifice to offer spirituall sacrifices to God by Iesus Christ. For Altar we haue an Altar We haue an Altar whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the Tabernacle For high Priest Iesus Christ which is an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech for euer For Lambe Lambe Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Blood for blood The blood of Iesus Christ washeth away our sinnes Temple for Temple The Lambe is their Temple And for all Christ which is our law our circumcision washing sprinkling annoynting saerifice altar our high Priest our passeouer our temple the fulnesse of all in all To whom with God the Father and God the holy Ghost three persons and one God be all fulnesse of praise honour and glory now and for euer AMEN THE VVAY TO ETERNALL LIFE The seauenth Sermon 1 IOHN Cap. 17. Vers. 3. And this is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. WHen the Lawyer stood vp and tempted Christ saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternall life he was made answere him selfe out of the morall law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and thy neighbour as thy selfe And heere is set downe the vtmost bound of our actions but if any man should aske but what knowledge is required to eternall life our Sauiour himselfe answereth This is eternall life to know the Father to be the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. So here is the vtmost limit of our knowledge This Scripture then refuteth the vanity of Sciences to which men are by nature most propense and prone and for all Arts Sciences Learning Wisedome commendeth to vs one which is the Art of a Christian to know the true and liuing God These two compasse in and containe within them all Christian duty knowing and doing first we know God then wee loue him for ignotinulla cupido there can be no desire of that we know not after the Greek Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of seeing commeth louing Such as is our knowledge such is our loue If we know God but little we can loue him but a little the more we know him the more we loue him if we know him not at all we cannot at all loue him It is rooted in the nature of all things to desire that which is good and whosoeâ—…er desireth the good doth not rest his desire in any subordinate good for the desire will striue and presse forward for the soueraigne good that good to which all other goodnesse is subordinate neither can it haue rest till it haue attayned to this supreame end of all things Now albeit many desire the good apparant for the supreame good yet the desire in the false entendeth the true good as we see in the heathen people which worshipping false Gods did entend in them the worship of the true and onely God It is another principle in nature for euery thing which hath life to desire and doe all that it can to keepe it selfe from dying for if our life should perish what could the good of life profit vs for no good no not the soueraigne good could any wayes aduantage him that held by no tenure of life to enioy it Here then wee haue the supreame good made manifest to our vnderstanding which good is the true God and to a good eternall wee haue a life proportioned which is eternall that wee may neuer dye to our good nor our good to vs. You shall not then expect that I speake of this Scripture by way of diuision sithence the subiect of my Text is the true and perfect Vnion for other Sciences wee learne first by learning the parts and then the whole This Science wee haue first by being taught the whole the mysterie of the Trinity and then in it all the parts of a Christian life It is all one knowledge for all to know one life for all to seeke one God for all to beleeue in and there is but one way to come to this life which is by knowing the true and onely God I haue heard of a dangerous harbour in our Seas at whose mouth at Goodwins sands out of which the Pilot cannot make forth but hee must sinke in those sands vnlesse he so steere his Ship that he bring two steeples which stand off so euen in his sight that they may seeme to be but one Doubtlesse wee cannot make way in our faith without sinking into endlesse errour vnlesse wee beleeue God the Father and God the Sonne to be the same in substance and the onely true God But is not the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne one substance and the same true and liuing God yes but he is our Pilot to guide vs in this way Therefore the Scripture saith They that are led by the spirit are the sonnes of God And in another place Walke in the spirit And againe If you be led by the spirit Therefore Christ himselfe saith of the spirit He shall teach you all things If all things then this truth the ground of all truth the knowledge of the Father and and the Sonne because the spirit searcheth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen the deepe things of God Neither ought wee more to doubt that the spirit is God because hee brings vs to Christ then that Christ is God because hee brings vs to the Father No man commeth to the Father but by the Sonne for then wee should likewise doubt whether the Father were God because he brings vs to Christ Euery man that hath heard and learned of my Father commeth to me And no man can come to mee except it be giuen him of my Father For this is that clarification of which our Sauiour speaketh in the first verse Father clarifie thy Sonne so doth the Sonne glorifie the Father verse 4. and the holy Ghost which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne clarifie both the Father and the Sonne that all three persons may be glorified of vs all and that nothing may be more cleare illustrious to our faith then this summe and ground of all truth The Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie is to be worshipped So hence we may ascertaine our
consciences that as the Father the Son and the holy Ghost are one God so our faith which beleeueth is one faith our knowledge which apprehendeth this mysterie is one knowledge that is with the same obtute of faith I beleeue in God the Father with the same and no other I beleeue in GOD the Sonne and God the holy Ghost And with the same light of knowledge I know one I know all three Neither doth this Vnion rest here to make our faith one and our knowledge one but to make the knowers one for which our Lord prayed That all which shall beleeue in Christ through the Gospell preached by his Apostles may be one as the Father is in Christ and Christ in the Father that they also may be one in vs. I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one This then we must take for certaine that in reading this Scripture we must of necessitie vnderstand God the holy Ghost with God the Father and God the Sonne as S. Augustine teacheth Ordo verborum est vt cum patre et filio consequenter spiritum sanctum intelligamus quia c The order of the words is saith hee that by consequence wee must vnderstand the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne for the spirit is the substantiall and consubstantiall charity of both the Father and the Sonne because the Father and the Sonne are not two Gods neither are the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost three Gods but the Trinitie it selfe is one God Neither is the Father the same person that the Sonne nor the Sonne the same that the Father is nor the holy Ghost the same that the Father and the Sonne whereas the Father the Sonne and the Spirit are three and this very Trinitie is one God Wee haue then by the grace of Christ in these words A Catechisme or Enchiridion for a Christian man contayning in it all the mysteries of saluation all the articles of our faith For at that very instant that wee beleeue God to be the Father maker of the world almighty the onely true and liuing God wee beleeue the incarnation of Iesus Christ we beleeue in the holy Ghost the resurrection from the dead the remission of sinnes we beleeue the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and whatsoeuer is written in the law and the Prophets all the contents of the Gospell This one knowledge hath all knowledge in it for as life in that instant that it is life giueth spirit motion seeing tasting feeling and desire to preserue life so as soone as we haue this knowledge wee haue with it all heauenly wisedome and vnderstanding we need not be perswaded to beleeue the Scriptures wee haue the light the feeling the tast of heauenly things and as the light of this Sunne which directeth my going in one place shineth to mee in all places in the house in the field in the Sea in the Desart and in all deepe places so the light of the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ lightneth to mee all things that were in darknesse leadeth me out of all doubts and errours and illuminateth all things that are in heauen and earth But that you mistake me not I doe not deny when we haue receiued this faith but that we haue our farther growing in Christ and encrease in godlinesse by hearing and reading the word by meditation by prayer by receiuing our daily bread and drinke of life in the Sacraments by walking by motion by exercise and labouring in our most holy faith The thing I entend is to shew that all these spring from this fountaine and moue from the power of this life For our bodily life cannot consist or continue without daily foode therefore it is naturall to life to hunger for it daily and by foode wee receiue strength and in our strength we trauaile and labour and doe the things which belong to this life This then is my purpose to shew that all heauenly gifts and powers of the spirit are of the nature of faith So the Apostle By faith we haue an entrance into this grace wherein we stand But first wee liue by faith The iust shall liue by faith By faith we feed therefore the word of God is most properly called the word of eternall life which is the word of faith which wee preach And this word must be mixed with faith and be as meat digested in the stomack of our soules The word did not profit them in whom it was not mixed with faith By this faith we eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood which is the bread of life By faith wee are nourished as said Paul of Timotheus which hast beene nourished vp in the words of faith In faith we grow When your faith shall encrease In faith wee haue our strength Strong in the faith By faith wee stand Thou standest by faith By faith we walke For wee walke by faith and not by sight By faith we worke as Saint Paul saith The worke of your faith in power By faith wee resist Satan Whom resist being stedfast in faith By faith wee fight Fight the good fight of faith By faith we conquer and ouercome This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen your faith See how S. Paul ascribeth to faith all the patience labours workes striuings assurance hope and the victories of the Saints in the whole Chapter which is the eleuenth to the Hebrewes But here the Scripture speaketh of knowledge not of faith No it cannot vnderstand this knowledge without the light of faith For our knowledge of God is the issue and birth of our faith In all earthly things knowledge maketh faith for all the wise men of this world beleeued no farther then they were led by reason but of heauenly things faith maketh the knowledge for these are aboue reason and captiue our vnderstanding Therefore Saint Paul By faith wee vnderstand c. And Saint Peter I beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD. Therefore our faith hath her perfection in this life and knowledge doth surrender to faith heere In the world to come faith shall surrender to knowledge and faith shall bee no more Wee beleeue not heere in part wee know but in part now but wee beleeue all things Then in the life to come vvee shall know all thinges as vvee are knowne Then as Saint Paul and Saint Peter ioyne faith with knowledge so doe wee heere and more then that with Christ himselfe in this Chapter the twentith verse vvee take them both for one for so hee prayeth that they vvhich beleeue in him may bee one euen all that shall beleeue by the preaching of their that is the Apostles word that they be one as hee and his Father are one Now let vs goe forward Hypocrates said truely of the Art of Physicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and learne to examine and iudge and condemne your selues What then Either doe those things which you haue beleeued or else confesse against your selues that you haue not beleeued at all For Christ is the end of our faith which is the beginning of a godly life We that haue heard Christ preached are beyond hearing and are come to doing This then remayneth Loue one another frequent diuine Prayers visite the sicke releeue the poore receive the Sacraments auoid contentions lay aside idle questions haue peace and concord one with another giue glory to God It is not hard to know what to doe but to doe what we know Wee may learne that in one Sermon which all our life is not enough to put in practise They which gathered Manna aboue their measure which was an Homer full it stanke and turned to wormes This doth our lusting and greedinesse of knowledge vvhen our measure is full and vvee are not content breede Schismes and factions and make vs stinck one in anothers nosthrils VVhy doest thouseeke far Why search for hidden thinges this one Homer full I beleeue in God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ is able to sustaine thy soule to eternall life In this thou hast the substance sweetnesse of all whatsoeuer lyeth eyther hidden or scattred in the volume of the Scriptures The whole Scrptures are Manna but that which feedeth my soule to life eternall is this faith in Christ As then he that had filled his Homer full had beene ridiculously absurd to thinke he should want because he saw so much lye scattered in the mountaynes and in the plaine fields so should we be dangerously deceiued if we should not thinke that the knowledge of God the Father and his Sonne were sufficient for vs to eternall life because there are so many things contayned in the holy writ which our vnderstandings haue not gathered This was Saint Peters Homerfull Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God This was Saint Paul his Homer full I esteemed to know nothing but Christ and him crucified This measure they delt to all that beleeued Wee preach Christ. Then let vs not onely take our sufficient sustenance from this liuing bread which descended downe from Heauen and which cryeth in all our eares This is the will of the father that he that beleeueth in mee should haue euerlasting life but let vs take out of this word euen our compleat armour and learne to fight with this sword against all our enemies all our euils and the gates of hell and the Diuell If your aduersaries deny you to be of the true Church and will seeke to examine your hold say you hold in Capite in Fee by fayth in Iesus Christ you hold by the head and whosoeuer holds by the head is a true member of Christ his body If they obiect but the Church is built vpon an hill confesse it and shew them the hill the diuinitie of Iesus Christ that hill of Peters Tu es Christus This hill heere haec est vita aeterna Why hop you so high O ye hils This is Gods hill this hill is Iesus Christ himselfe which is God and God is not onely a Rocke and an high Hill to those that serue him but they that trust in him shall be rockes themselues and high and stedfast as mountaynes as Saint Peter was If they will offer to make your faith void by vrging their succession of Popes and Priests as if your Ministers had beene at a fault in their succession and ordination or if home aduersaries as Familists or Brownists or Barrowists vrge and prâ—…sse your Ministers as not lawfully called answere these hence The Scripture is not carefull to answere in this poynt it is the succession of true doctrine which concerneth vs not of men for God will not haue our life in him depend vpon a quirke or misse in mens callings but on faith in Christ. Of this I am seased and am interessed in life eternall I will no more dispute of the meanes to it then I will of my faith did they which preached Christ to mee preach of pride or enuy or contention or gaine this is my sure gaine Christ is preached of this I am assured No man can say Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost As true as I beleeue this Article so truly I know God the Father in heauen was my teacher This I know Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in him God dwelleth of this I am assured Whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus Christ is borne of God This record all the diuels in hell shall neuer ouerthrow o God hath giuen vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne and he that hath the sonne hath life This is a serious poynt to haue life eternall to haue God my teacher to haue God dwell in mee to be borne of God vpon this will I build I will not tamper about successions Farther if as now it is vsuall with too many any seeke to seduce you or trouble your faith with questions of Canons or Church-order or Discipline or such like say that you had rather build straw and stubble vpon the foundation then set the foundation vpon straw and stubble In these words is the foundation the ground it selfe of all true Religion we will not tamper about reparations or couerings this is the body it selfe I fight not for the shadow Heere is the compleat armour of a Christian I will not passe how it be guilded or enamelled Finally in trouble in sorrow in sicknesse in persecution in prison in danger by Sea in danger by Land in feare against height against depth and whatsoeuer may seeme to shake our faith or wound our conscience or discomfort our spirit hold we vp this confession that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is God and man Let vs say to Death it selfe this is life eternall to Satan this is the onely true and liuing God to Sinne this is Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God oppose wee to hell and hell gates this faith in Iesus Christ which hath opened to vs Heauen and Heauen gates To whom with God the Father and God the I holy Ghost three persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Power and Glory now and for euer Amen FINIS a 〈◊〉 4. 1. b Iohn 6. 〈◊〉 â—…at 4. 4. c Iohn 6 〈◊〉 d Cor. 2. 4. Hom 〈◊〉 in Mâ—… a Mat. 21. 〈◊〉 b Mat. 9. 36. c Luk. 13. 37. d Esa. 63. 3. e Ier. 8. 8. f Psa. 〈◊〉 6. g Nom. 25. 1â—… h Eâ—… 7. 1â—… i Mat. 3. 14. k Pro. 26. 10. * Gen. 37. 22. l Gen. 39. m 2 Sam. 16. 4. n 2 Sam. 14. 20. o 1 Sam. 28. Aeneid 7. p Rom. 12. 24. a Luke 23. 5. b Luke 2â—… 13. c Eccles. 7. 1â—… d Math. 5. 44. a Rom. 3. 15. b Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psal. 57. 4. b Prou. 25. 18.
whereas Izhak was required to a sacrifice to an honorable death he hanged his Sonne IESVS CHRIST on the Crosse to die for vs a death most vile and accursed Izhak was offred by his Father CHRIST was crusified by his enimies Pitties and compassions did follow Izhak to his sacrifice But CHRIST was slaine with bitter taunts and reuiling and shakings of the head He that offred Izhak would haue redeemed his life with all the good and treasures of the World they which kill the Lord of life rather then they will spare him say his bloud be vpon vs and our children And a secret place was chosen to hide Izhaks shame but the Sonne of God was put to a most cruell and reprochfull death in the face of the world If this suffice not God the Father offereth to vs yet his Sonne IESVS CHRIST to euery heart that is grieued to euery soule that is vexed He is offred to vile sinners to vnworthy receauers he is offered so truly so fully so franckely as no heart can conceaue no thought can compre hend God grant that our hearts may conceaue him and our soules receaue him Amen FINIS THE CHRISTIAN Souldier The third Sermon 2 TIM Chap. 2. Vers. 3. 4. 2 Thou therefore suffer affliction like a good souldier of Christ. 3 No man going on warfare entanglech himselfe with the things of this life WE see how Saint Paul exhorteth his Sonne Timotheus for after he had stirred vp his faith in the chapter before verse 6. and warned him what a treasure he had in his keeping verse 14. complaining how many had reuolted and turne away from the profession verse 15. Now he exhorted him to suffer affliction as a good souldier of Christ teaching him that this life is a warfare so the Scripture hath foure parts 1. the state of a Christian in the words in generall going in warfare to which we may annexe how different this warfare is from all others in the 2. place 3 what we ought to be in this warrefare the Latine translation hath laborantes laboring the originall hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer euill as a good souldier of Christ 4. what we ought not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ensnaring or intangling our selues with the busines of this present World Some considering this worlds euils with a worldly regard nakednesse pouerty troubles crosses dangers haue iudged it a prison or place of vexation others looking into the apparant good as honour riches pleasures with which the world doth not onely allure but rauish her louers haue deemed it a Paradise or place of delight But they which view it ouer with a spirituall eye and attend the danger of their soules the hazard of their country the multitude of their spirituall enemies say Militia est potius quid enim concurret horae momento aut cita mors venit aut victoria laeta It is a kinde of warring for we encounter on euery side in the moment of an houre either quick death commeth or ioyfull victory For Saint Paul which fought from his Youth vp euen to Paul the Aged counted it but a momentary fight This horae momentum is mans whole life which be it all spent in hazard of fight hath the comparison but of an eyes twinkling to the purchase of the victory and life eternall And in this moment of an houre we are all lost or saued That our life is a warfare we are taught by the Sacrament of our calling in Baptisme where we take an oath to fight against the Flesh the World and the Diuell There we remember our first presse-peny of grace and haue professed our selues souldiours of Christ to fight vnder his Banner Our Sauiour Christ chargeth the watch in his Gospell Watch and Pray that you fall not into temptation And giueth this charge not onely to the leaders and captaines of his band but to euery common souldier that which I say to you I say to all Watch. We haue our munition out of Holy Scriptures which are like Solomons Tower where hang a thousand sheildes and all the weapons of strong men The Apostle sounds the alarum Arme arme take the whole armour of God from the heads helmet to the feete We must lie open at no place for our enimie is a Serpent if he can but bite the heele he will transfuse his venime to the heart and to the head And in one side we see the faithfull in perpetuall agony striuing wrestling fighting now receauing in the buckler of their faith the dints of affliction and temptation now charging the enimy as in open fight For which cause the Apostle doth not onely encourage others to fight a good fight but desireth to be seene in the fore-front hauing the same fight which you haue seene in me And therefore summeth vp all his labours for CHRIST and his Gospel in these few words I haue fought a good fight On the other side we see so many multitudes led captiues vnder diuers lustes of whom the Deuill hath his will and hath taken them as an easie pray as Saint Paul saith at his pleasure Now enimies of the crosse of Christ. He that warreth vpon an other doth he not entend to make him tributary and make his people his seruants So doth Satan warre against CHRIST and being not able to vanquish him doth yet preuaile to draw from him such as were his sworne seruants causing them to fight vnder him for wages of damnation Lastly that we may be out of doubt that our life is a warfare our Sauiour saith the kingdom of Heauen suffreth violence the violent possesse it So that nothing is more cleere then this point we must haue warre for our country we must win it by force and violence Whether it be because the earthly man doth seeke it because from beneath he aspireth to it because he wrestleth not onely against outward enemies whether Carnall or Spirituall wickednesse but against his owne will and desire and loue and against himselfe to attaine this kingdome whether it be that the short compasse of our life draweth vs with that swiftnesse that we must reach with violence at that which with such violence is taken from vs or that the aboundance of the heauenly treasure so enflameth with desire the hearts of Gods chosen that they contemne all dangers and runne through all lets and euils to win it or lastly for that the Amalekites of this world while we are here fainting and weary in the way smite vs for that here be Caananits which must be expulsed before we can attaine the land of Promise and Sehons and Oggs Giants of monstrous stature to appale and affright vs. But say the kingdome of Heauen suffreth violence and what can we get here but by violence Seeke we then with the same violence the things in heauen with which wicked men doe seeke the things of this world Heere we can
battell wonne whos 's first let is because that ardor pugnandi that alacrity of the minde and heate to fight which should be in a Souldier begins to cease This we see in many worldlings which beganne with a zeale and feruor of the spirit but that heate and burning of the spirit is now abated and retarded They grow colder and colder to heauenly things till at last they shrinke and fall away If they be not starke cold yet they are not hot and of such we may heare the Apostle complayne Demas hath for saken me Secondly being made rich they grow timerous For the nature of these earthly things is to beget diffidence and feares and jealousie because our worldly riches haue many suiters and many competitours which seeke by flattery and sleight to vndermine our estates and pilfer away our happinesse so many enemies not onely of rust and mothes but of a Theeues which breake through and steale so all our study and care is now deriued from heauen to guard and watch these base gatherings that we may justly complayne Our feete are set in the snare What snare In the snare of the Diuell Saint Paul telleth vs b in laqueo Diaboli So these first stole away our zeale and we beganne to faint now they haue taken away our courage and we are turned cowards And now for feare wee durst not speake the truth especially if wee should offend some great person To omit other feares wee will change our religion and profession too rather than suffer losse But say we are not brought to this triall See the rich mans feare when he comes to die I meane not his which hath riches but his which loues riches I say when he comes to the last stroke and should be ful of fortitude for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now it is come to the crowne What can wee stirre such men vp with the view speculation of heauenly things of which their hearts haue beene so long naked and dispossest Now is the time of feare the thiefe is come which begins to dig through the wall all is full of trouble and terrour When that soule which was the least part of their goods is swallowed vp of Despaire When one poore Ague shakes all the frame of the house as it would sinke all downe into hell when they await the heauy doome of the Physition as the thiefe doth the Sentence of the Iudge when that strong enemy I meane their owne fleagme and spittle hath so wofully besieged their life when groanes and stitches and burnings and shakings begin to hale and pull those fat Bulls out of their rich pastures thus doe they perish that haue renounced this warfare for the Kingdome of Heauen and wrapt and snared their soules in the loue of this present world whose condition was worse then that of Swine to whom life was giuen in stead of Salt to keepe them from stinking and now see what followes we haue lost our courage and our enemies haue found it we haue deuised to tie our selues so fast that they may take vs and carry vs whether they will take we heede then least that which is most dangerous the enemy set not vpon vs while we are sub sarcinis vnder our burthens For that I may conclude wee gather not the spoyles heere for they are not earthly things but Ioy Loue Truth Peace a of conscience and the fruits of the Spirit with the Kingdome of Heauen and life eternall of these rich booties doe our enemies robbe vs and these are gathered in Heauen Againe in this life the fight is not ended No man is crowned vnlesse he haue lawfully ariued Shall we seeke to triumph before the victory Lastly the Souldier must not take the spoyles but the Generall must distribute them which viewes the whole Armie ouer and sees who fight best in their seuerall ranckes and Stations so doe earthly Princes to them which haue deserued bestin the warres To some they giue gifts to some honour and Knighthood to some Lands to some the seate of Iudgement and so doth our Lord IESVS CHRIST looking downe from heauen on such as striue and wrestle for his name and glory to some gifts Him that ouercommeth will I cloth in white aray to some Lands and possessions Goe to thou faithfull Seruant be thou ruler ouer ten Cities to some honour he that shall doe these things and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdome of heauen Some he maketh Iudges You which haue followed me in this generation shall sit vpon twelue Seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Let these giue vs to consider what our calling is we should fight for the truth but how many fight against the truth as Heretiques with what vehemency of spirits raysing vp all mans reason and force of arguments seeking with allmalice subtilty with extreame rage and cruelty the detorsion of the word of God from it's end vrging Scripture against Scripture Which abuse we seeing may iustly crie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are wounded and shot through with our owne feathers Our enemies haue said Mutemus clipeos Danaumque insignia nobis aptemus Let 's change our Bucklers while t is night And vnder Greekish Ensignes fight We should fight for God but how many fight against him Atheists Blasphemers Swearers which by their liues doe beare witnesse against God which neuer vse his trembled name but when they sweare and blaspheme as if they would spit him out of their mouthes Such we haue which open their mouthes wide against Heauen we heare them say Our tongues are ours who are Lords ouer vs We should fight against the Diuell we fight for him when we will not confesse our sinnes but iustifie them and say to the Prophets face Nay but I haue not sinned Thus doe we absolue Sathan and condemne CHRIST this makes the Ministers of God as welcome to vs as Eliah was to Ahab Hast thou found mee O mine enemy And as Michaiah was to the same Ahab he neuer prophesieth good to me but euill We should fight against the world but we stand in the worlds defence as couetous men will they suffer the least diminution of their riches nay rather perish mercy dye Almes-giuing waste zeale be forfeited all the treasures of Grace to the vttermost wracke of saluation the losse of Heauen to boote What Counsell what Law can we not finde to recouer an earthly losse But Gods laws are not cared for All our striuings buildings plowings saylings doe obey Hell and the Diuell If we could rippevp the hearts of such we should finde written in them The God of this present world We should fight against the flesh wee are for the the flesh as gluttons adulterours drunkards which in the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit doe take the flesh her part which contrary to the rule of Saint Paul doe castigare spiritum chastise and subdue
our spirit and treadeth a secret path in our heart and vnderstanding which no man knoweth but himselfe There is neuer a fold or wrinkle in our minde but he knoweth it altogether Neither is this so onely God is nearer to vs than we are to our selues He seeth ten thousand things in our minde and thought which we see not therefore Saint Iohn saith God is greater than our heart To our thought men and Angells are blinde to God our thought is blinde How many sinnes can hee object which haue fled the secretnes of our thought What is more ignorant to him than our best vnderstanding How many things which he will doe by vs doth hee better know before they are done than we after Well may the Prophet say Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me Neither may we wonder at any thing more than that the trembled presence of God is no more regarded of vs. We shame not to doe that in the presence of God which we blush to doe in the sight of the worst Boy we keepe The first step that wee should tread in our calling should be the forsaking of the world I of our selues The world will not onely entangle vs if we stand still but if wee runne through it Our calling is a daily striuing and a continuall fight and the Countrey we seeke must be wonne by violence But speake we â—…ow of Moses his readines Here am I Moses did not as Ionas which was sent to Niniuie and went to Tarkish nor as the men in the Gospel which were bidden to Supper and went to their Farmes nor as hee which said hee would goe and did not For in saying Heere am I he tendreth his obedience before he knoweth what he is commanded We know not what God may command but this we know we must obey whatsoeuer God commandeth If he intend to worke wonders by vs if vpon vs if he call vs to be Leaders or to be led Some he calleth to honor some to mourning some to imprisonment some to suffer We are not chusers of our estate but must act that part which God enjoyneth This onely wee know for certaine that then we haue performed the greatest part of our duety when our heart is ready But we doe all things sauing those which God requireth God calleth vs one way we goe the contrary God calleth vs to a sweet supper we refuse to come the world calleth vs to trauell and sorrow and care and we follow the world There is as great a gulfe betweene vs and our calling as was betwixt Lazarus and Diues Hee goeth farre they say that neuer comes backe againe We haue gone farre from God and we haue not returned The Lord hath said Returne and we would not returne He hath set his face to vs we haue turned our backes to him He hath giuen vs a long time to sinne The childe which was borne of a King as we reade storied of Paris and cast forth and taken vp of a shepheard as long as hee knew no other did contentedly liue a shepheards life but when he was told his father was a King did scorne that base life and repayred to his father If wee not knowing how highly wee are descended haue thought it good to intangle our selues with the things of this world too base and meane for our calling If perishing and vaine things haue held vs contented to leade our liues in this thrall and basenesse yet now knowing wee are more than the sons of Kings I sonnes of the most High God and heires of his kingdome let vs not deferreto flie the shadow of this world and to lift vp our selues to that glory which is prepared for vs knowing that our heauenly Father not onely looketh for our comming but daily sendeth and calleth for vs. Now a word of the Prohibition Moses had ventured too farre forgetting himselfe drawne as men are rashly to gaze and prie into strange sights But this is not the way to come before God by aspiring and curiousnesse but with reuerence and trembling When wee cast our selues downe lowest when wee stand farthest off in humilitie then are we neerest to God If we consider our vanitie and presumption we are many times too neere to God but in feare and reuerence wee are neuer neere enough But it is worth the noting how Moses is called and forbidden to come neere When the Angell was sent to Mary whose aspect and presence troubled her she was forbidden to feare Feare not Maery But this Angell appearing to Moses because he is not troubled at the sight hee is in a manner commanded to feare and stand farther off The blessed Virgin was forbidden to feare because she had found fauour with God and Moses is commanded to feare because he knowes not what fauour hee had found For he gazed onely as one that sawe a strange sight by chance not looking into Gods vouchsafing not considering what mercy God shews him But being instructed by God you neede not bid him feare as we see in his standing off And such is the weakenes and vilenes of vs mortall men that we cannot sustayne the sight and presence of the least of Gods Angells without shaking and trembling though they appeare in a forme tempered and suited to our weakenesse Therefore when Mary the mother of Christ saw the Angell Shee was troubled the shepheards were afraid Gedeon alas I shall dye for I haue seene an Angell Daniell Feare not And an Angell is neuer almost sent but with a Feare not in his mouth but the effect is good for when the trembled presence of God hath possessed vs of an wholesome reuerence and feare of the Diuine maiesty hee doth by words of comfort take it away shewing that he is great for our good and for the confusion of our enemies So our feare and reuerence is invited our curiositie and presumption is rejected But this I say if Gods presence be so fearefull when in greatest mercie and compassion hee appeareth how trembled is his wrath And if wee may be faulty in approaching neare to God of what terrible wrath shall our Apostasies and falling from God be guilty And this is the same Moses which after desired to see Gods face and not able to see it doth most notably teach vs that the strength of our Saluation is not farre from the cleft of the Rocke in which Gods mercifull hand hath hid vs and couered vs till he shall take vs out of the couering of this short life and shew vs his glory But when the Lord passed by when the Lord of Hostes passed by tell vs Moses what diddest thou see Did dest thou see nothing because the hand of God couered thee because the cleft of the Rocke hid thee Did all his loue and mercy passe before him Mercie was the hand that couered thee it was his loue that looked backe vpon thee Diddest thou not see his backer
flesh and bloud and in cases where wee haue no lawfull meanes of assistance to beare and ouercome with meekenesse and patience all bitter injuries It is a hard kinde of striuing and a stranger victory let vs prepare our selues to this First let vs consider that when we suffer injury it is not by chance or by the vnbrideled lust of our Aduersaries but of the goodwill of God permitting it so to be eyther to punish our sinnes or to encrease our Faith or to exercise our patience whereas wee are assured that our haires of our heads are numbred and we shall not loose one of them Secondly let vs interpret these sent from GODS loue For such suffered all the Saints all the Prophets and CHRIST the Sonne of GOD and all his Apostles He that hewed timber out of the wood was knowne to bring it to an excellent piece of worke So was Ioseph hewed in the Stockes and in the Prison God brought him to an excellent piece of worke to make him Lord of Aegypt so was Iesus Christ hewed and squared on the Crosse with Hammers and Nayles and Speares of this excellent worke see where hee sitteth at Gods right hand Thrones Powers Dominations Angells subjected to him Thirdly let not our eyes be onely vpon the atrocity of the injury offered But consider we how many wayes wee our selues haue offended GOD and our Neighbours for which wee may justly suffer So the Emperour Mauritius when Phocas slew most cruelly before his face his Wife and his fiue Children speaking not one word to the enemy no not in such a bitter wrong but considering his owne sinnes continued still crying till the Sword sundered his head from his body Iustus es Domine iusta iudicia tua Thou art righteous O Lord and iust are thy iudgements Fourthly let vs consider that wee our selues daily aske forgiuenesse for talent sinnes as I may call them For the least sinne wee haue committed against the Diuine Maiestie infinitely excelleth the greatest trespasse our brother can doe vs. Why then should not we forgiue our brother peny-farthing offences Put on meekenesse gentlenesse patience suffering one another forgiuing one another euen as Christ hath forgiuen you Fiftly see how Saint Paul dehorteth from reuenge Mine is vengeance I will recompence saith the Lord which being so wee doe not hurt our enemies by taking the Sword out of GODS hand which will not suffer the wicked to be vnpunished but we draw downe vengeance and deriue the course of his Iustice which he aymed at our enemies vpon our owne heads Sixtly let vs consider that it is not Reuenge but Long-suffering Meekenesse Gentlenesse which can doe vs good The meeke shall inherit the earth So Dauid when Shimei rayled on him Smite suffer him perhaps God will looke vpon mee and render me good for the euill hee hath done mee this day It is a notable Sentence of Saint Pauls Godlinesse is profitable to all things which hath the promise of this life and of the life to come For the vngodly and disobedient to this Gospell which follow their owne lusts and breake out by impatience into actions of Reuenge these are they that ruinate their Families which tease on the hatreds and wickednesses of other men to their owne destructions these waste themselues and their friends and their goods by eager strife and dissention these fall from honour and high estate when the meeke and patient besides their hope of future blessednesse with God in Heauen doe heere on earth liue in all peace and quietnesse Their names continue their houses stand their posterity encreaseth they keepe their leafe and greenenesse like the trees planted by the waters side when they see of their enemies the Roote and Stocke consumed But my seauenth and last reason which ought to moue vs against our owne impatience to meekenes and sufferance I take from Christs words to him I say What better what greater reason can we haue Doe not Princes command their subjects hard and terrible things which yet they obey as the Prince of the Moschouites and the great Duke of Litarauia will command their Nobles to ride downe from a steepe Rocke and precipitate themselues into the Sea Doe not Leaders and Generalls of Armies command the Souldiers to fight where is no possibilitie of being saued as Ioab did Vriah Doe not Maisters set their Seruants to hard taskes and enjoyne them vile and base seruices which they durst not gainesay Doe not Fathers put their Children to the Schoole where they are vnder hard Tutours and beare stripes and are restrayned of their will and libertie Behold heere the LORD of Lords the KING of Kings whose rule is ouer all whose Kingdome hath no end he which is able to restore vs a thousand fold hee which will crowne our wrongs and glorifie our sufferings hee commandeth that we suffer the euils of men with patience which of vs shall presume to lift vp his owne sinfull lust aboue the diuine commaundement Heere our Captayne and forerunner Christ sendeth vs into an hard fight but most honourable to be the first that shall beat downe sinne and rebellion in our owne hearts to captiuate our owne will to vanquish our owne reason Are we not his Souldiers is not our life a spirituall warfare fight we not all vnder his banner When we entred the Sacrament of our calling when we tooke oath against the world and the Diuell was the flesh left out Heere our Lord and Master for so we call him and so he is enioyneth vs a vile worke as may seeme but indeede it is but as Hercules to beat downe monsters as burning Wrath pale Enuy cankred Malice and by throwing out sinne to cleanse that Augias stable of our hearts Be the action what it may it as our honour to doe what our Master commandeth Abraham did so when he was enioyned to Sacrifice his only sonne An harder taske then to take a thousand blowes on the cheeks And lastly heere the father of our soules sendeth vs to Schoole to taste the rod of Discipline Let it not grieue vs to taste his fatherly correction whether he whip vs by friends or enemies by neighbours or strangers by men or diuels For we participate but of that correction of which euery child which the Father loueth doth taste which although it be grieuous for the time yet it bringeth with it most excellent fruit And thus we haue the sense of the Scripture cleared from doubt and the reasons set downe which may mooue vs to patience and obedience to what we are commanded I haue shewed also that the authority of the Magistrate contrary to that which was obiected out of diuers Authors is not onely heere no wayes impeached but rather confirmed and maintayned Now because many which seeme not to meddle with priuate reuenge doe cloake their malice vnder the lawfull vse of lawes and Magistrates let
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life is short the Art is long the experience is full of danger How miserable then were the state of simple men if it were of like hardnesse to haue the knowledge of eternall life as to learne Physicke or Astronomy or Rhetorique or any other Art But heere the Art is short and our life compared is long and the practise is secure and full of pleasure heere is the whole science to know God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And this wee obtayne not by learning but by beleeuing not by discourse as seeking but by obtute as seeing wee haue it not by acquisition but by infusion not by diuision but by vnion not as I haue said in all other Sciences first the parts and then the whole but first the whole and then the parts This the superabundant mercy of God hath prouided for the simple the ignorant vnlearned that no man may pretend difficulty or hardnes in the way of life eternal but that it may be as easily learned of the simple as of the wise All other Arts whether mechanicall or liberall haue their misteries by themselues diuers Arts haue diuers misteries for diuers men and all kept secret this Science of Sciences hath but one mistery for all men in the world which is preached and published to all the world the same of bond the same of free the same of old the same of young the same of the learned the same of the ignoran tthe same of men the same of women the same of Iewes the same of Greekes one mistery for high and low rich and poore all people one with another and this is it to know God the Father c. well then might Saint Paul call it common saluation and Saint Iude common faith and S. Peter write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them which haue obtayned like precious faith for as in this bodily life nature by one and the selfe same way worketh in all alike and that same which is the cause of life in one that liueth is the cause of life in all that liue wherefore it is held a maxime in Philosophy that Nature is one in all things so in our spirituall and eternall life there is but one mistery and in it one cause of vitality in all that are saued that God may be all in all I one in all which worketh in all and we all one in God I haue foure arguments by which I may shew that it is a matter of no great hardnesse or which requireth long time to learne the science of a Christian My first I take from that principle of Nature in which there is in all men a desire and appetite ingenite and inly rooted of the soueraigne good Omnia appetunt borum for when to this desire ingrafted the good desired shall be manifestly obiected out of the vnderstanding conuicted by euidence of the light of Gods word how quickly will the desire assent and rest satisfied For now she is filled and at the end of her appetite and cannot possibly desire farther If then the straying and erroneous desire of Heathen people in ignorance after the true God being misled in the blindnesse of their vnderstanding did like men which being almost drowned in vnperfectnesse and amazement of their sense will catch at stickes and stones and weeds in the bottome of the water and hold them fast to death thinking by these to get out so they hoping to seeke euasion from eternall death in that deezinesse and confusion of apprehension did catch at gods of stickes and stones and beasts and creeping things in stead of the true and liuing God How much more shall we be perswaded and euicted by euidence of faith and enlightned in our vnderstandings from God himselfe hold by him So hold all that beleeue The Apostle hauing caught hold heere will not loose his hold for any creature in Heauen or earth or life or death saying What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ and hauing summed vp all other good or euill that may be imagined concluded in the last verse that none of these shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in which is Iesus Christ. By this good see how fast holy Iob holdeth Though he slay me yet will I stay in him Thus doth the Spouse gripe her husband I tooke hold of him and left him not How fast did all the legions of Martyrs clutch and gripe this true God and Iesus Christ in banishment in bands prisons rackes in torments in drownings burnings in all cruell deaths while their skins were stript ouer their heads while their flesh was pulled off with fiery pinsers while their bodies were a grinding betweene the teeth of cruell beasts and this hold haue all that beleeue in God in the houre of death So then heere the foule of men cries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue found I haue found I haue found This is that treasure which was hid from the world which when a man hath found For ioy thereof he holdeth it and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field For who taught the poore man to set so much by that treasure did not the selfe beauty and riches and worth thereof Who neede tell any man that Gold is Gold or a Pearle a Pearle such a treasure is the true God which being once found by knowledge will cause vs to e count all things as doung that we may gaine him I may shew this secondly by the euidence of the diuinity which rising as a Sunne to our vnderstanding in that instant that he is risen doth make day For which cause God is called the Father of light and is said to dwell in light Againe to be light it selfe which rising to the world by his sonne Iesus Christ lightneth euery man which commeth into the world so this knowledge what is it but Lumen vultus Dei the light of Gods face Our apprehension of this truth is to see light in Gods light which is as much as Saint Peter in other words The day-star rising in our heart Therefore as soone as I beleeue in Iesus Christ it is day and all that beleeue are called light of it selfe and children of the light How hatefull then to vs ought be the doctrines of them which seeke to obscure to vs this blessed day which say we drinke not because we drinke of the fountaine which denie that we see because we see by the Sunne which deny that we be in life because we hold by the head A third argument I draw from the manner of teaching of the holy Ghost which is our Teacher as shall be shewed in the last place of this knowledge of the Father and the Sonne and maketh euery Scholar perfect in this mistery in the twinckling of an eye Euerie man that hath learned this mistery is áocibilis Deo taught of God himselfe and there is