strangers To this Hope wee open the dores of the kingdome of Heauen and so farre as the Commission of the Keyes Ieades vs wee vnlocke the gates of eternall life and allow entrance Wee call this the Blessed Hope Charitie IS an excellent vertue and therefore rare if euer in this contentious age wherein Fratrum quoque gratia rara est the vnfained loue of brothers is strange Wo is mee before I am come to define what loue is I am falne into a declamation against the want of it what is heere chiefly commended is chiefly contemned as if wee had no need of mutuall succour nor could spare a roome in our hearts to entertaine Charitie lest wee should expell our old loued guests fraud malice and ambition Loue hath two proper obiects the one immediate and principall the other mediate and limitted The proper and immediate obiect of our Loue is God This is the great Commandement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength As if hee would not leaue out the â—east sinew or string of the heart the least faculty or power of the soule the least organ or action of the strength So Bern. With all the heart that is affectionately With all the Soule that is wisely With all the strength that is constantly Let the zeale of thy heart inflame thy loue to God let the wisedome of thy soule guide it let the strength of thy might confirm it All the affection of the heart all the election of the soule all the administration of the body The Soule iudgeth the Will prosecutes the strength executes God can brooke no riualles no diuision betwixt him and Mammon betwixt him and Melchom betwixt him and Baal betwixt him and Belial Causa diligeâ—di Deum Deus est modus sine modo The cause and motiue to loue God is God the manner is without measure Minus amatte qui aliquid amat praeterte quod non amat propter te Hee poorely loues God that loues any thing besides him which hee doth not loue for him The subordinate obiect of loue is man and his loue is the effect of the former cause and an actuall demonstration of the other inward affection Waters comming from the sea boyle through the veines of the earth till they become springs and those springs riuers and those riuers runne backe to the sea againe All mans loue must be carried in the streame of Gods loue Blessed is hee that loues Amicum in Domino inimicum pro Domino his friend in the Lord his enemy for the Lord. Rom. 13. Owe nothing to any man but this that yee loue one another Other debts once truely payde are no more due but this debt the more we pay it the more wee owe it and wee still doe acknowledge our selues debters to all when wee are cleare with all proverbially I owe him nothing but loue The communication of this riches doth not impouerish the proprietary the more hee spends of his stocke the more hee hath There is that scattereth and yet encreaseth But hee that will hoord the treasure of his Charity shall grow poore empty and bankerout There is that withholdeth more then is meet but it tendeth vnto pouerty Loue is the abridgement of the Law the new precept of the Gospell Luther cals it the shortest and the longest Diuinitie short for the forme of words long yea euerlasting for the vse and practise for Charity shal neuer cease Thus for the first degree of compariion Positiuely The second is Comparatiue where though it be sayd Vertues and great men must not bee compared yet we may without offence bring them to a holy conference els how shall wee perceyue the Apostles intended scope the transcendency of Charity I will therefore first conferre Faith with Hope and then with them both Charity The distinction betweene Faith and Hope is nice and must warily bee discouered I will reduce the differences into three respects of Order Office and Obiect For Order Paul giues Faith the precedencie Hebr. 11. Faith is the ground of things hoped for Faith alwayes goes before Hope followes after and may in some sort bee sayde to bee the daughter of Faith For it is as impossible for a man to Hope for that which hee beleeues not as for a Painter to drawe a picture in the ayre Indeed more is beleeued then is hoped for but nothing is hoped for which is not beleeued So that on necessity in respect of order Faith must precede Hope For Office Faith is the Christians Logicke Hope his Rhetorike Faith perceiues what is to bee done Hope giues alacritie to the doing it Faith guides adviseth rectifieth Hope couragiously encounters with all adversaries Therefore Faith is compared to a Doctor in the Schooles Hope to a Captaine in the warres Faith discernes the truth Hope fights against impatience heauinesse of Spirit infirmitie deiectednesse desperation Divines haue alluded the difference betweene Faith and Hope in Divinity to that betweene wisedome and valour in Philosophie Valour without wisedome is rashnesse wisedome without valour is cowardice Faith without Hope is knowledge without valour to resist Sathan Hope without Faith is rash presumption and an vndiscreet daring You see their different Office For Obiect Faithes object is the absolute word and infallible promise of God Hopes obiect is the thing promised Fides intuetur verbum rei Spes verò rem verbi Faith lookes to the word of the thing Hope to the thing of the word So that Faith hath for the obiect the Truth of God Hope the Goodnâ—sse of God Faith is of things both good and bad Hope of good things onely A man beleeues there is a hell as truely as he beleeues there is a heaven but he feares the one and hopes onely for the other Faith hath obiected to it things past present future Past it beleeues Christ dead for our sinnes and risen againe for our Iustification Present that hee now sits at the right hand of his Father in heauen Future that hee shall come to iudge quicke and dead Hope onely respects and expects things to come For a man cannot hope for that which hee hath You see how in some sense Hope excels Faith For there is a faith in the Deuils they beleeue the truth of God the certainety of the Scriptures they acknowledge Christ the Iudge of quicke and dead therefore cry Why tormentest thou vs before the time They haue faith ioyned with a Popish preparatory good worke Feare the Deuils beleeue and tremble yea they pray they beseech Christ not to send them into the deepes what then want they Hope a confident expectation of the mercy of God this they can neuer haue They beleeue they cannot hope This is the life of Christians and the want makes Devils If it were not for this hope wee of all men were most miserable Charity differs from them both These three divine graces are a created Trinity and haue some glimmering
saith St. Paul Many in Title many in Opinion Some are Lords and Gods ex authoritate so are Kings and Magistrates God standeth in the congregation of Lords he is Iudge among the Gods Others will so stile themselues ex vsurpatione as the Canonists say of their Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope But he is but a Lord and God in a blind and tetrycall Opinion The Lord is onely Almighty able to doe more by his absolute power then he will by his actuall Able for potent not impotent workes He cannot lie he cannot die Diciter omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult He is called Almightie in doing what he pleaseth not in suffering what he pleaseth not This is his Greatnesse As his Mercie directs vs to loue him so let his Maiestie instruct vs to feare him I will briefly touch both these affections but Loue shall goe formost LOVE OVr God is Good and good to vs let vs therefore loue him 1. It is an Affection that God principally requires 2. It is a Nature wherein alone we can answere God For the former God requires not thy Wisedome to direct him nor thy Strength to assist him nor thy Wealth to enrich him nor thy Dignitie to aduance him but onely thy Loue. Loue him with all thy heart For the second Man cannot indeed answere God well in any other thing When God iudgeth vs wee must not iudge him againe When hee reprooues vs wee must not iustifie our selues If he be angry wee must answere him in patience if hee commaunde in obedience But when God loues vs wee must answere him in the same nature though not in the same measure and loue him againe Wee may not giue God word for word wee dare not offer him blow for blow wee can not requite him good turne for good turne yet wee may can must giue him Loue for Loue. Nam cum amat Deus non aliud vult quà m amari Now because euery man sets his foote vpon the freehold of Loue and sayes it is mine let vs aske for his Euidence whereby he holdes it We call an Euidence a Deed and Deedes are the best demonstration of our right in Loue. If thou loue God for his owne sake shew it by thy deedes of Pietie If thou loue Man for Gods sake shew it by thy deedes of Charitie The roote of Loue is in the Heart but it sendes foorth Veines into the Hands and giues them an actiue and nimble dexteritie to good Workes If you loue mee sayth Christ keepe my Commandements If you loue man shew your Compassion to him Obedience to our Creator Mercie to his Image testifie our Loues Hee that wants these Euidences these Deedes when that busie Informer the Diuell sues him will be vnhappily vanquished FEARE LEt vs pà sse from Loue to Feare we must Loue our good God we must Feare our great Lord. It is obiected against this passage of vnion that perfect loue casteth out feare It is answered that feare brings in perfect loue as the Needle drawes in the Thread And it is not possible that true Loue should be without good Feare that is a filiall Reuerence For slauish feare be it as farre from your hearts as it shall be from my discourse Now this Feare is a most due and proper affection and I may say the fittest of all to be towards God Indeed God requires our Loue but we must thinke that then God stoupes low and bowes himselfe downe to be loued of vs. For there is such an infinite inequalitie betwixt God and vs that without his sweet dignation and descending to vs there could be no fitnesse of this affection But looke we vp to that infinite glory of our great Lord looke we downe on the vilenesse of our selues sinfull dust and we will say that by reason of the disproportion betweene vs nothing is so sutable for our basenesse to giue so high a God as Feare Therefore Comeye Children hearken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Feare the Lord all ye his Seruants as well as Loue the Lord all ye his Saints Now this Feare hath as many Chalengers as Loue had When this Booke is held out euery mans lippes are readie to kisse it and to say and sweare that they feare the Lord. Loue had the Testimonie Charytie and Feare must haue his Seruice Psal. 2. Serue the Lord with feare It is mans necessitated condition to be a Seruant Happy they that can truly call Christ Maister Yee call mee Lord and Maister and ye say well for so I am Hee that serues the Flesh serues his fellow And a Beggar mounted on the backe of Honour rides post to the Diuell This is a cholericke Maister so fickle that at euery turne he is ready to turne thee out of dores Wee may say of him as of the Spaniard Hee is a bad Seruant but a worse Maister Hee that serues the World serues his Seruant as if Chams curse was lighted on him Seruus seruorum a Drudge to Slaues a Slaue to Drudges He that serues the Diuell serues his Enemie and this is a miserable seruice Sure it was a lamentable preposterous sight that Salomon saw Eccle. 10. I haue seene Seruants vpon Horses and Princes walking as Seruants vpon the Earth And Agur numbers it among those foure things whereby the World is disquieted A Seruant when he raigneth and a Foole when he is filled with Meate an odious woman when she is marryed and a handmaid that is heire to her Mistres Iudge then how horryble it is that men should set as the Sauages of Calecut the Diuell or his two Ingles the world and the flesh in the Throne whiles they place God in the foote-stoole Or that in this Common-wealth of man Reason which is the Queene or the Princes the better powers graces of the Soule should stoupe to so base a Slaue as sensuall lust Delight is not seemely for a foole much lesse for a Seruant to haue rule ouer Princes St. Basil not without passion did enuie the Diuells happynesse Who had neither Created vs nor redeemed vs nor preserueth vs but violently Labours our destruction that yet he should haue more seruants then God that made vs then Iesus Christ that with his owne precious Blood and grieuous sufferings bought vs. Well hee is happy that can truly say with Dauid I am thy Seruant O Lord I am thy Seruant and the Sonne of thy Handmayde This Seruice is true Honour for so Kings and Princes yea the blessed Angels of heauen are thy fellowes God is Good that we may loue him the Lord is Great that wee may Feare him Wee haue heard both seuerally let vs consider them ioyntly and therein the securitie of our owne happinesse It is a blessed confirmation when both these the Goodnesse and the Greatnesse of GOD meete vpon vs. His Greatnesse that hee is able his
Esauites and setled vs both in the fruition of the Gospell and peace with it But in meane time God did punish their persidious machinations as hee will doe Periurie and Treason wheresouer hee finde them For hee will naile vpon the Head of the Periurer his Oath trayterously broken IN all these circumstances it appeareth that though Esau was subtile to take Beastes hee had no cunning to hunt out his owne Saluation From all which scattered Stones brought togeather let mee raise this building of Instruction The wisest for the World are most commonly Fooles for Celestiall blessings Wicked men can Sentire quae sunt carnis not Sapere quae sunt spiritus Sauour things of the Flesh not of the Spâ—rit The Prophet Ieremy compounds both these and shewes how Wisedome and Folly may concurre in one man Ier. 4. They are Wise to doe euill but to doe good they haue no knowledge Let them Warre they haue their Stratagems Let them plot in Peace they haue their Policies Hunting they haue Nettes Fowling Ginnes Fishing Baites not so much as euen in Husbandry but the professors haue their reaches they know which way the Market goes which way it will goe Your Tradesmen haue their Mysteries Misteries indeed for the mysterie of Iniquitie is in them they haue a stocke of good Wordes to put off a stocke of badde Wares in their particular qualities they are able to schoole Machiuell But draw them from their Center Earth and out of their Circumference Worldly policies and you haue not more simple Fooles They haue no acquaintance with Gods Statutes and therefore no maruell if they misiudge Vices for Vertues as Zebul told Gaal that hee mistooke Vmbras montium pro capitibus hominum A man may easily run his soule vpon the rockes of Rebellion whiles he neither lookes to the Card of Conscience nor regardes the Compasse of Fayth A man of the Field WEe haue taken the first branch of his Character the maine proportion of his Picture Hee was a cunning Hunter There is another colour added Hee was a man of the Fielde But because I take it for no other then an explanation of the former attribute an exposition of the Proposition sauing it hath a little larger extent I doe no more but name it Wee doe not thinke because hee is called A man of the Field that therefore hee was a Husbandman but as the Septuagint call him A Field-man in regard that hee was continually conuersant in the Field There was his sport there was his heart Therefore ver 28. did Isaac loue Esau because he did eate of his Venison Hee loued his Venison not his Conditions Some would read it thus Because Venison was in his mouth and so turnes his Hunting into a Metaphore as if by insinuation hee wound himselfe into the fauour of Isaac But the other reading is better sauing that by the way wee may giue a reprehension to such Mouth-hunters If you would know who they are they are the Flatterers Of whom wee may say as Huntsmen of their Dogges They are Well-mouth'd or rather Ill-mouthd For an ordinary Dogges byting doth not ranckle so sore as their licking Of all Dogges they are best likened to Spanyels but that they haue a more venemous tongue They will fawne and fleere and leape vp and kisse their Maisters hand but all this while they doe but hunt him and if they can spring him once you shall heare them quest instantly and either present them to the Falcon or worrey and prey on them themselues perhaps not so much for their flesh as for their Fethers For they loue not Dominos but Dominorum not their Maisters Good but their Maisters Goods The golden Asse got into sumptuous Trappinges thinkes hee hath as many Friends as hee hath Beastes comming about him One commendes his Snoute for sayrer then the Lyons an other his Skinne for richer then the Leopards an other his Foote for swifter then the Harts a fourth his Teeth for whiter and more precious then the Elephants a last his Breath for sweeter then the Ciuet-beastes And it is wonder if some doe not make him beleeue hee hath Hornes and those stronger then Bulles and more vertuous then the Vnicornes All this while they doe but hunt him for his Trappings vncase him and you shall haue them baffle and kicke him This doth Salomon insinuate Prou. 19. Riches gather many Friends But the Poore is seperated from his Neighbours Hee sayes not the Rich man but Riches It is the Money not the Man they hunt The Great-one bristles vp himselfe and conceats himselfe higher by the head then all the rest and is proud of many Friends Alas these Dogges dâ—e but hunt the Bird of Paradise for his Fethers These Waspes doe but hoouer about the Gally-pot because there is Hony in it The proud Flie sitting vpon the Charriot-wheele which hurried with violence huff'd vp the Sand gaue out that it was shee which made all that glorious dust The Asse carrying the Egiptian Goddesse â—well'd with an opinion that all those crouches cryings and obeysances were made to him But it is the Case not the Carcase they gape for So may the chased Stagge boast how many Hounds hee hath attending him They attende indeed as Rauens a dying Beast Acteon found the kind truth of their attendance They runne away as Spiders from a decaying House or as the Cuckoe they sing a scuruie note for a moneth in Summer and are gone in Iune or Iuly sure enough before the Fall These Hunters are gone let them goe For they haue brought mee a litle from the strictnesse and directnesse of my intended speach But as a Physitian comming to curâ— doth sometimes receiue some of his Patients infection So I haue been led to hunt a litle wide to find out these cunning Hunters Bee pleas'd to obserue two generall Notes and then I will come to the Application 1. These two Brethren were borne togeather were brought vp togeather yet how great difference was there in their composition of Bodyes in their disposition of Mindes in their euents of Life or as they say in their Fortunes 1. For Bodyes One was rough and Hairy the other was smooth and Plaine This is seldome seene in Children begot and borne of the same Parents but seldomâ— or neuer in two borne at one birth And wee may goe so farre with the Physiognomer to say That Complexion though not guides yet inclines the inwarde Disposition 2. For Disposition of Minde this Text shewes a wide and opposite difference Esau was a cunning Hunter a man of the Field But Iacob a plaine man dwelling in Tents And Gregory obserues from this example the remotenesse or contrarietie of Worldlings Holy mens delights Men of the World hunt after the pleasures of the World as Esau Men of Grace giue themselues to the contemplation and studie of Vertue as Iacob 3. For Euents or Successe in this World there was such Distance as greater could not be imagined For it
as may procure him a place in the celestiall habitations Grudge not him a portion of thy temporall wealth that is able to minister euerlasting comfort to thy conscience Thou art no looser if thou mayest exchange earth for heauen For the Blessing WHat hath secure Esau lost if hauing solde the Birthright he may reserue the Blessing Behold of this hee assureth himselfe his Father hath sent him for venison that his soule might blesse him To hunting hee is gone in haste meaning to recouer that againe by his owne venison which hee had lost by his brothers pottage Isaac being now blinde in his eyes but yet blinder in his affections forgetting what decree and sentence God had formerly passed of his two sonnes for some temporall regard doth fauour Esaeu and intends to bequeath vnto him that spirituall and happy legacie of the Blessing God had said that the elder shall serue the younger yet forgetfull Isaac purposeth to blesse his first borne Esau. How easie is it euen for a Saint to be transported with naturall affections hee could not but remember that himselfe though the yoonger was preferred to his elder brother Ishmael hee knew that Gods commaund preuailed with his Father Abraham aboue nature when hee bound him for a sacrifice he saw Esau lewdly matched with the daughters of Heathens yet hee will now thinke on nothing but Esau is my first borne and if it bee possible hee will poure the benediction vpon a wrong head But God is often better to vs then wee would and with his preuenting grace stoppes the precipitation of erring nature So sweete is the ordination of the Diuine prouidence that we shall not doe what we would but what wee ought and by deceiuing vs turnes our purposed euill into euentuall good We are made to do that good which wee not intended God hath ordained the superioritie to the yonger hee will therefore contriue for him the Blessing Whatsoeuer Isaac affected this God will haue effected To bring the Lords will to passe there neuer wanted meanes Sinnefull man may haue his hand in this the iust deâ—ree of God stands vntouched He determined the death of his Sonne without fauour to their guilt that murderd him The affections of Parents are heere diuided Isaac loues Esau and Rebeca Iacob this difference shall make way to the fulfilling of the Promise Neyther parent neglected eyther sonne but Rebeccah remembred the Lords purpose better then Isaac Neyther is it enough what Ambrose heereon saith Mater affectum pater iudicium indicat mater circa minorem tenera pictate propendit pater circa seniorem naturae honorificentiam seruat The mother shewes affection the father iudgement shee tenderly loues the yonger hee giues the honour of nature to the elder Nay rather the mother shewes iudgement and the father affection For what was Iacob to Rebecca more then Esau or why should shee not rather loue her first borne It is God that inclines the mothers loue to the yoonger against nature because the father affects the elder against the promise Heereupon shee will rather deceiue her owne husband then he shall deceiue his owne chosen sonne of the decreed blessing The wife will be subtle when the husband is partiall her honest fraud shall answere his forgetfull indulgence Isaac would turne Esau into Iacob Rebecca doth turne Iacob into Esau. The discourse or contemplation of the prouident mother and her happy sonnes passages in this action I finde set downe by so diuine and accurate a pen that despairing of any tolerable imitation I shall without distaste to the Reader or imputation to my selfe deliuer it in his owne expresse words Rebecca presuming vpon the Oracle of God and her husbands simplicity dares be Iacobs suretie for the danger his counseller for the carriage of the businesse his cooke for the dyet yea dresses both the meate and the man And now puts dishes into his hand words into his mouth the garments on his backe the goates haire vppon the open parts of his body and sends him in thus furnished for the blessing Standing no doubt at the doore to see how well her lesson was learned how well her deuice succeeded And if olde Isaac should by any of his senses haue discerned the guile shee had soone stept in and vndertaken the blame and vrged him with that knowne will of God concerning Iacobs dominion and Esaus seruitude which either age or affection had made him forget And now she wisheth that shee could borrow Esaus tongue as well as his garments that she might securely deceiue all the senses of him which had suffered himselfe more dangerously deceiued with his affection But this is past her remedy her son must name himselfe Esau with the voyce of Iacob We see the proceeding it is now examinable whether this doth not somewhat impeach the credite of Iacobs Plaine-Dealing There haue beene vndertakers of Iacobs iustification or at least excusation in this fact Let vs heare what they say 1. Gregorie thus excuseth it that Iahob did not steale the Blessing by fraud but sibi debitam accepit tooke it as a due to himselfe in respect that the primogeniture was formerly deuolued to him The truth is he that ought the Birthright might iustly chalenge the Blessing but this doth not wholly excuse the fact 2. Chrysostome thus mitigates it that non studio nocendi contexit fraudem hee did not deceiue with a minde to hurt but onely in respect of the promise of God But this is not sufficient for there was an intention of hurt both to Isaac in deceiuing him and to Esau in depriuing him of the Blessing But whatsoeuer may bee pleaded for the defence of Iacobs dissimulation in outward gesture there is no apologie for the words of his tongue The meaning of the speach is in the speaker therefore his tongue cannot be guiltlesse when it goes against his conscious heart but the meaning of the gesture is in the interpreter who giues it a voluntary construction Gesture is more easily ruled then speach and it is hard if the tongue will not blabbe what a man is in spite of his habite Isaacs eyes might be deceiued they were dimme his hands by the roughnesse of the garments his nosthrills by the smell of them his palate by the sauour of the meat All these senses yeeld affiance what then shall driue Isaac to a suspition or incredulitie None but this the eare stickes at the iudgement that sayes the voyce is the voyce of Iacob To helpe forward this deceit three lies are tumbled out one in the necke of another 1. I am Esau thy first borne 2. I haue done as thou badst me 3. eate of my venison To cleare him of this sinne of lying hath beene more peremptorily vndertaken then soundly performed 1. Chrysostome with diuers others thinke that thogh he did lie hee did not sinne because hee did it by the reuelation and counsell of God So that God willing to haue the prediction fulfilled dispensing
resemblance of the Trinity vncreate For as there the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceedes from them both so heere a true faith begets a constant hope and from them proceedes Charity Thus is Gods Temple built in our hearts sayth August The foundation whereof is Faith Hope the erection of the wals Charity the perfection of the roofe In the godly all these three are vnited together cannot bee sundred Wee beleeue in Gods mercy wee hope for his mercy and we loue him for his mercy Faith sayes there are good things prepared Hope sayes they are prepared for me Charity sayes I endevour to walke worthy of them So that what good Faith beleeues shall bee Hope expects for her selfe and Charity aymes at the way to get it by keeping the commandements Faith apprehends both reward and punishment Hope onely lookes for good things for our selues Charity desires the glory of God and the good of all our Brethren The second degree giues way to the third last best the Superlatiue But the greatest of these is Charity Time will not afforde mee to answere all the obiections which subtill wits haue inconsequently deduced from these words Neyther were it to other purpose then to write Iliades after Homer they haue been so soundly and satisfyingly answered already I will only mention two and but report a responsiue Solution 1 The principall promises are made to beleeuers Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptized shall bee saued So no lesse a promise is made to Louers Rom. 8. All things shall worke together to the best to those that loue God c. God sayth the Psalmist is neere to those that call vpon him Hee is close by all those that suffer for him but he is within those that loue him Heere is Prope â—uxta Intus This same Intra within is of the highest degree 1. Ioh. 4. God is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him O vnspeakable felicity 2 If Charity be greater then faith then is not man iustified by faith onely Inconsequent illation Saint Paul commends not loue for the vertue of Iustification it may fayle in that particular action yet receiue no impeachment to the excellency of it By demonstration A Prince doth excell a peasant shall any man therefore inferre that hee can plow better or haue more skill in tillage A Philosopher doth excell a Mechanicke though he cannot grinde so well as a Miller or lim so cunningly as a Painter A man is better then a beast who but a mad-man will therefore conclude that hee can runne faster then a horse draw more then an oxe or carry a greater burden then an Elephant Though he fayle in these particular arts yet none will deny but hee is better then a beast The truth is that in FÃ ith stands originally our fellowship with God Into that hand he powreth the riches of his mercy for salvation and were the actions of Charity neuer so great and foolishly thought meritorious yet if not the effects of a true sauing Faith they are lost and a man may for his Charitie goe to the Deuill And though they would plead from the forme of the last iudgement Math. 25. that God accepts men to life for their deeds of Charitie feeding clothing releeuing Yet the Scripture fully testifies that God neither accepts these nor our selues for these further then they are the effects of a true faith Our persons being first iustified by faith in Christ then God will crowne our works Yet a Christian must worke for no nudifidian so well as no nullifidian shall be admitted into heauen Therefore sayth the Apostle Faith worketh by loue For Faith is able to iustifie of it selfe not to vorke of it selfe The hand alone can receiue an Almes but cannot cut a peece of wood without an axe or some instrument Faith is the Christians hand and can without helpe receyue Gods giuen grace into the heart but to produce the fruits of obedience and to vorke the actuall duties required it must haue an instâ—ument adde Loue to it and it worketh by loue So that the one is our Iustification before God and the other our Testification before men Wherein then consists this high transcendency of Charity In two priviledges incommunicable to Faith and Hope Latitude and Perpetuity 1. For Latitude Loue is the greatest Faith and Hope are restrayned within the limits of our particular persons The iust man liues by his owne faith and hopes good to himselfe but Loue is like the Vine which God brought out of Egypt and cast out the heathen to plant it which couereth the mountaines with the shadow of the boughes spreads the branches vnto the sea and the riuers It is like the Sunne in the skie that throwes his comfortable beames vpon all and forbeares not to warme euen that earth that beareth weeds Loue extends to earth heauen In heauen it affecteth God the Maker and mover the Angels as our Guardians the triumphant Saints for their pious sanctitie On earth it imbraceth those that feare the Lord especially it wisheth conversion to those that do not it counsels the rich it comforts the poore it reverenceth superiors respecteth inferiors doth good to friends no evill to foes wisheth well to all This is the latitude of Charity The property of faith is to receyue into it selfe the property of loue to lay out it selfe to others So that faith hath but narrow limits but the extent of Loue is vniversall not bounded with the world Faith beleeues for thy selfe but Charity deriues driues the effects of thy faith to others Thy faith relieues thy self thy charity thy brother 2. For perpetvity and continuance Faith laies hold on Gods gracious promise for everlasting salvation Hope expects this with patience but when God shal fulfil his word vs with ioy then Faith shall be at an end hope at an end but Loue shal remain between God vs an everlasting bond Therefore sayth the Apostle Now abideth faith c. Now. Now three then one and that is Charity When wee haue possession of those pleasures which we hoped and beleeued what longer vse is there of Faith or Hope But our loues shall not end with our liues Wee shall euerlastingly loue our our Maker Saviour Sanctifier Angels Saints where no discontent shall breed any iarre in our Halleluiahs If the vse of loue bee so comfortable on earth what may wee thinke it will be in heaven Thus sayth Chrysost Onely loue is eternall Now Faith and Hope hold vp the hands of Charity as Aaron and Hur helde vp the hands of Moses but then their vse and office shall cease Tunc non erit spes quando erit spes Hope shall not bee when the thing hoped is Hope shall bring in possession possession shall thrust out Hope Therefore sayth Augustine is Charity greater Et si non propter eminentiam tamen propter permanentiam If not for the excellency yet for
the perpetuity Thus to iustifie a man Faith is greater but in a man iustified Charity is greater Let Faith alone with the great worke of our salvation but that finished it shall end so yeeld superiority to Loue which shall endure for euer Thus you haue commended to your soules these three sisters Faith Hope and Charity Faith wee must haue or we are reprobates Hope or wretches Charity or not Christians There is a promise made to Faith that it shall haue accesse to God Heb. 11. To Hope that it shall not be ashamed Rom. 5. But to Charity that it shall dwell in God and haue God dwelling in it 1. Ioh. 4. I should now tell you that as these three fayre Sisters come downe from heaven so in a crosse contrariety the Devill sends vp three foule fiends from hell Against Faith Infidelity against Hope Desperation Against Charity malice He that entertaines the elder sister vnbeleefe I quake to speake his doome yet I must Hee is already condemned Hee that embraceth the second vgly Hagge Despaire barres vp against himselfe the possibility of all comfort because hee offends so precious a nature the mercy of God tramples vnder his desperate feete that bloud which is helde out to his vnaccepting hand He that welcomes malice welcomes the Devill himselfe hee is called the Envious and loues extremely to lodge himselfe in an envious heart These be fearefull prodigious sisters flie them and their embraces and remember O yee whom Christ concernes the commandement of your Saviour Loue one another I will end with our Apostles exhortation to his Philippians If there bee any consolation in Christ and there is consolation in him when the whole world cannot afford it If any comfort of loue and hee that knows not the comforts of loue knowes no difference betwixt man and beast If any fellowship of the spirit by whome wee are all knit into one Communion and enriched with the same treasures of grace If any bowels and mercies if vncharitablenesse and avarice hath turned our intrals into stone and yron if wee haue not forgotten the vse and need of mercy Fulfill my ioy that yee be like minded and haue the same loue Fulfill the Apostles ioy onely the ioy of the Bride and Bridegroome of the Church on earth of the Saints in heauen of the ioy of the blessed Angels the ioy of the Father Sonne holy Spirit and last of all the ioy of your owne hearts that you Loue one another Forget not that trite but true saying They shall not want prosperitie That keepe Faith Hope and Charity FINIS THE TAMING OF THE TONGVE MATH 12. 37. By thy wordes thou shalt bee iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned BERN. Lingua quae facilè volat facilè violat TP LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. THE TAMING OF the Tongue IAM 3. 8. But the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill full of deadly poyson HEre is a single Position guarded with a double reason The Position is No man can tame the Tongue The Reasons 1. It is vnruly 2. Full of deadly poyson Heere is busie dealing with a wilde member a more difficult action and intractable nature could not haue met Tongue is the Subiect I meane in the discourse and can you euer thinke of subiecting it naturally to reason or taming it to Religion Goe leade a Lyon in a single haire send vp an Eagle to the skie to pecke out a starre cope vp the thunder and quench a flaming City with one widdowes teares if thou couldest doe these yet nescit modo lingua domari the Tongue can no man tame As the Proposition is backed with two reasons so each reasons so each reason hath a terrible second The Euill hath for the second vnrulines the Poisonfulnes hath deadly It is evil yea vnruly euill it is poyson yea deadly poyson The Fort is so barricadoed that it is hard scaling it the refractary Rebell so guarded with Euill and Poyson so warded with vnruly and deadly as if it were with Gyants in an vnchanted Towre as they fabulate that no man can tame it Yet let vs examine the matter and finde a stratagem to subdue it In the Proposition Wee will obserue 1. The Nature of the thing to bee tamed 2. The difficulty of accomplishing it The insubiectible subiect is the Tongue which is 1. a member and 2. an Excellent Necessary Little Singular Member It is a Member Hee that made all made the Tongue he that craues all must haue the Tongue Quicreavit necessariam postulat creatam It is an instrument let it giue Musicke to him that made it All creatures in their kind blesse God Psal. 148. They that wanttongues as the heauens Sunne Starres Meteors Orbes Elements prayse him with such obedient Testimonies as their insensible natures can afford They that haue tongues though they want reason prayse him with those naturall Organs The birds of the ayre sing the beasts of the earth make a noyse not so much as the hissing Serpents the very Dragons in the deepe but sound out his praise Man then that hath a tongue and a reason to guide it and if more a religion to direct his reason should much much more blesse him Therefore sayes the Psalmographer that for the well tuning of his Tongue is called the sweete Singer of Israel I will praise the Lord with the best Instrument I haue which was his Tongue Not that praises can adde to Gods glory nor blasphemies detract from it The blessing Tongue cannot make him better nor the cursing worse Nec melior si laudaueris nec deterior si vituperaueris As the Sunne is neither betterd by birds singing nor battered by dogs barking He is so infinitely great and constantly good that his glory admittes neyther addition nor diminution Yet we that cannot make his name greater can make it seeme greater and though wee can not enlarge his glory we may enlarge the manifestation of his glory This both in words praysing and in workes practising We know it is impossible to make a new Christ as the Papists boast the almightinesse of their Priests yet our holy liues and happy lippes if I may so speak may make a little Christ a great Christ. They that before little regarded him may thus be brought to esteeme him greatly giuing him the honour due to his name and glorifying him after our example This is the Tongues office One member without arrogating any merite or boasting the beholdingnesse of the rest vnto it is to doe that duetie which is assigned it The eye is to see for all the eare to heare for all the hand to worke for all the feete to walke for all the knees to bow for all the Tongue to praise GOD for all This is the Tongues office not vnlike the Towneclarkes which if it