into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
This is not to be vnderstood of offence onely giuen to the Ministers of the Church but to signifie that a woman throwing off the vaile of modestie and token of subiection to her husband doth make euen the Angels of heauen witnesses of her dissolute contumacie The Angels are present with thee when all men on the earth are absent from thee I aske thee when thou pollutest the marriage bed attemptest an homicide plottest a treason forgest a vvriting wouldest thou then haue the Angels present with thee or absent from thee If thou desirest them present why dost thou offend them by thy turpitudes If absent thy protectors are gone and the diuels would easily confound thee Nonfacias coram Angelis Dei yea coram Deo Angelorum Do not that thing before the Angels of God yea before the GOD of Angels vvhich thou wouldest shame to doe in the sight and presence of an earthly man Yet let vs marke here by the way that albeit the Angels deserue our reuerence yet they desire not our adoration Indeed the euill Angels request it it was a speciall boone which the Diuell begd of Christ to fall downe worship him But the good refuse it See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to kneeling Iohn As we vsually come too short in our due reuerence to the Angels so the Papists goe too farre in vndue adoration They haue a set prayer for it Angele Dei Custos mei me tibi commissum lege superâ—…a semper rege custodi guberna This sacrilegious honour those holy spirits refuse they take no charge of such superstitious soules Accipiunt commissum non arripiâ—…nt inconcessum Honorandi non adorandi sunt Angeli Let them be honored but not adored Loue and reuerence the Angels onely worship God and Iesus Christ. 3. This declares to vs the excellent company that is in heauen Were the place lesse noble and maiesticall yet the company it affords is able to make the soule right blessed We are loth to leaue this earth for the societie of some friends in whom we delight yet wee are all subiect to mutuall dislikes Besides the meeting of those good friends againe in heauen there be also glorious Angels There is nothing in them but is amiable admirable nothing in possibilitie of changing our pleasures There thou shalt see and conuerse with those ancient Worthies Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Fathers of the Primitiue times all of them out-shining the starres where our loue shall be as eternall as is our glory There wee shall liue familiarly in the sight of those Angels whom now we receiue good from and see not Yea there is the fountaine of all felicity that Sauiour of ours whose grace onely brings vs to the blessed vision of the whole Trinitie Neither can there be a higher happinesse then the eternall fruition of Iesus Christ. Let this teach vs all to blesse our God that hath thus aduanced vs. Man is corporeall dust O that this clay of ours should come to dwel with those incorporeal spirits We shal be as the Angels of God in heauen Sicut non ipsi like Angels though not Angels in nature Communicatione spei non speciei we haue now a communion of hope with them hereafter of glory To this place O thou Creator of men Angels bring vs through Iesus Christ. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heauen Our Apostle hath spoken of the Churches glory typically and topically now he describes it materially First the Essence of it what it is The Church Secondly the Propertie of it what kind of Church it is Generall or Catholike Thirdly what are the parts of it of whom it consists Of the first borne written in Heauen The Church This word is taken in diuerse significations For the materiall Temple 1. Cor. 11. 18. When ye come together in the Church I heare there are diuisions among you For the faithfull domestikes of one Familie 1. Cor. 16. 19. Aquila and Priscilla salute you vvith the Church that is in their house For the professors of one Prouince The Church of Corinth of Ephesus c. For some famous company of Beleeuers gathered together in one place 1. Cor. 14. 4. He that prophecieth edifies the Church For an Ecclesiasticall Senate or Synode Mat. 18. 17. If he shall neglect to heare them Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the Church For the whole number of the Elect. Mat. 16. 18. Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church Acts 5. 11. Great feare came vpon all the Church 1. Tim. 3. 15. Which is the Church of the liuing GOD the pillar and ground of truth Here first let me premise three circumstances concerning the Church 1. Though it be a Generall Assembly yet it is but one There be threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number but my Doue my vndefiled is but one shee is the onely one of her Mother Indeed there be two parts of this One Church Triumphant in Heauen and Militant on Earth The Triumphant part is a company of Iustified spirits triumphing ouer the flesh vvorld and diuell spirits I say for bodies are not yet ascended They haue two happy priuiledges 1. To reioyce in the conquest ouer sinne and death the most righteous man liuing is in praelio in a continuall warfare But so are the other for Saint Iohn saith There was warre in Heauen This must be vnderstood of heauen on earth vvhere there is no truce with Satan Pax cum Deo bellum cum diabolo We haue peace with God but on this condition that warre with the diuell Therefore so runne the promises Uincenti dabitur To him that ouercomes shall be giuen Palmes to shew that they had been warriours are now conquerours 1. To praise God continually and to sing Amen Blessing and glory thankesgiuing and honour be vnto God for euer and euer The militant part is a company of men liuing vnder the crosse and desiring to be with Christ. They suffer and this is their way to glory through much tribulation entring into the kingdome of God They desire dissolution being willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord not simply and absolutely desiring death but first that they might leaue sinning and so cease to displease God and then to come neerer to their blessed Sauiour whose loue hath rauished their hearts Now this militant Church may haue many parts as the Ocean sea is but one yet distinguished according to the Regions vpon which it lies So there is the Spanish Ocean the English Ocean the German Ocean There is a Church in England a Church in France a Church in Germany yet there is but one militant Church Multa Ecclesiae vna Ecclesia saith S. Augustine One Sunne many beames one Kingdome many shires one tree many branches 2. We must note that Christ is the alone head of his
childe their massacres They goe they run thy stride they ride ouer vs. The language of their lippes is that which Babylon spake concerning Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Rase it rase it euen to the foundation thereof Desolation sits in their eyes and shootes out through those fiery windowes the burning glances of waste hauocke ruine till they turne a land into solitude into a Desart and habitation for their fellow-beasts and their worse selues O vnmercifull men that should be to men kinde as God but are more ragingly noxious then wolues They haue lost the nature let them also lose the name of men Uix repperit vnum Talibus è multis hominem consultus Apollo But it is euer true Optimi corruptio pessima The fairest flowers putrified stinke worse then weedes euen an Angell falling became a Deuill and man debauched striues to come as neere this Deuill as he can They should put their hands vnder our falling heads and lift vs vp but they kicke vs downe and ride ouer vs. Ouer our heads This notes their bloudinesse vnpacifiable but by our slaughters The pressing racking or breaking of our inferiour limbes contents not their malice they must wound the most sensible and vitall part our heads The Lord be blessed that hath now freed vs from these bloudie ridings and sent vs peace with Truth Yet can wee not be forgetful of the past calamities in this Land nor insensible of the present in other places The time vvas when the Bonners and butchers rode ouer the faces of Gods Saints and madefied the earth with their blouds euery drop whereof begot a new beleeuer When they martyred the liuing with the dead burnt the impotent wife with the husband who is content to die with him with whom she may not liue yea reioycing to go together to their Sauior When they threw the new-born yea scarce-borne infant dropping out of the mothers belly into the mothers flames whom if they had been Christians they would first haue Christned if not cherished This was a fiery zeale indeed set on flame with the fire of hell They loue fire still they were then for fagots they are now for powder If these be Catholikes there are no Canibals They were then mounted on horses of authority now they ride on the wings of policy Our comfort is that though all these whether persecutors of our faith or oppressors of our life ride ouer our particular heads yet we haue all one Head whom they cannot touch They may massacre this corporall life and spoyle the locall seate of it whether in head or heart but our spirituall life which lies and liues in our Head Iesus Christ they cannot reach No hellish stratagems nor combined outrages no humane powers nor diuellish principalities can touch that life for it is hid with Christ in God Indeed this Head doth not onely take their blowes as meant at him but he euen suffers with vs. Saul why persecutest thou me Saul strikes on earth Christ Iesus suffers in heauen There is more liuely sense in the Head then in other members of the body Let but the toe ake and the head manifests by the countenance a sensible greefe The body of the Church cannot suffer without the sense of our blessed Head Thus saith Paul The sufferings of Christ abound in vs. These afflictions are the showres that follow the great storme of his passion Wee fill vp that which is behinde of the affliction of Christ in our flesh Wee must be content for him as hee was for vs to weep and groane and bleed and dye that we may raigne If wee sow not in teares how shall we look to reape in ioy how shall we shine like starres in heauen if we go not through this fierie tryall or land at the hauen of blisse if wee passe not the waues of this troublesome water You see the Riders but you wil say What is this to vs we haue no such riders Yes many too many euen so many as we haue Oppressors eyther by tongue or hand Shall I name some of them The malicious slanderer is a perillous Rider and hee rides like death vpon a pale horse Enuie Thus were the Pharises mounted when they rode ouer Christ euen the Head of our heads If Iesus will not be a Pharise they will naile him to the Crosse. These venemous Cantharides light vpon Gods fairest flowers and striue either to blast them with their contumelious breaths or to tread them vnder their malicious feete The griping Vsurer is a pestilent Rider and hee is mounted on a heauy Iade Mammon or loue of money Euery step of this beast wounds to the heart and quasheth out the life-bloud O that this sordid beast of vsury with all his ponderous and vnweldy trappings bils obligations pawnes morgages were throwne into a fire temporall that the riders conuerted soule might bee saued from the fire eternall If any Alcibiades had authority and will to kindle such a fire in England as was once at Athens I beleeue that no teares would be shed to quench it but the musike of our peace would sound merrily to it and the rather because there would be no more grones to mollifie it The destructiue depopulator is another pestiferous Rider He is a light Horseman he can leape hedges and ditches and therefore makes them in the midst of plaine fields He loues to ride in his owne ground and for this purpose expelleth all neighbors Though Salomon sayes that the King is serued by the field that is tilled ye hee as if he were wiser then Salomon promiseth to serue him better with grasse Hee posteth after the poore and hunts them out of his Lordship He rides from towne to town from village to village from land to land from house to house à doloso fur to ad publicum latrocinium and neuer rests till he hath rid to the Deuill And there is a fourth Rider gallops after him amaine as if hee had sworne not to be hindmost the oppressing Landlord and hee rides vpon a horse that hath no pace but racking for that is the Masters delight racking of rents and he hath two Lacquays or Pages run by him Fines and Carriages Thus ascended attended twice a yeare at least he rides ouer the heads and hearts of the poore Tenants that they can no more grow in wealth then corne can that is scattered in the high way for they as that are continually ouer-ridden by their mercilesse Landlords Let these riders take heede lest the curses of the poore stumble their horses and breake their neckes The churlish Cormorant is a mischicuous Rider hee sits on a black Iade Couetousnesse and rides onely from market to market to buy vp graine when hee hath store to sell and so hatcheth vp dearth in a yere of plenty Our Land is too full of these riders they repine complaine of the vnseasonablenesse of the weather of the barrennesse
through with reward Let the Philosophers stop their mouths Scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit Some guiltie men haue beene safe none euer secure This euerie eye must see Let adulterie plead that nature is encourager and directer of it and that she is vniust to giue him an affection and to barre him the action yet we see it plagued To teach vs that the sin is of a greater latitude then some imagine it vncleane fedifragous periured Broad impudence contemplatiue Bauderie an eye full of whores are things but iested at the committers at last find them no iest when God powres vengance on the body and wrath on the naked conscience Let drunkennes stagger in the robes of good fellowship and shrowdit selfe vnder the wings of merriment yet we see it haue the punishment euen in this life It corrupts the bloud drownes the spirits beggers the purse and enricheth the carcase with surfets a present iudgement waites vpon it He that is a theefe to others is at last a theefe also to himselfe and steales away his owne life God doth not euer forbeare sin to the last day nor shall the bloudy Ruffian still escape but his owne bloud shall answere some in present and his soule the rest eternally Let the Seminary pretend a warrant from the Pope to betray and murder Princes and build his damnation on their tetricall grounds which haue Parum rationis minus honestatis Religionis nihil Little Reason lesse Honestie no Religion Yet we see God reueales their malicious stratagems and buries them in their owne pit Piercies head now stands Centinell where he was once a Pioner If a whole land flow with wickednes it escapes not a deluge of vengeance For England haue not her bowells groaned vnder the heauy pestilence If the plague be so common in our mouthes how should it not be common in our streets With that plague wherwith we curse others the iust God curseth vs. Wee shall find in that Emperiall state of Rome that till Constantines time almost euery Emperour dyed by treason or massacre after the receiuing of the Gospell none except that reuolter Iulian Let not sinne then be made a sport or iest which God will not forbeare to punish euen in this life 3. But if it bring not present Iudgement it is the more fearefull The lesse punishment wickednes receiues here the more is behind God strikes those here whom he meanes to spare hereafter and corrects that sonne which he purposeth to saue But hee scarce meddles with them at all whom hee intends to beate once for all The Almond tree is forborne them who are bequeathed to the boiling Potte There is no rod to scourge such in present so they goe with whole sides to hell The purse and the flesh scapes but the soule payes for it This is Misericordia puniens a greeuous mercie when men are spared for a while that they may be spilled for euer This made that good Saint cry Lord here afflict cut burnt torture me Vt in aeternum parcas that for euer thou wilt saue me No sorrow troubles the wicked no disturbance embitters their pleasures But remember sayth Abraham to the merry-liu'ed rich man Thou wert delighted but thou art tormented Tarditas supplicij grauitate pensatur and hee will strike with iron hands that came to strike with leaden feete Tuli nunquid semper feram no their hell-fire shall be so much the hoter as God hath beene coole and tardy in the execution of his vengeance This is a Iudgement for Sinne that comes inuisible to the world insensible to him on whom it lights To be giuen ouer to a reprobate mind to a hard and impenitent heart If any thing be vengance this is it I haue read of plagues famine death come temperd with loue and mercie this neuer but in anger Many taken with this spirituall lethargie sing in Tauernes that should howle with dragons and sleepe out Sabboths and Sermons whose awaked soules would rend their hearts with anguish Fooles then onely make a mocke at sinne 4. Sinne that shall at last be laid heauy on the conscience the lighter the burthen was at first it shall be at last the more ponderous The wicked conscience may for a while lie a sleepe but Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the greatest storme The mortallest enemies are not euermore in pitched fields one against the other the guiltie may haue a seeming truce true peace they cannot haue A mans debt is not payd by 〈◊〉 bring euen while thou sleepest thy arrerages run on If thy conscience be quiet without good cause remember that Cedat iniustissima pax iustissimo bello a iust warre is better then vniust peace The conscience is like a fire vnder a pile of greene wood long ere it burne but once kindled it flames beyond quenching It is not pacifiable whiles sinne is within to vexe it the hand will not cease throbbing so long as the thorne is within the flesh In vaine he striueth to feast away cares sleepe out thoughtes drinke downe sorrowes that hath his tormentor within him When one violently offers to stoppe a sourse of bloud at the nostril it finds a way downe the throate not without hazzard of suffâ—…cation The stroken deare runs into the thicket and there breakes off the arrow but the head stickes still within him and rankles to death Flitting and shifting ground giues way to further anguish The vnappeased conscience will not leaue him till it hath shewed him hell nor then neither Let then this Foole know that his now feared conscience shall be quickned his death-bed shall smart for this And his amazed heart shall rue his old wilfull adiournings of repentance How many haue there raued on the thought of their old sinnes which in the dayes of their hote lust they would not thinke sinnes Let not then the Foole make a mocke at sinne 5. Sinne which hath another direfull effect of greater latitude and comprehensiue of all the rest Diuinam incitat iram It prouokes God to anger The wrath of a king is as messengers of death what is the wrath of the king of kings For our God is a consuming fire If the fire of his anger be once throughly incensed all the riuers in the South are not able to quench it What piller of the earth or foundation of heauen can stand when he will wake them Hee that in his wrath can open the iawes of earth to swallow thee sluce out flouds from the sea to drowne thee raine downe fire from heauen to consume thee Sodome the old world Corah drunke of these wrathfull vialls Or to goe no further he can set at iarre the elements within thee by whose peace thy spirits are held together drowne thee with a dropsie bred in thy owne flesh burne thee with a pestilence begotten in thy owne bloud or bury thee in the earthly graue of thy owne melancholy Oh it is a fearefull thing to
so shalt thou withstand more Thinke the easiest tentations a Porcpose before a tempest smoake before fire signes and prodigies of a fearefull conflict to come There remaines nothing now to be considered but the Bellowes that helpe to maintaine this fire The Bellowes Are double Passiue and Actiue Some blow because they cannot others because they will not auoid it 1. The Passiue Bellowes are the godly for they must haue no peace with wickednesse No fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse We must loue their persons and pray for them as Christ for his crucifiers But if they will not be conuerted if they cannot be suppressed we may desire either their conuersion or confusion as God willes none to perish as a creature but as a sinfull creature not of his owne making but of their owne marring So we must hate not virum but vitium reprouing and condemning euill works both by our lips and liues though our good conuersation be the passiue Bellowes to blow this fire 2. The Actiue are the wicked who doe profoundly hate the good in regard of both their actions and their persons To this their owne forwardnesse is helped by the deuils instigation If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spitte vpon it it shall be quenched and both these come out of thy mouth But all men loue good naturally No not all for some haue not onely extinguished the flames of religion but euen the very sparkes of nature in their hearts But some wicked men haue loued the godly True but not for their actions not for their persons not of their owne natures But 1. either because God snafles the horses and mules and curbes the malicious rage of Tyrants Or 2. conuerts them to the faith and obedience of his truth as he tooke Saul from his raging crueltie and made him readie to die for him whose seruants he would haue killed so turning a Wolfe into a Lambe Or 3. els they loue the good for some benefit by them and therein they loue not them so much as themselues in them So Ahashuerosh loued Hester for her beautie Nebuchadnezzâ—… Daniel for his wisedome 〈◊〉 Ioseph because his house prospered by him and for this cause did the former Pharaoh affect him But otherwise with bloud-red eyes and faces sparkling fire they behold vs as Haman did Mordecai They plot like Machiauels raile like Rabshace's and conspire like Absolons These are the Deuils Bellowes here to blow quarrels among men and shall be his bellowes in hell to blow the fire of their eternall torments A man that is great both in wealth and wickednesse cannot be without these bellowes Intelligencers Informers Tale-bearers Let these seditious spirits vnderstand their employment they are the Deuils bellowes and when their seruice is done they shall be throwne into the fire I conclude All this trouble and calamitie shall be but vpon the earth so sayth our Sauiour I came to send fire on the earth In heauen shall be no distraction to breake our peace We should be too well affected to the world if it had this priuiledge and exemption but in vaine we seeke it where it is not to be found In heauen onely we shall find it in heauen onely let vs seeke it Here we may haue desideriuâ—… pacis but there onely pacem desiderij here the desires of peace there peace of our desires Now then the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your harts and minds through Christ Iesus Amen THE CHRISTIANS WALKE OR The Kings high-way of Charitie EPHES. Chap. 5. Ver. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling sauour OVR blessed Sauiour is set forth in the Gospell not onely a Sacrifice for sin but also a direction to vertue He calleth himselfe the Truth and the Way the truth in regard of his good learning the way in respect of his good life His Actions are our Instructions so well as his Passion our Saluation He taught vs both Faciendo and Patiendo both in doing and in dying Both sweetly propounded and compounded in this verse Actiuely he loued vs Passiuely he gaue himselfe for vs. And so is both an ensample for vertue and an offering for sinne He gaue himselfe that his Passion might saue vs he loued vs that his Actions might direct vs. Walke in loue as Christ c. We may distinguish the whole verse into a sacred Canon Crucifixe The Canon teacheth vs What the Crucifixe How In the Canon we shall find A Precept It is partly Exhortatory Precedent Exemplary The Precept Walke in loue the Precedent or Patterne As Christ loued vs. The Precept holy the Patterne heauenly Christ bids vs doe nothing to others but what himselfe hath done to vs we cannot find fault with our example The Crucifixe hath one maine stocke He gaue himselfe for vs. And two branches not vnlike that crossepeece whereunto his two hands were nailed 1. An offering or Sacrifice 2. Of a sweete smelling sauour to God To begin with the Canon the method leads vs first to the Precept which shall take vp my discourse for this time Walke in loue Here is 1. The Way prescribed 2. Our Course incited The way is Loue our Course Walking Loue is the Way And that an excellent way to heauen Our Apostle ends his 12. Chapter of the 1. Corin. in the description of many spirituall gifts Apostleship Prophecying Teaching Working of Myracles healing speaking with toâ—…gues All excellent gifts and yet concludes Ver. 31. â—…ut couet earnestly the best gifts And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent Way Now that excellent more excellent Way was Charitie and he takes a whole succeeding Chapter to demonstrate it which he spends wholy in the prayse and prelation of Loue. I hope no man when I call Loue a Way to God will vnderstand it for a iustifying way Faith alone leaning on the merits of Christ doth bring vs into that high Chamber of Presence Loue is not a Cause to iustifie but a Way for the iustified There is difference betwixt a Cause and a Way Faith is Causa iustificandi Loue is Via iustificatâ—… They that are iustified by faith must walke in Charitie For Faith worketh and walketh by loue Faith and loue are the braine and the heart of the Soule so knit together in a mutuall harmonie and correspondence that without their perfect vnion the whole Christian man cannot mooue with power nor feele with tendernesse nor breath with true life Loue then is a path for holy feete to walke in It is A Cleare Way A Neare Way A Sociable Way Cleare There be no rubbes in Loue. Nec retia tendit nec laedere intendit It neither does nor desires anothers harme it commits no euill nay it thinkes no euill sayth our Apostle For passiue rubbes it passeth ouer an offence It may be moued with violence cannot be remoued
suffer commit c. What. The Soule and the keeping thereof The Soule is a very precious thing it had need of a good keeper For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule We trust the Lawyer to keepe our Inheritance the Physitian to keepe our body the coffer to keepe our money shepheards to keepe our flockes but the Soule had need of a better keeper Howsoeuer it goes with thy libertie with thy loue with thy land with thy life be sure to looke well to thy soule that lost all is lost The bodie is not safe where the Soule is in hazard Non-anima pro corpore sed corpus pro anima factum est The soule is not made for the bodie but the bodie for the Soule He that neglects the better let him looke neuer so well to the worse shall loose both He that looks well to the keeping of the better though he somwhat neglect the worst shal saue both The Body is the instrument of the soule it acts what the other directs so it is the externall actuall and instrumentall offender Satan will come with a Habeus corpus for it But I am perswaded if hee take the Body hee will not leaue the Soule behind him To whom To God he is the best Keeper Adam had his Saluation in his owne hands hee could not keepe it Esau had his Birth-right in his owne hands hee could not keepe it The Prodigall had his Patrimonie in his owne hands he could not keepe it If our Soule were left in our own hands we could not keepe it The world is a false keeper let the soule runne to ryot hee will goe with it The Deuill is a Churlish keeper he labours to keepe the soule from saluatiō The Body is a brittle inconstant keeper euery sicknes opens the doore and lets it out God onely is the sure keeper Your life is hid with Christ in God This was Dauids confidence Thou art my hiding place thou shalt keepe mee The Iewells giuen to thy little children thou wilt not trust them with but keepe them thy selfe O Lord keepe thou our onely one doe thou Rescue our soule from destructions our Darling from the Lyons Trust vs not with our owne soules wee shall passe them away for an Apple as Adam did for a morsell of meate as Esau did for the loue of a harlot as that Prodigall did Lord doe thou keepe our Soules Now the Christian patient must commit the keeping of his Soule to God both in Life Death 1. Liuing the Soule hath three places of being In the body from the Lord in the Lord from the body in the body with the Lord. The two last are referred to our saluation in heauen either in part when the Soule is glorified alone or totally when both are crowned together Now the soule must be euen here in the Lords keeping or else it is lost If God let goe his hold it sinkes It came from God it returnes to God it cannot be well one moment without God It is not in the right vbi except the Lord be with it It is sine sua domo if sine suo Domino Here be foure sorts of men reprouable 1. They that trust not God with their soules nor themselues but relie it only vpon other men 2. They that will not trust God with their soules nor others but onely keepe it themselues 3. They that will trust neither God with their soules nor others nor keepe it it themselues 4. They that will neither trust others with their soules nor themselues but only God yet without his warrant that he will keepe it 1. They that trust their soules simplie on the care of others they are either Papists or prophane Protestants The Papist trusts Antichrist with his soule he 's like to haue it well kept If Masses Asses can keepe it for so the Iesuites terme their secular Priests it shall not bee lost The deuill fights against the soule the Pope interposeth an armoury of Agnus Dei's sprinklings crossings amulets prayers to Saints But surely if this Armour were of proofe S. Paul forgot himselfe in both these places where he describes that Panoply or whole armour of God He speakes of a plate of righteousnesse for the breast shooes of patience for the feete the shield of Faith the helmet of saluation the sword of the Spirit To the Thessalonians indeed hee somewhat varies the pieces of armour but in neither place doth he mention Crosses Crucifixes aspersions vnctions c. Or they will trust the Saints in heauen with their soules Sancta virgo Dorothea tua nos virtute bea cor in nobis nouum crea What that Prophet desired of God they as if they were Ioth to trouble the Lord about it and could haue it neerer hand beg of their Saint Dorothy to create a new heart within them Such a rithme haue they to the Virgin Mary Virgo mater maris stella Fons hortorum verbi cella ne nos pestis aut procella peccatores obruant But the Saints are deafe non audiunt They would pray them to forbeare such prayers they abhorre such superstitious worship They that were so iealous of Gods honour on earth would be loth to robbe him of it in heauen So our carnall professors onely trust the Minister with their soule as if God had imposed on him that charge which the Prophet gaue to Ahab keepe this man if by any meanes he be missing then shall thy life be for his life But indeed if he doe his duty in admonishing If thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it if he do not turne from his way he shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule 2. They that will not trust others with their soule but keepe it themselues They wrapit warme in the nest of their own presumptuous merits as if good workes should hatch it vp to heauen But the soule that is thus kept will be lost He that wil goe to heauen by his own righteousnes and climbers by no other ladder then his owne Iust workes shall neuer come there The best Saints that haue had the most good workes durst not trust their soules with them I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified In many things we sin all All in many things many in all things And the most learned Papists whatsoeuer they haue said in their disputations reserue this truth in their hearts otherwise speaking in their deaths then they did in their liues Now non merita mea sed misericordia tua not my merits but thy mercies O Lord. All our life is either vnprofitable or damnable therfore O man what remaines Nisi vt in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuā but that during al thy life thou shouldest lament al thy life workes cannot keepe vs but grace let them boast of perfection we cry for
shalt forsweare Gods Law Couet not Satans couet all Nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil Diabolus nisi cupiditatem God commands nothing but loue the Deuill nothing but lust Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel Cain a Citizen of the world Abel a Citizen of God Their names signifie their natures Cain signifies a profession and he built a Citie for the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt Wicked men set their whole delight in this present world What moued Cain to this Not to be defended against wilde beasts which Plato sayes first moued men to build Cities for then Abel would haue builded so well as Cain nor because man is animal sociale a sociable creature which Aristotle makes a special motiue hereof for then the righteous would also haue builded But because Cain was a fugitiue he builded for a protection against Gods curse especially because he had no expectation of a better City Vnlike to Abraham who looked for a City that hath a foundation whose builder and maker is God The Greekes say that Cecropolis built by Cecrops the Aegyptians that Thebes the Argiues that Argos was the first City But it is manifest that this City built by Cain was the first Hee called the name of this City Enoch but Henoch in the righteous line is the seuenth Enoch the seuenth from Adam So the wicked dedicate worldly possessions in the first place the righteous in the last Cain and Henoch had their possession and dedication here But Abel signifies mourning and he built no Citie Our possession is in heauen this City of God inuisible to the eye incredible to the faith of the world but infallible to all beleeuers And for Cain it is not properly translated Aedificauit but Erat aedificator as Iunius erat aedificans as the Septuagint he began to build but he finished not hee was still a runnagate So all worldlings are but aedificantes like the Babel-erecters they but began to reare the tower but neuer could come to roofe it This man began to build saith Christ but could not make an end They are perswaded yea their inward thought is that they build houses to all ensuing generations but this their way is their folly Aedificat mortalis mors diruit aedificantem Mortall man builds and death puls downe both builder and edifice You haue heard it talked of Castles built by day and still no man knowes how pul'd downe againe by night That fabulous report is mystically true of the worldlings hope what euer he erecteth in the day of his prosperity the night of his ruine shall ouerthrow Here are the two Cities Omnis homo vel in coelis regnaturus cum Christo vel in infernis cruciandus cum Diabolo Euery one shall eyther reigne with Christ in Heauen or be tormented with the Deuill in hell But how then is it said that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe therefore the whole world is reconciled But Saint Iohn contradicts it Mundus positus in maligno the whole world lieth in wickednesse therefore the world is not reconciled to this Citie Heere qui bene distinguit bene doeet a proper distinction doth cleare this difficulty The world is sometimes taken for good then Denominatio sequitur meliorem partem often for euill then Denominatio sequitur maiorem partem In a word saith Augustine Amor Dei constituit Ierusalem amor mundi Babylonem The loue of God intitles vs to Ierusalem the loue of the world to Babylon Thus may wee distinguish the Citizens for Bonos vel malos mores faciunt boni vel mali amores Our good or bad loues make our good or bad liues There is no man which belongs not to one of these two Cities No To which of them belongs the Hypocrite to Babylon his face is toward Ierusalem To Ierusalem his heart is with Babylon His misery is great because hee weares Gods outside the world will not be his mother because he weares the worlds inside God will not be his Father Hee hath lost eartâ—… for Heauens sake and Heauen for earths sake We haue some such rushers into authority vncalled vicious correctors of vice that vndertake to cleanse the Augean stables perhaps somewhat the sweeter till themselues came in officious Scauengers of iniquitie If with this lome they dawbe ouer their owne debauchednesse they are like dung which is rotten and stinking of it selfe yet compasseth the ground makes it fruitfull Or like the shepheards dogge that hunts the stragling sheepe to the fold yet is a dogge still and hath his teeth beaten out lest hee should worry them Will you heare to what City hypocrites belong The wicked seruant shall haue his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth So then the Hypocrites home is the city of weeping and gnashing of teeth But in this blessed City God is King Christ his eldest Sonne the elect are his younger brethren his Viceroyes are Kings Angels his Nobles Iust Iudges his Magistrates good Preachers his Ministers holines his Law the godly his Subiects Prouidence his gouernement Heauen his Court and saluation his recompence Further obserue that if this City be Gods then so are all things in it Whence I inferre that all sacred things in this City beeing Gods must not bee violated For the things in heauâ—…n they are safe enough out of the Incrochers reach but the holy things of this militant City are vniuersally abused Sacrilegium quasi sacrilaedium a profaning that is holy Now holinesse is ascribed to Persons Places or Things Sacriledge may be committed saith Aquinas 1. Uel in Personam against a person vvhen one Ecclesiasticall man is abused Hee that despiseth you despiseth me 2. Vel in locum against a place when the Temple is profaned My house is called the house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of thieues 3. Vel in Rem when things dedicated to holy vses are peruerted You haue robbed me in tithes and offerings Simon Magus would haue bought a power to giue the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 imposition of hands Hee would haue giuen money for it no doubt to haue gotten money by it No Spirituall things are to bee barterd for money Now Spirituall things are of foure sorts 1. Essentialiter the gifts of Gods Spirit iustification sanctification loue peace patience goodnesse faith Charismata salutis which make those that haue them spirituall 2. Causaliter The Word and Sacraments which are the conduct-pipes to conuey our soules those graces from the fountaine of all grace Iesus Christ The words that I speake vnto you they are spirit and they are life 3. Effectualiter as power to heale to worke miracles to excommunicate to absolue gifts not imparted to secular hands but committed with the keyes to the
Country of Earth describe the glorious Court of Heauen Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Glorious Cities haue beene and are in the world Rome was eminently famous all her Citizens like so many kings yet was it obserued Illic homines more that men did die there But in this Citie there is no dying Mors non erit vltra There shall be no more death I will narrow vp my discourse to consider in this City only 3. things The Situation Society Glory The Situation It is placed aboue Gal. 4. Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all Heauen is in excelsis His foundation is in the holy mountaines So was Ierusalem seated on earth to figure this Citie built on the Quarrey of heauen Dan. 2. On Saphyres Emeralds and Chrysolites Reu. 21. There is a heauen now ouer our heads but it shall vvaxe olde as a garment It is corruptible and so combustible This Citie is eternall Mount Sion neuer to bee moued a kingdome neuer to be shaken Wee are now vnder this lower heauen then this shall be vnder vs. That which is our Canopy shall be our Pauement The Society The King that rules there is one Almighty God in three distinct persons Hee made this City for himselfe In his presence is the fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore If hee gaue such a house as this world is to his enemies what may we thinke hath hee prouided for himselfe and his friends But will GOD dwell there alone He is neuer alone himselfe is to himselfe the best and most excellent company Neuerthelesse he vouchsafes a dwelling here to some Citizens and these are eyther Created so Assumed or Assigned 1. Created Citizens are the blessed Angels who from their first creation haue enioyed the freedom of this City They stand alwaies in the presence of God they can neuer lose their happinesse 2. Assumed those whose spirits are already in heauen Hebr. 12. There are the spirits of iust men made perfect They are already in soule taken vp and made free Denisons of this Citie 3. Assigned the Elect that liue in the militant Church waiting for the day of their bodies Redemption crying still Come Lord Iesus come quickly These are Conscripti written in the Lambes booke of life Now though we are not already in full possession because our apprentiship of this life is not out yet we are already Citizens Ye are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens vvith the Saints and of the houshold of God And we haue three happy priuiledges of Citizens 1. Libertas Freedome from the Law not from obedience to it but from the curse of it Praestemus quod possumus quod non possumus non damnabit Let vs keepe so much of it as we can what wee cannot keepe shall not eondemne vs. Liberty in the vse of these earthly things heauen earth ayre sea with all their creatures do vs seruice Whether things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. Tutela Imperij The Kings protection Psalm 91. Angelis mandauit Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in all our wayes Is this all No. vers 4. Hee couers vs with his fethers and vnder his wings doe wee trust his truâ—…h is our shield and our buckler Our dangers are many in some places and some in all places we haue Gods owne Guard royall to keepe vs. They are sent from God to minister for their sakes which shall be heyres of saluation I need not determine whether euery particular person hath his particular Angell Saint Augustine hath wel answered Quando hoc nesciatur sine crimine non opus est vt definiatur cum discrimine Since our ignorance is no fault let vs not trouble our selues with curious discussion Bernard directs vs a good vse of it Quantam debet hoc tibi inferre reuerentiam afferre deuotionem conferre fiduciam The consideration of the guard of Angels about vs should put into our mindes reuerence into our hearts deuotion into our soules confidence 3. Defensio Legis the defensiue protection of the Law Christis our Aduocate Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Wee are impleaded Paul appeales to Caesar wee to Christ. The Deuill accuseth vs we are far remote behold our Counsellor is in heauen that will not let our cause fall or be ouerthrowne If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Thus are we Citizens in present shall be more perfectly at last We haue now right to the Citie wee shall then haue right in the City Wee haue now a purchase of the possession shall then haue a possession of the purchase Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen mee bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory This is our Sauiours Will Testament and shall not be broken The Company then addes to the glory of this City We are loth to leaue this world for loue of a few friends subiect to mutual dislikes but what then is the delight in the Society of Saints where thy glorified selfe shall meet with thy glorified friends and your loue shall be as euerlasting as your glory There be those Angels that protected thee those Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs that by doctrine and example taught thee yea there is that blessed Sauior that redeemed thee Often heere with grones and teares thou seekest him whom thy soule loueth loe there he shall neuer be out of thy sight The Glory The glory Non mihi si centum linguae If I had a hundred tongues I was not able to discourse throughly the least dramme of that inestimable weight of glory The eye hath seene much the eare hath heard more and the heart hath conceiued most of all But no eye hath seene nor eare heard nor heart apprehended the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Augustine after a stand Deus habet quod exhibeat God hath something to bestowe on you If I say wee shall be satiate you will think of lothing if wee shall not be satiate you will thinke of hunger But Ibi nec fames nec fastidium there is neither hunger nor lothing Sed Deus habet quod exhibeat No sooner is the soule within those gates but she is glorious Similem sibi reddit ingredientem Heauen shall make them that enter it like it selfe glorious As the ayre by the Sunnes brightnesse is transformed bright Quanta falici tas vbi nullum erit malum nullum deerit bonum How great is that blessednesse where shall be no euill present no good absent This is a blessed Citie Men are ambitious heere and seeke to be free of great Cities and not seldome buy it dearer then the Captaine bought his Burgeship But no such
Discedite but depart the Church without the blessing they will not stay till Christ bids them Goe They venture therein wretchedly and dangerously if they could so conceiue it to depart without the Peace of God It is an vsuall complaint of man in distresse Quare direliquisti me Domine Why hast thou forsaken me O Lord God iustly answeres Quare direliquisti me Home Why didst thou forsake me first O man Would you needs depart when you should not you therefore shall depart when you would not Discedite Depart indeed a wofull reiection Depart from me yee cursed why cursed good reason you would not tarry for a blessing Thus is God euen with the wicked Recedistis à me recedam à vobis You left me I therefore leaue you Will you go without bidding Abite get you gone He that will goe into captiuity let him go Deus prior in amore posterior in odio God loued vs before we loued him hee doth not actually hate vs till we first hate him Nunquam deserit nisi cum deseritur Hee forsakes not vs till wee forsake him no man can take Christ from thy soule vnlesse thou take thy soule from Christ. God complaines of the Iewes that they had left him My people haue forsaken mee Forsake thee O Lord liuing Father of mercies and God of all comfort Will a man forsake the snow of Lebanon and the old flowing waters that come from the Rockes If any will do so then heare the curse O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall bee ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they haue forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters But let them that cleaue to the Lord heare the blessing I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Let vs hang on the mouth of God for decision of all our doubts direction of all our waies like the Centurions seruants Going when he bids vs comming when he cals vs doing what he commands vs. At his Word let vs arise and goe on earth at his Call wee shall arise and goe to heauen Hee that obeyes the surge in grace shall haue the surge in Glory Hee that goes in the wayes of Holinesse shall go into the courts of Happinesse Hee that goeth forth weeping bearing with him precious seed shall come againe reioycing and bring his sheaues with him They that haue done well shall goe into euerlasting life Thus much of these two words as they belonged to that person the Leper Now let vs vsefully apply them to our selues First let vs obserue from this Arise 1. It is Christ that giues the Surge which reuiueth vs we can neuer stirre from the seate of impietie till hee bids vs Arise No man can come to me except the Father draw him The Spirit of Christ must draw vs out of the black and mirie pit of iniquity as Ebedmelech drew Ieremy out of the dungeon We cannot arise of our selues Nature hath no foote that can make one true step toward heauen That which is borne of the flesh is flesh not fleshly in the concrete but flesh in the abstract We cannot speake vnlesse he open our lips God sayes to the Prophet Cry What shall I cry the Spirit must giue the word All flesh is grasse c. Wee cannot stand vnlesse hee giues vs feet Sonne of man stand vpon thy feete alas he cannot but ver 2. The Spirit entred into me and set me vpon my feete We cannot see except hee giues vs eyes Intelligite insipientes Bee wise O yee fooles Alas they cannot but Da mihi intellectum do thou O Lord giue them wisedome Bee yee not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your minde that you may proue c. There are first two verbes Passiue then an Actiue to shew that we are double so much Patients as we are Agents Being moued we moue Acta fit actiua voluntas when God hath enclined our will to good that will can then incline vs to performe goodnesse If we cannot speake without lips from him nor walke without affections from him nor see except hee giue vs eyes then neither can we arise except he takes vs by the hand as Peter tooke the Creeple and lift him vp and immediately his feete and ancle bones receiued strength If the spirit of our Lord Iesus giue vs a Surge our lame soules shall grow strong and liuely in the nerues of graces we shall Arise and walke leaping and singing and praising God 2 We must arise for wee are naturally downe By nature a man lyeth in wickednesse by grace he riseth to newnesse of life Nature and Religion are two opposites I meane by nature corrupted nature and by Religion true Religion for otherwise the accepting of some Religion is ingraffed to euery Nature It is Nature to bee dead in sinnes it is Religion to be dead to sinne It is Nature to be Reprobate to euery good worke Religion to be ready to euery good worke It is nature to be a Louer of ones selfe 2. Tim. 3. 2. Religion to deny ones selfe Luk. 9. 23. It is nature for a man to seeke onely his owne profite Religion to Serue others by loue Nature esteemes Preaching folly Religion the power of God to saluation There are two lights in man as in heauen Reason and Faith Reason like Sara is still asking How can this bee Faith like Abraham not disputes but beleeues There is no validity in Morall vertues Ciuill mens good workes are a meere carkase without the soule of Faith They are like that Romane that hauing fortunately slaine his three enemies the Curiatij comming home in triumph and beholding all the people welcome him with acclamations onely his sister weepe because hee had slaine her loue hee embittered his victories with the murder of his owne sister Carnall men may doe glorious deeds flourish with braue atchieuements but they marre all by killing their owne sister the deare soule Thus we are downe by Nature Grace can onely helpe vs vp and make vs arise If you aske how Nature hath deiected vs how we came originally thus depraued I answer We know not so well how we came by it as we are sure we haue it Nihil ad prâ—…dicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius Nothing is more certainely true to be preached nothing more secretly hard to be vnderstood Therefore as in case of a Town on fire let vs not busily enquire how it came but carefully endeuour to put it out A Traueller passing by and seeing a man fallen into a deep pit began to wonder how he sell in to whom the other replyed Tu cogita quomodo hinc me liberes non quomodo huc ceciderim quaeras Do thou good friend rather study how to helpe me out then stand questioning how I came in Pray to Christ for this Surge
Pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thy selfe in the sea and it shall obey them yet reprobates also had it for euen they that are cast out with a Discedite à me plead this In thy name haue we cast out deuils and done many wonderfull workes But it was not this faith 5. There is a faith that beleeues to go to heauen though it bend the course directly to hell that thinks to arriue at the Ierusalem of blessednesse through the Samaria of prophanenesse a presumption but it was not this faith 6. There is a faith that beleeues a mans owne mercy in Iesus Christ and liues a life worthy of this hope and becomming such a prosession and it was this faith that our Sauiour commendeth When Samuel came to anoint one of the sonnes of Iesse Eliab was presented to him and he said Surely the Lords Anointed is before him He was deceiued hee might haue a goodly countenance and a high stature but it was not he Then passed by Abinadab nor is this he then Shammah nor is this hee Then seuen of his sonnes were presented The Lord hath chosen none of thâ—…se Be here all saith Samuel Iesse answered No the yongest is behind and he keepeth the sheepe Then said Samuel Send and fetch him for we will not sit downe till he come When he was come he was ruddy and withall of a beautifull countenance and goodly to looke on And the Lord said Arise and anoint him for this is he If wee should make such a quest for the principall Grace Temperance is a sober and matronly vertue but not shee Humility in the lowest is respected of the Highest but not she Wisedome is a heauenly grace similisque creanti like the Maker but not shee Patience a sweet and comfortable vertue that lookes cheerefully on troubles when her brest is red with the bloud of sufferance her cheekes are white with the purenesse of innocence yet not shee Iustice hath a hand spotlesse as the brow of heauen a heart transparant as Christall a countenance able to daunt temptation it selfe yet not she Charity is a louely vertue little innocents hang at her brests Angels kisse her cheekes Her lips are like a threed of scarlet and her speech is comely her Temples are like a Pomegranate within her lookes all the ends of the earth call her blessed yet not shee Lastly Faith appeares beautified with the robe of her Sauiours righteousnesse adorned with the iewels of his graces and shining in that fairenesse which hee gaue her Iam Regina venit now comes the Queene of Graces This is she Now as Faith excells all other graces so there is a speciall degree of faith that excells all other degrees For euery faith is not a sauing faith The King of Syria commanded his Captaines y Fight neither with small nor great saue onely with the King of Israel How should they know him By his Princely attire and royall deportment Perhaps they met with many glorious personages slew heere and there one none of them was the King of Israel Setting vpon Iehoshaphat they said Surely this is the King of Israel no it was not One drew a bow at a venture smote a man in his Charet and that was the King of Israel The faith that belieues Gods Word to be true is a good faith but not Illa fides that sauing Faith The faith that beleeues Christ to be the worlds Sauiour is a true faith but not that faith The faith that belieues many men shall be saued is vera fides non illa fides a true faith but not that faith The faith that beleeues a mans owne soule redeemed iustified saued by the merits of Iesus Christ not without vvorks answerable to this beliefe this is that faith That was the King of Israel and this is the Queene of Israâ—… all the other be but her attendants There is Fides Sentiends Assentiendi and Appropriandi a man may haue the first and not the second he may haue the first and second and yet not the third but if he haue the third degree he hath all the former Some know the truth but doe not consent to it some know it and assent to it yet beleeue not their owne part they that belieue their own mercy haue all the rest As meat digested turnes to iuyce in the stomake to bloud in the liuer to spirits in the heart so faith is in the braine knowledge in the reason assent in the heart application As the child in the wombe hath first a vegetatiue life then a sensitiue last a rationall So faith as meere knowledge hath but a vegetation as allowance but sense onely the applying and apportioning the merites of Christ to the owne soule by it this is the rationall the very life of it But thus we may better exemplifie this Similitude The vegetatiue soule is the soule of plants and it is a true soule in the kind though it haue neither sense nor reason The sensitiue soule is the soule of beasts a true soule includes vegetation but is voide of reason The rationall soule is the soule of man a distinct soule by it selfe comprehends both vegetation and sense hauing added to them the perfection of reason So there are three kindes or degrees of Faith 1. To belieue there is a God this is the faith of Pagans and it is a true faith though it neither belieue the Word of God nor mercy from God 2. To belieue that what God sayes is true this is the faith of deuils and reprobates and a true faith including the faith of Pagans and going beyond it yet it apprehends no mercy 3. To belieue on God to rely vpon his mercy in Christ and to affie their owne reconciliation this is the faith of the Elect comprehends both the former yet is a distinct faith by it selfe This faith onely saues and it hath two properties 1. It is a repenting faith for Repentance is Faiths Vsher deawes all her way with teares Repentance reades the Law and weepes Faith reads the Gospell and comforts Both haue seueral bookes in their hands Poenitentia intuetur Mosem Fides Christum Repentance lookes on the rigorous brow of Moses Faith beholds the sweet countenance of Christ Iesus 2. It is a working faith if it worke not it is dead and a dead faith no more saues then a painted fire warmes Faith is a great Queene her cloathing is of wrought gold the virgins her companions that follow her are good deeds Omnis fidelis tantum credit quantum sperat amat quantum credit sperat amat tantum operatur A Christian so farre beleeues as he hopes and loues and so farre as he belieues hopes and loues he workes Now as Moses is said to see him that is invisible because he saw his back-parts and as when we see the members of the body mouing to their seuerall functions we know there is a soule within albeit vnseene so faith cannot
shall manumit and set free our soules from the prison of the body there shal be a second meeting Many haue come from east from west farre remote in place and haue met with Abraham and Isaac and the holy Patriarches which liued long before them in this world in the kingdome of heauen So already in Mount Sion are the Spirits of iust men made perfect The purer part is then glorified and meets with the triumphant Church in blisse This meeting exceeds the former in comfort 1. In respect that our miseries are past our conflict is ended teares are wiped from our eyes The very release from calamitie is not a litle felicitie So Austin meditates of this place negatiuely Non est ibi mors non luctus c. There is no death nor dearth no pining nor repining no sorrow nor sadnes neither teares nor feares defect nor lothing No glory is had on earth without grudging emulation in this place there is no enuie Non erit aliqua inuidia disparis claritatis quum regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis None sâ—…all malice anothers glorious clearnesse when in all shall be one gratious dearenesse God shall then giue rest to our desires In our first meeting we haue Desiderium quietis in this second Quietem desiderij Here we haue a desire of rest there we shall haue rest of desire 2. In regard that we shall see God behold him whose glory filleth all in all This is great happinesse for in his presence is the fullnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euer We shall not only meete with the spirits of iust men made perfect but also with him that made them iust and perfect Iesus the mediatour of the new couenant euen God himselfe 3 Our last meeting which is called the Generall assembly and Church of the first borne written in heauen is the great meeting at the end of the world When our re-vnited bodies soules shall possesse perfect glory and raigne with our Sauiour for euer When as no mountayne or rocke shall shelter the wicked from doome terrour so no corruption detayne one bone or dust of vs from glory We shal be caught vp together in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be euer with the Lord. Who We. There is a time when the elect shall meete in one vniuersalitie Though now weare scattered all ouer the broad face of the earth dispersed and distressed yet we shall meet There is now a Communion of Saints 1. As of all the members with the Head all haue interest in Christ. For he is not a garden flower priuate to few but the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleys common to the reach of all faythfull hands So Iude calls this our common saluation 2. So of one member with another euen of the Church triumphant with this militant They sing Hosanna's for vs we Halleluia's for them they pray to God for vs we prayse God for them For the excellent graces they had on earth and for their present glory in heauen We meete now in our affections to solace one another and serue our God there is a mutuall sympathie betweene the parts If one member suffer all suffer with it But this meeting shal be voyd of passion and therfore needlesse of compassion though loue shall remaine for euer This Instruction is full of comfort We part here with our parents children kinred friends death breakes off our societie yet there shall be a day of meeting Comfort one another with these wordes Hast thou lost a wife brother child you shall one day meete though not with a carnall distinction of sexe or corrupt relation which earth afforded No man carries earth to heauen with him the same body but transfigured purified glorified There shall be loue hereafter not the offals of it A wife shall be knowne not as a wife there is no marriage but the Lambes Thou shalt reioyce in thy glorified brother not as thy brother according to the flesh but as glorified It is enough that this meeting shall affoord more ioy then we haue knowledge to expresse This giues thee consolation dying with griefe thou leauest those thou dearely louest Yet first thou art going to one whose loue is greater then Ionathans that gaue his life to redeeme thee And well pondering the matter thou art content to forsake all to desire a dissolution that thou mayest be with Christ. Yet this is not all thou shalt againe meet those whom thou now departest from and that with greater ioy then thou hast left in present sorow This comforts vs all if it be a pleasure for friends to meet on earth where Satan is still scattering his troubles of dissention what is it to meete in heauen where our peace is free from distraction from destruction where if there be any memorie of past things meminisse iunabit it shall rather delight vs to thinke of the miseries gone and without feare of returning It is some delight to the merchant to sitte by a quiet fire and discourse the escaped perills of wrackes and stormes Remoue then your eyes from this earth whether you be rich for whom it is more hard or poore for whom it is easier and know it is better liuing in heauen together then on earth together So then run your race that in the end you may meet with this blessed societie the Congregation of Saints in glory We yea All we In this world we must neuer looke to see an vniuersall Church but at that generall day we shall All meete In heauen there are none but good in hell none but bad on earth both good and bad mingled together I confesse that the Church militant is the Suburbes of heauen yea called the Kingdome of heauen because the King of heauen gouernes it by his celestiall lawes but still it is but heauen vpon earth In Gods floore there is chaffe mixed with the wheat in his field cockle with corne in his net rubbish with fish in his house vessells of wrath with those of honour The Church is like the moone somtimes increasing somtimes decreasing but when it is at the full not without some spottes Now this mixture of the vngodly is suffred for two causes either that themselues may be conuerted or that others by them may be excercised Omnis malus aut ideo viuit vt corrigatur aut ideo vt per illum bonus excerceatur 1. For their owne emendation that they may be conuerted to embrace that good which they haue hated So Saul a persecutor becomes Paul a professor Mary Magdalen turpissima meretrix fit sanctissima mulier a putrified sinner a purified Saint Zacheus that had made many rich men poore will now make many poore men rich when he had payed euery man his owne and that now he iudged their owne which he had fraudulently got from them Behold halfe my goods
fall into the hands of the liuing God It is then wretchedly done thou Foole to iest at sinne that angers God who is able to anger all the vaines of thy heart for it 6. Sinne which was punished euen in heauen Angeli detruduntur propter peecatum 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell It could bring downe Angels from heauen to hell how much more men from earth to hell If it could corrupt such glorious natures what power hath it against dust and ashes Art thou better or dearer then the Angelles were Dost thou flowt at that which condemned them Goe thy wayes make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes mocke at that which threw downe Angels Vnles God giue thee repentance and another minde thou shalt speed as the lost Angels did For God may as easilie cast thee from earth as he did them from heauen 7. Sinne which God so loathed that hee could not saue his owne elect because of it but by killing his owne Sonne It is such a disease that nothing but the bloud of the Sonne of God could cure it He cured vs by taking the receits himselfe which we should haue taken He is first cast into a Sweat such a sweat as neuer man but he felt when the bubbles were droppes of bloud Would not sweating serue he comes to incision they pierce his hands his feete his sides and set life it selfe abroach Hee must take a potion too as bitter as their malice could make it compounded of vineger gall And lastly he must take a stranger and stronger medicine then all the rest he must die for our sinnes Behold his harmles hands pierced for the sinnes our harmefull hands had committed His vndefiled feete that neuer stood in the wayes of euill nailed for the errors of our pathes Hee is spitted on to purge away our vncleannesse clad in scornefull Robes to couer our wickednesse whipped that we might escape euerlasting scourges He would thirst that our soules might be satisfied the Eternall would die that we might not die eternally He is content to beare all his Fathers wrath that no pang of that burden might be imposed vppon vs and seeme as forsaken a while that we by him might be receiued for euer Behold his side become bloudie his heart dry his face pale his armes stiffe after that the streame of bloud had ran downe to his wounded feet O thinke if euer man felt sorrow like him or if he felt any sorrow but for Sinne. Now is that Sinne to be laughed at that cost so much torment Did the pressure of it lie so heauie on the Sonne of God and doth a son of man make light of it Did it wring from him sweat and bloud and teares and vnconceiueable groanes of an afflicted spirit and dost thou O foole iest at it Alas that which put our infinite Redeemer God and man so hard to it must needs swallow vp and confound thee poore sinfull wretch It pressed him so farre that he cryed out to the amasement of earth and heauen My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Shall he cry for them and shal we laugh at them Thou mockest at thy oppressions oathes sacriledges lusts frauds for these hee groaned Thou scornest his Gospell preached he wept for thy scorne Thou knowest not O foole the price of a Sinne thou must doe if thy Sauiour did not for thee If he suffred not this for thee thou must suffer it for thy selfe Passio aeterna erit in te si passio Aeterni non erat pro te An eternall passion shall be vpon thee if the Eternals passion were not for thee Looke on thy Sauiour and make not a mocke at Sinne. 8 Lastly Sinne shall be punished with Death you know what death is the wages of it not onely the first but the second death Inexpressible are those torments when a reprobate would giue all the pleasures that eâ—…er he enioyed for one drop of water to coole his tongue Where there shall be vnquencheable fire to burne not to giue light saue a glimmering ad ag grauationem vt videant vnde doleant non ad consulâ—…ionem ne videant vnde gandeant to shew them the torments of others and others the torments of themselues But I cease vrging this terrour and had rather win you by the loue of God then by his wrath and Iustice. Neither neede I a stronger argument to disswade you from sinne then by his passion that dyed for vs being enemies For if the agonie anguish and heart-bloud of Iesus Christ shed for our sinnes will not moue vs to repentance we are in a desperate case Now therefore I fitly leaue Pauls adiuration so sweetely tempered in your bosomes commending that to your consciences and your consciences to God I beseech yâ—… brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto GOD. THE FIRE OF CONTENTION OR The trouble that followes the Gospell Lvk. 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be alreadie kindled BEfore I run vpon Diuision and yet Diuision is the subiect of my Text and for methods sake I must vse some diuision in my discourse I must let you vnderstand what this Fire is that is sent and how innocent our Sauiour is that sendeth it 1. There may be Dessention betwixt the good and the good and hereof is the Deuill the author It is the Enemie that sowes those Tares This is one of the abominations that the Lord abhorreth A false witnes that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren God is neuer the immediate cause of that which he abominates If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God To cleare Christ and his Gospell from causing this the tenour of all Scriptures admonisheth vs with Saint Peter Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous Vnitie is the badge of Christianitie wee are all the members of one bodie The eye cannot say to the hands I haue no need of you c. We are all stones of one building therefore must not iarre one with another least we ruine the whole house Christ sayth that a kingdome diuided cannot stand The Souldiours would not diuide the vnseamed coate of Christ farre bee it from vs to rent his bodie There are three grounds of loue vertue pleasure profite Vertue all consent to be the surest and best That then which is grounded on the best vertue is the best vnitie and this is Faith Loue issuing from Faith is a bond able to tie God to man man to God and therefore man to man This knot is tyed so fast that the powers of hell cannot vndoe it All other vnities but the Communion of Saints may be broken There is no peace so indissoluble as the peace of faith So contrarily there
yet giue them nothing needfull to the body your deuotion profites not neither them nor your selues There is difference betwixt breath and bread betweene wording working between meere language very sustenance The Apostle chargeth vs to walke not to talke of loue One step of our feet is worth ten wordes of our tongues The actions of pitty do gracefully become the profession of pietie It is wittily obserued that the ouer-precise are so thwartingly crosse to the superstitious in all things that they will scarce doe a good worke because an Hereticke doth it That whereas a Papist will rather loose a penie then a Pater-noster these will rather giue a Pater-noster then a peny They are deuout and free in any thing that toucheth not their purses Thus with a shew of spirituall counsell they neglect corporall comfort and ouerthrow that by their cold deeds which they would seeme to build vp by their hote words That the poore might well reply More of your cost and lesse of your counsell would do farre better Walke in Loue. Doe not step ouer it nor crosse it nor walke besides it nor neare it but walke in it The doctrine in full strength directs vs to a constant embracing of Charitie The whole course of our liuing must be louing our beginning continuance end must be in Charitie Two sorts of men are here specially reprouable Some that seeme to Begin in Charitie but end not so End in Charitie that neuer walked so Some haue had apparant beginnings of loue whose conclusion hath halted off into worldlinesse whiles they had little they communicated some of that little but the multiplying their riches hath beene the abatement of their mercies Too many haue verified this incongruent and preposterous obseruation that the filling their purses with money hath proued the emptying their hearts of Charitie As one obserues of Rome that the declination of pietie came at one instant with the multiplication of mettals Euen that Clergie that poore cared onely to feed the flocke once growne rich studied onely to fil the paile Ammianus Marcellinus saith of them that Matronarum oblationibus ditabantur they were enriched by Ladies gifts And heruepon together with that vnlucky separation of the Greeke head from the Latine bodie the Empire began to dwindle the Popedome to flourish Now plentie is the daughter of prosperitie ambition of plentie corruption of ambition So Diuitiae veniunt Relligioque fugit Religion brings in wealth wealth thrusts out Religion To this purpose and to preuent this readie euill was Gods charge by the pen of Dauid If riches encrease set not your heart vpon them For till they encrease there is lesse danger But sayth one Societas quaedam est etiam nominis vitijs diuitijs Wealth and wickednesse are neere of kinne Nimia bonorumcopia ingens malorum occasio Plentie of goods lightly occasions plentie of euils Goodnes commonly lasts till goods come but dition of state alters condition of persons How many had beene good had they not beene great And as it was said of Tiberius He would haue made a good subiect was a very ill King so many haue dyed good seruants that would haue liued bad masters God that can best fit a mans estate here that it may further his saluation hereafter knowes that many a man is gone poore vp to heauen who rich would haue tumbled downe to hell We may obserue this in Peter who being gotten into the High Priestes Hall sits him downe by the warme fire and forgets his master Before Peter followed Christ at the hard heeles through cold heat hunger and thirst trouble and wearines and promiseth an infallible adherence But now he sittes beaking himselfe by a warme fire his poore Master is forgotten Thus his bodie growes warme his zeale his soule cold When he was abroad in the cold he was the hotter Christian now he is by the fire-side he grows the colder Oh the warmth of this world how it makes a man forget Christ He that wants bread pitties them that be hungry and they that want fire haue compassion of the poore cold and naked but the warmth and plentie of the world starues those thoughts When the Princes are at ease in Sion they neuer grieue for the afflictiō of Ioseph Whilst vsurie can sit in furres ambition looke downe from his loftie turrets lust imagine heauen in her soft embracings Epicurisme studie dishes and eate them pride studie fashions weare them the downe-troden poore exposed to the bleakeayre afflicted famished are not thought on So easily are many that begun in loue put by riches out of the way and made to forbeare Walking in Charitie euen by that which should enable their steps Thus auarice breeds with wealth as they speake of toads that haue beene found in the midst of great stones Though the man of meane estate whose owne want instructs his heart to commiserate others say thus with himselfe If I had more goods I would do more good yet experience iustifies this point that many haue changed their minds with their meanes and the state of their purse hath forspoken the state of their conscience So they haue begunne in the charitie of the Spirit and ended in the cares of the Flesh. Euerie man hath a better opinion of himselfe then to thinke thus As Hazael answered Elisha when the good Prophet told him with teares that hee should burne the cities of Israel with fire slay the inhabitants rip vp the women with child and dash the infants against the stones Am I a dog that I should doe this horred thing So you will not thinke that being now meane you relieue the distressed if you were rich that you would robbe spoile defraud oppresse impouerish them O you know not the incantations of the world It is a Pipe that beyond the Sirens singing makes many sober men run mad vpon it I haue read of an exquisite musician of whom it was reported that hee could put men into strange sittes and passions which he would as soone alter againe with varying his notes enclining and compelling the disposition of the hearer to his straines There was one that would make triall how hee could affect him daring his best skill to worke vpon his boast◅d composedne◅ and resolution The Musician begins to play and gaue such a Lacrymae so sad and deepe a lesson that the man fell into a dumpish melancholy standing as one forlorne with his armes wreathed his hat puld ouer his eyes venting many mournefull sighes Presently the Musician changeth his stroake into mirthfull lusty tunes and so by degrees into ligges crotchets and wanton ayres then the man also changeth his melancholy into spritely humours leaping and dancing as if he had bin transformed into aire This passion lasting but with the note that moued it the Musician riseth into wild raptures maskes and Anticks Whereupon he also riseth to showting holloing and such franticke passages that he grew at last starke madde
manners to shrowd dishonestie But one ounce of reall charitie is worth a whole talent of verball He loues vs best that does for vs most Many Politicians and the whole world now runnes on the wheeles of policie vse their louers as ladders their friends as scaffolds When a house is to be erected they first set vp scaffolds by which they build it vp the house finished downe pull they the scaffolds and throw them into the fire When the couetous or ambitious man hath his turne serued by others either for his aduancing or aduantaging for gaine or glory he puts them off with neglect and contempt The house is built what care they for the scaffold The feate is wrought let the wise and honest helpers be prison'd or poison'd sinke or swimme stand or perish Nay it is well if they helpe not those downe that helped them vp 3. Kind The Apostle makes Kindnesse one essentiall part of our loue deriuing it from Christs example who was Kind to vs both in giuing vs much good and forgiuing vs much euill And God commendeth yea commandeth the inseparable neighbourhood of godlinesse and brotherly kindnesse Adde to your godlinesse brotherly kindnes For there is no piety towards God where there is no kindnesse to our brother Now Christs kindnes to vs consisted in 2. excellent effects Corrigendo Porrigendo 1. In correcting our errours dirâ—…cting and amending our liues Non minima pars dilectionis est reprehendere dilectâ—…m It is no small part of kindnesse to reproue him thou louest Therefore God sayth Thâ—… shalt reproue thy brother and not hate him in thy heart A louing man will chide his erring friend and he that does not hates him in his heart Sic vigilet tolerantia vt non dormiat disciplina So let patience watch that discipline sleepe not This was Dauids desire Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnes and let him reproue â—…e it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake my head Our Sauiour tooke this course but he was pittifull in it not breaking the bruised reâ—…d nor quenching the smoking flaxe He was not transported with passion but moued with tender compassion and mercifull affection He was moued with compassion toward the people seeing them as sheepe without a shepheard As a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him And children are Vicera parentum saith Ierome the very bowels of the parents Therefore his bowels earned within him when he saw the weakly blind led by the wilfully blind and he instructed them It is no small mercy in a Father to correct his erring child This is one office of loue almost quite forgotten in the world Our eyes and eares are conscious of many horridsinnes whereof we make also our soules guiltie by our silence Like Cameleons we turne to the colour of our companie Oppressions that draw bloud of the Common-wealth moue vs not Oaths that totter the battlements of heauen wake vs not O where is our kindnesse whilst wee doe not reproue we approue these iniquities He is conscious of secret societie that forbeareth to resist open iniquitie Thou sayest it is for loues sake thou sparest reprehension why if thou loue thy friend thou wilt gently rebuke his faults If thou loue thy friend neuer so dearly yet thou oughtst to loue truth more dearly Let not then the truth of loue preiudice the loue of truth 2. In 〈◊〉 reaching â—…orth to vs his ample mercies Giuing â—…ichly â—…l things to enioy Where the Apostle describes Gods bountie that he Giues Freely Fully Vniuersally Effectually 1. Freely he giues without exchange hee receiues nothing for that he giues Vngodly men haue honor wealth health peace plentie their bellies are filled with his treasure and they doe not so much as returne him thankes His Sunne shines his raine fals on the vniust and ingratefull mans ground Man when hee giues respicit recipit gratitudinem both expects and accepts thankes and a returne of loue God hath not so much as thankes For the good they are indeed gratefull but this Gratia grati is Gratia gratificantis God giues them this grace to be thankefull and they may blesse him that he stirres them vp to blesse him 2. Fully and richly as becomes the greatest King A Duke at the wedding Feast of his daughter caused to â—…e brought in thirtie Courses and at euery Course gaue so many gifts to each guest at the Table as were Dishes in the Course And I haue read of a Queene that feasted her guests with wines brewed with dissolued precious stories that euery draught was valued at a hundred crownes Here was royall entertainment but this was but one Feast Such bountie continued would quickly consume the finite meanes of any earthly Prince Onely God is rich in mercie his treasurie fils all the world without emptying yea empairing or abating it selfe 3. Vniuersally all things The king hath his Crowne the great man his honour the mightie his strength the rich his wealth the learned his knowledge the meane man his peace all at his Gift He opens his hand wide he sparseth abroad his blessings and filles all thinges liuing with his plenteousnesse 4. Effectually he settles these gifts vpon vs. As he gaue them without others so others without him shall neuer be able to take them away As he created so he conserueth the vertues strength in bread and warmth in cloathes and giues wine and oyle their effectiue chearfulnesse Be â—…ou so kind as this holy and heauenly patterne not ayming at the measure which is inimitable but leuelling at the maner which is charitable Like Iob who vsed not to eate his morsels alone neither to deny his bread to the hungry nor the fleece of his flocke to the cold and naked Let thy stocke of kindnes be liberall though thy stocke of wealth bee stinted Giue Omni petenti though not Omnia petenti as that Father excellently 4. Constant. For with Christ is no variablenes no shadow of change But Whom he once loues he loues for euer Ficklenesse is for a Laban whose countenance will turne away from Iacob and his affection fall off with his profite I haue read of two intire friends well deseruing for their vertues that when the one was promoted to great wealth and dignitie the other neglected in obscuritie the preferred though he could not diuide his honour yet shared his wealth to his old companion Things so altered that this honourd friend was falsely accused of treacherie and by the blow of suspition throwne downe to misery the other for his nowe obserued goodnes raised vp to a high place where now he requites his deiected friend with the same courtesie as if their minds had coÌ„sented contended to make that equall which their states made different O for one dramme of this immutable Loue in the world Honours change manners wee will not know those in the
afflicting obiects of shame and tyrannie Those â—…ares which to delight the high Quorillers of heauen sing their 〈◊〉 notes must be wearied with the taunts and 〈◊〉 of blasphemie And all this for vs not onely to satisfie those sinnes which our Senses haue committed but to mortifie those senses and preseâ—…e them from those sinnes That our eyes may be no more full of adulteries nor throw couetous lookes on the goods of our brethren That our â—…ares may no more giue so wide admission and welcome entrance to lewd reports the incantations of Sathan That sinne in all our senses might be done to death the poison exhausted the sense purified 4. In all members Looke on that blessed Body conceiued by the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin it is all ouer scourged martyred tortured manacled mangled What place can you find free Caput Angelicâ—… spiritibus tremebundum densitatâ—… spinarum pungitur facies pulchraprâ—… filijs hominum Iudâ—…orum spâ—…t is detâ—…rpatur Oculi 〈◊〉 sole in 〈◊〉 caligantur c. To begin at his head that head which the Angels reuerence is crowned with thornes That face which is fairer them the sonnes of men must be odiously spit on by the filthy Iewes His hands that made the heauens are extended fastned to a crosse The feet which tread vpon the neckes of his and our enemies feele the like smart And the mouth must be buffeâ—…ed which spake as neuer man spake Still all this for vs. His head bled for the wicked imaginations of our heads His face was besmeared with spittle because we had spit impudent blasphemies against heauen His lips were afflicted that our lips might henceforth yeeld sauoury speeches His feet did bleed that our feet might not be swift to shed bloud All his members suffered for the sinnes of all our members and that our members might be no more ser uants to sin but seruants to righteousnes vnto holines CoÌ„spâ—…i voluit vt nos Lauaret velari voluit vt velamen ignorantia a mentibus nostris 〈◊〉 in capite percuti vt corpori sanitatem restitueret Hee would be polluted with their spettle that hee might wash vs hee would bee blindfolded that he might take the vaile of ignorance from our eyes He suffered the head to be wounded that hee might renew health to all the body Sixe times we read that Christ shed his bloud First when he was circumcised at eight dayes old his bloud was spilt 2. In his agonie in the garden where he swett drops of bloud 3. In his scourging when the merciles tormentors fetch'd bloud from his holy sides 4. When he was crowned with thornes those sharpe prickles raked and harrowed his blessed head and drew forth bloud 5. In his crucifying when his hands feet were pierced bloud gushed out 6. Lastly after his death One of the souldiours with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water All his members bled to shew that he bled for all his members Not one drop of this bloud was shed for himselfe all for vs for his enemies persecutors crucifiers our selues But what shall become of vs if all this cannot mortifie vs How shall we liue with Christ if with Christ wee bee not dead Dead in deed vnto sinne but liuing vnto righteousnesse As Elisha reuiued the Shunamites child hee lay vpon it put his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warme So the Lord Iesus to recouer vs that were dead in our sinnes and trespasses spreads and applies his whole Passion to vs layes his mouth of blessing vpon our mouth of blasphemie his eyes of holinesse vpon our eyes of lust his hands of mercie vpon our hands of crueltie and stretcheth his gratious selfe vpon our wretched selues till we begin to waxe warme to get life and the holy Spirit returnes into vs. 5. In his Soule All this was but the out-side of his Passion Now is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but for this cause came I vnto this houre The paine of the bodie is but the bodie of paine the very soule of sorrow is the sorrow of the soule All the outward afflictions were but gentle prickings in regard of that his soule suffered The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare He had a heart within that suffered vnseene vnknowne anguish This paine drew from him those strong cryes those bitter teares He had often sent forth the cryes of compassion of passion and complaint not till now He had wept the teares of pittie the teares of loue but neuer before the teares of anguish When the Sonne of God thus cryes thus weepes here is more then the bodie distressed the soule is agonized Still all this for vs. His Soule was in our soules stead what would they haue felt if they had bin in the stead of his All for vs to satisfaction to emendation For thy drunkennesse and powring downe strong drinks he drunke vineger For thy intemperate gluttonie he fasted For thy sloth he did exercise himselfe to continuall paines Thou sleepest secure thy Sauiour is then waking watching praying Thy armes are inured to lustfull embracings hee for this embraceth the rough Crosse. Thou deckest thy selfe with proud habiliments he is humble and lowly for it Thou ridest in pompe he iourneys on foote Thou wallowest on thy downe beds thy Sauiour hath not a pillow Thou surfeiâ—…est and he sweats it out a bloudâ—… sweat Thou fillest and swellest thy selfe with a 〈◊〉 of wickednes behold incision is made in the Head for thee thy Sauiour bleeds to death Now iudge whether this point For vs hath not deriued a neere application of this Text to our owne consciences Since then Christ did all this for thee and me pray then with August O Dâ—… Iesâ—… da cordi 〈◊〉 tâ—… deâ—…derare 〈◊〉 qâ—…rere quâ—…rendo inuenâ—… iâ—…enien do 〈◊〉 amâ—…do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redempta 〈◊〉 â—…rare Lord giue me a heart to desire thee desiring to seeke thee seeking to find thee finding to loue thee louing no more to offend thee There are two maine parts of this Crucifixe yet to handle I must onely name them being sorry that it is still my hap to trouble you with prolixitie of speech 6. The next is the Manner An offering and Sacrifice His whole life was an Offering his death a Sacrifice He gaue himselfe often for vs an Eucharisticall oblation once an explatorâ—… Sacrifice In the former hee did for vs all that we should doe in the latter hee suffered for vs all that we should suffer Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne 〈◊〉 on the tree Some of the Hebrewes haue affirmed that in the fire which consumed the legall Sacrifices there alwayes appeared the face of a Lyon
he is Not future euents but present condition may be thus learned Neither day nor night scapes a good man without some profite the night teacheth him what he is as the day what he should be Therefore said a Philosopher that all waking men are in one common world but in sleepe euery man goes into a world by himselfe For his dreames doe signifie to him those secret inclinations to which hee thought himselfe a stranger though they were home-dwellers in his heart Euen those fancies are speaking images of a mans disposition And as I haue heard of some that talke in their dreames and then reueale those secrets which awake they would not haue disclosed So may thy dreames tell thee when thou wakest what kind of man thou art The hypocrite dreames of dissimulation the proud woman of paint and colours the theefe of robberie and booties the Iesuite of treasons Let them aske their very sleepe qualeâ—… sint what manner of men they arâ—… For so lightly they answere temptations actually waking as their thoughts doe sleeping Thus onely a man may make good vse of his dreames Here let vs obserue that God doth sometimes draw men to him suis ipsorum 〈◊〉 by their owne delights and studies No doubt these Magi were well acquainted with dreames it being amongst Ethnickes and Peripatetickes a speciall obiect of diuination Therefore there is a booke bearing the name of Aristotle De diuiâ—…ne pâ—…r somnium Many â—…ors these men had swallowed by dreames now behold in a dreame they shall receiue the truth So God called them by a Starre whose profession was to relie too much on the Starres Quare per Stellam vt per Christum ipsa materia erroris fieret salutis occasio Why by a Starre that through Iesus Christ the very matter of their error might be made a meanes of their saluation Per 〈◊〉 illâ—…s vocat quâ—… familâ—…ria illis consâ—…tudo fecit God cals them by those things which custome had made familiar to them They that are stung with Scorpions must be cured by the oyle of Scorpions Thus God allures men to him as Fishermen 〈◊〉 with such baites as may bee somewhat agâ—…ble to them Paul is occasioned by the Alâ—… 〈◊〉 the vnknowâ—… God to make knowne the true God the 〈◊〉 Iesus Doth Dauid loue the Sheepe-folds he shall be a Shepheard still From following the eâ—…s great with yong he brought him to feed Iacob his people and Isrâ—…ll his â—…ritance Doth Peter loue fishing he shall goe a fishing still though for more noble creatures to catch souleâ—… Doe these Magicians loue Starres and Dreames behold a Starre and a Dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God Old Isâ—… takes occasion by the smell of his Sons garments sauouring of the field to pronounce a spirituall blessing The smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Ierome notes of Amos that he begins his Prophecie with roaring The Lord shall roare from Sion Because he being a field-man kept the woods where hee was wonted to the roaring of Lyons Iudaei signa quaerunt Doe the Iewes seeke a signe Why Christ will there euen among them worke his Myracles Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose shall catch him at a Sermon All things shall worke to their good that are good Omnia etiam peccata All things euen their very sinnes sayth Augustinâ—… 〈◊〉 in his Essayes writes that a libidinous gentleman sporting with a Courtezan in a house of sinne chanced to aske her name which she sayd was Mary Whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not onely cast off the Harlot but amended his whole future life Well-beloued since this is Gods mercie to allure vs to him by our owne delights let vs yeeld our selues to be caught What scope doth thy addiction leuell at that is not sinfull which Gods word doth not promise and afford What delight can you aske which the Sanctuarie giues not Loue you hunting learne here to hunt the Foxes the little Cubbes those craftie sins sculking in your bosomes Would you dance let your hearts keepe the measures of Christian ioy and leape like Iohn the Baptist in Elizabeths wombe at the saluation of Iesus Delight you in running Paul sets you a race So runne that ye may obtaine You shall haue good company Dâ—…id promiseth that he will run the way of Gods commandements Peter and Iohn will runne with you to Iesus Loue you Musicke Here are the Bels of Aaron still ringing the treble of Mercie and the tenor of Iudgement Leui's Lute and Dauids Harpe There are no such songs as the songs of Sion Would you be merry Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say reioyce If euer you found ioy like this ioy the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost backe againe to the world Louest thou daintie cheare here be the best cates the body and bloud of thy Sauiour the bread of life no hunger after it Wilt thou drinke much Drinke my wine and my milke drinke yea drinke abundantly O Beloued Bibâ—…e 〈◊〉 as the originall imports drinke and bee drunken with loues pledge the health that Christ begun euen asauing health to all nations Are you ambitious there is no preferment like that to be had here in the Court of the King of Kings Dauid iudged it no little thing to bee Sonne in law to a King but what is it then to bee a King Desire you stately buildings Alas the whole world is but a Cottage a poore transient Tabernacle to the Mansions promised by Christ. Lastly are you couetous Yet I need not aske that question but take it as granted Why then here is gold more precious then that of Arabia or of Hauilah rust or theefe may distresse that this is a treasure can neuer be lost What should I say more What can winne you Which way soeuer your desires stands God doth allure you The best thinges in earth or in heauen are your baite With these doth the Lord seeke you not for any need that he hath of you but for your owne saluation When the fairest of all Beloueds doth thus wooe vs let him winne vs and espouse vs to himselfe in grace that wee haue the plenary marriage in glory You see the Manner of their Warning The Matter That they should not returne to Herod Why not to Herod Because the Lord now lets them see his hypocrisie For howsoeuer he pretended Ver. 8. to come and worship him yet he intended not seruire but sâ—…uire not to honour him but to murder him He cals the Wisemen priuily as if hee quaked at the propagation of this newes for it came vpon him like the pangs of death He commands them to inquire de infante not de rege of the babe not of the King for that title galled him to the heart That I may worship him Dirum facinus tingit colore pietatis