dye for him yes i Rom. 5.7 peraduenture saith Paul for a good man one would dye It may be Damon would haue done it for Pythias Pylades for Orestes And this is as much as euer any man did or can doe For k Ioh. 15.15 greater loue then this hath no man that one should giue his life for his friend But CHIRST saith Paul setteth forth his loue vnto vs that l Rom. 5.8 cum inimici essemus when wee were his enimies hee was content to dye for vs. Rom. 5.8 Hee loued vs m Bern. sup cant serm 20. non existentes imo resistentes saith Bernard when wee were nothing and when wee were worse then nothing when wee were his very foes and mortall enemies If it bee said they are all Christs friends for whom he dyed we must answere vvith a father hee dyed indeed n Bern. in Psal Qui habitat Pio iam amicis nondum quidem amantibus sed tamen iam amatis for his friends indeede as being heartily loued of CHRIST though like vnkinde friends they loued him not againe o Tho. Aqui. in Iohannem vti Barrad to 4 lib. 4. cap. 15. Non amici quasi amantes saith Thomas tantum amici vt amati Not his friends as louing him any thing onely his friends as loued by him alone Againe it exceedes the loue that is betweene the parent and the childe For what father in the world hauing but one onely son would be content to put him to death he not deseruing it to pleasure others p Esa 49.14 Can a woman forget her child not think vpon the fruit of her wombe You will say Abraham would haue done it for loue to God Indeede he is singular in this case and such an example as the vvorld neuer afforded the like q Origen in Genes hom 8. Origen sets it our thus r Genes 22.2 Take saith God thine onely son Isaac whom thou louest c. Gense 22.2 Esto domine saith he quia de filio commemor as paetrem Be it so Lord that thou puttest the father in minde of his son s Fulmen non minus terribile Abrahamo quam si iubetur cor sibi cruere imo se cum vniuerso mundo in infernum praecipitare Pareus in Gen. 22. This is one torture to thinke that the father must now become his childes butcher t Origen vt supra Sed addis charissimum c. Thou addest thy dearest or onely sonne and not content with that but sayest also u Id. ibid. quem diligis whom thou louest It is likely that Abraham hauing beene so long without a sonne was well affected towards him now he had him but was this a fit time to put him in minde of his loue v Id. ibid. Sint et in hoc parenti triplicata supplicia Let vs obserue here three tortures to the fathers minde as so many daggers at his heart But vvhat neede was there after all this to name Isaac did not the father know that this his sonne his deare sonne whom hee loued was called Isaac yes and he remembred the promise to x Gen. 17.21 in Isaac shall thy seed be called Gen. 17.21 yet God forbeares not to name him that so y Origen in Genes ho. 8. Commemoratio nominis might be desperatio promissionis the remembrance of his name might be desperation of the promise by which he should not loose his childe onely but his owne soule also and not that alone but the soules of all men in the world beside such a triall neuer lay on any man before nor neuer shall againe and yet Abraham would haue done it But if you marke it there is no comparison betweene the loue of Abraham to God and the loue of GOD to man For what equality betweene Isaac a young lad and Christ the eternall sonne of God Againe Isaac must haue dyed once for he ought God a death z Omnia quae de Christo legeris non necessitate sed sponte facta reperies Origen in Gen. hom 8. Christ had no such necessitie being debter to no man Isaac sitting bare a little wood on his necke Christ walking carryed an heauy crosse on his shoulders and bare that which bare him fainting vnder it and dying vpon it Isaac had a Ramme sacrificed for him held by the hornes in a bush Christ was the Ramme himselfe held by the hornes a Quid est enim haerere cornibus nisi crucifigi Aug. in Psal 30. whilst hee was nayled to the Crosse and his head in the bush whilst the bushes were on his head whilst hee was crowned with thornes Lastly Isaac should haue suffred in a mountaine where none should haue seene him it stood b Gen. 22.4 three dayes iourney off Christ suffred afterward in the c Hieronimus presbyter scripsit ab antiquis et senioribus Iudae is se certissime cognouisse quod ibi immolatus sit Isaac vbi postea Christus crucifixus sit Aug. de temper ser 71. same mountaine as some thinke or not farre from it as is most certaine and was held in his suffrings three dayes and three nights together Thirdly the loue of God to his Church exceedes the loue that is betweene the husband and the wife For d Quis enim potest sic ducere vt moriatur pro ea quam vult ducere Si enim mori pro ea quā vult ducere volucrit non crit qui ducat Securus autem ille pro sponsa mortuus est quam resurgens erat ducturus Aug. in Ps 122. what man being to marry would chuse a deformed blacke and adulterous wife Or hauing chosen such a one in marriage would loue her so much as to dye for her Yet Christ hath done so for his Church his Church so adulterous so deformed Therefore hee is said when she was e Ezek. 16.16 polluted in her bloud to f Ib. vers 9. wash her with water and annoint her with oyle When she was naked and bare to g Ezek. 16.13 decke her with broyded worke of gold siluer and fine linnen When shee was h Ezek. 16.8 cast out to take her vp and to enter into a couenant with her and make her his owne Ezek. 16.8 Therefore this his marriage with his Church saith i Per nuptias Moysi nuptiae verbi ostendebantur et per Aethyopissam coniugem Ecclesiam Irenae lib. 4. cap 37. Irenaeus was like the marriage of Moyses with the Ethiopian blackmore The one bride was as defectiue in grace as the other deformed in nature But Christ did more for his spouse then euer Moyses could doe for his Bride as Bernard notes k Bernard dom 1. post Octa. Epiph. serm 2. Moyses Aethyopissam quandam duxit vxorem sed eius non potuit mutare colorem c. Moyses married a certaine blacke Ethyopian but was not able to change her skinne from blacke to white But Christ tooke to
him a Spouse that was farre more ignoble and filthy and by washing her with his owne bloud hath made her a chast Virgin to himselfe without spot or wrinckle Lastly it exceedes the loue that is betweene the body and the soule betwixt which yet there is so great loue that the one grieues to part with the other yea euen in the most sanctified men there is a kinde of reluctation against death the soule shrinkes at the bodies dissolution For that which Ierome tells of holy l Hierm. in vita Hilarion Hilarion saying to his soule thus Egredere quid times egredere anima mea quid dubitas Goe out my soule goe out what fearest thou what doubtest thou that declares a kinde of vnwillingnesse which nature hath to come to dissolution and that death is m Bern. super Cant. ser 26. as Bernard cals it Horrendum diuortium a most wofull separation not onely of the dead from the liuing but of the dead from himselfe Yet Christ most willingly suffered this most grieuous partition and separation of his body and soule asunder that hee might ioyne vs to God that were separate from him and our selues to Finally what shall I say so much was Christ transported beyond himselfe or to speake more properly so much brought short of himselfe by loue that he n Exinaniuit seipsum Phil. 2.7 emptied himselfe of all respect and made himselfe as nothing at all Euen hee which at first made all things of nothing did afterwards make nothing of himselfe Nazianzen cals loue o Nazian orat 28. in Maxim dulcem tyrannum a sweet tyrant And p Bern. super Cant. ser 64. Bernard saith Triumphat de Deo amor Loue triumphed ouer the vanquished O strange triumph Quis triumphantis currus What chariot had this Conquerour thus to triumph in Sanè Crux no other chariot but the Crosse Here Loue displayed his Banner and hung vp his Scutcheon a bleeding heart for our miserie vnfolded armes for our imbracing a bended head to incline to vs goared hands head feet and side to heale vs. So that if you aske what hard-heart bound Christ with fetters scourged him with whips crowned him with thornes pierced him with speare and fastned him with nayles himselfe will answere Loue. q Borbon apud Ludouic Granat post ill To. 2. Huc me sydereo descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vnluere fixit Amor. Hither hath the tyrant Loue brought me downe to liue a contemptible a poore life here hath the tyrant Loue fastned mee to die an ignominious and a shamefull death r D. Wals ser life and death of Christ O the loue it selfe of none but of such a one as is Loue it selfe Wilt thou now be partaker of this great loue of GOD Loue him and thou hast it For this is the rule of loue s Isidor Pelus lib. 2. epist 148. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee which desires much loue must himselfe shew much loue t Nazian Apolo 1. Neque enim quicquam ad amorem ita firmum est vt beneuolentia mutuo repensa saith Nazianzen There is not any thing so strong to draw affection of others as when a man sends forth good affections in himselfe Loue is the Load-stone of Loue. And therefore how can wee chuse vnlesse we be more hard then iron but wee must returne GOD some loue that hath bestowed so much on vs first Ierome saith v Hieron ad Celunt Nihil imperiosius charitate Nothing is more imperious and commanding then loue it will force a man in whom it is to make some testimonie of his good heart to GOD. u 2 Cor. 5.14 Charitas Dei vrget nos saith Paul The very loue of GOD constraineth vs 2 Cor. 5.14 O how should wee abound in that vertue which Paul cals x Rom. 13.8 The fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.8 Iames y Iames 2.17 The life of Faith Iam. 2.17 Chrysostome and Ierome z Chrysost in Mat. hom Hieron aduers Iohan. Hierosoly ad Theop. The mother of all vertues Fulgentius a Necest alia quae sit vera sapientia c. Fulgent de praedest lib 1. The whole wisedome of the reasonable creature And Augustine b August ad Caelestin epist 62. A common debt that can neuer be cleared but that a man must be paying of it still c Ibid. Semper debeo Charitatem saith hee quae sola etiam reddita semper detinet debitorem I am euer in debt with charitie and therefore we are commanded to d Rom. 13.8 owe it vvhich though I pay neuer so oft yet I am commanded to owe it still But here is the comfort of it the more a man payes it to others the more hee keepes it to himselfe For as Tully could tell vs e Cic. pro Cn. Plane vti habet A. Gell. lib. 1. cap. 3. Dissimilis est pecuniae debitio gratiae There is no likenesse betweene paying money and paying loue For a man cannot pay money vnlesse hee haue it and when hee hath paid it hee hath it not but a man cannot haue loue vnlesse he pay it and the more he payes it the more he hath it Therefore let vs not be such misers and hucksters of our loue as the men of the world be of their money but let it flow forth amaine from vs vnto God And as part of our loue let vs spend some time in considering what CHRIST hath suffered for vs. Marke how the Church speakes to each faithfull soule Cant. 3.11 f Cant. 3.11 Come forth yee daughters of Zion behold your King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage in the day of the gladnes of his heart That is O yee faithfull soules daughters of your Mother the Church Come forth g Bern. in Epipha ser 2. Egredimini de sensu carnis ad intellectum mentis Come forth out of the sense of the flesh to the vnderstanding of the minde Come I say a little out of your selues and by holy meditation Behold your King Solomon your true h Eph. 2.14 peace-maker and your King to Christ Iesus who i Licet enim regnum eius non sit de hoc mundo tamen rex est in hoc mundo Bern. vt supra though his kingdome be not of this world yet is a King euen in this world With the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him that is with the crowne of thornes vpon his head wherewith his mother the Synagogue k Bern. paru ser ser 6. Quae ei se non matrem exhibuit sed nouercam which proued not her selfe to him a kinde mother but a cruell stepdame Crowned him that is l Tertul. de coron milit faedauit lancinauit saith Tertullian gashed him and goared him In the day of his marriage that is in the day of his passion vpon the Crosse when hee was marryed to his Church
benefits And this is some point of loue indeede For p Greg. in Euang hom 30. Probatio dilectionis exhibitio est operis saith Gregory The commendation of true loue is the performance of some good turne But because gifts are sometimes bestowed as much for selfe-loue as for loue of a friend when a man by giuing somewhat hopes to receiue much more therefore there is a third degree greater then the other and that is by personall seruice when a man is not onely content to part with his goods but to impart his labours and suffer paine himselfe that his Loue may inioy pleasure And though this be as much as can be desired yet there is one degree further and that is by suffering death for the party beloued And here loue and all hath his end so that hee which hath this can desire no more Now all these wayes hath God loued his Church for first how amiably doth hee vse her in words for her owne good words of sweet Epithets q Can. 5.2 My Sister my Loue my Doue my Vndefiled Of kinde intreaty r 2 Cor. 5.20 We pray you in Gods stead euen as if God did beseech you through vs that yee be reconciled vnto God Of wholesome admonition s Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your vngodlinesse why will yee dye O yee house of Israel seeing I haue no pleasure in the death of a sinner Of sound aduise t Reuel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of mee gold tryed by the fire that thou maist be made rich And lastly of alluring prouocation v Mat. 11.29 Come vnto mee all yee that are heauie laden and I will refresh you For the second How hath hee spent his gifts vpon vs In the Creation hee gaue vs our selues and all things necessary for our selues He diuided his substance to man his youngest sonne and when hee like a prodigall had spent all how did he receiue him againe u Sence de ira lib. 2. cap. 27. Nimis nos suspicimus saith Seneca si digni nobis videmur c. wee are too much in loue with our selues if euer we imagine that we are worthy that the heauens should moue for vs Sun and Moone shine to vs raine and dew fall on vs earth and sea feede and comfort vs. How much more then vnworthy are wee that after all this God should bestow his sonne on vs his onely sonne on vs his fugitiue seruants In the creation hee gaue vs the best things that he had when as yet wee had nothing of our owne but in the restauration hee makes an exchange with vs x In primis de suis meliora contulit in secundis de nostris inferiora suscepit Aug. de Tempor ser 9. hee takes the worst things that wee haue and hee giues vs the best things that he hath Hee takes our nature and giues vs his grace hee takes our flesh and giues vs his spirit hee takes our misery and giues vs his mercy he takes our pouerty and giues vs his riches hee takes our shame and giues vs his glory finally hee takes our crosse and giues vs his crowne our death and giues vs his life For in giuing vs his Sonne hee giues vs all things that can be desired And neuer before did God giue a gift like himselfe infinite then hee did Novv verily a most worthy gift as hee is of most worth that is the giuer Thirdly he hath not beene pleased alone to bestow benefites on vs but in his owne person hath come and serued for vs yea hath serued vs. y Math. 20.28 The sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister Math. 20.28 Euen hee which is Lord of all made himselfe seruant vnto all z Bernard sup cant ser 64. Quae est ista quaeso vis tam violenta ad victoriam tam victa ad violentiam saith Bernard What force is that which moued him who of himselfe is so violent in all victory for man yet to be so vanquished with all violence a Id. ibid. Amor est It is nothing else but the force of loue This made him to b Phil. 2.7 take on him the forme of a seruant Philip. 2.7 Yea c Bernard ter quart Heb. poenos non solum serui vt subesset sed quasi mali serui vt vapularet saith Bernard not the forme of a seruant onely to bee in subiection but of a bad seruant to beare correction And which is more yet to be made a companion of beasts borne in a Stable and which is most of all to bee made as it were prouender for beasts laid in a manger d Bernard sup cant serm Cibus hominis mutauit se in pabulum pecoris homine mutato in pecus When man was become a beast Christ would become as it were prouender to feede him But all this Christ thought not inough for vs vnlesse hee dyed for vs. So great a degree of loue as there could bee no greater which makes his loue so much more sweet as the loosing of life it selfe is accounted bitter For it is a truth euen which comes from the author of vntruth e Iob 2.4 Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will hee giue for his life Skinne for skinne that is the skinne or life of a mans children or cattell for his owne skinne f Lyran. annot in Iob 2. as Lyra expounds it Or skinne for skinne that is the more hard skinne for the more tender skinne as when a man catcheth a blow on his hand to saue his eye as g Strab. in gloss ordin Strabus interprets it For there is nothing that a man had not rather endure then losse of life Euery creature as h August de ciuit dei lib. 11. cap. 27. Augustine obserues hath such a loue to haue a being that it had rather be though in misery then not be at all Wonderfull therefore and vnspeakeable is the loue of Christ Iesus to his Church who so willingly and so ioyfully suffered euen the most shamefull and bitter death for her sake Men may coldly and slightly thinke of it but principalities and powers stand amazed at it That you may yet take a further view of it compare his loue with the loue of other persons and you shall see how farre hee goes before them all Loue is most feruent among foure sorts of couples 1. Betweene friend and friend which are as one heart in two bodyes 2. Betweene the parent and the childe which are as two bodyes from one stocke 3. Betweene the husband and the wife which are as two persons in one flesh 4. Betweene the body and the soule which are as two substances in one person Now the loue of Christ to his Church exceedes the loue of all these each to other First it exceedes the loue that is betweene friend and friend For what man is there which loues another so as he could be contented to
the Church is also Sponsa that is a Virgin affianced A Spouse promised and set apart to the marriage of Christ Reu. 21.2 The new Ierusalem comes downe from heauen for her birth is from aboue like a Bride trimmed for her husband Reu. 21.2 Trimmed I say but at the Bridegromes cost who hath adorned her with graces x Isa 61.10 tanquam monilibus as with precious Iewels Isa 61.10 Shee it is that is so arrayed with all manner of flowers that she is staid vp with flowers amongst which yet there is not a fairer flower then is her selfe It is well obserued by y Bernard super Cant. ser 47. Bernard that Solomon in this Booke makes mention of three sorts of flowers 1 Flos campi The flower of the field and that is Christ z Bernard ibid. nec sulcatus vomere nec defossus sarculo c. whose flesh was not eared with the share of any humane information nor minde tilled with the cultor of any masters instruction and yet yeelds forth the smell of all most fragrant vertues 2 Flos horti The flower of the garden and that is the Church which is digged by the knowledge of the Law planted by the worke of the Ministerie watered by the preaching of the Gospell and fenced by the wall of the Sacraments 3 Flos thalami The flower of the bed-chamber and that is a Conscientia bonis refarta operibus Ber. suê‘ Cant. ser 15. the soule filled with good works which are the flowers that the Bride decks her selfe with and deckes her selfe with them euery day For shee is euery day a Bride and euery day puts on fresh flowers of good workes b Bern. ibid. Otherwise Cito iacet marcet flos boni operis saith Bernard atque in breui omnis ex eo exterminatur nitor vigor soone dies and withers the flower of a good worke and fayles both in sauour and fauour if it be not eftsoones renewed afresh But of all flowers this Bride the Church is most of all adorned wth Lillies and Roses Confessors and Martyrs the one whereof hath the white flower of an innocent life the other the red flower of a bloudy death c Cypr. ad martyres epist 9. O beatam Ecclesiam nostram saith Saint Cyprian O blessed Church that wee haue Floribus eius nec Lillia nec Rosae desunt her flowers want neyther Lillies nor Roses All men striue now to wreathe themselues garlands eyther d Aut de opere candidas aut de passione purpureas Cyp. vt sup white by action or purple by passion And sure the Church was then in her flowers indeed the sweet smell whereof hath reached to our dayes and shall continue to the end of the world Lastly the Church is Christs Sister not a Sister by similitude or imitation onely but e Isid Hisp orig lib. 9. cap. 6. germana that is ex eadem genitrice manaens saith Isidore borne as it were both in a belly For there is a greater consanguinitie betweene Christ and man then betweene the Angels and Christ for the f Iob. 1.6 Angels indeede are Gods progenie and so Christ is their brother by the Fathers side but to man he is allyed nearer for man is of Gods linage g Act. 17.17 Ipsius genus sumus Acts 17.17 Wee are his generation and Christ againe is of mans linage h Rom. 1.3 Borne of the Seede of Dauid according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 So that as God made our soule of him so hath hee made his body of vs. And the affinitie is continued both wayes for as GOD gaue his daughter that is his image to man so hath hee taken mans siister that is his nature in marriage to his Sonne Iustly therefore doth he call the Church and in the Church each faithfull soule his Sister as tyed to him in a most firme bond of alliance and consanguinitie And by this further you may see two other points First the chastnesse of his loue vnto her Hee cals her his Sister saith i Hieron aduers Iouinian lib. 1. Ierome vt tolleretur suspicio foedi amoris to take away the suspition of vnchaste loue For the name of Sister implies a detestation of fleshly impuritie which made him to say k Plautus Tam a me pudica est quam mea si soror sis Shee is as chaste for mee as if shee were my Sister Secondly the greatnesse of his loue vnto her as being tyed together in a double band of Consanguinitie which makes them one bloud and Matrimonie which makes them one flesh This Abraham is a brother and husband to his Sarah How can shee doubt to receiue anything from God whom shee hath so surely and nearely tyed to her l Bern. super Cant. ser 20. Puto me iam spernere non poterit os ex ossibus meis caro de carne mea Now verily I thinke he can neuer despise me which is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone For if hee neglect me as a brother yet will he loue me as a husband And thus much of the first My Loue. AS of all Societies none is so neere as that of man and wife so neyther amongst any is loue so feruent as betweene them Therefore Christ being by spirituall marriage made one with his Church and louing her more tenderly then the kindest husband the kindest wife cals her as some translate it Proximam his neerest but as the m Paguin Vatablus Montan. Tremellius c. most and the best Amicam his dearest as if he were by loue gone out of himselfe and turned wholy into her according to that of n Anima verius est vhi amat quaÌ„ vbi animat Augustine The Soule is rather where it loueth then where it liueth And so indeed it is with God saith Bernard o Bern. sup cant serm 59. Quia amorem non tam habet quam hoc ipse est because hee cannot be said so much to haue loue as to be euen loue it selfe Hence it is that he hath put off his roabes of Maiestie and cloathed himselfe with our flesh and so is become the same with his Church on earth that his Church might become the same with him in heauen Neuer louer so changed like him and therefore neuer loue so vnchangeable as his Here then haue wee iust occasion ministred to consider of the greatnes of his loue to the Church who cals the Church his Loue. A theame I confesse admirably discussed by incomparable Diuines after whom yet giue mee leaue to throw my mite and to say something of that of which we can neuer say enough It is commonly seene that loue is manifested foure wayes First by word of mouth and this is the least and smallest measure of shewing loue Euery dissembler will loue verbo tenus in tongue and in word though not in deede and veritie There is therefore a second degree and that is by bestowing
philo Eo à viris ad foeminas I am going from men to very women So as a man may say to our Gallants as o Eras Apoph lib. 6. Alexis to Calimedon Many haue died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many for the loue of a Common-wealth but thou for the loue of a common vvench For remedy hereof remember Pauls words p 1 Thes 4.3 1 Thes 4.3 This is the will of God euen your sanctification that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence Where marke how hee bids you keepe your bodies viz. possesse them For harlots and harlot-mongers doe not possesse their bodies themselues but set them out to hire and giue possession of them to others Againe marke vvhat he cals the body a vessell euen q 2 Tim. 2.20 Vas in honorem a vessell of honour in Gods house but by lust a man makes it r Ierem. 1.13 ollam succensam a seething pot in the Deuils Kitchin that boyles in the minde Now if thy body be in this case s Ierem. 6.7 Frigidam fac malitiam there is such a phrase in Ieremy coole thy naughtinesse euen as Cookes doe their pots and that eyther by infusion of water or by substraction of vvood or by remouing it from the fire First I say if the vessell of thy body boyle ouer vvith lust runne to the waters but not to the waters which the harlot speakes of t Prou. 9.17 Stolne waters are sweet Prou. 9.17 but to the vvaters which Solomon directed to v Prou. 5.15 Drinke the water of thine owne Cisterne and let them be thine and not the strangers with thee I am not ignorant that lust is sometime compared to water but that is not a cooling but a kindling water u August de ciuit Dei lib. 21. cap. 5. Saint Augustine makes mention of a Well in Epirus that when firebrands vvere put into it it would quench them but which is strange when they were quenched would set them on fire againe Such a water is an harlot which quencheth lust for a time sets the body on fire euer after Haue therefore a Well of thine own for x Pro. 23.27 an harlot is as a deepe ditch and a strange woman as a narrow pit Secondly if thy concupiscence be not allayed this way take away the wood For y Eccles 28.10 Secundū syluae ligna exardescit ignis Eccles 28.10 As is the vvood of the fire so is the fire it selfe Now the fewell of lust is gluttony and drunkennesse z August de temp Ser. 69. Semper iuncta est saturitati lasciuia saith Augustine Saturity is the breeder of impuritie foulenesse the childe of fulnesse See it in Noah a Incert author Noam qui euasit aquam euicit vinum Noah that escaped the water could not escape the Wine for wine did make him sinke whom water made to swimme See it in Lot b Origen in Gen. hom 8. Ebrietas decipit quem Sodoma non decipit Drunkennesse deceiued him whom Sodome deceiued not Vritur ille flammis mulierum quem sulphurea flamma non essit and he is scorched with the flames of lust that could not be touched with the flames of vengeance No maruaile then if vncleannesse be so hardly auoyded vvhen drunkennesse and gluttony be so much affected Thirdly to quench lust vtterly remoue thy body quite from the fire auoyd the company of vnchaste vvomen For this by the wisest men hath beene iudged the wisest course c Gen. 39.10 Ioseph when hee would not haue his Mistres desire his company would not so much as offer to be seene in her company Gen. 39.10 d Isid Pelus lib. 2. Epist 62. Lectione didici saith Isidore of Pelusium I haue learned by reading of a certaine King it was Antiochus the third as I haue learned who at Ephesus beholding the priest of Diana a woman of incomparable beautie went presently out of the Citie e Id. ib. ne praeter voluntatem nefarij aliquid admittere cogeretur Least more then hee was willing to hee should be tempted to commit vncleanenesse with her And hee addes that Cyrus the great Monarch of Persia when he had heard of the great Beautie of Panthea the wife of Abradalus King of Susa hee vvould not yeeld so much as to see her f Isid Pelus vt sup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g Eras annot in Hieron Epist ad Innocent Erasmus somewhat tartly cals adultery Magnatum ludus the sport of Nobles For my part I had rather speake of Magnatum laudes then Magnatum ludos rather of their praise then of their plaies onely I wish that greatnes would not be a patrone to gracelesnes nor riches a couer for base actions Excellent is that vvhich is reported of Dionysius the tyrant Tacitus who reprouing his sonne for deflowring a woman asked him if euer hee had heard that himselfe his father had done any such thing No saith the young man and no meruaile for you had not a King to your father True saith hee neither wilt thou haue a King to thy sonne if thou ceasest not quickly to follow such courses as these Therefore great cause haue wee to blesse God who hath giuen vnto vs so gracious a King vvho as in other vertues hee excels other Kings so in chastity hee excels himselfe No doubt but his royall sonne our Noble Prince Charles as he was borne of the mirrour of chastitie so also which yet let vs not cease to pray for he will continue a mirrour thereof to the glory of himselfe and the admiration of the whole Christian world And let this suffice for the first part of my Text. Now to the second Open vnto me VVEe haue heard in this speach of Christs to his Church the sweet words he gaue vnto her now are we to heare the request which hee desires of her which is to Open vnto him Wherein you must imagine Christ as a louer standing or sitting at the chamber dore of his loue desiring to bee let in Together also with an insinuation of some dislike in his minde that hee is made to waite so long before he can be receiued in to her As if hee had said What my deare Spouse dost thou sleepe all night and I thy louer yea they Sauiour here shiuer in the colde hauing my head wet with dew and my lockes with the drops of the night Nay my dearest vse mee not so Arise Open vnto mee Temporanoctis eunt Ouid. excute poste serā l Rom. 15.12 The night is past and the day is come Vp let me in put me on Cast away the workes of darkenesse and clothe thee with the armour of light m Bernard sup Cant. serm 61. Hic literalis lusus This saith Bernard is the sport of the letter The sence we must further inquire for Wherfore I beseech you