the day of vengeance Thus right Honorable and beloued from this greene and gratious colour of the Bow I haue shewed you the mercy of God by which he preserueth the world from destruction I haue shewed you the infinite graces which he hath bestowed vpon this land vpon this citie I haue shewed you the vnthankefulnesse of many in the world manifested in the crying sinnes of the time S. Châ—â—sost Hâ—m 2. ad pâ—pulum Antioch sic incipit of which I may conclude as S. Chrysostome begins his second Homily to the people of Antioch Quid dicam aut quid loquar lachrymaruÌ„ presens tempus non verborum c. What should I say or what should I speake it is a time of teares and not of words of mourning and not of speaking of prayer and not of preaching such is the magâ—itâ—de of sin the vncurable wound of iniquitie vniuersall plague of impiety that it is impossible to be healed without the powerfull hand of a mightie God That of S. August now verified S. Aug lib. 4. dâ— Baptism conâ—â—a Donat. Infidelis disputat contra fideÌ„ sed improbus Châ—â—stianus vivit contra fiâ—eÌ„ vn le cum vtâ—rque aducesetur fiâ—ei neuter per illam potest habere saluteÌ„ The vnbeleeuing Pagan disputeth against faith and the wicked Christian liueth against faith from whence it commeth to passe that since both of them are aduersaries vnto faith neither of them can haue saluatioÌ„ by faith True it is beloued that the Lord hath freed vs from hâ—s iudgements and giuen vs peace by which wee inioy the comfort of the Gospel but let vs take heed lest by our sins we mooue him to remooue our candlestick to depriue vs of our peace and send his terrible plagues amongst vs. O that these crying sinnes were banished our land then happy and blessed should we be I know there is not wanting religious and zealous Bishops graue worthy Iudges who are carefull and vigillant to banish these hatefull cries both from Church and Common wealth But such is the subtilty of the serpent and corruptions of the times that this crie is either stopped before it commeth to their eares or else the sinnes themselues like painted harlots are so masked and gilded ouer with the colors of deceit that their vgly countenances cannot be seene Potestetiam appluarie illud S. Bâ—â—n Oportet humiliter de se sentire nitenteÌ„ ad altiora c. in Cant. ser 24. by this meanes they escape vnpunished If I my selfe were in place to speake vnto those which are in authoritie I should consider my owne vnworthinesse and confesse with S. Bernard non est meae humilitatis dictare vobis It is not for my humilitie Right honourable lords to dictate vnto you or to tell you what you should doe I know ye are wise ye are zealous ye are religious But yet my duty to my great Lord and master my loue to his Church my mother and my earnest desire for the good and welfare of my King and country binds me as it bindeth all continually to pray vnto that great Lord Keeper of Israel to defend his glory his Church our King and country and to beate downe these crying sinnes that so wee may inioy our gratious peace with his blessed graces for euermore and I hope there is none but will say Amen Thus you haue heard these three principall colours of the Rainebowe the colour of water the colour of fire The three colours note the Trinitie S. Basilius mag in Epist PersonatuÌ„ proprietates velut flos quidam ex illis qui apparent in Iâ—de in vnoquoque fulgeam nec vlluÌ„ esse ipsorum inter se differentiam secunduÌ„ naturae propietatem sed in communitate substantiae discriminis proprietates in vnoquoque râ—lucere and the greene colour the signe of grace with their three principall morals at large declared vnto you yet once againe S. Basil the great who was magni nominis in Ecclesia of great name in the Church of God excellently obserueth further that this heauenly Bowe doth by a fit similitude in his threefold colour resemble vnto vs that holy and blessed Trinitie For as in the Bowe there is a threefold colour and yet but one Bowe so in the glorious Trinitie there are three persons and yet but one and the same essence And as these colours are so mingled and knit togither in the Bowe that we cannot discerne where one is separated or distinguished from the other so is it in the diuine essence the persons be distinct in themselues yet can wee not finde out by our humane wisedome in the proprieties of their natures the separation of one from the other for as in the Rainebow all the colours are one in communitie of the same substance so in the Trinitie all the persons and the glory of them is one in the indiuisible communitie of the same essence Hugo de Prato Florido Dimin Sanct. Trinitat Serm. 1. Nihil est in vniuerso munâ—otam inuisibile incomprehensibile sicut vnitas Trinitas And this reason by the creature doeth teach vs that wee should take heede that we conceiue not any vaine opinion of this heauenly doctrine when beeing drawne into any difficult place wee doe diuersly turne our selues to reconcile those things which are spoken for as in these things which are expressed to the eye experience is better to teach theÌ„ the cause it selfe so likewise in those high points and misteries of diuinitie faith is better and more auaileable then all the comprehensions of reason in the world Last of all Tropologically these three colours of the Bow may signifie those three Theologicall graces The three colours note Faith Hope and Charitie Vâ—â—gas Ribeta Perâ—rius in Apocal. Faith Hope and Charitie the caerulean colour Faith the greene colour Hope and the red Charitie which graces the diuine Rainbowe that is the grace of God doth showre downe in abundance vpon his seruants as diuers Interpreters well obserue These are the three principal colours of the Bow and from these and diuers others arising from the reflection of these there doeth appeare an excellent beauty in the admirable Rainbow I meane not now to dispute those many questions Diuers questions about the colours concerning these colours which are discussed by ancient and moderne Philosopbers as whether these colours of the Rainbow be colors according to the veritie of the matter or in appearance only whether that which lieth between the lesser periferie or circumference of the Bow the greater be a thing coloured or not whether that which is seene between the two Rainbowes the principall and that which is caused by reflâ—xe of the principall bee coloured with the purple carnation and fiery colour whether the light in the middle be any qualitie and in a word whether it be possible that a third Rainbowe should appeare and for what cause with diuers others of the like curiositie I will not
eternity I who am EL-SCHADDAI the strong powerfull omnipotent and all-sufficient God I who haue created the heauens and the earth and established them by the word of my power who haue made a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters Iam. 1.17 Psallam nomini tuo Excelse who haue spread out the firmament like a curtaine and giuen the Sea her bounds and Starres and Planets their seuerall influences who am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse Psal 9.2 neither shadow of turning who am HELION the highest ouer all the earth the onely Lord and gratious deliuerer besides whom there is no Sauiour in a word I who haue destroyed the old world with aboundance of waters and haue saued thee my seruant Noah Gen. 7.23 and thy family in the multitude of my mercies I euen I haue set my Bowe in the cloud and appointed it for a signe of the Couenant betweene me and the earth Here then it is euident that Doctrin God the fountaine of all grace Non â nobis sed â Deo est principium soederis omnis gratiae Not of our selues but of God is the beginning of the couenant of the signe of the couenant and of all grace fauour and mercy for fons gratiae in Deo est hee it is that is the fountaine of all grace and the well spring of mercy from the happy smile of whose fauourable countenance all true ioy Rom. 9.16 Eph. 2.4 5 6. 1. Pet. 1.3 and happinesse doth proceed whether we respect the grace of Election or the grace of effectuall vocation the grace of iustification or the grace of Sanctification whether we respect temporall deliuerance Gen. 7.13 16. as of Noah from the destruction of the old world of Lot from the desolation of Sodome Gen. 19.16 Exod. 15.30 Numb 16. 32 33 34. Eph. 2.8 and of the children of Israel from the ouerthrow of Pharaoh and deuouring of Corah or the eternall deliuerance of Gods elect from the paines and torments of hell fire all proceedeth and floweth from this well-spring of liuing water from this euerlasting fountaine of the free grace mercy bounty and goodnesse of God all these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gifts of grace Rom. 5.8 1. Iohn 4.10.19 and loue tokens of a fauourable God and therefore St. Iohn tells vs in this is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins and we loue him because he loued vs first S. August Tom. 7. lib. de bono perseuerantiae cap. 21. of this loue S. August speaketh excellently Deum non diligeremus nisi prius dilexisset nos fecisset dilectores suos we should not haue loued God except he had loued vs first made vs to be louers of him and he giueth the reason quoniam charitas ex ipso est because the fluent streames of loue and charitie doe flow from him and not from vs. S. Bernard lib. de amore c. 4. QueÌ„ admodum Nilus fluuius Egyptum inundam vbertate complâ—t ita diuinae misericâ—rdia flamâ—n orbem veluâ—i inâ—â—dâ—tus Câ—â—stibus lâ—nis impleuit Barradius Tom 1. lib. 8. cap. 18 Plutins lib. 5. cap. 9. No merit in man And S. Bernard sweetly Cùm nos amas non nisi propter te nos amâ—s When thou louest vs O God thou louest vs not but for thy selfe the abounding Sea of diuine loue it is in thee and not in vs from whence the riuers of heauenly graces doe flowe foorth most plentifully and water all creatures vpon the face of the earth but his elect and chosen Angels and men after a speciall manner making them fruitfull with his blessings like the land of Egypt with the ouerflowing of Nilus or the pleasant Paradises of the earth with the first and latter raine of his fauours 1. From this therefore it must necessarily follow that whatsoeuer grace is granted vnto vs and much lesse that especiall grace of eternall happinesse it is not giuen vs as the papists affirme and teach for any merit or desert of ours but for the free grace and mercy and bounty of God in Christ For if as our Sauiour commandeth Luk 17.10 Luk. 17.10 when we haue done all that we can Ephes 2.8.9 we must say we are vnprofitable seruants how then can we attribute any thing to our owne merits if as the Apostle witnesseth Ephes 2.9 we are saued by grace not of workes S. August lib. Hom. Hom. 14. et in Psal 144. Merita tua nusquam iactes quia et ipsa merita tua dei dona sunt Psal 103.4 S Aust de predect Sanct. Humana merita hic conticescant que Periere per Adam regnet Dei gratia per Iesum Christum S August Epist 105. least any man should boast how then can we rightly boast of our merits Lastly if that good Centurion whose fayth was so much commended that there was not the like to be found in all Israel Matth. 8.10 Mat. 8.10 answered our Sauiour so humbly with a Domine non sum dignus Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe with what pride thinke you are those possessed who dare so audaciously answer God with a Domine dignus sum Lord I am worthy that thou shouldest giue vnto me eternal life S. Augustine he was of this good Centurions mind and therefore he often in his workes repeateth this one golden sentence Deus coronat dona sua non merita nostra God crowneth his owne giftes and not our deseruings like vnto that of the Prophet Dauid he crowneth vs with compassion and louing kindnesse and the same Father speaking concerning the predestination of the Saints let humane merits saith he here be silent which haue perished by Adam and let the grace of God reigne through Iesus Christ Stella in Luc. c. 7. Non me aspicias sed vnigenitum tuum prius intuere colloca Deus meus inter me te tuum vnigenitum filium crucem eius sanguinem passionâ—m merita ita vt cum tua iustitia per sanguinem merita tui filii pertranseat cum tandem ad me perueniat iam mansâ—ueta misericordia plena sit Ansel in mâ—dit Lyran. in Expos Epist ad Rom c. 6. 23. Bell. l. 5 de Iust c. 7 propter incertitudolâ—m propriae iustitiae periculum manis gloriae tutissimuÌ„ est fiduciam totaÌ„ in sola Dei misâ—recordia benignitate reponere S. Bern. Seâ— 68. Hoc totuÌ„ est hominis meritum si totamâ—hâ—m suam pinat in eo qui totum saluum fecit And in his 105. Epistle he concludeth Haec est gratia gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis This is a grace fauour which is freely giuen not for the merit of the worker but for the mercy of the giuer To which accordeth that
God Theodoret in Genes cap. 7. Numb 23.19 Malac. 3.6 Lyra Glossa in Genes Not that there is any repentance properly to bee found in God For as Theodoret demaundeth the question Quomodo poenitentia cadat in eum qui suâ praescientiâ regit vniuersa How should repentance be found in him who by his eternal prescience and foreknowledge doeth gouerne all things But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figuratiuely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking after the manner of men Non secundum rem sed secundum modum not according to the thing but according to the manner of the thing as Lyra and the ordinary Glosse interpret according to that golden rule of Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things are spoken humanely but they are to bee vnderstood diuinely that is as they are agreeable and answerable to the nature of God Greg. magnus in Iob lib. 20. cap. 24. And therefore Gregory the great doeth wittily and pithily conclude concerning God in his morall exposition vpon Iob quia ipse immutabilis id quod voluerit mutat paenitere dicitur quamuis rem mutâ—t consilium non mutet Because God himselfe being immutable doeth change that which hee hath willed he is said to repent although indeed he doeth change the thing but doeth neuer change his counsell and eternall Decree And thus it repented the Lord that is as Moses doeth expresse the hatred of sinne in the sight of God The punishment of the old world grieuous according to the capacitie of men and therefore their sinne was intollerable And their punishment which is the next circumstance was likewise grieuous First in respect of the Authour of it a mightie powerfull and terrible God who is a consuming fire to the wicked Hebr. 12.29 and a lake of brimstone to the workers of iniquitie Secondly in respect of the time which was the Spring S. Ambros in Genes SecunduÌ„ mensem verni temporis fuisse non ambigitur as the most and best Expositours doe iudge to the greater griefe of the wicked because they were taken away in their pleasure and the world was drowned when the earth was filled in great abundance Thirdly in respect of the manner of it for then were the fountaines of the great deepe broken vp and the mightie cataracts and flood-gates of heauen opened the streames of water gushed foorth with a terrible noyse and a dolefull roaring from the heauen and from the earth from aboue and from belowe on the right hand and one the left so that there was no way to escape from the reuenging hand of an angry God To conclude it was grieuous and terrible in respect of the effect of it for excepting Noah and the rest in the Arke all flesh died that were on the earth there was none that was saued no not one the husband and the wife the father and the sonne the mother and the daughter the master and the seruant the olde and the young they were all drowned together O then beloued what heart can there be in the world so hard and slonie what eyes so flintie that cannot melt into brinish teares and breake in pieces with griefe and sorrow at the consideration of so lamentable a spectacle Good GOD Mans degeneration lamentable that euer man should so farre degenerate from his first integritie and fall into such vile impieties which could prouoke so gracious a God to plague him with so terrible a destruction But man is fallen man is degenerated from his first integritie who can but lament with a dolefull lamentation God is angrie hee hath smitten hee hath plagued he hath drowned the olde world with a dolefull iudgement who can but quake with fearefull tremblings What man is there vnder the cope of heauen that cannot by this be mooued to remooue his hatefull sinnes the causes of Gods direful punishments since for them God is mooued to destroy not onely man but the bruite creatures together with man the soules of the ayre the beasts of the field and the creeping things of the earth Obiection Sed quid hi fecerunt But what haue these done may some man obiect will the Lord destroy the righteous with the wicked shal not the Iudge of all the world do right is there the same condition of him that sinneth him that sinneth not what had the beasts of the field offended wherin had the creeping things of the earth sinned or what iniquitie had the foules of the heauen committed that they also must be destroyed with man Solution The creatures destroied in the flood for a threefold reason To which I answere that as all these were created in the beginning for man and for the good of man so they were all againe destroyed with man for the sinne punishment of man by the iust iudgment of God First because man was become a rebellious traitour against God his Creator therfore as a King condemning a perfidious rebell doeth not only command him to be put to a shamefull death but his lands goods and chattels to be confiscate so likewise God doeth not onely destroy man but the creatures together with man which were created for his vse Secondly because that beastly men had abused the creatures by their filthy pleasure and riotous excesse and therefore it stood with Gods iustice to punish the instrument with the principall Lastly to shew the hatefullnesse of sinne in the sight of God hee beeing Lord of all doeth not onely destroy man but the bruite creatures together with man as before he did curse the earth for mans sake Genes 3.17 If then thou wilt not bee mooued for thine owne sake to refraine from thy sinnes and remooue thy impieties The destruction of the beasts should mooue vs to remooue our sinnes yet take pitie vpon the bruite beasts vpon the creeping things vpon the foules of the ayre lest by thy sinnes thou pull downe Gods terrible iudgements and they also perish with thee If thou wilt not bee mooued for any of these yet take pitie vpon thy seruants vpon thy little children vpon thy wife that lieth in thy bosome lest thou prouoke Gods anger against thee and they also perish with thee But O corda saxis duriora Mens hearts more hard then adamaÌ„ts O hearts more hard then adamants how many are there in the world that cannot bee mooued for any of these nor for all these nor for greater motiues then these to remooue their sinnes and forsake their impieties For although they haue often heard of that inestimable loue of God towards mankinde in that hee spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him to the death for vs miserable sinners yet are they nothing hereby mooued to repentance although they haue often heard of that vnspeakeable loue of Christ in that hee spared not his owne life but offered vp his body vpon the Altar of the Crosse a sweet smelling incense of reconciliation to God his Father for our redemption yet are they nothing
effect of these causes the Rainebow was before the floud also except it can bee shewed that the generation of the Bowe was hindred by some other impediment which cannot be for it is a rule in Philosophie Posita causa ponitur effectus the cause being placed perfected the effect must of necessity follow as when the Sunne draweth towards our Horison the light and day begins to appeare when the fire is kindled the heate doth suddenly increase or when as a man beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse his image is presently represented to his sight so likewise a soone as the sunne did cast his bright beames vpon the glasse of the waterie cloudes the effect thereof did presently manifest it selfe vnto the world but this was before the floud and therefore the Rainebowe before the floud also Yet against this those of the contrarie opinion obiect the words of my Text that God speaketh here vnto Noah in the future tense I will set my Bow in the cloude therfore it should seeme rather Cornelius cornelii a lapide in Comment in Genes that the Rainebow was created after the floud then before To which I answer that howsoeuer in the Septuagint translation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pono I do put and in the common Latine ponam I will put yet as a learned interpreter well obserueth in the Hebrew text it is in the preterperfect tense NATATTI dedi posui I haue giuen I haue set and God might well haue said I doe giue I doe set or I will set but not that it was not there before but that it should now bee for a signe of that couenant betweene me and the earth for after the same manner the water in Baptisme was instituted by Christ our Sauiour to be a signe in the sacrament and yet water was an element created at the beginning as the Rainbow was created before the floud so that I may thus answer the 1. Obiection Almightie God not naturally but by his diuine institution hath appointed the Rainebow for a signe that there should not any more come a generall floud to destroy the world Againe if the Rainebowe be not a naturall signe of a following floud of what then is it a naturall signe of Raine or of faire weather of windes or of the tranquilitie of the heauens Plinie in his second booke of naturall historie seemeth to be of opinion Plinius lib 2. natural hist cap. 59. Plin lib. 18. cap. 59. that it is no certaine signe of of any of these yet in his eighteenth booke he affirmeth that when two Rainebowes appeare it is a signe of Raine and if a Rainbowe appeare after showers it is a signe of faire whether although not alwaies certaine But Seneca teacheth that as the Rainbow doth appeare Seneca lib. 1. naturel quest cap. 6. in a diuerse region of the aire or in a diuerse time of the day so it doth portend diuers things If in the morning it sheweth Raine that is past and some small showers to come If at noone or there abouts it is a signe of greater showers Scaliger contra cardanum exercitat but if it appeare at night it signifieth faire weather to whom Scaliger others accord And the reason of this is giuen by Philsophers because a morning Bow being ful of the moyst vapours of the night is as it were a vessell of some following showers by reason of the thicke mistes that remaine A meridian Bowe doth carry greater store of waters and portendeth more Raine because the waters gathered cannot be dried vp with the most vehement heate of the Sunne such is the greatnesse of their force And an euening Bow hauing the greatest part of the moyst vapoury miste dried vp in the former part of the day promiseth faire weather and therfore seldome or neuer doth any store of Raine follow imâ—ediately after But I proceede forwards God hath appointed it for a signe And a signe as S. Augustine describeth it S. August l. 2. de Doct. Christ cap. 1. Signum vero est res praeter speciem quam ingerit sensibus aliud aliquid ex sefaciens in cogitationem venire 2. King 20.11 Ioel. 2.31 Gen. 2.9 Iudges 6.37 38 39. Isaiah 7.14 Gen. 17.10 Exod. 12.3 Math. 28.19 Luk. 22.19 is a thing which doth cause another matter to be remembred besides that externall figure which it doth shew to the outward senses And signes are commonly of 3. sorts the first signastuporis signes of wonder and amazement as the Sun when it went ten degrees backe at the praier of Ezechia The second signaterroris signes of terrour and affrightment as those signes which shall be before the day of iudgement when the Sun shall be turned into darknesse the moone into bloud The third are signa amoris signes of loue and contentment As the particular signes of Gods loue to his elect and these either to certaine persons as the tree of life to our first parents in Paradise Gene. 2. The wet dry fleece to Gidion or the conception of the virgin to king Achas or to the whole Church either before Christ as Circumcision the Passeouer Sacrifices or since Christ as Baptisme the Supper or last of all that vniuersall signe of Gods loue to the whole world the admirable Rainebowe which he hath appointed for a signe of the couenant betweene him and the earth Ecce post policitationem verbo factam hoc signum addo saith S. Chrysost as speaking of God Behold after my promise 1. S. Chrysostom Hom. 28. in Genes I doe giue you a seale of my promise to confirme the same So that God doth not only manifest his loue by Oracles and binde himselfe by promise and couenant but he proceedeth further and addes sacraments seales to his couenant Gods omits nothing that may confirme the faith of his chosen that he might seeme to omit nothing which might serue to confirme the faith of his chosen Thus did he in the Spirituall couenant hee gaue to our first parents in paradise the sacrament of the tree of life and of the tree of knowledge of good and euill he gaue to the Patriarches the sacrament of circumcision the passeouer he hath giuen to his church since the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper and thus he doth in the corporall couenant he giueth vnto Noah the admirable Rainebow for the confirmation of his faith and to be a seale of the couenant betweene him and the earth to teach vs to banish incredulity Incredulitie must be banished to beleeue his promises For as the vse of the Rainebow on the part of God is to testifie his grace and mercy vnto men so the vse of the Rainebow one the part men is to confirme their faith Mercelus in Genes and loue towards God the Iewes are exceeding religious in this matter for when they see the Rainbow they go forth fall downe and confesse their sins acknowledging themselues