it bee a song at the first yet it is a SyreÌ„ at the last though it be a silly hedge hogge at the first yet it is a sharpe prickle at the last Wherefore delight not thy selfe in the world for it shal not giue thee the desires of thy hart but Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Here is a precept here is a 〈◊〉 A precept in these wordsâ— Delight thy 〈◊〉 in the Lord. First delight then 〈…〉 ly in the Lord. A promise in these 〈◊〉 And he shall giue thee the desires of thy 〈◊〉 First And hee shall giue thee then the 〈◊〉 lastly of the heart Delight thy self 〈◊〉 Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart First Delight Well saies 〈◊〉 i Spiritus est hilaris et exhiâ—ararat participes sui The spirit of God as it is a cheereâ—â—â—â— thing it selfe so it maketh all them â—â—â—â—full which are partakers of it Indeâ—dâ— the wicked continually mourne and 〈◊〉 There was a great 〈◊〉 in Egypt 〈◊〉 in euery house among them theâ—â— waâ— some one or other of their first 〈◊〉 dead But the voice of ioy and gladâ—â—sse is in the tabernacles of the righteoâ—â— k Psal. 118. â—5 They euermore delight in the Lord I reach l Aelianus in varia histo l. 3. cap. 14. of one Leonides a captaine who perceiuing his souldiers left their 〈◊〉 vpon the citie wallâ—â— and did nothing all the day long but â—â—affe and 〈…〉 houses neere adioyning 〈…〉 that the alehouses should 〈…〉 from that place where they shood 〈…〉 vp close by the walles That seeing the souldiers would neuer keep out of them at the least wise that they might watch as well as drinke in them So because pleasure we must needes haue and we cannot be kept from it God hath appointed that wee should take Delight enough and yet serue him neuer a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when thou enterest into his sweete seruice that thou shouldest abandon all delight but onely that thou shouldest change the cause of thy delight That whereas before thou diddest delight in the seruice of sinne now thou shouldesâ— delight as much or rather indeede a thousand times moer in the seruice of the Lord. It was not Gods will that Isaak should bee sacrificed but onely the ramme And so God would haue vs sacrifice onely the ramme that is all rammish and rancke delight of the world But as for Isaack he must be preserued still kept aliue Isaack in whome Abraham did see the day of Christ and reioyced Isaack that is all spirituall laughter all ghostly ioy all heauenly delight For as no man might come into the court of Ashuerus which was clothed in sackecloath m Ester 4 2. so no man may come in to the court of our king which is clothed in sackecloth and hath not on the wedding garment of ioy and delight in the Lord. Which is the cause why Christ calleth the assemblies of the faithful Quires of Camdes n Choros castrorum Can. 6.12 A quire singes a Campe fights How then may these two agree together Very well in the godly For the godly when they fight most stoutly against the enemie then they sing most merily vnto the Lord. Whereupon Gregorie saith o Dauid salcantem plus sâ—upco quam pugnautem Moral l. 27. c. 27. I admire king Dauid a great deale more when I see him in the quire then when I see him in the campe when I see him singing as the sweete singer of Israel theÌ„ when I see him fighting as the worthy warriour of Israel For fighting with others he did ouercome all others but singing and delighting himselfe he did ouercome himselfe Euen as his sonne Salomon saies for him speaking to Christ. Turne away thine eyes from me for they doe ouercome me for they wounde my heart they make me sicke for loue p Can. 4.6 When Dauid fought with others he ouercame others hee wounded others he made others sicke but when he daunced before the Arke and delighted himselfe he was ouercome himselfe hee was wounded himselfe hee was sicke himselfe But feare you nothing I warrant you this sicknesse will doe him no harme I will play stil sayes he that others may still play vpon me q Ludam inquit vt illud 21 Bonus ludus quo Michol irascitur deus delectatur Greg. Mag. For it is a good sport when God is delighted though Michol be displeased So that of Dauids sicknesse we may say as Christ saide of Lazarus sicknesse This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God r Ioh. 41.4 And therefore it is for the glory of God because it is for the loue of God For Dauid is sicke no otherwise for loue of the sonne of God then God is sicke himselfe for loue of the sonne of Dauid This is my beloued soâ—â—e saies he in whome I am delighted s Math. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne there he is in loue In whome I am delighted there he is sicke for loue Which is the cause why he commaundeth vs also to be delighted in his loue t Prou. 5.19 For as a double desire is loues so a double loue is delight And therfore he sayes not simply loue him but be delighted in his loue Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Delight Then Thy selfe I would hate mine owne soule sayes Bernard if I found it any where else then in the Lord and in his loue u AnimaÌ„ meam odio haberem si eam alibi quam in domino in cius amore inuenirem De amore dei c. 3. So that it is not enough for thee to delight but thou must delight thy selfe that is thy soule Saying with the blessed Virgine My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Otherwise as Diues did see Lazarus a farre off lying in Abrahams bosome beeing himselfe all the while tormented in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of water to coole his tongue so euen in laughing the soule may be sorrowfull x Prou. 14 13 The wretched soule of a sinner may see the face a farre off laughing and lying as I may say in Abrahams bosome beeing it selfe all the while tormented as it were in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of delight to asswage the sorrowes of it And like as Sampsons lyon had great store of honey in him but tasted no sweetnesse of it euen so if thou reioyce in the face and not in the heart y 2. Cor. 5.12 thou mayest well perhaps haue great store of honey in thee to delight others but thou canst neuer taste the sweetnesse of it to delight thy selfe Therefore sayes the princely Prophet O taste and see how sweete the Lord is It is not enough for thee to see it a farre off and not
for himselfe Wherefore as in a ballance if there be any ods in the sâ—ales wee take out of that which is the heauier and put it into that which is the lighter till there be no difference betwixt them So here wee must wey these matters well that wee our selues may be iust weight neither too heauy for our owne misery not too light for Christs mercy Thus did Dauid when hee said to God Hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings What are Gods wings His Mercy and his Iustice. What are the shadow of his wings Our loue and our feare Our loue is the shadow of his mercy which is his right wing Our feare is the shadow of his Iustice which is his left wing Now seeing hee that is hid vnder the right wing onely may presume because hee hath no feare and hee that is hid vnder the left wing onely may despaire because he hath no loue therefore sayth Dauid Hide me O Lord vnder the shadow not of one wing but of both thy wings That I may neuer despaire while I alwaies loue thy mercy and reioyce for Christ that I may neuer presume while I alwayes feare thy iustice and weepe for my selfe A Quaile the very same Bird which was the Israelites meate in the wildernesse as he flies ouer the sea feeling himselfe begin to be weary lights by the way into the sea Then lying at one side he layes downe one wing vpon the water and holds vp the other wing towards heauen Lest hee should presume to take too long a flight at the first hee weâ—s one wing Lest hee should despaire of taking a new flight afterwards hee keepes the other wing drie Thus must a Christian man doe When hee layes downe the wing of feare vpon the water to weepe for himselfe then hee must hold vp the wing of loue toward heauen to reioyce for Christ. That his two wings may be answerable to Gods two wings That as God hath two wings the one of Mercie the other of Iustice so hee may haue two wings the one of ioy for Christ the other of sorrow for himselfe Sem Iâ—pheth Noahs godly and dutifull children when they saw their father otherwise then hee should be went backeward and couered him They went backeward that they might not see him themselues they couered him that others might not see him Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse was the shame of men and the outcast of the people Therefore wee that are the children of God must goe backeward by abhorring them that crucified Christ and yet wee must couer him and hide him euen in our very hearts by remembring and honouring his death and resurrection Lest wee should presume wee must goe backeward for feare and yet lest we should despaire wee must couer him for loue That as God hideth vs vnder the shadow of his wings which are loue and feare loue the shadow of his mercy and feare the shadow of his iustice so we may hide God vnder the shadow of our wings which are ioy and sorrow ioy the shadow of our loue and sorrow the shadow of our feare ioy for Christ and sorrow for our selues To this strange kinde of going backeward the Psalmist alludeth when hee saith to God Thou hast made my feete like Hindes feete A Hinde goeth not still forward in one way but as an auncient father speaketh hee iumpes crosse out of one way into another Saltum habet transuersum Right so a Christians feete must be like Hindes feet He must iumpe crosse from himselfe to Christ and then backe againe from Christ to himselfe Would you see such a Hinde Then mark how Iob footes it That he might not despaire he iumpes crosse from himselfe to Christ and saith a Chap. 33.9 I am cleane without sinne I am Innocent and there is none iniquitie in mee Heere is the mercy of Christ. But that hee might not presume hee iumpes backe againe from Christ to himselfe and saith b Chap. 6.2 O that my griefe were well weighed and that my miseries were laid together in the balance Here is the misery of man Thus must we weigh the mercie of Christ and the misery of man together in the balance and besure as I said before wee make the scales euen and when we weigh the reasons why wee should not weepe for Christ then we must weigh the reasons also why we should weepe for our selues So wee shall find for great cause of ioy in Christ great cause of sorrow in our selues for greater cause of ioy in Christ greater cause of sorrow in our selues for greatest cause of ioy in Christ greatest cause of sorrow in our selues for that which is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ that which is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of Death Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Debora reioyced when Barack put Sisera to flight haue not wee as great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath put death to flight The sinne of man is the life of death Great cause of sorrow in our selues If Anna wept for her barrennesse haue not wee as great cause to weepe seeing wee can conceiue nothing but sorrow and bring forth iniquity vnto death The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of the Diuell Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Iudith reioyced when shee did cut off the head of Holofernes haue not wee great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the Diuell The sinne of man is the life of the diuell Greater cause of sorrow in our selues If Thamar wept being defloured by her brother haue not wee greater cause to weepe seeing we commit spirituall incest and adultery daily with the diuell The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of himselfe Greatest cause of ioy in Christ. If Sara laughed when shee heard shee should haue a quicke childe in her dead wombe is not this the greatest cause of laughter which can be vnto vs that Christ liued in death and was most free among the dead and could not see corruption in the graue The sinne of man is the death of himselfe Greatest cause of sorrow in our selues If Agar wept being turned out of Abrahams house is not this the greatest cause of weeping which can be vnto vs that our life is no life because we neuer cease from sinning while wee are heere pilgrimes and strangers exiled and banished out of our fathers house in heauen The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of man This is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ. If Queene Ester did reioyce as King Iames doth at this day whom God for his mercies sake euer saue and preserue and let all the people say Amen because he deliuered his people from thraldome and destruction can any thing in the world then make vs more ioyfull then this that we being cursed in our selues are blessed in Christ being embased in our selues are exalted in Christ being
knocke if any man beare my voyce and open the dore I will come in vnto him will suppe with him and hee with me Well then how doth Christ suppe with vs Christ suppes with vs when we entertaine him as Marie did with the salt teares of repeÌ„tance and griefe and as Lot did with the sweet bread of syncerity and truth For the salt teares of our repentance are the onely drinke which Christ will drinke with vs. And the sweet breade of our syncerity is the onely bread which Christ will eate with vs. But what meat hath hee to his breade I haue a meate sayes hee which you know not of My meat is to doe the will of him that sent mee In the volume of thy booke it is written of mee that I should doe thy will O my God it is my delight it is meate and drinke to mee to doe it And as it is meate to him to doe it himselfe so is it meate to him to see vs doe it Then doth hee suppe with vs. And this is the first seruice But what hath he for a second course A dish of apples gathered of the tree of life For toward the latter end of the supper when they come to their fruit a Christian sayes to Christ f Can. 7.13 Omnia poma vetera noua Vulgata trans O my Welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and new Contrition humiliation denying of thy selfe mortification of the old man these are olde apples Sobriety innocency holines of life viuification of the new man these are new apples And when a Christian feasts and feedes Christ with such diuers dainty fruits of righteousnesse then he saies to him O my welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and new But what musick hath he now We must needs haue some musicke Christ cannot sup without musicke Drinke bread meate apples wil make him but a slender supper except we mend it all the better with musicke This must be the very best part of the supper For a consort of musitians at a banquet is as a signet of Carbuncle set in gold and as the signet of an Eâ—rod well trimmed with gold so is the melodie of â—usicke in a pleasant g Ecclesiasticus cap. 32. vers 5. banquet Therefore when Christ suppes with vs we must be sure he haue musicke We must welcome him and cheare him vp with Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace making melodie in our hearts to God Thus doth Christ sup with vs. Col. 3.16 But now to return to the main point againe from which wee haue a little digressed aâ— elsewhere by the errour of loue Christ is said to be fedde among the lylies whereas indeed onely he feedeth the lylies to sup with vs wheras indeed only we sup with him so here by the same figure he is said to reap coÌ„modity by thy delight wheras indeed only the coÌ„modity is thine all the commodity al the benefit is onely thine Yet to see the admirable loue of God he sayes not Thou shalt giue him but He shall giue thee Delight thy selfe in the Lord he shall giue thee desires of the heart and hee shall giue thee Then The desires He that loues to desire God h Qui amas deâ—iderare desiderat amare De amore Dei c 3. vide Gregorium Moral l. 18. c. 28. sayes Bernard must also desire to loue God Then he shall haue neither saciety nor yet anxiety Neyther saciety because he loues to desire nor yet anxiety because he desires to loue Thus doth the Church Let him kisse mee sayes shee i Cant. 1.1 with the kisses of his mouth Let him not smite me but kisse me not once but ofteÌ„ not with the kisses of his feet but of his mouth not of any of his Prophets mouthes but of his own mouth Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Here are many desires Here indeed shee loues to desire k Psa. 119.20 Concupiuit defiderare Ps. 119.20 But it followeth For thy loue is better then wine The person is suddenly changed Before it was more strangely in the third person Let him his mouth Now it is more familiarly in the second person For thy loue For thy loue is better then wine Here is but one loue Here onely she desires to loue For as the curtaines of the tabernacle were coupled and tyed together with taches and strings so that one curtaine did draw another and all the curtaines did draw together to couer nothing else but the tabernacle l Exod. 26.6 after the same sort the desires of the godly are coupled and tyed together so that one desire drawes another and all their desires draw together to make them couet nothing else but God And euen as Iacob when hee held the Angel in his armes stood vpon one foote and halted vpon the other foote m Gen. 32.31 so he that embraceth God can doe nothing with that halting foote which before carried him to the desire of the world but standeth onely vpon that sound foote which now carrieth him wholly to the desire of God And like as all the streetes of Ierusalem sing Halleluiah n Tob. 13.18 so all the desires of them that are delighted in God are referred to God There are many streetes in Ierusalem yet there is but one Halleluia which is sung in all those streetes In like sorte there are many desires in a godly man yet there is but one thing God onely which is desired in all these desires For these desires as the kisses of Christ come all from one loue these desires as the curtaines of the tabernable are all tyed together with one string these desires as the goings of Iacob stand all vpon one foote these desires as the streets of Ierusalem sing all one Halleluia So that if thou look into his desires that delighteth in the Lord thou shalt see no iniquitie no contradiction in them But if thou looke into his desires that delighteth in sinne thou shalt say with the Psalmist I see iniquitie Psal. 55.10 and contradiction in the citie For as Manasses was against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both of them against o Esa. 9.21 Iuda so the desires of the wicked are contrarie to God to themselues All their desires are contrarie to all Gods desires Manasses and Ephraim are both against Iuda There 's iniquitie Some of their desires are contrarie to other some of their desires Manasses is against Ephraim and Ephraim is against Manasses There 's contradiction Therefore the desires of the wicked beeing so contrary to God and to themselues their desires are not giuen to them but they are giuen to their desires p Rom. 1.24 Because though they loue to desire God yet they doe not desire to loue God Though they care not how much God doth for them yet they care not
called goods but melt away as snowe this is a better and a more enduring substance yea most enduring a surpassing eternall waight of glorie Thus ye see how eternall our glorie is It is a kingdome a crowne a treasure And this kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome this crowne is an incorruptible crowne this treasure is an eternall treasure And therefore seeing our glorie is so surpassing eternall we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Fourthly our glorie is waightie yea exceeding waightie The glorie to come by some resemblances is shewed to be eternall by other to be waightie First to this purpose it is compared to wine Touching which our Sauiour saith Mark 14.15 Hereafter will I not drinke with you of the fruite of the vine till I drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingdome Now how waightie this wine shal be appeareth in that the spies bringing clusters of grapes out of Canaan carried them vpon a poale on their shoulders Numb 13.24 To shewe in the celestiall Canaan what waightie glorie there shall be So when our Lord turned water into wine he commanded to fill the vessels to the toppe These vessels top-full of wine Ioh 27. doe signifie at the marriage of the Lamb that the patient shall haue a full reward 1 Ioh. 8. pressed downe shaken together running ouer So that euerie one of them may say My cuppe doth ouerflowe Psal. 13. Againe our glorie is compared to a peny Now in a peny we consider fowre things The image the superscription the sound the waight So our Sauiour when they shewed him a peny asked whose image and superscription it was First then for the image Christ shall change our vile bodies Phil. 3.21 that they may be like the glorious bodie of his Sonne that as wee haue borne the image of the earthly so we may beare the image of the heauenly For the superscriptioÌ„ our Sauiour saith To him that ouercommeth will I giue a white stone Reuel 2.17 and in it a name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it As a Prince seeing his name vpon a peice of coine knoweth it is of his owne mint so euery patient Christian seeing his owne name in this white stone which is a token of honour knoweth it properly belongeth to himselfe For the sound the Psalâ—ist saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall alwayes praise thee This shal be the sound of the peny continually the praise of God As the foure and twentie Elders neuer ceased day nor night Reuel 1.8 to sing Holy holy holy to him that is and was and is to come Fourthly for the waight the shekel of the Sanctuarie was twise as waighty as the common shekel in like manner our glorie shall be as the shekel of the Sanctuarie exceeding massie and waightie But what speake I of wine What of a peny God himselfe shall be our glory According to that Psal. 3.3 Thou art my glorie and the lifter vp of my head As if hee should haue said Affliction would make me cast downe my countenance and hold downe my head like a bulrush â—â— but the remembrance of this that thoâ— art my glory makes me lift vp my head So say's God to Abraham Gen. 15.1 Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward I am thy burkler to latch those blowes which affliction would lay vpon thee and thy exceeding great reward blessing thee with exceeding waighty glory For they that shall enioy this glorie shall see God Agreeable to that of our Lord Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God And how shall they see God Not standing behind the lattisse or looking out of a window 2. Cor. 13.12 that is darkly and obscurely but face to face talking with him familiarly as one friend doth to an other O ioy aboue all ioyes O glorie that passeth all vnderstanding when we see the amiable and gracious countenance of our Lord reconciled to vs by Christ. Doubtlesse if the Queene of Saba thought her selfe happie for hearing the wisedome of Salomon and seeing the riches of his house and the order of his seruants then much more shall we be happy when we shall see the glory and heare the wisedome of the Father not as the preachers shewe it out of the word but as our owne eies shall behold it in heauen O how blessed shall we thinke our selues then that by any paines by any afflictions we haue at length attained to such waighty glorie For this glorie is wine râ—â—â—ing ouer is a pony waighty according to the shekell of the Sanctuarie is the blessed sight and fruition of God himselfe Wherefore considering how waightie our glorie is we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternal waight of glory Compare then the affliction on the one side with the glory on the other side the shortnes of the affliction with the eternity of the glory the lightnes of the affliction with the waightinesse of the glory And then be content for an eternall glorie to suffer momentarie affliction for waightie glory to suffer light affliction The Stoicks if their greife were either momentary or light cared for no more for if it were short they cared not how heauie it were againe if it were light they cared not how long it were Our affliction is both momentarie and light One helpe was sufficient for them we haue two for â—ayling A starke shame â—herelessâ— would be for vs if heathens pagans hauing fewer meanes then wee haue should shew greater patience then we shew But the Scriptures affoard vs yet more forceable inducements Iacob being in loue with Rachell serued for her first seuen yeares and afterward seauen yeares more in all fourteene and these many yeares seemed to him but a fewe dayes O deere Lord that we had thy grace to loue thy eternall waightie glorie but as well as many a man hath done a mortall earthly creature Then â—o doubt many years of afflictioÌ„ would seeme to vs but a few dayes heauy burthens of affliction would seeme to vs very sweet and light Christ Iesus for the ioy that was set before him indured the crosse and despised the shame and now sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God Questionlesse beloued the crosse of Christ was tedious and long the shame that he suffred was heauy and vntollerable Yet this crosse seemed but momentarie to him and this shame seemed but light vnto him in comparison of the ioy that was set before him and of the eternall waightie glory which he hath now attained sitting at the right hand of the throne of God To the which plate of honour and worship we beseech thee O louing Lord to bring vs after all the afflictions of this wretched world not
Noah saued all by the doore in the side of the arke Christ redeemeth all by the doorâ— in the side of his bodie Noah the fortieth day after the decreasing of the flood opened the windowe Christ the fortieth day after his resurrectioÌ„ ascendeth vp and openeth heauen Lo ye how all things agree together None but Noah none but Christ Noahs rest Christs peace Noahs arke Christs crosse Noahs water Christs woe Noahs doore Christs side Noahs windowe Christs kingdome The Prophet Hose foretelleth that Ephraim shall flie away like a bird This is fulfilled not only in Ephraim but euen in all mankind All haue gone astray all haue flowen away from God as a hauâ—e which takes a check and giues ouer her pray wherefore Christ holding out his wounded and bloody hands as meat to reclaime vs calleth vs as it were and saith Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne Can. 6 12. that we may behold thee Prudentius writeth that when Asclepiades commaunded the tormentors to strike Romanus on the mouth the meeke martyr answered I thanke thee O captaine that thou hast opened vnto me many mouthes whereby I may preach my Lord and Sauiour Tot ecce laudant or a quot sunt vulnera Looke howe many wounds I haue so many mouthes I haue to praise and laud the Lord. And looke how many wounds Christ hath so many mouthes he hath to call vs to himselfe so many lures he hath to make our soule flie for comfort onely vnto him Manna was a most comfortable meate which God gaue the Israelites It was like to coriander seede and the tost of it was like vnto wafers made with honey Exod. 16.32 This our holy Sauiour applieth to himselfe For when the Capernites said Our fathers did eate Manna in the desert Iesus answered Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen Therefore as then there was a golden pot of Manna kept in the Tabernacle that the posteritie might see the bread wherewith the Lord fed them so there is yet a golden pot of Manna kept in heauen Bernard de amor dei c. 2. that the faithfull in all ages may tast and see how sweete the Lord is which feedeth them with his owne body and blood the least droppe whereof though it be as small as a 〈◊〉 and or seede yet it is as sweet as a wafer made with honey Hard it is to giues reason wherefore Christ when he came to the citie of Sichar in Samari◠〈◊〉 was Iacobs well sate downe vpon the well about the sixt houre But certainly he did this not so much for himselfe as for vs. That hereby we might learne when the sunne is hotest about the 〈◊〉 houre of the day wheÌ„ we are most exercised with afflictions when we are â—â—rest grieued for our sins alwaies to haue recourse vnto Christ alwaies to see with the King into the wineselles alwaies to sit downe vpon Iacobs well Ioh. 4.6 Of which the Prophet Zacharie saiâ—s In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleanenesse In omnibus aduersitatibus nâ— inueni tam essicax remedium quam vulnera Christi Manu 22. Whereupon S. Austin saith verie diuinely In all aduersities saies he I could neuer yet find any remedie so comfortable and so effectuall as the wounds of Christ. Christ is not vnlike to the poole in Ierusalem Ioh. 5.1 called Bethesda hauing fiue porches which being troubled by an angel healed any man that went first into it what soeuer disease he had Bethesda signifieth the house of effusion or powring out in which house Christ dwelt when he powred out his blood and his soule for our saluation Therefore he alone is the angel which came downe at a certaine season into the poole and troubled the water because when the fulnes of time was come he came into the world to be troubled himselfe and to be crucified that he might heale not onely that one man which had been diseased eight aâ—d thirtie yeares but euen all mankinde with the troubled water and blood which issued out of his side So that there is nothing so comfortable for sicke and sinnefull men as to fit in the seates and porches of this poole Wonderfull are the words of the Prophet concerning Christ He shall seede his flocke like a shepheard Esa. 40.11 he shall gather the lambs with his armes had 〈◊〉 theÌ„ in his bosom Which was profigur'd in the high Priest who did beare vp with his shoulders a breast plaâ—e wherin were the names of the twelue tribes written in twelue precious stones That which the shepheard doth with his armes and bosom that which the high Priest doth with his shoulders 〈◊〉 that doth Christ with his hands and side He is the good shepheard which bringeth home the lost 〈◊〉 vpon 〈◊〉 shoulders Yea he writeth the 〈◊〉 of all his sheepe in his precious wounds which are the precious stones vpon his breast-plate that both declare his loue to vs. also allure vs to loue him This makes Dauid say in great 〈◊〉 The Lord is my shepheard ther 〈◊〉 can I lacke nothing He shall feeded 〈◊〉 in a greene pasture and lead men forth beside the waters of comfort For 〈◊〉 henne gathereth her brood vnder her wings so God gathereth his children together Deut 30.11 And as an eagle stirreth vp her nest flotereth ouer her birds taken them and beareth them on her wings so Christ carrieth vs vp in his hands to the high places of the earth and causeth vs to sucke bonie out of the stone and oyle out of the hard rock Butheius an excellent painter painted an eagle carrying Ganimedes into heauen so nicely and tenderly that her talents did not 〈◊〉 him but onely beare him vp And in like sort Christ beareth vs vp in his hands that we dash noâ— our foot against a stone yea his right hand is vnder our head quis Dominus supponit ma. num suam and his leâ—t hand doth embrace vt so ther though we should fal yet we cannot be hurt because the Lord stayeth and supporteth vs with his hand Therefore S. Chrysostome giues vs good counsell not to haue iayes eyes but eagles eyes that wee may behold these hands of Christ and see his side in the Sacrament For indeede as often as we celebrate the memorie of our Lords death Christ our Sauiour deliuering the bread and the cuppe by his minister saith in a sort to euerie faithful receiuer Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull But yet we shall not alwaies drinke of this fruit of the vine The time will come when we shall drinke a new kinde of wine in Christs kingdome Wherefore he saies As often as yâ— shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shâ—w the
our Lord and Master giueth vs all that are his faithfull seruants is a coat made of this purple wooll The Psalmist saith that God giueth his snow like wooll But here wee may turne the sentence and say that Christ giueth his wooll like snow For as show couereth the ground when it is ragged and deformed so Christs wooll which is his coate without seame couereth our sinnes and though they were as crimson yet maketh them white as snow And as Gideons fleece when it was moist the earth was dry but when it was dry the earth was moist so when Christs fleece was moist as a greene tree then were all wee drye like rotten stickes but when his fleece was dry all the blood and water being wrung out of his pretious side then were we moistened with his grace Wherefore seeing death had not Christs fleece when he was shorne but we haue it which beleeue in him it followeth that neither death was the better nor Christ the worse But as a lamb is much more nimble liuely for shearing so this shearing of death was a kind of quickning to the lambe of God and onely a trimming to him before he ascended to his Father as Ioseph was trimmed and powled before he appeared to Pharaoh For looke how Adam slept so Christ died i Dormit Adam moritur Christus Prosper When Adam slept his side was opened when Christ died his side was opened Adams side being opened flesh and bone were taken out Christs side being opened water and bloud were taken out Of Adams flesh and bone the woman was built of Christs water and bloud the Church is built So that the death of Christ is nothing else but the sleepe of Adam For 〈◊〉 he said of the Damsels death The Damsell is not dead but sleepeth so hee saith of his owne death I laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me And in another place when God the Father saith to his Son Awake my glory awake my Lute and Harpe God the Sonne answeres to his Father I will awake right early That vessel which Peter sawe in a traunce which came down from heauen to the earth and was knit at the foure corners and had all maner of beasts in it did betoken Christ Christ came downe from heauen to the earth and his story was knit vp by the foure Euangelists and hee hath made Iewes and Gentiles yea all Nations though they were as bad as beasts before yet he hath made them all I say one in himselfe Now saith Cassianus it is worth the noting that the Holy Ghost saith not this vessell was a sheet but was like a sheet k Pulchre â—it Non sintâ—um sed Quasiâ—inteum A sheet may signifie either sleepe or death Because there is both a sleeping sheete and a winding sheete But neither was Peters vessell a sleepe though it were like a sheet neither was Christs body dead though it were lapt in a sheete For wee our selues cannot so properly bee said to liue in our first birth as in our second birth and Christs life when he lay in that new wombe in which neuer any other was conceiued is nothing to his life when hee lay in that new tombe in which neuer any other was buried Wherefore as Iacob trauelling towards Haram when he had laid an heape of stones vnder his head and taken a nap by the way was much reuiued with it after his tedious iourney so Christ trauelling towards heauen when hee had slept a little in that stony sepulchre which was hewn out of a rocke liued then most princely after his painfull passion Tell me when did Ionas liue In the hatches of the ship or in the belly of the whale In the hatches of the shippe Why I am sure you will not say so That was nothing But to liue in the belly of the Whale when the mariners were in extreme ieopardy and danger vpon the water and yet Ionas most safe and secure vnder the water this indeede was somewhat who euer saw such a wonder The waters were one while hoisted vp to the highest cloudes another while hurâ—ed downe to the nethermost depth Ionas himselfe being all this vvhile in the very gulfe of destruction and yet not one haire the worse Christs case was the same As Ionas vvas in the belly of the Whale three daies three nights so so long vvas the sonne of man in the bowels of the earth Yet he had no more hurt then Ionas had but liued better vnder the earth then we can vpon the earth better in death then we can in life Tel me when did Daniel liue in the Kings court or in the Lions denne In the Kings court why there is no great reason for that Any man might haue liued there But to liue in the Lions den vvhen the mouth of the den vvas shut and the mouths of the Lions open this indeed was the life of an Angell no man What King could euer make Lions attend and wait vpon him Yet here you might haue seene vvorthy Daniel sitting in the midst of many hungry Lions when as the Lions lay downe at his feet couching and crouching before him and adored their owne prey cast vnto them vvhich otherwise they vvould haue vvorried and being beasts became men in humanity toward this Saint seeing men became beasts in cruelty against him The saâ—â—e reason was in Christ. His sepulchre was sealed as well as Daniels den And hee saith also of himselfe in the Psalmes My soule is among Lions These Lions were the terrors of death and the horrors of hell Yet hee tooke no more hurt then Daniel did But brake the chaines of death into fitters and the gates of hell into shiuers and then most gloriously triumphed And so the death of Christ by reason of his righteousnesse is the life of himselfe It is lastly the life of man When Christs speare had opened that way of life which the Cherubins sword had stopt vp Then said our sauiour to the Theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Adam and Eue both in one day were expelled out of Paradise Christ the theefe both in one day were receiued into Paradise yea both in one houre of the day For about Noone when the winde blew Adam and Eue were expelled and so about the sixth houre that is about twelue of clock in the day time Christ and the Theefe were receiued Christ saying to the Theefe while he did draw him vp to Paradise l Ose. cap. 11. I doe draw thee with the cords of a man euen with bands of loue But the Septuagint translate the Hebrew words m Bechauele Adam which signifie with the cords of a man into those Greeke words n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie with the destruction of a man As if CHRIST should say thus to the Theefe I doe so deerely loue thee that I am content my selfe to be destroyed that thou mayest bee saued
Christiane Erasmus in praefationâ—â—nte Hier. Ep. and haue not many imperfections of the world which we haue f Cellae Coeli habitatio cogna taesunt Ber. de vita solitâ—r Yet this is not the onely perfect estate which tendeth toward the marke But as diuers haue liued very badly in Monasteries so many haue liued very blessedly without them Yea there is no calling so meane but if a man follow Christ in it hee may well enough according to the measure of grace which it shall please God to giue him become a perfect man Let Ioseph be an example for seruants Iacob for shepheards Amos for cottagers Matthew for Farmers Peter for Fishers Paul for Tâ—nt-makers and so forth of the rest (g) Vide Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. in fine Et Philo Iudeum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 593. For if a man haue the right Marke alwayes before his eyes he may liue as well in a Citie as in a sanctuary Morae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. ad pop Antioch 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vbi supra hom 12. as well in a shop as in a cell i So that no one calling simply of it selfe doth make a man perfect but the answere of a good conscience to God (k) 1 Pet 3.21 that is it which maketh a man perfect Briefly the point is this What lawfull calling state or condition soeuer thou art in if ouer and besides the plying of thy worldly busines thou haue a conscionable care euery day to encrease spiritually also in such a faith as worketh by charity (l) Galath 5.6 I warrant thee feare nothing thou art right enough and dost goe straight toward the Marke The superstitious Pagans thought that an Idoll which they termed Vibilia kept them from erring out of their way m Ab erronibus viarum dea Vibilia liberat Arnob. aduers. gent. l 4. initio But faith is our Vibilia which will not suffer vs to wander out of the way so long as we do all things according to that patterne which was shewed vs in the mount (n) Exo. 25.10 For Christ with his crosse in mount Caluarie hath gone before vs and broken the ice already for vs and left vs an example that by faith wee might follow his steppes (o) 1 Pet. 2.21 euery one of vs saying vnto him with holy Iob My foote hath followed thy steppes thy way haue I kept and haue not declined (p) Iob 23.11 This we shall doe if we walke in the Kings hie-way of charity (q) Num. 21.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen p. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. pag. 129. and keepe the royall way of loue r â—am 2.8 For we that are Christians goe toward the marke not by liuing but by louing not with our feete but with our affections Neither is there any thing which maketh a good or bad life but a good or a bad loue s Imus enim non ambulando non pedibus sed moribus Nec faciunt bonâ—s vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores Aug. Epist. 52. Therefore he that would bee perfect must be rich in good workes and according to the rule of Euangelicall perfection he must loue not only his friends in God but also his foes for God t Amico in deo inimicos propter deum Prosper in l. sententiarâ—m Because as that is the hottest fire which warmeth them that are furthest off so that is the most feruent and perfect loue which forsaketh none though they be neuer so farre off neither friend nor foe that may be loued but embraceth all in him who neuer doth forsake vnlesse he be forsaken Now this charity of ouâ—s ought to bee scarlet twice dyed (v) Coccus bis tinctus Exod. 28.6 I meane extended not onely towards men but also towards God Which loue of God must make vs contemne the world and loath our owne selues (x) Duo amores duas constituunt ciuitates amor Dei crescens vsque ad contemptum sui ciuitate Dei Amor sui vsque ad contemptum Dei ciuitatem diaboli Aug. and mortifie all our inordinate desires keepe no proprietie in any thing wee haue but renounce and resigne our whole will and our whole soule to the good will and pleasure of God For indeed so many times we step out of the way as wee desire any thing which is not finally referred to the loue of the Lord (y) Tot gressus extra viam ponimus quot peruersis desiderijs à coelestis vitae meditatione separamur Greg. Mag. And therfore as a cunning archer will hit not onely the white but euen that very blacke in the middest of the marke which is commonly made in the forme of a heart * Cambyses câ—â— sily Prexaspis cor ipsum sua sagitta traiecisset Dicito mihi inquit Prexaspes quemnam noris mortaliâ—â—n ita ad destinatum emittere sagittas Herodotus lib. 3. initio semblably a sincere louer of God must neuer leaue darting and shooting vp to God his most passionate and piercing desires z Iaculatoria desideria Aug. till hee hath hit the marke a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Igna. Epist. 13. and with his wounded heart also wounded Gods heart that the Lord may mercifully and louingly confesse vnto him and say Thou hast wounded my heart my sister my spouse (b) Cant. 4.9 But now as in our charitie to men we must loue not onely our friends but also our foes so in our charity to God wee must loue the Lord not onely when hee sheweth sensible signes of familiarity and fauour toward vs but also when hee seemeth to frowne as it were and to bee offended with vs. Dauid saith in one Psalme c Psal. 119.143 trouble and heauinesse hath found mee but in another Psalme d Psal. 116.3 I haue found trouble and heauinesse Betweene these two speeches there is a great difference For trouble and heauinesse may finde him which runneth into a corner and hideth himselfe and would not be found by affliction But hee findes trouble and heauinesse who when it is in his owne free choyce whether hee will be afflicted or no willingly with Moses chuseth to suffer affliction (e) Heb. 11.25 and loueth the Lord most of all when he laieth some fatherly chastisement and correction vpon him knowing that as Christ was consecrated and perfected by afflictions f Heb. 2.10 cap. 5.9 so nothing doth more perfect a Christian and make him fine gold indeed as S. Paul also in the very next verse almost before my text declareth then the fellowship of his afflictions and to bee made conformable vnto his death g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the sweete Lambe of God was in such an extreame agony and anguish and distresse and desolation of spirit that his blessed body was bathed all ouer in a sweate of bloud To teach vs that though we
in it so the Lord onely hath all manner of good things al manner of true delights in him Therefore the Church hauing first bestowed the greatest part of Salomons song altogether in commendation of the beautie and comelinesse of Christ at length concludeth thus Thy mouth is as sweet things and thou art wholly delectable how faire art thou how pleasant art thou O my loue in pleasures So that when I seeke my loue my Lord then I seeke a delight and a light that passeth all lights which no eye hath seene I seeke a sound and an harmonie that passeth al harmonies which no eare hath heard I seeke a sent and asauour that passeth all sauours which nosense hath smelt I seeke a rellish and a tast that passeth al taste which no tongue hath tasted I seeke a contentment and a pleasure that passeth all pleasures which no body hath felt Nay I cannot hold my heart for my ioy yea I cannnot hold my ioy for my heart to think that he which is my Lord is now become my father and so that he which was offended with me for my sins sake is now reconciled to mee for his sonnes sake To think that the high Maiesty of God will one day raise me out of the dost and so that I which am now a poore worme vpon earth shall hereafter bee a glorious Saint in heauen This this makes mee delight my selfe in the Lord saying O thou that art the delight of my delight the life of my life the soule of my soule I delight my selfe in thee I liue onely for thee I offer my selfe vnto thee wholly to the wholly one to thee one onely to thee r Totum toti vnum vni vnicum vnico onely For suppose now as S. Iohn speaketh the whole world were full of bookes and al the creatures in the world were writers all the grasse piles vpon the earth were pennes and all the waters in the sea were yoke yet I assure you faithfully all these bookes all these writers all these pennes all this yoke would not bee sufficient to describe the very least pert either of the goodnes of the Lord in himselfe or of the louing kindnesse of the Lord towards thee Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of the heart Thus much for the precept in these words Delight thy selfe in the Lord. The promise followeth First And hee shall giue thee Well saies Leo Loue is the greatest reward of loue that either can be or can be desired s Dilectionis nulla maior expetenda est remuncratio quam ipsa dilectio Ser. 7. de ieiu So that though there were no other reward promised thee for delighting in the Lord but onely the delight it selfe it were sufficient For the benefit is not Gods but wholly thine God is neuer a whit the better for thy delighting thy selfe in him If thou bee righteous what dost thou giue him what doth bee receiue at thy hands t Iob. 32.7 Thy delight may perhaps reach to the saints which are in the earth but it can neuer reach to the Saints which are in heauen and much lesse can it reach to God which is the Lord of heauen u Psal. 16.2 Nay I will say more If thou shouldest giue God whole riuers full of oyle and whole houses full of gold for neuer so little a drop of this delight it would be nothing Thy gift wold be nothing to his gift thy oyle and golde would be nothing to his oyle and gladnes yet behold the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Lord. He â—ires thee and giues thee wages not to doe himselfe good but to doe thy selfe good And here he promiseth to reward his owne mercies as if they were thine owne merits And as though the benefit were not thine but wholly his so hee changeth the words and for thou shalt giue him saies He shall giue thee But this he doth as Augustine testifieth x Non erroris amoris sed amoris errore De ciuit dei lib. 22. cap. 6. Not by the loue of errour but by the errour of loue For the loue of errour is mans Rhetoricke it is a figure which man often vseth Hâ—manum est errare y It is mans property to erre But the errour of loue is Gods Rhetoricke it is a figure which God often vseth Diuinum est amare z It is Gods property to loue Especially it is a diuine thing to loue so dearely as God loueth vs. Who though he do not loue to erre yet he doth erre for loue Counting and calling that which is onely our commodity his owne commodity So Christ is said a Can. 2.16 to be fed amongst the lylies The lylies of the fields are the milions of the angels b Lilia agroruÌ„ millia angelorum or of al those which lead a pure an angelicall life These indeed Christ feedeth He feedeth them on the greene pastures and leadeth them forth by the waters of comfort Yea not onely be feedeth them but also by this figure the error of loue he is said to be fed with them Because though he for his part haue little neede I wis to be feede yet it is as great a pleasure to him to feede them as if hee were fedde himselfe among them c Si vidisti quod pasci illi sit pascere vide esiam nuÌ„c ne forte e conuerso nascere sit ei pasci Barnard Cant. serm 71 So likewise he saies If any man open the doore I will suppe with him and be with me d Reu. 3.20 Wee indeede suppe with Christ. Generally whensoeuer he giues vs grace to feele in our affections the rauishing ioyes of the spirit And when he saies I haue eaten my bonie combe with my hony I haue drunken my wine with my milke eate you also O my friends drinke and make you merry O my well beloued But more especially wee suppe with Christ when hee calls vs to the holy Communion and biddes vs to the Lords Supper For then he staies vs with flagons and comforts vs with e Cant. 3.20 apples with apples and flagons with bread and wine with his owne deere body and his owne pretious bloud Thus do wee sup with Christ. Bâ—t how doth Christ suppe with vs Is it possible possible that he which shall neuer hunger or thirst any more possible that be which is fulnesse it selfe in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily dwelleth Is it possible I say that hee should stand without knocking at the doore as a begger to get a meales meat of vs Yea sure doubt you not It is possible enough By a certaine Figure I weene you call it the errour of loue that 's it by this figure the errour of loue it is a very possible thing nay it is a verie easie thing to doe yea it is a very great pleasure to him to doe it Behold saies hee I stand at the dâ—re and
〈◊〉 tho◠〈◊〉 forgiue him Therefore as I am boâ—â—dâ— to forgiue my brother in deâ—d though hee doâ— not â—â—ke me forgiuenes but I am not bound to goe to him and tell him I forgiue him except he first come to 〈◊〉 and tell me He repents but if he doe 〈◊〉 then am I boâ—nd also to tell him I forgiue him so the Lord though in the gracious degree of his fatherly adoption he haue sealed vp the remission of all our sinnes yet he doth not open the bagge shewâ— the treasures of his mercie 〈…〉 ward in it till he see vs become new 〈◊〉 For then he hath bound himselfe by his loâ—ing promise and hath giuen vs his word that he will forgiue vs our sinne At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth saith â—e z Ezec. 18.21 and watereth his Couch with his teares I will remember his iniquities no more Naaman the Syrian was willed 〈◊〉 wash himselfe seauen times in 〈◊〉 52 2. Reg. 5.10 VVhy seuen times was not 〈◊〉 time enough Yes surely For him it was enough but not for vs. For that was done rather for our example then for his benefite Seeing his malady was onely a leprosie but our soule is leprous with sinne And therefore if hee for one leprosie washt himselfe seauen times how much more ought wee euery time we sin to be sorry for it and if wee doe not wash our selues seauen times for one sinne yet at the least wise to wash our selues seauen times for seauen sinnes seeing the most iust of vs all as Salomon witnesseth a Prou. 24.16 may seauen times fall in one day Or rather many men in the world haue not onely seauen deadly sinnes but euen seauen diuels in them b Luk. 8.2 which they can no waies wash out but by bitter weeping and watering their couch with their teares To the angel of Ephesus thusâ— saith the spirit 53 Reu. 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first workes or else I will remooue thy candle sticke out of his place So that if wee let our sinne stand still our candle-sticke shall be remoued but if we would haue our candle sticke stand still our sinne must be remoued We must repent and doe the first workes not those which wee must repent of but those which wee are fallen from Wonderfull are the words of the Apostle God hath committed the worde of reconciliation vnto vs therefore wee are Christs embassadoâ—rs and God entreating you as it were by vs wee beseech you in the name of Christ that you would be recoÌ„ciled to God 54 2 Cor. 5.20 What may some man say were not the Corinthians reconciled alreadie wherefore then is the Apostle so earnest about nothing I but they doe not vnderstand the Apostle which make this obiection Hee knew wel enough they were reconciled before But he knew as well the best of vs all can not stande in Gods fauour one minute of an hower without a good mediatour For since our first reconciliation to God we haue so often offended his maiestie that if wee doe not plie him with humble supplications and daily petitions and hearty repentance and vnfained teares he and wee cannot possibly bee friends And therefore the Apostle calles vpon the Corinthians so earnestly and cries to them and saies Take heede Feare God Offend him not Yee can gette nothing by falling out with him But in case you haue beene ouertaken with any sinne c Gal. 6.1 ye haue an aduocate with the father d 1 Ioh. 2.1 Fly vnto him for succour If you be wise bee reconciled to God as soone as you can God entreateth you O mercifull Lord doest thou sue seeke to vs and is there any thing in the world that wee can pleasure thee in can our goodnesse reach vnto thee e Psalm 16.2 and doest thou entreat vs yee saies hee God entreateth you and we his ambassadours in the name of Iesus Christ beseech you that you would be reconciled to God Be reconciled â—o God and though you haue offended him neuer so much hee will bee reconciled to you Assure your selues you may lay your life of it hee will presently turne vnto you if you in true repentance will turne vnto him and water your couch with your teares For so this our Prophet did no sooner confesse his fault but Nathan proclaimed his pardon 55 2. Sam. 12 13. Whereupon hee himselfe also hath these wordes 56 Psal. 32.5 I saide I will confesse my wickednesse vnto the Lord thou forgauest the iniquity of my sin As the Lionesse hauing bin false to the Lyon by going to a Libard and the Storke coÌ„forting with any other besides her owne mate wash themselues before they dare returneÌ„ home in like manner the prophet here before he can be reconciled to God after this great breach by adulterie and murther f 2 Sam. 11.4 and 15. is faine to wash his bed and to water his couch with his teares But here a question may arise If the faithfull be subiect neither to eternal condemnation when they doe sinne not yet to final impenetency when they haue sinned what neede they at all either auoide sinne for which they shall not be condemned or else hasten their repentance of which they shall not bee depriued This question consisteth of two parts The one touching condemnation the other touching impenitency To the former part I say as before Though there be sin in them yet there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus g Rom 8.1 But how this is no thankes to them that sin thereby making themselues guilty of sin as much as in them lieth subiect also to condemnation for the same but onely to God who wrappeth vp all the sinnes of his children in the bowels of his deare sonne that they appeare not in his sight to condemne them either in this world or in the world to come As Shew went backwarde and couered his fathers nakednes h Gen. 9.23 so God casteth our sinnes behind his backe and doth not impute them to vs. Howbeit though condemnation neede not be feared yet there are reasons enough besides to perswade all those to hate sinne that loue God One is because God doth vsually withdraw the outward signs of his â—â—â—our from them which forget their duty towards him The whole booke of Iob is proofe sufficient Especially in one place i Iob. 7.20 he saith I haue sinned what shall I do vnto thee O thou preseruer of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burden to my selfe And Dauid k Psal. 44.24 Why standest thou so farre off O Lord and hidest thy selfe in the needfull time of trouble For as Ioseph made himselfe strange to his Brethren and spake vnto them roughly l Gen. 42.7.3 though he loued them wel enough euen so the Lord though he take not his mercie from his children yet