Now therefore Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of minde c. As you claime any portion in those gracious blessings Election Sanctification and the loue of God as you would haue the sweet testimonie of the Spirit that you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption Put on mercie kindnes meeknes long suffering let them be as robes to couer you all ouer Yea bowels of mercies let them be as tender and inward to you as your most vitall parts Lay forbearance and forgiuenes as deare friends in your bosomes Depart from iniquitie for the high way of the vpright is to depart from euill and he that keepth his way preserueth his soule And above all these things put on Charitie which is the bond of perfectnesse Walke in loue And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israell of God Amen LOVES COPIE OR The best Precedent of Charitie EPHE 5. 2. As Christ loued vs. WE distinguished the whole verse into a Canon and a Crucifixe The Canon consisted of a Precept and a Precedent Loue is the Subiect and it is both commanded and commended Commanded in the Charge which you haue heard Commended in the Example which you shall heare I determined my speach with the Precept Walke in loue The Precedent or Patterne remaines to be propounded and expounded As Christ loued vs. Every word is emphaticall and there be foure signifying foure seuerall natures Here 1 As is a word of 1 Qualitie 2 Christ 2 Maiestie 3 Loued 3 Mercie 4 Vs 4 Miserie Two of these words be Vincula or Media that ioyne and vnite other things Sicut and Dilexit As and Loued As directs our loue to God and Man by the exemplified rule of Christ louing vs. Walke in loue to others As Christ loued vs. Loued is that blessed reconciling nature whereby Gods good Greatnes descends to our bad basenesse and the Iust giues to the vniust Saluation For what other nature but Mercie could reconcile so high Maiestie and so low Miserie As According to Zanchius his obseruation on this place is a note of Qualitie not Equalitie of Similitude not of Comparison We must loue others As Christ loued vs As for the manner not for the measure His loue was strong as Death for to the death hee loued vs. It was a bright cleare fire many maters could not quench it yea water and bloud could not put it out God so loued the World so freely so fatherly so fully as no tongue can tell no heart thinke The loue of Christ passeth knowledge To thinke of equalling this loue would be an impossible presumption Our loue is inconstant weake a mingled and often a mangled loue mingled with selfe loue and mangled with the wounding affections of the world Our loue is faine his strong ours ficle his constant ours limited his infinite Yet wee must follow him so fast as we can and so farre as wee may Walking in loue as he loued vs. His Walking in loue was strange and admirable hee tooke large steps from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen As Bernard on that speech of the Church concerning her Beloued Behold hee commeth leaping vpon the mountaines skipping vpon the hils He leaps from heauen to the Virgins wombe from the wombe to a manger from the manger to Egypt from Egypt to Iudah from thence to the Temple from the Temple vp to the Crosse from the Crosse downe to the graue from the graue vp to the earth and from the earth vp to the highest glory And he shall yet haue another leap from the right hand of his Father to iudge quicke and dead These were great iumpes large paces of loue When he made but one stride from the clouds to the cradle and another from the Cradle to the crosse and a third from the crosse to the crowne To come from the bosome of his immortall father to the wombe of his mortall mother was a great step From the lowest hell or depth of his humiliation to the highest heauen or top of his exaltation was a large pace We cannot take such large steps nor make such strides These leaps are beyond our agilitie our abilitie Yet we must follow him in loue stepping so farre as we can and walking so fast as we may Follow we carefully and chearfully though non passibus aequis The Father that takes his yong son into the field with bowes shafts and bids him shoot after him doth not expect that the child should shoote so farre as he but so farre as he can Though we cannot reach Christs marke yet If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not Now this particle As is not barely similitudinary but hath a greater latitude and serues To Confine the Measure of our Imitation Define Matter Refine Manner 1. This Sicut Confines Our imitation and limits it to that circumference which the present rule or compasse giues it We may not follow Christ in all things but in this thing Loue As he loued vs. Our imitation hath a limitation that it may not exorbitantly start out of the circle There are speciall workes which God reserues to himselfe and wherein he did neuer commaund or commend mans following but rather strikes it downe as presumption His Power his Maiestie his Wisedome his Myracles cannot without a contumacious ambition be aymed at When Lucifer aspired to be like God in Maiestie he was throwne out of heauen When Adam contended to be like God in knowledge he was cast out of Paradise When Nebuchadnezzar arrogated to be like God in Power he was expulsed his kingdome When Simon Magus mounted to be like God in working Miracles and to flie in the ayre he was hurld downe and broke his necke God must not be imitated in his Finger in his Arme in his Braine in his Face but in his Bowels Not in the Finger of his Myracles nor in the Arme of his Power nor in the Braine of his Wisedome nor in the Face of his Maiestie but in the Bowels of his Mercy Be ye mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull And sayth Paul Put on the Bowels of mercy as Christ put them on Forbeare forgiue Walke in Loue As hee loued vs. Neither Angell nor Man did euer or shall euer offend in coueting to be like God in Loue Grace Mercy Goodnes So that this Sicut excludes his Myracles and directs vs to his Morralls Walke in Loue 〈◊〉 c. 2. This Sicut Defines What our Loue should be As Christ was to vs. Now his loue to vs had an infinite extention and is past the skill of men or Angels to describe Yet because this is the perfect Copy of our imitation and the infallible Rule whereby we must square our Charitie I must according to my shallow power wade a litle
Court who often fed vs in the countrey Or if wee vouchsafe to acknowledge them as friends we will not as Sutors Hereon was the verse made Quisquis in hoc mundo cunctis vult gratus haberi Det Capiat Quaerat Plurima Pauca Nihil He that would be of worldly men well thought Must alwayes Giue Take Beg Much Litle Nought Men cannot brooke poore friends This inconstant charitie is hatefull as our English phrase premonisheth Loue me Little and Loue me Long. 3. This Sicut Refines Our loue Walke in loue as Christ loued vs. Where As is not onely similitudinary but causall Loue because Christ loued vs for this cause as after this maner Which serues to putrifie our loue to purge it from corruption and to make it perfect Dilectio Dei nosfacit diligibiles diligentes both such as God can loue and such as can loue God For it is the loue of Christ to vs that works a loue to Christ in vs. A man will euer loue that medicine that hath freed him from some desperate disease Christs Loue hath healed vs of all our sores and sinnes let vs honour and loue this medicine compounded of so precious simples water and bloud And let vs not onely affectionately embrace it our selues but let vs inuite others to it Come and harken all ye that feare God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule Christ. I haue beene so punctuall in this word of Qualitie that I can but mention the rest The word of Maiestie is Christ who being almightie God coequall and coeternall with the Father and the Spirit tooke on him our nature and was factus homo vt pro homine pacaret Deum God was made man that for man he might appease God Thus did so great a maiestie stoupe low for our loue Non exuendo quod habuit sed induendo quod non habuit not by loosing what he had but by accepting what he had not our miserable nature Ipse dilexit nos Tantus tantum gratis tantillos tales Hee that was so great loued so greatly vs that were so poore and vnworthy freely Loued Is that word of Mercy that reconciles so glorious a God to so vngracious sinners The cause which moued Christ to vndertake for vs was no merite in vs but meere mercy inhim He Loued vs because he loued vs in our Creation when we could not loue him in our Redēption when we would not loue him Loued vs notbutthat he loueth vs stil. But the Apostle speaks in this time to distinguish the loue wherewith he now loueth vs from that whereby he once Loued vs. For if when wee were enemies we were reconciled to God by his death much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life Though it be also true that from euerlasting he Loued vs. Vs Is the word of Miserie Vs hee loued that were so wretched The word is indefinite Us all vs. Vs be wee neuer so vnworthy All vs be wee neuer so many 1. Vs that were vnworthy of his loue from whom he expected no correspondence That hee loued the blessed Angels was no wonder because they with winged obedience execute his hests and doe his word Yea that he loued his very reason-lesse and insensible creatures is not strange for fire and haile snow and vapour stormy wind and tempest fulfill his word But to loue vs that were weake vngodly sinners enemies Rom. 5 weake no strength to deserue vngodly no pietie to procure sinners no righteousnes to satisfie enemies no peace to atone for wee hated him and all his yee shall be hated of all men for my names sake To loue such vs was an vnexpectable a most mercifull Loue. Hee that wanted nothing loued vs that had nothing Immortall eternitie loued mortall dust and ashes O if a man had Ora mille fluentia melle yea the tongues of Angels he could not sufficiently expresse this loue So God loued the world Mundum immundum the vncleane world that not onely not receiued him but euen crucified and killed him 2 All of vs without acception of persons This is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world The Gospell proclaimes an vniuersall Si quis Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Qui seipsum excipi◅ se ipsum decipit He that excepts himselfe beguiles his owne soule Hence I find three inferences obseruable which I will commend to your consciences and your consciences to God Dilecti diligamus Dilectos Diligentes 1. We are loued our selues therefore let vs loue He that bids vs loue loued vs first This is my Commandement that yee loue one another Why As I loued you Non aliud iussit quam gessit he chargeth vs with nothing in precept which he performed not in practise Therefore Si tardi su◅us ad ◅andum non tardi simus ad redamandum Though we haue not beene forward to loue first let vs not be backward to returne loue Dilecti diligite If God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another Magnes amoris amor and the sole requitall which God requires for his rich loue is our poore loue that onely may loue him but haue nothing to giue him that is not his 2. They are beloued whom thou art charged to loue He that bids vs loue others loues them himselfe It is fit we should loue those whom Christ loues If thou loue Christ thou art bound to loue others because he loues them yea with that very same loue wherewith he loues thee Therefore Dilectos diligamus 3. They also loue God whom God commands thee to loue The loue of Christ is so shed abroad into all Christian hartes that they vnfainedly affect Iesus their Sauiour They loue him whom thou louest therefore loue them It is fit we should loue them highly that loue God heartily Therefore Diligentes diligamus Thus you haue heard Loues Walke or Race now then sayth Paul So runne that you may obtaine I will end with an Apologue an Epilogue a Parable Charitie and certaine other her riualls or indeed enemies would runne a race together The Prize they all ranne for was Felicitie which was held vp at the Gaoles end by a bountifull Lady called Eternitie The runners were Pride Prodigalitie Enuie Couetousnes Lust Hypocrisie and Loue. All the rest were either diuerse or aduerse neighbours or enemies to Charitie I will Herald-like shew you their seuerall equipage how they begin the Race and end it 1. Pride you know must be formost and that comes out like a Spanyard with daring lookes and a tongue thundring out braues mounted on a spritely Iennet named Insolence His Plumes and Perfumes amaze the beholders eyes and nosthrils He runnes as if he would ouerthrow Gyants and Dragons yea euen the great Red-Dragon if he encountred him and with his lance burst open heauen gates But his Iennet stumbles and downe comes Pride You know
from patience Charitie couers a multitude of Sinnes sayth Peter All sinnes sayth Salomon Couers them partly from the eyes of God in praying for the offenders partly from the eyes of the world in throwing a cloake ouer our brothers nakednes especially from it owne eyes by winking at many wrongs offred it Charitie suffreth long the backe of loue will beare a load of iniuries There be two graces in a Christian that haue a contrary qualitie The one is most stout sterne the other most mild and tender Loue is soft and gentle therfore compared to the bowelles Viscera Misericordiae Faith is austere and couragious carrying Luthers motto on the Shield Cedo nulli I yeeld to no enemie of my faith So sayd our precious Iewel I denie my liuing I deny my estimation I deny my name I denie my selfe but the Faith of Christ and the Truth of God I cannot denie But loue is mild long-suffering mercifull compassionate and so hath a Cleare way to peace Neare Loue is also a very neare way to blessednesse and as I may say a short cut to heauen All Gods law was at first reduced to ten Precepts The lawes of nations though they make vp large volumes yet are still vnperfect some statutes are added as necessary others repealed as hurtfull But the law of God though contained in a few lines yet containes all perfection of duetie to God and man There is no good thing that is not here commanded no evill thing that is not here forbidden And all this in so short bounds that those ten precepts are called but ten Words Yet when Christ came he abridged this Law shorter and reduced the Ten into Two Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe S. Paul yet comes after and rounds vp all into one God reduceth all into Tenne Christ those tenne into Two Paul those two into one Rom. 13. Loue is the fulfilling of the law Which is Compendium non dispendium legis saith Tertullian an abridging not enervating of the law of God So Augustin God in all his law Nihil praecipit nisi Charitatem nihil culpat nisi cupiditatem commands nothing but Loue condemnes nothing but lust Yea it is not onely the Complement of the Law but also the Supplement of the Gospell Ioh. 13. Novum mandatum A new commandement I giue vnto you that yee loue one another All which makes it manifest that Loue is a Neare way to heauen Sociable It is also for it is neuer out of company never out of the best company The delight thereof is with the Saynts that are in earth and with the excellent The two maine obiects of Enuie are Highnesse and Nighnesse the enuious man cannot endure another aboue him another neare him the envious man loues no neighbour But contrarily loue doth the more heartily honour those that are higher and embrace those that are nigher and cannot want societie so long as there is a Communion of Saints Loue is the way you heare our Course is Walking As cleare neare and sociable a way as loue is yet few can hit it for of all wayes you shall find this least travel'd The way of Charitie as once did the Wayes of Sion mournes for want of passengers This path is so vncouth and vnbeaten that many cannot tell whether there be such a way or not It is in their opinion but Via serpentis the way of a serpent on the earth or of a bird in the ayre which cutteth the ayre with her wings and leaues no print or tract behind her But some Chimâ—…ra or mathematicall imaginary poynt an Ens rationale without true being Viam dilectionis ignorant as the Apostle sayth Uiam pacis The way of peace they haue not knowne Others knowe there is such a way but they will not set their foote into it Their old way of malice and covetousnesse is delightfull but this is Ardâ—…a praerupta via a hard and a harsh way Indeede Artis tristissima ianua nostrae the entrance to this way is somewhat sharp and vnpleasant to flesh for it begins at repentance for former vncharitablenesse But once entred into this Kings high-way it is full of all content and blessednes Adlaetos ducens per gramina fluctus Walke in Loue. He doth not say talke of it but walke in it This precept is for course not discourse Loue sittes at the doore of many mens lips but hath no dwelling in the heart We may say truely of that charitie it is not at nome A great man had curiously engrauen at the gate of his Pallace the image of Bountie or Hospitalitie The needie Trauellers with ioy spying it approach thither in hopefull expectation of succour But still silence or an emptie Eccho answers all their cries and knockes for hospitality may stand at the gate but there is none in the house One among the rest his hungry trust thus often abused resolues to plucke downe the Image With these words If there be neither meate nor drinke in the house what needs there a Signe Great Portals in the Countrey and coloured Postâ—…s in the Cittie promise the poore Beggar liberall reliefe but they are often but Images Muta â—…utila signa dumbe and lame signes For Charitie is not at home onely the shadow without Speâ—…illectat inaâ—…i giues faire and fruitlesse hopes We are too much wearied with these shadowes of Charitie Ambrose makes two parts of Liberalitie Beneuolence and Beneficence Many will share the former but spare the latter They will wish some thing but doe nothing They haue open mouthes but shut hearts soft words but hard bowels To these S. Iohn giues aduise Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth Opposing workes to words veritie to vanity Verball complements are not reall implements and with a little inuersion of the Philosophers sense The belly hath no eares The starued soule delights not to heare Charitie but to feele it Oculate mihi sunt manus the poores hands haue eyes what they receiue they beleeue The gowtie vsurer hath a nimble tongue and though he will not walke in loue he can talke of loue for of all members the tongue Postrema senescit waxeth old last Let a distressed passenger come to some of their gates and he shall haue diuinitie enough but no humanitie wholesome counsell but no wholesome food They can afford them exhortation but not compassion charging their eares but in no wise ouer-charging their bellies They haue scripture against begging but no bread against famishing The bread of the Sanctuary is common with them not the bread of the Buttery If the poore can be nourished with the Philosophicall supper of good morall sentences they shall be prodigally feasted but if the bread of life will not content them they may be packing But sayth S. Iames If you say to the poore Depart in peace be warmed be filled
into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
continet verbum Domini nisi verbum Dominum There is nothing contained in the word of God but God the Word Nor is he the Center onely of his Word but of our rest and Peace I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Thou hast made vs for thee O Christ and our heart is vnquiet till it rest in thee It is naturall to euery thing appettere centrum to desire the Center But our life is hid with Christ in God We must needes amare where wee must animare Our mind is where our pleasure is our heart is where our treasure is our loue is where our life is but all these our pleasure treasure life are reposed in Iesus Christ. Thou art my Portion O Lord sayth Dauid Take the world that please let our Portion be Christ. We haue left all sayth Peter and fellowed thee you haue lost nothing by it sayth Christ for you haue gotten me Nimis auarus est cui non sufficit Christus Hee is too couetous whom Iesus Christ cannot satisfie Let vs seeke this Center sayth August Quâ—…ramus inueniendum quaeramus inuentum Vt inveniendus quâ—…ratur paratus est vt inuentus quâ—…ratur immensus est Let vs seeke him till wee haue found him and still seeke him when we haue found him That seeking wee may find him he is ready that finding we may seeke him he is infinite You see the Center The referring Line proper to this Center is Semper Idem The same There is no mutabilitie in Christ no variablenes nor shadow of turning All lower lights haue their inconstancie but in the Father of lights there is no changeablenes The Sunne hath his shadow the the Sonne of righteousnesse is without shadow that turnes vpon the Diall but Christ hath no turning Whom he loues he loues to the end He loues vs to the end of his loue there is no end Tempus crit consummandi nullus consumendi misericordiam His mercie shall be perfected in vs neuer ended In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with euerlasting kindnesse will I haue mercie vpon thee sayth the Lord thy Redeemer His wrath is short his goodnesse is euerlasting The mountaines shall depart and the hils be remoued but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace be remoued sayth the Lord that hath mercie on thee The mountaines are stable things the hils stedfast yet hils mountaines yea the whole earth shall totter on the foundations yea the very heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate but the Couenant of God shall not be broken I will betroth thee vnto me for euer sayth God This marriage-bond shall neuer be canceld nor sinne nor death nor hell shall be able to diuorce vs. Six twentie times in one Psalme that sweet singer chants it His mercie endureth for euer Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for euer As this meditation distilles into our beleeuing hearts much comfort so let it giue vs some instructions Two things it readily teacheth vs a Diswasiue caution Perswasiue lesson 1. It diswades our confidence in worldly thinges because they are inconstant How poore a space doâ—… they remaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same To proue this you haue in the first of Iudges Ver. 6. a Iury of threescore and ten Kings to take their oathes vpon it Euery one had his throne yet there lickes crums vnder another Kings table and shortly euen this King that made them all so miserable is made himselfe most miserable Salomon compares wealth to a wild fowle Riches make themselues wings they flie away as an Eagle toward heauen Not some tame house-bird or a hawke that may be fetched downe with a lure or found againe by her bels but an Eagle that violently cuts the aire and is gone past recalling Wealth is like a bird it hops all day from man to man as that doth from tree to tree and none can say where it will roust or rest at night It is like a vagrant fellow which because he is big boned able to worke a man takes in a dores and cherisheth and perhaps for a while he takes paines but when he spies opportunity the fugitiue seruant is gone and takes away more with him then all his seruice came to The world may seeme to stand thee in some stead for a season but at last it irreuocably runs away and carries with it thy ioyes thy gods as Rachell stole Labans Idoles thy peace and content of heart goes with it and thou art left desperate You see how quickly riches cease to be the same and can any other earthly thing boast more stabillitie Honour must put off the robes when the play is done make it neuer so glorious a shew on this worlds stage it hath but a short part to act A great name of worldly glory is but like a peale rung on the bels the Common people are the clappers the rope that moues them is popularitie if you once let goe your hold leaue pulling the clapper lies still and farewell honour Strength though like Ieroboam it put forth the arme of oppression shall soone fall downe withered Beautie is like an Almanacke if it last a yeare t' is well Pleasure like lightning â—…ritur moritur sweet but short a flash and away All vanities are but butter-flies which wanton children greedily catch for and sometimes they flie besides them sometimes before them sometimes behind them sometimes close by them yea through their fingers and yet they misse them and when thâ—… haue them they are but butterflies they haue painted wings but are crude and squalid wormes Such are the things of this world vanities butter-flies Vel sequendo labimur vel assequendo lâ—…dimur The world it selfe is not vnlike a Hartechoke nine parts of it are vnprofitable leaues scarce the tythe is good about it there is a lâ—…ttle picking meate nothing so wholesome as daintie in the midst of it there is a coare which is enough to choke them that deuoure it O then set not your hearts vpon these things calcanda sunt as Ierome obserues on Act. 4. They that sold their possessions brought the prises and layed them downe at the Apostles feete At their feete not at their hearts they are fitter to be troden vnder feet then to be waited on with hearts I conclude this with Augustine Ecce turbat mundus amatur quid si tranquillus esset Formoso quomodo hâ—…reres qui sic amplecteris soedum Flores eius quà m colligeres qui sic a spinis non reuocas manuÌ„ Quà m confideres â—…terno qui sic adhâ—…res caduco Behold the world is turbulent and full of vexation yet it is loued how would it be embraced if it were calme and quiet If it were a beauteous Damosell how would they
THE HAPPINES of the Church OR A Description of those Spirituall Prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her Considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. Chapter to the Hebrewes Together with certain other Meditations and Discourses vpon other portions of holy Scriptures the titles wherof immediatly precede the Booke Being the Summe of diuerse Sermons preached in S. Gregories London By Thomas Adams Preacher there 2. Corin. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for your soules LONDON Printed by G. P. for Iohn Grismand and are to be sold at his shop neere vnto the little North dore of Saint Pauls at the signe of the Gun 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR HENRIE MOVNTAGVE the Lord Chiefe Iustice of ENGLAND my very good Lord. RIght Honourable my allegiance to the Almighty King necessitates my endeuours to glorify his Great Name My Profession hath imposed on me all ministeriall seruices My filiall dutie to our blessed Mother the Church hath taught me to help forward her cause both with tongue and penne My thankfulnes to your Lo. tyes me to seeke your honourable authorising of all these labours They run to you first as if they waited your manumission of them to the world If bookes be our children and the masculine issue of our braines then it is fit that your Lo. who haue the patronage of the father should also vouchsafe a blessing to the childrē Nor is this all there is yet a weightier reason why they should refuge themselues vnder your Lo s. protection The world is quickly offended if it be told of the offences men study courses practise them and if the Clergie find fault yea if we doe not iustify and make good what they magnifie make common they will be angry It is the most thanklesse seruice to tell men of their misdeeds Now a busines so distastfull requires a worthy Patron whose Patronage should I desire but your Lo s. whose I am and to whom I owe all duty seruice whose but your Lo s. who are in place to reforme vice and to encourage goodnes to make that practicall and exemplary which is here onely theoricall and preceptory God hath intrusted to your hands his Sword of Iustice draw it in his defence against the enemies of his Grace Gospel You sit at the common sterne and therfore are not so much your owne as your Countreys Helpe vs with your hands we will helpe you with our prayers The God of maiestie mercy sanctifie your heart rectifie your hand iustifie your soule and lastly crowne your head with eternall glory Your Lordships obseruant Chaplain Tho. Adams To the worthy Citizens of Saint Gregories Parish syncere louers of the Gospell present happinesse and euerlasting Peace I Owe you a treble debt of loue of seruice of thankfulnesse The former the more I pay the more still I owe. The second I will be ready to pay to the vttermost of my power though short both of your deserts and my owne desires Of the last I will striue to giue full payment and in that if it be possible to come out of your debts Of all I haue in this volume giuen you the earnest as therfore you vse to doe with bad debters take this till more comes You see I haue venturously trafficked with my poore talent in publike whilest I behold richer graces kept close at home and buried in silence liking it better to husband a little to the common good then to hoord vp much wealth in a sullen niggardice I censure none if all were writers who should bee readers if none idle Pamphlets would take vp the generall eye be read and applauded onely through want of better obiects If the graine be good it doth better in the market then in the Garner All I can say for my selfe is I desire to doe good whereof if I should faile yet euen that I did desire it and endeuor it shall content my conscience I am not affrighted with that common obiection of a dead letter I know that God can effectuate his owne ends and neuer required man to appoint him the meanes If it were profitable being spoken sure it cannot be vnnecessary being written It is not vnknowne to you that an infirmity did put me to silence many weekes whilest my tongue was so suspended from preaching my hand tooke opportunity of writing To vindicate my life from the least suspition of idlenesse or any such aspersions of vncharitable tongues I haue set forth this reall witnesse which shall giue iust confutation to such slanders If it be now condemned I am sure it is onely for doing well I very well know the burden of preaching in this Citie wee may say of it in another sense what Christ said of Ierusalem O thou that killest the Prophets Many a Minister comes to a Parish with his veines full of bloud his bones of marrow but how soone doth he exhaust his spirits waste his vigor And albeit there are many good soules for whose sake hee is content to make himselfe a sacrifice yet there are some so vnmercifull that after all his labor would send him a begger to his graue I tell you but the fault of some quitting your particular selues I speake not to diminish the credit of your bounty which I haue found and heere with a thankefull profession acknowledge it In testimony whereof I haue set to my hand and sent it you a token of the gratitude of my heart Receiue it from him that is vnfainedly desirous of your saluation and if he knew by what other means soeuer he might bring you to euerlasting peace would studie it practise it continue it whilst his Organ of speech hath breath enough to mooue it Your vnworthy Preacher Thomas Adams The Contents The Happinesse of the Church Hebr. 12. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion The rage of Oppression Psal. 66. 12. Thou hast caused men to ride ouer our heads The victory of Patience Psal. 66. 12. We went through fire and through water Gods house Psal. 66. 13. I will goe into thy House Mans Seed-time and Haruest Gala. 6. 7. Whatsoeuer a man sowes he shall reape Heauen-Gate Reue. 22. 14. And may enter in through the gates The Spirituall Eye-salue Ephe. 1. 18. That the eyes of your vnderstanding The Cosmopolite Luke 12. 20. But God said vnto him Thou foole The bad Leauen Gala. 5. 9. A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Faiths Encouragement Luke 17. 19. And he said vnto him Arise The Saints meeting Ephe. 4. 13. Till we all meet in the vnity of the faith Presumption running into despaire Reue. 6. 16. They said to the Mountaines Maiestie in misery Math. 27. 51. And behold the vaile of the Temple The Foole and his sport Prou. 14. 9. Fooles make a mocke at sin The fire of contention Luke 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth The Christians walke Ephe. 5. 2. Walke in loue Loues Copy Ephe. 5. 2. As Christ loued vs.
shalt forsweare Gods Law Couet not Satans couet all Nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil Diabolus nisi cupiditatem God commands nothing but loue the Deuill nothing but lust Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel Cain a Citizen of the world Abel a Citizen of God Their names signifie their natures Cain signifies a profession and he built a Citie for the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt Wicked men set their whole delight in this present world What moued Cain to this Not to be defended against wilde beasts which Plato sayes first moued men to build Cities for then Abel would haue builded so well as Cain nor because man is animal sociale a sociable creature which Aristotle makes a special motiue hereof for then the righteous would also haue builded But because Cain was a fugitiue he builded for a protection against Gods curse especially because he had no expectation of a better City Vnlike to Abraham who looked for a City that hath a foundation whose builder and maker is God The Greekes say that Cecropolis built by Cecrops the Aegyptians that Thebes the Argiues that Argos was the first City But it is manifest that this City built by Cain was the first Hee called the name of this City Enoch but Henoch in the righteous line is the seuenth Enoch the seuenth from Adam So the wicked dedicate worldly possessions in the first place the righteous in the last Cain and Henoch had their possession and dedication here But Abel signifies mourning and he built no Citie Our possession is in heauen this City of God inuisible to the eye incredible to the faith of the world but infallible to all beleeuers And for Cain it is not properly translated Aedificauit but Erat aedificator as Iunius erat aedificans as the Septuagint he began to build but he finished not hee was still a runnagate So all worldlings are but aedificantes like the Babel-erecters they but began to reare the tower but neuer could come to roofe it This man began to build saith Christ but could not make an end They are perswaded yea their inward thought is that they build houses to all ensuing generations but this their way is their folly Aedificat mortalis mors diruit aedificantem Mortall man builds and death puls downe both builder and edifice You haue heard it talked of Castles built by day and still no man knowes how pul'd downe againe by night That fabulous report is mystically true of the worldlings hope what euer he erecteth in the day of his prosperity the night of his ruine shall ouerthrow Here are the two Cities Omnis homo vel in coelis regnaturus cum Christo vel in infernis cruciandus cum Diabolo Euery one shall eyther reigne with Christ in Heauen or be tormented with the Deuill in hell But how then is it said that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe therefore the whole world is reconciled But Saint Iohn contradicts it Mundus positus in maligno the whole world lieth in wickednesse therefore the world is not reconciled to this Citie Heere qui bene distinguit bene doeet a proper distinction doth cleare this difficulty The world is sometimes taken for good then Denominatio sequitur meliorem partem often for euill then Denominatio sequitur maiorem partem In a word saith Augustine Amor Dei constituit Ierusalem amor mundi Babylonem The loue of God intitles vs to Ierusalem the loue of the world to Babylon Thus may wee distinguish the Citizens for Bonos vel malos mores faciunt boni vel mali amores Our good or bad loues make our good or bad liues There is no man which belongs not to one of these two Cities No To which of them belongs the Hypocrite to Babylon his face is toward Ierusalem To Ierusalem his heart is with Babylon His misery is great because hee weares Gods outside the world will not be his mother because he weares the worlds inside God will not be his Father Hee hath lost eartâ—… for Heauens sake and Heauen for earths sake We haue some such rushers into authority vncalled vicious correctors of vice that vndertake to cleanse the Augean stables perhaps somewhat the sweeter till themselues came in officious Scauengers of iniquitie If with this lome they dawbe ouer their owne debauchednesse they are like dung which is rotten and stinking of it selfe yet compasseth the ground makes it fruitfull Or like the shepheards dogge that hunts the stragling sheepe to the fold yet is a dogge still and hath his teeth beaten out lest hee should worry them Will you heare to what City hypocrites belong The wicked seruant shall haue his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth So then the Hypocrites home is the city of weeping and gnashing of teeth But in this blessed City God is King Christ his eldest Sonne the elect are his younger brethren his Viceroyes are Kings Angels his Nobles Iust Iudges his Magistrates good Preachers his Ministers holines his Law the godly his Subiects Prouidence his gouernement Heauen his Court and saluation his recompence Further obserue that if this City be Gods then so are all things in it Whence I inferre that all sacred things in this City beeing Gods must not bee violated For the things in heauâ—…n they are safe enough out of the Incrochers reach but the holy things of this militant City are vniuersally abused Sacrilegium quasi sacrilaedium a profaning that is holy Now holinesse is ascribed to Persons Places or Things Sacriledge may be committed saith Aquinas 1. Uel in Personam against a person vvhen one Ecclesiasticall man is abused Hee that despiseth you despiseth me 2. Vel in locum against a place when the Temple is profaned My house is called the house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of thieues 3. Vel in Rem when things dedicated to holy vses are peruerted You haue robbed me in tithes and offerings Simon Magus would haue bought a power to giue the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 imposition of hands Hee would haue giuen money for it no doubt to haue gotten money by it No Spirituall things are to bee barterd for money Now Spirituall things are of foure sorts 1. Essentialiter the gifts of Gods Spirit iustification sanctification loue peace patience goodnesse faith Charismata salutis which make those that haue them spirituall 2. Causaliter The Word and Sacraments which are the conduct-pipes to conuey our soules those graces from the fountaine of all grace Iesus Christ The words that I speake vnto you they are spirit and they are life 3. Effectualiter as power to heale to worke miracles to excommunicate to absolue gifts not imparted to secular hands but committed with the keyes to the
despised him mercy to them that feared him Happy faith that shall not be ashamed at that day Abide in him that when he shall appeare we may haue confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming The heauens shall be on fire the elements melt vvith the flame the earth be burnt Castles Cities Townes and Towers be turned to one pile the Deuils shall make a hideous noyse the reprobates shrieke and howle like Dragons all because this Iudges wrath is kindled But the faithfull shall reioyce I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you The musike of Saints and Angels shall be ioyned in one Quire and all sing Blessing honor glory and power be vnto him that sits on the Throne and to the Lambe for euer The Iudge This is his authority now there are certaine properties required in a iust Iudge some of them are found in some Iudges many in few Iudges all perfectly in no Iudge but this Iudge of all Iesus Christ. 1. Perspicacitas ingenij sharpenesse of apprehension and soundnesse of vnderstanding Ignorance in a priuate person is a weakenes in a Iudge a wickednesse Ignorantia Iudicis calamitas innocentis A Iudge ignorant makes wretched the innocent It was a curse I will giue children to be their Princes and babes shall rule ouer them that is Gouernors of a childish discretion It is a woe Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a childe Iustice was anciently painted blinde to shew that no fauour be giuen to persons but it vvas not meant so blinde as not to discerne causes It is vvofull when Iudges are so blinde that they are faine to feele the right No man vvould haue his body come vnder the cure of a foolish Physician nor his estate vnder an ignorant Iudge But this Iudge of heauen and earth is so wise that hee knowes the very secrets of mens hearts All things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom wee haue to doe The wicked can haue no hope that a bad cause flourished ouer should passe vnconstrued vncensured His eyes are as a flame of fire cleare to search and finde out all secrets Accordingly he hath now put in his interlocutory then will giue his definitiue sentence 2. Audacitas animi boldnesse of courage a timerous Iudge looseth a good cause In the fable vvhen the Hart is made Iudge betweene the Wolfe and the Lambe it must needs goe on the Wolfes side The feare of displeasing Greatnesse is a sore Remora to the vessell of Iustice. Therefore the poore complaine If the foundations bee cast downe what can the righteous doe Quis metuet offendere cum Iudex metuat abscindere Who will feare to doe mischiefe when he knowes the Iudge dares not punish him Therefore when GOD made â—…oshua Iudge of Israel obserue how he doubles this charge Iosh. 1. ver 6. 7. 8. 9. Be strong and of a good courage And the people againe ver 18. We will obey thee onely be thou strong and of a good courage But this Iudge will not be danted with faces of men The Kings of the earth the great men the rich men the chiefe Captaines and the mighty-men hid themselues in the dennes in the rocks of the Mountaines Those terrors of slaues and mirrors of fooles that made the vnderlings tremble hide themselues in caues now for all their puissance are glad to runne into a hole and cowardly shrowd themselues Adducetur cum suis stultus Plato discipulis Aristotelis argumenta non proderunt Heroâ—…is maiestas deijcietur cùm filius pauperculae venerit iudicatâ—…rus terram Then foolish Plato shall appeare with his scholers Aristotle shall be confuted with all his arguments Herodâ—… pompe shall be turned to shame when that Sonne of the Virgin shall come to iudge the world 3. Honestas conscientiae honesty of conscience The Iudge that will be corrupted dares corrupt the truth Wofull is that iudgement which comes from him who hath vaenâ—…lem â—…nimam a saleable soule Fâ—…lix was such a Iudge who hoped that money should haue beene giuen him of Paul Qui vendit iustitiam pro pecuniae perdit pecuniam cum anima He that sells iustice for mony shall lose mercy and his soule You afflict the iust you take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right They haue built them houses of â—…ewen stone ver 11. How By bribes What shall become of them They shall not dwell in them for fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery If any Iusticers thinke so to raise themselues it is but vt lapsu grauiore ruant that they may haue the sorer fall There are certaine rich stuffes forbidden by the Statute but to weare clothes cut out of bribes and laced with exactions is specially forbidden by the Statute of heauen When money can open the locke of Iustices dore the worst cause is first heard This pocket-key is fitted for all dores One spake vnhappily I haue a key in my pocket saith he that will passe me in all Countryes he meant his purse In Italie it can open the dore of life Doe you hate a man for mony you may haue him pistold or poysond In Frâ—…nce it can open the dore of loue lust you for such a vvoman money makes her your harlot In Spayne it opens the dore of Iustice the case shall goe on the rich mans side In England it can open the dore of honour mony makes a Gentleman and reputation swels with the Barnes In Rome it can open the dore of heauen for they sell Claues Altariâ—… Christum peace and pardon and heauen and Christ himselfe Graâ—…s lacerantur pauperes à prauis Iudicibus quà m à cruentissimis hostibus Nullus praedo tâ—…m cupidus in alienis quà m Iudex iniquns in suis. The robes of peace couering corruption are worse to the poore then hostile inuasion But this Iudge of heauen will take no bribes other Iudges may procrastinate put off or peruert causes Saepe non finiunt negotia quousque exhauriant marsupia they will often see an end of the Clyents money before the Clyents see an end of their cause They often determine to heare but seldome heare to determine But Christ shall iudge those Iudges Be instructed ye Iudges of the earth kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and ye perish At that day Plus valebunt pura corda quà m asâ—…ta verba conscientia bona quà m marsupia plena Pure hearts shall speed better then subtile words a good conscience better then a full purse Iudex non falletur verbis nec flectetur donis That Iudge will neither be mooued with our gifts nor deceiued with our shifts Happy soule that forsaking the loue of money hath gotten a pure heart to appeare before Iesus Christ. 4. Impartialitas Iustitiae impartiall Iustice. Tully tells vs of a Prouerbe Exuit
mundi infectio animi our soules are affected infected with this contagion We are easily inclined and declined from our supernall blisse by doting loue of these transient delights And vbi amor ibi oculus the eye followes the heart with more diligence then a seruant his Master Now it is no wonder if that eye be blinde which the Deuill hath dawbed vp with the dirt of this world Couetousnesse is an Ingrosser whersoeuer it dwells and as it would ingrosse the whole Vniuerse to it vnsatiate selfe so it takes vp the whole soule with all the affections and desires of it It giues euery member and faculty presse-mony and bindes all their contention to get riches It leaues not so much as an eye for our selues not a thought for God Quicquid de se intrinsecus agatur oblitus est animus dum extrinsecus occupatur Whiles the mind is externally busied it forgets what is done in it selfe what shall become of it selfe This pearle then must be cut out of the worldlings eye vvith the sharpe knife of repentance otherwise he is likely neuer to see heauen For it may be well said to them as the Philosopher answered to some that asked him curious questions of the world whether it had a soule whether it were round c. Vos de mundo solliciti estis vestram immunditiem non c◅atis You are busie examiners concerning the world but idle neglecters of your vnclean selues These are the Diseases there is also a double defect in this naturall Eye 1. It perceiues onely naturall and externall things qua ante pedes sunt which lie at their feete 2. Pet. 1. For It cannot see a farre off It beholds only the barque or rinde but not the inward vertue It can perceiue vvhat thy riches are thy house adorned thy lands tilled thy grounds stocked but not those spirituall blessings and celestiall priuiledges that belong to thee as thou art a Christian. It iudgeth the Cabinet by the Lether and couer not by the costly iewels in it It may see Iobs outward affliction not his inward consolation If God swells their garners with plenteous fruits and fills their bones with marrow this they see but the hope of Gods calling the comforts of the Gospell the sauing health of Iesus Christ and the promises of eternall life they not see The world is their circumference other things Nec capiunt nec cupiunt neque tenent manibus nec cernunt oculis they neyther comprehend nor couet neither hold nor behold them A beast hath one kinde of eye a naturall man two a Christian three The beast hath an eye of Sense the naturall man of Sense and Reason the Christian of Sense of Reason and of Faith Each of these hath his seuerall obiects seuerall intentions The eye of sense regards onely sensuall things the eye of reason onely sensible and naturall things the eye of faith spirituall supernall and supernaturall things The eye of sense doth not extend to intelligible things and matters of discourse Tell a bruit beast of Philosophy and the conclusions of nature he vnderstands you not The belly of Sense hath no eares for such instructions Let it be fed nourished haue the appetite delighted of further felicitie it hath neyther notion nor motion Nec noscit nec poscit The eye of Reason sees further then that of Sense and hath more then common Sense a rationall and discursiue apprehension of intelligible obiects For the bodies of creatures the bruites see them as well as man and perhaps some better but in these bodies he perceiues hidden vertues obiectuall to the scope of vnderstanding which the beast cannot see I confesse that many a man is defectiue in the graduall ascents of reason Tell a rusticke or mechanicke that the Sun is greater then the whole earth or that a little starre is larger then his car-wheele and he derides thy boldnesse and thinkes thou wouldst be admired for telling alye Though this by the eye of mature reason is discerned perfect truth The eye of Faith sees further then both the former for it lookes into the hope of our calling and the glorious inheritance of the Saints The Christian hath not onely an eye of Sense cōmon with beasts nor an eye of reason common with men but also an eye of faith proper to his profession Wherein he goes beyond the naturall man further then the naturall man goes beyond the beast The vnregenerate liuesall his dayes in a mist he cannot looke vp to heauen in comparison whereof that world he sees is but a base moale-hill and himselfe is like a blind moale digging in it Yea in this very world his owne proper element how little doth he truely perceiue There is no herbe or flower hee treads on that he truely knowes Yea he is a stranger at home and is ignorant of what is in his owne bosome But for things that concerne a better world he hath no insight The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned Those things are incredible impossible to him which we build our faiths on Happy then are their eyes that see these things In matters of the world our simplicity moues pity or makes sport let it content vs that these losses are requited by our spirituall knowledge seeing further into better matters That wherein we are ignorant is transient contemptible that which we know is glorious and eternall The ignorance of the former shall not hinder our blessednesse the knowledge of the other shall accomplish it 2. The second defect in this eye is an in solid leuity it is rouing like Dinahs and rauished abroad but wants self-inspection Two things exceedingly mooue men Similitude and Example When men iudge others very euil they begin to think themselues good Nothing doth sooner blinde vs then comparisons Hee that would mount to a high opinion of his owne worth by comparing it to the base wickednesse of another Perinde est ac si quis ad clandos respiciens s◅am miretur velocitatem is like one that obseruing a Cripples lamenesse wonders at himselfe that he is so swift The curious man goes abroad Et exterius omnia confiderat qui sic interna despicit and is so intentiue vpon forreigne businesses that he forgets his owne They are common questions Quid ille fecit What hath hee done and Quid ille faciet What shall hee doe But not What haue I done not What shall I doe that I might be saued They are like Taylors that haue taken measure of many men neuer of themselues Such a man doth not smite his owne bosom with the Publican but breakes his neighbours head with the Pharise It is good for a man to keepe his eyes at home and set them about the domesticall businesse of his owne heart lest at last Omnibus notus ignotus moritur sibi he that
giues a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall not lose his reward This hire and reward is not the stipend of our labours but of Gods loue He giues vs the good of grace and then rewards it with the good of glory It is a reward Secundum quid a gift simpliciter Compare eternall life to the worke looking no farther it is a reward Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen But examine the Originall from whence it proceedes then it is the gift of God Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. He is said to Shew mercy to them that keep his Commande◅ents the very keeping the Commandements is not merit it hath neede of mercy Loe thus the Lord giues grace then praiseth it blesseth it rewards it Christ cloatheth his Spouse with his owne garments the smell of Myrrhe Alloes and Cassia A white robe of his perfect righteousnesse imputed with his golden merits and inestimable Iewels of graces and then praiseth her Thou art all faire my Loue there is no spot in thee When God made the world with all creatures in it he beheld it and Euge bonum behold it is exceeding good so when hee makes a Christian Maiorem meliorem mundo and hath furnished him with competent graces hee turnes backe and lookes vpon his owne workemanship Ecce bonum it is exceeding good hee forbeares not to commend it Now what doth hee specially commend in this conuerted Leper his praysing of God The Leper prayseth God God praiseth the Leper He prayseth in his praysing two things the Rightnesse and the Rarenesse 1. The Rightnesse that he gaue praise to God directed it thither where it was onely due He returned to giue glory to God non mihi sed Deo saith Christ not to me but to God Perhaps his knowledge was not yet so farre enlightned as to know him that cured him to be God therefore bestowed his praise where hee was sure it should be accepted where onely it is deserued on God I seeke not my owne praise saith Iesus but mittentis the praise of him that sent me If I honour my selfe my honour is nothing 2. The Rarenesse and that in two respects 1. That hee alone of tenne blessed God God had but his Tenth it is much if the tenth soule goe to heauen The godly are so rare that they are set vp for markes and signes and wonders as if the world stood amazed at them 2. That hee onely was the Stranger a Samaritan Many great vertues were found among the Samaritans Faith Charity Thankfulnesse First Faith Many of the Samaritans of that Citie beleeued on him Secondly Charity It was the Samaritan that tooke compassion on the man wounded between Ierusalem and Iericho The Priest and the Leuite passed by him without pitie but the Samaritan bound vp his wounds Thirdly Gratitude exemplified in this Samaritan Leper none of the Iewes gaue God praise for their healing but only the Samaritan It was strange that in Gentiles should be found such vertue where it was least looked for Verily I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel The least informed did proue the best reformed Samaritan was held a word of reproach amongst the Iewes as appeares by their malicious imputation to Christ. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Diuell They were esteemed as dogges It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And at the first promulgation of the Gospell the Apostles receiued a manifest prohibition Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not It was therefore rare to reape such fruites out of the wild Forrest cursed like the mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither raine vpon you nor fields of offerings To be good in good company is little wonder for Angels to be good in heauen Adam in Paradise Iudas in Christs Colledge had been no admirable matter to apostate in these places so exemplary of goodnesse was intolerable weakenesse But for Abraham to be good in Chalde Noah in the old world Lot in Sodome for a man now to be humble in Spaine continent in France chaste in Venice sober in Germany temperate in England this is the commendation Such a one is a Lilly in a Forrest of thornes a handfull of wheate in a field of cockle Let me not here omit two things worthy my insertion and your obseruation 1. Gods iudgement and mans do not concurre the Samaritans were condemned of the Iewes yet here nine Iewes are condemned by one Samaritan They that seeme best to the world are often the worst to God they that are best to God seeme worst to the world When the Moone is lightest to the earth she is darkest to heauen when she is lightest to heauen she is darkest to the earth So often men most glorious to the world are obscurest to the diuine approbation others obscure to the worlds acknowledgement are principally respected in Gods fauor Man would haue cleared the Pharise and condemned the Publican when they both appeared in the Temple together the one as it were in the Quire the other in the Belfrey But Christs iudgemēt is that the Publicane departed rather iustified The Iewes thought that if but 2. men in the world were saued the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharise But Christ saith neither of them both shall come there You shall see others in the Kingdome of heauen and you your selues thrust out Some like the Moone are greater or lesse by the Sunne of mens estimation Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen Dauid Isaac preferred Esau but God preferred Iacob and made the father giue the blessing to that sonne to whom he least meant it All this iustifies that my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes ◅aith the Lord. 2. Learne we here from Christ to giue men their due praise to them that deserue praise God ◅akes of vices with commination of vertues wit◅◅endation Let vs speake of others sinnes with griefe of their good workes with praise and ioy Of others sinnes with griefe so did S. Paul Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ. So Dauid Riuers of waters ru◅ downe mine eyes because men keepe not thy Law Our Sauiour wept ouer apostate Ierusalem he wept ouer the people beholding them as scattered sheep without a shepheard Who can forbeare weeping to see soules muffled misse-led by ignorance like the babes of Niniuch not able to distinguish the right hand from the left Alas there are innumerable soules that know not their owne estate O pitie them Because thou wilt not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for thy pride But let vs mention
through with reward Let the Philosophers stop their mouths Scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit Some guiltie men haue beene safe none euer secure This euerie eye must see Let adulterie plead that nature is encourager and directer of it and that she is vniust to giue him an affection and to barre him the action yet we see it plagued To teach vs that the sin is of a greater latitude then some imagine it vncleane fedifragous periured Broad impudence contemplatiue Bauderie an eye full of whores are things but iested at the committers at last find them no iest when God powres vengance on the body and wrath on the naked conscience Let drunkennes stagger in the robes of good fellowship and shrowdit selfe vnder the wings of merriment yet we see it haue the punishment euen in this life It corrupts the bloud drownes the spirits beggers the purse and enricheth the carcase with surfets a present iudgement waites vpon it He that is a theefe to others is at last a theefe also to himselfe and steales away his owne life God doth not euer forbeare sin to the last day nor shall the bloudy Ruffian still escape but his owne bloud shall answere some in present and his soule the rest eternally Let the Seminary pretend a warrant from the Pope to betray and murder Princes and build his damnation on their tetricall grounds which haue Parum rationis minus honestatis Religionis nihil Little Reason lesse Honestie no Religion Yet we see God reueales their malicious stratagems and buries them in their owne pit Piercies head now stands Centinell where he was once a Pioner If a whole land flow with wickednes it escapes not a deluge of vengeance For England haue not her bowells groaned vnder the heauy pestilence If the plague be so common in our mouthes how should it not be common in our streets With that plague wherwith we curse others the iust God curseth vs. Wee shall find in that Emperiall state of Rome that till Constantines time almost euery Emperour dyed by treason or massacre after the receiuing of the Gospell none except that reuolter Iulian Let not sinne then be made a sport or iest which God will not forbeare to punish euen in this life 3. But if it bring not present Iudgement it is the more fearefull The lesse punishment wickednes receiues here the more is behind God strikes those here whom he meanes to spare hereafter and corrects that sonne which he purposeth to saue But hee scarce meddles with them at all whom hee intends to beate once for all The Almond tree is forborne them who are bequeathed to the boiling Potte There is no rod to scourge such in present so they goe with whole sides to hell The purse and the flesh scapes but the soule payes for it This is Misericordia puniens a greeuous mercie when men are spared for a while that they may be spilled for euer This made that good Saint cry Lord here afflict cut burnt torture me Vt in aeternum parcas that for euer thou wilt saue me No sorrow troubles the wicked no disturbance embitters their pleasures But remember sayth Abraham to the merry-liu'ed rich man Thou wert delighted but thou art tormented Tarditas supplicij grauitate pensatur and hee will strike with iron hands that came to strike with leaden feete Tuli nunquid semper feram no their hell-fire shall be so much the hoter as God hath beene coole and tardy in the execution of his vengeance This is a Iudgement for Sinne that comes inuisible to the world insensible to him on whom it lights To be giuen ouer to a reprobate mind to a hard and impenitent heart If any thing be vengance this is it I haue read of plagues famine death come temperd with loue and mercie this neuer but in anger Many taken with this spirituall lethargie sing in Tauernes that should howle with dragons and sleepe out Sabboths and Sermons whose awaked soules would rend their hearts with anguish Fooles then onely make a mocke at sinne 4. Sinne that shall at last be laid heauy on the conscience the lighter the burthen was at first it shall be at last the more ponderous The wicked conscience may for a while lie a sleepe but Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the greatest storme The mortallest enemies are not euermore in pitched fields one against the other the guiltie may haue a seeming truce true peace they cannot haue A mans debt is not payd by 〈◊〉 bring euen while thou sleepest thy arrerages run on If thy conscience be quiet without good cause remember that Cedat iniustissima pax iustissimo bello a iust warre is better then vniust peace The conscience is like a fire vnder a pile of greene wood long ere it burne but once kindled it flames beyond quenching It is not pacifiable whiles sinne is within to vexe it the hand will not cease throbbing so long as the thorne is within the flesh In vaine he striueth to feast away cares sleepe out thoughtes drinke downe sorrowes that hath his tormentor within him When one violently offers to stoppe a sourse of bloud at the nostril it finds a way downe the throate not without hazzard of suffâ—…cation The stroken deare runs into the thicket and there breakes off the arrow but the head stickes still within him and rankles to death Flitting and shifting ground giues way to further anguish The vnappeased conscience will not leaue him till it hath shewed him hell nor then neither Let then this Foole know that his now feared conscience shall be quickned his death-bed shall smart for this And his amazed heart shall rue his old wilfull adiournings of repentance How many haue there raued on the thought of their old sinnes which in the dayes of their hote lust they would not thinke sinnes Let not then the Foole make a mocke at sinne 5. Sinne which hath another direfull effect of greater latitude and comprehensiue of all the rest Diuinam incitat iram It prouokes God to anger The wrath of a king is as messengers of death what is the wrath of the king of kings For our God is a consuming fire If the fire of his anger be once throughly incensed all the riuers in the South are not able to quench it What piller of the earth or foundation of heauen can stand when he will wake them Hee that in his wrath can open the iawes of earth to swallow thee sluce out flouds from the sea to drowne thee raine downe fire from heauen to consume thee Sodome the old world Corah drunke of these wrathfull vialls Or to goe no further he can set at iarre the elements within thee by whose peace thy spirits are held together drowne thee with a dropsie bred in thy owne flesh burne thee with a pestilence begotten in thy owne bloud or bury thee in the earthly graue of thy owne melancholy Oh it is a fearefull thing to
so shalt thou withstand more Thinke the easiest tentations a Porcpose before a tempest smoake before fire signes and prodigies of a fearefull conflict to come There remaines nothing now to be considered but the Bellowes that helpe to maintaine this fire The Bellowes Are double Passiue and Actiue Some blow because they cannot others because they will not auoid it 1. The Passiue Bellowes are the godly for they must haue no peace with wickednesse No fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse We must loue their persons and pray for them as Christ for his crucifiers But if they will not be conuerted if they cannot be suppressed we may desire either their conuersion or confusion as God willes none to perish as a creature but as a sinfull creature not of his owne making but of their owne marring So we must hate not virum but vitium reprouing and condemning euill works both by our lips and liues though our good conuersation be the passiue Bellowes to blow this fire 2. The Actiue are the wicked who doe profoundly hate the good in regard of both their actions and their persons To this their owne forwardnesse is helped by the deuils instigation If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spitte vpon it it shall be quenched and both these come out of thy mouth But all men loue good naturally No not all for some haue not onely extinguished the flames of religion but euen the very sparkes of nature in their hearts But some wicked men haue loued the godly True but not for their actions not for their persons not of their owne natures But 1. either because God snafles the horses and mules and curbes the malicious rage of Tyrants Or 2. conuerts them to the faith and obedience of his truth as he tooke Saul from his raging crueltie and made him readie to die for him whose seruants he would haue killed so turning a Wolfe into a Lambe Or 3. els they loue the good for some benefit by them and therein they loue not them so much as themselues in them So Ahashuerosh loued Hester for her beautie Nebuchadnezzâ—… Daniel for his wisedome 〈◊〉 Ioseph because his house prospered by him and for this cause did the former Pharaoh affect him But otherwise with bloud-red eyes and faces sparkling fire they behold vs as Haman did Mordecai They plot like Machiauels raile like Rabshace's and conspire like Absolons These are the Deuils Bellowes here to blow quarrels among men and shall be his bellowes in hell to blow the fire of their eternall torments A man that is great both in wealth and wickednesse cannot be without these bellowes Intelligencers Informers Tale-bearers Let these seditious spirits vnderstand their employment they are the Deuils bellowes and when their seruice is done they shall be throwne into the fire I conclude All this trouble and calamitie shall be but vpon the earth so sayth our Sauiour I came to send fire on the earth In heauen shall be no distraction to breake our peace We should be too well affected to the world if it had this priuiledge and exemption but in vaine we seeke it where it is not to be found In heauen onely we shall find it in heauen onely let vs seeke it Here we may haue desideriuâ—… pacis but there onely pacem desiderij here the desires of peace there peace of our desires Now then the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your harts and minds through Christ Iesus Amen THE CHRISTIANS WALKE OR The Kings high-way of Charitie EPHES. Chap. 5. Ver. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling sauour OVR blessed Sauiour is set forth in the Gospell not onely a Sacrifice for sin but also a direction to vertue He calleth himselfe the Truth and the Way the truth in regard of his good learning the way in respect of his good life His Actions are our Instructions so well as his Passion our Saluation He taught vs both Faciendo and Patiendo both in doing and in dying Both sweetly propounded and compounded in this verse Actiuely he loued vs Passiuely he gaue himselfe for vs. And so is both an ensample for vertue and an offering for sinne He gaue himselfe that his Passion might saue vs he loued vs that his Actions might direct vs. Walke in loue as Christ c. We may distinguish the whole verse into a sacred Canon Crucifixe The Canon teacheth vs What the Crucifixe How In the Canon we shall find A Precept It is partly Exhortatory Precedent Exemplary The Precept Walke in loue the Precedent or Patterne As Christ loued vs. The Precept holy the Patterne heauenly Christ bids vs doe nothing to others but what himselfe hath done to vs we cannot find fault with our example The Crucifixe hath one maine stocke He gaue himselfe for vs. And two branches not vnlike that crossepeece whereunto his two hands were nailed 1. An offering or Sacrifice 2. Of a sweete smelling sauour to God To begin with the Canon the method leads vs first to the Precept which shall take vp my discourse for this time Walke in loue Here is 1. The Way prescribed 2. Our Course incited The way is Loue our Course Walking Loue is the Way And that an excellent way to heauen Our Apostle ends his 12. Chapter of the 1. Corin. in the description of many spirituall gifts Apostleship Prophecying Teaching Working of Myracles healing speaking with toâ—…gues All excellent gifts and yet concludes Ver. 31. â—…ut couet earnestly the best gifts And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent Way Now that excellent more excellent Way was Charitie and he takes a whole succeeding Chapter to demonstrate it which he spends wholy in the prayse and prelation of Loue. I hope no man when I call Loue a Way to God will vnderstand it for a iustifying way Faith alone leaning on the merits of Christ doth bring vs into that high Chamber of Presence Loue is not a Cause to iustifie but a Way for the iustified There is difference betwixt a Cause and a Way Faith is Causa iustificandi Loue is Via iustificatâ—… They that are iustified by faith must walke in Charitie For Faith worketh and walketh by loue Faith and loue are the braine and the heart of the Soule so knit together in a mutuall harmonie and correspondence that without their perfect vnion the whole Christian man cannot mooue with power nor feele with tendernesse nor breath with true life Loue then is a path for holy feete to walke in It is A Cleare Way A Neare Way A Sociable Way Cleare There be no rubbes in Loue. Nec retia tendit nec laedere intendit It neither does nor desires anothers harme it commits no euill nay it thinkes no euill sayth our Apostle For passiue rubbes it passeth ouer an offence It may be moued with violence cannot be remoued
Such a charming power said a worthy Diuine hath the musicke of money and wealth and such fittes it workes in a mans heart First it takes him from peacefull setlednes and from great content in his litle and puts him into dumps a miserable carking thoughtfullnes how to scrape together much dirt Next when he hath it and begins with delight to sucke on the dugges of the world his purse his barnes and all his but his heart full hee fals to dancing and singing requiems Soule take thine â—…ase eate drinke and be merry Then shall his table standfull of the best dishes his cup of the purest wine his backe with the richest robes and he conceites a kinde of immortalitie in his coffers he denies himselfe no satietie no surquedrie But at last the worldes bedlaâ—…-musicke puts him into frenziâ—… hee growes rampant Runnes into oppressions extortions depopulations rapes whordomes murders massacres spares not bloud or friendship authoritie nor vâ—…ssalage widow nor orphan Prince nor subiect Nec 〈◊〉 nec Arâ—… neither poore mans coâ—…tage nor Churches altar Yea if the Common wealth had but one throate as Nero wish ed of Rome he would cut it O the vnpacifiable madnes that this worlds musicke puts those into which will dance after his Pipe For this cause saith our Apostle continue in the Charitie thou hast begun Walke in loue Ye did run well who did hinder you Doth wealth keepe you from charitie This perswasion commeth not of him that calleth you God neuer meant when he gaue you riches that you should then begin to be couetous He did not for this purpose shew new mercie to you that you should take away your old mercies from his There are other that seeme to end in Loue who neuer all their dayes walked in this heauenly path They haue a will lying by them wherein they haue bequeathed a certaine legacie to the poore something to such a Church or such an Hospitall But this will is not of force till the testator be dead so that a man may say though the will be ready yet to will is not ready with theÌ„ for God shall not haue it so long as they can keepe it These can wish with Balaam to dye Christians but they must liue Pagans Hauing raised thousands out of their sacrilegious and inhospitable Impropriations they can bestow the dead hope of a litle mite on the Church In memoriall whereof the heyre must procure an annuall recitation besides the monumentall sculpture on the Tombe Be his life neuer so blacke and more tenebrous then the vaults of lust yet said a Reuerend Diuine he shall find a blacke prophet for a blacke cloake that with a blacke mouth shall commend him for whiter then snow and lillies Though his vnrepented oppressions vnrestored extortions and bloud-drawing vsuries haue sent his soule to the infernall dungeon of Sathan whose parishioner he was all his life yet money may get him cannonizd a Saint at Rome and robe him with spotles integritie and innocence So diuerse among them that liued More LatronuÌ„ yet in death affected Cultum martyrum Hence Epitaphs and funerall orations shall commend a mans charitie who neuer all his dayes walked two steps in Loue. But it is in vaine to write a mans charitie in a repaired window when his tyrannous life is written in the bloudy and indeleble characters of many poore mens ruine and ouerthrow Nor can the narrow plaster of a little poore beneuolence hide and couer the multitude of gaping wounds made by extortion and vnmercifulnes No God hates the Sacrifice of robberie their drinke offerings of bloud will I not offer said Dauid The oblation that is made vp of the earnings of the poore is an abomination offending Gods eye and prouoking his hand First restore the lands and goods of others iniuriously or vsuriously gotten let not an vniust peny lie rotting on thy heape and heart and then build Hospitals repaire ruin'd holy places produce the fruits of mercie walke in Loue. Otherwise it is not smooth marble and engrauen brasse with a commending epitaph that can any more preserue the name from rotten putrefaction then the carcase But for all that the memorie shall stinke aboue ground as the body doth vnder it It is a desperate hazard that a wicked man by a charitable will shal make amends for all whereas commonly an vsurers Testament is but a Testimonie of his lewd life There is small hope that they end in charitie who would neuer walke in Loue. There bee others that cannot walke in Loue through a double defect either of eyes or of feete Some haue Feet but want eyes Eyes but want feet 1. Some haue the feet of affections but they lacke eyes and so cannot descry the true and perfect way of Loue. Indeed no man can find it without God Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy pathes For it is he that directs sinners wandrers to the way These want him that should Leade them by the way that they should goe They thinke that by building vp a ladder of good workes their soules shall on meritorious rounds climbe vp to heauen They cannot distinguish betweene Viam regni and causamregnandi They suppose if they releeue Seminaries fast Lents keepe their numbredorisons pro digally sacrifice their blouds in treasons for that Romaine Harlot this is via dilectionis the way of Loue. So the silly seruant biddeÌ„ to open the gates set his shoulders to them but with all his might could not stir them whereas another comes with the key easily vnlocks theÌ„ These men so confideÌ„t in their good workes do but set their shoulders to heauen-gates alas without comfort for it is the key of faith that only opeÌ„s them These haue nimble feete forward affections harts workeable to charitie and would Walke in Loue if they had eyes Therfore Let vs prayfor them Cause them to know the way O Lord wherein they should walke 2. Other haue eyes but they want feete they vnderstand the way of loue but they haue no affection to walke in it They know that false measures forsworne valuations adulterate wares smooth-checked circumuentions painted cosenages malicious repinings denied succours are all against Loue. Noscunt poscunt They know them but they will vse them They know that humblenes kindnes meekenes patience remission compassion giuing and forgiuing actuall comforts are the fruits of Loue. Norunt nolunt They know it but they will none of it These know but walke not in Loue. It is fabled that a great king gaue to one of his subiects of his owne meere fauour a goodly citie happily replenished with all treasures and pleasures He does not onely freely giue it but directes him the way which keeping hee should not misse it The reioyced subiect soone enters on his iourney and rests not till hee comes within sight of the Citie Thus neare it he spies a great company of men digging in the ground to whom approching hee found
them casting vp white and red earth in abundance Wherewith his amazed eyes growing soone enamoured he desires a participation of their riches They refuse to ioyne him in their gaines vnlesse he wil ioyne himselfe in their paines Hereupon he fals to toyling digging deluing til some of the earth fals so hea uie vpon him that it lames him and he is able to goe no further There he dies in the sight of that Citie to which he could not goe for want of feet looseth a certaine substantial gift for an vncertain shadow of vaine hope You can easily apply it God of his gracious fauour not for our deserts giues man his creature a glorious Citie euen that whose foundations are of Iasper Saphyre and Emerald c. He doth more directes him the way to it Goe on this way Walke in loue He begins to trauell and comes within the sight of heauen but by the way he spies worldlings toyling in the earth and scraping together white and red clay siluer and gold the riches of this world Hereof desirous he is not suffered to partake except hee also partake of their couetousnes and corrupt fashions Now Mammon sets him on worke to digge out his owne damnation where after a while this gay earth comes tumbling fo fast vpon him that his feet be maimed his affections to heauen lost and he dyes short of that glorious Citie which the king of heauen purchased with his owne bloud and gaue him Thinke of this ye worldlings and seeing you know what it is to be charitable put your feet in this way Walke in Loue. There be yet others whose whole course is euery step out of the way to God who is Loue and they must walke in Loue that come vnto him 1. There is a path of Lust they erre damnably that call this the way of Loue. They turne a spirituall grace into a carnall vice and whereas Charitie and Chastity are of nearer allyance then sound these debauched tongues call vncleanesse Loue. Adulterie is a cursed way though a much coursed way for a whore is the high-way to the Deuill 2. There is a path of malice and they that trauell it are bound for the Enemie Their euill eye is vexed at Gods goodnes and their hands of desolation would vndoe his mercies Other mens health is their sicknes others weale their woe The Iesuites and their bloudy Proselyts are pilgrims in this way We know by experience the scope of their walkes Their malice was strong as Sauire in saxa but they would turne Ierusalem in aceruum Lapidum into a heape of stones Yea such was their rage that Nil reliqui fecerunt Vt non ipsis elementis fieret iniuria they spared not to let the elements know the madnesse of their violence They could not draw fire from heauen their betters could not do it in the dayes of Christ on earth therefore they seeke it they digge it from hell Flectere cùm nequeunt Superos Acheronta movebunt Here was a malicious walking 3. There is a counterfeit path the Travellers make as if they walked in loue but their loue is dissimulation It is not dilectio vera true love which S. Ioh. speakes of nor dilectio mera as Luther not a plaine-hearted loue They will cosen you vnseene and then like the whore in the Proverbes wipe their mouthes and it was not they Their art is Alios pellere aut tollere to giue others a wipe or a wound Iudas-like they salute those with a kisse against whome they intend most treason 4. There is a way directly crosse to loue which neither obeyes God for loue keepes the commandements nor comforts man for loue hath compassion on the distressed These haue feete swift enough but swift to shed bloud Destruction and miserie are in their wayes They are in Zedechiahs case both their eyes are put out and their feete lamed with the captiue chaines of Satan so easily carried downe to his infernall Babilon These are they that devoure a man and his heritage Therefore Christ calles their riches not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things without them as if they had swallowed them down into their bowels The phrase is vsed by Iob He hath swallowed downe riches he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly When this vomit is given them you shall see strange stuffe come from them Here the raw and vndigested gobbets of vsurie there the mangled morsels of bloudy oppressions here fiue or sixe impropriate Churches there thousand acres of decayed tillage here a whole casket of bribes there whole houses and patrimonies of vndone orphans here an Inclosure of commons there a vastation of proper and sanctified things Rip vp their conscie nces and this is the stuffing of their hearts These walke crosse to the Crosse of Christ as Paul sayth they are Enemies cursed walkers Whereupon we may conclude with Bernard Periculosa tempora iam non instant sed extant the dangerous times are not comming but come vpon vs. The cold frost of indevotion is so generall that many haue benūmed ioynts they cannot walke in loue Others so stiffe and obdurate that they will meete all that walke in this way and with their turbulent malice striue to iustle them out of it Therefore David prayes Preserue me from the violent men that haue purposed to ouerthrowe my goings Let vs then vpon this great cause vse that deprecation in our Let any From pride vain-glory hypocrisie from envy hatred malice all vncharitablenes Good Lord deliver vs. I am loth to giue you a bitter farewell or to conconclude with a menace I see I cannot by the times leaue drinke to you any deeper in this cup of Charity I will touch it once againe and let every present soule that loues heauen pledge me Walke in loue The way to life everlasting is loue and hee that keepes the way is sure to come to the end We knowe that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren For this are the workes of mercie charity piety and pitty so much commended in the Scriptures by the Fathers with so high titles because they are the appoynted way wherein we must walke and whereby we must worke vp our owne salvation Therefore the Apostle claps in the necke of good workes laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Thereby wee lay the ground of saluation in our consciences and take assured hold of eternall life He that goes on in loue shall come home to life This comforts vs not in a presumption of merite but in confident knowledge that this is the way to glory wherein when we find our selues Walking wee are sure we are going to heauen and sing in the wayes of the Lord Great is the glory of the Lord.
manners to shrowd dishonestie But one ounce of reall charitie is worth a whole talent of verball He loues vs best that does for vs most Many Politicians and the whole world now runnes on the wheeles of policie vse their louers as ladders their friends as scaffolds When a house is to be erected they first set vp scaffolds by which they build it vp the house finished downe pull they the scaffolds and throw them into the fire When the couetous or ambitious man hath his turne serued by others either for his aduancing or aduantaging for gaine or glory he puts them off with neglect and contempt The house is built what care they for the scaffold The feate is wrought let the wise and honest helpers be prison'd or poison'd sinke or swimme stand or perish Nay it is well if they helpe not those downe that helped them vp 3. Kind The Apostle makes Kindnesse one essentiall part of our loue deriuing it from Christs example who was Kind to vs both in giuing vs much good and forgiuing vs much euill And God commendeth yea commandeth the inseparable neighbourhood of godlinesse and brotherly kindnesse Adde to your godlinesse brotherly kindnes For there is no piety towards God where there is no kindnesse to our brother Now Christs kindnes to vs consisted in 2. excellent effects Corrigendo Porrigendo 1. In correcting our errours dirâ—…cting and amending our liues Non minima pars dilectionis est reprehendere dilectâ—…m It is no small part of kindnesse to reproue him thou louest Therefore God sayth Thâ—… shalt reproue thy brother and not hate him in thy heart A louing man will chide his erring friend and he that does not hates him in his heart Sic vigilet tolerantia vt non dormiat disciplina So let patience watch that discipline sleepe not This was Dauids desire Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnes and let him reproue â—…e it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake my head Our Sauiour tooke this course but he was pittifull in it not breaking the bruised reâ—…d nor quenching the smoking flaxe He was not transported with passion but moued with tender compassion and mercifull affection He was moued with compassion toward the people seeing them as sheepe without a shepheard As a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him And children are Vicera parentum saith Ierome the very bowels of the parents Therefore his bowels earned within him when he saw the weakly blind led by the wilfully blind and he instructed them It is no small mercy in a Father to correct his erring child This is one office of loue almost quite forgotten in the world Our eyes and eares are conscious of many horridsinnes whereof we make also our soules guiltie by our silence Like Cameleons we turne to the colour of our companie Oppressions that draw bloud of the Common-wealth moue vs not Oaths that totter the battlements of heauen wake vs not O where is our kindnesse whilst wee doe not reproue we approue these iniquities He is conscious of secret societie that forbeareth to resist open iniquitie Thou sayest it is for loues sake thou sparest reprehension why if thou loue thy friend thou wilt gently rebuke his faults If thou loue thy friend neuer so dearly yet thou oughtst to loue truth more dearly Let not then the truth of loue preiudice the loue of truth 2. In 〈◊〉 reaching â—…orth to vs his ample mercies Giuing â—…ichly â—…l things to enioy Where the Apostle describes Gods bountie that he Giues Freely Fully Vniuersally Effectually 1. Freely he giues without exchange hee receiues nothing for that he giues Vngodly men haue honor wealth health peace plentie their bellies are filled with his treasure and they doe not so much as returne him thankes His Sunne shines his raine fals on the vniust and ingratefull mans ground Man when hee giues respicit recipit gratitudinem both expects and accepts thankes and a returne of loue God hath not so much as thankes For the good they are indeed gratefull but this Gratia grati is Gratia gratificantis God giues them this grace to be thankefull and they may blesse him that he stirres them vp to blesse him 2. Fully and richly as becomes the greatest King A Duke at the wedding Feast of his daughter caused to â—…e brought in thirtie Courses and at euery Course gaue so many gifts to each guest at the Table as were Dishes in the Course And I haue read of a Queene that feasted her guests with wines brewed with dissolued precious stories that euery draught was valued at a hundred crownes Here was royall entertainment but this was but one Feast Such bountie continued would quickly consume the finite meanes of any earthly Prince Onely God is rich in mercie his treasurie fils all the world without emptying yea empairing or abating it selfe 3. Vniuersally all things The king hath his Crowne the great man his honour the mightie his strength the rich his wealth the learned his knowledge the meane man his peace all at his Gift He opens his hand wide he sparseth abroad his blessings and filles all thinges liuing with his plenteousnesse 4. Effectually he settles these gifts vpon vs. As he gaue them without others so others without him shall neuer be able to take them away As he created so he conserueth the vertues strength in bread and warmth in cloathes and giues wine and oyle their effectiue chearfulnesse Be â—…ou so kind as this holy and heauenly patterne not ayming at the measure which is inimitable but leuelling at the maner which is charitable Like Iob who vsed not to eate his morsels alone neither to deny his bread to the hungry nor the fleece of his flocke to the cold and naked Let thy stocke of kindnes be liberall though thy stocke of wealth bee stinted Giue Omni petenti though not Omnia petenti as that Father excellently 4. Constant. For with Christ is no variablenes no shadow of change But Whom he once loues he loues for euer Ficklenesse is for a Laban whose countenance will turne away from Iacob and his affection fall off with his profite I haue read of two intire friends well deseruing for their vertues that when the one was promoted to great wealth and dignitie the other neglected in obscuritie the preferred though he could not diuide his honour yet shared his wealth to his old companion Things so altered that this honourd friend was falsely accused of treacherie and by the blow of suspition throwne downe to misery the other for his nowe obserued goodnes raised vp to a high place where now he requites his deiected friend with the same courtesie as if their minds had coÌ„sented contended to make that equall which their states made different O for one dramme of this immutable Loue in the world Honours change manners wee will not know those in the
how wise a king hath read his destinie Pride will haue a fall 2. The next is Prodigalitie and because hee takes himselfe for the true Charitie hee must be second at least This is a young Gallant and the horse he rides on is Luxurie Hee goes a thundring pace that you would not think it possible to ouertake him but before he is got a quarter of the way hee is spent all spent ready to begge of those that begd of him 3. Enuie will be next a leane meager thing full of malicious mettle but hath almost no flesh The horse he rides on is Malcontent He would in his iourney first cut some thousand throates or powder a whole kingdome blow vp a State and then set on to heauen But the hangman sets vp a Galowse in his way wherat he runs full butt and breakes his necke 4. Then comes sneaking out Coâ—…eteousnes a hunger-staru'd vsurer that sells wheat and eates beanes many men are in his debt and he is most in his owne debt for he neuer payd his belly and backe a quarter of their dues He rides on a thinne hobbling Iade called vnconscionablenes which for want of a worse stable hee lodgeth in his owne heart He promiseth his soule to bring her to heauen but tarrying to enlarge his barnes he lost opportunitie and the prize of saluation and so fell two bowes short Fayth and Repentance 5. Lust hath gotten on Loues cloke and will venture to runne A leprous wretch and riding on a trotting beast a hee-goate was almost shaken to pieces Diseases doe so crampe him that hee is faine to sit downe with Vae misero and without the helpe of a good Doctor or a Surgion he is like neuer to see a comfortable end of his iourney 6. Hypocrisie is glad that he is next to Charitie and presumes that they two are brother and sister Hee is hors'd on a halting hackney for he does but borrow him called Dissimulation As he goes hee is offring euerie man his hand but it is still emptie Hee leanes on Charities shoulder and protests great loue to her but when shee tryes him to borrow a little money of him for some mercifull purpose he pleads he hath not enough to serue him to his iourneys end He goes forward like an Angell but his trusted horse throws him and discouers him a Deuill 7 The last named but first and onely that comes to the prize at the goales end is Charitie She is an humble vertue not mounted as the other racers but goes on foote She spares from her owne belly to relieue those poore Pilgrims that trauell with her to Heauen She hath two Virgins that beare her companie Innocence and Patience She does no hurt to others shee suffers much of others yet was shee neuer heard to curse Her language is blessing and shee shall for euer inherite it Three celestiall Graces Glory Immortalitie and Eternitie hold out a Crowne to her And when Faith and Hope haue lifted her vp to heauen they take their leaues of her and the bosome of euerlasting Mercie receiues her A CRVCIFIXE OR A Sermon vpon the Passion EPHES. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet swelling sauour THis latter part of the verse is a faire and liuely Crucifixe cut by the hand of a most exquisite caruer not to amaze our corporall lights with a peece of wood brasse or stone curiously engrauen to the encrease of a carnall deuotion But to present to the eye of the conscience the grieuous Passion and gracious compassion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Who gaue himselfe for vs c. This Crucifixe presents to our eye seauen considerable Circumstances Who Christ. What Gaue. Whom Himselfe To whom To God For whom For vs. After what manner An offering Sacrifice Of what effect Of a sweet sauour The poynts you see lie as readie for our discourse as the way did from Bethanie to Ierusalem onely fayle not my speech nor your attention till we come to the Iourneys end Who. The Person that giues is Christ the qualitie of his person doth highly commend his exeeding loue to vs. We will ascend to this consideration by 4. staires or degrees and descend by 4. other Both in going vp and comming downe we shall perceiue the admirable loue of the giuer Ascendently 1. We will consider him Hominem a man Behold the man saith Pilate We may tarry and wonder at his lowest degree that a man should giue himselfe for man For scarcely for a righteous man will one die But this man gaue himselfe for vnrighteous man to die not an ordinary but a greevous death exposing himselfe to the wrath of God to the tyrranie of men and Devils It would pittie our hearts to see a poore dumbe beast so terrified how much more Hominem a man the Image of God! 2 The second degree giues him hominem innocentem an Innocent man Pilate could say I haue found no fault in this man No nor yet Herod No nor the Devill who would haue beene right glad of such an advantage So Pilates Wife sent her husband word Haue thou nothing to do with that iust man So the Person is not onely a man but a iust man that gaue himselfe to endure such horrors for vs. If wee pittie the death of malefactors how should our compassion be to one Innocent 3. In the third degree he is not onely Homo a man and Iustus homo a good man but also Magnus homo a great man royally descended from the auntient Patriarches and Kinges of Iudah Pilate had so written his Title and he would answere not alter it Quod scripsi scripsi And what was that Iesus of Nazereth the King of the Iewes Now as is the Person so is the Passion the more noble the giuer the more excellent the gift That so high a King would suffer such contempt and obloquie to be cast vpon him when the least part of his disgrace had beene too much for a man of meane condition That a Man a Good man a Great man bore such calumnie such calamitie for our sakes here was an vnmatchable an vnspeakable loue 4. This is enough but this is not all there is yet a higher degree in this Ascent we are not come to our full Quantus It is this he was Plus quam homo more then man not onely maximus hominum but mator hominibus the greatest of men yea greater then all men Not mere filius hominis but verè filius Dei he was more then the Sonne of man euen the Sonne of God As the Centurion acknowledged Truely this man was the Sonne of God Here be all the foure staires vpwardes a Man a Harmeles man a Princely man and yet more then man euen God himselfe Salomon was a great king but here is a Greater then Salomon Salomon was Christus Domini but here is Christus Dominus he was the annointed of the Lord but this
afflicting obiects of shame and tyrannie Those â—…ares which to delight the high Quorillers of heauen sing their 〈◊〉 notes must be wearied with the taunts and 〈◊〉 of blasphemie And all this for vs not onely to satisfie those sinnes which our Senses haue committed but to mortifie those senses and preseâ—…e them from those sinnes That our eyes may be no more full of adulteries nor throw couetous lookes on the goods of our brethren That our â—…ares may no more giue so wide admission and welcome entrance to lewd reports the incantations of Sathan That sinne in all our senses might be done to death the poison exhausted the sense purified 4. In all members Looke on that blessed Body conceiued by the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin it is all ouer scourged martyred tortured manacled mangled What place can you find free Caput Angelicâ—… spiritibus tremebundum densitatâ—… spinarum pungitur facies pulchraprâ—… filijs hominum Iudâ—…orum spâ—…t is detâ—…rpatur Oculi 〈◊〉 sole in 〈◊〉 caligantur c. To begin at his head that head which the Angels reuerence is crowned with thornes That face which is fairer them the sonnes of men must be odiously spit on by the filthy Iewes His hands that made the heauens are extended fastned to a crosse The feet which tread vpon the neckes of his and our enemies feele the like smart And the mouth must be buffeâ—…ed which spake as neuer man spake Still all this for vs. His head bled for the wicked imaginations of our heads His face was besmeared with spittle because we had spit impudent blasphemies against heauen His lips were afflicted that our lips might henceforth yeeld sauoury speeches His feet did bleed that our feet might not be swift to shed bloud All his members suffered for the sinnes of all our members and that our members might be no more ser uants to sin but seruants to righteousnes vnto holines CoÌ„spâ—…i voluit vt nos Lauaret velari voluit vt velamen ignorantia a mentibus nostris 〈◊〉 in capite percuti vt corpori sanitatem restitueret Hee would be polluted with their spettle that hee might wash vs hee would bee blindfolded that he might take the vaile of ignorance from our eyes He suffered the head to be wounded that hee might renew health to all the body Sixe times we read that Christ shed his bloud First when he was circumcised at eight dayes old his bloud was spilt 2. In his agonie in the garden where he swett drops of bloud 3. In his scourging when the merciles tormentors fetch'd bloud from his holy sides 4. When he was crowned with thornes those sharpe prickles raked and harrowed his blessed head and drew forth bloud 5. In his crucifying when his hands feet were pierced bloud gushed out 6. Lastly after his death One of the souldiours with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water All his members bled to shew that he bled for all his members Not one drop of this bloud was shed for himselfe all for vs for his enemies persecutors crucifiers our selues But what shall become of vs if all this cannot mortifie vs How shall we liue with Christ if with Christ wee bee not dead Dead in deed vnto sinne but liuing vnto righteousnesse As Elisha reuiued the Shunamites child hee lay vpon it put his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warme So the Lord Iesus to recouer vs that were dead in our sinnes and trespasses spreads and applies his whole Passion to vs layes his mouth of blessing vpon our mouth of blasphemie his eyes of holinesse vpon our eyes of lust his hands of mercie vpon our hands of crueltie and stretcheth his gratious selfe vpon our wretched selues till we begin to waxe warme to get life and the holy Spirit returnes into vs. 5. In his Soule All this was but the out-side of his Passion Now is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but for this cause came I vnto this houre The paine of the bodie is but the bodie of paine the very soule of sorrow is the sorrow of the soule All the outward afflictions were but gentle prickings in regard of that his soule suffered The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare He had a heart within that suffered vnseene vnknowne anguish This paine drew from him those strong cryes those bitter teares He had often sent forth the cryes of compassion of passion and complaint not till now He had wept the teares of pittie the teares of loue but neuer before the teares of anguish When the Sonne of God thus cryes thus weepes here is more then the bodie distressed the soule is agonized Still all this for vs. His Soule was in our soules stead what would they haue felt if they had bin in the stead of his All for vs to satisfaction to emendation For thy drunkennesse and powring downe strong drinks he drunke vineger For thy intemperate gluttonie he fasted For thy sloth he did exercise himselfe to continuall paines Thou sleepest secure thy Sauiour is then waking watching praying Thy armes are inured to lustfull embracings hee for this embraceth the rough Crosse. Thou deckest thy selfe with proud habiliments he is humble and lowly for it Thou ridest in pompe he iourneys on foote Thou wallowest on thy downe beds thy Sauiour hath not a pillow Thou surfeiâ—…est and he sweats it out a bloudâ—… sweat Thou fillest and swellest thy selfe with a 〈◊〉 of wickednes behold incision is made in the Head for thee thy Sauiour bleeds to death Now iudge whether this point For vs hath not deriued a neere application of this Text to our owne consciences Since then Christ did all this for thee and me pray then with August O Dâ—… Iesâ—… da cordi 〈◊〉 tâ—… deâ—…derare 〈◊〉 qâ—…rere quâ—…rendo inuenâ—… iâ—…enien do 〈◊〉 amâ—…do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redempta 〈◊〉 â—…rare Lord giue me a heart to desire thee desiring to seeke thee seeking to find thee finding to loue thee louing no more to offend thee There are two maine parts of this Crucifixe yet to handle I must onely name them being sorry that it is still my hap to trouble you with prolixitie of speech 6. The next is the Manner An offering and Sacrifice His whole life was an Offering his death a Sacrifice He gaue himselfe often for vs an Eucharisticall oblation once an explatorâ—… Sacrifice In the former hee did for vs all that we should doe in the latter hee suffered for vs all that we should suffer Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne 〈◊〉 on the tree Some of the Hebrewes haue affirmed that in the fire which consumed the legall Sacrifices there alwayes appeared the face of a Lyon
for the most part inseparable companions Eccle. 6. God giues to a man Riches and Honour First Riches and then Honour for it is lightly found so much Riches so much Honour and reputation is measured by the Acre I haue wealth enough saith the worldling Luke 12. I will turne Gentleman take my ease eate drinke and be merry Riches are the staires whereby men climbe vp into the height of dignitie the fortification that defends it the food it liues vppon the oyle that keeps the lampe of Honour from going out Honour is a bare robe if Riches doe not lace and flourish it and Riches a dull Lumpe till Honour giue a Soule to quicken it Fiftly then Honour and Riches Wealth and Worship doe beare one another companie 4. Lastly obserue that though riches and honour be Gods gifts yet they are but the gifts of his left hand therefore it necessarily followes that euery wise man will first seeke the blessings of the Right First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and these things shall be added to you Godlinesse is the best Riches Riches the worst let vs striue for the former without condition for the other if they fall in our way let vs stoope to take them vp if not let vs neuer couet them It is no Wisedome to refuse Gods kindnesse that offers wealth nor pietie to scratch for it when God withholds it When the Lord hath set thee vp as high as Haman in the Court of Ahasuerus or promoted thee to ride with Ioseph in the second Chariot of Egypt were thy stocke of Cattell exceeding Iobs seauen thousand sheepe three thousand Camels fiue hundred yoke of Oxen did thy Wardrobe put downe Salomons and thy cup-bord of plate Belshazzars when the vessels of Gods temple were the ornature Yet all these are but the gifts of Wisedomes left hand and the possessors may be vnder the malediction of God and goe downe to damnation If it were true that sanctior qui ditior that goods could make a man good I would not blame mens kissing the left hand and sucking out Riches and Honour But alas what antidote against the terrour of conscience can bee chym'd from gold What charme is there in braue apparell to keepe off the rigour of Sathan Quod tibi praestat opes non tibi praestat opem That which makes thee wealthy cannot make thee happie Ionas had a Gourd that was to him an Arbour he sate vnder it secure but suddenly there was a worme that bitte it and it dyed Compare secretly in your hearts your riches to that Gourd your pleasure to the greenesse of it your pompe attendance vanities to the leaues of it your suddaine encrease of wealth to the growing and shooting vp of it But withall forget not the Worme and the Wind the Worme that shall kill your roote is Death and the Wind that shall blow vpon you is calamitie There is a greater defect in this wealth and worshippe then their vncertaintie Non mâ—…do fallacia quia dubia verùm insidiosa quia dulcia They are not onely deceitfull through their ticklenesse but dangerous through their lushoâ—…snesse Men are apt to surfeit on this luxurient abundance it is a baâ—…e to securitie a baud to wantonnes Here is the maine difference betweene the gifts of Gods right hand and of his left He giues reall blessings with the left but he doth not settle them vpon vs he promiseth 〈◊〉 perpetuitie but with the graces of his right he giues assurance of euerlastingnes Christ calles Riches the riches of deceitfulnesse but grace the better part that shall neuer be taken away Dauid compares the wealthy to a flourishing tree that is soone withered but Faith stablisheth a man like Mount Sion neuer to be remoued He that thinkes hee sittes surest in his seate of Riches let him take heed least he fall When a great man boasted of his abundance sayth Paulus Emilius one of his friends told him that the anger of God could not long forbeare so great prosperitie How many rich Marchants haue suddenly lost all How many Noblemen sold all How many wealthy heires spent all Few Sundayes passe ouer our heads without Collections for Ship-wrackes fires and other casualties Demonstratiue proofes that prosperitie is inconstant riches casuall And for honour wee read that Belâ—…sarius an honourable Peere of the Empire was forced in his old age to beg from dore to dore obulum date Bel sario Fredericke a great Emperour was so low brought that he sâ—…ed to be made but the Sexton of a Church O then let vs not adhere to these left hand blessings but first seeke length of dayes eternall ioyes neuer to be lost A man may enioy the other without fault the sinne consisteth praeferendo vel conferendo either in preferring Riches or in comparing them with faith and a good conscience Vtere caducis fruere aeternis Thou must necessarily vse these transient things onely enioy and rest vppon the euerlasting comforts of Iesus Christ. When God hath assured to a Christian spirit the inheritance of Heauen he ioyfully pilgrims it through this world if wealth and worship salute him by the way he refuseth not their companie but they shall not stray him out of his path nor transport his affections for his heart is where his hope is his loue is where his Lord is euen with Iesus his Redeemer at the right hand of God Now this mans very Riches are blessed to him for as from the hand of God hee hath them so from the hand of God hee hath to enioy good in them Whereas to some sayth Salomon I haue seene Riches kept for the ownâ—…s thereof to their hurt to this man they shall worke to the best blessing his condition in this life and enlarging his dition in heauen as the wise man sweetly The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it Thus in particular if we conferre the right hand with the left we shall generally learne 1. That both Gods hands are giuing it is enough if man giue with one hand but the Lord settes both his handes a doling his Almes of mercie Nemo tuarum vnam vincet vtraque manu No man can doe so much with both handes as GOD with one hand with one finger Hee hath Manum plenam extensam expansam hand full not emptie so full that it can neuer be emptied with giuing Innumerable are the drops in the sea yet if one be taken out it hath though insensibly so much the lesse but Gods goodnesse can suffer no diminution for it is infinite Men are sparing in their bountie because the more they giue the lesse they haue but Gods hand is euer full though it euer disperse and the filling of many cisternes is no abatement to his euer running fountaine Our prayers therfore are well directed thether for blessings whence though we receiue neuer so much wee leaue no lesse behind Let this