possibilitie and performance I also among the rest haue taken occasion humbly to dedicate vnto your Maiesty such a poore present as I had in a readinesse Assuring myselfe that as none are more familiar with God then godly Kings so no treâ—tises can bee more welcome to godly Kings then such as may draw them into greatest familiaritie with God And I doubt not but that your Highnes hauing hitherto had your hearts desires giuen you because you haue delighted in the Lord will hereafter if it bee possible much more delight in the Lord that he may yet giue you more desires of your heart Nay I am so farre from doubting of this that I dare be bold to conclude with the Psalmist The King shall reioyce in thy strength Psal. 21.11 O Lord exceeding glad shall hee bee of thy saluation Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes For thou shalt preuent him with the blessings of goodnes shalt set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head His honour is great in thy saluation glory and great worship shalt thou lay vpon him For thou shalt giue him euerlasting felicitie and make him glad with the ioy of thy countenance And why because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercie of the most high he shall not miscarie Your Maiesties most humble deuoted and obedient subiect THOMAS PLAYFERE THE TEXT Delight thy selfe in the Lord he shall giue thee the desires of the heart PSAL. 37. VER 4. SAint Iohn saies in one place Loue not the World nor the things of this World if any man loue the World the loue of God is not in him So may I say delight not in the world nor in the thinges of this world if any man delight himselfe in the world hee cannot delight himselfe in the Lord Therfore sayth Martial an auncient Bishop a Quid ad nos delectatio mundâ—â— Epist ad Tolos c. 18. What haue wee to doe with the delight of the World You may call it as you will pleasure if you will pastime if you will mirth if you will gladnesse if you will ioy if you wil but in Gods Dictionarie it hath no such name In the holy Scripture it in other wise called It is called Adams goodly apple which being eaten depriued him of Paradise Esaus red broth which being supt vp bereaued him of his birth-right Ionathans sweet honey combe which being but tasted was like to cost him his life the whore of Babylons golden cup which filled her full of all abhominations the traytour Iudas sugred sop which made a way for the diuell to enter into him the prodigall childs wash of 〈◊〉 which he most miserably swilled vp with the swine This is all the delight of the world called in Gods dictionarie which is the holy Scripture It is called Adams apple Esaus broth Ionathans combe Babylons cuppe Iudaâ—s sop the prodigall childs swill So that all this delight is no delight Or suppose it were yet certâ—â—â—ly it shall not giue thee the desires of thy heart Nay it shall bee so farre from â—â—â—â—â—ding thee those ioyes which thy 〈◊〉 most desireth that it shal bring thâ—e those torments which thy heart most abhoâ—â—reth It may saith Chrysostome b Voluptate ad tempus fruere affligere in eternum delight thee perhaps for a while but 〈…〉 torment thee for euer As any solide body though it haue neuer so fayre a colour as crimson or carnation or purple or skarlet or violet or such like yet alwayes the shadow of it is blacke so any earthly thing though it haue neuer so fayre a shew yet alwaies the shadow of it is black and the delight thou takest in it shall proue to bee grieuous in the end Therfore Philo calleth it a sweete bitter thing As that little booke in the Reuelation was sweet in the mouth but bitter in the bellie so all worldly delight is a sweet bitter thing sweet in the beginning but bitter in the ending Which they of Ierusalem had experience of For being giuen to transitorie pleasure they are d LameÌ„ 3.15 sayde to be made drunken with wormewood Now we know that drunkennesse is sweete but wormewood is bitter And such a sweet bitter thing such a drunkennesse of wormewood is all the drunken delight of the world So that as one said e Ruth 1.10 Call me not Naomie but call me Mara call me not sweet but call mee bitter so must we call worldly delight not Naomie but Mara because it is nothing so much Naomie sweete and pleasant at the first as it is Mara and Amara bitter loathsome at the last Like to a song of the Syrenâ— which are mentioned in the Prophecie of f Chap. 13. v. 22. Esay A Syren is a monster of the sea the head whereof resemblâ—â—â— a virgin but the feete a fish And such a monster is all worldly delight the 〈◊〉 whereof the beginningâ— allureth 〈◊〉 amiable virgin but the feete the 〈◊〉 deuooreth vs as a rauenous fish Tâ—â—â—fore aâ— Vlisses sâ—ooâ— his eares and 〈◊〉 himselfe to the most of the ship 〈…〉 might not heare the Syrens song 〈…〉 we stoppe our eares and 〈…〉 the voyce of these charming 〈◊〉 charm they and sing they neuer 〈…〉 ly yea we must binde our sel 〈…〉 mast of the shippe that is to the 〈◊〉 of Christ g Side Vlysse illo refert fabula quod cum arboris religatio de periculo liberauit quanto magis crutis arbor c. Ambr serm 55. euery one of vs saying 〈◊〉 our heauenly Vlysses God forbid that I should delight in any thing but is the crosse of Christ by which the 〈…〉 crucified vnto me and I vnto the 〈◊〉 For the world and all worldly 〈…〉 likened to a hedgehogge h Esa. 14.23 A 〈…〉 hog seemes to bee but a poore 〈…〉 ture not likely to doe any 〈…〉 yet indued it is full of bristles or prickâ—â—â— wherby it may annoy a maÌ„ very 〈◊〉 So worldly delight seeme to bee little or nothing dangerous at the first yet afterward as with bristles or pricks it peaceth through the very conscience with vntollerable paines Therefore wee must deale with this delight as a man would handle a hedge hogge The safest way to handle a hedge hogge is to take him by the heele So must we deale with this delight As Iacob tooke Esau that rough hedge hogge by the hele in like sort wee must take worldly delights not by the head but by the heele considering not the beginning but the ending of it that so wee may neuer be deceiued by it For though it haue a faire shewe at the first yet it hath a blacke shadowe at the last though it be sweet at the first yet it is bitter at the last though it bee drunkennes at the first yet it is worm wood at the last though it bee Naomie at the first yet it is Mara at the last though
it bee a song at the first yet it is a SyreÌ„ at the last though it be a silly hedge hogge at the first yet it is a sharpe prickle at the last Wherefore delight not thy selfe in the world for it shal not giue thee the desires of thy hart but Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Here is a precept here is a 〈◊〉 A precept in these wordsâ— Delight thy 〈◊〉 in the Lord. First delight then 〈…〉 ly in the Lord. A promise in these 〈◊〉 And he shall giue thee the desires of thy 〈◊〉 First And hee shall giue thee then the 〈◊〉 lastly of the heart Delight thy self 〈◊〉 Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart First Delight Well saies 〈◊〉 i Spiritus est hilaris et exhiâ—ararat participes sui The spirit of God as it is a cheereâ—â—â—â— thing it selfe so it maketh all them â—â—â—â—full which are partakers of it Indeâ—dâ— the wicked continually mourne and 〈◊〉 There was a great 〈◊〉 in Egypt 〈◊〉 in euery house among them theâ—â— waâ— some one or other of their first 〈◊〉 dead But the voice of ioy and gladâ—â—sse is in the tabernacles of the righteoâ—â— k Psal. 118. â—5 They euermore delight in the Lord I reach l Aelianus in varia histo l. 3. cap. 14. of one Leonides a captaine who perceiuing his souldiers left their 〈◊〉 vpon the citie wallâ—â— and did nothing all the day long but â—â—affe and 〈…〉 houses neere adioyning 〈…〉 that the alehouses should 〈…〉 from that place where they shood 〈…〉 vp close by the walles That seeing the souldiers would neuer keep out of them at the least wise that they might watch as well as drinke in them So because pleasure we must needes haue and we cannot be kept from it God hath appointed that wee should take Delight enough and yet serue him neuer a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when thou enterest into his sweete seruice that thou shouldest abandon all delight but onely that thou shouldest change the cause of thy delight That whereas before thou diddest delight in the seruice of sinne now thou shouldesâ— delight as much or rather indeede a thousand times moer in the seruice of the Lord. It was not Gods will that Isaak should bee sacrificed but onely the ramme And so God would haue vs sacrifice onely the ramme that is all rammish and rancke delight of the world But as for Isaack he must be preserued still kept aliue Isaack in whome Abraham did see the day of Christ and reioyced Isaack that is all spirituall laughter all ghostly ioy all heauenly delight For as no man might come into the court of Ashuerus which was clothed in sackecloath m Ester 4 2. so no man may come in to the court of our king which is clothed in sackecloth and hath not on the wedding garment of ioy and delight in the Lord. Which is the cause why Christ calleth the assemblies of the faithful Quires of Camdes n Choros castrorum Can. 6.12 A quire singes a Campe fights How then may these two agree together Very well in the godly For the godly when they fight most stoutly against the enemie then they sing most merily vnto the Lord. Whereupon Gregorie saith o Dauid salcantem plus sâ—upco quam pugnautem Moral l. 27. c. 27. I admire king Dauid a great deale more when I see him in the quire then when I see him in the campe when I see him singing as the sweete singer of Israel theÌ„ when I see him fighting as the worthy warriour of Israel For fighting with others he did ouercome all others but singing and delighting himselfe he did ouercome himselfe Euen as his sonne Salomon saies for him speaking to Christ. Turne away thine eyes from me for they doe ouercome me for they wounde my heart they make me sicke for loue p Can. 4.6 When Dauid fought with others he ouercame others hee wounded others he made others sicke but when he daunced before the Arke and delighted himselfe he was ouercome himselfe hee was wounded himselfe hee was sicke himselfe But feare you nothing I warrant you this sicknesse will doe him no harme I will play stil sayes he that others may still play vpon me q Ludam inquit vt illud 21 Bonus ludus quo Michol irascitur deus delectatur Greg. Mag. For it is a good sport when God is delighted though Michol be displeased So that of Dauids sicknesse we may say as Christ saide of Lazarus sicknesse This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God r Ioh. 41.4 And therefore it is for the glory of God because it is for the loue of God For Dauid is sicke no otherwise for loue of the sonne of God then God is sicke himselfe for loue of the sonne of Dauid This is my beloued soâ—â—e saies he in whome I am delighted s Math. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne there he is in loue In whome I am delighted there he is sicke for loue Which is the cause why he commaundeth vs also to be delighted in his loue t Prou. 5.19 For as a double desire is loues so a double loue is delight And therfore he sayes not simply loue him but be delighted in his loue Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Delight Then Thy selfe I would hate mine owne soule sayes Bernard if I found it any where else then in the Lord and in his loue u AnimaÌ„ meam odio haberem si eam alibi quam in domino in cius amore inuenirem De amore dei c. 3. So that it is not enough for thee to delight but thou must delight thy selfe that is thy soule Saying with the blessed Virgine My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Otherwise as Diues did see Lazarus a farre off lying in Abrahams bosome beeing himselfe all the while tormented in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of water to coole his tongue so euen in laughing the soule may be sorrowfull x Prou. 14 13 The wretched soule of a sinner may see the face a farre off laughing and lying as I may say in Abrahams bosome beeing it selfe all the while tormented as it were in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of delight to asswage the sorrowes of it And like as Sampsons lyon had great store of honey in him but tasted no sweetnesse of it euen so if thou reioyce in the face and not in the heart y 2. Cor. 5.12 thou mayest well perhaps haue great store of honey in thee to delight others but thou canst neuer taste the sweetnesse of it to delight thy selfe Therefore sayes the princely Prophet O taste and see how sweete the Lord is It is not enough for thee to see it a farre off and not
knocke if any man beare my voyce and open the dore I will come in vnto him will suppe with him and hee with me Well then how doth Christ suppe with vs Christ suppes with vs when we entertaine him as Marie did with the salt teares of repeÌ„tance and griefe and as Lot did with the sweet bread of syncerity and truth For the salt teares of our repentance are the onely drinke which Christ will drinke with vs. And the sweet breade of our syncerity is the onely bread which Christ will eate with vs. But what meat hath hee to his breade I haue a meate sayes hee which you know not of My meat is to doe the will of him that sent mee In the volume of thy booke it is written of mee that I should doe thy will O my God it is my delight it is meate and drinke to mee to doe it And as it is meate to him to doe it himselfe so is it meate to him to see vs doe it Then doth hee suppe with vs. And this is the first seruice But what hath he for a second course A dish of apples gathered of the tree of life For toward the latter end of the supper when they come to their fruit a Christian sayes to Christ f Can. 7.13 Omnia poma vetera noua Vulgata trans O my Welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and new Contrition humiliation denying of thy selfe mortification of the old man these are olde apples Sobriety innocency holines of life viuification of the new man these are new apples And when a Christian feasts and feedes Christ with such diuers dainty fruits of righteousnesse then he saies to him O my welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and new But what musick hath he now We must needs haue some musicke Christ cannot sup without musicke Drinke bread meate apples wil make him but a slender supper except we mend it all the better with musicke This must be the very best part of the supper For a consort of musitians at a banquet is as a signet of Carbuncle set in gold and as the signet of an Eâ—rod well trimmed with gold so is the melodie of â—usicke in a pleasant g Ecclesiasticus cap. 32. vers 5. banquet Therefore when Christ suppes with vs we must be sure he haue musicke We must welcome him and cheare him vp with Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace making melodie in our hearts to God Thus doth Christ sup with vs. Col. 3.16 But now to return to the main point againe from which wee haue a little digressed aâ— elsewhere by the errour of loue Christ is said to be fedde among the lylies whereas indeed onely he feedeth the lylies to sup with vs wheras indeed only we sup with him so here by the same figure he is said to reap coÌ„modity by thy delight wheras indeed only the coÌ„modity is thine all the commodity al the benefit is onely thine Yet to see the admirable loue of God he sayes not Thou shalt giue him but He shall giue thee Delight thy selfe in the Lord he shall giue thee desires of the heart and hee shall giue thee Then The desires He that loues to desire God h Qui amas deâ—iderare desiderat amare De amore Dei c 3. vide Gregorium Moral l. 18. c. 28. sayes Bernard must also desire to loue God Then he shall haue neither saciety nor yet anxiety Neyther saciety because he loues to desire nor yet anxiety because he desires to loue Thus doth the Church Let him kisse mee sayes shee i Cant. 1.1 with the kisses of his mouth Let him not smite me but kisse me not once but ofteÌ„ not with the kisses of his feet but of his mouth not of any of his Prophets mouthes but of his own mouth Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Here are many desires Here indeed shee loues to desire k Psa. 119.20 Concupiuit defiderare Ps. 119.20 But it followeth For thy loue is better then wine The person is suddenly changed Before it was more strangely in the third person Let him his mouth Now it is more familiarly in the second person For thy loue For thy loue is better then wine Here is but one loue Here onely she desires to loue For as the curtaines of the tabernacle were coupled and tyed together with taches and strings so that one curtaine did draw another and all the curtaines did draw together to couer nothing else but the tabernacle l Exod. 26.6 after the same sort the desires of the godly are coupled and tyed together so that one desire drawes another and all their desires draw together to make them couet nothing else but God And euen as Iacob when hee held the Angel in his armes stood vpon one foote and halted vpon the other foote m Gen. 32.31 so he that embraceth God can doe nothing with that halting foote which before carried him to the desire of the world but standeth onely vpon that sound foote which now carrieth him wholly to the desire of God And like as all the streetes of Ierusalem sing Halleluiah n Tob. 13.18 so all the desires of them that are delighted in God are referred to God There are many streetes in Ierusalem yet there is but one Halleluia which is sung in all those streetes In like sorte there are many desires in a godly man yet there is but one thing God onely which is desired in all these desires For these desires as the kisses of Christ come all from one loue these desires as the curtaines of the tabernable are all tyed together with one string these desires as the goings of Iacob stand all vpon one foote these desires as the streets of Ierusalem sing all one Halleluia So that if thou look into his desires that delighteth in the Lord thou shalt see no iniquitie no contradiction in them But if thou looke into his desires that delighteth in sinne thou shalt say with the Psalmist I see iniquitie Psal. 55.10 and contradiction in the citie For as Manasses was against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both of them against o Esa. 9.21 Iuda so the desires of the wicked are contrarie to God to themselues All their desires are contrarie to all Gods desires Manasses and Ephraim are both against Iuda There 's iniquitie Some of their desires are contrarie to other some of their desires Manasses is against Ephraim and Ephraim is against Manasses There 's contradiction Therefore the desires of the wicked beeing so contrary to God and to themselues their desires are not giuen to them but they are giuen to their desires p Rom. 1.24 Because though they loue to desire God yet they doe not desire to loue God Though they care not how much God doth for them yet they care not
signifies swiftnesse so we must tioine Mithkah and Cashmonah sweetnesse swiftnesse both together f Hieron Epist. ad Fabiolam Mansionc 26. and as soone as we haue pitched in Mithkah as soone as we haue tasted and seene how sweet the Lord is presently we must remoue our tents from thence and pitch in Cashmonah presently wee must follow hard and runne not onely sweetly but also swiftly in this way of peace which leadeth vnto life Tell me wherefore saith Christ againe g Cant. 4.13 speaking of the praise of his spouse Thy plants are as an orchard of pomegranats but onely to teach vs that toward the marke is the fifth degree of perfection For a Pomegranat hath many graines within him in his case and a little round circle or a crowne without him vpon his head Now these graines being sweet in tast and red in colour are orderly set one by another and point vp or as it were look vp altogether to the crowne To intimate thus much that wee which are plants of the Church as an Orchard of Pomegranates must grow and goe on still toward the maâ—k not onely when we enioy the sweete taste of pleasant prosperity but also when wee beare the red colour of bloudy persecution (h) Meminit malogranatorum quòd rubore granatorum oblectent suauitate gratâ— sint Quod ad colorem ad ardentem ecclesiae charitatem referri potest Mercerus Malâ— puâ—â—a sanguineorubent colore scilicet Martyres Halgrâ—nus in cant l. 7. Idem Beda Haimâ— habent in com in hunc locum and consenting in a kinde of conformity and perfect peace vnity one with another we must point vp altogether with the finger of faith to Christ looke vp continually with the eie of loue to our head who by being first crossed is now come to be crownd with honor glory In the arke of the couenant there was the golden pot that had Manna and Aarons rod that had budded and the Tables of the testamentâ— and the propitiatory or couering and a crowne of gold round about it i Heb 9.4 Exod. 25.11 O how notably and maruellously do these things sort and agree together the Pomegranate and the Arke the sweete taste and the pot of Manna the red colour and the rod of Aaron the order of the graines and the tables of the testament the head of the pomegranate and the couering of the Ark the crown vpon that head and the crown about this couering To insinuate thus much that we which are like an orchard of Pomegranates must also bee like the Arke of the couenant being builded and reared vp stil toward the mark not onely when our Lord feedeth vs with the sweete Manna of his mercy but also when he afflicteth vs with the sharp rod of his correctionaâ—e alwaies keeping the tables of the testament which are the commandements of perfect loue to God and to our neighbour (k) Gnullâ—maije malion peccudâ—aia hakâ—riâ— monin Targú Iuumes tur pleni praeceptis sicut malogranata Montanus that by faith in Christ who is the couering the propitiation for our sins we may obtaine the golden crowne of life K. Darius vpon a time by chance opening a great pomegranate and being demaâ—ded of what he wold wish to haue as many as there were graines in that pomegranate answered in one word of Zopyrusses a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. 〈◊〉 Apoth Regum Now Zopyrus was a right noble and a valiant Knight who seeinâ— the king his Maister could hardly surprizâ— Babylon where the traiteroâ— Assyrians were entrenched bethought himselfe of a wonderfull strange practise He went home to his owne house caused his seruants to rent his whole body all ouer with scourging him to cut off his nose his lips and his eares (b) Domi se verberibus laceraritoto câ—rpore iubet nasâ—m labia aures sibi praecidi Iustin. lib. 1. in fine Then straight wayes running to Babylon hee made the Assyrians beleeue that Darius had mis-used him in this sort because hee had spoken in their behalfe counselling him to breake vp his siege to remoue his Army from assaulting their Citie They hearing this tale the rather thinking it to be true because they saw him so shamefully disfigured in his body were perswaded to make him their chiefe captaine By which meanes he betraied them all and surrendred both them and their city into his masters hands O most faithfull louing subiect O most worthy and couragious heart One Pomegranet full of such graines yea euen one graine full of such valour and vertue is sufficient for a whole country either to recouer it if it be lost or to keepe it that it be not lost O that I could tell where to finde such a man O that I could tell where to see but one such amongst vs all I would I assure you honor the very ground he goes vpon kisse euen the shadow of his feet Well beloued I pray God I pray God with all my heart that his sacred maiesty whom the Lord for his glory sake alwaies shield and defend that his sacred maiesty I say may find very many yea may see vs all as true to God and him and to our country as Zopyrus was to his Prince That if any time of tryall should come we may haue so much good will holy manhood in vs as to pul our selues vpon the pikes and ieopard a ioynt yea venture the martyring and mangling of our whole body euen the losing our liues rather then either forraigne enemies or homebred rebels should haue their wils of vs knowing that our life is fraile and mortal we may die euery moment but for a man to doe some notable peece of seruice before hee die and to sheath his sword in the sides of his enemies to kil if it be but one that is a sworne rebell to his God to his prince to his country this indeed is a most honourable and a most glorious thing this is it which shall be chronicled and registred and remembred yea and rewarded for euer But to returne to the marke againe We which are plants of the Church like an orchard of Pomegranets like the Arke of the couenant must loue not onely the head of the Pomegranet and the couering of the arke but also the order of the graines the tables of the testament not onely the sweet tast and the pot of Manna but also the red colour the rod of Aaron It is a miracle and would amaze any man to consider how zealous the Christians were in the Primitiue church how vnsatiably they thirsted after the crowne of martyrdome what roddes with Zopyrus what rackings what wilde beasts what broilings they endured How in a manner if I durst say so they suffered almost as horrible torments when they died for Christ as Christ did when he died for theÌ„ Well well so great and so absolute so
excellent so admirable perfection is not now required at our hands Yet this by your good leaue fauor I wil be bold to say that we can neuer be perfect Christians indeed and run toward the marke aright except at the least wise wee haue that in resolution which they did put in execution Except if need require (d) 1 Pâ—â— 1.6 wee that are faithfull can finde in our hearts to do that and to suffer that for hatred of the spirituall Babylon and for loue of our heauenly Lord which Zopyrus an infidell did suffered for hatred of the earthly Babylon and for loue of a mortall king Except wee can be content not onely to be white lillies by liuing purely and patiently in those afflictions and crosses whereof our miserable life is full which is in some sort a kinde of martyrdome (e) Est quaedam sanguinis effusio afflictio Bernard Non putemus effusionem sanguinis tantum esse Martyriam Semper martyrium est Caesarius Arelatensis 〈◊〉 21. Sine fâ—rro Martyres esse possumus â—i patientiam in animo veraciter consernemus Gregor Omnis piorum vita testimonium reddiâ— Deo Cypr. de dupl martyriâ— â—initio vide loc but also to be red roses by dying constantly and ioyfully for the truth if the good pleasure of God should so appoint it (*) 1 Pet. 3.17 and by making our garments red in the bloud of grapes (f) Gen. 49.11 which is the most perfect martyrdom and commeth neerest of all to the Marke (g) Duplex est species Martyrij vna quando quis pro Christo â—cciditur alia quando caro pro deo maceratur Primo dabitur corona de rosis secunda de lilijs Hier. Erat anâ—e ecclesia operibus fratrum candida nunc facta est in Martyrum cruâ—re purpurea Cypr. l. 2. Epist. 6. pag. 44. that so Christ may rightly say to his Church here amongst vs Thy plants are as an orchard of Pomegranets Tell me wherefore saith Dauid againe speaking of the oath of God h Psal. 105.10 Hee appointed the same vnto Iacob for a law and vnto Israel for an euerlasting testament but onely to teach vs that for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus is the sixt and last degree to perfection for Iacob and Israel are two seuerall names yet they signifie but one singular man Neuerthelesse in a diuers respect because Iacob is he that supplanteth or wrastâ—eth Israel is he that seeth or beholdeth God (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 initio Now Iacob supplanting or wrastling is a subiect or seruant Israel seeing or beholding God is a friend or a sonne This is confirmed by Buruch k Baruch 3.36 saying GOD hath found out the way of knowledge and hath giuen it vnto Iacob his seruant and vnto Israel his beloued So that Iacob is onely a faithfull seruant but Israel is a beloued son Therfore there is appointed vnto Iacob a law but vnto Israel an euerlasting testament Seeing a law (l) Lex Vulg. or a statute (m) Kâ—ab He. or a decree (n) Gâ—ezarah Caldaic or a precept (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint properly belongs to Iacob as subiect or a seruant but a testament (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint or a couenant (q) Berith He. or an agreement (r) â—â—iam Ca. or an accord Pactium Vulgata properly belongs to Israel a friend or a sonne For as long as Iacob wrastleth with many great imperfections spirituall aduersaries of this life he must as a faithfull subiect or seruant of God keepe the law of wrastling appointed vnto him to wit that he minde but one thing and Forget that which is behinde and endeuour himselfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke but when Israell hath once ouercome all his worldly and ghostly enemies t 2 Tim. 2.5 and is become a perfect man in Christ and seeth the Lord in the life to come then he shall as a beloued friend or childe of God possesse that inheritance which the father hath by his euerlasting testament written with the bloud of Iesus Christ u Heb. 13.20 appointed vnto him to wit euerlasting life eternall glory ioy in the holy Ghost the kingdome of heauen The Prize of the high calling God in Christ Iesus O happy happy man art thou and thrice happy man art thou who whosoeuer thou art which with Iacob doest wrestle and keepe the law as a faithfull seruant for no other end but onely this that with Israell thou maist see and enioy the euerlasting testament as a beloued sonne For when wee shall see God wee shall see and what shall we see That which no mortall eye hath seene that wee shall see Wee shall see our owne selues sitting and shining at the right hand of the throne of maiesty We shall see all our deare friends which wee haue not seene this many a day embracing â—â— and welcomming vs into Christs kingdome Wee shall see all the noble army of Martyrs of Apostles of Prophets of Patriarks shouting day night singing out the praises of the Lord. Wee shall see all the inuincible hoast of Angels of Archangels of Principalities of Dominations reuerently attending vpon the King of glory We shal see the King himselfe Christ Iesus disparkling and displaying those beames of beauty which are the heauens wonder and all the Angels blisse If there were now amongst vs one as faire as euer Absolom was who would not be glad to behold him But suppose some one were ten times as faire as Absolom how then would men looke and gaze vpon him I but if another were a hundred times as faire as Absolom what a matter of admiration would that make Put the case then some one should now step forth and shew himselfe a thousand times fairer then euer Absolom was what wondring what maruelling would there be amongst vs how would our eyes be dazled how would our very mindes bee amazed at this sight Well all this is but a counterfeit but a shadow in respect of the bright blazing beauty of our spirituall spouse For Christ Iesus is ten times fairer yea a hundred times fairer yea a thousand times fairer yea ten hundred thousand times fairer then all the children of men So that if the whole beauty not onely of all men but euen of all this inferior globe were put together in one yet it would not be any way comparable not onely to Christs glory but not so much as to the least glorified body in heaueÌ„ And yet al this is but the outside of heauen al this we shal see with our bodily eye The inside and the insight is much more glorious For the best glorified body seeing innumerable Saints Angels more highly exalted then he is hath his ioy doubled and trebled and beyond all measure multiplied when he considereth that he is loued
vnspeakably more by all of them yea by euery one of theÌ„ than hee can be by himself And therfore again seeing himself so deere vnto them he for his part likewise as a hot burning cole is set on fire and inflamed with loue and the more he seeth any other excell him in glory the more doth hee reioyce and is gladder of his glory then his owne But now when hee lifteth vp his eyes to the glorious Trinitie and seeth how the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost doe eternally and perfectly loue and like and enioy one another in surpassing sweetnesse and content then all his affections are swallowed vp in loue all his spirits are rauisht in delight all his desires are imparadized in pleasure Insomuch as if on the one side were laid the loue of Christ as he is man and of all the Saints Angels among themselues and on the other side the loue which the least glorified body in heauen beholding the blessed Trinity breatheth out to God this loue would without all comparison excell exceed that as far as light doth darknes or as heauen doth the earth Wherefore for man to see God for Iacob to be called Israel for him that hath beene a seruant to become a sonne for him that hath kept the law to inioy the testament is the highest degree to perfection yea it is the very perfection of perfection it selfe The onely perfect life the onely high honour the onely godly pleasure the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in CHRIST IESVS Seeing then blessed brethren seeing wee fight not as they that beate the aire (a) â— Cor. 9.26 but our reward is so great so exceeding great in heauen (b) Mat. 5.12 therefore as Iacob wrestled all the night long and neuer gaue ouer till about the breaking of the day he was called Israel * Gen. 32.24 so let vs wrestle all the night long of this life (c) Mat. 13.35 and neuer giue ouer till the day breake and the shadowes flie away (d) Cant. 4.6 and we come to the maruellous light and sight of God And like as the same Iacob said to the Angell I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me (e) Gen. 32.26 euen so let euery true Israelite say to Christ I tooke hold of him and left him not (f) Cant. 3.4 O Lord Iesus who would leaue thee or who would let thee goe Or rather who would not hold thee fast which strengthenest him that holdeth thee fast and makest him perseuere that is strengthened and crownest him that perseuereth and makest him perfect that is crowned Therefore I will hold thee fast will not let thee go except thou blesse me that is indeed I will neuer let thee goe because thou dost neuer blesse but only those that alwaies hold thee fast Hold fast then and stand fast good beloued once againe I say Hold fast that which you haue that no man take your crowne from you (g) Reu. 3.11 Stand fast in that liberty whereby Christ hath made you free and be not any more entangled with the yoke of bondage (h) Gal. 5.2 But so run so run as yee may attaine (i) 1 Cor. 9.24 As yee may attaine How k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nilus in Parane circa med is that Mary faithfully patiently constantly vnto the end A shame it would be a vile shame for vs if it should be said of vs not you doe runne well but you did runne well l Gal. 5.7 Fâ—e vpon it Hauing beene hitherto brought vp in skarlet shall we now imbrace the dung m Lam. 4.5 Shall wee be like those antikes or monsters which are halfe men and halfe beasts (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssenus l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illa actio Chimara est qua initium habet à ratione finem a sensualitate Cum igitur sâ—e agitur humano capiti ceruicem pictor depingit equinam Innocen de 〈◊〉 c. 6. Operare igitur perseueranter ne vt Horatius aiâ— Desinat in piscem mulier formosa supâ—rne Nebrissensis Hom. 2. in fine Shall wee be like Nabuchadnezzars image which had a head of gold and feete of clay o Dan. 3.33 Shall wee begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh (p) Gal. 3.3 God forbid God for his mercy sake keepe vs from such fearefull falling from him Nay rather let vs remember that Ioseph signifieth encreasing and Arimathea signifieth getting the reward (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theop. in c. 15. Mar. To teach vs that if wee would be like to Ioseph of Arimathea wee must alwaies increase and goe on till wee get the reward The other Ioseph also had a coate reaching downe to his feete (r) Aquila inter pretatus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est tunicam talarem Hier. in Quest. Heb. in Genesin Ioseph tyrum ecclesiae praetendens vestiâ— suae habitu persâ—uerentiam certaminis habere nâ—s admonet 〈◊〉 longitudo vsque ad talos euiâ— peruenit Tanquam diceretur Antequam iter perficias noli in vita lacescere Ausberius in cap. 2. Apocal. to teach vs that wee must not haue scarlet about our head and dung about our feete not gold about our head and clay about our feete but that when we put on the Lord Iesus we must put on such a scarlet robe of righteousnesse such a golden garment of grace such a vesture of a godly vertuous life such a coate of holy and heauenly conuersation as may reach to the feet as may continue to the end considering our Sauiour hath said he that perseuereth vnto the end shal be saued And againe be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life This crowne of life is promised to al those which make a good beginning but performed onely to those which make a good ending Non campo capitur sed fine corona Pro Sapientia in exitu canitur Quia laudari penitus ante-actae vitae prudentia non merebitur nisi bono fine claudatur Saluia ad eccles lib. 4. And they which run in a race run all yet one onely that is he which holdeth out to the end receiueth the prize (t 1 Cor. 9.24 And none are saued but such as are marked in their fore-heads with the letter 〈◊〉 which is the note of perseuerance and perfection v Eze. 9.6 And if we would be conformable to the crosse of Christ the liuely picture of all perfection we must be like vnto it not only in the depth of faith and in the height of hope and in the bredth of charity but also in the length of perseuerance x Eph. 3.18 because all the depth height and bredth of the crosse is nothing without the length and so all the faith hope and charity of a Christian is to no purpose without continuance in them euen vnto the end Wherefore my good brethren yet
haue it as Diues did or to haue it in thee and not to taste it as the lyon did but thou must as well haue it as see it and as wel tast it as haue it O taste and see saies hee how sweete the Lord is For so indeede Christ giueth his Church not onely a sight but also a taste of his sweetnesse A sight is where he saies thus 2. Can. 7.12 Wee will rise vp earely and goe into the vineyard and see whether the vine haue budded forth the small grapes and whether the Pomegrannets flourish There is a sight of the vine A taste is where he saies thus 1. Can. 8.2 I will bring thee into the wineseller cause thee to drinke spiced wine and new wine of the Pomegrannets There is a taste of the wine The Church not onely goes into the vineyard and sees the wine but also goes into the wineseller and tasts the wine But yet thou must goe further then this before that thou canst come to thy selfe For there are diuers degrees of tastes Orus Apollo The Egyptians in their Hyroglyphickes when they would describe an vnperfect taste paint meate in the teeth when a more perfect taste the beginning of the throat Such an vnperfect tast had the Israelites of the sweetnesse of God God was most sweet vnto them when he gaue them quailes to eate Yet while the meate was but in their teeth the wrath of God was kindled against them b Num. 11.33 There is the meate in the teeth an vnperfect taste But the spouse of Christ hath a more perfect taste of the sweetnesse of God For likening him to an apple tree she saies I delight to sit vnder his shadow and his fruit is sweete vnto my throate Can. 2.3 There is the beginning of the throat a more perfect tast But notwithstanding all this thou art not yet come to thy selfe Therefore this taste must not content thee because this taste cannot delight thee For thy delight must not sticke in thy teeth or in thy throat d Non est strepitus oris sed iubilus cordis non sonuS labiorum sed motuS gaudiorum concordia voluntatuÌ„ non consonantia vocum but as a cordiall thing it must goe downe to thy very heart That thou maiest say with the Psalmist My heart and my flesh not my flesh onely but my heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God e Psal. 84.3 â— And againe Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name f Psal. 103.11 Now thou art come to thy selfe For that which is within thee is thy selfe and all that is within thee is all thy selfe So that thy selfe all thy selfe is delighted in the Lord when as that which is within thee and all that is within thee prayse his holy name O how happy art thou when thou knowest this Iubile this ioyfulnesse g Cum scis iubilationem Psal. 89 15 when thou hast a secret sense and an inward feeling of it when euery motion of thy mind is an influence of Gods spirit when thy will his woâ—dplay together as Isaack and Rebecca did For then surely thou dost builde to thy selfe desolate places h Greg. Moral Iob. 3.14 Desolate places I say that all other things may be silent to thy soule nay that thy very soule may be silent to it selfe yea that there may be silence in heauen i Reu. 8.1 answerable to the silence of thy soule when thou doest delight thy selfe in the Lord. Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thy selfe Lastly In the Lord. Gregorie sayes thus k Gustu incircumscripti luminis anima pascitur supra se elata ad seipsam relabi dedignitur The mind of man is fed with the infinit light and loue of God and so being lifted vp far aboue it selfe doth now disdaine to stoope downe so low as to it self And therfore doth not delight it self in it selfe but delights it selfe in the Lord. Herupon a father saies O lord grant that I may know k Nouerim me nouerim te my selfe and know thee That knowing my selfe and thee I may loath my selfe in my selfe and delight my selfe onely in thee Truth indeed O man so thou oughtest to doe sayes God For if thou didst know thy selfe and me then thou wouldest displease thy selfe and please mee But because thou knowest neyther thy selfe nor me therefore thou dost please thy selfe and displease me But the time shall come when thou shalt neither please thy selfe nor me Not me because thou hast sinned not thy selfe because thou shalt bee burned So that then thou shalt please none but the Diuell both because thou hast sinned as hee did in heauen and also because thou shalt be burned as he is in hell Therefore he that delights himselfe in himselfe delights not himselfe but onely the Diuell in himselfe Whereas on the other side he onely delights himselfe which not onely delights himselfe but addes also In the Lord. and so delights himselfe in vertue delights himselfe in godlines delights himselfe in God himselfe This Christ signifieth when speaking of his Spouse hee sayes l Deliciis affluens innixa super dilectum suum Can. 8.2 Who is shee which commeth out of the wildernesse abounding in delights leaning vpon her welbeloued Hee that leanes vpon himselfe can neuer abound in delights but hee alone aboundeth in delights which leaneth vpon his welbeloued So did S. Paul I haue laboured more then they all sayes hee There he aboundeth in delights Yet not I but the grace of God which is in me There he leaneth vpon his welbeloued And againe I can doe all thinges saies he There he aboundeth in delights In him that strengthneth mee There he leaneth vpon his welbeloued In one word when as he sayes He that would reioyce glorie let him reioyce and glorie in the Lord It is all one as if hee should haue sayde Hee that would abound in delights let him leane vpon his welbeloued Let him delight himselfe in the Lord. Let the Saints m In latitia letentur Psal. 68.3 reioyce in ioy let them delight in delight He that delights in an earthly thing delights in vanity he delights not in delight But he onely delights in delight which makes God onely the ground of his delight According to that of Prosper n Aeterna exultatio est quae bon laetatur aterno That alone is eternall delight which is grounded vpon the eternall good Vpon him that is onely good and sayth to Moses o Exod. 33.19 I will in my selfe shew thee all good Euery thing that is honest euery thing that is profitable euery thing that is pleasant is only to be found p Quare vnum bonum in quo sunt omnia bona sufficit Aug. Med. in the Lord. As that Manna q Sap. 16.20 had all manner of good tasts
in it so the Lord onely hath all manner of good things al manner of true delights in him Therefore the Church hauing first bestowed the greatest part of Salomons song altogether in commendation of the beautie and comelinesse of Christ at length concludeth thus Thy mouth is as sweet things and thou art wholly delectable how faire art thou how pleasant art thou O my loue in pleasures So that when I seeke my loue my Lord then I seeke a delight and a light that passeth all lights which no eye hath seene I seeke a sound and an harmonie that passeth al harmonies which no eare hath heard I seeke a sent and asauour that passeth all sauours which nosense hath smelt I seeke a rellish and a tast that passeth al taste which no tongue hath tasted I seeke a contentment and a pleasure that passeth all pleasures which no body hath felt Nay I cannot hold my heart for my ioy yea I cannnot hold my ioy for my heart to think that he which is my Lord is now become my father and so that he which was offended with me for my sins sake is now reconciled to mee for his sonnes sake To think that the high Maiesty of God will one day raise me out of the dost and so that I which am now a poore worme vpon earth shall hereafter bee a glorious Saint in heauen This this makes mee delight my selfe in the Lord saying O thou that art the delight of my delight the life of my life the soule of my soule I delight my selfe in thee I liue onely for thee I offer my selfe vnto thee wholly to the wholly one to thee one onely to thee r Totum toti vnum vni vnicum vnico onely For suppose now as S. Iohn speaketh the whole world were full of bookes and al the creatures in the world were writers all the grasse piles vpon the earth were pennes and all the waters in the sea were yoke yet I assure you faithfully all these bookes all these writers all these pennes all this yoke would not bee sufficient to describe the very least pert either of the goodnes of the Lord in himselfe or of the louing kindnesse of the Lord towards thee Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of the heart Thus much for the precept in these words Delight thy selfe in the Lord. The promise followeth First And hee shall giue thee Well saies Leo Loue is the greatest reward of loue that either can be or can be desired s Dilectionis nulla maior expetenda est remuncratio quam ipsa dilectio Ser. 7. de ieiu So that though there were no other reward promised thee for delighting in the Lord but onely the delight it selfe it were sufficient For the benefit is not Gods but wholly thine God is neuer a whit the better for thy delighting thy selfe in him If thou bee righteous what dost thou giue him what doth bee receiue at thy hands t Iob. 32.7 Thy delight may perhaps reach to the saints which are in the earth but it can neuer reach to the Saints which are in heauen and much lesse can it reach to God which is the Lord of heauen u Psal. 16.2 Nay I will say more If thou shouldest giue God whole riuers full of oyle and whole houses full of gold for neuer so little a drop of this delight it would be nothing Thy gift wold be nothing to his gift thy oyle and golde would be nothing to his oyle and gladnes yet behold the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Lord. He â—ires thee and giues thee wages not to doe himselfe good but to doe thy selfe good And here he promiseth to reward his owne mercies as if they were thine owne merits And as though the benefit were not thine but wholly his so hee changeth the words and for thou shalt giue him saies He shall giue thee But this he doth as Augustine testifieth x Non erroris amoris sed amoris errore De ciuit dei lib. 22. cap. 6. Not by the loue of errour but by the errour of loue For the loue of errour is mans Rhetoricke it is a figure which man often vseth Hâ—manum est errare y It is mans property to erre But the errour of loue is Gods Rhetoricke it is a figure which God often vseth Diuinum est amare z It is Gods property to loue Especially it is a diuine thing to loue so dearely as God loueth vs. Who though he do not loue to erre yet he doth erre for loue Counting and calling that which is onely our commodity his owne commodity So Christ is said a Can. 2.16 to be fed amongst the lylies The lylies of the fields are the milions of the angels b Lilia agroruÌ„ millia angelorum or of al those which lead a pure an angelicall life These indeed Christ feedeth He feedeth them on the greene pastures and leadeth them forth by the waters of comfort Yea not onely be feedeth them but also by this figure the error of loue he is said to be fed with them Because though he for his part haue little neede I wis to be feede yet it is as great a pleasure to him to feede them as if hee were fedde himselfe among them c Si vidisti quod pasci illi sit pascere vide esiam nuÌ„c ne forte e conuerso nascere sit ei pasci Barnard Cant. serm 71 So likewise he saies If any man open the doore I will suppe with him and be with me d Reu. 3.20 Wee indeede suppe with Christ. Generally whensoeuer he giues vs grace to feele in our affections the rauishing ioyes of the spirit And when he saies I haue eaten my bonie combe with my hony I haue drunken my wine with my milke eate you also O my friends drinke and make you merry O my well beloued But more especially wee suppe with Christ when hee calls vs to the holy Communion and biddes vs to the Lords Supper For then he staies vs with flagons and comforts vs with e Cant. 3.20 apples with apples and flagons with bread and wine with his owne deere body and his owne pretious bloud Thus do wee sup with Christ. Bâ—t how doth Christ suppe with vs Is it possible possible that he which shall neuer hunger or thirst any more possible that be which is fulnesse it selfe in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily dwelleth Is it possible I say that hee should stand without knocking at the doore as a begger to get a meales meat of vs Yea sure doubt you not It is possible enough By a certaine Figure I weene you call it the errour of loue that 's it by this figure the errour of loue it is a very possible thing nay it is a verie easie thing to doe yea it is a very great pleasure to him to doe it Behold saies hee I stand at the dâ—re and
how little they do for God But as for the godly they are not giuen to their desires but their desires are giuen to them Because not onely they loue to desire God but also they desire to loue God And so all their desires beeing as it were but one desire all agreeing in one God when they haue God they haue all their desires giuen theÌ„ in God q Domine ante â—â—omne deside rium meum Psal. 38..10 Nam vltima perfectio ipsius anima deus est centrum locusque naturalis omnium desideriorum eius So the three childreÌ„ being meÌ„ of desires r Viri desideriorum Dan. 9 23. had their desires giuen them They desired to bee deliuered from the furnace This desire was giuen them when as God walked with them in the fierie furnace s Dan. 3.25 So Moses being a man of God had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to see Gods face This desire was giuen him when as Christ talked with him face to face Mark 9.4 So Iohn beeing a friend of God had his desires giuen him He desired to see Christs glory This desire was giuen him wheÌ„ as Christ said He that loues me shall be loued of me I will manifestly shew mine own self vnto him u Ioh 14.21 so Lazarus being Gods little begger x Mâ—ndicus dei Greg. as I may say had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to be relieued not so much with the meate of the earthly Diues as with the mercy of that heauenly Diues which is so rich in mercie This desire was giuen him when as the Patriarch speaking of him to the glutton said Now is hee comforted and thou art tormented y Luk. 16.25 And so whosoeuer thou art if thou be a man of desires as the three children were if thou bee a man of God as Moses was if thou bee a friend of God as Iohn was if thou be a begger of God as Lazarus was he shall giue thee all that thou canst beg or desire For to speake no more of those three children these three men which I named last vnto you Moses the man of God Iohn the friend of God Lazarus the begger of God did lie in three bosomes In Moses bosome in Christs bosome in Abrahams bosome Moses hand did lie in Moses bosome z Exod. 4.6 Saint Iohn did lie in Christs bosome Lazarus did lie in Abrahams bosome Moses bosome is lawe Christs bosome is Gospel Abrahams bosome is glory Therefore feare must driue thee out of Moses bosome faith must keepe thee in Christs bosome felicitie must bring thee to Abrahams bosome For first thou must with Moses put thy hand into Moses bosome and there seeing how full of leprosie thy hand is how wicked all thine owne handy works are thou must abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe Afterward thou must with Iohn coâ—â—ey not thy hand only but thy whole body and thy soule also into Christs bosome there seeing how thou art cleansed from the leprosie of thy sinne freely iustified by faith in Christ thou must delight thy selfe in the Lord. Then thou must bee carried into Abrahams bosome and there both louing to desire God and desiring to loue God hee shall giue thee thy desires First I say lye in Moses bosome and abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe afterward lye in Christs bosome and delight thy selfe in the Lord then thou shalt lye in Abrahams bosome O blessed bosome O sweet bosome And he shall giue thee thy desires Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart The desires Lastly Of thy heart Thy heart here is all one with thy selfe before As if the words had stood thus Delight thy self in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy selfe or else thus Delight thy heart in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy hart To the point then Augustine sayes thus a Fecistinos domine ad te ideo inquietum est cor nostrum donec 〈◊〉 veniamus ad te O Lord thou hast made vs for thine owne selfe and therefore our heart is euer vnquiet while it is from thee neuer at quiet vntill it come to thee A Bul which is bayted at the ring as soone as euer he gets any little breathing turnes him straitwayes toward that place by which he was brought in imagining that by how much the more he is nearer to the stall by so much the more he shall bee further from the stake In like manner a faithfull heart beeing baited and towsed in this world with many dogs b Psal. 22.16 which come about it alwaies hath an eye to that place from which it came and is neuer quiet till it returne to him from whom it was fet at the c Querula penitus errabunda est donec ad cum a quo originaliter exiâ—t triumphali virtute reuertatur first He that lets downe a bucket to draw water out of a Well as long as the bucket is vnder the water though it be neuer so ful he may get it vp easily but when hee begins to draw the bucket cleare out of the water then with all his strength hee can scarse get it vp yea many times the bucket when it is at the verie highest breakes the yron chaine and violently fals backe againe After the same sorte a Christian heart so long as it is in him who is a Well of life is filled with delight with great ioy drinketh in the water of comfort out of the fountaine of d Esa. 12.3 saluation but being once haled and pulled from God it draweth backe as much as it can possibly resisteth and is neuer quiet till it bee in him again who is the center of the e Via moris iâ— deum tanquam in ceâ—â—tâ—m proprium mouetur vt in iâ—so summe deletur soule For as the needles point in the mariâ—ers compasse neuer stands still till it come right against the north pole so the heart of the wise men neuer stood still till they come right against the starre which appeared in the f Math. 2.9 East and the verie starre it selfe neuer stood still till it came right against the other starre which shined more brightly in the manger then the Sunne did in heauen Wherefore our harts do alwaies erre they are Planets g Stâ—lleâ—erraticae ude 13. wandring starres before they come to Christ but theÌ„ onely they are stars of the firmament the true seed of Abraham wheÌ„ they are firmly h Psal. 57.8 fixed setled in God The Prophet Ionas all the while he fledde froÌ„ God in what a case was he one while he was turmoiled in the storms of the teÌ„pest another while he was sowsed in the waues of the Sea another while hee was boyled in the bowels of the Whale But as soone as he returned to God by by he was cast vp safe vpon the sea shore and then he said to
Lord. Delight thy selfe in the Lord. O remember for the loue of God remember this worthy sentence of an auncient father f Omnis creatura vilâ—scat vt creator in corde dulcescat Let all creatures seeme vile vnto thee saies hee that onely thy creatour may seeme sweete vnto thee Armenia a noble lady beeing bidden to king Cyrus wedding went thither with her husband At night when they were returned home her husband asked her how she liked the Bridegroome whether shee thought him to be a fayre and beautifull prince or no Truth sayes shee I know not For all the while I was forth I cast mine eyes vpon none other but vpon thy selfe So basely did this noble lady esteem of king Cyrus beauty who was the Monarch of the world in respect of that entire good will affection she bare to her husband which was so great that her eies could neuer be from him And so must we set God alwayes before our eyes and nâ—â— once looke aside or bee enamoured with any gaud of worldly glory but despise euery blaze of beauty whatsoeuer thâ—t may draw vs from beholding our heauenly husband and delighting only in him which is fayrer then the children of men Saint Paul being rapt vp to the third heauen knows not whether it were with the bodie or without the body And because we should marke it well once he 〈◊〉 it downe twice That he was rapt vp to the third Heauen he is sure that hee â—eard words which no man can vtter he 〈◊〉 sure that hee was exceeding delighted in the Lord he is sore But whither his body were with him or no he knows not So much did he forget and neglect euen his owne body which is so neere and so deare a thing in comparison of that incomparable delight which then he tooke in the Lord. S. Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christs glory vpon Mount Tabor stood so astonished and amazed with it that hee was in a sort besides himselfe whan he was at that time beside Christ. Master sayes he i 〈…〉 ood for vs to be here As if he should 〈…〉 e sayd Now farewell Galilie and all my goods farewell fellow Disciples and all my friends farewell wife and al the world so I may inioy this heauenly sight and bee continually thus delighted in the Lord. Holy Ignatiâ—â— going to his Martyrdom was so strangely rauished with this delight that he burst out into these words Nay come fires come beasts come breaking of all my bones come racking of my whole body come all the torments of the Diuel together vpon mee come what can come in the whole earth or in hell either so that I may enioy Iesus Christ may be continually delighted in the Lord. And so must thou deare brother insult ouer all creatures and exsult only in thy 〈◊〉 Thou must contemne all beautie as Armenta did yea thine owne bodie as Paul did yea all the world as Peter did yea thy very life as Ignatius did and bee content to doe any thing though it were to bee torne and pulled in a thousand peeces or for a time if it were possible to suffer all the paines which the fiends and furies of hel can inflict vpon thee so as in the end thou maiest delight â—â—ther the Lord in thy selfe or thy self 〈…〉 Lord. Then then He shall giue thee and not He shall giue thee onely but The desires also and not The desires onely but Of thy heart also Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart And againe I say He shall giue thee and againe I say The desires and againe I say Of thy heart Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Then though thou hast a long time plaied the vnthrift and wasted all the goods in the world yet if with the lost childe thou returne home againe to thy fathers house he shall grant theâ— thy hearts desire and receiue thee with minstrelsie dauncing and all manner of festiuall ioy that plenty of bread which nourisheth euery hired seruant in his house shall much more feede thee which art his louing childe vnto euerlasting life Then though all the leekes and onyons of Egypt which is the world haue failed thee yet if with Israel thou depend onely vpon God he shall distill the dewe of his grace into thy heart and lay aside a chosen raine for thee and cause thee to drinke of the sweete christal streames of his pleasure and giue thee to eate of that hidden heauenly Manna which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it Then though all the clothes and couerings in the world cannot keep thee warme yet if with Dauid thou be a man according to Gods owne heart he shall send thee that misticall Abishag which shall comfort thy heart and make thee hot and feruent in spirit which shall renue thy strength and make thee young againe and lusâ—y as an Eagle Then though thou haue a long time lost thy labour in seruing Laban which is the world yet if with Iacob thou returne home againe to thy fathers house God shall meete the by the way and as the Prophet Osey speaketh he shall allure thee as thy paramour and leade thee into the wildernes and there speak according to thine owne heart friendly louingly vnto thee And euen as louers are oftentimes disposed for the nonce to take a fall one of another the stronger of the weaker so God shall wrestle a fall with thee as he did with Iacob and yeelde so much in loue to thee as that he shal suffer thee to giue him the fall and to preuaile against him Iesus what exceeding loue is this why we are not euen nowe in the name of God inflamed with the loue of God and wholly rauished with delight in the Lord At least wise I maruell what a mischiefe many base minded worldlings meane that they had rather feed vpoÌ„ the huskes of hogges then the bread of man that they had rather eate the onyons of Egipt then the Manna of heauen that they had rather lie a cold frozzen shiuring in sin then be reuiued and cherished by Abishag that they had rather take vnsupportable paine to serue Laban then take vnspeakeable pleasure to serue God By vpoÌ„ it what a vile folly is this what a starke madnes is this what is this els but to be euen bodily tormeÌ„ted wheras they might be most spiritually delighted what is this els both to goe out of one hel into another hell wheras they might goe out of one heauen into another heauen For why do you beloued why doe you tell me so much of I know not what of a worme that neuer dieth of a fire that neuer is quenched of a lake that burneth with Brimstone of weeping gnashing of teeth Thus I tel you good christians and I tell you truely and God in heauen heares what I say though you heare me not I tell you as loud as euer I can that to serue sinne so
which were in a more dangerous estate he came to being brought by the â—owelâ— onely of his owne mercie raised them vp on the other side the two first hauing sinned the one in thought the other in deed did not so much mâ—â—e Christ as Lazarus which was growne to a custome in sinning both wayes and therefore for them he was content their friends onelie should weepe but for this last he wept and troubled his owne selfe very much So that the first hâ—â— neyther restored of his owne accord nor yet wept for her the second hee restored of his owne accord but wept not for him the thirde 〈◊〉 both restored of his 〈◊〉 accord and also wept for him VVhy 〈◊〉 The reason is this The young 〈◊〉 sinne the lesse it hazarded her owne soule the lesse it grieued Christâ— Soâ—le and so the lesse he had 〈◊〉 eyther to cure it or to rue it the young 〈◊〉 sinne being neither so small as the Maydâ—â— nor so great as Lazaruses Christ raised him vp of his owne accord because hee was more then a sinner in thought and yet wept not for him because he was lesse then a sinner in custome Lazarus 〈◊〉 the more rank deadlie it was the more did it require the skill and loue of 〈◊〉 Physitian as by his passion could 〈◊〉 it by his compassion would moâ—â—â— it Where we must obserue with Saint Augustine that our blessed Sauiour did not take on thus grieuously for himselfe so much or for Lazarus as for vs. Hee groaned in the spirit he was troubled in himselfe he wept hee groaned againe hee lifted vp his eyes he praied feruently hee cryed with a loud voyece So that here be might well haue said with Dauid I am wearie of my groanings and I water my Couch with my teares But wherefore did he groane thus weepe thus cry thus pray thus lift vp his eyes thus lift vp his voice thus Saint Augustine telleth vs 62 Quare fleuit Christus nisi quiâ— flere hominem docuit Aug. Tr. 49. Wherfore sayeâ— he did Christ weep but to teach vs to weepe r Quare fremuit turba uit seipsum nisi quia fides hâ—minis sibi merito displicentis freâ—ere quodammodo debetin accusatine maloruÌ„ operum vt viâ—lentiâ— poeâ—itâ—udi cedat consuetudo peccandi Aug. ibid. Wherefore did he groane and trouble himselfe but because he faith of a Christian displeasing himselfe in his sinnes should after a sorte groane in accusing himselfe for his sins and so at length the obstinate custom of his sinning might yeeld and giue place to the violent force of his repenting and a little before VVhat is the cause saies he that Christ troubled himselfe 63 Quid est turbat seipsum Christus nisi vt significâ—t tibi quâ—â—odo turbaritu debeas cum tantam mâ—le peccatigraâ—aris premeris but to signifie vnto thee how thou oughtest to bee troubled when thou art pressed oppressed with a dead weight of sinnes s Attendistâ— enim te vidisti te reum compu tasti tibi illud feci pepercit mihideus illud commisi distulit me euaÌ„gelium audiui contempsi baptizatus suÌ„ iterum ad cadem reuolutus sum quid facio quo co vnde cuado Quum ista dicis iam fremit Christus quia fides fremit In voce frementis apparâ—t spes resurgentis Si ipsa fides est â—itus ibi est Christus fremens Si fides in nobis Christus in nobis For thou hast examined thy selfe thou hast found thy selfe guiltie thou hast reasoned thus with thy selfe I haue done such or such a thing God hath all this while spared me I haue committed such or such a sinne and hee hath still borne with mee I haue heard the word of God and yet I haue careleslie contemned it I haue beene baptized had my sinnes washt away and yet I haue returned to them againe what dâ—elâ— whether goeâ— what will be the end of this when thou sayest thus then Christ groaneth because thy faith groâ—eth By the voyce of thy groaning may be gatheâ—red good hope of thy rising If this faith bee in thee Christ groaneth in thee If saith be in vs Christ is in vs. Thus farre S. Augustine In conclusioÌ„ then If Christ winking at lesser sinnes or at least not so much lameÌ„ting them did out of al measure bewayle Lazarus case betokening those that haue beene long dead in trespasses sins though it pertayned not directly to himselfe how much more good Lord ought I which am a far more hainous sinner then euer Lazarus was 〈◊〉 my sinnes mine owne sinnes I say for number are more then the hayres of my head t Psal. 40.30 and for greatnesse haue reached vp to heauen u Ezra 9.6 so neuer to leaue groaâ—ing and weeping and crying and praying for the pardon of them that I may truely saie with the Psalmist I am wearie of my groaningâ— and I water my couch with my teares The olde testament doth shew this as plainlie as the new For in the lawe the greatnes of the sinne was estimaâ—ed according to the condition of the â—â—â—â—er The priuate mans sinne was litle 〈◊〉 princes sinne great all the peoples 〈◊〉 greater the priestes sinne greatest of all Therefore for each of these was ordained a seuerall sacrifice 64 Leuit. 4. For the priuate man and the prince a goate But for him a shee goate x Vers. 28. for this is a hee-goate y Vers. 23 Nowe the male is compted a greater sacrifice considering the perfection of the sexe For all the people and the priest a young bullocke But for all the people the elders onely did put their hands vpon the head of the bullocke z Vers. 15. the priest did put his owne hand vpon 〈◊〉 a Vers. 4 Now as a young bullocke is a greater sacrifice then a goate so the priest doth vndergoe a greater pennance and more open shame then al the people Besides of al these their offence that 〈◊〉 ignorantly was accouÌ„ted not so 〈…〉 theirs that sinned wilfully And thereâ—â—â— they were to offer a ram worth 2 〈◊〉 b Leu. 5.15 but these a ram of what price the 〈◊〉 would appoiâ—t c Leu. 27.12 according to the measure and estimation of the sinne d Leu. 6.6 Iuxtâ— astimati â—â—em mensuramque peccati 〈◊〉 then thogh Leuiticall priests 〈◊〉 are ceased yet we that are made 〈◊〉 priests and kings with Christ e Reuel 5.1 〈…〉 it were enioine our own selues 〈◊〉 according to the qualitie of our 〈◊〉 measure the sacrifice of our broâ—eÌ„ 〈◊〉 trite hart which we offer vnto God If we had neuer sinned but of ignorance 〈◊〉 euerie one of vs should be bound to 〈◊〉 a ram of 2. shâ—â—â—ls And what is this 〈…〉 2. shekels It is 〈◊〉 mine own self a poâ—â—â— sinner 65 Non habeo nisi miâ—utaduo imâ— minutissima corpus animam vel
Fourthly saith the preacher Riches are not to men of vnderstanding That rich man in the Gospell wanted 〈◊〉 greatly any vnderstanding Whâ—◠〈◊〉 had so much riches Luk. 12.10 that he could not tell what to doe with them he resolued to pull downe his olde barnes which were too little and to build bigger But what saide the answer of God Thou foole this night shal they take away thy foule from thee and then whose shall thy goods be Wherfore be that thoght himselfe of great vnderstanding before is here declared to bee foole and a poore foole also hauing not so much as his soule left to helpe him The losse whereof can not be recompenced and counteruailed with winning the whole world A mans life then doth not consist in the aboundance of those things which he possesseth But the louing kindnesse of the Lord is better then riches Psal. 63.4 Prou. 10. better then liuing yea better then life it selfe For in God onely we liue And only the blessing of God maketh a man rich Whereupon we may conclude that man getteth not riches by vnderstanding only but by the blessing of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lastly saith the Preacher Fauour is not to men of knowledge It seemeth that a man of knowledge and learning should obtaine fauour and acceptance wheresoeuer he becommeth But it is not so Oftentimes either he getteth none or else he looseth that which he hath gotten Haman a man of great knowledge Ester 7.10 and authoritie and fauour with his Prince Yet because he abused this fauour to the oppression of Gods people and of true religion therefore he lost it And that mischeife which he imagined against others lighted vpon his owne pate Indeede when God hath appointed any one to be a notable instrument of his glorie either in Church or Common-wealth then sodainly the Lord giueth him extraordinary fauour So he gaue Ioseph fauour with King Pharao so he gaueÌ„ Mardocheus fauour with King Assuerus For fauour and promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West nor from the North nor from the South but God iâ— is which setteth vp one and casteth downe an other He as the blessed Virgin singeth in her Magnificat Luk 52. casteth downe the mighty from their seâ—â—s and exalteth the humble and meeke Wherfore man getteth not fauour by knowledge onely but by the fauour of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This doctrine teacheth vs that if we haue gotten the race gotten the battel gotten bread gotten riches gotten fauour we should not ascribe these things to our owne sacrifices to our owne strength to our owne wisedome to our own vnderstanding to our own knowledge but to the grace of God and the blessed word proceeding out of his mouth Thus the Prophet exhorteth saying Let not he wise man glorie in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength but let him that gloried glory in this that he knoweth the Lord. Now no man knoweth the Lord but hee which knoweth that all good successe he hath in any thing commeth of the Lord. And thus much for the first place of Scripture which is a commentarie vpon this text Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The second place of Scripture is written in the Prophet Hagge cap. 1.6 Ye haue so wen much and bring in little ye eat but you haue not enough ye drinke but ye are not filled ye cloth you but ye are not warme and he that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge First saith the Prophet Ye haue sowed much and bring in little Almightie God for the sin of the people makes many times the heauens brasse and the earth iron So that neither the heauens droppeth downe seasonable showres neither doth the earth bring forth her encrease When one came to a â—eâ—â—e of twenty measures there were but teâ— saith this our Prophet cap. 2.17 when one came to the winepresse for to drawe out fifty vessels out of the presse there were but twentie This is to sowe much and bring in little to look for twenty measures and finde but tenne to looke for fiftie vessels and find but twentie On the other side holy Isaac sowing in the land of King Abimeleck Gen. 26.12 gained euery yeare an hundred fold so mightily saitâ— the Scripture did the Lord blesse 〈◊〉 For except the Lord build the 〈◊〉 they labour but in vaine that build it and except the Lord till the field and sow the seede they labour but in vaine that sowe it Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the encrease which is true not onely in the spirituall watering of the word but also in naturall planting and sowing seede So that man bringeth not much in by sowing onely but by the encrease which God giueth Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Secondly saith the Prophet Ye eate but ye haue not inough Many there are which want for no eating but like that rich glutton fare deliciously euery day yet it is smally seene by them But as those seuen leane kine hauing deuoured the seuen far Gen. 42.21 were neuer a whit the fuller so these Wheras holy Daniel hauing nothing to eat but poore pulse nothing to drinke but cold water looked more cheerefully and beautifully then any of the children which did eate of the portion of the kings meate And that the Eunuch saw well enough Dan. 1.15 and confessed at the tenne daies ends Therefore a little thing which the righteous inioyeth Psal. 37. â—6 is better then great riches of the wicked Prou. 15.16 Better is a little with the feare of the Lord then great treasure trouble therewith Prou. 17.1 Better is a dry morsell if peace be with it then a house full of sacrifices with siâ—ife Better is a dinner of greene hearbes where loue is Prou. 15.17 then a stawled oxe and hatred therewith In conclusion then Man hath not enough by eating onely but by the peace and loue of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Thirdly saith the Prophet Ye drink but ye are not filled Many consume as we say drinke down their whole patrimony Like the horseleach they euer say Giue giue like the man in the Gospell that had the dropsie they drinke still and the more they drinke the more they list Committing in the meane season two sinnes forsaking God the fountaine of liuing waters digging to themselues pittes that can hold no waters Ier. 2.13 On the other side Elias when as the Angel brought him a cake baâ—â— on the harth and a pot of water was so fully satisfied with these that hee went in the strength
Lords death til he 〈◊〉 Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall bee shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his 〈◊〉 Euen as we sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloâ—dy wouâ—dâ— are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe â—he Saints 〈◊〉 how gloriously also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirit 〈…〉 of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither shall the eagles refer And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shal vnsatiably desire to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the â—oule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the thirstie as the poole of Bethesda which healeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a mother forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my body is the pâ—per Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selfe of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall bee The second cause to appease his Father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his Father onely between his ascension and his second comming shall serue to confound his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherfore though wee be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that wee may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes and vvoundâ— so let vs kisse the Sonne least he bee angry and honour his holy vvounds vvich are the precious 〈◊〉 vvherevvith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the vvhich vve beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our ovvne deferrs or merits but for the tender bovvels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie tovvard vs to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and praise both novv and for euermore Amen FINIS MATTH 5. V. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then handâ— For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and do so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand Insomuch as that may be aptly applied to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you doe little you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse then they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to do much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a wherstone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which being deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and hearing not it selfe calls the people into the Church to heare To a nightingale which beeing restles and sitting vpon a thorne her selfe brings others by her singing into a sweete sleâ—pe To a goldsmith which beeing beggerly and hauing not one peice of plate to vse himselfe hath store for others which he shewes and sells in his shoppe Lastly to a ridiculous actor in the citie of Smyrna which pronouncing ô coelum O heauen pointed with his finger toward the ground which when Polemo the cheifest man in the place sawe he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a chase saying This â—oole hath made a solecisme with his haâ—â—â— hee hath spoken false Latine wâ—â—â— his hand Such are all they which teach one thing and do another which teach well and doe ill They are like a blunt wheâ—stone a deformed painter a weather-beaten signe a deafe bell a restles nightingale a beggerly
Lillie and you shall soone perceiue Marke saies our Sauiour z Matth. 5.24 how the lillies of the field doe growe they labour not neither doe they spinne yee doe I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his royaltie was not cloathed like one of these Now if God so cloath the flowers of the field which growe to day and to morrow are cast into the ouen how much more shall he cloath Dauids enemies with shame but vpon himselfe make his crowne flourish For euen as in Salomons Temple fiue candlesticks at the right side and fiue at the left standing before the Oracle and being made for matter of pure gold for forme with branches and flowers did well nigh dazil the eyes of any that entered into the Temple a 1 Reg. 7. â—9 so the Lord here giues his word that the Kings crowne shall euer flourish in the house of our God disparkling and displaying those rayes of Maiestie those beames of beautie which shall amaze the world and be a wonder as well to Angels as to men Wherefore as I said euen nowe of his enemies shame that it should be threefold so here I repeat the same againe of his crownes flourishing His crowne shall flourish in his owne conscience in the world in the day of iudgement Touching his owne conscience the blessed Apostle calleth the Philippians his ioy and a crowne b Phil. 4.1 And to the Thessalonians hee writeth thus What c 1. Thes. 2.19.20 is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming yes yee are our glorie and ioy Now if this precious vessell of honour reioyced in nothing so much as in the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God hee had his conuersation in the world the power of Gods spirit working still most mightily by his ministerie to the conuersion of the world to Christ how much more shall the Lords anointed haue his conscience crowned with flourishing ioy with comfort with content with heauenly peace when he shall remember that not onely for matters of religion and Gods true seruice hee hath beene and still is with Saint Paul profitable to the Church but also is a strong bulwark and a tower of defence to maintaine euen the outward felicitie and prosperitie of Gods people yea the very particular right wealth life of euery one of them all this I say and a 100 things more when he considereth what a great and a glorious instrument he hath beene euery way of Gods glory O Lord God what a heauen shall he haue in his heart what a sweet paradise of pleasure in his soule what security what assurance of Christs loue what a confident and vndaunted hope of eternall glory what a flourishing crowne of reioycing shall he haue men in his very conscience vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish Touching the world our holy Prophet speaking to God though in the third person yet of himselfe saies Thou hast preuented him with liberall blessings and hast set a crown of pure gold vpon his head His honour is great in thy salvation glory and great worship hast thou laid vpon him Now that crowne which is of gold yea of pure gold must needes be very flourishing euen in the viewe and face of the world Neither is this to be vnderstood of Dauids person onely but euen of his posterity in all ages to come How was he himselfe crowned with conquests and victories ouer his enemies How was his sonne Salomon crowned with riches with wisedome with same glory iâ— the whole world which flourishing of 〈◊〉 soone as of a noble branch graced in a â—â—â—ner the â—etie rooâ—e of Dauid himselfe For as his worthiâ— sonne teacheth Childrens children are the â—ed one of the elders c. Prou 17.6 and the glory of the children â—re their fathers Therefore as children may â—ustly glorie of the renowne of their fathers vertue and honour so the excellent father is in a sort crowned with happinesse in this world when he sees his childrens children like to grow vp and flourish after him But vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish Lastly touching the day of iudgement then then shall all the righteous flourish when as hauing beene faithfull vnto the death they shall receiue the crowne of life A crowne as S. Peter calleth it immortall and vndefiled 1. Pet. 1.4 and that fadeth not away Denying that euer it fadeth away he affirmeth that it euer flourisheth I would here be bold if I might doe it without offence as I hope I may to shew you one goodly cluster of grapeâ— of vhe land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and honie whether you are now going before you enter into it D. Thomas Bodleius qui plurâ—mis pulcherrimis libris Oxoniensem bibliothecam instruxit A worthie and verâ—â—us gentleman whom I neede not name in this place because no doubt many ages will name him and renowne him hereafter giueth for his armes three crownes with this posey Quarta perennis erit As if he should say these three crownes which I beare in my coat are but the difference of my house and gentry but Quarta perennis erit the fourth crowne which I look for in heauen shall be euerlasting and immortall That â—ourth though it bee but one crowne yet shall be worth all those three crowns yea three thousand more such as these are The fourth shall be eternall Now if he and we that are such aâ— he no question is faithfull to God and loyal to the chosen seruant of God may well hope for a most flourishing incorruptible crowne of glory then much more may Dauâ—d himselfe reioyce in God his Sauiour and say Quinta aut sexta perennis erit The fift or the fixt shall bee eterâ—all This crowne which God of his grace with his owne right hand and his holy arme 〈…〉 vpon mine head is indeede thankes and praise hee giuen vote the sâ—me God a very flourishing crowne flourishing in mine owne conscience flourishing in the world both for my person and for my posteritie But it is nothing in respect of that flourishing crowne which I shall receiue at the day of iudgement For the g Psal. â— â—2 iust shall flourish like a palme tree and shal grow like â— Cedar in Lebanon Such as hee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God And then indeede shall this bountifull promise of God be most fully performed But vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish To drawe then to an â—ode it may seeme very strange that Dauid had any enemies Yet oâ—â— of these words As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame it may be well gathered that some he had What had Dauid meeke Dauid Lord
treading vpon it trampling it vnder their feete they feede onely vpon the bread of life For these Lyons can easily conceiue that if at that time fiue loaues being blessed by our Lord did satisfie fiue thousand then much more our blessed Lord himselfe can satisfie euery heart which hungreth and thirsteth for him Therefore these Lions saue the very fragments of this feast keepe them in their hearts as in baskets knowing that all the grasse of the world cannot doe them halfe so much good as the very least crumme of Christs comfort For so onely on sayes among the rest My soule refuseth comfort But when I remember God I am y Psal. 77.4 Memor fuâ— Dei delectatus sum delighted As if he should say I haue a Lyons heart in me my soule refuseth to feed vpon the grasse of the world it goes against my stomacke I cannot brooke it I cannot digest it that 's but a cold coÌ„fort My soule refuseth all such comfort But when I remember God I am delighted Though I cannot see preseÌ„tly before me yet if I doe but remember him if I doe but meditate of him if I do but think of him if I do but dream of him I am z Annon toties comfortaris quoties recordaris Aug. delighted though I cannot haue a whole loafe yet I can get but a fragmeÌ„t if I caÌ„ get but a shine if I can get but a morsel If I can get but any little crum of comfort that fals from the table of the Lord my heart is sufficiently refreshed and fed But as God onely feedeth the heart so God only filleth the heart For the heart of man as for the manner of dyet it is like the heart of a lion so for the bignes of it it is like the hart of the Ibus Oris Apollo writeth that the Egyptians when they would describe the heart paint that bird which they cal Ibis Because they thinke that no creature for proportion of the body hath so great a heart as the Ibis hath But mee thinkes they might better paint a man Because no creature no not the Ibis it selfe hath so great a heart as a man hath For the eie is neuer filled with seeing nor the eare with hearing and much lesse the heart with desiring But euen as the Poets fain that the fiftie daughters of king Daâ—â—â—â— killing their husbands are enioyned for their punishment in hel to fill a tunne with water that is boared full of holes which though they labour neuer so much about it yet they can neuer bring to passe a Vide prouerbium Danaidum dolium apud Erasm. semblably Eccles. 1.8 he that would go about to fill his heart with worldly delights were as good pâ—ure water into a sine as we say for any pleasure hee shall haue after all his labour and paines Salomon hauing had a long time tryall of all transitorie pleasures at length frankly confessed that they were so farre from beeing a contentation to his heart that they were a very great vexation to his spirite Nay Alexander though he had conquered the whole world yet still he saide with the King of Spaine Non sufficâ—â— orbis b All the whole worlde is not enough for me yea in the ende hee grew to be very male content found himselfe greatlie grieued because there were not for sooth many more worlds for him to conquere By which example of Salomon and Alexander though otherwise a heathen it doth plainely appeare that if it had pleased God to haue created as many worlds as there are creatures in this one worlde which he might haue don with the least word of his mouth yet this infinite number of worldes which should haue beene created could not haue filled the verie least heart of any one man without the Creator himselfe This Orontius an excellent Mathematitian sheweth who describing the whole world in the forme of an heart leaueth many voyde spaces in his hart which he cannot fill vp with the world For as a circle can neuer fill a triangle but alwaies there wil be three emptie corners in the Triangle vnfilled if there be nothing else to fil it but the circle so the round world which is a circle can neuer fill the heart of man which is a triangle made according to the image of the Trinity but alwayes there wil be som eâ—pty corners in the triangle of the heart vnfilled if there be nothing else to fill it but the circle of the World Onely the glorious trinity filleth the triangle of the heart and filleth euery corner of it and filleth euery corner of it fuller then it can possibly c Anima nostrae ita facta est capax maiestatis tuae quod a te solo a nullo alio possit impleri Cum autem habet te plenum est desiderium eius iam nihil aliud quod desideret vlte ius restat August l. Soliloq cap. 30. holde For suppose al mightie God should nowe worke a miracle and giue some one man a hearte as large and as huge not onely as all the hearts of all the men that euer were are or shall bee but also as all the affections of all the angels and heauenly powers aboue yea I will say that which shall bee yet much more maruellous if this one heart were so greate that it could at one instant actually containe in it more corporall and spirituall things then are in all the deepes beneath in the vallies in the mountaines and in all the heauens aboue yet as true as God is in heauen this so large and so huge a heart could not be able to holde the very least part of the perfection of God but if one droppe of his deitie and glory were powred into it by and by it would burst in a hundreth pieces and fly a sunder as an olde vessel filled with new d Behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to contaiâ—e thee 1. Reg. 8.27 wine O what a wonderfull strange thing is this what shal we deuise to say of it Tenne thousand worlds cannot fill one heart and yet tenne thousand hearts cannot hold one God Therfore as much as one heart is too good and too great for ten thousand worlds so much is one God too good and too great for ten thousand e Deus maior est corde nostro 1 Ioh. 3.30 hearts So fully doth the Lord nothing but the Lord feede and fill thy soule and giue thee all nay more then all thy heart can desire Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thus much for the promise in these wordes And hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Now then deare brother Delight and not delight onely but Thy selfe also and not thy selfe onely but In the Lord also Delight thy selfe in the Lord and againe I say Delight and againe I say Thy selfe and againe I say In the