and that hee euer crieth against Doe what you will and say what you will and the Lord will not be offended with you vnlesse you sinne but if you commit sinne he is iust and therefore will not leaue til he hath by crying slaine either you or sinne that raignes in you For as an angrie man euer pursueth that which he hateth vntill he hath destroied it so the Lord crosseth and followeth vs with his iudgements vntill he hath slaine that which most deadly hee hateth sinne And cry against it c. Reproofe is the necessariest office yet is it least regarded yea most abhorred For now wee thinke if one reproue vs he hateth vs. But the Lord saith Leuiticus 19. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt Le. 19. 17. reproue him suffer him not to sinne noting thereby that if we flatter any in their sinne or see them sinne and not reproue them for it it is a manifest signe that we doe it of hatred how great loue and good will soeuer wee pretend toward thē seeing the matter tends to the hurt of their soules and the offence of God Yea if a Preacher reproue sinne he is thought to doe it of hatred or of some particular grudge and to be too busie too bitter too sharpe too rough and therefore say he should preach Gods loue and mercy for he is a Preacher of the gospell he tells vs of threatens with the law and so throwes vs downe too low some to despaire as though we preached the law onely or chiefly and not the Gospel also continually to them that loath and striue against their sinnes though they sinne greeuously Others as though they were galled will say let him keep his text or they will say he is beside his booke as though no text in Scripture reproued sinne and so of all doctrines the doctrine of reproofe and reprehension of sinne is most contemned and least esteemed But let a Preacher preach darke mysteries or prophane speeches or vnprofitable fables or friuolous questions or curious inuentions or odde conceits or braine-sicke dreames and any of these will be more welcome vnto them then reprehension which is most profitable and necessariest of all Balaams Asse neuer spake but once and then he reproued Then if Balaams Asse reproued Balaam how much more ought Balaam to reprooue Num. 22. 28. Asses or such as will be no otherwise then beasts in their behauiour But perswade your selues beloued which is most true though we speake as if we were angry with you and threaten as if we would hurt you and crie against you as if we hated you yet we loue you in the deerest blood we haue and therefore though with persecution we preach the law to leade you to the Gospel we preach iudgement that you may finde mercie wee preach hel to bring you to heauen whatsoeuer how soeuer we preach we doe all to fill your hearts with ioy in beleeuing and hauing made you fruitfull in all good workes present you without spot nay glorious also as a virgin most beautifull to the Lord of all grace glorie Christ Iesus Hitherto we haue heard of Ionah called and charged to cry but what should he cry Indeede it is not expressed in this place But what then Why then the Papists may say that he was charged to crie against them for neglecting their traditions Assuredly they may with as great trueth and as much probabilitie as they doe gather Iohn 16. 12. Ioh. 21. 25. Acts 1. 3. 1. Tim. 6. 20. 2. Tim. 1. 13. and 22. out of diuers places of the new Testament that they ought to be obserued But Ionah hath not left it doubtfull what he was to cry for in the third chapter verse 2. the charge is repeated and thus expressed Goe and proclaime against it the proclamation which I speake vnto thee He was then to cry what God had commanded him O that none would crie but what God had commanded But what did God command him to crie euen that which he afterward cried Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerturned Ouerturned yea ancient Niniuie faire Niniuie proud Niniuie must be destroyed No man sits so high but destruction sits aboue him and will fall on all that persist in their defection Iustice would haue come against them before it cried against thē but God the most gratious would haue them cried against that they might cry out woe and alas for their sinnes so preuenting deserued and threatned vengeance for they hearing the crie of God cried out themselues and that in great humbling to God so God heard their cries and tooke pitty on them Isaiah was commanded to cry and he cried All slesh is grasse yea all the glorie thereof like the flower of the Isa 40. 6. 7. field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth when the spirit of Iehouah bloweth on it Surelie the people is grasse Iohn was commanded in the spirit of Eliah to cry and he cried Prepare the way of Iehouah make euen in the desert a path for our God And Ionah was Esay 40. Matth. 3. 3. Ion. 1. 2. 3. 2. Isa 58. 1. commanded to cry and he cried Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And all the Preachers of the gospell are commaunded to cry and that aloude not to spare to lift vp their voyces like a trumpet to shew Gods people their defections and the house of Iacob their sinnes And then also if they thereby be truely humbled to proclaime vnto them their iniquitie is pardoned they haue receiued at the hand of Iehouah double for all their sinnes It is required of the disposers of Gods Isa 40. 4. 1. Cor. 4. 4. secrets that they be found faithfull And woe to them that loue the pleasures of sinne more then the glory of God For their wickednesse is come vp before me For c. We haue heard the charge it selfe giuen heauy newes that a most beautifull Citie a most rich Citie a most populous Citie and a most ancient Citie must be ouerturned and that within fortie daies what is the cause Their wickednes is come vp before me as if hee had said Niniuie hath followed her lusts and forgotten the Law to satisfie her desires she hath notoriously dispised her soueraigne defied all wel-meaning all good dealing and this is known to the iust Iudge and at his barre she is arraigned and her accusers stand crying at the barre for iustice Therefore she may no longer bee forborne execution of iustice must needs be done let her therefore prepare for death and that she may Cry against her yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerturned for their wickednesse is come vp before me When God sends criers vnto a people it is a most manifest signe that their wickednes is come vp before him which doth cause him thus to exclaime thus to cry out against them And then if they will not repent whilest Gods criers continue crying amongst
ought to be no beggars among Christians Psal 32. 25. But when so many vsurers are tollerated in a christian common-wealth contrary to the Lawe of Christ Luke 6. 35. no maruell though we haue so many beggars contrary to the minde of Christ The poore Leu. 35. 36. 37. Mark 14. 7. saith Christ yee shall haue alwaies with you but when you will you may doe them good and we shall be sure to haue the poore amongst vs alwaies but we must make such good prouision for them that they be not faine to beg Psal 3 7. their bred Thus was Zaccheus rich to himselfe for hee was a Publican but hee was rich toward God also for he had a desire to see Christ Almighty God who is rich in mercie Ephe. 2. hath so inspired his heart with the desire of heauenly riches that whereas before his whole delight was in seeking of worldly wealth now his greatest care is to seeke for heauenly treasure Hee now forgetteth what his profession is begins to be of a new profession and hee whose heart was wholly set vpon earthly profit is now like olde Simeon most desirous to see his Sauiour The Tetrarch Herod desired to see Christ and despised him when he saw him Luk. 23. 8. 11. but Zaccheus the publican desired to see Christ reioyced when he saw him like Abraham that desired to see the day of Christ Iohn 8 56. And therefore of the seruant of Sathan Zaccheus is now become the childe of Abraham which reioyced to see the day of Christ Happy were his eyes that saw so blessed a sight for many Luk. 10. Prophets and righteous men haue desired to see and to heare those things that Zaccheus both saw and heard and could not see nor heare the same If Iacob thought himselfe happy if that he might but see his sonne Ioseph Gen. 45. before his death then surely thrice happy Zaccheus whose hap it was not onely to see as Iacob did but to reioyce as Mary did in Christ his Sauiour As Zaccheus was desirous to see Christ in earth so I would haue the rich men of our time desirous to see Christ in heauen For although with the eyes of our body we cannot see christ as Zaccheus did yet with the eies of our faith we may behold him as Stephen did Acts 7. But if our faith be so weake sighted that we cannot see Christ yet let vs haue a desire to hear christ in his word whereby our faith may be increased for faith comes by Rom. 10. 1. Reg. 10. hearing the word of God And as the Queene of the South desired to heare the wisdome of Salomon so let vs be desirous to heare the wisdome of Christ our Sauiour King Salomon left some Bookes in writing wherein is seene some part of his wisedome and Christ our king Iohn 20. 31. hath left vnto vs his most sacred word as it were a taste of his wisedome sufficient matter for our saluation this is that heauenly foode Mat. 4. 4. whereby our soules are fed vnto eternall life let vs therfore labour for that heauenly foode and as the Israelites were carefull to gather Manna to sustaine their bodies so let vs be as carefull to heare the word to feede our soules The people in the Exod. 19. time of Christ Iohn 6. 24. tooke great paines to follow Christ both by land and sea and many now adaies I confesse are very forward to follow his faithfull Ministers but as they followed Christ so fast to fill their bellies so these frequent Sermons for fashion to serue the time Zaccheus is desirous to see Christ a godly care but yet he could not obtaine his purpose a thing common for Ioh. 6. 26. euery one that hath anie good motion hath alwaies some hinderance to crosse the same and Zaccheus hath a double impediment to hinder his honest enterprise The prease of the people and his little stature Whereof the former that is the multitude is alwayes wont to Two impediments be an enemie to those that would come to Christ This hindred the blind man from receiuing his sight Luk. 18. for the people rebuked him that hee should holde his peace till Christ called him and opened his eyes This hindred them that brought the man sick of the Paulsie Mar. 2. for they could not come at Christ for the prease till they vncouered the roofe of the house and let down the bed wherein the sicke of the Paulsie lay This hindered the healing of the deafe and dumbe Mar. 7. till Christ tooke him aside out of the multitude and cured him This hindered the raising of the Rulers daughter Matth. 9. till Christ had thrust out the Minstrells and the multitude and then restored the maid to life Finally this hindered Zaccheus here from comming vnto Christ till Christ vouchsafed to call him to himselfe Thus alwaies a multitude that is prone to euill doth withdraw and hinder vs from approching vnto Christ and therefore we must not follow a multitude to doe euill nor decline after many to ouerthrow the trueth Exod. 23. The second impediment that hindereth Zaccheus from seeing Christ is his little stature He was so low of stature that he could not see Christ aboue the multitude but Christ was aboue the multitude and therefore could see Zaccheus though he were so low of stature For God looketh not on the countenance nor on the height of 2. Sam. 16. 7. 1. Sam. 16. 12. mans stature but the Lord beholdeth the heart and preferred little Dauid before Eliab his eldest brother because hee findeth in him a better heart to serue the Lord. And Zaccheus in his little bodie hath a heart and minde prepared to seeke and see the Lord. Zaccheus was so low that hee could not see Christ but many amongst vs are so high that they will not see Christ The common people in time of Christ were so desirous to follow Christ that neither lamenesse nor blindnes nor sicknes could stay them from comming to him but the common people in our time are more readie to follow their sport and pastime then to come to the church to heare of Christ And as for our rich men who seeth not that they will make great haste to see a cōmodity but will searce come out of doores to heare a Sermon They come to Church as Nichodemus came to Christ Iohn 3. 2. by night as if they were ashamed to come to Church but they runne after profit to get riches as Gehezi ran 2. King 5. after Naaman the Syrian to get a bribe Thus hath Zaccheus two lets that he could not see Christ the one in the people the other in himselfe and we haue many lets to with-draw vs from Christ some are externall and without vs as the inticements of the world and some are internall and within vs as the lusts of our owne flesh The prease of the people hindereth Esay 59. 2. Zaccheus from seeing Christ in
consciences quiet and also ioyfull in Christ free from the feare of that death they haue deserued and assured by death to passe to that life which God to all faithfull hath promised earnestly wish to die in feruent loue of God and zeale of his glory that so they may cease from offending their good God and neuer cease magnifying his mercy shewing thereby that they are weary of the seruice and bondage of Sathan and sinne and assured after death to enioy the true life most fully glorifying God and most perfectly pleasing him for euer and therefore also they desire death not shortning their life but waiting his leisure and calling thereby glorifying God as in their liues they haue done and sought to doe For man was not borne at his owne will and therefore may not die at his owne pleasure Therfore they beg it of God referring themselues euer to his good will when where and how by death they shall glorifie him stil desiring it but neuer wilfully procuring it If any obiect that Sampson pluckt the house on his owne head as well as on the Philistines we must vnderstand that Sampson was a figure of Christ and therfore as it were offring himselfe to God a sacrifice first praied and then glorified God at his death more then al his life in killing so many of Gods enemies And because they waite the Lords leasure they not only wilfully murder not themselues but are carefull also lest foolishly vnwittingly they hasten it For all they are guilty of their owne blood that either by foole-hardie rash or vnwise behauing or with surfets drunkennesse or any intemperat vsing of themselues shorten their life Yea though they tender their liues neuer so deere yet are they in the guilt because they willingly vse the meanes that brings death Simeon had seene much in his many daies but when he saw Christ he was vnwilling to liue any longer to see more His desire accomplished his long longing at length is satisfied his feruent expectation with free ioy now fulfilled It is enough saith Simeon that I haue seene my Sauiour as Iacob said It is enough that my son Gen. 45. 18. Ioseph liueth How much more then should wee bee satisfied with this and in all thankfulnesse rest in it that we haue seene Christ not as Simeon in weakenes and basenesse but victorious most glorious ouer sin death and hell triumphing and are more assured then Iacob was that hee not as Ioseph vnder Pharaoh in Egypt liueth but in heauen with his Father in highest maiestie raigneth Lord ouer all hauing all power both in heauen and Ioh. 17. 14. 1. Iohn 3. 3. Rom. 8. 18. earth and moreouer where he is thither shall wee come and be like him and with him as fellow-heires reigne in the kingdome of our Father for euer Simeon knew Christ as soone as he saw him and embraced him as soone as he knew him and enioyed him as soone as he embraced him so some know the word of God as soone as they heare it and beleeue it as soon as they know it and feele the comfort of it as soone as they beleeue it But others heare it as though they heard it not like deafe adders which stop their eares at the voyce of the charmer So Pharao would not heare the voyce of Moses nor Baals Priests the voyce of Elias and others Exod. 5. c. 1. King 18. though they know it yet will not beleeue it as if God were vntrue so all malitious wretches that preserre the pleasures of sinne before the glory of God and others though they beleeue it yet can they not either presently or when they will feele the comfort of it much lesse the ioy which is offred by it namely the heart oppressed the desolate afflicted soule The seede is not cast all on a heape but it is cast abroad therfore where be the fruites of the spirit that you haue brought forth For the spirit of God is not like a dead potion in the stomacke which worketh not neither can we haue this spirit in vs and feele it not For if thou hast it it will leade thee as it did longing Simeon as wee haue hitherto seene to the Temple and when thou art there it will leade thee to Christ and when thou hast receiued and embraced him it will possesse thee with ioy and so with thankfulnesse and godly care to keepe him and to entertaine him and to be obedient vnto him nay also with a longing to bee loosed hence and euermore perfectly to please him Therefore beloued iudge your selues that ye be not iudged of the Lord. Thy seruant The godly would not leaue this priuiledge for all the riches in the world for that they are the seruants of God fellowes to princes and Angels for wee serue him whom Dauid Salomon Ezechias Iosias serued yea to whom a thousand thousands Dan. 7. 10. euen innumerable Angels minister Heb. 12. 22. euen him who is most blessed for euer Euery seruing man beares the cognisance of his master vpon his sleeue What then will the Lord say when he commeth and findeth vs marked with the badge of Sathan Surely he will say giue vnto Sathan Exo. 12. 22. 23. Eze. 9. 4. 11. Re. 10. 7. 3. 5. 6 that which is Sathans But all the houses of Israel are sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe and all mourners in Ierusalem are marked and all the chosen are sealed with the seale of the liuing God Well was it said the poore receiue the Gospell The young men are more forward in the trueth and more zealous then the aged the sonne then his father the seruant then his Master Once the younger Brother stole away the blessing from the elder therefore the elder hated him euen for his zeale And when was Iacob hated more then he is now When was he so hated and persecuted as he is now by Esau Yet in the old time men were more zealous in their age then euer wee heare of them to be in their youth yea they were zealous in the Lords businesse Age hindreth not Noah from building of the Arke when God commanded him age hindered not Simeon Gen. 5. 32. 6. 22. from reioycing and mirth when he beheld and embraced the Lord Iesus Christ Then old Simeon embraced Christ and he enioyed him with hearty ioy in zeale but now where is old Simeon There be but few of them to be seene comming to the Temple to receiue Christ but Dan. 1. 8. 1. Sam. 2. 3. 1. Ti. 4. 12. Phil. 10. Mat. 21. 15. now young men receiue him yong Simeons young Daniels young Samuels young Timothies and young Onesimus and the young infants beginne to speake againe The young haue him they are zealous and J hope they wil keepe him though old men neglect him Sathan thou hast too much for nothing already In peace c. Christ brings peace with him not the peace of the world but that peace which passeth all
vnderstanding My peace I leaue with you Iohn 14. 27. My peace remaine with you Psal 37. 37. saith he Our peace is laid vp in Christ and all the peace we haue we haue by him else it is not true peace Simeon was iust and feared God in his life and therfore he departed in peace so marke the end of the iust and follow their steps and you shall then depart in peace like the Lambe vpon the Crosse Faine would Balaam die the death of the righteous but Balaam must then liue the life of the righteous therfore Nu. 23. 14. all men looke to this Happy are they that depart in peace who when Death saith feare and the serpent saith despaire they say by the spirit to the flesh crouch and bid the Serpent flie while Death openeth the prison doores If the Papists would haue men to depart in peace they would neuer say that those which depart goe to Purgatory for so by their owne saying the worst part is behind For they affirme that the paine thereof is farre grieuouser then any that in this life may be sustained But againe some say this Purgatory is in the earth neere to hell and so it is too farre from heauen to be saued Some doe say they are punished there by fire and some say by water and some say by fire and water Some lastly doe say that the good Angels torment and others say that the euil spirits doe it Jn this variety of most vncomfortable opinions how is it possible hence to depart in peace But wee must vnderstand it is a painted Sepulcher made for the pampering of the liuing not for the punishing or purifying of them that be dead For the locust of Rome doe liue altogether by such Trentalles and by such traditions and this is the profitablest dream that euer any of them dreamed but it is manifest by the Prou. 30. Eccle. 11. 3. word of God that where the tree falleth there is lieth shall lie for euer Diues and Lazarus are dead and where they are thither shal we al go Sathan hath many sleights Luk. 16. 22. 23. to deceiue vs of which this is one of the greatest to bring vs from the word of God to dreames and traditions and things inuented by the braines of mortall men which haue not the spirit of God in them According to thy word All the seede falleth not into good ground and therefore though I haue shewed you it is vngodly as beeing not according to the word some thinke it but a small matter to say for the dead Lord haue mercy vpon them at least they thinke it as a veniall sinne if it be a sinne But let vs take heed how we make trifles of sinnes for there is no dallying with God who is iealous as a consuming Heb. 12. 29. fire when his people make such small account of his words Other demaund whether it be not better to say God be with them than the diuell be with them both which are naught and to be eschewed And herein they aske this question like a theefe who hauing robbed a man by the hie waie and being taken with it and demaunded why he did such a villany saith Is it not better to rob him than to kill him as though hee must needs doe one of them then what a shamelesse answere is this for it is manifest that of two euils none is to be chosen Some will say it is a testimony of our good will To such we must reply saying so it is a testimony of your ignorance and then after a little conference they will graunt that indeed it doth not profit them Then wee must reply and say God hath made all things to profite vs and hath commanded that nothing bee vsed vnprofitably no not so much as a vaine word speaking saying Mat. 12. 36. that for euery idle word wee must giue account at the day of iudgement Then they reply againe saying Jf it do them no good it doth them no harme But we must answer it were good to beware lest it doe thy selfe harme Another sort will reply and say I pray God I neuer doe worse But to such we must answere I pray God you may doe better and you should first know whether you doe not harme before you doe it For indeed it must proceede of harme being spoken in doubting without faith for if you beleeued that they were laid vp in peace whom you pray for what neede you pray for them at all But it shewes an vnbeleeuing hart and we know that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and the Lord will say of them who hath required these things at your hands Rom. 1. 23. You haue wrought vanities Now therefore you will not leaue it because you vsed it then wil you say also we will not leaue our lying nor our swearing nor our cursing because we haue vsed it It will grieue me if I heare you vse these speeches heereafter hauing no reason nor proofe of scripture to maintain it by or to be your warrāt in it therfore I charge you in the name of God that you vse them not but rather when you heare this or any other sin condemned lay hands vpon it see that you put it to death without delay according to the law of God According to thy word When Sathan hath thus possessed vs with this opinion that in the seruice of God we may neglect the word of God then profites and pleasures guide vs in our profession but they that doe so professe Religion and godlinesse can neuer haue any comfort by it all their life For their owne hearts accuse them for hypocrites because they wait not for the consolation of God according to his word and whatsoeuer is not done according to that word cannot be acceptable and this word they care not for neither haue it in estimation When Adam seeth his nakednes the subtile serpent can deceiue no longer but before he seeth his nakednesse he is euer deceiued and led away with the multitude into innumerable errors Some say they shall be saued by good works and some by the Popes pardon others say by Purgatory and these will haue a Masse sung for them as long as the world standeth and all for one silly soule thinking to bee saued by it And yet see their blindnes for they seeme to thinke that their torment shall not cease as long as the world standeth else why should they find and hire men to say Masse for them so long but these are the far morsels of Baals Priests and for this cause is the Popish Creed made very fauourable to the Cleargy-Wel say that Ignorance is the mother of their deuotion for when the couetouines of the Priests and the Ignorance of the people ioyned together then they inuented Purgatory Masses Prayer for the dead and then all their trinkets For if they had not held our Fathers in ignorance keeping them from the word they would
come to Christ The Papists haue found out many saluations they haue found out a saluation by Saints a saluation by Angels a saluation by masses a saluation by merits a saluation by Idols as though Christ had least to doe in his own office for they haue other saluations to flee vnto They will haue it but they will buy it and what will they giue for it Why they will fast so many daies goe so far on pilgrimages hire Priests to say so many Masses build so many Abbies and giue so many summes of Money to the Monks and Friers Therefore the Scripture goeth against them and dishonours their shamelesnesse who like Nimrod that heaping stone vpon stone would haue built vp to heauen heape sinne vpon sinne and euerie Gen. 11. houre some one heresie or superstition groweth vp from this filthy roote For what Papist dare say that Simeon thought on any of these or put confidence in any other Sauiour but only Gal 3. 1. 18. 2 Cor. 1. Gen. 42. in him whom he embraced in his armes For saluation is by the promise of God and all promises are in Christ And though Iacob wanted bread Ioseph wanted not mony therefore he gaue them backe again their money and likewise he gaue them that corne that they would haue bought with it I would wish them therefore to say as Iosephs brethren did that they haue their corne for nothing and their mony too let them I say be content and reioyce to say that they haue mercy for nothing and their works too For God cannot be wonne by mens works because they profit not him but themselues There is no water can wash Naaman but Iordan no water can wash the leprosie of sinne but the blood of 2. Reg. 5. the Lambe By this the Israelites were saued when the destroyer passed by By this the Lord knoweth vs to bee Exod. 1â— his people and by this the diuell knoweth vs to be none of his As it is proper vnto God to be called goodnesse so is it proper vnto Iesus Christ to be called saluation He is also called the way the truth and the life for that life Iohn 14. which wee haue is but a sparke and shadow of life but he is the true and eternall life Then seeing Christ is both our righteousnesse saluation and also the way the trueth and the life to leade vs thereunto it is as possible for vs without Christ to be iustified or glorified as it is to be wise without wisedome righteous without righteousnes or saued without saluation Therefore let vs not be ashamed to take our water from the fountaine seeing Christ is the fountaine of all wisedome of all righteousnesse of all truth of all knowledge of all saluation and briefly of all goodnesse for there is no other Arke to saue vs from the floud no other ladder to ascend with into heauen no other Ioseph to feede vs in the famine no other Moses to lead vs through the wildernes But as the riuer Siloa runneth through all the land of Iudea and watereth the whole Citie of God so Christ Ephes 4. 2. Cor. 15. Rom. 5. doth shew himselfe all in all all-sufficient in mercy to saue and blesse all his Church with spirituall gifts If Christ be saluation what shall make vs despaire Shall Sathan No for he hath ouercome Sathan Shall death No for he hath ouercome death Shall hell No for he hath ouercome hell Shall the Law No for he hath fulfilled Esay 63. the Law Shall wrath No for he hath troden the wine-presse of his Fathers wrath Therefore it was a sweet saying of one at his death VVhen mine iniquity is greater then thy mercy O God then will I feare and despaire Saluation is borne therefore we were all in the state of condemnation before light is come therefore we sate all in darkens before glory is come therefore we were all loaden with shame before life is come to shew that we were all dead in sinne before Life is come and light and saluation life to the dead light to the blind and saluation to the damned For Christ is called saluation to shew that without him we are all damned fire-brands of hel heires of condemnation and forsaken of God To him that is sicke it is easie to bee thankfull when hee is whole but when he is whole it is harder to be thankfull then to be sicke I would faine be disproued that Niniuch might be saued though Ionah would not Thy saluation This word saluation is a sweet word yea the sweetest word in all the scripture and yet many despise this worthy iewell because they know not what it is worth like the dawes which would rather haue a barly corne then a pearle or a iewell because they know not the value thereof O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so vnmindfull of him Psalm 8. If a friend had giuen vs any thing we would haue thanked him heartily for it but to him that hath giuen vs all things we will not giue so much as thanks Now therefore let the rocke gush out water againe and let our stony hearts powre forth streames of teares in vnfained repentance We haue all called vpon you but none regardeth vs as though God were as Baal and as though Diues felt no paine nor Lazarus ioy but all were forgotten Many times Christ commeth into the Temple and there is scarce a Simeon to embrace him the babe is here but where is Simeon If God had not loued vs better then we loued our selues we should haue perished long ere this and yet we embrace not Christ as Simeon who hath saued vs from temporall and spirituall punishment Wee are inuited to a banquet he who calleth vs to it is God What is the banquet Saluation VVho are the guests The Angels and the Saints What is the fare Ioy peace righteousnesse this is the fare and we inuite you euerie one yet who will come at our bidding some for want of faith some for want of loue some for wnat of knowledge haue despised this holy banquet yet vnto this art thou called still O soule vnworthy to be beloued FINIS THE SECOND SERMON OF THE SONG OF old father Simeon Thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people a light to bee reuealed to the Gentiles and the glorie of thy people Israel THy saluation This word saluatiis a sweete word and holds mee to it like an Adamant for when J thought to proceede this word said vnto me stay here teach this and teach all learne this and learn all for it is the pith of all the mercies of God towards his children Christ is called saluation because no man should despaire and because it is impossible to bee saued without him for saluation is onely in him Christ can doe any thing but this hee cannot saue him that will not repent He is called