to his full consistence and strength declined not so we should also grow from faith to faith from grace to grace till we come to our full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ never more afterwards to feele any decay Lastly to shew as St. Augustin probably conjectureth in what age or stature we shall rise againe how young or old soeuer we die namely in that wherein Christ himselfe dyed and rose againe And so much touching the yeare of his age The time of the yeare wherein he suffered was the day of the feast of Passeouer even the fifteenth of the month Nisan For the evening before he eate the Passeouer with his Disciples which by the law of God ought to be done vpon the fourteenth of Nisan the next day after he dyed Here perhaps it will be objected that the Iewes began not their Passeouer till after Christ was crucified as plainly appeares Before the feast of Passeouer supper being ended saith St Iohn And againe It was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixt houre And yet againe they themselues went not into the hall of iudgement lest they should be defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer Wherevnto I answer that by this it seemes to mee more then manifest that Christ and the Iewes did not both eate the Passeouer at once but our Saviour the euening before and the Iewes the euening after he was crucified What then Did Christ as Lord of the Passeouer prevent the due day prescribed by his Father So some say but very vnprobably For Christ came to fulfill the law therefore without doubt he precisely obserued it How then Surely the Iewes fayled not he For the day of the Passeover and the weekly Sabbath falling immediatly this yeare one after the other they according to their old custome translated the Passeouer vpon the Sabbath and obserued both on one day But our Saviour preferring his Fathers order vnto humane traditions tooke order it should be prepared for him on that very day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which as St Luke saith the Passeouer ought to be sacrificed So that as we haue said the feast day it selfe was the day of his suffering Then which no time could be more cōvenient or seasonable For as by other Leviticall ceremonies so was he also typed by the Paschal lambe And therefore what time more fitting the sacrifice of the true Lambe then that which presently followed vpon the slaying of the typicall Wherevnto St Paul alluding for euē Christ saith he our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Adde herevnto the assertion of some that as Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same day he was created sinned so the same day after the revolution of some yeares mans sin by the death of Christ was done away and hee againe created anew Which if it could clearely and infallibly bee demonstrated would argue a speciall providence of God in the dispensation of this day Adde lastly that at this time all the Iewes wheresoeuer were to appeare at Ierusalem to celebrate this feast before the Lord and that in this regard also it was fit he should at this time suffer that more publike notice might be taken thereof and it the better be divulged and spread abroad And thus also you see in what time and season of the yeare he suffered The consideration of this circumstance of time may serue first to convince the Iewes of obstinate incredulitie For if God haue by his eternall decree determined a set houre vnto the comming and suffering of the Messias that houre be now many hundred of yeares past then is Christ already come or God fayleth of his purpose But that such a precise houre was set and that God cannot fayle of his purpose the Iew knoweth well enough Obstinate therefore needs must he be still denying that the Messias is come Secondly it may serue to confirme and settle our Faith in the truth of the promised seed For they that came before or after the appointed houre could not be the true shepheard but theeues only and robbers But Iesus the sonne of Mary came and suffered in that very time and in him were fulfilled all whatsoever was by the Prophets foretold concerning the Messias He therefore is the true Christ neither are wee to looke for another Thirdly not whithstanding this appointed time wee are to remember for our further consolation that Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and evermore And therefore as he was virtually the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world so the vertue of his death and passion reacheth downe to these times also and evermore will be available to the iustification of a sinner whosoever shall bee provided of true Faith thereby to apprehend it Fourthly as vnto this particular of Christs passion so vnto other things also as namely our vocation conversion repentance hath he appointed a due time This is called the acceptable time and our Hodie to day which if wilfully we neglect we may with Esau seeke the blessing with teares and never after recover it Take wee heed therefore while it is called to day that we harden not our hearts but harken vnto his voice and duely obey it that wee may be admitted into his rest Lastly as God out of his deepe wisdome so are wee in imitation of God to doe all things in due season For as nothing is contented out of its proper place so nothing is welcome or gratious that is done out of due season It is not every word how true soever that is like an apple of gold with pictures of silver but that only which is Seasonable Learned is the tongue of that man that speaketh a word of comfort in fit time and thrice blessed is hee who like a tree planted by the rivers of waters bringeth forth his fruite in his proper season And thus much touching the time when Christ suffered The next point to be considered is the worke of that houre what worke will you say The bitter passion of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. what Passion The suffering of that punishment which was due to sinne for the satisfaction of his Fathers iustice What was hee a sinner and deserved such punishment No by no meanes For as touching Originall sinne the passage of that was so stopped vp in his conception by the Holy Ghost that it could no way enter into him And for Actuall sinne there was not so much as guile found in his mouth But hee was to suffer for our Sinnes and to satisfie his Father We had eaten sower grapes and his teeth were set on edge yea but what iustice is this that Titius shall sinne and Sempronius be punished The cause is not alike For Christ vndertooke to be our Surety and to satisfie all our debts And to this end the Word became Flesh that being otherwise impassible hee might in it suffer the punishment due vnto vs. But might not God if he had beene
even of that which is only by Reading which is the first office of the Ministery method and order would that in the next place I speake of Prayer which is the second And herevnto am I also invited by this Text. For to forbeare further prefacing this seuenteenth Chapter containeth in it a most heauenly and divine Prayer which our blessed Saviour and Mediator addresseth vnto his Father in behalfe of Christ mysticall as the Fathers tearme it that is the whole Church consisting both of Head and Members The Parts thereof are two a short Preface prefixed by S. Iohn and the Corps or body of the Prayer The Preface is my Text wherein relation is made of an Act invested with certaine circumstances The Act is Prayer The Circumstances are three Quis Quando Quomodo Quis the Orator who prayes Iesus These things spake Iesus and lift vp his eyes Quando when he prayes after he had spoken these things These things spake Iesus and then lift vp his eyes Quomodo after what manner he prayed The Manner is externall and standeth in two things in gestu oculorum and in Sermone oris In the Gesture of the Eyes He lifted vp his eyes vnto heaven in the Speech of his Mouth He said Of these things breefely plainely as it shall please God to assist Of all duties vniversally required of all men Prayer seemes to mee the most noble So noble that by it all the whole worship and service of God is in Scripture vsually denominated And although the Houses of God be consecrated to other vses as well as it yet are they not called Houses of Preaching or Houses of Sacraments but Oratories or Houses of Praier Prayer as Damascen expresseth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mounting or flying vp of the soule vnto the throne of Grace It is the Sweet incense that sweet smelling sacrifice that savoureth so pleasingly in in the nostrills of our God It is that strong cord that draweth downe all blessings and graces from Heauen vpon vs. The importunity whereof of Iacobs makes vs Israels wrestlers prevailers with God that if wee will hee cannot goe from vs vntill he hath granted vs his blessing For it hath annexed vnto it the gratious promise of impetration Aske and yee shall haue seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Neither is there any thing so difficult or impossible with man but by Prayer it may be obtained By Prayer Abraham when hee was farre stricken in yeares and the wombe of his wife Sarah was now dead obtained a sonne of God even Isaackâ— By Prayer Iacob escaped the fury and danger of his brother Esau. By Prayer the children of Israell were delivered from their cruell servitude and bondage in Egypt By Prayer Moses stood in the gap pacified the wrath of God that he destroyed not his people By Prayer and the lifting vp of his hands the same Moses overthrew the host of the Amalekites By Prayer Iosua stopped the course of the Sunne and God was obedient vnto the voice of a man By Prayer Sampson revenged himselfe vpon his enimies and ruined the house of Dagon vpon the Philistines By Prayer Solomon obtained an incomparable measure of Wisdome from God By Prayer Hezekiah being at the point of death had fifteene yeares more added to his life By Prayer Daniell stopped the mouths of Lions the three children quenched the fiery fornace that not a haire of their head perished Ionas was discharged out of the whales bellie and the prison gates opened of their owne accord to enlarge St Peter It is a Panchreston available for all things It cureth diseases dispossesseth divils it sanctifieth the Creatures vnto vs vnlocketh the gates of heauen and procureth the coming of the Holy Ghost It is seasonable for all times fit for all places necessary to all persons without it no businesse whatsoeuer we vndertake can thriue or prosper It extendeth it selfe farre and wide to the benefit of all and in that regard excelleth Faith For the iust man shall liue not by anothers but by his owne faith and therefore we say I beleeue But Prayer is an act of Charity which seeketh not her owne but the good of others also and therefore wee pray Our Father Had not St Stephen prayed for his persecutors haply St Paul might still haue continued in his Pharisaisme And had it not beene for the continuall teares of holy Monica perhaps her sonne Augustine had perished in his Manicheisme Infinite are the brands that prayer hath pulled out of the fire vnspeakable the benefits it hath procured vnto others But what speake I of men It makeeth wondrously to the â—â—â—â—ing forth of Gods glory Could wee of our selues command all good wee would neuer become sutors for any thing but according to the counsell of Seneca fac te ipse faelicem wee would make our selues happy But by making our addresses vnto him we acknowledge our selues to bee Mendicos Dei Gods beggars every way insufficient in our selues and that we depend for all whatsoever either we are or haue vpon his alsufficiency alone which maketh so much to the advancement of Gods bounty and inexhaustible goodnesse as nothing can doe more you see beloued brethren how large a field I haue to expatiate in and how easie it is to overflow the bankes in the commendation of this holy exercise but that I remember how my Text limiteth me vnto the aboue named circumstances And therefore leauing this generality I come vnto them in particular The first circumstance is Quis the Orator who prayes Iesus These things spake Iesus and lifted vp his eyes That Iesus was very frequent in Prayer all the Evangelists with one consent testify Sometimes he went vp into a mountaine to pray sometimes he retires himselfe into a solitary place to pray sometimes he prayeth by himselfe alone at other times he takes some of his Disciples with him some times he spendeth whole nights together in Prayer when he was baptized he prayed and now that the time of his Passiâ—n is at hand he is carefull to prepare himselfe by making this heavenly Intercession to his Father In a word the whole course of his life seemeth to haue beene no other then a continuall practice of this duty This Duty I say for indeed so it was hee being a Priest and it being the office of a Priest to pray Wherefore hee that bestowed that Honor vpon him even then when hee annointed and consecrated him chargâ—â— him therewith Thou art my sonne saith he this day haue I begotten thee Aske of mee According to which Charge now being made a Priest after the order of Melchizedek In the dayes of his flesh he offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death And although he be now set at the right hand of his father crowned with glory and maiestie yet being a Priest for ever he never ceaseth in such sort as becometh
affectione commodi that is though in regard of holinesse and righteousnesse he were already peâ—â—â—â—y blessed and arrived at his end yet by reason of thâ—â—pprehension of those vnpleasing and afflictiue evills which now were and yet were more to be vpon him the ioyes delights of heauen were not imparted to him So that the fulnesse and complement of Glory he had not yet attained Which being so the third and last enquirie how hee would be glorified may easily be resolued For as appeares by what we haue said he desires the dispelling and remouing of all those thicke mists and clouds which hitherto eclipsed his Deity that is the deposition not of his Humane nature for that is now become an essentiall part of his Person and shall continue therein vnto all eternity but of all humane infirmities and that low condition to which he had humbled himselfe to the end the glory of his Deity might at length appeare and shine forth most perfectly He desires furthermore that his Father would be pleased to glorifie him by preseruing and supporting him in the last act of his tragedy I meane his bitter agonie and passion by loosing the sorrowes of death and raising him from the graue by taking him vp into heaven setting him at his right hand crowned with maiesty and power and finally by conferring vpon him all glorious endowments both of soule and body and ioyning him vnto himselfe not only by the affection of perfect iustice but of comfort and delight also Hee desires lastly to bee glorified by the full manifestation of his Glory both that which already he had and that which yet he was to haue that not only Iewes but Gentiles also by the mission of his holy spirit and the preaching of his Apostles might know him to be the eternall Sonne of God of the same substance with the Father and no way inferiour vnto him Man also but such a man as is assumpted 〈◊〉 the vnitie of the second person in the Trinitie slaâ—â—â—â—ed and condemned yet iust and innocent dead and buried yet raised vp againe and liuing humbled low yet exalted high even to the highest top of all as hauing a name given him aboue every name And that these things being generally knowne of all he might be magnified and adored of all and at the name of Iesus all knees might bow both of things in Heaven and things in earth and things vnder the earth and every tongue might confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father And thus you see how our Saviour would be glorified The consideraâ—ion of all which may be vnto vs of singular vse and comfort For first seeing Christ who cannot be denyed what ever he demands hath prayed for his glorification what vanity is it for any man to thinke or hope that he can hinder or obscure it Let Iewes persecute him put him to death set a watch about his sepulcher to keepe him down yet can they not let but hee shall reviue and rise againe Though tyrants by open violence oppose the profession of his name and Hereticks by Sophistrie seeke to vndermine it and Antichrist assault it both waies by violence and sophistrie yet maugre all their cunning and malice his Father shall surely glorifie him Yea he is God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angells preached vnto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received vp into glory Onely now it remaines to expect and pray for his returne in glory Secondly the Glorification of Christ is the pledge and earnest of our Glorification For had not he risen ascended and beene receiued vp into glory neither should wee The gates of death had beene bard vpon vs and of heaven shut against vs we should haue beene covered with eternall shame and ignominie But now Christ like another Sampson hath broken through the gates of death our head is risen and wee in him Hee is ascended and gone from vs but gone to prepare a place for vs that where he is there we may be also and behold that his glory and beholding it be made like vnto him bearing his glorious image For as now because hee is full of grace wee of his fulnesse receiue even grace for grace so being full of glory of his fulnesse wee shall also receiue even glory for glory Memorable is that saying of Tertullian As he hath left vnto vs the earnest of his spirit so he hath receiued from vs the earnest of our flesh and hath caried it into heaven as a pledge that the whole summe shall one day be reduced thither Rest therefore secure oh flesh and bloud yee haue livery seizan of heauen and the kingdome of God already in Christ. Thirdly Christ so earnestly suing for his Glorification it is our duty by all meanes both to procure and further his Glory which if wee cannot doe in such sort as his Father doth yet are wee to performe it in such a sort as we may If not gloriosum faciendo by bestowing glory vpon him yet gloriosum dicendo by praising and magnifying his glory By faith we are to be assured thereof by confession to acknowledge it by our holy Christian life to testify that the faith of our hearts and the confession of our mouthes accord and agree together and as much as lies in vs to labour that others may glorifie Christ together with vs. Fourthly and lastly as Christ did so are wee warranted by his example to pray for our owne Glorification that God would be pleased to perfect that glory vpon vs which here by grace he hath begunne in vs. Hence is it that the Saints are said not only to loue but also to long for the second comming of Christ as knowing that till then it cannot be obtained that the Church also so earnestly prayes Turne my beloued and be like the Roe or young Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether and againe yea come Lord Iesu come quickly But may we with Christ desire that the Glory begun in vs be manifested vnto others we may For wee are commanded to provide things honest in the fight of all men and to let our light so shine before men that they also may see our good workes Only wee must take heed that wee affect it not from men principally nor make it our maine end for this would be the foule sinne of Vaine-glory but that with Christ wee seeke it of our Father in the first place and to the end that being glorified of him hee may be glorified by vs. For not hee that commendeth himselfe or is commended of others is approued but hee whom God commendeth And so much for Quid what our Sauiour craueth to himselfe Now that he may not be denied his request he presseth his Father with sundry weighty and important reasons all which God willing we will handle in their order The first is drawen from the circumstance of time thus
The houre is come therefore glorify thy Sonne What Hour vndoubtedly the houre of his bitter passion This appeareth evidently by that of our Saviour Loe the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is betraid into the hands of sinners That also of Saint Iohn They laid not hands on him because his houre was not yet come And yet more plainely by that of our Sauiour where hauing said the houre is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified presently hee speaketh of his death and addeth Father saue mee from this houre but therefore came I into this houre This Houre is here by way of eminence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre both in regard of the great work that was to be performed therein as also for that it was long before determined by the Father to that worke But now saith Christ that hour is come that is it is instant and at hand And so indeed it was For the same night that hee vttered this prayer hee was betraid and the next day cruelly executed By which it is evideÌ„t that he was not ignorant of the houre but as he foreknew it so he was ready also to enter into it So that in these two words these three things come to bee considered the Houre the worke of the houre the knowledge he had both of the Houre the worke thereof But before I spake of any of them it is reason wee should shew the force of Christs argument how it followes The houre of my Passion is now at hand therefore thou oughtest to glorify mee Some as namely those of the Church of Rome make the reason of the sequele to be the merit of his passion for that by it hee should deserue his glory Now true it is that Christ both did and suffered many things worthy of most large and ample reward Howbeit for ought we can find in Scripture all was for vs with neglect of himselfe There was no perfection but either hee was already possessed of it or it was now due vnto him by vertue of the personall vnion At the first instant whereof all glorie would haue flowen to his Humanity had it not by speciall dispensation beene staid vntill hee was come to the lowest bottome of his humiliation Which being done and the stay remoued it could not but naturally flow vnto him So that how hee should merit for himselfe cannot well be conceiued without empeachment of his glorious Vnion As for those texts they alledge for proofe all of them shew rather ordinem then meritum that his glory succeeded his passion not that his passion merited his glory For as touching that to the Hebrewes Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God even thy God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes if it import merit it must be of Vnction and not of finall Glorification which they wil none of indeed cannot be For in the very first instant of his assumption assoone as the Humanity had being the ointment was poured vpon him so that it could not possible be preuented by merit Merit therfore is not the reason of the sequel What theÌ„ Surely the Promise of his Father For it was not the Fathers will that ignominie should alway rest vpon the sonne or that the slâ—â—es as it were of Glory should still be stopt against him Wherefore he promised When he should make his soule a sacrifice for sinne he should see his seed and prolong his daies and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand so that hee should see of the travell of his soule and be satisfied Yea he sware vnto him and repented not of it Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck that is who by performing the office of his Priesthood should passe into his eternall and glorious kingdome And vpon this ground it is that our Saviour affirmeth Christ ought first to suffer and then to enter into his glory And hence also it is that here he saith The houre is come glorifie thy sonne as if he should say more fully thou hast bound thy selfe by promise yea and by oath too that when by suffering I shall haue finished the worke of redemption for which thou sentest me thou wouldest fully satisfie me with glory Now the houre of my passion is come and I am ready and willing to vndergoe it Remember therefore thy promise and performe it For vnlesse thou wilt faile of thy word and fayle of thy word thou canst not because thou art truth it selfe thou must needs glorifie me And thus you see both the reason and necessity of the sequele in this enthymeme Whence we are lessoned first to imitate Christ and with him to ground all our prayers and hopes vpon our Fathers promise For he is omnipotent and can true wil performe Vnto Godlines he hath made the promise both of this the other life Liue we therefore godlily then feare we not boldly to approch vnto the throne of grace and to charge him with his promise both for the one and for the other thou hast promised and therefore glorifie me Againe as Christ could not haue ignominie and shame alwaies to rest vpon him but that obice remoto the stay and let being remoued Glory would surely flow vnto him by reason of the hypostaticall vnion so by vertue of the mysticall vnion we haue with Christ obice remoto assoone as the let and stay is done away it cannot be but that forthwith from him Glorie should bee deriued vnto vs. That let is Sinne. Sinne being crucified and slaine by death when we are ready to yeeld vp the ghost but specially when the day of resurrection is come we may say with Christ Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne Lastly if we will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raigne with Christ in glory we must first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer with him in humilitie Hee bare the Crosse before he could weare the Crowne we are predestinated to be conformed vnto the image of the Sonne And wee also in our flesh must fulfill the remainders of the afflictions of Christ if we will be glorified with him But of this enough Now let vs resume the three particulars aboue mentioned to be considered And first of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre that is the houre decreed determined vnto the Passion of Christ. For hee that is the creator of time hath ever reserued the disposition thereof in his owne power And as hee hath ordained of all that shall come to passe euen to the lighting of a sparrow and the fall of a haire so vnto every thing hath hee set a season and a time to every purpose vnder heauen If to every thing and purpose then much more to this worke as being a businesse of greatest weight and consequence And seeing as the
waies First by his profession of conformitie and obedience to his Fathers will whereof wee haue already spoken sufficiently Wherein seeing he fayleth not and it is his Fathers will as we haue shewed that he should giue them eternall life vndoubtedly it is his will also Secondly by giuing himselfe for vs. For if then hee was content with the expence of his dearest blood to ransome vs whē we were his enimies how much more now is it his will pleasure to saue vs hauing of enimies made vs friends and begun the spirituall life in vs Thirdly by conioyning vs vnto himselfe in so straight a bond of vnion that we are of his bone and of his flesh For it may not bee imagined that he hateth his owne flesh but loueth all the members of his body so dearely thas as long as hee is able hee will surely preserue them aliue Fourthly by his mediatory intercession For as he prayed for Peter that his faith might not faile so he intended the same vnto all beleeuers as appeareth in the sequele of this prayer where he saith I pray for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word and requests his Father also to keepe them Which hee would never haue done but that he earnestly desired their preservation in life Fiftly by his care and desire that wee should every way be conformed to him that as he died and rose againe and from thenceforth dieth no more so wee should first dye to sinne and then liue to righteousnesse and afterward spiritually never dye more Lastly by sending vnto vs the holy Ghost to lead vs into all truth to comfort vs and to consecrate vs vnto him both Soules and Bodies FINIS A GODLIE DISCOVRSE OF SELFE-DENIALL OXFORD Printed by I. L. for E. F. 1633. LVKE 9.23 And he said to them all if any will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me THese are the words of our blessed Lord Saviour Iesus Christ and they containe in them Counsell of singular importance given vnto all those that purpose to come after him Vpon what occasion it was giuen is not so fully recorded by our Evangelist S. Luke but what is defectiue in him is perfecty supplied by two other Evangelists S. Mathew and S. Marke by Saint Mathew in his sixteenth Chapter by S. Marke in his eighth It was this Our Saviour had signified vnto his Disciples not obscurely and darkly as at other times but in expresse and plaine tearmes that he was ere long to goe vp to Ierusalem and there to suffer many things of the Elders chiefe Priests and Scribes and at length to bee put to death by them Herevpon S. Peter being as the Fathers obserue of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more hot and hastie then the rest of his fellowes presently takes his Master aside consulting only with flesh blood begins to schoole him Master pittie thy selfe this may not be vnto thee But Christ turning about and looking vpon his Disciples first in the hearing of them all sharply rebukes him Get thee behinde me Satan thou art a scandall vnto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that are of men and then addressing his speech as my Text saith vnto them all he giueth them this wholsome and soueraigne Counsel If any of you be disposed to come after mee hee may not with Peter follow his owne carnall reason nor presume by his advise and counsel to guide and direct me nor finally must he timorously and fearefully shrugge and shrinke at the mention of the Crosse no hee must resolue to deny his owne selfe to take vp his Crosse daily and to follow me otherwise it is but in vaine to thinke of comming after me This was the occasion of the Counsell and this is the context and coherence of the words in this history In them it may please you further to obserue with me these three particulars First the Parties to whom the counsell is giuen secondly the forme of words wherein it is deliuered and lastly the counsell it selfe The Parties Hee said vnto them all the forme of words If any will let him the counsell Let him deny himselfe take vp his Crosse daily and follow me In the first yee haue the generalitie of the Counsell He said vnto them all in the second the Liberty of them that are counselled if any will let him in the last the conditionall necessitie of the counsell if any will come after me he must of necessity deny himselfe take vp his cross daily and follow me Of these in order as God shall assist and the time permit The Parties to whom the Counsell is giuen are All He said vnto them all What All All his Disciples as it seemeth by S. Mathew for saith he Then said Iesus vnto his Disciples But S. Mark further affirmeth that hee gaue it to the multitude also When saith hee hee had called the people vnto him together with his disciples hee said vnto them And these are St Lukes All all the Disciples all the People all the present auditory The present auditorie will some say Thē it concernes not vs who were none of that auditorie Yes vs as well as them for although Christ at that time spake only to them that were present yet the holy Evangelists haue written it for vs also Yea it is clear that our Saviour intended it vniversally vnto all men for that which Matthew and Luke deliver hypothetically and conditionally thus if any will come after me let him the same Saint Marke vttereth in a Categoricall and simple forme thus Whosoever will come after mee as if hee should say Every man without exception So that as our Saviour elsewhere said What I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch in like sort is hee to bee vnderstood here that what he spake vnto his auditorie then was generally meant vnto all mankinde if any whatsoever he bee will come after me he must deny himselfe take vp his crosse daily and follow me I haue seene an end of all perfection saith David in his hundred and nineteenth psalme but thy word is exceeding broad Broad as in sundry other respects so especially in this that it stretcheth and reacheth vnto all men There is no speech nor language saith the same David in the nineteenth Psalme where the voice of the Heavens is not heard their line is gone out throughout all the earth their words vnto the end of the world The Sunne which God hath placed therein goeth forth from the end of heauen and compasseth about vnto the ends of it and nothing is hid from the heat thereof This doth the Apostle Saint Paul in his tenth to the Romans apply vnto the word preached by the Apostles plainely implying that no man in the world of what condition soever is priviledged from the authority thereof When God first gaue the law vnto
philosophâ sententiâ I detest those men whose mouthes are full of the rules of Morality yet practise none of them But in a Minister of the Gospell it is yet a fouler incongruity if their words and workes disagree When Demades saw king Philip dancing I wonder ô Philip quoth he seeing thou bearest the person of a King that thou dost the workes of Thersites Much more rightly may I say of these I marvell that hauing taken vpon them the office of Phinees with what face they can act the part of Zimri Impudent beyond measure must they needs be who being guiltie none more of drunkennesse adultery blasphemy and the like yet lift vp their voices like trumpets and presume in open pulpit bitterly to inveigh against the same sinnes in others Every one will say to such a one Medice cura teipsum Physitian heale thy selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you take vpon you to cure others being your selues full of boyles and vlcers It is altogether preposterous for a strumpet to take vpon her the reformation of the stewes Manus quae sordes abluit munda esse debet saith Gregory the hand had need to bee cleane that cleanseth other things The Spartans when an evill man gaue them good counsell caused an honest man to say the same then imbraced it What speake I of Spartans God cannot abide that a wicked mā hating to be reformed should once take his covenant in his mouth A more dangerous pestilence then a lewd Minister there cannot be the contagion of his life quickly infecteth euery one thinketh it not only lawfull but safe also to follow his guide And thus I feare doe they many times reason the Preacher indeed earnestly disswades from sinne and perswades vnto sanctitie of life threatning hell vnto the one and promising heauen vnto the other but if he beleeued verily that there is a heauen or a hell doe you thinke hee would liue such a deboisht and dissolute life as he doth He knowes well enough what he doth none better let vs doe as hee doth eat and drinke and be merry for to morrow wee shall die And thus Hophni Phinees behauing themselues like the sonnes of Belial are the very causes of Atheisme and prophanenesse in the world and by this meanes draw contempt not only on themselues but also vpon the sacrifices and religion of God But contrarily whosoever saith our Saviour Christ shall doe the commandements of God himselfe and teach others to doe them too shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heaven Of such a one it will bee reported that God is in him of a truth The Saints will receiue him as an Angell of God even as Christ Iesus and be ready to plucke out their eyes to giue them to him As for others he cannot but finde approuement in their consciences for as the wise heathen said Adeò gratiosa est virtus vt insitum etiam malis sit probare meliora so gratious a thing is vertue that even wicked men by the instinct of nature allow and commend that which is good And thus much of the third and last part the redresse of our contempt Now it remaines before I dismisse you briefly to make some particular application And here though I well might yet will I not extend my exhortation farther then our Apostle doth his hee restraineth his to Titus that is to the Minister so will I mine First therefore if according to our hopes and desires wee might now haue enioyed the presence of the reverend Father of this Diocesse I would humbly haue intreated him to See that Titus be not despised That to this end he would haue speciall care whom hee admits into this holy order for Non ex quolibet ligno fit Mercurius every man is not fit to make a Minister Farre be it from so reverend a Bishop either with Ieroboam to make Priests of the basest of the people or with Caligula to destinate his horse Incitatus to the Consulship That also hee would be pleased to beare an eye vpon those that are already admitted to countenance those that walke worthy of their places and severely to censure such as either by their idlenesse or misliuing scandalize their profession But I represse my selfe and from him that is absent turne my speech vnto you that are present and haue delegate power and authority from him You and those that depend vpon you doe I earnestly beseech to see to it also that Titus be not despised Good reason haue I thus to beseech you for your exorbitations and abuses redound to the dishonour of your Lord though he neither act them nor approue them and from him descend to the skirts of his clothing vs his inferiour Ministers Shall I tell you a story David sonne to Philip the good Duke of Burgundy being Bishop of Vtrecht would needs one day not by his Poser but by himselfe make triall of those that offered themselues to holy orders and finding them vnsufficient reiected all but three His officers therewith offended said it would be a foule shame to the Church if of three hundred three only should be admitted To whom the Bishop it would bee a fouler shame if insteed of men asses might be admitted Yea but say they this age breeds not Pauls and Hieroms you must take such as it affords I require not such quoth the Bishop but asses will I not admit Then must you increase our wages say they for by such asses doe wee liue Thus you see that inferiour officers sometime commit errors which the superiors know not of wherewith notwithstanding hee is charged and that they seeke more their owne advantage then the dignity either of the Church or the Churches Ministry It was the complaint of Saint Bernard in his time that Church officers studied more how to empty mens purses then to reforme their vices I feare these times are little better and that our mony is rather visited then our manners so the fees come in roundly no matter how irregularly men liue O that your principall aime were to redresse abuses to remoue scandalls out of the Church how pretious would your name bee among the Saints and what honour might you gaine both to Church and Churchmen What shall I farther say No more but this Your Courts are called Christian God grant your carriage may be so Christian in them that they may ever truly be as they are called My last addresse shall be to you my brethren and fellowes in the Ministry whom I adiure in the name of Iesus Christ carefully to see that no man despise you And to this end Hoc agite Take heede both to your selues and the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers To your selues that you may proue Good men to your flocks that you may approue your selues Good Ministers Either by it selfe will not serue the turne what God hath joyned together may not be put asunder Liue