worthy consideration like the inhabitants of Nilus wee will draw water in running We say then that this word heart is diversly taken in the Scripture First is taken for faith as Rom. 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 2. It is taken for the thoughts and for the gift of regeneration as 1. Epist of Saint Peter Chap. 3. ver 4. The hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and estimation 3. For the understanding as Rom. 2. They shew the worke of the law written in their hearts 4. It is taken for the conscience as in the 1. of Sam. the 24. chap. 5. ver Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls skirt And in the 1. to the Thessal chap. 3. To establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before God Here is yet another very cleare passage in the 1. Epist of Saint Iohn chap. 3 ver 20. If our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and if our heart condemne us not wee have confidence towards God And in this last signification it is taken in our Text to wit for the Conscience as if Christ had said Blessed are those that possesse a holy pure and just soule a good cleane and spotlesse conscience David desirous to raise himselfe from his fall and to restore the temple of his body polluted by wicked adultery desired of God a new Altar praying him to create in him a cleane heart and to renew a right spirit within him Psal 51.12 Iudas Maccabeus having seene the Temple of Ierusalem prophaned by Antiochus his sacrilegious hands he purifieth it destroyes all the Altars where that Pagan had sacrificed to his Idols and called that the renewing of the Temple Our bodies are the living temples of the holy Ghost our hearts the Altars on the which having wickedly sacrificed to the Idols of our passions we must breake them and destroy them by our true repentance and conversion to God who despiseth not a broken and a contrite heart And afterward we must build new ones pure and clean on the which wee must offer to God Hecatombes of Iustice and solemne burnt offerings and sacrifices wherein hee delighteth The Etymologists hold that this word Cor is derived of Cura that is care because that part communicateth sendeth and doth distribute blood and life to the rest of the body Even so all our study all our exercise and occupation should be to seeke the meanes fit for the conservation of our soules for what will it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world and loose his soule Math. 16.26 As soone as the Embrion is conceived the first part which is formed is the heart being as it were the center whence the severall lines are drawne to the circumference of our bodies it is also the first member living and when the paines of death have compassed a man the blood from all parts retires to the heart as to a citadell so that it is also the last part that dieth in us according to that common saying Cor est primum vivens ultimum moriens So when the faithfull of the Lord resolveth to live piously he must cast for a sure and unmoveable foundation the righteousnesse of a pure and cleane conscience which must be the Ocean where all the rivers of his affections must runne and tend the corner and fundamentall stone on the which must be edified this his Pilgrimage All the building of this mortall and transitorie life must begin with the just mans beginning and never end till his death when it shall bee augmented and perfected in heaven It was Gods commandement under the law that all Israelites all the seed of Abraham should offer and consecrate to him the first borne both of man and beast now if wee unvayle the letter and consider what it therein figured unto us we may note among other things that God desired by this Decree whose letter and figure is abrogated though the truth and sence of it be eternall that wee should offer and consecrate unto him our hearts which are the first borne of our selues The greatest part of Physitians hold that the soule being generally all over the body hath her principall seat in the heart as the King hath in his Court although his power reach thorow all his Kingdome so that the soule being that very man which God requireth it is then not without reason that God demandeth our heart which is her throne My sonne give me thy heart The heart is knowne to bee the originall of naturall heat now God being a burning fire of love and affection towards his children wee ought to consecrate that part to him for his Tabernacle The heart is red and bloody to shew us the fervencie and zeale that should be in us to Gods service and glory and that our thoughts should alwayes burne with love to him and with charity to our neighbours It is little whence wee may learne not to puffe or swell it with pride but to keepe it alwayes humble and modest Vertues that seeke not after large and spacious Pallaces but are contented in the narrowest and remotest places His beating and panting is upwards so all our desires and thoughts should tend towards the end of our supernaturall vocation according to the Apostles advice Seeke the things that are above The heart is agitated by a continuall motion by reason of his vitall spirits that animate and nourish it So our thoughts should beare and conduct us to the actions of Iustice innocencie and godlinesse and to follow the steps of the Scripture Charity alwayes worketh and is never idle by reason of the spirit of grace dwelling in our soules who inspires continually in us holy and religious thoughts There is but one heart in man and yet his shape and forme is triangular a figure bearing proportion to his object that is God one in Essence and three in persons So our soules should bee adorned with these three beautifull vertues Faith hope and Charity He is open at the top and that way he receiveth his nourishment Which teacheth us that our soules should alwayes be open to proclaime the praises of our Creator and Redeemer that nourisheth them with the holy and wholsome meat of his sacred word sent downe from heaven The least angle or corner is turned downewards to shew us that our least care should bee for earthly things It is againe not hayrie to teach us that our soule which is his hostesse must be voyd of the foolish and light imaginations of the weake and unconstant considerations of this world that so she may hope and ayme at nothing but heaven her blessed Countrey wherein it is impossible to enter before our heart after Moses his example have pulled off the Shooes of our corruption and worldly
and peace shall be with you It was needfull I say that these good Disciples should bee like their Master whose duty and charge it was to reconcile men unto God as we read Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life And 2. Cor. 5.18.20 God hath reconciled us to himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath given us the ministery of reconciliation For God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and not imputing their trespasses unto them And Coloss 1.20 It pleased the Father to reconcile all things to himselfe through the blood of his crosse O what praise deserue those soules that seeing so many dissentions and quarrells kindled runne presently and make haft to bring the wholesome water of peace and quietnesse least the continuation should cause a total ruine or some irreparable hurt those I say are doubtlesse and without comparison to be preferred to the valiantest Champions that come into the field for those overcome the bodies these vanquish and tame the mindes those fight for a crowne that will wither these eternally carrie away a greene crowne of benedictions and blessings those teare and breake their bodies these beautifie and strengthen their soules In a word the issue of the combat of those is recompensed but by a little weake renowne in the unconstant different minds of men but the end of these is an exceeding excellent glory an eternall triumph and trophees that never die in the blessed remembrance of God and the Angels God commanded Noah to build an Arke of polished wood covered with pitch so must all faithfull Christians bee inseparably united the one to the other by chaines of love and bonds of concord and amity that so they may escape from the deluge of unreconcileable hatred and quarrells A ship split and that takes in water every where giveth feare of an infallible shipwrack for every Kingdome divided shall fall into desolation saith Iesus Christ right so rough and unsociable spirits that will never consent to an agreement are thereby nearer their grave In the Arke of Noah the Lyon was with the Hart the Woolfe with the Lamb the Eagle with the Pigeon the Hawk with the Partridge so the peacemaker must procure peace not onely among his neighbours when they are fallen out but he must also receive into the Arke of his heart friends and foes without distinction or difference of persons Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe saith the law of Moses but the law of grace goes farther and sayeth Love your enemies pray for them that persecute you Mathew 5. It hath beene noted that Bees never stay their swarmes nor build their Hives where Ecchoes resound by the repercussion of the ayre so the Spirit of grace dwelleth not in soules full of dissentions and wrath Whilest the Temple of Salomon was building there was heard neither Hammer nor Sawe which teacheth us that for the building of a good conscience there must bee heard neither the hammers of debate nor the saw of quarrels to the end that God who dwelleth in the temple of our hearts may receive graciously the incense of our prayers and accept freely of our peace offerings It is also noted that the gates were made of Olive tree which is the true symbole of peace to shew us that the gates of our soule to wit our senses must bee nothing but peace and gentlenesse When Abraham came from the overthrow of the five Kings that had pillaged Sodome Melchisedeck King of Salem that is King of peace went to meet him gave his souldiers bread and wine and after blessed them A rare picture for our designe is Abraham the Father of the faithfull who with all his souldiers represent unto us the faithfull who under the standard of Faith goe fight against the enemies of their saluation which are laden with the spoyles of spirituall Sodome and returning from their happy victory shall meete the true Melchisedeck that King of peace Iesus Christ our Saviour of which the other was but lively a type and figure who shall fill them with the bread of peace and with wine of joy and who will blesse them in the rest of their way which they have to make in this life untill with Abraham they are come to their desired rest to that heavenly Cannan for the which they sigh and respire We read in the 1. of Kings chap. 19. ver 11. that God said to Elijah Goe forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord and behold the Lord passed by and a great and strong winde rent the mountaines and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde and after the winde an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake And after the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small noise and God was there Which teacheth vs that God dwelleth not in the windes of wrath in the earthquakes of passions in the fire of malice and envie but in the tranquillity of rest and peace When the great Messias the Redeemer of our soules the true Salomon the King of peace came to guild and decorate the world with the brightnesse of his graces and blessings the earth was quiet the nations lived in a profound peace the Angels denouncing to the Sheepheards his arrivall tuned those melodious Ditties in their sacred Hymnes Glory bee to God on high and on earth peace good will towards men Luk. 2.14 When hee entred into any house the salutation and blessing which he gave was Peace be to this house shewing unto us by that that the greatest good and blessing that can happen to man consist in peace When hee was ready to depart out of this world hee said to his Apostles I give you my peace I leave you my peace as being the rarest gift after saluation which he could give unto them Gen. 14.27 Saint Augustine is very witty in these points Sicut spiritus humanus nunquam vivisicat membra nisi fuerint unita sic spiritus sanctus nunquam nos vivificat nisi pace unitos As saith hee the soule of man doth not quicken or vivifie our members unlesse they be joyned together so the holy Ghost doth never vivifie or quicken us but when we are united by the bond of peace Ignatius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing better then peace And Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing more proper and naturall to a Christian then to reconcile and pacifie Let us say with an ancient Author that peace is the salt of this life without which it is unsavorie and without relish When salt is put into the water it melteth and insensibly becomes liquid but when it is throwne into the fire it cracketh untill it bee quite consumed Even so is the peacemaker for he conformeth and fashioneth himselfe so quietly to
that asketh us helpe and consolation let us runne to him and give him occasion of joy and gladnesse for it is Christ himselfe which was comforted by an Angell in the Garden when praying to God his Father hee sweated drops of blood which made him pronounce these lamentable words so full of griefe My soule is full of sorrow even unto death When we have bin offended by our neighbour and that he will cast himselfe at our feete to aske us forgivenesse let us not be such tygers and so unnaturall as to refuse him his request remembring that it is a condition needfull to obtaine the pardon for our owne sinnes which wee shall never obtaine untill wee have first forgiven our brethren their offences but let us follow the example of our heavenly Father who saith That at what time so ever a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes he will put away his wickednesse out of his remembrance And when wee must appeare before the terrible and dreadfull Throne of the Soveraigne Iudge when wee shall be called to a strict account for the talents and administration which hath beene committed to our charge by our heavenly Master let us then I say follow the example of that wise Steward let us make our selues friends with the riches of iniquity let us fill the hand of the poore which is the Altar of God upon the which hee affectionatly receiveth the Incense of our prayers as a delightfull and pleasing Sacrifice to the glory of his holy name Then I say shall wee heare that sweet and heavenly voyce of the Saviour of our soules speaking graciously to us after this manner Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world Amen Amen The Prayer O Lord God full of mercy and compassion O favourable Father that art the fountaine of pardon and remission and the refuge of them that truely repent who desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live wee thy poore and miserable creatures who by the weaknes of our flesh by the malice of our mindes by our owne vitious inclination to follow ill examples have provoked thee to make thy wrath and indignation fall upon our sinfull heads we have many wayes and times by our transgressions incited thee to cast upon our sinfull soules the thunderbolts of thy judgements we have made sinne our delight and iniquity the height of our happinesse Thy justice did cry and runne after us like a roaring and ravening Lyon seeking to devoure us thy judgements were ready to cast our bodies and soules into hell but that the excellent greatnesse of thy mercie O bountifull and gracious Father hath interposed her selfe and hath not permitted that we should be cast downe into the depth of eternall death and condemnation thy hand O sweet Saviour hath upheld us and thy clemencie O our Redeemer hath perfectly delivered us therefore O gracious Father seeing thou hast preserued us from evill conserue us still in good things receive if such be thy good pleasure the incense of our prayers our sacrifice of thankesgiving which wee most humbly offer upon the sacred Altar of thy divine compassions Put up our teares into thy bottels accept our contrite hearts broken with griefe to have offended thee for a pleasing Sacrifice receive our griefes and displeasures for thy satisfaction and behold thy Sonne thy onely thy welbeloved Sonne his head pricked with thornes for our sinnes his hands his sides and his feete pierced with Lances and nayles for our iniquities for his torments sake for his paines and for his deaths sake restore us unto life forgive us our sinnes O great God blot out our iniquities that so following thy example wee may doe the like to them that have offended us change in us our hard hearts and make them gentle and easie to pardon and forgive and suffer not our soules to be defiled and infected with the venome of revenge but that leaving it unto thee we may thinke of nothing else but to be obedient unto thee blessing those that curse us speaking well of those that slaunder us and praying for those that persecute us O good God kindle in our soules an holy love towards our afflicted brethren that wee may partake with them in their afflictions and so ease them that they may the better beare that burthen which thou hast imposed upon them We most humbly beseech thee also O good Saviour to give us charitable hearts and full of compassion to helpe the poore in their neede remembring that they are our brethren that thou art the Father of us all and that we are the children of the same mother that a glasse of cold water onely given unto them is of an inestimable price before thee because thou acceptest of it as willingly and recompensest it as largely as if it had beene given to thy selfe make us understand and know that thou art the King and great Master of the world that all that is therein justly belongeth unto thee that wee are but thy Stewards to dispose of thy goods to them of thy houshold to wit the poore who as well as we have that honour to belong to thy house to be thy servants yea to beare the name of thy children that when it shall please thee to call us to account wee may bee found to have used with profit the talent committed unto us and that it may please thine infinite goodnesse not for our sakes but through thy mercy for thy welbeloved Sonnes sake to call us good and faithfull servants and to make us enter into our Masters joy which is the heavenly Ierusalem Amen The second Way to Sion THE PRAISE OF PVRITIE MATH 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God IN the holy and sacred Temple of wise King Salomon there were three things chiefely considerable that is 1. The body of the temple whereto the people came 2. The holy place appointed for the Levites and those that ministred at the Sacrifices And 3. the Sanctum Sanctorum or the most holy place consecrated for the Arke of the Lord who had appointed it for his ordinarie dwelling and residence wherein he commonly appeared in the forme of a darke clowd out of which were heard the divine Oracles and the irrevocable sentences of his sacred judgements It was a place whereinto none upon paine of death could come except the high Priest and that but onely once every yeare and yet with many precautions and circumstances for hee was first to purifie himselfe to wash his body and to change his cloathes before he appeared in the terrible and fearefull presence of the living God By this faire and meruailous Temple of King Salomon is lively represented unto us the world adorned and diversified with so many faire and admirable creatures By the Body of the Temple where the children of Israel heard the reading of the law of God his Spouse the
honourable charge of deliverer Prince and lawgiver of his people The King and Prophet David had this vertue in great measure in him for which cause God changing his Sheepheards crooke into a Roy all Scepter gave him victory over a world of enemies that rose up continually against him which maketh him to cry out in one of his Psalmes Lord remember David and his mansuetude or clemencie In the booke of Leviticus God commandeth the Priests to offer him a Lambe without blemish for a peace offering a Lambe is the symbole of mildnesse then according to that command hee that will receive the peace-makers recompense from God must offer him his soule full of gentlenesse and mildnesse The Lambe in the Revelation of all living creatures was onely found worthy to open the booke sealed with seaven seales so among all men the faithfull onely and among the faithfull the meeke shall bee able to open the booke of life there to behold his name written before the foundation of the world The Bridegroome in the Canticles calleth thus his beloved Come my Dove that art in the clefts of the rocke thy eyes are like Doves eyes and thy checkes like Turtles my Dove is alone and perfect Now it is familiar and common enough that of all creatures Doves are the symbols of mildnesse and meekenesse for it is noted that they have no gall And here to apply these places to our designe let us know that the Bridegroome in this epithalamium or marriage song is Iesus Christ himselfe speaking to his Church setting her forth by her lively colours by the pensill of his love shewing us in this comparison of the Dove the perfections wherewith shee is adorned where if wee waigh and consider diligently the force of every word wee shall finde them all emphaticall and deseruing a more particular search and obseruation He saith first Veni Columba mea come my Dove hee doth not call her my Eagle or my Hawke for those are creatures too cruell loving nothing but blood and slaughter and their humour is incompatible with the Bridegroomes bounty who desireth that the Church his well beloved Spouse bee altogether like him and therefore he calleth her my Dove as having no gall nor bitternesse in her soule When that sweet IESVS was baptized by Iohn in Iordane the three divine persons of the glorious Trinity were clearely manifested for the majestuous voyce of the Father was heard speaking from heaven thus This is my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mathew 3.17 Iesus Christ was in Iordane and the holy Ghost descended from heaven like a Dove and lighted upon him from which place wee may draw this instruction that if wee desire to bee called the children of God if we wish to heare from heaven that gracious voyce speaking to our soules Thou art my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased If wee aspire to that great happinesse to receive the spirit of grace mildnesse and meekenesse in our consciences Let us remember that wee must be like unto sweet IESVS our example hee was naked so must we put off cruelty malice and hatred he was in the water even so to enjoy so great a favour we must plunge our selues in the rivers of our teares in the Iordane of a holy and true repentance which may open our hearts and continually touch them with griefe for our fore-past offences It was Gods ordinance under the law of Moses that when a man was uncleane hee should for his purification resort to the Temple and there offer two Turtle Doves That we may light the torch of truth within the shadow of Moses law let us say that there is nothing that more infecteth and soyleth the soule then cruelty debates and hatred It is a Gangrene that gnaweth and undermineth her untill it seeth her absolutely possessed by wicked spirits but the onely remedy to this obstinate disease is to runne to the sacred Temple of Gods divine mercy there to offer him the gift of a mild meeke and peaceable conscience When Noah would know if the waters were withdrawne from upon the face of the earth he sent forth a Dove which came to him in the evening with an Olive branch in her mouth also he sent forth a Raven which returned not because hee stayd on the dead bodies and stinking carcasses of those which died in this inundation God in this example is represented unto us by Noah our soule by the Dove peace by the Olive branch it is God that staying in the Arke of heaven sendeth our soules to visite the inundations of this world which message faithfully to performe they do not sit on the highest and loftiest tops of Cedars arid Pine trees for they love not vanity nor the glory of this world they doe not pearch upon the Iuniper nor thornes of quarrels and contentions but upon the Olive tree of mildnesse and meekenesse wherewith they adorne themselues and so prepare themselues to returne into their heavenly Country there to give a true account of their journey But the Ravens that stayed upon the carcasses drowned by the flood are those blacke and infected soules that delight in nothing but quarrels and contentions and who so excessively love the corruptions of this world that they never returne to heaven from whence they tooke their first flight The excellencie of this particular peace cannot be sufficiently knowne without we consider the privation of it that is contemplate her contrary let us judge it by our selues for there is no man that sinneth not there is nothing more extrauagant in the world then a seared conscience nothing more tossed up and downe then a soule troubled and vexed by the unquietnesse of sinne for example doe wee seeke the meanes to revenge some injurie presently our minde runneth and rangeth all about to obtaine a sufficient satisfaction Our eyes dart and cast forth burning flames of wrath and rage our mouth proffereth nothing but injuries and blasphemies our feete cannot stand still our hands itch our hearts vomit revenge and our braines are so preoccupated by this damnable passion that there is nothing but confusion to be seene as in a clocke out of order whose wheeles are dismounted these be the effects of sinne that never gives rest to soule never so little touched by the venome of his passion Consider I pray a malefactor how bold and secret soever his crime be hee thinks neverthelesse that all know it the least looke altereth his face and for his contenance If hee thinke that to keepe off be good for him when he is in the fields he thinketh every bush a Sergeant to lay hold on him every tree a Hangman that stayes for him and every leafe that stirreth a witnesse to testifie his wickednesse Now contrariwise let us see the sweet rest and tranquillity of a soule that hath made her peace with her God whom shee loves with all her strength and that cherisheth her neighbour as much as her selfe who is not
is accustomed every five hundred yeares to build an Artificiall nest whereunto the rayes of the Sunne reflecting and darting it at one time reduceth to ashes both the worke and the workman So if wee desire to revive to the love of immortall beatitude and celestiall felicity wee must set fire to our vices by the art and flame of a true and lively repentance and burne them all together in the feare of God All the world is a field richly strewed and diapred with the miracles and wonders of God whereof man is the principall Master-peece and the chiefest workmanship of his hands and the sacred Scriptures are as it were the Epitomie and Compendium thereof wherein I every way see nothing but Gods love of his side towards man and read nothing but subjects of honour and causes feare of man towards God But among divers other places I finde one exceedingly agreeable and concurring with our text which is Daniel Chap. 2.32 concerning the Statue which Nabuchadonozer saw in his dreame The head of this Image was of fine gold his brest and armes of silver his belly and thighes of brasse his legges of iron his feete part of iron and part of clay a stone was cut out without hands which smote the Image upon his feete that were of iron and brake them to peeces and having broken them the Statue fell backwards and was reduced to Summer dust This Statue doth lively represent unto us a sinner By his golden head I understand Pride Vanity and Ambition which fumes and swims in the head of a sinner who esteemes himselfe as pretious as gold and as rare as Pearles His brest and armes of silver markes unto us his affection to covetousnesse as having all his desires every way bent and levelled to rapine and extortion His belly and thighes of brasse represents unto us his voluptuousnesse and insatiety His legges of iron shew us his cruelty His feete of earth depaynts us his weakenesse and fragility and this stone cut without hand from the mountaine of Sion is the feare of God which God casts and rolles at our feete to beat us to dust and to make us consider the nothing from whence we came The world the flesh and the devill the professed mortall enemies of our soules who will never want subtilty or malice to make us stumble in the way to life seeing that this feare of God is a soveraigne Antidote against all the diseases of the soule not being able to diminish its vertue by their artifice and deceipts at least they will make us lose the rellish thereof by their insinuations and perswasions figuring us out this feare of God to be so hard sharpe and bitter that it is impossible for us to enjoy any rest or tranquillity of minde as long as wee are possessed of that passion That the wayes to heavenly Sion are not so craggie and difficult but that they are all paved with silke with delights and contentments But the faithfull man fearing God ought to be as wise as a Serpent Hee must stop his eares to this false Imposter and Inchanter who would surprise him to strangle him Hee must remember the words which Christ Iesus spake and dictated to him by Saint Luke Acts 14.22 We must thorow much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God And againe by Saint Mathew 7.13 Enter yee in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction No no let us not flatter our selues there are no Roses without prickles we shall never obtaine and carie away the incorruptible Crowne of glory before wee have first fought the good fight wee shall never put our foote in celestiall Canaan before wee have first past the red sea of the afflictions of this life and departed forth of the wildernesse of our sinnes and in a word before we have fought with the infernall Gyants and Devils who strive and endevour to prevent and hinder our entry thereinto For it is absolutely impossible ever to possesse or enjoy the love of God here belowe in Earth or much lesse above in Heaven before we have first sworne to him a perfect feare honour and obedience Amoris Ianua timor est The feare of God is the entry and gate to his love as also Love is a feare entermix'd with care and anxiety Res est solliciti plena timoris amor In the 19. Chap. verse 4. of the 1. Booke of Kings the Prophet Elijah flying the persecution of Queene Iezahel being weary of his way hee sate downe slept under a Iuniper Tree where an Angell came and found him out and caried him a Cake baked upon coales which hee pleasingly eate and relished and so satisfied his heart and stomacke for forty dayes and forty nights after which they came to the mountaine of Oreb the place of his refuge arid security This Iezabel is the devill and this Prophet may lively represent unto us our soule which of all sides is persecuted by this cruell and implacable enemie who flying his assaults if shee come to repose her selfe under the sharpe Iuniper of a truly holy and filiall feare Then without doubt the Angell of Divine consolations will bring him the bread of Love favour and mercy baked upon the coales of his affection and the good will and clemency of God which will then refresh and replenish our hearts and soules during all the pilgrimage of this our mortall life un till wee are arrived to the mountaine of Sion which is the centre of our desires the residence of our delights and the impregnable Fort and Castle of our felicities I finde Saint Augustines comparison to be very excellent and pretty upon Feare and Love and that we must passe thorow that before wee can arrive to this Hee sayes that feare is as a Needle and Love as the silke which it drawes after it The Needle is sharpe hard and piercing but the silke is soft faire and pleasing Feare is indeede a sharpe and distastfull passion but that which doth sweeten lenifie and cure his prickings it is love which immediatly followes it being fraughted with courtesie goodnesse and favour Wee must not therefore apprehend the small stings of Bees because they afterwards promise to delight satiate us with their honey which distills and flowes from the rocke of our salvation And it is the Enigme of Sampson to the Philistims from the bitter came sweet from the rage and gall of the Lion issued sweet honey to delight and refresh Sampson If Iesus Chrivt the true Lyon of the tribe of Iuda had not endured for us the bitter and cruell death of the Crosse then wee had never tasted the excellent vertue of the honey of his resurrection Indeed to flesh and blood the Feare of God is as it were a kinde of gall and bitternesse because it daunts and out braves his passions and it still keepes him waking as we doe to wild birds thereby to tame him and to make him quiet