earnestly to his mother to pray God to make him worthy to suffer not only imprisonment but even very death for his truth religion and Gospel Femella 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 godly woman understanding that her son went heavily on to his death for Christ 〈◊〉 him and encouraged him bidding him look up to heaven and behold the Sun in his glory Which when he 〈◊〉 done Knowest thou not my son said she that thou shalt shortly be in that heavenly 〈◊〉 and there out-shine the Sun it self 〈◊〉 Hunter the Martyrs mother 〈◊〉 unto him standing at the stake That she was glad that ever she was so happy as to bear such a childe as could finde in his heart to lose his life for Christs Name sake Then 〈◊〉 said to his mother For my little pain which I shall 〈◊〉 which is but for a short braid Christ hath 〈◊〉 me a crown of joy May not you be glad of that mother With that his mother kneeled down on her knees saying I pray God strengthen thee my son to the end Yea I think thee as well bestowed as any childe that ever I bare John Clark of 〈◊〉 in France being for Christs sake whipped three severall daies and afterward having a mark set in his fore-head as a note of infamy 〈◊〉 mother beholding it though his father was an adversary encouraged her son crying with a loud voice Blessed be Christ and welcome be these his prints and marks Is not worthy of me viz. Because he holdeth not me worthy of more love then his best friends Eli for 〈◊〉 to please his sonnes Moses his wife had like to have lost a friend of God who had much adoe to forbear killing him Exod. 4. 24. Verse 38. And he that taketh not up his crosse Omnis Christianus crucianus saith Luther Every Christian is sure of his crosse but first it 〈◊〉 be his crosse such as God hath laid upon him not such as he hath created to himself as Baals Priests who cut themselves with knives and launcers the Circumcelliones of old and the Monks at this day with their voluntary pennances c. Next he must take it and not stay till it be laid upon him or then bear it as an asse doth his burden because he can neither will nor chuse But he must 〈◊〉 active in suffering and take Gods part against himself Nay he must as he may be chearfull under his crosse and thankfull for it as a favour an honour Act. 5. 41. 20. 24. The very beasts take blows from their keepers Turks when cruelly lasht by their officers give them thanks and go their waies Porters go singing under their burdens c. Levius fit patientiâ quicquid corrigere est nefas And followeth after me 〈◊〉 cometh not behinde me and this not aloof off as Peter Mat. 26. 58. but close at heels as Caleb Numb 14. 24. walking in Christ Col. 2. 6. as Christ 1 Joh. 2. 6. putting him on in his 〈◊〉 as Constantines sons did their father and preaching forth his praises 1 Pet. 2 9. He is a Saviour to none but those to whom he is a samplar neither have any his redemption but they that take his direction Verse 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it This is a strange expression a riddle to the world a seeming contradiction such as naturall reason can never reconcile But if the paradoxes of the Stoicks might be proved much more may those of the Gospel He that findeth his life that is redeemeth it with the forfeiture of his faith with the shipwrack of his conscience makes a 〈◊〉 bargain makes more haste then good speed whiles in 〈◊〉 from death as farre as he can he runnes to it as fast as he can Christ will kill him with death 〈◊〉 2. 23. and sentence him as an apostate unto double 〈◊〉 He that loseth his life for my sake c. For else all 's lost sith it is not poena but causa that makes a Martyr Christ and the thieves were in the same condemnation Samson and the 〈◊〉 in the same destruction by the downfall of the house 〈◊〉 poena dissimilis causa saith Augustine Martyrdom is a crown as old age if it be found in the way of righteousnesse One Martyr cried out Blessed be God that ever I was born to this happy hour To another when it was said Take 〈◊〉 it is an hard matter to burn Indeed said he it is for him that hath his soul linked to his body as a thiefs foot in a pair of fetters Shall finde it For the line of his lost life shall be hid in the endlesse 〈◊〉 of Gods surest mercies The passion-daies of the Martyrs were therefore anciently called Natalilia 〈◊〉 the birth daies of salvation the day-break of eternall brightnes Those poor seduced souls that lost theirlives in the holy Wars as they called them and were perswaded that thereby they made amends to Christ for his death were much to be pittied Verse 40. He that receiveth you 〈◊〉 me And who would not be glad to entertain the Lord Christ 〈◊〉 held it a great matter that the mother of her Lord should come to her Luk. 1. 43. Behold Christ comes to us in his servants in his Ministers especially Receive them therefore as so many Angels yea as Christ himself Gal. 4 14. accounting their very 〈◊〉 how much more their faces beautifull We know with what great respect Cornelius entertained Peter Non tantus sum ut vos alloquar said Tertullian to certain Martyrs He tels us also that it was a custom of some in those times to creep to the 〈◊〉 bonds in way of honour to them which perhaps was more then was meet Receiveth him that sent me The Heathens held it a great honour to entertain their gods and the Poets tell us of much evil that 〈◊〉 those that refused to do so That which we have heard and seen saith S. John declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us But what so great matter is that might some say You and your fellows are but men of mean condition True saith the 〈◊〉 but as mean as we are our fellowship is with the Faether and with his Sonne Jesus Christ who will also come in and sup with such as receive his servants And may they not be glad of such guests Verse 41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the Name c. Though haply he be no Prophet This takes away the excuse of such as say They would do good if they knew to whom as worthy Shall receive a Prophets reward Both actively that which the Prophet shall give him by teaching him the faith of the Gospel casting pearls before him c. And passively that reward that God gives the Prophet the same shall he give his host Gaius lost nothing by such guests as Iohn nor the Shunamite or Sareptan by the Prophets Of such Christ seems to say as
Sauls conscience yet could he not be safe but carried his life in his hand continually as he complaineth in that hundred and nineteenth Psalm which was made as is thought in the midst of those troubles out of his own observations and experiments As for the Prophets that came after which of them have not your fathers slain saith our Saviour to the Pharisees whom hebids by an Irony to fill up the measure of their fathers and fore-telling that they shall deal so by the Apostles whom he there calleth according to the custome of that Countrey Prophets Wise-men and Scribes He demandeth of those serpents and brood of vipers how they can escape those 〈◊〉 and hoards of wrath they have been so long in 〈◊〉 They had a little before delivered up Iohn Baptist to Herod and did unto him whatsoever they would Matth. 17. 11 12. Thereupon our Saviour departed out of Iudea into Galilee as Iohn the Evangelist hath it lest he should suffer the same things from them For though Herod were Tetrarch of Galilee and therefore it might seem a 〈◊〉 way for our Saviour to keep from thence after Iohn was beheaded and to continue in Iudea yet forasmuch as he was but their slaughter-slave as 〈◊〉 was to the rest of the Bishops of those daies Christ knew that if he did decline their fury there was no such cause to fear Herod Therefore when some of the Pharisees pretending good will to him bad him pack thence for else Herod would kill him he replied Goe tell that fox that I know both my time and my task which he would be doing at to day and to morrow that is as long as he listed without his leave And the third day when his hour was once come he should be sacrificed but it must be in Ierusalem and by the Pharisees for it befell not a Prophet to perish out of Ierusalem There it was that Stephen was stoned Iames 〈◊〉 with the sword Peter imprisoned and destined to destruction Paul whipt and bound many of the Saints punished oft in every Synagogue and compelled by the high-Priests authority either to blaspheme or flee to strange Cities as appeareth in many places of the Acts or rather passions of the Apostles for none out of hell ever suffered harder and heavier things then they See what S. Paul 〈◊〉 of himself and think the like of the rest 2 Cor. 6. 5. Verse 13. Ye are the salt of the earth As salt keepeth flesh from putrifying so doe the Saints the world and are therefore sprinkled up and down here one and there one to keep the rest from rotting Suillo pecori anima pro sale data quae carnem servaret ne putresceret saith Varro Swine and swinish persons have their souls for salt only to keep their bodies from stinking above ground Christ and his people are somewhere called the soul of the world The Sunts are called all things the Church every creature Tabor and Hermon are put for East and 〈◊〉 for God accounts of the world by the Church and upholds the world for the Churches sake Look how he gave Zoar to Lot and all the souls in the ship to Paul so he doth the rest of man kinde to the righteous Were it not for such Jeho saphats I would not look toward thee nor see thee said Elisha to Jehoram saith God to the wicked The holy seed is statumen terrae saith one Prophet the earths substance or settlement The righteous are fundamentum mundi the worlds foundation saith another I bear up the pillars of it saith David And it became a common proverb in the primitive times Absque 〈◊〉 non staret 〈◊〉 But for the piety and praiers of Christians the world could not 〈◊〉 It is a good conclusion of Philo therefore 〈◊〉 ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in domo vir justus 〈◊〉 ad calamitatum remedium Let us pray that the righteous may remain with us for a preservative as a pillar in the house as the salt of the earth But as all good people so good Ministers especially are here said for their doctrine to be the salt of the earth and for their lives The light of the world Salt hath two things in it 〈◊〉 saporem sharpnesse and savourinesse Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men sharply that they may be sound in the faith and a sweet savour to God savoury meat as that of Rebecca a sweet meat 〈◊〉 meet for the masters tooth that he may eat and blesse them Cast they must their cruses full of this holy salt into the un wholsome waters and upon the barren grounds of mens 〈◊〉 as Elisha once of Iericho so shall God say the word that all be whole and it shall be done No thought can passe between the receit and the remedy But if the salt have lost his savour c. A loose or lazy Minister is the worst creature upon earth so fit 〈◊〉 no place as for hell As unsavoury salt is not fit for the dung-hill but makes the very ground barren whereupon it is cast Who are now devils but they which once were Angels of light Corruptio optimi pessima as the sweetest wine makes the sowrest 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 flesh is resolved into the vilest earth Woe to those 〈◊〉 cleri that with Elies sonnes cover foul sinnes under a 〈◊〉 ephod that neither spin nor labour with the lilies unlesse it be in their own vineyards little in Gods that want either art or heart will or skill to the worke being not able or not apt to teach and so give occasion to those black-mouthed Campians to cry out Ministris eorum nihil vilius Their Ministers are the vilest fellows upon earth God commonly casteth off such as incorrigible for where with all shall it be salted there is nothing in nature that can restore unsavoury salt to its former nature He will not only lay such by as broken vessels boring out their right eyes and drying up their right armes i. e. bereaving them of their former abilities but also he will cast dung upon their faces Mal. 2. 3. so that as dung men shall tread upon them which is a thing not only calamitous but extremely ignominious as they did upon the Popish Clergy and the 〈◊〉 shall thanke them when he hath them in hell for sending him so many souls as Matthew Paris 〈◊〉 us he did those in the daies of Hild brand As for themselves it grew into a proverb Pavimentum infernirasis 〈◊〉 verticibus magnatum galeis stratum esse that hell was paved with the shaven crowns of Priests and great mens head peeces God threatens to feed such with gall and wormwood Jer. 23. 15. Verse 14. Ye are the light of the world And must therefore lead convincing lives though ye incur never so much harred of those 〈◊〉 those Tenebriones of the world that are 〈◊〉 apaid so much light should be
offenders that betrayed him to lust therefore are they first pulled out and he led a blinde captive to Gaza where before he had lustfully gazed on his Dalilah It is true the blindenesse of his body opened the eyes of his minde But how many thousands are there that die of the wound in the eye Physicians reckon 200 〈◊〉 that belong to it but none like this for by these loop-holes of lust and windows of wickednesse the devil windeth himself into the soul. Death entreth in by these windows as the Fathers apply that text in leremie The eye is the light of the body saith our Saviour and yet by our abuse this most lightsome part of the body draweth many times the whole soul into utter darknesse Nothing I dare say so much enricheth hell as beautifull faces whiles a mans eye-beams beating upon that beauty reflect with a new heat upon himself Ut uidi ut perij Looking and lusting differ in Greek but in one letter When one seemed to pity a one-eyed man he told him he had lost one of his enemies a very thief that would have stolen away his heart Democritus but in that no wise man pulled out his eyes And the Pharisee little wiser would shut his eyes when he walked abroad to avoid the sight of women insomuch that he often dashed his head against the walls that the bloud gushed out and was therefore called 〈◊〉 impingens How much better and with greater commendation hid these men taken our Saviours counsel in the following verses Verse 29. And if thy right ere offend thee pluck it out That is if it be either so naturall or habituall to thee to go after the fight of thine eyes which Solomon assigneth for the source of all youthfull outrages Eccles. 11 9. that thou hadst as lieve lose thy right eye as not look at liberty out with such an eye though a right eye 〈◊〉 it out and rake in the hole where it grew rather then that any filth should remain there Pluck it out of the old Adam and set it into the new man Get that oculum irretortum that may look forth-right upon the mark without idle or curious prying into or poring upon forbidden beauties A Praetor said the Heathen should have continent eyes as well as hands And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and worthily ubraided a certain wonton that he had not pupils but punks in his eyes And Archesilaus the 〈◊〉 observing one to have wanton eyes told him that the difference was not great whether he plaid the naughty-pack with his upper parts or his nether Lot might not look to ward Sodom And Peter Martyr observeth out of Nathans Parable that lust though it once prevailed over David yet it was but a stranger to him had enough of that once for it cost him hot water His eye became a fountain he washed his bed which he had defiled yea his pallet or under-bed with tears So did Mary Magdalen once a strumpet her hands were bands her words were cords her eyes as glasses where into while silly larks gazed they were taken as in a day-not She therefore made those eyes a fountain to bath Christs feet in and had his bloud a fountain to bath her soul in Zech. 13. 1. To conclude the sight is a deceitfull sense therefore binde it to the good abearance call it in from its out-strayes check it and lay Gods charge upon it for the future Chast Joseph would not once look on his immodest mistresse she looked and caught hold on him and that when she was abed but her temptation fell like fire upon wet tinder and took not It must be our constant care that no sparkle of the eye flee out to consume the whole by a flame of lust but upon offer of wanton glances from others beat them back as the North winde driveth away rain A Kirg that sitteth in the throne of judgement and so any other man that sets seriously upon this practice of mortification scattereth away all evil with his eyes Prov. 20. 8. And this is to pluck out and cast a way the right eye that offendeth us as being an occasion of offence unto us He that shall see God to his comfort shuts his eyes from 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 For wanton and wandring eyes like spiders gather 〈◊〉 out of the 〈◊〉 flowers and like Jacobs sheep being too firmely fixed on beautifull 〈◊〉 they make the 〈◊〉 oft-times bring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fruits For it is 〈◊〉 for thee that one of thy members perish An eye is better lost then a soul. For every unmortified one shall be 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up as it were and preserved for eternall 〈◊〉 and every sacrifice acceptable to God shall be salted with salt of mortification and self-deniall Mark 9 49 And not that 〈◊〉 whole body should be cast into hell As otherwise it will be For if ye live after the 〈◊〉 ye shall die c. In Barbary 〈◊〉 present death for any man to see one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for them too if when they see a man though 〈◊〉 thorow a 〈◊〉 they do not suddenly 〈◊〉 out So here a 〈◊〉 and lewd eye hazards the whole to hell fire And is it nothing to lose an immortall soul to purchase an everliving death A man would be loth to fetch gold out of a fiery crucible because he knows it 〈◊〉 burn him Did we as truly 〈◊〉 the everlasting burning of that infernall fire we durst not offer to fetch either 〈◊〉 or profits out of those flames Bellarmine is of opinion that one glimpse 〈◊〉 hells horrour were enough to make a man not only turn Christian and sober but Anchorite and Monke to live 〈◊〉 the strictest rule that can be And there is a 〈◊〉 of one that being vexed with fleshly lusts laid his hands upon hot burning coles to minde himself of hell-fire that followeth upon fleshly courses Verse 30. And if thy right hand offend thee c. By wanton touches by unclean dalliance a farther degree of this sin and 〈◊〉 greater incentive to lust as we see in Josephs mistresse when she not only cast her eyes but proceeded to lay hand upon him she became much more inflamed towards him and had not his heart been seasoned with the true fear of God there was so much the greater danger of his being drawn thereby to commit not that trick of youth as the world excuseth it but that great wickednesse as he there counts and cals it Visus colloquium contactus osculum concubitus are the whoremongers five descents into the chambers of death Off therefore with such a hand by all means cry out of it as Cranmer did of his unworthy right-hand wherewith he had subscribed And as John Stubbes of Lincolns-Inne having his right-hand cut off in Queen Elizabeths time with a cleaver driven thorow the wrist with the force of a
it is to be Almoner to the King of heaven that by 〈◊〉 out upon such you lay hold upon eternall life that the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 2. setteth 〈◊〉 liberality by a word 〈◊〉 signifieth simplicity in opposition to that crafty wilinesse that is in the covetous to defend themselves from the danger as they think of liberality that the liberall man deviseth 〈◊〉 things and by liberall things he shall stand When a man would thinke he should fall rather he takes a right 〈◊〉 to stand and thrive He laies up for himself a sure foundation Verse 43. Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine 〈◊〉 This later they drew as an inference from the former 〈◊〉 the rule of contraries But Logick being the rule of reason 〈◊〉 now is corrupt is it self in some respect corrupt also Sure we are be it what Logick it will it is but carnall Divinity Sutable it is to 〈◊〉 nature but so much the more suspicious The Pharisees taught 〈◊〉 and were applauded The Papists also little better for the 〈◊〉 are fled and hid in the Papists as one saith the ancient 〈◊〉 are in the Monks they teach that in two cases only we 〈◊〉 bound to help our enemies in the case of extremity and of 〈◊〉 For other things to love them to pray for them or do them good in other cases it 's but a counsell our Saviour gives and 〈◊〉 commandment If men can doe it it s well but if they cannot 〈◊〉 not required Thus say they But what saith Christ the Law-maker and so the truest Interpreter thereof Verse 44. But I say unto you Love your enemies A hard task 〈◊〉 must needs say but hard or not hard it must be done be it never 〈◊〉 contrary to our foul nature and former practice The spirit 〈◊〉 is in us lusteth after envy but the Scripture teacheth better 〈◊〉 And what are those To go no further then the present 〈◊〉 1. Love your enemies for the inside be tenderly affected 〈◊〉 them as heartily wishing their good every way being glad of their welfare and grieved when it falls out otherwise Thus David was a sorrowfull man when his enemies were in affliction and put on sackcloth 2. Seal up our love to them by all good expressions which are here referred to these three heads 1. Blesse them that is speak kindly to them and of them let them 〈◊〉 your good word 2. Doe good that is be ready to help them and 〈◊〉 them at all assayes 3. Pray for them that God would pardon their sins and turn their hearts This is our Saviours precept and this was his practice He melted over Jerusalem the 〈◊〉 house of his Saints and himself and was grieved at the hardnesse of their hearts Next for words he called Judas Friend not devil and prayed Father forgive them And for deeds he not only not called for fire from heaven or legions of Angels against them but did them all good for bodies and souls for he healed Malchus ear washt Judas his feet c. like that good Samaritan he was at pains and cost with them instructing them with patience and proving if at any time he might pull them out of the snare of the devil by whom they were taken alive at his pleasure Which also he did For he converted the thief on the crosse who at first had reviled him and graciously received those three thousand souls that had embrued their villanous hands in his innocent bloud Acts 2. Thus our Saviour full of grace and truth And of his fullnesse of redundancy of his over-measure we 〈◊〉 all received and grace for grace as the childe receiveth from 〈◊〉 father limme for limme part for part c. He is the father 〈◊〉 eternity and all his children in all ages of the Church have 〈◊〉 him somewhat in this sweet property Abraham 〈◊〉 his nephew Lot that had dealt so discourteously 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrong done him by Abimelech and his servants and forgiveth and feasteth them Absolom inviteth 〈◊〉 to a 〈◊〉 and Alexander Philotus to kill them thereat but 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 doth it to shew there was no grudge or purpose of 〈◊〉 Jacob was faithfull to Laban who changed his wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 times and ever for 〈◊〉 worse Ioseph entertained his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at his house And whereas their guilty hearts 〈◊〉 them that he 〈◊〉 himself upon them thereby he feasted them 〈◊〉 purpose to be reconciled unto them As the Romanes had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the which were invited none but kinfolks to 〈◊〉 love and to 〈◊〉 reconciliation if there had been any breach 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 forward Moses stands up in the gap for them that 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 marcheth all night and fighteth 〈◊〉 day for the 〈◊〉 that had deceived him Samuel 〈◊〉 and God forbid he should doe otherwise for an ungratefull people that had rejected him David put on sackcloth he wept and 〈◊〉 when his enemies were afflicted he spared Sauls life and 〈◊〉 Shimeis when Abishais fingers even itched to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their heads 〈◊〉 set bread and water before the 〈◊〉 that came to 〈◊〉 him and provided a table for them that had provided a grave for him The Disciples were 〈◊〉 of the salvation of the 〈◊〉 that had accused them at the same time to our Saviour Mat. 15. 12. St Stephen prayes beartily for his 〈◊〉 and prevailed as S. Austin thinketh for Pauls conversion And being reviled 〈◊〉 he we 〈◊〉 being defamed 〈◊〉 pray Doe my Lord of Canterbury a shrewd turn und then 〈◊〉 may be sure to have him your friend while he liveth This 〈◊〉 grown to a common proverb concerning Archbishop 〈◊〉 And Lawrence 〈◊〉 the Martyr being sent to prison by 〈◊〉 Gardner Bishop of Winchester who 〈◊〉 Carry away this 〈◊〉 c. praised God for a place of rest and quiet 〈◊〉 to pray for the Bishops conversion Verse 45. That 〈◊〉 may be the children of your father That ye may appear to be and well approve your selves to be the sons of God without rebuke amidst a perverse and crooked nation Whilest 〈◊〉 resemble him not in outward lineaments only as an image doth man but in nature and disposition as a childe doth his father Now God to make known his power and patience endureth with much 〈◊〉 suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction such 〈◊〉 devils as march up and down the earth with heart and hands 〈◊〉 full as hell with all manner of mischief lewdnesse and rebellion 〈◊〉 doth he 〈◊〉 with them only but gives them the Gospel 〈◊〉 call them to repentance and strives with them by his Spirit 〈◊〉 they desperatly resist yea despite hardning their hearts 〈◊〉 the nether milstone 〈◊〉 to be reformed hating to be 〈◊〉 till at length they 〈◊〉 all passive power also of escaping the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hell 〈◊〉 is a conformity to the very devils
neither would they let the dead rest in their graves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose bones they digd up and burnt so they raged exceedingly upon the dead body of Zuinglius after they had slain him in battle c. Now these that cruelly kill the body we must not 〈◊〉 Our Saviour saith not that can kill the body at their pleasure for that they cannot but that do kill it when God permits them to do it And then too occidere possunt 〈◊〉 non possunt as he told the tyrant they may kill the Saints but cannot 〈◊〉 them because their souls are out of gunshot St Pauls sufferings reached no further then to his flesh Col 1. 25. his soul was untouched he possessed that in patience amidst all 〈◊〉 perturbations But are 〈◊〉 able to kill the soul As they would do fain if it were in their power David oft complains that they 〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 soul that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now we commit thy soul to the 〈◊〉 said the Persecutors to Iohn 〈◊〉 The Popish Priests perswaded the people here at the burning of the Martyrs that when the gunpowder that was put under their 〈◊〉 for a readier dispatch of them gave a burst then the devil fetcht away their souls When 〈◊〉 often cryed in the fire Lord 〈◊〉 receive 〈◊〉 spirit a Spanish Monk ran to a Noble-man then present and would have perswaded him that those were words of despair and that he was now entring into hell Vpon the patient and pious death of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many of the people said he died a Martyr which caused the Bishop shortly after to make a Sermon in the Cathedrall and therein he affirmed that the 〈◊〉 Marsh was an 〈◊〉 burnt like an heretick and a fire-brand in hell Of Nicolas Burton Martyr in Spain because he embraced death for Christ with all gladnesse and patience the Papists gave out that the devil had his soul before he came to the fire and therefore they said his senses of 〈◊〉 were past already But rather fear him As one fire so on fear drives out another Therefore in the second Commandment lest the fear of mens 〈◊〉 should keep us from worshipping of God great punnishment is threatned to them that worship him not If I forsake my profession I am sure of a worse death then Judge Hales had said that Martyr There is martiall law for those that forsake their captain or else under a colour of discretion fall back into the rereward They that draw back do it to perdition Heb. 10. 39. And is it nothing to lose an immortall soul to purchase an everliving death Should servants fear their masters because they have power over the flesh 〈◊〉 3. 23. and should not we fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell Biron Marshall of France 〈◊〉 the Earl of Essex his piety at his death as more befitting a silly Minister then a stout warrier as if the fear of hell were not a Christian mans fortitude as if it were not valour but madnesse to fight with a flaming fire that is out of our power to suppresse This Biron within few moneths after underwent the same death that Essex did and then if he feared not 〈◊〉 he was sure to feel it Verse 26. Are not two sparrows c. Birds flying seem to be at liberty yet are guided by an over-ruling hand they flie freely yet fall by divine dispose and not as the fowler will But we are better then many 〈◊〉 Gods providence is punctuall and particular extending even to the least and lightest circumstances of all our occurrances whatever 〈◊〉 thought to the contrary and Pliny with his Irridendum verò curam agere rerum 〈◊〉 illud quicquid est 〈◊〉 It is a rediculous thing saith he to imagine that God takes care of our particular affaires How much better St Augustine Deus sic curat universos quasi singulos 〈◊〉 singulos quasi solos Gods providence extends to every particular both person and occurance Verse 30. 〈◊〉 the very haires of your head c. As things of price and suce as God sets great store by Hence he enjoyned his Nazarites when they had acomplished their vow to shave their heads and put the hair in the fire under their peace-offering for a sacrificeto the Lord. The Ammonites paid dear for the hair they shaved off the heads and beards 〈◊〉 Davids messengers So hath Bonner I believe ere this for the 〈◊〉 beard he pull'd off part of it causing the other part 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 left his manly act should be seen to the world The three Worthies were taken out of the fiery furnace with their haires in full number not one of them singed Verse 31. Fear not therefore This is the third time in six verses that they and we are bid to banish this cowardly base passion this causelesse fruitlesse harmfull sinfull fear of men He that fears God needs fear none else Moses feared not Pharaoh nor Micaiah Ahab when they had once seen God in his Majesty 〈◊〉 will not budge or alter his tale as the Lion fiercely pursued will not alter his gate they say though he die for it Doctour Tailour Martyr when being sent for by Steven Gardiner his friends perswaded him not to appear but fly Fly you said he and do 〈◊〉 your conscience leads you I am fully determined with Gods grace to go to the Bishop and to his beard to tell him that he doth nought This he resolved to do and this he did accordingly For at his first appearance Art thou 〈◊〉 thou villain said the Bishop How darest thou look me in the face for shame Knowest thou not who I am Yes I know who you are said he again Doctour Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellour yet but a mortall man I trow But if I should be afraid of your lordly looks why fear you not God the Lord of us all How dare you for shame look any Christian man in the face seeing you have forsaken the truth denied your Master Christ and his Word and done contrary to your own oath and writing With what countenance will 〈◊〉 appear before the Judgment seat of Christ and answer to your oath c Ye are of 〈◊〉 value then many sparrows Yea then many other men as one pearl is more worth then many pibbles one little Lark then many carrion-Kites Noab found more favour with God then all the world besides The Saints are called 〈◊〉 things Golos. 1. 20. Tabor and Hermon are put for the East and West 〈◊〉 the world as if there were no world but Judaea that pleasant Land that Land of delight so stiled because in Judah was God known and there were those excellent ones in whom is all Gods delight He reckons of men by their 〈◊〉 and accounts such more excellent then their neighbours whomsoever 〈◊〉 dwell by Verse 32. Whosoever therefore shall confesse me A
George Carpenter who was burnt at Munchen in Bavaria Verse 26. For what is a man profited If there could saith a reverend Divine be such a bargain made that he might have the whole world for the sale of his soul he should for all that be a looser by it For he might notwithstanding be a bankrupt a beggar begging in vain though but for a drop of cold water to cool his tongue Is it nothing then to loose an immortall soul to purchase an everliving death The losse of the soul is in this verse set forth to be 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable If therefore to loose the life for money be a 〈◊〉 what then the soul What wise man would fetch gold out of a fiery crucible hazard himself to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a few waterish pleasures give his soul to the devil as some Popes did for the short enjoyment of the Papall dignity What was this but to win Venice and then to be hanged at the gates thereof as the Proverb is In great fires men look first to their jewels then to their lumber fo should these see first to their 〈◊〉 to secure them and then take care of the outward man The souldier cares not how his buckler speeds so his body be kept thereby from deadly thrusts The Pope perswading Maximilian King of Bohemia afterwards Emperour to be a good Catholike with many promises of profits and 〈◊〉 was answered by the King that he thanked his Holinesse but that his souls health was more dear to him then all the things in the world Which answer they said in Rome was a Lutheran form of speech and signified an alienation from the obedience of that Sea and they began to discourse what would happen after the old Emperours death Or what shall a man give in exchange He would give any thing in the world yea 10000 worlds if he had them to be delivered But out of hell there 's no redemption Hath the extortioner pilled or the robber spoiled thy goods By labour and leisure thou maist recover thy self again But the soul once lost is irrecoverable Which when the guilty soul at death thinks of oh what a dreadfull shreek gives it to see it self lanching into an infinite Ocean of scalding lead and must swim naked in it for ever How doth it trembling warble out that dolefull ditty of dying Adrian the Emperour 〈◊〉 vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Qua nunc abibis in loca Horridula sordida tristia 〈◊〉 ut soles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 27. In the glory of his father with his Angels Great will be the glory of the man Christ Jesus at his second coming He shall come riding on the clouds not that he needs them but to shew his soveraignty environed with flaming fire mounted on a stately throne attended by an innumerable company of Angels for they shall all come with him not one of them left in heaven who shall minister unto him in this great work irresistibly justly speedily Rev. 15. 6. Christ himself shining in the midst of them with such an exuberancy and excesse of glory as that the Sun shall seem but a snuff to him This glory howsoever it is here called the glory of the father because he is the fountain as of the Deity so of the divine glory wherewith Christ is crowned Phil. 2. 9. 1 Tim. 3. 16. yet is it his own glory as he is one with the Father and the holy Ghost and so it is called Mat. 25. 31. Joh. 17. 5. Now if Israel so shouted for joy of Solomons coronation and in the day of 〈◊〉 espousals that the earth rang again If the Grecians so cried out 〈◊〉 Soter to Flaminius the Roman Generall when he had set them at liberty that the very birds 〈◊〉 at the noise fell down to the earth Oh how great shall be the Saints joy to see Christ the King in his beauty and bravery at the last judgment Verse 28. Which shall not taste of death The Saints do but taste of death only they do no more but sip of that bitter cup which for tasting of that forbidden fruit in the Garden they should have been swilling and swallowing down for ever Till they see the Son of man c. This verse is to be referred to the transfiguration recorded in the next Chapter where some of them had the happines to see Christ in his kingdom that is in his 〈◊〉 glory whereof they had a glimpse CHAP. XVII Verse 1. And after six 〈◊〉 LUke saith about eight daies after It comes all to one For Matthew puts exclusively those daies only that went between and were finished but Luke puts the two utmost daies also 〈◊〉 the reckoning Jesus 〈◊〉 Peter James and John So Matth. 9. when he raised the damosell he took with him these three only haply as best beloved because bold 〈◊〉 more zealous then the rest or the better to fit them for further triall great feelings oft precede great afflictions Howsoever it is no small favour of God to make us witnesses of his great works and so let us take it As all Israel might see Moses go toward the Rock of Rephidim None but the Elders might see him strike it That God 〈◊〉 his Sonne before us that he fetcheth the true water of life out of the Rock in our sight is an high prerogative And no lesse surely that we are 〈◊〉 transported in prayer carried out of the body in divine meditation and lost in the endlesse maze of spirituall ravishments that we returne from the publike ordinances as Moses did from the mount with our faces shining that we are transfigured and transformed into the same image from glory to glory and that the Angell of the covenant doth wondrously during the time of the sacrifice whiles Manoah and his wife look on c. These are speciall priviledges communicated to none but the communion of Saints And bringeth them up into 〈◊〉 high mountain The name of this mountain no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by common consent it was mount Tabor which Josephus calleth 〈◊〉 whereof Hierom writeth copiously and elegantly in his commentary upon the fifth of Hosea Our Saviour when he had some speciall work to do went usually up into a mountain to teach us to soar a 〈◊〉 in great performances especially and to be heavenly-minded taking a 〈◊〉 or two ever and anon with Christ in mount Tabor treading upon the Moon with the Church Rev. 12. 1. having our feet at least where other mens heads are on things on earth Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise delighting our selves in high flying as Eagles never merry till gotten into the aire or on the top of trees with the lesser birds Zacheus could not see Christ till he had climbed the figtree Nor can we see the Consolation of Israel till elevated in divine contemplation till gotten up into Gods holy hill The people tasted not Mannah till they had left
the better stomack to his dinner c. Verse 31. All ye shall be offended because of me Why what had that righteous one done Nothing but that his crosse lay in their way whereat they stumbled shamefully and left him to wonder that he was left alone Isa. 63. 5. Adversity is friendlesse saith one Heathen Et cum fortuna statque caditque fides saith another Job found his friends like the brooks of Tema which in a moisture swell in a drought fail Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris For it is written I will smite This our Saviour purposely subjoyneth for their support under the sense of their base deserting him A foul sinne it was but yet such as was long since set down of them not without a sweet promise of their recollection I will turn my hand upon the little ones Or I will bring back my hand to the little ones as Tremellius readeth it Verse 32. But after I am risen again c. Infirmities bewailed break no square Our sinnes hurt us not if they please us not The Church stands as right with Christ when penitent as whiles innocent Cant. 7. 12. with chap. 4. 1. 2. c. Her hair teeth temples all as fair and well featured as ever Verse 33. Though all men should be offended Peter spake as he meant but his heart deceived him as did likewise Davids Psal. 39. 1 2 3. and Orphah's Ruth 1. 10. and those Israelites in the wildernesse that were turned aside like deceitfull bowes Psal. 78. 57. They levelled both eyes and arrowes that is both purposes and promises to the mark of amendment and thought verily to hit but their deceitfull hearts as naughty bows carried their arrows a clean contrary way So did Peters here so will the best of ours if we watch them not Verse 34. Before the cock crow c. Christ mentioneth the cock quià tum strenuum pugnatorem decebat tale praeconium saith one The presumption of proud flesh never but miscaries when humble self-suspition holds out and hath favour The story of Pendleton and Saunders is better known then that it needs here to be related Verse 35. Though I should die with thee Quot verba tot absurda as one saith of Peters proposition of three tabernacles c. Sure it is he knew as little what he said here as there How much more considerately those Martyrs who both said it and did it The heavens shall as soon fall as I will forsake my faith said William Flower And if every hair of my head were a man I would suffer death in the opinion and faith that I am now in said John Ardely Likewise also said all the Disciples Misled as Barnabas afterward was Gal. 2. by Peters example The leaders of this people cause them to erre Isa. 9. 16. Our Saviour to teach us what to do in like case striveth not with them for the last word but le ts them enjoy their own over-good conceits of themselves till time should confute them Verse 36. Unto a place called Gethseman By mount Olivet stood this garden and here he began his passion as well to expiate that first sinne committed in a garden as to sanctifie unto us our repasts and recreations Here after our Saviour had prayed himself into an agony to teach us to strive also in prayer as for life and to struggle even to an agony as the word signifieth Colos. 4. 12. he was taken quasi ex condicto and led into the city thorow the sheep-gate so called of the multitude of sheep driven in by it to be offered in the Temple to be sacrificed as a lamb â—â—defiled and without spot Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder It may be lawfull therefore in some cases to pray secretly in the presence or with the privity of others so there be some good use of them Verse 37. And he took with him Peter c. He took the same that had seen his glory in the mount to see his agony in the garden that they might the better stick to him Let no man envy others their better parts or places sith they have them on no other condition but to be put upon greater temptations hotter services If we could wish another mans honour when we feel the weight of his cares as David once did of Sauls armour we should be glad to be in our own coat And very heavy To faint or fall away in his soul to be out of the world as we say He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him Lam. 3. 28. Verse 38. My soul is exceeding sorrowfull He had a true humane soul then neither was his Deity to him for a soul as some Heriticks fancied for then our bodies only had been redeemed by him and not our souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it if he had not in soul also suffered and so descended into hell The sufferings of his body were but the body of his sufferings the soul of his sufferings were the sufferings of his soul which was now undequaque tristis beset with sorrows and heavy as heart could hold The sorrows of death compassed him the cords of hell surrounded him Psal. 18. 4 5. the pain whereof he certainly suffered non specie loco sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something answerable to hell and altogether unspeakable Hence the Greek Letany By thine unknown sufferings good Lord deliver us Faninus an Italian Martyr being asked by one why he was so merry at his death sith Christ himself was so sorrowfull Christ said he sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with hell and death due to us by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow and fear of them all Tarry ye here and watch with me Yet not for my sake so 〈◊〉 as for your own that ye enter not into temptation Verse 39. And he went a little further Amat secessum ardens oratio St Luke saith he was violently withdrawn from them about a stones cast and there he kneeled down and prayd for further he could not go thorough earnest desire of praying to his heavenly father And fell on his face He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope Lam. 3. 29. This and the like humble gestures in Gods service do at once testifie and excite inward devotion Let this cup passe In the time of execution they gave the malefactour a cup of wine mingled with myrrhe Mark 15. 23. to stupifie his senses and so to mitigate his pains Hence the word Calix or cup is put here and elsewhere for death it self which being terrible to nature is therefore here with strong crying and tears deprecated by our Saviour This was naturall in him and not sinfull in us so it do not degenerate into that which is carnall fear of death Neverthelesse not as
he might make sure work but God 〈◊〉 him I kept the ban-dogs at staves-end saith Nicol. Shetterden Martyr not as thinking to escape them but that I would see the foxes leap above ground for my bloud if they can reach it c. Verse 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken Fulfilling of Prophecies is a-convincing argument of the divinity of the Scriptures Mises had fore-told that God should dwell between Benjamins shoulders This was fulfilled 440 years after when the Temple was set up in the Tribe of Benjamin so the prophecies of the coming of Christ and of Antichrist and others in the Revelation which we see daily accomplished Verse 18. Lamentation weeping and great mourning How impatient was Iacob in the losse of Ioseph David of 〈◊〉 c Grief for sin then which 〈◊〉 more deep and soaking is set forth by this unparalleld lamentation Zech. 12. 10. 〈◊〉 5. 4. 〈◊〉 are they that mourn as men do at the death of their dearest children But let such say to God as St 〈◊〉 adviseth a friend of his in like case Tulisti liberos 〈◊〉 ipse 〈◊〉 non contristor quod recepisti ago 〈◊〉 quod 〈◊〉 Thou hast taken away whom thou hadst given me I grieve not that thou hast taken them but praise thee Lord that was pleased to give them Rachel weeping That is 〈◊〉 in the way whereto Rachel died in child-birth and was buried Give me children or 〈◊〉 I die Give her children and yet she dies For her children Those dear pledges and pieces of our selves called Chari by the Latins and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greeks darlings in whom is all our delight Ezek 〈◊〉 24. 25. yet are they certain cares but uncertain comforts And would not be comforted This confutes him in Plautus that said Mulier nulla 〈◊〉 cordicitus ex animo These mourned beyound measure utterly refusing to be comforted by any fair words of the murtherers excusing the matter likely to the miserable mothers and promising amends from the King by some other means or by any other way But immoderate sorrow for losses past hope of recovery is more sullen then usefull our stomack may be bewrayed by it not our wisedom and although something we may yeeld to nature in these cases yet nothing to 〈◊〉 Because they were not A just judgement of God upon them for their unnaturallnesse to the Son of God whom they shut our into a stable The dullnesse and 〈◊〉 of these 〈◊〉 required thus to be raised and rowsed up as by the sound of a Trumpet or report of a Musket Happy for them if they had hearts to hear the rod and who had appointed it But we many times mistake the cause of our misery groping in the darke as the Sodomites crying out upon the instrument seldom reflecting our mindes being as ill set as our eyes we turn neither of them inwards Verse 19. But when 〈◊〉 was dead Not long after this butchery at Bethlehem he fell into a foul and 〈◊〉 disease whereof he died so did Sylla that bloudy man before him so did Maximinus and others after him Iohn de 〈◊〉 a cruell 〈◊〉 and Inquisitioner who used to fill 〈◊〉 boots with boyling grease and so putting them upon the leggs of those whom he examined to tie them backward to a form with their leggs 〈◊〉 down over a small fire c. was smitten by God with an incurable disease so loathsome that none could come nigh him so swarming with vermine and so rotten that the slesh fell away from the bones by peece-meal c. Twiford who was executioner of Frith Bayfeild Bainham Lambert and other good men died rotting above ground that none could abide him So did Alexander the cruell 〈◊〉 of New-gate and Iohn Peter his son in law who commonly when he would affirm any thing used to say If it be not true I pray God I rot ere I die Stephen Gardner rejoycing upon the news of the Bishops burnt at Oxford was suddenly ceized by the terrible hand of God as he sate at meat continuing for the space of 15 daies in such intolerable torment that he could not void by ordure or otherwise any thing that he received whereby his body being miserably inflamed who had inflamed so many good Martyrs before was brought to a wretched end his tongue hanging out all black and 〈◊〉 as Archbishop 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 him But to return to Herod when he saw he should die indeed that there might not be no mourning at his funerall he commanded the 〈◊〉 Nobility whom he had 〈◊〉 for that purpose in the Castle of 〈◊〉 to be all 〈◊〉 as soon as ever he was dead And being at point of death he 〈◊〉 his son Antipater to be executed in the prison whom but a 〈◊〉 afore he had declared heir of the Kingdom In November 1572. appeared a new Star in Cassiopeia and continued 16 〈◊〉 Theodor Beza 〈◊〉 applied it 〈◊〉 Mr 〈◊〉 to that Star at Christs birth and to the infanticide there and warned Charles 〈◊〉 9th to beware in this verse Tu verò Herodes sanguinolente time The fifth moneth after the vanishing of this Star the said Charles after long and grievous pains died of exceeding bleeding Constans fama 〈◊〉 illum dum è varijs corporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emanaret in lecto saepè volutatum inter horribilium 〈◊〉 diras tantam sangninis vim projecisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post hor as mortuus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say of the Devil go out with a 〈◊〉 Arius saith one voiding out his guts sent his soul as a harbinger to hell to provide room for his body He was brought to confusion by the prayers of Alexander the good Bishop of Constantinople and his death was precationis opus non morbi So likely was 〈◊〉 Behold an Angel Glad of an office to serve the Saints Heb. 1. 14. They rejoice more in their names of office then of honour to be called Angels Watchmen c. then Principalities powers c. It was long 〈◊〉 Ioseph heard from 〈◊〉 but Gods time he knew was the best And allthough he leave his people to their thinking yet he forsakes them not Not 〈◊〉 he doth 〈◊〉 saith the Author to the Heb. Verse 20. For they are 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 the young 〈◊〉 life God hid him as it were for a litle moment untill the indignation was 〈◊〉 So he did 〈◊〉 Baruch 〈◊〉 Luther in his Pathmos as he used to call the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 where when the Pope 〈◊〉 excommunicated him and the Emperour proscribed him the Lord put into the heart of the 〈◊〉 of Saxony to hide him for 〈◊〉 moneths In which 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 dyed the Emperour had his hands full of the French wars and the Church thereby obtained an happy Halcyon At which 〈◊〉 a pretty spectacle it was to behold Christ striving with Antichrist for 〈◊〉 For whatsoever the Pope and
Bernard who seek straws to put out their eyes withall If we break not off our sins by repentance that there may be a lengthening of our tranquillity a removall of our Candleslick may be as certainly fore-seen and fore-told as if visions and letters were sent us from heaven as once to the Church of Ephesus God may well say to us as to them of old Have I been a wildernesse unto Israel a land of darknesse Or as Themistocles to his Athenians Are ye weary of receiving so many benefits by one man Bona à tergo formosissima Our sins have long since sollicited an utter dissolution and desolation of all and that we should be made a heap and a hissing a waste and a wildernesse Quod Deus aveâ—tat Verse 2. And saying Repent ye Change your mindes now at the preaching of the Gospel as they changed their garments at the promulgation of the Law Rent your hearts and not your garments plough up the fallows of your hearts grieve for your sins even to a transmentation as those Corinthians did and as Simon Peter counselled Simon Magus that snake that had cast his coat but kept his poison For although he caâ—ried the matter so cleanly and cunningly that Philip took him for a true convert and baptized him yet Peter soon saw that he was in the gall or venome of bitternesse for the word used Deut. 29. 18. whereunto the Apostle alludes signifieth both and therefore prescribes him an Antidote the very same that John doth here this generation of vipers Repent if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee His wicked thought is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly change of minde that the Apostle perswadeth him unto is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that by some mischance hath drunk poison must cast it up again as soon as he can ere it get to the vitals Repentance is the souls vomit which is the hardest kinde of physick but the wholsomest Happy is he that by the dung-port of his mouth in a sorrowfull confession can disburden himself of the sinne that both clogs and hazards his soul to death eternall We râ—n from God by sin to death and have no other way to return but by death to sin For the kingdom of heaven is at hand q. d. Ye have a price put into your hands a fair opportunity of making your selves for ever Will ye like the vine and olive in â—othams parable not leave your sweetnesse and fatnesse your dilecta delicta beloved sins although it be to raign yea and that in Gods kingdome Knowest thou not that the goodnesse of God should lead thee to repentance Is there not mercy with God therefore that he may be feared should not men rent their hearts because God is gracious and turn to the Lord because he will multiply pardon To argue from mercy to liberty is the devils logick and makes God repent him of his favours to such as David did of his kindenesse to Nabal Rather we should argue from mercy to duty as Joseph did to his master in a temptation from deliverance to obedience with David Psal. 116 8 9. And therefore return to our fathers house with the Prodigall because there is bread enough therefore repent because his Kingdome is at hand and would be laid hold on As John Baptist was Christs fore-runner into the world so must repentance be his fore-runner into our hearts Verse 3. For this is he which was spoken of Whether these be the words of the Baptist or of the Evangelist it appears not skils not The most say of the Evangelist concerning the Baptist. By the Prophet Isaias Thus one Testament infolds another as those wheels in Ezekiel And the Law preacheth faith in Christ as well as the Gospel Rom. 10. 6. 7. The voice of one crying Loudly and lustily lifting up his voice as a trumpet or as the sound of many waters Semblably S. Paul was ordained to be a crier 1 Tim. 1. â—1 and so is every faithfull Preacher 2 Tim. 4. 2. He must cry and be instant stand to the work and stand over it Sta cum diligentia saith the Syriack there clangite clamate Jer. 4. 5. Ye have to doe with deaf men dead men living carcases walking sepulchres of themselves Now therefore as our Saviour lifted up his voice when he said Lazarus come forth So must Christs Ministers when they speak to such as lie rotting and stinking in the graves of their corruptions cry aloud Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead that Christ may give thee light Ecclesia the Church is a word in use among the Athenians and signifies an Assembly of Citizens called out of the multitude as it were by name or in their ranks by the voice of the publike Crier to hear some speech or sentence of the Senate The Church in like sort is a company called out of the kingdome of Satan by the voice of Gods Ministers as it were criers to hear the doctrine of the Gospel revealed from heaven There are that observe that John Baptist entered upon his calling in the year of Jubilee which used to be proclaimed by a Crier with the sound of a trumpet and that in allusion thereunto he is called The voice of a crier Prepare ye the way of the Lord. 〈◊〉 the terrours of the Lord to seize upon your souls take not up bucklers against the stroaks of Gods Law bring not your buckets to quench the motions of his Spirit knocking at your hearts by the hammer of his Word Make much of the least beginnings of grace even those they call repressing since they prepare the heart for conversion Open the everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith As Esther leaned upon 〈◊〉 two maids when she came before the King So let the soul 〈◊〉 upon attrition of the Law and contrition of the Gospel so 〈◊〉 the King of glory stretch out the golden Scepter of his grace and we shall live As Iohn Baptist was Christs fore-runner into the world so must repentance be his fore-runner into our hearts for he that repenteth not the Kingdom of God is far from him he cannot see it for his lusts that hang in his light Make his paths straight Walk exactly precisely accurately 〈◊〉 line and by rule walk as in a frame make straight steps to your feet or else there is no passing the strait gate so strait that as few can walk in it so none can halt in it but must needs goe upright Plain things will joyn in every point one with another not so 〈◊〉 and rugged things In like sort plain spirits close with Gods truths not those that are swoln c. The old heart will never hold out the hardship of holines Verse 4. And the same Iohn had his raiment
have amongst us not a few that give themselves up to Christ Quoad Sacramenti perceptionem by externall profession but when it comes once ad 〈◊〉 sanctificationem to 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 there they leave him in the open field forsaking their colours renouncing their baptisme and running away to the enemy Now for such there is but one law and it is Martiall law Heb. 10. 39. If any with draw or 〈◊〉 from his Captain as the military 〈◊〉 there used importeth he doth it to perdition he is even a son of perdition as 〈◊〉 who was 〈◊〉 indeed as well as Peter but better he had not As it had been better for him never to have been born so being born never to have been circumcised and thereby bound to the Law Unregenerate Israel is as 〈◊〉 Amos 9. 7. And it had been happy that font water had never been spilt on that face that is afterwards hatcht with impudent 〈◊〉 Ier. 3. 3 4. 5. Verse 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduces Two leading sects among the Jews but notable hypocrites yet pressing to the ordinances A Doeg may set his foot as far within the Sanctuary as a David and let him He may be caught as those catch-poles sent to apprehend our Saviour as Sauls messengers coming to Naioth were turned from 〈◊〉 to Prophets Come saith Latymer to the holy Assemblies though thou comest to 〈◊〉 for God perhaps may take thee napping He said unto them O generation of vipers Or adders which are outwardly specious inwardly poisonous so are all hypocrites a meer out-side but God will wash off their paint with rivers of brimstone Of the viper it is said that when he hath 〈◊〉 a man he makes haste to the water and drinks or dies for it So did these Pharisees to baptisme hoping by the 〈◊〉 done to avoid the wrath to come But a man 〈◊〉 goe to hell 〈◊〉 font-water on his face unlesse with the water of baptisme he have grace to quench the fiery darts of the devil as that holy virgin whereof Luther reports that she beat back Satans temptations with this only argument I am a Christian. The enemy quickly understood saith he the 〈◊〉 of baptisme and the value of that vow and fled from her There are that boast and bear themselves bold on their Christendome but hath not many a ship that hath been named Safe-guard and Good-speed miscarried at sea or fallen into the hands of pirates This generation of vipers conceited themselves to be Abrahams seed so doe many of the Serpents seed now adaies because of their baptisme but all in vain unlesse they walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham The old Serpent hath slung them neither is there any antidote for such but the flesh not of the biting viper but of the slain Messiah fore-shadowed by the brazen Serpent See Isa. 27. 1. God hath promised to break for us the Serpents head who hath so deeply set his lims in us yea with his sore and great and strong sword to punish Leviathan that piercing Serpent and to 〈◊〉 the dragon that is in the sea Who hath fore-warned you Who hath privily and under-hand as it were shewed you and set you in a course of avoiding the danger that hangs over your heads as by a twined threed The wrath of God is revealed from heaven and hell hath enlarged her self and even gapes for you who gave you an inkling thereof and sent you hither for help c From the wrath to come Called the damnation of hell Chap. 23. 23. which hath torments without end and past imagination For Who knoweth the power of thine anger saith David Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath That is as I conceive it Let a man fear thy wrath never so much he is sure to feel a fair deal more thereof then ever he could have feared When but a drop of Gods displeasure lights upon a poor soul in this present world What intolerable pain is it put to The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmity saith Solomon q. d. some sorry shift a man may make to rub thorow an outward affliction and to bear it off by head and shoulders But a wounded spirit who can bear q. d. the stoutest cannot possibly stand under it there 's no proportion between the back and the burden 〈◊〉 able to crush and crack the mightiest amongst us Iudas chose an halter rather then to endure it and well he might when as Iob with whom God was but in jest in comparison preferred strangling and any death before such a life But all this alas is but present wrath and nothing at all to the wrath to come A phrase of speech that involves and carries in it stings and horrours woe and alas flames of wrath and the worm that never dieth trembling and gnashing of teeth seas of vengeance rivers of brimstone unutterable and unsufferable tortures and torments We read of racking roasting hanging stoning putting men under harrows of iron and saws of iron scratching off their flesh with thorns of the wildernesse pulling their skins over their ears and other exquisite and unheard of miseries that men have here been put unto But what 's all this to the wrath to come not so much as a flea-biting as a prick with a pin or fillip with a finger no though a man should go thorow a thousand cruell deaths every hour his whole life thorowout Oh blesse and kisse that blessed Son of God that bore for us the brunt of this unsupportable wrath even Iesus that delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thess. 1. 10. And shun sin that draws hell at the heels of it Is it nothing to lose an immortall soul to purchase an ever-living death Verse 8. Bring forth therefore fruits q. d. You cannot wash your hands in innocency wash them therefore in tears there 's no way to quench hell flames but by the tears of true repentance to prevent the wrath to come but by bearing those fruits of righteousnesse that are by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God Phil. 1. 11. Optima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est nova vita saith Luther Which saying though condemned by Pope Leo is certainly an excellent 〈◊〉 Meet for repentance That weigh 〈◊〉 as much as repentance that may parallel and 〈◊〉 it to be right 〈◊〉 and evidence it to be a repentance never to be repented of There is no grace but hath a 〈◊〉 See therefore that your graces be of the right stamp an effectuall faith 〈◊〉 love patient hope c. as the Apostle hath it See that your performances and whole course be such as becomes repentance and may justifie it as may bear weight in the balance of the sanctuary and amount to as much as repentance comes to And 〈◊〉 your righteousnesses be but as a 〈◊〉 clout and your works at best if tried
cruelly sprunt exceedingly Verse 3. Then came unto him the Tempter So called because he politikely feels our pulses which way they beat and accordingly 〈◊〉 us a peny-worth He setts a wedge of gold before covetous Achan a courtezan Cozbi before a voluptuous Zimri a fair preferment before an ambitious Absolom and findes well that a fit 〈◊〉 is half a victory So dealt his agents with those ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were sawn asunder they were tempted saith the Apostle to wit with the proffers of preferment would they but have renounced their religion and done 〈◊〉 to an Idol So the Pope tempted Luther with wealth and honour But all in vain he turned him to God Et valde 〈◊〉 sum saith he me nolle sic satiari abeo he said flat that God should not put him off with these low things Here was a man full of the Spirit 〈◊〉 Christ. The tempter came to Christ but found 〈◊〉 in him that matter was not malleable In vain shall the 〈◊〉 strike fire if we finde not 〈◊〉 In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he knock at the door if we look not out to him at the window Let us but divorce the flesh from the world and the devil can do us no 〈◊〉 Ita cave 〈◊〉 ut cave as 〈◊〉 From that naughty man my self good Lord deliver me said one If thou 〈◊〉 the Son of God As the 〈◊〉 quarrel'd and 〈◊〉 the Law given in Paradise as nought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 he here the voice from heaven as a meer imposture And this he did out of deep and desperate malice for he could not be ignorant nor doubtfull Neither is his dealing otherwise with us many times who are too ready at his instigation to doubt of our spirituall sonne-ship We need not help the tempter by holding it a duty to doubt this is to light a candle before the devil as we use to speak Rather let 〈◊〉 settle and secure this that we are indeed the sons of God and heirs of heaven by passing thorow the narrow womb of repentance that we may be born again and by getting an effectuall faith the property whereof is to adopt as well as to justifie viz. 〈◊〉 objecti by means of Christ the object upon whom faith laieth hold and into whom it engraffs the believer after an unspeakable manner Now ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 26. Ioh. 1. 12. who hath both laid down the price of this greatest priviledge Heb. 9. 15. Gal. 4. 5. and 〈◊〉 it up to us by his Spirit crying Abba Father in our hearts what ever Satan or our own misgiving hearts objects to the contrary Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15. Ephes. 1 13. Command that these 〈◊〉 be made bread And so distrust the providence of God for 〈◊〉 thy body in this hunger help thy self by working a preposterous miracle In this point 〈◊〉 Gods providence for this present life Satan troubled David and Jeremy and so he doth many good souls at this day who can sooner trust God with their souls then with their bodies and for a crown then for 〈◊〉 crust as those Disciples Matth. 16. 8. Verse 4. But 〈◊〉 answered and said It is written With this 〈◊〉 sore and great and strong sword of the Spirit doth the Lord here punish Leviathan that crooked 〈◊〉 serpent Isa. 27. 1. With these 〈◊〉 out of Gods quiver with these pibbles chosen out of the silver streams of the Scriptures doth he prostrate the 〈◊〉 of hell The Word of God hath a 〈◊〉 in it to quail and to quash Satans temptations farre better 〈◊〉 that woodden dagger that leaden sword of the Papists their holy water crossings grains dirty reliques c. It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the crosse but the word of the crosse that overthrows Satan He can no more abide by it then an owl by the shining of the 〈◊〉 Set therefore the Word against the temptation and the sinne is laid Say I must not 〈◊〉 it I may not I dare not for it is forbidden in such a place again in such a place And be sure to have places of Scripture ready 〈◊〉 hand as Saul had his spear and pitcher ready at his head even while he slept that ye 〈◊〉 resist the devil stedfast in the faith grounded on the Word Joseph 〈◊〉 him by remembring the seventh Commandment And David by hiding this Word in 〈◊〉 heart Psal. 1 19. 11. Wicked therefore was that advice of D. Bristow to his Agents to labour still to get here ikes out of their weak and false Castle of holy Scriptures into the plain fields of 〈◊〉 and Fathers The Scriptures are our armoury sarre beyond that of Solomon whether we must resort and furnish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One 〈◊〉 sentence thereof shall doe us more service then all the pretty witty sayings and sentences of Fathers and 〈◊〉 or constitutions of Councels 〈◊〉 liveth not by bread alone Though ordinarily as having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 property inherent in it for such a purpose yet so 〈◊〉 that the operation and successe is guided by Gods power and goodnesse whereon as on a staff this staff of life leaneth A wise woman builds her house Prov. 〈◊〉 1. As the Carpenter laies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the house in his head first and contrives it so doth she 〈◊〉 cast and further the well-doing of her fam ly and 〈◊〉 except the Lord also build the house they labour in vain that build it Psalm 127. 1. So the diligent hand and the blessing of God meeting make 〈◊〉 Prov. 104. and 22. But by every word c. That is by any thing else besides bread 〈◊〉 soever God 〈◊〉 think good whatsoever he shall appoint and give power unto to be nourishment Therefore if bread 〈◊〉 feed on faith Psal. 37. 3. So Junius reads that text Jehosaphat found it soveraign when all other help failed him And the captive Jews lived by faith when they had little else to live upon and 〈◊〉 a good living of it Habak 2. 4. To this Text the Jews seem to allude in that fiction of theirs that Habakkuk was carried by the hair of rhe head by an Angel into Babylon to carry a dinner to Daniel in the den It was by faith that he stopped the mouths of Lions and obtained promises Heb. 11. 33. And by faith that she answered the pers cutours If you take away my meat I trust God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away my stomack 〈◊〉 made the ravens feed Elias that were more likely in that famine to have fed upon his dead car case and another time caused him to go fourty daies in the strength of one meal Merlyn was nourished a fortnight together with one egg a day laid by a hen that came constantly to that hay-mow where he lay hid during the massacre of Paris And who hath not read or heard how by a miracle of his mercy God relieved Rochel in a strait siege by an innumerable company of fishes cast in
Lord arise and his enemies be 〈◊〉 But this is true of the whole word of God which is armour of proof against the devil Thous shalt worship the Lord thy God Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God saith Moses So Matth. 15. 9. with Isa. 29. 13. See Psal. 2. 11. Josh. 24 11. Heb. 12. 27. Solemon sets the 〈◊〉 of God as the basis and beginning of Gods work and worship in the beginning of his works And again in the end of them makes it the end and upshot of all For they that fear the Lord will keep his Covenant Psal. 103. 13 18. Yea they will work hard at it as afraid to be taken with their tasks undone Act. 10. 35. They will give him both the shell of outward adoration and the kernell of inward devotion truly without halting and totally without halfing truly both for matter and manner totally both for subject and object as David who did all the wils of God and with all his heart all the daies of his life The Gentiles could say that God must be worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either to our utmost or not at all And Plutarch compares our duty to a certain fish which eaten sparingly hurteth but being eaten up all is medicinable And him only shalt thou serve With inward worship as before with outward And so God only is to be served for it supposeth omniscience omnipresence and omnipotence which are in none else but God Sunt qui colendi verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictum volunt eò quòd plerunque Dei hominumque cultus cum adulatione hypocrisi est conjunctus Sic à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gallicum nostrate flatter Sic adorare quidam dictum volunt ab ore tamet si mente magis quam ore vera fiat adoratio Quinetiam adorare antiquis idem fuit quod agere Verse 11. Then the devil left him If Christ command him away there 's no abiding for him Here he was foiled and quelled and as it were cast down and killed by Christ our Champion He came into the field like another Goliah cracking and calling craven but ere he went thence was made to hop headlesse as he First a terrour afterward a scorn as it was anciently said of those Chariots armed with sithes and hooks Henceforth therefore though we are ever to expect temptations till such time as we have gotten that great gulf between the devil 〈◊〉 us Luk. 16. 26. Yet fear none of those things that ye shall suffer Behold the devil shall by his imps and instruments cast 〈◊〉 of you not all into prison not into hell that ye may be tried not destroied and ye shall have tribulation ten daies so 〈◊〉 and no longer Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will 〈◊〉 thee a crown of life Satan can look for no Crown he is in perdition already His aim and endeavour is to draw us into the same condemnation This we escape if we resist stedfast in the faith for then he perceives Christ the chief Captain of our salvation to be there and therefore flees his presence ever since he felt his prowesse Chrysostom saith That by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he 〈◊〉 from us no otherwise then if we were so many leones ignem expuentes lions that spet fire It is not silly peoples defying the devil and spetting at his name that avails any thing for 〈◊〉 spet not low enough they spet him not out of their hearts yea they admit him thereinto by yeelding to his suggestions and are miserably foolish as if men should startle at the name of fire and yet not fear to be scorched with the flame thereof Our 〈◊〉 way is to run to Ithiel and Ucal as Agur did to Christ the Authour and finisher of our faith who here gave the devil such an inglorious 〈◊〉 trampled him in the mire triumphed over him and hath promised to tread him under our feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. And loe the Angels came and ministred unto him Perhaps food to 〈◊〉 body as once to Elias but certainly comfort to 〈◊〉 soul as to Jacob Hagar Daniel Zecharias Joseph Cornel us Paul c. Socrates and Theodoret tell us of one Theadorus a 〈◊〉 put to extream torments by Julian the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him when he saw him unconquerable 〈◊〉 tels us that he met with this Martyr a long time after this triall and asked him Whether the pain he felt were not 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 That at first it was somewhat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a while there seemed to stand by him a young man in 〈◊〉 who with a soft and comfortable handkerchief wiped off the sweat of his body which through extream pain and anguish was little 〈◊〉 then bloud and bad him Be of good chear Insomuch as that it was rather a punishment then a pleasure to him to be taken off the rack sith when the tormentours had done the Angel was gone And how many unspeakable comforts ministred the good Angels to the modern Martyrs in their prisons at the stake and in the fire Christ indeed was not comforted by them till the temptation was over but to us they minister many times in the hour of temptation They have power over the devils to restrain them and though invisibly and insensibly are as ready to help and comfort us as the evil Angels to tempt and trouble us else were not our protection equall to our danger and we could neither stand nor rise An Angel stood at Zecharies right hand Luk. 1. 11. as the devil did at Jehoshuahs Zech. 3. 1. to shew how ready and handy they are to defend and support the Saints It was as he was burning incense The Angels are busiest about us when we are in Gods work which to set forth the hangings of the Tabernacle of old were full of 〈◊〉 within and without He said unto him Fear not Zechary The blessed spirits though they doe not often vocally expresse it doe pity our humane frailties and secretly suggest comfort to us when we perceive it not Alway they stand looking on the face of God to receive commandments for the accomplishment of all designs for our good which they have no sooner received then they readily dispatch even with wearinesse of flight as Dan. 9. 〈◊〉 with so much swiftnesse as if they had wearied themselves with fleeing I read of a Frier that undertook to shew to the people a feather of the wing of the Angel Gabriel A plume of whose feathers it might better have become the Pope to send to 〈◊〉 the Irish Rebell then that plume of Phoenix-feathers he sent to honour and encourage him had his holinesse such command over Angels as they say he hath or did he not rather collude in one thing as that Frier did in another Verse 12. Now when Iesus heard that Iohn was cast into prison For Herodias his
upon the 〈◊〉 Pharaoh was so when God extorted from him that confession I have sinned which being gotten off he soon bit in again The word here used in the Originall properly signifieth the Test or Touch-stone where with gold is tried and by a borrowed kinde of speech is applied to all kinde of examination and peculiarly to inquisition by torture so to any pain or painfull diseases as of the palsey lunacy c. in this text and Chap. 8. 6. As also to the torments of hell Luk. 16. 23. whereof sicknesses are but a beginning a fore-taste a very typicall hell to those that have not the fruits of their sicknesse And this is all the fruits 〈◊〉 the taking away of their sinne Isa. 27. I blush not to confesse saith a great Divine of Scotland that I have gained more sound knowledge of God and of my self in this sicknesse then ever I had before Happy 〈◊〉 that draws the sick matter out of the soul. Physicians hold that in every two years there is such store of ill humours and 〈◊〉 ingendred in the body that a vessel of one hundred ounces will scarce contain them Certain it is ther 's a world of wickednesse and superfluity of naughtinesse that bed of spirituall diseases daily gathered and got together in the sinne-sick-sinne-sick-soul which therefore we must labour to purge out by the practice of mortification 〈◊〉 God purge and whiten us to our sorrow by some sharp sicknes as he did Gehezi whose white fore-head had made him a white soul his disease cured him as some are of opinion Possessed with devils Such as whose mindes and senses the devil perverted Those that were lunatike Or such as had the falling-sicknesse as appeareth by those symptomes of this disease set down by 〈◊〉 Matthew Chap. 17. 17. This is otherwise called Morbus sacer For the Priests of old that they might thereby enrich themselves feigned that the gods tormented men with this among other sudden and fearfull diseases Verse 25. And there followed him great multitudes A good house-keeper shall not likely want company O thou that hearest praiers and so sollicitest suters to thee shall all flesh come Christs miracles drew multitudes after him then and should still affect us with admiration and strong affection to the Gospel as the Authour to the Hebrews sheweth Heb. 2. 3 4. CHAP. V. Verse 1. And seeing the multitudes AS sheep without a shepherd or as corn ripe and ready falling as it were into the hands of the harvest-man The children cried for bread and there was none to break it His eye therefore affected his heart and out of deep commiseration He went up into a mountain This Mount was his pulpit as the whole Law was his Text. It is said to be in the Tribe of Nephthali and called Christs mount to this day As Moses went up into a Mount to receive the Law so did Messias to expound it and so must we to contemplate it Sursum corda Winde we up our hearts which naturally bear downward as the poyes of a clock And when he was set Either as being weary or as intending a longer Sermon This at his first onset upon his office and that at his last when he left the world and went to his Father Joh. 14. 15 16 17. being the longest and liveliest that are recorded in the Gospel He preached no doubt many 〈◊〉 many hours together But as his miracles so his oracles are no more of them written then might suffice to make us believe and live through his name As the Prophets of old after they had preached to the people set down the summe of their Sermons the heads only for the use of the Church in all ages So did the Apostles record in their day-books the chief things in our Saviours Sermons out of which they afterwards by the 〈◊〉 and guidance of the Spirit of God framed this holy history His Disciples came unto him To sit at his feet and hear his word Among the Jews the Rabbi sate termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' or the 〈◊〉 the scholar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or one that lieth along in the dust a token of the scholars humility subjecting himself even to the 〈◊〉 of his teacher Thus Mary sate at Jesus feet and heard his word Thus all Gods Saints are said to sit at his feet every one to receive his Word Thus Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a great Doctour in Israel And this custome it is thought Saint Paul laboured to bring into the Christian Church 1 Cor. 14. Verse 2. And he opened his mouth This phrase is not superfluous as some may conceit but betokeneth free and full discourse Ephes. 6. 19. of some weighty and important matter Psal. 78. 26. uttered with great alacrity of spirit and vehemency of speech And taught them saying He taught them sometimes saith Theodoret when he opened not his mouth sc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his holy life and wonderous works A mirrour for Ministers who as they should open their mouths with wisdom Heaven never opened in the Revelation but some great matter followed so their lips should be consonant to the tenour of their teaching a very visible Comment on the audible word Timothy must be a stamp a standard a patern a president to the believers both in word and conversation Aaron must have both bels and pomegranates on his vesture And Ministers should as Gideons souldiers carry trumpets of sound doctrine in one hand and lamps of good living in the other There should be a happy harmony a constant consent between their lips and their lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their doctrine and conversation may run parallel as Isidor saith in one place or as he hath it more emphatically in another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their preaching may have life put into it by their practice Nolite saith one magis eloqui magna quam vivere Vivite concionibus concionamini moribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic vocalissimi eritis praecones etiam cum tacetis Speak not but live Sermons preach by your practice the life of teaching is the life of the teacher Verse 3. Blessed The word signifieth such as are set out of the reach of evil in a most joyous condition having just cause to be everlastingly merry as being beati re spe blessed in hand and in hope and such as shall shortly transire à spe ad speciem for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven They are already 〈◊〉 of it as by turff and twig There were eighty opinions among Heathens about mans blessednesse These did but beat the bush God hath given us the bird in this golden Sermon Are the poor in spirit Beggars in spirit such as have nothing at all of their own to support them but being nittily needy and not having as we say a crosse wherewith to blesse
became a bitter enemy to the truth that he had profesled 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 4. 14 15. Faelix 〈◊〉 an Anabaptist of 〈◊〉 being put to death for his obstinacy and ill practices at Tigure praised God that had called him to the sealing up of his truth with his blood was animated to constancy by his mother and brother and ended his life with these words Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit What could any hearty Hooper trusty Taylour or sincere 〈◊〉 have said or done more in such a case It is not then the suffering but the suffering for righteousnesse sake that proveth a man 〈◊〉 and entitleth him to heaven The Philistims died by the fall of the house as well as Samson sed diver so fine ac fato as one saith Christ and the theeves were in the same condemnation Similis paena sed aissimilis causa saith Austin their punishment was all alike but not their cause Baltasar 〈◊〉 the Burgundian that slew the Prince of Orange 1584. Iun. 30. endured very grievous torments But it was pertinacy in him rather then patience stupidity of sense not a solidity of faith a wretchlesse disposition not a confident resolution Therefore no heaven followed upon it because he suffered not as a Martyr but as a malefactour For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Surely if there be any way to heaven on horseback it is by the crosse said that Martyr that was hasting thither in a fiery charet The Turks account all them whom the Christians kill in battell Mahometan Saints and Martyrs assigning them a very high place in Paradise In some parts of the West-Indies there is an opinion in grosse that the soul is immortall and that there is a life after this life where beyond certain hills they know not where those that died in defence of their countrey should remain after death in much blessednesse which opinion made them very valiant in their fights Should not the assarance of Heaven make us valiant for the truth should we not suffer with joy the spoiling of our goods yea the losse of our lives for life eternall should we not look up to the recompence of reward to Christ the authour and finisher of our faith who stands over us in the encounter as once over Stephen with a Crown on his head and another in his hand and saith Vincenti Dabo to him that overcommeth will I give this Surely this son of David will shortly remove us from the ashes of our forlorn 〈◊〉 to the Hebron of our peace and glory This son of Jesse will give every one of us not fields and vineyards but Crowns Scepters Kingdoms glories beauties c. The expectation of this blessed day this nightlesse day as one calleth it must as it did with Davids souldiers all the time of their banishment digest all our sorrows and make us in the midst of miseries for Christ to over-abound exceedingly with joy as Paul did Q. Elizabeths government was so much the more happy and welcome because it 〈◊〉 upon the stormy times of Q Mary She came as a fresh spring after a sharpe winter and brought the ship of England from a troublous and tempestuous sea to a safe and quiet harbour So will the Lord Christ do for all his persecuted people Ye see said Bilney the Martyr and they were his last words to one that exhorted him to be constant and take his death patiently ye see saith he when the mariner is entred his ship to sail on the troublous sea how he for a while is tossed in the billows of the same but yet in hope that he shall once come to the quiet haven he beareth in better comfort the troubles that he feeleth So am I now towards this sayling and whatsoever storms I shall feel yet shortly after shall my ship be in the haven as I doubt not thereof by the grace of God c. Lo this was that that held the good mans head above water the hope of Heaven And so it did many others whom it were easie to instance Elizabeth Cooper Martyr being condemned and at the stake with Simon Miller when the fire came unto her she a little shranke thereat crying once ha When Simon heard the same he put his hand behind him toward her and willed her to be strong and of good chear For good sister said 〈◊〉 we shall have a joyfull and sweet supper Whereat she being strengthned stood as still and as quiet as one most glad to finish that good course Now I take my leave of you writeth William Tims Martyr in a letter to a friend of his a little before his death till we meet in Heaven And hie you after I have tarried a great 〈◊〉 for you And seeing you be so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you You shall finde me merrily 〈◊〉 Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth at my journies end c. And I cannot here let slip that golden 〈◊〉 wherewith those 40 Martyrs mentioned by St Basil comforted one another when they were cast out naked all night in the winter and were to be burned the next morrow Sharpe is the winter said they but sweet is Paradice painfull is the frost but joyfull the fruition that followeth it Wait but a while and the Patriarks 〈◊〉 shall cherish us After one night we shall lay hold upon eternall life Let our 〈◊〉 feel the fire for a season that we may for ever walke arm in arm with Angels let our hands fall off that they may for ever be lifted up to the praise of the Almighty c. Verse 11. Blesse are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of 〈◊〉 against you falsly for my sake There are tongue-smiters as well as hand-smiters such as maligne and molest Gods dearest children as well with their virulent tongues as violent hands Such as will revile you saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 and upbraid you with your profession hit you in teeth with your God as they dealt by David and that went as a murthering weapon to his soul and 〈◊〉 your precisenesse and 〈◊〉 in your dish This is the force of the first word Further they shall persecute you eagerly pursue and follow you hot-foot as the hunter doth his prey The word betokeneth a keen and eager pursuit of any other whether by law or by the sword whether by word or deed For 〈◊〉 also are persecutours as Ismael and for such shall be arraigned Jude 15. And cruell mockings and scourgings are set together by the Authour to the Hebrews as much of a kinde chap. 11. 35. Especially when as it follows in the text they shall say all manner of evil against you call you all to peeces and thinke the worst word in their bellies too good for you This is collaterall blasphemy blasphemy in the second table
flasheth in their faces The nearer any man draws to God the more rottennesse he findeth in his bones Abraham is dust and ashes Iob abhorreth himself in dust and ashes Isaiah cryes Woe is me for I am 〈◊〉 Peter Depart from me I am a sinfull man All these had right 〈◊〉 of Gods greatnesse and this is that that is required so oft in Scripture under the tearm of magnifying God when we get him into our hearts in his own likenesse and enlarge his room there when we take him into our thoughts under the notion of a great King when we get so far as to conceive of him above all creatures far above all the glory that can be found in earthly 〈◊〉 and Potentates Thinke of God as one not to be thought of and when you have thought your 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 affirmeth concerning Socrates described by Plato and desireth of his Readers concerning Lucius Crassus that they would imagin far greater things of them then they finde written so assure your selves your highest apprehensions of God fall infinitely short of his incomparable and incomprehensible greatnesse And if he could adde If any think me overlavish in their commendation it is because he never heard them or cannot judge of them How much more may we 〈◊〉 the same of this blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting 〈◊〉 Verse 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head That is by thy 〈◊〉 which is the life of our lives say some by thy life say others which is a sweet blessing for a living dogge is better men a d ad Lyon yea though full of crosses yet why is living man sorrowfull q d. it is a mercy that amidst all his crosses he 〈◊〉 yet alive 〈◊〉 is yet alive I have enough saith Iacob They told 〈◊〉 of his honour he speaks of his life Life is better then honour and is not therefore to be laid to pawn upon every light occasion as they that to often use As I live and As true as I live whereof something before Because thou 〈◊〉 not make one hair c. God is great in great things saith St Augustine and not little in the smallest What lesse then an hair yet in making a hair white or black Gods power appeareth The devil can as little create a hair of the head as he 〈◊〉 of old a louse in the land of Egypt There are miracles 〈◊〉 in mans body to fill a volume It is the Image of God and a little world an epitome of the visible world as his soul is of the invisible The Idea or example of the great world which was in God from all eternity is as it were briefly and summarily exprest by God in man Hence Man is called every creature Go preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. as if there were none to him none besides him A Philosopher could say There is nothing great in earth besides man And an Oratour The greatest thing in the least room is a good soul in a mans body Man saith the Poet is the master-peece of the wisest Workman he is saith the 〈◊〉 the fairest peece of the chiefest Architect the very miracle of daring nature saith Trismegist Galen a profane Physician after he had described the nature and parts of mans body was forced to sing a hymne to that God that he knew not And St Augustine complaineth that men can admire the height of the hills the 〈◊〉 of the waves the compasse of the ocean and the circumvolution of the starrs and yet not once marke nor admire the power and goodnesse of God shining in their own souls and bodies as in a mirrour Fearfully and wonderfully am I made saith David yea and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth that is in my mothers womb Psal. 139. 13 14 15. A councel was called in Heaven when man was to be formed Let us make man Gen. 1. 26. And were not the birth of a childe so common should it fall out but once in an age people would run together to see it as to a miracle Pliny wondereth at the Gnat so small a creature yet making so great a buzz ng and so 〈◊〉 at the 〈◊〉 He also 〈◊〉 mention of one that spent 58 years in searching out the nature of the 〈◊〉 and could not in all that space attain to the full of it What a shame is it for us not to see God in every creature in our selves especially and every the least part of us There is not a hair upon our heads white or black but hath God for the maker and God for the Master too Let those that pride themselves in their hair think what a heavy account 〈◊〉 made to God for that sin Long hair in women is a token of modesty But modesty grows short in men as their hair grows long saith one And 〈◊〉 speaking of the 〈◊〉 and crisped youths of his time 〈◊〉 us that they had more care of their locks then of their limmes and had rather the common-wealth should be disturbed then their frizzled tresses disheveled Pompey was taxed for this neat nicety Unico digitulo caput scalpit And of Helen too curious of her hair at her mothers funerall the Poet bringeth in one that saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is old Helen still no changeling in all this space The holy women of old durst not adorn themselves with plaited or broided hair as St Peter testifieth but trusted in God and decked themselves with a meek and quiet spirit And doth not nature it self teach us saith St Paul that it is a shame to a man to 〈◊〉 long hair It is objected That the Apostle intends such 〈◊〉 as is as long as womens But it is answered That Homer 〈◊〉 the same word of 〈◊〉 Greeks calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 they did not wear 〈◊〉 hair long as womens But as it is a shame to 〈◊〉 it so it is a sin to swear by it whether long or short white or black 〈◊〉 helps it to say The matter is but small we swear by For first it is a forsaking of God and count you that a small matter Compare Jer. 5. 7. with Jer. 2. 12 13. 〈◊〉 The more 〈◊〉 and vile the thing is a man 〈◊〉 by the greater is the oath 〈◊〉 he ascribeth that to a vile creature which is proper to God only so to know the heart to be a discerner of secrets and an a venger of falshood And if a man may 〈◊〉 swear by his hairs much 〈◊〉 by his faith and troth that are much more precious and to 〈◊〉 by them so oft and ordinary what doth it argue but that we are low brought
not know what thy right-hand doth there 's no losse in that Some talents are best improved by being laid up A treasure that is hid is safer from theeves Steal we therefore benefits upon men as Joseph did the money into the sacks And as he made a gain of the 〈◊〉 and bought AEgypt so may we of the poor we relieve and buy heaven Luke 46. 9. Rom. 2. 10. Verse 4. Thy father that seeth in secret And best accepteth of secret service Cant. 2. 14. O thou that art in the clefts of the rocks let me see thy face let me hear thy voice c. He is all 〈◊〉 he searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins those most abstruse and remotest parts of the body seats of lust And as he is himself a Spirit so he loveth to be served like himself in Spirit and in truth He sets his eyes upon such as the word here signifieth he looketh wishtly fixedly steddily he seeth thorow and thorow our secret services not to finde faults in them for so he may soon do not a few but those he winks at where the heart is upright but to reward them as a liberall pay-master rich to all that 〈◊〉 upon him or do him any other businesse Who is there even 〈◊〉 you that shuts the door for nought that kindleth fire upon mine altar 〈◊〉 nought Mal. 1. 10. that gives a cup of cold water and hath not his reward David would not serve God on free cost but was he not paid for his pains and had his cost in again with 〈◊〉 ere the Sunne went down Let him but resolve to 〈◊〉 his sins and God or ere he can do it forgiveth him the iniquity of his sinne that in it that did most gall and grieve him 〈◊〉 him but purpose to build God a house God promiseth thereupon for his good intentions to build David an house for ever So little is there lost by any thing that is done or suffered for God He sends a way his servants that do his work many times and the world never the 〈◊〉 as Boaz did Ruth with their bosome full of blessings as David did 〈◊〉 with a royall 〈◊〉 as Solomon did the Queen of Sheba with all the desire of her heart as Caleb did his daughter Achsah with upper and nether springs or as once he did Moses from the Mount with 〈◊〉 face shining He shone bright but knew not of it yea he 〈◊〉 his glorified face with a vail and had more glory by his 〈◊〉 then by his face How farre are those spirits from this which care only to be seen And sleighting Gods secret approbation 〈◊〉 only to 〈◊〉 others eyes with admiration not caring for unknown riches Our Saviour besides the vail of his humanity saies See you tell no man It s enough for him that he can 〈◊〉 to his father I have 〈◊〉 thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do His work he accounts 〈◊〉 gift 〈◊〉 wages he looks for in another world vers 5. He was content his treasures of wisdome should be hid Colos. 2. 3. And shall we fret our selves when our pittances of piety and charity are not admired 〈◊〉 it not enough for us that we shall appear with him in glory and then be rewarded openly Shall reward thee openly I but when at the resurrection of the just Luk. 14. 14. at that great assize and generall Assembly he will make honourable mention in the hearing of Angels and men of all the good deeds of his children How they have fed the hungry clothed the naked c. that which they had utterly forgotten not so much as once mentioning their misdoings Matth. 25. Yea he shall take them to heaven with him where the poor mens hands have built him a house afore hand and they shall receive him into everlasting habitations But what shall he do in the me an while Feed on faith as some read that text Psal. 37. 3. 〈◊〉 upon reversions 〈◊〉 but while the grasse grows the 〈◊〉 starves But so cannot a mercifull man for he shall have 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 7. Such a mercy as rejoyceth against judgement Yea he that can tender mercy to God may challenge 〈◊〉 from God by vertue of his promise as David doth Preserve 〈◊〉 ô God for I am mercifull Psal. 86. 2. 〈◊〉 he shall obtain 1. In his soul which shall be like a watered garden fresh and flourishing For the liberall soul 〈◊〉 be made fat Prov. 〈◊〉 25. and he that watereth shall be watered himself The spirits of wealth distilled in good works comfort the conscience 2. So they do the body too when sick and languishing Psal. 41. 2 3. Mercy is the best cordiall a pillow of repose a 〈◊〉 remedy For if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry thy health shall spring forth speedily Isa. 58. 3. For his name the liberall are renowned in the earth as Abraham that free-hearted house-keeper or peny-father and Obadiah that hid and fed the Prophets by fifty in a cave Zacheus and Cornelius Gaius and Onesiphorus how precious are their names How sweet their remembrance Who honours not the memoriall of Mary for her Spikenard and of Dorcas for her coats and garments Whereas the vile person shall no more be called liberall in Christs Kingdom nor Nabal Nadib the churl bountifull 4. For his estate The most gainfull art is 〈◊〉 giving saith Chrysostome The poor mans bosom and the Orphans mouth are the surest chest saith another Whatsoever we scatter to the poor we gather for our selves saith a third What we give to the poor we lend to the Lord who accounts himself both 〈◊〉 and ingaged thereby Prov. 19. 17. Neither will he fail to blesse the liberall mans stock and store Deut. 15. 10. so that his righteousnesse and his riches together shall endure for ever Psal. 〈◊〉 2. 3. 5 Lastly His seed shall be mighty upon earth vers 21. The son of such a tenant that paid his rent duly shall not be 〈◊〉 out of his farm Psal 37. 26. And that Proverb is proved false by common experience Happy is that sonne whose father goeth to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 il-gotten goods usually come to nothing the third heir seldome enjoyeth them unlesse it be here and there one that by repentance breaketh off and healeth his fathers sinne by mercifulnesse to the poor that the property may be altered and so his 〈◊〉 lengthned Oh therefore that rich men would be rich in good 〈◊〉 ready to distribute willing to 〈◊〉 which was a peece of praise used to be ascribed to the ancient Kings of AEgypt This this were the way To lay up for themselves a sure 〈◊〉 yea to lay fast hold on eternall life when those that with-hold their very crums 〈◊〉 not obtain a drop with Dives whom to vex and upbraid Lazarus was laid in the bosome of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 5. And when thou praiest A duty of
I can tell you shall receive power after that the holy 〈◊〉 is come upon you But many times God is graciously pleased not only to grant a mans prayer but also to fullfill his counsell that is in that very way and by that very means that his thoughts 〈◊〉 on But say he doe neither of 〈◊〉 yet the very ability to pray 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Ghost is a sweet and sure signe of salvation Rom. 10. 13. And a very grave Divine writeth thus I cannot but prefer 〈◊〉 prayers for some temporall mercy far before that mercy for which I pray Yea I had rather God should give me the gift of prayer then without that gift the whole world besides As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are ita congregabiles saith another Divine of good note so very good-fellows that they cannot spare so much time out of company as to seek God apart and to serve him in secret they sufficiently shew themselves thereby to have little fellowship or 〈◊〉 with God whom they 〈◊〉 seldom come at Verse 7. But when ye 〈◊〉 use not vain repetitions Babble not bubble not saith the 〈◊〉 as water out of a narrow 〈◊〉 vessel Doe not iterate or inculcate the same things 〈◊〉 ad nauseam as Solomons fool who is full of words saith he and this 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his vain 〈◊〉 A man 〈◊〉 not tell what shall be and what shall be after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a one also was that Battus to whom the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath relation an egregious babbler In common 〈◊〉 a signe of 〈◊〉 to lay on more words upon a 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more in prayer Take we 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 not the sacrifice of fools God hath no need of 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 21. 15. with Psal. 5. 5. He is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles. 5. 2. Prayers move God not as an Oratour moves his hearers but as a childe his father your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things ver 8. Now a childe is not to chat to his father but to deliver his minde humbly earnestly in few direct to the point S. Peter 〈◊〉 have men to be sober in prayer that is to pray with due respect to Gods dreadfull majesty without trifling or vain babling He that is 〈◊〉 in spirit prayes much though he speak little as the Publican Luk. 18. and Elias 1 King 20. 36. But as a body without a soul much wood without fire a bullet in a gun without powder so are words in prayer without spirit Now long prayers can hardly maintain their vigour as in tall bodies the spirits are diffused The strongest hand long extended will languish as Moses hand slacked against Amalec It s a praise proper to God to have his hand stretcht out still Our infirmity suffers not any long intention of body or minde Our devotion will soon lag and hang the wing others also that join with us may be tired out and made to sinne by 〈◊〉 and wandrings In secret indeed and in extraordinary prayer with solemn fasting or so when the heart is extraordinarily enlarged our prayers may and must be like wise Solomon prayed long at the dedication of the Temple so did those godly Levites Neh. 9. Our Saviour prayed all night sometimes and rising up a great while before day he went apart and prayed Mar. 1. 35. Of Luther it is reported that he spent constantly three houres a day in prayer and three of the 〈◊〉 houres and fittest for study It was the saying of a grave and godly Divine that he profited in the knowledge of the word more by prayer in a short space then by study in a longer That which our Saviour condemneth is needlesse and heartlesse repetitions unnecessary digressions 〈◊〉 prolixities proceeding not from heat of affection or strength of desire for so the repetition of the self-same petition is not only lawfull but usefull See Psal. 142. 1. and 130. 6. but either out of ostentation of devotion as Pharisees or opinion of being heard the sooner as Heathens when mens words exceed their matter or both words and matter exceed their attention and affection See that these be matches and then pray and spare not For they thinke they shall be heard for their much speaking As Orpheus in his hymnes and other Pagans calling as the Mariners in Jonah every man upon his God and lest they should not hit the right closing their petitions with that Dijque Deaeque omnes And as this was the folly and fault of Pagans so is it also still of the Papists whom the holy Ghost calleth Heathens with whom they 〈◊〉 as in many things else so in their Battologies or vain repetitions which are so grosse 〈◊〉 the devil himself had he any shame in him might well be a shamed of them In their Jesus 〈◊〉 as they call it there are fifteen of these prayers 〈◊〉 Iesu 〈◊〉 have mercy on me Iesu Iesu Iesu help me Iesu Iesu give me here my purgatory Every of which petitions are to be ten 〈◊〉 times at once said over for a task So on their Church and Colledge-doors the English fugitives have written in great golden letters Iesu Iesu converte Angliam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These be their weapons they say prayers and tears But the truth is the 〈◊〉 the Popes bloud-hounds trust more to the 〈◊〉 then to their prayers like vultures whose nests as Aristotle saith cannot be found yet they will leave all games to follow an Army because they delight to feed upon carrion Their faction is a most 〈◊〉 sharp sword whose blade is sheathed at pleasure in the bowels of every Common-wealth but the handle reacheth to Rome and Spain They strive under pretence of long prayers and 〈◊〉 sanctity 〈◊〉 is double iniquity to subdue all to the Pope and the Pope to themselves Satan they say sent Luther and God sent them to withstand him But that which 〈◊〉 said of chariots armed with sithes and hooks will be every day more and more applied to the Jesuits at first they were a terrour afterward a scorn Verse 8. Be not ye therefore like unto them God would not have his Israel conform to the Heathens customs nor so much as once name their Idols Exod. 23. 13. Psal. 16. 4. No more should Christians as some are of opinion That of Cardinall Bembus is somewhat grosse concerning their St Francis quòd in 〈◊〉 Deorum ab Ecclesia Romana sit relatus But this is like the rest For if we may beleeve Baronius we may see their lustrall water and sprinkling of 〈◊〉 in Iuvenals sixth Satyre lights in sepulchres in Suetonius his Octavius lampes lighted on Saturday in 〈◊〉 96. Epistle distribution of tapers among the people in Macrob. Saturnals c. For your heavenly father knoweth what things ye need c. And therefore answereth many times
〈◊〉 to the Lord c. while the 〈◊〉 fought the rest of the 〈◊〉 with their Ministers made their hearty praier to God with sighes and tears and that from the morning to the evening when night was come they assembled again together They which had fought rehearsed Gods wonderfull aid and succour and so all together rendered thanks Alway he turned their 〈◊〉 into joy In the morning trouble and affliction appeared before them with great terrour on all sides but by the evening they were delivered and had great cause of 〈◊〉 and comfort Verse 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth This is the fourth common-place handled here by our Saviour of casting away the inordinate care of earthly things which he presseth upon all by nine severall arguments to the end of the Chapter By treasures here are meant worldly wealth in abundance precious things stored up as silver gold pearls c. All 〈◊〉 are but earth and it is but upon earth 〈◊〉 they are laid up What is silver and gold but white and yellow earth And what are pearls and precious stones but the guts and garbage of the earth Dan. 2. 45. The stone brake in pieces the iron the brasse the clay and silver c. The Prophet breaks the 〈◊〉 order of speech for clay iron brasse silver c. to intimate as some conceive that silver is clay by an elegant allusion in the Chaldee should we load our selves with thick clay Surcharge our hearts with cares of this life Luke 21. 34 Gen. 13. 2. It is said Abraham was 〈◊〉 rich in cattel in silver and in gold There is a Latine translation that hath it Abraham was very heavy And the originall indifferently beareth both to shew saith one that riches are a heavy burden and a hinderance many times to heaven and happinesse They that have this burden upon their backs can as hardly get in at the straight gate as a Camel or Cable into a needle and that because they trust in their riches as our Saviour 〈◊〉 expounds himself and here plainly intimates when he 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 up 〈◊〉 providing thereby for hereafter 〈◊〉 to morrow so 〈◊〉 word 〈◊〉 and thinking themselves 〈◊〉 the safer and the 〈◊〉 for their outward abundance 〈◊〉 the rich fool did The rich mans wealth is his strong City saith 〈◊〉 his wedge his confidence his gold his god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul calleth him an Idolater S. James an 〈◊〉 because he 〈◊〉 God of his flower his trust and goeth a whoring after 〈◊〉 vanities he soweth the winde and reapeth the whirlwinde 〈◊〉 treasureth up wealth but withall wrath Jam. 5 3. and by 〈◊〉 all sish that commeth to net he catcheth at length the 〈◊〉 and all Hence it is that S. James bids such and not 〈◊〉 cause Weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon them 〈◊〉 looks upon them as deplored persons and such as the 〈◊〉 could call and count incurable and desperate For the heart 〈◊〉 is first turned into earth and mud will afterwards freeze and 〈◊〉 into steel and adamant The Pharisees that were covetous 〈◊〉 Christ and perished irrecoverably And reprobates are 〈◊〉 by S. Peter to have their hearts exercised with covetous practices which they constantly follow as the Artificer his trade being 〈◊〉 apprentices to the devil 2 Cor. 2. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage against us or 〈◊〉 us as covetous wretches do 〈◊〉 novices These as they have served an ill Master so they shall receive the reward of unrighteousnesse and perish in their corruptions 2 Pet. 2. 12 13. Their happinesse hath been laid up in the earth nearer hell then heaven nearer the devil then God whom they have forsaken 〈◊〉 shall they be written in the earth that is in hell as it stands opposed to having their names written in heaven Those that are earthly minded have damnation for their end God to testifie his displeasure knocks his fists at them Ezek. 22. 13. as Balac did at Balaam And lest they should reply Tush these 〈◊〉 but big words devised on 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 silly people we shall do well enough with the Lord he addeth vers 14. Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the daies that I shall deal with thee I the Lord have spoken it and will doe it Oh that cur greedy muck-moles that lie rooting and poring 〈◊〉 the earth as if they meant to dig themselves thorow it a nearer way to hell would consider this before the cold grave holds their bodies and hot Tophet 〈◊〉 their souls 〈◊〉 the one is as sure as the other if timely course be not taken O 〈◊〉 nequam saith S. Bernard O most wretched and 〈◊〉 world how little are thy 〈◊〉 beholden to thee seeing thy love and friendship exposeth 〈◊〉 to the wrath and 〈◊〉 of God which burneth as low as 〈◊〉 nethermost hell How fitly may it be said of thee as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the river 〈◊〉 they that know it at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it they that have experience of it at last doe not 〈◊〉 cause condemn it Those that will be rich are resolved to get rem rem 〈◊〉 modo rem as he saith these 〈◊〉 necessarily 〈◊〉 many noisome lusts that drown men in 〈◊〉 desperately drown them in remedilesse misery as 〈◊〉 word signifieth Christ must be praid to be gone saith that 〈◊〉 lest all their pigs be drowned The devil shall have his dwelling 〈◊〉 gain in themselves rather then in their pigs Therefore to the 〈◊〉 shall they go and dwell with him c. They feed upon carrion 〈◊〉 Noahs raven upon dust as the Serpent upon the worlds 〈◊〉 as those in Job They swallow down riches and are 〈◊〉 as the Pharisees Luk. 11. 41. but they shall vomit them 〈◊〉 again God shall cast them out of their bellies Their mouths 〈◊〉 cried Give Give with the horse-leech shall be filled ere long with a shovell-full of mould and a cup of fire and brimstone 〈◊〉 down their wide gullets It shall be worse with them 〈◊〉 it was once with the covetous Chaliph of Babylon who being 〈◊〉 together with his City by Haalon brother to Mango the great Chan of T 〈◊〉 was sit by him 〈◊〉 the middest of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he and his predecessours had most 〈◊〉 heaped up together and bidden of that gold silver and 〈◊〉 stones take what it pleased him to eat saying by way of 〈◊〉 That so gainfull a guest should be fed with the best whereof he willed him to make no spare The covetons Caitiff kept for certain daies miserably died for hunger in the midst of those things whereof he thought he should never have had enough whereby he hoped to secure himself against whatsoever dearth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loveth to confute carnall men in their 〈◊〉 They shall passe on hardly bestead and hungery and it shall come to 〈◊〉 that when
the heart to the very dividing and disturbing thereof causing a man inordinately and over-eagerly to pursue his desires and to perplex himself like wise with 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 thoughts about successe Now our Lord Christ would have none of his servants to care inordinately about any thing but that when they have done what they can in obedience to him they should leave the whole matter of good or evil successe to his care To care about the issue of our lawfull endeavours is to usurp upon God to trench farre into his prerogative divine to take upon us that which is proper to him And it is no lesse a fault to invade Gods part then to neglect our own Adde hereunto that God out of his wise justice ceaseth caring for such an one and because he will not be beholden to God to bear his burthen he shall bear it alone to the 〈◊〉 of his back or it least till he is much bowed and 〈◊〉 under it If we 〈◊〉 such as will put no trust in us but love to stand upon their own ground we give them good leave as contrarily the more we see our selves trusted to 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carefull for them that stay upon us Thus it is with 〈◊〉 heavenly Father Saying what 〈◊〉 we eat 〈◊〉 Our Saviour by these distrustful Questions graphically expresseth the condition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their endlesse projects and discourses in the air They are full of words and many questions what they 〈◊〉 doe and how they and theirs shall be provided for They haven ver done either 〈◊〉 themselves or consulting to no purpose in things that either cannot be done at all or not otherwise And so some understand that of our Saviour Luk. 12 29. Hang not in doubtfull suspences after he had brought in the rich fool vers 17. reasoning and saying What shall I doe c. And Solomon brings in such another fool full of words and he recites his words A 〈◊〉 cannot tell 〈◊〉 shall be and what shall be after him who can tell Eccles. 10. 14. And in the next Chapter ver 1. and so forward he makes answer to many of these mens 〈◊〉 queries and 〈◊〉 when moved to works of mercy Old men specially are 〈◊〉 of this weaknesse who are apt to cark because they 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they shall not have enough to keep them and bring them well home as they call it whence some conceive that covetousnesse is called The root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. because as there is life in the root when no sap in the branches so covetousnesse oft liveth when other vices die and decay It groweth as they say the Crocodile doth as long as he liveth Verse 32. For after all these things doe the Gentiles seek With whom if you should symbolize in sins or not exceed in vertue it were a shame to you They studiously seek these things they seek them with all their might as being without God in the world and therefore left by him to shift for themselves When we observe a young man toiling and moiling running and riding and not missing a market c. we easily guesse and gather that he is fatherlesse and friendlesse and hath none other to take care for him Surely this immoderate care is better beseeming infidels that know not God but rest wholly upon themselves and their own means then Christians who acknowledge God most wise and all-sufficient to be their loving father As we differ 〈◊〉 Heathens in profession so we should in practice and a grosse businesse it is that Jerusalem should justifie Sodom and it should be said unto her Neither hath Samaria committed half af thy sinnes but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more then they Ezek. 16. 51. Such as have hope in this life only what marvell if 〈◊〉 labour their 〈◊〉 to make their best of it Now many of the poor Pagans believed not the immortality of the soul and those few of them that dreamt of another life beyond this yet 〈◊〉 of it very 〈◊〉 and scarce believed themselves Socrates the wisest of Heathens spake thus to his friends at his death the time is now come that I must die and you survive but whether is the better of these two the gods only know and not any man living that 's mine opinion But we have not so learned Christ neither must we do as Heathens and alients from the Common-wealth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now in Christ 〈◊〉 we who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by his bloud and have an accesse through him by one spirit to the 〈◊〉 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all 〈◊〉 things Not with a bare barren notionall knowledge but with a fatherly tender care to provide for his own in all their necessities which who so doth not he judgeth him worse then an infidel We need not be carefull of our maintenance here in our 〈◊〉 and none-age nor yet for our eternall inheritance when we come to full age We are cared for in every thing that we need and that can be good for us Oh happy we did we but know our happiness How might we live in a very heaven upon earth could we but live by faith and walk before God with a perfect heart He made himself known to be our gracious and 〈◊〉 father before we were born And did we but seriously consider who kept and fed us in our mothers womb Psal. 22. 9 10. when neither we could shift for our selves nor our 〈◊〉 do ought for us how he filled us two bottles with milk against we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light bore us in his arms as a nursing-father Numb 11. 13. fed us clothed us kept us from fire and water charged his Angels with us 〈◊〉 all windes to blow good to us Cant. 4. 16. all creatures to serve us Hos 2. 21 22 23. and all occurrences to work together for our good how could 〈◊〉 but be confident Why art thou so sad from day to day and what is it thou 〈◊〉 or needest Art not thou the Kings sonne said Jonadab to Amnon say I to every godly Christian. Profane 〈◊〉 could go to his father for a childes portion so could the Prodigall 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 and had it Every childe of God shall 〈◊〉 a Benjamins portion here and at length power over all 〈◊〉 Revel 2. 26. and possession of that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. Either 〈◊〉 disclaim God for your Father or else rest confident of his fatherly provision Certa mihi spes est quod vitam qui dedit idem Et velit possit suppedit are cibum God that giveth mouths will not fail to give meat also Verse 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his 〈◊〉 That as the end 〈◊〉 as the means for grace is the way to glory 〈◊〉 to happinesse If men be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no heaven to be
miscarry 1 Cor. 13. 2. And here such as work wonders may deceive themselves in the main point of their own salvation how much more may they deceive others in this or that particular point of doctrine The coming of Antichrist is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceavablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish Lying wonders they are called in regard not onely of the end which is to deceave but of the substance For the devil cannot do a true miracle which is ever beside and against nature and second causes 〈◊〉 as whereof there can be no naturall reason possibly rendred no though it be hid from us The devil I say cannot do a 〈◊〉 He may juggle and cast a mist. St Hierom writes that a certain damosell was brought to Macarius by her father who complained that his daughter was by witch-craft turned into a mare Macarius answered that he could see no such thing in her nothing but humane shape and that their eies that thought and said so were blinded by Satan wherefore turning himself to prayer he obtained that the mist might be removed from the parents eies and 〈◊〉 they saw their mistake The like is reported of Mr Tindall the Martyr that being at Antwerp among a company of merchants he hindred by his presence and prayers a certain jugler that he could not play his feats so that he was compelled openly to confesse that there was some man there at supper that disturbed and 〈◊〉 all his doings So that a man even in the Martyrs of these daies saith Mr Fox cannot lack the miracles of true faith if they were to be desired Oye Papists said Bainham in the midst of the flame 〈◊〉 you look for miracles here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain then if I were in a bed of 〈◊〉 it is to me as a bed of roses But the devil is ashamed saith Gretser the Jesuite to confirm Luthers doctrine with miracles We could tell him and his fellows of 〈◊〉 recovered out of a desperate disease by Luthers prayers which Myconius acknowledged for a miracle to his dying day And of another young man of Wittenberg that had sold himself to the devil body and soul for mony and sealed the obligation with his own blood But was delivered by Luthers prayers out of the danger of the 〈◊〉 who was compelled saith Mr Fox at last to throw in the 〈◊〉 at the window and bad the young man take it unto him again But he that now requireth miracles for the confirmation of his faith is himself a great miracle saith Austin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they came into Canaan as if it would 〈◊〉 ye need no miracles now you have means The wonderfull 〈◊〉 of Luther that man of God amidst so many 〈◊〉 enemies the publishing and carrying of his doctrine in the space of a moneth throughout all Germany and some forraine 〈◊〉 as it were upon Angels wings the establishing of the Reformation to be done by so weak and simple means yea by casuall and crosse means against the force of so puissant and publike an 〈◊〉 this is that miracle which we are in these times to look for Verse 23. And then will I professe unto them I never knew you No not when you professed most love to me and did me to see to greatest service I knew you well enough for black sheep or rather for reprobate goats I knew you for hirelings and hypocrites but I never knew you with a speciall knowledge of love delight and complacency I never acknowledged approved and accepted of your persons and performances see Psal. 1. 6. Rom. 11. 2. Gods sharp nose doth easily discern and is offended with the stinking breath of the hypocrites rotten lungs though his words be never so sented and perfumed though his deeds be never so mantled and masked with shews of holinesse God utterly disowns and disavows all such for if any man have not the spirit of God saith Paul the same is none of his be he whose he wil be And whereas he naturally delights in mercy yet he will by no means clear the guilty yea he will 〈◊〉 at their destruction and laugh when their fear cometh He will spue them out of his mouth Ah he will ease him of his adversaries and be as well apaid thereof as a man is that hath rid his stomack of the surfet or sick matter that clogg'd it Depart from me Oh direfull and dreadfull 〈◊〉 such as shall make their very heartstrings crack not their earest ngle onely and their hearts fall asunder in their bosomes like drops of water Surely if the gentle voice of God in the coole of 〈◊〉 day were so terrible to our first parents And if his sweet voice in the preaching of the Gospel of grace be so formidable to the wicked that Felix trembled and the stoutest are quailed the edge of their fury is rebated their hearts often ake and quake within them what will they do when the Lion of the tribe of Judah shall roar out upon them this fearfull Discedite that breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone stings and horrors woe and alas seas of vengeance and the worm that never dieth torments without end and past imagination The desperate souldiers that would not have dreaded to dare the devil to a duell fell before him to the ground when in the state of his humility he said but I am He how will the wicked stand before him in his Majesty If Gideons torches and trumpets so daunted the proud 〈◊〉 how shall these abide the terrour of the last day Ye workers of iniquity Ye that make it your trade and taske that do wickedly with both hands earnestly that are wittily wicked and can art out iniquity that dig in the devils mines row in his gallies grinde in his mill and are not wearied that live by your sinnes as the labourer doth by his trade and esteem it as the means of an happy life Ye that although ye cannot be charged with any crying crime but have Lord Lord in your mouthes and a shew of holinesse in your lives yet regard iniquity in your hearts and when you 〈◊〉 most of all high-flowen have a leering eie upon some beloved sinne as the Eagle hath upon her prey below when she soreth highest Your very preaching in Christs Name if not for his name is with God a work of iniquity and shall have the wages of sinne which is death when Christ comes to judgement Then they that would not obey those sweet commands Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand seek ye the Lord while he may be found Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved thou and all thy houshold c. shall have no other commandment left them to obey but this horrible Depart ye which imports an utter separation from the
daily over-flowed by the sea And it fell not Saving grace is unleesable though it may be impaired in the degrees and may recoyl to the root as sap doth in winter Christ lives in the hearts of all his Saints Gal. 2. 20. and can die no more Rom. 6. 10. Die he may as well at the right hand of his father as in the heart of a Christian. Object A weak brother for whom Christ died may perish 1 Cor. 8. 11. Sol. No thank to us if he do not who by scandalous courses offend and wound his conscience but Christ will not lose him so Object There are that deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Sol. Bought they were by Christ in their own conceit and in the esteem of others but it proved otherwise Or they were bought that is delivered in a generall sense so the word here used often signifieth from their superstition to the knowledge of salvation I say not to saving knowledge whereby they might preach to others themselves being cast-awaies God hath charged Christ as Mediatour to see to the keeping of the bodies and souls of all true believers Joh. 6. 39. 40. And he faithfully performed it Those thou gavest me I have kept saith he and none of them is lost Joh. 17. 12. Christ makes exception of one that was lost Ibid. That shews he was never of his body for can he be a Saviour of a son of perdition Why is he then excepted 1. Because he seemed to be one of Christs by reason of his office 2. He speaketh there in particular of the twelve and to be an Apostle was in it self but an outward calling Christians may lose the things that they have wrought Joh. 2. 8. 1. Temporaries may and doe and of them it may be understood verse 9. 2. True Christians may 1. In respect of the praise of men All their former honour may be laid in the dust 2. In regard of the inward sense and comfort as David Psal. 32. 51. 3. In respect of the fulnesse of the reward in heaven their glory may be much lessened by their fals A righteous man may turn from his righteousnesse and die Ezek. 18. 24. From his righteousnesse imparted or that of sanctification he may turn in part and for a time and die a temporall death for his offence as Josiah Not so from his righteousnesse imputed or that of justification so as to die eternally Or the holy Ghost may so speak as of a thing impossible as if an Angel from heaven should preach any other Doctrine c. which cannot possibly be So that this text concludes not categorically The Comforter shall abide with us for ever Joh. 14. 16. It is called an earnest not a pawn A pawn is to be returned again but an earnest is part and pledge of the whole sum What need then so many exhortations to perseverance 1. True grace in it self is leesable in respect of us who should fall from it as Adam but we are kept by the power and promise of God to salvation and we need Christs left-hand to be under us and his right-hand over us to clasp and hold us up He keepeth the feet of the Saints and preserves us from all such evil as may frustrate our perseverance 2 Thess. 3. 3. 1 Joh. 5. 18. 2. By these exhortations as means Gods grace is promoted and preserved in us 3. We are but in part renued and are apt to backflide if we row not hard winde and tide will carry us back again Heed therefore must be taken that we look not back with Lots wife that our Jacobs-ladder may reach to heaven that our oyl fail not till the bride-groom come that our coat reach down to our heels as Josephs and the high-Priests did that we sacrifie the beast with the tail that we keep in this fire of the Sanctuary or if it slackt that we rake it out of the ashes and blow it up again into a flame that we turn not again as we walk with those living creatures Ezek 1 12. nor be like Nebuchadnezzars image that began in gold and ended in clay that we begin not in the spirit and end in the flesh that we go not backward as Hezekiahs Sun nor stand at a stay as Joshuah's but rejoyce to runne our race as Davids and goe on to the perfect day as Ioshuah's c. Verse 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not c. Which is the greater number of hearers For most men hear to hear and not to practise Some hear meerly of form or for fashion sake or to save the penalty of the Statute or to finde some Recipe to procure a sleep or to still the clamours of their consciences or to make amends and purchase dispensation for some beloved lust as Herod Or expecting from the preacher some choice novelty as 〈◊〉 3. 8. some deep point 〈◊〉 12. 37. or dainty expressions as Ezek. 33. 32. Or they 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 32. Hear and carp as Doeg hear and resist the holy Ghost Act. 7. Or at least are no whit wrought upon whether we pipe or lament to them Or if they hear and admire as those Matth. 22. 22. yet they amend nothing or but for a season as the stony-ground they are hearers of forgetfulnesse Jam. 〈◊〉 25. like hour-glasses they are no sooner full but 〈◊〉 out again like nets or sives they retain only the chaff or weeds let go the pure water and good corn The Word runs 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 water thorow a riven 〈◊〉 that 's the Apostles metaphor Heb. 2. 1. or as that which is written upon moist paper as others will have it A generall cause of our not practising what we hear is that we put this spirituall treasure into broken bags this 〈◊〉 liquour into leaking 〈◊〉 Whereas our souls should be as the Ark and our memories as the pot of Mannah to retain what we have received that we may have it ready for 〈◊〉 as Saul had his cruse and spear at his head and David his scrip and stones ready by his side A heavy ear is a 〈◊〉 judgement Isa. 6. 10. but a slow heart and a heavy hand to conceive and do what we hear paves a way to remedilesse misery besides the fool to boot which the Judge here putteth upon him Shall be likened unto a foolish man And he is a fool indeed whom Christ calleth fool Conscionable hearers are counted good men God wot but simple silly and of no parts But wisdome is justified of her children To walk precisely is to walk wisely 〈◊〉 5. 15. And he that 〈◊〉 and guideth his feet in the way is wife Prov 23. 19. And Who is a wise man amongst you and endued with knowledge Let him shew out of a good conversation his works c. Ja. 3. 13. All others
bonds Jer. 5. 5. Hence they are so soon sated and their attentions tired out and jaded as it were The people were astonished at his doctrine They were strangely transported and rapt with an ectasie of admiration and amazement They were at 〈◊〉 a passe that they could neither say nor do but stood amazed with their eyes set in 〈◊〉 heads as the word importeth And surely the word never worketh so kindely as when it is received with admiration yet may we not rest in that as too many do but get it mingled with 〈◊〉 in our 〈◊〉 that works by love holding fast the faithfull word as Paul bids Timothy that part of it especially that in hearing he is pleased to sweeten unto us by the taste of his speciall goodnes Verse 29. For he taught them as one having authority Never man spake as he spake said those Catch-poles that came to take him but were taken by him For matter his doctrine was not his own but his Fathers that sent him For manner this Prince of Preachers had the tongue of the learned yet without 〈◊〉 of learning he delivered himself so plainly that the simplest might conceive him and so powerfully that his enemies could not but confesse that he was true and taught the way of God 〈◊〉 And for end he 〈◊〉 sought his Fathers glory in the salvation of mens souls A fair president for Preachers who should thus seek to get within the people and to maintain the credit of their ministry that their words may carry an authority and command attention And not as the 〈◊〉 Who first stuck in the bark of the law and pierc'd not into the heart and sense of it 2. Delivered for doctrines the commandements of men about washings tithings c. 3. They sought not the glory of God but praise of men and were therefore mad at our Saviour as one that bare away the bell from them for a powerfull preacher 4. They rejected Publicans and sinners though penitent So did not Christ. 5. They taught coldly and carelesly but he zealously and imperiously as the Law-giver and not as an Interpreter onely as that Prophet like unto me saith Moses yea farre beyond him or any other that ever spake with a tongue For he could and did speak to the hearts of his hearers Together with his word there went forth a power as to heal the bodies of those Luk 5. 17. so the souls of his elect he was a Minister of the spirit and not of the letter onely c. CHAP. VIII Verse 1. Great multitudes followed him MAny thousands as Bondinus De claritate Christi proveth out of ancient Writers This drew upon our Saviour the envy of the Pharisees those cankerd carls who Sejanus-like thought all lost that fell besides their own lips as Nero they spited all those whom the people applauded and Tigre-like laid hold with their teeth on all the excellent spirits of their times as it is said of Tiberius Verse 2. And behold there came a Leper This leprosy was 〈◊〉 rife in our Saviours time God so ordering that Judea was sickest when her Physitian was nearest The 〈◊〉 are still a nasty people And this kinde of leprosy seems to have been 〈◊〉 to them as Plica Polonica Morbus Gallicus Sudor Anglicus No stranger in England was touched with this disease and yet the English were chased therewith not in England onely but in other Countreys abroad which made them like tyran's both feared and avoided where ever they came So were these Jewish lepers Hence that fable in Tacitus that the Israelites were driven out of Egypt for that lothsome disease This said one Malevolent Heathen is the cause why they rest every seventh day Bodinus observes it for a speciall providence of God that in Arabia which bordereth upon Judea there are no swine to be found lest that most leprous creature saith he should more and more infest and infect that people who are naturally subject to the leprosy And another good Authour is of opinion that God did therefore forbid the Iews to eat either swines-flesh or haresflesh Quòd ista caro facilè in malè 〈◊〉 corporibus putrescat because in diseased bodies it easily 〈◊〉 and turns to ill humours And worshipped him Which he would hardly ever have done haply had he not been a leper Diseases saith S. Ambrose are the shop of vertues King Alfred found himself ever best when he was worst and therefore praied God to send him alwaies some sicknesse Gehezies leprosy cured him his white forehead made him a white soul. If thou 〈◊〉 thou canst c. So Another came with If thou 〈◊〉 doe any thing help us We never doubt of Christs will to doe us good saith a great Divine but in some degree we doubt also of his power True faith doubts of neither but believes against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible Sense corrects imagination Reason corrects sense but Faith corrects both Verse 3. And Josus put forth his hand c. The law forbad contactum contagionis non sanationis The high-Priest might enter a leprous house c. We have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Better might he say then S. Cyprian Cum singulis pectus meum copulo maeroris funeris pondera luctuosa participo cum plangentibus plango cum deflentibus 〈◊〉 c. Then S. Paul Who is weak and I am not weak Who is afflicted and I burn not It 〈◊〉 held a great condescention in King Alphonsus to use his skill for the recovery of one of his sick Subjects What was it here in Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Verse 4. See thou tell no man Christ despised popular 〈◊〉 accounting it no other then a little stinking breath Some doe all for a name But we have not so learned Christ. His treasures were hid Col. 2. 3. He sought not himself but to set up him that sent him Joh. 8. 50. Shew thy self to the Priest That they may see that I am He that should come that Iehovah the Physitian that Sun of righteousnesse with health under his wings c. that I came not to destroy the Law as they slanderously give out but to fulfill it that God may be glorified and the mouth of malice stopped Offer the gift c. This is that pepper-corn we pay to God who is content that we have the benefit of his favours so He may have the glory of them Not lepers onely but all sorts after sicknesse were bound to offer to God the ransom of their lives Exod. 31. Hezekiah made a song and left it to posterity for a seal of his thankfulnesse Heathens in this case would consecrate something to their gods to their Teraphim The very word in Greek that 〈◊〉 to heal framed from Teraephim signifies first to worship and serve God
distempers which when we groan and labour under let us reflect and revenge upon fin as the mother of all misery And when we are made whole fin no more left a worse thing come upon us Verse 18. To depart unto the other side Either to retire and repose himself after much pains for Quod caret alterna requie c. the very birds when building their nests flee abroad sometimes from their work for recreations sake Or else the better to edge the peoples desires after him now withdrawn Luther gave this rule to Preachers for moderating their discourses When thou seest thine hearers most attentive then conclude for so they will come again more chearfully the next time Verse 19. Master I will follow thee c. As Sampson followed his parents till he met with an honey-comb or as a dog followes his master till he come by a carrion Vix diligitur Iesus propter Iesum But as Isaac loved Esau for venison was his meat Gen. 25. 28. and as Iudah's Rulers loved with shame Give 〈◊〉 Hos. 4. 18. So do hypocrites they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies they have his person in admiration only for advantage they can bear the crosse with Iudas so they may bear the bag and lick their own fingers Ephraim is a heifer that loved to tread out the corn because whiles it treads it feeds Hos. 10. 11. But such delicate self-seekers are rejected as here when those that have honest aimes and ends hear Come and see Ioh. 1. 46. Verse 20. The Foxes have holes c. q. d. Exigua mihi sunt subsidia aut praesidia Nudus opum sed cui coelum terraque paterent as Ennius said of Archimedes The great Architect of the world had not a house to put his head in but emptied himself of all and became poor to make us rich not in goods but in grace not in worldly wealth but in the 〈◊〉 treasure Say we with that Father Christi paupertas meum est patrimonium prefer the reproach of Christ before the treasures of Egypt and if besides and with Christ we have food and 〈◊〉 let us therewith rest content Say we have no house on earth we have one in heaven not made with hands Those good souls dwelt in dens and caves of the earth yea wandred about in sheepskins and goatskins that might have rustled in their silks and velvets that might 〈◊〉 like have vaunted themselves on their stately turrets and Palaces if they would have let goe Christ. But that they knew well had been to make a fooles bargain But the Sonne of 〈◊〉 c. So he stiles himself either to note the truth of his humanity or the depth of his abasement the Son of God became the son of man which was as one said in a like case to fall from the Court to the cart from a Pallace to a gallows Among all the Prophets Ezekiel is most frequently stiled son of man and that purposely to keep him low amidst his many rare raptures and revelations The Heathen when they would set forth a man miserable indeed they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice a man Verse 21. Lord suffer me first to go and bury Old mens fear is saith Plutarch and that makes them so gripple that they shall not have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that will be carefull to nourish them whiles alive and to bury them decently when they are dead Verse 22. Follow me Let go things lesse necessary and minde the main thy task is long thy time is short opportunities are headlong and must be quickly caught as the Eccho catcheth the voice there 's no use of after-wit Praecipitat tempus mors atra impendet agenti Let the dead bury their dead The dead in sin their dead in nature Ungodly men are no better then breathing ghosts walking sepulchres of themselves Their bodies are but living coffins to 〈◊〉 a dead soul up and down in The Saints only are heirs of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. and all others are dead stark dead in sins and trespasses as the wanton widdow 1 Tim. 5. 6. as Terence saith the 〈◊〉 Sane herclè homo voluptati 〈◊〉 fuit dum vixit And of such dead corpses as once in Egypt Exod. 12. 30. there is no house wherein there is not one nay many Verse 23. And when he was entred c. Himself was first in the ship where they were to suffer Like a good shepheard he goes before his 〈◊〉 Ioh. 10. Like a good Captain he goes before his souldiers and as it was said of Hannibal that he first 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and last went out of the field so is it with Christ the Captain of our salvation Fear not saith he for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God Tua causa erit 〈◊〉 causa as that Emperour told Iulius Pflugius who had been much wronged by the 〈◊〉 of Saxony in the Emperours employment Verse 24. And behold there arose a great tempest Stirred up likely by the devil to drown Christ that male-childe of the Church Rev. 12. 5. and his Disciples as he brained Iobs children with the fall of the house This is still the indeavour of Satan and his instruments but to such we may as Pope Pius 2. wrote to the great Turk Niteris incassùm Christi submergere navem Fluctuat at nunquam mergitur illaratis And as the Poet said of Troy so may we of the Church Victa tamen vinces eversaque Troiare surges Obruit hostiles illa ruina domos Ambrose hath a remarkeable speech to this purpose The devil stirs up a tempest against the Saints but himself is sure to suffer shipwrack The Church as a bottle may be dipt not 〈◊〉 as the Diamond it may be cast into the fire not burnt by it as the Chrystall it may be fouled but not stained by the venome of a toad as the Palm-tree in the Embleme which though it have many weights at top and 〈◊〉 at the root yet it saith still Nec premor nec perimor Lastly as the North-Pole semper versatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St 〈◊〉 observeth Verse 25. Master save us we perish Troubles drive us to God as bugbears doe children into their mothers bosom who delight to help those that are forsaken of their hopes In prosperity 〈◊〉 we pray not at all Rarae fumant felicibus arae or but faintly yawningly c. 〈◊〉 fine malis est ut avis sine alis But in a stresse as here our prayers like strong streams in narrow straits run mightily upon God and will not away without that they came for Verse 26. And he saith unto them Christ first chides them and then chides the windes and waves Men are most malleable in time of misery Iob 33. 23. Strike whiles the iron is hot How forceable are right words Those that are melted in the furnace of affliction will easily receive
see themselves Christ 〈◊〉 creatures Need not the Physitian And the Physitian needs them as 〈◊〉 he came not oares not for them they have as much help from him as they seek Presumption is as a chain to their neck and they believe their interest in Christ when it is no such thing They 〈◊〉 a bridge of their own shadow and so fall into the brook they perish by catching at their own catch hanging on their own fancy which they falsly call and count faith Verse 14. But goye and learn what c. In the history of Ionas Christ found the mystery of his death buriall and resurrection Rest not in the shell of the Scriptures but break it and get out the kernel as the sense is called Iudg. 7. 15. stick not in the bark but pierce into the heart of Gods Word Lawyers say that Apices juris non sunt jus The letter of the Law is not the Law but the meaning of it Iohn never rested till the sealed book was opened Pray for the spirit of revelation plow with Gods heifer and we shall understand his riddles provided that we wait in the use of all good means till God irradiate both organ and object I will have mercy Both that which God shews to us and that which we shew to others spirituall and corporall Steep thy thoughts saith one in the mercies of God and they will dy thine as the dy-fat doth the cloth Col. 3. 12. I came not to call the righteous Those that are good in their own eyes and claim heaven as the portion that belongs unto them Scribonius writes of 〈◊〉 Cedar Quòd viventes res putrefacit perdit putridas autem 〈◊〉 conservat So Christ came to kill the quick and to quicken the dead But sinners to repentance Not to liberty but duty Tertullian speaketh of himself that he was born to nothing but repentance This is not the work of one but of all our daies as they said Ezra 10. 13. Some report of Mary Magdalen that after our Saviours resurrection she spent thirty years in Gallia 〈◊〉 in weeping for her sins And of S. Peter that he alwaies had his eyes full of tears insomuch as his face was furrowed with continuall weeping Let not him that resolves upon Christianity dream of a delicacy Verse 14. Then came to him the Disciples of John These sided with the Pharisees against our Saviour out of emulation and self-love the bane and break-neck of all true love yea they were first in the quarrel A dolefull thing when brethren shall set against brethren Hebrews vex one another Exod. 2. and Christians as if they wanted enemies flie in the faces one of another S. Basil was held an heretike even of them that held the same things as he did and whom he honoured as brethren all the fault was that he out-shone them and they envied him the praise he had for opposing Arrianisme which was such as that Philostorgius the Arrian wrote that all the other Orthodox Divines were but babies to Basil. How hot was the contention betwixt Luther and Carolostudius meerly out of a self-seeking humour and desire of preheminency How extream violent are the Lutherans against the Calvinists In the year 1567. they joyned themselves at 〈◊〉 with the Papists against the Calvinists And Luther somewhere professeth that he will rather yeeld to Transubstantiation then remit any thing of Consubstantiation Why doe we and the Pharisees fast often The Pharisees were perilous fasters when they devoured widows houses and swallowed il-gotten goods as Gnats down their wide 〈◊〉 which therefore Christ cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inwards Their fasts were meer mock-fasts so were those of John Arch-bishop of Constantinople sir-named the Faster who yet was the first that affected the title of Universall Bishop so much cried down by Gregory the great These Pharisees had sided with and set on Johns Disciples in their masters absence like as the renegado 〈◊〉 to keep up that bitter contention that is between the Calvinists and 〈◊〉 have a practice of running over to the Lutheran Church pretending to be converts and to build with them Verse 15. And Jesus said unto them He makes apology for his accused Disciples so doth he still at the right hand of his heavenly Father nonsuting all accusations brought against us as our Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. appearing for us as the Lawyer doth for his Client Heb. 9 24. opening his case and pleading his cause He helpeth us also to make apology for our selves to God 2 Cor. 7. 11. and expecteth that as occasion requires we should make apology one for another when maligned and misreported of by the world Can the children of the 〈◊〉 c Our Saviour seeing them to sin of infirmity and by the instigation of the Pharisees who with their leaven had somewhat sowred and seduced them in their masters absence deals gently with them to teach us what to 〈◊〉 in like case A Venice-glasse must be otherwise handled then an earthen pitcher or goddard some must be rebuked sharply severely cuttingly Titus 1. 13. but of others we must bave compassion making a difference Jude 22. Mourn as long as the Bridegroom c. Mourn as at sunerals so the word signifieth This were incongruous unseasonable and unseemly at a feast It was a peevishnesse in Sampsons wife that she wept at the wedding sith that 's the day of the rejoycing of a mans heart as Solomon hath it Now Christ is the Churches Spouse He hath the bride and is the bridegroom as their master the Baptist had taught them Joh. 3. 29. and 〈◊〉 over every good soul as the bridegroom rejoyceth over the bride Isai. 62. 5. Should not the Saints therefore reciprocate But the daies will come Our Saviour 〈◊〉 much even many a little death all his life long and yet till his passion he accounts himself to be as it were in the bride-chamber Then it was especially that he alone 〈◊〉 the wine-presse and was rosted alive in the fire of his Fathers wrath c. When the Bridegroom 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 from them As now your master the Baptist is from you a just argument and occasion of your grief and fasting if possibly you may beg him of God out of the hands of Herod When the Duke of Burbons Captains had shut up Pope Clement 8. in the Castle S. Angeto Cardinall Wolsey being shortly after sent Embassadour beyond seas to make means for his release as he came thorow Canterbury to ward 〈◊〉 he commanded the Monks and the Quire to sing the Letany after this sort Sancta Maria ora pro Papa nostro Clemente Himself also being present was seen to weep tenderly for the Popes calamity Shall superstition do that that Religion cannot bring us to Shall we not turn again unto the Lord with fasting weeping and mourning if for nothing else yet that our poor 〈◊〉 may finde compassion Which is Hezekiah's motive to
Luthers books that in Augustine and Bernards works are read and regarded as pious and orthodox sentences So these passages were gathered as heresies out of Tindals works He is not a sinner in the sight of God that would be no sinner He that would be delivered hath his heart loose already It is impossible that the word of the crosse should be without affliction and persecution The Gospel is written for all persons and estates Prince Duke Pope Emperour We cannot be without motions of evil desires but we must mortifie them in 〈◊〉 them God made us his children and heirs while we were his enemies and before we knew him Men should see that their children come to Church to hear the Sermon c. Were not these perilous heresies Saith not the Scripture the same in sundry places Is not this to have the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons Jam. 2. 〈◊〉 So the greatest errours that Henry Voes and John Esch Martyrs were 〈◊〉 of were that men ought to trust only in God for so much as men are liers and deceitfull in all their words and deeds and therefore there ought no trust or affiance to be put in them Verse 28. Then the kingdom of God is come unto you A certain signe of the setting up whereof among you is this casting out of devils by the spirit of God or as Luke hath it by the finger of God for the holy Ghost is the essentiall power of the Father and the Sonne Verse 29. A strong mans house c. The devil is strong but overpowred by Christ. He hath forcibly delivered us from the power of darknes snatcht us out of the devils danger so that though he shake his chain at us he cannot fasten his fangs in us Stronger is he that is in the Saints then he that is in the world through Christ we shall overcome him Rom. 8. 37. Verse 30. He that is not with me is against me But the devil is not with me saith Christ for all I doe or suffer is to destroy his works Let this sentence also be noted against Neuters and Nicodemites who stand halting betwixt two and will be sure to hold themselves on the warm side of the hedge howsoever Such were of old the Samaritans Nazarites Ebionites and those Corinthians that would neither be of Paul nor Apollos nor 〈◊〉 but of Christ that is as some Neuters say now-adaies they are neither Cavaliers nor Round-heads but good Protestants Others are neither Papists nor protestants but Christians that is 〈◊〉 nothing Atheists Christ hates neutrality and counts it enmity he 〈◊〉 luke warmnes accepts not of any excuse in that case Iudg. 5. 16 17. Dan and Ephraim are passed by in the reckoning up of the Tribes Rev. 7. as if they were Souldiers put out of pay and cut out of the rolls So are all detestable indifferents out of Gods book of remembrance Mal. 3. 17. Verse 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy c. All without exception yea though it be blasphemy Isa. 44. 22. God blots out the thick cloud as well as the cloud 〈◊〉 as well as infitmities Man cannot commit more then he can and will remit to the penitent The Sun by his force can scatter the greatest mist as well as the least vapour and the Sea by its 〈◊〉 drown mountains as well as mole-hills The grace of our Lord abounds to 〈◊〉 over saith S. Paul The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin saith S. John Ego admisi unde 〈◊〉 damnare 〈◊〉 me sed non amisisti unde tu salvare potes me saith S. Augustine And yet Novatus the proud Heretick denyed possibility of pardon to them that had any whit fallen off in times of persecution though they rose again by repentance But Gods thoughts of mercy are not as mans Isa. 55. 8. he can and will pardon such sins as no God or man can doe besides Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee For what That pardoneth all sorts of sins c. This 〈◊〉 can believe without supernaturall grace We are ready to measure God by our modell But the blasphemy against the holy Ghost c. This is nothing else saith Iohn Diazius to that 〈◊〉 his brother quam agnitam veritatem 〈◊〉 in sectari a malicious persecuting of the known truth A sin it is of malice after strong conviction exprest in words by a tongue set on fire by hell and in actions comming from a venemous spirit and tending to opposition and bitter persecution if their malice be not greater then their power This was committed by Saul Iulian Latomus of Lovaine Rockwood a chief perfecutour at Callice in Henry 8. daies who to his last breath staring and raging cryed he was utterly damned for that he had sought maliciously the deaths of a number of the honestest men in the town c. Steven Gardiner said as much also in effect of himself when he lay on his death-bed and so both stinkingly and unrepentantly died saith M. Fox Verse 32. And whosoever speaketh aword c. As Peter did through infirmity Paul through ignorance 〈◊〉 poor souls whom he haled to prison and for fear of death compelled them to 〈◊〉 Christ Act. 26. 11. Tertullian reports the like of Claudius Herminianus a Persecuter in Cappadocia quòd tormentis quosdam a proposito suo excidere fecerat that for spite that his own wife was turned Christian he forced many by 〈◊〉 them to reneague Christ. Pliny writes also to Traian the Emperour that where he was Governour there came to his hands a book containing the names of many that for fear of death 〈◊〉 themselves to be no Christians And when saith he they had at my command called upon the gods offered incense to the Emperours Image and cursed Christ which those that are Christians indeed will never be drawn to doe I thought good to dismisse them But whosoever speaketh against the 〈◊〉 Ghost Not his person or essence for many 〈◊〉 Eunomian Macedonian hereticks did so of old and repenting found mercy but his grace and speciall operation by the which God comes nearer to man then he is in nature or person This sin is against the immediate effect work and office of the holy Ghost against that shining light kindled by Gods spirit in mans soul and that sweetnes and comfort felt in Christ that taste of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 4 5 6. It shall not be for given him c. And why Not because it is greater then Gods mercy or Christs merits but first by a just judgement of God upon such sinners for their hatefull 〈◊〉 in despising his spirit Whence follows an impossibility of repentance Heb. 6. 6. and so of remission Luk. 13. 3. Secondly such a desperate sury invadeth these men that they maliciously
give It is not powring out but want of powring out that dryes up the streams of grace as of that oile 2 King 46. The liberall soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Prov. 11. 25. Verse 36. Declare unto us the parable Private conference hath incredible profit The Minister cannot possibly say all in an hour seek settlement from his lips who both must preserve and present knowledge to the people Junius was converted by conference with a country-man of his not far from Florence Galeacius Caracciolus by a similitude of Peter Martyrs in his publike lectures on 1 Corinth seconded and set on by private discourse David was more affected by Nathans Thou art the man then by all the lectures of the law for a twelvemoneth before Verse 37. Is the Sonne of man i.e. Signifies the Sonne of man as Circumcision is the covenant that is the signe of the covenant And as Christ 〈◊〉 of the Sacramentall bread This is my body which Luther interprets synecdochically for in or under this is my body Calvin after Tertullian and Augustine interprets it metonimically for this is the signe or the figure of my body Hence the Jesuites presently cry out The spirit of God disagreeth not with it self But these interpretations 〈◊〉 disagree Therefore they are not of the spirit But let them first agree among themselves before they quarrel our disagreements for their own Doctors are exceedingly divided even about this very point of the Eucharist and know not what their holy Mother holdeth Bellarmine teacheth that the substance of the bread is not turned into the substance of Christs body Productivè as one thing is made of another but that the bread goes away and Christs body comes into the room of it Adductivè as one thing succeeds into the place of another the first being voyded And this saith he is the opinion of the Church of Rome himself being Reader of Controversies at Rome But Suarez Reader at 〈◊〉 in Spain consutes Bellarmines opinion tearming it Translocation not Transubstantiation and saith it is not the Churches opinion Verse 38. The field is the world The Christian world the Church not the Roman-Catholike Church only the Popes territories as he would have it The Roatian Hereticks would needs have made the world believe that they were the only Catholicks The Anabaptists have the same conceit of themselves Muncer their Chieftain in his booke written against Luther and dedicated to Christ the most Illustrious Prince as he stileth him inviegheth bitterly at him as one that was meerly carnall and utterly void of the spirit of Revelation And Parcus upon this text tells us that in a conference at Frankendal the Anabaptists thus argued The field is the world therefore not the Church that by the same reason they might deny that 〈◊〉 breed in the Church But tares are and will be in the visible Church as our Saviour purposely teacheth by this parable The tares are the children of that wicked one So called partly in respect of their serpentine nature those corrupt qualities whereby they resemble the devil And partly because they creep into the Church by Satans subtilety being his agents and 〈◊〉 ries Agnosco te primogenitum diaboli said St Iohn of that Heretike Cerinthus And Hypocrites are his sonnes and heires the very free-holders of hell and other sinners but their tenants which have their part or lot with hypocrites Verse 39. The enemy that sowed them c. As Esther said the adversary and enemy is that wicked Haman so Satan Why then have men so much to do with him The Jews as often as they hear mention of Haman in their synagogues they do with their fists and hammers beat upon the benches and 〈◊〉 as if they did knock upon Hamans head We have those also that can bid defiance to the devil spet at his name curse him haply but in the mean space listen to his illusions entertain him into their hearts by obeying his lusts These are singularly foolish For it is as if one should be afraid of the name of fire and yet not fear to be burnt with the flame thereof Verse 40. So shall it be in the end of this world As till then there can be no perfect purgation of the Church Neverthelesse Magistrates and all good people must do their utmost within their bounds to further a 〈◊〉 a little otherwise then the Cardinals and Prelates of Rome whom Luther fitly compared to foxes that came to sweep a dusty house with their tailes and instead of sweeping the dust 〈◊〉 sweep it all about the house so making a great smoke for the time but when they were gon the dust falls all down again Verse 41. All things that offend Gr. All scandals pests botches blocks to others in the way to heaven Scandalum est reinon bonae sed malae exemplum aed 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 saith Tertullian Such were those proud contentious covetous Prelates in the Primitive Church that Ammianus Marcellinus stumbled and stormed at Such were those loose and ungirt Christians of whom Lactantius complaineth in his time that they dishonoured their profession to the scandall of the weak and the scorn of the wicked Such was Pope Clement the fifth who so ill governed the Church that Fridericke King of Sicily began to call the truth of Christian Religion into question and had fallen utterly off from it had he not been settled and satisfied by Arnoldus de Villa nova a learned man of those times Forasmuch as Christians the Papists he meant do eate the God whom they adore Sit anima 〈◊〉 cum Philosophis said Averoes the Mahometan let my soul be with the Philosophers rather Nothing more stumbleth that poor people the Iews and hindreth their conversion then the Idolatry of Papists and blasphemies of Protestants Oh that God would once cut off the names of those idols and cause the unclean spirit to passe out of the land according to his promise Zach. 13. 2 Fiat Fiat Verse 42. And shall cast 〈◊〉 into a furnace of fire Loe the good Angels are executioners of Gods judgements 〈◊〉 cannot be a better and more noble act then to do justice upon 〈◊〉 malefactors Howbeit at Rome they would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common executioner to dwell within the City nay not so much as 〈◊〉 to be seen in it or draw breath in the aire of it 〈◊〉 was very strict in them and that was very just in God that 〈◊〉 which was executioner of 〈◊〉 Bayfield Bainham 〈◊〉 Lambert and other good men died rotting above ground 〈◊〉 that none could abide to come near him Verse 43. Then shall the righteous shine Those that have here lain among the pots smucht and sullied shall then outshine the Sunne in his strength Shine they shall in their bodies which shall be clarified and conformed to Christs most glorious body the standard Philip. 3. In their soules those spirits of just
to Henry 2. King of France whom she had so subdued that he gave her all the confiscations of goods made in the Kingdome for cause of 〈◊〉 Whereupon many were burned in France for Religion as they said but indeed to maintain the pride and satisfie the covetousnes of that lewd woman This was in the year 1554. And in the year 1559. Anne du Bourge a 〈◊〉 of state was burnt also for crime of 〈◊〉 not so much by the inclination of the Judges as by the resolution of the Queen provoked against him because forsooth the Lutherans gave out that the King had been slain as he was running at tilt by a wound in the 〈◊〉 by the providence of God for a punnishment of his words used against Du Bourge that he would see him burnt Verse 9. And the King was sorry Iohns innocency might 〈◊〉 so triumph in Herods conscience as to force some grief upon him at the thought of so soule a fact But I rather think otherwise that all was but in hypocrisie For laciviousnesse usually sears up the conscience till the time of reckoning for all comes and brings men to that dead and dedolent disposition Ephes. 4. 19. Only this fox fains himself sorry for Iohn as his father 〈◊〉 himself willing to worship the Lord Christ Matth. 2. as Tiberius Herods Lord and 〈◊〉 would seem very sorry for those whom for his pleasures sake only he put to death 〈◊〉 Germanicus Drusus c. And as Andronicus the Greek Emperour that deep dissembler would 〈◊〉 over those whom 〈◊〉 had for no cause caused to be executed as if he 〈◊〉 been the most sorrowfull man alive Dissimulat mentis suae malitiam 〈◊〉 homicida This cunning murtherer craftily hides his malice saith St Hierom and seeming sad in the face is glad at heart to be 〈◊〉 of the importunate Baptist that he may sin uncontrolled For the oaths sake and them which sate All this was but pretended to his villany and that he might have somewhat to say to the people whom he feared in excuse for himself As that he beheaded the Baptist indeed but his guests would needs have it so because he had promised the damosell her whole desire and 〈◊〉 would not otherwise be satisfied Besides it was his birth-day wherein it was not fit he should deny his Nobles any thing who minded him of his oath c. But the oath was wicked and therefore not obligatory He should have broken it as David in like case did 1 Sam. 25. when he swore a great oath what 〈◊〉 would do to Nabal But Herod for the avoyding of the sands rusheth upon the 〈◊〉 prevents perjury by murther not considering the rule that no man is held so perplexed between two vices but that he may finde an issue without falling into a third And them which sate with him at meat These he had more respect to then to God An hypocrites care is all for the worlds approof and applause They should have shew'd him his sinne and oppose his sentence But that is not the guise of godlesse parasites those Aiones Negones aulici qui omnia loquuntur ad gratiam nihil ad 〈◊〉 These Court parasites and Parrots know no other tune or tone but what will please their masters quorum etiam sputum 〈◊〉 as one saith soothing and smoothing and smothering up many of their foul facts that they thereby may the better ingratiate Principibus ideo amicus deest quia nihil deest there is a wounderfull sympathy between Princes and Parasites But David would none of them Psal. 101. and Sigismund the Emperour cuffed them out of his presence And surely if wishing were any thing said Henricus Stephanus like as the Thessalians once utterly overthrew the City called Flattery so I could desire that above all other Malefactors Court-Parasites were 〈◊〉 rooted out as the most pestilent persons in the world Verse 10. And he sent and beheaded John Put him to death in hugger-mugger as the Papists did and do still in the bloody Inquisition-house especially many of the Martyrs Stokesby Bishop of London caused Mr John Hunne to be thrust in at the nose with hot burning needles whiles he was in the prison and then to be hanged there and said he had hanged himself Another Bishop having in his prison an innocent man because he could not overcome him by scripture caused him privily to be snarled and his flesh to be torn and pluct away with pinsers and bringing him before the people said the rats had eaten him And I have heard of a certain Bishop saith Melanchton that so starved ten good men whom he held in prison for religion that before they dyed they devoured one another Quis unquam hoc audivit in Thalaridis historiâ saith he who ever heard of such a cruelty But so it pleaseth God for excellent ends to order that all things here come alike to all yea that none out of hell suffer more then the Saints This made Erasmus say upon occasion of the burning of Berquin a Dutch-Martyr Damnari dissecari suspendi exuri decollari pijs cum impijs sunt communia 〈◊〉 dissecare in crucemagere exurere decollare bonis judicibus cum pirat is ac tyrannis communia sunt Varia sunt hominum 〈◊〉 ille foelix qui judice Deo absolvitur The Athenians were very much offended at the fall of their Generall Nicias discomfited and slain in Sicile as seeing so good a man to have no better fortune But they knew not God and therefore raged at him But we must lay our hands upon our mouths when Gods hand is upon our backs or necks and stand on tiptoes with Paul to see which way Christ may be most magnified in our bodies whether by life or by death Philip. 1. 20. Verse 11. And his head was brought c. This was merces 〈◊〉 the worlds wages to lohn for all his pains in seeking to save their soules Surely as Cesar once said of Herod the great this mans father It were better to be Herods 〈◊〉 then his sonne So saith one many Ministers have through the corruption of the time cause to think It were better to be Herods Ministrell then Minister Player then Preacher Dauncer then Doctour And given to the 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 condemned it for a detestable cruelty in 〈◊〉 Flaminius that to gratifie his harlot Placentina he beheaded a certain prisoner in her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a feast This Livy calleth facinus saevuni atque atrox a cursed and horrid fact And Cato the Censor cast him out of the Senate for it Neither was it long ere this tyrant Herod had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from heaven For Aretas King of Arabia offended with him for putting away his daughter and taking to wife Herodias came upon him with an army and cut off all his forces Which 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 interpreted saith Iosephus as a just vengance of 〈◊〉 upon him for
his unjust usage of the Baptist. And within a while after being accused at Rome by his brother Agrippa 〈◊〉 convicted that he had 70000 armes in readinesse against the 〈◊〉 he was banished into France 〈◊〉 is above said 〈◊〉 with his Herodias where he became his own deathsman And she brought it to her mother As a most welcome 〈◊〉 and pleasant dish at this Thyestian supper Whether it 〈◊〉 carried about the table for a merry sight as Aretius thinks or whether she prickt his 〈◊〉 with needles as Iosephus saith as they did Tullies setting up his head in the pleading-place 〈◊〉 concionibus 〈◊〉 capita servârat as 〈◊〉 a hath it I have nothing to affirm But we want not 〈◊〉 of some Tigers 〈◊〉 Tigresses that have taken pleasure in such 〈◊〉 Witnesse Hannibals O formosum 〈◊〉 O goodly bloody sight when he saw a pit full of mans blood Valesas his O 〈◊〉 when he had slain 300. 〈◊〉 his glorying on his death-bed that he had been the death of 50 herewigs hereticks he meant Story his vaunting that he tost a faggot at Denly the Martyrs face as he was 〈◊〉 a Psalm and set a wine bush of thorns under his feet a little to prick him c. This he spake in the Parliament in Q. Elizabeths dayes whom he usually cursed in his grace afore meat and was therefore worthily hangd drawn and 〈◊〉 Whereunto we may add that Queen another Herodias who when she saw some of her Protestant subjects lying dead and stripped upon the earth cryed out The goodliest 〈◊〉 that ever she beheld Verse 12. And his Disciples came and took A 〈◊〉 and courteous office such as Ioseph of Arimathca boldly 〈◊〉 to Christ and those devout men to Steven making great lamentation over him Good blood will not bely it self fire will not long be hid Sr Anthony Kingston came to Bishop Hooper a little before he was burnt and said I thank God that ever I knew you c. And another Knight came to George 〈◊〉 field when he was at the stake and taking him by the hand said good brother be strong in Christ c. Oh sir said he I thank you I 〈◊〉 so I thank God It is an high praise to One siphorus that he sought out Paul the prisoner and was not ashamed of his chain And to Davids brethren that they came down to him to the cave of Adullam though to their great danger to the good women in the Gospel that they came to the sepulchre to 〈◊〉 Christs body though it were guarded by a band of souldiers And to those Christians in Chrysostoms time that would not be kept from visiting the Confessours in prison though it were straitly forbidden them upon pain of many 〈◊〉 and dangers And went and told Iesus Whom should we tell of the sufferings of his servants and our selves but Jesus Say to him of his labouring Church as they did once of his friend Lazarus Behold she whom thou lovest is sick or otherwise hardly dealt with Then will he soon be jealous for his land and pitty his people he will play Phine as his part and thrust a spear through the loines of 〈◊〉 enemies that offer to force the Queen also in the house But it 's worth the noting that Iohns Disciples who before had emulated Christ and joyned with the Pharisees against him now repair unto him and inform him of their masters death being henceforth willing to become his Disciples Misery makes unity and drives them to Christ who till then had no such minde to him Verse 13. When Iesus heard of it c. Dangers must be declined where they may be with a safe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Peter who had both paid for their learning say both what 〈◊〉 is he that loveth life and would see good or quiet daies They followed him on foot Hot-foot as they say So the people resorted to B Ridleys Sermons swarming about him like bees and coveting the sweet juice of his godly discourses 〈◊〉 diligence and devotion is check to our dulnes and indevotion If Christ would set up a Pulpit at the alehouse-door some would hear him oftner Verse 14. Was moved with compassion and healed their sick Christs mercy was not a mouth-mercy such as was that of 〈◊〉 in St Iames his time that said to their necessitous neighbours Depart in peace be warmed But with what with a fire of words Be filled but with what with a messe of words For they gave them not those things that were needfull to the body But our Saviour out of deep commiseration both pitied the people and healed them on both sides within and without Oh how well may he be called a Saviour which in the Originall is a word so full of Emphasis that other tongues can hardly finde a fit word to expresse it by Verse 15. His Disciples came to him Not the multitudes They forgat their bodily necessities to 〈◊〉 upon Christ to hang upon his hony lips preferring his holy word before their 〈◊〉 food as did Iob chap. 23. 12. Not only before his dainties and superfluities but his substantiall food without which he could not long live and subsist These hearers of our Saviour came out of their cities where they had every thing at full into the desert where they thought nothing was to be had to hear him I had rather live in hell with the word said Luther then in Paradise without it Our fore-fathers gave five marks some of them which is more mony then ten pound is now for a good book and some others of them gave a load of hey for a few chapters of St Paul or St Iames in English To hear a Sermon they would go as many weary steps as those good souls did Psal. 84. 7. or as these in the text and neglect or hazard their bodies to save their souls How far are they from this that will not put themselves to any pain or cost for heaven and if held a while beyond the hour of a Sermon are as ill settled as if they were in the stocks or in a fit of an ague they go out of the Church as out of a goal This is a desert place c. Christ knew all this better then they could tell him and to take upon them to tell him was as if the ostrich should bid the stork be kinde to her young ones Verse 16. They need not depart Whither should they go from the great house-keeper of the world the All-sufficient God Habet certè omnia qui 〈◊〉 habentem omnia Christ hath a cornucopia a horn of salvation plenteous redemption c. And if he give us a crown will he deny us a crust The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof He feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies If meat be denied he can take away our stomacks He can feed us by a miracle as he did 〈◊〉 of old and the
Rochellers alate Verse 17. And they say unto him we have here And were therefore ready to say with Nicodemus How can this be Christ had said Give ye them to eat to try them only as St Iohn hath it And upon triall he found them full of 〈◊〉 as appears by their answer But the comfort is he hath promised to try his people indeed but not as silver Iest they should not bear any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a triall as having more drosse in them then good oar And where he findes any the least grain of true grace he cherisheth and inhanceth it by a further partaking of his holinesse The Disciples here were as yet very carnall and spake as men They were ready to limit the Holy one and to say with those of old Can he prepare 〈◊〉 table in the wildernesse They measured him by their modell and looked as Naaman did upon Iordan with Syrian eyes This was their fault and must be our warning that when we think of God we 〈◊〉 out Hagar and set up Sarah silence our reason and 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 and quelleth distrustfull fear and 〈◊〉 against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible But five 〈◊〉 and two 〈◊〉 Tyrabosco was hardly driven when from these five 〈◊〉 and two fishes he concluded seven Sacramen̄ts Two belike of Gods making and five of the bakers So Cenalis Bishop of Auranches would prove the Church of Rome the true Church because it had bells by which their Aslemblies be ordinarily called together But the Church of the Lutherans was reported to be congregated by claps of 〈◊〉 buzes and 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 makes a long Antithesis by the which he would make good that bells are the makers of the true Church As that bells doe sound the other crack bells open heaven the other hell c. Verse 18. Bring them hither to me Bring we all we have and are to Christ that he may take off the curse and adde the blessing What the Apostle saith of meat and marriage is true of the rest All things are sanctified by the word and prayer To teach the people this it was that the fruit of the trees was not to be eaten till the trees were circumcised Lev. 19. 23. Verse 19. And looking up to heaven he blessed Heathens 〈◊〉 their cates before they tasted them as appears by many passages in Homer and Virgil. Some say that the Elephant ere 〈◊〉 eats his meat turns up with his trunk the first sprig towards heaven The Scripture we are sure sayes that men eat to God when they give thanks Rom. 14 6. To whom then do they eat that give none And the Disciples to the multitude They grudged not of their little to give others some and it grew in their hands as the widdows oyl did in the cruse Not getting but giving is the way to thrive Nothing was ever lost by liberality Verse 20. And were filled So Davids cup over-flowed he had not only a sufficience but an affluence So at the marriage of Cana Christ gave them wine enough for 150 guests Howbeit he hath not promised us superfluities Having food and raiment let us be content A little of the creature will serve to carry us through our pilgrimage And they took up of the fragments Thrift is a great revenue and good husbandry well pleasing to God Prov. 27. 26 27. so it degenerate not into niggardise Twelve baskets full If we consider what they ate we may wonder they left any thing as if what they left that they ate any thing Verse 21. Were about five thousand Pythias is famous for that he was able at his own charge to entertain Xerxes his whole Army consisting of ten hundred thousand men But he grew so poor upon it that he wanted bread ere he died Our Saviour fed five thousand and his store not a jot diminished but as it is said of a great mountain of salt in Spain de quo quantum demas tantum accrescit so is it here Besides women and children Which did very much adde to the number and so to the miracle But they are not reckoned of here not out of any base esteem of them as the Jews at this day hold women to be of a lower creation then men and made only for the propagation and pleasure of men but because they eat little in comparison of men Verse 22. Jesus constrained his Disciples Who seem to have been full loth to leave his sweet company The presence of friends how much more of such a friend is so sweet that death it self is called but a departure Christ compelled them which is no more then commanded them say some to get into a ship 1. 〈◊〉 they should take part with the rash many-headed multitude who would have made him a king Joh. 6. thus he many times prevents sin in his by removing occasions 2. To inure them to the crosse and to teach them as good souldiers to suffer hardship which the flesh takes heavily 3. To give them proof of his power now prefected in their weaknesse when they were ready to be shipwrackt and to teach them to 〈◊〉 to him absent whom present they had not prised to the worth as appears ver 17. When we cast our precious things at our heels as children our heavenly father layes them out of the way another while that we may know the worth by the want and so grow wiser He sent the 〈◊〉 away That he might shun even the suspition of sedition We must not only look to our consciences but to our credits Why should I be as one that turneth aside saith the Church or as one that is veiled and covered which was the habit of an harlot Why should I seem to be so though I be none such We must shun appearances of evil whatsoever is but evil-favoured Verse 23. He went up into a mountain apart to pray Secret prayer fats the soul as secret morsels feed the body Therefore is it said to be the banquet of grace where the soul may solace her 〈◊〉 with God as Esther did with Ahashuerosh at the banquet of wine and have whatsoever heart can wish or need require Only because Anima 〈◊〉 fit minor get into such a corner as where we may be most free to call upon God without distraction remembring 〈◊〉 own ficklenesse and 〈◊〉 restlesnesse When the evening was come he was there alone Retire we must sometimes and into fit places to meet God as Balaam did but to better purpose solacing and entertaining soliloquies with him as Isaac did in the fields 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the way Ezekiel by the 〈◊〉 Vlai Peter upon the leads Christ here upon the mountain Whiles the Disciples were perilling and well nigh perishing Christ was praying for them so he is still for us at the right hand of the Majesty on high Verse 24. Tossed with waves So is the Church oft therefore stiled
it 〈◊〉 with an hundred wiers to make the image goggle with the eyes nod with the head hang the lip move and shake his jaws according as the value was of the gift that was offered If it were a small 〈◊〉 of silver he would hang a frowning lip if a piece of gold then should his jaws go merrily The like was done by the bloud of Hales brought afterwards by the Lord Cromwell to Pauls crosse and there proved to be the bloud of a duck It is a gift by whatsoever c. Some read it thus by Chorban 〈◊〉 by this gift if thou receive any profit by me understand then let God do thus and much more to me q. d. by Chorban thou shalt receive no profit by me Others thus Chorban Anathema sit Be it a devoted thing whatsoever I may profit thee by q. d. Being consccrated to God it shall be beneficiall to us both and not here only in this life but hereafter in that to come wheras cost bestowed upon parents soon vanisheth and reacheth no further then the life presents Verse 6. And honour not his father and his mother Supple insons erit Our Saviour contents himself to relate 〈◊〉 words only of the tradition as Lawyers use to do the first words of the Statute or Canon they 〈◊〉 te or argue upon Thus have you made the Commandment of none effect Ye have sought to shoulder God out of his throne to devest and spoil him of his rule and authority to ungod him as it were by making his Commandment void and invalid And do not Papists as much as all this whiles they teach that a Monk 〈◊〉 not leave his cloister to relieve his father but must rather see and suffer him to die for hunger in the streets Lyra hath these very words Filius 〈◊〉 professionem factam in religione excusatur à subveniendo parenlibus This Lyra was a famous English Jew but an arrant Papist as for most part all were then for he flourished Anno 1320. Verse 7. Well did I saias propheey of you Of such as you and so of you too The Prophets and Apostles then spake not of them only with whom they lived and to whom they wrote as the Jesuites blaspheme but their oracles and doctrines do extend still to men of the same stamp and making In the volume of thy book it is written of me saith David he found his own name in Gods book And where he spake with Jacob at Bethel there he spake with us saith Hosea Chap. 12. 4. And Whatsoever was written was written for our learning saith Paul Rom. 14. 4. Verse 8. This people draweth 〈◊〉 unto me c. And they are no changelings For at this day although they know better and can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the walls of their Synagogues this sentence Tephillah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cheguph belo neshamah that is Praier without the intention of the minde is but as a body without a soul yet shall not a man any where see lesse intention then in their orisons The reverence they shew saith Sr Edwin Sands who 〈◊〉 it is in standing up at times and the gesture of adoration in the bowing forward of their bodies For kneeling they use none no more do the Grecians neither stir they their bonnets in their Synagogues to any man but remain still covered They come to it with washen hands and in it they burn lamps to the honour of God but for any shew of devotion or elevation of spirit that yet in Jews could I never discern but they are as reverend in their Synagogues as Grammer-boyes are at school when their master is absent In summe their holinesse is the very outward work it self being a brainlesse head and soullesse body Thus he And honoureth me with their lips But prayer is not the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart the power of a petition is not in the roof of the mouth but root of the heart To give way to wilfull distractions is to commit spirituall whoredom in Gods presence Is it fit to present the King with an empty cask or to tell him a tale with our backs towards him Behold I am a great King saith God and they that stand before him must look to their feet saith Solomon that they stand upright and that they offer not an heartlesse sacrifice for that is the sacrifice of fools and ever held ominous But their heart is farre from me And so all they do is puted hypocrisie God loves truth in the inward parts Psal. 41. 6. and calls for the heart in all services as Joseph did for Benjamin as David did for Michal Thou shalt not see my face unlesse thou bring it In all spirituall Sacrifices we must bring him the fat and the inwards The deeper and hollower the belly of the lute or viol is the pleasanter is the sound the fleeter the more grating and harsh in our ears The voice which is made in the mouth is nothing so sweet as that which cometh from the depth of the brest Eph. 6. 5. Do the will of God from the heart But woe be to all carelesse 〈◊〉 to all loose and ungirt Christians the Lord will make all the Churches to know that he searcheth the hearts and reyns and that he will kill with death all such as had rather seem to be good then seek to be so Verse 9. But in vain doe they worship me For they loose their labour and which is worse they commit sinne Displeasing service is double dishonour as dissembled sanctity is double iniquity Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men So do Papists The Pope can do all things that Christ can do saith Hostiensis He can of 〈◊〉 make righteousnesse saith Bellarmine of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of nothing something His determinations are ipsissimum 〈◊〉 verbum the very word of God saith Hosius Murders treasons thefts c. ther 's no command of the morall Law but they can dispence with it but none of their ceremoniall Law Let God say they look to the breach of his own Law we will look to ours Heathen Socrates and Cicero shall rise up against these Pseudochristians and condemn them God said Socrates will be worshipped with that kinde of worship only which himself hath commanded He will not be worshipped said Cicero with superstition but with piety Verse 10. And he called the multitude The Pharisees those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would not be charmed Christ will lose no more sweet words upon them but turns them up as desperate with this inscription on their fore heads Noluerunt 〈◊〉 I would have healed these hypocrites but they would not be healed Yea When I would have healed Ephraim then to crosse me their iniquity was discovered as the leprosie in their fore-heads And from such uncouncellable and 〈◊〉 hearers if a Minister depart he doth but his duty the desertion is on their 〈◊〉 and not on his The manifestation of
say in favour of it 〈◊〉 a condition of nature and 〈◊〉 flow most of their most 〈◊〉 opinions as justification by works state of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Verse 20. These are the things which 〈◊〉 a man Make him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gods sight his heart being a filthy 〈◊〉 of all 〈◊〉 vices his life a long chain of sinfull actions a very continued web of wickednesse And whereas Repentance is the souls vomit and Confession the spunge that wipes out all the blots and blurres of our lives that cunning manslayer holds the lips elose that the heart may not disburden it self by so wholesome evacuation and doth what he can to hinder the birth of Repentance that fair and happy daughter of an uggly and odious mother sinne Verse 21. Into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon That royall exchange of the world as one calleth it Hither retired our Saviour as tired out with the Jews perversenesse And here it 's like he did much good according to that was prophesied Isa. 23. 18. Sure it is that whereas here he would have hid himself he could not for the woman of Canaan came and fell at his feet as a suppliant for her daughter Verse 22. And cryed unto him One coppy hath it And cryed behinde him which implies either that Christ had turned his back upon her seeing her now coming towards him or 〈◊〉 that she was abashed to come into his presence as being of an accurfed kindred devoted to destruction Have mercy upon me ô Lord She acknowledged her own sinne in her daughters sufferings So did that other good woman 1 King 17. 18. Her son was dead her sinne was called to remembrance And so must we see our selves beaten on our sick childrens backs as David did and be humbled labouring to mend by education what we have marred by propagation Thou son of David Thou that wast thy self born of a woman pity a woman thou that hast the bowels of a man in thee hide not thine eies from thine own flesh My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil The devil doth his worst to her therefore help Misery makes men eloquent beyond truth many times But surely this womans case was very dolefull It was her daughter dear to her as her own soul. Filia quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeks call children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Chara. And those at Rome that prayd and sacrificed whole daies that their children might be superstites long-lived these were first called superstitious persons Quod nomen patuit poste à 〈◊〉 saith Cieero The word aftsrwards came to be of larger signification This perhaps only daughter was vexed and grievously vexed and that of a devil who ever busie enough to do mischeif yet then cheifly 〈◊〉 him to set up his kingdome when Christ came to pull it down And as he oncestrove with Michael about a dead mans body but it was that he might thereby set up himself in living mens souls So he still seeks to possesse himself of our bodies that thereby he may the better winde and work himself into our hearts Verse 23. But he answered her not Tacet ore sed loquitur ei spiritu ut fortiùs clamet saith an interpreter Christ answereth her not with his mouth but speaketh unto her by that sweet and secret voice of his spirit to cry louder No man prayes heartily but he hath so much comfort at least that he will come again to God who secretly supports his suppliants and by that peace unconceivable guards their hearts and mindes that they pray and faint not Send her away for she cries Men may be tired out with uncessant suites as the unjust Judge was and as these Disciples were weary to hear the poor womans outcries repeating the same request over and over Give her therefore say they either an almes or an answer that she may be silenced and we eased But it is otherwise with God the oftener we come to him the better welcome the louder we cry the sooner we are heard and the often repetition of the self-same petition till we put the Lord out of countenance put him as you would say to the blush and even 〈◊〉 a blot in 〈◊〉 face as the Greek word signifies Luk 18. 5. this is the best melody we can 〈◊〉 him He looks out of the casements of heaven on purpose to hear it Verse 24 But unto the lost sheep c. He was properly the Apostle of the Circumcision Rom. 15. 8. Heb. 3. 1. till the wall of partition was broken down by his resurrection Then the 〈◊〉 rent and it was open-tide Then he became light to lighten the Gentiles as well as he was the glory of his people Israel Verse 25. Then came she and worshipped him She will not be said nay or set down either with silence or sad answers but like another Gorgonia she threatens heaven and is as her brother speaks of her modestly impudent and invincible She will believe as a man may say with reverence whether Christ will or no. And to bring her to this it was that he so long held her off for 〈◊〉 dilata crescunt at 〈◊〉 data vilescunt Minnah that light meat was but lightly set by because lightly come by But they that earn it before they eat it and that know how they come by that they 〈◊〉 will set an high price upon it and know how and why they part with it Lord help me Few words but very forcible When thou comest before God let thy words 〈◊〉 few saith Solomon This St Peter calls to be sober 〈◊〉 prayer 〈◊〉 Pet. 4 7. without trifling or vain babling which the wise man calls the sacrifice of fools The Baalites prayer was not more tedious then Eliah's short and yet more pithy then short charging God with the care of his covenant truth glory c. It was Eliah that praid loud and long though in few words yet very effectuall Fratres AEgyptiaci brevissimis raptìm jaculatis orationibus uti voluerunt 〈◊〉 Augustine ne per moras evanesceret habetaretur intentio Those ancient Christians of Egypt were very brief in 〈◊〉 prayers Help me The word properly signifieth to run at ones cry that calls for help as the tender mother doth to her hungry child when he sets up his note and cries lustily Verse 26. 〈◊〉 to cast it to dogs To whelps saith St Mark So he calls her Bitch her daughter whelp This might have easily 〈◊〉 and discouraged her But she was that well resolved Christian whose part Luther saith it is to believe things invisible to 〈◊〉 for things deferred and to love God when he shews himself most angry with him and most opposite to him Our Saviour was no sooner gon from this Canaanitesse but he heals the 〈◊〉 and dumb man though far weaker in faith then her at first word Mark 7. 33. and vers 30 of this chapter the
Verse 12. Then understood they how c. This chiding then was well bestowed So was that Luk. 24 〈◊〉 upon the two 〈◊〉 going to Emaus and that upon the Virgin Mary Joh. 2. 5. she laid her hand upon her mouth and replied not And that upon the Corinthians for conniving at the incestuous 〈◊〉 and that upon the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 14. for Eusebius telleth us that in his time it continued to be a flourishing Church It is said of 〈◊〉 that he took not content in any thing so much as in a plain and faithfull reproof from his friend It is a commendation to 〈◊〉 the words of exhortation Heb. 13. Verse 13. Whom do men say that I c. This Question Christ asked not as tickled with ambition to hear his own commendation which yet is held and said to be the only sweet hearing but as taking occasion to make way for their Christian confession and likewise for their further information The sonne of man am So he was called 1. Because a true man 2. Because he passed for no more then an ordinary man How can this man give us his flesh to 〈◊〉 Joh. 6. 3. Because as man born of a woman he was of few daies and full of trouble yea he was the man that had seen affliction by the rod of Gods wrath Verse 14. Some say that thou art John c. His body they saw was not Johns but they held then and the Jews at this day hold the Pythagorean transanimation or passing of souls out of one body into another So because they received not the love of the truth God gave them up to the efficacy of errour even the better sort of them for there were that held Christ neither the Baptist nor Elias but a drunkard a demoniack c. Who now can think to escape variety of censures And why should any stumble at the diversity of opinions touching Christ and his kingdom Verse 15. But whom say ye that I am q. d. It behoveth you to say something that is better to the purpose 〈◊〉 the vulgar saith and censureth God will take that of some that he will not of others Christ would not have his to stand doubtfull and to 〈◊〉 to nothing certainly to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way ready to go which way soever the staff 〈◊〉 but to strive to a plerophory a full assurance of knowledge a certainty as Luke hath it chap. 1. 4. and to be 〈◊〉 perswaded vers 1. A conjecturall confidence a generall faith the Colliers faith 〈◊〉 they call it sufficeth not To believe as the Church believes c. And yet Thomas Aquinas that great Schoolman had no better a faith to support him at the last hour of his life nor could he have any rest within till he had taken up the Bible and clipping it in his arms said Lord I believe all that is written in this holy book Verse 16. Simon Peter answered c. As the mouth of the company and one that being haply 〈◊〉 and surely bolder then the rest spake thus for them But what a 〈◊〉 mouth of blasphemy opened those two Popes Peters pretended successours Leo the first and Nicolas the third that boasted that Peter was taken into fellowship of the individuall Trinity Neither can that be excused that Hierom commenteth on the former verses Whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say that I am But whom say 〈◊〉 that I am that our Saviour there purposely opposeth his Disciples to men to intimate that they were something more then men This is some thing like that Note of a Latine Postiller upon Exo. 30. 31. where because it is said vers 32. Upon mans flesh the holy ointment shall not be poured thou 〈◊〉 anoint Aaron and his sonnes therewith thence infers that Priests are Angels and have not humane flesh These were humane 〈◊〉 and savoured as little of Gods meaning as that unsavoury speech of Peter v. 22. of this Chapter for the which he 〈◊〉 Get thee behinde me Satan thou savourest not c. Verse Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God A short confession but such as in few containeth whatsoever we believe concerning the person and osfice of Christ Brevis longa planeque aurea est baec confessio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we say of it as St Bartholomew quoted by Dionysius did of the Doctrine of Divinity that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Little and yet large Verse 17. Blessed art thou Simon These and the following words of our Saviour to Peter were meant to all the Apostles also Joh. 20. 22 23. Christ took his beginning of one to teach unity in his Church in the confession of faith Note this against the Papists who miserably wrest and 〈◊〉 this text to the proving of the 〈◊〉 Monarchy Gregory the great though he stiled himself a servant of Gods servants and detested the Pope of Censtantinople for arrogating the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 during the raign of Mauritius yet when he was 〈◊〉 and succeeded by the traitour Phocas he ceased not to flatter the same Phocas to commend unto him the care of the Church of Rome and to exhort him to remember this saying of our Saviour Thou art Peter c. and for no other end then that he might extend his power by the favour of the parricide Verse 18. Thou art Peter i. e. Thou art a living stone in the spirituall Temple like as ` Peter saith all other Christians are 1 Pet. 2. 5. And here Christ tels Peter why at first he gave him that name Upon this Rock That is upon this thy Rocky thy solid and substantiall confession of me Austin saith the rock is Christ not Peter But this saith 〈◊〉 is humanus lapsus in Augustino So the Schoolmen say that St Austin stood so much for grace that 〈◊〉 yeelded too little to free-will But it was a true saying of learned D. Whitakers in his answer to Campian Patres in 〈◊〉 sunt nostri in multis 〈◊〉 in minimis vestri I will build my Church Christ cals not the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly a convention of Lords and Statesmen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an Assembly of the common people even those of the lower rank and condition according to that 1 Cor. 1. 26. and Luk. 1. 48. he hath regarded the low estate of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the gates of hell c. That is all the power and policy of hell combined The devil lendeth his instruments the Churches 〈◊〉 his seven heads to plot and his ten horns to push Craft and cruelty go together in them as the Asp never wanders alone and as the Scripture speaks of those birds of prey Isa. 34. 16. None of them wants his mate But yet all this shall not prevail the devil may shake his chain at the Saints not set his 〈◊〉 in them For why they stand upon a rock that is higher
call me being a lost childe For by your good admonitions and wholsome reproofs whereas I was before both an adulterer and 〈◊〉 God hath brought me to forfake and 〈◊〉 the same Verse 16. Then take with thee one or two more Such as are faithfull and able both to keep counsell and to give counsell that so if we cannot lead him by the hand to Christ we may bear him in his bed as they did the palsie-man and so bring him to Christ by the help of friends That in the mouth of two or three To blame then are they that proceed upon every idle supposition suspition report or 〈◊〉 Three manner of persons said Father Latimer 〈◊〉 make no credible information 1. Adversaries for evil will never speak well 2. Ignorant men and those without judgement 3. Whisperers and blowers in mens ears which will 〈◊〉 out in hugger 〈◊〉 more then they dare avow openly To all such we must turn the deaf ear the tale-bearer and tale-hearer are both of them 〈◊〉 and shut ou of heaven Psal. 15. 3. Verse 17. Tell it unto the Church That is unto the Church-Governours the Church representative as some think Not the Pope whom Papists make the Church 〈◊〉 and who like a wasp is no sooner angry but out comes a sting which being out is like a fools dagger 〈◊〉 and snapping withoutan edge Hence in the year 833. when Pope Gregory the fourth offered to excommunicate Ludivicus Pius the Emperour with his followers the Bishops that stood for the Emperour affirmed that they would by no means yeeld to the Pops pleasure therein sed 〈◊〉 communicaturus venirit excommunic atus abiret cum alitèr se habeat antiquorum 〈◊〉 authorit as And in the year 1260. Leonard an English Doctor answered the Popes Legat who pleaded that all Churches were the Popes that they were his indeed so it went then for currant but tuitione non fruitione 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 If he should cast out Jonas and keep Cham in the Ark they would decline and disclaim his censures Let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a publican i.e. Neither meddle nor make with him have thou neither sacred nor civil society with him The Jews hated the presence the fire the fashion the books of an Heathen As now a Papist may not joyn with a Protestant in any holy action no not in saying over the Lords prayer or saying Grace at table Howbeit of old a Jew might eat at the same table with an Heathen Levit. 8 and come to the same Temple with Publicans so they were Proselytes Luk 〈◊〉 But they might do neither of these to an obstinate excommunicate no more may we Rebellion is as witchcraft and obstinacy as bad as idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. Verse 18. Whatsoever ye shall bind Let no man despise your 〈◊〉 for I will 〈◊〉 it Whatever you-binde i.e. forbid prohibit c. As whatever ye loose that is command permit shall be seconded and settled by me in heaven so that your word shall surely stand Further to binde saith Cameron is to pronounce a thing prophane to loose is to pronounce it lawfull as when the Jews say that David and Ezekiel bound nothing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bound in the Law Verse 19. If two of you shall agree How much more then a whole Church full of you Great is the power of joynt prayer Act. 12. 12. Dan. 2. 18. Those in the Revelation whose prayers went up as a pillar of incense and came before the Lord as the sound of many waters the thundring legion the 〈◊〉 in Tertullians time that came an army of them not more to beseech then to besiege God by their prayers This made Henry the third King of France forbid the Protestant-housholders in his dominions to pray with their families And a great Queen said that she 〈◊〉 more the prayers of John 〈◊〉 and his complices then an 〈◊〉 of thirty thou and men Act. 4. the house shook where the Disciples were praying The devil was forced to throw in the obligation to Luther and some others that were praying for a young man that had yeelded himself body and soul to the devil for mony and had written the bond with his own blood The Popish souldiers that went against the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 said that the ministers of that town with their prayers conjured and bewitched them that they could not fight Whiles Moses Aaron and Hur lift up their hands and mindes together in the mount 〈◊〉 beats 〈◊〉 in the valley They prevailed precando more then he did praeliando Now for the fruit of prayer said those brave spirits et Edge-hill-battel where there was never 〈◊〉 seen of man and more of God as the Noble Generall thankfully acknowledged Verse 20. There am I in the midst As to eie their behaviour so to hear their suits All that he requireth is that they bring lawfull petitions and honest hearts and then they shall be sure to receive whatsoever heart can wish or need require A courtier that is a favourite gets more of his Prince by one suit many times 〈◊〉 a tradesman or husbandman happly doth with twenty-years-labour So doth a praying Christian get much good at Gods 〈◊〉 as having the royalty of his ear and the command of whatsoever God can do for him Isa. 45. 11. Concerning the work of my hands command ye me Hence that 〈◊〉 rapture of 〈◊〉 in a certain prayer of his Fiat voluntas mea Domine 〈◊〉 hence that request of St Bernard to a certain friend of his to whom he had given diverse directions for strictnesse and purity Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 mei when thou art become such 〈◊〉 one think on me in thy prayers Verse 21. And I forgive him till seven times How 〈◊〉 good people even at this day think if they forgive an 〈◊〉 brother some few times that they have supererogated and delerved to be Chronicled yea canonized It was a fault in Peter to presume to prescribe to Christ how oft he should enjoyn him to forgive Peter is still the same ever too forwardly and forth-putting Verse 22. Vntill seventy times seven i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quotiès God multiplieth pardons Isa. 55 7. so should we Love covereth all sinnes Prov. 10. 12. so large is the skirt of loves mantle Betwixt God and us the distance is infinite and if it were possible our love to him and to our friends in him our foes for him should fill up that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 it self to 〈◊〉 We may without 〈◊〉 be sensible of injuries a sheep is as sensible of a bite as a swine but it must be with the silence of a sheep or at utmost the mourning of a dove not the roaring of a bear or bellowing of a bull when baited All desire of revenge must be carefully cast out and if the wrong-doer say I repent you must say I remit and that from the 〈◊〉 being herein like that King of England of
title as if you were the only ones and others not worthy to be named in the same day with you Swelling in the body is an ill symptom but worse in the soul. For one is your master Your guide to godlinesse and happinesse your Doctour and dictatour your Oracle your Ipse dixit whose bare word you are to take without further proof or pawn And all 〈◊〉 are brethren Not as the Pope calls his Cardinalls brethren when in creating them he useth this form 〈◊〉 fratres nostri Principes 〈◊〉 Odi fastum illius Ecclesiae saith Basil which caused the lamentable seperation of the Eastern or Greek Church from communion with the Latine the other four Patriachs dividing themselves from the Bishop of Rome for his encroaching upon them Verse 9. Call no man your father i.e. Give no man absolute power over you be not the servants of men or slaves to their opinions or mandates as Friers are to their superiours to argue or debate on whose commands is held high presumption to search their reasons proud curiosity to detract or disobey them breach of vow equall to sacriledge Verse 10. One is your master Where then are Magistri nostri Parisienses our Doctores resolutissimi our Masters of opinions whose word must stand for a law whose tenets must passe for Oracles By the Canon-law Omnes sanctiones Apostolicae sedis irrefragabilitèr 〈◊〉 observandae The Pope may not be disobeyed Verse 11. Shall be your servant The word signifies one that is ready prest to raise dust to do his utmost endeavour with all possible expedition in any businesse that he is set about Verse 12. And whosoever shall exalt himself c. Loe here a great miracle saith Augustin God is on high and yet the higher thou liftest up thy self the farther thou art from him the lower thou humblest thy self the nearer he draweth to thee Low things he looketh close upon that he may raise them proud things he knows afarre off that he may depresse them The proud Pharisee pressed as 〈◊〉 God as he could the poor Publican not daring to do so stood aloof off yet was God far from the Pharisee near to the Publican Verse 13. 〈◊〉 unto you Scribes c. By these eight dreadfull woes as by so many links of an adamantine chain our Saviour draws these hypocrites down to hell their place and there leaves them to be reserved unto judgement St Hierom was called Fulmen 〈◊〉 the Churches thunderbolt How much more might this be attributed to Christ How terribly doth he here thunderstrike these stupid Pharisees though he saw well with Father Latimer that whosoever will be busie with 〈◊〉 vobis shall shortly after come coram nobis Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven By hiding heavenly truths teaching damnable errours excommunicating the well affected or corrupting them by evil counsell and example and all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cor à m in os before men and to their faces making fools of them even whiles they look on casting a mist before their eyes as those Egyptian juglers did Exod. 7. and keeping from them that collyrium that should cure and clear up their eye-sight Revel 3. 18. Thus did Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury who bound up the word of God that it might not be preached in his time as the Historians words are and was therefore according to this woe here denounced so smitten in his tongue that he could neither swallow nor speak for certain daies afore he died Steven Gardiner was plagued in like manner for like reason And generally the Popish Clergy are vexed with that grievous and noisome sore of develish spite against the Reformation Revel 16. 2. which they therefore oppose with might and main till wrath come upon them to the 〈◊〉 And albeit many of them escape the visible vengeance of God yet this terrible Woe as a moth doth secretly 〈◊〉 them up like a garment and as a worm eateth them up like wood Isa 51. 8. as it did these Pharisees on whose outside nothing could be discerned all was as before but their soules were blasted seared and sealed up to destruction He that hath drunk poison falles not down dead presently in the place but he hath his death about him as we say Saul lived and reigned long after he was cast off by God and the very devils are respited in regard of their full torment but the more is behinde Verse 14. Ye devoure widdows houses Though they pretended to be great fasters Luk. 18. 12. yet their 〈◊〉 prepared deceit as Eliphaz hath it Job 15. 35. and their throats those open sepulchres swallowed up whole houses such was their covetousnesse and that of widows such was their cruelty and that under a pretence of long prayers which was their hypocrisie for while their lips seemed to pray they were but chewing that morsell that murthering 〈◊〉 that made them receive the greater damnation Multi in terris 〈◊〉 quod apud inferos digerunt saith Augustin Many 〈◊〉 that on earth that they must digest in hell where the never-dying worm will feed greedily upon all such covetous caitiffs as have the greedy worm under their tongues and their ill-gotten goods gotten already into their bowels 〈◊〉 these Pharisees had which therefore God shall fetch thence again with a 〈◊〉 Make long 〈◊〉 God takes not mens praiers by tale but by weight He respecteth not the Arithmetike of our praiers how many they are nor the Rhetorike of our praiers how eloquent they are nor the Geometry of our praiers how long they are nor the Musick of our praiers the sweetnesse of our voice nor the Logick of our praiers or the method of them but the divinity of our praiers is that which he so much esteemeth He 〈◊〉 not for any James with horny knees through 〈◊〉 in praier nor for any 〈◊〉 with a century of praiers for the morning and as many for the evening but S. Paul his frequency of praying with fervency of spirit without all 〈◊〉 prolixities and vain bablings this is it that God maketh most account of It is not a servants going to and fro but the dispatch of his businesse that pleaseth his master It is not the loudnesse of a preachers voice but the holinesse of the matter and the spirit of the preacher that moveth a wise and intelligent hearer So herenot gifts but graces in praier move the Lord. But these long 〈◊〉 of the Pharisees were so much the worse because thereby they sought to entitle God to their sin yea they meerly mocked him fleering in his face Verse 15. Ye compasse sea and land They walked the round as the devil doth to gain proselytes they spared for no pains to pervert men as now the Jesuites those Circulatores 〈◊〉 should not we be as diligent and indefatigable to convert them to God Shall we not be as 〈◊〉 in building stair-cases for heaven as seducers are
here these wicked ones fulfill the divine decree but no thank to them more then to Haman for 〈◊〉 advancement whereunto Haman held the stirrop only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devitatur impletur saith a 〈◊〉 Verse 6. Now when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 This History of a thing acted before Christ came to 〈◊〉 comes in here somewhat out of place to shew the ground and occasion of Iudas his treason which was discontent at the 〈◊〉 of such a prize and our Saviours sharping him up for shewing his dislike In the house of Simon the 〈◊〉 A leper he had been but was now healed and haply by Christ whom therefore he entertaineth in way of thankfulnesse as Matthew also did Verse 7. An Alabaster box of very precious c. Pliny telleth us That they were wont to keep the most costly 〈◊〉 in boxes of Alabaster And 〈◊〉 reckoneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Alabaster box of ointment among the 〈◊〉 things that 〈◊〉 the Persian sent for a present to the King of 〈◊〉 Mary thought nothing too costly for Christ. See the Notes on Ioh. 12. 3. Verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not all but one of them was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Iohn explains Matthew who yet was of such esteem and authority amongst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that what he did they are all said to do and possibly they might some of them be drawn to do the same by his example and upon so specious a pretence of charity to the poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 All seems to be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 and blood that is laid out upon Christ his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 The people is 〈◊〉 said 〈◊〉 when they would needs go worship in the wildernesse And 〈◊〉 jeers the 〈◊〉 for wasting a seventh part of their lives on a weekly 〈◊〉 Verse 9. For this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 been sold. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 it had 〈◊〉 sold had it been a 〈◊〉 and idle expence such as is now-adaies ordinary in fine-clothes sumptuous feasts over stately buildings c. But here it is a senslesse sentence that 〈◊〉 uttereth out of discontent only that he missed of so fat a 〈◊〉 A varice made 〈◊〉 as it did 〈◊〉 think all which he acquired not to be lost Quicquid non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Verse 10. Why 〈◊〉 ye the 〈◊〉 Christ will patronize his well-doers and stick to them though all forsake them 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. He many times pleads for them in the consciences of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 more thoughts 〈◊〉 such then the world is 〈◊〉 of and 〈◊〉 afraid of the name of God whereby they are called Deut. 28. 9 10. Verse 11. The poor 〈◊〉 have 〈◊〉 with you To try and to exercise your liberality 〈◊〉 your justice as the Syriack calleth it Prov. 3. 27. With-hold not thy goods from these owners thereof But me ye have not alwaies Christ dwelt in the flesh as in 〈◊〉 tent or booth Joh. 1. 14. He sojourned here for a while only his 〈◊〉 with us was but temporary as the Greek word there 〈◊〉 Verse 12. She did it for my buriall This Mary perhaps understood not So things that we think come to passe by hap-hazard are preordained and sweetly ordered by Almighty God in his secret counsell and by his fatherly providence to excellent ends many times such as we never thought on Verse 13. Be told for a memoriall of her Though now she be sharply 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 for a wast-good Do well and 〈◊〉 ill is written upon heaven gates said that Martyr But God will both right his wronged and honour his disparaged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now smels as sweet in all Gods house as ever her ointment did when Judas his name rots and shall do to all posterity Yea in the next world Mary and such we shall look upon likely with thoughts of extraordinary love and sweetnesse thorowout all eternity as Judas and such with execrable and everlasting detestation Verse 14. Then one of the twelve c. sc. When he heard of the chief Priests and Elders meeting about such a matter Satan 〈◊〉 him on being now malecontent to make one amongst them That spirit of darknesse loves to dwell in a soul that is clouded by passion as in Saul when he was envious at David and here in 〈◊〉 when defeated of his designe and 〈◊〉 at his Masters 〈◊〉 Verse 15. What will ye give 〈◊〉 Take heed and beware of 〈◊〉 saith our Saviour for it is the root of all evil saith Paul a breach of the whole decalogue as some Divines have demonstrated and universall experience hath confirmed These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one calleth them are still found every where such as will sell their soules to the devil with Ahab 〈◊〉 for seven years enjoyment of the Popedome as some have done but for a few paltry shillings as Iudas here did or some other pidling profit This our Saviour calleth the Mammon of iniquity which is the next odious 〈◊〉 to the devil himself For thirty peeces of silver A goodly price as the Prophet in scorn and 〈◊〉 calleth it It was a known set price for the basest slave Exod. 21. 31. Ioel 3. 3 6. For so small a summe sold this traytour so sweet a master as had not only admitted him into his company but committed the bag to him and let him 〈◊〉 for nothing Quid non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cogis 〈◊〉 sacra fames Look well to it For as there were many Marij in one Cesar so are there many Iudasses in the best Let Patrons especially look to it for many of them are worse then Iudas He sold the head they the members he the sheep they the sheepherd he but the body they the souls as that scarlet strumpet Revel 1813. Verse 16. And from that time he sought So it was no sudden but a prepensed wickednesse done in cold blood and upon mature deliberation Gods people when they sinne they are preoccupated and taken before they are aware Gal. 6. 1. There is no way of wickednesse in them ordinarily It is of incogitancy put them in minde and they mend all Or it is of passion and passions last not long They deny not Christ that bought them they can do nothing against the truth they will not fongoe God upon any tearms they never sinne with deliberation about this chief end if they erre it is only in the way as thinking that they may fulfill such a lust and keep God too Verse 17. Now the first day That is on the fourteenth day of the first moneth according to the law The Priests for politique respects had adjourned this feast to the 〈◊〉 day being the Sabbath against the letter of the law that the celebrity might be the greater and the people were ruled by them Our Saviour followeth not a multitude not observeth mans tradition herein but Gods preseription No more must we This St Luke plainly intimateth in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 22. 7. Then came the day of unleavened bread when
I will but c. Here Christ doth not correct his former request for then there should have been some kinde of fault in it but explicateth only on what condition he desired deliverance and becometh obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Philip. 2. 8. crying out Not as I will but as thou wilt which shews that he had a distinct humane will from the will of his Father and so was very man as well as God And here Aristotle that great Philosopher is clearly confuted For he denies that a magnanimious man can be exceeding sorrowfull for any thing that befalls him Our Saviour his Churches stoutest Champion was exceeding sorrowfull even to the death and yet of so great a spirit that he yeelds up himself wholly to God Magnus est animus qui so-Deo tradidit pufillus degener qui obluctatur saith Seneca He is a brave man that trusts God with all Verse 40. And he cometh unto the Disciples They were his care in the midst of his agony so was Peter upon whom he found time to look back when he stood to answer for his life So was the penitent thief whose prayer Christ answered even when he hung upon the tree and was paying dear for his redemption Our high-priest bears the names of all his people on his shoulders and on his breast so that he cannot be unmindfull of them Behold he hath graven them upon 〈◊〉 palms of his hands their walles are continually 〈◊〉 him Isa. 49. 16. he loveth to look upon the houses where they dwell And findeth them asleep When he should have found them at prayer for him Prayer is 〈◊〉 creature of the holy Ghost and unlesse he hold up mens eyes there while even Peter James and John will fall asleep in prayer and put up yawning petitions to God And saith unto Peter Who had promised so much forwardnesse and stood in so great danger above the rest Luk. 22. 31. For Satan earnestly desired to deal with him he challenged Peter forth as Goliah called for one to combate with And was it for them to sleep then or with Agrippa's dormouse not to awake till boyled in lead What could you not watch with me c. How then will ye do to dye with me as erst ye promised me If the footmen have wearied you how will ye contend with horses Jer. 12. 5. If you cannot endure words how will you endure wounds If ye cannot strive against sin how will you resist unto bloud Heb. 12. 4 If ye cannot burn your finger with Bilney your right-hand with Cranmer how will you bear the burning of your whole body Alice Coberly being pitiously burnt in the hand by the Keepers wife with a hot key which she cunningly sent her to fetch revoked Verse 41. Watch and pray Yea watch whiles ye are praying against corruption within temptations 〈◊〉 Satan will be interrupting as the Pythonisse did Paul praying Act. 16. 16. as the fowls did Abraham sacrificing Gen. 15. 11. as the enemies did 〈◊〉 with his Jews building who therefore praid and watcht watcht and praid Amongst all actions Satan is ever busiest in the best and most in the best part of the best as in the end of praier when the heart should close up it self with most comfort Watch therefore unto praier Set all aside for it and wait on it as the word imports Coloss. 4. 2. while praier stands still the trade of godlinesse stands still Let this therefore be done whatever is left undone Take heed the devil take you not out of your trenches as he did David likely 2 Sam. 11. 2. Out of your strong-hold as Joshua did the men of Ai. 〈◊〉 children saith Saint John abide in God keep home keep close to your Father if you mean to be safe if that evil one shall not touch you 1 Joh. 5. 18. nor thrust his deadly sting into you c. The spirit indeed is willing q. d. Though the spirit purpose otherwise yet the flesh will falter and ye will be foiled else Or our Saviour speaks this by way of excuse of their infirmity q. d. I see you are willing so farre as you are spirituall and regenerate but the flesh is treacherous and tyrannicall It rebels ever and anon and would gladly raign It hangs off when called to suffer and makes shy of the businesse So Peter was carried whether he would not Joh. 21. 18. So Hilarion chides out his soul which plaid loth to depart with Egredere ô anima c. So M. Saunders Martyr in a letter to his wife a little afore his death Fain would this flesh said he make strange of that which the spirit doth embrace O Lord how loth is this loitering sluggard to passe forth in Gods path c So M. Bradford going to his death Now I am climing up the hill said he It will cause me to puff and blow before I come to the 〈◊〉 The hill 〈◊〉 steep and high my breath is short and my strength is feeble Pray therefore to the Lord for me pray for me pray for me for Gods sake pray for me See more in the Notes on 〈◊〉 21. 18. Verse 42. The second time and praid Praier is that arrow of deliverance that would be multiplied God holds off on purpose that he may hear oft of us that we may ply the throne of grace and give him no rest The Church Psal. 80. commenceth thrice the same sute but riseth every time in her earnestnesse 〈◊〉 3 7 19. If thy petition be not lawfull never preferre it as if it 〈◊〉 never give it over God suspends thee to 〈◊〉 thee If this cup may not passe except I drink It passeth then even while we are drinking of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hold our faith and 〈◊〉 It is but a storm and will soon be over It is but a death and that 's but the day-break of eternall brightnesse It is but winking as that Martyr said and thou shalt be in heaven presently Verse 43. He came and found them asleep again After so sweet 〈◊〉 admonition so soveraign a reproof Who knows how oft an 〈◊〉 may recurre even after 〈◊〉 See it in 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 in these Apostles for their 〈◊〉 Who should 〈◊〉 greatest c. For their eyes were heavy For sorrow saith S. Luke which exhausting the spirits renders a man more sluggish and hindering concoction sends up vapours to the brain and so causeth sleep This was somewhat but not sufficient to excuse them Christ took them with him into the garden for their society and 〈◊〉 But they not only not help him but wound him by their dulnesse unto duty and instead of wiping off his bloudy sweat they draw more out of him Judas had somewhat else to do now then to sleep when Peter was fast and could not hold up 〈◊〉 the Prophet lay under such a like drowsie distemper chap. 4. 1. for though awaked and set to work he was even
funestam dedisti 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom Verse 14. The Governour marvelled That Christ should so betray his own cause by an obstinate silence But why marvelled he not as much at the impudency of the Priests pressing such palpable untruths against him He did no doubt and yet against all equity yeelded to their importunity But 〈◊〉 not Magistrates be men of courage cuerdelions Solomons throne was supported by lions to shew what manner of men such should be as sit in places of judicature Verse 15. The Governour was wont In remembrance say some of their deliverance from the AEgyptian bondage A 〈◊〉 it was and therefore obtained but an evil custome and therefore should better have been abrogated Custome without truth is but hoarinesse or mouldinesse of errour saith one And 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 is but antiquity of iniquity saith another A custome they have in Rome at this day that if a Cardinall meet a condemned person going to execution and put his hat on the malefactours head he is thereby set free I see no sense for such a pardon But the Inhabitants of Berne in 〈◊〉 gave a generall pardon to most of their prisoners and called home their banished that same day wherein the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 received and established amongst them And they gave this reason for it Should some confederate Prince passe thorow our coasts we should for his sake pardon our offenders upon promise of amendment Now shall the King of Kings the Sonne of God and our dear brother who hath done and suffered so much for us come graciously unto us and we not honour him this way also Saul for joy of his victory over the Ammonites would not suffer such to be put to death as had spoken treason against him for to day said he the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel c. Verse 16. A notable prisoner called Barabbas That is by interpretation his fathers sonne his white son his darling his tidling whom he had cockered and not crossed from his youth Such children are oft undone as Absolom Amnon and Adoniah were by their parents indlgence How many a Barabbas brought to the gallows blameth his fond father and haply curseth him in hell Verse 17. Whom will ye that I release Pilate hoped they would never be so grossely wicked as to prefer such a stigmaticall varlet But why did he give them the liberty of such a choice Why did he not rather as Iob break the jaws of the wicked and pluck the spoil out of their teeth Should not the standard be made of hardest metals the chief post of the house be heart of Oak Was it not pusillanimity and popularity that missed 〈◊〉 and so muzzled him that he could not contradict the many-headed multitude Verse 18. For he knew that for envy His sinne was the greater for his knowledge I am 4. 17. Omne peccatum contra conscientiam aedificat ad 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 When men imprison their light that Prophet from God Rem 1. 18. and after conviction runne away with the bit in their mouths as it were they run without Gods greater mercy upon their utter ruine and destruction Tostatus truly observeth that Solomons idolatry was a sinne farre more sinfull then that of his wives because 〈◊〉 knowledge Verse 19. 〈◊〉 wife sent unto him There are that think that this womans dream was of the devil thereby to have hindered the work of redemption by this composition Satan and his agents when they cannot conquer would fain compound 〈◊〉 will have it to be a divine dream because it was sent say they for the better clearing of Christs innocency even whiles he stood at the bar yea for the salvation of this womans soul as Theophylact is of opinion Verse 20. The chief Priests and Elders perswaded And prevailed See then how needfull it is that we pray for good governours Ieroboam made Israel to sinne Peter compelled the 〈◊〉 to Judaize Gal. 2. 14. As the corruption of a fish begins at the head and as in a beast the whole body followes the head So are the people over-ruled by their Rulers Verse 21. They said 〈◊〉 This mad choice is every day made whiles men preferre the lusts of their flesh before the lives of their souls In the present instance we may see as in 〈◊〉 mirrour the inconstancy of the common sort who erst cryed Christ up for a Prophet and would have crowned him for a King and the desperate madnesse of the Priests Qui citiùs Diabolum ex inferno petivissent quam Iesum as Pareus hath it Who would have desired the devil of hell rather then Jesus Verse 22. Let him be crucified He whom 〈◊〉 they had little lesse then deified See how soon evil company and counsell had altered them like as Walnut-tree-roots imbitter the roots of all the trees about them Siquis obsequatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddet 〈◊〉 temulentum Callias si Alcibiadi jactatorem si Crobylo coquum c. saith AElian A man easily conformeth to his company Verse 23. Why What evil hath he done Why but if he have done no evil wherefore doth not Pilate pronounce him innocent coutra gentes And quit him by proclamation which because he did not but the contrary was he not therefore by a just judgement of God upon him kickt off the bench by the Emperour Tiberius Judge Hales came to an evil end for crossing his conscience And Judge Morgan who gave the sentence of that peerlesse Lady 〈◊〉 Graies death presently fell mad and in all his distracted fits cried out continually Take away the Lady 〈◊〉 Take away the Lady Iane from me It is reported of Nevessan a better Lawyer then an honest man that he should say He that will not venture his body shall never be valiant he that will not venture his soul never rich Verse 24. He took water Too weak an element to wash off guilt 〈◊〉 which is not purged but by the bloud of Christ or fire of hell And washt his hands An old Ceremony used in this case both by Jews Deut. 21. 6 7. Act. 18. 6. and Gentiles as the Scholiast upon Sophocles testifieth And it was as much as to say the guilt of innocent bloud doth no more stick to my conscience then the filth now washed off doth to my fingers Sed quid hoc est 〈◊〉 one Manus abluit Pilatus cor polluit O Ierusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse saith the Prophet God and nature begin at the heart And Cleanse your hands ye sinners but withall Purifie your hearts ye double-minded saith the Apostle The very Turks before praier wash both face and hands sometimes the head and privities But bodily exercise only profiteth little See ye to it See thou to that said they to Iudas vers 4. See ye to it saith Pilate to them With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again Mat. 7. 2. They are paid in their own coyn their own very words by a just
prayer made by a penitent malefactour executed at Evesham in Worcestershier many years since But our Lord Christ was forsaken of all these creature-comforts and which was worse then all of his Fathers favour to his present apprehension left forelorne and destitute for a time that we might be received for ever Howbeit perplexed though he were yet not in despair persecuted yet not forsaken cast down yet not destroyed He could say My God in the midst of all by the force of his faith which individuateth God as a Father saith and appropriateth him to a mans self And Hilary hath a good note which here comes in not out of place Habes conquerentem relictum se esse quia homo est habes eundem profitentem Latroni in paradiso regnaturum quia Deus est As man he cryes out My God my God c when as God he promiseth paradise to the penitent theef Verse 47. This man calleth for Elias A malicious mistake a devilish sarcasme Whiles darknesse was upon them they were over-awed and husht their mouths were haltered as horses must be saith the Psalmist as the sea was by our Saviour and held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee But no sooner was it light again but they are at their old trade again deriding our Saviour and depraving his words as if forsaken of his hope in God he had fled to Elias for help So when Cranmer standing at the stake cryed out often Lord Jesu receive my spirit a Spanish Monk that heard him ran to a Noble-man there present and tells him that those were the words of one that dyed in great despair Verse 48. And filled it with vineger Sorrow is dry we say This man of sorrows more to fulfill the Scriptures then for his own satisfaction though extream dry no doubt for now was the Paschall lamb a roasting in the fire of his Fathers wrath he saith I thirst and had vineger to drink that we might drink of the water of life and be sweetly inebriated in that torrent of pleasure that runs at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16. 11. See the Note on Joh. 19. 29. Verse 49. Let us see whether Elias c. This mocking is the murther of the tongue which therefore our Saviour suffered ut nos illusori Satanae insultaremus saith one It is reported of Aretine that by a longer custome of libellous and contumelious speaking against men he had got such a habit that at last he came to diminish and disesteem God himself May not the same be made good of these malicious miscreants Verse 50. Yeelded up the Ghost Or let go his spirit viz. to God that gave it to whom also he recommended it Luk. 23. 46. teaching us what to do in like case Our care herein may make even a Centurion a gracelesse person to glorifie God saying Certainly this was a righteous man vers 47. When so great a clark as Erasmus dying with no better words in his mouth then Domine fac finem fac finem is but hardly thought of How much more that English Hubertus a covetous oppressour who dying made this wretched will-paroll I yeeld my goods to the King my body to the grave my soul to the devil Verse 51. The vail of the Temple was rent To shew than there was an end of the Leviticall liturgy and that now there was free and open accesse for all Saints to the throne of Gods grace for the vail was a figure of the spirituall covering which was before the eyes of the Church till Christs coming And the earth did quake To work a heart-quake in the obstinate Jews as in some it did others of them had contracted such an habituall hardnesse such a hoof upon their hearts as neither ministry nor misery nor miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie And the rocks rent So they do wherever Christ makes forcible entrance into any heart I will shake all nations and then the desire of all nations shall come Hag. 2. 7. A man will never truly desire Christ till soundly shaken Gods shaking ends in setling he rents us not to ruine but to refine us Verse 52. And the graves were opened To shew that death was now swallowed up in victory by life essentiall like as the fire swallows up the fuell and as Moses his serpent swallowed up the enchanted serpents And many bodies of the Saints To shew that the 〈◊〉 strings of death which before bound them in their 〈◊〉 were now broken and they enlarged to attend our Saviours resurrection Verse 53. And appeared unto many Not to converse again as heretofore with men but to accompany Christ that raised them into heaven and to be as so many ocular 〈◊〉 of Christs quickning power whereby he shall also raise our vile bodies and conform them to his glorious body the standard Phil. 3. ult Verse 54. Truly this was the Sonne of God i.e. A divine man a de my-god as these Heathens reputed those in whom they beheld and admired any thing above the ordinary nature of 〈◊〉 and their expectation Naturall conscience cannot but stoop and do homage to the image of God stamped upon his people as being afraid of that name of God whereby they are called Deut. 28. 10. There are that think that these souldiers our Saviours executioners were truly converted by the miracles they 〈◊〉 seen according to what Christ had prayd for them Luk. 23. 34. And it may very well be like as Paul was converted upon 〈◊〉 Stevens prayer as Justine Martyr and others were by behold ing the piety and patience of the Primitive Christians and as James Silvester 〈◊〉 at the Martyrdome of Simon Lalot at 〈◊〉 He seeing the great faith and constancy of that heavenly Martyr was so compuncted with repentance saith Mr Fox and fell into such despair of himself that they had much ado to fasten any comfort on him wich all the promises of the Gospell till at length he recovered repented and with all his family removed to the Church of Genova Christians have shewed as glorious power and have as good successe in the faith of Martyrdome as in the faith of miracles working wonders thereby upon those that have sought and suckt their blood Verse 55. And many women were there More hardy then the Disciples who all save John were fled and hid Oh stand saith a Divine and behold a little with those devout women the body of thy Saviour hanging upon the crosse See him afflicted from top to 〈◊〉 See him wounded in the head to heal our vain 〈◊〉 See him wounded in the hands to heal our evil actions See him wounded in the heart to cure our 〈◊〉 thoughts See his eyes shut up that did enlighten the world See them shut that thine might be turned from seeing of vanity See that countenance so goodly to behold spetted upon and 〈◊〉 that thy face 〈◊〉 shine glorious as the Angels in heaven
till the people had read them And then they were taken down by the Preists and laid up for the use of posterity Verse 16 17 18 19 20. See the Notes on Matth. 4. 18. c. Verse 21. He entred into the Synagogue and taught This is noted as remarkable in Saint Mark that he often inculcateth that our Saviour taught Verse 22. And they were astonished If it could be said of Dr. Whitaker that no man ever saw him without reverence or heard him without wonder How much more of Christ sith grace was poured into his lips Psal. 45. 2. As one that had authority Seest thou a Preacher deliver the Word with singular authority as Paul we beleeve therefore we speak esteem him very highly for the works sake The Corinthians are checkt for that they were unruly and would raign without Paul 1 Cor. 4. And not as the Scribes Frigidly and jejunly Didst thou beleeve thy self thou wouldst never plead thy clients cause so coldly and carelesly said Cicero to his adversary Verse 23. With an unclean spirit Gr. In an unclean spirit An unregenerate man is in maligno positus as St. John saith of the world He is inversus decalogus whole evill is in man and whole man in evill till at last without grace he be satanized and transformed into a breathing Devill By reason of the inhabitation of unclean spirits our spirits have in them Trenches Cages Forts and strong-holds of Satan 2 Cor. 10. 4. Verse 24. What have we to do with thee Not to do with Christ and yet vex a servant of Christ Could the Devill so mistake him whom he confessed It is an idle misprision to sever the sense of an injury done to any of the members from the head Thou Jesus of Nazareth Though the Devils confessed Christ to be the Holy one of God yet they call him Jesus of Nazareth to nourish the errour of the multitude that thought he was born there and so not the Messias Neither did the Devils cunnning fail him herein as appears John 7. 44. Art thou come to destroy us Before the time such is the infinite goodnesse of God that he respits even wicked men and spirits the utmost of their torments I know thee who thou art This he spake not to honour Christ but to deingrate him as commended by so lying a spirit Laudari ab illaudato non est laus saith Seneca The holy one of God Some rest in praysing the Sermon and speaking fair to the Preacher The Devill here did as much to Christ to be rid of him So did Herod Mark 6. 20. Verse 25. Hold thy peace Capistrator be thou haltered up or muzzled Christ would not hear good words from an evill mouth High words become not a fool saith Salomon The Lepers lips should be covered according to the Law Verse 26. And when the unclean spirit had torn him So he will serve all that he is now at inne with as Braford hath it You are the Devils birds saith he to all wicked ones whom when he hath well fed he will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternall woe and misery And cried with a loud voyce But said nothing according to verse 25. He came out of him With as ill a will goes the worldlings soul out of his body God tears it out as Job somewhere hath it death makes forcible entry Verse 27. For with authority As he taught so he wrought with authority The same word is used verse 22. Verse 30. Sick of a fever Which the Greeks denominate of the heat that is in it the Germans of the cold See the Note on Matth. 8. 14. Verse 32. When the Sun did set And the Sabbath was ended for till then many held it not lawfull Verse 34. Suffered not the Devils to speak For what calling had they to preach the Gospel Verse 35. And in the morning c. The fittest time for prayer or any ferious businesse Therefore not only David Psalme 5. verse 3. and other Saints but also heathens chose the morning cheifely for Sacrifice as Nestor in Homer the Argonauts in Apollonius The Persian Magi sang Hymnes to their gods at break of day and worshipped the rising Sunne The Pinarii and Politii sacrificed every morning and evening to Hercules upon the great Altar at Rome c. Verse 38. Let us go into the next Townes The neighbouring Burroughs such as were between a City and a town Though secret prayer were sweet to our Saviour yet he left it to preach and profit many Verse 40. Beseeching him c. Morbi 〈◊〉 officina saith Ambrose We are best when we are worst saith another Therefore King Aluored prayed God to send him alwayes some 〈◊〉 Verse 41. Touched him Impensae gratiae bonitat is signum 〈◊〉 saith Calvin And so it is of his infinite goodnesse that he will touch our menstruous 〈◊〉 take at our hands our polluted performances Verse 45. Could no more openly enter For presse of people 〈◊〉 was so frequented that he was forced to withdraw CHAP. II. Verse 1. And it was noysed THe Sun of rightcousnesse could as little lie hid as the Sun in Heaven Verse 2. Many were gathered together Erasmus observeth that Origen in his Sermons to the people chideth them for nothing more then for their thin assemblies to hear the Word and for their carelesse hearing of that which they ought to attend to with utmost diligence recte judicans saith he hinc osse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profectum aut defectum Verse 3. Which was borne of foure apprehensis quatuor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vivo cadaveri 〈◊〉 Wicked men are living ghosts walking Sepulchers of themselves Bring them to Christ that they may be cured Verse 5. When he saw their faith By their works as the goodnesse of the promised Land was known by the grapes and fruits brought back by the Spyes In all our good works Christs eye is upon our faith without which it 's impossible to please God Verse 6. But there were certain of the Scribes Little do 〈◊〉 know when they preach what hearers sit before them 〈◊〉 fel est quod 〈◊〉 Some of our hearers carry fel in aure as it s said of some creatures they carry their gall in their ears Verse 7. Who 〈◊〉 forgive sinnes c Man may remit the 〈◊〉 God only the transgression Verse 8. Perceived in his spirit That is by his Deity as 1 Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 9. 14. Or by his own spirit as 1 Pet. 3. 8. not by inspiration as 2 Pet 1. 21. Verse 10. Hath power on earth Christus 〈◊〉 divino omnia 〈◊〉 non injustâ aliqua virtute ac tyrannicâ Christ did 〈◊〉 in his Fathers right and not perforce Verse 11. I say unto thee arise See here our Saviours letters testimoniall whereby he approves his authority and power to be authentick Ye are our Epistle saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 2. Verse 13.
And he taught them To teach us that nothing can be better and more usefull to the Church then wholsome teaching which therefore our Saviour never neglected It was grown to a Proverb at Constantinople Better the Sun should not shine then Chrysostome not preach Verse 14. And as he passed by he saw Levi Our calling is of free grace Ezeck 16. 6. Esay 65. 1. The Scribes and Pharisees are let alone and this Publican called to the work And he arose and followed him Leaving his gainfull trade and following his own ignominy ruine death Nihil hic disputat 〈◊〉 vivere debeat faith fears no famine Christ is an universall Good an All in all Verse 15. Many Publicans and 〈◊〉 sate also All at Matthewes charge and he thought it well bestowed to bring them to Christ. So Paul being himself assured of salvation could do or suffer any thing for the salvation of his poor country-men Rom. 8. 38 39. with Rom. 9. 1 2. Verse 16. They said unto his Disciples They durst not say it to Him Where the hedge is lowest the beast breaks over The Devill as the Poet quae desperat reniteseere posse 〈◊〉 What he hopes not to effect he never attempts Verse 17. He saith unto them Though not for their sakes for hee knew it was to no purpose yet for his other hearers sakes he makes Apology Jer. 3. 14 15. God oft gives a Pastour after his own heart for a few that are to be converted Verse 18. The Disciples of John and of the Pharisoes Beza notes that onely here and Matth. 22. 16. Luke 5. 24. is mention made in the Gospel of the Pharisees Disciples unhappy doubtlesse in such perverse Tutors somewhat a kin to Protagoras of whom Plato writeth that he bragged of this that whereas he had lived threescore years he had spent forty of them in corrupting of youth Verse 19. While the Bridegroom is with them Christ is 〈◊〉 in ore melos in aure jubilum in corde There cannot be but musick in his Temple Verse 20. Then shall they fast Novices are not to be tied to the austerity of Religion The Pharisees are revived in the Anabaptists qui initiatis Christo ne risum quidem mediocrem admittunt saith Calvin Capistranus the Minorite sent by the Pope into Germany and other Countries Anno 1453. to preach obedience to the See of Rome gat a great deale of credit to his corrupt doctrine by such a Pharisaicall severity Sed tales Doctores meretur mundus suo fastidio veritatis saith one they that wil not receive the truth in love are left to the efficacy of error 16 17. Verse 21. No man seweth See the Notes on Matthew 9. 16 17. Verse 25. Have ye never read Satis salse q. d. Ignorat is adhuc quod adeo notum tritum Miror ego vestram vel inscitiam vel ignaviam It s a shame for you that you are yet so stupid or so stubborn Verse 26. And to them that c. Though meaner men 〈◊〉 David Verse 27. The Sabbath was made for man That is for mans safety and advantage As he would be undone without it hee would grow wild and forget God so if it stand in the way of his safety it is not to be observed as if an enemy then assault us we may fight with him Pompey could never have taken Jerusalem but that the superstitious Jewes refused to defend themselves on the Sabbath which when he observed he then on that day most feircely assaulted them and took their City Verse 28. Therefore the Son of man This Lordship taking beginning in Christ seems to be from him derived to all that are in Christ. As Psal. 8. 4 5. compared with Heb. 2. 6 7. Whatever David speaks of man is applied to Christ and so is proper to the Saints by vertue of their union with Christ. CHAP. III. Verse 1. There was a man there c. A Fit object inciteth and should elicite our bounty Where God sets us up an Altar we should be ready with our Sacrifices with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. Verse 2. And they watched him So carnall men do still watch and pry into professors and their conversation 1 Pet. 3. 2. curiously observing what they may catch and carp at But it is a brave thing to thrattle envy to stop an 〈◊〉 mouth to deny them occasion to blaspheme as Christ did to lead convincing lives as Bradford and 〈◊〉 did whom neither their friends could sufficiently praise nor their foes find any thing to fasten on Verse 3. Stand forth That the miracle might be notified and God the more glorified It is a dishonour to a parent to hang his picture in a dark corner so here we should show forth the vertues of him who hath called us 1 Pet. 2. 9. Verse 4. To do good or to do evill Not to do good then as there is opportunity is to do evill Qui non cùm potest servat occidit Non faciendo nocens sed patiendo fuit it is said of the Emperour Claudius Not robbing only but the not releiving of the poor was the rich mans ruine Luke 16. passive wickednesse is taked in some of the Churches Rev. 2. 3. To save life Gr. soule for man and man for the body of man So Psal. 16. Thou wilt not leave my soule in the grave that is my body as Piscator senseth it Verse 5. With anger being greived A sweet mixture of sinlesse passions It is difficult to kindle and keep quick the fire of zeal without all smoke of sin Verse 6. With the Herodians Whom yet they hated in their hearts but they can easily comport and comply to do Christ a mischief as concerning that Christ pertained to Herods 〈◊〉 Verse 8. From beyond Jordan This Country by Josephus is called Peraea as Ultrajectum in Germany Verse 9. Lest they should throng him Gr. afflict him presse or pinch him as they did a peice of his passion verse 10. Verse 10. As many as 〈◊〉 plagues Gr. stripes scourgings Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth with lesser and lighter afflictions and scourgeth every sonne c. with hard and heavie judgements as plagues banishments persecutions c. Oh the bloudy wailes that God hath left on the back of his best children Verse 11. Thou art the Son c. The matter is well amended since Satans first on-set upon Christ. Then it was If thou be the Son of God The same power when he listeth can change the note of the Tempter to us Verse 13. And calleth unto him whom he would Nec volentis nec volantis sed Dei miserantis as a Nobleman after Paul gave it for his Motto It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth though he run as fast as a bird can flie but in God that sheweth mercy Verse 14. That they should be with him As his houshold servants more happy herein
unlesse Christ himself should forbid him which here he refuseth to do and shewes reason for it Verse 41. 〈◊〉 whosoever shall give c. Much more he that shall cast out devils in my name and out of love to me He shall not lose his reward For his cup of cold water he shall have a torrent of pleasure If therefore ye will be wise Merchants happy Usurers part with that which ye cannot keep that ye may gain that which ye cannot lose Verse 43. It is better for thee to enter The Trojanes after long debate concluded it better to part with Helen though a Lady of incomparable beauty then by retaining her longer to venture their utter wreck and ruine 'A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they Did we but forethink what sinne will cost us we durst not but be innocent Verse 44. Where their worme As out of the corruption of our bodies wormes breed which consume the flesh so out of the corruption of our soules this never-dying worme This worme say Divines is only a continuall remorse and furious reflection of the soule upon its own wilfull folly and now wofull misery Oh consider this before thy friends be scrambling for thy goods worms for thy body devils for thy soule Goe not dancing to hell in thy bolts rejoyce not in thy bondage as many doe to whom the preaching of hell is but as the painting of a toad which men can look on and handle without affrightment Never dyeth and the fire is not quenched O quam diuturna immensa est 〈◊〉 as said the devill once A child with a spoon may sooner empty the sea then the damned accomplish their misery A 〈◊〉 of brimstone is not consumed by burning Verse 49. For every one shall be salted with fire The Spirit as salt must dry up those bad humours in us that breed the never-dying worm and as fire must waste our corruptions which else will carry us on to the unquenchable fire Verse 50. Salt is good Nature 〈◊〉 prudently mingled salt with all things that they may not easily putrifie Greges enim pecorum urinam salsissimam effundere videmus in omnes stirpes salem infusum Have salt in your selves Habete in vobis sal A 〈◊〉 admonemur tribus literis ut curiosè observat quidam Sapere Agere Loqui The conjuring of salt among the Papists is intolerably blasphemous It is thus I conjure thee O salt by the living God c. that thou maist be made a conjured salt to the salvation of them that beleeve And that unto all such as receive thee thou mayest be health of soul and body and 〈◊〉 from out of the place wherein thou shalt be sprinkled may fly away and depart all phantasie wickednesse or craftinesse of the devils subtilty and every foule Spirit c. And 〈◊〉 peace one with another By mortification season tame and purge your own hearts of those lusts that warre in your members Jam. 4. 1. and prove offensive to others Mar. 9. 43. so shall you be at peace one with another Stomack-worms are killed with salt CHAP. X. Verse 1. And as he was wont he taught PRaedicationis officium 〈◊〉 quisquis ad Sacerdotium accedit It was death for the High-Priest to enter the Holy-place or to come abroad without his bells and pomegranates Saint Mark is much in setting forth Christs forwardnesse to teach Verse 4. Moses suffered to write Not commanded There is difference between a permission and a precept properly so called See the Note on Matth. 19. 7. Non statim probat Deus quod permittit God approves not presently whatsoever hee permits Verse 11. Whosoever shall put away his wife Annon columnae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lutherus 〈◊〉 errarunt 〈◊〉 se dederunt cum illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dederunt 〈◊〉 illi 〈◊〉 Principi Philippo Lantgravio ut 〈◊〉 adhue priore legitima 〈◊〉 uxore 〈◊〉 alteram 〈◊〉 est adulteram saith Zanchy Luthor and his fellow-Divines were shamefully out in licensing the Lantgrave to put away his lawfull wife and marry another Verse 12. And if a woman have put away No such thing was permitted by Moses but usurped by the women of those licentious times Among Turkes the women may sue a divorce but only then when her husband would abuse her against nature Verse 14. For of 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 kingdome of God As oft therefore as we see an infant 〈◊〉 us think that a teacher is given us of God Psal. 131. 1 2. Verse 19. Defraud not Doe no man injury either by force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This seems to be an abstract of all the other fore-mentioned commandements Verse 21. Loved him As a 〈◊〉 man and fit to live in a civill society Or hee loved him that is hee pitied him as a self-deceiver like as we pity moderate Papists Verse 22. Went away grieved Which hee would not have done if he had loved God and his neighbour as he professed to doe Verse 24. For them that trust in riches As most rich men doe thinking themselves simply the better and the safer for them This blab is soon blown up Verse 27. With God all things are possible This place is much pleaded by the Papists for their fiction of Transubstantiation I tell thee said Bonner to Philpot that God by his omnipotency may make himself to be this Carpet if he will Verse 30. Brethren and sisters and mothers Mothers he cannot receive in kind when once dead but God will be to his better then ten mothers Communion with him shall yeeld more comfort then all outward comforts can He can also make Jonathan more loving to David then any wife and the Kings of Moab and Ammon to be his foster-parents This made Hermannus Archbishop of Cullen to reform his Church using therein the aid and advice of Martin Bucer Wherefore he was deposed by the Emperor which he patiently suffered Zech. 10. 6. They shall be as if I had not cast them off and I will heare them God will one way or other make up his peoples losses they shall have it again either in money or moneys-worth Ne excrucier ob 〈◊〉 argentum 〈◊〉 enim es mihi omnia said Paulinus Nolanus when the Town was taken by the Barbarians Let not my losses trouble me Lord for thou art mine exceeding great reward Verse 32. Jesus went before them As most willing of his way though he went now to suffer Shew we like forwardnesse and say I am in prison till I am in prison Verse 35. Whatsoever we shall desire One said he could have what he would of God And why but because he would ask nothing but what was agreeable to the will of God Fiat voluntas mea said Luther in a certain prayer but then falls off sweetly Mea voluntas Domine quia tua One saith of Luther Vir iste potuit quod voluit apud Deum That man can doe what he will with God Verse 39. Ye
son CHAP. XVI Verse 1. A 〈◊〉 rich man which had a Steward MAster 's had need look well 1. To the chusing of their servants Salomon saw Jeroboam that he was industrious and therefore without any respect at all to his Religion he made him 〈◊〉 over all the charge of the house of Joseph but to his 〈◊〉 disadvantage 〈◊〉 King 11. 28. with chapt 12. 3. 2. To the using of them Most men make no other use of their servants then they doe of their beasts whiles they may have their bodyes to doe their service they care not if their soules serve the Devill Hence they so 〈◊〉 prove false and 〈◊〉 Verse 2. Give an account of thy stewardship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putet said Cato Stewards should often account with their masters Verse 3. I cannot dig c. They that will get wisedome must both dig and beg Prov. 2. 3. 4. Verse 6. Take thy bill The scope of this parable is ut 〈◊〉 charitate erga pauperes compensemus saith Beza that we expiate as it were our prodigality by shewing mercy to the poore Dan 4. 27. Verse 8. And the Lord commended Gr. that Lord viz. the Steward Lord not the Lord Christ who relateth this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we understand it of Christ as the Syriack here doth yet He herein no more approveth of this Steward 's false-dealing then he doth of the Vsurers trade 〈◊〉 5. 27. or the theeves 1 Thess. 5. 2. Or the dancers Matth. 11. 17. or the Olympick games 1 Cor. 9. 24. Because he had done wisely The worldlings wisedome serves him as the Ostriches wings to make him out-run others upon earth and in earthly things but helps him never a whit toward heaven Are in their generation wiser A swine that wanders can make better shift to get home to the trough then a sheepe can to the fold We have not received the spirit of this world 1 Cor. 2. 12. we cannot shift and plot as they can but we have received a better thing The fox is wise in his generation the serpent subtile so is the Devill too When he was but young he out-witted our 〈◊〉 parents 2 Cor. 11. 3. Then the children of light As the Angels are called Angels of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Gods children are the onely earthly Angels have a Goshen in their bosomes can lay their hands on their hearts with dying Oecolampadius and say Hic sat lucis Verse 9. 〈◊〉 unto your selves friends quibus officia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 Testifie your faith by your workes that God of his free-grace may commend and 〈◊〉 you Of the Mammon of 〈◊〉 The next odious name to the Devill himselfe This Mammon of iniquity This wages of wickednesse is not gain but losse They may receive you That is that 〈◊〉 the Angels or 〈◊〉 riches or the poore may let you into heaven Verse 11. In the unrighteous 〈◊〉 or the uncertaine 〈◊〉 deceitfull wealth of this world which yet most rich men trust in as if simply the better or safer for their abundauce Hence 〈◊〉 derives Mammon from 〈◊〉 which signifieth to 〈◊〉 Verse 12. In that which is another 〈◊〉 Riches are not properly ours but Gods who hath entrusted us and who doth usually agssine them to the wicked those men of his hand for their portion Psal. 17. 14. for all the heaven that they are ever to look for Better things abide the Saints who are here but forreiners and must doe as they may Who shall give you that which is your owne Quod nec eripi nec 〈◊〉 potest Aristotle relateth a law like this made by 〈◊〉 That he that used not another mans horse well should 〈◊〉 owne Verse 14. And they derided him Gr. They blew their noses at him in scorne and derision They fleared and jeared when they should have feared and fled from the wrath to come Verse 15. For that which is highly esteemed c. A thing that I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse There may be malum 〈◊〉 in bona 〈◊〉 as in 〈◊〉 Zeale Two things make a good Christian good actions and good aymes And though a good ayme doth not make a bad action good as in Vzzah yet a bad ayme makes a good action bad as in 〈◊〉 whose justice was approved but his pollicy punished Verse 19. There was a certaine rich man Not once named as 〈◊〉 was though never so little esteemed of men God knew him by name as he did Moses when the rich mans name is written in the earth rottes above-ground is left for a reproach Which was clothed in purple c. Gr. was commonly so cloathed It was his every-dayes weare as the word implyeth Verse 20. A certaine beggar named Lazarus Or Eleazar as Tertullian and Prudentius call him who having beene Abrahams faithfull servant now resteth in his bosome Verse 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs Many poore folk have but prisoners pittances which will neither keepe them alive nor suffer them to dye The dogs came and licked his sores When Sabinus was put to death for whifpering against Seianus his dog lay down by his dead body brought to his mouth the bread that was cast to him And 〈◊〉 Sabinus was thrown into the river Tiber the dog 〈◊〉 after him to keepe him up that he might not sinke into the bottome Verse 22. Into Abrahams bosome A Metaphor from feasts say some from fathers say Others who imbosome and hug their children when wearied with long running-about or 〈◊〉 met with a knock and come crying unto them And was carried by the Angels Thorough the ayre the Devils region doe the Angels conduct the Saints at death who may therefore call death as Jacob did the place where he met the Angels Mahanaim Genes 32. 2. For like as the 〈◊〉 man was let down with his bed thorough the tiling before Jesus Luke 5. 18. so is every good soule taken up in an heavenly couch thorough the roofe of his house and carried into Christs presence by these heavenly Courtiers And was 〈◊〉 Possibly with as much noysome stench and hurry in the ayre as at Cardinall Wolseyes buriall A terrible example there is in the book of Martyrs of one Christopher 〈◊〉 an unmercifull Courtier who suffering a poore Lazar to dye in a 〈◊〉 by him did afterwards perish himselfe in a ditch Verse 23. Being in torments Having punishment without pity misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without compassion mischeife without measure torments without end and past imagination Verse 24. And coole my tongue In his tongue he was most tortured quia plus lingua peccaverat saith Cyprian So Nestorius the heretick had his tongue eaten up with worms So Thomas Arundell Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester two notorious persecutors dyed with their tongues thrust out big-swollen and black
Sun-shine-morning had a foul dismall evening Neseis quid serus 〈◊〉 vehat Thou knowest not what a great-bellyed day may bring forth 〈◊〉 crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Think every day the last day Verse 30. Even thus shall it be Security ushereth in destruction The Judge standeth before the door as is easie to foresee Watch therefore Verse 31. He which shall be on the house-top An hyperbolicall expression usuall among the Jewes to denote matter of haste Verse 32. Remember Lots Wife Who either out of curiosity or covetousnesse turnd her but and she was turned We are as hardly drawn off the world as a Dog from a fat morsell Those that set forth of Italy with Galeacius Marquesse of Vicum who left all for the liberty of conscience at Geneva many of them when they came to the borders of Italy and considering what they forsook first looked back afterward went back again and were taken by the Spanish Inquisition and made publikly to abjure the Christian religion Remember the horrible history of 〈◊〉 of old and the lamentable case of Spira alate said the Lady Jane Gray prisoner to Harding the Apostate Lege historiam saith one ne fias historia lege judicia ne fias exemplum 〈◊〉 Verse 37. Where Lord Or Whither Lord viz. shall they be taken of whom thou speakest To heaven saith he See the Note on Matt. 24. 28. Verse 38. There the Eagles Those vulturine Eagles that are said to fly two or three dayes before to the place where armies are to meet and carcases shall be CHAP. XVIII Verse 1. Alwaies to pray and not to faint GRaece Not shrink back as Sluggards in work or Cowards in Warre Prayer should be redoubled and reinforced as those Arrowes of deliverance 2. Kings 13. 19. The woman of Canaan prayes on when denyed And Jacob holds with his hands when his thigh is lamed He wrestled with slight and might he raised dust as the word signifies and would not away without a blessing James surnamed the Just Christs Kinsman had his knees made as hard as Camels knees with much praying as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father Latimer during his imprisonment was 〈◊〉 constant and instant in prayer that oftt 〈◊〉 he was not able to 〈◊〉 off his knees without help Yea Paulus Emilius being to fight with Perses King of Macedony would not give over 〈◊〉 to his God Hercules till he saw certain arguments of a victory As loathing of meat saith a Divine and painfulnesse of speaking are two symptomes of a sick body so irksomnesse of 〈◊〉 and carelesnesse of hearing of a sick soule Verse 2. Which feared not God nor regarded man These two 〈◊〉 of God and shame of the world God hath given to men as 〈◊〉 to restraine them from outrage But sinne hath oaded such 〈◊〉 impudency in some mens faces that they dare do any thing Verse 3. Avenge me of mine adversary A downright request without either Logick or Rhetorick to set it forth or inforce it to each us that though our prayers be but blunt or broken language if importunate they shall prevaile neverthelesse Verse 4. And he would not for a while There is a passive injustice Non 〈◊〉 nocens sed 〈◊〉 fuit saith Ausonius of Claudius Not to do justice is injustice Verse 5. She weary me Gr. She buffet me or club me down God must be pressed in prayer till we put him as you would say to the blush or leave a blot in his face unlesse we may be masters of our requests Verse 6. 7. Heare what the unjust Judge saith Hic paria non inter se conferuntur sed minus cum majore saith Beza Verse 7. Though he bare long with them When they are at the 〈◊〉 most under When their enemies are above feare and they below hope when there is not faith in Earth to beleeve then are there bowels in Heaven to releive and restore them Verse 8. Shall he finde faith upon earth God oft staies so long till the Saints have done looking for him when they have forgot their prayers c. he comes as it were out of an engine Verse 9. That they were righteous and despised others Pray to be preserved from this perillous pinacle of self exaltation Verse 10. The one a Pharisee A Doeg may set his foot as far and further within the Sanctuary as a David The Pharisee and Publican went both of them up to private prayer Verse 11. God I thank thee Non vulnera sed muner a 〈◊〉 he shewes not his want but his worth and stands not only upon his comparisons but upon his disparisons I am not as this Publican No for thou art worse yea for this because thou thinkest thee better But of Pharisees it might be said as Arnobius did of the Gentiles Apud vos optimi censentur quos 〈◊〉 pessimorum 〈◊〉 facit They are very good that are not very bad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride wears a triple crown with this motio Tra. 〈◊〉 Non obedio 〈◊〉 This Pharisee held himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all others a 〈◊〉 only as Basil of 〈◊〉 hath it He takes his poor counter and sets it down for a Thousand pounds he prizeth himself above the market Verse 12. I fast twice a week Cardinall Bellarmine did more for he fasted thrice a week saith he that writes his life John Arch-Bishop of 〈◊〉 he who first affected the stile of Universall Bishop was sirnamed Nesteutes from his frequent fasting Munday and Thursday were the Pharisees fasting-dayes because Moses went up to the Mount on a Thursday and came down on a Munday saith 〈◊〉 Verse 13. 〈◊〉 upon his breast In token of indignation and that he would have smitten his sin so hard if he could have come at it God be mercifull c. Here was much in few The Publican 〈◊〉 much though he spake little As a body without a soul much wood without fire a bullet in a gun without powder so are words in prayer without spirit Oratio brevis penetrat caelum The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions Verse 14. Justified rather then the other The Pharisee was not at all justified Neither is there More or Lesse in justification But our Saviour here useth a popular kind of expression Verse 18. And a certain Ruler Saint Mark saith that this Ruler came running which argues his earnestnesse and in a man of quality was 〈◊〉 for such walk softly for most part and in state Verse 22. Yet lackest thou one thing Yea all things But our Saviour speaketh thus by an holy irony Verse 25. It is 〈◊〉 for a 〈◊〉 Caveant ergi divites saith an Interpreter solicitè mane vesperi interdiù noctu secum de periculosa vitae suae atione commententur Let rich men therefore weigh their danger and beware Verse 34. And they understood none c. Prejudicate opinions of Christs earthly kingdom