inheritance Ecce me But if my receiving heere shall be my last receipt If I shall receive them tanquam mercedem as my portion for ever I renounce them Put me out of this receipt and reserve my part in store for the land of the living And of evill If it must come heere or there with Saint Augustine Domine hîc ure hîc seca Ibi parce Let my seering and smart be heere there let me be spared And from Cruciaris the torment to come Libera me Domine To very good purpose said the Ancient Father Quisque dives quisque pauper Nemo dives nemo pauper Animus omnia facit It is somewhat to be rich or poore it is nothing to be rich or poore It is as the minde is The minde maketh all Now saith Saint Chrysostome what minde he caried is gathered out of Abraham's doubling and trebling Tu tua and tuâ Recepisti tu bona tua in vitâ tuâ which words are working words as he taketh them and conteine in them great Emphasis Vnderstanding by tua not so much that he had in possession as that he made speciall reckoning of For that is most properly termed ours Animus omnia facit This life is called his life not because he lived in it but because he so lived in it as if there had beene no other life but it And in his accompt there was no other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give him this life let this day be his day take to morrow who will Ioh. 8.56 This did not Abraham For he saw a day and that after this life that rejoyced him more then all the daies of his life This life as it was his life So the good of it his good Bona tua This his life these the portion of his life these he chose for his good they his and he theirs They that make such a choise their Recepisti may well end in Cruciaris This way Saint Chrysostome by the minde Saint Augustine taketh another by the memorie more proper to the Patriarch's meaning And that foure waies 1. For saith he Abraham willing him to remember he had received such things implieth in effect that he had cleane forgotten that any such things he had ever received Looke how Esau speaketh Habeo bona plurima I have enough my Brother Gen. 33.9 And as his pew fellow heere Luk. XII Anima habes Soule thou hast goods enough Luk. 12.19 Even so for all the world it seemeth this party heere he had them Sure he was he had them but that he received them he never remembred Now he is put in minde quia recepisti Now therefore thou art tormented 2. Now not remembring he had received them no mervaile if he forgat why he received them or with what condition Forgetting GOD in heaven no marvell if he remembred not Lazarus on earth Verily neither he nor any man received them as Proprietaries but as Stewards and as Accomptants as CHRIST telleth us above in this Chapter Not for our selves onely or for our owne vse but for others too And among others for Lazarus by name If Lazarus receive not it was his fault and not GOD 's who gave him enough to supplie his owne vses and Lazaru's want too For both which two he and all receive that receive at GOD 's hands But he it seemeth received them to and for himselfe alone and no body els That Abraham saith truly Recepisti tu tu nemo alius You and yours and no body besides For his Recepisti ended in himselfe and he made himselfe Summam omnium receptorum For if you call him to accompt by the writt of Redde rationem this must be his Audit In purple and linnen so much and in belly-cheere so much So much on his backe and so much on his board and in them endeth the Totall of his Receipt Except you will put in his hounds too which received of him more then Lazarus might This is indeed Recepisti tu solus This did not Abraham For his receipt reached to strangers and others besides himselfe and Lazarus he received in his bosome on earth or els he had never beene in heaven to have him there Will you see now therefore the Consequent in kind Therefore is this party now in the Gulfe because living himselfe was a gulfe It is now Gurges in gurgite but one Gulfe in another While he lived he was as a Gulfe swallowing all Now therefore the Gulfe hath swallowed him Remember this for it is a speciall point For if our purple and fine linnen swallow up our almes If our too much lashing on to doe good to our selves make us in state to do good to none but our selves If our riotous wasting on expenses of vanitie be a gulfe and devoure our Christian imploying in workes of charitie There is danger in Recepisti even the danger of Now therefore Gurgeseras in gurgitem projicieris a Gulfe thou wert and into the gulfe shalt thou go Ever for the most part you shall finde these two coupled In Sodome Pride and fullnesse of bread with not stretching the hand to the poore In Iuda Great bolls of wine Ezek. 16.49 Am 6.4 and rich bedds of ivorie with little compassion on the miseries of Ioseph And heere Going richly and faring deintily with Lazaru's bosome and belly both empty The saying of Saint Basil is highly commended that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride is prodigalitie's whetstone And so it is sure and setts such an edge upon it in our expenses that it cutts so deepe into our receipt and shares so much for purple and linnen as it leaves but a little for Lazaru's portion Sure so it is lesse purple must content us and somwhat must be cut of from quotidie splendidè if we will have Lazarus better provided for This I have stood a little on that it may be remembred It is CHRIST'S speciall drift both in the Parable before and in this Storie heer and remember it we must if either as in that we will be received into everlasting tabernacles or as in this we will be delivered from everlasting torments 3. Now I add that in thus forgetting Lazarus to remember himselfe he remembred not himselfe neither but failed in that too For whereas he consisted of two parts 1 a body and 2 a soule he remembred the one so much as he quite left the other out of his memento For his Recepisti tu was his body and nothing els Now reason would the bodie should not take up the whole Receipt but that the poore soule should be thought upon too Purple and silke and Ede bibe they are but the bodie 's part But almes and workes of mercie they they be the soules ' May not our soules be admitted suitors that we would remember them that is remember Lazarus for that is the soule 's portion For the other part he and we all remember fast enough 4. Thus remembring neither GOD nor Lazarus nay nor his owne soule
rather you heard Saint Augustine then my selfe Ego saith he animo revolvens c. I going over in my mind the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament video jejuntum esse praeceptum see fasting is commanded there is a precept for fasting So fasting is in precept there if we will trust Saint Augustine's eyes And we may He that in this place saith Cum jejunatis when ye fast Mark 2.20 saith in another Tum jejunabunt Then they shall fast and that amounts to a Precept I trow Heer you see Cum jeiunatis a part of the Gospell a head in CHRIST'S first and most famous sermon His sermon in the mount So that if there should be a meeting about it such as happened in the holy mount at the transfiguration of CHRIST of Moses for the Law Elias for the Prophetts CHRIST for the Gospell famous all three for their fasts and for one kind of fast all the fast we now beginne all would be for it at no time to be left but in all three estates to be reteined to have the force of a precept in all But lawes and their precepts doe often sleepe and grow into dis-use 1 Vnder the Law How is jejunatis for practise Hath it been vsed and when hath it The fast of a Ios 7.6 Ai vnder Iosua b And practised b Iud â—0 26 At Gibea vnder the Iudges At c 2. Sam 3.35 Mizpa vnder Samuel d 36. At Hebron vnder David e Ier. 36.9 Of Ieremie before the Captivitie f DaÌ„ 1.8 10.3 Of Daniel vnder it Of g Zach. 7.5 Zacharie after it h Ioel. 1 14· At Hierusalem of the Iewes at the preaching of Ioel i Ion. 3.5 At Ninive of the Gentiles at the preaching of Ionas All of these shew when and that it was no stranger with GOD's people so long as the Law and Prophets were in force And what was it when the Gospell came in â— Vnder the Gâ—spell At k Act 13.2.3 Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians we find them at their fast the Prophets of the New Testament there as well as the Prophets of the Old Our SAVIOVR said to them l Mar. 2.10 When He was gone they should fast So they did Saint Paul for one m 2. Cor. 11.27 he did it oft 2. Cor. 11. And for the rest they approved themselves for CHRIST'S Ministers inter alia by this proofe for one n 2 Cor 6 5. by their fasting 2. Cor. 6. And what themselves did they advised others to doe even to o 1. Cor. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make them a vacant time to fast in So that where the Church for this day otherwise then her custome is on other dayes hath sorted us an Epistle out of the Old Testament and a Gospell out of the New both vse to be out of the New She did it for this end to shew that fasting hath the wings of both Cherâ—bins to cover it both Testaments Old and New Ioël for the one CHRIST for the other So at all hands to commend it to us Sure in the prime of Christianitie it cannot be denied it was in high esteeme fasting in frequent practise of admirable performance Which of the Fathers have not Homilies yet extant in the praise of it What Storie of their lives but reports strange things of them in this kind That either we must cancell all Antiquitie or we must acknowledge the constant vse and observation of it in the Church of CHRIST That CHRIST said not heere Cum jejunatis for nothing They that were vnder Grace went farr beyond them vnder the Law in their Cum and in their Iejunatis both Precept then or practise it wanted not Neither did they want a ground The ground of it It was then holden and so may yet for ought that I know that when we fast we exercise the act of more vertues then one First an act of that branch of the vertue of Temperance that consists not in the moderate vsing but in absteining wholly Abstinence is a vertue Sure I am the primordiale peccatum the primordiall sinne was * Gen. â— 5 not absteining Secondly an act or fruit of repentance there is paena in paenitentia in the very body of the word something poenall in paenitence And of that paenall part is fasting And so an act of Iustice corrective reduced to Saint Paul's * â— Cor. 7.11 vindicta or his * 1. Cor. â— 27 Castigo corpus meum Thirdly An act of humiliation to humble the soule which is both the first and the most vsuall terme for fasting in the Law and Prophets For sure keepe the body up you shall but evill you shall have much adoe to bring or keepe the soule downe to humble it Fourthly Gal. 5.24 They that are CHRIST'S saith the Apostle have and doe crucifie the flesh with the lusts of it Fasting is one of the nailes of the crosse to which the flâ—sh is fastened that it rise not lust not against the Spirit At least fasting we fulfill not the lusts of the flesh Fifthly Nay they goe further and out of Ioel's Sanctificate jejunium and out of Luk. 2.37 where the good old Widow is said to have served GOD and the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by fasting and prayer not by prayer onely but by fasting and prayer they have not doubted but that there is Sanctitie in it nor the entitle it an act of the service of GOD that we serve GOD by it Sixthly And serve Him with the chief service of all even of Sacrifice For sure they are all of one assay these three Almes Prayer and Fasting If the other two if Almes be a Sacrifice a Heb. 13.16 with such Sacrifices GOD is pleased If Prayer be one one and therefore called b Hos. 14.2 the calves of our lipps no reason to denie Fasting to be one too If c Psal 51.17 a troubled spirit be a Sacrifice to GOD why not a troubled body likewise And it troubles us to fast that is too plaine Since we are to d Rom. 12.1 offer our bodies as well as our soules both a Sacrifice to GOD As our soule by devotion So our body by mortification And these three to offer to GOD our 1 soule by prayer 2 our body by abstinence 3 our goods by almes-deeds hath been ever counted tergemina hostia the triple or threefold Christian Holocaust or whole burnt offering Seventhly and last the exercise of it by enuring our selves to this part of true Christian Discipline serves to enhable us to have ventrem moratum the masterie of our belly against need be The Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those that vsed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Paul gave it the word first Act. 24.16 and saith he tooke it himselfe 1. Cor. 9.27 Vse is much for if before we need we be
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though in vaine though our impendam prove a perdam That is it To be hable to turne the sentence and say Though the more I love the lesse I be loved Yet will I bestow yea be bestowed and that most gladly for all that It is hard I confesse but Solus amor erubescit nomen difficultatis Love endureth not the name of difficultie but shameth to confesse any thing too hard or too dangerous for it For verily vnkindnesse is a mighty enemie and the wounds of it deepe Nay there be that of themselves are most kind in all the three degrees before remembred as was King David and as all noble natures are why Selfe-love is nothing in their hands But let them be encountred with vnkindnesse as David was in Nabal they cannot stand the stroke it woundeth deepe and the fester of discontentment more dangerous then it 1. Sam 25.15.21.22 Indeed saith David this fellow I see I have done all in vaine for him for he rewardeth me evill for good So and so doe GOD to me if he be alive to morrow by this time Marke it in him and in others infinite and you shall see whom Selfe-love could not vnkindnesse hath overcome and who passed well along the other three at minùs diligar their Love hath wracked and from kind love beene turned â—o deadly hate But neither can this appall the Apostle or disâ—lodge his love but through all the rest and through this too he breaketh with his Etsi and sheweth he will hold his resolution maugre all vnkindnesse Minus diligar shall not doe it Vnkindnesse must yeeld Love will not And now we are come to the highest and never till now but now we are that further we cannot goe The very highest pitch of well-doing the Heathen man saw in part for he could say Beneficium dare perdere to bestow Love and lose it Seneca is well done but that is not it This is it Bâ—neficium perdere dare to lose the first and yet bestow the second Etsi yea though the first were lost Yea the Love of Loves CHRIST 's owne love what was it Iohn 15.13 Majorem hâc charitatem nemo habet quà m ut vitam quis ponat pro amicis Whereto Saint Bernard reioyneth well Tu majorem habuisti Domire quia tu vitam posuisti etiam pro inimicis Greater love then this hath no man to bestow his life for his friends Yet LORD faith Saint Bernard Thou hadst greater for thou bestowedst thy life for thy verie enemies And to this love it is that Saint Paul aspireth and neere it he commeth that in some sort we may likewise say to him Tu majorem habuisti Paule yes thy love Paul was greater for thou art ready to doe the like not for thine enemies but for thy vnkind friends the next degree to professed enemies 1 To spend 2 To spend and be spent 3 To spend and be spent and that most gladly 4 Not onely Most gladly but most gladly Yea though Thus you have now his double conquest Over the Love of himselfe first and now over Minus diligar an vnkind repulse too And in signe of victorie he setteth up his colours even these foure 1 Impendam 2 Impendar 3 Libentissimè and 4 Etsi But Etsi is the chiefe it is CHRIST 's colour and that no perfect Love that wanteth Etsi II. The Object of his Love Thus we have seen Love in his highest ascendent and heard Love in his Magisterium the hardest and highest and indeed the Master-point of this Art Which setteth us new on worke to passe over into the second part and to enquire what this object may be so amiable whereon Saint Paul hath sett his affection so that for it he will doe and suffer all this and that so willingly without any exception so constantly without any giving over All this is nothing but the zeale of soules Zelus animarum faciet hoc It is for their soules all this For their soules and let their bodies goe 1. Pro animabus for your soules Which first draweth the diameter that maketh the partition between the two Loves The love which Saint Paul found and the love which Saint Paul left at Corinth For he found that which is Scelus corporum the bodies unruly affection and infection too otherwhile if ever in any place there it abounded but he left Zelus animarum the Soule 's perfection Indeed it falleth out somtimes that in carnall love or rather lust then love we may patterne all the former and find as the Wise man speaketh some one destitute of understanding wasting his whole substance hazarding his life and that more willingly then wisely perhapps to gaine nothing but a scorn for his labor and yet persisting in his folly still and all this in tâ—e pâ—ssion of concupiscence to a vain creature pleasing his phansie to the displeasing of GOD and to the percing of his soule one day with deep remorse for it and except it do to the utter ruine both of body and soule We have heer at Corinth a strange example of it Of * LAIS Demosthenes one Ad cuius iacuit Graecia tota fores at whose doors sundry of all sorts waited suing and seeking and as one of them said buying repentance at too deare a rate But what need we saile to Corinth Even in our own Age we have enough fond examples of it of Love set awry and sorted amisse diverted from the soule where it should be bestowed and lavished on the body where a great deale lesse would serve It is Saint Augustine's wish O si excitare possemus homines cum ijs pariter excitari ut tales amatores c. O that we would in this kind stirr up others and our selves with them be stirred up but even to bestow so much love on the immortall soule as we see daily cast away on the corruptible body What but so much and no more Absit ut sic sed utinam vel sic Till it might be more would GOD it were but as much in the meane time Yet more and much more it should be Sed infoelix Populus Dei non habet tantum fervorem in bono quantum mali in malo is Saint Hierome's complaint But the People of GOD unhappy in that point hath not that courage or constancie in the love of the Spirit that the wicked world hath in the lust of the flesh 1. Cor. 6.5 That courage Nay nothing like Ad erubescentiam nostram dico to our shame it must be spoken Looke but to the first point Impendam doth not the body take it wholly up And if we faile in the lowest what shall become of the rest Well Saint Paule's love is and ours must be if it be right pro animabus Soule-love which may serve for the first point of the sequestration 2. The Reason But why Pro animabus what is there in the soule so lovely that all this should
the precious soule of man Prov. 6. Love of soules Philip 3.21 Pro. 6.26 the more the more acceptable If of a City well If of a County better If of a Country or Kingdome best of all And for them and for their love to be ready to prove it by Saint Paule's triall to open our Impendam to vow our Impendar and as neere as may be to aspire to the same degree of Libentissimè Verily they that either as the Apostle for the winning of soules or for the defense and safety of soules many thousands of soules the soules of an whole Estate in high and heroicall courage have already past their Impendam and are ready to offer themselves every day to Impendar and with that resolute forwardnesse which we all see for it is a case presently in all our eyes They that doe thus no good can be spoken of their love answerable to the desert of it Heavenly it is and in heaven to receive the reward But when all is done we must take notice of the world's nature For as Saint Paul left it so we shall finde it that is we shall not perhaps meet with that regard we promise our selves Saint â—aule's magis diligam mett with a Minus diligar Therefore above all remember his Etsi For to be kind and that to the vnkind to know such we shall meet with yea to meet with them and yet hold our Etsi and love neverthelesse This certainely is that Love Maiorem quiá nemo And there is on earth no greater signe of a soule throughly setled in the love of CHRIST then to stand thus minded Come what will come Magis or Minus Si or Etsi frown or favour Respect or neglect Quod facio hoc faciam What I doe I will doe with eye to CHRIST Chap. 11.12 with hope of regard from Him let the world be as it is and as it ever hath beene Samuel this day in the first Lesson when he had spent his life in a well ordered Government that his very enimies could no way except to in his old daies was requited with Fac nobis Regem onely upon a humor of innovation What then 1. Sam. 8.5 Grew he discontent No Non obstante for all their ingratitude Good man this he professeth GOD forbidd saith he I should sinn in ceasing to pray for you yea I will shew you the good and right way of the LORD for all that 12 2â— That may serve to match this out of the Old Testament For heer in like sort we have Paul's Minùs diligar before our eyes and we see he is at his Libentissimè Etsi for all that You learne then as that Minùs diligar may come so in case it doe come what to do even to consummate your Love with a triumph over unkindnesse Learne this and all is learned Learne this and the whole Art is had And we have in this verse and in the very first word of it that will enter us into this Lesson First from Ego verò from his and from our own persons we may beginn to raise this duty When we were deep in our Miâ—ùs diligar and smally regarded CHRIST Rom. 5.10 Nay Cum inimici essemus to take it as we should when we were His enimies of His over-abundant kindnesse it pleased Him to call us from the blindnesse of error to the knowledge of His truth from a deep consumption of our soules by sinn to the state of health and grace And if S. Paul were loved when he raged and breathed blasphemie against CHRIST and His Name is it much Act 9.1 if for CHRIST 's sake he swallow some unkindnesse at the Corinthian's hands Is it much if we let fall a duty upon them upon whom GOD the Father droppeth his raine and GOD the Sonne dropps yea shedds His blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 6 35. upon evill and unthankefull men Surely if Love or well-doing or any good must perish which is the second Motive and be lost through some bodies default where it lighteth much better it is that it perish in the Corinthians hands then in Paule's by them in their evill receiving then by him in his not bestowing through their unkindnesse then through our abruptnesse For so the sinne shal be theirs and we and our soules innocent before GOD. Impendatur per nos Pereat per illos But perish it shall not which is the third point though for them it may For howsoever of them it may be truly said The more we love the lesse they Of CHRIST it never can nor ever shal be said For Saint Paul for the little love at their hands found the greater at His Though the more he loved the lesse they loved him yet the lesse they loved the more CHRIST loved him Of whom to be loved even in the least degree is worth all the love of Corinth and all Achaia too So that heer we find that we missed all this while a tamen for our Etsi Though not theâ— yet CHRIST Which tamen maketh amends for all â—t vigilanti verbo usus est Apostolus that Saint Paul spoke not at adventure but was well advised when he used the word Impendam For it is Impendam indeed not Perdam Not lost but layd out Not cast away but imployed on Him for whose love none ever hath or shall bâ—stow ought but he shall receive a super-impendar of an hundred-fold And indeed all other loves of the flesh or world or whatsoever els shall perish and come to nothing and of this and this onely we may say Impendam truely So that to make an end though true it be that S. Bernard saith Perfectus amer vires non sumit de spe Perfect love receives no manner strength from hope yet for that our Love is not without his imperfections all under one view we may with one eye behold CHRIST 's Magis diligam when we were sâ—arse in our Minùs nay scarce loved Him at all and with the other looke upon Impendam that what we do hereiâ— though at mens hands we finde no returne at CHRIST 's we shall and it shal be the best bestowed service that ever we bestowed that we bestow in this kind Now would GOD the same Spirit which here wrott this verse would write it in our hearts that those things are thus That such a Rependam there shall be and we well assured of it ut nos converteremur in amoreÌ„ that we might be transforâ—ed into this Love Which blessing Almighty GOD bestow on that which hath been sayd for CHRIST 's c. Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS PREACHED VPON Good-Friday A SERMON PREACHED AT THE Court on the XXV of March A.D. MDXCVII being GOOD-FRIDAY ZACH. CHAP. XII VER X. Respicient in Me quem transfixerunt And they shall looke upon Me whom they have pierced THat great and honourable Person the Eunuch sitting in his Chariot and reading a like place of the Prophet Esai
works Psalme 91.13 Psalme 110.1 with Super Aspidem et Basiliscum to tread upon them to make His enemies His footstoole and so a Super Over them too And now we have set Mercie in her Chariot of triumph In which if ever she sate IIII. The Super of our Duety she sate in the Super omnia of this Day Let us now come to the last Super the Super of â—â—ety remaining upon the head of all God's works for His mercie over them all but â—mong them all and above them all upon our heads if it were but for the sovereigne Mercie of this Day what we are in Super to GOD for it The Super upon all GOD 's works followes in the words next ensuing From his works a Verse 10. Confiteantur Are His mercies over all his works Why then b Verse 21. O all ye works of the Lord all flesh Psal. 150.6 every thing that hath breath but chiefly his chiefe worke the sonns of men d Psal. 117.1 the nations and the kindreds of the earth come all to confession all ow this to confesse at least Confesse what Nothing but mercie and the Super of the Mercie Nothing but that it is as it is do but as God doth exalt it place it where He setts it Let the deep say it is over me and the drie land say it is over me and so of the rest every one so many works so many confessions There is a further Super upon His Saints they owe more to Him then His ordinarie works His works but to confesse His Saints to confesse and blesse both From his Sainâ—s Verse 10. Psal. 65.1 They are double works needle-worke on both sides more becomes them Te decet hymnus in Sion Both to confesse it is above all and to blesse and praise it above all For if it be above all it followes more praise is to come to Him for it then for all If Mercie above all the praise of His mercie above the praises of all There is a further Super yet upon us that have found and felt the Super of it From Vt. the Non taliter say I above works and Saints both All are bound but we that are heer suâ—er omnes more then all we We that should have been Martyrs of Satan's crueltie it stands us in hand to be Confessors of God's Mercie as to which we owe even our selves our selves and our safetie safetie of soules and bodies every one of us Then let the King Queen and Prince let all the three Estates let the whole Land delivered by it from a Chaos of confusion let our soules which he hath held in life let our bodies which He hath kept together from flying in pieces let all think on it think how to thank him for it say and sing and celebrate it above all We above all for it above all For if ever Mercie were over worke of His if ever Worke of His under it directly it was so over us and we so under it this Day If ever of any it might be avowed or to any applied If ever any might rightly and truely upon good and just cause say or sing this verse we of this land may do both It will fitt out mouthes best best become us For such a Worke did He shew on us this Day as if Mercie have a Super omnia of other this may claime a Super omnia of it of Mercie it selfe His Mercie is not so high â—bove the rest of His works as this Daye 's Worke high above the works of it That supreme to all this supreme to it Mercie in it even above it selfe We then that have had such a Super in this Super we of all others nay more then 〈◊〉 others to have it yet more specially recommended A bare confession will not sâ—rve but the highest confession of all to take the Oath of the Supremaciâ— of it We if â—ver any to say it and sweare it if it had not been in sovereigne manner over some of His works that is our selves we had beene full low yet this infra infimâ—s beneath under all his workes not now above ground to speake and to heare of this theme Let it then claime the supremacie in our Confiteantur and in our Benedicant both â—bove works Saints and all And that not mentally or verbally alone in heart â—o to hold and in tongue so to report it but which is worth all really in worke so to eâ—presse it I meane as our thanks for His mercie above all our thanks so our works of Mercie above all our works But be they so His are so are ours I would to God â— could say they were but sure they are not His mercie above all his works With 〈◊〉 in this point it is cleane contrarie all our works above our mercie The least the last the lowest part of our workes are our workes of mercie the fewest in number the poorest in value the slightest in regard Indeed infra omnia with us they But sure GOD in thus setting it above all his workes sheweth He would have it with us so too That which is Super omnia Ejus to be Super omnia nostra as above all His so above all ours likewise And CHRIST our SAVIOVR would have it so His Estote Luc. 6.36 is Estote misericordes and how not barely Estote but Estote sicut Pater vester coelestis Mercifull as He. And how is He So as with Him it is above all To imitate Him then in this let it be highest with us as with Him it is highest Sure we are not right till it be with us so too As in GOD 's so in ours above ours above them all That so it may have the Supremacie in Confiteantur in Benedicant in praise â—nd thankes in words and workes and all To sett of the Super of this day then and to conclude If the generalitie of His works confesse Him for theirs and the specialitie of his Saints blesse Him for theirs what are we to doe how to confesse how to blesse for the singular Mercie of this Day and let all others goe Psal. 71.8 Sure our mouthes to be filled with praise as the Sea and our voice in sounding it out as the noise of his waves and we to cover the heavens with praise as with clouds for it But we are not able to praise Thee ô Lord or to extoll thy Name for one of a thousand Nay not for one of the many millions of the great Mercies which thou hast shewed upon us and upon our children How often hast thou ridd us from Plague freed us from Famine saved us from the Sword from our enemies compassing us round from the Fleet that came to make us no more a people Even before this Day we now hold before it and since it have not Thy compassions withdrawen themselves from us But this Day this Day above all daies have they shewed it Super omnia
things you ought to part with something and the more you part with the liker ye become to Him that giveth all things If he have given you to enjoy you ought to receive others into the fellowship of the same joy and not to think that to do others good is to do your selves hurt If plenteously He have given you you ought to be plenteous in giving and not when the Lord hath his Epha great wherein He hath mete to you to make your Hin small whereby you measure to the poore turning the plentie of heaven into the scarsitie of earth Thus doth the Apostle fetch the matter about and thus doth he inferre your doing good to these little lambes and such like out of GOD 's doing good unto you And that which he inferreth he doth exceeding fitly and sheweth great art and learning in it For speaking of enjoying his very last word he is carried in a very good zeale and affection to the rich of this world to desire of GOD and to entreat of them that they may not have onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them that is enjoy them for a season Heb. 11.25 but that they may enjoy them for ever not onely for a few yeares or weekes or daies we cannot tell well which but from everlasting to everlasting And that is by doing good So enjoy that we may do good too To say truth Saint Paul could not better devise then heere to place it For our too much enjoying eateth up our well doing cleane Our too much lashing on in doing our selves good maketh that we can do good to none but our selves Our present enjoying destroyeth our well doing utterly and consequently the aeternall enjoying we should have of our riches As Pharao's leane kine dâ—voured the fatt Gen 41.4 and it was not seene on them so doth saith Basil our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our riotous mispending where we should not eat up out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Christian bestowing where we should and a man cannot tell what is become of it Very well and wisely said that Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride is prodigalitie's whetstone and it setts such an edge upon it in our enjoying that it cutts so deepe into our wealth and shares so much for our vaine and riotous enjoying that it leaves but little for our well-doing Looke how the trust in GOD and the trust in riches are sett one against another heere by the Apostle so are our high minds and our doing good One would not thinke it at the first but sure so it is we must have lower minds and lesse pride if we will have more good works and greater plenty of well-doing You may therefore enjoy your wealth that is true but you must also take this with you you must do good with it and learne of the Apostle there be two uses of your riches and that therefore GOD hath given them 1 To enjoy 2 To do good not to enjoy only but to enjoy and to do good Enjoying is doing good But not to our selves onely but by doing good heere Saint Paul meaneth to do it to others that they may be the better for us The very same two doth Salomon in very fitt termes sett downe that Water is given into our cisterne 1 that we may drinke of it our selves 2 that our fountaines may flow out Pro. 5.15 and they that dwell about us fare the better for them Matt. 12.42 The very same two doth a greater then Salomon our SAVIOVR himselfe compt of too for of his purse we read He had these two uses to buy that He had need of himself and to give something to the poore It is good reason that man consisting of two parts the soule and body Ioh. 13.29 the body only should not take up all but the soule should be remembred too Enjoying is the bodie 's part and well-doing is the soule 's your soules are suiters to you to remember them that is to remember well-doing which is the soule 's portion Remember this second the other I doubt not but you will remember fast enough This was the use of our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's purse and if yours be like His this must be the use of yours also For surely it is greatly to be feared that many rich at this day know not both these indeed know no other use of their wealth then an Oxe or an Asse or other brute beasts would know to have their crib well served sweet and cleane provender of the best in the manger and their furniture and trappings fitt and of the finest fashion No other then the Glutton did to go in soft linnen and rich silke and to fare deliciously every day Or then the other his pew-fellow Luk. 16.19 that professed it was all the use he compted of and therefore we see he saith to his soule Eat thy fill soule and drink thy fill fill and fatt thy selfe and enjoy this life Luk. 12.19 never looke to enjoy any other We must learne-one use more one more out of our charge and consequently When we looke upon our sealed summes our heapes of treasure and continuall commings in thus to thinke with our selves This that I see heere hath GOD given me to enjoy but not onely for that but to do good with also The former use of my riches I have had long and daily still have but what have I done in the other The rich men in the Gospel they had the same they did enjoy theirs but now it is sure little joy they have of them why for want of this other Abraham he did both he enjoyed his riches heere and now another an aeternall joy of them Yea he received Lazarus into his bosome Why he received him into his bosome and cherished him and did good heere on earth And so did Iob and so did Zachaeus Now good Lord so give me grace so to enjoy heere that I lose not my endlesse joy in thy heavenly kingdome Let me follow their stepps in my life with whom I wish my soule after death These things are good and profitable for the rich oft to thinke on Well then if to do good be a part of the Charge what is it to do good It is a positive thing good not a privative to do no harme Yet as the world goeth now we are saine so to commend men He is an honest man he doth no hurt of which praise any wicked man that keepes himselfe to himselfe may be partaker But it is to doe some good thing what good thing I will not answer as in the Schooles I feare I should not be understood I will go grossely to worke These that you see heere before your eyes to do them good to part with that that may do them good use the goods that you have to do but that which sundry that have heertofore occupied those roomes where you now sitt whose remembrance is therefore in blessing upon earth and whose names are
bosome wide open to receive them Lazarus in a rich man's bosome is a goodly sight in heaven and no lesse goodly in earth And there shal be never a rich man with Lazarus in his bosome in heaven unlesse he have had a Lazarus in his bosome heer on earth The poore are of two sorts Such as shal be with us alwayes as CHRIST saith to whom we must do good by relieving them Ioh. 12.8 such is the comfortlesse estate of poore Captives the succorlesse estate of poore Orphanes the desolate estate of the poore Widowes the distressed estate of poore Strangers the discontented estate of poore Scholars all which must be suffered and succoured too There are others such as should not be suffered to be in Israël whereof Israël is full I meane beggers and vagabonds able to worke to whom good must be done by not suffering them to be as they are but to employ them in such sort as they may do â—ood This is a good deed no doubt and there being as I heare an honourable good purpose in hand for the redresse of it GOD send it good successe I am as â—ne in part of my charge to exhort you by all good meanes to helpe and further it Me thinketh it is strange that the exiled Churches of Strangers which are harboured heer with us should be hable in this kind to do such good as not one of their poore is seene to aske about the streets and this Citie the harborer and maintainer of them should not be able to do the same good Hable it is no doubt but men would have doing good too good cheape I know the charges will be great but it will quitt the charges the good done will be so great Great good to their bodies in redeeming them from diverse corrupt and noysome diseases and this Citie from danger of infection Great good to their soules in redeeming them from idlenesse and the fruit of idlenesse which is all naughtinesse no where so rife as among them and this Citie from much pilfering and losse that way Great good to the Common-wealth in redeeming unto it many rotten members and making them men of service which may heereafter do good in it to the publique benefit and redeeme this Citie from the blood of many soules which perish in it for want of good order Last of all great good to the whole Estate in bringing the blessing of GOD upon it even that blessing Deut. 15.4 that there shall not be a begger in all Israël So much for doing good Laying up in store c. That is your worke shall not be in vaine in the end The last point The Reason but receive a recompense of reward which is a prerogative the which GOD 's Charges have above all other In mans there is death to the Offender but if any have kept his charge he may claime nothing but that he hath Onely the Lord's Charges are rewarded So that besides the two reasons which may be drawen out of the former 1 one of the uncertaintie 2 the other of GOD 's bounty 1. Of the Vncertainty Da quod non potes retinere That we would part with that that we cannot keepe long that we must part with yer long whither we will or no 2. Of the Bounty of GOD De meo peto dicit CHRISTVS That GOD which gave asketh but his owne but of that He gave us a part to be given Him and we if there be in us the heart of David will say quod de manu tuâ accepimus 3. Besides these a third 1. Chro. 29.40 Though GOD might justly challenge a free gift without any hope of receiving againe He will not but tells us His meaning is not to empoverish or undoe us but to receive these which He gave us and came from Him every one and those that within a while forgoe we must to give us that we shall never forgoe That is that he teacheth us commandeth not our losse but commendeth to us a way to lay up for our selves if we could sâ—e it not to leese and leave all we know not to whom Well said Augustine preaching on these very words At the very hearing these words Part with and distribute the covetous man shrinkes in himselfe at the very sound of parting with as if one should poure a bason of cold water upon him so doth he chill and draw himselfe together and say Non perdo he saith not I will not part with but I will not lose for he counteth all parting with to be losing And will ye not lose saith Saint Augustine yet use the matter how you can lose you shall for when you can cary nothing away of all you have do you not lose it But goe to saith he be not troubled hear what followes shut not thy heart â—gainst it Laying up for yoâ—r selves I know Iudas was of the mind Laying up for â—our selves that all that went besides 〈◊〉 bagg was Vtquid perditio and so be all they that be of his spirit But Saint â—aul is of that mind that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay out to good uses is to lay up to our owne uses that â—n paâ—â—ing thus with it we do not dimittere but praemittere not lose it by leaving it heer from whence we are going but store it up by sending it thither before whither we are going And indeed one o◠〈◊〉 two we must needs either leave it behind and lose it for ever or send it befoâ—â— and have it our owne for ever Now choose whither you will hold of Iudas's or Paule's For indeed it is not laying up Saint Paul findeth fault with but the place where not building or obteining or purchasing all which three are specified and the Apostle speaketh in your owne termes and the things you chiefly delight in but the laying up in the flesh which will rott and with it whatsoever is laid up with it or in the world which is so variable now and will be consumed all to nought and with it whatsoever is said up in it But he would have us to lay it up in heaven which besides that it is our owne countrey and this but a strange land is the place whither we passe leaving this place behind and from whence we must never passe but stay heer and either for ever want or have use for ever of that we part with heere And to say truth Vt quid respicimus With what face can we look up and look upon heaven where we have laid up nothing or what entertainment can we hope for there whither we have sent no part of our provision but for ought of our sending the place is cleane empty You will say how can one reach heaven to lay any thing there I will aske you also another question How can a man being in France reach into England to lay any thing there By exchange And did you never hear of our exchange Cambium coeleste You know that to
â—o become a prisoner as 1. Reg. 1.43 Shemei did Therfore sweare and be sworne in those causes and questions whereto Law doth bind to give answere though Fine and Commitment doe ensue upon them This question remaineth If a man have sworne without those what he is to doe when an oath binds when it doth not We hold No man is so streightened between two sinns but without committing a third he may get forth Herod thought he could not and therfore being in a streight betwixt murder and periurie thought he could have no issue but by putting Saint Iohn Baptist to death It was not so for having sworne and his oath proving unlawfull if he had repented him of his unadvisednesse in swearing and gon no further he had had his issue without any new offense 1. If then We have sworne to be simply evill the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis vinculum iniquitatis 2. If it hinder a greater or higher good the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis impedimentum pietatis 3. If it be in things indifferent as we terme them absque grano salis it is a rash oath to be repented not to be executed 4. If the oath be simply made yet as we say it doth subiacere Civili intellectui so as GOD'S oath doth Ieremia 18.8 and therefore those conditions may exclude the event and the Oath remaine good 5. If in regard of the Manner it be extorted from us the rule is Iniusta vincula rumpit Iustitia 6. If rashly Penitenda promissio non perficienda praesumptio 7. If to any man for his benefit or for favour to him if that partie release it it bindeth not A SERMON PREACHED AT VVHITE-HALL upon the Sunday after EASTER being March XXX AN. DOM. MDC IOHN CHAP. XX. VER XXIII Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis Et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt VVhose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted unto them and whose-soever ye reteine they are reteined The Conclusion of the Gospell for the Sunday THEY be the words of our SAVIOVR CHRIST to his Apostles A part of the first words which he spake to them at his Epiphanie or first apparition after he arose from the dead And they contein a Commission by him graunted to the Apostles which is the summe or contents of this Verse Which Commission is his first largesse after his rising againe For at his first appearing to them it pleased him not to come empty but with a blessing and to bestow on them and on the world by them as the first fruicts of his resurrection this Commission a part of that Commission which the sinfull world most of all stood in need of for remission of sinnes To the graunting wâ—â—reof He proceedeth not without some solemniâ—ie or circumstance The Summariâ— proceeding in it well worthy to be remembred For first Verse 21. he saith As my father sent me so send I you which is their authorizing or giving them their Credence Secondly Verse 22 He doth breath upon them and withall inspireth them with the Holy Ghost which is their enhabling or furnishing thereto And having so authorized and enhabled them now in this Verse heer He giveth them their Câ—mmission and thereby doth perfectly inaugurate thâ—m into this part of their Office A Commission is nothing els but the imparting of a power which before they had not First therefore he imperteth to them a power a power over sinnes over sinnes either for the remitting or the reteining of them as the persons shall be qualified And after to this power he addeth a promise as the Lawyers terme it of Ratihabition that he will ratifie and make it good that His power shall accompanie this power and the lawfull use of it in his Church for ever The dependence in respect of the time Why not before Esai 53.10 Heb. 9.22 Mat. 16.19.18.18 And very agreeably is this power now bestowed by him upon his resurrection Not so conveniently before his death because till then he had not made his soule an offering for sinne nor till then he had not shed his bloud without which there is no remission of sinnes Therefore it was promised before but not given till now because it was convenient there should be solutio before there were absolutio Not before he was risen then Why now And againe no longer then till he was risen not till he was ascended First to shew that the remission of sinnes is the undivided and immediate effect of his death Secondly to shew how much the world needed it for which cause he would not with-hold it no not so much as one day for this was done in the very day of his resurrection Thirdly But specially to set forth his great love and tender care over us in this that as soone as he had accomplished his owne resurrection even presently upon it he setts in hand with ours and beginneth the first part of it the very first day of his rising The Scripture maketh mention of a first and second death and from them two of a first and second resurrection Both expresly sett downe in one verse Apoc. 20.6 Happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for over such the second death hath no power Vnderstanding by the first the death of the soule by sinne and the rising thence to the life of grace by the second the death of the body by corruption the rising thence to the life of glorie CHRIST truly is the Saviour of the whole man both soule and body from the first and second death But beginneth first with the first that is with sinne the death of the soule and the rising from it So is the method of Divinitie prescribed by himselfe Mat. 23.16 First to cleanse that which is within the soule then that which is without the body And so is the methode of Physique first to cure the cause and then the disease 1. Cor. 15 56. Now the cause or as the Apostle calleth it the sling of death is sinne Therefore first to remove sinne and then death aâ—â—erwards For the cure of sinne being performed the other will follow of his owne accord As Saint Iohn telleth us He that hath his part in the first resurrection shall not faile of it in the second The first resurrection then from sinne is it which our Saviour Christ heer goeth about wherto there is no lesse power required then a divine power For looke what power is necessarie to raise the dead bodie out of the dust the very same every way is requisite to raise the dead soule out of sinne For which cause the Remission of sinnes is an Article of faith no lesse then the Resurrection of the body For in very deed a resurrection it is and so it is termed no lesse then that To the service and ministerie of which divine worke a Commission is heere graunted to the Apostles And first they have heer their sending from GOD the Father their inspiring
Sacrificia mortuorum tanquam Deorum not the sacred things or Sacrifices of the dead as if they were GODS Lib. VIII C.XXVII 〈…〉 Sainâ— Augustine 〈…〉 Temples Altars and Sacrifices inward 〈◊〉 outward visible and invisible to all Martyrs and Saints as being proper and peculiar to GOâ— onâ—ly And I 〈◊〉 Prayers and Invocation be in this number For as Grantes Laudantes praying 〈◊〉 praising 〈◊〉 direct our signifying words to him to whom we offer the things 〈◊〉 in our hearts so sacrificing we know the visible sacrificâ— is to be offered 〈…〉 to him whose invisible sacrifice in our hearts we our selves ought to 〈…〉 debemus Lib. X. Cap. XIX And then it followeth in the XX. Chapter The true Mediator inasmuch as taking upon him the forme of a servant the Man 〈◊〉 a CHRIST became a Mediator of God and Man whereas in â—he forme of GOD He takes sacrifice with his Father yet in the forme of a servant Malâ—i◠〈…〉 sumere He chose rather to be a Sacrifice then to receive Sacrifice lest even 〈◊〉 â—ccasion any man might think he might sacrifice to a Creature by this 〈…〉 is a Priest the same the offerer and the same the thing offered Cujus rei 〈…〉 of which thing he would have the daily Sacrifice of the Church to be a 〈◊〉 quae cum ipsius capitis corpus sit seipsam per ipsum discit offerre which Church 〈◊〉 the bodie of our Head himself doth learne to offer it selfe that is the Church by him that is by Christ. Heer the Bodie of the Head is the mysticall bodie of Christ and therefore the daily Sacrifice of the Church is not the Naturall Bodie of Christ but the Mysticall Bodie that offers it selfe to GOD by Christ. This made Saint Augustine to say of Angells and Elect and Glorious Saints Nec illis sacrificemus sed cum illic sacrificium Deo simus Let us not sacrifice to them but let us be a sacrifice to GOD together with them Cap. XXV But a singular and full place we have in the same X th Booke and VI. Chap. Where having shewed what Sacrifice is that is every worke which is performed that we may cleave to GOD in an holy Societie being referred to that end of good by which we may be truly blessed as a man consecrated to the Name of GOD and dying to the world that he may live to GOD is a Sacrifice as the bodie chastned by temperance is a Sacrifice such as the Apostle calls for Offer up your Bodies to be a Living Sacrifice Rom. XII I. And if the bodie the servant and instrument of the soule much more the soule it selfe is a sacrifice As likewise works of mercie and the like Hence saith he it commeth to passe Vt tota ipsa redempta Civitas societasque sanctorum universale sacrificium offeratur DEO c That the whole redeemed Citie and societie of the Saints is offered up an universall sacrifice to GOD by our great Priest who also offered himselfe in his passion for us that we might be the bodie of so great an Head in the forme of a servant For this he offred in this he was offred because according to this he is our Mediator in this our Priest in this our Sacrifice And then urging againe the Apostle's words Rom. XII I. of offring our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD which is our reasonable service of him he adds Quod totum sacrificium ipsi nos sumus All which whole sacrifice we are We the Members are this whole sacrifice not Christ the Head For as in the body there are many members and many offices of those members so we being many are one Bodie in Christ and every one members one of another having diverse gifts according to the grace given us Hoc est sacrificium Christianorum multi unum Corpus sumus in Christo this is the sacrifice of Christians many are one body in Christ. This must necessarily be the mysticall body of Christ the naturall body it cannot be Quod etiam Sacramento Altaris Fidelibus noto frequentat Ecclesia ubi ei demonstratur quod in illâ oblatione quam offert ipsa offeratur Which Sacrifice the Church â—lso frequents in the Sacrament of the Altar well knowne to the fâ—ithfull in which it iâ— demostrated to the Church that in that oblation which the Church offers the Church it selfe it offered I hope the Church is the mysticall body of Christ not the naturâ—ll Lib. XX cap. X. Ipsum verò sacrificium Corpus est Christi quod non offertur ipsit quia hoc sunt et ipse denying Temples Altars and Sacrifices to Martyrs and Saints he saith The sacrifice it selfe is the Bodie of Christ which is not offered to them because they are also this sacrifice This may suffice to satisfie any reasonable man of the sacrifice of the Church in Sâ—int Augustine's judgement Yet give me leave to add one place more because it may stand for many and that is Lib. X. cap. 31. Nec iubent c. Neither do they command that we should Sacrifice to them but onely to Him whose Sacrifice we together with them ought to be a Sacrifice Vt saepe dixi saepe dicendam eâ—t as I have 〈◊〉 said and â—ust often say This then is the daily Sacrifice of the Church in Saint Augustines â—â—solute iudgement even the Church it selfe the Vniuersall bodie of CHRIST not the Naturall Bodie whereof the Sacrament is an Exemplaâ— and a Memoriall onely as hath beene shewed And when they shall prove the Churche's Sacrifice to be the Naturall â—odiâ— of CHRIST and the same Sacrifice with the Sacrifice of the Crosse â—s it denoâ—eth the Action of Sacrificing because the Fathers often use the word Corpus CHRIST The Bodie of CHRIST they shall be further answered In the meane time the Church of England in her reformed Liturgie offering 〈◊〉 selves our soules and bodies to be a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD which iâ— our reasonable service of him may truly and boldly say that in this 〈…〉 〈◊〉 their Canon of their Masse in which there is not one syllable that 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of our selves and soules and bodies which is the onely thing thaâ— GOD lookes and calls for at our hands and in CHRIST our Head is most pleasing nay more onely pleasing to him and in our power to offer properly We denie not then the daily Sacrifice of the Chuâ—ch that is the Church it selfe â—arranted by Scriptures and Fathers We take not upon us to Sacrifice the naturall Body of CHRIST otherwise then by commemoration aâ— CHRIST himselfe and Saint Paul doth prescribe They rather that take a power never given them over the naturall bodie of CHRIST which once offered by himselfe purchased eternâ—ll redemption all sufficient for sinne to offer it againe and often never thinking of the offering of CHRIST 's mysticall body the Church that is our selves our soules and bodies they I say do destroy the daily
saved no ioy so great no news so welcome as to one ready to perish in case of a lost man to heare of one that will save him In danger of perishing by sicknesse to heare of one will make him well againe By sentence of the Law of one with a pardon to save his life By enemies of one that will rescue and set him in safety Tell any of these assure them but of a Saviour it is the best newes he ever heard in his life There is ioy in the name of a Saviour And even this way this Child is a SAVIOVR too Potest hoc facere sed hoc non est opus Eius This He can do but this is not His worke a further matter there is a greater Salvation He came for And it may be we need not any of these we are not presently sicke in no feare of the Law in no danger of enemies And it may be if we were we phansie to our selves to be releeved some other way But that which He came for that saving we need all and none but He can helpe us to it We have therefore all cause to be glad for the Birth of this SAVIOVR I know not how but when we heare of saving or mention of a Saviour presently our mind is carried to the saving of our skin of our temporall state of our bodily life and further saving we think not of But there is another life not to be forgotten and greater the dangers and the destruction there more to be feared then of this heer and it would be well sometimes we were remembred of it Besides our skinne and flesh a soule we have and it is our better part by farr that also hath need of a Saviour that hath her destruction out of which that hath her destroyer from which she would be saved and those would be thought on Indeed our chiefe thought and care would be for that how to escape the wrath how to be saved from the destruction to come whither our sinnes will certainely bring us Sinne it is will destroy us all And to speake of a Saviour there is no person on earth hath so much need of a Saviour as hath a sinner Nothing so dangerous so deadly unto us as is the sinne in our bosome nothing from which we have so much need to be saved whatsoever account we make of it From it commeth upon us all the evill of this life and from it all the evill of the life to come in comparison whereof these heer are not worth the speaking of Above all then we need a Saviour for our soules and from our sinnes and from the everlasting destruction which sinne will bring upon us in the other life not farr from us not from him of us that thinketh it farthest off Then if it be good tidings to heare of a Saviour where it is but a matter of the losse of earth or of this life here how then when it commeth to the losse of Heaven to the danger of Hell when our soule is at the stake and the well doing or vndoing of it for ever He that could save our soules from that Destroyer were not the birth of such an one good newes trow Is not such a Saviour worth the harkening after Is he not It is then because we have not that sense of our soules and the dangers of them that we have of our bodies nor that feare of our ghostly enemies nor that lively apprehension of the eternall torments of that place and how neere we are to it nothing being betwixt us and it but this poore puffe of breath which is in our nosthrills Our carnall part is quicke and sensible our spirituall is dead and dull We have not the feeling of our sinnes that we have of our sicknesse if we had we would heare this newes with greater cheerefullnesse and hold this Day of the birth of such a SAVIOVR with ioy indeed We cannot conceive it yet this destruction is not neere enough to affect us Ier. 30.24 But in novissimo intelligetis planè in the end when the Destroyer shall come and we shall finde the want of a Saviour we shall plainly vnderstand this and value this benefit and the ioy of it as we ought and finde there is no ioy in the earth to the ioy of a Saviour There is borne a Saviour is the first The Angel addeth further 2. Which is CHRIST A Saviour which is CHRIST For many Saviours had been borne many had GOD sent them that at diverse times had set them free from diuerse dangers of their enemies MOSES from the Aegyptians IOSHVA from the Canaanites GEDEON from the Madianites IEPTHA from the Ammonites SAMPSON from the Philistims And indeed the whole story of the Bible is nothing els but a Calender of Saviours that GOD from time to time still stirred them up But these all were but petie Saviours there was one yet behind that was worth them all One that should save his people from their Sinnes Save not their bodies for a time Mat. 1.21 but their soules for ever which none of those Saviours could do One therefore much spoken of wished for and waited for a Saviour which was CHRIST when He came they looked for great matters as said the Woman at the Wells side Ioh 4.25 For He was the most famous and greatest SAVIOVR of all And this is He A Saviour which is CHRIST He of whom all the Promises made mention and He the performance of them all of whom all the Types vnder the Law were shadowes and He the substance of them all Of whom all the Prophecies ranne and He the fulfilling of them all He of whom all those inferiour Saviours were the figures and forerunners and He the accomplishment of all that in them was wanting This is He IACOB's a Gen. 49.10 Shiloh ESAYE's b Esa. 7 14. Immanuel IEREMIE's c Ier. 23.5 Branch DANIEL's d Dan 9.29 Messias ZACHARIE's e Zach. 6 12. Chap 1 27. Oriens ab alto AGGEI's f Aâ—ge 2.9 Desideratus cunctis Gentibus The Desire of all the Nations then and now the Ioy of all Nations a Saviour which is CHRIST And what is meant by this terme CHRIST A Saviour annoynted or as in another place it is said more agreeable to our phrase of speaking a * Ioh. 6.27 Saviour sealed a Saviour under GODS Great Seale That is not as those other were Saviours raised up of a sudden upon some occasion to serve the turne for the present and never heard of till they came but a Saviour in GODS fore-counsell resolved on and given forth from the beginning promised and foretold and now signed and senâ— with absolute Commission and fullnesse of power to be the perfect and compleat SAVIOVR of all And to be it ex Officio His Office His very profession to be one that all may have right to repaire unto Him and find it at His hands Not a Saviour incidently
no true Saviour but the LORD All other are short Vanasalus hominis saith the Psalme mans salvation is vaine any salvation is vaine if it be not the LORDS 1. Those Christs that were not the LORD could save but the bodie and not one of them quicken his owne soule CHRIST that is the LORD can save soules and bodies His owne and others both 2. Those Christs that were not the LORD could save but from carnall enemies with armes of flesh He from our ghostly enemies even spiritiuall wickednesses in heavenly places from Abaddon the great destroier of the bottomlesse pit 3. They that were not the LORD could save but from worldly calamities could but prune and take of the twigs as it were He from sin it selfe and so plucketh it up by the roots 4. They that were not the LORD put it of but for a time and after it came againe Temporall onely He for ever once for all and is become Authour of eternall salvation to all that depend on Him And marke that word eternall For Heb. 5.9 none but the LORD can worke eternall salvation 5. They all had need of a Saviour themselves and of this Saviour He needs none receives of none imparts to all as being not a Saviour onely but Salus ipsa in abstracto Salvation it selfe Verse 30. Ioh. 1. as Simeon calleth him of whose fulnesse wee all receive To save may agree to man To be salvation can agree to none but to CHRIST the LORD To begin and to end to save soule and bodie from bodily and ghostly enemies from sin the root and miserie the branches for a time and for ever to be a Saviour and to be Salvation it selfe CHRIST the LORD is all this and can doe all this Now then we are right and never till now A Saviour which is Christ the LORD But the Name LORD goeth yet further not onely to save us and set us free from danger to deliver us from evill but to state us in as good and better condition then we forfeited by our fall or els though we were saved we should not save by the match To make us then savers and not savers onely but gainers and that great gainers by our salvation He doth further impart also the estate annexed of this last title even whatsoâ—ver he is Lord of himselfe And He is Lord of Life saith Saint Peter Acts 3.15 Life then He imparts And He is Lord of Glorie saith Saint Paul 1. Cor. 2.8 Glorie then He imparts And He is Lord of Ioy Intra in gaudium Domini Enter into the ioy of the Lord Mat. â—5 21 Ioy then He imparts Life and Glorie and Ioy and makes us Lords of them and of whatsoever is within the Name and title of Lord. For having thereto a double right 1 by Inheritance as the Sonne Hebr. 1.2 2 And by purchase as a Redeemer for therefore He died and rose againe that He might be Lord of all Rom. 14.9 contenting Himselfe with the former He is well pleased to set over the latter to us and admit us with Himselfe into His estate of ioynt purchase of heaven or whatsoever He is owner of that in right of it we may enter into the Life Glorie and Ioy of our Lord and so be saved and be savers and more then savers every way This also is in the word Lord this benefit further we have by it And now if we will put together Natus and Servator Servator and Christus Christus and Dominus Dominus and Natus Borne and Saviour Saviour and Christ Christ and the Lord the Lord and Borne take them which way ye will in combination any of the foure then have we His two Natures in one Person In Servator His God head None but GOD is a Saviour In Christus His Man-hood GOD cannot be Annoynted Man may In Dominus His Divine againe the Lord from heaven In Natus His Humane nature directly borne of a woman Both ever carefully ioyned and to be ioyned togither When Saint Matthew had begun his Gospell thus Mat. 1.1 The booke of the generation of IESVS CHRIST the sonne of DAVID one nature His humanity Saint Marke was carefull to begin his thus Mark 1.1 The beginning of the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST the sonne of GOD the other nature His Divinity But Saint Iohn he ioynes them Verbum carofactum est the Word became flesh Ioh. 1.14 Verbum the Word there is Dominus and Caro the Flesh that is Natus And even this very coniunction is a new Ioy. For that such an one that the LORD would condescend to be borne besides the benefit there is also matter of Honour Even that He so great a person would become such as we are would so esteeme our Nature as to take it upon Him This certainely is a great dignity and exaltation of our Nature And it is matter of new Ioy That He would so highly value it as to assume associate and vnite it into one person with the Sonne of GOD. By this we see why a SAVIOVR why CHRIST why the LORD A SAVIOVR His name of benefit whereby He is to deliver us CHRIST His name of Office whereby He is bound to undertake it The LORD His Name of power whereby He is able to effect it We see also why Man and why GOD. First So it should be for of right none was to make satisfaction for man but man And in very deed none was able to give satisfaction to GOD but GOD. So that being to satisfie GOD for Man He was to be GOD and Man Secondly So we would wish it our selves If we would be saved we would be saved by one of our Nature not by any stranger He is borne and so one of our owne nature Againe if we would be saved we would be saved by no inferiour but by the best He is the LORD and so the very best of all And so our desire is satisfied every way This blessed Birth of this Saviour which is CHRIST the LORD thus furnished in every point to save us throughly bodie and soule from sinne the destruction and Sathan the destroyer of both and that both heer and for ever this blessed and thrice blessed Birth is the substance of this Dayes solemnity of the Angels Message and of our Ioy. The Circumstance of the Persons to whom And now to the Circumstances and first of the Persons vobis I bring you good tydings That to you is borne c. We find not any word through all but there is ioy in it and yet all is suspended till we come to this one word vobis this makes vp all This word therefore we shall doe well ever to looke for and when we find it to make much of it Nothing passeth without it it is the word of application But for it all the rest are loose this girds it on this fastens it to vs Mat. 8.29 and makes it ours But for it we are but in their case Quid nobis
any thing nor any thing into it Nor made conciliando as freinds are made so as they continue two severall persons still and while the flesh suffered the Word stood by and looked on as Nestorius That is cum carne not caro made with flesh not flesh And never was one person sayd to be made another Nor made by compounding and so a third thing produced of both as Eutyches For so He should be neither of both â—ord nor flesh neither GOD nor man But made He Was Saint Paul tells us how assumendo by taking the seed of Abraham Heb. XI His generation eternall as verbum Deus is as the enditing the Word Heb. 2.16 within the heart His generation in time verbum Caro is as the uttering it forth with the voice The inward motion of the minde taketh unto it a naturall body of ayre and so becommeth vocall It is not changed into it the Word remayneth still as it was yet they two become one voice Take a similitude from our selves Our soule is not turned into nor compounded with the body yet they two though distinct in natures grow into one man So into the God-head was the man-hood taken the Natures preserved without confusion the Person entire without division Take the definition of the fourth Generall Council Sic factum est caro ut maneret verbum non immutando quod erat sed suscipiendo quod non erat nostra auxit sua non minuit nec Sacramentum pietatis Detrimentum Deitatis He was so made flesh that He ceased not to be the Word never changing that He was but taking that He was not We were the better He was never the worse the Mysterie of Godlinesse was no detriment to the God head nor the honour of the creature wrong to the CREATOR And now being past these points of beleife I come to that which I had much rather stand on and so it is best for us that which may stirr up our love to Him that thus became flesh for us First comparing Factum with Dictum For if we were so much beholden for verbum dictum the word spoken the Promise how much more for verbum factum the Performance If for factum carni the Word that came to flesh how then for factum caro became flesh Then taking factum absolutely The Word by whom all things were made to come to be made it selfe It is more for Him fieri to be made any thing then facere Verse 3. to make another World yea many Worlds more There is more a great deale in this factum est then in omnia per Ipsum facta sunt In He made then in All things by Him were made Factum est with VVhat He was made For if made made the most compleat thing of all that ever He had made Made a Spirit for God is a Spirit Ioh. 4.24 Psal. 3.4 Heb. 2.7 some degree of neerenesse between them But what is man that he should be made him or the Sonne of man that He should take his nature upon Him If man yet the more noble part the immortall part the soule what els There are some points of His Image in that It understandeth iâ— loveth hath a kinde of capacitie of the VVord So hath not the flesh It is res bruta common to them with us neither able to understand or love or in any degree capable of it Make it the Soule the precious soule so calleth it Salomon not the bodie the vile bodie so the Apostle calleth it Pro. 6.26 Phil. 3.21 Of the VVord he sayd ever vidimus gloriam Ejus we sawe the glorie of it of the flesh we may say vidimus sordes ejus we daily see that comes from it as non est vilius sterquilinium on the dung-hill worse is not to be seene Set not so pretious a stone in so base mettall But this is not all If He must be made for love of God make Him something wherein is some good For in our flesh Saint Paul sayth there dwelleth no good yea the very wisedome of the flesh at flat defiance with the VVord Rom. 7.18 Rom. 8.7 Make it somewhat els For there is not only a huge distance but maine repugnancie betweene them Yet for all this Ioh. 10.35 non potest solvi Scriptura The VVord was made flesh I adde yet further what flesh The flesh of an Infant What Verbum Infans the VVord an Infant the VVord and not be able to speake a word How evill agreeth this This He put up How borne how entertained In a stately Palace Cradle of Ivorie Robes of estate No but a stable for His Palace a manger for His Cradle poore clouts for His array This was His beginning Follow Him further if any better afterward what flesh afterward Sudans algens in cold and heat hungrie and thirstie faint and wearie Esay 53.5 Is his end any better that maketh up all what flesh then Cujus livore sanati blacke and blew bloudie and swolne rent and torne the thornes and nayles sticking in his flesh And such flesh He was made A great factum certainly and much to be made of To have been made caput Angelorum had been an abasement To be a Heb. 2.7 minoratus Angelis is more But to be b Esay 53. v. 3. novissimus Virorum in worst case of all men nay c Psal. 22.6 a worme and no man So to be borne so arrayed and so housed and so handled there is not the meanest flesh but is better So to be made and so unmade to take it on and lay it off with so great indignitie Weigh it and wonder at it that ever He would endure to be made flesh and to be made it on this manner What was it made the VVord thus to be made flesh Non est lex hominis ista flesh would never have been brought to it Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 5.1 2. Reg. 19.31 It was GOD and in GOD nothing but Love Dilexit with Sic Charitas with an Ecce Fecit amor ut Verbum caro fieret Zelus Domini exercituum fecit hoc Love only did it Quid sit possit debeat non recipit ius amoris That only cares not for any exinanivit any humiliavit se any emptying humbling losse of reputation Love respects it not cares not what flesh he be made so the flesh be made by it Habitavit and dwelt And dwelt Factum est is the word of Nature Habitavit of Person Habitare est Personae And two there are not It is not Habitaverunt therefore but one Person And habitavit is a word of continuance that which was begunne in factum is continued in habitavit Not only made but made stay made His abode with us Not appeared and was gone againe streight but for a time tooke up His dwelling Factus caro Factus incola And this word concernes this day properly This is the day the first day of habitavit in nobis
for the thinnesse and meannesse of the buildings as was seen at CHRISTS Birth not hable to give Lodging to any number So least But then againe not least saith S. Matthew and saith truly too Not in regard of any of the three now mentioned but of another hable of it selfe alone to weigh them all downe in that it should yeeld Alumnum tam grandem so great a Birth as the great MESSIAS of the world One whose only comming forth of it was hable to make it not the least nay the greatest and most famous of all the dwellings of IACOB of the whole land Nay of the whole world then And thus not the least Though minima for the Tu non minima for the ex te Non minima if it were but for Him and for nothing els What shall we make of this Nothing but what commeth from it of it selfe without streyning That with GOD it is no new thing Nay very familiar as even the Heathen have observed so familiar as GOD seemes to take delight in it to bring maxima de minimis great out of little CHRIST out of Bethlehem Which is plaine even in Nature How huge an Oke from how small an acorne But that askes great time Matt. 13.32 From how little a graine of mustardseed the very Bethlehem minima the least of all seeds how large a plant of how faire a spread and that in a little time a moneth or two at most But we are not in Nature now In this very point heer of Guides and Rulers therein too it hath been no vnusuall thing with Him out of small beginnings to raise mighty States Their first Guide MOSES whence came he out of a basket of bull-rushes Exod. 2.3 forlorne and floting among the flaggs taken up even by chance The great beginner of their Monarchie and not of theirs alone but the two beginners of the two mighty Monarchies of the Persians and Romans Cyrus and Romulus from the Shepheards scrip from the sheepcote all three Those great Magnalia from parva mapalia And as the Kingdomes of the Earth from a sheepcote So His owne of the Church from a fisherbote We may well turne to them with this Apostrophe And thou sheepcote out of thee have come mightie Monarchs And thou fisherbote Matt. 4.18.21 out of thee foure of the chiefe and principall Apostles Even so Lord saith our SAVIOVR for so is thy pleasure And Matt. 11.26 since it is His pleasure so to deale it is His further pleasure and it is our lesson out of this Bethlehem minima Even this Ne minima minimi that we set not little by that which is little vnlesse we will so set by Bethlehem and by CHRIST and all He will not have little places vilified little Zoar will save the bodie little Bethlehem the soule Nor have saith Zacharie dies parvos little times despised vnlesse we will despise this Day Gen. 19.20 Zach. 4.10 the feast of Humilitie Nor have one of these little ones offended Why for Matt. 18.6 Ephrata may make amends for parvula Ex te for tu This is on GODS behalfe On CHRISTS yet further to stay a little upon this little For though there want not diuerse other good congruences why CHRIST should come from Bethlehem rather then from another place 1. For that it was the Towne of DAVID and He was the Sonne of David Ioh. 7.42 and so a place not vnmeet for Him to come from even in that respect being sedes avita Out of thee came David and well therefore out of thee shall come Davids Sonne Davids Sonne and Davids Lord both 2. The Surname of Ephrata puts me in mind of another Lo Psal. 132.6 we heard of it at Ephrata saith the Psalme there the first newes of the Temple And Lo we heard of him at Ephrata to day by the Angell there Luk. 2.11 the first word of the Lord of the Temple The Temple was the Type of the Church and that was heard of at Ephrata first and no wayes incongruent that where the Church there the Head of the Church CHRIST and CHRISTS Church both at one place 3. There is a third in the very name of Bethlehem that is the house of bread For He that was borne there was bread But that will be more proper anon at Qui pascet But these though they agree well yet none of them so well as this that it was minima the very miniminesse as I may say of it For in so being it was a place well suting with His estate now at His egredietur exte which was the state of Humilitie eminent in His if ever in any Birth Bethlehem was not so little but He as little as it Looke what Apostrophe Mica made to the Towne may we make to Him and that with better reason And thou Bethlehemite thou wert as little among the sonnes of men as ever was Bethlehem among the villages of Iuda So Esay 53.3 novissimum oppidorum as Mica calls it suits well with novissimus virorum as Esay calls Him And it was not the Place alone but all were little then The time in solstitio brumali the deep of Winter when the dayes are at the shortest and least And the people He came of litâ—le Amos saith Who shall raise up Iacob for he is small Small Amos 7 2.5 ever but never so small never so low brought as at His comming forth Then at the lowest and the very least as being then brought vnder the bondage of a stranger and He one of the children of Edom that cryed Downe with them Psal 137.7 downe to the ground One that made Rachel mourne in her grave her grave was there hard by for the slaughter of the poore innocents within a while after So Place and Time Matt. 2.18 and People and all little and He himselfe lesse then all For even in the place Mica hath not said all for He is lesse yet If little Bethlehem offend what could have been said if he had gone further and yet not further then Saint Luke And thou the stable in the Inne at Bethlehem Luk. 2.7 And thou the manger in the stable Ex te egredietur out of thee shall He come These are beyond Bethlehem parva lesse yet yet thence did He come too at His entrance into the world And all these nothing to his going out Another manner of diminution there then all these Such was His Humilitie on this feast of Humilitie And ô thou little Bethlehem And ô thou little Bethlehemite how do you both both Place and Person confound the haughtinesse of many that yet would be called Christians and even neer CHRIST himselfe There is in both of you if it were well taken to heart enough to pricke the swelling and let out the apostemed matter of pride from a many of us whose looke gesture gate and swelling words of vanitie are too big for Bethlehem whose whole carriage and course is as
Ezek. 18.20 falsifie the truth that may not be And then steppes up Righteousnesse and seconds her Righteousnesse seconding her Psal. 145.17 that GOD as He is true in His word so is He righteous in all His workes So to reddere suum cuique to render each his owne to every one that is his due and so to the sinner stipendium peccati the wages of sinne that is death God forbid Rom. 6.23 the Iudge of the world should iudge unjustly that were as before to make Truth false so heere to do Right wrong Nay it went further and they made it their owne cases What shall become of me said Righteousnesse What use of Iustice if GOD will doe no justice if He spare sinners And what use of me sayth Mercie if He spare them not Hard hold there was inasmuch as Perij nisi homo moriatur sayd Righteousnesse I dye if he dye not And Perij nisi Misecicordiam consequatur sayd Mercie if he dye I dye too To this it came and in those termes brake up the meeting and away they went one from the other Truth went into exile as a stranger upon earth The first meeting broken up Terras Astraea reliquit she confined her selfe in Heaven where so aliened she was as she would not so much as looke downe hither upon us Mercie she staid below still ubi enim Misericordia esset sayth Hugo well si cum misero non esset Where should Mercie be if with miserie she should not be As for Peace she went betweene both to see if she could make them meet againe in better termes For without such a meeting no good to be done for us For meet they must and that in other termes or it will goe wrong with us Our Salvation lies a bleeding all this while The Plea hangs and we stand as the prisoner at the barre and know not what shall become of us For though two be for us there are two against us as strong and more stiffe then they So that much depends upon this second Meeting upon the composing or taking up this difference For these must be at peace betweene themselves before they at peace with us or we with GOD. And this is sure we shall never meet in heaven if they meet no more And many meanes were made for this meeting many times but it would not be Where stayed it It was not long of Mercie she would be easily entreated to give a new meeting no question of her Oft did she looke up to heaven but Righteousnesse would not looke downe Not look not that Small hope she would be got to meet that would not look that way-ward Indeed all the question is of her It is Truth and she that holds of but specially She. Vpon the Birth you see heer is no mention of any in particular but of Her as much to say as the rest might be dealt with she only it was that stood out And yet she must be got to meet or els no meeting No meeting till Iustice satisfied All the hope is that she doth not refuse simply never to meet more but stands vpon satisfaction Els Righteousnesse should not be righteous Being satisfied then she will remaining vnsatisfied so she will not meet All stands then on her satisfying how to devise to give her satisfaction to her mind that so she may be content once more not to meet and argue as yer-while but to meet and kisse meet in a ioynt concurrence to save us and set us free And indeed Hoc opus there lies all how to set a song of these foure parts in good harmonie how to make these meet at a love-day how to satisfie Iustice upon whom all the stay is Not in any but the Christian Religion And this say I no Religion in the world doth or can doe but the Christian. No Queer sing this Psalme but ours None make Iustice meet but it Consequently None quiet the conscience soundly but it Consequently no Religion but it Withall religions els at odds they be and so as they are faigne to leave them so For meanes in the world have they none how to make them meet Not hable for their lives to tender Iustice a Satisfaction that will make her come in The words next before are that glorie may dwell in our land Verse 9. This glorie doth dwell in our land indeed And great cause have we all highly to blesse GOD Psal. 16.6 that hath made our lott to fall in so faire a ground That we were not borne to enherit a lie that we were borne to keepe this Feast of this Meeting For bid any of them all but shew you the way how to satisfie Iustice soundly and to make her come to this meeting how GODS Word may be true and His worke just and the Sinner find mercie and be saved for all that They cannot The Christian onely can doe it and none els All beside for lack of this passe by the wounded man and let him lie still and bleed to death Luk. 10.31.32 Bid the Turke All he can say is Mahomets prayer shall be upon you Mahomets prayer what is that Say he were that he was not a just man a true Prophet What can his prayers doe but move Mercie But GODS Iustice how is that answered Who shall satisfie that Not prayers Iustice is not moved with them heares them not goes on to sentence for all them He can goe no further he cannot make justice meet Bid the Heathen he sayes better yet then the Turke They saw that without shedding of blood there was no satisfying Iustice Heb 9.22 and so no remission of sinne To satisfie her sacrifices they had of beasts But it is impossible as the Apostle well notes that the blood of bulls or goats should satisfie for our sinnes Heb. 10.4 A man Sinne and a beast dye Iustice will none of that What then will ye goe as farr as some did the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Mic. 6.7 Nor that neither For if it were the first borne the first borne was borne in Sinne and Sinne for Sinne can never satisfie This Meeting will not be there Bid the Iew he can but tell you of his Lamb neither And while time was that was not amisse while it stood in reference to Saint Iohn Baptists Lamb Ioh 1.29 the LAMB of GOD this day yeaned as having the operation the working in the vertue of that That being now past there is no more in the Iewe's then in the Gentiles sacrifice Beasts both both short of satisfying So for all that these can doe or say no meeting will there be had Onely the Christian Religion that shewes the true way There is One there thus speaketh to Iustice Sacrifice and sinne-offerings thou wouldest not have then said I Lo I come He of whom it was written in the volume of the booke Psal. 40.6 c. that He should do
hominibus in homines bona voluntas Glorie be to GOD in the high Heavens and peace upon earth and * Or in men towards men good will THE Antheme of the Queere of Heaven for this day For having heard the Angells Sermon at twise 1 Of the Nativitie 2 Of the Invention of CHRIST and seene the Queere of Angells set with their nature and condition there remains nothing but the Antheme to make up a full service for the Day This is it Saint Luke besides that he is an Evangelist hath the honour further that he is the Psalmist of the New Testament foure Hymnes more hath he added to those of the Old Of which foure this is so much the more excellent then the rest in that it is not of any mans setting though never so skilfull the Dittie and it are both Angelicall from the Angells both That we praise GOD with the tongue of Angells whensoever we praise Him with this with Gloria in excelsis The Summe of it is that though all dayes of the yeare and for all benefits The Summe yet this day and for this now above all GOD is highly to be glorified More highly then in others Nay most highly then for it is in altissimis the highest of all That Heaven and Earth and men are to joine in one consort Heaven and Earth first Heaven on high Earth beneath to take up one hymne both in honour of His birth both are better by it Heaven hath glorie Earth peace by meanes of it Heaven hath glorie laetentur coeli Earth peace exultet terra at thy Nativity O LORD Psal. 96.11 Warranted by this Song at thy Nativity O LORD let the heavens rejoice for the glorie let the Earth be glad for the peace that come to them by it And men hominibus though they rest and come in last after both yet they to do it as much Nay much more then both for Gods good will toward them which brought all this to passe in Heaven and Earth both restoring men to Gods favour and grace and all by meanes of this Child their Reconciler to GOD that hath beene their Pacifier on earth that is their Glorifier in Heaven that shall be They therefore if any nay more then any and now if eve r nay more then ever to beare their part in this glorious hymne at the cratch side Ita canunt in Nativitate quae per Nativitatem Thus sing they at His Nativitie of those things that came by His Nativitie Came to Heaven to Earth to Men Glorie to Heaven Peace to Earth Grace and favour to men The Division To take a Song right it behoveth to know the parts of it And they are easily knowne They divide themselves into the number blessed above all numbers because it is the number of the Blessed Trinitie and the mysterie of the TRINITIE do the Fathers finde in the parts of it Eph. 2 14. 1 In GOD on high the Father 2 In peace Ipse est Pax nostra the SONNE 3 And in Good will the HOLY GHOST the Essentiall Love and Love-knott of the God-head and this day of the Man-hood and it Being Ode natalitia if we consider it as a Nativitie they that calculate or cast Nativities in their calculations stand much upon Triplicities and Trigons and Trine aspects And heer they be all A triplicitie of things 1 Glorie 2 Peace 3 and Good-will A Trigon of Parties 1 GOD 2 Earth and 3 Men. And a trine aspect râ—ferendo singula singulis 1 To GOD glorie 2 to Earth peace 3 to Men favor grace or goodwill But if as it is most proper we consider the parts as in a Song The three will well agree with the Scale in Musique 1 In excelsis on high Hypate 2 On earth Nete 3 And men howsoever they come in last they make Mese the Meane Most fittly for they as in the midst of both â—he other partake of both 1 Their soule from on high 2 Their body from the earth Not the heathen but did confesse the soule divinae particulam aurae And for the body there needs no pâ—oofe that earth it is Earth to earth we heare we see before our eyes every day Of these three parts then asunder And after as the nature of a Song requireth of their 1 Conjunction 2 Order and 3 Division 1 Coâ—junction Glorie on high and in earth Peace 2 Then the order or Sequence But first glorie then Peace 3 And last the division sorting them suum cuique each to his owne 1 To GOD glorie 2 Peace to the earth 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men 4 Last of the singing of the Hymne 1 When the time 2 and by Whom I. The sâ—verall accâ—ption of the Text. There are in this Hymne as the Greekes read and we with them three Rests The ground of which three are three Parties 1 In excelsis Deo GOD on high 2 In terrâ earth 3 and Hominibus men To thâ—se three other three 1 Glorie 2 Peace 3 Good-will as it were three streames having their head or spring in CHRISTS cratch and spreading themselves thence By the Greâ—â—es three sundry wayes having their influence into the three former One of these into some one of them Glorie upward in excelsis Peace downward to the earth Good-will to men in the middest between both compound of both You will marke The Child heer is GOD and Man GOD from on high Man from the earth To heaven whence He is GOD thither goeth Glorie To earth whence man thither Peace Then as GOD and Man is one CHRIST and as the reasonable soule and flâ—sh is one man So CHRIST consisting of these two brings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fullnesse of GODS favour the true and â—eall cause of both yeilding them peace while heer on earth and assuring them of glorie when there on high as thither on high we trust to be delivered after our time heer spent in procuring Heaven glorie and â—arth peace Thus three Rests 2. By the Latines But let me not keepe from you that the Latine hath but two Rests and of the Greeke some likewise To two they reduce all and well The Places are but two 1 On high 2 and in earth The Persons but two 1 GOD â— and Men So the Parts to be but two 1 Glorie on high to GOD 2 Peace on earth to Men. But then what shall become of Good-will Good-will is a good word would not be lost or left out No more it shall And indeed the diverse reading of that one word makes the parts to be either two or three The Greeks read it in the Nominative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which referres to men then there must needs be three there are two besides The Latines seeme to have read it in the Genitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one letter more And so they make it of the nature of a limitation Peace on earth to men What to
cleerest beame of all Mat. 12.42 The Queen of the South who was a figure of these Kings of the East she came as great a iourney as these But when she came she found a King indeed King Salomon in all his Royaltie Saw a Glorious King and a Glorious Court about him Saw him and heard him Tried him with many hard questions received satisfaction of them all This was worth her comming Weigh what she found and what these heere As poor and unlikely a birth as could be ever to prove a King or any great matter No sight to comfort them Nor a word for which they any whit the wiser Nothing worth their travaile Weigh these togither and great odds will be found between her faith and theirs Theirs the greater farr Well they will take Him as they find Him And all this notwithstanding worship Him for all that The starr shall make amends for the Manger And for stella Ejus they will dispense with Eum. And what is it to Worship Some great matter sure it is that Heaven and Earth the starrs and the Prophetts thus do but serve to lead them and conduct us to For all we see ends in Adorare Scriptura et Mundus ad hoc sunt ut colatur qui creavit et adoretur qui inspiravit The Scripture and World are but to this end that He that created the one and inspired the other might be but worshipped Such reckoning did these seem to make of it Act. 8.27 heer And such the Great Treasurer of the Queen Candace These came from the Mountaines in the East He from the uttermost part of Aethiopia came and came for no other end but only this To worship and when they had done that home againe Tanti est Adorare Worth the while worth our comming if comming we do but that but worship and nothing els And so I would have men accompt of it To tell you what it is in particular I must put you over to the XI Verse where it is set downe what they did when they worshipped It is set downe in two Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Falling downe and Offering Thus did they thus we to doe We to do the like when we will Worshipp These two are all and more then these we find not We can worship GOD but three wayes We have but three things to worship Him withall 1 The Soule He hath inspired 2 The body He hath ordeined us â— And the Worldly Goods He hath vouchsafed to blesse us withall We to worship Him with all seeing there is but one reason for all If He breathed into us our Soule but framed not our Body but some other did that Neither bow your knee nor uncover your head but keep on your hatts and sitt even as you do hardly But if He have framed that Body of yours and every member of it let Him have the honour both of head and knee and every member els Againe if it be not He that gave us our worldly goods but some bodie els what He gave not that with-hold from Him and spare not But if all come from Him all to returne to Him If He sent all to be worshipped with all And this in good sooth is but Rationabile obsequium as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 12.1 No more then Reason would we should worship Him withall Els if all our worship be inward onely with our hearts and not our hatts as some fondly imagine we give Him but one of three We put Him to His Thirds Bid Him Be content with that He getts no more but inward worship That is out of the Text quite For though I doubt not but these heere performed that also yet here it is not Saint Matthew mentions it not It is not to be seene No Vidimus on it And the Text is a Vidimus and of a Starre that is of an Outward visible worship to be seene of all There is a Vidimus upon the worship of the Bodie it may be seene Procidentes Let us see you fall downe So is there upon the worship with our worldly goods that may be seene and felt Offerentes Let us see whither and what you offer With both which no lesse then with the soule GOD is to be worshipped Glorifiâ— GOD with your bodies for they are GOD 's saith the Apostle 1 Coâ— â— â—0 Honour GOD with your substance for He hath blessed your store saith SALOMON Pro. 3 9 It is the Precept of a Wise King of one there It is the Practise of more then one of these three heere Specially now For CHRIST hath now a bodie for which to do Him woâ—ship with our bodies And now He was made poore to make us rich and so offeâ—enâ—â—s will do well comes very fitt To enter further into these two would be too long and indeed they be not in our Verse heere And so for some other treatise at some other time There now remaines nothing but to include our selves and beare our part with them and with the Angells and all who this day adored Him This was the Lode-star of the Magi And what were they Gentiles So are we But The Application Luc. 10.37 if it must be ours then we are to go with them Vade fac similiter Go and do likewise It is Stella Gentium but idem agentium The Gentiles starre but such Gentilâ—s as overtake these and keepe company with them In their Dicentes Confessing thâ—ir faith freely In their Vidimus Grounding it throughly In their Venimus Hasting to come to Him speedily In their Vbi est Enquiring Him out diligently And in their Adorare Eum worshipping Him devoutly Per omnia doing as these did Worshipping and thus worshiping Celebrating and thus celebrating the Feast of His BIRTH We cannot say Vidimus stellam The starre is gone long since Not now to be seene Yet I hope for all that that Venimus adorare we be come hither to worship It will be the more acceptable if not seeing it we worship though It is enough we read of it in the Text we see it there And indeed as I said It skills not for the starre in the firmament if the same Day-star be risen in our hearts that was in theirs and the same bâ—ames of it to be seene all five For then we have our part in it no lesse nay full out as much as they And it will bring us whither it brought them to CHRIST Who at His second appearing in glorie shall call forth these Wise men and all those that have ensued the steppes of their Faith and that upon the reason specified in the Text For I have seene their Starre shining and shewing forth it selfe by the like beames And as they came to worship me so am I come to do them worship A Venite then for a Venimus now Their starre I have seene and give them a place above among the starres They fell downe I will lift
4 The Dispenser GOD. Psal. 104 27.28 Psal. 145.15.16 Which dispensation is heere ascribed to GOD That He that is that GOD in whosâ— hands our times are saith the Psalme and our seasons both He that can make them full by giving us kindly seasons or empty by making them vnseasonable and having made them full is to dispose of them of very right There is none of these but is sensible in the course of the yeare in things upon earth But are there seasons for the things on earth and their fullnesse and are there not also seasons for the things in heaven and for the filling of them All for reliefe of the bodily wants heere below none for the supplie of Spirituall necessities above All for the body and never a season for the Soule If we allow them to the World shall we not to the Church the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abbridgment of the world If it be sensible in the naturall things though not so easily discerned yet it is as certaine in the maine revolution of Annus magnus the great periodicall yeare of the worlds endurance It can never enter into any man to thinke that the great Oeconomus or Steward of this great houshold the world should so farr forget himselfe but if for all matters He had appointed a season Eccle. 3.1 then for the greatest matter If for every purpose vnder heaven then for the highest purpose of all that as we see concerneth all the things in heaven and earth both Above Salus populi this Salus mundi the saving the whole world Shall not these have their seasons and the seasons their fullnesse there and that fullnesse the due dispensation of all other most worthy of GOD the greatest worke of the greatest person Set this downe then to beginne with There are seasons as in our common yeare of twelve moneths So in the great yeare whereof every day is a yeare by Daniel's nay 2. Pet. 3 8. a thousand yeare by Saint Peter's calculation And which be the seasons and when in the common yeare Our SAVIOVR sets them downe Mar. IV. 1. The season Mar. 4.28 when the earth bringeth forth the blade 2. When the stalke 3. When the eare 4. When the full corne in the eare And when the eare is full and full ripe the season is full then is the season of fullnesse Psal. 129 7. the fullnesse of Season Then the reaper fills his hand and he that bindeth up the sheaves Pro. 3.10 his bosom Then are the Barnes filled with plenty and the Presses runne over with new wine And when all is full then to gathering we goe Such like seasons do we finde in Anno magno 1 The time of Nature all in the blade â— Of Moses in the Stalke 3 Of the Prophets in the eare 4 And when the full corne When but at this great gathering heere mentioned When all in heaven â—nd all in earth gathered that I thinke was the fullnesse of things Plenitudo rerum and the fullnesse of Seasons Plenitudo tempâ—rum may be allowed for it 1 Res the things This sets us over to the second part from the Seasons to the things from the fullnesse of Seasons to the gathering of things And first whereof of what things Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even all All And to shew the extent of it subdivided into all in heaven all in earth and that I trow is All. It was not amisse he should thus sever them and expresse things in heaven by name Els we should little have thought of gathering things there so high No farther then earth we There is all our gathering and there onely The Apostle points up to heaven Sursum corda to lift up our hearts Colos. 3.1.2 to set our affections on things there above to gather them There is a gathering of them also Of which gathering into one I know not what the things in heaven have the things in earth I am sure have good cause to be glad In heaven is all good and nothing but good In earth to say the least there is much evill Yet upon the reckoning Heaven is like to come by the losse we on earth are sensibly gainers by it It is a good hearing for us that both these shall be thus gathered together For if heaven and earth be so gathered it is that heaven may advance earth higher and no meaning that earth should draw it downe hither Magis dignum semper ad se trahit minus dignum is the old rule But well betweene them both heere is a great gathering toward 2 The gathering well expressed by the Apostle in the termes of a Summe For it is Summa Summarum a summe indeed Heaven and earth and the fullnesse of them both All these to be gathered and well Gathering GOD favours for it ends in Vnitie To gather into one And Vnitie GOD loves Himselfe being principalis vnitas GOD favours it sure Himselfe is the Gatherer Scattering GOD favours not that tends to division and division upon division Gathering is good for us Vnitie preserves division destroyes Divisum est be it house or be it kingdome ever ends in desolabitur Matt. 12 25. Ezek. 33.11 2 Pet. 3.9 GOD delights not in destruction would have none to perish The kite he Scatters The hen how feigne would she gather But stay a while and take with us what kind of gathering It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Gathering againe a gathering but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gathering together againe We must not lose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is force in it It is not a Collection but a Recollection Re imports it is a new collection againe the second time You see it in re-call re-turne re-duce that is to call turne bring back againe Now our Rule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever presupposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presupposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a returning to implies a departing from a gathering together againe a scattering in sunder before a dispensation a dissipation So a dissipation a departure a scattering there had beene Yet one degree more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from ever implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a former being with One cannot be said to be gone from that was never with or to fall out that was never in One cannot be said to be so againe that was never so beforâ— So then together we were first and in sunder we fell after Which falling in sunder required an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring us together againe to restore us to that the second time that we had before lost to our former estate Acts 3.21 It is Saint Peter's word restoring the same with S. Paul's gathering together againe heere Now these three set forth vnto us our threefold estate 1 Together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our first Originall which we had in Adam while he stood with GOD together 2 In sunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
daies for any matter of dutie To looke to this Hodiè and not deceive our selves for no time but Hodiè hath any promise Witnesse Hodiè Psal. 95.7.8 si vocem To day if you will heare his voice which every day sounds in our eares But Hodiè genui is more then Hodiè for every day in the yeare while it lasts is Hodiè To day but every day is not Hodiè genui There is but one of them in the whole yeare 2. Hodiè genui and that is this day This day then to take of all other Hodiè's not to let slip the Hodiè of this day A day whereon this Scripture was fulfilled whereon Dixit factum est He said it and did it whereon this Sonne was borne and given us A day whereon as it is most kindly preached so it will be most kindly practised of all others And so I hold you no longer but end Praying to Him that was the Hodiè genitus of this day Him that was begotten and Him by whom He was begotten that we may have our parts as in Praedicabo preaching so likewise in legem the lawe in both legem fidei to believe aright and legem factorum to live according That we performing the filiall duties required may attaine the filiall rights promised and may be in the number of those to whom first and last Filius meus tu shall be said to our everlasting comfort and to the praise of the glorie of His grace Ephes. 1.6 through CHRIST our LORD SERMONS PREACHED VPON Ash-wednesday A SERMON Preached before QVEENE ELIZABETH AT WHITE-HALL On the IV. of March A. D. MDXCVIII being ASH-VVEDNESDAY PSAL. LXXVIII VER XXXIV Cum occideret eos quaerebant Eum revertebantur diluculò veniebant ad Eum. When He slew them then they sought Him and they returned and enquired early after GOD. THIS Psalme is a Calendar or Roll of reports how from MOSES to DAVID the Iewes carried themselves to GOD in matter of Religion And this verse a report how in the matter of repentance expressed heere vnder the termes of seeking and turning to GOD. Wherein this they did this was their fashion While He spared them they sought Him not When He slew them then they sought Him Cum c. These words then are a report A report but such a one as when Saint Paul heard of the Corinthians he could not commend it What shall I say Shall I praise you in this No 1. Cor. 11.17 I praise you not Neither he them for that Nor I these for this Rather as old Father Eli said to his sonnes Non est bonus Sermo hic quâ—m audio de vobis This is no good report I heare Cum occîderet c. 1. Sam. 2.24 Whither good or whither evill it perteineth to us For to us of the Gentiles hath Saint Paul entailed whatsoever well or ill befell the dissolved Church of the Iewes 1. Cor. 10.11 These all these came vnto them for examples and are enrolled to warne us that grow neerer and neerer to the â—nds of the world Both pertaine unto us the Scripture hath both And in it draweth out our duty to us in both in good and evill Reports as it were in white worke and black work And we to have use of both Yet not of both reports alike but diversly as our instructions upon them are diverse For we are not so much to regard the bare Report as the instruction of it For which cause Asaph hath intitled this Psalme not Asaph's report but Asaph's instruction Now we have heere our report May we find what our instruction is touching it We may Asaph expressely hath set it downe at the VIII verse before That this and other errors of thâ—irs are heere upon the File Ne fiant â—icut Patres eorum That we should not be like our forefathers a crosse and crooked generation Not like them in other indignities and among other in this Cum occîderet c Never to seek GOD but when He kills us In which soule indignitie our Age is certeinely as deepe as ever was that And we need Asaph's instruction no lesse then they For as if there were no use of Religion but onely Cum occîderet so spend we all our whole time in the search of other things Not caring to aske or seek or conferr about the state of our soules even till occîderet come And then peradventure sending for Asaâ—h and hearing him speake a few words about it which we would faigne have called seeking of GOD. I can say little to it I pray GOD it prove so but sure I feare it will be found Minus habens Dan. 5.27 farr short of it Which is so vsually received that take a survey not one of an hundred ever thinke of it before So securely practised as if we had some Supersedeas lying by us not to doe it till then As if there were no such Scripture as this upon record which turned to their destruction and must needs ly heavy upon us when we shall remember it Cum occîderet c. Now sure this course must needs be prejudiciall to our soules and a number perish in it daily before our eyes Yet we sitt still and suffer this custome to grow and gather head Neither delivering their soules or at least our owne by telling them seriously this is not the time and then to seeke is not the seeking GOD will allow That this is a Ne fiant such a thing as should not be done in Israel That it is upon record 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their disgrace and destruction And it cannot be to our comfort or commendation to doe the like Out of which their destruction Asaph frameth an instruction for us and as it is well said and fitly to this day ex cinere Iudaeorum lixivium Christianorum of the Iewes ashes maketh a lie for Christians to clense us from this foule indignitie Vt videntes cadentes videant ne cadant that heeding their fall we take heed we fall not that is seeke not as they sought lest we perish by like example of seeking too late Therefore that we set our selves to seeke before this Cum come that is in a word seeke GOD as by repentance and the fruits so by vndelayed repentance and the timely fruits of it Iude 12 and be not like the Apostle IVDE'S 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our seeking all summer withered and drie and beginning to shoot out a littlâ— about Michael-masse spring Of which kind of shooting fruit can never come This is the summe The Division The words consist of two parts Two parts but these two evill matched or as Saint Paul vnaequally yoked together For where our chiefe actions of which I take it 2. Cor. 6.4 our seeking of GOD is one should have the chiefest time Heere is the first and and best of our actions sorted with the last and worst part of our time Quaerebant Eum with Cum occideret
he when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly mainteine There was no GOD to seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then every one of them on their knees and full devoutly praying the yee might hold till they gott over Moses saw it with his eyes Pharao who was at high termes Exo. 5.2 Who is the LORD you talke of and answered himselfe he knew none such nor nothing would doe for him When Cum occîderet came he tooke notice there was a LORD higher then he that that LORD was righteous and he a wretched sinner that sought for grace at His hands Marke but the shutting up of dixit insipiens their owne Psalme Psal 53.1 When saith David they have in heart sought to perswade themselves Non est seeke none None there is and thereupon corrupted themselves and became most loathsome in their lives Psal. 53.3 eate up their tenants as they would do so many morsells of bread made a mock of such holy men as sett themselves seriously to seeke GOD When all is done and occîderet come trepidabunt timore ubi non erat timor they shall beginne to be afrayd where they held before no feare needed And heer shal be the last verse of their Psalme quis dabit è Sion salutem to wish for the salvation of Sion which they have so oft derided They shall seeke and then they shall seeke Till then possibly you shall but lose your labour if you tell them of seeking of GOD and how good it is They are saith Ieremie like the Dromedarie of the wildernesse a beast of exceeding swiftnesse Ier. 2.24 the female specially Over hill and dale she gâ—eth saith the Prophet and snuffeth up the aire at her pleasure and who can over-take her They that seeke her will not weary themselves till her moneth And in her moneth when shee is bagged then they will finde her and deale with her well enough The case is like Age sicknesse death are farre of Youth health and strength possesse them there is no comming to them then The moneth cum occîderet is not yet come But come that once as once it will to all you shall since quaerebant will have his place Fiat It is therefore GOD's owne resolution Thus He resolveth I will goe saith He and returne to my place till they acknowledge their faults Hos. 5.15 and seeke me And when will that be He addeth In novissimo quaerent me diligenter An end will come and when that commeth they will seeke me diligently even the best of them And even so we are faigne to resolve For our lott is GODS lott and when He sought to them we goe to our place and there stand till their moneth Ioh. 5.4 Expectantes aquae motum waiting till the destroying Angell come and stirre the water and then quaerent Eum wil be worth the seeking after Then according to Saint Paul's disjunctive we 2. Co. 5.18 that all other times mente excedimus Deo at that time sobrij sumus vobis Divinitie which in our ruffe is sophisme and schoole points and at the best a kind of extasie about GOD is and shal be then the words of truth and sobernesse For GOD and His seeking will have their time Before if it may be but if not before then at the farthest First or last all shall confesse by seeking GOD is to be sought Some before He kill and happy are they But when He killeth all Hypocrites Heathens Atheists and all And I would pray you in a word but to note in seeking then how many things they confesse For there be I take it foure potentiall Confessions in it That such a one there is to be sought A Power above us whose being and sovereignety all first or last shall seeke That somewhat there is to be found some good to be done in seeking as Esay saith Non frustra dixit He hath not in vaine sayd to the seed af Iacob seeke ye me Esa. 45.19 For were it to no purpose they would not then do it but as at other times they did so let it alone then too That whatsoever that good is hit upon it or stumble on it we shall not It will not be had in parergo but seeke it we must For without seeking it will not be had If it would they might sit still and let it dropp into their lapps That seeking at this time when He slayeth them they shew what that good is they seeke Even that the Psalmist saith seeke the LORD and your soule shall live that Psal. 69.32 whatsoever become of their body at least their soule may live that we lose not both that He kill not both and cast both into hell fire And this even when we come within the hemisphaere of the other life the sence we then have of somewhat that should have been sought before the mis-giving of our hearts they shall come to a reckoning for not seeking sooner And this that not one of us would dye suddenly by our good-wills but have a time to seeke GOD before we loose our selves This that we desire to dye seeking howsoever we live all shew certeinly it is a Fiat a thing to be done a good thing to seeke GOD even the enimies of it being Iudges of it So then quaerebant Eum is as it should be But I add 1 If it be quaerebant seeking indeed 2 And if it be quaerebant Eum and not aliud in Eo Seeking not Him but somewhat els by Him If it be seeking indeed For they to whom the Prophet Esai sayd * Esa. 21.12 Cant. 3.1 Si quaeritis 1. It must be Quaerebant seeking indeed quaerite If ye seeke why then doe it sought so as it seemeth their seeking deserved not the name of seeking So loosely so slightly so slenderly they did it as if that they sought were as good lost as found So sought the party that sayd In lectulo quaesivi quem diligit anima that lay in bed and sought So he that asked our SAVIOVR Ioh. 18.30 quid est veritas a very good question and when he had asked it another thing tooke him in the head and up he rose and went his way before CHRIST could tell him what it was Such is our seeking for the most part Some idle question cast Some table talke moved Some quid est veritas and goe our way All by the way in transcursu and never as if it were about some matter of speciall moment sit about it and seeke it out indeed 1. They turned them saith the Text as if before they sought without so much as turning them about 2. They rose up as though before they sat still and sought 3. They did it early and did not tarry till Cum occîderet the sunne were sett and no light to seeke by but their feete stumbled in the darke mountaines 4. They enquired So that before if you had ought to say to
faire tale to it selfe which is in the XI verse Pax Pax Peace well enough and that is a lye for there is no peace for all that It is saith the Apostle the deceitfullnesse of sinne that hardneth men in it that is Heb. 3.13 if there were not some grosse error strong illusion notable fascinatio mentis it could not be that sinne should proove to a perpetuitie There is some error sure But why is not that error removed GOD answereth that too But the error hath not taken hold of them for then it might be cured but they have taken hold of it fast hold and will not let it goe That is it is not in the weakenesse of their witts but in the stubbornenesse of their will For so is His conclusion Not Non potuerunt they could not but Noluerunt they would not returne So saith David Psa. 95.10 It is a people that doe erre in their hearts Their error is not in their heads but in their hearts and if it be there fourtie yeares teaching will do them no good If they had a heart to vnderstand they might soon but they assot themselves they will not conceive aright of their estates If they did they could not choose but returne But now returne they will not that is resolved therefore they get them some lewd irreligious lying positions and with them close up their owne eyes even hood-winke themselves Is it not thus Yes sure Rather then returne to apprehend a lye This is a wofull case but let it be examined and thus it is It is a lye they apprehend that maketh they lie still Peradventure That error inter alias may be such an illusion as this that if they should make meanes Vâ—â—se â— it would be to no purpose GOD would stop His eares He would not heare of it May it not be this Despaire of pardon hath made many a man desperate Yes sure And if that were it if they would and GOD would not they had some shew of reason to abandon themselves to all loosenesse of life But it is contrarie They would not returne For I for my part faine would saith GOD It is their Not and not mine My Nolo is Nolo vt Moriatur My Volo is Volo vt convertatur I will not their death Ezek. 18.32.33.11 Matt 23 37. I will their conversions This is my Volo Nay quoties volui How often would I Et noluistis and ye would not My outward calling by my word my inward movings by my Spirit my often exhortations in your eares may no lesse often inspirations in your hearts Tactus â—ei tractus my touches and my twitches my benefits not to be dissembled my gentle chastisements my deliverances more then ordinarie my patience while I held my peace such periods as this when I speake my putting you to it by Quid debui facere to set downe Eâ—ay 5 4. what I should have done and have not these shew Quoties volui that many times I would when you would not The two verses past His compassionate complaint in them And Is there no hope Will you not O why will you not Other where you will and not heere why not heere You have no reason why you will not Why will you not If not why fall or erre or revolt yet onely why perpetuall These are evidences enough He is willing enough therewithall But to put it out of all doubt we see He breaketh out into a protestation that if this be the lye we lay bold of we may let it goe when we will And sure how earnestly GOD affecteth the sinner's conversion we might be thought to mis-informe and to blow abroad our owne conceits if this and such places were not our warrant I not heare Why I stand wishing and waiting and longing and listening to heare of it Wishing O that my people Waiting Expectat Dominus vt misereatur Longing even as a woman that is great Esay 30.18 Mic 7.1 after greene fruit Mic. 7.1 Listening that I might but heare two good words from them that might shew that they were but thus forward as to thinke of this point It is not all one it is not neither heer nor there with me whither you doe it it is a speciall thing I hearken after No merchant for his commoditie no Athenian for his newes more oft or more earnest Then lay not hold on that lie that I would not heare Be your error what it will be let it not be that let not the charge be mine but yours if you will needs cast away that I would have saved Should not this move us Now truly if all other regards failed and men for them would not returne yet for this and this onely we ought to yeeld to it that GOD should be listening so long for it and in the end be deluded GOD hearkeneth and listeneth and after there is a kind of pause to see what will come of it And lo this commeth of it this vnkinde vn-naturall effect After all this not so much as locuti sunt rectè a good honest confession Nay not so little as this Quid feci What have I done He expecteth no great matter no long processe but two words but three Syllables and those with no loud voice to spend their spirit or breath but even softly said for He layeth His eare and listeneth for it Thus saith the LORD But what say they None of them either audibly for I hearkened or softly for I listened said no long solemme confession but not this Quid feci GOD wot this is not repentance erre not this is farre from it From whence yet this we gaine What GOD would heare from us and what we saying Mica 7.1 may give Him some kinde of contentment This is but Mica's fruit we spake of which yet He so much desireth that He will take it greene and vnripe as it is This is but a stepp vnto a proffer but yet beginne with this Say it Dic Dic saith Saint Augustine sed intus dic say it and say it from within say it as it should be said not for forme or with affectation but in truth and with affection Doe but this onward and more will follow Indeed as before we said of the Quare so heere we may say of the Quid If either of them If but this later were well weighed rightly thought on or rightly spoken there is much more in it then one would thinke What have I done 1 What in respect of it selfe What a foule deformed base ignominious act which we shame to have knowne which we chill upon alone and no body but our selves 2 What in regard of GOD so fearefull in power so glorious in Maiesty 3 What in regard of the object for what a trifling profit for what a transitorie pleasure 4 What in respect of the consequent To what prejudice of the state of our soules and bodies both heere and for ever O what have we done How did
with all to change their laughter into mourning and their ioy into heavinesse Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as full for the New as Flanctus and Fletus are for the Old These two both these and neither to spare and we have not learned we hold not we teach not any other repentance I speake it for this There is a false imputation cast on us that we should teach there goeth nothing to repentance but amendment of life that these of fasting and the rest we let runn by as the wast of repentance Nay that for fasting we do indicere jejunium jejuniis we proclaime a fast from it and teach a poenitence with no penall thing in it That therefore this text by name and such other we shunn and shift and dare not come neer them Not come neer them As neer as we can by the grace of GOD that the world may know and all heer beare wittnesse we teach and we presse both Indeed as Augustine well saith Aliud est quod docemus aliud qued sustinemus What we are faine to beare with is one thing What we preach and faigne would perswade is another Et vaetibi flumen moris humani saith he and we both Wo to the strong current of a corrupt Custome that hath taken such a head as doe what we can it caries all headlong before it But whatsoever we beare this we teach though I forgett my selfe I entend to proceed as the words lye 1 To turne first The Division 2 and to GOD 3 To GOD with the heart 4 and with the whole heart Then the Manner with these foure 1 Fasting 2 Weeping 3 Mourning 4 and a Rent heart Of which the two former are the bodies taske Fasting and weeping the two later the soule 's mourning and renting the heart The former mourning the affection of sorrow the later renting from anger or indignation Of both which affections Repentance is compound and not of either alone This for the manner how Then last for the time when Now to doe it Now therefore DIversly and in sundry termes doth the Scripture set forth unto us the nature of repentance Of renewing as from a decay Heb. 6.6 Of refining I. Repentance a Turning 1. Turne as from drosse Ierem. 6.29 Of recovering as from a maladie Dan. 4.24 Of cleansing as from soile Of rising as from a fall Ierem. 8.4 In no one either for sense more full or for use more often then in this of turning To turne is a counseile properly to them that are out of their right way For going on still and turning are motions opposite Both of them with reference to a way For if the way be good we are to hold on if otherwise to turne and take another Whither a way be good or no we principally pronounce by the end If saith Chrysostome it be to a Feast good though it be through a blind lane if to execution not good though through the fairest street in the City Saint Chrysostome was bidden to a marriage dinner was to go to it through diverse lanes and alleys crossing the high street he mett with one ledd through it to be executed he told it his Auditorie that Non quà sed quò was it If then our life be a way as a way it is termed in all Writers both holy and humane via morum no lesse then via pedum the end of this way is to bring us to our end to our sovereigne good which we call Happinesse Which happinesse not finding heer but full of flawes and of no lasting neither we are sett to seeke it and put in hope to find it with GOD Psal. 16.11 in whose presence is the fullnesse of Ioy and at whose right hand pleasures for evermore From GOD then as from the journeys end of our life our way we are never to turne our stepps Gâ—n 5.22 or our eyes but with Enoch as of him it is sayd still to walke with GOD all our life long Then should we never need to heare this convertite We are not so happy There is one that maligneth we should goe this way or come to this end and therefore to divert us holdeth out to us some Pleasure Profit or Preferment which to pursue we must stepp out of the way and so do full many times even turne from GOD to serve our owne turnes And this is the way of sinne which is a turning from GOD. When having in chase some trifling transitorie I wote not what to follow it we even turne our backs upon GOD and forsake the way of His commaundenents And heer now we first need His counseile of Convertite For being entred into this way yer we goe too farr in it wisâ—ome would we stayed and were advised whither this way will carry us and where we shall find our selves at our iourneys end And reason we have to doubt For after we once left our first way which was right 1. Sam. 25.31 there takes us sometimes that same Singultus Cordis as Abigail well calls it a throbbing of the heart or as the Apostle certeine accusing thoughts present themselves unto us Rom. 1.15 which will not suffer us to goe on quietly our mindes still mis-giving us that we are wrong Besides when any daunger of death is neer Nay if we doe but sadly thinke on it a certeine chilnesse takes us and we cannot with any comfort thinke on our iournyes end Esa. 30.21 And heare as it were a voice of one crying behind us Haec est via that is not the way you have taken this that you have lost is your way walke in it Which voice if we heare not it is long of the noise about us If we would sometimes goe aside into some retired place or in the still of the night hearken after it we might peradventure heare it A great blessing of GOD it is for without it thousands would perish in the error of their life and never returne to their right way againe Redite praevaricatores ad cor that sinners would turne to their owne hearts Esa. 46.8 And this is the first degree to helpe us a little forward to this turning Being thus turned to our hearts we turne againe and behold the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Iames termeth it the wheele of our nature Iames 3 6. that it turneth apace and turnes of dayly some and them younger then we and that within a while our turne will come that our breath also must goe forth and we turne againe to our dust Psal. 94.15 And when that is past another of the Prophet That Righteousnesse shall turne againe to iudgement Mercie that now sitts in the throne shall rise up and give place Iustice also shall have her turne Psal. 9.18 And then comes the last turn Convertentur peccatores in infernum the sinners shal be turned into hell and all the people that forget in time to turne unto GOD.
of sorrow anger feare desire are quick have life are very affections indeed in secular matters but dead and dull and indeed no affections at all but plaine counterfetts in things perteining to GOD or that concerne the estate and hazard of our soules To take downe a peccant humour as we call it in our body whereby we feare empaire of our health we can and do enter into a streict and tedious diet and hold out well We can forbeare this and that as we are bidden though we love it well if we be but told it will doe us hurt If for the health of our body we will doe that which for our soules health we will not I cannot tell what to say to us What speake I of health To winne but a prize at a running or a wrestling Abstinct se ab omnibus saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 9. they will absteine from all things 1. Cor. 9.25 and undergoe a streict regiment for a long time before and all is but for a poore Silver gamâ— What shall I say then if we cannot be got to endure so much to obteine the heavenly prize which is in part done as there he saith by castigo corpus meum This for the naturall mans Cum when he will fast Ibid. ver 27. Will ye now see the Scripture's When when that setts us out our time The Scripture's When. They be in a manner the very same Scripture and Nature varie not dictate to us the same time both Our first When What time any great danger hangs and hovers over our heads When in danger that is GOD's time saith Esai 22.12 GOD Himselfe doth then call us to fasting No time then to kill oxen or dresse sheep eat flesh and drinke wine A great paine is there sett upon it GOD must needs take it ill if when He bidds us fast we fall to feast And this when is of greatest example None so frequent in all the Bible as fasts of this nature Never came there danger toward them a 2. Sam. 24. of plague but David b Ioel. 2.12 of famine but Ioël c 2 Chro. 2.3 of warr but Iosaphat d Est. 4.16 of any destruction threatened but not onely good Queene Hester but wicked e 1. Kin. 21.27 Ahab nay even the heathen King of f Ion. 3.5 Ninive to their fasts streight flying to it as to a forcible meanes and so they ever found it to turne away GOD's wrath and so the danger the matter of their feare This is a time When and we then to do it Now if for the effect we fast for the cause much more Of these 2. When in Sinne 1. To punish it of all other our miseries the cause is within our selves Our sinne whereby GOD 's anger is kindled and these ever follow upon it When therefore we would proceed against our selves for sinne a Levit. 16.29 humble our selves the phrase of the Law b Psal. 35.13 chasten our selves of the Psalme c Ezra 8.21 pâ—nish our selves of the Prophetts d 2. Cor. 7.11 take revenge of our selves the Apostle's phrase tum iciunab unt in die illo this is a way then is a time to doe it Fasting is a punishment to the flesh * 1. Reg. 22.27 Modicum panis et pauxillum aquae was a part of Michea's punishment By it as to amerce our selves as it were for abusing our libertie before and making it an occasion to the flesh and thereby to prevent His iudgement by iudging our selves Do de me poenas ut ille parcat It is Augustine This so proceeding of ours to take punishment on our selves it is illex misericordiae saith Tertullian it allures inclines GOD to mercie when He sees us angry with our selves in good earnest and do somewhat His anger ceasses Nam qui culpâ offenditur poenâ placatur whom the fault offends the punishment appeases whither His punishment or ours But He had rather ours then His that we should do it then He. And this to extend to the body also and to the chastening of it For doth the soule onely sinne Doth not the body also And shall the soule suffer sorrow for sinne and shall the body suffer nothing and yet was in the fame transgression If it shall then at least poena damni for poena sensus I am sure we would be more loth to come to And what poena damni but abstinere a licitiâ— quia illicita 〈◊〉 To deny our selves that we might for doing that we might not There is a another 〈◊〉 Secondly As it is a chasti 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 when it is done 3. 2. To prevent it So hath it alwaies been held to have in it a medicinable forâ—â— a speciall good 〈◊〉 to prevent 〈◊〉 when it is not yet fallen on us or we into it 〈…〉 onely as it 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are like to fall for that we are now leading even entring into tentation This also is a time When. Maâ— 4.1 â— And this time we ground upon CHRIST 's time of fasting His fasting went immediately before His tentation No wayes needfull for Himselfe was CHRIST 's fast None is so simple as to thinke the Tempter would have prevailed against Him though He had taken His meales eat and drunke the fourty dayes before It was not for Himselfe it was for us His fast Exemplarily to teach us it will be a great vantage if prepared by this exercise we shall encounter the evill Spirit Specially if it be some kind of them if an uncleane spirit Ch. 17. ver 21. For that kind is not cast out no nor kept out but either by jejunatis or not at all CHRIST ' s-fasting then before His tentation is to shew us it is good fasting against tentation At least this way we shall weaken his forces by keeping downe our fleshly lusts 1. Pet 2.11 which saith Saint Peter fight against the soule and lying in our owne bosome oft betray us to the fiend For when all is sayd that can be Bernard's saying wil be sound true that Nutriuntur cum carne vitia carnis And if Religion did not Experience teacheth us that Plye the body apace let it be kept high how mellow a soile it proves for the sinnes of the flesh And that if by abstinence we cropp not the budds of Sensualitie they will ripen and seed to the ruine of our soules So there is use both wayes of it 1. Cor. 9.27 1 Vse of castigo corpus for the time past Vse 2 of in servitutem redigo for the time to come Ieiuna quia peccâsti Ieiuna ut ne pecces both saith Chrysostome One as a punishment with reference to sinne already committed The other as a preservative for noli amplius peccare that we commit it not againe Two causes more and two times When. 4. When in want of some good But hath fasting his use in evill things onely and repelling them hath it
chiefly admire A religious heart high wisedome heroicall courage Clemencie like that of GOD without measure or end In him that playes the King it is quite otherwise No Royall qualitie is required at all No Princely vertue needs he never cares for them But gesture and gate the carriage of his countenance to say his part to pronounce and to act it well that is all that is cared for by him or that is looked for at his hands And even so it fares heer Contrition of spirit a broken heart unfeigned humilitie Psal. 51.6 truth in the inward parts these are most requisite in the true fast It skills not a whit for any of these in the stage-fast So he can sett his countenance well have the clowds in his forehead his eyes somewhat hollow certaine wrinckles in his cheeke carrie his head like a bull-rush and looke like lovin all is well As for any inward accomplishment he never takes thought for any Vultum onely is it He goes no further Onely to be like to be sicut as one though indeed none But why doe they take all these paines to disfigure themselves That doe they 2 Not like them in ther Vt their end Vt videantur that they might be seene of men and seeme to men appeare to them in the likenesse of such as fast indeed The levin of hypocrisie in their lookes is from the love of a Videantur in their hearts Vaine-glorie the ground of hypocrisie ever And heere now they match againe The Hypocrites end is as the Players end Both to be seene You never see the play beginne till the Spectators be come so many as they can gett Not no more shall you see this fast acted vnlesse there be some to eye and to note it He will not fast on the ground there must be a Stage sett up for him where I dare say they wish the scaffolds full to see them the more the better Both match in videantur and it must be ab hominibus of men Angells eyes GOD 's eyes will not serve the Hypocrite's turne Other eyes then there must be entreated to gaze on them or ye gett no fast Why is there any harme in mens eyes that they may not see nor we may not be seene of them Verè oculi hominum saith Bernard basilisci sunt bonorum operum Now truly there is in mens eyes venome like that of the Cockatrice to infect our well-doing with a well-weening of our selves O now I am seene O ego quantus Sum mundo censore O what a holy mortified man am I taken for It troubled Almes before this it â—roubled Prayer and now fasting It troubles all In all this is the point this is the Vt to be seene of men Not that it is vnlawfull to be seene well-doing You will easily putt a difference betweene to be seene to doe well and to doe well to be seene betweene facere videri and facere ut videare Doe and be seene may be casuall never thought on by us Doe to be seene that is the Vt and that Vt is it the very end we doe it for and otherwise we should not doe it It happens otherwhile many good people do well and are seene so doing as it falls out but beside their purpose quite But none save this masked crew sacrifice themselves and their fasts to the eyes of men and doe what they doe for no other end but that Matt. 4.1 Luk. 5.16 You shall easily discerne them You shall not gett one of them to doe as CHRIST did gett him aside out of the way into the wildernesse fast there No CHRIST was not so well advised to doe it there in a desert desolate place where there was no body to meet him or see him at it They be all for the eye these a perspective fast or not at all Nothing out of sight never by their good will where no body to looke on Iejunium oculare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this The Heathen man said well Ergo iste in tenebris non servaret hominem Such a one would not be entreated to save a mans life in the darke if he might Not but by torch-light For all is lost he is cleane vndone if no body see or looke vpon him Luk. 4.1 Well if it were the SPIRIT of GOD ledd CHRIST into the wildernesse to fast there like an Heremite you may well know what Spirit it is that setts one up a stage there to fast like an Hypocrite To be seene then is their Vt the very butt they aime at And wherefore to be seene In the play that they may have a plaudite So plaine as they even crave it in their last words So in this eye-serving fast seene they must be And why must they be sâ—ene To be given out for Such a one is a great Faster And why that Matt. 5.16 That men seeing that good worke of theirs might glorifie GOD No indeed but them the earthly child not the heavenly FATHER And marke it when you will There is no animal so ambitious no Chamaeleon so pants after aire as doth the hypocrite after popular praise For it he fasts and so hungry and thirsty he is after it as you shall heare him even begg for it Honora me coram populo hoc saith one of them It is SAVL O grace me 1. Sam. 15.30 for the love of GOD seeme to honor me in the peoples eyes Iud. 9.2 Loquimini in auribus populi hujus saith another It is ABIMELECH O give it out in the peoples eares I am thus and thus Marke the Peoples eyes and the Peoples eares for hypocrisie is ever popular for their for mens applause all in all Nay then will ye heare them expostulate for it and that even with GOD himselfe Wherefore say they Esay 58.3 in the LVIII of Esay fast we thou seest it not So they would be sâ—enâ— And why doe we pinch and punish our selves and thou regardest it not So they must be regarded or they will not take it well To be short the putting forth of the finger as Esay there calls it or as the Poët Digito monstrari Ver. 9. to be pointed at and dicier Hic est and said Looke ye there he goes To have it whispered That is He To be magnified up and downe the Peoples mouth that is even the consummatum est of all this Stage-devotion Which very point makes the fast loose and indeed makes it to be no fast at all They extermine their countenances so long that they extermine fast and all This very Vt videantur makes that it seems to be but is indeed none For in the true fast it is as DAVID saith of his I sorrowed and my soule fasted Psal. 69.10 It is an humbling of the soule Els if it go no further then the body it is a fast without a soule But these though their stomachs be empty yet their soules doe feed and feast all the while
tree to expell it to recover and cure us of it Now this Metaphore of trees and fruit putts us in mind that the manner of fruit trees is once a yeare they beare fruit All doe so once at least And if all this tree likewise within the same compasse to bring forth hers And though at no time repentance comes amisse good all the yeare long it may be taken every day for repentance would be as familiar to us as sinne it selfe and as the one so the other daily Yet at sometime more then other and at this time most proper for then we have speciall vse of it That the body and the soule may keepe time and when we take physique for the body we may doe it likewise for the other If all were well knowne of the twaine the soule hath more need This medecine is to be taken fasting as the rules of Physique are and as medecines vse to be Men come neither eating nor drinking to take physique when we will take that we take nothing els Thus fasting is a friend to Physique both of soule and boâ—y When we repent no man will advise us to doe it upon a full stomach but Cum jâ—junatis Of this tree and fruit GOD knowing the great need we have hath a speciall care we be not without it that it be planted and growing still in our gardens and that it beare us fruit whereof we have so continuall vse As that in Paradise was termed the forbidden fruit So may this as truely the fruit bidden it is so enjoyned so called for of us And that first called for and before all other Matt. 22 36.37 as the first fruits of the Spirit returning to GOD. There was a first Commandement in the Law This I may justly say was the first Commandement of the Gospell Goe no further but even where we are where the Booke opens Saint Iohn is at it at first It is his very first word Repent Sermo in aâ—ertione oris Verse 2. the opening of his mouth So beginns He And so beginns CHRIST takes it up after him word for â—ord the same Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand Chap 4 11. neither more nor lesse It is the first fruit of their lipps both And as our SAVIOVR CHRIST begoon with it himselfe So gives he it in charge to his Apostles they with it Câ—ap 10 7· to beginne likewise Both when he sent them to preach to the Iewes first And againe after when at His Ascension he renewed and enlarged their Commission and sent them to all Nations Luk. 10 9. That repentance first first that and then remission of sinnes after should be preached in His name Which was accordingly by them pursued Ever they stood on it as the ground-work the fundamentall point of all the rest So it is expressely termed Heb. 6.1 Heb. VI. the foundation of repentance from dead workes On which foundation would GOD more cost were bestowed that while we are busy aloft on the Scaffolds in our high points the groundâ—ills of Religion decay not for want of looking to To lay them surely Which S. Iohn doth heere and we may all learne of him For having begoon above at the II. ver with his paenitentiam agite Verse 2. when he saw in the throng of his Auditorie diverse Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites he knew where they would be streight we should have an Agite a repentance with a paenitentiall face and all acted Repent Yes in any wise that they would and could doe it full well and never trouble themselves with any such matter as fruit This made him lay it anew to his Agite to put a Facite to Agite poenitentiam a Facite fructus Els he disclaimes fruitlesse repentance It is none of his it will doe them no good it will never quitt them of the wrath to come Verse 7. Where we see the good of repentance what it is To free us from ira ventura propter pâ—ccata praeterita Which theirs will never doe Which none will ever doe vnlesse beside paenitentiam agite that is the Act there be also fructum facite matter of fact besiâ—es some reall fruicts And S. Iohn askes Who did it and marvailes much that any should doe it teach them any other way how to escape wrath to come Tells them directly there is no other way but that they doe but beguile themselves while they vainely imagine to slip through GOD 's wrath with this fruitlesse formall sleight kind of repentance If they will goe to it indeed and doe it and so doe it as it may be available to rid them of wrath to come then must it not be barren but bring forth and that fruit and that not such sleight and slender fruit as they commonly post it over with but worthy fruits and such as may well be seeme repentance indeed 〈◊〉 Summe The points we are to take into our consideration are 1 That there is wrath to come 2 but it is yet but to come That it will come There is no falling into it when it comes nor no abiding till it comes Fly from it we must and fly from it we may It may be fled from is in the text we may be shewen a way how Who shall shew it us That will Saint Iohn heer who well can He was sent to prepare it But it seemes we may be shewed a wrong way too the Pharisee's way But Saint Iohn's is the right He that takes any other the wrath of GOD will come on him which is to come upon all impaenitent sinners 〈◊〉 Division All which may be reduced to these two heads which Saint Iohn would have imprinted in them and us 1. There is no flying GOD 's wrath but by a true repentance 2. There is no true repentance without fruicts and those worthy and well becomming it Bring forth fruicts therefore Of which words there is not any one wast or to spare Every one of them is verbum vigilans as Saint Augustine speakes awake all never a one asleepe among them Each hath his weight 〈◊〉 25.11 Nor never a one out of his place but as Salomon speakes upon his right wheele standing just where it should We will take them as they lie 1. Bring forth 2. Bring forth fruict 3. Bring forth fruict therefore wherefore That you may flie the wrath to come There will that fall in It is the onely true way Let no man teach you any other way to flye it 4. Then fâ—uicts of repentance And if repentance beare fruicts then it is a tree â— Of the tree then first that beares them 2 Then of the fruicts it beares Repentance's fruicts 5. And last that they be worthy fruicts of repentance Bring forth fruicts therefore c. So fall they in order of themselves To order them otherwise were but to dis-array them and do them wrong I. 〈◊〉 forth 〈◊〉 not in BRing forth At which at the very first we
tabernaculi huius 2 Pet 1.14 the taking down of this tabernacle is not farre hence death will come with his axe and downe we goe For it is not saith Saint Iohn layd to the branches but to the roote and then we are past fruit-bearing for ever Proferte fructus igitur Verse 10. After the Axe comes the Fann to shew whither our bringing forth be corne or chaff 2. The Fann. Verse 12. Iude 14. which is our doome after death So long agoe told of by old Enoch in his Maranatha that the LORD will come come to judgement Et omnes stabimus and we shall all stand before His judgement Seat and the fann go over us And there by these fruits heere and by these fruits onely all shall goe for none is in heaven but by it Sinners both they in heaven and they in hell Onely this difference they in heaven had these fruits they in hell had them not And then seeing they will be all in all Proferte fructus igitur These two ventura come they will to all and to all alike we heare not of wrath yet But heere it comes I goe further and ask Ventura to come to come what Ira ventura wrath to come Whose wrath His who when he hath killed the body Luk. 12.5 can cast both body and soule into hell fire For after the Fann comes the Fire The fann divides the corne and the chaff sends each to his owne place the Corne to the Garner the chaff to the fire 3. The Fire Verse 12. and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit thither too Proferte fructus igitur Els how will you scape the wrath to come saith Saint Iohn How will you scape the damnation of hell saith CHRIST and meane the same thing Chap 22 33. That of CHRIST is but a Commentarie of this of Saint Iohn Ire and fire are but one thing Now the noise of fire will startle any of us even at midnight out of his dead sleepe Of any fire but much more of this Non est iste ignis sicut qui ardet in foco tuo saith Augustine This fire is another manner fire then that on our harthes Why ours may be quenched that is saith the twelfth verse unquenchable fire A worme ever gnawing Mar. 9.44.46 and never dying So doth our SAVIOVR describe it a flame ever burning and never going out Esay 33.14 Now will I but aske the Prophet Esay's question Chap. 33. Who of us caâ—â— dwell in consuming fire That is our fire which as it consumes so will it be consumed it sâ—lfe But then he comes over againe But who is hable to abide in everlasting burnings That can none do Proferte fructus igitur This lo is the wrath the very dreggs of the wrath to come But who regardeth the power of this wrath They I feare me least that shall feele it most I have purposely stood upon this a little For that as upon this day they were wont by the ceremonie of giving ashes to put men in minde of this fire For ashes were not given to putt men in minde of their mortalitie dust had beene more proper to have done that Our mortalitie is grounded upon Pulvis es in pulverem But ashes they come not without fire where they are fire must have beene first And so they most meet to represent fire and make us thinke of it The ashes they be blowen away but not the memorie of them I hope Whatsoever becomes of the ceremonie the substance would not be blowen away after it Sure these ashes laid well to the root of the tree it hath beene thought will make it beare the sooner The present feare of future wrath for sinnes past will putt some force into this Igitur If this will not nothing will This or nothing make the sapp to ascend This or nothing bring them forth Tâ—e â—omfoâ—t of vertura it may be fled from a 2 Cor. 5 11. Scientes igitur terrorem hunc you have seene the terror Shall I open you a b Hos. 2.15 doore of hope in the valley of Achor All is not terror in ventura there is some comfort that it is but to come this wrath it is yet to come So while it is yet to come there is time given us to take order for it before it come That the fruit may come before the wrath and not the wrath before the fruit for then we are gone for ever There is another comfort That though the axe and the fanne shall come upon all and none fly from either of them so shall not wrath That shall not come upon all but all may and some shall flie from it Fly from it I say for there is no meeting it no abiding of it when it comes No standing it out but flie from it we must saith the Text and fly from it we may There is a right way if we may be shewd it and there is no right way but one and who will shew us that That will Saint Iohn teach us He prepares it and he 〈◊〉 hable and He knowes no way but by Proferte igitur But if there be a flight there is no flying it not with the wings of an Eagle not with the six wings of a Seraphin By Proferte Onely the wings of repentance will fly from it But there is no flight entended Proferte igitur will serve Onely stand and beare this fruit and it shall be a supersedeâ—s to all wrath to come You need not fly you need not stirr no more then a tâ—ee but keepe your standing and beare your fruit and it shall not come neere you but fly over you as did the destroying Angell their houses in Aegypt To come it is this wrath 〈◊〉 2 23. fly from it we may This the way to doe it Yea this is one Way but is there no way but this It seemes there was some body shewing some other way besides that Saint Iohn was a little stirred and asked Who hath shâ—wâ—d you it who Whosoever he was he had shewed them a wrong way So that even then even in CHRIST 's time and Saint Iohn's some there were that tooke a phansie they had found a neerer way to cutt betweene to fly this wrath and yet let tree and fruit alone and care for neither And as it followes by a dicentes intra se said within themselveâ— somewhat strange things men will say there Fruits are for them 〈…〉 that have not Abrahaâ— for their Father but we have him for our father and so tooke themselves priviledged from fruit-bâ—aring by that CHRIST shewes them their folie Have you so have you Abraham to your father then do the works of Abraham that is Bring forth the fruits that he did Ioh. â— 39 For Abraham himselfe brought forth these fruits went no other way but this by Proferte igitur The same may be said to another Dicentes intra se of
some of us We have ABRAHAM to our father So they We have CHRIST to our SAVIOVR so we and make a short cutt and stepp to CHRIST streight and lay hold on Him by faith without any more adoe Thrust by Saint IOHN BAPTIST him and his repentance both Indeed so some goe but with more hast then good speed that vainely imagine to come to remission of sinnes per saltum over repentance head But it will not be Esai's qui crediderit ne festinet is good counsell in this sense Not to cast away all with making too much hast but take Saint IOHN in their way To him it is said Thou shalt goe before His face to prepare his way And but by that way he prepares Luc. 1.76 CHRIST will not be come to If he prepare one way and you goe another you will never come at CHRIST Therefore he wonders Quis ostendit who had shewed them any other way Saint IOHN knew it not CHRIST knew it not and I cannoâ— tell what to say but they that goe it I pray GOD it deceive them not But for this of no other way CHRIST Himselfe is more peremptorie then S. Iohn See you any Heare you of any that perish Nisi c. unlesse you repent Luc. 13. â— 5 and scape that way so shall you too that is flatt There is no iron no adamant bindes so hard as CHRIST 's Nisi If any but CHRIST had sayd it we might have sought some evasion Now when it is He that tells us there are but two wayes 1 Repent or 2 Perish choose you whither Repent heer for a time or Perish there under GOD 's wrath for ever Not to repent and not to perish is not possible Which Dilemma of CHRIST 's no way to be avoided makes of the twaine to choose this fruit of Repentance rather then to fall into the Wrath to come To flye to the one to flye from the other which otherwise we are of our selves but coldly affected to For though it be somewhat bitter this fruit yet sure we are if it were tenne times more the bitter paines of ira ventura are farre beyond it Now the Physique of the bodie and soule stand upon one Maxime both Melior est modica amaritudo in faucibus quà m aeternum tormentum in visceribus Better the bitter Electuarie then a burning Ague Better a short distaste in the mouth then a perpetuall torment in the bowells Better Repent NINIVE for fourtie Ion. 3.4 then no NINIVE at fourtie dayes end Shall we conclude then with the Psalmist Psal 34.32 What man is he that would deliver his Soule from the wrath to come And they all began at once to say That would I Yea even they that shall not escape it will yet say That would I. Why by the bringing or not bringing forth of this fruit all goes depends the comming or not comming of this wrath Comming if you doe not Not comming if you doe bring them forth Proferte fructus igitur And now we have been at the root downe-ward to come up ward to 1 the tree 2 the fruits 3 the worth of the fruites three points yet behind which will aske more time then is left Nay more then hath been alreadie spent and so the worke of some other time A word or two of Proferte and I have done First take it not this Proferte by way of advise 1. Proferte a Precept Mar. 1.21 Chap. 8.9 or as the wish of a well-willing friend No Saint IOHN delivers it quasi autoritatem habens as a Precept or Injunction the word will warrant it To say Do this belongs to authoritie the Centurion will tell you so and requireth obedience Do this and He doth it Then beside authority to enjoine us there is reason to conclude us It is not made a Proposition barely Doe It is beside a binding Conclusion Bring forth therefore 2. Proferte igitur a Conclusion whereto we in reason to conforme our selves and conclude we will so bring them Last besides both these it bindes the harder by the penaltie annexed to it 3. Proferte an injunction with a penaltie As you will avoid the wrath to come And falling into it you fall from the fruition of Heaven to the damnation of hell Which is poena poenarum the penalty of all penalties most penall This is the three-fold cord that bindes it about Let some or all of them prevaile with us to bring them forth But oft it falls out when we are agreed of the thing we are not so for the time 4. The Time now Proferte in the Present Tense Will we at all bring them forth If we will we will take some time to doe it in Some time yes that we all agree to At what time then It is not proponite or promittite purpose or promise to doe it hereafter to bring them forth but Proferte What Tense is proferte The Present Do it then in present It requires an act instantly to be done bring them forth out of hand This is a small note but it is no small matter to gett this small note borne well away to get our Repentance into the Present Tense Nay then it fitts neerer For to tell you the trueth as it is The word is not â—ring forth In the 〈…〉 at this time now then it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Present But it is not It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Aerist a â—ense the Latine hath not nor our Tongue nâ—ither It signifies rather Have done bringing forth rather then Bring forth presently And I would to GOD we had even done so had done bringing them forth for then all feare were past Ventura is to come but come it will and when we know not Both are yet to come for ought I see wrath and our fruict If the fruict come before the wrath come it is well But if the wrath come before the fruict come where are we then We are past recoverie But what speakes he to us of having done We have scarse yet begoon scarse sett the roote that should beare this fruict Well yet this shewes us it is time we were about it seeing Saint Iohn saith it is more then time we had done bringing them forth But well to take no advantage of that tense we wil be content with the present if we may obteine that And so would he have it now For now saith he is the axe layd to the root Now then or not at all Nay not now this is not a time we have appointed other businesse which we cannot put off Well one question more will make an end if not at this time at what time If not now when But then this must be set downe now before we stirr hence And so set downe as if it be not now it be as neer now as may be for feare ventura come not too soon and take tree and all This is sure the sooner the
better because the more likely the later the worse because the lesse certaine That time more then a moment But when we speake of the present we shutt it not up in ipso nunc in a day or two or three Fruicts require a time to bring them forth who ever heard of fruicts brought forth on a sodaine Saw ever any man such a thing It is Esai Shall the tree bring Esa. 66.8 or the fruict be brought forth at once A gourd or a mushrome may shoot up in a night So cannot fruict It askes time I take it to be an error and that of dangerous consequence teaching repentance to thinke it a matter of no more moment then to be be dispatched in a moment Commonly our repentance is too soone done Application to Lent Apoc. 2.21 Ion. 3.4 GOD knew it well and therfore He allowes a time for it Ecce dedi ei tempus saith He to the Church of Thyatira He gave a time to repent to bring forth these fruicts What time might that be He never gave certaine time but to Ninive and that was fourty dayes You know where we are now and what that meanes We are not against allowance of time so it be not to slippe the collar to be still uncertaine Act. 24.25 But I like not his saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea when I finde a convenient time then He that sayd it never found it had it then never found it after But if we meane as we say would do it at a convenient time we cannot find so convenient a time as this Take it first as the time of the Fast that time may seem to claym a property in it Levit. 16.29 They goe alwaies togither In the Law their solemne repentance was ever at the time of their generall Fast. In the Prophetts Ioel tells us the best turning to GOD that is Ioel. 2.12 repentance is cum jejunio They that had not the Lawe at Ninive Nature it selfe taught them to doe it fasting Ion. 3.5 when they tooke this fruict to tast nothing In the Gospell Iohn Baptist the Preacher of repentance came neither eating nor drinking And our SAVIOVR though He did both yet this fast He kept Chap. 11.18 Ioh. 13.15 though not for any need He had of it Himselfe but as in other for Exemplum dedi vobis to give us an example and to point us that had need what time to doe it in Which hath ever since from yeare to yeare been religiously observed both as a time of publique penance and as time of Generall abstinence in the Church of CHRIST Convenient for the time of Fast. Psal. 1. â— And convenient for the time of the yeare For if it will be the tree in the I. Psalm to bring forth fruict in due season this way it fits our turne that season is at this season It is now tempus proferendi when can we better say Proferte fructus igitur You can never bring forth â—t a better time The season is now come and bringing forth will shortly be in season of which the Poet saith Nuâ—c omnis ager nunc omniâ— parturit arbos when the trees will fall in traevaile and they and the earth both make proffer toward and give pledges in their budds and blossomes of fruict that is comming and will follow in duâ— time We are made these offers choose which we will If we will keepe time with the heavens Now the heavens returne againe to their first degree It is turning time in heaven Chap. 6.26 If with the foules of heaven and then CHRIST bidds us looke to they know their times just and just at this time make their returne the poor swallowes and all And so let us that the prophet Ieremie upbrayd us not with them So Ier. 8.7 whither we will goe by heaven and the foules of heaven or by earth and the fâ—uicts of the earth they all invite us to the dispensation of this season Yea if we will give our soules leave to keepe time with our bodies the time we take physique for one may be if we wil allowed in like sort for the other The opening of the yeare for both Equall need is of both if any odds on the soule 's side Nay it hath so fallen out that Repentance Fasting and the very Season of the yeare for the most part hitt togither That of Ninive the most famous by the springing up of Iona's gourd we may ghesse what time it was we know what time it is when gourds spring And for our SAVIOVR CHRIST's if we will take up His time it is supposed He layd His also much about this time For when the people were baptized then was CHRIST also with them as Saint Luke saith Luc 3.21.4.1 And immediately after His Baptisme He was carried away into the wildernesse and there began His fourty dayes fast Exemplum dedi vobis A paterne for us both for our fast and for our time of it It is true the solemne fast in the Law was in Tisri which answers our September But then take this withall when it was so in Tisri Tisri was with them their first moneth So they also began their repentance with the beginning of the yeare And take this besides that in that first moneth the trumpetts first blast of all was to assemble them to their Kipher their great Repentance day That was their first worke of all Now I shall tell you how it was Between the Fast and the Sabboth it is well knowen there was neer allyance insomuch as the Fast is called a Sabboth and both are said to be sanctified Sanctifie a fast as well as Sanctifie the Sabboth Ioel. 2.15 Their Sabboth was the seaventh day their Fast was the seaventh moneth And it may well be thought by whom and when the Sabboth was removed from the seaventh day to the first by the same persons and at the same time was the Fast removed from the seaventh moneth to the first from Tisri to Nisan the first moneth of all Now Nisan is also called Abib of the first bringing forth fruicts in it Now in Nisan was the time when their Paschall Lambe was slaine and eaten The same is also the time of the killing of ours of Saint Iohn Baptist's Lambe Ioh. 1.29 1. Cor. 5.7 the Lambe of GOD when CHRIST our Passover was offered Offered for us in Sacrifice Offered to us in Sacrament to whom Saint Iohn Baptist will point us to take speciall notice of Him and of His time both And we now at this time to sett those sowre hearbes and see them come up Exod. 12.8 wherewith the Passover is to be eaten which are nothing els but these fruicts of repentance Now to sett them that then we may gather them to serve us for saulse to the Paschall Lambe Thus every way we may say with the Apostle Ecce c. 2. Cor 6.2 Behold this is the due season Behold
fall to Prayer Pray saith he if it be possible this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Act. 8.22 Prayer serves where it goes no further then thought For the second The King of Ninive and his people they fell to fasting on all hands What was their sinne Nahum will best tell us that He wrott the burden of Ninive Ion. 3.5 Nahum 1.1.3.4 This it was Because of the fornications of the harlott For that kinde of fleshly sinne that was the proper fruit For the third Our example shall be the King of Babylon He had beene a mighty oppressor of his people There have ye now a worldly sinne Dan. 4 7. Breake of thine iniquity with mercie to the poore is Daniel's prescript to him That is the right fruit for sinnes of that nature All may be comprised vnder these three 1. Workes of devotion as Prayer 2. Workes of chastisement of the body as Fasting 3. Workes of mercie as Almes These three betweene them make up the corrective or penall part of repentance Prayer is a fruit of Repentance Psal. â—27 For this cause saith the Penitenâ—iall Psalme even for this and for no other cause shall every one that is so dispâ—sed makâ— his prayer unto thee The penitent Publican's first moving was Luk. 18.10.13 Ier. 2.17 he went up to the Temple to pray Let them pray and say Spare thy People ô LORD and give not over thine inheritance to be a reproch unto the heathen Ion. 3.8 saith IOâ—L in his repentance Let them crie mightily unto the LORD say they of Ninive in theirs And the prayers of DAVID IONAS MANASSES for their owne sinnes of DANIEL EZRA NEHEMIAS for the sinnes of the Land and in a word the Penitentiall Psalmes shew this that were chosen for no other end but to be a taske for penitentiall persons There is one fruit Almes is another A fruit and so by the name of fruit expressely called Rom. 15.28 For by mercie shewed sinnes are forgiven saith SALOMON He that seekes mercie is to shew mercie Pro. 11.17 Pro. 16.6 DANIEL you heard did prescribe it to no lesse person then the King himselfe at Babylon And the same at Ierusalem was a fruit too witnesse Esay 58. Esay 58.7 Breake thy bread to the hungry made by him there a part of true repentance And Zachee shewed as much in his owne happy practise upon himselfe of our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's high approbation Luk. 19.8 There is another fruit Fasting is a third fruit and that a speciall one and so hath alwaies been reputed It appeareth by the three Kings King DAVID who was a religious Prince Not onely by him 1. Sam. 12.16 1. Reg. 21.27 Ion. 3.6 but by King AHAB who was scarce found in religion Nor by them onely but by the King of NINIVE a heathen man who even by the light of Nature brought forth this fruit We name it last but it is indeed first First in Nature first quoad nos First in nature Gen. 3.6 as opposite to the first transgression which was by eating First I am sure quoad nos speaking of us and our country Excesse that way in fare and feeding hath beene and is counted our Gentile vitium our Nationall fault So no fruit that our Nation is more bound to bring forth then it For Esca ventri and venter escis meat for the belly and the belly for meate it no where reigneth so much This is a third fruit A fruit which if we would frame our selves to bring forth in kind there would come with it both the other fruits besides For if we could so fast as we should it would abate lust certainely which otherwise keepe the body high you shall hardly bring lowe that fruit And if we could so fast it would mend our devotion much our prayers would not be so full of yawning as we find them that fruit And if we could so fast there would be the more left to enable us to be so much the more plentifull in Almes then we be that fruit So as a good encrease or yeeld would come of this third fruit well brought forth b What these workes are in generall These three in speciall are chosen out but in generall any as well as these There is a way how it is possible there is not a vertue of them all but you may make the worke of it a fruit of repentance In morall matters it holds ever Finis dat formam the end that gives the forme and so the true essence to every worke Insomuch as the worke is reckoned a fruit not of that vertue from whence it proceeds by which it is done but of that vertue to which it referrs for whose end it is done Nay it falls out often so as an act of vertue as Prayer Fasting Almes done for a vitious end suppose for vaine-glorie loseth his owne kind and becomes the proper act of that vice it is done for So powerfull a thing is the End in moralibus Whereby it comes to passe the worke of any vertue be it what it will vndertaken with a mind and intent or as we say animo corrigendi enjoyned eo nomine referred to that alters the nature and becomes a worke of Iustice corrective and so a fruit of repentance For even in these three before remembred so it goes Almes of it selfe is a worke of charity Fasting properly an act of the vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abstinence Prayer of his owne nature a worke of religious worship But Almes done some way to amerce our selves Fasting done animo castigandi corpus Prayer imposed as a task-worke to spend so much time to stand so long bent at it all these thus referred still with an eye to that change their nature and become acts penall and so fruits of Repentance Of fruits we said at first two Vses there are First to be offered as a present So The Vse of this fruit 1. As an Offering IACOâ— sent them to the * Gen. 43.11 Governour of Aegypt For the first we have in all but three things to offer unto GOD to present to honour Him with The 1 Spirit or Soule 2 the body and 3 our worldly goods 1 The offering of the soule is the powring it out in prayer and other workes of that kind 2 Of the body the chastening it by exercises that way tending 3 Of our goods by distributing and doing good with them in Almes and offerings Supposing the sinne-offering in the Law best to suite with repentance as it doth 1 A sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice to GOD that we know Psal. 51.17 2 and no reason but a chastened body should be so likewise 3 and why the price and charges of the Sacrifice should not come into the reckoning I see not which was part of their worldly State which being distributed and done good withall in meat and drinke offerings this the Apostle calleth a sacrifice wherewith GOD is well pleased
Phil. 4.18 The first Vse of these fruits brought forth The second Vse we spake of was as they are medicinable 2. As a Medecine This difference there is betweene the punishment of Iustice and repentance Iustice otherwhiles destroyes the delinquent so doth repentance never but saves alwaies So it is more like the punishment of Physique then of Law For Physique though it be a cure yet a penance it is to the body if we deale with it throughly and goe through with it And repentance is the Physique of the soule and body both Dan. 4.27 Sit obsecro sanatio saith DANIEL Let there be a cure done when he exhorted him to repent Both are a cure as Corrective of what is past so preservative or if you will you may call it corrective too of what is to come When the sinner is corrected hath correction given him for the former he correcteth his waies amends his life for ever after 1. Cor. 9.27 Castigo corpus serves for what hath beene done In servitutem redigo serves that he doe it no more Both to wreake our selves for so often offering so soule indignities to heaven and the GOD of heaven in our former bad course of life And to keepe vnder the flesh and hold the concupiscence in awe that it runne not againe into the former ryot This later we call amendment of life which is not repentance for it perteines rather to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being yet to come but it never failes to follow it infallibly in so much as if it doe not nothing is done For I report me to you Let it be but knowen to the flesh that this same light or sleight repentance shall not serve the turne but to a round reckoning it shall come and make full accompt to taste of these fruits throughly without hope of being dispensed with whither it will not take of the edge of our appetite and make it more dull and fearefull to offend On the other side let it be considered whether this be not to lay the bridle on the neck of concupiscence to powre it selfe into all riot if sinning it know it shall be dispatched with any repentance never so short and shallow as doe no more so and all is well Whither I say this will not make all the sapp goe downe as we shall never see fruit come Nay whither it be not to destroy fruit and tree and all Verily they that for pure zeale and indignation at themselves for their sinnes never shedd a teare nor misse a meale nor breake a sleepe nor doe nor suffer nor part with ought it may seeme a question whither they thinke not Saint IOHN heere overseene in pressing that for so needfull which they can so easily dispense with But if when we come to Castigo corpus there we leave Saint PAVâ— 1. Cor. 9.27 Matt. 11.18.26.79 when to neither eating nor drinking there we leave Saint IOHN and when to flevit amarè there we leave Saint PETER and when to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changing our mirth into pensiveâ—esse there we leave Saint IAMES I mervaile what manner repentance we will leave before we have done or what shall become of our fruits heere 〈◊〉 Wâ—â—th of this fruict In our repenâ—ing commonly we make such hâ—st as we take away before the fruits come But if ther◠〈…〉 any is not this even our case Our Teares if any 〈…〉 Our Prayers 〈…〉 quickly tedious Our Almes indeed pitifull Our Fasts 〈…〉 upon any the 〈◊〉 occasion 1. Cor. 7.10 And so our Repentance if any paenitentia pâ—nitenda a repenâ—â—nce neediâ—g â—noâ—her a 〈◊〉 a second repentance to repent us of it To repent us of our repentance no lesse then of our sinne it selfe So that if any fruit fruit of no worth And if the fruit be of no worth no more is the tree vnworthy one vnworthy both Thus we are not yet where we should be till vnto fructus we have added dignos Nay then if you 〈◊〉 to tâ—lke of worthinesse we shall have satisfaction up againe And had we not 〈◊〉 then 〈…〉 are there any worthy For if there be none such 〈◊〉 Saint IOHN beware how we talke of worthy fruits bid Saint PAVL beware how he speake of worthy workes of repentance If none such be they did ill to clogg the 〈◊〉 with any such word Act. 2â— 20 But they knew well what they said therefore such there be sure geâ—t them where we can How it is worthie Onely when we say worthy it would be vnderstood cum grano salis How worthy in what sense whither referred that we mistake not I demand then first shall we put them into the balance to weigh the worthinesse of our fruits with the vnworthinesse of our sinnes and the consequent of our sinnes the wrath of GOD the dignitie of the one with the indignitie of the other and thinke by their dignitie to satisfie GOD 's just indignation I trow not At this beame no fruits of ours will hold weight None so found worthy No not if we could I say noâ— shedd or poinâ—e out but even melt into reaâ—es and every teare a drop of blood No Non sunt condignâ—â— passiones saith the Apostle we can suffer nothing worthy our sinnes but that we cannot suffer ira ventura the wrath of GOD. The infinite incomparable high worth of Him that in our sinne is wronged the foule contempt that is therein offered are farre above the worth of any our fruits weigh them downe as any fether Why all Libanon saith the Prophet is not sufficient to find wood nor all the a Psal. 50.10 beasts upon a thousand hills not enough for a Sacrifice b Dan. 5.27 Tekel tekel too light all Take them out of the scales away with them Non sunt digni in that sense In which sense not the wicked c Luc. 15.21 prodigall child only but even the good d Mat. 8.8 Centurion nay then even Saint Iohn Baptist heer himselfe cry all e Ver. 11. Non sum dignus neither their fruits nor they The honor of dignos in this sense belongs to the fruit of no tree but the tree of the Crosse of CHRIST to His sufferings and to none but His. Yet I wore well there hath been another manner estimate by some men of their owne fruits but they weighed them with their own false weights and made them a discharge both from poena and from culpa and that toties quoties Nay then inventus est plus habens they found a further surplussage too of I know not what besides What of that CHRIST 's Caveat is heer to take place that weeding out the tares we take heed we pluck not up togither good corne and all That to avoyd certaine wormes that may happ breed in the fruict if it be not the better looked to we beat not all the fruite of the tree and
of Noah's eight that were saved from the flood one fell away too So that of Lot's foure heere and but foure in all all came not to Zoar one came short So that of twelve of eight of foure yea a little after verse 35. of two one is refused that we may remember few there be that scape from Sodome in the Angels companie and of those few though they be all are not safe neither Who would not feare if one may perish in the companie of Angells Secondly that as one miscarieth so not every one but one that had continued so long and suffered so many things and after all this continuance and all these sufferings falls from her estate and turnes all out and in and by the inconstancie of one houre Ezek. 18.24 maketh void the Perseverance of so many yeares and as Ezekiel saith in the day they turne away to iniquitie all the former righteousnesse they have done shall not be remembred Thirdly that as she perisheth So at the same time that Sodome She by it and it by her That one end commeth to the sinner without repentance and to the just without perseverance One end to the abomination of Sodome and to the recidivation of Lot's Wife Et non egredientes egredientes respicientes They that goe not out of her perish and they that goe out of her perish too if they looke backe Lacus Asphaltites is a monument of the one Lot's Wive's salt stone a memoriall of the other Lastly that as one perisheth and that such a one So that she perisheth at the gates even hard at the entry of Zoar which of all other is most fearefull So neere her safety so hard at the gates of her deliverance Remember that neere to Zoar gates there stands a salt stone These very thoughts what her case was these foure waies and what ours may be who are no better then she was will search us like salt and teach us that as if we remember what we have beene we may saith Saint Bernard erubescere so if we remember what we may be we may contremiscere that we see our beginnings but see not our ending we see our Stadium not our dolichum And that as we have great need to pray with the Prophet Thou hast taught me from my youth up Psal 71.18 untill now forsâ—ke me not in mine old age now when I am gâ—ay headed So we had need stirr uâ— our care of continuing seeing we see it is nothing to beginne except we continue nor to continue except we doe it to the end Remember we make not light accompt of the Angel's Serva animam tuam blessing our selâ—es in our hearts and saying Matt. 16 22. Non fiet tibi hoc we shall come safe goe we never so soft Zoar will not runne away Remember we be not wery to goe whither GOD would have us not to Zoar though a little one if our soule may there live and never buy the ease of our body with the hazard of our soule or a few daies of vanitie with the losse of aeternitie Remembâ—r we slacke not our pace nor stand still on the Plaine For if we stand still by still standing we are meet to be made a Piller ever to stand still and never to remove Remember we looke not back either with her on the vaine delights of Sodome left or with Peter on Saint Iohn behind us Ioh 21.20 to say Domine Qâ—id iste both will make us forget our following None that casteth his eye th' other way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meete as he should be Luk. 9. â—2 meet for the Kingdome of GOD. But specially remember we leave not our heart behind us but that we take that with us when we goe out of Sodome for if that stay it will stay the feet and writhe the eye and neither the one nor the other will doe their duty Remember that our heart wander not that our heart long not This Care if it be fervent will bring us Perseverance Out of her punishment Now that we may the better learne somewhat out of her punishment too Let us remember also that as to her so to us GOD may send some vn-usuall visitation and take us sodenly away and in the act of sinne too Remember the danger and damage It is no lesse matter we are about then perdet animam Which if we doe we frustrate and forfeit all the fruit of our former well continued course all we have done is vaine Yea all that CHRIST hath done for us is in vaine whose paines and sufferings we ought specially to tender knowing that Supra omnem laborem labor irritus No labour to lost labour and CHRIST then hath lost His labour for us Remember the folly that beginning in the Spirit we end in the flesh Gal. 3.3 turning our backs to Zoar we turne our face to Sodome joyning to a head of fine gold feet of clay and to a precious foundation a covering of thatch Remember the Disgrace that we shall lose our credit and accompt while we live â—uk 14.30 Matt 11.7 and shall heare that of CHRIST Hic homo and that other Quid existis in desertum videre A zeed shaken with the winde Remember the Scandall That falling our selves we shall be a blocke for to make others fall a sinne no lighter nor lesse nor lighter then a mill-store Remember the Infamie That we shall leave our memorie remaining in stories Matt. 18 6. among Loâ—'s Wife and Iob's Wife Demas and Ecebolius and the number of Relapsâ—d there to stand to be pointed at no lessâ— then this heape of Salt Rememâ—er the Iudgâ—ment that is upon them after their relapse though they live that they doe even with her heer obrigescere wax hard and numme and serâ—e others for a caveaâ— wholy vnprofitable for themselves Remember the difficultie of reâ—laiming to good Seven evill spirits â—ntering insteed of one that their last state is worse then the first Matt. 1â— 45 And lastly Remember that we shall justifie Sodome by so doing and her frozen sinne shall condemne our melting vertue For they in the wilfullnesse of their wickednesse persisted till fire from heaven consumed them And they being thus obdurate in sinne ought not she and we much more to be constant in vertue And if the drunkard hold out till he have lost his eyes the vncleane person till he have wasted his loines the contentious till he have consumed his wealth Quis pudoâ— quòd infaelix populus Dei non habet tantam in bono perseverantiam quantam mali in maloâ— What shame is it that GOD'S vnhappy people should not be as constant in vertue as these miscreants have beene and be in vice Each of these by it selfe all these putt together will make a full Memento which if she had remembred she had beene a Piller of light in heaven not of salt in eâ—rth It is too late for her we in due time yet
Recordare will be required The danger also helpes them forward For so it oft happeneth vnhappily that whereas Recepisti is made and so may well be a motive for us to remember so crosse is our nature none is so great an enemie to Recordare as it Our great receiving is oft occasion of our little remembring And as a full diet in the vessells of our body sâ— a planteous receipt breeds stoppings in the minde and memorie and the vitall parts of our soule We have heereof a lively example before our eyes And such an one as if it move us not I know now what will A Receipt for memories that suffer obstructions Our SAVIOVR CHRIST vnlocketh hell gates to let us see it In discovering what sighs and what sufferings are in the other world he sheweth us one lying in them to whom Abraham objecteth that this frank receiving had marred his memorie And as he sheweth us his fault so withall what came to him for it in that strange and fearefull consequent Now therefore thou art tormented This example is told by our SAVIOVR in the XIIII verse to other rich men and troubled with that same lethargie Who when He put them in minde It would not be amisse Verse 9. while they were heere to make them friends of that they had received that when this failed them as faile them it must that might receive them into everlasting tabernacles forgat themselves so farre as they derided his counsell not in words but per myâ—terismum Which maketh Him fall from Parables to a plaine storie for so it is holden by the best Interpreters both old and lâ—ter and from everlasting tabernacles to everlasting torments That howsoever they regarded not his Recordare on earth they had best give better care to Abraham's from heaven It is His intent in reporting of it that our remembring of it should keepe us from it Non vult mortem minatur mortem ne mittat in mortem saith Chrysostome He would not have us in that place yet he telleth us of that place to the end we never come in that place Yea it is Abraham's desire too we should not be overtaken but thinke of it in time and prevent it before it prevent us And therefore he lifteth up his voice and crieth out of heaven Recordare fili And not onely Abraham but he that was in that place it selfe and best knew the terror because he felt it felt that in it as he heartily wisheth and instantly sueth that they Verse 27.28 whom he loveth or any way wisheth well to may some way take warning Ne ipsi veniant That they also come not into that place of torments This vse CHRIST on earth Abraham from heaven and he out of hell wish we may have of it And we I trust will wish our selves no worse then they and therefore looke to our Recordare cary it in minde and in Recordare there is Cor too take it to heart and by both in time take order Ne ipsi veniamus The verse it selfe if we marke it well is in figure and proportion The Division an exact Crosse For as a Crosse it consisteth of two barrs or beames so situate as the one doth quarter the other Thou receìvedst good things and Lazarus received evill These two lie cleane contrarie But meet both at the middle word Now therefore and there by a new Antithesis crosse each other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that received evill is comforted and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou that didst receive good art tormented And to make it a perfect Crosse it hath a title or Inscription too set over it and this it is Recordare fili And sure next to the Crosse of CHRIST and the memorie thereof this Crosse of Abraham's invention and exaltation is of all others most effectuall And I verily perswade my selfe if we often would fixe it before our eyes and well marke the Inscription it would be a speciall preparation to our Passeover meaning by our Passeover our end whereby passe we must yer long into another state either of miserie or blisse but whither of miserie or blisse it will lie much in the vse of this word Recordare First then we will create 1 of the Crosse After 2 of the Title We have in the Crosse two Barres But with both we will not meddle For why should we deale with Lazarus This place is not for him nor he no roome in this Auditorie Therefore waiving his part in this other of the Rich man's we have two quarters representing vnto us two estates a The upper part or head Recepisti boâ—a invitá his estate in this life b The nether or foot Iam verò torqueris his estate in the other Of these two 1 That two they are 2 which they be 3 and how they be fastened or tenanted the one to the other with the Illative Now therefore TO quarter out this Crosse Two parts it stands of I. Of the Crosse. which two parts are two estates 1 One past 2 The other present The one in memorie The other in experience Now both memorie and experience Memorie of things past and Experience of things present are both handmaids to Providence and serve to provide for things to come And of all points of providence for that which is the highest point of all that our memorie of it keepe us from experience of this place this conclusion These two are sett downe 1 The one estate in the words Vitâ tuâ 2 The other 1. The upper part of it The Present estate In vitá tuá recepisti in the words I am verò But now The former past with him and yet present with us For we yet receive The later present with him but with us yet to come or rather I trust never to come Iam verò torqueris 1. The first is the life in esse which we all now live which though it be one and the same yet is there in it a sensible difference Pauper dives obviaverant of some poore and some rich every day meeting each other 2. But Nemo dives semper dives and againe Nemo pauper semper pauper They that be rich in it shall not ever be rich nor they that are poore poore alway It came to passe saith the Scripture that the begger died verse 22. Mortuus est etiam dives and the rich man for all his riches died also There ends the first estate 3. But that end is no finall end For after Vitá tuá there is a I am verò still a second state in reversion to take place when the first is expired Our hearts misgive us of some such estate and and as the Heathen man said they that put it of with Quis scit who can tell whither such estate be shall never be hable to ridd their minds of Quid si but what if such a one be how then But to putt us that be Christians our of all doubt our Saviour
Corinthum gaine their soules to CHRIST more precious to him then Corinth it selfe and all the wealth in it The Division In the Love two things are offered For in the former moitie of the verse he is encountred with self-love 1 which bestoweth nothing 2 but least of all his life 3 Or if it doe it is not most gladly nay not gladly at all These three he beateth down the first with Impendam the second with Impendar the third with libentissimè Thus having vanquished the love of himselfe in the former in the latter moity Vnkindnesse riseth up Vnkindnesse in them for whom he had done all the Over which second enemie having a second conquest also and triumphing over it with his Etsi he sheweth his love to be a love of proof to have all the perfections and signatures of Love all which are within compasse of this verse Amor as in Schooles we reckon them 1 Impensivus 2 Expensivus 3 Intensivus and 4 Extensivus The two former in the two verbes 1 Active Impendam and 2 Passive Impendar Bestowing or spending Bestowed or spent it selfe The two latter in the Adverb and the Conjunction 3 Intensive streining it selfe to the highest degree most gladly and 4 Extensive stretching it selfe to those that are furthest from Love and lest deserve it Etsi minus diligar 1 To spend 2 To spend and be spent 3 To spend and be spent most willingly If the full point were there it were enough 4 But not onely libentissimè But libentissimè Etsi most gladly yea though the more he the lesse they that is all in all But then lest we mistake our terme of love as easily we may and confound it with lust we must looke to our Pro in the second part It is Pro animabus soul-love he meaneth all the while Love the fruict of the Spirit Not lust the weed of the flesh Not of this flesh sister to wormes and daughter to rottennesse but Gal 5.22 Iob 17.14 2. Pet. 1.4 of the Spirit allied to the Angells and partaker in hope of the Divine nature it selfe And not of one onely but animabus of Soules more then love of one soule many soules many thousands of soules of a whole State or country Them to love and to them thus to prove our love is it which Saint Paul would teach and it which we need to learne These be the two parts Whereof c. TO enter the treaty of the first part We beginn at the foure points I. The Love Cant. 6.3 1 Impendam 2 Impendar 3 Libentissimè and 4 Etsi If Love be an Ensigne as Can. 6. the Colours If it be a Band as Hos. 11. the twistes If a Scale as Chrysostome the ascents If an Art as Bernard the Rules of it Indeed Hosc. 11.4 they talke much of an Art of Love and Bookes of verses have been written of it but above all verses is Carmen hoc amoris This verse hath more art then they all and of this it may be said Me legat lecto carmine doctus erit Learne it and say you learned Love To take them as they lye and with the first first Ego vero impendam 1. There was a world when one said da mihi cor tuum sufficit 1. Amor impensivus Impendam Bestow your heart on me and I require no further bestowing and the bestowing of Love though nothing but love was somthing worth 2. Such a world there was But that world is worne out All goeth now by Impendam Love and all is put out to interest The other empty-handed Love is long since banished the Court the Citie and the Country For long since it is that King Saul saw it and said it to his Courtiers that he was not regarded but because he gave them fields and vine-yards and offices over hundreds and thousands 1. Sam. 22.7 Nor yet Diana in the Citie of Ephesus magnified there by the Crafts-men but because by her Silver Shrines they had their advantage Act. 19.24 Nay nor CHRIST Himselfe neither in the Country but because they eat of the loaves and were filled For Ioh. 6.26 many miracles had they seen much greater then that yet never professed they so much Sicut tunc exaturati as when He bestowed a good meale on them 3. Such is now the world's love but specially at Corinth where they doe cauponari amorem indeed set love to hire and love to sale and at so high a rate as * some were forced to give over lest paying for love they might buy repentance too and both too deer 4. There is no remedie then Saint Paul must apply himselfe * to time and place wherein as all things els so love depends upon Impendam Yeilding and Paying 5. Now there is nothing so pliant as Love ever ready to transforme it selfe to whatsoever may have likelyhood to prevaile and if it be Liberalitie into that too For that Love is liberall nay prodigall the Greeke Proverb noteth it that saith The Purse-strings of Love are made of a Leeke blade easily in sunder and wide open with no great adoe Ver. 14. 6. Saint Paul therefore commeth to it and as he maketh his case a Father's case towards them in the verse next before So he saith with the kind Father Luc. 15. Ecce omnia mea tua sunt Luc. 15.31 Father's love and all must be proved by Bestowing 7. Yea I will bestow Now alas what can Paul bestow Especially upon so wealthy Citizens 2. Tim 4.13 What hath he to part with but his Bookes and his parchments Ware at Athens perhapps somwhat but at Corinth little used and lesse regarded Indeed if silver and gold be all and nothing els worth the bestowing nothing will come under Impendam but it his bestowing is stalled But by the grace of GOD there is somthing els There be talents so the world will call them when they lift howsoever they esteem them scarse worth pence a peece And there be treasâ—res of wisedome and knowledge Col 2.3 in CHRISTO IESV saith Paul Indeed so had Saint Paul need to say he had best magnifie his own Impendam for he hath nothing els to make of Nay it shall not stand upon his valuation They that had both both the wealth of Coriâ—th and the wisedome of Paul and both in abundance as being both of them Propheâ—ts The one of them King David preferreth this Impendam of Paâ—le's Psal. 19 1â— 119.72 Pro. 20.15 before gold fine gold much fine gold and that we may know how much that much is bâ—fore thouâ—ands of gold and silver This was no poore Apostle The other King Solomon saith directly There is gold and a multitude of rich stones but the lipps of knowledge that is the precious Iewel And not Policie but Scientia Sacrorum prudentia Pro. 9.10 the knowledge of holy things is the wisedome he meaneth And it was no flourish he was in earnest For it is well
as Libentissimè the good heart wherewith it is bestowed And will you see the minde wherewith Saint Paul will doe both these By this adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may looke into his very heart Bestow he will and be bestowed too and that not Vicunque in any sort be contented to come to it but willingly willingly Nay readily Readily nay gladly and the degree is somewhat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most gladly in the very highest of all in the â—â—â—erlative degree To spend and spending to make no more reckoning of it then of chaffe Nay it is more to be glad of our losse more glad then others would be of their gaine To be spent and in being spent not to hold our life precious Nor so but to rejoyce in it and as if death were advantage In hoc est charitas certainely Death of it selfe is bitter and losse is not sweet Then so to alter their natures as to find sweetnesse in losse whereat all repine and gladnesse in death which maketh all to mourne verily heerein is love Or if not heere where Nay heer it is indeed and before now we had it not For in flat termes he avoweth in the XIII Chapter before of his former Epistle if we sever this from the other two One may part withall his goods to feede the poore and yet have no love One may give his body to be burnt and yet have no love And then though he doe impendere bestow all he hath and though he doe impendi be bestowed himselfe nihil est he is nothing if he want this affection which is love indeed the very soule of love and the other but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the skinne and bones and indeed nought els but the carcasse without it Therefore it was that Saint Paul set this in the first place before the other two because the other two be but ciphers and after this the figure set they be tenn's and hundreds and have their valuation but without it of themselves they be put ciphers just nothing Thus much Saint Paul hath said in saying these three words 1 Impendam 2 Impendar 3 Libentissimè Thus much they amount to And now must we pause a little to see what will become of all this and what these three will worke in the Corinthians We marvell at the Love we shall more marvell when we see what manner of men on whom it is bestowed What his proofs are we have heard how large and how loving and thus farre is he come only to winne favour and like mutuall love at their hands Ver 14. without eye to any other thing in the world No Vestra no but Vos onely This is all And not this not so much Nay not so little as this will come Which if it did come what singular thing were it since the very Publicans doe the like love him Matt. 5.46 that loveth them Which we gather by his Etsi Wherein as he may in no lowd and bitter manner he complaineth but complaineth though that seeking their love and nothing els so hard was his hap he found it not Not in a greater or as great a measure as his but minus for magis and so he a great loser by it The more the higher the neerer his the lesse the lower the further off theirs so that little likelihood of ever meeting This is S. Paul's case to meet with unkindnesse and not only his but CHRIST met with nine for one Luk. 17.14.15 c. too Indeed it is common and not to be noted but for commonnesse De ingratis etiam ingrati queruntur They that are vnkind themselves inveigh against the vnkindnesse of others And as it was said of them that made Caesar away Oderunt tyrannum non tyrannidem so may it truly heere The Persons that are vnkind they hate rather then the vice itselfe Yet even to know this doth no hurt what Saint Paul met with in the Corinthians and this too that all vnâ—inâ— persons dwell not at Corinth And as he to be pitied so they to be blamed All other commodities returne well from Corinth onely Love is no traffique Saint Paul cannot make his owne againe but must be a great loser withall We cannot but pity the Apostle in this Minus of his Saint Augustine saith well Nulla est maios ad amorem provocatio quam praevenire amando Nimis enim durus est animus qui amorem etsi nolebat impendere nolit tamen rependere No more kindly attractive of love then in loving to prevent For exceeding stony is that heart which though it like not to love first will not love againe neither neither first not second Yet so hard were theirs that neither one way nor other rectè nor reflexè would either beginne or follow No not provoked by all those so many forcible meanes that Saint Chrysostome maketh a wonder at it Quomodo non converterentur in amorem that they were not melted and resolved into love it selfe Which cold successe openeth a way to the last point 4. Amoa Extensivus Etsi minus 〈◊〉 the point indeed of highest admiration and of hardest imitation of all the rest in the coniunction Etsi Which Conjunction is situated much like Corinth it selfe in a narrow land as it were betweene two seas beaten upon the one with selfe-love on th' other with vnkindnesse Hitherto we have had to doe but with selfe-love and his assaults but now vnkindnesse also is up These Corinthians saith Saint Paul my affection standeth toward them in all love Love them and spare not saith Self-love but tene quod habes Nay sure Impendam I will bestow it Well if there be no remedie But heare you Propitius esto tibi for all that Nay nor that neither Impendar I will be bestowed my selfe too Potèsne bibere calicem hunc saith Selfe-love and can you get it downe Matt. 16.22 Mar. 10.46 thinke you Yea Libentissimè exceeding gladly There is the Conquest of Selfe-love But all this while he lived still vnder hope hope of winning their love for whose sakes he had trodd vnderfoot the love of himselfe Hope that it had beene but impendam all the while he should have had returned his owne againe at least But at this Etsi all is turned out and in For this is as much to say as All is to little purpose for to his griefe he must take notice they care for none of them nor for him ever a whit the more yea rather the lesse by a great deale So that all three be in vaine Et supra omnem laborem labor irritus No labour to lost labour Nor expense of life or goods to that is spent in vaine For that is not impendam but perdam not spent but cast away Therefore the former though it were funiculus triplex a threefold cord and not easily broken would not hold but fly in peeces but for this Etsi To have then an Etsi in our love this Etsi this
be said or done for it Why for Soules Why 1. Why take the soule out of the body which so much we dote on but even half an houre and the body will grow so out of our love so deformed so ugly so every way lothsome as they that now admire it will then abhorr it and they that now cannot behold it enough will not then endure once to come neer it not within the sight of it This a naturall man would answer The soule is to be regarded of the body for it maketh the body to be regarded 2. But a Christian man will say more for it That the Love of CHRIST must be the rule of the Love of Christians and ours suitable to His. And CHRIST hath valued the soule above the world it selfe in direct affirming that he that to winn the world hazards his soule makes but an unwise bargain Mat. 16.26 which bargain were wise enough if the world were more worth Appende animam homo saith Chrysostome Impende in animam If you would prize your soules better you would bestow more on them This is nothing CHRIST hath valued your soules valued and loved them above Himselfe Himselfe more worth then many worlds yea if they were ten thousand I come now to the point Is CHRIST to be loved Why all that Saint Paul hitherto hath professed all and every part of it it was but to the Soules at second hand His eye was upon CHRIST all the time of his profession But because CHRIST hath by Deed enrolled sett over His love to mens soules and willed us toward them to shew whatsoever to Him we professe therefore and for no other cause it is that he standeth thus affected For that those soules CHRIST so loved that He loved not Himselfe to love them Dilexisti me Domine plus quà m te quando mori voluisti pro me It is Augustine Dying for my soule LORD thou shewdst that my soule was deerer to thee then thine own selfe In love then to CHRIST we are to love them that CHRIST loved not sicut seipsum as Himselfe but plusquam seipsum more then Himselfe and therefore hath changed the Sicut of the Law Sicut teipsum as they selfe Mat. 19.19 Ioh 13.34 into a new Sicut Sicut ego vos as I have loved you And how did He love us Even that He was the first that ever professed these foure to us 1 Did bestow 2 was bestowed 3 most gladly 4 yea though the more He loved the lesse we loved Him Or to give Him His right a degree higher then Paul Not when we loved Him little as faint friends but hated Him greatly as sworn enemies For He it was Ioh. 15.2.4 that professed this art first The words are indeed CHRIST 's own The primitive and most proper uttering them belongeth to Him None ever so fully or so fittly spake or can speake them as the SONNE of GOD on the Crosse Luc. 23.34 from the chayr of His profession And of Him there Saint Paul learned Hoc carmen amoris Himselfe confesseth as much in the V. Chap. of this Epistle that it was love Not his owne love but CHRIST 's love Charitas CHRISTI extorsit that brought these words from him His they be not but ore tenus the tongue his but CHRIST the speaker His they were His they are out of whose mouth or from whose pen soever they come We are come then now where we may read Love in the very Originall even in the most complete perfection that ever it was Profitente CHRISTO CHRIST Himselfe the Professor saith 1. Impendam first Bestow He will If you will make port-sale of your love none shall out-bidd Him Even whatsoever Himselfe is worth He will bestow His Kingdome and the fullnesse of joy and glorie in it for ever 2. Impendar That why Consummatum est it is done already all Ioh. 19.30 hands and feet head and heart opened wide and all even to the last drop of blood bestowed for us on His Crosse where the love of soules triumphed over the love of His own life 3. Libentisâ—imè most gladly Witnesse that speech Luc 12 5â— A Baptisme I have to be baptized with and quomodo coarctor how am I pained till I be at it And that too That to him that moved Him not to bestow but favor Himselfe he used no other termes then to the devill himselfe Avoyd Sathan Matt 16 23. Proof enough say I how willingly He went and how unwillingly He would be kept from it 4. And for His Etsi would GOD it were not too plaine Both at His Crosse where the lowder their Crucifige with the more strong crying and teares He prayed Pater ignosce Luk. 23. â—4 And ever since usque hodiè till now when all may see our regard is as little as His Love great and He respected as if He had done nothing for us Every part of His Love and the profession of His Love but specially the Etsi of His love passeth all For CHRIST by deed enrolled hath sett over his love to them Which is that that setteth such a price upon them and maketh them so amiable if not in their owne kindnesse and lovelinesse yet in the love of CHRIST himselfe And it is the answer Psal. 132.4 Exod. 18.14.18 c. that David when he loseth his sleepe to thinke upon the people of GOD that Moses when he wearieth himselfe in hearing causes from morning to night that Iosua when he fighteth the Lord's battells and jeopards his life in the high places of the field that any that weares and spends himselfe in the common cause may make as well as Saint Paul Why it is pro animabus it is for soules for safegard of soules those soules which CHRIST hath so dearely loved and so deerely bought and to our love so carefully commended Sicut ego vos as He did or ever shall doe for us that we doe for them Whereto if not the soules themselves for the most part vnthankfull yet this motive of love of CHRIST 's love doth in a manner violently constreine us For though nothing is lesse violent in the manner yet in the worke nothing worketh more violent then it I conclude then with Saint Bernard's demaund Quae vero utilitas in sermone hoc What use have we of all that hath been said The Application For he that wrott it is dead and they to whom it was written are gone But the Scripture still remaineth and we are to take good by it It serveth first to possesse our soules of that excellent vertue Major horum the greatest of the three Nay the vertue without which the rest be but ciphers the vertue that shineth brightest in CHRIST 's example and standeth highest in His commendation 1. Cor. 13.13 Love But Love the action of vertue not the passion of vice Love not of the body the vile body So the HOLY GHOST termeth it Phi. 3. but of the soule
are all sights So that know this and know all This generally 2 The Obiect specially 1. The Passion it selfe Quid. Now specially In the Obiect two things offer themselves 1 The Passion or suffering it selfe which was to be pierced 2 And the Persons by whom For if the Prophet had not intended the Persons should have had their respect too he might have said Respicient in Eum qui transfixus est which Passive would have carried the Passion it selfe full enough but so he would not but rather chose to say Quem transfixerunt which doth necessarily imply the Piercers themselves too So that we must needs have an eye in the handling both to the fact and to the persons 1 Quid and 2 quibus both what and of whom 1. The Degree thereof Transfixerunt In the Passion we first consider the degree for transfixerunt is a word of gradation more then fixerunt or suffixerunt or confixerunt either Expressing unto us the piercing not with whipps and scourges nor of the neiles and thornes but of the speare-point Not the whipps and scourges wherwith His skin and flesh were pierced nor the nailes and thorns wherewith his feet hands and head were pierced but the Speare-point which pierced and went through his very heart it selfe for of that wound of the wound in his heart is this spoken Io. 19.34 Therefore trans is heer a transcendent through and through through skin and flesh through hands and feet through side and heart and all the deadliest and deepest wound and of highest gradation 2. The Extent Me. Secondly as the Preposition Trans hath his gradation of divers degrees so the Pronoune Me hath his generality of divers parts best expressed in the Originall Vpon Me not upon my body and soule Vpon Me whose Person not whose parts either body without or soule within but Vpon Me whom wholly body and soule quicke and dead they have pierced 1. His 〈◊〉 Of the bodie 's piercing there can be no question since no part of it was left unpierced Our senses certifie us of that what need we further witnesse 2. His Soule Of the Soule 's too it is as certaine and there can be no doubt of it neither that we truly may affirme CHRIST not in part but wholly was piercâ—d For we should do injury to the sufferings of our Saviour if we should conceive by this piercing none other but that of the Speare And may a soule then be pierced Can any Speare-point go through it Truly Simeon â—aith to the Blessed Virgin by way of prophecie that the sworâ— should go through her soule Luâ— 2 35. at the time of His Passion And as the sword thrâ—uâ—h hâ—r 's so I make no question but the Speare through His. And if through her's which was but anima compatientis through His much more which was anima patientis since Compassion is but Passion at rebound Howbeit it is not a sword of steele or a Speare-head of iron that entreth the soule but a metall of another temper the dint whereof no lesse goreth and woundeth the soule in proportion then those doe the body So that we extend this piercing of CHRIST further then to the visible gash in His side even to a piercing of another nature whereby not His heart onely was stabbed but his very spirit wounded too The Scripture recounteth two and of them both expressly saith that they both pierce the soule The Apostle saith it by Sorrow 1. Tim. 6.10 And pierced themselves through with many sorrowes The Prophet of Reproach Psal. 64.34 There are whose words are like the pricking of a sword and that to the soule both for the body feeles neither With these even with both these was the Soule of CHRIST IESVS wounded For sorrow it is plaine through all foure Evangelists With Sorrow * Matt. 26.38 Mar. 14.34 undique tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem My soule is invironed on every side with sorrow even to the death a Mar. 14.33 Coepit IESVS taedere pavere IESVS began to be distressed and in great anguish b Luc. 22.44 Factus in agoniâ being cast into an agonie c Ioh. 12.27 Iam turbata est anima mea Now is my soule troubled Avowed by them all Confest by Himselfe Yea that His strange and never els heard of sweat dropps of bloud plenteously issuing from Him all over his body what time no manner of violence was offered to his body no man then touching him none being neere him that bloud came certainly from some great sorrow wherewith his soule was pierced And that his most dreadfull crie which at once moved all the powers of heaven and earth My God My God c was the voice of some mighty Anguish Matt 27.46 wherewith His soule was smitten and that in other sort then with any materiall speare For Derelinqui à Deo the body cannot feele it or tell what it meaneth It is the soule 's complaint and therefore without all doubt His soule within him was pierced and suffered though not that which except charity be allowed to expound it cannot be spoken without blasphemy Not so much GOD forbid yet much and very much and much more then others seeme to allow or how much it is dangerous to define To this edge of sorrow if the other of piercing despight With Reproach be added as a point as added it was it will strike deepe into any heart especially being wounded with so many sorrowes before But the more noble the heart the deeper Who beareth any griefe more easily then this griefe the griefe of a contumelious reproach To persecute a poore distressed soule Psal. 69 26. and to seeke to vexe him that is already wounded at the heart why it is the verie pitch of all wickednesse the verie extremity that malice can doe or affliction can suffer And to this pitch were they come when after all their wretched villanies and spitting and all their savage indignities in reviling Him most opprobriously He being in the depth of all his distresse and for verie anguish of soule crying Eli Eli c they stayed those that would have relieved Him and void of all humanity then scorned saying stay let alone let us see if ELIAS will now come take him downe Matt. 27.49 This barbarous and brâ—tish inâ—â—mâ—nitie of theirs must needs pierce deeper into his soule then ever did the iron into his side To all which if we yet add not onely that horrible ingratitude of theirs there by him seen but ours also no less then theirs by him foreseen at the same time Who make so slender reckoning of these his piercings and as they were a matter not worth the looking on vouchsafe not so much as to spend an houre in the due regard and meditation of them Nay not that onely but further by uncessant sinning and that without remorse do most unkindly requite those His bitter Paines
and as much as in us lies Heb. 6.6 even crucifie afresh the SONNE OF GOD making a mocke of Him and His piercings These I say for these all and every of them in that instant were before his eyes must of force enter into and go thorow and thorow his Soule and Spirit that what with those former sorrowes and what with these after indignities the Prophet might truly say of Him and he of himselfe In Me Vpon Me not whose body or whose soule but whom entirely and wholly both in body and soule alive and dead they have pierced and passioned this day on the Crosse. 2. The Person à quibus Of the Persons which as it is necessarily implied in the word is very properly incident to the matter it selfe For it is usuall when one is found slaine as heere to make inquirie by whom he came by his death Which so much the rather is to be done by us because there is commonly an error in the world touching the Parties that were the causes of CHRIST 's death Our manner is either to lay it on the Souldiers that were the Instruments Or if not upon them upon Pilate and Iudge that gave sentence Or if not upon him upon the people that importuned the Iudge Or lastly if not upon them upon the Elders of the Iewes that animated the People And this is all to be found by our Quest of Inquirie But the Prophet heere inditeth others For by saying They shall looke c whom They have pierced he entendeth by very construction that the first and second They are not two but one and the same Parties And that they that are here willed to looke upon him are they and none other that were the authors of this fact even of the murther of IESVS CHRIST And to say truth the Prophet's entent is no other but to bring the malefactors themselves that pierced Him to view the body and the wounded heart of Him whom they have so pierced In the course of Iustice we say and say truly when a party is put to death that the Executioner cannot be said to be the cause of his death nor the Sherif by whose commandement he doth it neither yet the Iudge by whose sentence nor the Twelve men by whose verdict nor the Lawe it selfe by whose authoritie it is proceeded in For GOD forbid we should endite these or any of these of murther Solum peccatum homicida Sinne and Sinne onely is the murtherer Sinne I say either of the Party that suffereth or of some other by whose meanes or for whose cause he is put to death Now CHRIST 's owne sinne it was not that he died for That is most evident Not so much by His owne challenge Ioh. 8·46 Quis ex vobis a guit me de peccato as by the report of his Iudge who openly professed that he had examined Him and found no fault in Him No nor yet Herod for Luc. 23.14 15. being sent to him and examined by him also nothing worthy death was found in Him And therefore calling for water and washing his hands Matt. 27.24 he protesteth his owne innocencie of the bloud of this IVST MAN Thereby pronouncing him Iust and void of any cause in himselfe of his owne death It must then necessarily be the sinne of some others for whose sake CHRIST IESVS was thus pierced And if we aske who those others be or whose sinnes they were the Prophet Esai tells us Esa. 53.3 4. Posuit super Eum iniquitates omnium nostrûm He laid upon Him the transgressions of us all who should even for those our many great and grievous transgressions have eternally been pierced in bodie and soule with torment and sorrowes of a never dying death had not he stept between us and the blow and receiv'd it in his owne body even the dint of the wrath of GOD to come upon us So that it was the sinne of our polluted hands that pierced his hands the swiftnesse of our feet to do evill that nailed His feet the wicked devises of our Heads that gored his head and the wretched desires of our hearts that pierced his heart We that looke upon it is we that pierced Him and it is we that pierced Him that are willed to looke upon Him Which bringeth it home to us to me my selfe that speake and to you your selves that heare and applieth it most effectually to every one of us who evidently seeing that we were the cause of this his piercing if our hearts be not too too hard ought to have remorse to be pierced with it When for delivering to DAVID a few loaves Ahimelech and the Priests were by Saul put to the sword if David did then acknowledge with griefe of heart and say I 1. Sam. 22.22 even I am the cause of the death of thâ— Father anâ— all his house when he was but onely the occasion of it and not that direct neither may not we nay ought not we much more juâ—â—ly and deservedly say of this piercing of CHRIST our Saviour that we verily even we are the cause thereof as verily we are even the principalls in this murther and the Iewes and others on whom we seeke to derive it but onely accessaries and instrumentall causes thereof Which point we ought as continually so seriously to thiâ—k of and that no lesse then the former The former to stirre up compassion in our selves over him that thus was pierced the latter to worke deâ—pâ— remorse in our hearts for being authors of it That he was pierced will make our bowells melt with compassion over CHRIST That he was pierced by us â—hat looke on Him if our hearts be not flint as Iob saith or as the nether mil-stone Iob. 41.15 will breed remorse over our selves wretched sinners as we are II. The Act. To looke upon Him The Act followeth in these words Respicient in Eum. A request most reasonable to looke upon Him but to looke upon Him to bestow but a looke and nothing els which even of common humanitie we cannot denie Quia non aspicere despicere est It argueth great contempt not to vouchsafe it the cast of our eye as if it were an Obiect utterly unworthy the looking toward Truely if we marke it well nature it selfe of it selfe enclineth to this act When Amasa treacherously was slaine by Ioab and lay weltring in his blood by the waies side the storie saith that not one of the whole Armie then marching by but when he came at him 2. Sam. 22.12 stood still and looked on him In the Gospell the party that going from Ierusalem to Iericho vvas spoiled and wounded and lay drawing on though the Priest and Levite that passed neere the place relieved him not as the Samaritan after did yet it is said of them Luc. 31 32. they went neere and looked on and then passed on their way Which desire is even naturall in us so that even Nature it selfe enclineth us to
Sorrow That which we are called to behold and consider is his Sorrow And Sorrow is a thing which of it selfe Nature enclineth us to behold as being our selves in the body Heb. 13.3 which may be one day in the like sorrowfull case Therefore will every good eye turne it selfe and looke upon them that lie in distresse 1. Bâ—hold Luc. 10.32 Those two in the Gospell that passed by the wounded man before they passed by him though they helped him not as the Samaritane did yet they looked upon him as he lay But this party here lieth not Ioh. 3 14. he is lift up as the Serpent in the wildernesse that unlesse we turne our eyes away purposely we can neither will nor choose but behold him Act. 1.11 But because to Behold and not to consider is but to gaze and gazing the Angeâ— blameth in the Apostles themselves we must do both both Behold and Consider 2. Consider looke upon with the eye of the body that is Behold and looke into with the eye of the mind that is Consider So saith the Prophet here And the verie same doth the Apostle advise us to do First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to looke upon him that is Heb 12 23. to Behold and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke upon him that is to Consider his Sorrow Sorrow sure would be considered The quality If ever the lâ—ke Now then because as the qualitie of the Sorrow is accordingly it would be considered for if it be but a common sorrow the lesse will serve but if it be some speciall some very heavy case the more would be allowed it for proportionably with the suffering the consideration is to arise To raise our consideration to the full and to elevate it to the highest point there is upon his Sorrow set a Si fuerit sicut a note of highest eminency for Si fuerit sicut are words that have life in them and are able to quicken our consideration if it be not quite dead For by them we are provoked as it were to Consider and considering to see whether ever any Sicut may be found to set by it whether ever any like it For if never any Our nature is to regard things exceeding rare and strange and such as the like whereof is not else to be seene Vpon this point then there is a Case made as if he should say If ever the like Regard not this but if never any be like your selves in other things and vouchsafe this if not your chiefest yet some Regard To enter this Comparison and to shew it for such That are we to do In the three parts of his Sorrow three sundry waies For three sundry waies in three sundry words are these Sufferings of his here expressed all three within the compasse of the Verse The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac-ob which we read Sorrow taken from a wound or stripe as all do agree The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gholel we reade Done to me taken from a word that signifieth Melting in a fornace as S. Hierome noteth out of the Chaldee who so translateth it The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoga where we read Afflicted from a word which importeth Renting off or Bereaving The old Latine turneth it Vindemiavit me as a Vine whose fruit is all plucked off The Greeke with Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Vine or tree whose leaves are all beaten off and it left naked and bare In these three are comprized His Sufferings Wounded Melted and Bereft leafe and fruit that is all manner of comfort Of all that is poenall or can be suffered the common division is 1 Of the quâ—litie Fâ—rst of his Passion Sensus Damni Griefe for that we feele or for that we forgoe For that we feele in the two former Wounded in body Melted in soule for that we forgoe in the last Bereft all left neither fruit nor so much as a leafe to hang on him According to these three To consider his Sufferings 1. Poe na seâ—sus in the bodie and to begin first with the first The paines of his Body his wounds and his stripes Our verie eye will soone tell us no place was left in his Bodie where he might be smitten and was not His skin and flesh rent with the whips and scourges His hands and feet wounded with the miles His head with the thornes His very heart with the speare-point all his senses all his parts loden with whatsoeuer wit or malice could invent His blessed Body given as an Anvile to be beaten upon with the violent hands of those barbarous miscreants till they brought him into this case of Si fuerit sicut For Pilate's Ecce Homo his shewing him with an Ecce Ioâ— 19 5. as if he should say Behold looke if ever you saw the like ruefull spectacle This very shewing of his sheweth plainly he was then come into woful plight So wofull as Pilate verily believed his verie sight so pitifull as it would have moved the hardest heart of them all to have relented and said This is enough we desire no more And this for the wounds of his body for on this we stand not In this one peradventure some Sicut may be found 2. Poena sâ—nsus in the Soule in the paines of the bodie but in the second the Sorrow of the Soule I am sure none And indeed the paine of the Body is but the Body of paine the verie Soule of Sorrow and Paine is the Soule 's Sorrow and Paine Syra 15.57 Pro. 18.14 Give me any griefe save the griefe of the mind saith the Wise-man For saith Salomon the spirit of a man will sustaine all his other infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare And of this this of His soule I dare make a Case Si fuerit sicut Ioh 12.27 Luc 22.44 Mar. 14 35. Mat 26.38 He began to be troubled in Soule saith S. Iohn To be in an agonie saith S. Luke To be in anguish of mind and deepe distresse saith S. Marke To have his Soule round about on every side invironed with Sorrow that Sorrow to the death Here is trouble anguish agonie sorrow and deadly sorrow But it must be such as never the like So it was too The aestimate whereof we may take from the second word of Melting that is from his sweat in the Garden strange and the like whereof was never heard or seene Luc. 22.44 No manner violence offered him in body no man touching him or being neer him in a cold night for they were faine to have a fire within dores lying abroad in the aire and upon the cold earth to be all of a sweat and that sweat to be Blood and not as they call it Diaphoreticus a thin faint sweaâ— but Grumosus of great Drops and those so many so plenteous as they went through his apparell and all and through all
streamed to the ground and that in great abundance Read enquire and Consider Si fuerit sudor sicut sudor iste If ever there were sweat like this sweat of his Never the like Sweat certainly and therefore never the like Sorrow Our translation is Done unto me but we said the word properly signifieth and so S. Hierome and the Chaldee Paraphrast read it Mâ—lted me And truly it should seeme by this fearfull sweat of his he was neere some fornace the feeling whereof was hable to cast him into that sweat and to turne his sweat into drops of blood And sure it was so For see even in the very next words of all to this verse he complaineth of it Ignem misit in ossibus meis Vers. 13. That a fire was sent into his bones which melted him and made that bloudy sweat to distill from him That houre what his feelings were it is dangerous to define we know them not we may be too bold to determine of them To very good purpose it was that the ancient Fathers of the Greek Church in their Liturgie after they have recounted all the particular Paines as theâ— are set downe in his Passion and by all and by every one of them called for mercie doe after all shut up all with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thine unknowne Sorâ—owes and sufferings felt by thee but not distinctly knowen by us have mercie upon us and save us Now though this suffice not nothing neer yet let it suffice the time being short for His paines of Body and Soule For those of the Body it may be some may have endured the like but the sorrowes of His Soule are unknowen sorrowes and for them none ever have ever have or ever shall suffer the like the like or neere the like in any degree And now to the third It was said before To be in distresse 3. Poena â—â—mni such distresse as this was and to finde none to comfort nay not so much as to regard him is all that can be said to make his sorrow a Non sicut Comfort is it by which in the midst of all our sorrowes we are Confortati that is strengthened and made the better able to beare them all out And who is there even the poorest creature among us but in some degree findeth some comfort or some regard at some bodies hands For if that be not left the state of that partie is here in the third word said to be like the tree whose leaves and whose fruit are all beaten off quite and it selfe left bare and naked both of the one and of the other And such was our SAVIOVR 's case in these his Sorrowes this day 1. Leaves that so as what is left the meanest of the sonnes of men was not left him Not a leafe Not a leafe Leaves I may well call all humane comforts regards whereof he was then left cleane desolate 1. His owne they among whom he had gone about all his life long healing them teaching them 1. Wâ—thered lâ—aves Ioh 18 40. and 19.15 â—at 27.25 Mar. 15.29.36 feeding them doing them all the good he could it is they that cry Not Him no but Barabbas rather away with Him His blood be upon us our children It is they that in the middest of his sorrowes shake their head at him and crie Ah thou wretch they that in his most disconsolate estate crie Eli Eli in most barbarous manner deride him and say Stay and you shall see Elias come presently and take Him downe And this was their Regard But these were but withered leaves They then 2. Green leaâ—es that on earth were neerest him of all the greenest leaves and likest to hang on and to give him some shade even of them some bought and sold him others denied and forswore him but all fell away and forsooke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret not a leafe left But leaves are but leaves and so are all earthly staies Fruiâ—t The fruit then the true fruit of the Vine indeed the true comfort in all heavinesse is De super from above is divine consolation But Vindemiavit me saith the Latine Text even that was in this his sorrow this day bereft him too And that was his most sorrowfull complaint of all others not that his friends upon earth but that his FATHER from Heaven had forsaken him that neither heaven nor earth yeelded him any regard but that between the passioned powers of his soule and whatsoever might any waies refresh him there was a Traverse drawne and he left in the estate of a weather-beaten tree all desolate and forlorne Evident too evident by that his most dreadful crie which at once moved all the powers in heaven and earth My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Mat 27.46 Weigh well thaâ— crie consider it well and tell me Si fuerit clamor sicut clamor iste if ever there were cry like that of his Never the like crie and therefore never the like sorrow It is strange very strange that of none of the Martyrs the like can be read who yet endured most exquisite paines in their Martyrdomes yet we see with what courage with what cheerfulnesse how even singing they are reported to have passed through their torments Will ye know the reason S. Augustine setteth it downe Martyres non eripuit sed nunquid deseruit He delivered not His Martyrs but did he forsake them He delivered not their bodies but he forsooke not their soules but distilled into them the dew of his heavenly comfort an abundant supply for all they could endure Not so here Vindemiavit me saith the Prophet Dereliquisti me saith he himselfe No comfort no supply at all Leo it is that first sayd it and all Antiquitie allow of it Non solâ—itunionem sed subtraxit visionem The union was not dissolved True but the beames the influence was restrained and for any comfort from thence his Soule was euen as a scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of dew of divine comfort as a naked tree no fruit to refresh him within no leafe to give him shadow without The power of darknesse let loose to afflict him The influence of comfort restrained to relieve him It is a Non sicut this it cannot be expressed as it should and as other things may in silence we may admire it but all our words will not reach it And though to draw it so farr as some do is little better then blasphemy Yet on the otherside to shrinke it so short as other some do cannot be but with derogation to his love Who to kindle our love and loving Regard would come to a Non sicut in his suffering For so it was and so we must allow it to be This in respect of his Passion Dolor 〈◊〉 of the quality of 〈◊〉 Now in respect of his Person Dolor meus Wherof if it please you to take a view even of the Person
him the person of others and so doing Iustice may have her course and proceed Pitie it is to see a man pay that he never took but if he will become a Surety if he will take on him the person of the Debtor so he must Pitie to see a silly poore Lamb lie bleeding to death but if it must be a sacrifice such is the nature of a sacrifice so it must And so CHRIST though without sin in himselfe yet as a Surety as a Sacrifice may justly suffer for others if he will take upon him their persons and so GOD may iustly give way to his wrath against him Ours And who be those others The Prophet Esay telleth us and telleth it us seven times over for failing Esa. 53.4 5 6. He took upon Him our infirmities and bare our maladies He was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes were we healed All we as sheepe were gone astray and turned every man to his owne way and the LORD hath layd upon him the iniquity of us all All all even those that passe to and fro and for all this regard neither him nor his Passion The short is It was we that for our sinnes our many great and grievous sinnes Si fuerit sicut the like whereof never were should have swet this Sweat and have cried this Crie should have been smitten with these sorrowes by the fierce wrath of GOD had not he stept between the blow and us and latched it in his owne body and soule even the dint of the fiercenesse of the wrath of GOD. O the Non sicut of our sinnes that could not otherwise be answered To returne then a true verdict It is we we wretched sinners that we are that are to be found the principalls in this act and those on whom we seeke to shift it to derive it from our selves Pilate and Caiaphas and the rest but instrumentall causes only And it is not the executioner that killeth the man properly that is They No nor the Iudge which is GOD in this case Onely sinne Solum peccatum homicida est Sinne only is the murtherer to say the truth and our sinnes the murtherers of the SONNE of GOD and the Non sicut of them the true cause of the Non sicut both of GOD 's wrath and of his sorrowfull sufferings VVhich bringeth home this our text to us even into our owne bosomes and applieth it most effectually to me that speake and to you that heare to every one of us and that with the Prophet Nathan's application Tu es homo Thou art the Man even thou 2 Sam. 12.7 for whom GOD in his fierce wrath thus afflicted him Sinne then was the cause on our part Why we or some other for us But yet what was the cause why He on his part what was that Love of us that moved him thus to become our Surety and to take upon him our debt and danger that moved him thus to lay downe his Soule a sacrifice for our sinne Sure Oblatus est quia voluit saith Esay again Esa. 53 7. Offered he was for no other cause but because he would For unlesse he would he needed not Needed not for any necessity of Iustice for no Lamb was ever more innocent Nor for any necessity of constraint For twelve Legions of Angells were ready at his command but because he would And why would he No reason can be given but because he regarded us Marke that reason And what were we Verily utterly unworthy even his least regard not worth the taking up not worth the looking after Cum inimici essemus saith the Apostle we were his enemies Rom. 5.8 when he did it without all desert before and without all regard after he had done and suffered all this for us and yet he would Regard us that so little regard him For when he saw us a sort of forlorne sinners Non priùs natos quam damnatos Damned as fast as borne Eph. 2.3 as being by nature children of wrath and yet still heaping up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2 5. by the errors of our life till the time of our passing hence and then the fierce wrath of GOD ready to overwhelme us and to make us endure the terror and torments of a never-dying death another Non sicut yet When I say he saw us in this case he was moved with compassion over us and undertooke all this for us Even then in his love he regarded us and so regarded us that he regarded not himselfe to regard us Bernard saith most truly Dilexisti me Domine magis quà mte quando mori voluisti pro me In suffering all this for us thou shewedst LORD that we were more deare to thee that thou regardest us more then thine owne selfe And shall this Regard finde no regard at our hands It was Sinne then and the hainousnesse of sinn in us that provoked wrath and the fiercenesse of his wrath in GOD It was love and the greatnesse of his love in CHRIST that caused him to suffer the Sorrowes and the grieuousnes of these Sorrowes and all for our sakes And indeed but only to testifie the Non sicut of this his Love all this needed not that was done to him One any one even the very least of all the paines he endured had been enough enough in respect of the Meus enough in respect of the Non sicut of his Person For that which setteth the high price on this Sacrifice is this That he which offereth it unto GOD is GOD. But if little had been suffered little would the Love have been thought that suffered so little and as little regard would have been had of it To awake our regard then or to leave us excuselesse if we continue regardlesse all this he bare for us that he might as truely make a Case of Si fuerit Amor sicut Amor meus as he did before of Si fuerit Dolor sicut Dolor meus We say we will regard Love if we will heere it is to regard So have we the Causes all three 1 Wrath in GOD 2 Sinne in our selves 3 Love in Him Our Benefit by it Pertaines it not to us Yet have we not all we should For what of all this What good Cui bono That that is it indeed that we will regard if any thing as being matter of Benefit the only thing in a manner the world regardeth which bringeth us about to the very first words againe For the very first words which we reade Have ye no regard are in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lo alechem which the Seventy turne word for word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine likewise Nonne ad vos pertinet Pertaines it not to you that you regard it no better For these two Pertaining and Regarding are folded one in another and goe together so commonly as one is
taken often for the other Then to be sure to bring us to Regard He urgeth this Pertaines not all this to you Is it not for your good Is not the benefit yours Matters of benefit they pertaine to you and vvithout them LOVE and all the rest may pertaine to whom they will Consider then the inestimable benefit that groweth unto you from this incomparable Love It is not impertinent this Even this That to us hereby all is turned about cleane contrary That by his Stripes we are healed by his sweat we refreshed By his forsaking we received to Grace That this day to him 2. Cor. 6.2 the day of the fiercenesse of GOD 's wrath is to us the Day of the fulnesse of GOD 's favour as the Apostle calleth it A Day of Salvation In respect of that he suffered I deny not an evill day a day of heavinesse But in respect of that which he by it hath obtained for us It is as we truly call it A good Day a day of ioy and Iubilee For it doth not only ridd us of that wrath which pertained to us for our sinnes but further it maketh that pertaine to us whereto we had no manner of right at all For not onely by his death as by the death of our sacrifice by the blood of his Crosse as by the blood of the Paschal Lambe Exod. 12 1â— the Destroier passeth over us and we shall not perish But also by his death as by the death of our High Priest for he is Priest and Sacrifice both we are restored from our exile Nam 15.28 even to our former forfeited estate in the land of Promise Or rather as the Apostle saith Non sicut delictum sic donum Rom 8.15 Not to the same estate but to one nothing like it that is One far better then the estate our sinnes bereft us For they deprived us of Paradise a place on earth but by the purchase of his blood we are entitled to a farre higher even the Kingdome of Heaven And his blood not only the blood of Remission to acquite us of our sinnes Mat. 26.28 but the blood of the Testament too to bequeath us and give us estate in that heavenly inheritance Now whatsoever els this I am sure is a Non sicut as that which the eye by all it can see the eare by all it can heare the heart by all it can conceive cannot patterne it or set the like by it Pertaines not this unto us neither Is not this worth the regard Sure if any thing be worthy the regard this is most worthy of our very worthiest and best regard Thus have we considered and seene The recapitulation of all not so much as in this sight we might or should but as much as the time will give us leave And now lay all these before you every one of them a Non sicut of it selfe the paines of his body esteemed by Pilate's Ecce the sorrowes of his Soule by his sweat in the Garden the comfortlesse estate of his sorrowes by his crie on the Crosse And with these his Person as being the SONNE of the great and ETERNALL GOD. Then ioyne to these the Cause In GOD his fierce wrath In us our hainous sinnes deserving it In him his exceeding great Love both suffering that for us which we had deserved and procuring for us that we could never deserve Making that to appertaine to himselfe which of right pertained to us and making that pertaine to us which pertained to him onely and not to us at all but by his meanes alone And after their view in severall lay them all together so many Non sicut's into one and tell me if his Complaint be not just and his request most reasonable The complâ—int The matâ—eâ— juâ—t Yes sure his Complaint is just Have ye no regard None and yet never the like None and it pertaines unto you No regard As if it were some common ordinary matter and the like never was No regard As if it concern'd you not a whit and it toucheth you so neere As if he should say Rare things you regard yea though they no waies pertaine to you this is exceeding rare and will you not regard it Againe things that neerely touch you you regard though they be not rare at all this toucheth you exceeding neere even as neere as your soule toucheth you and will you not yet regard it Will neither of these by it selfe move you Will not both these together move you What will move you Will Pitie Heer is Distresse never the like Will Dutie Heer is a Person never the like Will Feare Heer is Wrath never the like Will Remorse Heer are sinnes never the like Will Kindnesse Heer is Love never the like Will bounty Heer are Benefits never the like Will all these Heer they be all all above any Sicut all in the highest degree The manner eaâ—nest Truely the Complaint is just it may move us it wanteth no reason it may move and it wanteth no affection in the delivery of it to us on his part to move us Sure it moved him exceeding much For among all the deadly sorrowes of his most bitter Passion this eâ—en this seemeth to be his greatest of all and that which did most affect him even the griefe of the slender reckoning most men have it in as little respecting him as if he had done or suffered nothing at all for them For lo of all the sharpe paines he endureth he complaineth not but of this he complaineth of No regard That which grieveth him most that which most he moaneth is this It is strange he should be in paines such paines as never any was and not complaine himselfe of them But of want of regard only Strange he should not make request O deliver me or Relieve me But only O consider and regard me In effect as if he said None no deliverance no reliefe do I seeke Regard I seeke And all that I suffer I am content with it I regard it not I suffer most willingly if this I maâ— finde at your hands Regard The 〈…〉 of â—t Tâ—uly This so passionate a Complaint may move us it moved all but us For most strange of all it is that all the Creatures in heaven and earth seemed to heare this his mournfull Complaint and in their kind to shew their regard of it The Sunne in heaven shrinking in his light the earth trembling under it the very stones cleaving in sunder as if they had sense and Sympathy of it and sinfull men only not moved with it And yet it was not for the Creaâ—ures this was done to Him to them it pertaineth not But for us it was and to us it doth and shall we not yet râ—gard it Shall the Creature and not we Shall we not If we doe not it may appertaine to us but we pertaine not to it The benefit if· It pertaines to all but all pertaine not to it
too And so go to Persons there he is f Apoc. 1.17 Primus and novissimus the first and the last And from Persons to Things and there he is the g Apoc. 1.8 Beginning and the end whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Author and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h Colos. 1.16 the end is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Finisher The first beginning à quo he by whom all things are made and the last end he Per or propter quem by for or through whom all things are made perfect Both these He is in all things And as in all things else so in faith whereto they are heer applied most fully and fitly of all other Therefore looke not aside at any in heaven or earth for matter of Faith looke full upon Him He is worth the looking on with both your eyes He hath matter for them both The honor that Zorobabel had in the materiall is no lesse truly His in the Spirituall Temple of our faith Zac. 4.9 Manus Ejus His hands have laid the corner stone of our beliefe and his hands shall bring forth the head-stone also giving us the end of our faith which is the Salvation of our Soules Of our faith and of the whole race of it he is the Author casting up his glove at the first setting forth He is the Finisher holding out the price at the gole end By his authoritie it is our course is begunn we runne not without warrant By his bounty it shall be finished and crowned in the end we runne not in vaine or without hope of reward But what is this title to the point in hand So as nothing can be more Author and Finisher they are the two points that move us to looke to Him And the very same are the two points wherein we are moved to be like to Him To fixe our eye to keepe it from straying to make us looke on him full He telleth us He is both these In effect as if he said scatter not your fight looke not two wayes as if He I shew you were to beginne and some other make an end He I shew you doth both His maine end being to exhort them as they had begunn well so well to persevere to very good purpose he willeth them to have an eye to Him and his example who first and last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the cratch to the Crosse from S. Luke's time a Act. 1.1 quo coepit IESVS facere docere that He began to doe and teach to b Ioh. 19.30 S. Iohn's time that he cried consummatum est gave them not over c Ioh 13.1 sed in finem usque dilexit eos but to the end loved them And so must they him if they doe him right Both sett out with him as Author by a good beginning and hold out with Him as Finisher to a farre better end and follow Him in both who is both Were He Author onely it would serve to stepp forth well at the first But he is Finisher too therefore we must hold out to the last And not rend one of them from the other seeing he requireth both not either but both and is indeed IESVS a SAVIOVR of none but those that follow him as Finisher too and are therefore marked in the d Iâ—â— 9.4 forehead with TAU the last letter of the Hebrew as he himselfe is OMEGA the last of the Greeke Alphabet This is the Party he commendeth to our view IESVS the Author and the Finisher of our faith For these two to looke upon Him and in these two to be like unto Him Our Sight then is IESVS and in IESVS what 1. Hiâ— Passion You have called us hither say they in the Canticles to see your Shullamite Cant 6.13 what shall we see in him What saith the Espouse but as the companie of an armie that is many legions of good sights an Ocean or bottomlesse depth of manifold high perfections We shall lose our selves we shall be confounded to see in him all that may be shewed us the Object is too great Two peeces therefore he maketh choise of and but two and presenteth him to our eye in two formes onely 1 As hanging on the Crosse 2 As sitting on the throne 1 His Passion and 2 his Session these two And these two with very good and perfect correspondence to the two former By the Crosse He is Author By the Throne he is Finisher of our faith As Man on the Crosse Authour As GOD on the Throne Finisher Author on the Crosse there he paid the price of our admitting Finisher on the throne there he is the prize to us of our course well performed of the well finishing our race the race of our faith And sure with right high wisedome hath the HOLY GHOST being to exhort us to a race combined these twaine For in these twaine are comprised the two maine motives that set all the world on running 1 Love and 2 Hope The Love he hath to us in his Passion on the Crosse. The Hope we have of Him in His Session on the Throne Either of these alone able to move but put them togither and they will move us or nothing will 1. The Motives thereto 2 Love 1. Love first What moveth the Mother to all the travaile and toyle shee taketh with her Child Shee hopes for nothing shee is in yeares suppose she shall not live to receive any benefit by it It is love and love only Love first 2 Hope 2. And then hope What moveth the Merchant so the Husband-man and so the Military-man and so all the rest All the sharpe showres and stormes they endure they love them not It is hope and hope onely of a rich returne If either of these will serve us will prevaile to move us heer it is Heer is Love Eph. 5.2 Love in the Crosse Who loved us and gave himselfe for us a sacrifice on the Crosse. Apoc. 3.21 Heer is Hope hope in the Throne To Him that overcommeth will I give to sit with me in my throne If our eye be a Mother's eye heer is Love worth the looking on If our eye be a Merchant's eye heer is hope worth the looking after I know it is true that verus amor vires non sumit de spe It is Bernard Love if it be true indeed as in the Mother receiveth no manner strength from hope Ours is not such but faint and feeble and full of imperfection Heer is hope therefore to strengthen our weake knees that we may runne the more readily to the high price of our calling 2 Whaâ— be suffered To beginn then with his Love the love of his Passion the peculiar of this day In it we first look to what he suffered and that is of two sorts 1 The Crosse he indured 2 The shame he despised 3 And then with what mind for the
togither holding up but the armes at length I have heard it avowed of some that have felt it to be a paine scarse credible But the hands and the feet being so cruelly nailed parts of all other most sensible by reason of the texture of sinnews there in them most it could not but make His paine out of measure painfull It was not for nothing that dolores acerrimi dicuntur cruciatus saith the Heathen man that the most sharpe and bitter paines of all other have their name from hence and are called Cruciatus paines like those of the Crosse. It had a meaning that they gave Him that He had for his welcome to the Crosse a cup mixt with gall or myrrhe and for His farewell a spoonge of vinegar to shew by the one the bitternesse by the other the sharpnesse of the paines of this painfull death Now in paine we know the only comfort of gravis is brevis if we be in it to be quickly out of it This the Crosse hath not but is mors prolixa a death of dimensions a death long in dying And it was therefore purposely chosen by them Blasphemie they condemned Him of then was He to be stoned That death would have dispatched him too soone They indited him anew of Sedition not as of a worse fault but only because crucifying belonged to it For then He must be whipped first and that liked them well and then he must dye by inch-meale not swallow his death at once Chap. 2.9 but taste it as Chap. 2.9 and take it downe by little and little And then he must have his legges and armes broken and so was their meaning his should have been Els I would gladly know to what purpose provided they to have a Vessell of vinegar ready in the place Ioh. 19.29 but onely that he might not faint with losse of blood but be kept alive till they might heare his bones crash under the breaking and so feed their eyes with that spectacle also The providence of GOD indeede prevented this last act of cruelty Their will was good though All these paines are in the Crosse but to this last specially the word in the Text hath reference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is He must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tarrie stay abide under it So dye that he might feele himselfe dye and endure the paines of an enduring death And yet all this is but halfe and the lesser halfe by farre of Cruciatus crucis All this His body endured was his soule free the while No but suffered as much As much nay more infinitely much more on the spirituall then his body did on the materiall Crosse. For a spirituall Crosse there was too all grant a Crosse beside that which Simeon of Cyren did helpe him to beare Great were those paines and this time too little to shew how great but so great that in all the former he never shrunk nor once complained but was as if he scarce felt them But when these came they made him complaine and crie aloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong crying Heb. 5.7 In all those no blood came but where passages were made for it to come out by but in this it strained out all over even at all places at once This was the paine of the Presse so the Prophet calleth it Torcular wherewith Esa. 61.2.1 as if he had been in the wine-presse all his garments were stained and goared with blood Certainly the blood of Gethsemane was another manner of blood then that of Gabbatha or that of Golgotha either and that was the blood of his internall Crosse. Of the three Passions that was the hardest to endure yet that did he endure too It is that which beliefe it selfe doth wonder how it doth beleeve save that it knoweth as well the Love as the Power of GOD to be without bounds and his wisedome as able to find how through love it might be humbled as exalted through power beyond the uttermost that mans witt can comprehend b The Shame And this is the Crosse He endured And if all this might have been endured salvo honore without shame or disgrace it had been so much the lesse But now there is a further matter yet to be added and that is shame It is hard to say of these two which is the harder to beare which is the greater Crosse the crosse or shame Or rather it is not hard There is no meane party in miserie but if he be insulted on his being insulted on more grieves him then doth the misery it selfe But to the noble generous nature to whom Interesse honoris est majus omni alio interesse the value of his honour is above all value to him the Crosse is not the Crosse shame is the Crosse. And any high and heröicall Spirit beareth any griefe more easily then the griefe of contemptuous and contumelious usage 1. Sam. 31 4. King Saul shewed it plainly who chose rather to runne upon his owne sword then to fall into the hands of the Philistines who he knew would use him with skorne Iud. 16.25.30 as they had done Sampson before him And even he Sampson too rather then sit downe between the pillars and endure this pulled down house and all as well upon his owne head as theirs that so abused him Shame then is certainly the worse of the twaine Now in his death it is not easie to define whether paine or shame had the upper hand whether greater Cruciatus or scandalum Crucis Was it not a foule disgrace and scandall to offer him the shame of that servile base punishment of the whip not to be offered to any but to slaves and bond-men Loris liber sum saith he in the Comaedie in great disdeigne as if being free-borne he held it great skorne to have that once named to him Yet shame of being put out of the number of free-borne men Phil. 2.7 he despised even the shame of being in formâ servi That that is servile may yet be honest Then was it not yet a more foule disgrace and scandall indeed to appoint him for his death that dishonest that foule death the death of Malefactors and of the worst sort of them Morte turpissimâ as themselves termed it the most shamefull opprobrious death of all other that the persons are scandalous that suffer it To take Him as a thiefe to hang Him between two thieves nay to count him worse then the worst thiefe in the Gaole to say and to crie Vivat Barabbas pereat CHRISTVS Save Barabbas and hang CHRIST Yet this shame He despised too of being in formâ malefici If base if dishonest let these two serve use him not disgracefully make him not a ridiculum Capâ—â— poure not contempt upon him That did they too and a shame it is to see the shamefull cariage of themselves all along the whole Tragaedy of His Passion Was it a Tragaedie or a Passion trow A Passion it was yet by
be any joy compared with those he did forgoe or can any joy countervaile those barbarous usages he willingly went through It seemeth there can What joy might that be Sure none other but the joy He had to save us the joy of our salvation For what was his glorie or joy or crown of rejoicing was it not we Yes truly we were his crowne and his joy In comparison of this joy he exchanged those joyes and endured these paines this was the honey that sweetned his gall And no joy at all in it but this to be IESVS the SAVIOVR of a sort of poore sinners None but this and therefore pitie he should lose it And it is to be marked that though to be IESVS a SAVIOVR in proprietie of speech be rather a title an outward honour then an inward joy and so should have been prae honore rather then prae gaudio yet he expresseth it in the terme of joy rather then that of honour to shew it joyed him at the heart to save us and so as a speciall joy he accounted it Sure some such thing there was that made him so cheerfully say to his Father in the Psalme a Psal 40.7 Ecce venio Loe I come And to his Disciples in earth This this is the the Passeover that b Luc. 22.15 desiderio desideravi I have so longed for as it were embracing and even welcomming his death And which is more c Luc. 12.50 quomodo coarctor how am I pinched or streightned till I beat it as if He were in paine till he were in paine to deliver us Which jâ—y if ever he shewed in this he did that he went to his Passion with Palmes and with such triumph solemnity as he never admitted all his life before And that this his lowest estate one would thinke it he calleth his Exaltation Cum exaltatus fuero And when any would thinke Ioâ— 12 3â— he was most imperfect he esteemeth and so termeth it his highest peâ—fection Tertio die perficior In hoc est charitas heere is love If not heere where Luc. 13.32 But here it is and that in his highest elevation 1 〈◊〉 4 1â— That the joyes of Heaven sett on the one side and this poore joy of saving us on the other he quitt them to choose this That those paines and shames set before him and with them this joy he chose them rather then forgoe this Those joyes he forsooke and this he took up and to take it took upon him so many so strange indignities of both sorts took them and bare them with such a mind as he not only endured but despised Nor that neither but even joyed in the bearing of them and all to do us good So to alter the nature of things as to finde joy in death whereat all do mâ—urne and joy in shame which all do abhorre Eâ—od 3. is a wonder lâ—ke that of the bush This is the very life and soule of the Passion and all besides but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only the anatomie the carkasse without it II. The Act or Duetie So have we now the whole Object both what and with what mind And what is now to be done Shall we not pause a while and stay and looke upon this Theorie yet we goe any further Yes let us Proper to this day is this sight of the Crosse. The other of the throne may stay yet his time a day or two hence We are enjoined to looke upon him How can we seeing he is now higher then the Heavens farre out of our sight or from the kenning of any mortall eye Yes we may for all that As in the 27. of the Chapter next before MOSES is said to have seen Him that is invisible Not with the eyes of flesh so neither he did nor we can But as there it is by faith So he did and we may And what is more kindly to behold the Author of faith then faith or more kindly for faith to behold then her Author heer at first and her Finisher there at last Him to behold first and last and never to be satisfied with looking on Him who was content to buy us and our eye at so deare a rate Our eye then is the eye of our mind which is faith And our aspicientes in this and the recogitantes in the next Verse all one our looking to Him heere is our thinking on Him there On Him and His Passion over and over againe Donec totus fixus in corde qui totus fixus in Cruce till he be as fast fixed in our heart as ever he was to his crosse and some impression made in us of Him as there was in Him for us In this our looking then two acts be rising froÌ„ the two praepositions One before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking from the other after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking upon or into I. 1. Looking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from abstracting our eye from other Objects to looke hither sometime The praeposition is not idle nor the note but very needfull For naturally we put this spectacle farre from us and endure not either oft or long to behold it Other things there be please our eyes better and which we looke on with greater delight And we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke off of them or we shall never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke upon this aright We must in a sort worke force to our nature and per actum elicitum as they terme it in Schooles inhibite our eyes and even weyne them from other more pleasing spectacles that better like them or we shall do no good heer never make a true theorie of it I meane though our prospect into the world be good and we have both occasion and inclination to look thither oft yet ever and anon to have an eye this way to looke from them to him who when all these shall come to an end must be He that shall finish and consummate our faith and us and make perfect both Yea though the Saints be faire marks as at first I said yet even to look off from them hither and turne our eye to Him from all even from Saints and all But chiefly from the baits of sinne the concupiscence of our eyes the shadowes and shewes of vanity round about by which death entereth at out windowes which unlesse we can be got to look from this sight will do us no good we cannot look on both togither Now our theorie as it beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it endeth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Looking unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Therfore looke from it that looke to Him or as the word giveth it rather into him then to Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is into rather then to Which proveth plainly that the Passion is a peece of Perspective and that we must set our selves to
once That is that we not only dye to sinne and live to GOD but dye and live as He did that is once for all which is an utter abandoning once of sinn's dominion and a continuall constant persisting in a good course once begoon Sinn 's dominion it languisheth sometimes in us and falleth haply into a 〈◊〉 but it dyeth not quite once for all Grace lifteth up the eye and looketh up a little and giveth some signe of life but never perfectly reviveth O that â—nce we might come to this No more deaths no more resurrections but one that we might â—nce make an end of our daily continuall recidivations to which we are so subiect and once get past these pangs and qualmes of godlinesse this righteousnesse like the morning cloud which is all we performe that we might grow habituate in grace radicati fundati rooted and founded in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steddie Ephes. 3.17 1. Cor. 15. vlt. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never to be remooved that so we might enter into and passe a good accompt of this our Similiter vos â— The Discharge and meanes of it Iâ— Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus are we come to the foot of our accompt which is our Onus or Charge Now we must thinke of our discharge to goe about it which maketh the last words no lesse necessarie for us to consider then all the rest For what is it in us or can we by our owne power and vertue make up this accompt We cannot saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 3.5 nay we cannot saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make accompt of any thing no not so much as of a good thought toward it as of our selves If any thinke otherwise let him but prove his owne strength a little what he can do he shall be so confounded in it as he shall change his minde saith Saint Augustine and see plainely the Apostle had reason to shut up all with In Christo Iesu Domino nostro otherwise our accompt will sticke in our hands Verily to raise a soule from the death of sinne is harder farr harder then to raise a dead bodie out of the dust of death Saint Augustine hath long since defined it that Marie Magdalen's resurrection in soule from her long lying dead in sinne was a greater miracle then her brother Lazaru's resurrection that had lyen foure daies in his grave If Lazarus lay dead before us we would never assay to raise him our selves we know we cannot doe it If we cannot raise Lazarus that is the easier of the twaine we shall never Marie Magdalen which is the harder by farre out of Him or without Him that raised them both But as out of Christ or without Christ we can doe nothing toward this accompt Not accomplish or bring to perfection but not do not any great or notable summe of it Ioh. 15.5 but nothing at all as saith Saint Augustine upon Sine me nihil potestit facere So in Him and with Him enhabling us to it we can thinke good thoughts speake good words and doe good workes and dye to sinne and live to GOD and all Omnia possum saith the Apostle Phil. 4.13 And enable us He will and can as not onely having passed the resurrection but being the resurrection it selfe not onely had the effect of it in himselfe but being the cause of it to us So He saith himselfe I am the resurrection Ioh. 11.25 and the life the resurrection to them that are dead in sinne to raise them from it and the life to them that live vnto GOD to preserve them in it Where beside the two former 1 the Article of the resurrection which we are to know 2 and the Example of the resurrection which we are to be like we come to the notice of a third thing even a vertue or power flowing from Christ's resurrection whereby we are made able to expresse our Similiter vos and to passe this our accompt of dying to sinne and living to GOD. It is in plaine words called by the Apostle himselfe virtus resurrectionis Phil. 3.10 the vertue of CHRIST 's resurrection issuing from it to us and he praieth that as he had a faith of the former so he may have a feeling of this and as of them he had a contemplative so he may of this have an experimentall knowledge This enhabling vertue proceedeth from Christ's resurrection For never let us thinke that if in the daies of His flesh there went vertue out from even the verie edge of his garment Luk. 8.46 to doe great cures as in the case of the woman with the bloudie issue we reade but that from His owne selfe and from those two most principall and powerfull actions of His owne selfe his 1 death and 2 resurrection there issueth a divine power from His death a power working on the old man or flesh to mortifie it from His resurrection a power working on the new man the Spirit to quicken it A power hable to râ—ll backe any stone of an evill custome lye it never so heavy on us a power hable to drie up any issue though it have runne upon us twelve yeare long And this power is nothing els but that divine qualitie of grace which we receive from Him 2. Cor. 6.1 Receive it from Him we doe certainely onely let us pray and 〈◊〉 ouâ— selâ—es that we receive it not in vaine the Holy Ghost by waies to flesh 〈…〉 vnknowne inspiring it as a breath distilling it as a dew deriving it as a secret inflâ—ence into the soule For if Philosophie grant an invisible operation in us to the câ—lestiall bodies much better may we yeeld it to His aeternall Spirit whereby 〈◊〉 a vertue or breath may proceed from it and be received of us Which breath or Spirit is drawen in by Prayer and such other exercises of devotion on our parts and on GOD 's part breathed in by and with the Word well therefore termed by the Apostle the Word of grace And I may safely say it Act. 20.32 with good warrant from those words especially and chiefly which as He himselfe saith of them are Spirit and Life even those words which ioyned to the element Ioh. 6.63 make the blessed Sacrament There was good proofe made of it this day All the way did He preach to them even till they came to Emmaus and their hearts were whot within them which was a good signe but their eyes were not opened but at the breaking of bread Luk. 24.31 and then they were That is the best and surest sense we know and therefore most to be accompted of There we tast and there we see Tast and see how gratious the Lord is Psal. 34.8 1. Cor. 12.18 Heb 13.9 Heb 9.14 There we are made to drinke of the Spirit There our hearts are strengthened and stablished with grace There is the bloud which shall purge our consciences from dead
lift up their heads their redemption is at hand their full redemption then full Luc. 21.28 when both soule and body shall enioy the presence of GOD. And what we say of GOD 's worke the same we say of the soule 's desire 2. Reason It is not full neither without this Every man yea the Saints Saint Paul by name professeth all our desire Nolimus expoliari sâ—d supervestiri We would not be stripped of this flesh but be clothed with glorie immortall upon soule flâ—sh both which desire 2 Cor. 5.4 being both naturall and having with it the concurrence of God's Spirit cannot finally be disappointed I add further that it is agreeable not only to the perfection of His work 3. Reason but even to His iustice that Iob's flesh should be admitted upon the Septuagint's reason in the forepart of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it hath gone through ioyned in the good endured all the evill as well as the soule For God is not unrighteous Heb. 6.10 to deprive the laborer of his hire but with Him it is a righteous thing to reward them ioiâ—tly that have ioyntly done sâ—rvice and not sever them in the reward that in the labour were not severed But the flesh hath done her part either in good or evill her members have been members either waies In the good the flesh hath kneeled Rom. 6.13 prayâ—d watched fasted wasted and wearied it selfe to and for God In evill it hath done I need not tell you what and that to and for sinne Therefore even iustice would they should share in the reward of the good and in the evill take like part of the punishment This may serve for the flesh And sure the very same may be sayd and is no lesse strong for the third degree 3 In carne meâ c. In my owne flesh and with the same eyes as for the flesh and the eyes so that the same flesh should participate and the same eyes and no other for them No iustice one flesh should labour another reape that it never laboured for What comfort can it be for the poor body to abbridge it selfe of much pleasure and to devoure much tediousnesse and many afflictions and another strange body shall step up come between and carry away the reward Nay if these â—yes of Iob's have dropâ—en many a teare it is reason the teares be wip't from them not from another payre of new-made eyes If they have restrained themselves Chap. 16.20 even Chap. 31.1 by covenant from straying after obiects of lust it is meet they be rewarded with the view of a better obiect But to say true so should there be no resurrection indeed a rising up rather of a new then a rising againe of the old Iob should not rise againe this Iob but another new Iob in his place and stead Therefore is this point ever most stood on 1. Cor. 15.53 Ioh 2 19· of the rest Saint Paul not a corruptible or a mortall at large but Hoc this corruptâ—ble this mortall Yea our SAVIOVR Himselfe solvite Templum hâ—c this vâ—ry Temple and to shew it was that very one indeed it pleased Him to retaine the print both of the nayles speare And Iob most plaine of all using not onely the word His as it were pointing to it with his finger positivè but by adding this no other exclusivè too to expresse it the more fully above exception 4. Vidâ—bo â—â—hi I my selfe shall c. But now these all 1 seeing God and 2 in the flesh and 3 in the same flâ—sh all are as good as nothing without the fourth Videbo mihi a little word but not to be little regarded In the translation it is left out sometimes never in the treaty To see Him for our good els all the rest is little worth For all shall see Him and in the flesh and in the same flesh but all not sibi but many contra se not to their good all but many to their utter destruction This very word is it which draweth the Diameter between the resurrection of life the resurrection of condemnation the right hand and the left the sheepe and the goates They that see them sibi to them Esay Arise sing They that contra se Esay 26.19 of them Saint Iohn Videbunt plangent see they shall mourne Thoâ—e shall fly Apoc. 1 7. â—uc 17.37.23.30 as Eagles with all speed to the body These other draw back and shrinke into their graves creepe into the clifts holes to avoyd the sight cry to the hills to fall upon them hide them from that sight One shall rapi in occursum be caught up to meet 1 Thess. 4.17 Psal. 9.17 the other shall converti retrorsum be tumbled backward into hell with all the people that forget God So that this word is all in all which God after expounds Videbit faciem meam in iubilo with ioy iubilee shall he behold my face as a râ—deemer Chap 33.26 not as a revenger and as it followeth with hope and not with feare in his bosome And the very next point was it that revived him and in very deed the tenor of his speech so often iterating the same thing and dwelling so upon it sheweth as much Once had been enough I shall see God He comes over it againe and againe as if he felt some speciall comfort even by speaking it Three severall times he repeats this sâ—eing and three other his person I and I my selfe and I none other but I And as if he were not enough he reckons up three parts his skinne flesh eyes As if being once in he could not tell how to get out Blame him not it seemes he felt some ease of his paynes at least forgatt them all the while he was but talking It did so ravish him having begunn he knew not how to make an end III The twâ— Acts 〈◊〉 His â—â—â—wledge Thus much for the object Now to his Scio his knowledge first and then his Sperâ— his hope after For his knowledge there be foure things I would note out of foure words 1 His certainty out of Scio 2 His proprietie out of meus 3 His patient waiting out of Tandem 4 and His valour or constancie in non obstante Scio his certainty That he did not imagine or conceive it might be but knew it for certaine 1. His ceâ—tâ—inty Sâ—iâ— even for a principle Quis scit Who knowes saith one Eccl. 3.21 Who knâ—weth whither men dye as bâ—asts Quis scit Scio Who knowes I know saith Iob. Pâ—tasâ—ne saith he Chap. 14. Thinke you one that is dâ—ad may rise againe Thinke I know it saith Iob. It was res facta even this day to His Disciples It was res certa to him many hundred yeares before It is much to the praise of his faith so much was not found no not in Israël And
Benefit â— the Meanes â— the Feast it selfe and 4 the Duty of it all are recapitulate in this one word Passe-over The Summe of all is that we performe the duty that we so may partake of the benefit all is but to conclude us ad hoc Festum ad hoc epulam to the Feast and the feast of the Feast that we passe not them over This is all that Saint Paul heere pleades for and all that me Enough to let you see the Text in the feast and the feast in the Text in the Text the parts and the order of them 〈◊〉 a Passâ—â—ver I. The Antecedent 1 What is meant by Pascha * Exod. 12.26 Qua nam est haec Religio saith GOD shall be our question What is the meaning of this observance and what good is there in it For every Feast is in remembrance of some benefit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passing over it of it selfe a thing indifferent good or badd thereafter as that is which passeth over us or we over it For if any good over passe us we lose by it but if any danger we are the better Againe if we passe from better to worse it is a detrimâ—â—t But if from a worse case or place to a better it is a benefit And this is a benefit for heere is a Feast holden for it Then did some evill passe over us or we our selves passe over into some better state The Law must be our line to lead us all along this Text the Character of it is legall How was it there Evill passed them a destroying Angell Exod. 12.29 that slew the first borne in every house through Egypt but passed them over and touched them not And yet there was another They passed out of Egypt to the Land of promise over the Redd sea They passed it well as for Pharao and his host they perished in it Ye shall finde both these thus set downe together Heb. XI in the 28. verse the Destroyer did passe over them In the 29. verse they did passe over into Canaan The Egyptians perished in both had no Passeover GOD 's people had But what is this to us Heere is Pascha but where is Nostrum â— Our Passeover What it is We are not in Egypt no feare of our first borne heere is no destroying Angell And we are farre enough from the redd sea What then if our case fall out to be like if our danger as great And so it will Heere we live we call it a vale of miserie Psal. 84.6 in a world whereof Egypt is but a corner and was but a Type Nor their Pharao but a limme of the great Pharao that tyrannizeth heere in this world 2 We have every one a soule it is not our first borne it is more even Vnicam meam as the Psalmist calleth it the first and all that we have 3 It skills not for the Angell Psal. 22.10 GOD 's wrath is still readie to be revealed on our sinnes from that commeth all destruction The Angells doe but carrie the phialls of it 4 And death will match the Redd sea all must through it and some passe well Apoc. 16. but the most part perish Now then for Nostrum Our abode heere is as dangerous as theirs in Egypt as many destroyers yea as many Crocodiles too and therefore we need a Pascha to escape GOD 's wrath to have it passe over us heere And yet there rests another besides For how well we shall doe with that former I know not but to the later we must all come to death to the Redd-sea brinck and there either perish or passe well over one of the twaine Sure Pascha nostrum is not more then needs Pascha nobis opus est we need one a Passeover no lesse then they Nay I goe further Ours is such as theirs Theirs is nihil ad nostrum nothing to ours For what talke we of a deliverie of one poore Nation and that but from a bodily danger and but one neither Call ye that a Passeover How much more then ours the great and generall Passeover that freeth us that freeth all mankind from the totall destruction both of body and soule and that by an eternall deliverie both heere and for ever How to escape that GOD 's wrath ira ventura Matt. 3.7 that is the true Passeover And what mention we Canaan Is there any comparison between the two kingdomes of Canaan and Heaven whither CHRIST shall make us passe Indeed Pascha nostrum is it ours and none but ours Theirs but a shaddow Ours the substantiall very Passeover indeed When all is done Pascha nostrum is it Will ye give me leave to present you with a meditation upon this point it will fiâ—e the feast well and serves us for a preparation to our Passe-over and I will not fetch it farre but even from the word Passe-over For all the labour is but to make us feele the worie of it 〈◊〉 Est sapientis querela transire generationem aliam succedere aliam quoque transire It is that the Apostle tells us and we feele it Mundus transit that the world passes Chap. 7.31 1. Ioh. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Iohn in the Active and Passive both the world passeth away Et en Pascha en transitus a kinde of Passe-over of the world it selfe of this transitorie world as we terme it Vbi non habemus manentem c where we cannot long have any abode Heb. 13.14 Psal. 90.10 But then if we looke home to our selves we shall finde another Passe-over there even that of the Psalme Catò transit avolamus we passe as a shaddow as a dreame when one awaketh we bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Citò transit Iam. 3.6 so soone passeth it and we are gone Saint Iames very excellently expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very wheele of our nature whirling about That the world passeth but we faster then it But the third is the complaint indeed that transitorie though this world be and we yet more transitorie yet we cannot passe it quietly for all that But some wipe we have of the Angell's sword at least-wise in feare we live still of those in the Psalme Psal. 91.5.6 Sagitta volans or Terror nocturnus or Incursus or Daemon meridianus one of Egypt's ten plagues One of the Angell's phialls or of the Horses redd black or pale Apoc. 6.4.5.8 are still abroad much adoe we have without some mis-hap to passe this life that passeth so fast But lastly say that we have the good hap to scape well heere yet hence we must yer long to the redd sea banck we must come to death all and death is not Interitus a finall end but Transitus a passage over to a new estate There is the maine perill that we miscarrie not great odds
sweet bread all sinceritie and truth and hold their Passe-over in levin or not at all Antichrist's goat may be so eaten The lamb CHRIST cannot To the lamb's nature that is sincere nothing so contrarie as this 3. The leviâ— â—f comâ—anie â—â—rrupt in lasâ— to meane speake or deale vn-sincerely You see a levin of Doctrine and Life that is the levin of the Gospell A third there is the lâ—vin of the Epistle and that is of Corrupt companie and that is in very deed the lâ—vin of this Text. For when the Apostle would have this levin heere purged what meanes he To have the incestuous Corinthian removed and cast out of the fâ—llowship of the faithfull by the Censures of the Church True but those not in every mans power But this is To avoid and shunne them and their companie so we may and so we are bound to cast them out There is very great danger in persons so levined great scandal even to the well disposed but farre great danger to the most that will soone take this lâ—vin Our nature is apt to take it it is easily fermented that way As much good leviâ— as will serve three pecks so much evill will doe more then serve three bushells and never leave till it have sowred them all That except this be looked to all the rest will be to small purpose In Reliâ—ion Now when Saint Paul speakes of persons thus levined he meanes not onely such as are lewd of life tainted that way but even such also as are unsound in matter of Religion and have a soure savour that way Heere to the Corinthians he would have the incestuous person cast out Gal. 5 3.â— c. 9. with his levined life But to the Galathians after he presseth the same point against another kinde such as levined the Gospell with MOSE 's câ—râ—moâ—ies 12. and so corrupted the truth in Religion and them he would have cut of both Coâ—inthian and Galathian levin both must out And marke upon the same reason both and in the very same words That a little levin doth not a little hurt but otherwhile Gal. 5.9 maâ—reth the whole batch of brâ—ad Evill doctrine is against Truth Evill life against walking in the truth Evill companie will bring us to both Therefore away with them but away with this especially If they will not purge out their levin purge them out And that especially against this Feast in the nature whereof there is a contrarietie to all levin Now then this is our Conclusion Come we must and Itaque celebremus This is our Caution Thus we must come Non in fermento sed azymis If we say it skills not whither we come Itaque meets with us If we say it skills not how we come Non in fermento meets with us too It is with us heere as with â—he Prophet Hos. 7.1 when we would heale one the other breaketh forth If we presse Non in fâ—rmento we lose Itaque epulemur they come not at all No Feast If we vrge Itaque epulemur they come how levined and unlevined all clap them downe together We need a Quomodo intrasti huc to keepe some backe And yet we need a Compelle intrare Matt. 22.12 â—uk 1â— 23. to bring others in But the manner but the caution remember that The maine conclusion is that we come The other we must not leave undâ—ne But this peremptorily we are bound to doe The Apostle binds us to doe it The time to doe it now For if this follow CHRIST is offered Therâ—forâ— we are to come to His fâ—ast This wiâ—l follow as strongly CHRIST is now offered therefore let us now come Goe by degrees The Christian Passe-over our Passe-over a time it must have sometime it is to be kept We would doe it at that time when it were best for us to doe it When bâ—st for us to doe it but at the time He did it Himselfe And that did He even at this fâ—aâ—t now Now then at this fâ—ast it is most kindly to doe it most like to please Him and to prosper with us And indeâ—d if at any time we will doe it Quando Pascha 〈◊〉 in Paâ—cha what time is the Pasâ—e-over so proper as at the fâ—ast of the Paâ—â—e-â—vâ—r 〈…〉 quando tempus imâ—olandâ— When the time of His receiving as at the time of His ofâ—â—ring Therfore they both the feast the lamâ— have onâ— nâ—me to shew the neer coniunction that should be betweene them When the daâ— câ—mmeth to remember what was done on the day and so what we to doe on that day Pasâ—â—a quod celâ—bramus to put us in minde of Pascha quod epulamur For tell me will the saâ—rifiâ—e commâ—moâ—ative or the sacrament communicative ever fall more fit then when that was offâ—red which we are to commemorate and to comâ—unicate withall Is not the fittest time of doing it the time when it was done of Hoc facite then when Hoc factum est So that without any more adoe the seâ—son it selfe pleadeth for this effectually And now is the time of Exâ—uâ—gaâ—e for our â—odies thâ— corrupt humours that levin it now we cast them out Anâ— why not now likewise tâ—ose that ly sâ—urâ— in our soules And even Nature's Paâ—â—e-oâ—â—r the genâ—rall Pâ—â—e-ovâ—â— is even at thiâ— time both in heaven and earth Above in heavâ—n where the 〈◊〉 haâ—ing 〈◊〉 over all the sigâ—es is come about and renewes his course at the first signe in the 〈◊〉 And beneâ—th in earth from the sharp time of winter and fâ—rmentiâ—g time of the eâ—rth to the râ—newing sweet time the time of the Sâ—â—ing wherein thâ—re is 〈…〉 in nâ—ture it selfe And why should not the Passâ—-over of grace be now likâ—wiâ—e in sâ—ason and have due concurrence with nature Sure all agree wâ—ll if we but agree our selves Anâ— if we agree for our parts to doe the daye 's duty CHRIST will not be behind with His tâ—e day's benefit But during our time and in the hower of death be our true Passâ—-ovâ—r shielding us from all deadly mis-happs while we heere live and giving us a sure and safe passage at our end even a passage to the last and great Paâ—se-over of all the truth of that whâ—reof theirâ— was the shaddow and ours the image now For we have not yâ—t done with our Laâ—b nor the work of this Paâ—se-ovâ—r is not yet fully accomplished There is a further matter yet behind for as this feast looâ—eth back as a mâ—â—oriall of that is alreadie past and done for us so doth it forward and is to us a plâ—dge of another and a better yet to come The fâ—ast of the marriagâ— of the Lamb heer Apoc 19.7 that is our Paâ—se-over where whosoever shall be a guest the Angells pronounce hâ—m happie and blâ—ssed for ever 9. That is the last and great Feast indeed when all Destroyers and all destructions shall cease and come to an â—nd for evermore and we heare that joyfull voice
is in that point therefore it needs first to be urged For though wee see yet wee sitt still and seeke not III. The thing referred to or the Obiect Quae sursum Psal. 24.6 And now to the Object Of seeking we shall soone agree Generatio quaerentium we are all saith the Psalme even a generation of searchers Somewhat we are searching after still Our wants or our wanton desires finde us seeking-worke enough all our lives long What then shall we seeke or where He saith the Apostle that will thus bestow his paynes let it be where Above On what The things there Quae sursum he repeates in both tells it us twise over 1 Quae sursum quaerite 2 quae sursum sapite Above it must be And of this also we shall not varie with Him but be easily enough entreated to it We yeeld presently in our sense to seeke to be above others in favour honour place and power and what not We keepe the Text fully in this sense we both seeke and set our whole minds upon this Altum sapimus omnes all would be above Bramble and all Iud. 9 1◠and nothing is too high for us It is true heer for on earth there is a Sursum above there be high places we would not have them taken away we would offer in them and offer for them too for a need And there is a right hand heer too and some sitt at it and almost none but thinkes so well of himselfe as why not he Our SAVIOVR CHRIST when it was phansied that He should have been a great King upon earth there was suing streight for His right-hand-place Not so much as Good-wife Zebedee's two sonnes that smelt of the fisher-bote but Mat. 20.21 meanes was made for them to sitt there But all this while we are wide For where is all this Heer upon earth All our above is above one another heer and is Ambition's above and further it mounteth not But this is not the Apostle's not the above nor the right-hand he meaneth No not CHRIST'S right-hand upon earth but that right-hand He sitts at Himselfe in heaven The Apostle saw cleerly we would erre this errour therefore to take away as he goes all mistaking he explaines his above two waies 1. Privative Non quae supra terram Heare you not upon earth His Above is not heer upon earth This is where not 2. Then positivè to cleer it from all doubt where he points us to the place it selfe above there above where CHRIST is that is not on earth Earth is the place whence He is risen The Angells tell us Luc. 24.6 non est his seeke Him not heer now but in the place whither He is gone there seeke Him In heaven Heaven is a great circle where in heaven In the chiefest place there where GOD sitts and CHRIST at His right hand That place seeke there sett your minds So that upon the matter the fault he findes the fault of our above is it is not above enough It is too low it is not so high as it should be It should be higher above the hills higher yet above the cloudes higher yet higher then our eye can carry above the heavens There now we are right And indeed 1. The reasons the very frame of our bodyes as the heathen Poët well observed giveth thither upward Coelumque tueri Iussit and bidds us looke thither And that way should our soule make it came from thence and thither should it draw againe And we doe but bow and crooke our soules and make them Curvae in terras animae against their nature when we hang yokes on them and sett them to seeke nothing but heer below And if Nature would have us no mowles Grace would have us Eagles to mount 2. Luc. 17.37 where the bodye is And the Apostle goeth about to breed in us a holy ambition telling us we are ad altiora geniti borne for higher matters then any heer therefore not to be so base minded as to admire them but to seeke after things above For contrary to the Philosopher's sentence Quae supra nos nihil ad nos Things above they concerne us not he reverses that Yes and we so to hold Ea maximè ad nos they chiefly concerne us Come to the last now And why this place above I shall tell you For there is CHRIST and Him we seeke to day if it be Easter-day with us and if we seeke where He is He is above certainly But he implieth a further reason yet Because in very deed there with Him are the things which we of all other seeke for and when all is done all our seeking is to them referred as to the end We would not ever travaile but after our laborious toyling course heer finde a place of rest and this we seeke But not this alone but a seate of glorie withall Sitt we would but in some eminent place not at the left foot but at the right hand in light and honour as much as might be We seeke rest Specially they that are tossed in a tempest what the things above are Rest. Psal. 120.5 Psal. 55.6 how doe they desire a good haven a harbour of rest And sure heer we dwell in Mesech meete with much disquietnesse None but sometime hath sense of the verse in the Psalme Oh that I had wings like a Dove then would I flye and be at rest And the more our incolatus is prolonged the more we seeke it finde it how we may And it is not the body's trouble so much but Invenietis requiem animabus Mat. 11.29 to finde rest to our soules that is it And the soule is from above and but in her owne place never findes it Turne thee to thy rest ô my soule that is worth all But both are best and not after all our turmoiles heer in this world Psal. 116.7 to heare non introibunt in requiem meam in another world but to be cast into that place 95.11 where there is no rest day nor night but enter into His rest which in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he so much beats upon And verily if we seeke rest glorie we seeke much more For for it Chap. 3.11.18 19. we are content to deprive our selves of all rest which otherwise we love well enough And a restlesse course we enter into and hold out in it all our life long and all to winne it 6 th Glorie though it be but a little before our death For no rest will satisfie or give us full content unlesse it be on the right hand These two then we seeke for where are they to be found Not in quae supra terram Not heer therefore but folly to seeke them heer We are by all meanes to avoyd their errour that sought this day to seeke the living among the dead a thing Luc. 24.5 where it is not to be had Never seeke to sett up our rest heer in
95.6 Salomon 1. Kiâ— â— 54 Ezechias 2. Chr. 29.30 Prophetae Daniel Dan. 6.10 Esdraâ— â—sâ— 9.5 Mica Mic. â—â— Christus Ipse Luc. 22.41 Apostoli Petrus Act. 9.4 Paulus Eph. 3.14 Jacobus He goâ—p 5 â—â—â— pud Hiâ—â—â— Supâ—â—â—â— .. Act. 7.60 Ecclesia 〈◊〉 Ipsâ— Pâ—â—â—â—coâ—â—â— Act. 20.36.21.5 They in the Scripture They in the * 〈…〉 l. 5. c. 3. Toâ—w câ—â—â— Mar. 1. 3. c. 18. De â—aroâ— â—el Athâ—aâ— in Vitâ Aâ—tâ—â— Bâ—sâ—l 〈…〉 Hiâ—râ—m 2. 〈…〉 ad Ipsi 〈◊〉 de co◠〈…〉 gerrâ—â— c. 5. Tâ—â—â—ph Alex. Pasch. 2. Câ—sâ— Ar◠〈◊〉 30. Primitive Church did so did bow And verily He will not have us worship Him like Elephants as if we had no ioynts in our â—nees He will have more honour of men then of the pillers in the Church He will have us bow the knees And let us bow them in GOD 's Name Bow to His Name To bow the Knee And to His Name to bow it For This is another prerogative He is exalted so whose Person Knees doe bow but He to whose Name onely much more Acts 1.9 Psal. 16.2 But the cause is heere otherwise For His Person is taken up out of our sight all we can doe will not reach vnto it But His Name He hath left behind to us that we may shew by our reverence and respect to it how much we esteeme Him Psal. 111.9 how true the Psalme shall be Holy and reverend is His Name But if we have much adoe to get it bow at all much more shall we have to get it done to His Name 1. There be that doe it not 2. What speake I of not doing it There be that not onely forbeare to do it themselves but put themselves to an evill occupation to finde faults where none is and cast scruples into mens mindes by no meanes to doe it 3. Not to doe it at His Name Nay at the holy Mysteries themselves not to do it Where His Name is I am sure and more then His Name even the body and bloud of our LORD IESVS CHRIST And those not without His soule Nor that without His Deitie Nor all these without in-estimable high benefits of grace attending on them And yet they that would be glad and faine a Pardon for this life Câ—sa Arâ—l 〈◊〉 30 or some other Patent with all humilitie to receive upon their knees This so great so high so heavenly a Gift they straine and make dangerous to bow their Knees to receive it as if it were scarce worth so much But it hath ever beene the manner in CHRIST 's Church whether we * Mat 2.11 offer to Him * Chrysost. hom ad Pâ—p Aâ—â—ioch 61. Ambros. in Psa. 98. Iob. 3. c. 12. De Spir. S. Aug. in Ps. 22 8. Epist. 120. c. 27. or receive ought offered from Him in this wise to doe it But to keepe us to the Name This is sure The words themselves are so plaine as they are able to convince any mans conscience And there is no Writer not of the Ancient on this place Amâ—ros Hexam lib. 6. c. 9. Hiero. in Esa. 45. Cyril in Esa. l. 4. c. 3 Theodor in Phil. 2. that I can finde save he that turned all into Allegories but literally vnderstands it and likes well enough we should actually performe it Yet will yee see what subtilties are taken up to shift this duty All Knees are called for and all have not Knees Heere are three rankes reckoned and two of them have none What is that to us we have To us it is properly spoken and we to looke to it And if this were ought that the spirits in Heaven and Hell have no bodies and so no Knees Why they have no Tongues neither properly and then by the same rule take away confessing too and so doe neither But the Apostle 1. Cor. 13.1 that in another place gives the Angells tongues with the tongues of men and Angels might aswell in this place give them Knees they havâ— one as much as the other And in both places humanum dicit he speakes to us after the manner of men Rom. 6.19 that we by our owne language might conceive what they doe For sure it is the spirits of both kindes as they doe yeeld reverence so they hâ—ve their waies and meanes to expresse it by somewhat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Knee They doe it their way we to doe it ours And this is ours let us looke to our owne then and not busie our braines about theirs But for us and for our sakes they are divers times expressed in the Revelation Reuel 4.10.5 â— 14.7.11 even doing thus falling downe before Him 2. The Name of IESVS Secondly why to this Name more then to the Name of CHRIST There want not reasons why CHRIST is not cannot be the Name of GOD GOD cannot be annoiâ—â—ed But Iâ—SVâ— is the Name of GOD and the chiefe Name of GOD as we have heard The name Câ—â—IST is communicated by Him to others namely to Princes So is not IESVS that is proper 〈◊〉 4â— 1â— Ego sum praeter me non est alius And ever that which is proper is above that which is holden in common CHRIST is annointed to what end to be our SAVIOVR That is the end then And ever the end is above the meanes ever the name of health above the name of any medicine Bâ—t â—hen we finde expressely in the verse this Name is exalted above all names and this act limited to it in direct words and so this name above them in this very peculiar Why seeke we any further Thirdly What to the two syllables or to the sound of them What needs this We speake of sound or syllables The Text saith doe it to the Name The name is not the sound but the sense The caution is easie then doe it to the sense have minde on Him that is named and doe His Name the honour and spare not Fourthly But it cannot be denied but there hath superstition beene vsed in it Suppose there hath And almost in what not In hearing of Sermons now is there not superstition in a great many What shall we doe then Lay them downe abandon hearing as we doe Kneeling I trowe not but remoove the superstition and retaine them still Doe but even so heere and all is at an end Indeed if it were a taken-up-worship or some humane iniunction it might perhaps be drawen within the case of the brazen Serpent 2. Reg 1â— 4. But being thus directly set downe by GOD himselfe in us there may be superstition in it there can be none And if it be in us we are to mend our selves but not to stirre the act which is of GOD'S owne prescribing It was never heard in Divinity that ever superstition could abolish a duty of the Text. That we set our selves to drive away superstition it is well But it will be well too that we so drive it away as we
Him to love it for His very Person 2. Worke. And in this vertue He is not barely set out to us but in it and by it bringing to passe the worke of our redemption Which cannot but extraordinarily commend this vertue to us in that it hath pleased GOD to doe more for us in this His Humilitie Ioh. 10.38.14.11 then ever He did in all His Maiestie even to save and redeeme us by it To love it then if not for Him yet for the worke 's sake 3. Reward But specially which is the third for the Propter quod in the Text if not for the worke yet for the Reward 's sake That as CHRIST was no loser by it no more shall we For all this Glory here the way to it is by the first verse Humiliavit is the beginning and the end of it is Exalting That the mother this the daughter all riseth from Humiliavit ipse se. Iames 4.10 1. Pet. 5.6 Humiliamini ergo saith Saint Iames Humiliamini ergo saith Saint Peter and after it there followeth still exaltabit vos Deus a promise of a like glorious end And what saith the Apostâ—e here This minde saith he was in CHRIST Verse 5. and it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise mind That we count it a wise minde and worth the carying and carie it and it shall carie us to the same iourneys end it brought Him even to the glory of GOD the Father This for Humilitie Obediens Domino And what Shall we not give some light triall of our Obedience also to averre our Confession that He is our Lord It would be by Domine quid nos vis facere that is the true triall Say then Domine quid nos vis facere And He will answer us Hoc facite in Mei memoriam Will ye know what I would have you doe Doe this in remembrance of Me In signe that I am Lord doe but this Here is a case of instance and that now even at this very present a proofe to be made By this we shall see whether He be Lord or no. For if not this but slip the collar here and shrinke away Si rem grandem dixisset 2. Reg. 5.13 in a farre greater matter how would we stand with Him then We were wrong before here is the sound and syllables we spake of here it is For all is but sound and syllables if not this But of us I hope for better things that by our humble cariage and Obedience at least Heb. 6.9 in this we will set our selves some way to exalt Him in this His day of Exaltation Which as it will tend to His glory so will He turne it to matter of our glory and that in His Kingdome of glory or to keepe the word of the Text in the glory of GOD the Father That so we may end as the Text ends A better or more blessed end there cannot be And to this blessed end He bring us that by His Humilitie and Obedience hath not onely purchased it for us but set the way open and gone it before us IESVS CHRIST the Righteous c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the IX of April A. D. MDCXV being EASTER DAY IOHN CHAP. II. VER XIX Respondit IESVS dixit Solvite Templum hoc in tribus diebus excitabo illud IESVS answered and said Dissolve or destroy this Temple and within three days I will rayse it up againe HE answered and said this to the Pharisees Who sought a Signe of Him the Verse next before The Occasion A Signe Vers. 18. A Signe they would have And He tells them a Signe they should have Themselves should minister Him occasion to shew a Signe the like was never shewen For destroy Him they should His bodie so and He within three daies would raise it againe from death to life But this Answere of His The speech figurative is a figurative speech and runnes under the termes of the Temple The reason whereof was they were then in the Temple there fell out this Question And as it appeareth in the Verses before much adoe there hath been between them and that a long time about the Temple Now His manner still was the Place the Time the Matter in hand ever to frame the Tenour and termes of His speech according to them And so now being in the Temple He takes His termes from thence Even from the Temple But He doth as I may say Solvere Templum hoc The figure interpreted Vers. 2â— loose and 〈◊〉 this terme for us For within a Verse we are told this Temple is no other then the Temple of His bodie Now the rest followes of it selfe The Solvite is a taking Him in â—oder His soule from His bodie The excitabo is the setting them togither and raising them up againe And both these within three dayes the onely word in the Text wherein there is no figure How a Sign in the true sense And this now was His Signe And a great Signe it was Great even in their sense if it had been but of the Pile of Building as they tooke the word Temple But greaterfar far another manner Signe in His sense in the true For as for that Temple Zorobabel and Herod had raised it and other great Persons as great Buildings as that But the Temple of the bodie if that were once down all the Temple builders that ever were with all their care and cost could never get it up more Therefore in His in CHRIST'S sense it is farr the greater signe then as they phanfied it Indeed so great a Signe as he that was in hell fire could not devise nor did not desire a greater Luc. 16.30 If but Lazarus if but one come from the dead then then regard him That signe out of question Why heer is one come from the dead and this day come and a greater then Lazarus I trust then we will regard Him we will regard this signe and not be worse then he in hell was Let vs then regard it The Division The ground of the signe and of all heer is Templum hoc About it two maine Acts they shew forth themselves The razing of it downe in Solvite The raising of it up in Excitabo These in figure Answerable to these This Temple is Christ's bodie The razing it downe is CHRIST crucified and slaine The raising it up is Chriâ—â— restored to life Of which two to divide it by the Persons Solvite is their part Excitabo His. That His Passion by their act Solvite This His Resurrection by His owne Excitabo Now this He saith shal be done And saith further shall not be long in doing No longer then three dayes And within the compasse of the time limited He did it For this is now the third day And to day by Sun-rising it was done So upon the matter there come to be handled these foure points 1.
That Christ's bodie is Templum hoc 2. The dissolution of it by death in Solvite 3. The rearing it up againe by His resurrection in Excitabo 4. The time to doe it in three dayes By which circumstance of three dayes and this day the third of them commeth this time to claime a kind of propertie in this passage of Scripture And that two waies For first at this Feast were these words heer spoken you may see they were so at the thirteenth verse before at the Feast of Easter And secondly at this Feast againe were they fullfilled after the Solvite three dayes since the Excitabo this very day So at this Feast the promise and at the very same the accomplishment of it The accomplishment once the memoriall ever Being then at this very time thus spoken and done Spoken heer now done three yeares after Being I say spoken and done and at this time spoken and done Neverso fit as now I. The two senses of Templâ—â—oc Ver. 20. Solvite Templum hoc Templum hoc we begin with It is a borrowed terme But we cannot misse the sense of it For both are set downe heer to our hand the wrong sense and the right The wrong the next verse of all for the materiall Temple So the Pharisees tooke it and mis-tooke it The right the next Verse after for the Temple of His body So they should have taken it For so He meant it Ver. 21. Ipse autem dicebat c But He spake of the Temple of His Body And He know his owne meaning best and reason would should be His own Interpreter And this meaning of His it had been no hard matter for them to have hitt on but they came but a byrding but to catch from Him some advantage and so were willing to mistake Him As this they caught as an advantage we see and layd it up for a raynie day and three yeares after out they came with it and framed an Inditement upon it as if He had meant to have destroyed their Temple Mat. 26.61 Mar. 14.58 The Pharisees sense could not be true Ver. 18. But was it likely or could it once be imagined He meant to destroy it It was GOD'S house And the zeale of God's house but even a verse before consumed Him And doth His zeale now like the zeale of our times consume God's house What and that so quickly but a Verse between But even very now He purged it And did He purge it to have it pulled downe That were preposterous Now it was purged pull it downe Nay pull it downe when it was polluted Now it is cleansed let it stand To reforme Churches and then seeke to dissolve them wil be counted among the errours of our Age. CHRIST was farr from it He that would not see it abused would never endure to have it destroyed specially not when He had reformed the abuses And yet more specially not even presently upon it they might be sure But that which must needs lead them to the right meaning was that these words Templum hoc He could not say them but by the manner of His uttering them by His very gesture at the delivery of this particle hoc they must needs know what Temple it was He intended It was easy to marke whither He carried His hand or cast His eye up to the fabrique of it or whither He bare them to His bodie Which one thing onely was enough to have resolved them of this point and to quit our Saviour of aequivocation We will then wayve theirs as the wrong meaning And take it as he wisheth The true sense Chap. 13.23 who leant on his breast and best knew His minde of the Temple of His bodie But what resemblance is there between a bodie and a Temple 1. A Bodie a Temple Ver. 16. or how can a bodie be so termed Well enough For I aske why is it a Temple What makes it so Is it not because it is Domus Patris mei as He said a little before because GOD dweleth there For as that wherein man dwells is a house So that wherein GOD is a Temple properly That I say wherein be it place or be it bodie So come we to have two sorts of Temples Temples of flesh and bone as well as Temples of lime and stone For if our bodies be termed houses because our soules tenant wise abide and dwell in them If because our soules dwell they be houses if GOD doe so they be Temples why not Why not 1. Cor. 6 1â— why know yee not this saith the Apostle that your very bodies if the Spirit of GOD abide in them eo ipso Temples they be such as they be But then they be so specially when actually we imploy them in the service of GOD. For being in His Temple and there serving Him then if ever they be Templa in Templo Living Temples in a Temple without life A bodie then may be a Temple Even this of ours And if ours these of ours I say in which 2. CHRIST 's body a Temple Col. 2.9 the Spirits of God dwelleth onely by some gift or grace with how much better right better infinitely His bodie Christ's in whom the whole God-Head in all the fulnesse of it dwelt corporally Corporally I say and not Spiritually alone as in us By nature by personall union not as in us by grace and by participation of it onely Againe if ours which we suffer oft to be polluted with sinne that many times they stand shutt up and no service in them for a long season togither how much more His that never was defiled with any the least sinne never shut but continually taken up and wholly imployed in His Father's service His above all exception His without all comparison certeinly Alas ours but Fathers acâ—es under goat skinns His the true the Marble the Cedar-Temple inâ—enâ— in CHRIST'S bodie then a Temple But a Temple at large will not serve It must be Templum hoc that very Temple 3. Christ's body This Tâ—â—â—le or 〈…〉 they too heat for And so we to proceed yet further and to seeke a congruitie of His bodie with the materiall Temple it was taken for to which there is no doubt His intent was to resemble it The Rabbins in their Speculative Divinitie doe much busy themselves to shew that in the Tâ—mple there was a modell of the whole world and that all the Sphaeres in heaven and all the Elements in earth were recapitulate in it They were wide The Fathers tooke the right and bestowed their time and travaile more to the point to shew how that Temple and all that was in it was nothing els but a compendious representation of CHRIST for whom and in whose honour was that and all other true Temples And this they did by Warrant from the Apostle who in Heb. IX aimeth at some such thing Heb. 9.5 Christ's bodie Templum hoc wherein like Now the points of
not In signe He would not we see Himselfe saith Solvite And Solvite He must have sayd He must have sayd it or they could not have done it It had passed all their cunning and strength to have undone this knott ever but that He gave way to it 4. Gave way to it I say that we take not this Solvite otherwise then He meant it It is not of the nature of a charge this nor we so to conceive it Very expedient it is that we know the nature of Solvite Templum Solvite Templum is no Commaundement be sure in no sense 2 Solvite Templum No commaundement Rom. 2.17 He commaunds not any Temple not that they themselves meant to be destroyed It were Sacrilege that and no better And Sacrilege the Apostle rankes with Idolatrie as being full out as evill if not worse then it But indeed worse for what Idolatrie but pollutes Sacrilege pulls quite downe And easier it is to new hallow a Temple polluted then to build one anew out of an heape of stones And if but to spoyle a Church be sacrilege as it is graunted yet that leaves somewhat at least the walls and the roofe so it be not lead To leave nothing but downe with it is the cry of Edom the worst cry the worst sacrilege of all Psal. 137.7 and never given in charge by GOD to any we may be sure 1. Reg. 8.18 2. Chron. 6.8 For GOD himselfe said to David with his owne mouth Whereas it was in thine heart to build me an House thou didst well that thou wast so minded Didst well well done to thinke of building then à sensu contrario Evill done to thinke of dissolving And that which is evill CHRIST will never enjoigne But what is to be thought of Solvite Templum I would have you to judge by these two they be both in the Text. 1. To whom this is spoken 2. And what is meant by it 1 To whom Solvite Templum is layd 1. To whom this is spoken Distingue Tempora is a good Rule So is Distingue Personas Distinguish the persons then give every one his owne it will make you love Solvite Templum the worse as long as you know it Solvite To whom is this spoken who be they The Pharisees To them is this speech directed That is made their worke work for a Pharisee to dissolve Churches And so it was For as whote and holy as they seemed Matt. 23.5.14.17 with their broad phylacteries long prayers our SAVIOVR saith they loved the gold of the Temple better then the Temple So doe their posterity to this day To the Pharisees then with them to their marrowes that would faigne heare Solvite given in charge The other person is CHRIST CHRIST 's word and worke both is excitabo Excitator Templorum He a Raiser of them a Rayser of them when they be downe we see heere They will not let them stand when they be up CHRIST he setts them up for His part When you will have them downe you must bespeake some Pharisee And they will doe it leviter rogati For as His speech to them is Solvite excitabo So theirs to Him may seeme to be Excita solvemus Set up as many as He will they will downe with them first with Templum hoc then with Templum illud and so one after another if they may have their will they lacke but one to give the Solvite to them and to set them on worke Distingue personas then And they to whom Solvite is said are but bad persons certainly and fit for a bad businesse â— What is meant by Solvite Templum 2. Will ye marke againe what is meant heere by it by destroying the Temple what but even the killing of CHRIST Now the suiting and sorting of these two thus hath but an evill aspect neither but this worse then the former though And I wish but this one point well printed in all mens minds Solvite Templum quid vult dicere Solvite Templum id est Occidite CHRISTVM that he that goes about to dissolve the Church it is all one as if he went about to make away CHRIST One of these is implied under the other Enough I thinke to take of the edge of any that are glad to heare and ready to catch Solvite Templum out of CHRIST 's mouth but quite besiâ—â—s His meaning For His meaning was And it was one speciall end of CHRIST 's comparing His body to the Temple to shew He would have us so to make account of the Temple and so to vse it as we would His owne very bodie And to be as far from destroying one as we would be from the other This may suffice to let you know the nature of Solvite Templum once for all that you be not mistaken in it 3 Solvite Templum hoc Not by way of commandement 3. Of Solvite Templum I say But now to come to Solvite Templum hoc to the Temple of His bodie Concerning it that it should enter into any mans heart to thinke CHRIST would open His mouth to command or to counseile His owne making away that is the committing the most horrible soule murther that ever was GOD forbid It was a sinne out of measure sinfull tâ—at if ever any were And give me any Religion rather then that that draweth GOD into the societie of sinne makes Him or makes CHRIST either Author or Adviser Commander or Counseilor of ought that is evill Eny I say rather then that But by way of praediction 1. How then if no command what is it All that can be made of it say the Antient Fathers is but either a prediction in the style of the Prophets Come downe Babel Esay 47.1 that is Babel shall be brought downe So Solvite ye shall destroy to warne them what He saw they were now casting about and whither their malice would carry them in the end Act. 7.52 even to be the destroyers and muderers of the SONNE of GOD. 2. Either this Or at most but a permission which in all tongues By way of permission is ever made in this mood in the Imperative So we vse to say Goe to doe and ye will or doe whâ—t ye will with my bodie when we meane but sufferance for all that and no command at all For all the world this Solvite to them as Pac citò to Iudas after Ioh. 13.27 Quod facis that which you are resolved to doe and have taken earnest upon it Fac Dâ—e it and Fac citò Doe it out of the way which yet it is well knowen was nothing but a permission and not a iote more 2. But should such so foule an evill as that be permitted though No nor that neither simply It is not a bare permission but one qualified Permitted for a greater good and that with two limitations Will ye marke them 1. For first He would not suffer
His part His resurrection by His owne And first to Excitabo Hitherto we are not come but now we come to the Signe for the Signe is in Excitabo Et Excitabo And I will raise it up Which is spoken as it were by way of triumph over all they could or should doe to Him Goe to dissolve it destroy it downe with it when you have done your worst it shall be in vaine Excitabo illud my power shall triumph ouer your malice I will raise it I will up with it againe Excitabo how opposed to Solvite But to loose and to raise these two are not opposite Rather to loose and to set together againe Raysing is opposed to falling and resurrection to ruine properly But it comes all to one Vpon the dissolving of any frame streight downe it dropps This goodly Temple of our bodie on the decking and trimming whereof so much is daily wasted loose the soule from it but a moment and downe it falls and there it lies like a log we all know In opposition to this fall it is said He will raise But He will doe both as it was loosed yet it fell so will He set it together yet He raise it againe Excitabo illud Three points there are in it 1 The Act â— And the Person in Excitabo and â— the Thing it selfe in illud 1. The act The word He useth for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in proprietie is a raising from sleepe Excitabo the act As from sleepe And sâ—eepe we know is farr from destruction It is to shew us first what a strange metamorphosis He would make in Death turne it but into a requiescet a requiescet in spe and there is all So made He His owne so will He make ours Psal. 16.9 This day CHRIST is risen again the first fruits of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 15.20 Dan. 12.2 and the rest that sleepe in the dust when their time comes shall doe the like 2. To shew secondly they should misse of their purpose quite They reckoned indeed to destroy Him they were deceived they made him but ready for a night's rest or two They made full account Death had devoured and digested him too they were deceived it was not so Ion. 2.10 Death had but swallowed Him downe as the Whale did Ionas upon the third day to cast him up againe 3. To shew thirdly not onely that this He would doe but wit what ease He would doe it With no more difficulty then one is waked up after a nights rest with no more adoe then a knot that is but loose and untyed is tyed againe But besides the Act Excitabo the person He himselfe we are to looke to the Person in Excitabo It is not destroy you and some other shall raise it but I even I my selfe and none but my selfe will doe it Nec alienâ virtute sed propriá and by none others beside but by mine owne proper vertue and power An argument of His Divine nature For none ever did none ever could doe that Raised some were but not any by himselfe or by his owne power but by a power imparted to some Prophet by GOD for that time and turne CHRIST by none imparted from any other but by His owne from Himselfe And let it not stumble any that elswhere the Father is said to raise and exalt Him That is all one Both will stand well The same power the Father doth it by by the same doth it He. There is but one power of both Of both or of either of them it is alike truly verified This for the Person Now for the thing Illud Templum hoc before and illud heer Illud The same Temple In substance Hoc and Illud are not two but one and the same Not Solvite hoc suscitabo aliud downe with this and I will up with another in the stead No but idem illud the very same again The very same you destroy that and no other will I reare up againe With us with the world it is not so when we fall to dissolve a frame of Governement suppose of the Church it is not Solvite hoc excitabo illud no but excitabo aliud We raise not the same but another quite another nothing like it a new one never heard of before But let them keepe their aliud and give us illud againe Illud we love It is CHRIST'S excitabo that and if we follow CHRIST in His raising the same againe or not at all But though illud be the same againe in substance Not the same In qualitie yet not in qualitie the same for all that but so farr different as in that respect it may seeme aliud another quite At least well may it be now called illud as it were with an Emphasis as qualified far beyond that it was before when it was but Templum hoc And to say truth if it be but the same just and no whit better as good save His labour and let the first stand For it is but His labour for His traveyle if nothing woone by it But if though the same yet not in the same but in a farr better estate then before Cedar for Mulberry marble for bricke as the Prophet speakes then Esai 9.10 ye say somwhat and then we will be content to have it taken downe And such was the estate of this Temple after the raising And such was it to be For the glorie of the second House was much greater then of the first Agge 2.10 Which encrease or bettering is implied in the word excitabo It is I told you a Rising up after sleepe Now in the morning after sleepe the bodie riseth more fresh and full of vigour then it was over night when it lay downe The Apostle speakes it more plainly Templum hoc saith he at the loosing it was in weakenesse dishonour mortalitie 1. Cor. 15.42.43 Templum illud at the raising it is in power and honour to immortalitie And sure one speciall reason of the dissolving this Temple was that as then it was Solvite might be said of it It was dissoluble But being now raised againe it is fâ—ster wrought indissoluble now No Solvite to be said not to be loosed ever any more This for Excitabo illud Now the last point of the Time The Signe is in that too IV. The Time Three daies And when this Within what time Within three daies Which words seemed to affect them most All their exception lay to them He looked not like one that would build Churches But let that passe were He never so likely He takes too small a time for sâ— great a worke as they thought But if we agree once of His power to raise from death the time will slide we shall never sticke at it much but agree of that quickly He that can raise from the dead ten thousand Churches will be built one after another before one be
Specially such a one so conditioned as heere is set downe 5 For keeping it for us in heaven in this verse Verse 5. 6 For keeping us for it on Earth the next verse For these all but above all for the meanes of all the rising of CHRIST this dayes worke the dew of this new birth the gate of this hope the pledge of this Inheritance For these owe we this Benedictus to GOD. And this day are we to pay it every one of us It is a Sinne of omission not to doe it he that doth not is a debtour To GOD the Father the Qui and to CHRIST our LORD the Per quem by whom and by whose rising lose this life when we will we have hope of a better betide our Inheritance on Earth what shall we have another kept for us in heaven Thus every one naturally ariseth out of other BLessed be GOD. Yea blessed and thanked and praised Benedictus Magnificat I. The Act Benedictus Blessed be God Inhilate and all All But heere blessed suits best that the best and most proper returne for a blessing That we Inherite is the Blessing Chap. III. verse 9. The hope is a blessed hope Tit. II. 13. But the Inheritance is the State of blessednesse it selfe Therefore Benedictus benè dicitur Benedictus is said well Said well 2. The Partie GOD. Rom 9.5 of GOD who is above all blessed for ever well also of a Father Benedictus a fit terme for him And GOD in the Tenour of this whole Text is brought in as a Father a father begetting begetting us first by nature begetting us againe in it by grace But thereby hangs a Scruple For what are we Blesse GOD we may that we should take upon us to blesse GOD Saint Peter saies it heere Saint Paul seemes to gaine-say it Without all question saith he the lesse is blessed by the greater And is He lesse or we greater Heb. 7.7 that we should offer to blesse Him And if not as GOD not as a Father the next word For shall the Child presume to blesse his Father It becomes him not He us then and not we Him Yes He us and we Him too We have so many Texts for it I make no doubt but there is blessing both waies Of the many I remember that one of Saint Paul's Ephes. 1. Benedictus Deus qui benedixit nos Blessed be GOD for blessing us Ephes 1.3 As if they were reciprocall these One the Echo the reflexion of the other Aequall they are not It were fond to imagine the Father gives the child no other blessing but the childe can give him as good againe No aliter nos Deum aliter Deus nos Otherwise GOD blesseth us and the Parent who represents GOD in begetting our bodies and the Priest who represents Him in begetting againe our soules Otherwise we them GOD'S is reall ours but verball His cum effectu ever Ours if it be but cum affectu that is all His Operative ours but Optative What then he that wisheth heartily would doe more then wish if his power were according Even that then in want of power to shew a good will I know not how but we take it well ever GOD doth I am sure as appeareth by the goates haire of the Old Testament and by the Widowe's mites in the New And this is Saint Peter's but expressing a good minde onely And without all question thus the Greater may be blessed even of the lesse Not tanquam potestatem habens but tanquam vota faciens So we may say Benedictus Deus And let us then say it What say we then when we say Benedictus It is a word compound How we may blesse GOD. Take it in sunder and Dicere is to say somewhat to Speake and that we can and bene is speaking to speake well and that we ought To Speake is Confession To speake well is Praise And Praise becommeth Him and us to give it Him Put together in one word and then Benedicere to blesse in the phrase of ours and of all tongues els is not so much omnia bona dicere to speake all good of Him as omnia bona vovere to wish all good to Him And that becomes Him too not onely Laus but Votum specially where Votum is totum where we have little els left us but it And what good can we wish Him that He hath not Bonorum nostrorum non eget saith the Psalmist nor Benedictionum neither We can add nothing to Him Psal. 16.2 by our Benedictus Say we it say we it not He is blessed alike True to Him we cannot wish not to His person But to His Name we can In His Name And He is blessed when His Name is blessed We can wish His name more blessedly vsed and not in cursing and cursed othes as daily we heare it And to His Word we can We can wish it more devoutly heard and not In His Word as a few streines of wit as our manner is In His Person as united to his Church Yea even to His person we can There is a way to doe that inasmuch as He and His Church are now growne into one make but one person what is said or done to it is said or done to Himselfe Blesse it and He is blessed In a word then to blesse GOD is to wish His Name may be glorious to wish His Word may be prosperous to wish His Church may be happie By wearing of which Name and by hearing of which Word and by being in and of which Church we receive the blessing heere upon earth that shall make us for ever blessed in heaven This we say if we marke what we say when we say Blessed be GOD. GOD and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Style of the New Testament 1. Cor. 1.3 Ephes. 1.3 GOD and the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST This is stylo novo the style of the New Testament ye read it not in the Old No nor in Zacharie's neither Betweene that of Zacharie's and this of Saint Peter's it fell out this The Sunne was yet under the Horizon when Zacharie made his But now up and of a good height And thereupon this taken up by Saint Peter heere by Saint Paul 1. Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. and upon great reason 1. To fever Him from all false Gods 1. Blessed be GOD Say that and no more and never a Iew Turke or Pagan but will say as much Blessed be GOD we Blessed be GOD they It is never the worse for that But yet seeing the world then was still is full of many Gods and many Lords 1. Cor. 8. It would be knowne 1. Cor. 8.5 which GOD. For we would not bestow our Benedictus upon any but the true GOD neither they nor we I dare say Which is then the true GOD Pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi and He that is not so is a false fained God is an Idoll Put them to
ready to seise upon sinners which made such a foule Sea as this great Ship and all in it were upon the point to be cast a way The plus heere is plaine take it but as it was indeed litterally For what a tempest was there at CHRIST 's death Chap. 27.51.52 It shooke the Temple rent the veile cleft the stones opened the graves put out the Sunne 's light was seene and felt all the world over as if heaven and earth would have gone together But the miserable storme then who shall declare And no mervaile there was a great Plus in the cause For if the sinne of one poore passenger of Ionas made such a foule Sea the sinnes of the great Hulke that bore in it all Mankind together in one bottome what manner tempest thinke you were they like to raise In what hazard the vessell that loaden with them all But one fugitive there heere all runne-awaies from GOD Master Mariners Passengers and all Now the greater the Vessell the more ever the danger With Ionas but a handfull like to miscarrie In this the whole masse of Mankind like to perish So in the perill Plus too The storme will not be stayed neither till some be cast into the Sea and some great Sinner it would be And heer the Sicut seemes as if it would not hold heer the only Non Sicut Ionas For Ionas there was the onely sinner all besides in the ship innocent poore men Heere CHRIST onely in the ship innocent no sinner all the ship besides full â—raught with sinners Mariners and Passengers grievous sinners all Heere it seemes to halt And yet I cannot tell you neither for all that For in some sense CHRIST was not unlike Ionas no not in this point but like Ionas as in all other respects so in this too 2. Cor. 5.22 Esa. 53.6 Not as considered in Himselfe for so he knew no sinne But Him that knew no sinne for us made He sinne How by laying on Him the iniquities of us all even of all the sonnes of men upon this Sonne of Man And so considered He is not onely Sicut but Plus quà m Ionas heere More sinne on Him then on Ionas for on Him the sinnes of the whole Ship yea Iona's sinne and all For all that heere is another Plus though For what Ionas suffered it was for his owne sinne Luk. 23.41 and meritò haec patimur might he say and we both with the Theefe on the Crosse. But CHRIST what had He done It was not for his owne it was for other mens sinnes He suffered He paied the things he never tooke So much the more likely was He Psal 69.4 1. Pet. 3.18 to satisfie the just for the uniust the LORD for the Servant Much more then if one sinner or servant should doe it for another Ion. 1.12 Ioh. 18.8 Yet was CHRIST as was Ionas content to be throwen in Tollite me said Ionas Sinite hos abire said CHRIST Let these goe Take me my life shall answer for theirs as it did As content said I Nay Plus more For with Ionas there was no other way to stay the storme but overboord with him But CHRIST had other waies could have stayed it with His word with His Obmutesce as He did the VIII Chapter Cha. 8.26 Mat. 3.15 Esa. 53.7 before Needed not to have beene cast in Yet to fulfill all righteousnesse condescended to it though and in He was throwen not of necessitie as Ionas but quia voluit and Voluit quia nos salvos voluit would have us safe and His Father's justice safe both Now to the effect Therewith the storme stayed GOD 's wrath was appeased Mankind saved Heere the Plus is evident That of Ionas was but Salus phaseli no more This was Salus mundi no lesse A poore boat with the whole World what comparison And the evening and the morning were Good-friday CHRIST 's first day * In their beeing there Easter Eve To Ionas now secundo He was drowned by the meanes Nay not so GOD before angry was then pacified Pacified not onely with the ship but pacified with Ionas too provided a whale in shew to devoure him indeed not to devoure but to preserve him downe he went inâ—o her belly There he was but tooke no hurt there 1. As safe nay more safe there then in the best ship of Tharsis no flaw of weather no foule sea could trouble him there 2. As safe and as safely carried to land The ship could have done no more So that upon the matter he did but change his vehiculum shifted but from one vessell to another went on his way still 3. On he went as well nay better then the ship would have carried him went into the ship the ship carried him wrong out of his way cleane to Tharsis-ward Went into the whale and the whale carried him right landed him on the next shore to Ninive whither in truth he was bound and where his errand lay 4. And all the while at good ease as in a cell or study For there he indited a Psalme expressing in it his certaine hope of getting forth againe So as in effect Ion. 2.2.6 where he seemed to be in most danger he was in greatest safety Thus can God worke And the evening and the morning were Iona's second day The like now in CHRIST but still with a plus quà m Doe but compare the whale's bellie with the heart of the earth and you shall finde the whale that swallowed CHRIST that is the grave was another manner whale farr wider throated then that of Ionas That Whale caught but one Prophet but Ionas This hath swouped up Patriarchs and Prophets and all yea and Ionas himselfe too None hath scaped the iawes of it And more hard getting out I am sure witnesse Ionas Into the whale's belly he went and thence he gat out againe After he gat thence into the heart of the earth he went and thence he gat not there he is still The Signe lyes in this by the letter of the Text. And in CHRIST the Signe greater For though to see a whale tumble with a Prophet in the bellie were a strange sight yet more strange to see the SONNE of GOD lye dead in the earth and as strange againe to see the Sonne of man to rise from the grave againe alone A double signe in it The heart of the earth with Iustine Martyr Chrysostome Augustine I take for the grave though I know Origen Nyssen Theodoret take it for hell for the place where the Spirits are as in the bodie that is the place of them And thither he went in Spirit triumphed over the powers and principalities there in His owne person But for His bodie it was the day of rest the last Sabboth that ever was Col. 2.15 and then His bodie did rest rest in hope hope of what that neither His soule should be left in hell nor His flesh suffered to see
three First Iona's whale death it was not it was but danger but danger as neer death as could be never man in more danger to scape it then he if not in death in Zalmaveth in the vale of the shadow of death it was Psal 23.4 Of any that hath beene in extreme perill we use to say he hath beene where Ionas was By Iona's going downe the whale's throat by Him againe comming forth of the whale's mouth we expresse we even point out the greatest extremitie and the greatest deliverance that can be From any such danger a deliverance is a kinde of resurrection as the Apostle plainly speakes of Isaac when the knife was at his throte he was received from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though yet he did not Heb. 11.19 This for the feast of the Resurrection And thus was Ionas a signe to them of Ninive As he scaped so they he his whale they theirs destruction which even gaped for them as wide as Iona's whale And as to them a Signe this so to us And this use we have of it When at any time we are hard bestead this signe then to be set up for a token And there is no danger so deadly but we may hold fast our hope if we set this signe before us and say What we are not yet in the whale's belly why if we were there from thence can GOD bring us though as Ionas He did Iona's whale was but the shadow of death CHRIST'S was death And even there in death to be set up And we no not in death it selfe to despaire Iob 13.15 but with Iob to say yea though He kill me yet will I trust in Him My breath I may my hope I will not forgoe expirare possum desperare non possum Heer now is our second hope to come forth to be delivered from CHRIST'S whale from death it selfe But if the whale be or betoken the death of the bodie it doth much more the death of the soule So shall we finde another whale yet a third And that whale is the red dragon that great spirituall Liviathan Satan And sin Apoc. 1◠3 the very iawes of this whale that swoupeth downe the soule first and then the bodie and in the end both Ionas has been deepe downe this whale's throte before ever he came in the others The land-whale had devoured him before ever the Sea whale medled with him In his flight he fell into this land-whale's iawes before ever the Sea-whale swallowed him up And when he had got out of the gorge of this ghostly Liviathan the other bodily whale could not long hold him And from this third whale was Ionas sent to deliver the Ninivites which when he had the other of their temporall destruction could do them no hurt Their repentance ridd them of both whales bodily and ghostly at once Heer then is a third Cape of good hope that though one had been downe as deep in the entrailes of the spirituall great Liviathan as ever was Ionas in the Sea-whale's yet even there also not to despaire He that brought Ionas from the deepe of the Sea and David from the deepe of the Earth his bodie so He also delivered his soule from the nethermost hell where Ionas and He both were Psal. 71.20 Psal. 86.13 while they were in the transgression And now by this are we come to the very Signature of this signe even to Repentance which followeth in the very next words for they repented at the preaching of Ionas Ionas preached it Ver. 41. and indeed none so fit to preach on that theme on repentance as he as one that hath been in the whale's bellie in both the whale's the spirituall whale's too for Ionas had been in both One that hath studied his sermon there been in Satan's sive well winnowed cribratus Theologus he will handle the point best as being not onely a preacher but a Signe of repentance as Ionas was both to the Ninivites And as Ionas so Christ how soon He was risen He gave order streight that repentance as the very vertue the stamp of His resurrection and by it remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations Luc. 24.47 But indeed if you marke well there is a neer alliance between the Resurrection and Repentance reciprocall as between the Signe and the Signature Repentance is nothing but the soule 's resurrection Men are dead in sinne saith the Apostle their soules are Ephe. 2.1 From that death there is a rising Els were it wrong with us That rising is repenting And when one hath lien dead in sinne long and doth eluctari wrastle out of a sinne that hath long swallowed him up he hath done as great a masterie as if with Ionas he had got out of the whale's belly Nay as if with Lazarus be had come out of the heart of the earth Ever holding this that Marie Magdalen raised from sinne was no lesse a miracle then her brother raised from the dead And sure Repentance is the very vertue of Christ's Resurrection There it is first seen it first sheweth it selfe hath his first operation in the soule to raise it This first being once wrought on the soule from the ghostly Liviathan the like will not faile but be accomplished on the bodie from the other of death of which Ionas is heer Mysterium magnum dico autem in Christo. For in Christ this Signe is a Signe Ephe. 5.32 not betokening onely but exhibiting also what it betokeneth as the Sacraments doe For of Signes some shew onely and worke nothing such was that of Ionas in it selfe Sed Ecce plus quà m Ionas hîc For some other there be that shew and worke-both Ver. 42. worke what they shew present us with what they represent what they sett before us set or graft in us Such is that of Christ. For besides that it setts before us of His it is further a seale or pledge to us of our owne that what we see in Him this day shall be accomplished in our owne selves at His good time And even so passe we to another Mysterie For one Mysterie leads us to another this in the Text to the holy Mysteries we are providing to partake which doe worke like and doe worke to this Even to the raising of the soule with the first resurrection Apoc 20.5 And as they are a meanes for the raising of our soule out of the soile of sin for they are given us and we take them expressly for the remission of sinnes so are they no lesse a meanes also for the raising our bodies out of the dust of death The signe of that Bodie which was thus in the heart of the earth to bring us from thence at the last Our Saviour saith it totidem verbis Who so eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Bloud Ioh. 6.54 I will raise him up at the last day raise him whither He hath raised himselfe Not
aske the caâ—se why why weepe you shew they would remoove it if it lay in them Neither of these did or could moove her or make her once leaue her weeping she wept on still Christ will aske her quid ploras by and by againe If she finde an Angel if she finde not her Lord it will not serve She had rather finde his dead body then them in all their glory No man in earth no Angell in heaven can comfort her none but He that is taken away CHRIST and none but CHRIST and till she find Him againe her soule refuseth all manner comfort yea even from heaven even from the Angels themselves These three Amor super amissum tenuens câ—nsolari Thus she in her love for her supposed losse or taking away And what shall become of us in ours then That lose Him 1 not once but oft 2 And not in suppose as she did but in very deed 3 And that by sinne the worst losse of all And that not by any others taking away but by our owne act and wilfull default and are not grieved nay not mooved a whit breake none of our wonted sports for it as if we reckoned Him as good lost as found Yea when CHRIST and the holy Ghost and the favour of GOD and all is gone how soone how easily are we comforted again for all this that none shall need to say quid ploras to us rather quid non ploras aske us why we weepe not having so good cause to do it as we then have This for the Angel's part VER 14. When she had thus said she turned her selfe about and saw Iesus standing and knew not that it was Iesus Alwayes the Angels we see touched the right string and she tells them the wrong cause but yet the right if it had beene right Now to this answer of hers they would have replyed and taken away her errour touching her Lord's taking away that if she knew all she would have left her seeking and sit her downe by them and left her weeping and beene in white as well as they But here is a supersadeuâ— to them The Lord himselfe comes in place Now come we from the seeking Him dead to the finding Him alive For when He saw no Angels no sight no speech of theirs wâ—uld serve none but her Lord could give her any comfort Her Lord comes Christuâ— adest Adest Christuâ— nec ab eis vnquâ—m abest à quibus quaeritur saith Augustine Christ is found found by her And this case of hers shall be the case of all that seriously seeke Him This woman heer for one she sought Him we see They that went to Emmauâ— to day they but talked of Him sadly and they both found Him Why Hee is found of them that seeke Him not Esa. 65.1 but of them that seeke Him never but found For thou Lord never fastest them that seeke Thee Psal. 9.10 God is not unrighteous to forget the worke and about of their love that seeke Him Heb. 6.10 So finde Him they shall but happily not all so fully at first no more then she did For first to try her yet a little further He comes unknowne stands by her and she little thought it had beene He â—cts 17.27 â—ob 9.11 A case that likewise falls out full oft Doubtlesse He is not farre from every one of us saith the Apostle to the Athenians But He is neerer us many times then we thinke even hard by us and we not aware of it saith Iob. And O sicognovisses tu O if we did know and it standeth vs in hand to pray that we may know when He is so â—uke 19.42 for that is the time of our visitation â—uke 19.44 Saint Iohn faith here the Angels were sitting Saint Luke saith they stood Luk. 24.4 They are thus reconciled That Christ comming in presence the Angels which before were sitting stood up Their standing up made Mary Magdalen turne her to see who it was they rose to And so Christ she saw but knew Him not Not onely not knew Him but mis-knew Him tooke him for the Gardiner Teares will dim the sight and it was yet scarse day and she seeing one and not knowing what any one should make in the ground so early but he that dressed it she might well mistake Luke 24.16 Mat 16.12 But it was more then so Her eyes were not holden onely that she did not know Him but over and beside He did appeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some such shape as might resemble the Gardiner whom she tooke Him for Proper enough it was it fitted well the time and place this person The time It was the Spring The place It was a garden that place is most in request at that time for that place and time a Gardiner doth well Of which her so taking Him Saint Gregory saith well Profecto errando non erravit She did not mistake in taking Him for a Gardiner though she might seeme to erre in some sense yet in some other she was in the right For in a sense and a good sense CHRIST may well be said to be a Gardiner and indeed is one For our rule is Christ as He appeares so He is ever No false semblant in Him 1. A Gardiner He is then The first the fairest garden that ever was Paradise He was the Gardiner it was of His planting So a Gardiner 2 And ever since it is He that as God makes all our gardens greene sends us yeerely the Spring and all the herbs and flowers we then gather and neither Paul with his planting nor Apollo with his watering could doe any good without him So a Gardiner in that sense 3 But not in that alone but He it is that gardens our soules too and makes them as the Prophet saith Like a well watered Garden weedes out of them whatsoever is noysome or unfavourie Ier. 31.11 sowes and plants them with true rootes and seedes of righteousnesse waters them with the dew of His grace and makes them bring forth fruit to eternall life But it is none of all these but besides all these nay over and above all these this day if ever most properly He was a Gardiner Was one and so after a more peculiar manner might take this likenesse on Him Christ rising was indeed a Gardiner and that a strange one who made such an herbe grow out of the ground this day as the like was never seene before a dead body to shoote foorth alive out of the grave 〈…〉 was He so this day alone No but this profession of His this day begun He will follow to the end For He it is that by vertue of this morning's acâ— shall garden our bodies too turne all our graves into garden-plots Yea shall one day tuâ—ne land Sea and all into a great garden and so husband them as they shall in 〈◊〉 time bring foorth live bodies even all our bodies alive againe Long before did Esai see this and
away tel me where thou hast layd Him and I will fetch Him Him Him and Him and never names Him or tells who He is This is Solaecismus amoris an irregular speech but love's owne dialect Him is enough with love who knowes not who that is It supposes every body all the world bound to take notice of Him whom we looke for onely by saying Him though we never tell His name nor say a word more Amor quem ipse cogitat neminem putans ignorare The other is in her ego tollam If he would tell her where he had layd Him she would goe fetch Him that she would Alas poore woman she was not hable to lift Him There are more then one or two either allowed to the carrying of a corps Aâ— for His it had more then an hundred pound weight of myrrhe and other odours upon it beside the poise of a dead body Ioh. 9.39 She could not doe it Well yet she would doe it though O mulier non mulier saith Origen for ego tollam seemes rather the speech of a Porter or of some lustie strong fellow at least then of a silly weake woman But love makes women more then women at least it makes them have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the courage above the strength farr Never measures her own forces no burden too heavie no aâ—â—ay too hard for love nihil crubescit nisi nomen difficultatis and is not ashamed of any thing but that any thing should be too hard or too heavie for it Affectus sine mensurâ virium propriarum Both these argue dilexit multùm And so now you have the full number of ten VER 16. IESVS saith to her Marie She turned her selfe and said to Him Rabboni that is to say Master Now magnes amoris amor Nothing so allures so drawes love to it Christ's second speech as doth love it selfe In CHRIST specially and in such in whom the same minde is For when her Lord saw there was no taking away His taking away from her all was in vaine neither men nor Angels nor Himselfe so long as He kept Himselfe Gardiner could get any thing of her but her Lord was gone He was taken away and that for the want of IESVS nothing but IESVS could yield her any comfort He is no longer hable to containe but even discloses Himselfe And discloses Himselfe by His voice For it should seeme before with His shape He had changed that also But now He speakes to her in His knowen voice in the wonted accent of it does but name her name Marie no more and that was enough That was as much to say Recognâ—sce à quo recognosceris she would at least take notice of Him Augustine that shewed He was no stranger by calling her by her name For whom we call by their names we take particular notice of So GOD sayes to Moses Te autem cognovi de nomine Exod. 33.17 Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by thy name As GOD Moses So Christ Marie Magdalen And this indeed is the right way to know Christ to be knowen of Him first Gal. 4.9 the Apostle saith Now we have knowen GOD and then correcteth himselfe or rather have beene knowen of GOD. For till He know us we shall never know Him aright And now loe Christ is found found alive that was sought dead A cloud may be so thick we shall not see the Sunne through it The Sunne must scatter that cloud and then we may Heer is an example of it It is strange a thicke cloud of heavinesse had so covered her as see Him she could not through it this one word these two syllables Marie from His mouth scatters it all No sooner had His voice sounded in her eares but it drives away all the mist dries up her teares lightens her eyes that she knew Him straight and answeres Him with her wonted salutation Rabboni If it had lien in her power to have raised Him from the dead Her answer she would not have failed but done it I dare say Now it is done to her hands And with this all is turned out and in A new world now Away with sustulerunt His taking away is taken away quite For if His taking away were her sorrow Contrariorum contraria consequentia Si de sublato ploravit de suscitato exultavit we may be sure If sad for His death for His taking away then glad for His rising Augustine for His restoring againe Surely if she would have been glad but to have found but His dead body now she finds it and Him alive what was her joy how great may we think So that by this she saw Quid ploras was not asked her for nought that it was no impertinent question as it fell out Well now He that was thought lost is found againe and found not as He was sought for not a dead body but a living soule nay a quickening Spirit then And that might Mary Magdalen well say He shewed it 2. Cor. 15.45 for He quickned her and her Spirits that were as good as dead You thought you should have come to CHRIST 's Resurrection to day and so you do But not to His alone but even to Mary Magdalen's resurrection too For in very deed a kind of resurrection it was was wrought in her revived as it were and raised from a dead and drooping to a lively and cheerefull estate The Gardiner had done his part made her all greene on the suddaine And all this by a word of His mouth Such power is there in every word of His so easily are they called whom CHRIST will but speake to But by this we see when He would be made knowne to her after His rising He did choose to be made knowne by the eare rather then by the eye By hearing rather then by appearing Opens her eares first and her eyes after Her eyes were holden till her eares were opened 〈◊〉 14. â—6 Psal. 40.6 comes aures 〈◊〉 aperâ—â—sti mihi and that opens them With the Philosophers hearing is the sense of wisedome With us in divinitie it is the sense of faith So most 〈◊〉 CHRIST is the Word hearing then that sense is CHRIST 's sense vice quam visu more proper to the Word So sicut audivimus goes before Psal. 48.8 and then sic vidimus comes after In matters of faith the eare goes first ever and is of more use and to be trusted before the eye For in many caseâ— faitâ—h 〈…〉 sight faileth Psal. 95.7 Tâ—eir 〈◊〉 a good 〈◊〉 to come to the knowledge of Christ by Hodiè si vocem to heaâ—e 〈◊〉 voice Howbeit it is not the onely way There is another way to take noticâ— of Him by besâ—â—s and we to take notice of it On this very day we have them both Foâ— twisâ— this day came Christ unknowne first and then knowen after To Marie Magdalen heer and to them at Emmaus Luc.
time nature's time of her yearely resurrection they be no sooner out but up they shoot and never leave to aspire till they have atteined the full pitch of their highest growth they can ascend to In our selves though I know for earthly men to have earthly minds it is not strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having clay to our father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dust to our Sire we should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our soules should cleave to the dust as Nâ—zianzen excellently saith Not strange I say that so it is with us yet so it should not be The very Heathen saw that though we be made of the earth yet we are not made for the earth That the heavenly soule was not put into the earthly body to the end the earthly body should draw it downe to the earth but rather to the end the soule should lift it up to heaven And so much they gathered out of our Os sublime and vultus ad sydera the very frame of our body that beares up thitherward and bodes as it were a kinde of ascending whither it lookes and gives naturally Nature doth teach this But grace by Christ's example much better If Christ rise that we rise with Christ Not in body yet but to compt our selves dead to sinne and rise from that and live to GOD the first resurrection And if Christ ascend we likewise to ascend Apoc. 20.5 not to part with Him but to follow Him as we may Not yet in body it cannot be sursum corpora yet it may be sursum corda we may lift up our hearts thither though There our treasure is if Christ be our treasure there our hearts to be there we in heart to be at least which is the first ascension the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it the praeludium so There are two words in the Text 1 Nondum ascendi I am not yet ascended and 2 ascendo yet I ascend though which will very well fitt us if while we are not at ascendi yet that is in body ascended we be for all that at ascendo that is ascend in mind even as Christ heere did Psal. 84.5 And Blessed is the man saith the Psalme cui in corde ascensiones that hath the ascension in his heart or his heart on it That while it is nondum ascendi with him yet at times it is ascendo lifts up his eyes sends up his sighes exalts his thoughts otherwhile represents as Christ doth anticipates the ascension Voto desiderio in will and desire before the time it selfe come of the last and finall ascension Thus much for ascendo Ascendo is a motion Every motion hath an Vnde and a quò IIII. Ad â—atrem meum The Ad quâ—m a whence and a whither a terminus à quo and a terminus ad quem The ad quem is heere ad Patrem To ascend is to Christ His naturall motion Heaven is his naturall place Thence He came Thither He is to goe againe Specially His worke being done He came for That was consummatum est with us three dayes since But till He be in heaven againe it is not consummatum est with Him So Chap 19 30. the motion is naturall And the Ad quem ad Patrem no lesse Seeing for the Sonne to goe to the Father is very kindly too we may not be against it Christ said If you loved me Chap. 14.28 you would verily rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father For very love to Christ we cannot but rejoyce with Him In the ad quem all is well if we consider that But so is not in the à quo For when all is said make the best of it we can ascendo is discedo to goe up is to goe from from them And this is no good newes For Him no sooner to come but gone againe and leave them to the wide world it might trouble them for all Tell my Brethren For by Brethren He might meane false brethren that had left Him and so would He them now and peradventure doe their errand in heaven to His father and make them have but little thankes for it at His hands So that this ascendo implying a nolo manere in a manner was as evill to them as noli me tangere was to her Et Patrem vestrum What is then become of the Gospell we spake of where or what is their comfort or ours in these tydings To deale plainely when we seeke it in ascendo we find it not Nor in ad Patrem Nor in ad Patrem meum None of these is it But in His ad Patrem vestrum there we find it there it is There was you will say as much as this comes to in fratres meos It is true it implied no lesse But CHRIST would not deliver this implicitè by way of implying but explicitè as explicate and plainely as He could And not once but twise And it is a happy turne for us He did so For this point can never be too plainely spoken to too often repeated too much stood upon All the joy of the morning is in this vestrum Tell them I goe to the Father that is not all Tell them this too As I goe to the Father so the Father I go to is their father as well as mine Not mine alone but theirs also And tell them againe that if Patrem meum be the cause of my ascending as heere is none other set downe If I go to Him thus because He is my Father because He is theirs also they also shall come after me the same way to the same place upon the same reason And He doth expresse heere the terminus ad quem by the Party to whom rather then by the Place to which because the Party will soone bring us to the Place and to somewhat besides To the Place For you shall see what will follow of this that His house that heaven is now become Paterna domus to us as our father's house And who shall keepe us from our father's house No more strangers now but of the houshold of GOD. And in the Houshold not servants but children and have thereto as good right and title shall be as welcome thither every way as any child to his owne father's house heere useth to be GOD through Him standing no otherwise affected to us then as a father to his child as well disposed as willing as ready to receive us CHRIST his beloved Sonne Matt. 3.17 in whom He is so absolutely well pleased as He alwaies heares him hath prayed to Him and obtained of Him Chap. 14.3 that where He is we may be also and in due time ascend up whither He is now ascended Pandens iter coram nobis opening the passage for us to follow Him Mic. 2.13 But I told you there was somewhat in the Person more then in the Place For by vertue of this Patrem vestrum Roâ— 8 15. while we
and we to aske who that other was The tenour of Scripture that Noble man then read was out of the LIII Chapter and this of ours out of the LXIII ten Chapters between But if S. PHILIP had found him reading of this heer as he did of that he would likewise have begun at this same Scripture as that he did and preached to him CHRIST Onely with this difference out of that CHRIST 's Passion out of this His Resurrection For Esa. 53.7 For He that was ledd as a sheep to be slaine and so was slaine there He it is and no other that rises and comes heer back like a Lion from Bozra imbrued with blood the blood of His enemies I have before I was aware disclosed who this Party is It was not amisse I so should not to hold you long in suspense but to give you a little light at the first whom it would fall on CHRIST it is Two things there are that make it can be no other but He. 1 One is without the text in the end of the Chapter next before There is a proclamation Behold heer comes your SAVIOVR and immediatly Chap. 62.11 He that comes is this Party heer from EDOM He is our SAVIOVR and besides Him there is none Even CHRIST the LORD 2 The other is in the text it selfe in these words Torcular calcavi solus I have trode the wine-presse alone Words so proper to CHRIST so every where ascribed to Him and to Him onely as you shall not read them any where applied to any other no not by the Iewes themselves So as if there were no more but these two they shew it plainly enough it is it can be none but CHRIST And CHRIST when Even this day of all dayes His comming heer from EDOM will fall out to be His rising from the dead His returne from BOZRA nothing but his vanquishing of hell We may use His words in applying it Thou hast not left my soule in hell but brought me back from the deep of the earth again Psal 16 10.71.20 Nothing but the act of His rising again So that this very morning was this Scripture fulfilled in our eares The whole text entire is a dialogue between two 1 the Prophet and â— CHRIST There are in it two Questions and to the two questions two Answers 1 The Prophets first question is touching the Party himselfe who he is in these words Who is this To which the Party himselfe answers in the same verse these words that am I one that c The Prophets second question is about his colours why He was all in red in the second verse Wherefore then is thy apparell c The answer to that is in the third verse in these I have troden c For I will tread them downe Of CHRIST Of His rising or comming back of His colours of the wine-presse that gave Him this tincture or rather of the two wine-presses 1 the Wine-presse of Redemption first 2 and then of the other Wine-presse of Vengeance THe Prophets use to speake of things to come as if they saw them present before their eyes That makes their Prophesies be called Visions In his vision heer I. The first Question touching the Partie Who it is Psal. 60.9 the Prophet being taken up in spirit sees on comming Comming whence From the Land of countrey of IDVMAEA or EDOM From what place there From BOZRA the chiefe Citie in the land the place of greatest strength Who will lead me into the strong Citie That is BOZRA Who will bring me into EDOM He that can do the first can do the latter Winn BOZRA and EDOM is woon There was a cry in the end of the Chapter before Behold heer comes your SAVIOVR He looked and saw one comming Two things he descries in this Party 1 One his habite that He was formosus in stolâ very richly arrayed â— The other his gate that He came stoutly marching or pacing the ground very strongly Two good familiar notes to descrie a stranger by His Apparell whether rich or mean which the world most commonly takes notice of men by His Gate for weake men have but a feeble gate Valiant strong men tread vpon the ground so as by it you may discerne their strength Now this Party He came so goodly in his apparell so stately in his march as if by all likelyhood he had made some conquest in EDOM the place He came from had had a victorie in BOZRA the Citie where he bad been And the truth is so He had He saith it in the third verse He had troden downe his enemies had trampled upon them made the blood even start out of them which blood of theirs had all to stained his garments This was no evill newes For ESAI 's countrimen the people of GOD EDOM was their worst enemie they had With ioy then but not without admiration such a Party sees the Prophet come toward him Sees him but knowes him not thinks him worthy the knowing so thinking and not knowing is desirous to be instructed concerning him Out of this desire askes quis est Not of himselfe he durst not be so bold Who are you but of some stander by Whom have we heer Can you tell who this might be The first question But before we come to the question a word or two of the place where he had beene and whence he came EDOM and BOZRA what is meant by them For What is meant 1 by Edom. Mat 2.14 if this Party be CHRIST CHRIST was in Aegypt a child but never in EDOM that we read never at BOZRA in all His life So as heer we are to leave the letter Some other it might be the letter might meane we will not much stand to look after him For how ever possibly some such there was yet it will plainly appeare by the sequele that the testimonie of IESVS as it is of each other so it is the spirit of this prophesie Apoc. 9.10 Go we then to the kernell and let the huske lie let go the dead letter and take we to us the spirituall meaning that hath some life in it For what care we for the literall Edom or Bozra what became of them what are they to us Let us compare spirituall things with spirituall things that is it must do us good I will give you a key to this and such liâ—e Scriptures Familiar it is with the Prophets nothing more then to speak to their People in their owne language then to expresse their ghostly enemies the both mortall and immortall enemies of their soules under the titles and termes of those Nations and Cities as were the knowen sworne enemies of the Common-wealth of ISRAEL As of Aegypt where they were in bondage as of Babylon where in captivitie elswhere as of EDOM heer who maliced them more then both those If the Angell tell us right Rev. XI there is a spirituall Sodome and Aegypt where our LORD was crucified and if they
4. We to be like Him in both And put this to it and I have done this point That such as is himselfe such if we heare Him will He make us to be And the more true and sooth fast any of us is of his word the more given to doe good and save the liker to him and the liker to have our parts in His rising We know quis est iste now This for the first part Now the Prophet hearing Him answer so gently takes to Him a little courage II. The second question Why His apparell is red to aske Him one question more about His colours He was a little troubled with them If you be so mighty to save as you say how comes it then what ailes your garments to be so redd and adds what kind of redd and he cannot tell what to liken them better to then as if he had newly come out of some wine-presse had beene treading grapes and pressing out wine there He cals it wine but the truth is it was â—o wine It was very blood New wine in shew blood indeed that upon His garments So much appeareth in the next verse following Where He saith himselfe plainely that Blood it was that was sprinkled upon his clothes and had steined them all over We know well our reason leads us there could be no vintage at this time of the yeare the season serves not Blood it was The Answer But because the Prophet made mention of a wine-presse had hit on that Simile taking occasion upon the naming it He shapes him an answer accordingly That indeed He had beene in a wine-presse And so He had The truth is He had beene in one Nay in two then In one He had beene before this heere A double wine-presse we lose nothing by this we find CHRIST was in both We cannot well take notice of the one but we must needs touch upon the other But thus they are distingâ—isâ—ed In that former it was in torculari calcatus sum solus In this later it is Torcular calcavi solus In the former He was himselfe troden and pressed He was the grapes and clusters himselfe In this later heere He that was troden on before gets up againe and doth heere tread upon and tread downe calcare and conculcare both words are in the verse upon some others as it might be the Edomites The Presse he was troden in was his Crosse and Passion This which He came out of this day was in his descent and resurrection Both proper to this Feast One to Good-friday the other to Easter-day The first wine-presse Christ 's calcatus sum Ioh. 15.5 To pursue this of the wine-presse a little The presse the treading in it is to make wine Calcatus sum is properly of grapes the fruit of the vine CHRIST is the true vine He saith it himselfe To make wine of Him He and the clusters He bare must be pressed So He was Three shrewd streignes they gave Him One in Gethsemane Matt. 26.36 that made Him sweat blood The wine or blood all is one came forth at all parts of Him Ioh 19.13 Another in the Iudgement Hall Gabbatha which made the blood runne forth at His head with the thornes out of his whole body with the Scourges out of his hands and feet with the nailes The last streine at Golgothae where He was so pressed that they pressed the very soule out of his body and out rann blood and water both Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta saith Saint Augustine out came both Sacraments the twin Sacraments of the Church Out of these pressures ran the blood of the grapes of the true Vine the fruit whereof as it is said Iudg. 9. cheereth both GOD and man Iud. 9.13 GOD as a libamen or drink-offering to Him Man as the cup of salvation to them But to make this wine His clusters were to be cutt cut and cast in cast in and troden on troden and pressed our all these before He came to be wine in the cupp As likewise when He calls himselfe Iob. 12.24 granum frumenti the wheat-corne these foure 1 the sicle the 2 flaile the â— milstone 4 the oven He passed through All went over him before He was made bread The Shew-bread to GOD to us the Bread of life But to returne to the wine-presse to tell you the occasion or reason why thus it behoved to be It was not idly done What need then was there of it this first pressing we find 1. Cor. 10. Calix Daemoniorum 1. Cor. 10.21 Gen. 3.5 The Divell hath a cup. Adam must needs be sipping of it Eritis sicut Dij went downe sweetly but poisoned him turned his nature quite For Adam was by GOD planted a naturall vine a true root but thereby by that cup degenerated into a wilde strange vine which insteed of good grapes brought forth labruscas wild grapes grapes of gall bitter clusters Moses calls them Esay 5.24 Deut 32.32 2 Reg. 4 â—0 Coloquintida the Prophet Mors in ollâ and mors in calice by which is meant the deadly fruit of our deadly sinnes But as it is in the fifth Chapter of this Prophesie where GOD planted this vine first He made a wine-presse in it So the grapes that came of this strange vine were cut and cast into the presse thereof came a deadly wine of which saith the Psalmist In the hand of the LORD there is a Cupp Psal 75.8 the Wine is redd it is full mixt and He poures out of it and the Sinners of the earth are to drinke it dreggs and all Those Sinners were our Fathers Matt. 16.27 and we It came to Bibite ex hoc omnes They and we were to drinke of it all One after another round Good reason to drinke as we had brewed to drinke the fruit of our owne inventions our owne words and workes we had brought forth About the cup went all streigned at it At last to CHRIST it came He was none of the sinners but was found among them By his good will Esa. 53.12 Mat. 20.39 He would have had it passe Transeat a me calix iste you know who that was Yet rather then we then any of us should take it it would be our bane He knew He tooke it off it went dreggs and all Alas the myrrhe they gave Him at the beginning the vinegar at the ending of his passion were but poor resemblances of this cup such as they wâ—re That another manner draught We see it cast Him into so unnaturall a sweat of blood all over as if He had been wroong and crushed in a wine-presse it could not have been more This lo was the first wine-presse and CHRIST in it three dayes ago and what with the scourges nailes and speares besides so pressed as forth it ranne blood or wine call it what you will in such so great quantitie as never ran it more plenteously out of any wine-presse of them
foure parts as did the former For there appeared 1 Tongues 2 cloven 3 as it it were of fier 4 sitting upon each of them The tongue is the substantive and subiect of all the rest It is so And GOD can send from heaven no better thing nor the Divell from hell no worse thing then it 1 Tongues The best member we have saith the Prophet The worst member Psal. 108.1 Iam. 3.6 we have saith the Apostle Both as it is imployed The best if it be of GOD 's cleaving if it be of his lighting with the fire of heaven if it be one that will sitt still if cause be The worst if it come from thâ— Divell's hands For he as in many other so in the sending of tongues striveth to be like GOD as knowing well they are every way as fitt instruments to worke mischiefe by as to doe good with There be tongues of Angels in 1. Cor. 13.1 and if of good Angels I make no doubt but of evill and so the Divell hath his tongues And he hath the art of cleaving He shewed it in the beginning when he made the Serpent linguam bisulcam a forked tongue to speake that which was contrarie to his knowledge and meaning Gen. 3.4 They should not die and as he did the Serpent's so he can doe others There is fier in hell as well as in heaven that we all know Onely in this they agree not but are unlike his tongues cannot sitt still but flie up and downe all over the world and spare neither Minister nor Magistrate no nor GOD himselfe Psal. 108.2 But if we shall say to our tongue as David did to his Awake up my glory that is make it the glory of all the rest of our members it can have no greater glorie then this to be the Organ of the Holy Ghost to set forth and sound abroad the knowledge of CHRIST to the glorie of GOD the Father And so vsed it is heavenly no time so heavenly as then in no service so heavenly as in that Not to inlarge this point further there is no new matter in it This heere of the Tongues is as that before of the sound both are to no other end but to admonish them of their Office whereto they heere received Ordination even to be Tongues to be trumpets of the Counsaile of GOD and of his Love to mankinde in sending His Sonne to save them Heere is winde to serve for breath and heere are Tongues now and what should let them to doe it Mar. 16.15 That which before they received in charge audibly Ite Praedicate the very same they heere receive visibly in this apparition which is after expounded thus Coeperunt loqui by vertue of these tongues they begann to speake â— Cloven tongues Tongues and cloven tongues And that very cleaving of right necessarie use to the businesse intended For that of theirs was but one whole intire tongue that could speake but one poore language the Syrian they were bred in There was not a cleft in it So could they speake their mind to none but Syrians and by that meanes should the Gospell have beene shut up in one corner of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the goodnesse of all that is good even the imparting it to the good of the common To the end then this great good of the knowledge of the Gospell might be dispersed to many Nations even to every nation under heaven To that end clove He their tongues to make many tongues in one tongue to make one man to be able to speake to many men of many Countries to every one in his owne language If there must be a calling of the Gentiles they must have the tongues of the Gentiles wherewith to call them Chap. 20.21 If they were debters not onely to the Iewes but to the Graecians nay not onely to the Graecians but to the Barbarians too then must they have the tongues not onely of the Iewes but of the Graecians and of the Barbarians too to pay this debt Rom. 1.14 Mar. 16.15 to discharge the duty of Ite Praedicate to all And this was a speciall favour from GOD for the propagation of His Gospell farre and wide this division of tongues and it is by the ancient Writers all reckoned a plaine reversing of the curse of Babel by this blessing of Sion since they account it all one and so it is either as at the first for all men to speake one language or as heere one man speake all That is heere recovered that there was lost and they inabled for the building up of Sion in every nation to speake so as all might understand them of every nation But this withall we are to take with us that with their many tongues they spake one thing Rom. 15.6 Chap. 4.24 and that Vnivocè With one mouth Rom. 15.6 With one voice Chap. 4.24 With diverse tongues to vtter one and the same sense that is GOD 's cloven tongue that is the division of Sion serving to edification With one tongue aequivocè to utter diverse senses diverse meanings that is none of GOD 's it is the Serpent's forked tongue the very division of Babel and tendeth to nothing but confusion â— Tongues aâ— of fier Tongues cloven and as they bad beene of fire As they had beene to keep a difference in these as before in the Winde and to shew that they were not of our elâ—mentarie fier For it is added they satt upon them which they could not have done without some hurt without skorching them at least if it had beene such fier as is in our chimneys But it was 〈◊〉 as it were ours that is in shew earthly indeed coelestiall And as the Winde so the fier from heaven Exod. 3.2 of the nature of that in the III. of Exod. which made the bush burne and yet consumed it not Where first we are to observe againe the conjunction of the tongue and fire The seate of the tongue is in the head and the Head of the Church is Christ. Ephes. 1.22 The native place of heate the qualitie in us answering to this fire is the heart and the Heart of the Church is the Holy Ghost These two ioyne to this worke Christ to give the tongue the Holy Ghost to put fier into it For as in the body naturall the next the immediate instrument of the soule is heate whereby it worketh all the members over even so in the mysticall body a vigor there is like that of heate which we are willed to cherish to be a Rom. 12.11 fervent in the Spirit to b 1. Thess. 5.19 stirre and to c 2. Tim. 1.6 blow it up which is it that giveth efficacie to all the spirituall operations To expresse this qualitie it appeareth in the likenesse of this element even to shew there should be an efficacie or vigor in their doctrine resembling it Quòd igneus est illis
supple us And as His Types so his Names the e Io 15.26 Spirit of truth the f Esai 11.2 Spirit of counseile the Spirit of holinesse the Spirit of comfort And according to His severall faculties we to invocate or call for Him by that name that is most for our use or present occasion For all these He looks we should send for Him Our error is as if he were onely for one use or office for comfort alone so in all others we let him alone if never in heavines never looke after him or care once to heare of him But He is for advise and direction also No lesse Paracletus a counselor then Paracletus a comforter He is not sent by CHRIST to comfort onely Ye may see by the very next words the first thing he doth when He commeth is He shall reprove Vers. 8. which is far from comforting But sent He is as well to mediate with us for GOD as with GOD for us GOD 's Paracletus His Sollicitor to call on us for our duety as our Paracletus or Comforter to minister us comfort in time of need Our manner is we love to be left to our selves in our consultations to advise with flesh and blood thence to take our direction all our life and when we must part then send for Him for a little comfort and there is all the use we have of Him But he that will have comfort from Him must also take counseile of him have use of him as well against error and sinfull life as against heavinesse of minde If not heere is your doome where you have had your counseile there seeke your comfort he that hath beene your Counseilour all the time of your life let him be your Comforter at the houre of your death And good reason he will not be Paracletus at halves to stand by at all els and onely to be sent for in our infirmitie Base it is to send for him never but when in extreme need but even otherwise extra casum necessitatis for entertaining of acquaintance and to grow familiar as we use to doe those we delight in The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth as much He should be neer us by us one ordinarie not a stranger to call or send for a great way of It is so expedient and he may know us throughly and we him the best and neerest way to finde sure comfort when most we shall need it For be that should minister it soundly indeed had need be familiarly acquainted with the state of our soules that he may be ready and ripe then To goe to a Lawyer 's reading and not heare it serves us not for our worldly doubts nor to heare the Physique lecture for the complaints of our bodyes No we make them Paracletos we call them to us we question with them in particular we have private conference about our estates Onely for our soule 's affayres it is enough to take our directions in open churches and there delivered in grosse private conference we endure not a Paracletus there we need not One we must have to know throughly the estate of our lands or goods One we must have intirely acquainted with the estate of our body In our soules it holdeth not I say no more it were good in did We make him a stranger all our life long He is Paraclitus as they were wont to pronounce him truly Paraclitus one whom we declined and looked over our shoulders at And then in our extremitie sodenly He is Paracletus we seek and send for him we would come a little acquainted with him Mat. 25.12 But take we heed of Nescio vos It is a true answer We take too little a time to breed acquaintance in Neâ—cio vos I feare they finde that so seeke him Paracletus they doe not Paraclitus rather This of Paracletus Now of Mittam the 1 time and the 2 manner 2. His sending 1. The time Mittaâ— both are to the purpose The time that when He sends we make ready for Him The time of the yeâ—re was this time in the Spring the fairest and best part of it The time of the moneth the third day so they deduce from the fifteenth day the day of the Passeover and so fifty dayes it will so fall out by calculation that is the beginning of the moneth The time of the day it was before the third houre that is Act. 2.15 nine of the clock in the morning plainly So it was still prime These teach us it would be in our prime the time of health and strength when we lay the grounds of our comfort not to tarry till the frost and snow of our life till the evill dayes come Eccles. 12. and the yeares approach whereof we shall say we have no pleasure in them He in the spring we in the end of the yeare He in the beginning of the moneth we in the last quarter nay even pridiè calendas He before nine in the morning we not till after nine at night If we will keepe time with him we know what His time is of sending The manner is best and it is in the body of the word As the Spirit of truth â— The manner Per Paraclesiâ— by preaching as the Holy Ghost by prayer the Paracletus we know what he meaneth per Paraclesin by invitation As the Dove to baptisme the Winde to prayer Asperâ—ios attraxi Spiritum Psal. 119.131 the tongue to a sermon the Paracletus to Paraclesis as it were a refreshing so 1. Cor. 10.3.4 friends meete and nourish love and amitie one with another And even humanum dicere after naturall men when our spirits are spent and we wax faint to recover them or never in the naturall man it is done no way more kindly then by nourishment specially such as is apt to bâ—eed them as one kinde is more apt then other There is a spirituall meat and a spirituall drinke saith the Apostle in which kinde there is none so apt to procreate the Spirit in us as that flesh and blood which was it selfe conceived and procreate by the Spirit and therefore full of spirit and life to them that partake it It is sure to invite and allure the Spirit to come there is no more effectuall way none whither Christ will send Him or whither He will come more willingly then to the presence of the most holy Mysteries And namely at this feast concerning which our Saviour CHRIST 's voyce is to sound in our eares Si quis sitiat veniat ad me If any thirst let him come to me and drinke Ioh. 7.39 Which He meant and spake saith Saint Iohn of the spirit which was to be given at that time of especially when He was newly glorified De meo accipiet saith CHRIST of Him and it is no where more truly fulfilled that He shall take of CHRIST 's and give it us then it is done of that Ver. 14.
too Gal. 4.6 〈◊〉 from them and not by way of generation That is Christ's proper 6. Breath-wise 〈◊〉 termed the Onely begotten and so none but He but by way of Emitte 〈◊〉 Emission sending it forth Psa. 104.30 that is out of the very body of the word Spirit 〈◊〉 or breathing One breathing yet from both even as the breath which 〈◊〉 the name and resemblance of it is one yet from both the nostthrills in the 〈◊〉 naturall All these are expressed or implied in our Baptisme And now lastly to returne 〈◊〉 to our purpose proceeds from them to come to us is breathed from them to 〈◊〉 Sent by them to be given us Per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost which is given us given to receive and so to be received of us Rom. 5.5 〈…〉 openeth the way and maketh the passage over to the second question si 〈◊〉 Have ye received And so as we see the two parts follow well and kindly 〈…〉 the other For this now is the last thing to be heard of Him that it is not 〈…〉 to heare of Him but that we are to receive Him also and to give account 〈◊〉 Paul that we have so done â—hen we have now cleered the first question at our Baptisme and have heard 〈◊〉 such a one there is 2. And that He is GOD. 3. GOD in unitie of name 4. Yet 〈…〉 distinct and distinct as a person by Himselfe 5. A person by Himselfe yet 〈◊〉 Himselfe but proceeding 6. Proceeding from both Persons that stand before 〈◊〉 the Father and the Sonne 7. And that breath-wise And so we have done 〈…〉 But yet we have not done though For the other question must be 〈…〉 no remedie it imports us For as good not heare of Him at all as heare 〈…〉 Him 〈◊〉 then I come Si recepistis Have ye received the Holy Ghost II. The second part Wherein 〈…〉 points 1. That we are lyable to this question and to the affirmative part 〈…〉 and so are bound to receive Him For so si presuppsoeth 2. If 〈…〉 how to know it 3. If we have not how to compasse it 〈…〉 〈…〉 we may esteeme by this that S. 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 at the first as the most needfull point Two thing◠〈…〉 we must Secondly that it must be 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 any Spirit or receive at all May we not out of our selves 〈…〉 our â—urnes No For holy we must be if ever we sâ—â—ll rest 〈…〉 for Heb. â—â— â—4 without hâ—linesse none shall over see GOD. But holy we cannot be 〈…〉 or acquisite There is none such in all morall Philosophie 〈…〉 sâ—ith by illumination so have we our holinesse by inspiratiâ—◠〈…〉 both 〈◊〉 without 〈…〉 Philosophers came and so Christians may but that will not serve 〈…〉 furtheâ— Our habits acquisite will lift us no further then they did the 〈…〉 no further then the place where they grow that is earth and nature 〈…〉 câ—â—not worke beyond their kind nothing can nor rise higher then their spring 〈◊〉 therefore Si habituâ—â—â— acquisistis but si Spiritum recepistis we must go by Of recâ—iâ—ing the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 then why recepistis Spiritum Sanctum the Holy Ghost No receiving will serve but of him The reason is 〈◊〉 nothing heer below that we seek but to heaven we aspire Then is to heaven we shall somthing from heaven must thither exalt us If Partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 we hope to be as great and pretious promises we have that we shal be that can be no otherwise then by receiving one in whom the divine nature is He being received imparts it to us and so makes us Consortes divinae naturae and that is the Holy Ghost For as an absoluâ—e â—ecessity there is that we receive the Spirit els can we not live the life of 〈◊〉 so no lesse absolute that we receive the holy Spirit els can we not live the life of 〈◊〉 and so â—onsequently never come to the life of glorie Recepistis Spiritum gives the life â—â—turall Recepistis Spiritum Sanctum gives the life spirituall 1. Cor. 1â— 45 1. There holdeth a correspondence between the naturall and the spirituall The same way the 〈◊〉 as made in the beginning by the Spirit mooving upon the waters of the dâ—ep the very same was the world new made the Christian world or Church by the sâ—me Spirit mooving on the waters of baptisme 2. And 〈◊〉 how in the first ADAM we come to this present life by sending the breath of life into our bodies So in the second come we to our hold in the other life by sending the Holy Ghost into our soules 3. By that Spirit which CHRIST was conceived by by the same Spirit the Christian also must be Not to be avoided absolutely necessarie all these it cannot be otherwise Another 〈◊〉 of His â—â—ceiving For a 2. Luke 11.24 the house will not stand emptie long One Spirit of other holy or unholy will enter and take 〈◊〉 up We see the greatest part of the 〈…〉 are entered upon and held some by the b Esa. 29.10 spirit of slumber that passe their â—ime â—s it were in a sleepe without any sense of GOD or religion at all Others by the c Esa. 19.14 spirit of giddinesse that reele to and fro and every yeare are of a new 〈◊〉 Others by d 1. Tim. 4.1 the spirit of error given over to beleeve lies through strong illusâ—â—â— And they that seeme to know the truth some with the e Luke 11.24 uncleane spirit some 〈…〉 f Iam. 4.5 or some such for they are many that a kind of necessitie there is to 〈…〉 and receive the good Spirit that some or other evill spirit from GOD 〈…〉 From which GOD deliver us A third 〈…〉 â—e receive Him for that with Him we shall receive what ever we 〈…〉 need 〈…〉 for our soule 's good And heer fall in all His Ofâ—iâ—es By Him g Tit. â— 6 we are regenerate at the first in our baptisme By Him after Heb. â— 2 conâ—â—rmed in the imposition of hands By Him after 1. Tim. 5 1â— renewed to repentance when we fall 〈◊〉 by a second imposition of hands By Him 〈…〉 taught all our life long that we 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 forget 〈…〉 stirred up in what we are dull 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 infirmities comforted in our heavinesse in a 〈…〉 day of 〈…〉 and â— râ—â—sed up againe in the last day Go all 〈…〉 our Baptisme to our very Resurrection and we cannot misse Him 〈…〉 we must 〈…〉 other side Si non recepistis without Him received receive what we will 〈…〉 good Receive the Word it is but r 2. Cor. 3.6 a killing letter receive 〈…〉 IOHN 's Baptisme but a s Gal. 4 9. barren element receive His flesh t Ioh. 6.63 it profiteth 〈…〉 CHRIST it will not do for u Rom. 8.9 Qui non
like proffer Matt. 8.34 He 〈…〉 â—â—tergesites too that can spare Him and His Seale both Men are I know not 〈…〉 loth and as it were afraid thinke it a disgrace to them many and that would 〈…〉 of Spirit that any Seale or marke of holinesse should be set or seen 〈…〉 Content with a Labell without any Seale to it all their life long And of 〈…〉 Labell Christians we have meetly good store As the Spirit of GOD they like 〈…〉 enough to have their breath and life and moving from Him yea arts and 〈…〉 if He will But as the Holy Spirit not once to be acquainted with Him 〈…〉 is this plaine but their speech Cause the Holy One to cease from us Es. 30.11 But yet I 〈…〉 say not at all For if He will come and Seale them some quarter of an 〈◊〉 before they dy for that they will not stand with Him But they desire to weare 〈◊〉 Signature of the flesh or of the world of pride or of lust as long as they are able to 〈◊〉 on their leggs Animales all their life and Spiritum habentes Iud. 19. at the hower of 〈◊〉 death Clinici Christiani beddered Christians as the Primitive Church called 〈◊〉 when the flesh leaves them let the Spirit take them and Seale them Then the 〈◊〉 and ye will but not before But this is an indignitie and cannot be well 〈◊〉 He will not endure thus to be trifled with and shifted of when He would and 〈◊〉 He Seale us not when we would we have our mends in our owne hands â—â—condly Say we be willing He come Is it not our part against He comes to 〈◊〉 our selves and be readie wrought to receive the figure of His Seale Then if 〈◊〉 He finde us so indurate in malice and desire of revenge or sinnes of that sort 〈◊〉 good offer Him a flint to Seale which will take no print Or on the other 〈◊〉 us so dissolved as it were and even molten in the sinnes of the flesh that as 〈◊〉 offer him a dish of water to Seale that will hold no figure Both come to one 〈◊〉 to suffer Him to doe it and â— not to be in case to receive it 1 Not disposed 〈◊〉 2 indisposed for it And can He choose but reckon this as a second gravamen 〈◊〉 His way and leave us as He found us 〈◊〉 two before we be Two more when we be Sealed For â— After it when we have well 〈◊〉 received it then doth it behoove us carefully to keepe the Signature 〈◊〉 facing or bruising If we doe not but carrie it so loosely as if we cared 〈◊〉 became of it and where we are Signati to be close and fast suffer every 〈◊〉 â—ccasion to break us up have our soules ly so open as all manner of thoughts 〈◊〉 and repasse through them Is not this a third When one shall see a 〈…〉 â—ountrie-man how sollicitous he is if it be but a bond of no great value to 〈…〉 Seale faire and whole But if it be of higher nature as a Patent then to have 〈◊〉 and leaves and wooll and all care used it take not the least hurt And on the 〈…〉 on our parts how light reckoning we make of the Holy Ghost's Seale 〈…〉 that care do not so much for it as He for his Bond of five nobles the matter 〈…〉 such consequence This contempt must it not amount to a greevance Yes 〈…〉 a grave gravamen a greevous one For this is even Margaritas porcis right 〈…〉 fâ—rther If having received this Seale upon us we so farre forget our selves 〈…〉 â—â—â—ught to let His amulus the fiend the evill Spirit whom He can by no 〈…〉 even to Super-sigâ—lare set his marke over it Seale upon Seale put his 〈…〉 his image and Superscription above and upon the HOLY GHOST 's 〈…〉 disgrade as He can never brooke it And shall we once conceive 〈…〉 use go as this He will do what mâ—re greeved use to do say presently 〈…〉 awâ—y heâ—re is 〈◊〉 place to 〈◊〉 so leave us with our new image 〈…〉 〈…〉 so a 〈◊〉 matter 〈◊〉 all yâ—r For He no sooner gone but in His place 〈…〉 so Sence on us and not alone neither 〈◊〉 compâ—nie wiâ—h Him 〈…〉 then himselfe and the end of that man worse then his bâ—ginâ—ing 〈…〉 Luk â—â— â—6 These they be then these foure Not to offer thesâ— is 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 so evill as we do yet that we remember Nolite doe it not 〈…〉 not to doe it If we fall into any of the former foure 2 neglect 〈…〉 He commeth â— dispose not ourselves as we should against He brutz or marr our Seale Yea 4 admit a Sealing upon it of the 〈…〉 GOD the flesh upon the Spirit Prophane upon Holy yet let not 〈…〉 At least not our whole will not our full consents Let it but happen per 〈◊〉 as we say either surprised with the violence or weried with the 〈…〉 the tentation or circumvented with the sleights of the Serpent but ever câ—me â—â—luntatem if it may be or els as in the Schooles they call it vellëitatem de 〈◊〉 coâ—â—istando A great matter depends on this For wilfully to do it that is indeed to greeve Heb. 10.29 if it be not more even to worke despite to the Spirit of Grace Application to the 〈◊〉 Now to draw to an end This request never comes so fit as on this Day For there is in the Text a day of redeeming And there is by like analogie a Day of Sealing As that CHRIST 's So this the HOLY GHOST 's Day Now if the Sealing-Day be the Holy Ghost's then reciprocè the Holy Ghost's Day that is the Day of Sealing And this is the Holy Ghost's Day And not onely for that originally so it was But for thâ—t it is to be entended ever He will doe His owne chiefe worke upon His owne â—hiefe Feast and opus Dici the daye 's worke upon the Day it selfe So that now we â—re come about to our first greevance Not to refuse Him not at any time but not â—t His owne Time not then when He sits in His Office and offers to set His Seale on us Application to the Sacrament And that He now doth For when we turne our selves every way we finde not in the Office of the Church what this Seale should be but the Sacrament or what the priâ—et of it but the grace there received a meanes to make us and a pledge or earnest to assure us 2. Cor 5.5 that we are His. The outward Seale should be a thing visible to be shewed And the Sacrament is the onely visible part of Religion and nothing subject to that sense but it This I finde that the Schoole-men when they numbred Seven those seven were the Seven Seales So for Seales they have beene ever reputed But what doubt we One of them is by the Apostle 〈◊〉 4.12 named a Seale in expresse termes The seale of righteousnesse
three such immersions that hath Christ quitt us of When He was asked by the Prophet How His rebes came so red He sayes He had been in the wine presse but there He had beene and that He had trode alone Et vir de gentibus non fuit mecum Esay 6â— 2.3 And not one of the People with Him none but He there in that spares us in that But the other two parts He setts downe precisely to Nicodemus and in him But not either of water or of the Holy Ghost Ioh. 3.5 1. Cor. 10.2 to us all 1 Water 2 and the HOLY GHOST Now the HOLY GHOST we yet lacke So doth Saint Paul baptized in the Sea and in the Cloud by the Sea meaning the elemeâ—tarie part by the Cloud the celestiall part of baptisme Now that of the cloud we have not yet So doth Saint Peter the doing away the soile of the flesâ— that 2. Pet 3.21 Iordan can doe but that wherewith the conscience or soule should be presented before GOD that is still wanting And the baptisme of the bodie is but the bodie of baptisme the soule of baptisme is the baptisme of the soule Of the soule with the blood of CHRIST by the hand of the Holy Ghost as of the bodie with water by the hand of the Baptist without which it is but a naked a poore and a dead element Gal 4.9 Saint Paul tells us Col. II. that besides the circumcision that was the manufacture there was another made without hands There is so in baptisme Col. 2.11 besides the hand seene that casts on the water the vertue of the Holy Ghost is there working without hands what heere was wrought And for this CHRIST prayes that then it might might then and might ever CHRIST'S praâ—er for the Hâ—ly Ghost Ioh. 17. â—0 be joyned to that of the water Not in His baptisme onely but in the People's and as he afterwards enlarges His prayer in all others that should ever after beleeve in His name That what in His heere was in all theirs might be what in this first in all following what in CHRIST 's in all Christian's Heaven might open the Holy Ghost come downe the Father be pleased to say over the same words toties quâ—ties so oft as any Christian man's child is brought to his baptisme CHRIST hath prayed now See the force of His prayer Before it Heaven was mured up 2. The â—pening of hâ—aven no Dove to be seene no voice to he heard Altum silentium But streight upon it as if they had but waited the last word of His prayer all of them follow immediately Heaven opens first For if when the lower heaven was shutt three yeares Chap 4.25 Iaco. â— 18 Elias was hable with his prayer to open it it is our SAVIOVR in the next Chapter following and bring downe raine The prayer of CHRIST who is more of might then many such as Elias shall it not be much more of force to enter the Heavens of the heavens For the bringing downe the waters above the heavens Ioh. 7.39 the highest of them all and to bring downe thence the waters above the heavens even the heavenly graces of the Holy Spirit For so when our SAVIOVR cryed Iohn VII If eny be a thirst let him come to me and I will give him of the waters of life This saith Saint Iohn He spake of the Spirit For the Spirit and His graces are the very supercoelestiall waters one drop whereof infused into the waters of Iordan will give them an admirable power to pieâ—ce even into the innermost parts of the soule and to baptize it that is not onely take out the steynes of it and make it cleane but further give it a tincture lustre or glosse for so is baptisme properly of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken from the Dyer's fatt Apoc. 7.14 and is a dying or giving a fresh colour and not a bare washing onely Alwaies the opening of heaven opens unto us that no baptisme without heaven 2 To shew baptisme iâ— from heâ—ven Chap 20.4 By a doore open open and so that baptisme is de caelo non ab hominibus from heaven not of men So was it heere So is it to be holden for ever 2. And from heaven not clanculum as Prometheus is said to get his fire but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orderly by a faire doore set open in the view of much people for all that were present saw the impression in the skie Which doore was not mured up againe For we finde it still open Apoc. 4.1 Matt. 16.19 To shew out right to enter heaven Apoc. IIII. and we finde that keyes were made and given of it after this 3. And all this that there might not onely be a passage for these downe but for us up For heaven gate ab hoc exemple doth ever open at baptisme in signe he that new comâ—eth from the Font hath then right of entrance in thither Then I say when by baptisme he is cleansed For before Nihil inquinatum Nothing defiled can enter there Apoc. 21.27 Out of heaven now open somewhat is seene and somewhat heard 1 Seen 3. Out of heaven open what a Dove descend the Apparition 2 Heard Tu es filius meus the Voice Vnder one the testimonie Visus Vocis of hearing and sight both that Sicut audivimus Psal. 48 8. sic vidimus that as we see we heare and backe againe as we heare see which is as much as can be to make full faith The appâ—rition 1 The H. Ghost 1. The Apparition Wherein the points are six 1. The Holy Ghost First that person For the Person by whom CHRIST was conceived by the same it was most convenient Christians should also be But to go higher The Person that was Author of Genesis the generation meetest to be Author likewise of regeneration The same person and in the same element The element wherof all were made and wherewith all were destroyed after 2· Pet. 3.5.6 1. Pet. 3.20.21 that with the same all should be saved againe the water it selfe now becomming the arke the drowning water the saving arke as S. Peter noteth That as then by His moving on the waters He put into them a life and heate to bring forth so now by His comming downe upon them He should impregnate them to a better birth Ioh 3.5 Tit. 3.5 Symbol Nicen. That as His Title is the Lord and Giver of life He might be the Giver of true life that is aeternall life whereto this life of ours is but a passage or entrie and not otherwise to be accompted of 2 Came downe Psal. 139.7 2. The Holy Ghost came downe that is to say in His signe of symbole the Dove Otherwise the Spirit of GOD neither goes up nor comes downe it is every where beneath as well as above but by a familiar phrase in Scripture what the Dove did that represented Him
not to be given them till CHRIST was glorified and glorified He was in part at his Resurrection Then therefore given in part as heere we see But much more glorious after by his Ascension Given therefore then in fuller measure Heere but a breath there a mightie winde Heere but afflatus breathed in there effusus powred out The Spirit proceeding gradually For by degrees they were brought on went through them all all three Baptized and so made Christians breathed into and so made what we are had the tongues sitt on them and so made Apostles properly so called But three things may be said of this heere 1. That of all the three commings first it is the most proper For most kindly it is for the Spirit to be inspired to come per modum spirationis in manner of breath Inasmuch as it hath the name à spirando and is indeed it selfe flamen the very breath as it were proceeding à Patre Filioque So one breath by another 2. Then the most effâ—ctuall it is For in both the other the Dove and the tongues the Spirit did but come but light upon them In this it comes not upon them but even into them intrinsecally It is insufflavit it went into their inward parts and so made them indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men inspired by GOD and that within 3. And last it is of the greatest use Both the other were but for once Baptisme but once for every one the tongues but once for all This is toties quoties so oft as we sinne and that is oft enough we need it look how oft that so oft have we use of this breath heere breathed as the next verse sheweth for peccata remiseritis the remission of sinnes Now what is here to doe what businesse is in hand we cannot but know The Summe if ever we have beene at the giving of Holy Orders For by these words are they given Receive the Holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit c. Were to them and are to us even to this day by these and by no other words Which words had not the Church of Rome reteined in their Ordinations it might well have beene doubted for all their Accipe potestatem sacrificandi pro vivis mortuis whither they had eny Priests at all or no. But as GOD would they reteined them and so saved themselves For these are the very operative words for the conferring this power for the performing this act Which act is heere performed somewhat after the manner of a Sacrament For heer is an outward Caeremonie of breathing instar elementi and heere is a Word comming to it receive ye the Holy Ghost That some have therefore yielded to give that name or title to Holy Orders As indeed the word Sacrament hath beene sometime drawne out wider and so Orders taken in and other some plucked in narrower and so they left out as it hath pleased both the old and the later Writers And if the grace heere given had beene gratum faciens as in a Sacrament it should and not as it is gratis data but in office or function And againe if the outward Caeremonie of breathing had not beene changed as it hath plainely it had been somwhat But being changed after into laying on of hands it may well be questioned For we all agree there is no Sacrament but of CHRIST 's owne institution And that neither matter nor forme He hath instituted may be changed Yet two parts there be evidently 1 insufflavit and 2 dixit 1 He breathed The Division and 3 He said Of these two then first joyntly and then severally From them jointly two points Of the God-head of our SAVIOVR first and then of the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from Him Then severally First insufflavit And in it three points 1. Of the breath and the symbolizing of it with the Holy Ghost 2. Secondly of the parties 2 He that breathed CHRIST b They that breathed into the Apostles 3. And last of the act it selfe a sufflavit breathing b insufflavit breathing into them After of dixit the Word said 1 Accipite of the receiving 2 Then of the thing received which is a Spiritum the Spirit b And not every or eny spirit but Sanctum the Holy Ghost c And because that may be received many waies which way of them it is heere received I. Of the two parts jointly WE proceed first jointly out of both and begin with matter of faith Two Articles of it 1 The God-head of CHRIST 2 the Pâ—oceeding of the Holy Ghost from the second Person 1 The God-head of CHRIST Dixit The first rising out of the two maine parts For as insufflavit argues His Manhood So dixit doth His God-head His saying Receive the Holy Ghost For haec vox hominem non sonat No man of himselfe can so say Verus Homo qui spiraâ—e True Man by His breathing Verus Deus qui Spiritum donare True GOD by his bidding them take and so giving them the Holy Ghost To give that gift to breath such a breath is beyond the power of men or Angels Is more then any can do save GOD onely For that We say them also in our Ordering the case is farre different We say them not as in our owne but as in His person We bid them from Him receive it not from our selves This point will againe fall in afterwards 2 The Proceeding of the Holy Ghost Next we argue for the Holy Ghost's proceeding from Him and that evidently For as He gave of His breath so did He of the Spirit The breath from His Humanitie the Spirit from His Dâ—itie The breath into their bodies the Spirit into their soules The outward act teaches visibly without what is invisibly done within Thrise was the Holy Ghost sent and in three formes 1 of a Dove 2 of breaâ—h 3 of Cloven Tongues From the Father as a Dove From the Sonne as Breath From both as Cloven Tongues The very cleft shewing they came from two At CHRIST 's baptisme Luk. 3.22 the Father sent Him from heaven in shape of a Dove So from the Father He proceedeth After at His rising heere CHRIST by a breath sends Him into the Apostles So from the Sonne He proceedeth After being receiveâ— up into the glorie of his Father He together with the Father the Father and He both sent Him this day downe Act. 2 3. in tongues of fire So from both He proceedeth Proceeding from the Father totidem verbis Chap. 15.26 And proceeding heere from the Soâ—ne ad oculum really Not in words onely we may beleeve our eyes we see Him so to proceed Enough to cleere the point à patre filioque With Reference to quorum remiseritiâ— This proceeding as it holds each other where so specially in this of quorum remiseritis the remission of sinnes For which it is heere given For in that of all other the Holy Ghost proceeds from CHRIST most properly For
to play the wise-man and to forethinke him of his folly committed Feare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is well called of the nature of a bridle to our nature to hold us into refraine from evill if it may be if not to check us and turne us about and make us turne from it Therefore Feare GOD and depart from evill lightly goe togither Pro. 3.7 as the cause and the effect you shall seldome finde them parted So then because it is first it is to stand first and first to be regarded Another reason is because it is most generall For it goes through all heathen and all It goes to omni gente For in omni gente there is qui timet For that they have so much faith as to feare appeares by the Ninivites plainly Nay it goes not onely to omni gente but even to omni animante too to beasts and all yea to the dullest beast of all Num. 22.23 to Balaam's beast he could not get her smite her spur her do what he could to her to runne upon the point of the Angels's sword that they are in worse case then beasts that are voyd of it So first it riseth of all and furthest it reacheth of all And this feare I would not have men thinke meanely of it It is we see the beginning of wisedome and so both Father and Sonne a Psal. 111.10 David and b Pro. 1.7 Salomon call it But if it have his full worke to make us depart from evill it is wisedome complete and the from GOD'S owne mouth c Iob 28.28 Iob. 28. Therefore d Esai 33.6 Esai bidds us make a treasure of it and e Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that is ever thus wise that feareth alwaies It is Salomon Proverb 28. For howsoever the world goe f Eccles 8.12 this I am sure of saith he it shall goe well with him that feareth GOD and carrieth himselfe reverently in His Presence Rom 8.15 And care not for them that talke they know not what of the spirit of bondage Of the seven spirits which are the divisions of one and the same Spirit this day heere sent downe the last the chiefest of all is the Spirit of the feare of GOD. Esai 11. So it is the Alpha and Omega first and last beginning and end First and last I am sure There is sovereigne use of it Esa. 11 2. Not regard them not that say it perteines not to the New Testament phanfying to themselves nothing must be done but out of pure love For even there it abideth and two sovereigne uses there are still of it those two which before we named One to beginn 2 the other to preserve 1. To beginn We sett it heere as an introduction as the dawning is to the day For on them that are in this dawning that feare His Name on them shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise Mal. 4.2 It is Malachi saith it it is Cornelius heere sheweth it As the base Court to the Temple Not into the Temple at first stepp but come through the Court first As the needle to the threed it is Saint Augustine that first enters and drawes after it the threed and that sewes all fast togither Where there happens a strange effect that not to feare the next way is to feare The kinde worke of feare is to make us cease from sinne Ceasing from sinne brings with it a good life a good life that ever carries with it a good conscience and a good conscience casts out feare So that upon the matter the way not to feare is to feare and that GOD that brings light out of darkenesse and glorie out of humilitie He it is that also brings confidence out of feare 2. This for the introduction And ever after when faith is entred and all it is a sovereigne meanes to preserve them also Ther is as I have told you a composition in the soule much after that of the body The heart in the body is so full of heate it would stifle it selfe and us soone were it not GOD hath provided the lungs to give it coole 〈◊〉 to keepe it from stifling Semblably in the soule faith is full of Spirit ready enough of it selfe to take an unkind heate save that feare is by GOD ordeined to coole it and keepe it in temper to awake our care still and see it sleepe not in securitie It is good against saying in ones heat a Psal. 〈…〉 Non movebor saith the Psal. Good against b 〈…〉 33. Etsâ— râ—nnes non ego S. Peter found it so Good saith S. Paul against c Rom. 11 2â— Noli altum saepere And these would marr all but for the humble feare of GOD by that all is kept right Wherefore when the Gospell was at the highest Phil. 2.12 1. Pet. 1.17 worke out your salvation with feare and trembling saith Saint Paul passe the time of your dwelling heer in feare saith Saint Peter Yea our Saviour himselfe as noteth Saint Augustine when He had taken away one feare Ne timete Feare not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 and when they have done that have done all and can do no more in place of that feare putts another But sent Him that when He hath slaine the body can cast soule and it into hell fire and when He had so said once comes over againe with it to strike it home Etiam dico vobis 〈◊〉 say unto you feare Him So then this of feare is not Moses's song onely it is the song of Moses and the Lamb 〈◊〉 Made of the harmonie of the ton'e as well as t'other A speciall streign Apoc. 15.4 in that song of Moses and the Lamb Apoc. XV. you shall find this Who will not feare thee ô Lord He that will not may sibi canere make himselfe musique he is out of their queer yea the Lamb 's queer indeed out of both This have I a little stood on for that me thinks the world beginns to grow from feare too fast we strive to blow this Spirit quite away for feare of carnificina conscientiae we seeke to benumme it and to make it past feeling For these causes feare is with GOD a thing acceptable we heare And that the Holy Ghost came downe where this feare was we see So it is Saint Peter affirmes it For certaine of a truth So it is Saint Peter protests it Let no man beguile you to make you thinke otherwise No no but Fac fac vel timore paenae sinondum potes amore justitiae Do it man I tell thee do it though it be for feare of punishment if you cannot yet get your selfe to do it for love of righteousnesse One will bring on the other Esa. 26.18 Ver. 6. A timore Domini concepimus Spiritum salutis It is Esai By it we shall conceive that which shall save us There very words shall save us said the Angel and so they
Donum pâ—rfâ—ctum with an universall note to either Every good and every perfect to be sure to take in all to leave out none 2. The praedicatum that stands of three points 1 Whâ—â—ce 2 How and 3 from whom from the Father of lights Then comes the Item I told you of provisionally to meet with an objection a thought that might rise in our hearts peradventure That is it may be as the lights of the world or the children have their variations their changes so the Father also may have them But that he putts us out of doubt of too with as peremptorie a negative Be it with the lights as it will with the Father of lights with GOD there is no variation no change No not so much as a sâ—adow of them In effect as if he should say from the Father of lights which is unchangeable or from the uâ—chaâ—gâ—able Fathâ—r of lights and so it shall be meere affirmative but that there is Major vis in negatione Deniall is stronger And all these he brings in with a Nolite errare and that not without just cause For about this verse and the points in it there are no lesse then sâ—ven sundry errors I shall note you them as I goe that you may avoid them Together with such matter of dutie as shall incidently fall in from each Specially touching the gift of the day the gift of the Holy Ghost TO take the Proposition in sunder The Subject first and that is double I. 〈…〉 1 â—he Suâ—jâ—â—t thâ—â—eof 〈◊〉 1 Dâ—tum and 2 Donum 1 Datum and â— Donum and either of them his proper Epithâ—t 1 Good and 2 perfect Iointly of both together first after severally of either apart Datum and Donum they both come of Do Given they are both Where first because it is the Feast of Tongues to sett our tongue right For the world and the Holy Ghost speake not one language Not with one tongue both Of Dâ—tum and Dâ—num joâ—ntâ—y There should not els have needed any to have beene sent downe The world talkes of all as had the Holy Ghost as given Looke to the Habendum saith the world the having that is the Spirit of the World 's Religion looke to Donum and Datum the giving that is his The Heathen calls his vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a â—abet that comes of habendo The Christian by Saint Iames heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 datum and donum all which come of Dando Thus doth the Holy Ghost frame our tongues to speake if we will speake with the toâ—guâ—s of this Day They tâ—at doe not they are of Galilee and their speech bewrateth them streight Will you heare one of them You know who said Soule thou hast enough hast Luk. 12.19 1. Cor 4 7. and you know who spake otherwise Quid habes quod non accepisti What but that you have received Receiving and giving you know are râ—latives which the other little thought of You may know each by their dialect From the beginning Esau he said Habeo bona plurima frater mi I have goods enough that is his phrâ—se of speech that the language of Edom. Gen. 33 9. What saith Iacob at the same time Esau asking him what were all the droves he met They be saith he the good things that GOD hath given me Have saith Esau Gen. 33.6 Given me saith Iacob Nonne habeo Have not I power to crucifie thee Ioh. 19.10 and have not I power to deliver thee You may know it it is Pilate's voice But our Saviour he tells him Non haberes potestatem Ioh. 19.11 Power should he have had none if it had not beene given him and given him from above Saint Iames his very phrase heere from CHRIST 's owne mouth So must we speake if we will speake as CHRIST spake The I. Error This then is the first error To have our minde runne and our speech runne all upon having Men are all for having thinke and speake of what they have without mention or whence or how or from whom they receive it or that it is given them at all Nolite errare Be not deceived for all that you have is datum or donum all and they both are of free gift given all Thus the tongue that satt this day on Saint Iames's head taught him to call them Thus farre jointly now severally Of each severally 1 Datum For there is a cleft in these tongues The cleft is Datum and Donum Would not wrapp them all up in one word but expresses them in two Somewhat there is in that We may not admit of any idle Tautologies in Scripture Two severall sorts then they be these two not opposite but differing onely in degree as more and lesse Every gift is a giving Not every giving a gift Every perfect good not every good perfect We are not to thinke either all our sinnes or all our gifts to be of one size Saint Matthewe's talent is more then Saint Luke's pound Caesar's penny then the Widowe's two mites yet good money all in their severall values Of these two 1 Datum and 2 Donum 1 Bonum and 2 Perfectum one is greater of lesse then another 1 Datum He beginnes with the lesse Datum Weigh the word it is but a Participle they have tenses and tenses time So that is onely temporall 2 Donum But Donum imports no time so a more sett terme hath more substance in it is fixed or permanent One as it were for terme of yeares The other of the nature of a perpetuitie A datum that which is still in giving that perishes with the use as do things transitorie Iob 1.21 and be of that sort that Iob spake GOD hath given and GOD hath taken away Donum is not so but of that sort that CHRIST speakes in Marie's choise so given as it should never be taken from her So one referrs to the things which are seene Luk. 10.42 which are temporall the other to the things not seen that are aeternall One to the body and to this world the other to the soule rather and the life of the world to come 1 Bonum We shall discerne it the more cleerly if we weigh the two Adjectives 1 Gâ—od and 2 Perfect 1. Tim. 1.8 Heb 7.19 they differ Every good is not perfect We know the Law is good saith the Apostle but we know withall the Law bringeth nothing to perfection so not perfect Nature quà natura is good yet unperfect and the Law in the rigor of it not possible through the imperfection of it Nature is not the Law is not taken away good both but grace is added to both to perfect both which needed not if either were perfect 1. Ioh. 3.17 Matt. 7.9.10 This world 's good so doth Saint Iohn call our wealth Nay bread fish and eggs we give our children our SAVIOVR himselfe calleth good gifts But what are these not worthy to be named if
is and that is their State and Crowne as deare every way and as precious to them as their life Indeed touch one and touch both If their State hold not holy no more will their persons It hath ever been found if their Crowne once go their life tarrieth not long after And even in this point also it may safely be said that the loose and licentious touching their State with Marie Magdalen's touch without the regard due to it as if it were a light matter that might be lifted with every finger falleth within the reach of this Nolite I list not dilate it it would be looked to These light and loose touchings are but the beginnings of greater evills Againe Not them Sathan's motion was twofold 1 One that he might touch that was Iob's 2 The other that touch himselfe and in either of these he reckoned that he should touch him home They are touched when that is touched that is theirs It was so heer directly Pharaoh one of them to whom originally nay the very first of all to whom this Nolite was spoken touched not Abraham himselfe it was Sara was wronged In Sara was Abraham touched So GOD esteemed it and gave his first Nolite tangere in that point So even unto her wrong doth this touch extend take in her too as being the one half yea one and the same person with the LORD 's Annointed Not them One more yet For two kinds of Annointed I find in Scripture Saul's and David's the one in esse the other in fore one in being the other to be If David had been touched Saul yet living though but Annointed to succeed I make no doubt this Commandement had been broken For we are bound by it to preserve the annointing not onely upon the head but even in the streames running downe from it that with the King himselfe the whole race Royall is folded up in this word every one of them in their order that not one of them is to be touched neither Nolite The will forbidden This barre then is set to the touch every way and to the touch of them and every of theirs every way But there is a further matter yet For if we marke it well it is not Ne tangite but Nolite tangere Nolite that is have not so much as the will once to go about it So that not onely tactus the touch is forbidden but voluntas tangends the very will to do it For that will is tactus animae the soule 's touch the soule can touch no way but that And GOD 's meaning is absolute neither body nor soule should touch neither the body by deed nor the soule by will And Nolite standeth first beginneth the Text for indeed with that is the right beginning The Divell toucheth the will before the hand ever touch GOD 's Annointed He doth mittere in cor put a will in the heart before any do mittere manum put forth their hand to do it Therefore even velle tangere was to be made a crime and that a capitall crime Verse 21. And so it is for in the attainder of the two Eunuchs Esth. II. there was no more in the Inditement but voluerunt they would have done it they would have touched Ahashuerus that being proved was enough they died and died justly for the will though no touch followed Pity it should be otherwise He toucheth not alwaies that hath a will to touch hath a will to touch the throat toucheth but a tooth What though To breake Nolite voluit is enough and voluit he would have touched at another place They that laid the Powder ready and lighted the match it was but voluerunt as God would it touched not any But righteous and just was their execution To teach them or others by them Ne tangite is not it Nolite tangere is the charge and if you breake Nolite onely it is enough though Tangere and it never hap to meet The extent of Nolite to whom it reacheth Of which Nolite I hold it very pertinent to touch the extent also as I did even now of tangere the touch it selfe and of the persons to whom it may reach that we may see it it is true in the verse before Non reliquit hominem he leaves not out a man he exempts not any from it I will not once speake of Subjects no question of them over whom they are Annointed them it toucheth neerest and bindeth them fast But this I say that even forreiners borne out of their Allegiance are within it The Amalekite was a stranger 2. Sam. 1.9.13 none of Saul's lieges borne out of his dominions yet died for saying he had touched Saul And that sheweth that even Aliens heer sortiuntur forum ratione delicti and that they are intended within this Nolite Yea even such Aliens as are in open hostility even at that time they are in Camp and in Armes against a King they are barred by this Nolite and are to spare him So saith David in his mourning-song for Saul's death 2. Sam. 1.21 He blames there the Philistims as if they had done more then they might in so touching Saul considering he was a King with holy oyle annointed as if they ought even in that respect to have spared him So that this Nolite is a Law of Nations making their persons so sacred as even in the battell they are to be forborne and their lives saved Yea if we look to the words next before it is given even to Kings this Touch not The parties were Pharaoh King of Aegypt and the two Abimelechs Kings of Geâ—ar and even they in particular charged Not to touch for Pharaoh did touch not to will to touch for Abimelech went no further Kings not to touch them none but God to 〈◊〉 them As if it were another Law of Nations not one King to touch another but by 〈◊〉 of this Nolite each to spare and to save the others life And the difference in Religion maketh heere no let for these being Aegyptians and Philistims to whom it was given there can be no greater difference then between them and the Patriarchs in the worship of GOD for all that not to touch them though Which is ad erubescentiam nostram to our shame that Heathen men and Idolaters were sent from it by this charge and now I will not say Christians but holy Religious men 1. Cor. 6.4 Fâ—iers and Priests yea and Martyrs forsooth will not be held in by it but they will be touching And last of all this restraint of will and deed it is not in the singular Noli to this or thâ—â— private man it is in the plurall Nolite and so reacheth to whole multitudes Nolite will serve even people and Countries to restraine them also I wonder at it It is God's manner to give His precepts in the singular Witnesse the whole Law and all the ten Commandements in it How happeneth it the number is
more the same laetabitur the same exultabit still So we all wish it may I. The survey DOmine laetabitur We begin with joy Auspicatum principium a faire front onward a luckie beginning 1. The Ioy. In joy and that not single but three in one a triplicitie of it We wil but touch at it now We shall come to it againe yer we end Begin and end with joy to day So may we begin and so end ever In this triplicitie two words there be to expresse this joy 1 laetabitur and 2 exultabit and one to give it the sise or measure 3 vehementer 1. Laetabitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The two former 1 laetabitur and 2 exultabit are as it were the body and soule of joy The first laetabitur the soule For the nature of that word and the use noteth ioy within ioy of the bosome say the Heathen ioy of the Spirit the Scripture And my Spirit hath reioyced Luke 1.47 There in the Spirit is the fountaine of true ioy If there it be not how well soever the countenance counterfeit it it is but counterfeit for all that And no ioy right if we cannot say the two first words Domine laetabitur to GOD and we cannot say them to Him if there it be not within 2. Exultabit There then to begin but not there to end Laetabitur is not all Exultabit is called for too Which is nothing but an outlet or overflowing of the inward ioy into the outward man Psal. 84 2. of the heart into the flesh My heart and my flesh shall reioyce Not one without the other Ioy to be seen and read in the forehead the ioy of the countenance Ver. 6. Psal. 118.15 To sound forth and be heard from the lipps the voice of ioy and gladnâ—sse This doth exultabit add There is the bodie and soule of ioy now 3. Vâ—hemâ—â—ter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is not every meane degree will content in these Not any glad but exceeding glad The Hebrew is O quam O Lord how wonderfull is thy name saith the VIII Psalme ver I. So heer O Lord how ioyfull and glad shall he be The meaning is so very glad as he cannot well tell how to expresse it Els asking the question why doth he not answer it But that he cannot But that he hath never a Tam for this quà m But is even faigne to leave it to be conceived by us So doe we But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vehementer exceeding it must be So say the translations all Thus have you a briefe of the triplicitie of ioy 1 Ioy within 2 Iubilee without â—oth mensurâ supereffluente And which is somewhat strange these not onely permittâ—d but even 〈◊〉 given in charge shall reioice shall be glad a necessitie layd on him but Luc. 6.38 â—â—â—essed necessitie to be bound to that our nature and we in all our libertie so well 〈◊〉 and like of And now to the causes For exceeding Ioy 2. The causes of it Eccles. 7.8 without a cause somwhat suâ—table is but exceeding folly but as the crackling of thornes under a pott great â—oise but no great cause for all is but a whinbush If there be an exceeding in the 〈◊〉 there would be an exalting in the strength If excesse in that no defect in the groâ—nd We take measure still of one of these by the other Have we then a good ground That have we foure for failing every of tâ—em suitable in each respect For a triplicitie in either of them The ground of all the first is Salvation or being saved and that The Cause 1 Salvation or being saved Salus is ground sufficient For who doth not rejoice is not glad exceeding glad that is so saved But specially wich was David's case heer saved from a sodeine and a secret mischiefe imagined against him There is no ioy when all is done to the ioy of one so saved Be it who it will even unus de minimis hijs eny eny one of the meanest Salus Râ—gia But the person adds a great weight to the ioy that it is Rex in salute Salus Regia a Salvation royall for the saving of a King For He by the Scripture's own valuation is sett at tenn thousand There be tenn thousand Salvations in one when a King is saved That as Rex is the person above all So Salus Regis 2. Sam. 18.3 is the Sovereigne Salvation of all 2 Saving by strength Saved then And secondly how In virtute Saved by strength For though it be good being saved by what meanes we can Yet if we might be at our choise we had rather have it by meanes of strength rather so then by craft or by running away For that is not in virtute Salus in virtute is ever the best saving And a King if he have his right would be saved no other way Not by slight or by flight but in virtute Rex So have you two Virtus and Salus strength and salvation Note them well for not virtus without salus nor salus without virtus neither without other is full nor both without Tua Domine In virtute is well so it have in salute after it For Virtus in salute no not in strength is there mattâ—r of joy every way considered No not in God's strength No ioy in virtute Dei 〈◊〉 it have not an in salute behind it They in the latter part of the Psalme found GOD'S strength but smally to their ioy This makes it up that it is not onely virreâ— strength but virtus ad salutem strength to save Strength not Ver. 8. as to the King's eâ—emies to smite them downe and plague them But strength as to David himselfe to 〈◊〉 and deliver him Strength is indifferent to both but in salute following it Psal. 89.23 determines it to the ioyfull side Now then turne it the other way For as in virtute if it end with in salute Salus in virtute is iust cause of joy So vice versa In salute if it goe with an in virtute makes the 〈◊〉 yet more ioyfull I meane that as it is virtus in salute strength to save might 〈◊〉 deliver So it is salus in virtute a strong salvation a mightie deliverance No petie common one but a strong and mightie one This reciprocation sets it higher yet Psal. 68 28. that not onely strength set forth but strength to save protect and preserve Nor that neither quovis modo but mightily to save strongly to protect strangely to 〈◊〉 So as the Salvation may justly be sayd Tua Domine GOD'S owne saving For yet we are not where we would be It is much to the matter of Ioy 3 By God's strength Tua Domine whose 〈◊〉 strength is from whom the salvation who the partie For not undecunque 〈◊〉 quovis yields full ioy not by every one hand over head The better the partie
admiration and I doubt not but more wonderfull in their 〈◊〉 And ours are very dimme if in all other it be and be not so in ours 〈◊〉 if such dayes there be if this of ours be one of them III. The Duety if the fore-part of the verse 〈◊〉 then must the latter also belong to us If this the day the LORD hath made 〈◊〉 this the day wherein we to rejoyce When He makes we to make and our 〈◊〉 in it is our making of it To rejoyce no hard request nor heavie yoak let it not be grievous to us We love 〈◊〉 it we seek all meanes to do it in all cases els then to assay to do it heer This 〈◊〉 the Prophet would not require nor make it the Office of the day but that upon 〈◊〉 dayes God himself calls us to joy And even as when GOD calleth us to mourning by black dayes of famine or 〈◊〉 or the like then to fall to feasting or revelling is that that highly displeaseth â—OD so when GOD by good dayes calleth us to joy then to droop and not to acâ—â—modate our selves to seasons of His sending is that which pleases Him never a 〈◊〉 What saith Nehemias upon such a blessed day as this Droop you to day Nolite Nehem. 8.9.10 〈◊〉 hand do it Dies enim festus est it is a festivall day What then why it is esâ—â—â—â—iall it is of the very nature of every Feast saith GOD in His law omnino gaudere Num. 10.10 Deut. 16.11 〈◊〉 any meanes in any wise therein to rejoyce And Nehemia's promise is to incourage us that if the strength of the Lord be our joy the very joy of the Lord shal be our strength To conclude Sure I am that if the plott had prevailed it would have been an high Feast in Gath and a day of Iubilee in Ascalon 2. Sam. 1.20 The daughters of the uncircumcised would have made it a day of triumph Let us not be behind them then but shew as much 〈◊〉 for our saving as they would certenly have done for our perishing Exultemus and Laetemur both· Exâ—ltemus laetemur GOD loveth our ioy should be full it is not full except we 〈◊〉 both these the bodie as it were and the soule of ioy the ioy outward of the body â—nd gladnesse inward of the soule So much do the two words signifie in all the three 〈◊〉 Both He will have for if one be wanting it is but semiplenum halfe 〈◊〉 And he beginneth with Exultemus the outward Not to our selves within Exultemus the outward joy which 〈◊〉 call gaudere in sinu Ioy of the bosome but such so exuberant as the streames of it â—ay overflow and the beames of it shine and shew forth in an outward sensible 〈◊〉 It is a day so would He have us reioyce that as by day light it might be seen 〈◊〉 our face habit and gesture Seene and heard both Therefore he saith 〈◊〉 the XV. Ver. the voice of ioy is in the dwellings of the righteous Ver. 15. And in the dwelling 〈◊〉 well But yet that would not serve his turne but open me saith he at the 〈◊〉 Verse the gates of righteousnesse that is Ver. 19. the Church-doore his house would 〈◊〉 â—old him thither will I go in and there in the congregation in the great Conâ—â—â—gation give thanks to the Lord And that so great a congregation that it may 〈◊〉 diem solennem in condensis vsque ad Cornuâ— altaris that they may stand so thick 〈◊〉 Church as fill it from the entrie of the doore to the very edge of the Altar 〈…〉 ioy that is neither seen nor heard there is some levin of malignitie in it he 〈◊〉 â—kill of it He will have it seen in the countenance heard in the voice not onely â—reaching but singing forth His praise And that not with voices alone but with instrâ—â—ents and not instruments of the Queer alone but instruments of the steeple too bells and all that so it may be 〈◊〉 in altissimis in the very highest key we have This for exultemus 〈◊〉 the inward joy But many a close 〈◊〉 may do all this and many a counterfeit Shemei and Sheba did all this to David gott them a fleering forced countenance taken-on ioy And therefore the other that God will have his joy not be the joy of the countenance alone a cleene face and a clowdie overcast heart he will have the gladnesse of the heart too Psal. 16.9 of the inner man Cor meum caro mea the heart as well as the flesh to be joyfull The ioy of the soule is the soule of ioy not a bodie without a soule which is but a câ—rcasse Strange children may and will dissemble with me saith the Psalme XVIII XLIV dissemble a gladnesse Psal. 18.44 for feare of being noted and yet within in heart you wott what But God calleth for his de fontibus Israël which we reade from the ground of the heart Psal. 68.26 Psal. 71.21 That is indeed the true fountaine of joy that our lipps may be faine when we sing unto Him and so may our soule which He hath delivered Nay He delivered both and therefore both the bodie to rejoyce and the soule to be glad This doth Laetemur add to exultemus How to order our ioy If then we be agreed that we will do both I come to the last how to order our ioy that it may please Him for whom it is vndertaken It is not every ioy that He liketh Merrie they were Hos. 7 5. and ioyfull they thought that kept their King's day Hos. VII by taking in boule after boule till they were sick again So they that Malachi speaks of there came nothing of their feasts Mal. 2.3 but dung beare with it it is the Holy Ghost his own terme that is all in the belly and belly-cheere So they that sate down to eate and drink and rose up to play Exod. 32.6 and there was all that is the Calve's feast a Calfe can do as much But with none of these was God pleased 1. Cor. 10.5 and as good no ioy as not to the purpose as not to please Him That it may be to the purpose that God may take pleasure in it it must beginne at Hosanna Ver. 9. at Aperite mihi portas Iustitiae at the Temple-doore there it must go in it must blesse and be blessed in the house of the Lord. I will first make ioyfull in my house of prayer it is God by Esay the streame of our ioy must come from the spring-head of Religion Esa. 56.7 Well then to the Church we are come so farr onward When we are there what is to be done Somwhat we must say we must not stand mute There to stand still that the Prophet cannot skill of That then we may there say something he heer frames Ver. 25. he heer endites us a versicle which after grew
them We have formerly moved and resolved the question out of the Gospell we have once or twise called to joy out of the Psalmeâ— The barbarousnesse of the act and the parties to it hath been iustly inveighed against A time given to each of these And shall we not allow one day to the magnifying of Him and His mercies that was the cause of all It should have had the first day by right Psal 145.9 and we were pointed to it by Misericordia Domini super omnia opera Ejus Well at last now in this seventh yeare this annus Sabbaticus let us make it our Sabboth rest upon it and put it of no longer Be this day dedicated to the celebrating of them To this end though all the Scripture over GOD 's mercie be much spoâ—en of for where shall ye light but ye shall finde it upon one occasion or other yet to fitt this day and our case as it fell out this day in my poore conceipt none in any other booke falleth out so just commeth so home as this verse to this day It was the mercies c. as upon the opening will fall out Which though it be in the booke yet is nothing of the nature of the booke The Summe and Division The verse is a Recognition or acknowledgement I may add a just and joyfull recognition And that double 1 That we were not consumed and 2 Why we were not So it standeth on two parts 1 That we were not a happie effect 2 Why we were not it was GOD 's mercie the cause of that and all other our happinesse The effect is in these words Non sumus consumpti Of which 1 Consumpti is the danger and 2 Non sumus the deliverance The cause in these words Misericordiae Domini quòd non And there first 1 Non we were not 2 And then there was a cause quòd non that we were not 3 Then that cause was GOD 's mercie 1 Which we take in sunder It was GOD first that did it 2 Then it was His mercie that moved Him to it In the mercie three things we finde 1 Misericordiae more then one many mercies 2 Compassions or as the native signification of the word is bowells the bowells of mercie that speciall kind 3 And those have this propertie they faile not or which is all one consume not not they and so not we Their not consuming is the cause we were not consumed Then last our Recognition That seeing His mercies faile not us that we faile not them seeing they consume not nor we by their meanes that our thankfullnesse doe not neither that it fall not into a consumption But that in imitation of the three we render him 1 plurall thankes 2 and these from the bowells and 3 that uncessantly without failing And this not in words onely but in some realitie some worke of mercie tending to preserve those that are neere consumpti pyning away Plaine it is a danger there was Els vaine were the Recognition I. The Effâ—ct That danger is sett downe in the word Consumpti some consuming there should have beene 1. The danger some such matter was in hand A word even as it were of purpose chosen for us for iâ— forteth just with our danger as may be Consuming may be more waies then one but no way so proper Consumpti igâ—â— as by the element of â—ire Confector consumptor omnium saith the Heathen man that makes away and consumes all things It is the proper peculiar Epithete of that Element Consuming fire and the common phrase of the Holy Ghost is consumed by fire This fitts us right Heb 12.29 Luk 9.54 2 Con-sumpti i. Simul sumâ—tâ— â— Personally Fire it was consuming fire should have consumed us it was a fierie consumption Then Con-sumpti in proprietie is nothing but simul sumpti Con is simul in composition All taken all put together and an end made of all And was it not so with us King and Prince Lords Spirituall and Temporall Iudges Knights Citizens Burgesses and a great number besides of spectators and auditors that day out of all the flower of the Kingdome all couped up together under one roofe and then blowen up all This is simul sumpti and consumpti both Will ye any more for companie This was but personall take the reall too lead stone â— Really timber windowes walls roofes foundations and all must have up too an universall desolation of all both personall and reall That the stone out of the wall Habac. 2.11 and the beame out of â—â—e frame if they could speake might say and we are in simul sumpti and consumpti too all layd wast not one stone standing upon another This was right consumpti Matt. 24.2 spent indeed where nothing left person or things with life or without utter havock made of all Thus farre might Ieremie goe and match us in these three I will touch two or three more beyond him that we may see our case should have beene more lamentable then the booke of lamentations it selfe 1. There was no fire in Ieremie's time none but of wood and cole and no consuming but that way and that fire consumes by degrees peece and peece one peece fire while one is wood still so that one may save a brand's end for a need But this was a 〈◊〉 Ieremie never knew of nor many ages after was ever heard of takes all at once No brand heere no pulling out of the fire no saving any heere is quicke worke Zach. 3.2 all done â—â—d past as soone as the paper burnt â— Another In this of the Prophet's they had faire warning There was a campe â—â—â—ched three severall times in Iehoiakim Iechonias Zedechia's daies they had time to â—â—ke themselves readie But in ours facti essemus sicut Sodoma our destruction had bâ—ene like that of Sodome no camp pitched there but sodainly in a moment Ron. 9.29 to the hazard of many a soule that were I doubt me but evill prepared if they had beene 〈◊〉 sodainly surpâ—ised And that had been a lamentable consumpti indeed of both â—â—die and soule the body heer the soule eternally A terrible blow indeed and we â—â—â—uld not have knowen who would have hurt us 3. Now we doe as hap is and therein we leave Ieremie behind againe It was 〈◊〉 open enemie offered this Vsually destruction commeth from them So did this 〈◊〉 Text from the Chaldees not onely strangers but in open hostilitie with the 〈◊〉 But in ours they were not so much as strangers but borne subjects of one and 〈◊〉 same countrie tongue and allegiance The more lamentable to be consumed by 〈◊〉 sâ—lves to be shott through with an arrow the feathers whereof grew on our owne 〈◊〉 So they were naturally but when they fell once to this unnaturall designe 〈◊〉 â—hen they fell on consuming they were no longer men all humanitie was quite 〈◊〉 in them And this was the danger To
indeed Psal 38.4 that would be looked into by us by reason of another Super Iniquitates nostrae supergressae sunt capita nostra Our sinnes are gone up over above our heads Over head and eares in sinne And another Super yet above them Even the phials of God's wrath hanging over our heads Apoc. 16.1 readie to be powred on us and them were it not that mercie is above them and staies them Were it not that Over whom miserie over them mercie Els were we in danger to be overwhelmed with them every houre We see then the comparison was well laid in Super. Our sinnes over us judgements over them but mercie over all Super omnia Alwaies where there is Super there is Satis Satis superque shewes Super is more then Satis Enough then there is and to spare for them all â— Above the workes of all His workes One more not onely above all ours but if it be above all His works then is it above all the workes of them that be His workes and so not to hold you above the Devill and all his workes For he also is one of them Of GOD'S making as an Angell of his owne marring as a devill Above his works I say and above the works and practises of his limmes and all they can doe or devise against them over whom His mercie is The Sonne of GOD saith S. Iohn in mercie therefore appeared 1. Ioh. 38. Vt solveret opera Diaboli that He might loose â—ndoe quite dissolve the works of the Devill No worke shall he contrive never so deepe under ground never so neere the borders of his own region but GOD 's mercie will bring it to light it and the workers of it His mercie will have a Sâ—per for their Subâ—er There shall be more in Mercie to save then in Sathan to destroy Psal 124 1. More dicat nunc Israël more may this Realme now say A notorious Work of His as ever eny Nay Super omnia as never was eny this day by His mercie brought to light and dissolved quite dissolved We heard it not with our eares our fathers told it 〈◊〉 not our eyes beheld this Super. Psal. 44.1 So we are come to our owne case â—er we were aware That is Super upon 3. Super upon 1 Vpon some more then others of his workes Over all 〈◊〉 yet not over all alike at leastwise not upon all alike upon some more then over 〈◊〉 some Aequaliter est Illi cura de omnibus but not aequalis Aequally a care â—f â—ll but not an aequall care though No His mercie over all in generall is no barre 〈◊〉 upon some there may be a speciall Super and so some have a Super in this Super too For if the reason why mercie is over all His workes be because they be His workes â—hen the more they be His workes the more workmanship He bestowes upon them the more is His mercie over them Whereby it falls out that as there is an unaequalitie of His workes and one worke above another so is there a diverse graduation of his mercie â—nd one mercie above another or rather one and the same mercie as the same Planet in Auge in the top of his Epicycle higher then it selfe at other times To shew this 2 Vpon Man more then other creatures Gen. 1.26 we divide His works as we have warrant into His works of Fiat as the rest of His creatures and the Worke of Faciamus as Man the master-piece of His workes upon whom He did more cost shewed more workmanship then on the rest the very word Faciamus setts him above all 1. GOD 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that He did deliberate enter into consultation as it were about his making and about none els 2. GOD 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Himselfe framed his bodie of the mold Gen. 2.7 as the potter the clay 3. Then that He breathed into him a two-lived soule which made the Psalmist Breake out Domine quid est homo c. Lord what is man Psal. 8.4 thou shouldst so regard him as to passe by the heavens and all the glorious bodies there and passing by them breath an immortall soule put thine owne image upon a piece of clay 4. But last GOD 's setting him Super omnia opera manuum suarum Over all the workes â—f His hands His making him as I may say Count Palatine of the world this shewes plainely His setting by Man more then all of them As he then over them so GOD 's mercie over him Over all His workes but of all His workes over this work Psal. 8.6 Over His chiefe worke chiefly in a higher degree And not without great cause Man is capable of aeternall either felicitie or miserie so are not the rest He sinnes so do not they So his case requires a Super in this Super requires mercy more then all theirs Vpon men then chiefly They the first Super in this Super. But of men though it be true in generall He hath shut up all under sinne that He might have mercie upon all Rom. 11.32 yet even among them a Super too a second Another workmanship He hath yet His workmanship in CHRIST IESV the Apostle calls it Ephes. 2.10 His new creature Gal. 6.15 which His mercie is more directly upon then upon the rest of mankind Servator omnium hominum the Saviour of all men saith the Apostle marie 1. Tim. 4.10 Auâ—em most of all of the faithfull Christian men Of all men above all men upon them They are His Worke wrought on both sides Creation on one side Redemption on the other For now we are at the worke of Redemption And heere now is Mercie right in kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rahame rahama the mercie of the bird of mercie that is the Pelecan's mercie for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Pelecan which hath her name of mercie as the truly mercifull bird For heer now is not the womb to hatch â—hem nor the wings to clocke them but the Pelecan's bill of mercie striking it selfe to the heart drawing blood thence even the very heart-blood to revive her young ones when they were dead in sinne and to make them live anew the life of grace This is Misericordia super omnes misericordias Shall I say it I may truly Mercie in all els abâ—vâ— His workes but in this above Himselfe For when it brought Him down from Heaven to Earth to such a birth in the manger such a life in contradiction of sinners Luk. 2.12 Heb. 1â— 3 Phil. 2.8 such a death on the Crosse it might truely be said then Misericordia etiam triumphat de 〈◊〉 You shall marke therefore at the verie next words when he comes to his thanks â—is Confitcantur Tibi opera Deus but Sancti tui benedicant Tibi Thy workes let them â—ay Confiteor Thy redeemed Thy Saints let them sing Benedictus Thy workes Verse 10. let them
fructus ventris there is partus mentis the mind conceives as well as the womb the word conceiving is alike proper to both Men have their womb but it lieth higher in them as high as their hearts and that which is there conceived and bred is a birth So I find the Holy Ghost in the Psalme calleth it Behold he travaileth with mischiefe he hath conceived sorrow and brought forth ungodlinesse Psal. 7.14 And that is when an evill man in the evill womb of his heart shall hatch or conceive some devilish devise and goe with it as big as any woman goes with her child and be even in paine till he have brought it This is the birth heer meant and there in the heart is the matrix or conceptorie place of all mischiefe Matt. 15.18.19 Thence saith our SAVIOVR de Corde exeunt From the heart they come all Vsually they say in Schooles Conceptus conceptio partus opus the conceipt is a kind of conception and the worke a kind of birth the imagination of the heart is an embryo conceived within the work now brought to passe is a child borne into the world Nay they go further to more particularities and cary it along through all the degrees of child-bearing 1 When a devise is invented then is say they the child conceived as it were 2 When projected and plotted handsomely then the child articulate 3 When once actuated and sett in hand then is it quick 4 when so farre brought as all is ready then the child is come to the birth 5 And when actum est all is done and dispatched the child is borne 6 But if it fall out otherwise then was looked for no strength to bring it forth then have you a dead-borne child 7 And looke with the naturall mother what joy there is Ioh. 16.11 when there is a man-child borne into the world the same for all the world is there with these badd men when their imaginations prosper And what griefe the poore woman hath at the perishing of the fruit of her body the like in a manner is there with them when their powder will take no fire So have you the soule or spirituall part to begin with Will ye see the body also in the birth of this day You may even ad oculum have it laid out before you In imitation of the naturall womb wherein we lay and whence we come all there is by analogie another artificiall as art doth frame it Such I meane as was the Trojan horse of which the Poet Vterumque armato milite complent the bellie or womb when it was full of armed men and so many armed men as there were so many children after a sort might be said to be in it And if that may we not affirme as much of the vault or cellar with as good reason The verse will hold of it too Vterumque nitrato pulvere complent The uterus or womb of it crammed as full with barrells of powder as was the Trojan horse with men of armes This odds onely Every one of these children every barrell of powder as much nay more forâ—â— in it to do mischiefe then twentie of those in the Trojan horse's bellie The more I thinke of it the more points of correspondence do offer themselves to 〈◊〉 of a birth and comming to a birth and that in every degree 1 The vessels first give â—orth themselves as so many embryo's 2 The vault as the womb wherein they lay so long 3 They that conceived this devise were the mothers cleere 4 The fathers were 〈◊〉 fathers as they delight to be called though oft little more then boyes but heere â—â—ght fathers in that they perswaded it might be why not might be lawfull nay â—eritorious then so it was they that did animate gave a soule as it were to the â—reason 5 The conception was when the powder as the seed was conveighed in 6 The articulation the couching of them in order just as they should stand 7 The covering of them with wood and faggotts as the drawing a skin over them 8 The Venerunt ad partum when all was now ready traine and all 9 The Mid-wife he that was found with the match about him for the purpose 10 And partus the birth should have been upon the giving fire If the fire had come to the powder the children had come to the birth inclusivè had been borne But Non erant vires which I turne there was no fire given and so partus they wanted as GOD would And that onely wanted for all the rest held an haire Nothing that could be in a birth was wanting all to be pointed at from point to point that the Text is fitly enough applied to it By this time ye see the children both bodie and soule Now when lookes the mother when reckons she her time will come Will ye now which is the second point weigh a little better 2. How neere the birth what is in these three words venerunt ad partum 1 First they were not upon their way comming but â—enerunt they were even come 2 And come not versus towaâ—d but even ad to â— Ad to not loca partui vicina some parts neere or next to it but ad partum to the very birth-place the neck or orifice of the matrice Or if you will take partum for the time not ad tempora partui propinqua within some few daies of their reckoning but ad partum to the very time the day and within a very little to the houre it selfe it missed not much that is as neere as neere might be If ever there were a venerunt ad partum and no partus upon it heere it was And if you mervaile it was ad partum and not ad parturitionem first Mervaile not at that why it would have been a very short traveile that That of the Prophet in the sixtie sixt Chapter Antequam parturiat peperit Chap 66.7 would have been fulfilled in it she would have been delivered before ever she had fallen in labour To the birth they came then And you will remember how farre they came how many degrees they passed before they got thither They came 1 to generation they came 2 to câ—nception they came 3 to articulation 4 to vivification 5 to full maturitie and yet â—one of all these our venerunt heere Passed all and every one of these never staid â—ll they came 6 even ad partum could come no further unlesse they had come forth which GOD forbid and so He will you shall see For thus have we done now with the first part the Children Now to the Mother's part The Children came to the birth and The right and II. The Mother the kindly Copulative were To the birth they came and borne they were In a kind consequence who would looke for other It is heer Venerunt non Thither they came and no farther there stopped Ad in ad partum is but usque
then the shovell and the Spade crying out at the houre of death both of the uncertainty of their riches of the uncertainty of the estate of their soules too This point this is a point of speciall importance to be spoken of by me and to be thought of by you I would GOD you would take it many times when GOD shall move you into sad consideration With a great affection and no lesse great truth said Chrysostome that heaven and earth and all the creatures in them if they had teares they would shedd them in great abundance to see a great many of us so carelesse in this point as we be It is the hand of the LORD and it is His gracious hand if we could see it that He in this manner maketh the world to totter and reele under us that we might not stay and rest upon it where certainty and stedfastnesse we shall never find but in Him above where onely they are to be found For if riches being so brittle and unsteady as they be men are so mad upon them if GOD had setled them in any certenty what would they have done What poore man 's right what widowe's copie or what Orphane's legacie should have been free from us The Iâ—I Point Trust in God Well then if riches be uncertaine whereto shall we trust If not in them where then It is the third point Charge them that be rich in this world that they be not high-minded neither trust in the uncertenty of riches but that they trust in GOD. It is the third point of the Charge in generall and the first of the affirmative part and conteineth Partly a Homage to be done for our riches to GOD and that is trust in Him And partly a rent charge layd upon our riches which is doing good And indeed Psal. 37.5 no other then David had said before Trust in the Lord and be doing good Saint Paul will batter down and lay flat our Castle but he will erect us another wherein we may trust Yea indeed so as Salomon did before setteth up a tower against the tower the Tower of the righteous which is the Name of the LORD against the Rich man's tower Pro. 18.10 which is as you have heard before his riches In stead of the Worldling's saith which is to make money an article of his faith teacheth us the faith of a Christian which is to vouchsafe none but GOD that honour Even so doth the Apostle heer and that for great reason Nam qui vult securus sperare speret in Eo qui non potest perire He that will trust and be secure in his trust let him trust in Him who himselâ—e never failed and never faileth those that put their trust in him in whom is no uncertainty Iam. 1.17 no not so much as any shadow of uncertainty Trust in him by looking to Him first yer we admitt any els into our conceipt and by looking to Him last and not looking beyond him to any as if we had a safer or trustier then He. And that because he is the living GOD as if he should say That you phaâ—sie to your selves to trust in is a dead idoll and not a living GOD and if ever you come to any dangerous disease you shall find it is an idoll dead in it self not hable to give it selfe life much lesse to another not hable to ransome the bodie from the death â—uch lesse the soule from hers not hable to recover life when it is gone nay not hable to preserve life when it is present not to remove death nay not to remove sicknesse not any sicknesse not the gout from your feet not the palsie from your hanâ—s nay not so much as the ache from your teeth not hable to add one haire to your head nor one haire 's bredth to your stature nor one houre to your dayes nor one minute to the houres of your life This moath-eaten God as our Saviour CHRIST calleth it this canker-eaten God this God that must be kept under locke and key from a thiefe trust not in it for shame O let it be never said the living trust in the dead Trust in the living GOD that liveth himselfe nay that is life himselfe in His Sonne that was hable to quicken himselfe and is hable to quicken you of whose gift and inspiration you have already this life by whose daily spirit and visitation your soule is preserved in this life in this mortall and corruptible life and of whose grace and mercie we looke for our other immortall and aeternall life Who not onely liveth but also giveth you c A living and a giving God that is that liveth and that giveth of whose gift you have not onely your life and terme of yeares but even also your riches themselves the very hornes that you lift so high and wherwith unnaturally many times you push against Him that gave them He giveth for the earth was the Lord's and all that therein is Psal 24.1.115.16 Ag 2.9 till the earth he gave unto the children of men And silver and Gold were the Lord's till not by a casuall scattering but by his appointed giving not by chance but by gift He made them thine He gave them â—â—ou broughtest none of them with thee into the world thou camest naked He gave them and when He gave them He might have given them to thy brother of low estate and made thee stand and ask at his door as He hath made him now stand and ask at thine He giveth you riches you get them not it is not your own wisdome or travaile that getteth them but His grace and goodnesse that giveth them For you see many men of as great understanding and foresight as your selves want not onely riches but even bread It is not your travaile except the Lord had given them Eccle. 9.11 all the early up-rising and late downe-lying had been in vaine It is GOD that giveth make your recognisance it is so for feare lest if you denie Dominus dedit Iob 1.21 you come to affirme Dominus abstulit GOD teacheth it was He that gave them by taking them away This is Saint Paul's reason let us see how it serves his conclusion to the overthrow of our vaine pride and foolish trust in them If it be gift Si accepisti quid gloriaris 1. Cor 4.7 be not proud of it And if it be gift He that sent it can call for it again trust not in it Who giveth us all things c All things spirituall or corporall temporall or aeternall little or great from the least and so upward from the greatest and so downward from panem quotidianum a morsell of bread to Regnum coelorum the Kingdome of heaven He giveth us all even unto Himselfe yea He giveth us himselfe and all and more we cannot desire Why then if He give all all are Donatives all that we hold we hold in franck almoigne and no other tenure
is there at GOD 's hands or in our Law For 1. Cor. 4.7 quid habes quod non accepisti What is there that is to say name one thing thou hast thaâ— thou hast not received and if there be any one thing boast of that and spare not But if that be nothing then let Cyprian's sentence take place so much commended and so often cited by Saint Augustine De nullo gloriandum est quia nullum est nostrum and add unto it De nullo fidendum est quia nullum est nostrum we must glorie of nothing for that we have nothing of our owne neither must we trust any thing for that we have nothing of our owne That giveth us all things to enjoy Not onely to have but to enjoy For so to have them that we have no joy of them so to get all things that we can take no part of them when we have gotten them so to possesse the labours of our hands that we cannot eat the labours of our hands as good be without them This is a great vanitie and vexation and indeed as Salomon saith an untimely birth were better Eccles. 6.2.3 then so to be But blessed be God that besides these blessings to be enjoyed giveth us healthful bodies to enjoy them with the favor of our Prinee to enjoy them under the dayes of peace to enjoy them in whereby our soules may be satisfied with good things and every one may eat his portion with joy of heart That giveth all things to enjoy that is dealeth not with you as he hath dealt with the poore hath given you things not onely of use and necessitie but things also of fruition and pleasure hath given you not onely Manna for your need but also Quailes for your lust Hath given you out of Ophir not onely linnen cloth and Horses for service Psal. â—8 29 but also Apes Ivorie and Peacocks for your delight Vnto them he giveth indumenta covering for their nakednesse but unto you ornamenta clothing for your comlinesse Vnto them he giveth alimenta nourishment for their emptinesse unto you delectamenta delicious fare for daintinesse Therfore you above all men are to rejoyce in Him there is great cause that he may rejoyce over you unto whom He hath given so many wayes so great cause of rejoycing That giveth us all things to enjoy plenteously Plenteously indeed may Israël now say Psal. 147.20 said the Prophet may England now say say I and I am sure upon as great cause He hath not dealt so with every Nation nay He hath not dealt so with any nation And plenteously may England now say for it could not alwayes Nay it could not ever had said the like Plenteously indeed for He hath not sprinkled but powred His benefitts upon us Psal. 144 15. Ibid. Not onely Blessed be the People whose God is the Lord that blessing which is highly to be esteemed if we had none besides it but Blessed be the People that are in such a case That blessing He hath given vs all things to enjoy plenteously we cannot nay our enemies cannot but confesse it O that our thankfulnesse to Him and our bounty to His might be as plenteous as His gifts and goodnesse have beene plenteous to us To move us from the two evills before the Apostle used their uncertaintie which is a reason from Law and the course thereof So he might now have told us if we trusted not in God we should have the table turned and his giving changed to taking away our all things into want of many things and having nothing neer all our plenty into penurie and our enjoying more then we need into no more then needs nor so much neither Thus he might have dealt but He is now in a point of Ghospell and therefore taketh his perswasion from thence For this indeed is the Evangelicall argument of God's goodnesse and there is no goodnesse to that which the consideration of God's goodnesse worketh in us The argument is forcible and so forcible as that choose whither this will move us or no Sure if this will not prevaile with us we shall not need Moses nor CHRIST to sit and give sentence upon us the Devill himself will do it For as wicked as he is and as wretched a spirit yet thus he reasoneth upon Iob Doth Iob feare Thee for nought As if he should say Iob 1.9 seeing thou hast dealt so plenteously yea so bounteously with him if he should not serve thee if he should so farre forget himselfe it were a fault past all excuse a fault well worthy to be condemned A bad fault it must be that the Devill doth abhorre yet so bad a fault it is you see that the Devill doth abhorr it When men receive blessings plenteously from God and returne not their homage back againe unthankfull rich men shall need no other judge but the Devill and then as you see they are sure to be condemned For if God will not do it the Devill will Let me then recommend this third part of the Charge to your carefull remembrance and regard It concerneth your homage which is your trust in him that you trust in him with your service of body and soule who hath trusted you with his plenty and store and hath made you in that estate that you are trusted with matters of high importance both at home and abroad For it is the argument of all arguments to the true Christian because GOD hath given him saith Saint Iames without exprobration Iam. 1.5 and given all things without exception of any and that to enjoy which is morâ— then competencie and that plenteously which is more then sufficiencie therefore even therefore to trust in Him onely If ther be in us the hearts of true Christians this will shew it for it will move us and so let it I beseech you Let us not as men under the Law be tired with the uncertainty of the creatures but as men under grace have our hearts broken with the goodnesse of our GOD. In that GOD to place our trust who beyond all our deserts giveth if we respect the quantitie all things if the manner very plenteously if the end to joy in them yet so that our joy and repose end in Him a very blessed and heavenly condition The IIII. Part. That they do good Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and be doing good said David Saint Paul saith the same Charge the rich of this world that they do good The last was a very plausible point which we have dwelt in with great delight What the plentie of all things that we enjoy and long may enjoy I beseech GOD who is not mooved with joy to heare it reported But little know they what a consequent Saint Paul will inferr upon this antecedent For thus doth Paul argue GOD hath done good to you by giving you you also are bound to do good to others by giving them If he hath given you all
before and then that which is now life shall be then no life And then what is it the neerer What if Adam had lived till this morning what were he now the neerer Yet for all that as short and fraile as it is we do what possibly man can do to eeke it still and think our selves jolly wise men when we have done though we die next yeare after for all that If then with so great labour diligence earnestnesse endeavour care and cost we busy our selves sometimes to live for a while how ought we to desire to live for ever if for a time to put death away how to take death away cleane You desire life I am sure and long life and therefore a long life because it is long that is commeth somewhat neerer in some degree to aeternall life If you desire a long lasting life why doe you not desire an ever lasting life If a life of many yeares Psal. 101.28 which yet in the end shall faile why not that life whose yeares shall never faile If we say it is lack of witt or grace when any man runnes in danger of the law of man whereby haply he abridges himselfe of halfe a douzen yeares of his life what wit or grace is there wilfully to incurre the losse of aeternall life For indeed as in the beginning we sett downe it is a matter touching the losse of aeternall life we have in hand and withall touching the paine of aeternall death It is not a losse onely for we cannot lose life and become as a stone free from either if we leese our hold of this life aeternall death taketh hold upon us If we heape not up the treasure of immortalitie we heape up the treasure of wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 Act. 8.20 If your wealth be not with us to life pecunia vestra vobiscum est in perditionem We have not farre to seeke for this For if now we turne our deafe eare to this Charge Verse 9. you shall fall into tentations fear ye not that Into many foolish and noisome lusts nor feare ye that neither yet feare whither these lead which drowne men inperdition and destruction of body and soule Feare ye not these doth the Lord thunder thus and are ye not moved Quibus verbis te curabo I know not how to do you good But let aeternall life prevaile Sure if life come not death comes There is as much said now not as I have to say but as the time would suffer Onely let me in a few words deliver the charge concerning this and so I will breake up the Court for this time And now Right Honourable beloved c albeit that according to the power that the Lord hath given us I might testifie and charge you in the presence of GOD the Father who quickeneth all things and of the Lord Iesus who shall shew himselfe from heaven with His mighty Angells in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them not onely that know not GOD but to them also that obey not the Gospell of our Lord IESVS CHRIST that ye thinke upon these things which you have heard to do them yet humanum dico for your infirmitie I will speake after the manner of men the nature of a man best loveth to be dealt withall and even beseech you by the mercies of GOD even of GOD the Father who hath loved you and given you an everlasting consolation and a good hope through grace and by the comming of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and our assembling unto Him that you receive not this Charge in vaine that ye account it His charge and not mine received of Him to deliver to you Looke not to me I beseech you in whom whatsoever you regard countenance or learning years or autoritie I do most willingly acknowledge my selfe farr unmeet to deliver any more meet a great deale to receive one my selfe save that I have obteined fellowship in this businesse in dispensing the Mysteries and delivering the Charges of the Lord. Looke not on me looke on your owne soules and have pitie on them Looke upon heaven and the Lord of heaven and earth from whom it commeth and of whom it will be one day called for againe Surely there is a heaven Surely there is a hell Surely there will be a day when enquirie shall be made how we have discharged that we have received of the Lord and how you have disâ—â—â—rged that you have received of us in the Lord's Name Against which day your consciences stand charged with many things at many times heard Wisd. 1.12 O seeke not death in the error of your life deceive not your selves think not that when my words shall be at an end both they shall vanish in the aire and you never heare of them againe Surely you shall the day is comming when it shall be required againe at your hands A fearefull day for all those that for a little riches thinke basely of others upon all those that repose in these vaine riches as they shall see then a vaine confidence upon all those that enjoy onely with the belly and the backe and doe either no good or miserable sparing good with their riches whose riches shall be with them to their destruction Beloved when your life shall have an end as an end it shall have when the terror of death shall be upon you when your soule shall be cited to appeare before GOD in novissimo I know and am perfectly assured all these things will come to mind againe you will perceive and feele that which possibly now you do not The devill 's charge commeth then who will presse these points in another manner then we can then it will be too late Prevent his charge I beseech you by regarding and remembring this now Now is the time while you may and have time wherein and abilitie wherewith thinke upon it and provide for aeternall life you shall never in your life stand in so great need of your riches as in that day provide for that day and provide for aeternall life It will not come yet it is true it will be long in comming but when it comes it will never have an end This end is so good that I will end with aeternall life which you see is Saint Paule's end It is his and the same shall be my end and I beseech GOD it may be all our ends To GOD immortall invisible and onely wise GOD who hath prepared this eternall life for us who hath taught us this day how to come unto it whose grace be ever with us and leave us not till it have thereto brought us the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be all glorie power praise and thanksgiving now and for ever AMEN One of the Sermons upon the II. COMMANDEMENT PREACHED IN THE PARISH Church of S t. GILES Cripplegate Ian. IX AN. DOM. MDXCII ACTS CHAP. II. VER XLII And they continued in the APOSTLE'S Doctrine and Fellowship and Breaking of
where plaine meaning and dealing without as Esai calls them these same deepe digged devises 3 where the eye is upon idipsum and no ipsum els Esai 29.15 4 where GOD is not constreined to dwell in Mesech but the People and their Governours offer willingly there stands GOD and there will he ever stand Of that place he saith haec est requies mea This is my rest heere will I stay Psal. 132.14 for I have a delight therein Thus doing then thus procuring our Assembly thus qualified we performe our duty to GOD and to his standing And this done we shall never need to feare judicabit come when it will And now to conclude Mine unfeined hearty prayer to GOD is and dayly shal be that if ever in any he would stand in this Congregation And if ever any used the meanes so to procure him we may use them The rather that Ecclesia malignantium the malignant Synagogue may not aske with derision Where was then their GOD Where stood he To have regard what wil be said abroad Psal. 26.5 Behind the wall sure not in the Assembly Such proceedings and His standing will never stand togither But rather that all may say Verily GOD was among them Of a truth GOD stood in that Congregation where with so good accord 1. Cor. 2.14 so good things so readily were passed CHRIST was in the midst of them His holy Spirit rested on them Yet I know what men say of or on is not it what GOD saith that is all in all To men we doe not To GOD we stand or fall whose judicabit we cannot scape either the one way or the other but have a judicabit 〈◊〉 us that we may if we yield his standing all due respect Even Euge 〈…〉 〈…〉 â— 23 intra in gaudium Domini which in the end will be worth all But iâ— any shall say O the time is long to that peradventure not so long though as we reckon well yet in the mean time now for the present it stands us in hand to use him well and our selves well to him For it he stand not to us we shall not subsist we shall not stand but fall before our enemies This time is now this danger is aâ— hand 〈…〉 our 〈◊〉 use of 〈◊〉 â—gainst our 〈◊〉 Vse him well then Stand before Him thus standing with all due reverence and regard that as by His presence he doth stand among us so he may not onely doe that but by His Mercie also stand by us and by His Power stand for us So shall we stand and withstand all the adverse forces and at last for thither at last we must all come stand in His judgement Stand there upright To our comfort for the present of His standing by us And to our endlesse comfort for the time to come of his judging for us A SERMON PREACHED AT CHESVVICK IN THE time of Pestilence AVGVST XXI An. Dom. MDCIII PSAL. CVI. VER XXIX XXX Thus they provoked him to anger with their owne inventions and the Plague was great or brake in among them Then stood up Phinees and prayed or executed iudgement and so the Plague was ceased or stayed HER is mention of a Plague of a great Plague For there died of it Num. 3 5.9 four twenty thousand And we complaine of a Plague at this time The same axe is layd â—o the root of our trees Or rather because an axe is long in cutting downe of one tree the Rasor is hired for us Esai 7.20 that sweeps away a great number of haires at once as Esai calleth it or a Scithe that mowes downe grasse a great deale at once But heere is not onely mention of the Breaking in of the Plague in the XXIX Verse but of the staying or ceasing of the Plague in the XXX Now whatsoever things were written aforetime Rom. 5.4 were written for our learning and so was this Text. Vnder one to teach us how the Plague comes and how it may be stayed 〈…〉 The Plague is a disease In every disease we consider the Cause and the Câ—re Both which are heere set forth unto us in these two Verses In the former the Cause how it comes In the latter the Cure how it may be staid To know the Cause is expedient for if we know it not our Cure will be but palliative as not going to the right And if knowing the Cause we add not the Cure when we are taught it who will pity us For none is then to blame but our selves Of the Cause first and then of the Cure The Cause is set downe to be â—wofold 1 GOD'S anger And 2 their inventions GOD'S anger by the which and their inventions for the which the Pâ—ague brake in among them The Cure is likewise set downe and it is twofold out of two significations of one word the word Palal in the Verse Phinees prayed some read it Phinees executed iudgement some other and the word beares both Two then 1 Phinees's Prayer one 2 Phinees's executing judgement the other by both which the Plague ceased His prayer referring to GOD'S anger His executing judgement to their inventions GOD 's wrath was appeased by his prayer Prayer referrs to that Their inventions were removed by his executing of judgement The execution of judgement referrs to that If his anger provoked doe send the Plague His anger appeased will stay it If our inventions provoke his anger the punishing of our inventions will appease it The one worketh upon GOD pacifieth Him 〈…〉 The other worketh upon our soule and cures it For there is a cure of the soule no lesse then of the body as appeareth by the Psalme 〈…〉 Heale my soule for I have sinned against thee We are to beginn with the Cause of the plague in the first Verse And so to come to the Cure in the second I. 〈…〉 Cause OF the Cause 1 First that there is a Cause 2 And secondly What that Cause may be 〈…〉 ther is 1. That there is a cause that is that the plague is a thing causall not casuall comes not meerly by chance but hath somewhat some cause that procureth it Sure if a Sparrow fall not to the ground without the providence of GOD of which two are sold for a farthing 〈…〉 10 2â— much lesse doth any man or woman which are more worth then many Sparrowes And if any one man comes not to his End as we call it by casualtie but it is GOD 〈◊〉 21.13 that delivers him so to die How much more then when noâ— onâ— â—uâ— many thousands are swept away aâ— once The Philistins in their plague put the matter upon triall of both these waies Whither it were God's hand 2 Or wither it were but a chance And the event shewed it was no casualtie but the very handy-worke of GOD upon them And indeed the very name of the Plague doth tel us as much or Deber in
Chrysostome Ad Hebr. Hom. Hoc est exemplar illius c. And Thomas Aquinas giving the reason of the diverse Names given to this Sacrament saith that it hath a triple signification 1. Respectu praeteriti one in respect of the Time past inasmuch as it is commemorative of the LORD 's Passion which is called a true sacrifice and according to this it is called a sacrifice 2. Respectu praesentis in respect of the present that is of the Vnitie of the Church unto which men are gathered by this Sacrament and according to this it is named a Communion or Synaxis because by it we communicate with CHRIST and are partakers of his Flesh and Deity 3. Respectu futuri in respect of that which is to come inasmuch as this Sacrament is prefigurative of the fruition of GOD which shal be in heaven and accordingly it is called viaticum because it heer furnisheth us in the way that leades us thither Againe it is called the Eucharist that is bona gratiae the good grace because â—ternall life is the grace of God Rom. VI. or els because it really conteines CHRIST who is full of grace It is also called Metalepsis or Assumptio because by it we assume the Deite of the Sonne All this Part. III. Q. LXXIII Artic. IIII. In corpore And in his Answer ad III m. he addeth That this Sacrament is called a Sacrifice inasmuch as it doth â—epresent the Passion of Christ it is likewise called Hostia an Host inasmuch as it conteyneth Christ himself who is Hostia salutaris Ephes. V. Heer is a Representative or Commemorative and Participated Sacrifice of the Passion oâ— Christ the True sacrifice that is past and heer is an Eucharisticall sacrifice but for any Extâ—â—nall Proper sacrifice especially as sacrifice doth signifie the Action of sacrificing heer is not one word And theâ—fore this is a new conceipt of later men since Thoâ—aâ— his time unknowne â—o him and a meer Novellisme And the Cure is as bad as the Diseaâ—e Though Thomas gives no other reasons why it is called a sacrifice yet say they Thomas denieth it not For that is plainly to confesse that this is but a patch added to Antiquitie And yet when he saith it is a Representative or Commemorative Sacrifice respectu praeteriti in respect of that which is past that is the Passion of Christ which was the true Sacrifice he doth deny by consequent that it is the true sacrifice it selfe which is past And if Christ be sacrificed daily in the Eucharist according to the Action of sacrifice and it be one and the same sacrifice offered by Christ on the Crosse and the Priest at the Altar then can it not be a Representation of that sacrifice which is past because it is one and the same sacrifice and Action present Therefore Saint Paul proceeds in the XV. Verse by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to GOD continually that is the fruit of our lipps giving thanks to his Name Let us offer up to GOD Christians then have an offering and let us offer up to GOD continually this is the ground of the daily Sacrifice of Christians that answereth to the daily sacrifice of the Iewes And this Sacrifice of praise and thanks may well be understood the Eucharist in which we chiefly praise and thank GOD for tâ—is his chief and great blessing of our Redemption And this and all other Sacrifices of the Church externall or spirituall must be offred up and accepted per Ipsum in by and through Christ. S Paul saith not Ipsum offeramus Let us offer him that is Christ but let us offer and sacrifice per Ipsum by him in whom onely we and our sacrifices are accepted And Rom. XII.I. Offerte corpora Offer your bodies living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service It is not Corpora sine Ammis not bodies without soules For in them without soules there is no life no holinesse no accepting and this is mans reasonable service all els is without reason And Saint Peter the first Pope as they reckon him who I am assured had infallibility saith I. Pet. II.V. Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to GOD Per Iesum Christum by Iesus Christ. And Saint Iames Chap. I. Ver. XVIII tells us that to this end GOD begat us by his word of truth that we might be primitiae creaturarum not offer to GOD the first fruits of our fields or cattle but that we might offer up our selves as first fruits to GOD. So all the Offerings of the Church are the Church it self and Christ the Head offered corpus naturaâ—e his naturall Body his soule and flesh for a sacrifice for the ransome and price of our sinn thereby purchasing eternall redemption Heb. X.XII. and by this one offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified Verse XIII Neither doth Christ there that is in heaven where he now appeares in the presence of GOD offer often or any more for us but this once there is appearing but no offring And the Apostle gives the reason of it For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world Heb. IX 24.25.26 He appeares in heaven as our High Priest and makes intercession for us but he offers his naturall body no more but once because he suffers but once No offering of Christ by Saint Paul's rule without the suffering of Christ the Priest cannot offer Christ's naturall bodie without the suffering of Christ's naturall bodie So likewise the Church which is Christ's mysticall bodie offers not Christ's naturall bodie it hath no power to offer the naturall bodie which is proper to Christ onely Pono animam nemo tollit not the Church nor they that are not the Church And there is no such thing in Scripture nor I presume can easily be shewed out of any of the probable and undoubted Fathers but the Church offers corpus mysticum Christ's mysticall bodie that is it self to GOD in her daily Sacrifice First all sacrifice is proper due only to God Be men never so venerable never so worshipfull yea adorandi to be adored also yet no man ever offered sacrifice to any unlesse he knew him or thought him or feigned him to be a God Saint Aug de Civ Dei l 10. c 4. Et cont Faust. l. 20.21 True Angels would never accept Sacrifice wicked Angels only sought it because they also affected to be deified In which respect never any Priest at the Altar even super corpus Martyris over the bodie or sepulcher of any Martyr prayed thus Offero tibi Sacrificium Petre Paule Cypriane I offer sacrifice to Thee ô Saint Peter Saint Paul or Saint Cyprian All celebrities towards them whether praises to GOD for their victories or Exhortations to their imitation are onely Ornamenta memoriarum the Ornaments of their memories not Sâ—cra noâ—
Sacrifice of Christians which is most acceptable to GOD. Now then that which went before in the Head CHRIST on the Crosse is daily performed in the members in the Church CHRIST there offered himselfe once for us we daily offer our selves by CHRIST that so the whole mysticall body of CHRIST in due time may be offered to GOD. This was begun in the Apostles in their Liturgie of whom it is said Acts 13. Ministrantibus illis while they ministred and prayed the Holy Ghost said unto them c. Erasmus reads it Sacrificantibus illis while they Sacrificed and prayed If they had offered CHRIST'S Naturall body the Apostles would have made some mention of it in their writings as well as they do of the Commemorative Sacrifice The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is a Liturgicall Sacrifice or a Sacrifice performed or offered in our Liturgie or forme of GOD'S Worship so the offering of our selves our soules and bodies is a part of Divine worship Now as it is not enough to feed our owne soules unlesse we also feed both the soules and bodies of the poore And there is no true Fast unlesse we distribute that to the poore which we denie to our bellies and stomache And there cannot be a perfect and compleate adoration to GOD in our devotions unlesse there be also doing good and distributing to our neighbours therefore to the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the Eucharist in the Church mentioned in the fifteenth Verse we must also add beneficence and communication in this Text For Devotiâ— debetur Capiti Beneficentia membris the sacrifice of devotion iâ— due to our Head CHRIST and pietie and charitie is due to the Members So then offer the Sacrifice of praise to GOD daily in the Church as in the fifteenth Verse and distribute and communicate the Sacrifice of compassion and Almes to the poore out of the Church as in this Text. Shall I say extra Ecclesiam out of the Church I do not say amisse if I do say so yet I must say also intra Ecclesiam this should be a Sacrifice in the Church the Apostles kept it so in their time Pâ—imo Die the first day of the weeke when they came together to pray and to â—reake bread Saint Paul's rule was Separet unusquisque Let every one set apart or lay by in store as GOD hath prospered him that there be no 〈…〉 tenders her Prayers and 〈…〉 Service of that day 〈…〉 observed among us For 〈…〉 â— Cor. â— 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 â—heâ—e is the word Liturgie 〈…〉 not onâ—ly supplyeth the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 thanksgivings unto GOD. So the Lord's day 〈…〉 observed when to our Praâ—ers and Prayses and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and Bodies we also add the Sacrifice of our Goods and Almes and othâ—â—â—orkes of 〈◊〉 to make it up perfect and compleate that there 〈…〉 of the day in the proper day there of and these two 〈…〉 ioyned heâ—re by GOD and his Apostle may never be 〈…〉 〈…〉 first preached in the Mount and then 〈◊〉 〈…〉 when we have offered our selves our soules and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in the Church unto GOD by our High Priest CHRIST we must not rest these but 〈…〉 offer our goods and almes whither in 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the poore member of CHRIST 〈…〉 And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 1 the sâ—crifice of Praise 2 and the sacrifice of 〈…〉 to be 〈…〉 insâ—parable insomuch that he that will give 〈…〉 and body to 〈◊〉 will never spare also to give his goodâ— to those 〈…〉 anâ— thirs◠〈◊〉 nakednesse See how our Apostle ioynes these 〈…〉 By CHRIST our High Priest Let us offer our 〈…〉 should be thought to be all the whole sacrifice that man is to 〈…〉 he adds this second with a Nolite oblivisci by a kind of Negative which is many times more forcible then an ordinary Affirmative To do good and 〈…〉 fâ—aring as it were left when man had done his homage and 〈…〉 he holds in chiefâ— he might thiâ—â—e that were enough to 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Church on the Lord's day and then forget his Brother all the weeke after and never to take compassion on him whereas the truth is Vnâ—s amor bu◠〈…〉 the love is but one wherewith we love GOD for himselfe and 〈…〉 for his sake â—s there be two eyes yet but one visuall 〈…〉 no purpose to learne our duty at â—he mouth of GOD'S 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to put it in practise all our weeke or life following aâ— iâ— it were a maâ—â—er onely for the braine and understanding whereas in truth first it sâ—oâ—ld 〈◊〉 fâ—ith and â—hen fructifie in our lives So it is a very short love to professeâ—â— love GOD whom we have not seene and sterve â—ur poore brethren who lye at our gates in such sort that we cannot choose but see them 〈…〉 containe Divisiâ— first an Act Beneficentia communionis to do good 〈…〉 and that â—ust needs be a great worke for it is to do good and 〈◊〉 is truly 〈◊〉 but that which is good 2. A Caveat Nolite oblivisci it is a 〈…〉 very important to our salvation it may not be forgotten 〈…〉 it may seeme in it selfe yet it is of a high rate and great esteeme 〈…〉 they are sacrifices and sacrifices of much price though they 〈…〉 of bread or dropps of water And so much the more preciâ—â—â— becaus◠〈…〉 gratefull to GOD Delectatur or placatur Deus God is pacified or God is well 〈◊〉 and all the world is well given to appease and pacifie his wrath 〈◊〉 gaine his 〈◊〉 Now the worke is comprised in two words Beneficentia communicatio beneficence and distribution Beneficence or bounty that is Affectio cordis the affection and 〈…〉 heart And 〈◊〉 and distribution that is Opus manuum 〈…〉 hâ—nd And thâ—sâ— two maybe no more divided then the two other 〈…〉 in the sacrifice of our selves and Charity in the Reliefe of the 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 as the fountaine and spring or cisterne whence all 〈◊〉 of Compassâ—â—â— doâ— arise and Distribution is ut Rituli as the Rivers or channells or pipes by which the waters of comfort and goodnesse are carried to hungry soules Beneficence is as the Sunne distribution is as the light that proceeds from the Sunne At the beneficence of the heart there we must begin and by the distribution and communication of the hand there is the progresse And it is not enough that our heart is charitable full of compassion if we be cluster-fisted and close-handed and give nothing Goe and be warme and goe and be fedd and goe and be clothed they be verba comâ—aâ—â—ssionis words of compassion but if we do not as well feed and cloth as our tongue blesseth we may have gentle hearts like Iacob's voice but our hands will be cruell and hayry like Esau's that vowed to kill his Brother And true Religion is no way a gargalisme onely to wash the tongue and mouth to speake good words it must root in the heart and