it Therefore the soule of thy soule is faith So that if we would know what is a faithfull man we must define Him not by his naturall soule as he is resonable but by the soule of his soule which is his faith And when we easily answer the obiection that a flood may come neere a faithfull mans goods neere his bodie neere his reasonable soule but to his faith that is to Him it can neuer come neere For if you speake of the life and essence of him that it is faith the Prophet also witnesseth Abacuck The iust shall liue by faith Gal. 2.20 And the Apostle Now I liue not but Christ liueth in me but that I liue I liue by faith in the sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for me And he that was wiser then all the Philosophers determineth this point thus The summe of the matter when yee haue heard all is this Eccles. 12.23 Feare God and keepe his commandements for this is all of man All of man what 's that All of man which will hold out against all floods of many waters For the goods of man may be gotten away by forged cauillation the bodie of man may be weakened by sickenesse the soule of man and the faculties thereof as memorie witte and such like may be impaired by age but faith in Christ the feare of God a care to keepe his commaundements is all of man which no floods either in life or in death can ouer-whelme All of man wherein man ought to imploy himselfe while he is aliue and without which man is but vanitie when he is dead but with which man both in life and death is most blessed For if this be the summe of all then of any thing but this there is no reckoning at all to be made Matth. 16.18 I haue praied for thee saith our Sauiour that thy faith should not faile and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against thee For loue is strong as death Can. 8.7 iealousie is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the floods drowne it Euen as Paul also glorieth Rom. 8. that nothing can separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Wherefore seeing the godly man is so inuincible that neither the gates of hell nor the flood-gates of many waters can preuaile against him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him In the last place must be considered the asseueration Surely For if both liuing and dying my felicity be most certaine in Christ and yet I knowe not so much what comfort can I gather thereby Now in all aduersities this is my greatest ioy that the fauour of God which is most constant in it selfe is fully assured also to me For I know that my reedeemer liueth And if I be iudged I know I shall be found righteous And I know whome I haue beleeued and I am sure In one word I am Surely perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing els can separate vs froÌ„ Christ. Nay in all the flood of waters wee shall be more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 They shall not come neere to conquer vs. But rather we shall conquer them Yea that which is strangest of all Surely we shall be more then conquerers ouer them Though an hoast of men were laid against me Psal. â—7 3 yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in it Not in him as it is ill translated in the English but in it that is In the verie warre it selfe I will not feare Nay I will be of good hope Yea Surely in the very warre will I hope and trust For euen as a building made arch-wise the more waight is laide vpon it the more strong still it is so the more force and strength is brought against me the greater triumph victorie I shall haue Therefore I will not be afraid of tenne thousand of the people Psal. 3.7 that haue set themselues against me round about For a thousand of them shall fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but they shall not come neere mee The Arke in the flood was not drowned Gen. 7.18 as other things were but floated vpon the waters Yea the higher the waters encreased the higher Surely for that did the Arke still arise Likewise the redde sea did not hinder the Israelites passage Exod. 14.22 but opened an easie way to them Yea Surely it was moreouer as a wall to backe them against all their enemies The words of Saint Iames are verie plaine Iam. 1.2 My brethren count it exceeding ioy when you fall into diuers temptations Tentation of it selfe doth vexe and disquiet a man But to the godly it is a ioy As we read els where That they which are iustified by faith haue peace nay haue easie accesse to God and great ioy in tribulations But the Apostle adding Rom. 5. that this ioy is not common or ordinarie but Surely exceeding ioy raiseth vp the amplification as high as may be Whereunto S. Paul also accordeth We are afflicted on euery side 2. Cor. 4 9. yet we are not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Here he prooueth directly that the flood commeth not neere the faithfull But where is the Surely It followeth in the same epistle As dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed 2. Cor. 6.20 as sorrowing and yet alwaies reioycing as poore and yet making others rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things O the securitie and felicitie of the faithfull For his faith maketh life of death ioy of sorrowe riches of pouertie What shall I say more or what would you haue me say more then as the Apostle saies It makes all things of nothing As hauing nothing saies he and yet possessing all things But the special thing to be noted iâ— this sentence is As dying and behold we liue For they import that death is no death but As it were death an image or a shadowe of death beeing indeede life and Surely a better life and more immortall then we had here Therefore he saies Behold we liue to shewe that by death the faithfull liue a life wherein there is some great specialty and excellencie worthy indeed to be beholded regarded As if he should say Behold we liue Behold we liue a more happie life then euer we liued in our life Saint Augustin often commeÌ„deth the saying of his master S. Ambrose when he was readie to die Speaking to Stilico and others about his bed I haue not liued so among you Non ita vixi inter vos ve me pudeaâ— vinerenet mori timeâ— quia bonum dominumâ—â—o 〈◊〉 Pontius in fine vitae eius saith he
pray with vs. In the Primitiue Church they did breake bread at home you breake peace abroad In the Primitiue Church they did eate their meat together vvith gladnesse and singlenesse of heart â— you haue turned all singlenesse into singularitie You sayes our Church to the Brownistes You are those Donatists of whom Saint Austen speaketh g Qui nobis etiam orationem dominicam impijs dispretationibus conantur aufert c. epist. 92. ad lanuarium who by their impious arguments would take away from vs euen the Lords prayer So would the Brownists You are those Nestorians of vvhom Cassianus speaketh h Qui quia esse nolunt quod omnes sunt cupiunt omnes esse quod ipsi volunt De incarnatione l. 6. c. 4. vvho because they will not bee as all men are therefore would haue all men be as they are So would the Brownists You are those Sectaries of whom Nazianzâ—â—â— speaketh i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. p. 28 vvho make a stirre about matters of no importance very vnlearnedly and yet very imprudently So doe the Brownists You are those Schismatikes of whom Irenaeus speaketh k Qui propter medicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum Christi corpus conscindunt l. 4. c. 62. who for light and trifling quarrels rent and teare the great and glorious body of Christ. So doe the Brownists You are those Luciferans of whom Saint Ierome speaketh l Quibus familiare est dicere factum de Ecclesia lupanar Dialo contra Luciferanos prope initium who make it a common word in their mouthes to say That the Church is now become a Stewes So say the Brownists You are those heretikes of whom Bernard speaketh m Qui omnes qui de Ecclesia sunt canes censent porcos Epist. 65. vvho say That all wee or at the least wise the most part of vs which are of the Church are no better then dogges or hogges So say the Brownists You are those Audianâ— of vvhom Epiphâ—â—ius speaketh n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anchor p. 475. who being busie-bodies themselues and Bishops in other mens diocesses yet think much that reuerend and learned Bishops should beare rule in their owne diocesse So doe the Brownists You are those murmurers against Moses of vvhom Optatus speaketh o Qui ante funt sepulti quà m mâ—rtui Contra 〈◊〉 l. 1. vvho vvere buried before they vvere dead because they wept for others before they vvept for themselues So doe the Brownists But to leaue these now as they leaue the Church and to returne to our selues againe we that are CHRISTS louing friends and louing friends also to his holy Church must vveepe for none other so much as for our selues That so wee may continually practise true Deuotion true Compunction true Compassion according to this But vveepe but you but for your selues But weepe for your selues Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THus haue I gone ouer all the eight parts of this text Now if I were as happy as Salomon vvas that I might haue vvhatsoeuer I would aske I would I assure you beloued desire no greater gift of God at this time then that vvee might so meditate of that which hath bin spoken as our whole life and all our affections especially these affections of ioy and sorrow vvhich rule all the rest might thereby be ordered and directed aright For weeping or not weeping are things indifferent simply of themselues neither good nor bad but thereafter as according to circumstances and occurrences they are either vvell or ill vsed Euen as glorying or labouring or fearing or louing For glorying it is said Let not the wise man glory in his wisedom but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth the Lord. For laboring it is said Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which abideth for euer For fearing it is said Feare not him that can kill the body onely but feare him who is able to destroy both body soule For louing it is said Loue not the vvorld nor the things of this world If any man loue the world the loue of God is not in him Now then glory not but glory Not in the wisdom of the world but in the knowledge of God Labour not but labour Not for the meate vvhich perisheth but for the meat which abideth for euer Feare not but feare Not him that can kill the body onely but him that can destroy both body and soule Loue not but loue Not the World but God And so here weep not but weepe Not for mee but for your selues Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues To weepe is lawful to weepe without not weeping is vnlawfull Not to weepe is lawfull not to weepe without weeping is vnlawfull Againe To weepe for your selues is lawfull to weep immoderately for Christ is vnlawful Not to weep for Christ is lawfull not to weep moderately for your selues is vnlawfull Whereas without any vnlawfulnesse in either both weeping and not weeping will be lawful If your weeping be alwaies ioyned with not weeping and your not weeping be sometimes ioyned vvith weeping If your vveeping bee for your selues not for Christ and your not weeping bee for Christ not for your selues Therefore we must marke wel what our Sauiour saith He saith not thus weepe not for mee and weepe not for your selues That is too much ioy and too little sorrow Neither thus weepe for mee and weepe for your selues That is too much sorrow and too little ioy Neither thus weepe not for your selues but weepe for â—ee That is presumptuous desperation Neither thus weepe for mee but weepe for your selues That is desperate presumption Onely hee saith thus Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues As if he should haue said Weepe not too much vveepe not too much for my death vveepe not too much for my death Nay weepe little for my death considering my wisdome my benignity my magnanimitie weepe little for my death But weepe not too little but weepe not too little for your own life but weepe not little for your owne life Nay weepe much for your owne life considering your deuotion your compunction your compassion weepe much for your owne life Weepe little for my death but weep much for your owne life Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues Wherefore holy brethren if we haue any teares now let vs shed them if wee haue any Psalmes now let vs sing them The whole Gospel is nothing else but ioyfull newes the sum whereof is comprised in that Euangelicall and Angelicall message to the shepheards I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall bee to all people But then Christ was borne in his mothers armes Now he holdeth vp the Angels that they fall not and listeth vp men which are fallen vvith his owne armes stretched out vpon the crosse This crosse is the kingdome that hee carrieth vpon his shoulder p Esa. 9.6 vvhich is a greater
deuotion of al oâ—ther christian vertues which were but beâ—gun vnperfect in this life putting away of all corruption mortality putting on the royall robe of immortality and blisse For that which hapned to Christ shall happen to thee also because by faith thou art not only in soule but eueÌ„ in body vnseparably vnited and ioyned vnto him being by vertue of this misticall vnion made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh Therefore as he from that agonie wherin he praied with strong crying and teares from that crosse wherein hee commended his spirit into his fathers handes from that graue wherin death for a time seemed to insult to trample vpon him rose vp againe ascended farre aboue all heauens and now sitteth at the right haÌ„d of glory so thy soule shall certainely be in the hand of God thy very body also after it hath a while rested from watering thy couch with thy teares from all other labors of this life shal be raised vp againe caught vp in the clouds shal togither with thy soule for euer raign with Christ in the life to come Which God grant to vs al for the same our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS NINE SERMONS PREACHED By that eloquent Diuine of famous memorie TH. PLAYFERE Doctor in DIVINITIE PROV 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rotte Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of CAMBRIDGE 1621. To Sir REYNALD ARGAL Knight RIGHT Worshipfull and my especiall good friend How desirous I haue been to answer some part of your worthie curtesies at least by laying them open to the world this small remembrance may testifie for me and how vnable I am to equall deseruings the same remembrance testifieth against mee whether I will or no beeing borrowed from the monuments of a dead man the onely glorie of his times while he liued But it was fit that a farre greater gift then mine owne should aspire to bee the instrument of your honour and the testimonie of the dead I tooke to be meeter euen in this regard because that is as vnsuspected aâ— your kindnesse toward my 〈◊〉 beene 〈…〉 no further disturbing the harmonie of your best thoughts as you are wont to account it diminishing the reward which is laid vp for you in heauen by vntimely blazing merits vpon earth I commit this depositum to your sauour and Patronage my selfe also and my endeavours resting alwaies at Your Worships disposition D. C. To the Reader WHAT a losse the Church of God had by the death of D. Playfere I had rather the opinion of the world should determine then my slender pen attempt to expresse If euer those combinations of Vertue and Learning of Knowledge and Vtterance of Wit and Memorie of Reading and Vse of Holesome and delightfull of Schoole and Pulpit of Olde and New or in one word to say of Nature and Industry of humane felicitie and heauenly grace concurred to make a Scribe perfect and absolute to the kingdome of God we may not be so much our owne back-friends though wee detract not from the fortune of places further off nay we may not so impeach the honour of the giuer nor disparage the worth of our friend departed as to doubt but this was principally manifested in M. Playfere Who because he was but lent the world for a time nay because he was redemanded sooner then his time if it were lawfull to controll the heauenly wisedome with that word Sooner Phil. 1. â—4 but I mean in regard of the Churches vse and that same propter voâ— which made the Apostle to demurre I say since he was to be returned backe againe to his Maker and ouer-ripe perfection not to contiâ—â—â— ouerlong it had bin to be wished he had left behinde him some more monuments of his trauailes as wel comfortable to the suruiuers as honourable to himselfe Which whether he in his discretion and because he had so resolued was nice to doe after the example of them that would write nothing though very able or was then a doing most whâ—â— God cal'd him I cannot say This which the good Reader will be loath perhaps to heare I may not conceale that these are the lost of all his labours which are like to be divulged Into so small a compasse is that spirit 〈◊〉 ranged Cornel. apud Propet l. 4. â—leg 12. as to be as she sayes En sum quod digit is quinque leuatur 〈◊〉 or indeede not so much as a iust handfull which lately was not confinable within bounds too great for me to speake of But the summe is this For I lift not to defend his method of preaching against the Methods masters of our age who me thinks should knowe either that of the Apostle Diuersitas donorum est sed vnus spiritus or that of the Prophet Laudate eum in â—uba laudate in cithara or if nothing will please them but what they do themselues we must be faine to say as Crassus did to Scevola Omnium igitur conciones tu conficies vnus omnes ad te sub tempus veniemus c. I say the summe is this that is the Sunne-light is pleasantest toward the set and the skilfull eare finds most store of musicke in the close so this Sun this Swan this sweet singer of Israel for what lesser tearmes can our loue affoard him if any bring were we will not refuse them his last monuments and his last labours that the world may euer hope for shall finde we trust the dearer intertainement A SERMON PREACHED at Winsor before the Kings Maiestie the 11. day of Septem 1604. MATTH 4.4 Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God CHRIST our SAVIOVR came into the world to dissolue the workes of the Deuill Now how throughly hee would afterward destroy the deuill and all his workes he gaue a cast as it were in this his first encounter Wherein we may note what great difference there is betweene the first Adam and the second The first Adam was in Paradise a place of all abundance and pleasure the second Adam in the desart a place of all scarcitie and want The first was full and so the lesse needed to eate the forbidden fruit the second fasting and so the easilier drawne to make himselfe meate Yet the first though he were in Paradise and full when his wife intised him to eate the apple tooke it and ate it but the second though he were in the desart and fasting a long time when the deuill enticed him to turne stones into bread would not yeeld to him but said Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Howbeit as Christ herein was contrary to Adam so he
carrion of corruption Wherefore now saith Fulgentius e Mors Christum gustaâ—it sed non deglutiuit death did indeed taste of Christ but could not swallow him vp nor digest him Contrariwise Christ as soone as euer hee had but a little tasted of death f Heb. 2.9 est-soones hee did deuoure death hee did swallovv vp death in victory And so the death of Christ by reason of his righteousnesse is the death of Death It is also the death of the Diuell As the Apostle saith that by his death he did ouercome not onely death but him also which had the power of death the diuell It is reported that the Libard vseth a strange kinde of policie to kill the Ape Hee lieth downe vpon the ground as though he were starke dead which the Apes seeing come al together and in despite skip vp vpon him This the Libard beareth patiently till he thinks they haue wearied themselues with their sporting then suddenly he likewise leapes vp and catcheth one in his mouth and in each foote one which immediatly hee killeth and deuoureth g Conculcant insultantes ludibrij causa don ec perdalis sentiens illas iam saltando defagitates derepente reuiuiscens aliam dentib aliam vngâ—ab corripit Eras. Prou. Pardi morten ad simulat This was Christs policie He was laid in the dust for dead The diuell then insulted ouer him and trampled vpon him But hee like a liuely Libard starting vp on Easter day astonished the souldiers set to keepe him which were the diuels apes and made them lie like dead men h Math. cap. 28. verse 7. Euen as he told them before by his Prophet saying I will be to them as a very Lyon and as a Lybard in the way of Ashur i Osec 13.17 For as blind Sampson by his death killed the Philistims when they were playing the apes in mocking and mowing at him k Iude 16.25 so Christ by his death destroyed the Diuell Scalagor writeth that the Camelion when he espies a serpent taking shade vnder a tree climbes vp into that tree and le ts downe a threed breathed out of his mouth as small as a spiders threed at the end whereof there is a little drop as cleere as any pearle which falling vpon the serpents head kils him l Exore filum demittit araneorum more in cuius fili extremo guttula est margaritae splendâ—re ea tactus in vertice serpens moritâ—â— ex 196. Christ is this Camelion he climbes vp into the tree of his crosse le ts downe a threed of bloud issuing out of his side like Rahabs red threed hanging out of her window m Signa fidei atque vexilla dominica passionis attollens coccâ—â— in â—enestra legaun Ambr. de fide lib. 5. c. 5. Paulinus Natili 8. Puâ—iâ—to proprium signauit vellere tectum the least drop whereof being so precious and so peerlesse falling vpon the serpents head kils him The wild Bull of all things cannot abide any red colour Therefore the hunter for the nonce standing before a tree puts on a red garment whom when the Bull sees hee runnes at him as hard as he can driue But the Hunter slipping aside the Buls hornes sticke fast in the tree As when Dauid slipped aside Sauls speare stucke fast in the wall n 1 Sam. 19.10 Such a hunter is Christ. Christ standing before the tree of his crosse puts on a red garment dipt and died in his owne bloud as one that commeth with redde garments from Bozra o Esa. 63.1 Therefore the Diuell and his Angels like wilde Buls of Bazan p Psal. 22.12 run at him But hee shifting for himselfe their hornes sticke fast in his crosse As Abrahams Ram by his hornes stuck fast in the briers q Gen. 22.13 Thus is the Diuell caught and killed A dragon indeed kils an Elephant yet so as the Elephant falling down kils the dragon with him An Elephant kils Eleazar yet so as Eleazar falling down kils the Elephant with him r 1. Mach. 6.46 And accordingly to this the Diuell killing Christ was killed by Christ. Yea as an Elephant is stronger then the dragon and Eleazar is stronger then the Elephant so Christ is stronger then them both For the Elephant doth not liue after he hath killed the Dragon neither doth Eleazar liue after he hath killed the Elephant but Christ liueth after he hath destroyed the Diuell Leauing the Diuel dead hee is now risen himselfe from the dead Wherefore as a Lybard killeth the Ape and a Chamelion the serpent and a Hunter the Bull and an Elephant the dragon and Eleazar the Elephant himselfe so Christ the true Eleazar which signifies the helper of God hath by his death killed that mischieuous Ape the diuel that old Serpent the diuel that wild bull the diuell that great dragon the diuell that raging Elephant the Diuell When Mahomet the second of that name besieged Belgrade in Sernia one of his Captaines at length got vp vpon the wall of the Citie with banner displaied A noble Bohemian espying this ranne to the Captaine clapsing him fast about the middle asked one Capistranus standing beneath whether it would be any danger of damnation to his soule if he should cast himselfe downe headlong with that dogge so he termed the Turke to bee slaine with him Capistranus answering that is was no danger at all to his soule the Bohemian forthwith tumbled himselfe down with the Turke in his armes and so by his owne death only saued the life of all the Citie s Zieglerus l. de illustribus viris Germaniae cap. 98. Such an exploit was this of Christ. The Diuell like the great Turk besieged not onely one Citie but euen all mankind Christ alone like this noble Bohemian encountred with him And seeing the case was so that this dog the Diuel could not be killed stark dead except Christ died also therfore he made no reckoning of his life but gaue himselfe to death for vs that he onely dying for all the people by his death our deadly enemy might for euer bee destroyed For so Origen testifieth that there were 2. crucified vpoÌ„ the crosse of Christ Christ himselfe visibly with his will and for a time The Diuell invisibly against his will and for euer t Homil. 8. in Iosua Therefore the crosse is that victorious Chariot in the vpper part whereof Christ sitteth as a triumphaÌ„t conquerour and in the lower part of it the diuell is drawne as a captiue and is made an open spectacle of ignomie and reproch Dâ—uers ancient Fathers note the virgin Marie was married that the diuell might be deceiued For he knew well enough Christ should be borne of a virgin but hee neuer suspected blessed Mary was a virgin considering she was wedded to Ioseph Therefore he did not lie in wait to destroy the seed of the woman so circumspectly as otherwise hee would if he had beene aware or wist any
how little they do for God But as for the godly they are not giuen to their desires but their desires are giuen to them Because not onely they loue to desire God but also they desire to loue God And so all their desires beeing as it were but one desire all agreeing in one God when they haue God they haue all their desires giuen theÌ„ in God q Domine ante â—â—omne deside rium meum Psal. 38..10 Nam vltima perfectio ipsius anima deus est centrum locusque naturalis omnium desideriorum eius So the three childreÌ„ being meÌ„ of desires r Viri desideriorum Dan. 9 23. had their desires giuen them They desired to bee deliuered from the furnace This desire was giuen them when as God walked with them in the fierie furnace s Dan. 3.25 So Moses being a man of God had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to see Gods face This desire was giuen him when as Christ talked with him face to face Mark 9.4 So Iohn beeing a friend of God had his desires giuen him He desired to see Christs glory This desire was giuen him wheÌ„ as Christ said He that loues me shall be loued of me I will manifestly shew mine own self vnto him u Ioh 14.21 so Lazarus being Gods little begger x Mâ—ndicus dei Greg. as I may say had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to be relieued not so much with the meate of the earthly Diues as with the mercy of that heauenly Diues which is so rich in mercie This desire was giuen him when as the Patriarch speaking of him to the glutton said Now is hee comforted and thou art tormented y Luk. 16.25 And so whosoeuer thou art if thou be a man of desires as the three children were if thou bee a man of God as Moses was if thou bee a friend of God as Iohn was if thou be a begger of God as Lazarus was he shall giue thee all that thou canst beg or desire For to speake no more of those three children these three men which I named last vnto you Moses the man of God Iohn the friend of God Lazarus the begger of God did lie in three bosomes In Moses bosome in Christs bosome in Abrahams bosome Moses hand did lie in Moses bosome z Exod. 4.6 Saint Iohn did lie in Christs bosome Lazarus did lie in Abrahams bosome Moses bosome is lawe Christs bosome is Gospel Abrahams bosome is glory Therefore feare must driue thee out of Moses bosome faith must keepe thee in Christs bosome felicitie must bring thee to Abrahams bosome For first thou must with Moses put thy hand into Moses bosome and there seeing how full of leprosie thy hand is how wicked all thine owne handy works are thou must abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe Afterward thou must with Iohn coâ—â—ey not thy hand only but thy whole body and thy soule also into Christs bosome there seeing how thou art cleansed from the leprosie of thy sinne freely iustified by faith in Christ thou must delight thy selfe in the Lord. Then thou must bee carried into Abrahams bosome and there both louing to desire God and desiring to loue God hee shall giue thee thy desires First I say lye in Moses bosome and abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe afterward lye in Christs bosome and delight thy selfe in the Lord then thou shalt lye in Abrahams bosome O blessed bosome O sweet bosome And he shall giue thee thy desires Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart The desires Lastly Of thy heart Thy heart here is all one with thy selfe before As if the words had stood thus Delight thy self in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy selfe or else thus Delight thy heart in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy hart To the point then Augustine sayes thus a Fecistinos domine ad te ideo inquietum est cor nostrum donec 〈◊〉 veniamus ad te O Lord thou hast made vs for thine owne selfe and therefore our heart is euer vnquiet while it is from thee neuer at quiet vntill it come to thee A Bul which is bayted at the ring as soone as euer he gets any little breathing turnes him straitwayes toward that place by which he was brought in imagining that by how much the more he is nearer to the stall by so much the more he shall bee further from the stake In like manner a faithfull heart beeing baited and towsed in this world with many dogs b Psal. 22.16 which come about it alwaies hath an eye to that place from which it came and is neuer quiet till it returne to him from whom it was fet at the c Querula penitus errabunda est donec ad cum a quo originaliter exiâ—t triumphali virtute reuertatur first He that lets downe a bucket to draw water out of a Well as long as the bucket is vnder the water though it be neuer so ful he may get it vp easily but when hee begins to draw the bucket cleare out of the water then with all his strength hee can scarse get it vp yea many times the bucket when it is at the verie highest breakes the yron chaine and violently fals backe againe After the same sorte a Christian heart so long as it is in him who is a Well of life is filled with delight with great ioy drinketh in the water of comfort out of the fountaine of d Esa. 12.3 saluation but being once haled and pulled from God it draweth backe as much as it can possibly resisteth and is neuer quiet till it bee in him again who is the center of the e Via moris iâ— deum tanquam in ceâ—â—tâ—m proprium mouetur vt in iâ—so summe deletur soule For as the needles point in the mariâ—ers compasse neuer stands still till it come right against the north pole so the heart of the wise men neuer stood still till they come right against the starre which appeared in the f Math. 2.9 East and the verie starre it selfe neuer stood still till it came right against the other starre which shined more brightly in the manger then the Sunne did in heauen Wherefore our harts do alwaies erre they are Planets g Stâ—lleâ—erraticae ude 13. wandring starres before they come to Christ but theÌ„ onely they are stars of the firmament the true seed of Abraham wheÌ„ they are firmly h Psal. 57.8 fixed setled in God The Prophet Ionas all the while he fledde froÌ„ God in what a case was he one while he was turmoiled in the storms of the teÌ„pest another while he was sowsed in the waues of the Sea another while hee was boyled in the bowels of the Whale But as soone as he returned to God by by he was cast vp safe vpon the sea shore and then he said to
wisedome of the world For we know wel enough that howsoeuer God seeme at the first not to heare yet The Lord is a sure refuge in due time in h Psal. 9.9 affliction First in due time then in affliction Because for the most part in helping vs God rather respects the due time then the affliction So that although as soone as we pray he doe not alway presently free vs from affliction yet if we can be content to wait a while tarry the Lords leisure in his due time he will surely releeue vs And therefore it is saide here not as in the time present but as in the time to come And it shall be giuen you and you shall finde and it shall be opened vnto you Now then in this whole sentence two principal parts would be considered The first what we in our praier must performe to God The second what God for our praier will performe to vs. What wee in our praier must performe to God is in these words Aske seeke knocke Aske with the mouth seeke with the heart knock with the hand What God for our praier will performe to vs is in these wordes And it shall be giuen you you shall finde it shall be opened vnto you And it shall be giuen you that is for temporall things and you shall finde that is for spiritual things it shal be opened vnto you that is for eternall things Aske seeke knocke it shall be giuen you you shall finde and it shall bee opened vnto you First we must aske with the mouthâ— Ioakim the virgin Maries father going to the wildernesse to pray saide thus Prayer shall bee my meate and i Cibus pohisque mihi erit oratio drinke Wherby it is euident that as meate and drinke the naturall food of the bodie must goe in at the mouth so on the other side prayer the spirituall food of the soule must goe out of the mouth Which is the reason why Pythagoras willed his schollers to pray aloud k Sonora vâ—â—â—â— pret ari Not that hee thought that God could not otherwise heare but to teach vs as Clemens noteth l Strol 4. that as our dealing with men must bee as in the sight of God so our prayer to God must bee as in the hearing of men Ezechias king of the Iewes witnesseth of himselfe that praying in his sickenes hee chattered like a young swallow m Esa 38.14 Now we know by that prouerb which forbiddeth to keepe swallowes vnder the same roofe where we keepe our selues that no birde is so troublsome for chattering as the swallow is His meaning then was this that as a yong swallow openeth her mouth and neuer leaues yawning vnto the dam til shee be satisfied so he opened his mouth and as the Prophet Esay saies o 62.6 kept no silence neuer left asking gaue the Lord no rest vntill he had mercy vpon him Balaâ—ck king of the Moabites speaketh thus p Num. 22.4 Shall this multitude licke vp all that are round about vs as a calfe licketh vp the grasse of the field Now we know that a calfe licketh vp the grasse of the fielde with his mouth The thing theÌ„ which he feared was this least the Israelites should licke vp that is ouercome and destroy him and all his with the asking of theyr mouthes with their prayers to God which are called q Osc. 14.2 the calues of the lips euen as a calfe licketh vp the grasse of the field The Church wisheth the southerne wind would blow that her spices might flow forth r Cant. 4.16 The southerne wind is the milde comfortable spirite of God The spices are the prayers the sweet odours of the Saints So that we wish the Southerne winde would blow vpon vs that our spices may flow forth when as we wish the holy Ghost would worke vpon vs that our praiers might flow forth That as God breatheth in his Spirit into vs by the inspiration of grace so wee might breath out our spirit vnto God by the inspiration of prayer According to that of the Prophet s Ps. 119.131 I opened my mouth and drew in breath I drew in breath there 's inspiration I opened my mouth there 's respiration So that they which neuer open their mouthes to aske are dumbe fishes which haue liues and breath not or else dead Idols which haue mouthes and speake not Whereas in truth euery one that hath an eare to heare ought to â—eare so euery one that hath a mouth to speake ought to speake Speake vnto the rocke sayes God to Moses t Num. 20.8 when the children of Israel wanted water in the wildernesse And after the same maner when wee want the water of comfort in the wildernesse of this world we must aske it of God we must speake for it vnto the rocke Christ Iesus For it was his onely request he made to his Spouse when â—e tooke his very last farewell of her vpon earth Let mee heare thy voyce u Can. 8.13 As if Christ should say thus to his church my dearest now I am ready to ascend vp vnto my Father Howbeit in the meane while I will not leaue you comfortlesse But though I shal bee absent from you in body yet I will be present with you in spirit alwayes beholding your order of seruice and hearing your praier vnto me Therefore let vs not hereafter be strange one to another but let tokens of louing kindnesse passe continually betwixt vs I will send downe to you my spirite like tongues of fire Send you vp to me your prayer like pillars of smoake And in case you want any thing at any time do no more but let me heare your voice let me by a prayer as by a letter from you vnderstand it and â—ou shall haue it Aske and it shall be giuen you Yet it is not enough for vs to aske with the mouth we must also seeke with the heart For seeking with the heart hath oftentimes preuailed without the asking of the mouth But asking with the mouth could neuer yet obtaine any thing of God without the seeking of the heart Therfore Hierom findeth himselfe greatly grieued that now and then in praier time his mouth his mind went not both together My mind saies he x Aut per porticus deambulo aut do fanorâ— cogito In dialog aduersus Lucifer Ipso intempore quo â—leuare mentem paramus inserris manibus cogitationâ— bus ad terrena plerum que deiâ—cnâ—â—ur Amb de â—uga â—icuti c. 1. citante August contra Sul. l. 2. is waÌ„dring or walking in this or that galery or else telling or counting this or that sum of money or diuers other waies misled sâ—duced This is sataÌ„s subtilty to be then most busie in tempting of vs when we are most busie in praying to God As when two goe to law one with another the plantife will doe what he can to hinder the defendant
tinckling cimball Whereas if wee would knockeâ— purpose indeed the way wâ—re as Christ teacheth vs elsewhere not to crie Loâ—d Lord but by setting to our hands to doe and worke the will of our heauenly father Loe yea saies Chrysologus En quam negare nollet qui sibi etiam neganti qualiter extorqueretur ostendit howe loath our good Lord is to deny vs any thing seeing though hee were neuer so much disposed to keepe vs out yet here he teacheth vs away how we may breake open the dores and presse in vpon him and get the kingdom of heauen whether he will or no by the violence and force of faith from him For there is a great difference betweene Diâ—es and God though there be a great agreement betweene Lazarus and vs. Lazarus t Luk. 16 20. was a beggar full of sores so are we all by nature beggars standing without and knocking at the doore Yea his body was not so full of sores as our soule is of sinnes Lazarus desired to be relieued with the crummes of bread which fell from the rich mans board so haue we all needs God wote to be refreshed with the crums of mercy which fall from our masters table yet in one respect we are better then Lazarus Is that it was his hard happe to knocke it the doore of a cruell a wretched a miserable caitiffe who could see no time to 〈◊〉 vnto him But we knocke at the dore of a most kind a most liberall a most mercifull father who as soone as he heareth vs rapping with a liuely faith which worketh by charitie hath no power to keepe vs out any longer but presently he openeth vnto vs. And euen aâ— S. Peter u Act. 3.2 when he saw that lame cripple lying vpon the ground crauing an almes at the beautifull gate of the temple said vnto him Siluer and gold haue none but such as I haue health and recouerie I giue thee so Christ when he seeth vs lying prostrate groueling on the ground bâ—fore him knocking for an almes at the beautifull gate of his holy temple by and by openeth vnto vs and giues vs not siluer or gold or any such corruptible thing but health and saluation to our soules and all the inestimable riches of his glorie all the eternall treasures of his kingdome O that some of you would a litle â—rie whether this be true which I say or no! that you would bouÌ„ce as hard as euer you can at this beautifull gate say with the Psalmist x Psal. 44.23 Arise arise O Lord why sleepest thou I warraÌ„t you you should heare him answer you in another Psalm y Psal. 12.5 Now for the pitifull coÌ„plaint of the pore I wil arise saith the Lord I will sleepe no longer I will arise and open vnto them So it was opened to the poore z Luk. 18.13 Publican He went vp to the temple to pray and when hee came thither hee knocked his breast and said Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner Therefore the dore of mercie was opened vnto him and he went home euen into heauen his long home more iustified in the sight of God then that other which iustified himselfe So was it opened to S. Steuen a Act. 7.56 He was brought out to be stoned But when hee came forth the very stones could not knocke him so hard as his praier knockt heauen gate when as he said Lord Iesus let me in Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Therefore the gate was opened vnto him Hee saw the heauen opened and Iesus standing at the right hand of God where hee within a while after should sit himselfe So was it opened to King b Psal. 118.19 Dauid He knockt very imperiously not like a petitioner but like a coÌ„mander Lift vp your heads ô ye gates be ye lift vp ye euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Open vnto mee the gate of the righteous that I may enter in praise the Lord. And wheÌ„ the gate was opened as hee was entring in he pointed to it and said This is the gate of the righteous the lust shall enter â—nto it So it was opened to S. Paul c Act. 16.26 He was cast downe into the very lowest dungeon All the chaines of darknes and euen hell it selfe could not haue held him faster then that dungeon did yet at midnight when he praied and knockt suddenly all the prison dores flew open yea al the dores of the heauen likewise stood open and that which is most maruellous of all they stood so wide open that not onely S. Paul himselfe went in but also Stephanaâ— the iayler and his whole houshold whome hee at that time conuerted and baptized did enter in with him So that all all eternall things are ours nothing nothing can preuaile against vs if wee knocke as we ought Not the brasen gates of hell to shut vs in nor the golden gates of heauen to shut vs out For Christ hath saide here Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Thus much for the second part what God for one praier will performe to vs in these words And it shall be giuen you and you shall finde and it shall be opened vnto you Now then my deare brethren giue me leaue I beseech you to speake vnto you me I say that am the seruant of God and your seruant for God as Naaman the Sytians seruants sayd vnto him Father say they if the Prophet had commaundeth thee a great thing wouldst thou not haue done it how much more then when hee sayeth vnto thee Wash and bee cleane Brethren I say if he that is more then a Prophet had commaunded you a great thing would you not haue done it how much more then when hee sayeth vnto you Wash and be cleane Aske and it shall bee giuen you Hee desires to be desâ—â—ed And he hath not his owne will except we haue ours But we may haue what we will for asking God doth ask no more of vs but onely that we would vouchsafe to aske him Doe no more sayes he but aske and haue Doe no more buâ— seeke and finde Do no more but knocke and enter in O how easily and yet how powerfully doth prayer worke It ouer commeth all Beastes The Leuiathan the strength of all Gods creatures was so subdued by prayer that whereas otherwise he might haue beene a gulfe to swallowe vp Ionas quicke and for euer to deuoâ—â— him hee 〈…〉 shippe to saue him It ouercommeth all men Iacob giueth Ioseph one portion aboue hiâ— brethren which 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 by his sword and by his bow but the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast translates it By 〈…〉 and by my supplicaâ—â—â—â— Which translatiâ—â— proueth that prayer is the sword and supplication is 〈◊〉 bowe of a Christian wherewith he subdueth all his enemies It ouercommeth the Diuell himselfe Prayer and fasting are the chiefest 〈◊〉 to cast him out If we resist him by praier he will flie from vs.
Yea the most silly beast in all the forrest is not so much affrighted and amazed when a lyon roâ—reth as this cowardly beast the diuell is diuâ—tâ—d and terrified when a Christian prayeth What shall I say more It ouercommeth him that cannot be ouercome making the Virgins sonne stoupe downe and câ—ndiscend vnto vs. I pray thee let mee goe sayes he to one that wrastled with him all the night long by praier If thou wilt bee a suter to God God wil be â— suter to thee If thou wilt pray vnto God God will pray vnto thee I pray thee sayes he let me goe But what doth Israell answere I will not let thee go except thou blesse me No will It is not belike now as God will but as man wil. God is taken captiue by prayer and become a prisoner to man and stands at his curtesie who sayes I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me And that which is more then all this if more may be praier ouercommeth God not onely being well pleased as he was with Israel when any child may deale with him but also being displeased as he was with the Israelites wheÌ„ no man may come neere him wheÌ„ his wrath burneth as fire ween he thunders from heauen and teares the cloudes in peeces and cleanes the rockes asunder and shakes sâ—â—d sea together and makes the whole earth in a trembling fitte of feare flie away from him Yet if some Moses doe but stand vp in the gap and pray all this omnipotent power shall come to nothing God shall not be able though he be neuer so angry to enter vpon the breach but praier shall haue the victorie and get the coÌ„quest of him Wherfore beloued once againe I say let vs alwayes intrench our selues within this inuincible bulwarke of praier Our whole life alas as wee haue made it by sinne is most miserable There is no man aliue if hee had known before hee was borne what miseries would haue befallen him in this life but would haue wished I warrant you with all his heart that which was the Wombe of his birth had beene the tombe for his buriall But in all the calamities of this life our onely comfort is prayer In alâ— the afflictions of this life our onely fortresse is praier Prayer whereby wee 〈◊〉 oftentimes in spirite with the Apostle rapt vp into the third heauen where wee that are otherwise but Wormes walke with the Angels and euen continually talke with God Hence it is that holie men and women in former times could neuer haue enough of thiâ— exercise Nazianzene in his Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia writeth that shee was so giuen to praier (e) Vt genua terre contreuerint that her knees seemed to cleaue to the earth and to grow to the very ground by reason of continuance in prayer Gregorie in his Dialogues writeth that his aunt Trasilla beeing dead was found to haue her elbowes as hard as horne Which hardnesse she got by leaning to a deske at which shee vsed to pray Eusebius in his historie writeth that lawes the brother of our Lord had knees as hard as camels knees benummed and bereaued of all sense and feeling by reason of continuall kneeling in praier Hierom in the life of Paul the Eremite writeth that he was found dead kneeling vpon his knees holding vp his hands lifting vp his eies f Etiam cadauer mortui officioso gestu precabatur So that the very dead corps seemed yet to liue and by a kinde of religious gesture to pray still vnto God O how happy and how blessed was that soule without the body when as that body without the soule was so deuout O that wee may bee that wee may bee likewise so happie and so blessed as this holy man was that wee may depart hence in such sort as he did that is in such sort as Christ did who died in praier saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit that our Lord when he commeth may finde vs so doing that when wee shall lie vpon our death-bed gasping for breath readie to giue vp the ghost then the precious soule of euery one of vs redeemed with the precious blood of Christ may passe away in a prayer in a secret and sweete praier may passe I say out of Adams body into Abrahams bosome Through the tender mercies of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignity and dominion now and euermore Amen THE SICK-MANS COVCH A SERMON PREACHED before the most noble Prince HENRIE at Greenewich Mar. 12. An. 1604. BY THOMAS PLAYFERE Professor of Diuinity for the Lady MARGARET in Cambridge Printed at London by Iohn Legatt Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1617. TO THE RIGHT Honourable my very good Lord Sir Edward Denny Knight Baron of Waltham grace and peace RIght Honourable beeing appointed to preach the last Laâ—â— I deliuered so much as filled vp the ordinary time of an houre but that was scarce halfe this Sermon I vttered no more to auoid the offence of the hearer I write â—â— lesse to procure the profit of the reader For as tediousnes without regard of due time especially in so high a presence soonest offendeth so fâ—lâ—es where the reader may peruse more or lesse at his pleasure and leisure best of all edifieth Therefore I thought good in publishing this Sermon rather to inlarge it to the comprehension I had conceiued and meditated in my minde then to scans it according to that strict compasse of time which I was â—â—ed to in the pulpit For by this meanes all that will vouchsafe to looke into it may make their profit thereby They fiâ—â—â—h were present by vttering the whole whereas they heard but halfe they which were absent by hauing the preachers meaning though they bee vnacquainted with his affection And yet perhaps it may please God to blesse this poore exercise to diuers heauenly minded men in such sort as they may take occasion by some things here intiâ—â—â—ted not onely to conceiue â—ore then they find diâ—rectly specified but also to â—e â—ore diâ—â—â—â—ely inspired sweetly affected theÌ„ it pleased God in vouchsafe 〈◊〉 of his gracâ— either at the preaching or 〈◊〉 of us Howsoeuer seeing this discourse exhorteth principally to repenâ—â—â—nts and patience in the time of sicknes to a preparation of our selues by a good life vnto a happie death which is a doctrine most necessarie in this great mortality that hath lately bin and is yet feared especially also for that the greatâ—â— part of it I neuer preached any where but onely penned in my study I thought my selfe so farre bound in duty to this blessed Church wherein wee liue as not to hide it in a napkin but according to the Apostles rule if I haue found comfort my selfe by some meditaâ—tions here opened then to comfort them that are afflicted by the same comfort wherewith 〈◊〉 our selues haue bin comforted of God And
bethinking wee of one vnder whose protection it might passe in publicke I thought best to make bold with your Lordship For though all sorts peraduenture may bee fitted with some thing or other in this plaâ—â—â— sermon which they may make vse of yet those I am sure will conne me most thanke for my well meaning endeauour which haue had most experience and triall of Gods louing mercies in this kind Now your good Lordship hauing bin deliuered more then once or twice from dangerous sickenesse 〈◊〉 learned such patience such meekenesse such vnfeined repentance such true mortification such assurance of Gods loue such confidence in Christ such other good vertues of a right sanctified spirit by this fatherly visitation of the Lord which is not wanting euen oftentimes to his dearest childreÌ„ as you could neuer haue learned at least wise in the same measure in health Besides I haue bin so especially beholding to your honour euen since you were first of S. Iohns colledge that I could not satisfy my selfe with the inward duty and thankfulnesse towards you which I haue euer faithfully laid vp in my breast except I also shewed the same by some such outward testimony as might cleare mee to you and the world of vngratefulnes Wherefore I doe so presume to dedicate this small labour to your good acceptance as withall I heartily desire all those that shall receiue edification thereby to pray together with me for the continuance of your Lordships good health and well sâ—â—â— that long you may euen in this world enioy this your 〈◊〉 honourable addition and all â—â—her good gifts of God and fauours of our gratious Soueraignâ— to the benefit of this Church and 〈◊〉 wealth From Cambridge the 28. of 〈◊〉 1605. Your Lordships euer to command Thomas Playfore The quotations in the margent with figures were or should haue bin deliuered at the preaching the rest with letters are only for the printing THE SICKE Mans Couch PSAL. 6. VER 6. I water my Couch with my teares NOthing is more delightsome then the seruice of God and loue of Vertue nothing more full of griefe sorrow then sinne Gods commaundements are not heauie a 1. Ioh. 5.3 yea his yoke is easie and his burden light b Mat. 11.30 On the other side how deepely sinne woundeth the very conscience the Heathen Orator confesseth saying I will not buy repentance so deare c Non emam tanti paenitere Demosth. Agreeable to that of the Apostle What fruite haue you of those things whereof you are now ashamed For the end of those thinges is death d Rom. 6.21 Looke how the Israelites â—â—ried themselues in clay and bricke without any profite or reward nay when they had done their very best they were by Pharaos Taskemasters well beaten for theyr paines e Exod. 5.14 Eâ—â—â— so the world the flesh the diuell as rigorous taskemasters incite men to sinne but all the reward they yeeld them is onely mortall immortall griefe And as the sea roareth foameth and neuer is at rest f Esa. 57.20 after the same sort the wicked are like the raging sea foaming out their 〈…〉 shame g Epist. Iud. 13 and neuer rest till hauing made shipwracke of faith h 1 Tim. 6.9 they bee drowned in perdition and destruction They which worship the beast haue no rest day nor night i Reu. 14.11 Now what beast so cruell as sin which not only killeth the body as a beast doth but slayeth the soule k Sap. 1.11 yea it destroyeth both body and soule in hell l Math. 10.20 Therefore this indeed is the beast which depriueth all those that serue it of liberty and rest Of whome the Prophet Ieremie writeth thus m Ier. 9.5 They haue taught their tongues to speake lyes and they take great paines so doe wickedly This holy King Dauid had good experience of Namely that in sinne there is nothing but sorrowes and paines For lying here sicke in his bed l Hereupon I entitle this Sermon The sicke mans Couch and feeling this same sicknesse to bee a stroke of gods heauy hand for his offence hee cries God heartily mercy and sayes Haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Now that his soule is sore troubled he proueth in this present verse I am wearie of my groanings euery night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares The soule must needes be sore troubled which is so grieuously tormented Especially in the wordes of my Text by three notable amplifications he sheweth how serious and syncere his repentance is First saies he Not onely I wash but also I water secondly Not onely my bed but also my Couch thirdly not only with my groanings but also with my teares I water my couch with my teares These will be very godly and ghostly meditations The rather in this time of Lent Onely the worst I doubt will bee mine For that hauing discoursed at large of this doctrine elsewhere l In the sermon intituled The meane in mourning I can not now cull out the choisest matter 〈◊〉 must bee faine to gather together such fragments as were then left I water my couch with my teares The first amplification is in this word I water Not onely I wash but also I water The faithfull sheepe of the great Shepheard goe vp from the washing place euery one bringing forth twinnes and 〈◊〉 barren among them m Cant. 4.2 For so I 〈◊〉 sheepe hauing conceiued at the watering troughes brought forth strong 〈◊〉 coloured lambes n Gen. 30.38 Dauid likewise who before had erred and strayed like a lost sheepe o Ps. 119. vlt. making here his bed a washing place by so much the lesse is barren in obedience by how much the more hee is fruitfull in repentance In Saloâ—â—â— temple stood ten Caldrons of brasse to wash the flesh of those beasts which were to be sacrificed on the Altar p 1. Reg. 7.38 Salâ—â—â—â—s Father maketh a water of his teares a caldron of his bed an Altar of his heart a sacrifice not of the flesh of vnreasonable beasts but of his owne body a liuing sacrifice which is his reasonable seruing of God q Rom. 12.1 Now the Hebrew word (4) Askeh here vsed signifies properly To cause to swimme which is more then simply to wash And thus the Geneua translation readeth it I cause my bedde euery night to swimme So that as the Priests vsed to swimme in the molten Sea (5) 1. Reg. 7.27 that they might bee pure and cleane against they performed the holy rites and seruices of the temple in like manner the princely prophet washeth his bedde yea hee swimmeth in his bedde or rather hee causeth his bedde to swimme in teares as in a sea of griefe and penitent sorrow for his sin Neither were this so much
will I speake that I may take breath m Iob. 3â— 19 As Elibu then kept silence some while euen from good wordes though it were paine and griefe to him but at the last the fire kindling and his heart beeing hotte within him spake with his tongue n Psal. 39.3 so the spirit of God in all the elect of God is like wine put into a bottle which will haue a vent to spurge out or els it will burst the bottle or like fire rakte vp in embers which will haue a passage to burne out or els it wil consume the whole house o 1. Ioh. 2.9 And therefore Saint Iohn likewise saith Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne for his seede remaineth in him neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God Marke yee this well The Apostle thinketh it not enough to say Hee doth not sinne but addeth moreouer He cannot sinne What is that To witte presumptuously without feare hee doth not sinne and desperately without remorse he can not sinne He can not sin I say presumptuously as Pharaoh did desperately as Caine did malitiously as Iudas did blasphemously as Iudas did He cannot hee cannot sinne thus Why so Because the seede of God remaineth still in him And what is the seede of God It is the spirit of God of which S. Paul saide euen now The spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the same thing that yee would Yee doe not sinne nay yee cannot sinne as the flesh would haue you ye cannot doe the same things that ye would but yee doe nay ye can not choose but doe manie times as the seede of God remaining in you and as the spirit of God lusting in you would haue you So that this is a legall kinde of preaching to say Take heede you sinne not yee may happen so to loose your faith to loose all the iustifying grace which God hath giuen vs to be for euer excluded out of the Kingdome of heauen This is to be sayde to vassals to drudges to slaues not to sonnes To sons this may bee better sayde p Heb. 12.5 vobis vt filijs Take heed yee sinne not God hath adopted you giuen you the earnest of his spirite q 2 Cor. 5.5 Therefore grieue not this sweete spirite whereby yee are sealed vp to the day of redemption r Eph. 4.30 If yee be louing children indeed though there were no hel to feare no heauen to hope for no torments to dread no rewards to expect yet wee will obey your good father be the sorrow-fullest Creatures in the world if you haue but once displeased him onely for the meere loue yee beate towards him and for the vnspeakeable loue hee hath shewed towardes you s Diligenti deuÌ„ sufficit ei placere quem diligit quam nulla maior expeteuda est remâ—â—etatio quom ipsa dilectio Leo Magnus Serm. 7 de Ieiunio For if he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for you wheÌ„ ye were his enemies t Rom. 5.10 now you are sons and such deare sonnes in his dearest Sonne u Eph. 1.6 what duty will you denie him what loyaltie will you grudge him what heartie thankefulnesse and good will is there which you will not afford him what faithful honour and seruice is there which you will not yeeld him In one word ye holie ones of God I speake now to you all beloued he which stands much vpon this obiection hath no faith no repentance no iustifying grace at all in him For the faithfull will neuer make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious bloud a cloake to couer their wickednesse x 1. Pet. 2.19 but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse y Luk. 1.74 Liberamur vt seruiamâ—s ei Neyther will they at any time reason thus z Rom. 6.15 VVe will sinne because wee are not vnder the Law but vnder grace nor yet thus a Rom. 6.2 We will continue in sinne that grace may abound but alwaies thus b Rom. 6.11 By that wee are deade to sinne wee gather that wee are aliue to God or else thus c Tit. 2.11 The grace of God hath appeared teaching vs to deny vngodlines and worldlie lusts Thus you see then howe the regenerate man euerie new acte of sinne must be bewailed by a new acte of Repentance For God wil not forgiue me except I repeut no more then I am bound to tell my brother I forgiue him except hee tell me He repents Naaman must wash himselfe seauen times before he can bee cleane the Angell of Ephesus must rise from his fall and doe the first workes or else his Candlesticke shall bee remoued the Church of Corinth though it bee neuer so Holie yet by sinne violating Gods loue must oftentimes bee reconciled anew euen king Dauid in this place though he were a man according to Gods own heart yet before Nathan would absolue him he was faine to crie Peccâ—â—â— and before God would forgiue him he was faine to confesse his wickednes and to water his couch with his teares The second note is That a great act of sinne must be bewailed with a greate acte of Repentance I meane not that anie paine or griefe of ours can make satisfaction for the least of our sinnes or that one contrition can be any cause of remission but onelie that where sinne hath abounded there sorrowe sholâ—d abound also that Grace may superabound at the last d 5. Rom. 10. The Schoolmen shewe heere that great griefe may bee considered two waies According to a mans appretiation and according to his intension e Vide Bellar. de Pâ—â—itentia libro 2 â— 11 As the Patriarke Iacob in his intension did lament his sonne Ioseph whom he thought to be dead more pittifully then he did any sin that we read of f Gen. 37.34 but in the appretiation or estimation which hee had of the â—aynousnesse of sinne certainly he would rather haue lost tenne sonnes then once haue sinned against God Therfore howsoeuer in intention sorrow for sinne bee none of the greatest yet in appretiation they would euer haue it excessiue But we neede not borrow such vncoth wordes of the Schoolemen to expresse our meaning if we can tel how to vse those words which we haue of our owne For if wee looke narrowly into this place wee shall see that the Prophet Dauid is both waies in the highest degree sorrowfull First by how much the more dearely he esteemed Gods loue and friendshippe then the health of his body by so much the more is hee grieued that that is violated then that this is endangered And yet againe how intensiuelie and bitterlie he bewaileth not so much the sicknesse of his bodie as the cause thereof the sinne of his soule appeareth in that he trisâ—eth not but washeth his bed and waterâ—â—â— his couch with his
pâ—tius vnum minutuâ—â— voluntatem meâ—â—◠〈◊〉 dabo illâ—â— ad voluâ—tatem illius qui tantus tantillum tantis beneficiis praeuâ—niâ— qui tâ—tâ— se totum me comparaâ—it Berâ— serm de Quadruplici Debito p. 100. that hauing nothing to offer but the widowes â— mites nay a great 〈◊〉 les then 2. mites I mean my bodie my soule or rather I haue but onlie one 〈◊〉 to offer only my good wil which I 〈◊〉 henceforth conforme to his wil whâ— being rich becâ—me poore for me and 〈◊〉 his bodie soule to redeem my bodie soule from death But now seing 〈…〉 almost as often sinned wilfully as either of ignorance or infirmitie what manner of men ought we to be in humbling our selues vnder Gods mightie hand f 1. Pet. 5.6 in iudging condemning our selues g 1 Cor. 11.31 in repenting as hartely as wee sinned haynously in washing our bed watring our couch wiâ—h our teares Euen this our Prophet sheweth also very good euideÌ„ce for this same doctrine els where Haue mercy vpon me O Lord saies he after thy great goodnes according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Wash me throughly froÌ„ my wickednes cleanse me froÌ„ my sin 66 Psal. 52.2 The goodnes of God is alwaies like it selfe neither great nor little but absolutely infinite Therfore it is neuer a whitthe greater for our couÌ„ting it not little nor neuer a whit the lesse for our couÌ„ting is not great but though wee count it great yet it is stil as litle as it should be though we count it little yet it is still as great as it can bee So that the Psalmist in tearming Gods goodnes great setteth foorth the greatnesse rather of his owne badnes then of Gods goodnes confessing his owne sinne indeede to bee great and so consequently Gods goodnesse likewise to bee great but yet in this respect only not because it can take any encrease of greatnes into it selfe but because it can giue increase of gladnes to him who for a great sin is almost ouerwhelmed with as great a griefe The same may be saide of Gods mercies that they are neither many nor fewe but as his goodnes is incoÌ„prehensible so his mercies are innumerable Neuerthelesse the Prophet sticks not to say According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences As if hee should haue said According to thy mercies doe away the multitude of mine offences The multitude then to speake properly is not of Gods mercies but of mine offeÌ„ces yet seeing the mercies of God are as many as all mine offences nay a great manie moâ—e then all the offences of al the world therfore hee mentions a multitude of Gods mercies Because nothing can asswage the multitude of sorrowes which arise in my heart h Psal. 94.19 for the multitude of my offences but the multitude of Gods mercies The multitude of mine offences 〈◊〉 king indeede as on Gods behalfe a multitude of mercies so on my behalfe multitude of teares And therfore he 〈…〉 wash me throughly or as it is in the latin translation 67 Amplius laua me wash me yet more Wash me and wash me and yet more againe againe wash me throughly from my wickednes cleanse me from my sin For euen as a vessel that hath bin tainted with poison or some infections liquor will not be cleane with once washing but must be often scalded throughly washed before it will be sweet so hauing heretofore possessed my vessell in impuritie i 1 Thes. 4.4 though I now wash me with niter and take mâ—e much I sope yet mine own vncleannes is â—â—ill marked before thee k Ier. 2.22 onely thou O Lord canst wash me throughlie who â—n grieued throughlie because I haue beene throughlie defiled And indeed though I cannot wash my selfe throughlie yet I am sure thou hast washt me thoroughlie because I haue repented me thoroughlie I haue mingled my drinke with weeping l Psal. 102.10 and my teares haue bin my meate day night m Psal. 42.4 nay Euerie night I wash my bed and water my Couch with my teares It is a cleare case then that a great act of sin must be bewailed with a great act of repentance For the raising of Lazaâ—â—s which hath been dead foure daies requireth the greatest growing and â—â—â—ping the greater sinne as of the Priest or voluÌ„tary or such like requireth the greater sacrifice if I haue coÌ„mitted great wickednes except I shew great repentance I cannot obtaine great mercie if I haue bin throughly defiled except I be throughly washed I cannot be throughly 〈◊〉 And therefore the holy Prophet that â—e may obtaine great mercy that he â—ay be throughlie washed saith here Eâ—â—rie night I wash my bed and water my coâ—ch with my teares To returne then where I left and so 〈◊〉 make an end S. Austins two compâ—risons of 〈…〉 of teares and of a floude of teares may seeme to some verie incredible much more these three amplifications of the Prophet Dauid Especially if we read these words as I haue noted they are in the Hebrew Euerie night I cause my bed to swim and I melt my couch with my teares But howsoeuer they may seeme to be they are I graunt very hyperbolicall yet so as the meaning of them is plain â—â—ough As if he should haue said I do◠〈◊〉 indeed cause my bed to swim in showâ—â—â— of teares neither doe I melt my Couch with floudes of teares but yet if euer anie man had done so or if it were possible any man could do so then my repentance is so great my tears so aboundant 〈◊〉 I thinke verily whosoeuer is one I 〈◊〉 be an other which should cause my bâ—d to swim my couch to melt seeing â— Eueâ—iâ— night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares Therefore they which can gather no good meaâ—ing out of these words do consider neither how â—â—â—â—efull the wrath indignatioÌ„ of God is 〈…〉 how horrible is the sense of sin 〈…〉 n Relata adse magnitudine aâ—is alicui quaÌ„ quidamâ— eques Romanus dum vixit celauerat culcitram emi cubicularem in cius anxime sic hi iussit of whome I spake before hearing of them talk in hiâ— court what a huge sum of money a certaine Knight in 〈◊〉 owed at his death 〈◊〉 that all his goodâ— were to be solde to make paymentâ— of his debts coÌ„maunded the master of 〈◊〉 wardrobe to buy for him that â—ed wherein this knight vsed to lie For sais he 68 Et praeceptum muraÌ„tibus hanc rationem reddidit Habenda est ad sâ—mmum culcitra in qua ille cum caâ—â—um deberes dormire pâ—tuit Macrob. Satur. l. 2. c. 4 if I cannot sleepe soundly in that bed wherin he could sleepe that owed so much theÌ„ surelie I shal sleepe in none If this famous Emperor thought it a matter almost vnpossible for him to sleepe quietly
in his bed which was so deepely in debt what would he haue said If Christ who was born in his time had bin bred in his hart o Gal. 4.19 I meane if hee had seene by the light of Godâ— word that no debts are comparable to sins And therefore if that poâ—â— Knight could hardly sleepe in his bâ—dde then that seruaÌ„t which oâ—eth his mâ—steâ— ten thousand 〈◊〉 p Math. 18.24 as alas which of vs all beloued if we remember our 〈◊〉 well is not guiltie of so many sinnes caâ— hardly take any rest This if the Emperour had knowne hee would rather 〈◊〉 bought Dauids couch that he might 〈◊〉 haue slept for bewailing his sinnes then this banckrupts bed that hee might haue slept notwithstanding all his caâ—es For these these euen our sinnes these are the debts which so trouble and toâ—mâ—â— the soule that a man 〈◊〉 better haue 〈◊〉 common wealthes in his head yeâ— the caâ—es of all the woâ—ld in his head thâ—◠〈◊〉 disquieted distracted with the 〈…〉 Christians if we be in good health Let vs be thankfull to God 〈◊〉 it let vs account it a special blessing with out which all worldly blessings are 〈◊〉 thing let vs vse it as all other good 〈◊〉 of God to his glory the good of 〈◊〉 other If contrariwise it please the Lord 〈◊〉 any time to visite vs with sicknesse 〈…〉 not in this case despaire neither But 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer other causes we may coceine let vs ingeÌ„iouslie acknowledge one cause of our sicknes to be our sinnes For if we would preuent the iudgemeÌ„ts of god by timelie repentaÌ„ce iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But because men wil not wheÌ„ they are in health thinke of him that giueth health therefore oftentimes they are sick now and then also fal asleepe q 1. Cor. 11.30 For euen as maâ—â—facters which wil not by gentle means confesse their heinous crimes are by racking or such like tortures enforced to coÌ„fesse so when grieuous sinners can see no time to repent God in his iustice or rather indeede in his great mercie doth as it were racke them vpoÌ„ their couch with sicknesse bodily pains that they may be constrained to confesse their sinnes so may be freede of two sickenesses their bodies sickenes and their soules sicknes both at once O happie happie men are they which when they are yong remember their Creator before they be old r Eccles. 12.1 when they are in health confesse their sins forsake theÌ„ before they be sick s Prou. 28.13 And yet good louing brother if thou happen to be sick be not in any case as I said before be not altogither discouraged by it But in the next place remeÌ„ber that thy sickenes is nothing els but Gods fatherly visitation to do thee good especially to mooue thee to repentance Listen a little Harken I say Doest thou not heare him rapping aloud and knocking hard at the dore of thy hard hart saying to thee whosoeuer thou art Maiden arise Young man arise Lazarus arise and come forth Awake therfore awake thou that sleepest t Eph. 5.14 and stand vp from death Christ shall giue thee life Say with the spirituall spouse In my bed by night sought him whome my soule loueth u Cant 3.1 Saie with this our Prophet Did I not remember thee vpon my bed meditate of thee in the night season x Psal. 63.7 Looke not still to haue pillowes sowed vnder 〈◊〉 elbowes neither bolster vp thy selfe anâ—â— longer in thy sinnes y Ezec. 13.18 Lie not vpon thy beds of â—â—orie neither stretch thy selfe vpoÌ„ thy couch z Amos. 6.4 but euery night 〈◊〉 thy bed water thy couch with thy tearesâ— Behold saies thy heauenly husband a Reuel 3.20 I stand at the dore and knocke if anie 〈◊〉 heare my voice and open the dore 〈◊〉 come in vnto him wil sâ—p with 〈◊〉 be with me And again b Cant. 2.5 OpeÌ„ 〈◊〉 my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head is full of dewe and my locks with the drops of the night Wherfore seeing Christ knockes so loud at the dore of my heart for repentance knocke thou as loud at the dore of his mercy for pardon seeing he would so fain haue thee turn vnto him heare his voice be thou as willing to cal vpoÌ„ his name that he may heare thy voice seeing he is so forward to sup with thee by receiuing thy prayers be thou as desirous to sup with him by obtaining the benefit of his passioÌ„ euen the remission of thy sinnes And as he saies to thy soule Open vnto mee my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled so be thou bold by faith to turn the same words vpoÌ„ him again say Open vnto me my brother my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head iâ—ful of deâ— my locks with the drops of the night And why is my head fâ—ll of dewe and my locks with the dropâ— of the night Because euery night I wash my bed water my couch c. Then deare christian brother then thy sicknes shall not be vnto death but for the glory of god c Iob. 11.4 For God will turn all thy bed in thy sicknes d Psal. 41.3 And so wheras before it was a bedde of sicknes hee will turne it into a bed of health whereas a bed of paine and griefe into a bed of rest coÌ„fort wheras a bed of teares repeÌ„ntance into a bed of ioifull deliueraÌ„ce RemeÌ„ber thy selfe wel At least wise as well as thou canst well enough what happened to Iob who was sick sore all his body ouer had not â— couch neither to lie on but was â—ain to lie on a dunghil Did not al this turne to his great good when as the Lord did blesse his latter end much more then his beginning e Iob. 42.10 What happened to Ezâ—chiâ—â— who had seÌ„tence of death gon out against himâ— Did not he lying sick in his bed turn him toward the wal weep got the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death reuersed 15 yeares more added to his life f Esa. 38.6 What hapned to the maÌ„ sick of a palsey who was let down through the â—yling bed and al in the midst 〈◊〉 Iesus Did not Christ with one 〈…〉 instant heale him so that he tooke vp his bed departed to his own house praising god g Luk. 5.25 what hapned to the man which had bin sicke 38. yeares and was not able to steppe downe into the poole Did not Christ saying but Rise take vp thy bed walk cure him so that presently he was made whole tooke vp his bed walked h Ioh. 58 9 What hapned to Eâ—câ—s who was sick of the palsey as one of these two that that I spake of last had kept his bed S. yeares as the other of them Did
not S. Peter saying but thus vnto him Eneas Iesus Christ maketh thee whole arise and trusse vp thy couch so restores him that immediately he arose i Act. 9.33.34 What hapned to S. Paul who was pressed out of measure passing strength so that hee altogether doubted euen of life Did not the Lord wheÌ„ he had receiued the senteÌ„ce of death in himself deliuer him froÌ„ this great danger k 2 Cor. â— 8.9 What hapned to S. Pauls fellow-souldier Epaphroditus who was sick no doubt sicke very neare vnto death Did not the Lord shew mercy on him giue him health againe to the great ioy of the Philippians and generall good of all the Church l Phil. 2.27 what hapned to holy Dauid in this place who saith of himselfe O Lord I am weak my bones are vexed my soule also is sore troubled I am wearie of my groanings euerie night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares Did not the Lord finding him in this miserable pickle plight deliuer his soule from death his eies from teares his feet from falling m Psal. 116. â— So that in thankefull ioifull maner hee triumpheth saith the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping the Lord hath heard my petitioÌ„ the Lord wil receiue my praier Euen as S. Paul sayth He hath deliuered vs from so great a deathâ— doth deliuer vs in whom also we trust that yet hee will deliuer vs n 2. Cor. 1.10 O faithful deare louing Lord He hath deliuered he doth deliuer he will deliuer He neuer yet hath forsaken he neuer doth forsake he neuer will forsake those that put their trust in him For tel me my good brother if thou canst tell any thing tell me did Christ so miraculously restore Iob restore Ezachas restore the man sick of the palsey restore the bedred man restore Eâ—â—as restore S. Paul restore Epaphroditus restore king Dauid to their former health can he not restore thee Did hee restore the most of these wheÌ„ he was crucified vpon earth and can he not restore thee now â—e is crowned in heauen Is his arme now shorter and his power lesser then it was then where I maruell where is the CenturioÌ„s faith Christ said then I haue not fouÌ„d so great faith in all Israel o Math. 8.10 now if he were among vs he might say I haue not fouÌ„d so great faith in all the world The Centurion beleeued though Christ came not vnder the roof of his house but spake the word only his seruant might be healed wel enough dost thou think Christ cannot heale thee except he come in person stand by thy bed side take thee by the hand rayse thee vp For shame away with such infidelitie This is a thousaÌ„d times worse then all the sicknes of thy body Nay rather assure thy selfe if God say but the word thou shalt soon recouer haue thy health better then euer thou hâ—dst liue many happy ioyfull daies after Therefore mind thou onely that which belongeth to thee that which belongeth to God meddle not with it but leaue it wholy vnto him It is thy part to bewaile thy former sins in bewayling them to water thy couch with thy teares to cry to the Lord for mercy forgiuenes to resolue with thy selfe stedfastly hereafter if it please God to giue thee thy health againe to lead a new life This belongs to thee therfore this thou must meditate of imploy thy self about day night but whether thou shalt recouer or not recouer that belongeth to God That rests altogether in Gods pleasur wil. if thou dost recouer thou hast thy desire Or rather perhaps not thy desire Seeing the holiest and best men of all incline neither this way not that way but wholly resign themselues as in all other things so especially in this case to Gods will p Non mea sed tua voluntas fiat Or if they determinately desire any thing it is for the most part to be dissolued to be with Christ q Phil. 1. â—2 30 but suppose thou desâ—â—e to recouer and recouer indeed Then as thou obtainest thy desire so theâ— must performe thy promise the promise thou madest when thy body was grieued with sicknesse and paine when thy soule was oppressed with heauines wheÌ„ thou 〈◊〉 redst thy couch with thy tears And what was that promise Namely as I saide before that if it pleased God to giue thee health againe thou wouldest loue him more sincerely serue him more obedientlie teÌ„der his glory more dearelie follow thy calling more faithfully then thou hast done If thou hast offended him with pride to humble thy selfe hereafter if with dissolutenes to be sober hereafter if with couetousnesse to bee liberall hereafter if with conuersing with the vngodly to abandoÌ„ their company hereafter to say as it is in the Psalme Depart from me yee workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping This if thou conscionablie coÌ„stantlie perform then in a good houre as we say and in a happy time thou didst recouer But suppose thou desire to recouer yet neither thy selfe see any likelihood nor God seâ— it good thou shouldst recouer TheÌ„ harty repentance and watering thy couch with thy teares is most of all necessary That the feare of death may not affright thee but beeing truly penitent at thy departure thou maiest be sure to depart in peace r Luk. 2.29 And so God granting not thy wil but his wil may indeed grant both thy wil his wil. Thy will which is not simply to recouer but coÌ„ditionally if God wil his wil which is not to haue thee lie languishing any longer in this warfare but to triumph for euer in heaueÌ„ s Aliquando sancti non recipiendo quod petunt magis exaudiuntur quam exandirentur si illud reciperent Plus enim nâ—â— recipiendo beatus Paulus exaâ—ditus est quam si illud recepisset pro quo sicut ipse ais ter do minum rogaue rat Exauditus est igitur ne exaudiretur Non enim nisi bonum Apostolus quarebat quamuis illud non bonum sibi esse non intelligâ—bat Extuditus est igiâ—ur recipiendo â—â—num ne exaâ—diretur recipiendo non bonuÌ„ Qui enim sibi bonuÌ„ non quarit dum se sib bonum quarere â—utat si id recipiat quod quaâ—it non exauditur si non recipit exauditur Deus igitur qui non aliud nisi quaretis affectuÌ„ considerat bonuÌ„ eicreddit quissebonum quarere credit etiam si sibi non sit bonum quod quarit Emisse hom inlilanqs maioribus p. 138. O blessed teares are these which are recompensed with such high happines such inestimable commodities As namely freedome from all sins past present to come deliuerance from all the miseries and trouble of this wofull world consuÌ„mation of holines of humblenes of purity of
Fourthly saith the preacher Riches are not to men of vnderstanding That rich man in the Gospell wanted 〈◊〉 greatly any vnderstanding Whâ—◠〈◊〉 had so much riches Luk. 12.10 that he could not tell what to doe with them he resolued to pull downe his olde barnes which were too little and to build bigger But what saide the answer of God Thou foole this night shal they take away thy foule from thee and then whose shall thy goods be Wherfore be that thoght himselfe of great vnderstanding before is here declared to bee foole and a poore foole also hauing not so much as his soule left to helpe him The losse whereof can not be recompenced and counteruailed with winning the whole world A mans life then doth not consist in the aboundance of those things which he possesseth But the louing kindnesse of the Lord is better then riches Psal. 63.4 Prou. 10. better then liuing yea better then life it selfe For in God onely we liue And only the blessing of God maketh a man rich Whereupon we may conclude that man getteth not riches by vnderstanding only but by the blessing of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lastly saith the Preacher Fauour is not to men of knowledge It seemeth that a man of knowledge and learning should obtaine fauour and acceptance wheresoeuer he becommeth But it is not so Oftentimes either he getteth none or else he looseth that which he hath gotten Haman a man of great knowledge Ester 7.10 and authoritie and fauour with his Prince Yet because he abused this fauour to the oppression of Gods people and of true religion therefore he lost it And that mischeife which he imagined against others lighted vpon his owne pate Indeede when God hath appointed any one to be a notable instrument of his glorie either in Church or Common-wealth then sodainly the Lord giueth him extraordinary fauour So he gaue Ioseph fauour with King Pharao so he gaueÌ„ Mardocheus fauour with King Assuerus For fauour and promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West nor from the North nor from the South but God iâ— is which setteth vp one and casteth downe an other He as the blessed Virgin singeth in her Magnificat Luk 52. casteth downe the mighty from their seâ—â—s and exalteth the humble and meeke Wherfore man getteth not fauour by knowledge onely but by the fauour of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This doctrine teacheth vs that if we haue gotten the race gotten the battel gotten bread gotten riches gotten fauour we should not ascribe these things to our owne sacrifices to our owne strength to our owne wisedome to our own vnderstanding to our own knowledge but to the grace of God and the blessed word proceeding out of his mouth Thus the Prophet exhorteth saying Let not he wise man glorie in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength but let him that gloried glory in this that he knoweth the Lord. Now no man knoweth the Lord but hee which knoweth that all good successe he hath in any thing commeth of the Lord. And thus much for the first place of Scripture which is a commentarie vpon this text Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The second place of Scripture is written in the Prophet Hagge cap. 1.6 Ye haue so wen much and bring in little ye eat but you haue not enough ye drinke but ye are not filled ye cloth you but ye are not warme and he that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge First saith the Prophet Ye haue sowed much and bring in little Almightie God for the sin of the people makes many times the heauens brasse and the earth iron So that neither the heauens droppeth downe seasonable showres neither doth the earth bring forth her encrease When one came to a â—eâ—â—e of twenty measures there were but teâ— saith this our Prophet cap. 2.17 when one came to the winepresse for to drawe out fifty vessels out of the presse there were but twentie This is to sowe much and bring in little to look for twenty measures and finde but tenne to looke for fiftie vessels and find but twentie On the other side holy Isaac sowing in the land of King Abimeleck Gen. 26.12 gained euery yeare an hundred fold so mightily saitâ— the Scripture did the Lord blesse 〈◊〉 For except the Lord build the 〈◊〉 they labour but in vaine that build it and except the Lord till the field and sow the seede they labour but in vaine that sowe it Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the encrease which is true not onely in the spirituall watering of the word but also in naturall planting and sowing seede So that man bringeth not much in by sowing onely but by the encrease which God giueth Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Secondly saith the Prophet Ye eate but ye haue not inough Many there are which want for no eating but like that rich glutton fare deliciously euery day yet it is smally seene by them But as those seuen leane kine hauing deuoured the seuen far Gen. 42.21 were neuer a whit the fuller so these Wheras holy Daniel hauing nothing to eat but poore pulse nothing to drinke but cold water looked more cheerefully and beautifully then any of the children which did eate of the portion of the kings meate And that the Eunuch saw well enough Dan. 1.15 and confessed at the tenne daies ends Therefore a little thing which the righteous inioyeth Psal. 37. â—6 is better then great riches of the wicked Prou. 15.16 Better is a little with the feare of the Lord then great treasure trouble therewith Prou. 17.1 Better is a dry morsell if peace be with it then a house full of sacrifices with siâ—ife Better is a dinner of greene hearbes where loue is Prou. 15.17 then a stawled oxe and hatred therewith In conclusion then Man hath not enough by eating onely but by the peace and loue of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Thirdly saith the Prophet Ye drink but ye are not filled Many consume as we say drinke down their whole patrimony Like the horseleach they euer say Giue giue like the man in the Gospell that had the dropsie they drinke still and the more they drinke the more they list Committing in the meane season two sinnes forsaking God the fountaine of liuing waters digging to themselues pittes that can hold no waters Ier. 2.13 On the other side Elias when as the Angel brought him a cake baâ—â— on the harth and a pot of water was so fully satisfied with these that hee went in the strength
God doth But how doth he it This strong matter howe doth he worke it By the weakest means that may be Wee haue this treasure saith the Apostle 2. Cor 6.7 in earthen vessells that the excelleÌ„cy of that power might be of God and not of vs. O marueilous words That the excellencie of that power might be of God and not of vs. For if Angels were sent to preach vnto vs it might be thought that the conuersion of sinners consisted in the excellencie of the Angels ministrie not in the power of Gods word Now simple and sinnefull men such as our selues are no better then earthen vessels bringing such a treasure vnto vs the excellencie of this worke must needs be wholly ascribed to God And as it is in spirituall foode so it is in corporall It is not the teacher but the doctrine taught or raâ—her not the doctrine â—arâ—ly taught neither but the diuine operation of Gods spirit working with the word which coÌ„uerteth the soule And so it is not the bread onely but the blessing of Gods grace vpon the bread which sustaineth our life Thus God can worke strong matters with weake meanes and Maâ— liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Thirdly that God can worke some matters with no meanes When King Asa sawe himselfe ouer pressed with the multitude of his enemies 2. Chr. 14.11 he praied thâ—â— to God O Lord it is all one with thee to saue with many or with no power If he had said with many or with a small power it would haue beene plaine But with many or with no power is verie wonderfull Or rather it is no wonder at all seeing it is spoken of God with whom it is a very ordinary matter to saue not onely as well with a small or a weak power as with a great or a strong power but also as well with no power as with some power It is a good carpenter who hauing crooked and rough timber put into his hands can hew it and make it fit for the building Onely the creator of all it is which can worke hauing no matter at all to worke vpon The ordinarie meanes for plants and hearbs to growe by is raine Yet God prouided for Adam plants and herbes before euer it had rained Gen. 2.5 The vsuall meanes for light is the sunne Howbeit God created light before he made the sunne Gen. 1.3 Light the first day the sunne the fourth day We see then that God is tied to no meanes God can saue with no power as wel as with some power God can giue vs hearbs with no raine as wel as with some raine God can giue vs light without any sunne as well as with the sunne God can feede vs if it please him as well with no bread as with bread Therefore God can worke some matters with no meanes and so Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Fourthly that God can worke othersome matters with contrarie meanes He can not onely shewe vs light without any sunne 1. Cor. 4.6 but also bring light out of darkenesse So our Sauiour when hee went about to cure him that was borne blind Iohn 9.6 tempered spittle and clay and put it vpon his eyes This plaister seemes more likely to put out his eyes which sees then to cure his eyes who is blind Yet this is the power of the word proceeding out of Gods mouth So the Prophet Elizeus 2. Reg. 4.40 when colloquintida was put into the pot by casting in a little meale into it made of tanke poyson a wholesome broth So when the Israelites wanted bread in the desert God sent them Manna from heauen Moses said vnto them This is the bread which the Lord hath giuen you to eate Exod. 16.25 Many things here were contrary to nature One thing especially that the dew which made the manna fell in the morning whereas other dew vseth to fall in the euening and ascend in the morning Therefore Moses putteth Israel in mind of this strange miracle afterward Deut. 8.3 God made thee hungry and fed thee with Mannâ— saith hee which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers knowe it that hee might teach them that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth a man liue Christs answer then to the tempter is as if hee should haue said I want now bread in the desart as long agoe the Israelites wanted it But God by his word prouided for them Therefore I need not incroach vpon vnlawfull meanes but depending still vpon his prouidence I shal neuer want For God can worke great matters with small meanes strong matters with weake meanes many matters with no meanes and some matters with contrary means So that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And yet this is no doctrine of idlenesse and securitie neither As we must not by diffidence or distrust in God vse vnlawfull meanes so we must not by presuming vpon God neglect lawfull meanes That we be not too distrustfull we are sent to the lillie and yet that we be not too negligent we are sent to the ant S. Paul knewe right well Act. â—7 neither he nor any of his company should bee cast away in that shipwracke yet for all that he did not lay him downe vpon a pillowe and sleepe but hee vsed all good meanes for the safety of the companie Hee cast out the wheat and the tackling of the ship he loosed the râ—dder bands and hoysed vp the main saile And when the ship was splitted he perswaded some by bords and other by other peices of the ship to swim safe to land Then was a fire in Winsor towne The more to blame were they yesternight which when they might â—â—â—e done good stood by still and looked on As though it were a disparagement or rather it were not a very honourable part for any to help in a common daunger Or as though the fire which was kindled by negligence should haue beene extinguished with negligence also Yea rather the Lord did by this fire chastise the negligence of some that he might stirre vp the diligence of all No lesse blame worthie was the whole towne which standing so neere the royal presence of the Kings Maiestie and the Queenes Maiestie yet was vtterly vnprouided of all helpe in this case No buckets no hookes no ladders no axes could be gotten â—o carpenters could bee heard of which might haue done most good at such a time So that if the mightie and mercifull word proceeding out of the mouth of God had not helped in necessity and time of neede suddainly caulming and stilling the wind euen at that very instant which had beene busie all the day before no question it had growne to a farre greater dammage
and danger But I am ill aduised to meddle with these things I make no doubt but order will be taken though I hold my peace that hereafter the towne for all such casualties be better prouided Therefoâ—e here I ende God for his mercie sake grant that neither by too much presuming confidence we may neglect the lawfull meanes nor yet by too much distrusting diffidence wee may vse vnlawfull meanes but that depending vpon thy prouidence O Lord we may diligently follow the workes of our calling and so continually receiue a blessing from thee thorough Iesus Christ to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glorie now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at Hampton Court before the Kings Maiestie the 23. day of Septem 1604. 2. COR. 4.17 The momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory 2. Pet. 3. SAint Peter foretelleth that some should peruerâ— S. Pauls Epistles to their owne dâ—â—naâ—ion Such are they of the Church of Rome Among other places of S. Pauls Epistles they doe notably peruert this For out of that the Apostle saith Affliction worketh glory they endeauour to conclude that the patience of the Saints and other their vertues merit euerlasting life But first the word To worke is very generall and signifieth not onely causes properly so named but also any antecedent though it be but an adiunct or an accident Againe the Apostles words elsewhere are these Rom. 8.18 I suppose that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glorie which shall be reuealed Wherefore they might haue done well to choose some indifferent construction which would haue reconciled both these places together rather then to embrace such an exposition of the one as doth iustle nay quite thrust out the other S. Bernard doth thus saying Via regni non causa regnandi that good workes are not any cause meriting a kingdome but onely a way directing to a kingdome For seeing they are no cause neither haue any correspondence or proportion in them in respect of the glorie to come therefore the Apostle saith The afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory that will be reuealed And yet againe because the possessing of our soules in patience is a way directly tending to the saluation both of our soules bodies therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our afflicton worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glory To which our Sauiour subscribeth in these words The gate is straight and the way narrowe which leadeth vnto life This straightnesse therefore and narrownesse of affliction is not a cause which deserueth but a gate or a way which leadeth vnto lâ—â—e So in an other place we haue that by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Not by many tribulations no nor by any tribulations we must merit heauen but by many tribulations as by a gate or way wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen And in this sense S. Paul sayes The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory But now though this sentence doe not confirme any Popish error yet it doth excellently comfort any distressed and afflicted For it exhorteth vs to be patient in all afflictions and that for foure reasons The two first drawn from the nature of our affliction the two last from the nature of that glorie which shal be the reward of our affliction The first is because our affliction is momentarie the second because our affliction is light the third because our glorie shall be eternall yea surpassing eternal the fourth because our glorie shall bee weightie exceeding waightie And therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie I need not here make any Apologie for my selfe not yet render any reason why I discourse of pouertie before the rich of affliction before those that are euery way flourishing Mv L. Almner Bishop Waâ—â—on vpon these words The poore manâ— dayes are alwayes euill Prou. 1â— 15 This point was cleared so reuerently and so learnedly of late in this high presence that I am sure it must needes bee yet well remembred Certainely though ye haue not beene afflicted heretofore neither are at this time yet beeing men yet may be hereafter Wherefore it is not amisse that we all learne the doctrine of patience in tribulation Partly that we may be more thankefull to God if hitherto we haue not beene afflicted and plagued like other men Partly that if any time of affliction happen hereafter as any greife any losse any sicknes or such like we may be prepared aforehand and as it were armed with patience to endure it For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall wâ—ight of glory First our affliction is momentary 〈◊〉 sai's Eucherius Nihil est magnum re quod breue tempore Nothing is of great â—mportance which is of small coÌ„tinuance Now our whole life is very short What is our life Iam 4.14 saith S. Iames It is a vapour which for a time appeareth but anon after vanisheth away Therefore saith the Prophet Psal. 56. â— O Lord thou knowest my life as it is in the Septuagint but as it is in the Hebrewe Thou knowest my flitting And therefore seeing our whole life is but a vapour or a flitting certenly our afflictions which are all comprised within the compasse of this life must needes be much more momentary All affliction as the Apostle writeth Heb. 12.11 for the preseÌ„t seemeth not to be ioyous but greiuous but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby He saith not that affliction is but that it seemeth to be So that affliction seemeth to be one thing and is indeede an other It seemeth to be greiuous it is indeed ioyous it seemeth to be troublesome it is indeede comfortable it seemeth to be long and tedious it is indeede momentary and short Euen as God himselfe determineth this matter for a moment Esa 54 8. saith he in mine anger for a little season haue I hid my face from you but in euerlasting mercy will I turne vnto you againe That we should not doubt of this doctrine he redoubles the promise for a moment for little season Psal. 30.6 Therefore the Princely Prophet say's plainly Heauines may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning As the two Angels then that came to Lot log'd with him for a night Gen. 19.2 and when they had dispatch't their errand went away in the morning so afflictions which are the Angels or the messengers of God God sendeth afflictions to doe an errand vnto vs to tell vs we forget God we forget our selues wee are too proud too selfe conceited and such like and when they haue said as they were bod then presently they are gone
thought and beleeued they flung the infant also body and soule into an earthly fire and into hell fire all at once This is the crueltie of man He would if he could pull some out of heauen after they are buried and thrust some into hel before they are borne But God hath predestinated vs. And not only before we were borne Ephes. 1.4 but also before the world was created hath chosen vs in Christ. Euen as Christ shall say at the last day Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 inherit the kingdome of heauen prepared for you before the foundations of the world For looke how carefully parents prouide for their children Primâ—sius in a Tim. â— 1. in illa Ante tempora secularia Arator Doâ—â— prius tempora dedit and put them in their will before they are borne so God giues vs the grace to liue with him before he giue vs time to liue here Euen as the Sonne saith Feare not little â—â—ock for it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome And the father himselfe I euen I am he that comfort you who 〈◊〉 thou then that fearest a mortall maâ— who fadeth away as grasse Therefore euery couragious Christian may comfort his heart in God and say with the Prâ—â—â—â—y Prophet The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whoÌ„ then shall I be afraid when the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes come vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell Though an hoast of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraid though there rose vp warre against me yet wil I put my 〈◊〉 in him I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that haue set themselues against me round about Yea though I walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death yet will I feare no euill â—or thou O Lord art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me So that I may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what 〈◊〉 can doe vnto me The Lord of hoaste with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge And if the Lord of hosts haue predestinated vs vnto life what can man doe against vs what before we liue what while we liue what after we liue If God be with vs who can be against vs The second enemie against vs is the world Which assaileth vs as well by aduersitie Qusd est mundus nisi agon plenus cetraminum as by prosperitie What is the world saith S. Ambrose but a race or a course full of trials troubles It is a field wherein is little corne but much cockle It is a garden wherein are few roses but many thornes Yet these thornes of aduersitie doe not so much oftentimes endanger vs as the baites of prosperitie Mundus peririculosior est blandus quam molâ—stuâ— magis cauendus eunse â—lliâ—â—t diligi qaâ—m cum ad monet cogitqueâ—ontemni Epist. 144. The world is more dangerous saith S. Austin when it flattereth then when it threateneth and is more to be feared when it allureth vs to loue it then when it enforceth vs to contemn it For euen as Iudas by a kisse betrayed his master so the world is a very Iudas It meaneth most falsly when it embraceth most friendly Wherefore the Apostle saith thus of Demas Demas hath forsaken vs and imbraced this present world So that the immoderate embracing of this world is a flat forsaking of Christ and his Gospel Vnskilful swimmers when they begin to sinke if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom Qui mundum amploctuntur similes sunt illis qui submerguntur in aquis Bern. de Adnent setm. 1. the faster they hold the surer they are drowned in like sort they that shake hands with the world and embrace the pleasures and prosperitie thereof most greedily plunge themselues most deeply into destruction But God hath called vs. And therefore neither aduersitie nor prosperitie can hurt vs. Maruell not saith our Saâ—iour though the world hate you It hated me before it hated you If you were of the world the world would loue you but because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore doth the world hate you Well as the world hateth vs so weâ— must hate it againe As it contemneth vs so we must contemne it againe According to that of S. Paul The world is crucified to me and I vnto the world I am crucified to the world that is The world contemnes me the world is crucified to mee that is I contemne the world The world contemnes me 〈◊〉 I contemne it Moral senn 10. c. 2. Qui nihil habet in mundo quod appetat nihil est quod de mundo pertimesent Cyprian Quis ei de secullo metus est cui in seculo deus tutor est For as Gregory sayes He that hath nothing that he loues in the world hath nothing to feare of the world And Cyprian What neede he to feare the world who hath God his protector his tutor his defendour in the world He that is of God ouercommeth the world And this is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith Whereupon our Sauiour saies Be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world and behold I am with you euen vnto the ende of the world So that the world and the trouble we shall haue in the world shall haue an ende but the comfort we haue in God shall haue no end Behold I am with you saith he And if God be with vs and haue called vs out of the world what can the world doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs The third enemie against vs is the flesh Prou. 30.22 Salomon saith this is one thing which maketh the earth euen tremble when a seruant beginneth to beare rule The flesh is and ought to be a seruant Yet it beareth rule in the vnregenerate Yea it striueth to beare rule and beginneth to beare rule euen in the godly A mans enemies are they of his owne house It is mine owne familiar friend that lifteth vp his heele against me This familiar friend was Paul much troubled withal when be said I see an other law in my members Rom. 7. rebelling against my minde and leading mee captiue vnto death And Lot who beeing a iust man that could not be ouercome with all the sinnes of Sodom by immoderate drinking of wine fell to follie And Samson who otherwise impregnable yet yeelded to Dalila Therefore in the 〈◊〉 it lieth which striueth to lay our honour in the dust But God hath iustified vs. And hauing iustified vs in some measure also hath begunne to sanctifie vs. So that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh in so much as we cannot doe as we would Not onely the flesh against the spirit but
also the spirit against the flesh So that we cannot doe as wee would For if wee would serue god so holily as the angels we can not because the flesh insteth against the spirit againe if we would sinne with full consent of will so brutishly as the wicked doe we cannot because the spirit lusteth against the flesh But euen as Castâ—r and Pollux liue by turnes one one day an other an other so the flesh and the spirit preuailing sometimes one sometimes an other make mixt actions So that neither can our good actions iustifie vs because in them the flesh lusteth against the spirit nor yet can our ill actions condemn vs because in theÌ„ the spirit lusteth against the flesh For now that Sara is mortified her wombe is dead and it ceaseth to be with her after the manner of women Now that Iacob hath wrestled with God his thigh is shrunk vp Now that Paul is conuerted he chastiseth his bodie and bringeth it into subiection Now that the blessed virgin is freely beloued she keepeth her selfe within and knoweth no man And therefore sai'â— the Angel Haile Mary freely beloued the Lord is with thee But the blessed Virgin fearing the Angel added Feare not Mary for thou hast found â—â—â—our with God As if he should haue said Feare not the Angel of the Lord seeing the Lord of the Angell is with thee Thou hast found fauour with God to haue the fruit of thy flesh the Sauiour of thy soule So that if God haue a fauour vnto vs and haue iustified vs in Christ what can the flesh doe against vs The spirit will not let it doe as it would For if God be with vs who can be against vs The fourth enemy against vs is the deuill And he is the worst enemy of all Therefore sai's the Apostle we haue not to fight with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and with the Prince of darknes that ruleâ—â— in the ayre This Prince warreth against vs two waies By persecutions and perswasions For the first he is described in the Reuelation to ride vpon a blacke and a redde horse The blacknes of the horse sheweth how terrible the Deuill is the reddenesse how bloodie Neither doth he come single but seauen of them at once possesse Mary Magdalen Luk. 8. â— Neither doe they onely fight against vs beeing aliue but the Deuill fought with Michel the Arkeangel for the â—â—cie of Moses when he was dead Iude. Neither doe they terribly set vpon vs to get our bodies onely but our soules also Especially they doe this at the day of death and will doe more dilligently at the day of iudgement Now their perswasions are yet more dangerous then their threatnings When they come to vs in the shape not of an vnclean spirit but of an angel of light Thus Satan did set vpon the first Adam Gen. 3. Hath God indeed commanded you not to eate of the tree He makes a question of it And if ye eate you shall be as Gods knowing good and euill A faire promise but a contrarie performance So he did set vpon the second Adam Matth. 4. All these things will I giue thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He would hire Christ and giue him good wages to serue him which would haue depriued our Sauiour of his eternall glory But God hath glorified vs. It is not now to be doubted whether Satan shal preuaile against vs or not but it is most sure he shall not He hath glorified vs saith S. Paul Though the possession of it be to come yet the assurance of it is past Euen as our Lord auoucheth in an other place Hee that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life Not shall passe but hath passed So S. Paul He hath made vs sit with himselfe in heauenly places aboue Not hee will make but he hath Therefore Chrysostome writeth very resolutely Onely in one point I am proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and very proud namely in renouncing and denying the deuill Hee is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercome him Hee is an olde serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath been too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnow Peter as come iâ— sifted yet no danger Christ hath prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the way we may marke the difference betweene Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Now a fanne casteth out the worst and keepeth in the best a fine keepeth in the worst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrariwise the deuill if there be any il thing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing else that he weakeneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not faile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffered by the angel of Satan prayed that he might bee deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficient for thee Whether Satan buffet vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs Much more his glory who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that liue a godly life Pone me iuxtatr cuiusâ— is manus pugnet contra me Therefore euery child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the Deuill doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs Nazianzen makes a good conclusion This only is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and feare nothing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare not God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregoria be that in a chast and filiall feare Quitimore castro Deo subijeâ—tur c. Gregor is subiected to God by a hopefull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainly God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great potâ—â—rates of the world who of late were some of them scarse
Ios. 2.18 For if the spies that were sent to view Iericho knewe Rahabs house from all the rest by a red thread which hung out of the windowe how much more easily then might Thomas knowe Christ especially seeing Rahabs house was a figure of Christs bodie the windowe a signe of the wound in his side the red thread a figure of the streame of blood issuing out of that wound When Vlysses had beene long from home no man almost at his returne knewe him yet Euriclea his nurse espying by chance the marke of a wound in his foote which he got by hunting the wild boare Hom. Ody 9. by and by made him known to his friends In like manner Thomas beholding the wounds not of Christs feete onely but also of his whole body beleeueth verily though the wilde boare out of the wood stroke fore at him that he might fall yet that he hath nowe recouered himselfe and is risen and returned home againe Euen as the wisemen knewe Christ was borne by the starre which appeared in the East Matth. 2.9 and knewe also where he lay when he was borne by the standing of that star directly ouer against him so Thomas not by one starre but by many starres which notwithstanding are more beautifull and bright then all the starres of heauen knoweth and confesseth that the true sunne of righteousnesse is now risen and shineth ouer all the earth Thus these blessed wounds witnesse and approoue the resurrection of Christ. For now Iacob knowes Ioseph by his chariots Anna knows Tobias by his spaniel Rhode knowes Peter by his voice Protogenes knowes Apelles by his line 〈◊〉 Arthurs body is knowne by his 〈◊〉 King Alexanders stagges are known by their collars Iannes knowes Arsenius by his hands the spies knowes Rahabs house by the red thred Euryclea knows Vlysses by the mark in his foote the wisemen know Christ is borne by the starre that stands ouer him Thomas knowes Christ is risen againe by the starres that appeare in him As if our Sauiour should haue said thus to his Disciple Thomas I woâ— well what thou saidst Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put my hand into his side I will not beleeue Well if this be all thou shalt haue thy desire I that suffred the Iewes to peirce my hands and my side will not denie thee to see and touch them Come therfore I giue thee good leaue Doe as thou saidst Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and bee not faithlesse but faithfull So much for the first cause which is to approoue his resurrection The second cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to appease his Father Almighty God was once ready to haue destroyed the Israelites Psal. 1â—0 23 had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gâ—ppe Moses as he was a mediator betweene God and the people was a singular type of the Messias to come And standing 〈◊〉 gap he did as it were point to Christ. For when our Sauiours side was wounded then indeed there was a great gap and a great breach made by which all wee that beleeue in him may escape Therefore Moses his standing before the Lord in the gap did signifie as S. Bernard noteth â—e â— 59. in Cant. that Christ making intercession before his Father for vs should alwaies stand in the gap shew how he himselfe was broken vpon the crosse and as I may say troden downe for our redemption That poore creeple also which begged at the beautiful gate of the temple Act. 3. â— teacheth vs what he continually doth who when he was rich became poore for our sakes The Temple is his body which after it had beene destroied was built vp againe in three daies The beautifull gate of this Temple is the pretious wound in his side of which the Psalmist saies This is the gate of the righteous the iust shall enter in by it Therefore as that poore creeple lying at the beautifull gate of the temple was healed by S. Peter so Christ lying at the beautifull gate of his 〈◊〉 body shewing his most greiuous 〈◊〉 yet most glorious sufferings and torments appeaseth his fathers wrath and obtaineth whatsoeuer he intreateth of him King Ezekias hauing receiued rayling letters from Senacherib went vp to the temple Esa 37 1â— and spread the letters before the Lord and praied saying Open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Senacherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God No Ezekias was euer more taunted and reuiled more scorned and reproached then he who was counted the shame of men and the out-cast of the people Wherefore now he spreadeth forth and laieth open not onely the blasphemous words which were vttered against him but also the dolorous wounds and gashes which wâ—re giuen him that so he may put out the hand-writing that was against vs and appease his father and throughly reconcile him to vs. And looke how king Salomon 1. Reg 8.22 when hee praied for the people stood before the altar and stretched out his hands toward heauen in semblable wise Christ who is farre greater then Salomon standeth euermore beside the altar of his crosse and stretcheth out his beskarred and wounded hands towards the throne of his heauenly father that hee may mooue him to haue pitie and compassion of his people Pelâ—pidâ—s a noble Grecian skirmished with the Lacedemonians against the Arcadians vntill such time as beeing hurt in seaueâ— places he fell downe at last for dead Then presently Epaminondas stepping forth bestrid him and fought to defend his bodie he alone against many till beeing sore cut on his arme with a sword and thrust into the breast with a pike he was euen readie to giue ouer But at that very instant Agesipolis king of the Lacedemonians came with the other point of the battell in a happy howre Plutarch in Pelopida initio and saued both their liues when they were past all hope If we would apply this story to our purpose now in hand we must make man like Pelopidas Christ like Epaminondas God like Agesipolis Since the ouerthrow of Adam who went downe from Ierusalem to Ierico how euery man hath beene wounded not onely with Pelopidas in seauen places of his body but euen in all the parts and powers of his soule each one knoweth best by experience in himselfe But Christ hath sheilded vs with his grace and fought for vs not till he was with Epaminondas cut on his arme with a sword and thrust into the breast with a pike but that which is in a manner all one till his hands were goared with nayles and his side thrust thorough with a speare Wherefore God the father with Agesipolis seeing him in the work of his mediation fight still for vs clothed euen now in heauen
Lords death til he 〈◊〉 Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall bee shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his 〈◊〉 Euen as we sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloâ—dy wouâ—dâ— are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe â—he Saints 〈◊〉 how gloriously also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirit 〈…〉 of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither shall the eagles refer And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shal vnsatiably desire to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the â—oule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the thirstie as the poole of Bethesda which healeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a mother forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my body is the pâ—per Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selfe of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall bee The second cause to appease his Father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his Father onely between his ascension and his second comming shall serue to confound his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherfore though wee be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that wee may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes and vvoundâ— so let vs kisse the Sonne least he bee angry and honour his holy vvounds vvich are the precious 〈◊〉 vvherevvith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the vvhich vve beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our ovvne deferrs or merits but for the tender bovvels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie tovvard vs to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and praise both novv and for euermore Amen FINIS MATTH 5. V. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then handâ— For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and do so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand Insomuch as that may be aptly applied to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you doe little you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse then they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to do much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a wherstone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which being deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and hearing not it selfe calls the people into the Church to heare To a nightingale which beeing restles and sitting vpon a thorne her selfe brings others by her singing into a sweete sleâ—pe To a goldsmith which beeing beggerly and hauing not one peice of plate to vse himselfe hath store for others which he shewes and sells in his shoppe Lastly to a ridiculous actor in the citie of Smyrna which pronouncing ô coelum O heauen pointed with his finger toward the ground which when Polemo the cheifest man in the place sawe he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a chase saying This â—oole hath made a solecisme with his haâ—â—â— hee hath spoken false Latine wâ—â—â— his hand Such are all they which teach one thing and do another which teach well and doe ill They are like a blunt wheâ—stone a deformed painter a weather-beaten signe a deafe bell a restles nightingale a beggerly
goldsmith a ridiculous actor which pronounceth the heauen and pointeth to the earth But he that sitteth in the heauen shall laugh all such to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision and hisse them off from the stage Because howsoeuer they haue the heauen commonly at their tongues ende yet they haue the earth continually at their fingers ende So that they speake false Latine with their hand nay that which is worse they speake false Diuinitie with their hand Whereas we might easily auoide all such irregularitie make true congruity betweene the tongue and the hand if we would make this text of holy Scripture the rule of our whole life For then I assure you we should euery one of vs play our parts so well that in the end the tragedie of this wofull life beeing once finished we should haue an applause and a plaudite of the whole theatre not onely of men and Angels but euen of God himselfe who doth alwaies behold vs. Wherefore out of these fewe words let vs obserue these two parts Diuision The first negatiue what must not be neither Pastor nor people must teach one thing and doe another That must not be The second affirmatiue what must be both Pastâ—r and people must doe that themselues which they teach others to doe That must be For He that both doth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen First that the Pastor must not teach one thing and doe another appeareth in the fourth of Leuiticus Leu. 4.20 Where almighty God appointeth the selfe same sacrifice should be offered for the sinne of the Priest which is offered for the sinne of the whole people So that all the people may better sinne though it be a thousand times then the Priest may sinne though it be but once For the people sinning offend onely by their sinne Exod. 4. but the Priest sinning offendeth more by his example then by his sinne Therefore Moses beeing commâ—â—â—ded by throwing downe his rod Exod 7. to worke miracles deliuered it to Aaaon To signifie that especially it belongeth to him to doe somewhat himselfe whose duty is to teach others Whereupon also our Sauiour giues vs a caueat to beware of false Prophets because they say and do not Matth. 23.3 They say one thing and doe another They bind heauie burthens which they tie vpon other mens backes Luk. 1â— â—6 but touch not those burdens themselues so much as with the least of their finâ—ers So that that which was fondly and falsly said of Christ Matth. 27.42 He saued others himselfe he cannot saue may be fitly truly said of these They saue others themselues they cannot saue Whereas the Apostle making Timothy an example for all ministers to follow writeth thus to him Take heed to thy selfe 1. Tim. â— 16 and to doctrine for in doing so thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thâ—e By taking keede to thy doctrine thou shalt saue them that heare thee by taking heede to thy selfe thou shalt saue thy selfe Otherwise if thou take heede to thy doctrine and not to thy selfe thou mâ—â—est well saue others that heare thee but thy selfe thou canst not saue Thou maiest well preach to others but thou shalt be sure to prooue a cast-away thy selfe 1. Cor. 9.17 For when two pray if the one blesse and the other curse whose prayer will God heare And is it not then much more dangerous when out of one and the selfe same mouth commeth both blessing and cursing When one and the selfe same Minister Iam. 3.10 teacheth well whereby the people are blessed and yet doth ill whereby he himselfe is accursed Is it not likely that God will rather respect his cursed doing to pâ—nish it then regard his 〈◊〉 teaching to praise it Certainly the Psalâ—ist puts the matter out of all doubt where he saies Psal. 8.2 That God will surely cast away God will reiect God will destroy the enemy and the auenger The enemie and the auenger Who is he He that is an enemy to Gods glorie in that he doth ill and yet would seeme to be an auenger to be a maintainer to be a defender of Gods glory in that he teacheth well he is the enemy and the auenger And such an one as this which is indeede an enemie and yet would seeme to bee an auenger which is indeed a foe and yet would seeme to be a friend which doth indeed ill and yet would seeme to teach well such an one I say will God destroy To the wicked thus saith the Lord. Why doest thou preach my lawes Psal. 50.16 and take my statutes in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be thy selfe reformed by them and hast cast my words behinde thee By thine owne mouth Luk. 19.22 by thine owne confession I will condemne thee thou naughtie thou lewd seruant Iob. 15.6 Thine owne words shall accuse thee and not I yea thine owne lips shall beare witnâ—sse against thee For why goest thou about to take a little moate out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7.5 and doest not first cast out that great beame which is in thine owne eye Why goest thou to other mens houses and priest into other mens matters Mark 5. â—6 and doest not first go to thine owne house and see that all bee well in thine owne heart What meanest thou to doe Thou that teachest others doest thou not teach thy selfe Rom. 2. â—1 Thou that preachest a maÌ„ should not steale dost thou steale If thou be a preacher then preach to thy selfe as well as others If thou be a Physitian Luk. 4.13 then cure thy selfe as well as others Seeing indeed as Hierome writeth he is too nice and to daintie a Physitian Deliearus magister est qui pleâ—o ventre dispútaâ— de iâ—iunio either for the body or els for the soule which prescribeth faâ—â—ing to others and is sicke of a surfet himselfe Wherefore the godly Pastor must not prescribe fasting to others and be sicke of a surfeâ— himselfe he must not teach one thing and doe an other For not be that onely teacheth but He that both doth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Now the people also are forbidden to teach one thing and doe an other as well as the Pastor For all Christians must imitate the example of Christ. And for Christ S. Iohn tells vs that he was full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 The fulnesse of his truth made him teach well of his grace 1. Pet. 2.22 doe well Saint Peter likewise that hee did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth Many haue no guilt found in their mouthes which notwithstanding 〈◊〉 sinne But euen as Christ had neither guile in his teaching not yet sinne in his doing so wee that are Christians must neither deceiue others by teaching guilfully nor yet deceiue our selues by doing sinnefully For wee knowe
vpon you shall your crowne flourish Which the Lord of his mercy grant I most humbly beseech him for Iesus Christs sake that as Dauids crowne euer flourished till the first comming of Christ so our gracious Kings crowne may euer flourish till the second comming of Christ and then that afterward for euer his royall Maiestie may be royally crowned with eternall life thorough the same our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and glory power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED before the Kings Maiestie that day he entred into Oxford at Woodstockâ— August 27. 1605. LVK. 8.15 But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth to fruit with patience IN this Parable of the sower are 4. grounds mentioned Whereof three are badde and onely one good Namely they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruite with patience Almightie God powreth out his benefites no lesse plentiously then continually vpon vs yet wee can make no requitall our goodnesse cannot reach to God The onely thing that we can doe for him is to loue and honour his word Whereupon King Dauid thought it a death vnto him Psal. 132. that beeing banished from his people he could not goâ— vp to the house of the Lord with the voice of ioy and gladnesse among such as keepe holy day And on the other side he said I reioyced when they said vnto me We will goe vp into the house of the Lord. Esa. 2.3 The Prophet Esay likewise foretelling what alacriâ—ie and good will should be in the Gentiles after they were conuerted to Christ saith thus It shall be in the last dayes that many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Looke how it is in the health of the body Chrysost. hom 4. in Gen. and so it is in the state of the soule If a man haue a good appetite and a stomacke to his meate t' is a signe he is well in health in like sort if a man bee content to follow Christ for the loaues to fil his bellie and care not for the food of his soule questionlesse all is not well betweene God and him but if he haue a longing and a hungring desire of the word then indeede his heart is vpright in the sight of God For as S. Auâ—â—eâ— noteth well August tract 4â— in Iohan. Si sermo meus caperetur caperet Nun sie est sermo Dei sie esse debet fidelibus sicut pisâ—i hamus Tum capit quando capitur Nec sit captis iniuria Ad salurem enim non ad perniciem capiuntur Heb. 13.17 if the word of God be taken by vs it will take vs. Seeing the word of God so is and so ought to be vnto the faithfull as a hooke is to fish Then it takes when it is taken Neither are they which are taken hurt by it For they are not caught to bee kil'd but to be drawne out of the damnation of this world and to be translated to the libertie and glorie of the children of God Wherefore as fishers take most delight in angling when they see the fish bite quickly and greedily so if you would put life into your Preachers which are called fishers of men that they may preach the word with ioy not with griefe you must shewe by your countenance by your attention by your reuerence by all your outward behauiour that you desire nâ—â—â—ng so much as to bite at this sweete baite that so you may be drawne by the Father to Christ. For they onely are good ground as we haue it here which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Here are three properties of good ground set downe All opposite to the three bad grounds mentioned before First they that are good ground heare the word with a good heart contrarie to the ground on the high wayes side which when they haue heard let the deuil take the word out of their hearts so they heare not with a good heart Secondly they keepe the word with a very good heart contrarie to the stonie ground which for a while receiue the word with ioy but in time of temptation they fall away and so they keepe not the word with a verie good heart Thirdly they bring foorth fruit with patience contrarie to the thornie ground which after their departure are choaked with cares and bring no fruit and so doe not as it is said here that the good ground doth bring forth fruit with patience But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience The first propertie of the good ground is this that they heare the word with a good heart The two Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24. when Christ was departed from them said thus one to another Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way opened to vs the Scripture O Beloued now you are busied in hearing the word Christ talketh to you and you are in the right way to heauen Therefore that wee may heare with a good heart we must feele in our hearts that burning of which the Disciples say Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way For so the Spirituall spouse confesseth of her selfe Caâ—t 5.4 My beloued put his hand to the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him And againes My soule melted when my beloued spake Now Christ puts his hand to the hole of the doore desiring himselfe to enter and vs to repent now our beloued speaketh to vs out of his word So that we cannot be good ground except our heart be affectioned and our soule melt towards him When the blessed Virgin saluted her cousin Elizabeth Luk. 1.44 she felt the babe spring in her wombe for ioy Certainely Beloued you haue euery one of you a babe in your hearts euen the child Iesus which is formed and fashioned in you This babe we must feele euen to skip spring in our hearts for ioy if we would assure our selues that wee be good ground and heare with a good heart Neither must we only reioyce but also feare Serue the Lord with gladnesse and reioyce before him with trembling Psal. 2. saies the Psalmist We read that when the Almightie vttered his voice Ezek. 5.24 the foure beasts whereby are meant the Angels let fall their wings Where are then our plumes of pride our feathers whereby wee flie so
so brought forth no fruit Therefore as a good field must endure many a cold frost snow and hard weather in the winter time before it can yeed a fruitfull croppe in Summer semblably he that would bee good ground must possesse his soule in much patience and continually endure yea euen manfully reiect all the motions of his flesh all the allurements of the world all the temptations of the deuill whereby he may bee hindered from bringing forth the fruit of good life according to the holy will and word of God Hee must like a good tree bring forth good fruite hee must with Simeon be not onely high as the cypresse but also fruitfull as the oliue he must with Noah make him not onely a windowe for contemplation but also a doore for action hee must with Moses make him a lauer with a base the must with Esay lift vp his voice like a trumpet he must with Abraham burie Sarah in a double sepulchre in one word he must alwaies bring forth fruit with patience For they onely are good ground which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience To conclude then It is not greatly needefull to exhort you with a good heart to heare the word Neuer heretofore such diligent hearing in the Court as now a dayes I dare be bold to say it All the Preachers in England in very many yeares by all their exhortations could neuer haue done halfe so much good in this kind as the onely holy and happie example hath done which we see euery day before our eies Neither need ye be greatly put in mind to keepe in mind the word heard Memorie yee haue enough vnderstanding enough knowledge enough learning enough When you haue heard a Sermon you can remember and repeat and carrie away and keepe much of it But this this is the thing which I must call vpon my selfe and vpon all you to thinke of to wit that we bring forth the fruit of the word in patience in temperance and in all other vertues of a sanctified life For that Samaritan woman did not fill her pitcher at the wall to spill it by the way but to carrie it home full of water and there to vse it as occasion serued Here where the word is preached is the well of liuing water flowing forth to eternall life But this water we must carry away with vs and keepe it to wash and purge our consciences to cleanse our wayes to water the roots of Gods graces in vs continually that we may bâ—ing forth sâ—â—â— with patience Rachel also that other holy woman did not desire the mandâ—â—â—â— so much to hold it in her hand 〈◊〉 to sâ—ell to it as to be made â—p◠〈◊〉 to bring forth the fruite of her 〈◊〉 To teach vs that wee must not 〈◊〉 so much to knowe the word the◠〈◊〉 may subtilly dispute or discourse oâ—â—â—â— to practise it that wee may shewe the fruite of it in the amendement of our liues Therefore King Dauid being readie to redresse diuers things among his people saith in one of the Psalmes O Lord teach me goodnesse and knowledge knowledge that I may keep thy word and goodnesse that I may shewe the fruit of it For I am sure saies he that all my keeping without sâ—nctifying all my knowledge without goodnesse is to no purpose Wherefore O Lord giue me goodnesse and knowledge But first goodnesse and then knowledge Because indeede a little goodnesse though it bee neuer so small is better then all knowledge though neuer so great One handfull of goodnesse is worth â—n hundred headfulls of knowledge For the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all 〈◊〉 that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter 〈…〉 Because an ill vnderstanding â—oe all they that doe not thereafter â—â—ey that haue vnderstanding and doe 〈◊〉 thereafter that is bring not forth fruit according to it they haue an ill vnderstanding But they that haue vnderstanding and doe thereafter and lead their life according to it such haue a good vnderstanding The praise of these shall endure for euer O how highly shal Christ praise you how richly shall hee reward you if you haue a conscionable care to expresse his vertues and to be transformed as it were into the obedience of his word Then he shall say vnto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome of heauen For ye haue not onely heard my word and kept it as farre as knowledge goes but also ye haue practised it and fructified therby I was in prison and ye visited me I was harbourles and ye lodged the I was hungry and yee gaue me meate These and such other haue bin the good fruites which haue followed youâ— hearing and keeping of my word Theirfore now yee shall bee praised for your weldoing and for euer ye shall be blessed for your fruit-bearing Which God graunt to vs all for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignity and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS A FVNERALL SERMON Preached in S. MARIES May 10. 1605. PSAL. 32.7 Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him THe principall scope of the Prophet in this place is to prooue that the righteousnes and so the blessednes of man consisteth only in the free forgiuenesse of his sinnes and gratious imputation of Christs merits His argument may be framed thus That which the whole Church and euery godly man therein hath euer especially praied for in all afflictions and troubles that is happinesse But for remission of sinnes euery godly man will pray in time of tribulation Therefore this is the felicity of the faithfull To confirme this reason more fully he setteth down first the circumstances going before the prayeâ— For this shall euerie 〈◊〉 that is godly make his praier vnto thee in a tiâ—â— when thou maist bee found Then the forme of the prayer it selfe Thou art a place to hide me in thou shalt preserue mee from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliuerance Lastly the effect following the prayer Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Prayer is the true sacrifice of faith The efficacie whereof is briefly buâ— pithily set downe to the Hebrewes God I haue spoken else-where 〈…〉 largely of this point Now but a word onely to make a â—â—e entrance into this sermon Take it therefore 〈◊〉 The effects of prayer heretofore haue beene wonderfull Praier hath set downe 〈◊〉 stoâ—es from heauen to ouercome fiue Kings with their armies Prayer hath shut vp the windowes of heauen that it should not raine and againe hath opened them that the earth might giue her increase Prayer hath staied the swift course of the sonne and caused it to go backward fifteene degrees Prayer hath
sorrow in a strange land What speake I of a wicked tyrant Holy men often are in great perplexitie at the time of their departure Hier. in vita â—ius S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that beeing ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast serued Christ almost these threescore and ten yeares and dost thou now feare death Christ himselfe also feeling that hee was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer Mark 14.33 My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For hee prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilt And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could doe nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his Father boâ—â— by his counsell and will hath decreed and by his hand hath ordained Hilarion also that holy ancient Father comforteth himselfe with this that hee had sâ—â—â—d Christ almost seauentie yeares Oâ—â—â—â— children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happy in Christ. Howbeit seeing many holy Christians and euen Christ himselfe feared death it remaineth that death simply and in it selfe considered is a flood of many waters But yet the faithfull man euen in death is out of all danger Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Thus much for the first part which is the danger In the flood of many waters The second part followeth which is the deliuerance Surely they shall not come neere him First they shall not come neere They that is The waters shall not come neere The holy Church and euerie member thereof is likened to a house built vpon a rocke Matth. 7. â—5 Vpon which though the winds blow and the floods beate yet it cannot be throwne downe because it is built vpon a rocke So that the floods which shake it can neuer come neere it to ouerthrowe it The sâ—me may be said of the ship couered with waters It might well floaâ—e but it could neuer be drowned For as soon as the Disciples cryed vpon Christ to saue them Matth. 8.24 presently there followed a great calme Therefore Luther when his life was sought of all the world in a manner Psal. 46.1 translated the Psalme Deus noster refugium into dumb meeter and caused it to be sung in all the reformed Churches God is our hope and strength a very present helpe in trouble Therefore will we not feare though the earth be mooued and though the hills be caried into the midst of the sea Though the waues thereof rage and swell and though the mountaâ—â—â—â— shake at the tempest of the same S. Peter the Apostle began to sinke but he sunke not right downe Christ was ready at hand to helpe him For as soone as he sawe himselfe in present perill and danger forthwith he cryed Master saue me Saue me Psal. 69 1. O God for the waters are coâ—â— in euen vnto my soule I sticke fast in the deepe mire where no ground is and 16. I am come into deepe waters so that the floods runne ouer me Take me out of the mire that I sinke not and out of the deepe waters Let not the water 〈◊〉 drowne me neither let the deep swallow me vp let not the pit shut 〈◊〉 mouth vpon me S. Paul likewise suffered shipwrack but lost not by it one haire of his head Act. 17.34 Wherby we may see the absurdity of the Papists They would prooue that iustifying grace may bee lost because some haue made shipwracke of faith but if we should graunt them that the Apostle speaketh of iustifying not of historicall faith 1. Tim. 1.19 yet we haue the help of a second answer To wit that shipwrack is one thing and drowning an other Therefore faith which is wrackt is not by and by drowned For it may happen to suffer shipwracke as S. Paul did and swimme out safe to the shore But this 〈◊〉 but a touch by the way Meane season we see how safe and secure the faithfull man is in Christ. He is a house to which the floods may come neere to shake it but neuer to throwe it downe he is a ship which the waues may come neere to tosse it but neuer to turne it ouer euen as Saint Peter beganne to sinke but still kept vp his head and Saint Paul sâ—ffered shippewracke but was not a haire the worse for it Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Secondly him They shall not come neere him This word must in no case be omitted It helpeth vs to answer a verie strong obiection For it may bee said Many holy men haue lost their goods haue suffered great torments in their bodie haue beene troubled also in minde how then did not the floods of many waters come neere them The word Him helpes vs to answer The verie Philosophers themselues reckoned their goods pertained no more to them then be it spoken with reuerence and regard the parings of their nayles Zeno hearing newes he had lost all he had by sea Rene facis fortuna cum ad pallium nos compellis said onely thus Thou hast done verie wel Fortune to leaue me nothing but my cloake An other called Anaxarchus whom as Nicocreâ—â— the tyrant commanded he should be 〈◊〉 to death in a morter spake thus to the executioner Beate and bray as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his bagge or sachell so he called his owne body but Anaxarchus thou cansts not touch Yet these making so smal reckoning of their goods and bodie set their mindâ— notwithstanding at a high rate Mens cuinsque is est quisque The minde of a man is himselfe say they Hence it is that Iulius Caesar when Amyclas the Pilot was greatly afraid of the tempest spake to him thus What meanest thou to feare base fellow doest thou not know thou carriest Caesar with thee As if he should say Caesarem veâ—is Caesars bodie may well bee drowned as any other manâ— may but his minde his magnanimity his valour his fortitude can neuer be drowned Thus farre wâ—nt Philosophie But Diuinitie goeth a degree further For Philosophy defineth Him that is a man by his reason and the morall vertues of the minde But Diuinitie defineth a Christian man by his faith and his coniunction thereby with Christ. Excellently saith Saint Austin Whence com's it that the soule dieth Tract 49 in Iohan. Vnde mors in animâ â— quia non est fides Vnde mors in corporeâ— quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Because faith is not in it Whence that the bodie dieth Because a soule is not in