the Rose and the Lillie of the field Multiplicis medicinae to open dangerous passages to soften hardnesse of heart to heale wounds Matth. 6. and repell venemous infections O consider this Lillie of the field for our chiefest comforts are in this Lillie Christ is the Violet Matth. 11. the sweetest Violet which groweth lowe by the ground Learne of me for I my selfe am mecke and lowely This violet was remoued from heauen to the earth to raise vs from the earth to heauen Some Philosophers hold opinion that the dew which falleth from the highest part of that Region of the aire worketh deepest vpon the earth for being more oylie and rich matter it doth more fatten the ground and with gentle kisses entice forth the fruites thereof Hosoeuer this be of that dew it is most sure of the fattest dewe lesus Christ This is the dew of the morning which commeth from the highest and falleth lowest euen into the center into the heart of Iacob The dew of heauen is the cause of the fatnesse of the earth else hath the earth no fatnesse idest the diuinitie of Christ is the fatnesse of our humanitie The Lord giue thee of the dew of heauen and the fatnesse of the earth Here here is mans blessed abundance This is Manna Exod. 16. sweet Manna the bread of Angels all about the Church as the dew lay round about the host sweet dew sweet as the violet and the smell of life was in it Christ his humilitie is our glorie and his lowest steppe to death was our high staire to life Yea in his humilitie we are exalted Esa 53. as with his stripes we are healed Behold the smell of this violet But last of all 1. Cor. 15. Christ is the corne eare the right wheat corne which dieth and liueth againe Ioh. 10.18 of it selfe it dieth and liueth againe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe and all other liue by this The spirit of grace and the holy Scriptures are the flower of this wheat The disciples of Christ gathered eares of corne on the sabbath day and we here in England euery Sabbath day trauaile through the corne field Jnâ—erlin Rupertus Spicae Scripturarum Spiritum viuificantem habent Sentences of Scripture haue the spirit of life in them Is any man hungrie and can forbeare gathering Ambulant per Sata cum Domino qui in Scripturarum meditatione delectantur Rabanus c. They keepe the Lord company in his corne field which walke on in holy meditations of the Scriptures Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungrie and began to plucke the eares of corne and rubbe them in their hands and to eate common walkers sometimes plucke and rubbe but eate not These feele no necessitie of eating else would they eate for hunger as the Disciples did If we be Christians we are farre short of our selues to care onely for necessaries to the body as the Ant or Mouse make their prouision not caring if the soule pine and perish for want of Sabbath daies coâ—ne What shall we say then to the contentious oppositions of proud spirits against the necessitie of such sustenance The Papists themselues some of them will say that the word of God either read or preached doth clense the vncleane enlighten the blind heale the broken and raise the dead Yea sometimes ouercome with the power of the word of God they will confesse a matter of truth Rodolph Francis Verbum Dei maioris efficaciae quà m medicinae vel reliquiae sanctorum The word of God is the sicke mans falue more effectuall then all the drugges of Traditions Wherefore thinke you did the Prophet Esaie deliuer from God that Sermon of the excellent abilitie of the word of God That as raine and snowe maketh the earth to bring forth the budde Esa 55. that it may giue seed to the Sower and bread to him that eateth thus the word of God should hearten and releeue the needie 1. Cor. 9.16 Wherefore did the Apostle so much preferre spirituall riches before carnall and pronuounce a woe against himselfe if he did not preach the Gospel to minister the bread of life to the Church The Lord had commanded him to this seruice and therefore he knew he should be beaten with many stripes Luc. 12.47 if hee did the worke of the Lord negligently Ad hoc Apostolus tenetur quod debuit fecit etiamsi non potuit quantum debuit The Apostle being bound by Gods precept to his office hee ought to doe as much as hee could albeit he could not as much as hee ought A learned man calleth this dispensation Necessitas debiti iustitiae Caietane It is indeed of iustice and dutie to distribute the childrens bread to whom it is appointed And this is the cause why it is called Necessitie of obligation releefe of obligation in respect of Gods commandement of releefe in lew of the peoples want Thus to this purpose was it said That the minister may euer find causes too many to cause him to worke propter populi indigentiam where is more neede to bestow more feed This is the corne which we all neede for a remedie against ignorance Gregorie or errour or sinne or any vnbeleefe therefore come all and taste and smell how sweet the Lord is what varieties of recreations are in the smell of this corne eare Sithence then it is euident that there are such store of gentle contentments in our blessed Sauiour that he is all in all the vine oliue rose lillie violet and corne eare I would begge an Office to bidde a feast Prou. 9. Let me this once take vpon me to inuite guests for wisedom Whosoeuer is simple let him come hither yea whosoeuer is wise let him come hither The King Queene Prince and all the royall Progenie the Nobles Counsellors Iudges Rulers Teachers and all come taste O dor Christi est Spiritus sempiternè recreatiuus and feele and smell the kindnesse of the Lord. He is all word of eternall life here is our feeding he is all mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes here is our healing he is all fulnesse of grace here is our smelling He is sweet in speaking sweet in smelling sweet in speaking neuer man spake like this man John 7.46 sweet in smelling all merits and fauours of sustentation preseruation and of saluation O blesse Sauiour in the sauour of thy oyntments we will runne after thee that we may be as the King Cant. 1. and the Kings sonne sweet in thy sweetnesse Thus we praise and blesse the smell of the Kings sonne and passe here the first riuer of Paradise all of the sweet smell of mercie Mercies of God to the King in his gift of this sonne mercies of God to this sonne in the gifts of his graces and mercies of God to vs all in both these gifts of the King and
increase and multiply you and establish my couenant with you A most happie performance that now we haue hope for feare truth for doubt righteousnesse for iniustice peace for warre right heires for wrong as firre trees for thorns Esay 55.13 and mirrhe trees for nettles Now are our fairest riuers in the South the faire streames turned hither in righteousnesse with ioy and honour to themselues and all iust men Lord thou hast turned our captiuitie as riuers in the South How did the ioyes of good subiects hearts sparkle out at their eies attending to the Kings comming as the Angel of the Lord to leade his people The King came first and his Angel came after as the hawke doth flie by thy wisdome Iob. 39.29 stretching out his wings towards the South It is written of the South-winde that his originall is in the North but when he passeth the coasts of the Zodiacke towards the South there to meet the sunne as the sole Lord of all those beautifull passages then is he whot and moist and yeeldeth power to all the nurseries of Nature to worke from the worme that creepeth to the bird which flieth If I doe not mistake the likenesse this is a likely president of the faire arriuall here of the King and the Kings sonne to the gladnesse of Nature and Art and Grace and to the common solace of poore and rich both naked wormes and feathered fowles Now all true subiects eased of all their feares may sing vnder their owne vines Loe how our clothes are warme Iob. 37.17 when he maketh the earth quiet through the South winde In what corners are those to be found which doe not reioyce in this ioy Henrie Prince of Wales is our Meridian field richly mantled with pleasant varieties of high honours His Father Apollo the King hath watered him his excellent father his God his high father hath increased him in holy infusions of grace and rich ornaments of the purest Discipline Now is the Prince his Court more seemely to behold then the bankes of the Muses all bright and famous with faire fountaines of knowledge all garnished as a mellifluous garden where many Bees doe gather hony vnder the Master Bee Lord of the soyle Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field Some write of the magnanimous aduentures of the Holy Land Mantuan Sotterus Eusebius Faber some of the spatious propagation of the Gospel through Ethiopia Egypt India and Grecia in the time of the Apostles some of the wide spreading of the triumphant banner of Iesus Christ in these latter times among the Arabians Persians and Indians but who can write wherefore God hath giuen such iudgements to the King and such righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal 72. this were worth the Penne of a ready writer This wee all ought to doe to offer vp our hands and hearts and all our aid to the King and the Kings sonne The Gospel is yet in bondage in our neighbour countries and states remote and there is no Prince in the world of more assurance for Gods assistance Psal 144.1 to teach his hands to warre and his fingers to fight There is none more likely to helpe by the smell of his field all zealous pietie and resolute integritie that euery confident heart may say to him who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time In my weake meditations I haue found that God hath fowen his diuers kinds of seeds in three sundry fields in Paradise in the wide World and in the soule of man In Paradise a pure man in the world a pure word and in the soule of man pure seedes of grace In Paradise the first man Adam was made a liuing soule 1. Cor. 15.45 without hang-bies of originall sinne or in-bred hostilities of strong preuaile Therefore the complaint of mans fall is two-fold one against mans securitie the other against the Serpents enuie whilest Adam slept the enuious man sowed tares Matth. 13. Thus was man corrupt both within and without in his body and his soule when the pure Adam receiued in the impure sting of sinne as Ishbosheth liuing receiued in his sleepe his deaths wound 2. Sam. 4.6 Man did not continue in honour but became like vnto the beasts which perish Psal 49.12 In the second field the Lord hath bestowed his liuely word of which the great sower saith himselfe For this cause was I borne Ioh. 18.37 Esay 1.9 Rom. 9.29 and for this cause came I into the world Therefore well may we say Except the Lord had reserued seed for vs wee had beene as Sodome and like to Gomorrha Here then among many indifferent questions of the Astrologers I reioyce much in this one to know where is the best influence of the heauens Many men haue many opinions and if it may please you to accept mine among them all I thinke the best is there where is a most plentifull prosemination of the word of God This is the sacred aspersion wherewith the most parts of our nation is copiously sprinckled Therefore Iacob shall reioyce and Israel shall be glad Psalme 14.7 This was the pleasant meate and drinke wherewith the King of the Prophets did cheere vp the hearts of his friends and his owne he shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery nation Psa 147 19 20 all people haue not had such wholesome influence This was Ecclesiae gloria circumfluens vbertim mala superans Pellican the satiable riches of the Church Thus the mercy and kindnesse of the Lord doth follow vs hee maketh our cuppe to ouerflowe Yea this blessed influence filleth innumerable orchards full of figge-trees Christian consciences full of the fauours delights of God The word of God is a fig tree worth keeping and tending where we haue our daily nutriment and comfort Prou. 27.8 For he which keepeth the figge-tree shall eate the fruit thereof But shall I speake what I haue heard from the clamours of the wisdome of the world That this great allowance of the word of God is abundant and superfluous To such I haue offered a bold some will say a blinde answere That their wisedom is the sooles bable which hath said in his heart There is no God Psal 14.1 Excellentia regiminis Christiani non est ex opinatione politica sed ex ordinatione dominica dirigenda Jac. de Valen. Aqua nobilis ex frigore saepe gelatur There are too many wise men of the West which hold opinion of common preaching as some Philosophers doe of the light about the Southerne pole That as by the absence of the Sunne there the aire is not hindred in his light so by the want of ordinary preaching religion is not darkened in her beautie Circa polum Australem per absentiam solis non defieit lumen conueniens ad vitam felicem Indeed some to compare
sacrifice all sweet 2 Filius is truth the word of eternall life and standeth here in the middest of this little garden dropping dewes of heauen to water it as the tree of life in the middest of Paradise In caeteris erat alimentum in isto etiam Sacramentum By other trees the body had sustenance by this the Soule instruction Therefore was it called Arbor vitarum Christ is the tree of liues Behold the tree of life in the middest of the garden on whom the liues of all the Saints doe depend for euer Christ is the truth and the life of the Church all sure 3 Ager is righteousnesse O inualuable righteousnesse of Christ where we gather all our righteousnesse for Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse Iste est regula nos regulati He is our guide and we his followers as liues are guided by their soule Thus are wee made to flourish like the Palme tree and to growe like the Cedars of Lybanus all faire 4 Benedictus is peace our healthfull peace in our deere peace offering our redeemer whence wee receiue our heauenly requiem and rest from all our labours all blessed Thus we receiue our lot of inheritance Coloss 1.12 S. Cassianus Ioh. 20. among the Saints in light vnitatem socialem cum angelis in vinculo pacis The legacie of the Prince of peace Irrequietū est cor nostrum O bone Iesu donec quiescat in te O sweet Iesus how our hearts doe pant till they rest in thy peace that we neuer pant any more Here you may perceiue a comely Quadrant of the Soueraigne Ecce like that beautiful type of the Temple whose borders were foure square 3 Reg. 7.31 The Church is also resembled by the Quadras a pretious stone foure square S. Ambrose of despected colour yet of respected vertue Quadratura significat stabilitatem Ecclesiae the quadrant imports sound resolution But it is likely that some will aske where is Dominus the great Master of the houshold he which is Lord of the smell the Son the Shield and the blessing In whom by whom for whom from whom mercie and truth and righteousnesse and peace and all things are Rom. 11.36 In all things let me vnderstand what I say and tell you what I do vnderstand S. Augustine Omnes vtique naturas intelligere debemus quae naturaliter sunt neque enim ab ipso sunt peccata quae naturam non seruant sed vitiant Wee must meane all natures which are pure issues in natures for from him are not any faults which doe not conforme nature but deforme it Now then to that question I answer that I cannot shew him when hee goeth by one I see him not Iob. 9.11 If I goe to the North where he worketh yet I cannot see him Iob. 23.9 he will hide himselfe in the South and I cannot behold him Enoch is said to walke with God but he was taken vp into the Eagles ned and no more seene Gen. 5.24 4. Reg. 2.11 Elias went to walke with God but he was rapt vp in fierie chariots and no more seene here till the transfiguration for a fit Man here cannot see so farre as to see what God is Therefore Moses when he was on the lower Mount did hide his face at this excellens obiectum Exod. 3.6 which doth dazell mans presumptuous intelligence more then the Sunne doth his piercing eie the Sunne is a creature God is the Creator finitiad infinitum Some say that Isaias was therefore slaine S. Hierome for saying that he did see God yet without peraduenture he did see him iuxta possibilitatē humanam non vti est sed vt voluit se videri so farre as man could see who cannot see God as his desire is to see but as Gods pleasure is to be seene You may remember when the Lord was asked for his name his answer was I am wonderfull and past vnderstanding Exod. 3. Wee grant in good meaning that there is meridiana visio when we shall see face to face when we shall know that wholly 1. Cor. 13.12 which wee know now but in part But that meridian sight cannot see God fully to comprehend or measure him Deus ad plenum non cognoscitur in via neque in patria Isichius The sharpest sight either at home or abroad cannot discerne the fulnesse of God We shall know him to the full S. Augustine for the sufficiencie of our felicitie which shal be perfect and to the capacity of our glorified conceipt which shall be great but not infinite as God is and so is nothing else When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Image Psal 17.15 Many millions of painefull considerations haue beene inrolled in the monuments of the Church of the Secrets of God which are all but as all the nations Esa 40.15 Alcuinus as the droppe of a bucket in comparison or as a droppe to the Ocean Some haue desired to tell vs what God is of himselfe and what hee is to vs. That of himselfe he is all length id est eternitie all breadth De us est Sphaera incomparabilis cuius centrum est vbique circumferentia nusquā charitie all height maiestie all depth wisdome That he is to vs our possessor he abideth within vs and is not contained our guard he remaineth without vs and is not debarred our king hee continueth aboue vs and is not mooued our rocke he supporteth vs for euer and is not confined I might point out vnto you many glosses of faire shew and all short of that which the Apostle in few wordes attempteth to this purpose 1. Tim. 6.16 He onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light which none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see Yet in all our walke through this garden wee shall see his beames shining vpon it and with faith hope and loue admire his presence whose seat is in the pillar of the cloud Eccles 24. Now then let vs proceed to consider first the head of this Text with the antecedents and then the foure quarters with their correspondence In euery part we find three consutes 1 First historicall narration pleasant in Iacob 2 Secondly mystical signification splendent in Christ 3 Thirdly congruent application honourable in the Prince In the head Behold I must craue fauour to walke a long procession The Lord had promised a blessing to Abraham in the number and honour of his issues count the starres if thou canst so shall thy seed be numberlesse as starres for exceeding plentie glorious as starres for heauenly beautie This promise was sure yet it came on with leaden feete Abraham was long without a child and Abraham was longer without the child of Promise Artopaus quanta maiora tanta longius protracta Dei beneficia vt sint chariora vt Isaac Christus vita aeterna The greatest blessings seeme many times a great way off
out vpon the rich fields of heauen and earth that we might be all one flocke bought and paid for and seised into possession by his precious bloud-shedding he hath set at peace through the bloud of the Crosse both things in heauen Col. 1 20 and things in earth Iaacob is a potters field Christ Iesus was laid vp in this field 2. Cor. 4.7 that Iacob might die to sinne and liue to righteousenesse Iaacob hath heauenly treasure in an ear then vessell Matth. 13.4 Christ is the hidden treasure in the potters field more worth then all the field But shall I say that Iaacob is a Meridian field yes a goodly sun-shine field of common ioy and profit to the Church As the common court of the Tabernacle was vpon the sun-shine side a faire and comely passing to the Church Exod. 27.9 Thus was Iacob a faire field of common passage for the Saints for all must come by Iaacob This is the generation of them which seeke him Psalm 24.6 of them which seeke thy face O Iaacob Nostrum est rapere regnum coelorum per gratiam quod quis nequeat attingere per naturam our nature being lame Ierome Chrisostome we must be strengthened in grace to hold heauen by violence So then albeit Iaacob be a common field in whose faire paths and steppes of faith we repaire daily towards the house of God Yet is he but a figure of a fairer field for Christ himselfe is for vs all our rich faire common field He is ager frumenti where we haue all our bread of life Ioh. 6. Hee is ager hortorum where all the Church hath all her spices He is ager sanguinis our mercy truth righteousnesse and peace beeing all died in his bloud who did tread the winepresse alone Hee was ager figuli a man of earth in all things like vnto man sinne onely excepted hee bare the shape of a seruant in our potters field Yet this was his priuiledge that his vessell was not broken Hee was pierced with thornes and scourges and bored through with nailes and speare but he could not be broken among the spoiles of death Not a bone of him shall be broken Esa 12.46 Esa 53.5 Hee was broken for our iniquities in the separation betwixt his body and soule but his body could not be corrupt because it was neuer attaint with sinne with which seale the stay of our field is put together Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psalm 16.10 When all his enemies had done against him what they could hee wonne the masterie from them all as the sun at none day doth winne the victory of all the clouds of darknesse and is thus become our Meridian field Heere stands our glorious sonne the King of glory as the sunne in Gibeon on the top of the hil whilest the Lord doth fight for Israel Iosh 10 Vers 13.14 Apoc. 1 The sunne abideth in the middest of our heauen as the son of man in the middest of seuen golden candlestickes and there is no day like this Christ Iesus is our common field 1. Cor. 1.24 and there is neither Iewe nor Grecian nor bond nor free shut out which haue any title in this field as the righteousnesse of Christ for a wedding garment Matt. 22.11 There are none secluded which making right vse of their talents haue right desire to enter into the Lords ioy Matt. 25.21 as the wise virgins which went in with the bridegroome into the wedding Here we all gather plenteous redemption as Ruth gathered plentie of releese in the field of Boaz Ruth 2.15 Let her gather among the sheaues and doe not rebuke her O blessed Boaz our Sauiour what strength is in thee for vs all what strong charity what faire righteousnesse hast thou scattered for vs all to gather As Boaz scattered some of his sheaues of set purpose for Ruth Vers 16 so Christ himselfe let fall some of his sheaues for vs that we might gather without rebuke Ecclesia militans est sancta imputatione inchoatione segregatione sanctitate multimoda à sancto sanctorum imbuta Nay who can tell how many thousand more Christ hath done for vs that we may gather heauenly fruits and after feede thereon for euer It is said of Ruth that shee gleaned in the field till euening Heere vntill euening till the day of this life bee spent wee gather all our good conditions comforts profits pleasures all our mercies sweet remissions all our truth true faith all our righteousnesse faire beauty and all our peace sweet rest vntill our euerlasting sabbaths rest in that blessed field of Gods rest for euer But all this while where is the Prince hath hee no place heere or doth he beare no Armes in this Field Yes now let all the worthies of the world looke on him the Prince is Hur all white cleane hands and cleane heart and vpholdeth the armes of his worthy father as Hur did the hands of Moses to the discomfiture of our enemies 〈◊〉 he going downe of the sunne The Prince is a field of Corne Colos 3. â—6 Nom. 24.6 Heb. 10.22 Psalm 78.39 the Word of God doth plentifully dwell in him A field of gardens as the gardens by the riuers side A field of bloud sprinkled in his heart from an euill conscience and yet a potters field Let him remember that he is but flesh and a winde that turneth not againe What then are all those sanctities lost in him no now let my tongue touch my heart and let my voyce shout out for ioy that the Prince is our English Paradise Henricus campus meridianus magnae Britanniae The Lord sent him out of the North into the South and now is he becom our meridian field for the health and wealth of Christendome The Lord hath brought againe the captiuitie of Sion Psalme 126.1 and here is the health and wealth of these dominions Now shake thy selfe from the dust arise and sit downe O Ierusalem loose the bands of thy necke O captiue daughter Sion Shall I compare with that happie time of our blessed Queene Elizabeth They which were banished in Queene Maries time for sowing were sent for againe in Elizabeths daies to reape a fauourable recompence of God Psal 126 5 that they which did sowe in teares might reape in ioy In former time the people went downe into Egypt and Ashur oppressed them without cause but now how beautifull vpon the mountaines are the Watchmen which see lift vp their voyce and shout together Now is our mouth filled with laughter Vers 2 and our tongue with ioy our ioy renewed new ioy doubled double ioy multiplied our manifold ioyes established in the King and the Kings sonne Heere is cause enough for vs all to confesse the largesse of Gods mercifull true and righteous dealing in the performance of his promise Leu. 26.9 I will haue respect vnto you and make you