mouth of Christ. Let mee conclude with that sigh from his soule Could ye not watch with me one houre It will not bee long ere the glasse be runne the houre out Iudas is at hand iudgement is not farre off then may you sleepe and take your rest This day is neerer you now then when you first entred the Church Twice haue the blasted eares eat vp the full corne twice haue the leane kine deuoured the fatte Pharaohs dreame is doubled for the certainty and expedition Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry If wee shall haue comfort in this day when it is come wee must long for it before it doe come What comfort shall the Vsurer haue hee desires not this day for then the Angell sweares there shall bee no more time and his profession is to sell time He sels it deare very costly to anothers purse but most costly to his owne soule Such as bribe for Offices farme Monopolies contract an vsurious rent for life doe they desire it Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darkenesse and not light The soule groaning vnder sinne desires it Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death The suffering soule may desire it Come Lord Iesus The faithfull Spouse wedded to Christ desires this comming of her Husband she is now espoused that is the plenary consummation of the marriage Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and the Bride hath made her selfe ready Blessed are they that bee called to this marriage supper To the vngodly it will be a fearefull day Ignis vbique ferox ruptis regnabit habenis there shall follow an vniuersall dissolution Downewards goe Satan his angels and reprobates howling and shriking gnashing of teeth the effect of a most impatient fury to be bound hand and foote with euerlasting chaines of darkenesse Where fire shall torture yet giue no light wormes gnaw the heart yet neuer gnaw in sunder the strings eternall paines punire non finire corpora Small sorrowes grow great with continuance but O misery of miseries to haue torments vniuersall and withall eternall not to be endured yet not to be ended Vpwards goes Christ the blessed Angels and Saints singing with melodie as neuer mortall eare heard The onely song which that Quire sung audible to man was that which the Shepheards heard Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Yet Christ was then comming to suffer what may we thinke are those Halleluiahs euerlastingly chanted in the Courts of Heauen we know not yet we may know one speciall note which an vniuersall Quire of all nations kinred and tongues Angels Elders All shall sing Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen To the spirits of iust men made perfect The Citizens of heâ—…uen are of two sorts by Creation or Adoption Created and naturall Citizens are the Angels Adopted are Men. Of these be two kindes some Assumed and others Assigned The Assigned such as are decreed in their times to be Citizens said before to bee written in heauen The Assumed such as are already possessed of it here Spirits of iust men made perfect But how then is the Apostles meaning cleared How are the militant on earth said to be come vnto these iust spirits in heauen Yes wee haue a Communion with them participating in Spe what they possesse in Re. Now we are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD. Onely our apprentiship of the flesh is not yet out but they haue their freedome But as wee haue all an vnion with Christ so a Communion vvith Christians the combatant on earth with the triumphant in heauen Spirits this word hath diuerse acceptions It is taken 1. Pro animo for the Mind Luke 10. 21. Iesus reioyced in spirit 1. Chron. 5. 26. God stirred vp the spirit of the King of Assyria 2. Pro sede rationis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 2. 11. What man knowes the things of man saue the spirit of man which is within him 3. Pro Affectuvel Afflatu for the motion of the mind whether good or bad Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what maner spirit ye are of So there is called the spirit of lust the spirit of pride c. 4. Pro donis spiritus sancti for the gifts of Gods Spirit Act. 8. 15. Peter and Iohn prayed for the disciples at Samaria that they might receiue the holy Spirit meaning the graces of the holy Spirit Gala. 3. 2. Receiued yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith 5. Pro efficacia Euangelij for the effectuall working of the Gospel and so it is opposed to the letter 2. Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giueth life 6. Pro spiritualibus exercitijs for spirituall exercises Gala. 6. 8. He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape euerlasting life Iohn 4. 23. True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit truth 7. Pro regenerata parte for the regenerate part of a Christian and so it is opposed to the flesh Gala. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh 8. Lastly Pro anima immortalâ—… for the immortall soule Eccl. 12. 7. Dust shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it This spirit did Steuen commend into the hands of Christ. Act. 7. 59. And Christ into the hands of his Father Math. 27. 50. yielding vp the spirit Thus it is taken here Spirits he doth not say bodies they lie in the dust vnder the hope of a better resurrection Spirits Wee find here what becomes of good mens soules when they forsake their bodies they are in the heauenly Citie There are many idle opinions what becomes of mans soule in death Some haue thought that the soules then though they die not yet are still kept within the body as it were asleepe vntill the last day But the Scripture speakes expresly the contrary for Diues his soule was in hell and Lazarus his soule in Abrahams bosome I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the Word of God Some haue imagined a transmigration of soules forsakeÌ„ of their owne bodies into other bodies Herod seemes to be of this opinion when newes was brought him concerning the fame of Iesus he said to his seruants This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead He thought that the soule of Iohn was put into the body of Iesus It is alleaged that Nebuchadnezzar liuing and feeding with beasts vntill seuen times were passed ouer him had lost his owne soule and the soule
Another tempest comes and now hee vowes againe the seuen at least Deliuered then also he thought that seuen were too many and one Oxe vvould serue the turne Yet another perill comes and now he vowes solemnely to fall no lower if he might be rescued an Oxe Iupiter shall haue Againe freed the Oxe stickes in his stomacke and hee would faine dravv his deuotion to a lower rate a Sheepe vvas sufficient But at last being set ashore hee thought a Sheepe too much and purposeth to carry to the Altar onely a few Dates But by the way he eates vp the Dates and layes on the Altar onely the shels After this rate doe many performe their vowes They promise whole Hecatombes in sickenesse but they reduce them lower and lower still as they grow vvell He that vowed to build an Hospitall to restore an Impropriation to the Church to lay open his inclosures and to serue God with an honest heart brings all at last to a poore reckoning and thinkes to please the Lord with his empty shells There vvas some hope of this mans soules health vvhiles his body was sicke but as his body riseth to strength his soule falls to vveakenesse It is the reproach of Rome No peny no Pater noster let it not be our reproach and reproofe too No plague no Pater-noster no punishments no prayers Thy vowes are Gods debts and Gods debts must be payd He vvill not as men doe desperate debters dismisse thee on a slight composition No Iustè exigitur ad soluendum qui non cogitur ad vouendum He is iustly required to pay that vvas not compelled to vow Non talis eris si non feceris quod vouisti qualis mansisti si nihil tale vouisses Minor enim tunc esses non peior Thou remainest not the same hauing vowed and not performed as thou hadst beene hadst thou not vowed Thou hadst then been lesse thou art now worse Well then Beloued if wee haue vowed a lawfull vow to the Lord let vs pay it Let it not be sayd of vs that we doe Aliud sedentes aliud stantes one thing sitting in our chayre of sickenesse another thing standing in our stations of health The Lord doth not deliuer vs out of the bond of distresse that we should deliuer our selues out of the bond of obedience Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape The next blow of his hand will be heauier because thou hast soone forgotten this Who can blame iustice if he strike vs with yet greater plagues that haue on our deliuerance from the former so mocked him with the falling fruites of our vowed deuotion Come wee then whose hearts the mercy of God and bloud of Iesus Christ hath softned and say with our Psalmist We vvill goe into thy house O Lord we will pay thee our vowes You see all the parts of this Song the whole comfort or harmony of all is Praising God I haue shewed you Quo loco in his house Quo modo with burnt offerings Quo animo paying our vowes Time hath abridged this discourse contrary to my promise and purpose In a word which of vs is not infinitely beholding to the Lord our God for sending to vs many good things sending away froÌ„ vs many euill things O where is our praise where is our thankefulnesse What shall we doe vnto thee O thou preseruer of men What but take the cup of saluation and blesse the Name of the Lord O let vs enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his Courts vvith praise let vs be thankefull vnto him and blesse his Name And let vs not bring our bodies onely but our hearts let our soules be thankfull Mans body is closed vp within the Elements his bloud within his body his spirits in his bloud his soule within his spirits and the Lord resteth in his soule Let then the soule praise the Lord let vs not draw neere with our lippes and leaue our hearts behind vs but let vs giue the searcher of the hearts a hartie praise Ingratitude is the deuills Text oathes execrations blaspemies lewd speeches are Commentaries vpon it But thankfulnesse is the language of heauen for it becommeth Saints to bee thankefull As therefore we would giue testimonie to the world and argument to our owne conscience that vvee serue the Lord let vs promise and performe the vvords of my Text We will goe into thy house with burnt offerings we will pay thee our vowes The Lord giue thankfulnesse to vs and accept it of vs for Iesus Christ his sake Amen MANS SEED-TIME AND HARVEST OR Lex Talionis GALAT. 6. 7. Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape THESE words haue so neere alliance to the former that before wee speake personally of them we must first finde out their Pedegree To fetch it no higher then from the beginning of this Chapter the line of their Genealogie runnes thus 1. Supportation of the weake vers 1. and 2. 2. Probation of our selues vers 4. 3. Communication of dueties to our Teachers vers 6. The first is an action of Charity the second of Integrity the third of Equity This last is the Father of my Text and it is fitte that we being to speake of the childe should first looke a little into his Parentage Patrique simillima proles It is this Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things This one would thinke should stand like the Sunne all men blessing it yet Mammon hath suborned some dogges to barke against it Will they say Let him is onely permissiâ—…e They shall finde it was imperatiue Let there be light and there was light Though their sensible hearts want the obedience of these insensible creatures Or will they except against Taught as if they that vvill not be taught were not bound Indeed many are betâ—…er fed then taught otherwise they would not deny foode to his body that does not deny food to their soules Or perhaps they will plead Indignitatem docentis the vnworthinesse of the Teacher And what Paul shall be worthy if euery Barbarian may censure him But non tollatur diuinum debiâ—…um propter humanam debilitatem Let not God lose his right for mans weakenesse You haue robbed me saith God not my Ministers Will not all this quarrelling serue yet still Pauls proposition must haue some opposition Though we must giue something to our Teachers yet this charge doth not fetch in Tithes This this is the point proue this and you shall finde many a great mans soule as his Impropriations cannot be in a damnable Lapse I would say somthing of it but me thinkes I heare my friends telling me what Sadolet said to Erasmus Erasmus would proue that worshipping of Images might well bee abolished I grant quoth Sadolet thy opinion is good but this point should not bee handled because it vvill not
liued knowne to all dyes in ignorance of himselfe I cannot leaue this excellent Organ the eye till I haue shewed you two things 1. The danger of spirituall blindnesse 2. The meanes to cure it Spirituall blindnes shall appeare the more perilous if we compare it with naturall The bodies eye may be better spared then the soules As to want the eyes of Angels is farre worse then to want the eyes of beasts The want of corporal sight is often good not euill euil in the sense good in the consequence He may the better intend heauenly things that sees no earthly to drawe him away Many a mans eye hath done him hurt The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men Dauid from the roofe of his Palace saw Bethshabe Per oculorum beneficium intrat cordis veneficium The lightning of lust hath scorched the heart through those windowes Malus oculus malus animus An euill eye makes an euill mind The Apostle speakes of eyes full of adultery it is a feareful thing to haue an eye great with whoredome And there be eyes full of couetousnesse lusting after the grounds and goods of other men as Ahabs eye was full of Nabaoths vineyard But non tutum est conspicere quod non licitum est concupiscere Let not thine eye be enamoured of that which thy heart must not couet You see therefore that sometimes the losse of corporall sight doth the soule good and the eye of faith sees the better because the eye of flesh sees not at all Besides the bodily blind feeles and acknowledgeth his want of sight but the spiritually thinks that none haue clearer eyes then himselfe He that wants corporall eyes blesseth them that see this man derides despiseth them Their blindnesse is therefore more dangerous Qui suam ignorant ignorantiam that know not they are blind as Laodicea Reue. 3. This conuiction Christ gaue to the Iewes If yee were blind yee should not haue sinne but now yee say We see therefore your sinne remaineth The blind in body is commonly led either by his seruant or his wife or his dogge there may be yet some respect in these guides But the blind in soule is led by the world which should be his seruant is his traytor or by the flesh which should be as a wife is his harlot or by the deuill which is a dog indeed a crafty curre not leading but misleading him He that is blind himselfe and led by such blind or rather blinding guides how should he escape the rubs of transgression or the pitte of destruction Now the meanes to cleare this Eye is to get it a knowledge of God of our selues That the eye may be cured this knowledge must be procured Now God must be knowne by his Works Word Spirit 1. By his Works The booke of Nature teacheth the most vnlearned that there is a Deitie This may be called naturall Theologic For his invisible things may be vnderstood by his visible workes Praesentemque refert qualibet herba Deum Not a pile of grasse wee tread on but tells vs there is a GOD. Aske the beasts and they will tell thee the foules of the ayre the fishes in the Sea the earth will declare vnto thee that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this When an Eremite was found fault with that hee wanted bookes hee answered that there could be no vvant of bookes when Heauen and Earth stood before his eyes The heauens declare the glory of GOD and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Day vnto day vttereth speech and night vnto night sheweth knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard All these creatures speake GOD in whom is the act of all powers from whom the power of all acts whether thou haue a carnall affection filled with vanitie or a curious head filled with varietie or a Christian heart filled with veritie despise not the paedagogie and manuduction of the World leading thee to know God 2. But this booke reads onely to vs that aske An sit Deus est that there is a God If wee aske further Quis sit Who this God is or how to be worshipped it cannot expound it It brings vs onely like that Athenian Altar Adignotum Deum To the vnknowne God Wee must turne ouer a new leafe search another booke to take out this lesson Search the Scriptures for they giue this testimony So Zachary Tenne men out of all languages of the Nations shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew saying We will goe with you for we haue heard that GOD is with you In the former the booke is the VVorld the schoole Natures light the scholer man quatenus homo as he is man But here the Booke is the Scripture the Schoole the light of grace and the scholer Christian man as he is a Christian. There was the eye of Reason exercised here of faith There was taught GOD in his creatures here God in his Christ. 3. But this Scripturall knowledge common to the wicked is not sufficient there must be a spiritual knowledge vvhereby though he sâ—…es not more then is in the Word yet he sees more then they that see onely the letter of the Word The annointing which you haue receiued teacheth you all things Call wee then earnestly vpon the Spirit of Illumination for this knowledge For it is not obtained per rationem sed per orationem not by reason but by prayers For this cause I how my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length depth and height to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge Now we must learne to see our selues and this selfecontemplation must be made by a Naturall glasse by a Morall glasse by a Spirituall glasse 1. Naturally by looking into the constitution composition of our owne persons as Paul distinguisheth vs into Body Soule Spirit For thy Body it was not onely fashioned beneath on the earth but of the earth Our first Parents were made of the earth of the earth vvas their meate of their meat their bloud of their bloud their seed of the seed our bodies Corrupta et corrumpentia corpora bodies corrupt of themselues and corrupting the soules For thy Soule it is a reall spirituall inuisible and indiuisible substance diffused by God into thy body Who by placing this soule in thy flesh hath set thee in the mid-way betwixt the bodilesse Spirits aboue and the mindlesse bodies belowe This soule is preserued by neither element nor aliment but by him onely that made her and to whom she resteth not till she returnes For thy Spirit it is called vinculum and vehiculum a bond and a Chariot It is a bond to vnite a diuine and heauenly soule to an earthly elementary body both these extremes meete friendly by this Tertium a firmamentall Spirit It is
whom the world commendeth is approued but whom the Lord commendeth An ounce of credit with God is worth a talent of mens praises Frustra commendatur in terris qui condemnatur in coelis The world commends but God condemnes which of these iudgements shall stand I might heere inferre doctrinally that all Couetous men be fooles and that in his censure that cannot deceiue not be deceiued but I should preuent the issue of this Text to say and shew this now I therefore content my selfe to say it now to shew it anon It may be cauill'd that Follie is rather a defect in the vnderstanding Couetousnes in the affections For so they distinguish the soule into the intellectuall and affectionate part How then is this attribution of foole proper to the worldling The truth is that the offence of the will affections doth mostly proceed from the former error of the mind Our desire feare loue hatred reflecting on euill obiects arise from the deceiued vnderstanding So there is a double errour in the couetous mans mind that makes him a foole 1. He conceiues not the sufficiencie of Gods helpe and therefore leaues him that will neuer leaue his Hee thinkes Gods treasury too empty to content him he sees not his glory and therefore will not trust him on bare promises The good man sweetens his most bitter miseries with this comfort The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance But all Gods wealth cannot satisfie him O nimis auarus est cui Deus non sufficit He is vnmeasurably couetous whom God himselfe cannot satisfie Heere is one argument of his folly 2. Hauing left God who rested on would not haue left him hee adheres to the world which cannot helpe him The minde of man like the Elephant must haue somewhat to leane vpon and when the Oliue Fig tree Vine are refused he must put his trust vnder the shadow of the Bramble When the Israelites had forsaken the King of Heauen they make to themselues a Queene of heauen Moses is gone vp make vs gods which shall goe before vs. Admiratur mundum reijciens Dominum He falls off from God and falls in with the world Here be both the parts of his folly He hath committed two euils for saken the fountaine of liuing waters and hewed himselfe a broken cesterne We see the Patient let vs come to The Passion or suffering This is the point of warre which my Text sounds like a Trumpet against all worldlings This night shal thy soule be required of thee Fauour them in this and they thinke all well but in this of all they must not be fauoured This suffering is aggrauated by foure circumstances Quid. What the Soule A quo of whom of thee Quomodo how shall be required Qando when this night What. The Soule thy soule not thy Barnes nor thy croppe neither the continent nor content not thy gods which thou holdest deare not thy body vvhich thou prizest dearer but thy soule which should bee to thee dearest of all Imagine the whole conuexe of heauen for thy Barne and that were one large enough and all the riches of the world thy graine and that were crop sufficient yet put all these into one ballance and thy soule into the other and thy soule out-waighes out-values the world What is the whole world worth to him that loseth his soule The Soule is of a precious nature One in substance like the Sunne yet of diuers operations It is confined in the body not refined by the body but is often most actiue when her layler is most dull Shee is a carefull hous-wife disposing all well at home conseruing all formes and mustring them to her owne seruiceable vse The senses discerne the out-side the circumstance the huske of things she the inside the vertue the marrow resoluing effects into causes compounding comparing contemplating things in their highest sublimity Fire turnes coales into fire the body concocts meat into bloud but the soule conuerts body into spirits reducing their purest formes within her dimensiue lines In mans composition there is a shadow of the Trinity For to make vp one man there is an elementary body a diuine soule and a firmamentall spirit Here is the difference In God there are three persons in one essence in vs three essences in one person So in the Soule there is a trinity of powers vegetable sensitiue rationall the former would onely be the second be and be well the third be be well and befor euer well O excellent nature in whose cabinet ten thousand formes may sit at once which giues agitation to the body without whom it would fall downe a dead and inanimate lumpe of clay This Soule shall be required Thy Soule which vnderstands what delight is and conceiues a tickling pleasure in these couetous desires But to satisfie thy soule thou wouldst not be so greedy of abundance for a little serues the body If it haue food to sustaine it garments to hide it harbour to shelter it liberty to refresh it it is contented And satietie of these things doth not reficere sed interficere comfort but confound it Too much meat surfets the body too much apparell wearies it too much wine drownes it onely Quod conuenit conseruat It is then the soule that requires this plenitude and therefore from this plenitude shall the Soule be required Thy Soule which is not made of a perishing nature as the body but of an euerlasting substance And hath by the eternity therof a capablenes of moreioy or moresorrow it must be euer in heauen or euerin hell This night must this Soule receiue her doome thy Soule shall be required That Soule which shall be the bodies perpetuall companion sauing a short diuorce by the hand of death in the graue but afterwards ordained to an euerlasting re-vnion Whereas all worldly goods being once broken off by death can neuer againe be recouered The soule shall returne to the body but riches to neyther and this Soule must be required This is a losse a crosse beyond all that the worldlings imagination can giue being to How differ the vvickeds thoughts dying from their thoughts liuing In the daies of their peace they forget to get for the soule any good Eyther it must rest it selfe on these inferiour props or despaire of refuge The eye is not scanted of lustfull obiects the eare of melodious sounds the palate of well rellishing viands But the soules eye is not fastned on heauen nor her eares on the Word of God her taste sauours not the bread of life she is neither brought to touch nor to smell on Christs Vesture Animas habent quasi inanimata vivunt regarding their flesh as that pamperd Romane did his and their soules as he esteemed his horse who being a spruce neat and fatte Epicure riding on a leane scragling Iade was asked by the Censors the reason His answer was Ego curo meipsum statius verò equum I looke to my selfe but my
not the Sauiour of men himselfe excepted But what is this to aboundance Is not he as warme that goes in russet as another that russles and ruffles in his silkes Hath not the poore labourer as sound a sleepe on his flocke-bed or pad of straw as the Epicure on his downe-bed with his rich curtaines and couerings Doth not Quiet lye oftner in Cottages then in glorious mannors The sleepe of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the aboundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe And for a good appetite wee see the toyling seruant feed sauourly of one homely dish when his surfeted master lookes lothingly on his farre-fetch'd and deare-bought dainties sitting downe to his second meale in a quandary whether hee should eat of his best dish or nothing his stomacke being such a coward that it dares not fight with a chicken This Gentleman enuies the happinesse of his poore Hinde and would be content to change states with him vpon condition he might change stomackes It is not then the plenitude but competency of these things that affords euen the rich content So that a mans estate should be like his garment rather fitte then long for too much troubles him and the satiety of these earthly riches doth rather kill then conserue the Body 3. The name perhaps hath some hope of luxurious share in this abundance and thinkes to bee swelled into a Colossus ouer-straddling the world Indeed here 's the Center for I perswade my self few worldlings can propound to themselues any well-grounded expectation of good to their soules or helpe to their bodies by their accumulation of treasures Onely in his nomen potius quà m omen quaeritur there is more hope of a great name then of good content And now for the Name what 's the euent Come his riches ill his credit is the Commons curse Populus sibilat the world railes at him liuing and when he dyes no man sayes It is pitty but It is pitty he died no sooner They shall not lament for him with Ah Lord or Ah his glory But hee shall bee buried with the buriall of an Asse that hath liued the life of a Wolfe His glorious Tombe erected by his enriched heyre shall bee saluted with execrations and the passengers by will say Heere lyes the Deuils Promoter Come his wealth well yet what is Credit or how may we define a good Name Is it to haue a Pageant of crindges faces acted to a taffaty Iacket To be followed by a world of hang-byes and howted at by the reeling multitude like a bird of Paradise stucke full of py'd fethers To be dawb'd ouer with court-morter flattery and set vp as a Butte for whores panders drunkards cheaters to shoot their commendations at To be licked with a sycophants rankling toung and to haue poore men crouch to him as little dogges vse to a great mastiffe Is this a good name Is this credit Indeed these things may giue him a great sound as the clapper doth to a bell makes it haue a great sound but the bell is hollow They are empty gulls whose credit is nothing else but a great noyse forced by these lewd clappers A rich worldling is like a great Cannon and flatterers praises are the powder that charge him whereupon he takes fire and makes a great report but instantly goes off goes out in stench Hee may thinke himselfe the better but no wise man no good man doth and the fame that is deriued from fooles is infamy That which I take to be a good Name is this Laudari a Lande dignis to bee well esteemed of in Christian hearts to finde reuerence in good mens soules Bonum est laudari sed praestat esse laudabilem It is a good thing to be praised but it is a better to be praise-worthy It is well that good men commend thee in their consciences but it is better when thy good conscience can commend thee in it selfe Happy is he whose owne heart doth not condemne him This credit wealth cannot procure but grace not goods but goodnesse The poorest man seruing God with a faithfull heart findes this approbation in sanctified affections when golden asses goe without it I confesse many rich men haue had this credit but they wil neuer thanke their riches for it Their greatnesse neuer helped them to this name but their goodnesse They haue honoured the Lord and those the Lord hath promised that he will honour So that all the reputation which wealth can procure a man in Gods iudgement is but Thou foole In that parabolicall history Luk. 16. mention is made of a rich man but none of his name as if it vvere vnworthy to stand in the Lords booke Heere is all the credit of the wicked their very memories shall rotte and their great Name shall eyther not bee remembred or remembred with detestation Loe now the benefit of worldly wealth the brands which disfigure the Soule Body Name of couetous men For his Reputation Follie challengeth it for his riches vncertainty deuoures it for his Soule Satan claimes it Hee is gone in all respects and now there is nothing left of him but his infamy in the thoughts of men his goods in the keeping of the world his body in the prison of the graue and his soule in the hand of hell Abijt he is gone a tempest hath stole him away in the night saith Iob. The rich man shall lye downe but he shall not be gathered he openeth his eyes and he is not Therefore it is said Luk. 16. There was a certaine rich man Erat non est there was there is not he is now gone I haue seene the wicked in great power and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay tree Yet he passed away and lâ—…e be is not yea I sought him but hee could not be found To conclude it may yet bee obiected that though much wealth can procure to soule body or name no good yet it may be an antidote to preuent some euill or a medicine to rid them al of some maladie The insufficiency of such a promise in riches is punctually also confuted in this Text. For neyther the Rich mans Soule body nor estate is secured by his abundance Infernall spirits fetch his soule temporall men possesse his wealth eternall censures blast his good name and the wormes prey vpon his carkasse What euill then can riches eyther preuent or remoue from man 1. Not from the soule all euill to this is eyther Poenae or Culpae of sinne or of punishment for sinne For Sinne what vice is euacuated by riches Is the wealthy man humbled by his abundance no he is rather swelled into a frothy pride conceiting himselfe more then he is or at least imagining that he is eyther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man or some body And as pride is radix omnis peccati the root of all sinne so riches
bird shall as soone flie with another birds feathers as thy soule mount to heauen by the wings of anothers faith It is true faith and thy faith true with other mens faith but inherent in thy owne person that saues thee True not an empty faith Nuda fides nulla fides Inseparabilis est bona vita â fide imò verò ea ipsa est bona vita saith Augustine A good life is inseparable from a good faith yea a good faith is a good life So Irenaeus To belieue is to doe Gods will Thine therefore vve say Credo not Credimus I belieue not we belieue Euery man must professe and be accountant for his owne faith Thus much of the Meanes now to The Effect Hath made thee whole or saued thee It may be read eyther way It hath saued thee or It hath salued thee First of them both ioyntly then seuerally Faith is the meanes to bring health to body comfort to soule saluation to both I call it but the meanes for some haue giuen it more Because the Apostle saith that Abraham obtained the promise Through the righteousnesse of faith therefore say they Fides ipsa Iustitia Faith is righteousnesse it selfe But let S. Paul answere them and expound himselfe I desire to be found in Christ not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ whose is that the righteousnesse which is not of vs but of GOD by Faith Thus faith is said to saue vs not of it selfe the hand feeds the mouth yet no man thinkes that the mouth eates the hand onely as the hand conueyes meat to the body so faith saluation to the soule Wee say the Ring stancheth bloud when indeed it is not the Ring but the stone in it There are many that make faith an almighty Idoll it shal saue but thus they make themselues idle and trust all vpon nothing That faith is a meritorious cause of iustification this a doctrine that may come in time to trample Christs bloud vnder feet Now these speeches rightly vnderstood Faith adopteth faith iustifieth faith saueth are not derogatory to the glory of God nor contradictory to these speeches Christ adopteth Christ iustifieth Christ saueth One thing may bee spoken of diuers particulars in a different sense God the Father adopteth the Sonne adopteth the holy Spirit adopteth Faith adopteth all these are true and without contrariety They be not as the young men that came out of the two armies before Ioab and Abner euery one thrust his sword into his fellowes side and fell down together But like Dauids Brethren dwelling together in peace God the Father adopteth as the Fountaine of adoption God the Sonne as the Conduit God the holy Ghost as the Cesterne Faith as the Cocke whereby it runnes into our hearts Faith brings iustification not by any speciall excellency it hath in it selfe but onely by that place and office which God hath assigned it it is the condition on our parts So the Apostle instructed the Iailour Belieue â—…n the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house Gods ordinance giues that thing the blessing which it hath not in the owne nature If Naaman had gone of his owne head and washed himselfe seuen times in Iordan he had not been healed it was Gods command that gaue those waters such purging vertue If the Israelites stung with these fiery serpents in the Desart had of their owne deuising set vp a brazen Serpent they had not beene cured it was neyther the materiall brasse nor the serpentine forme but the direction of God which effected it It was not the Statue but the Statute that gaue the vertue So Faith for it owne merit brings none to heauen but for the promise which the God of Grace and Truth had made to it In common speech wee say of such a man His Lease maintaines him is there any absurdity in these words No man conceiues it to bee a parchment lined vvith a few words accompanied with a vvaxen Labell that thus maintaines him but that House or Land or rents so conueyed to him So Faith saueth I ascribe not this to the Instrument but to Iesus Christ whom it apprehends and that inheritance by this meanes conueyed But now wouldest thou know thy selfe thus interessed looke to thy faith this is thy proofe If a rich man die and bequeath all his riches and possessions to the next of bloud many may challenge it but he that hath the best proofe carries it To Christs Legacy thou layest claime looke to thy proofe it is not Lord Lord I haue prophecied in thy Name nor We haue feasted in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe and then thou shalt heare Bee it vnto thee according to thy faith And this a little faith doth if it bee true There is a faith like a graine of mustard seede small but true little but bite it and there is heate in it faith warmes where euer it goes In a word this is not the faith of explication but of Application that is dignified with the honor of this conueyance Hath made thee whole Faith brings health to the body There was a woman vexed with an vncomfortable disease twelue yeres shee suffered many things of Physicians some torturing her with one medicine some with another none did her good but much hurt Shee had spent all her liuing vpon them and heerein saith Erasmus was bis misera her sicknesse brought her to weakenesse weakenesse to Physike Physike to beggery beggery to contempt Thus was shee anguished in body vexed in mind beggerd in estate despised in place yet faith healed her Her wealth was gone Physicians giuen her ouer her faith did not forsake her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole There was a vvoman bowed downe with a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeeres yet loosed there was a man bedrid eight and thiâ—…ty yeeres a long and miserable time when besides his corporall distresse he might perhaps conceiue from that Eccl. 38. 15. He that sinneth before his Maker let him fall into the hand of the Physician that God had cast him away yet Christ restored him Perhaps this Leprosie was not so old yet as hard to cure yet faith is able to doe it Thy faith hath made thee whole But it was not properly his faith but Christs vertue that cured him why then doth not Christ say Mea virtus and not Tua â—…ides My vertue not thy faith hath made thee whole True it is his vertue onely cures but this is apprehended by mans faith When that diseased woman had touched him Iesus knew in himselfe that vertue had gone out of him and hee turned him about in the prease and said Who touched my clothes Yet speaking to the woman he mentioneth not his vertue but her faith Daughter thy faith hath
He commeth leaping vpon the mountaines skipping vpon the hils He comes with willingnesse and celeritie no humane resistance could hinder him not the hillockes of our lesser infirmities not the mountaines of our grosser iniquities could stay his mercifull pace towards vs. He gaue his life who could bereaue him of it To all the high Priestes armed forces he gaue but a verball encounter I am he and they retire and fall backward His very breath disperst them all Hee could as easily haue commanded fire from heauen to consume them or vapours from the earth to choake them He that controlles Deuils could easily haue quailed men More then twelue Legions of Angels were at his becke and euery Angell able to conquor a Legion of men Hee giues them leaue to take him yea power to kill him from himselfe is that power which apprehends himselfe Euen whiles he stands before Pilate scorned yet tels him Thou couldst haue no power against me nisi datam desuper vnlesse it were giuen thee from aboue His owne strength leads him not his aduersaries He could haue beene freed but he would not Constraint had abated his merite he will deserue though he die The losse of his life was necessary yet was it also voluntary Quod amittitur necessarium est quod emittitur voluntarium Therefore he gaue vp the Ghost In spight of all the world hee might haue kept his soule within his bodie he would not The world should haue bin burnt to cinders and all creatures on earth resolued to their originall dust before he could haue beene enforced Man could not take away his Spirit therefore he gaue it Otherwise if his Passion had beene onely Operis and not voluntatis materiall and not formall it could not haue beene meritorious or afforded satisfaction for vs. For that is onely done well that is done of our will But it is obiected out of Hebr. 5. that hee offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death Hence some blasphemers say that Christ was a coward in fearing the naturall death of the bodie If hee had so feared it hee needed not to haue tasted it Christ indeed did naturally feare death otherwise he had not bin so affected as an ordinary man Yet he willingly suffered death otherwise he had not beene so well affected as an ordinary Martyre But he prayes thrice Let this cuppasse Diuines vsually distinguish here the Sententiaries thus That there was in Christ a double humane or created will the one voluntas vt natura a naturall will the other voluntas vt ratio a reasonable will Christ according to his naturall will trembled at the pangs of death and this without sinne for Nature abhorreth all destructiue things But in regard of his rationall will he willingly submits himselfe to drinke that cup. Not as I will O Father but as thou wilt Aman sayth Aquinas will not naturally endure the lancing of any member yet by his reasonable will he consents to it for the good of the whole bodie reason masters sense and cutting or cauterizing is endured So Christ by the strength of his naturall wil feared death but by his Reason perceiuing that the cutting wounding crucifying of the Head would bring health to the whole Bodie of his Church and either he must bleed on the Crosse or we must all burne in hell behold now he willingly and chearfully giues himselfe an offering and Sacrifice to God for vs. But was it a meere temporall death that our Sauiour feared No he saw the fierce wrath of his Father and therefore feared Many resolute men haue not shrunke at a little diuers Martyrs haue endured strange torments with magnanimitie But now when he that gaue them strength quakes at death shall wee say he was a Coward Alas that which would haue ouerwhelmed man would not haue made him shrinke that which he feared no mortall man but himselfe euer felt Yet hee feared The despaire of many thousand men was not so much as for him to feare He saw that which none saw the anger of an infinite God He perfectly appre hended the cause of feare our Sinne and torment He saw the bottome of the Cup how bitter and dreggish euery drop of that viall was He truely vnderstood the burden which we make light of Men feare not Hell because they know it not If they could see through the opened gates the insufferable horrors of that pit trembling quaking would run like an ague through their bones This insupportable lode he saw that the spunge of vengeance must be wrung out to him and hee must sucke it vp to the last and least drop Euery talent of our iniquities must be laid vpon him till as a cart he be loden with sheaues And with all this pressure hee must mount his Chariot of death the Crosse and there beare it till the appeased God gaue way to a Consummatum est It is finished The Philosopher could say that Sapiens miser magis est miser quà m stultus miser a wise man miserable is more miserable then a foole miserable because he vnderstands his miserie So that our Sauiours pangs were aggrauated by the fulnesse of his knowledge No maruell then if he might iustly take Dauids words out of his mouth Thy terrors haue I suffered with a troubled minde This thought drew from him those teares of bloud His eyes had formerly wept for our misdoings his whole bodie now weepes not afaint dew but hee swett out solid drops of bloud The thornes soourges nailes fetched bloud from him but not with such paine as this Sweat Outward violence drew on those these the extremitie of his troubled thought Here then was his cause of feare He saw our euerlasting destruction if he suffered not he saw the horrors which hee must suffer to ransome vs. Hinc illae lachrymae hence those grons teares cryes and sweat yet his loue conquerd all By nature he could willingly haue auoided this cup for loues sake to vs he tooke it in a willing hand So he had purposed so he hath performed And now to testifie his loue sayth my Text he freely Gaue. Whom Himselfe This is the third circumstance the Gift Himselfe Not an Angell for an Angell cannot sufficiently mediate betweene an immortall nature offended and a mortall nature corrupted The glorious Angels are blessed but finite and limited and therefore vnable to this expiation They cannot bee so sensibly touched with the feeling of our infirmities as hee that was in our owne nature in all poynts tempted like as we are sin onely excepted Not Saints for they haue no more oyle then will serue their owne Lampes They haue enough for themselues not of themselues all of Christ but none to spare Fooles cry Giue vs of your cyle They answere Not so least there be not enough for vs and you but goe ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selues They could not
afflicting obiects of shame and tyrannie Those â—…ares which to delight the high Quorillers of heauen sing their 〈◊〉 notes must be wearied with the taunts and 〈◊〉 of blasphemie And all this for vs not onely to satisfie those sinnes which our Senses haue committed but to mortifie those senses and preseâ—…e them from those sinnes That our eyes may be no more full of adulteries nor throw couetous lookes on the goods of our brethren That our â—…ares may no more giue so wide admission and welcome entrance to lewd reports the incantations of Sathan That sinne in all our senses might be done to death the poison exhausted the sense purified 4. In all members Looke on that blessed Body conceiued by the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin it is all ouer scourged martyred tortured manacled mangled What place can you find free Caput Angelicâ—… spiritibus tremebundum densitatâ—… spinarum pungitur facies pulchraprâ—… filijs hominum Iudâ—…orum spâ—…t is detâ—…rpatur Oculi 〈◊〉 sole in 〈◊〉 caligantur c. To begin at his head that head which the Angels reuerence is crowned with thornes That face which is fairer them the sonnes of men must be odiously spit on by the filthy Iewes His hands that made the heauens are extended fastned to a crosse The feet which tread vpon the neckes of his and our enemies feele the like smart And the mouth must be buffeâ—…ed which spake as neuer man spake Still all this for vs. His head bled for the wicked imaginations of our heads His face was besmeared with spittle because we had spit impudent blasphemies against heauen His lips were afflicted that our lips might henceforth yeeld sauoury speeches His feet did bleed that our feet might not be swift to shed bloud All his members suffered for the sinnes of all our members and that our members might be no more ser uants to sin but seruants to righteousnes vnto holines CoÌ„spâ—…i voluit vt nos Lauaret velari voluit vt velamen ignorantia a mentibus nostris 〈◊〉 in capite percuti vt corpori sanitatem restitueret Hee would be polluted with their spettle that hee might wash vs hee would bee blindfolded that he might take the vaile of ignorance from our eyes He suffered the head to be wounded that hee might renew health to all the body Sixe times we read that Christ shed his bloud First when he was circumcised at eight dayes old his bloud was spilt 2. In his agonie in the garden where he swett drops of bloud 3. In his scourging when the merciles tormentors fetch'd bloud from his holy sides 4. When he was crowned with thornes those sharpe prickles raked and harrowed his blessed head and drew forth bloud 5. In his crucifying when his hands feet were pierced bloud gushed out 6. Lastly after his death One of the souldiours with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water All his members bled to shew that he bled for all his members Not one drop of this bloud was shed for himselfe all for vs for his enemies persecutors crucifiers our selues But what shall become of vs if all this cannot mortifie vs How shall we liue with Christ if with Christ wee bee not dead Dead in deed vnto sinne but liuing vnto righteousnesse As Elisha reuiued the Shunamites child hee lay vpon it put his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warme So the Lord Iesus to recouer vs that were dead in our sinnes and trespasses spreads and applies his whole Passion to vs layes his mouth of blessing vpon our mouth of blasphemie his eyes of holinesse vpon our eyes of lust his hands of mercie vpon our hands of crueltie and stretcheth his gratious selfe vpon our wretched selues till we begin to waxe warme to get life and the holy Spirit returnes into vs. 5. In his Soule All this was but the out-side of his Passion Now is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but for this cause came I vnto this houre The paine of the bodie is but the bodie of paine the very soule of sorrow is the sorrow of the soule All the outward afflictions were but gentle prickings in regard of that his soule suffered The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare He had a heart within that suffered vnseene vnknowne anguish This paine drew from him those strong cryes those bitter teares He had often sent forth the cryes of compassion of passion and complaint not till now He had wept the teares of pittie the teares of loue but neuer before the teares of anguish When the Sonne of God thus cryes thus weepes here is more then the bodie distressed the soule is agonized Still all this for vs. His Soule was in our soules stead what would they haue felt if they had bin in the stead of his All for vs to satisfaction to emendation For thy drunkennesse and powring downe strong drinks he drunke vineger For thy intemperate gluttonie he fasted For thy sloth he did exercise himselfe to continuall paines Thou sleepest secure thy Sauiour is then waking watching praying Thy armes are inured to lustfull embracings hee for this embraceth the rough Crosse. Thou deckest thy selfe with proud habiliments he is humble and lowly for it Thou ridest in pompe he iourneys on foote Thou wallowest on thy downe beds thy Sauiour hath not a pillow Thou surfeiâ—…est and he sweats it out a bloudâ—… sweat Thou fillest and swellest thy selfe with a 〈◊〉 of wickednes behold incision is made in the Head for thee thy Sauiour bleeds to death Now iudge whether this point For vs hath not deriued a neere application of this Text to our owne consciences Since then Christ did all this for thee and me pray then with August O Dâ—… Iesâ—… da cordi 〈◊〉 tâ—… deâ—…derare 〈◊〉 qâ—…rere quâ—…rendo inuenâ—… iâ—…enien do 〈◊〉 amâ—…do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redempta 〈◊〉 â—…rare Lord giue me a heart to desire thee desiring to seeke thee seeking to find thee finding to loue thee louing no more to offend thee There are two maine parts of this Crucifixe yet to handle I must onely name them being sorry that it is still my hap to trouble you with prolixitie of speech 6. The next is the Manner An offering and Sacrifice His whole life was an Offering his death a Sacrifice He gaue himselfe often for vs an Eucharisticall oblation once an explatorâ—… Sacrifice In the former hee did for vs all that we should doe in the latter hee suffered for vs all that we should suffer Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne 〈◊〉 on the tree Some of the Hebrewes haue affirmed that in the fire which consumed the legall Sacrifices there alwayes appeared the face of a Lyon
to him Hee made thee good thou madest thy selfe naught he doth not there yet leaue thee as man his friend in miserie but sent his Sonne to redeeme thee Here was great faithfulnesse He sends his holy Spirit into thy heart to apply this redemption of Christ here is great faithfulnesse Thou often turnest thy backe vpon him and following sinne leauest him he leaues not thee I will not leaue thee nor for sake thee here is great faithfulnesse He hath promised Poenitenti veniam credenti vitam to him that repenteth pardon to him that beleeueth saluation here is faithfulnesse Now hath he promised he is faithfull to performe it What man or deuill dares stand vp to chalenge God with vnfaithfulnesse This infalibilitie Christ knew when to his Fathers faithfull hands he gaue vp the Ghost You will say who might better do it the Sonne might well be confident of the Father Not he alone the seruants haue bin faithfull also in this emission and found God as faithfull in acception So Dauid Stephen c. God is faithfull there is no distrust in him all the feare is in thy selfe How canst thou trust thy Iewell with a stranger God is thy Creator and a Faithfull Creator but how if thou be an vnfaithfull creature Thou wilt frequent the doores of thy Patron present gifts to thy Landlord visite thy friend but how if to him that made thee thou makest thy selfe a stranger How often hath God passed by thee without thy salutation In the temple he hath called to thee thy heart hath not eccho'd and sent out thy voice to call vpon him There hath hee charged thee Seeke my face thou hast not answered Thy face O Lord I will seeke By his Spirit he hath knocked at thy doore thou hast not opened to him Now vpon some exigent thou bequeathest thy soule to him vpon what acquaintance Will this suddaine familiaritie be accepted It is our owne ignorance or strangenes or vnfaithfullnes that hinders vs. The reprobates thinke Christ a stranger to them When did wee see thee hungry c. But indeed they are strangers to Christ and hee may well say when did I see you visite me I was sicke and in prison and yee came not at me Would you haue God cleaue to them that leaue him Doth a man all his life runn from God and shall God on his death-bed runne to him No you would not know mee and therefore now non noui vos I know not you But the faithfull creature knowes God a faithfull Creator I know whom I haue beleeued Thou mayst say with that good father Egredere anima mea quid times Goe forth my foule goe forth with ioy what shouldst thou feare Yea it will go without bidding and fly chearfully into the armes of God whom it trusted as a faithfull Creator I haue serued thee beleeued on thee now I come vnto thee sayth Luther I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ sayes Paul These are not the voyces of worldlings but of Saints God will bee a faithfull Creator to receiue and preserue their soules I haue serued thee sayth man I haue preserued thee sayth God In me credis ad me venis thou beleeuest on me thou comest to me Here is now the Boldnes of our comfort there is yet A Caution of this Boldnes In well doing The wicked man may commit his soule to Gods keeping but how is hee sure God will take the charge of it what should God doe with a fowle and polluted soule The soule must at last bee committed to some now hee onely is the receiuer of it in death that was the keeper of it in life If Satan haue alwayes ruled it GOD will not embrace it As Ieptha sayd to the Elders of Gilead Did ye not hate me and expell me out of my fathers house and why are yee come vnto me now when you are in distresse Did you thrust God out of your hearts out of your houses out of your barnes out of your closets and shall God open heauen to your soules They that thus commit their soules to God God will commit their soules to Sathan It must be deliuered vp in Patiendo malum but in faciendo bonum in suffering that is euill but in doing that is good Otherwise if we thrust God from vs God will thrust vs from him Thus is God euen with man They say now to the holy one of Israel Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Hereafter God shall say to them Depart from me I know you not Mans soule is but an inmate to the bosome sent to lodge there for a time but must not take it vp for a dwelling God is the Lord of the Tenure to him it must be surrendred We haue a soule within vs but it is not ours and yet what is ours if our soule be not it must bee committed to God either in euill doing as to a Iudge or in well doing as to a faithfull Creator Some liue as if they had no soules more belluino like humane beasts The vicissitude of drunkennesse whoredome sleepe share all their time Others liue as if they should neuer part with their soule Therefore Reppnunt in muâ—…tos annos they lay vp for many yeares this was the Cosmopolites selfe flatterie Luk. 12. Soule bee merry thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares Yet others liue as if their soule was not meerely their owne but giuen them to spend at their pleasure without euer being accountable for it But the good liue as if their soule was Gods to him they commend it in a sweet conuersation with God corporalier mouent in terris animaliter viuunt in coelis Their bodyes moue on earth their soules liue in heauen To him they may boldly commend their spirits for they that fit their soules for God in health shall neuer find the offer of their death-bed refused If a man had no soule if a mortall one if his owne if neuer to be required hee might without wonder be induced to liue sensually he that knowes the contrary will liue well that he may die well commit his soule to God in well doing Here further obserue A man may do good yet come short of this comfort it is giuen bene facientibus to them that doe well It is not doing good but doing well that gets God to keepe the soule You haue serued me sayes God to Israel but after your owne lusts To serue God is doing good but after their owne lusts is not doing well To build a Church is a good worke yet if the foundations of it be layed in the ruines of the poore their children come not to pray for but curse the builder Great and good were the workes of the Pharises yet all spoiled for want of a Benè Except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises you cannot enter the kingdome of heauen Therefore Saint Pauls councell directs vs So not
that hee hath in all things But to shew that the Almighty God being tied to no meanes doth yet worke by meanes to vphold the weakenesse of our natures A Prince sees his little children besieged and sends his stronger sonnes able souldiers to relieue them Their helpe to vs is certaine though not visible we cannot describe it nor prescribe it but vvee feele it in the successe they preserue vs. Against the Syrian band the mountaine was full of horses and charets of fire to defend Elisha Neither is this all but to manifest his abundant goodnesse to mankind What is man O Lord or the sonne of man that thou so gardest and regardest him They are dust and vanity and rottennesse yet the Lord sends his glorious Angels his Pages of honour and Princes of his Court for their messengers and ministers As if a King should not onely giue his subiect a charter and Patent of safe conduct but also sends his own gard to attend him So the Lord honors vs with his own gard royall through Iesus Christ. 3. To enemies not for their safety but for the execution of Gods iudgements on them The huge Armie of Senacherib was ouerthrowne by an Angel Indeed they will not the destruction of any man further then the Iustice of God ordaines it But sometimes they are sent out for the protection of the very wicked so Daniel speakes of the Grecians Angel and of the Persians Angel The Romists allot a particular tutelar Angel to euery Colledge and Corporation yea to the generation of flies fleas and ants yea to euery Infidell kingdome such an Angel yea to Antichrist lastly euen to hell it selfe Sure then they vvill not pinch themselues they appoynt to the Pope two principall Seraphims Michael and Gabriel euer attending his Person For that Michael is the chiefest Victorellus produceth two very equall witnesses the Roman Liturgie and Tasso's Ierusalem as a worthy Diuine obserued To the Conclaue they assigne one speciall assistant Angel But mee thinks as they Ideate their Hierarchy this Angel should desire the roome and become a suter to the holy Ghost to name him Pope in the next Conclaue For by this meanes hee doth wonderfully enlarge his Diocesse hauing all the lower world vnder him all particular Angels of speciall Societies subiect to him yea all the Archangels and Principalities officed to seueral Estates must concurre to his gard and assistance The truth is God sometimes allowes the help of Angels to the very reprobates but to this scope purpose Populs sui promouere salutem to further the welfare of his owne people For all the atchieuements and victories which come to the heathen by helpe of Angels are intended not for their good but the good of the Saints It is for the Sonne of Gods sake they minister to vs and to none do they performe these comfortable seruices but to the Elect in Iesus Christ. Thus you see what these Angels are now let vs consider how many An innumerable company The originall is Myriades Myrias is tenne thousand innumerable a finite number is put for an indefinite Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand times ten thousand stoode before him I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throue and the number of them vvas tenne thousand times tenne thousand and thousands of thousands Gregory thinks there are so many Angels as there are Elect. Superâ—…a illa ciuitas ex Angelis et hominibus constat ad quam tantum credimus humanum genus ascendere quantos illiâ—… contigit electos Angelos remansisse Vt scriptum est statuit terminos Gentium iuxta numerum Angelorum Dei So many Angels saith hee as fell from heauen so many soules shall goe vp to heauen It is a question much disputed whether besides the protection of Angels in common euery particular man haue one particular Angel for his Guardian I find many of the Fathers allotting euery one a particular Angel Isidor Singulae Gentes praepositos Angelos habere creduntur imo omnes homines Angelos suos Origen Basil Hierome Chrysostome Theophylact Gregory Nyssen Primasius Iustin Martyr Augustin most of the Schoolemen and some Protestant Diuines all conclude that euery man from his birth or especially from his Baptisme hath a particular Angel I will not dispute it yet I must doubt it because I see no cleare ground in the Scriptures to proue it The two chiefe places cited are these Math. 18. 10. Despise not these little ones for their Angels behold the face of my Father in heauen This place Caietan and others expound not that euery little one hath a peculiar guardant Angel but Omnes omnibus that all the Angels take care of all Gods little ones As the Scriptures construe it selfe All the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of one sinner The other place is Acts 12. 15. Peter being vnexpectedly deliuered out of prison came to Maries house where the Saints were gathered together Rhoda hearing his voice ranne in and told them how Peter stood at the gate They said to her Thou art mad but when shee constantly affirmed it they said It is his Angel I answere that the Disciples amazed at the strange report spake they knew not vvhat On the like reason because Peter transported in beholding Christ transfigured said Let vs build here three Tabernacles some might inferre that Saints departed dwell in Tabernacles Because the two sonnes of Zebede desired to sit one at Christs right hand the other on his left in his kingdome they might haue concluded that Christ was to be a temporall King Or because the Disciples seeing Iesus walking on the Sea in their troubled minds said It was a spirit others might proue that spirits walke Omne dictum sancti non est dictum sanctum All are not Christian truths that true Christians haue spoken Dicunt errores non Christiani sed homines they erre not as they are Christians but as they are men But it is obiected that they spake after the common opinion of men in that age Wee reply that in that age it was a common opinion that dead men walked so it appeares by Herod hearing the fame of Iesus This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead Uox populi is not euer vox Dei common errors are no rules of truth And if the place were so manifest as they could wish it why might it not rather be vnderstood thus It is his Angel that is some Angel that God hath sent for his deliuerance Sometimes many men haue but one Angel other times one man hath many Angels Exod. 14. 10. There was but one Angel for many people 2. King 6. 17. There were many Angels for one man Let vs now make some vses concerning this discourse of Angels These may be two-fold some for imitation others for application First for imitation there are three things specially to be obserued in Angels Purenesse of substance Readines of obedience
decay in Gods Spirit that begets yet because the faithfull are first in Gods intention of fauour and hee giues them that strength of grace to resist sinne and to serue him which the world hath not therefore they are called his Firstborne the excellency of his power Though we be weake in our selues yet his strength is glorified in our weakenes his Grace is sufficient for vs. 2. The name of the family was giuen to the first borne Is not my family the least of all the families of the Tribe of Beniamin saith Saul Gilead made his whole family to be called Gileadites For further exemplying of this priuiledge read Numbers chap. 26. ver 23. to ver 52. Is this dignity lost vnder the Gospell to the first borne in Christ no for euen the wicked dwelling among the righteous are for their sakes vouchsafed the name of Christians The name of the first borne hath christned all the familie 3. Priesthood and the right to sacrifice Moses sent twelue young men according to the twelue tribes of Israel to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings vnto the Lord. Those young men are thought to bee no other but twelue of the first borne of the chiefe of the Tribes to whom the right of sacrificing Priesthood did belong till the Leuites were separated for that end Take the Leuites in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel Neither is this priuiledge lost by the Gospel Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his Father to offer vp spirituall sacrifice of thanksgiuing to him Priests but Priests to God lest the Schismaticke should take aduantage thereby to trouble the ciuill state The Propitiatory sacrifice is offered for vs by our high Priest Iesus the sacrifices of our Priesthood are onely gratulatory 4. Double portion If a man haue two wiues one beloued and another hated and children by them both if the first borne sonne be hers that is hated yet when he maketh his sonnes to inherit though perhaps hee would fauour the sonne of the loued yet hee shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated by giuing him a double portion of all that he hath for hee is the beginning of his strength the right of the first borne is his So the elect haue a double portion not onely a share in the things of this life but much more in heauen Godlinesse hath the promise both of the life that now is and of that which is to come It is a false imagination that God makes none of his children happy in this life Abraham was rich Dauid a King But if he denies them opulencie hee neuer denies them content This is the cheefe riches for we see others Esurientes in popina as the by-word is staruing in a Cookes shop wretched in their highest fortunes The godly haue so much share of this world as may stand with their eternall blessednesse in the world to come And such may bee content with a small portion here that are sure of the inheritance heereafter Iehoshaphat gaue great gifts of siluer and gold and precious things to all his children but the kingdome hee gaue to Iehoram because he was the first borne Our Law giues the first borne sonne the inheritance God will not depriue his of it Thus hath Christ promised a double portion to the faithfull He shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternall life And indeed the Birth-right with the Iewes was a type of euerlasting life The consideration of this excellent priuiledge doth teach vs three lessons 1. That we are dedicated to God Exod. 13. 2. Numb 3. 13. Sanctifie to me all the first borne So Haâ—…nah dedicated her first borne Samuel to the Lord. Mary brought Christ to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law Euery male that openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. To robbe God of his tythes is sacriledge but to take away from him our soules this is the highest sacriledge In this we haue a sequestration from common vse we are no longer as we were They are mine saith the Lord not onely by a common right so al things are his The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it nor onely for a gratefull acknowledgement that the increase of all things comes from him But as the Israelites were Gods by a speciall claime because he preserued them in Egypt when the first borne were slaine For whose redemption he accepted the first borne of their beasts when he might haue commanded all lest this should seem grieuous to them he required but the first part Hee onely reserued what he preserued So we were all by nature in as much danger of Gods wrath as were the Israelites of the destroying Angell when the first borne of the Aegyptians were smitten dead But the Lord sprinkled the dores of our hearts with the bloud of his holy Lambe Iesus Hath the Lord spared vs then hee chalengeth vs. To take from man his owne is iniurious from God sacrilegious Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit why for they are Gods ye are not your owne saith the Apostle Thus hee confessed himselfe not his owne man There stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue Wee are Gods possession the first borne which he hath redeemed by his owne First-borne Christ. This wee acknowledge when wee present our children to God in Baptisme Yet O strange and forgetfull inconstancy when wee haue giuen them to God in baptisme by a foolish indulgence wee take them away againe in education A Prince abhorres to haue his eldest sonne marry with a harlot this were to vilifie and ignoble that royall bloud And shall God brooke his First borne to be contracted with that vgly strumpet Sinne This were to forfeit and make void the right of primogeniture 2. Seeing we are Gods first borne let vs offer our first and best things to him The Lord hath deserued the priority of our seruice First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Our first studies our first labours must bee consecrated to God The Law required three properties in the sacrifices offered to God 1. They must be first borne vt illi reddamus prima qui nobis debil omnia that vvee should vvillingly giue him the first that had bountifully giuen vs all So vve must giue the first houre of the day the first vvorke of our hands the first wordes of our lips to the Lord. 2. They must bee cleane beasts for God abhorred the vncleane maimed or deformed Ye offer polluted bread vpon mine Altar If ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill if ye offer the lame sicke is it not euill offer it now to the gouernor will hee be pleased with it So vvee must hold vp to God cleane hands and send vp pure hearts
all stand before the Tribunal of Christ to the Statutes of the former bookes who can answere All our helpe is in this latter booke we flie to the Gospel We behold the Lambe of GOD that taketh away the sinne of the vvorld and comfort our selues that if any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate vvith the Father Iesus Christ the righâ—…ous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Now as Festus said to Paul Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar vnto Caesar shalt thou go So hast thou appealed to the Gospel thou shalt goe to the Gospel for thy tryall Vel te totaliter absoluit vel te capitaliter damnat It shall either throughly iustifie thee or extremely condemne thee The Spirit shall conuince the world of sinne saith Christ Because they beleeue not on mee Now what is the holy Ghosts iudgement here will be Christs hereafter But why are they condemned of sinne for not belieuing 1. Because other sinnes are condemned by nature and Law as murder adulterie both among Iewes and Gentiles but not to belieue is the proper sin of Christians and it is a grand sinne because they haue the doctrine of faith 2. Because infidelity is the roote of all sins as faith is of all good works the want of faith leads from transgression to presumption from presumption to despaire 3. Especially because faith takes away the guilt of all sinnes and freeth from condemnation but infidelitie retaines the guilt of it selfe and others Omnia peccata per infidelitatem retinentur per fidem remittuntur Aug. Luther hath it out of Augustine Nullum peccatum nisi infidelitas nulla iustitia nisi fides There is no sinne but infidelitie no righteousnesse but faith Not that Adultery Intemperance Malice are no sinnes but Infidelitate manente manet omne peccatum eadem decedente absoluâ—…tur omnia quoad reatum Vnfaithfulnesse remaining euery sinne remaines that departing euery sinne is pardoned and quite taken away in respect of the guiltinesse Peccata sunt tua peccata non sunt After thou becommest a Beleeuer the sinnes thou doost are sinnes but not thy sinnes because they are forgiuen thee This appeares by the purpose of Christs comming which was to dissolue the works of the deuil belieue on him thy sins are dissolued absolued thou art as if thou neuer hadst offended Non quòd peccatuÌ„ omninò non erit sed quòd non omninò impâ—…atum erit Not that sinne altogether should not be but that it shall not be imputed How quicke a riddance penitent faith makes with our sinnes They are too heauy for our shoulders faith presently turnes them ouer to Christ. Whereas there would goe with vs to iudgement a huge kennell of lusts an Army of vaine words a legion of euill deedes faith instantly dischargeth them all kneeling downe to Iesus Christ beseeching him to answere for them Therfore make we much of faith if our soules be ballaced with this they shall neuer shipwracke Aâ—…asuerus had many virgins none pleased him like Ester none pleaseth God but faith all the rest for her sake Shee is that Iudith that saueth the life of all thy good workes by cutting off the vsurping head of Satan Thou canst not be vnwelcome to God if thou come with confidence nothing more offends God then the not taking his word Sinne offends his Law but vnbeliefe offends his Gospel Though we doe not what he bids vs yet let vs be sure he will doe what he tells vs. It is good to obey the former better to belieue the latter because he is more able and more good then we Well now after this Gospel we must be iudged so Paul writes to his Romanes GOD shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Thou canst not satisfie the Law therefore study thy soule an answere to this booke Otherwise saith Christ The vvord that I haue spoken the same shall iudge thee in the last day The Sermons thou hast heard shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne thee Hence arise three conclusions 1. It is no presumption for a Christian to belieue the pardon of his sinnes in Christ for to doe the will of God is not to presume If we doe not belieue this Christ shal iudge vs damnable by the Gospell therefore if wee doe conscionably belieue this he shall acquite vs by the Gospel Non est praesumptio credentis vbi est authoritas iubentis There is no presumption in man to belieue it when there is the authority of God to command it Of all things in a Christian God doth not loue a nice dainty and maidenly faith He loues to haue a mans modesty bashfull his humility fearefull his penitence sorrowfull his patience ioyful his compassion pitifull but he loues a faith that hath boldnesse in it That is not afraid to trouble God with aâ—…iance or suppliance but is confident ruat â—…rcus et ortus Without faith it is dangerous pressing into the Presence Chamber as it was to the marriage without the wedding garment but in faith Sequere et consequere qui cupit capit speake and speed Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you It is no sin to trust God with thy soule Paul teacheth it by example I know whom I haue beleeued that he will keepe that I haue committed to him against that day Peter by counsel Commit your soules to God in weldooing It is no sin to call God Father for he hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father It is no sin to trouble him with our suites Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Not to doe this faithfully is against the Gospel therefore to be iudged of that sinne The infallible certaintie of a true Christians saluation is knowne to himselfe and cannot be doubted vvithout sinne For if it be sinne to distrust this it is then righteousnesse to belieue it The summe of the Gospel is mans saluation by Christ he that belieues not this belieues not the Gospell and he that knowes the Gospel and belieues it not shall by it be condemned Now God in the Gospel doth not require that absolute perfection which he did in the Law vnder the perill of damnation but qualifies the rigour of the Law by the satisfaction of a Mediator So that the Gospell accepts the intent and endeuour for the act as the will to repent for penitence and the wil to belieue for faith It is then not onely a weakenes but a wickednes to distrust Gods mercy in thy saluation let not this faultiudge thee before Iesus Christ. 3. The Gospel requires probation of faith by a good life Norma fides forma vitae as we belieue we must liue Doe we belieue Christ hath redeemed vs We must liue like such as are redeemed if freed let vs demeane our selues as children of freedome It is nothing at this iudgement to say
the Church by vsurpations to exact interests and forfets these be nothing So the mony might not be put into the Treasury that might hire Iudas to betray his master The tenne brethren were so iust as to returne the mony in their sackes yet stucke not to sell their brother Ioseph Some are iust in great things not in small As the other straine at a gnat and swallow a camell so these are like the nette that takes the great fishes and le ts goe thâ—… little frie. Wantonnesse is no fault with them if it extend not to adultery They sticke not to sweare so long as they sweare not to a lie Maliciously to hate or peeuishly to quarrell is triuiall if they proceede not to blowes and bloud So long as they are not drunke swallow downe wine and spare not De minimis non curat Lex the Law takes no notice of small faults But indeed Eadem ratio rotunditatis there is the same respect of roundnesse in a penny that is in a platter though not of largenes To steal the bridle as to steale the horse is Tam though not Tantum such a sin though not so great a sinne Thou sayest minimum est minimum est it is little it is little Sed in minimo fidelem esse magnum est to bee faithfull in a little is a great vertue Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commandements hee shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen Erit minimus that is Nullus he shall be least in heauen that is he shall not be there at all But well done good seruant Because thou hast beene faithfull in a very little haue thou authority ouer tenne Cities Benè vtere paruo fruere magno the iust dispensation of a little shall bring thee to be intrusted with much Whether great or small wee must be iust if we looke euer to raigne with these iust spirits Ad societatem iustorum non admittuntur nisi iusti I wonder what place the defrauder expects that wraps vp his conscience in a bundle of stuffes and sweares it away The buyer thinkes he is iust and hee is iust cousoned no more The Vsurer would storme and stare as if had seene a spirit if hee were taxed for vniust Presently he consults his Scriptures his bonds and his Priest his Scriuener and there the one sweares the other shewes in blacke and white that he takes but ten in the hundred Is he then vniust Yes Thou hast taken vsury and increase and hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion Hee takes hire for that should be freely lent is not this vniust Besides the people curse it and they curse not but for iniustice I haue neyther lent on vsurie nor men haue lent me on vsury yet euery one doth curse me Insinuating that if a man lend vpon vsury it is no wonder if the people curse him Where must the Lay-Parson sit that fattes himselfe with the Tyth-graine will not giue the poore Minister the straw Is this iust He takes the tenth of his neighbours profits and neuer so much as reades him an Homelie for it is this iust Hee layes sactilegious hands on Gods sanctified things and neuer askes him leaue is this iust Where shall the Engrosser appeare that hoords vp commodities bought with ready mony and when he vents them makes the poore pay treble vsury for it is this iust What shall become of that vnspeakeably rich Transporter who carries out men and money to the impouerishing of the Land and brings home gawdes and puppets fitte for no bodies vse but prides Surely as heauen is for Iust spirits so there is some other place for the vniust Know ye not that the vniust shall not inherite the kingdome of God If not Gods kingdome then the kingdome of darkenes downewards hell I do not say that euery vniust deed throwes a soule thither Iniustum esse damnat non iniustè semel agere to be vniust is damnable not one thing vniustly done the habite not the act But for others Qui iniustè dominantur iâ—…stè damnantur They haue vniustly liued but they shall bee iustly condemned Made perfect This is a passiue quality non qui se perficiunt sed qui perficiuntur not such as haue made themselues perfect but are made perfect The other property is actiuely expressed Iust it is not said Iustified not that they made themselues iust but that Christs righteousnesse hath iustified them so both they are and are reputed iust But here passiuely Perfected which plainely shewes that all is from God for omne maius includit minus If onely Christ make them perfect then only Christ doth make them â—…ust For it is nothing so difficult for a iust man to become perfect as for an euill man to become iust As it is easier for a man healed and directed the way to come to the goale then for him that lies lame in darknesse Qui dedit ingressum must also dare progressum conficere perficere to make and to make vp to doe and to perfect are both the workes of God Wee could neuer be iust vnlesse Christ iustifie vs neuer come to perfection vnlesse he perfect vs. He that begun this good work must also finish it Made perfect In heauen are none but the perfect Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem such a house requires such an inhabitant On earth there is a kind of Perfection all the faithfull are perfectly iustified but not perfectly sanctified The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti the godly imperfectè perfecti those perfectly imperfect these imperfectly perfect They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ and there remaines no iudgement for them but onely a declaration of their pardon Iustification admits no latitude in it nec magis nec minus for none can be more then iust But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees non plenam induimus perfectionem donec totam exuimus infectionem all the staines of our infection must first be cleansed and quite washed away before this full perfection be giuen vs. Christs bloud doth now wholly take from vs the guiltinesse of sin not wholly the pollution of sinne that blessednesse is reserued only for heauen Let vs therefore be perficientes going and growing vp that at last we may be Perfecti made perfecti This is not wrought on a sodain a child doth not presently become a man Euen the Lord Iesus had his time of growing and can any member grow faster then the Head Indeed the malefactor on the crosse shot vp in an houre but this was miraculous and God seldome workes by such miracles God neyther sends Angels from heauen nor the dead from hell to giue warning to men vpon earth If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead But repentance hath the promise of a Qandocunque whensoeuer a sinner repents c. I will not limit Gods infinite mercy but onely
this dutie Of Trauellers Captiues sick-men sea-men others subiect to the manifold varieties of life For Trauellers They wander in the Wildernesse in a solitary way hungry and thirstie their soule fainting in them They cry vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuers them out of their distresses For Captiues They sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death fast bound in affliction and yron Their prayers find a way out of the prison to God and God deliuers them out of the prison to liberty For Sick Because of their transgression they are afflicted their soule abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw neere vnto the gates of death The strength of their prayers recouers the strength of their bodies For Mariners They reele to and fro staggering like a drunken man and are at their wits end They by their prayers appease the vvrath of God and hee appeaseth the wrath of the vvaues and winds Now the burden of the Song to all these deliuerances is this O that men vvould therfore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men And because these foure dangers are short of the innumerable calamities incident to mans life therefore in the end of the Psalme much misery is heaped vp and the Lord is the scatterer dissoluer of that heape that all flesh might sing Saluation is of the Lord. And because these mercies are infinite so that vvhat Christian may not say with Dauid Thy goodnesse hath followed mee all the dayes of my life Therefore I infer with Paul In all things giue thanks So our Psalmist My mouth shall be filled with thy praise all the day long What is meant by All the day saith Augustine but a praise without intermission As no houre slips by thee without occasion let none slippe from thee without manifestation of gratitude I will praise thee saith he O Lord In prosperis quia consolaris in aduersis quia corrigis In a prosperous estate because thou dost blesse me in affliction because thou doost correct me Fecisti refecisti perfecisti Thou madest mee when I was not restoredst me when I vvas lost supplyest my wants forgiuest my sinnes and crownest my perseuerance But as Quò acerbior miseria eò acceptior misericordia the more grieuous the miserie the more gracious the mercy So the richer benefite requires the hartier thanks Great deliuerances should not haue small gratitude vvhere much is giuen there is not a little required To tell you what God hath done for vs thereby to excite thankfulnesse would be to lose my selfe in the gates of my Text. I told you this was the ground and module of the Psalme But I know your curious eares care not so much for plaine-song you expect I should runne vpon Diuision Heare but the next generall point and I come to your desire reseruing what I haue more to say of this to my farewell and last application I come from the Debt to be paid to his Resolution to pay it I will goe into thy house I will pay c. Though he be not instantly Soluendo he is Resoluendo He is not like those Debters that haue neither meanes nor meaning to pay But though he wants actuall he hath votall retribution Though hee cannot so soone come to the place where this payment is to be made yet hee hath already paid it in his heâ—…rt I will goe I will pay Here then is the Debters Resolution There is in the godly a purpose of heart to serue the Lord. This is the child of a sanctified spirit borne not without the throbs and throwes of true penitence Not a transient and perishing flower like Ionah's Gourd Filius noctis oriens moriens but the sound fruit which the sap of grace in the heart sends forth Luke 15. VVhen the Prodigall Sonne came to himselfe saith the Text as if he had been formerly out of his wits his first speech was I will arise and goe to my Father and will say vnto him Father I haue sinned And what he purposed he performed he arose and went I know there are many that intend much but doe nothing and that earth is full of good purposes but heauen onely full of good works and that the tree gloriously leaued with intentions without fruit was cursed And that a lewd heart may be so farre sinitten and conuinced at a Sermon as to will a forsaking of some sinne VVhich thoughts are but swimming notions and vanishing motions embrions or abortiue births But this Resolution hath a stronger force it is the effect of a mature and deliberate iudgement wrought by Gods Spirit grounded on a voluntary deuotion not without true sanctification though it cannot without some interposition of time and meanes come to performe that act which it intends It is the harbinger of a holy life the little clowd like a hand that Eliah's seruant saw pointing to the future showres of deuotion Well this is but the beginning and you know many beginne that doe not accomplish but what shall become of them that neuer begin If he doth little that purposeth and performes not what hope is there of them that vvill not purpose It is hard to make an Vsnrer leaue his extortion the vncleane his lusts the swearer his dishallowed speeches when neither of them saith so much as I vvill leaue them The habite of godlinesse is farre off when to vvill is not present we despaire of their performance in whom cannot be wrought a purpose But to you of whom there is more hope that say vve will praise the Lord forget not to adde Dauids execution to Dauids intention God loues the present tense better then the future a Facto more then a Faciam Let him that is President ouer vs be a precedent for vs. Hebr. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I come not I will come but I do come to doe â—…y will O GOD. You haue heard the matter and manner of the Song the Substance is Gratitude the Forme a Resolution to giue it To set it in some Diuision or Method That euery present soule may beare his part heere be three straines or staires and graduall ascents vp which our contemplations must mount with Dauids actions 1. An entrance into Gods house I will goe into thy house It is well that Dauid will bring thither his praises himselfe But many enter Gods house that haue no businesse there that both come and returne empty-hearted that neither bring to God deuotion nor carry from God consolation 2. Therefore the next straine giues his zeale he vvill not come empty-handed but with burnt offerings Manifold and manifest arguments of his harty affection Manifest because burnt offerings reall visible actuall and accomplished works Manifold because not one singular oblation but plurally offerings vvithout pinching his deuotion 3. But yet diuerse haue offered Sacrifices and burnt sacrifices that stunke like Balaams in Gods nosthrils tendring
pollution Is not the hand enough no the foot also Remoue thy foot from euill Is not the foot enough no the lips also Guard the dores of thy mouth Refrain thy tongue from euill Is not the tongue enough no the eare also Let him that hath eares to heare heare Is not the eare enough no the eye also Let thine eyes be toward the Lord. Is not all this sufficient No giue body and spirit Ye are bought vvith a price therfore glorifie GOD in your body and in your spirit which are GODS When the eyes abhor lustfull obiects the eares slanders the foote erring paths the hands wrong and violence the tongue flattery and blasphemie the heart pride and hypocrisie this is thy Holocaust thy whole burnt offering I will pay thee my vowes The third and highest degree of this Song is Uowes I will pay thee my vowes And here among vowes I might sooner then with Burnt offerings lose the time your patience and my selfe This vow was no meritorious or supererogatory worke in Dauid But though the Lavv generally binds him to Gods seruice yet to some particular act of Gods seruice he may newly binde himselfe by a vow So Iacob vowed a vow saying If God will be vvith me c. This stone that I haue set for a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt giue me I will surely giue the Tenth vnto thee Our Prophet did vow performance of that duty to which without vowing hee was obliged Psal. 119. I haue vowed or sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements There are many cautions in vowes which I must now vow to omitte Onely Salomons rule excepted Eccles. 5. When thou vowest a vow to God deferre not to pay it for hee hath no pleasure in fooles pay that thou hast vowed Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne Let nothing be vowed that is not Penes vonentem in the power of the vower and then the thing being good and thou enabled to performe it this vow must be kept For thy vowes are a heauy charge Psalm 56. Thy vowes are heauy vpon mee O God The Papists haue strange and often impossible vowes of Pouerty Virginity Pilgrimage I will teach thee to make these vowes too God enable thee to keepe them If thou wilt vow pouertie let it be in spirit Vow thy selfe not in the world a begger but a begger to Christ. Many blessed Saints haue serued GOD with their wealth and thought not that religion was only in them that begged If thou wilt vow virginity vow thy selfe a Virgin to Christ whether thou be married or single keepe the bed vndefiled that thou mayest be presented a pure Virgin to Christ. If thou wilt vow Pilgrimage let it not be to our Lady of Loretto or of Halle and Zichem indeed not to our Lady but to our Lord vow thy selfe a Pilgrime to Christ Loade not thy selfe with the luggage of this world lest it hinder thy iourney and cease not trauelling till thou come to thy Home the place of peace and eternall rest These are lawfull lawdible vowes the Lord send vs all to make them and to keepe them You see I am quickly got vp these two latter stayres Some more speciall vse remaines onely to be made and so giue way to conclusion I will take from these three branches a iust reproofe of three sorts of people Refusers Intruders Back-sliders Refusers to come being called Intruders that come being not prepared And Back-sliders that make vowes but not keepe them The first say not We will goe into thy house The second say We will goe into thy house but not with burnt offerings The last deny not both the former We will goe into thy house and with burnt offerings but non soluent vota they will not pay their vowes 1. Refusers or Recusants are of two sorts Papists and Separatists or Schismatikes 1. Papists and they haue so much recourse ad transmarina Iudicia to beyond-sea Iudgements that they dare not come into Gods house because of the Popes interdiction And the Popes haue so wrought and brought it about now that they will not onely in abstracto be had in reuerence but in concreto be feared with obseruation Though at first thirty Bishops there successiuely yeelded their heads to the blocke for Christ yet afterwards by change of Bishops in that See and of humors in those Bishops such alteration hath followed that Rome is no liker to what Rome was then Michals Image on a pillow of goates haire was like Dauid The cause therefore of their not communicating with vs is awe of the Popes Supremacie For some of their greatest Writers haue iustified our Communion booke to containe all doctrine necessary to saluation The not suffering them to come to Gods house is then rather a point of Popish policie and state then of Christian deuotion But indeed they are the Satanicall Iesuites that set them afoote The common people like the Mare mortuum a dead Sea would be quiet enough if these blustring windes did not put them into tumult And so long as those dogges can barke against Gods house the poore affrighted people dare not come there So that England may haue their bodies but Rome hath their hearts and the danger is fearefull lest Satan also come in for his share and take possession of their soules 2. Schismatikes who because their curious eyes looking through the spectacles of opinion spy some Morphew of corruption on the Churches face will vtterly forsake it There are some that refuse peaceable obedience as the Poet made his Playes to please the people or as Simon Magus was Christned for company The Separatists are peeuishly wretched discontent driues them from God and though they say they flie for their conscience indeed they flie from their conscience leauing all true deuotion behind them and their wiues and children vpon the Parish 2. Well they are gone and my discourse shall trauell no further after them but fall vpon others neerer hand There are some so farre from Refusers that they are rather Intruders They will come into Gods house but they will bring no burnt offerings with them no preparation of heart to receiue benefit in the Church They come without their wedding garment and shall one day heare that fearefull and vnanswerable question Friends how came you in hither These are the vtterly prophane that come rather with a lame knowledge then a blinde zeale For some of them good clothes carry them to Church and they had rather men should note the fashion of their habites then God the habite of their hearts They can better brooke ten disorders in their liues then one in their locks Others are the secure semi-atheisticall Cosmopolites and these come too and none take a truer measure of the Sermon for their sleepe beginnes with the prayer before it and wakens iust at the Psalme after it These thinke that God may be
Now the same hand that layd on this penaltie must take it off The blind men in the Gospell recouer'd not their sight till Christ came They were as types to vs to teach vs that only the Spirit of Christ can restore our spirituall eyes Therefore of this Spirit are we counselled to buy eye-salue to annoint our eyes that vvee may see 2. This originall defect is encreased by actuall transgressions We were borne ignorant wee haue made our selues blind putting out euen that remaining sparke of nature Wee mind earthly things setting not onely our affections but euen fixing our whole knowledge on this World And it is impossible that mans eye should looke on earth and heauen also at one instant It is a rule in Philosophy Nothing receiues any thing but that is emptie of all other things of a contrary nature The eare must be empty of all sounds the taste of all sauours the eye of all colours before there can be entertainement giuen to a new obiect The smell possessed with Rew cannot sent the Rose the taste infected with gall imagines all morsels bitter and a greene glasse held before the eyes presents all things looked on greene So if the soules eye be taken vp with the gawdy vanities of this py'd world it cannot discerne the things that concerne euerlasting peace The vnderstanding then must be with-drawn from earth that it may contemplate heauen This confutes their practices that haue vowed a Monkish life addicted to speculation eying of heauen yet are perpetually raking in the mudde of the earth to get money with an impossibilitie of reconciling these two opposite obiects to their eyes at once In vaine they lift vp ceremoniall eyes of a forc'd deuotion for the eye of their heart is fixed downwards Vnlesse they haue squint-ey'd soules that can looke two wayes at once But I rather think that like watermen they looke one way and rowe another for hee must needs be strangely squint-ey'd that can at the same instant fasten one of his lights on the light of glory the other on the darknes of iniquitie The riches aboue and below are remote things Quorum dum aliud contemplatim aspicimus aliud contemptim despicimus vvhereof whiles we admire the one we vilipend the other This blindnesse then being both hereditarie to our natures and hereditary diseases are not easily cured and augmented by our wilful disorders can be taken away by no hand but Gods Since the World beganne was it neuer heard that any man not man but God opened the eyes of one that was borne blind and had encreased this caecitie by his owne accessiue and excessiue wickednesse He that would desire inspection into others blindnes had need of cleare eyes himselfe Cast out the beame in thine owne eye that thou maist pull out the mote in thy brothers saith our Sauiour Let vs take with vs then the eyes of grace that wee haue that we may the better looke into that blindnesse of nature we had There is in this blind eye diseases and defects The diseases are double so are the defects The Diseases 1. The Cataract which is a thicknesse drawne ouer the eye and bred of many causes this especially either from the rheume of vaine-glory or the inflammation of malice From this eye there is no reflection or returning the owne beames whereby a man may contemplate himselfe But euen the optick nerues and the visory spirits are corrupted the memorie cannot reuolue nor the mind present it selfe what it is nec in se descendere tentat This darke mind is the vault where Satan keepes his Seminarie and sits hatching a blacke brood of lusts The meanes to expell this disease is to take Gods Law into thy hand and heart and through that glasse to looke into thy selfe Consider your owne wayes in your hearts saith the Prophet Teipsum Concute tecum habita te consule dic tibi quis sis Plumbe-deepe into thy owne brest Animi tui abyssum intra A man offends lesse by searching sinne with too deepe then with too short an instrument Though this be saith Abselme grauis angustia a hard exigent Si me inspicio â—…ipsum non tolero si non inspicio nescio Si video horror si non videro mors est If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe if I looke not I cannot knovv my selfe If I see my selfe there is horror if I see not there is death This inspection is difficult Difficile est se nosse sed beatum It is a hard but a happy thing to know ones selfe Priuate sinnes are not easily spied out Difficilius est inuenire quà m interficere as Casar said of the Scythians It is harder to finde them out then to roote them out Innumerable sinnes are in a man if not in actuall and ripe practice yet in growing seeds Qui indulget vno vitio amicus est omnibus Hee that is partially indulgent to one sinne is a friend to all It is a paines well taken to study thy selfe How sweet a rest doth that night bring whose sleepe is preuented with a recognition of our selues Bernard teacheth man a three-fold consideration of himselfe Quid quis qualis fit What by nature who in person what kinde of man in conuersation Which particulars when he casteth vp he shall finde in summe Himselfe a miserable sinner Si cupis bonus fieri primùm crede quòd malus fis If thou wouldest be good first know that thou art euill Chrysostome amplifies this selfe knowledge by teaching a man to consider what he is in himselfe dust and ashes what is within him much wickednesse what aboue him an offended Iustice what below him a burning lake what against him Satan and sinne what before him vaine pleasure what behinde him infallible death But alas what is all this that hath beene said of the eye if God enlighten not that mentall eye to see it Hee must open our eyes to behold the wonderfull things of his Law Otherwise mans sight to these obiects is but as oculus noctuae ad lumen solis Spirituall ioyes he cannot perceiue and what hee conceiues of death and hell hee thinkes of them senselesly like a beast or desperately like a Deuill If his conscience begins to wake he sings her asleep againe And as in some the fuliginous vapours arising from the lower parts of the body blinde the eyes so in him the fumous euaporations of the fleshes lusts haue caused absolute blindnesse The spirit of God with the sauing instrument of grace can onely take away this Cataract 2. There is another disease called the Pearle in the eye a dangerous disease and heereof are all worldlings sicke for earthly riches is such a pearle in their eye that they cannot see the pearle of the Gospell which the wise Merchant sold all he had to purchase By distrusting and distracting cares of the world this intellectuall eye is not onely depraued but depriued of light Affectio
Discedite but depart the Church without the blessing they will not stay till Christ bids them Goe They venture therein wretchedly and dangerously if they could so conceiue it to depart without the Peace of God It is an vsuall complaint of man in distresse Quare direliquisti me Domine Why hast thou forsaken me O Lord God iustly answeres Quare direliquisti me Home Why didst thou forsake me first O man Would you needs depart when you should not you therefore shall depart when you would not Discedite Depart indeed a wofull reiection Depart from me yee cursed why cursed good reason you would not tarry for a blessing Thus is God euen with the wicked Recedistis à me recedam à vobis You left me I therefore leaue you Will you go without bidding Abite get you gone He that will goe into captiuity let him go Deus prior in amore posterior in odio God loued vs before we loued him hee doth not actually hate vs till we first hate him Nunquam deserit nisi cum deseritur Hee forsakes not vs till wee forsake him no man can take Christ from thy soule vnlesse thou take thy soule from Christ. God complaines of the Iewes that they had left him My people haue forsaken mee Forsake thee O Lord liuing Father of mercies and God of all comfort Will a man forsake the snow of Lebanon and the old flowing waters that come from the Rockes If any will do so then heare the curse O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall bee ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they haue forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters But let them that cleaue to the Lord heare the blessing I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Let vs hang on the mouth of God for decision of all our doubts direction of all our waies like the Centurions seruants Going when he bids vs comming when he cals vs doing what he commands vs. At his Word let vs arise and goe on earth at his Call wee shall arise and goe to heauen Hee that obeyes the surge in grace shall haue the surge in Glory Hee that goes in the wayes of Holinesse shall go into the courts of Happinesse Hee that goeth forth weeping bearing with him precious seed shall come againe reioycing and bring his sheaues with him They that haue done well shall goe into euerlasting life Thus much of these two words as they belonged to that person the Leper Now let vs vsefully apply them to our selues First let vs obserue from this Arise 1. It is Christ that giues the Surge which reuiueth vs we can neuer stirre from the seate of impietie till hee bids vs Arise No man can come to me except the Father draw him The Spirit of Christ must draw vs out of the black and mirie pit of iniquity as Ebedmelech drew Ieremy out of the dungeon We cannot arise of our selues Nature hath no foote that can make one true step toward heauen That which is borne of the flesh is flesh not fleshly in the concrete but flesh in the abstract We cannot speake vnlesse he open our lips God sayes to the Prophet Cry What shall I cry the Spirit must giue the word All flesh is grasse c. Wee cannot stand vnlesse hee giues vs feet Sonne of man stand vpon thy feete alas he cannot but ver 2. The Spirit entred into me and set me vpon my feete We cannot see except hee giues vs eyes Intelligite insipientes Bee wise O yee fooles Alas they cannot but Da mihi intellectum do thou O Lord giue them wisedome Bee yee not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your minde that you may proue c. There are first two verbes Passiue then an Actiue to shew that we are double so much Patients as we are Agents Being moued we moue Acta fit actiua voluntas when God hath enclined our will to good that will can then incline vs to performe goodnesse If we cannot speake without lips from him nor walke without affections from him nor see except hee giue vs eyes then neither can we arise except he takes vs by the hand as Peter tooke the Creeple and lift him vp and immediately his feete and ancle bones receiued strength If the spirit of our Lord Iesus giue vs a Surge our lame soules shall grow strong and liuely in the nerues of graces we shall Arise and walke leaping and singing and praising God 2 We must arise for wee are naturally downe By nature a man lyeth in wickednesse by grace he riseth to newnesse of life Nature and Religion are two opposites I meane by nature corrupted nature and by Religion true Religion for otherwise the accepting of some Religion is ingraffed to euery Nature It is Nature to bee dead in sinnes it is Religion to be dead to sinne It is Nature to be Reprobate to euery good worke Religion to be ready to euery good worke It is nature to be a Louer of ones selfe 2. Tim. 3. 2. Religion to deny ones selfe Luk. 9. 23. It is nature for a man to seeke onely his owne profite Religion to Serue others by loue Nature esteemes Preaching folly Religion the power of God to saluation There are two lights in man as in heauen Reason and Faith Reason like Sara is still asking How can this bee Faith like Abraham not disputes but beleeues There is no validity in Morall vertues Ciuill mens good workes are a meere carkase without the soule of Faith They are like that Romane that hauing fortunately slaine his three enemies the Curiatij comming home in triumph and beholding all the people welcome him with acclamations onely his sister weepe because hee had slaine her loue hee embittered his victories with the murder of his owne sister Carnall men may doe glorious deeds flourish with braue atchieuements but they marre all by killing their owne sister the deare soule Thus we are downe by Nature Grace can onely helpe vs vp and make vs arise If you aske how Nature hath deiected vs how we came originally thus depraued I answer We know not so well how we came by it as we are sure we haue it Nihil ad prâ—…dicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius Nothing is more certainely true to be preached nothing more secretly hard to be vnderstood Therefore as in case of a Town on fire let vs not busily enquire how it came but carefully endeuour to put it out A Traueller passing by and seeing a man fallen into a deep pit began to wonder how he sell in to whom the other replyed Tu cogita quomodo hinc me liberes non quomodo huc ceciderim quaeras Do thou good friend rather study how to helpe me out then stand questioning how I came in Pray to Christ for this Surge
shall manumit and set free our soules from the prison of the body there shal be a second meeting Many haue come from east from west farre remote in place and haue met with Abraham and Isaac and the holy Patriarches which liued long before them in this world in the kingdome of heauen So already in Mount Sion are the Spirits of iust men made perfect The purer part is then glorified and meets with the triumphant Church in blisse This meeting exceeds the former in comfort 1. In respect that our miseries are past our conflict is ended teares are wiped from our eyes The very release from calamitie is not a litle felicitie So Austin meditates of this place negatiuely Non est ibi mors non luctus c. There is no death nor dearth no pining nor repining no sorrow nor sadnes neither teares nor feares defect nor lothing No glory is had on earth without grudging emulation in this place there is no enuie Non erit aliqua inuidia disparis claritatis quum regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis None sâ—…all malice anothers glorious clearnesse when in all shall be one gratious dearenesse God shall then giue rest to our desires In our first meeting we haue Desiderium quietis in this second Quietem desiderij Here we haue a desire of rest there we shall haue rest of desire 2. In regard that we shall see God behold him whose glory filleth all in all This is great happinesse for in his presence is the fullnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euer We shall not only meete with the spirits of iust men made perfect but also with him that made them iust and perfect Iesus the mediatour of the new couenant euen God himselfe 3 Our last meeting which is called the Generall assembly and Church of the first borne written in heauen is the great meeting at the end of the world When our re-vnited bodies soules shall possesse perfect glory and raigne with our Sauiour for euer When as no mountayne or rocke shall shelter the wicked from doome terrour so no corruption detayne one bone or dust of vs from glory We shal be caught vp together in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be euer with the Lord. Who We. There is a time when the elect shall meete in one vniuersalitie Though now weare scattered all ouer the broad face of the earth dispersed and distressed yet we shall meet There is now a Communion of Saints 1. As of all the members with the Head all haue interest in Christ. For he is not a garden flower priuate to few but the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleys common to the reach of all faythfull hands So Iude calls this our common saluation 2. So of one member with another euen of the Church triumphant with this militant They sing Hosanna's for vs we Halleluia's for them they pray to God for vs we prayse God for them For the excellent graces they had on earth and for their present glory in heauen We meete now in our affections to solace one another and serue our God there is a mutuall sympathie betweene the parts If one member suffer all suffer with it But this meeting shal be voyd of passion and therfore needlesse of compassion though loue shall remaine for euer This Instruction is full of comfort We part here with our parents children kinred friends death breakes off our societie yet there shall be a day of meeting Comfort one another with these wordes Hast thou lost a wife brother child you shall one day meete though not with a carnall distinction of sexe or corrupt relation which earth afforded No man carries earth to heauen with him the same body but transfigured purified glorified There shall be loue hereafter not the offals of it A wife shall be knowne not as a wife there is no marriage but the Lambes Thou shalt reioyce in thy glorified brother not as thy brother according to the flesh but as glorified It is enough that this meeting shall affoord more ioy then we haue knowledge to expresse This giues thee consolation dying with griefe thou leauest those thou dearely louest Yet first thou art going to one whose loue is greater then Ionathans that gaue his life to redeeme thee And well pondering the matter thou art content to forsake all to desire a dissolution that thou mayest be with Christ. Yet this is not all thou shalt againe meet those whom thou now departest from and that with greater ioy then thou hast left in present sorow This comforts vs all if it be a pleasure for friends to meet on earth where Satan is still scattering his troubles of dissention what is it to meete in heauen where our peace is free from distraction from destruction where if there be any memorie of past things meminisse iunabit it shall rather delight vs to thinke of the miseries gone and without feare of returning It is some delight to the merchant to sitte by a quiet fire and discourse the escaped perills of wrackes and stormes Remoue then your eyes from this earth whether you be rich for whom it is more hard or poore for whom it is easier and know it is better liuing in heauen together then on earth together So then run your race that in the end you may meet with this blessed societie the Congregation of Saints in glory We yea All we In this world we must neuer looke to see an vniuersall Church but at that generall day we shall All meete In heauen there are none but good in hell none but bad on earth both good and bad mingled together I confesse that the Church militant is the Suburbes of heauen yea called the Kingdome of heauen because the King of heauen gouernes it by his celestiall lawes but still it is but heauen vpon earth In Gods floore there is chaffe mixed with the wheat in his field cockle with corne in his net rubbish with fish in his house vessells of wrath with those of honour The Church is like the moone somtimes increasing somtimes decreasing but when it is at the full not without some spottes Now this mixture of the vngodly is suffred for two causes either that themselues may be conuerted or that others by them may be excercised Omnis malus aut ideo viuit vt corrigatur aut ideo vt per illum bonus excerceatur 1. For their owne emendation that they may be conuerted to embrace that good which they haue hated So Saul a persecutor becomes Paul a professor Mary Magdalen turpissima meretrix fit sanctissima mulier a putrified sinner a purified Saint Zacheus that had made many rich men poore will now make many poore men rich when he had payed euery man his owne and that now he iudged their owne which he had fraudulently got from them Behold halfe my goods
that herafter we may meete in glory I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts Death may breake off for a while this gratious meeting but our glorious second meeting shall triumph ouer death it shall be Generall it shall be eternall Wherin In the vnitie A perfect vnitie is not to be expected in this life it is enough to enioy it in heauen Indeed the Church is euer but one There are threescore Queenes and fourescore concubines and virgins without number My doue my vndefiled is but one shee is the onely one of her mother Though a kingdome haue in it many shires more Citties and innumerable Townes yet is it selfe but one because one King gouernes it by one law So the Church though vniuersally dispersed is one kingdome because it is ruled by one Christ and professeth one faith There is one bodie one spirit one Lord one faith So much Vnitie now But that vnitie which is on earth may be offended in regard of the partes subiectuall to it What familie hath not complained of distraction What fraternitie not of dissention What man hath euer beene at one with himselfe There must be diuisions sayth Paul are and must be by a kind of necessitie But there is a twofolde necessitie One absolute and simple God must be iust a necessitie of infallibilitie The other exhypothesi or of consequence as this there must be heresies Satan will be an aduersarie man will be proued a necessitie vpon presupposition of Satans malice mans wickednesse But woe vnto them by whom offences come we know not the hurt we bring by our diuisions Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes. Zach. 8. Loue the truth and peace Some loue peace well but they care not for truth These are secure worldlings let them alone in their sinnes and you would not wish quieter men Pacem quaerunt Pietatem fugiunt they seeke peace but they flie righteousnesse as if they would disvnite those things which God hath ioyned together righteousnesse and peace Righteousnesse and peace shall kisse each other Others loue truth well but not peace Let them fabricke a Church out of their own braines or rather a discipline to manage it and they will keepe within verges of the maine truth They cannot be content to haue good milke but they must chuse their spoone to eate it with They are wanton children and worthy the rod of correction let them be whipt onely discipline may mend them I would our eyes could see what hurt the breach of vnitie doth vs. Scilurus his arrowes taken singly out of the sheafe are broken with the least finger the whole vnseuered bundle feares no stresse We haue made our selues weaker by dispersing our forces Euen the encouraged Atheist walkes to Church in the lane of our diuisions and is still no lesse an Atheist then the deuill was a deuill when he stood among the sonnes of God It is the nature of our controuersies to fight peremptorily at both ends whiles truth and pietie is left in the middle and neglected Whiles men haue contended about the body of Religion some haue thought it quite dead as no doubt Moses body was when the Archangell disputed with the Deuill about it As one sayd of his Donatists Betwixt our Licet and your Non licet many soules stagger and excuse their irresolution by our want of peace Indeed this is euentually one good effect of many controuerted poynts the way is cleansed for others though not for themselues Theeues falling out true men come by their goods Two flints beaten together sparkles out fire and by the wrastling of two poisons the health is preserued So are some vnited to the truth by these diuisions of peace But others are more vnsetled they condemne all for the dissension of some our comfort is God doth not so The diuisions of a few and that about the huske of Religion Ceremonie cannot redound to the condemnation of a whole Church In Gods iudgement it shall not we must care little if in theirs Doe not we know that Satan by his good will would allowe vs neither Truth nor Peace but if we must haue one will he not labour to detaine the other If he can keepe vs from Truth he cares not much to allow vs peace The wicked haue securitie the deuill lets them alone What fowler sets his ginnes for tame birds that will come gently to his hand But if we embrace the truth then haue at our peace Shall the Prince of darknesse bee quiet when his Captiues breake loose from him The good are soonest tempted Inuidia fertur in magnos It was the king of Syria his command to his 32. captaines Fight neither with small nor great saue only with the King of Israell It is the Deuils charge to his souldiers fight against none but the godly that fight against mee Dauid was safe among his sheepe and Moses leading a priuate life No man layes snares for his owne birds nor the Deuil for such as are taken captiue by him at his will But pax conscientiae is bellum Satanae and this iust warre is better then an vniust peace Let all this giue condemnation to peace-haters and commendation to peace-louers There are some quite gone not diuerse but aduerse to vs with these warre and no peace for they haue no peace with Christ. Sinewes cut in sunder can neuer be knitte nor can there be Integralis vnitas in solutione continui They will be gone let them goe I would we were as well ridde of all those whose soules hate vnitie The Christians of of the first age were nether Albinians nor Nigrians the report of faction was scarce heard Athanasius on whose shoulder our mother the Church leaned in her sharpest persecution to take her rest reioyced that though the aduersary hate was violent the loue of brethren was sound Peter was commanded to put vp his sword euen when Christ was at his elbow to heale the greatest wound he could make why doe we smite and hurt that haue not such meanes of cure King Richard the holy warriour hauing taken a Bishop in coate-armour in the field was requested by the Pope calling him his Sonne to release him The King sent not him but his coate to the Pope and asked him An haec esset Filij sui tunica whether this was his sonnes coate alluding to the coate of Ioseph which his brethren brought to their Father The ashamed Pope answers Nec his Sonnes vndertakes wit conscience prepares scrupâ—… and Peace suffers And now 〈◊〉 â—…hey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnum but 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ake their malice on but to dissolue and vndoe the vnited strength of all â—…her the sceâ—…r must stoope to the miter or no peace Betweene the rootes of Iudah and Leui by Moses law the separations and distances were 〈◊〉 â—…de that neither need to crosse anothers walke nor 〈◊〉 â—…clipse anothers dignitie The rod of Moseâ—… was
euery good and faithfull Seruant the vaile is taken away and Christ sayes enter thou into the ioy of the Lord. 2. By this meanes we haue in this world a free accesse to the Throne of grace by our prayers the vaile and separation of sinne and wrath is rent asunder by Christ and a cleare way made for our supplications The Propitiatory and Mercie-seate the Cherubims of glory shadowing it the very presence of God were within the Holyest and the people might not approach it but stood without a farre off Our Sauiour hath torne away this vaile and opened our petitions a free passage to the Seate of mercie in heauen Hauing such an high Priest ouer the house of God sayth Paul immediately after the clearing our way through the vaile Let vs draw neare with a true-heart in full assurance of faith c. Wee see howe farre our prerogatiue excelles that of the Iewes They were seruants we are sonnes and cry Abba Father they had Priests we are Priests they had a barre to vs that vaile is rent away Let vs therefore come boldly vnto the Throne of grace that we may obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in time of neede This is singular comfort that poore subiects may bee sure of accesse to the King with their petitions yea more bee heard in all their desires yea most of all haue an Aduocate at the Kinges right hand to plead their cause But then remember the Psalmists caution If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare mee Let the seruants of Baal cry neuer so loudly if lewdly their prayers are not heard To the cryes of vnfaithfull sinners the vaile is vp still and like a thicke cloud reuerberates beats backe their orisons that they cannot ascend to the Throne of grace Onely faith makes a free passage and a cleare conscience hath a cleare voyce that can peirce heauen 3. The breaking downe of this vaile did make the Holyest and the other part of the temple all one Whereby was signified that of two was made one Iewes and Gentiles one Church He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene vs. So that now those the Iewes called dogges eat the bread of the children yea they are the children and Iaphet is perswaded to dwell in the tents of Sem. She is also Beloued that was hated euen the Church of the Gentiles is the Spouse of Christ. The vaile that hindred Paul cals the Law of commandements contained in ordinances this he abolished for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man Heauen gate is no wider open to a Iew then to a Grecian In Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God The Sum of the Gospell as of the world is not confined to lighten Iudea onely but shines vniuersally There is not one priuiledge wherein the Gentile hath not as franke a share as the Iew the sonnes of Hagar are adopted the sonnes of God and the free Ierusalem aboue is the mother of vs all All this did our blessed Sauiour worke for vs by renting the vaile That he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by the crosse hauing slaine the enmitie therby Oh then let vs keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace Christ hath made vs at one let vs not make our selues twaine The vaile is rent why set we vp new schismes in doctrine iarres in conuersation The bill of diuorcement is cancelled let vs loue our husband Christ and for his sake euery man his brother Let vs set vp no more vailes least we doe it with the curse of building more Iericho's There is no bond so sure as Religions no ligaments so strong as faith and a good conscience Wretched man that breakest these tâ—…es and rentest thy selfe from them to whome thou art by Christ vnited A mothers yea a Fathers blessing forsakes thee and thou buildest vp a new vaile which thou must looke for no more Christs to come rent asunder 4. The renting of the vaile teacheth vs that when men sinne rebelliously against God no prerogatiue shall doe them good The Temple was one of their principallest priuiledges their glory their crowne The Temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. It was a figure of the Church militant as Solomon the builder was a figure of Christ. For this Temples sake God often spared them So Daniel prayes Cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuary that is desolate Yet when they fall away from God and crucifie their Messias this prerogatiue helpes not For here Gods owne hand rents the vaile and after giues the whole fabricke a spoyle to the Gentiles If ye will not heare if ye will not lay it to heart I will send a curse vpon you I will curse your blessings yea I haue cursed them already because you doe not lay it to heart It lies in mans sinne to make God curse his very blessings and to punish the nocent in the innocent creatures We see the way how wee may loose Temples and peace and Gospell and all priuiledges by running the courses of disobedience Who can number the blessings we haue enioyed by the Gospell Let vs beware least our vngracious and vngratefull liues robbe vs not of that with all the appertinent comforts They that haue trauelled the Belgicke Prouinces can witnesse the miserable footsteps of warre and the tyrannie of desolation Churches and Cities haue no more monuments but the ruined foundations to testifie that they were Sin made way for bloud and massacre Idolatrie puld downe those wals which otherwise the most sacrilegious hand should haue forborne If there had beene no enemie to rase them they would haue falne alone rather then couered so blasphemous impietie vnder their guiltie roofes Peace is within our walles prosperitie within our palaces blessed for euer be our God of peace for it Yet we haue a subtle aduersarie Sacriledge that incroacheth sore vpon vs and hath taken many of Gods houses in possession We cannot say They haue burnt vp all the Synagogues in the land but they haue done very wickedly to the Lords Sanctuaries The wals stand and it is well if in many places they do so but there is not a Leuite to feede the people alas how can there when there is nothing left to feede a Leuite Couetousnes would do as much hurt with vs as warre hath done with our neighbours it would but I trust in the Lord Iesus it shall not Though they haue rent away Gods right Tithes and offrings they shall neuer rent away Gods Truth and Gospell rent themselues from it indeede they are likely to do 5. Lastly The Vaile was rent By renting the part God did threaten the subuersion of
through with reward Let the Philosophers stop their mouths Scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit Some guiltie men haue beene safe none euer secure This euerie eye must see Let adulterie plead that nature is encourager and directer of it and that she is vniust to giue him an affection and to barre him the action yet we see it plagued To teach vs that the sin is of a greater latitude then some imagine it vncleane fedifragous periured Broad impudence contemplatiue Bauderie an eye full of whores are things but iested at the committers at last find them no iest when God powres vengance on the body and wrath on the naked conscience Let drunkennes stagger in the robes of good fellowship and shrowdit selfe vnder the wings of merriment yet we see it haue the punishment euen in this life It corrupts the bloud drownes the spirits beggers the purse and enricheth the carcase with surfets a present iudgement waites vpon it He that is a theefe to others is at last a theefe also to himselfe and steales away his owne life God doth not euer forbeare sin to the last day nor shall the bloudy Ruffian still escape but his owne bloud shall answere some in present and his soule the rest eternally Let the Seminary pretend a warrant from the Pope to betray and murder Princes and build his damnation on their tetricall grounds which haue Parum rationis minus honestatis Religionis nihil Little Reason lesse Honestie no Religion Yet we see God reueales their malicious stratagems and buries them in their owne pit Piercies head now stands Centinell where he was once a Pioner If a whole land flow with wickednes it escapes not a deluge of vengeance For England haue not her bowells groaned vnder the heauy pestilence If the plague be so common in our mouthes how should it not be common in our streets With that plague wherwith we curse others the iust God curseth vs. Wee shall find in that Emperiall state of Rome that till Constantines time almost euery Emperour dyed by treason or massacre after the receiuing of the Gospell none except that reuolter Iulian Let not sinne then be made a sport or iest which God will not forbeare to punish euen in this life 3. But if it bring not present Iudgement it is the more fearefull The lesse punishment wickednes receiues here the more is behind God strikes those here whom he meanes to spare hereafter and corrects that sonne which he purposeth to saue But hee scarce meddles with them at all whom hee intends to beate once for all The Almond tree is forborne them who are bequeathed to the boiling Potte There is no rod to scourge such in present so they goe with whole sides to hell The purse and the flesh scapes but the soule payes for it This is Misericordia puniens a greeuous mercie when men are spared for a while that they may be spilled for euer This made that good Saint cry Lord here afflict cut burnt torture me Vt in aeternum parcas that for euer thou wilt saue me No sorrow troubles the wicked no disturbance embitters their pleasures But remember sayth Abraham to the merry-liu'ed rich man Thou wert delighted but thou art tormented Tarditas supplicij grauitate pensatur and hee will strike with iron hands that came to strike with leaden feete Tuli nunquid semper feram no their hell-fire shall be so much the hoter as God hath beene coole and tardy in the execution of his vengeance This is a Iudgement for Sinne that comes inuisible to the world insensible to him on whom it lights To be giuen ouer to a reprobate mind to a hard and impenitent heart If any thing be vengance this is it I haue read of plagues famine death come temperd with loue and mercie this neuer but in anger Many taken with this spirituall lethargie sing in Tauernes that should howle with dragons and sleepe out Sabboths and Sermons whose awaked soules would rend their hearts with anguish Fooles then onely make a mocke at sinne 4. Sinne that shall at last be laid heauy on the conscience the lighter the burthen was at first it shall be at last the more ponderous The wicked conscience may for a while lie a sleepe but Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the greatest storme The mortallest enemies are not euermore in pitched fields one against the other the guiltie may haue a seeming truce true peace they cannot haue A mans debt is not payd by 〈◊〉 bring euen while thou sleepest thy arrerages run on If thy conscience be quiet without good cause remember that Cedat iniustissima pax iustissimo bello a iust warre is better then vniust peace The conscience is like a fire vnder a pile of greene wood long ere it burne but once kindled it flames beyond quenching It is not pacifiable whiles sinne is within to vexe it the hand will not cease throbbing so long as the thorne is within the flesh In vaine he striueth to feast away cares sleepe out thoughtes drinke downe sorrowes that hath his tormentor within him When one violently offers to stoppe a sourse of bloud at the nostril it finds a way downe the throate not without hazzard of suffâ—…cation The stroken deare runs into the thicket and there breakes off the arrow but the head stickes still within him and rankles to death Flitting and shifting ground giues way to further anguish The vnappeased conscience will not leaue him till it hath shewed him hell nor then neither Let then this Foole know that his now feared conscience shall be quickned his death-bed shall smart for this And his amazed heart shall rue his old wilfull adiournings of repentance How many haue there raued on the thought of their old sinnes which in the dayes of their hote lust they would not thinke sinnes Let not then the Foole make a mocke at sinne 5. Sinne which hath another direfull effect of greater latitude and comprehensiue of all the rest Diuinam incitat iram It prouokes God to anger The wrath of a king is as messengers of death what is the wrath of the king of kings For our God is a consuming fire If the fire of his anger be once throughly incensed all the riuers in the South are not able to quench it What piller of the earth or foundation of heauen can stand when he will wake them Hee that in his wrath can open the iawes of earth to swallow thee sluce out flouds from the sea to drowne thee raine downe fire from heauen to consume thee Sodome the old world Corah drunke of these wrathfull vialls Or to goe no further he can set at iarre the elements within thee by whose peace thy spirits are held together drowne thee with a dropsie bred in thy owne flesh burne thee with a pestilence begotten in thy owne bloud or bury thee in the earthly graue of thy owne melancholy Oh it is a fearefull thing to
Antichrist fils hell and his owne coffers The light that must bring vs out is Iesus Christ Which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world And his Word is a laâ—…pe vnto our feet and a light vnto our pathes Thus you see there are many places to be lost in but one way to be found and that is this The Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that was lost O Iesus turne our wandring steps into the narrow way of righteousnesse Come to vs that we may be sought seeke vs that we may be found find vs that we may be saued saue vs that we may be blessed and blesse thy name for euer Amen A GENERATION OF Serpents OR The Poyson of Wickednesse PSAL. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of a Serpent like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare THis verse spends it selfe on a double comparison of Persons Conditions The Persons compared are Men and Serpents The Conditions or Qualities vppon which the similitude stands are Poyson and Deafenesse The former whereof is indefinite Their Poyson is as the Poyson of a Serpent any Serpent The latter is restrictiue Their deafnesse is like the Adders one kind of Serpents I will beginne with the Conditions for if the same qualities be found in Men that are in Serpents there will follow fitly too fitly a comparison of their Persons The first Qualitie here ascribed to the wicked by the Psalmist is Poyson There is such a thing as Poyson but where to bee found Vbi cumque fuerit in homine quis quareret Wheresoeuer it is in Man who would looke for it GOD made mans bodie of the dust he mingled no Poyson with it He inspireth his soule from heauen he breaths no Poyson with it He feeds him with bread he convayes no poyson with it Vnde venenum Whence is this Poyson Didst not thou O Lord sow good seed in thy field Vnde Zizaniae From whence then hath it tares Whence Hoc fecit inimicus the Enemie hath done this We may perceiue the Deuill in it That great Serpent the red Dragon hath powred into wicked hearts this Poyson His owne Poyson Malitiam wickednes Cùm infundit peccatum infundit venenum When hee poures in Sinne he poures in poyson Sinne is Poyson Originall pravitie is called Corruption actuall Poyson The violence and virulence of this venemous qualitie comes not at first Nemo fit repente pessimus No man becomes worst at first dash Wee are borne corrupt wee haue made our selues Poysonus There be three degrees as it were so many ages in sin 1. Secret sin an vlcer lying in the bones but skin'd ouer with hypocrisie 2. Open sin bursting forth into manifest villanie The former is corruption the second eruption 3. Frequented and confirmed sinne and that is ranke poyson enveneming soule and bodie When it is impostumated to this ripenes and rankenesse it impudently iustifies wickednes for goodnesse venenum pro nutrimento poyson for nutriment It feeds on swallowes digests sinne as if it were nourishment As Hemlocke is good meate for Goates and Spiders for Monkeys It despiseth all reproofe sitting in the scorners chaire Which for the poyson is called by diuines Sedes Pestilentiae the Seat of Pestilence Peccator cùm in profundum venerit contemnet When a wicked man comes to the depth and worst of sinne â—…hee despiseth Then the Hebrew will despise Moses Who made thee a Prince and a Iudge ouer vs Then Ahab will quarrell with Micheah because he doth not Prophecie good vnto him Euery child in Bethel will mocke Elisha and bee bold to call him Bald pate Here is an originall droppe of veneme swolne to a maine Ocean of Poyson As one droppe of some Serpents poyson lighting on the hand gettes into the veines and so spreads it selfe ouer all the bodie till it hath stiffled the vitall spirits In this Poyson there is a double pestilent effect Inficit Interficit It is to themselues death to others a contagious sicknesse To themselues It is an epidemicall corruption dispersing the venime ouer all parts of bodie and soule It poysons the heart with falshood the head with lightnesse the eyes with adulterie the tongue with blasphemie the hands with oppression the whole bodie with intemperance It Poysons beautie with wantonesse strength with violence witte with wilfulnesse learning with dissension deuotion with superstition religion with treason If they be greater gifts it poysons them with pride putting Cantharides into the oile-pot If meaner it poysons them with hypocrisie putting Colocinthis into the porredge-pot And where the Cantharides of Pride or Coloquintida of hypocrisie are there is venenum exitium Poyson and death This poyson faster then a Gangrene runnes from ioynt to ioynt as an enemie takes Fort after Fort till he hath wonne the whole Countrey 1. It is in the Thought the imaginations are full of poison Euery euil thought is not thus poisonous There is malum innatum and inseminatum sayth Bernard An euill bred in vs and an euill sowne in vs. Sinnes like Weeds will grow fast enough without sowing but Qui 〈◊〉 he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption hee that shall sow this venemous seed poysons his soule Clense thy heart from iniquitie that thou mayest be saued How long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee Lodge he doth not speake of transient but permanent sinnes Such as meditate mischiefe studie to bee naught Whose imaginations sucke poyson out of euery Obiect yea though it bee good as the Spider suckes poyson from the sweetest flower Vanishing thoughts that passe through a good man without approbation not without suppression are properly Nec mors nec morbus animae sed deformitas neither the disease nor death of the soule but the deformitie They are imâ—…issae Satans darts shot through vs in corde non de corde in the heart not of the heart Which the godly Sentiunt non consentiunt feele but giue no liking to They are our Crosses not our sinnes Such a thought is but morbus mentis the disease of the mind the other morsus serpentis the wound or poyson of the Serpent The allowed filthy cogitation is the poyson Thus are the thoughts poysond 2. From thence it runs to the Senses and sets open those windows to let in the poisonous aire of wickednesse The fiue Senses are the Cinque Ports where all the great traffique of the Deuill is taken in They are the Pores whereby Sathan conveyes in the stinking breath of temptation The eare is set wide open to receiue in the poyson of scurrilous songs obscene â—…ests seditious libels It is not onely an Atheman eare nouitatis auida greedie of newes but a Cretian eare prauitatis auida greedie of euill It listens to heare of ciuill warres vnciuill treasons it would faine haue heard the great thunderclappe which the Gun-powder should haue made at the blowing vp of the Parliament house Here is an eare
panis thou wantest bread God is thy bread of life We want a pillow God is our resting place We may be Sine veste non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo sine Domo non sine Domino Without apparell not without faith without meate not without Christ without a house neuer without the Lord. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heauenly assurance giues vs not peace and ioy Are we clapt vp in a darke and desolate Dungeon there the light of the Sunne cannot enter the light of mercie not be kept out What restrained bodie that hath the assurance of this eternall peace will not pittie the darknes of the prophane mans libertie or rather the libertie of his darkenesse No wals can keepe out an infinite Spirit no darkenes can be vncomfortable where the Father of lights and the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth The presence of glorious Angels is much but of the most glorious God is enough Are we cast out in exile our backes to our natiue home all the worlds our way Whether can we goe from God Whether shall I goe from thy face or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend c. That exile would be strange that could separate vs from God I speake not of those poore and common comforts that in all Lands and coasts it is his Sunne that shines his elements of earth or water that beares vs his aire we breath But of that speciall priuiledge that his gracious presence is euer with vs that no sea is so broad as to deuide vs from his fauour that wheresoeuer we feed he is our host wheresoeuer we rest the wings of his blessed prouidence are stretched ouer vs. Let my soule be sure of this though the whole world be traytors to me Doth the world despise vs We haue sufficient recompence that God esteemes vs. How vnworthy is that man of Gods fauour that cannot goe away contented with it without the worlds Doth it hate vs much God hates it more That is not euer worthie which man honours but that is euer base which God despises Without question the world would bee our friend if God were our enemie The sweetnes of both cannot bee enioyed let it content vs wee haue the best It may be pouertie puts pale leannes into our cheeks God makes the world fat but withall puts leannesse into the soule We decay in these temporall vanities but we thriue in eternall riches The good man laughes at destruction and dearth Doth sicknes throw vs on our weary beds It is impossible any man should miscarry that hath God for his Physitian So Martha confessed to Iesus Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed Thy bodie is weake thy soule is strengthened dust and ashes is sicke but thy eternall substance is the better for it It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Lastly doth the ineuitable hand of death strike thee Egredere anima mea egredere Goe forth my soule with ioy and assurance thou hast a promise to be receiued in peace Happie dissolution that parts the soule from the bodie that it may knit them both to the Lord. Death like the proud Philistine comes marching out in his hydeous shape daring the whole Hoast of Israell to match him with an equall combatant The Atheist dares not die for feare non esse that hee shall not be at all the couetous vsurer dares not die for feare male esse to be damned the doubtfull conscience dares not die because he knowes not an sit an non sit an damnatus sit whether he shall be or be damned or not bee at all Onely the resolued Christian dares die because he is assured of his election he knows he shall be happie and so lifts vp pleasant eyes to heauen the infallible place of his eternall rest He dares encounter with this last enemie trample on him with the foote of disdaine and triumphantly sing ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie He conquers in being conquered and all because God hath sayd to his Soule I am thy Saluation The poore Papist must not beleeue this such an assurance to him were Apocryphall yea hereticall He must lie on his death-bed call vpon what Saint or Angell he list but must not dare to beleeue hee shall goe to heauen O vncomfortable doctrine able to loose the soule What can follow but feares without and terrours within distrustfull sighes and heart-breaking grones Goe away he must with death but whither he knows not It would be presumption to be confident of heauen How should Purgatory stand or the Popes kitchin haue a Larder to maintaine it if men might be sure of their saluation Herefore they bequeath so great summes for masses and Dirge's and Trentals to bee sung or sayd for them after they are dead that their soules may at the last be had to heauen though first for a while they be reezed in Purgatory If this be all the comfort their Priests Iesuites and Confessors can giue them they may well say to them as Iob to his friends Miserable comforters are ye all But he that hath Stephens eyes hath also Pauls heart and the Saints tongue He that with Stephens eyes can see that Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God as if his armes were open to wel-come and embrace him must needs with Paul desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and with the Saints cry Come Lord how long Amen euen so come Lord Iesus Thus much for the matter of the Assurance let vs now come to the manner Dic Animae Say vnto my soule Say but is God a man hath he a tongue how doth Dauid desire him to speake That God who made the eare shall not he heare he that made the eye shall not â—…e see he that made the tongue shall not he speake He that sees without eyes and heares without eares and walkes without feete and workes without hands can speake without a tongue Now God may be sayd to speake diuerse wayes 1. God hath spoken to some-by his owne voice To Adam vocem audiuerunt they heard the voyce of God c. To Israel The Lord spake vnto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voyce of the words but saw no similitude onely you heard a voyce To Christ I here came a voyce from heauen saying I haue both glorified it and I will glorifie it This S. Peter testifies There came a voyce from the excellent glory This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased 2. To omit visions and dreames and cloudes and Cherubins and Angells vrim and thummim God speakes also by his workes The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Mâ—…nus loquuntur his workes haue a tongue Opera testantur de me