that this mourning for Gods absence is an euident demonstration of his presence 2. Of Reprehension to others that say they are sure of the purchase before they euer gaue earnest of the bargaine Presumption is to be auoided so well as despaire For as none more complaine that they want this assurance then they that haue it so none more boast of it then they that haue it not The fond hypocrite takes his owne presumption for this assurance he liues after the flesh yet brags of the Spirit This false opinion ariseth partly from his owne conceite partly from Satans deceite 1. From his owne Conceit he dreames of the Spirit and takes it granted that it euer rests within him but when his soule awakes he finds there no such manner of guest the holy Spirit neuer lodged there There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes yet are not washed from their filthinesse These pure people so vaunt theâ—… assurance of saluation that they will scarce change places in heauen with St. Peter or St. Paul without boote The infallible marke of distinction which the Apostle sets on the Sonnes of God is this they are led by the Spirit Rom. 8. So many as are led by the Spirit of God 〈◊〉 sonnes of God The holy Ghost is their God and their guideâ—… and this Spirit 〈◊〉 them into all truth and guides them into the land of righteousnes But these men will Spiritum dâ—…ere lead the Spirit They are not ductible they will not be led by the Spirit into truth and pence but they will lead the Spirit as it were ouer-rule the holy Ghost to patronize their humours Let them be adulterers vsurers bribe-corrupted sacrilegious c. yet they are still men of the Spirit But of what Spirit Nesâ—…tis we may say to them as Christ to hit two hote disciples ye know not of what Spirit you are It is enough they thinke to haue oculos in coelo though they haue manus in fundo animos in profundâ—… It is held sufficient to haue eyes fixed on heauen though couetous hands busie on earth and crafty minds deepe as hell This ouer-venturous conceite that heauen is theirs how base and debauched liues so euer they liue is not assurance but presumption 2. This ariseth from Satans Deceite who cryes like Corah Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the congregation is â—…ily euery one of them You are holy enough you are sure of heauen what would you more You may sit downe and play your worke is done Hereupon they sing peace and Requiems to their soules and begin to wrappe vp their affections in worldly ioyes But Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the most grieuous storme This is carnall securitie not heauenly assurance As the Iewes went into captiuitie with Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord c. in their lips so many go to hell with the water of Baptisme on their faces and the assurance of saluation in their mouthes 3. Of Instruction teaching vs to keepe the euen-way of comfort eschewing both the rocke of presumption on the right hand and the gulfe of desperation on the left Let vs neither be Tumidi nor Timidi neyther ouer bold nor ouer-fainting But endeuour by faith to assure our selues of Iesus Christ and by repentance to assure our selues of faith and by an amended life to assure our selues of repentance For they must here liue to Gods glory that would hereafter liue in Gods glory 3. In the next place obserue the meanes how we may come by this assurance This is discouered in the text Dic animae Say vnto my Soule Who must speake God To whom must he speake to the Soule So that in this assurance God and the Soule must meet This St. Paul demonstrates The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestari to beare witnesse together Neither our spirit alone nor Gods spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring Not our spirit alone can giue this assurance for mans heart is alwayes euill often deceitfull At all times euill Euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely euill continually At some times deceitfull The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked Who can know it Non noui animam meam sayth Iob. I know not my owne soule though I were perfect And Paul concerning his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified And if Dauids soule could haue made a sufficient testimony alone what needed he pray Dic animae say Thou to my soule Some haue a true zeale of a false Religion and some a false zeale of a true Religion Paul before his conuersion had a true zeale of a false Religion I was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers The Laodiceans had a false or rather no zeale of a true Religion I know thy works that thou art neither hote nor cold So that when about this certificate a man deales with his heart singly his heart will deale with him doubly No nor doth Gods spirit alone giue this Testimony least a vaine illusion should be taken for this holy perswasion But both Gods spirit and our spirit meeting together are Concordes and Contestes ioynt witnesses Indeed the principall worke comes from Gods spirit he is the primary cause of this assurance Now he certifies vs by word by deed and by seale By word terming vs in the Scripture Gods children and putting into our mouthes that filiall voyce whereby wee cry Abba Father By deed the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering c. By these is our Election made sure sayth Saint Peter By Seale Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption Now our spirit witnesseth with him from the sanctitie of our life faith and reformation He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 4. Lastly this is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life euen an heauen vpon earth to be ascertained of his saluation There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexfull studies striue to apprehend But without this he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Vnum necessarium this one thing is onely necessary whatsoeuer I leaue vnknowne let me know this that I am the Lords Qui Christum discit satis est si caetera nescit He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truely knows Iesus Christ. There is no potion of miserie so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a cofortable rellish When enemies assault vs get vs vnder triumph ouer vs imagining that saluation it selfe cannot saue vs what is our comfort Noui in quem credidi I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure the Lord will not forsake me Deficit
which S. Paul deliuered to them in sacred writing Iustification onely by the bloud of Christ. If they be falne from this who can blame vs for falling from them It was high time to leaue them when they left the Lord Iesus So long as we preserue the truths antiquity wee must smile at their fond obiection of nouelty The Church of God is Catholike not Romane Catholike that 's iust as foolish a phrase as the by-word of Kent and Christendome Particular and vniuersall are contradictories If we haue any thing from them that they had from God it is our blessing that we haue kept it their woe that they haue lost it Esau's blessing and birth-right is lost to himselfe and giuen vnto Iacob They haue not so much reason to boast as we to reioyce Our Church had a substantiall being before but hath gotten a better being by the repurgation of the Gospell which is maintained by our Christian Princes iustly stiled Defenders of the ancient Faith It was Gods Floore before though full of chaffe but now since hee that hath his fanne in his hand hath purged it it is clearer in shew and substance It was before a wedge of pure gold but vsurped by the hands of Impostors that by their mixtures and sophistications for gaine and sinister respects augmented it into a huge body and masse It had the tincture of gold still but mingled with the drosse of traditions superstitions will-worships You ask where was the gold shew vs the place We answer it was in that masse now for extracting and purifying it from the drosse God gaue vs the touchstone of his word which made it sound manifests it to be sound The Lord doth not then forsake his the time was that the whole world seemed to groan factum se videns Arrianum beholding it selfe made Arrian yet God had his nūber Sardis is said to be dead thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead yet there be a few names in Sardis which haue not defiled their garments When ordinary meanes faile by extraordinary the Lord gathers his elect The Israelites in the wildernesse wanted both Circumcision and Passeouer yet GOD made supply by Manna and the Pillar of the cloud 2. A Church is visible when it flourisheth not that the faith and secret election of men is seene but there are apparant signes by frequenting the Sanctuary and submitting themselues to the Ministery of the Word Now this visible Church is a mixt company of men professing the faith I call it mixt for in it are both beleeuers and hypocrites corne and tares it is a band of men where be some valiant souldiers and many cowards It is called a Church from the better not from the greater part The vngodly though they are in the Church are not of the Church as the superfluous humours in the veynes are not parts of the body but rather the sicknesse of it These professe veram fidem sed non verè the true faith but not truly Hence it appeares that there be two sorts of members in the Church members before God such as beside the outward profession keepe a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained Members before men such as haue onely the colour and huske of Religion in heart denying the power of godlinesse yet these are by vs to be esteemed members according to the rule of charity iudging the best 2. Now for Instruction what I haue to say consists in the examination of two points First whether the Church of England be a part of this Catholike Church then next whether the Church of Rome haue the same prerogatiue For our selues the most infallible marke of the true Church is the right ministration of the Sacraments and sincere Preaching the true Doctrine of the Gospell That is the true Mother and Spouse of Christ that brings forth children to him of immortall seed by the Word of GOD which abideth for euer not of traditions miracles dreames but of this incorruptible seed And when they are borne anew feedes them with syncere Milke out of her tvvo brests the two Testaments This you know in your cōsciences to be true in our Mother shee doth not giue vs pro lacte venenum but milke euen the same that Christ himselfe put into her brests When we grow strong shee giues vs meate not bones troubles vs not with the subtilties of the Schooles that haue Plus argutiarum quà m doctrinae plus doctrinae quà m vsus but Quod accepit a Domino what shee hath receiued of the Lord neither more nor lesse but iust weight She doth not say Haec dicit Papa but Haec dicit Dominus not thus saith the Pope in his Decretalls but thus saith the Lord in his Scriptures She doth say the truth in Christ and lyeth not her conscience bearing her witnesse in the holy Ghost She doth not sophisticate truth not mingle wine with water not dawbe the walls of Gods house with vntempered morter not build vpon the foundation straw stubble not adulterate the Word like a lustfull man whose end is not to encrease mankind but to satisfie concupiscence O then let vs hang vpon her lips that preserue this true knowledge and say with Peter Lord to whom should we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Thus wee haue prooued the truth of our Church by Scripture but our aduersaries oppose the sufficiencie of this proofe by disabling the Scriptures They say wee cannot know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimony of the Church It is false for the witnesse of man subiect to error is nothing to the testimony of GOD that cannot erre Therefore the Scripture is called the Testimonie because it beares witnesse to it selfe Besides the Church hath her beginning from the Word for there can be no Church without faith no faith without the Word no Word without the Scriptures So the Church depēds on the Scripture not the Scripture on the church The Lawyer that hath only power to expound the Law is vnder the Law But they obiect that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the voice of the Church Paul intends there not that generall faith whereby wee belieue Scripture to be Scripture but that iustifying faith whereby we attaine saluation And this comes by the voice of the Church not of it selfe but as it is the ministerie of Gods Word Iohn is but Uox clamantis Christ is Verbum clamans Particular Churches haue erred therefore the best securitie from error is in the Scriptures This is a Lesbian rule able to decide all Controuersies and it is vitio hominum by the fault of bad Interpreters that it doth not For whether Aliorum incuriâ that despise it or Aliorum iniuriâ that peruert it it suffers martyrdome and may not be heard declare it selfe The Papist in expounding Scripture after his owne fancie makes himselfe Iudge not the Scripture But all their drift is with Gods losse to promoue
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
eye Faith like the Hand layes vnremoued hold on Christ Hope like the Foote walkes toward him in an holy expectation patiently enduring all wrongs in hope of sweet issue Sight which belongs to the Eye shall fully apprehend him when it is gloryfied In this bright knowledge we shall all meete Our present knowledge shall be excelled by our future in 5. differences 1. In qualitie this is an abstracted knowledge of Christ absent that a plenary knowledge of Christ present Ex abstractiua fit intuitiua notitia The light of a lampe vanisheth when the glorious sunne appeareth If our knowledge were mundus eruditionis a world of learning yet is it but eruditio mundi the learning of the world of narrow bounds in regard of the knowledge in heauen 2. In quantitie euen that we know now shall be known then in a greater measure The orbes elements planets plants the herbes of the field parts of our own bodyes we know now but alas weakly in regard of that perfection which this future life shall giue vs. Indeed the Christian for his owne sauing health knowes so much as is able to make him euerlastingly blessed for he knowes Christ his Sauiour and that is eternall life But then he shall know him in a higher measure and perfectly see those things now vnconceaueable Paul heard vnspeakable words in his rapture aboue which below he confesseth not possible for man to vtter 3. In perfection or maturitie Our knowledge heere growes from degree there it shall be one and the same receauing or requiring no augmentation They goe from strength to strength how long till they appeare before God in Sion 4. In continuance Earthly knowledge is momentany all skill in tongs and arts is like the authors mortall and shall come to an end The most famous Artists haue often either mette with a derogate name or beene buried in obliuion The study of Christ is onely eternall and shall not be abrogated but perfected we shall know then as we are knowne 5. In vnitie various dissonant and not seldome repugnant is humane knowledge indeed not worthy the name of knowledge for it is Opinion Man is contrary to man yea man to himselfe this same vnum sentire to be of one minde is difficult if not impossible to be found Though wee ayme our knowledge at one marke yet some shoote on the right hand some on the left some short others shoote ouer hauing a knowledge that puffeth vp Whose learning hath in it some poyson if it be let goe without the true correctiue of it But at this expected day we shall all meete in an vnitie of knowledge Of the Sonne of God That eternall Sonne of God who in the fulnesse of time became for vs the Sonne of man shall then be more clearly knowne to vs. We now beleeue his truth of perfection we shall then see his perfection of truth We shall brightly apprehend the vnconceiueable mysterie of him who is Filius Dei sine matre filius hominis sine patre the Sonne of God without mother the sonne of man without father If any aske whether our knowledge shall extend no further then to Christ our Sauiour There is no doubt but as we know our elder brother set in his throne aboue all the powers of heauen so we shall also knowe the rest of our fraternitie Loue is a grace that neuer fades and therefore shall haue knowledge to make way before it We shall loue the Saints I may inferre wee shall know them Peter knew Moses and Elias on the Mount whom yet before he neuer saw why then should we not know them in heauen and if them why not other of our glorified friends If nothing but that which is earthly and sauours of corruption shall cease and fall off like Eliah's mantle then knowledge must needs remaine being a diuine grace pure and euerlasting as the soule But seeke we to know the Sonne of God here to be our Sauiour and without doubt hereafter we shall know him to be our glorifier Whereunto To a perfect man Before hee speakes in the plurall number of a multitude We shall All meete noweby a sweete kind of Solaecisme he compacts it into the singular all into one We shall All meete to a perfect man Here lie three notes not to be balked 1. This shewes what the vnitie of the Saints shall be one man Here they are sometimes sayd to haue one heart one soule there they shall be one man That not a carnall corruptible sinfull man for he may dissent from himselfe but a perfect man Not materially for there shall bee distinct bodies and soules still as here but metaphorically in regard of the neuer-iarring harmonie Oh sweete musicke where the symphonie shall exceedingly delight vs without diuision without frets 2. The whole Church is compared to a man we haue often read it compared to a body here to a man As in other places to a Body cuius Capâ—… est Christus whose Head is Christ so our Apostle here ver 16. speaketh of our growing to the Head which is Christ. So in this place to a Man cuius anima est Christus whose soule is Christ. Now the soule in the body encreaseth not augmentatiuely but secundum vigorem transfusing into the bodie her vertuall powers operations more strongly Christ is euer the same Heb. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer In this soule there is no mutation but the body encreaseth with the encrease of God For as Christ encreaseth the strength of his grace in vs so we grow to perfection 3. Full perfection is onely reserued for heauen and not granted till we meete in glory then shall the Church be one perfect man We may be now mundi saith Aug. cleane yet still mundandi to be cleansed Not so perfect but still glad of mercie Our puritie is not in facto but in fieri inchoate not finished though begunne All our righteousnes consists in the not imputation of our sinnes Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie Summa perfectio imperfectionis confessio Our greatest cleannesse is the free acknowledging our vilenesse The other immunitie shall be when there are no passions in men no lusts capable of sinne nowe it is well if wee liue without scandall without eruption though not without corruption Non sine culpaâ—…ed sine querela And so the commendation of Zacharie must be vnderstood which calleth him righteous walking in all the commaundements of the Lord blamelesse He liued blamelesse in the worlds eye not in the Lords If thou shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand Especially when his eye of iustice onely shall looke vpon it Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutiatur Woe to the most commendable life of man if mercie bee remooued when it is examined It is enough to proue Zacharie a sinner in that hee
making him too soone happie Say rather with the Psalmist My soule is a thirst for the liuing God O when shall I come to appeare in the glorious presence of the Lord who would not forsake a prison for a pallace a tabernacle for a Citie a sea of daungers for a firme land of blisse the life of men for the life of Angels In the bed of this ioy let me repose your soules for this time meditating of that eternall glory whereof you shall haue a perfect and full measure thinking that the full coronation of your Sauiour carries for you and lifting vp your eyes of sorrow from the valley of teares to the mount Sion of blessednesse whereon the Lambe of GOD standeth to gather his Saints about him to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of his owne fulnesse To which place himselfe for his owne merits and mercies sake in due time bring vs. Amen PRESVMPTION running into DESPAIRE Reuel 6. 16. They sayd to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe THis verse may be distinguished into Errour Terrour The errour of the reprobate the terrour of the Iudge Their errour is manifested in their Inuocation in which wee may obserue To what Mountaines rocks For what To fall on them To hide them Thus their amazed errour and ignorance is expressed in their Prayer For the terrour the Iudge is described by his Omniscience from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne Omnipotence from the wrath of the Lambe Euery circumstance serues to aggrauate their follie and desperate feare 1. They feare God but too late 2. They open their lippes to confesse the inuincible power of Christ before they were either dumbe in silence or blasphemous in contumelies 3. They pray to the Mountaines and rockes which heare not 4. To fall on them which they dare not 5. To hide them which they cannot 6. They begge to bee concealed from him that is all eye from the face of him that sittes in the Throne 7. To bee protected from him that is all power from the wrath of the Lambe Before we come to their Errour and matter of their inuocation let vs examine two things What they were did The Persons Thus amated with errour and amazed with terrour are described in the precedent verse The Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe captaines and the mightie men the bond and the free hidde themselues in the dennes and rockes of the mountaines The greatnesse of man when it comes to encounter with God is weakenes and vanitie Is the reprobate a king the crowne on his head is not thunder-proofe lift he his scepter neuer so high there is a scepter of iustice shall smite it downe Is he Great in his countrey that as they write of the Sea about the castle of Mina the currant goes euer with the wind of his will be he neuer so high there is one higher then he and the highest of all regardeth it and will subiect it Is he Rich were he the eldest sonne of Mammon and sole heire to all the vsurers in the world can his gold saue him Is vengeance afraid to strike his vessell because his sailes be of silke and it is ballaced with refined aure Shall he buy out his damnation with coine No the Samuell of heauen will neuer take bribes Is he a Chiefe Captaine Be his lookes neuer so sterne his speech neuer so imperious impetuous he may command here and goe without Were he Generall of Xerxes armie yet he shall find the words of the Psalme truth Man is not saued by the multitude of an Heast Is hee mightie were hee as Alexander thought himselfe till he saw his owne bloud the Sonne of Iupiter Hammon yet woe to man when he shall wrastle with his maker Proud worme hee may dare to lift vp his head but shall quickly be troden into slime When the Lord of hoastes is angry whose wrath shakes the earth and burnes to the bottome of hell who shall proudly without confusion looke him in the face Silly Giant of men that thou shouldst dare to grapple to parle yea so much as to looke at God! Loe greatnes Time was when if a friend in the Court shall say to thee as Elisha to the Shunamite What is to be done for thee Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King or to the Captaine of the hoast It would haue seemed as high a gratifying and ratifying of his loue to thee as thou couldst haue desired or he expressed What fauour will it be at this day to be spoken for to all the Kinges of the earth great men rich men mighty Captains Alas they haue need to be spoken for themselues The greatest Potentate if reprobate hath now his honour laid in the dust from a publicke Throne he creepes into a hole As ambitious Herod receiued his pride and glory with derogation to God Vox Dei. in a Theater so now his shame confusion is in the sight of the whole world of good and bad Angels of good and bad men Zenacherib in his ruffe could once say Where is the King of Hamath and the King of Arphad the King of the Citie of Sepharvaim Zena and Iuah But now where is the King of Ashâ—…r Thus Godleadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty For their wickednes hee powreth contempt vpon Princes Then shall be manifest the vnresistable power and vnblameable iustice of God Who sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers stretching out the heauens as a curtaine spreading them as a tent to dwell in He bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie What priuiledge then doth these inferior authorities bring with them That the bondman should thus striue to be free the freeman to be mightie the mightie to be a chiefe Captaine the chiefe Captaine to be rich the rich to be great the great to be Kings till in their opinion nil restat quod praestat nothing remaines to be aspired to Whereas to these men Omnia in praesenti parua in fine nulla post finem mala all is for the present little for Vt Luna sic sublunaria as the moone it felfe so all things vnder it are subiect to ecclipses and changes In the end they are nothing death when the game is done shuffling King and Pawne into one bagge After the end found euill things for perduntur perdunt they are both lost themselues and make lost their owners These so popular wonders the terror of slaues and mirror of fooles on whom the eye of the world was fixed with admiration are glad to hide themselues in holes where are you ye great men that were so ambitions of fame and made humane praise stand in competition with conscience as if it were
he is Not future euents but present condition may be thus learned Neither day nor night scapes a good man without some profite the night teacheth him what he is as the day what he should be Therefore said a Philosopher that all waking men are in one common world but in sleepe euery man goes into a world by himselfe For his dreames doe signifie to him those secret inclinations to which hee thought himselfe a stranger though they were home-dwellers in his heart Euen those fancies are speaking images of a mans disposition And as I haue heard of some that talke in their dreames and then reueale those secrets which awake they would not haue disclosed So may thy dreames tell thee when thou wakest what kind of man thou art The hypocrite dreames of dissimulation the proud woman of paint and colours the theefe of robberie and booties the Iesuite of treasons Let them aske their very sleepe qualeâ—… sint what manner of men they arâ—… For so lightly they answere temptations actually waking as their thoughts doe sleeping Thus onely a man may make good vse of his dreames Here let vs obserue that God doth sometimes draw men to him suis ipsorum 〈◊〉 by their owne delights and studies No doubt these Magi were well acquainted with dreames it being amongst Ethnickes and Peripatetickes a speciall obiect of diuination Therefore there is a booke bearing the name of Aristotle De diuiâ—…ne pâ—…r somnium Many â—…ors these men had swallowed by dreames now behold in a dreame they shall receiue the truth So God called them by a Starre whose profession was to relie too much on the Starres Quare per Stellam vt per Christum ipsa materia erroris fieret salutis occasio Why by a Starre that through Iesus Christ the very matter of their error might be made a meanes of their saluation Per 〈◊〉 illâ—…s vocat quâ—… familâ—…ria illis consâ—…tudo fecit God cals them by those things which custome had made familiar to them They that are stung with Scorpions must be cured by the oyle of Scorpions Thus God allures men to him as Fishermen 〈◊〉 with such baites as may bee somewhat agâ—…ble to them Paul is occasioned by the Alâ—… 〈◊〉 the vnknowâ—… God to make knowne the true God the 〈◊〉 Iesus Doth Dauid loue the Sheepe-folds he shall be a Shepheard still From following the eâ—…s great with yong he brought him to feed Iacob his people and Isrâ—…ll his â—…ritance Doth Peter loue fishing he shall goe a fishing still though for more noble creatures to catch souleâ—… Doe these Magicians loue Starres and Dreames behold a Starre and a Dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God Old Isâ—… takes occasion by the smell of his Sons garments sauouring of the field to pronounce a spirituall blessing The smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Ierome notes of Amos that he begins his Prophecie with roaring The Lord shall roare from Sion Because he being a field-man kept the woods where hee was wonted to the roaring of Lyons Iudaei signa quaerunt Doe the Iewes seeke a signe Why Christ will there euen among them worke his Myracles Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose shall catch him at a Sermon All things shall worke to their good that are good Omnia etiam peccata All things euen their very sinnes sayth Augustinâ—… 〈◊〉 in his Essayes writes that a libidinous gentleman sporting with a Courtezan in a house of sinne chanced to aske her name which she sayd was Mary Whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not onely cast off the Harlot but amended his whole future life Well-beloued since this is Gods mercie to allure vs to him by our owne delights let vs yeeld our selues to be caught What scope doth thy addiction leuell at that is not sinfull which Gods word doth not promise and afford What delight can you aske which the Sanctuarie giues not Loue you hunting learne here to hunt the Foxes the little Cubbes those craftie sins sculking in your bosomes Would you dance let your hearts keepe the measures of Christian ioy and leape like Iohn the Baptist in Elizabeths wombe at the saluation of Iesus Delight you in running Paul sets you a race So runne that ye may obtaine You shall haue good company Dâ—…id promiseth that he will run the way of Gods commandements Peter and Iohn will runne with you to Iesus Loue you Musicke Here are the Bels of Aaron still ringing the treble of Mercie and the tenor of Iudgement Leui's Lute and Dauids Harpe There are no such songs as the songs of Sion Would you be merry Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say reioyce If euer you found ioy like this ioy the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost backe againe to the world Louest thou daintie cheare here be the best cates the body and bloud of thy Sauiour the bread of life no hunger after it Wilt thou drinke much Drinke my wine and my milke drinke yea drinke abundantly O Beloued Bibâ—…e 〈◊〉 as the originall imports drinke and bee drunken with loues pledge the health that Christ begun euen asauing health to all nations Are you ambitious there is no preferment like that to be had here in the Court of the King of Kings Dauid iudged it no little thing to bee Sonne in law to a King but what is it then to bee a King Desire you stately buildings Alas the whole world is but a Cottage a poore transient Tabernacle to the Mansions promised by Christ. Lastly are you couetous Yet I need not aske that question but take it as granted Why then here is gold more precious then that of Arabia or of Hauilah rust or theefe may distresse that this is a treasure can neuer be lost What should I say more What can winne you Which way soeuer your desires stands God doth allure you The best thinges in earth or in heauen are your baite With these doth the Lord seeke you not for any need that he hath of you but for your owne saluation When the fairest of all Beloueds doth thus wooe vs let him winne vs and espouse vs to himselfe in grace that wee haue the plenary marriage in glory You see the Manner of their Warning The Matter That they should not returne to Herod Why not to Herod Because the Lord now lets them see his hypocrisie For howsoeuer he pretended Ver. 8. to come and worship him yet he intended not seruire but sâ—…uire not to honour him but to murder him He cals the Wisemen priuily as if hee quaked at the propagation of this newes for it came vpon him like the pangs of death He commands them to inquire de infante not de rege of the babe not of the King for that title galled him to the heart That I may worship him Dirum facinus tingit colore pietatis
thy robes of glory but not thy rags of pouertie They loue him whiles the people cry Hosanna but shrinke backe when they cry Crucifie him All pleaseth them but the Crosse all the faire way of delights they will accompany him but at the Crosse they part They would share with him in his kingdome but they will none of his vassalage The Lyon in a Fable had many attendants and he prouided for them good cheare They like well of this and are proud of their master to whom all the other beastes gaue awe and obedience But it chanced that the Lyon fell into the daunger of the Dragon who had got him downe readie to deuoure him His followers seeing this quickly betake them to their heeles and fell euery beast to his old trade of rapine Onely the poore Lambe stood bleating by and though hee coulde not helpe would not forsake his Lord At last the Lyon gets the victory and treads the Dragon vnder his feet to death Then he punisheth those revolting traytors with deserued destruction and sets the Lambe by his owne side The great Lyon of Iudah feeds many of the Iewes and at this day profane wretches whilest his bountie lasts Christ and none but Christ. But when the Red Dragon hath got him vnder nailed him to the crosse Crucified him dead away goe these runnagates no more peny no more Paternoster If affliction come for Christ his cause they know where to find a kinder Master Backe to the world one to his fraud and hee will ouer-reach others with the sinne of deceitfulnesse though himselfe be ouer-reached with the deceitfulnesse of sinne Another to his vsurie and hee chymically proiects money out of the poores bowels A third to his couetousnesse and hee had rather that the very frame of the world should fall then the price of corne A fourth to his Idols and hee hopes for cakes from the Queene of heauen as if the King of heauen was not able to giue bread If the Lord pinch them with distresse they runne to Rome for succour expecting that from a blocke which they would not tarry to obtaine from the God of mercie Then they cry like the Israelites Vp make vs gods to goe before vs for as for this Moses wee know not what is become of him But at last this Lyon conquers the Dragon ouercomes Sathan his damnation what shall he then say to those Rebelles that would not haue him raigne ouer them But Bring those mine enemies and slay them before me But the poore and pure innocent Lambs that suffer with him shall raigne with him Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 The other vse is St. Pauls Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus What mind is that Humilitie Ver. 7. He that thought it no robberie to bee equall with God humbled himselfe to become Man we should haue found it no robberie to be equall with Deuils and shall we be proud What an intolerable disproportion is this to behold Humilem Deum superbum hominem an humble God and a proud man Who can indure to see a Prince on foot his vassall mounted Shall the Sonne of God be thus humble for vs shall not we be humble for our selues For our selues I say that deserue to be cast downe among the lowest for our selues that we may be exalted He that here cals himselfe the Sonne of man is now glorified they that humbly acknowledge themselues to be the Sonnes of men that is mortall shal be made the Sonnes of God that is immortall In the first of King 19. There was a mightie strong winde that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes but God was not in the Wind the Lord will not rest in the turbulent spirit puffed vp with the wind of vaine-glory There was an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake He will not dwell in a couetous heart buryed in the furrowes of the earth and cares of the world There was a Fire but the Lord was not in the fire Hee will not rest in a cholericke angry soule full of combustion and furious heate There was a still soft voyce and the Lord came with it In a milde and humble spirit the God of heauen and earth will dwell The high and loftie One that inhabiteth eternitie will dwell in the contrite and humble soule It is a sweet mixture of Greatnesse and Goodnesse Vt dum nihil in honore sublimius nihil in humilitate submissius When the highest in dignitie are the lowest in courtesie Augustine called himselfe Minimum non solùm omnium Apostolorum sed etiam Episcoporum the least not onely of all the Apostles but of all the Bishops wheras he was the most illuminate doctor and best Bishop of his times Paul thought himselfe not worthy to be called an Apostle and behold he is called The Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Paul but The Apostle Abraham that esteemed himselfe dust and ashes is honoured to bee the Father of all them that beleeue Dauid sits content at his sheepe-folds the Lord makes him King ouer his Israell But as Humilitie like the Bee gathers Honey out of ranke Weeds very sinnes mouing to repentance So Pride like the Spider suckes poyson out of the fairest flowers the best graces and is corrupted with insolence Vna superbia destruit omnia Onely Pride ouerthrowes all It thrust proud Nabuchadnezzar out of mens societie proud Saul out of his kingdome proud Adam out of Paradise proud Haman out of the Court proud Lucifer out of heauen Pride had her beginning among the Angels that fell her continuance in earth her end in hell Poore man how ill it becomes thee to be proud when God himselfe is humble Is come We vnderstand the person let vs come to his Comming And herein Ecce veritatem behold his Truth Did God promise a Sonne of a virgin Emanuell a Sauiour He is as good as his word Venit he is come Did the sacrificed bloud of so many Buls Goates and Lambes prefigure the expiatory bloud of the Lambe of God to be shed Ecce agnus Dei Behold that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Is the Seed of the woman promised to breake the head of the serpent Behold he breakes the heauens and comes downe to doe it For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill Did God ingage his word for a Redeemer to purge our sinnes Call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Against vnbeleeuing Atheists and mis-beleeuing Iewes here is sufficient conviction But I speake to Christians that beleeue he is come Hac fide credite venturum esse qua creditis venisse Beleeue that he will come againe with the same faith wherewith you beleeue he is come alreadie Doe not curtall Gods