inspiration of the good spirite Iustification free-grace inheritance among them that are iustified by faith eternall life and all the blessings of heauen accompanying it XI The Port to which we driue this Ship 1. Cor. 15.20.26.51 c. Of death The Port to which wee driue this Ship is death For such as by death passe from this life land at deaths staires where the bodie abideth the time of the restitution of all things that with their coheires they may enter into the land of promise Happie they are that die in the Lord Reuel 14.13 for they rest from their labours and their works follow them they enioy that which their faith hath so long fished for Wherefore wee say with Cyprian Serm 4. De mortalitate Non sunt fratres lugendt accersione dominica de soeuito liberati cum sciamus non eos amitti sed praemitti nec accipiendas hic atras vestes quando illi ibi indumeta alba iam sumpserint which is to say We are not so much to wayle for our brethren whome God by his messenger Death hath sent for seeing that they are not lost but gone before vs. Againe he saith thus verie sweetly Quis non peregre constitutus properet in patriam regredi Quis non ad suos nauigare festinans ventum prosperum cupide optaret vt velociter charos liceret amplecti Who being a trauailer in forraine parts doth not hast to his owne home who would not willingly sayle to his friends and desire a lustie gale of wind to speed him The time of the generall meeting of fishers and Seafaring men where that he might the sooner see the faces of his deerest kinred XII The time of our generall meeeing of vs fellow-fishers and Sea-faring men is the Iudgement day of which day S. Iohn speaketh thus I saw the dead both great and small stand before God Of the last iudgment and life eternall Reuel 20.12 Reuel 21.3.24.10.11.12.13.14 The fishermens meeting place where Casting out of netts angles out of this sh p. Gen. 6.3.18 and 7.1.20 and 1 Pet. 3.20 Luke 17.27 Math. 24.38 Gen. 6.14.15 c. The church is a steadie angling boat out of which there is no safetie Psa 125.1 Our priâ—e care XIII Our meeting place is our heauenly Ierusalem a Citie whose builder and maker is God of which read the whole 21. Chapter of S. Iohns Reuelation which hath much of this matter Thus in this Ship which is the Church of the euerliuing God we haue verie fit standing for the casting out of our nets angles and for our spirituall fishing without which there is no good to be done For as none were saued that were not in Noahs Arke so out of the Church there is no saluation As that was so pitched within and without as no water could sue thorough any seame thereof so the state of the Church is such as no detriment can bee imported vnto it For when tyrants haue shewed the extent of their malice the Church abideth firme as mount Sion not to be remooued Let our prime care therfore be to be in this Ship mindfull of that which Saint Austine truely saith Non habet Deum patrem qui non habet ecclesiam matrem He hath not God to be his Father who hath not the Church to be his mother These haue beene my meditations on this Boat when I haue been in mine angling-Boat THE SECOND CHAPTER Of the waters that are for this fishing THe riuers of waters ouer which we are to cast our nets and to lay our Angles Mar. 16.15 The waters for this fishing are the world Math. 13.47.48 A comparison betweene the world and the Sea are the wide world The Sea into which the drag-net of the Gospell was cast in that parable cleerely signifieth the world The world hath all the conditions of the Sea therefore it may well goe hande in hande with it Augustine matcheth it with the Sea thus Hoc sanctum mare est Aug. Tom. 2. in Psa 39. habet amaritudinem noxam habet fluctus tribulationum tempestates tentationum Habet homines velut pisces de suo malo gaudentes tanquam se inuicem deuorantes This world is a sea which hath a hurtfull bitternes which hath waues of tribulation tempests of tentations It hath men like fishes floating in it reioycing in that which is hurtful vnto them in their baite which is their bane and deuouring vp one another The world is a Sea swelling with pride blewish with enuie vaine glorie is the winde which maketh it to rock reele vpon the waters foaming with anger very deepe and profound in couetousnes no plummet beeinge able to sound the bottome of it castinge out all that commeth in the waye thorough excessiue miscarriage hauing a mercilesse maw to swallowe vp all that it can get with vnsatiable oppression verie dangerous to saile in by reason of the pernicious rockes thereof of desperation presumption couered with those waters loftie thorough the reciprocall waues of their passioÌ„s ebbing flowing in the inconstancy of it terrible salt thorough sin finally Mare amarum very brinish are the waters of it and not to bee brooked Iob. 40.20 The great Leuiathan and all sort of fishes in the Sea So in the world men of all natures and affections c. As in the Sea are all sorts of fishes and there is the great Leuiathan that hath his pastime in the waters so there be in this world men of all natures and affections we can name no creature of inclination neuer so cruell filthie abhominable but we will finde a Copes-mate for him of like qualitie amonge the crowd and companie of men Therefore heere commeth in an old prouerbe in place The diligence that ought to be in preachers of the word c. There is no fishing to the Sea For as the Fisher-man delighteth there to fish most where most store of fish are so should the spirituall Fisher-man of men desire to bee there more where his auditors are more The Apostles when the dispensation of preaching the Gospell was committed vnto them tooke a large circuit and wide perambulation through the world and their commission serued them thereunto Math. 28.19 being after this fourme Goe into all the world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures No Angler or Fisher-man will be alwaies plodding in one place Fishers but will follow the fish whither soeuer they goe Hee often findeth in a blinde vaine and spot very gainfull and delightfull doings and therefore he searcheth and ransacketh euerie place It is meete the Minister should doe the like and so he must if he will be a workeman of such thinges such a workeman as the Apostle describeth 2 Tim. 2.15 and the Lord expecteth a workeman that needeth not bee ashamed Christ not onely fished for the Crocodile in the water but for the Menowe in like manner and therefore as he went thorough euerie Math. 9.35
their crownes take vp Isaiah his saying All our workes thou hast wrought for vs o Lord and that worthie peace of Anthony Psa 115.1 with the melodious musician of Israel Not vnto vs o Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name bee the prayse for thy louing kindnes Isay 1.3 and thy truth sake Let vs not bee worse than the oxe who knoweth his owner and the Asse who knoweth his masters cribbe Be wee farre from kissing our owne handes and turning our backs to the sanctuary or our face from the mercie seat Ezec. 8.16 But let Zacharies Epiphonema goe with such a blessing Grace Grace bee vnto it And let vs say this grace ouer it prayse Reue. 5.13 honour glorie bee to him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lambe As all riuers runne into the Ocean sea from whence they came so that if thou knowest not the way to the sea take a riuer that will shew it thee so let this blessing among all other blessings bee attributed vnto God from whence it first came For what do we hold that hold not in Capite 1. Cor. 4.7 And what hast thou saith the blessed Apostle Paul that thou hast not receiued The fisherman annot discernce of what sorts his fish are while his nette is in the water so the spiritual angler in the sea of this world cannot iudge of mens hearts c. 4. The fisherman that hath a great draught in his nette can not discerne of what sortes they are which are good which are bad while the net is yet in the water so the preacher in the sea of this world cannot iudge of the affections of his hearers or of the state wherin they stand either for saluation or damnation For it is God alone that hath a throne in the hart of man that possesseth the reines and searcheth the very secrets of his thoughts man can but iudge by outward appearance we must leaue them to God for their inward inclinations And hee will diue into the depth of them It is no running behind the tree with Adam Gen. 3.8 18.10 38.14.15 God knoweth mans heart and his affections Augustine Zach. 4.10 nor hiding our selues vnder a tente with Sarah nor couering our selues with a vaile with Thamar nor cleanly wiping of our mouthes with the harlot in the Prouerbs or any halting or dissembling with God For he is Totus oculus as Augustine saith altogeather eye and his seuen eyes as Zacharie saith run ouer the whole world Hee that conceiued to himselfe that God was purblind and that he might daze the eyes of Gods knowledge argued his own folly hath this flout for his labour Psal 94.8.9.10.11 O you foole when will you vnderstaÌ„d He that made the eye shal he not see The Lord knoweth the thoughts of meÌ„ that they are but vain It was as absurdly said as might be of the 2. old fornicators that assaulted Susanna Dan. 13.20 Behold the GardeÌ„ dores are shut that no man can see vs For neither a partition walle of stone or any secret pauilion or the darkenes of the night can couer or keepe our misdeedes from Gods knowledge seeing it reacheth to the very intendments of the hearte Psal 44.21 which Dauid elegantly witnesseth saying If we haue forgotten the name of our God and holden vp our handes to any strange God shall not God search it out for hee knoweth the very secrets of the heart In an other place as nothing doubting of the omniscience of God he layeth downe his thoughts at the feet of God to vndergoe his tryall Psal 139.23 Trie me O God and seeke the ground of my heart prooue me and examine my thoughts In the fourth part of that Psalme Psal 139.2 hee speaketh sweetly in this wise Thou art about my path and about my bed and spiest out all my wayes For loe there is not a word in my tongue but thou Lord knowest it altogether when the Apostles were to surrogate an Apostle to make vppe the twelue in the roome of Iudas that had made defection and wrought his owne destruction and they pricked and presented two Barsabas and Matthias they called vpon God that they might make election of the best by his direction Acts. 1.22.23.24 as the searcher of the heartes Thou Lord which knowest the heartes of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen As Iob giueth to God all power so hee giueth all knowledge vnto him euen of the inner imagination of mans mind Iob. 42.2 I know that thou canst doe all thinges and that there is no thought hid from thee So doth Ieremie Iere. 17.9 The heart is deceâ—tfull Reue. 1.14 and wicked aboue all thinges who can know it I the Lord search the heart and trie the reynes In this respect the spirite giueth him fierie eyes which search thoroughly as they goe His eyes were as a flame of fire wherfore they serue to giue him light in the night season and to make day and night alike vnto him according to that which Dauid saith Psal 139. â— 7.8.11.12 If I say the darknes shall hide me then shall my night be turned to day yea the darkenes is no darknesse with thee but the night is as cleere as the day the darknes and light to thee are both alike wherefore no fisherman may sooner bee mistaken in his fish while they are in his nette in the water than we may be and are of the condicions of men while wee haue them but in the compasse of our nettes in this present world VVe should not measure the Church by the line of our affections by the plentie and prosperitie of the times Examples Iere. 44.18.19 Gen. 39.20 1. Sam. 21. 22. 23. 24. Acts of the Apostles and other Chuch stovies Reue. 13.7 Some measure the Church by the line of their affections by the plentie and prosperitie of the times which was the dotage of the old Israelites in Ieremies time prating thus vnto him since wee left off to burne incense to the Queen of heauen to poure out drinke offerings vnto her we haue had scarcenesse of all thinges and haue been consumed by the sword by famine And when we burnt inceÌ„se to the queen of heaueÌ„ powredout drink offring vnto her did wee make her cakes to make her glad and poure out drinke offerings vnto her without our husbands But was Ioseph the worse because he was imprisoned or Dauid the worse because hee was banished or the Church the worse because it hath been so long persecuted and of barbarous tyrants so cruelly intreated It is the badge of the beast that hee shall giue warre to the Saintes Iudg. 20.25 Prosperitie c. no true marke of the Church and vanquish them The Israelites whom we doubted not were the Church of God had twice very vnhappie speed in their warres waged with the Beniamites Haue not the Turkes
Citie and popular towne so in his progresse he fetched in also hamlets and villages and inclosed them in his net Luke 8.1 Hee went thorough euery Citie and Towne preaching and publishing the Kingdome of God They doe not therefore the halfe part of their dutie if they doe any dutie at all those politique Preachers of our times who spend the greatest part of their idlenesse in Princes Courts and fancie not to preach but in great places and cannot sauour of a simple audience as though preaching serued onely for shew of wit and to bring in a liuing and to liue licentiously For there are the best places to speake their declamations and filed orations to drinke the wine in bolles to attain to the greatest prefermēts of fat Prebendships Parsonages Deanries Bishoprickes Dauids Aphorisme is verie fitting for them They are hungry like dogges Psa 59.6.14.15 and goe vp and downe the Citie They are hungrie of their owne profit and not of the peoples they are dogges that licke the sores of sinners cunningly seeking how to currie fauour with Courtiers neuer thinking of correcting their manners They goe vp and downe the Citie pompously and proudly in the meane while their sheepe at home are committed to the ouer-sight of a simple mercenarie When a ban-dogge or shepheards curre is set to keep sheepe leaueth the flocke and trudgeth home for victuals the seruants of the house suffer him not but they chide him and cudgell him to his sheepe It were well that beneficed men might be so serued might no longer than there is verie needfull cause couch in the Court to crouch for euery crust that falleth the gretest gob that is being too little for their mouthes It is lamentable to consider and my heart bleedeth to thinke of it how poore Countrey-men are neglected and verie little or not at all instructed when as by office wee are in arrerages to all because God made all and are indebted as the Apostle professeth of himselfe to the wise vnwise in asmuch as Christ hath giuen his blood in purchase for the poore Rom. 1.14 as for the potentate God is no accepter of persons It were wel then that they would haue that memento the Apostle giueth thē Act. 10.34 35. brethrē consider your calling Their calling is to a spiritual fishing therfore as Fishers neglect no waters wherein any good is to be done so should preachers despise no people vpon whome any good may be done The sea is most inconstant and disquiet by nature from whence the worlde very liuely hath his nature Some write of a certaine flood and riuer called Furipus adiacent to the sea how it hath a seuen-fold reciprocation and returne that it ebbeth and floweth seuen times in euery foure and twentie howres But no Euripus is so mutable and variable as the world constant in nothing but in inconstancie The moone changeth euery day The Chameleon a fower footed beast in India often turneth colour but not so often as the world turneth coppie For no Proteus is so often transformed as that Laban changeth Iacobs wages tenne times Gen. 31.41 and 29.23 1. Sam. 18.17.19.11 Iudg. 4.17 If Laban promise Rachel he will giue Leah vnto Iacob If Saul promised Merab to Dauid he must bee pleased with Michal though a peace was concluded betweene Iabin the king of Hazor and betweene the howse of Heber Iaels husband the Kenite yet when Sisara trusted to this peace it was his perdition For Iael tooke him napping with a nayle made sure worke of him Iacob called Amasa but to kill him 1. Kings 25. and 2. Sam. 3.27 and 20.9.10 Gen. 4.8 Mat. 26.48.49 Iob. 14.2 Cain spake so friendly to Abel onely to murder him Iudas kissed his master onely to betray him The world is a false marchant that by very good wordes dooth off his bad wares Iob touching the ficklenes of the world speaketh thus of it There is nothing that keepeth one state Thou art now sound and by and by sicke thou art now strong and immediatly weake thou art now merrie and presently mourning thou art now ventrous and in a moment timorous thou art now quiet and out of hande angrie thou wilt thou wilt not thou doest thou vndoest thou art alwaies ebbing and flowing with the sea The sea is of such troublesome disposition of it selfe as it is neuer quiet but it hath his boyling surging commotions though it be not angred with windes or stormes or accidentall perturbations For one waue so successiuely followeth another taketh it by the heele as by the impetuous violence thereof they breake one another These waters are the wicked ones who are not without their inward conuulsions the waues of their wiced doings incessantly beating against their guiltie consciences which worse than any ragged hangman extreamely but chereth them The furious furies are alwaies hanging on them not such as fables fancie tedis ardentibus searing them with burning torches but with the remēbrance of their forepassed euils tearing tormenting them Sua quenque fraus saith the Orator et suus terror maxime vexat suum quenque scelus agitat Cic. oratia amentiaque afficit suae malae cogitationes conscientiaeque animi terrent These perturbations they are no more able to lay downe of themselues no more than the sea can lay downe the collision of his waues of it selfe we finde the wicked world in these respects thus compared by the Prophet Isaiah to the sea The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest Isay 5 7.20 It is no good fishing in a troublesome streame A troublesome fellow is commonly incorrigible he is wilier than to be taken with the net and hooke of Gods worde It is with him as Salomon saith Pro. 9.7 Hee that reproneth a scorner purchaseth to himselfe shame and hee that rebuketh the wicked getteth himselfe a blot To admonish a contumacious companion is as if wee should iobbe and goade a madde man feed a fier with oyle For they are not only vncapable of reproofe but they meditate all the mischief they canagainst their monitors They are of a dogged disposition vppe and downe For as dogges doe preferre filth before perfume a contagious carrion before any good confection so this currish kind delight too much in their filthines than by hearing wholesom admonition to bee wonne to godlinesse Dogges flie vpon such as endeuour to put them from their carrion they haue seazed vpon so such hell-houndes will violently rise vp against such as shall goe about to withdrawe them from their filthinesse Mar. 3.22 Mat 9.34 and 12.24 Luke 11.15 Matth 11.21.23 Iohn 16.22.29 Math. 7.6 Doctrine of admonition doth so litle with them as miracles doe not mooue them For how many strange wonders did Christ among such who were neuer the better for them wherefore that wee should not loose our labours among such let vs heare what warning is giuen vs of such Giue yee not that which
their lippes at this wel-spring of wisedome they haue not a smacke or taste of Gods wordes and therefore fooles they are euery inche of them 2. A second sort there are that are as dangerous as the former were pitious who are those that make a mocke of the counsels of God 2 Pet. 3.3.4 Iude. 18. and entertaine with derision whatsoeuer is deliuered to them of God of the end of the world of the reward of the good of the wicked men and of the whole mysterie of our sacred Religion Such are fooles in graine but they are lewde and knauish fooles and I meruaile that the earth is not wearie of such a burden 3. But the ranckest brood of all are that butcherly brother-hood who not onely are colde in religion but burn in hatred and detestation towardes all such as are of that most holy profession The flockrs of these diuilish foolish companious are beyond all comparison hell it selfe neuer casting vp more horrible abomination than proceedeth from their viperous mouthes And are there not euery where rablements of these doe not this follie set vp a monarchie in the Theater of this worlde were the world sacked ransacked accordingly what a pitious part of true wisemen should we finde Wherefore the Aegyptians spake by booke when they followed a man with a fish for his follie For as we haue measured wisedome by the lype of truth and weighed it accordingly by the shuttle of the sanctuary man is wholly by nature out of square and wayeth not a graine THE NINTH CHAPTER Of the Antipathie and differences of fishes of both sortes and of the angling of both kindes ALthough in some properties as wee haue formerly shewed men so sort with fishes as if they were of the same body with them in those things and specially that are of baddest nature yet in many parts they differ between themselues as we may now consider 1. First though they be of hurtfull nature to those of their own nature in their owne element where they catch kill all they can and liue vpon the spoile yet they couet not to go beyond those boundes to prosecute their crueltie But man wil haue his mind though he compasseth sea and land taketh the widest perambulation that may be throghout the whole world Wee may say with the Poet vnto him Quae regio in terris vestri nō plena laboris What Country round about your labour is without The sea with his barres cannot barre him of his purpose but as the Poet saith of him Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos The merchant wealth to winne doth run through thick and thinne The fish is but foolish and innocent in respect of man for the munitions and machinations that hee dayly doth deuise are wonderfull and those onely excogitated and opposed against man-kinde It would pose the best mans skill in cogitation I will not say Oration to comprehend the seuerall deuillish deuises of man against man his threats reproaches prisons tortures thefts piracies violent affections of which no man can be secure in his greatest securitie Cicero Cicero maketh mention of a certaine Phylosopher who had made a booke of the varierie of diseases vnto which wee are subiect together with the proper causes thereof as inundations of waters epidemies apoplexies the venemous teethe of beastes and such like in conclusion of all saith that more are cut off by the crueltie of man than by all other means else For hee is a hammer that is neuer batterred a sword whose edge is neuer dull a snare into which euery one must fall a prison which no man can escape sea by which we must needs trauell a general punishmēt that must be vndergone The fish in the streame is onely in danger of the greater sort for there is none of them assaulteth a bigger than himself but the veriest mennow among men the salt and sweepage of the court dare conceiue and contriue the death of the Prince of the court the mā most despicable dare arise vp against the honorable More vngracious is man by much in his generation than fishes in their kindes 2. Heerein also is absolute disproportion betweene the ordinarie and spirituall angling and the fishes of both natures that in the one the frie and smaller sort doe keepe off the greater in the other the greater doe hinder the smaller from comming to the baite In ordinary angling you shall often perceiue the bait so nibled away and the end of the hooke made so bare by the paltrie sort of fishes as the great ones seing it dare not aduenture on it wherefore anglers often drawe vp their hookes and put whole baytes vnto them But in our angling for men-men-fish wee haue the contrary experience the great water Pikes Pearches I mean Prelats and Potentates by their corrupt examples discouraging them or by their ouer-insolent authoritie Isai 1.5 6 10 20 23. c. Matth. 6.22.23 detaining them from biting If they would giue better example themselues the people woulde soone be better But if the head be sicke the whole body will be heauie If the eye be blinde the whole body will be darke The oyntment of example Psal 133.2 runneth from Aarons heade downe his beard and the skirts of his clothing that is to the middle and lowest sort of the people Prou. 29.12 It is Salomons saying Scripture examples bind it and moderne proofes find it Of a prince that hearkneth to lyes all his seruantes are wicked For the people take their precepts out of princes and prelats practise suting themselues to their disposition according to the Note the Prophet Isaiah taketh of them Isai 24.2 saying There shall be like people like Priest like seruant like master like maid like mistresse like buyer like seller like lender like borrower The sins of Ieroboam 2. king 14.24 2. Chron. 13 6 7. 1. king 2.28.30 14.16 c. were attractiue as the stone that draweth yron after it wherefore to the mention of him you haue alwayes this addition Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne Euery superior standeth doubly charged 1. With the sin 2. With the example For their sin is 2. Chron. 26 19 20. as Oza his sore that was in his fore-head which euery one might see But a fault in a meaner man Exod. 4.6 7 is as Moses his leprous hād which he did hide in his bosom Princes prelats predominant powers are the proppes and pillers of the people Exod 13. 14. and they are as the cloudie pillar to the Israelites who went as that went stood still as that stood stil Gen. 34.20 24. The Sichemites were circumcised Lord Hemor their prince being circumcised before them The whose garrison Iudg. 9.48.49 did cut off euery one a branch from a tree after the imitation and direction of Abimilech their leader The armor-bearer slew himselfe 1. Samu. 31.4 5. Num. 10.2.3.4.5
is holy vnto dogges neither cast yee your pearles before swine least they tread them vnder their feet and turning againe al to rent you But yet as wise fishermen wee must discreetly distinguish of sinners and way wel their affections if there bee any hope of hooking them or tolling them to our nets we are to lay for them wee must trie before wee doe distrust and proue what may bee done and though the water be somewhat rough yet there may be some doings we are to doe our best though we feare the worst we are to deale as we may with him before wee finally despaire of any what thou shouldst doe with such faith charitie will tell thee better than any Augustine in his ConfessioÌ„s writeth of Alypius that was wholy dedicated to theatrical pastimes and vaine games and was reclamed from them by Augustine his biting inuectiue against them at which hee grew into an anger with himselfe Of the best and worst places to fish in and euer after very feruently fancied him But the deeper cleerer and stiller waters are the best for fishers shallow muddie riuers giue no sport for there is no roome for a flote of an angle to sinck or for a net to bee laid out besides that the fishes there mudding themselues they cannot be got out Such as are not of deepe deuotion but of shallow vnderstanding in heauenly thinges such as plodde wholy in the mudde and myre of the worlde will neuer rise vp to the sword of the water that the net might goe vnder them For as beasts that feede grosly doe neuer flie high so grosse minded men haue neuer high thoughts in heauenly thinges Also the mudde of this place doth pollute the nette snarâ—e it and hurte it the glorious gospell of the son of God is defiled contradicted rent by the puddle of couetous minded men drunkards swinish Epicures heretiques schismatiques and the flockes of their companions of which the Church hath had too wofull experience I wil vrge this allegorie no further nor suffer it to goe further with mee than the hande of the scripture guideth it therefore let this bee sufficient that hath beene said of the sorts of waters that are best for our angling occupation and spirituall fishing THE THIRD CHAPTER Of the nets and angle-rod that are for this fishing THe instrument of out angelicall angling and fishing is the worde of God preached which by Christ in the Gospell is compared to a net Mat. 13.47 which is of that making as it sweepeth as it goeth and therefore the Latines cal it verriculum because as a beesome thorow what so is in the way it maketh cleane worke It may as well bee likened to the angling pole or to any other inuention for the catching of fishe Luke 5.6 The vse of the fishers mans nette-chiefly serueth to restraine the exorbitant passage of fishes vncertainly skudding vp downe without any order hemming them in and keeping them at a bay within the compasse of it The power the working of the preached word and the great hope that is to be had of suâ—h as wiâ—â— beâ—e Acter 9.2 4.6.17.19.20 Of this effect and working is the preached worde as intercepting our extrauagant affections wandering wide out of the way without gouernance of the spirite and streightning our libertie keeping vs by the obedieÌ„ce of faith within the limmits of Gods law Let vs take our vagaries neuer so much as fishes in their element if euer we come to the nets way we may bee stayed in our waie So was Paul when hee was a Saul posting to Damascus with high commission to trouble those that were of the religion in the midde way being stayed in his course the word of God countermaunding him and he obeying it resting vppon the direction of it Iude 11. Num. 22.23.32 2. Pet. 2.15.16 saying Lord what wilt thou haue mee doe Though Balaam the son of Bosor loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse and loued the golde of Moab as his life yet he durst not for his life doe otherwise than he was warranted by God and so he answered the Lords that stayed vppon him Num. 22.18 and 24.13 saying If Balaak woulde giue me his house full of siluer and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of my Lord God to doe lesse or more Gods word to him was a hooke to his nose and a net to stoppe his progresse Achab looked that Micheah shoulde haue spoken leasings 1. King 22. 15.17.19.25 pleasings vnto him but the word of God had such sure hold of him as hee might haue sooner his head than his help Num. 9.15.17.18 c. The children of Israel in al their wide and wearisome trauailes went on by degrees as the word of God directed them I despayre not of any mans calling if hee will but come within the reach of the nette of Gods word howsoeuer he hath no meaning to bee taken in it for hee may bee caught and brought vp to heauenly shore whether hee will or no. Ieh 7.32.45.46 The good that may be had by comming to Sermons I haue read of as great an acte as this done at Hierusalem vpon the high Priests seruants sent out by their master for the attachment of Christ who finding him in his pulpit hearing his preaching their heartes melted away as droppes of water they had no power ouer him but returned as they came thus answering their maisters 1. Sam. 19.12.20.21.22.23 Neuer any man spake as that man Thus was Saul and his seruants serued Saul sent seruants to apprehend Dauid who finding him amoÌ„g the Prophets they were immediatly in the vaine of prophecie And when Saul came himselfe hee sermoned in such sort Laban neuer searched so narrowly Iacobs houshould-stuffe Gen. 31.33.34 as the worde of God searcheth our inner parts reforming theÌ„ and conforming them thereunto Heb. 4.12 As Simeon abiding in the temple Luke 2.27.28.29 Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 found Christ so many but by coming to the church haue found saluation There is a hidden vnspeakable power in the word preached to draw Disciples after it and to gain soules to God Luke 3.10.12.14 Iohn Baptist had but one night laid out his net he found innumerable souls takeÌ„ in it of al sorts 1. The meÌ„nowes and meaner sorte the croude of common people 2. Publicans and sinners verie slipperie eales that had long lien in the mudde of their misdoings 3. Sanguinarie souldiers the Pike and water-wolues of the Ocean of this worlde a people naturally diseased with the bloodie issue Al these came trauelling into the net at once hee no sooner angled for them but had them It was not the contention of his spirites or the inuention of his wits or the intention of his good wil that won them but it was God that had a nette for the nones for them and a hooke that entred thorowe them and held them Acts
2.37.40.41.47 Peter got a worthie dish of fishe at one time in the fishponds at Hierusalem when as no sooner he pricked them with the hooke but they were pricked in their hearts said vnto Peter the other Apostles Men brethren what shall we doe and the same day there were added to the Church three thousand soules There resorted to the lectures of Ieremie very head-strong fellowes such as his nets and angels Ierem. 38. and 41. for a time could not holde but when they had tired themselues in their waÌ„dring wayes they retyred to his nette and striued no more with it the king the great Leuiathan the nobles the dragons in the waters the other kindes of fishes all sorts of people gathered to him and hee drew them to him easier than hee could haue conceiued Ezechicl in the person of God Eze. 33.31 thus deciphereth the manner of men of his time that were formall hearers of the word They come vnto thee as the people vseth to come and my people set before thee heare thy wordes but they will not doc them But were not the worde of God such a capable net as it is it shoulde not thus haue encloased them as it did and had their companies Luke 4.16.17.22 The Nazarites against their willes were in compasse of this spred net at Christ his preaching among them and they were so incircled past their winding out as they admired the deliuerance of such doctrine bare witnes to the grace of the Gospell Mar. 6.20 Matth. 14.2 Acts 13.8.11 Acts 5.1.5.10 Gen. 4.9 mauger their beardes This net so entangled and snarled Herod as he feared the Baptist both aliue and dead The hooke of Pauls angle-line strooke Elim as thorow the eies blinded him with such a one did Peter take Ananias and Saphira and it cost them their liues Cain when the hooke first pricked him by striuing with it like a fishe that striueth with a hooke more wounded himselfe till at last he yeelded leauing his wrangling and trembled before God So often as thou commest vnto a sermon consider how God by his Preachers trowleth for thee Say not for Gods sake I will not heare the preacher I am not friends with him I will not come to Church while I am at oddes with him Or I am booke learned enough I know as much as he can tell mee For thou knowest not what this drag-nette and angle will doe for all thy great learning Bee thou a man of metaphysicall wisedome I trust thou wilt not compare with Dauid a man fulfilled with the spirite of God with whome God talked as familiarly as the Father with the childe Dan. 5.10.11.12 of whom wee may say as Belshazzars Queene said of Daniel In whome is the spirite of the holy Gods light and vnderstanding and wisedome like the wisedome of the Gods was found in him Yet for all his priuiledge of prophecie and other royall induments and prerogatiues of grace he was cast into a bedde of sinne as Iezabel into a bedde of fornication whereon hee had slept Endimions sleepe 2. Sam. 11.4.6.13.14.15 Chap. 12.1.7.13 if Nathan the preacher had not rowsed him and by a parable whereof hee was the subiect and answere shaked him by the shoulders and set him on his feete at whose preaching voyce he awaking deuised that daintie antheme and dittie the ode and song of mercie the necke verse-that saue offenders from death and it being seriously song or saide shall saue vs all sinners from the second death the 15. Psalme Psal 51. Dan. 4.2.29 Nabuchodonoser had before his eyes in a vision a large extended tree which was the interpretation of his imperiall kingkingdome but he was neuer the wiser for the vision though all his wisards had bin with their books for him vntill he heard the preacher Daniels prelection Paul was a man of very worthy parts and hee had bringing vp with the best Act. 22.3.6.12.13 c. Phil. 3.5 2 Co. 11.22 Acts. 23.6 he was a Iewe borne which was a gainful an aduantage then as it was of old to haue beene an Athenian borne rather than a Barbarian Tharsus in Cilicia was his foster place He was trained vp in learning in the mother citie Hierusalem vnder a schoole-maister of renowmed memorie Gamaliel doctour of the lawes his institution and profession was according to the straight rules of Pharasaisme without any deflexion His zeale and deuotion had it not been blinded with superstition had admitted no coÌ„parison he had the mark of the true religion which was circumcision which he receiued not in processe of time as many prosilites in their nature or older age but at the due time with the first and best the eight day His descent was from Israel not Esay who morgaged and made a sale of his inheritance his tribe was Benâ—amin that had neuer relapsed to Idolatrie His antiquitie in that line was famous as being an Hebrew of the Hebrewes Thus yee perceiue what excellent thinges are spoken of him yet all these rather hindred him than helped him till God by a sermon from heauen did helpe him and sent him to Ananias a preacher Actes 22.6.7.12.13 c. Actes 9.10.18 c. to practise vppon him and of a persecutour to make him a professour who had him not in hand long before the scales of his former blindnes fell froÌ„ his eyes distasting wholy his former profession sauouring and fauouring a contrarie conuersation and so loathing the one in the loue of the other as he esteemed it no better thaÌ„ dong compared with the excellent knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 Also this similitude that wee haue in hand holdeth sitly by comparison with our purpose Matth. 13.47.48 For as the fishermans draw-net bringeth to shore al sorts of fishe good and bad togeather with them the filth and pelse of the water as emptie shels weedes bushie stalkes and trashe so when the word is preached the good and badde the elect and out-casts heare it together and in outward appearance the worste giue often good countenance vnto it and formally doe professe it although their mindes with the prodigal sonne are in a faire countrie very wide of it Luk. 15.13 This is the cause that there are so many hypocrites and counterfet Christians in our holy assemblies that haue so many fallacies betweene the porch and the altar that they might not bee found out what they are as Ieroboams wife had a disguised mantell that Ahiah the Prophet might not know who she was 1. Kings 14.1.2.4 as the lifting vppe of their eyes and handes the bowing of their knees the smiting of their breasts and thighes their demure lookes their loude sighings the labour of their lippes their hanging downe of heades their shedding of teares toyes that beguile the beleeuing people that can neuer bleare the fierie eyes of the al-knowledge of the onely wise God These hypocrites are but as counterfeit mony outwardly ouerlayd with
These make such an opening in the nette and thorough passage as others take the aduantage of escaping out of it Others there are so ouerlaiden in themselues in their earthly affections as they not onely way downe the nette but they draw it to their owne affections and if any scripture goeth but a mile with them they will make it goe twaine Finally there are a sorte of such that this net shackleth that seeme in outwarde sight to make a propper dish of fish Reue. 3.17 they seeme so sanctified and holy but they haue but a name that they line but they are twise dead vnseruiceable for God and in the sight of the world abhominable Ma. 13.47.48 good for nothing but to bee cast ouerbord In that the capacitie of the net is such as it containeth all kinds it sheweth the illimmited largenes of the church how it is not confined circūscribed or to any peculiar place tyed as the church of Rome would haue it hemming it in within the precincts of their dominatiō but that it spreadeth it selfe ouer the whole world His dominion saith the Psalmograph shall be from sea to sea Psal 72.8.9.10.11 and from the riuers vnto the ends of the land They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and his enemies shallicke the dust The kinges of Tarshish and of theyles shal bring presents the kings of 〈◊〉 and Seba shall bring gifts yea all kinges shall worshippe him all nations shall serue him The two endes of these neetes are fastned to the vtmost ends of this world to the East and to the West wherefore Christ saith Mat. 8.11 Many shall come from the East and West and shall sitte with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen It must needes bee of vnmeasurable measure forasmuch as such a member without number is concluded in it Reue. 7.9 For while Iohn woulde take tale of them and score them vppe by their twelue thousands together hee commeth in at last with a reckoning without reckning saying I beheld to a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes palmes in their handes The difference betwixt the spiritual and the worldly net Herein therefore the spirituall differeth from the worldly nette that the one may be spanned and measured and is bounded but no line may take the length and compasse of the other and it may not bee appointed his boundes and borders The circuite 〈◊〉 the Persian and Median Empire stretched it selfe farre and wide The Persian and Median Empire The Grecians Romans c. hauing 120. … es in it yet it reached not through 〈◊〉 world The Grecians Romanes Babilonians were verie mightie monarckes yet by their mappes we may soone measure the borders of their kingdomes The Turke The Turke at this day who is the hammer of the nations who can sing and say with Dauid Psal 60.6.7.8 Gilead is mine and Manasses is mine ouer Edom will I cast out my shoe Asia is mine Africa is mine ouer Europe will I cast out my shoe hath as wee know but his distinct dominions there being many kingdomes beside wherein hee hath nothing to doe onely the king God hath set ouer his holy hill of Sion Psal 2.6.8 ruleth ouer all to whome he hath giuen the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for his possession The agreement betwixt the spirituall and the worldly net But herein the nette of the word hath very sutably agreement with an ordinarie worldly nette in that it is oft remooued as the other As fishermen carrie their nettes from place to place as they please themselues according to the nature and conditiō of the places fishing there most where the skulls of fishes are so Christ as it best pleaseth him draggeth his nettes from streame to streame from one kingdome to another people where the best vaine is where there is a people prepared vnto God The Church was first planted in Paradice then it abode with Abel next it floted vppon the waters in Noas arke Gen. 1.26 c. Gen. 2.15 Gen. 4.4 Gen. 6.18 Gen. 12.1 Act. 2. Act. 7.2 Act. 12. God hath his netts Sathan and the world haue their netts then it remooued to Mesopotamia with Abraham and flitted with him to Canan Aegypt Canaan Afterward it was with Isac then with Iacob then with Ioseph with Ezechiah Iosiah with Christ with his Apostles Sometimes it was in Iurie at another time in Galile sometimes in the assēblie of the apostles sometimes in the house of Iohn Marke of late times in Germanie Fraunce and now in the kingdomes of England Scotland Ireland But as God hath his nettes so the deuill and the world haue their netts which drawe simple soules layden with sinnes and allured with pleasurable obiects into all infelicitie of which the Prophet Abacuc speaketh thus Abac. 1.15.16.17 c. They take vp all with the angell they catch it in their nette Ahac 1.15.16.17 c. Iob. 1.7 1. Pet. 5.8 and gather it in their yarne whereof they reioyce and are glad The deuili is Peripateticus semper ambulans alwaies walking going about seeking whome he may ensnare and all is fish that come into his nette and hee knoweth as well when wee are taken as any angler doth know when a fish is taken How the angler knoweth when a fish is taken For an angler though hee see not the fishe yet when the flote quill or corke sincketh hee is sure that the fishe is hooked whereuppon hee striketh him bringeth him into the boate So our hearts being deepe riuers How Sathan knoweth when be hath sped Sathans baits for seuerall kinds of people the deuill being no more able to descrie the thoughts therof than the angler can descrie what fishes are in the waters for the secrets of hearts are only knowne to God he baiteth a hooke for vs and by the going downe of the line he knoweth we are sped If hee seeth wee are couetously giuen he sets riches before vs and we bite by and by at them if we be ambitious he offereth titles and degrees of dignitie we lay hold of them presently if wee be enuious malicious he ministreth matter for this madnesse to worke vpon hee hath manifold netts of temptations sometimes besetting vs with vaine pleasures sometimes encircling vs with sorrowes sometimes fetching vs in with feare and sometimes againe pricking vs with pride and presumption as he findeth vs qualified so he siteth himselfe for vs and by our ready and greedy apprehension of his temptations he worketh our destruction How to a uoid the nets of Sathan and escape his bates Being entangled how to get out of Sathans nets and to breake of from his hookes Of repentance c. Therefore euerie baite that he layeth for vs being
neere the ground or keepe themselues in holes or runne into the mud they haue meanes and wayes to come by them The spirituall Fisherman learneth from this schoole 1. Cor. 9.19 20 21 22. Iude 22.23 to frame himselfe to the capacitie of his auditorie and to vse all the policies he may to with draw them from their errors or redundant manners For his people are diuided into many mindes and therefore many wayes are to bee taken with thē Such as are worthy schoolemasters do giue themselues to their schollers wits Approoued Physitians doe prescribe according to the maladies and nature of their Patients 1. Cor. 3.1 2. c. Thus must Ministers incline themselues aswell to the wisdome Hebr. 5.11 12 13 14. 6.1 2. as to the weaknesse of the hearers and feed those that are children in knowledge with the first rudiments and Catechisme of Religion and such as are of more growth in vnderstanding to dyet them with the stronger foode of the mysteries of Gods will Though they somewhat stammer with Babes for their better vnderstanding it is not amisse Alwaies foreseeing and taking heed that they doe nothing to the preiudice of the trueth from which wee are not to start a haires breadth for any mans pleasure From which spirit such are very farre who caring for none but themselues shun all societie and liue wholly by themselues refusing conference with such as euery way do not partake with their opinions Time-seruers in the meane while with their quils very fiercely shooting at such as in the common cause of religion haue deserued very well and censure the gouernment of the Churches as they please are the occasion of very great confusion 2. Though fishers many times labour in vaine and get not a Frog yet continue they their fishing course Luke 5.5 6 bearing patiently with the times abiding to the ende in hope of better speed It very well beseemeth fishers of men to bee lessoned in this case by them and not hastily to resigne vp their standing because of their peoples so ill or simple vnderstanding The lawes Canons of the Church are herein very streight inhibiting Bishops and Ministers of the word to take their vagarie and to forsake their proper charges And these Canons are ratified by decrees of Counsels which are yet in force howsoeuer the morer part whō they concerne force not of them For if they did they would not keep the courts of princes so much as they doe and spend so much time in wordly matters and so little in their diuine studies Chrisostome Epiphanius Chystome taxed Epiphanius seuerely for leauing his owne charge and taking other mens matters in hand I meruaile what Christ would say to his fisher-men if hee were now among them saw them as we see them some in the Court some in the Campe some hunting some whoring so fewe intending their spiritual fishing The better sort that are discouraged in these labours because they haue so little successe are to be cōstant in their well begun course and to leaue the euent thereof to God who shall blesse it as it seemeth him best They that will doe nothing but to purpose and will bee certaine of the end before they begin shall stoppe many gainfull occasions of doing good and shall answere to God for their departure from the place he did put thē in without his good leaue As Ionas did who crossed the seas to post vnto Tharsus when his enioyned iourney was to Niniueh Ionah 1.3.4 God sent a Pursiuant in a whirle-winde against him and stayd his intendement 1. King 19.4.10.14.15.18.19 Elias also had giuen the slip as right wearie of his people in Israel had not God staied him in the nicke In such a taking was Paul who was in the minde to haue relinquished his charge at Corinth Acts 18.6.7.9.10.11 and to goe to the Gentiles had not a countermaund from God in the meane time stayed him The Fishermans trade is an exercise of patience so is our Euangelicall fishing function 3. The Fisherman so long as his nets orangles are in the water may expect a draught and hope for good hap so may the Preacher while he is in his profession and the spirit giueth him vtterance For it is as the Poet saith Quo minime credas gurgite piscis erit A Fish will be in that same plot which thou thinkst not Elias thought himself the only remainder of the Church of Israel 1. King 19.14.18 that had escaped the sword of Achab and Iezabell But God otherwise rounded him in the eare acertaining him of a number beside that had neuer yet done the least homage vnto Baal So Paul when hee thought to put vp his bookes to leaue the Church of Corinth as a contumacious and incorrigible companie God altred him certifying him of many religious people though vnknowne to him that were in those parts saying Acts 18.10 I haue much people in this Citie It is the part of the faithfull minister to despaire of none for the Lords hand is not so short but hee can saue 4. Fishermen and such as are expert Anglers consider many circumstances that make for their better angling disport as the winde the water the ebbing and flowing of it the time of the day the temperature of the ayer and many such like tokens The opportunitie that is taken is all in all in fishing affaires and in all other affaires which who so neglecteth faileth of his fancie 1. Cor. 9.19 20 21 22 2. Tim. 4.2 1. Tim. 5.1.2 1. Cor. 4.21 Iob. 1.7 22 1. Pet. 5.8 The deceits of Sathan and wicked men in taking opportunities and sheweth his folly Hereto must the spirituall fisher take most heed and espie his times and seasons for his purpose This the deuill and his adherents doe apprehend in their deuilish deuises and therefore let vs intend the same earnestly in religious indeuours The deuill at his first onsetre of temptation against Christ in the wildernesse tooke the occasion and aduantage of his hunger for that is a forcible sollicitor with man to any euill attempt for which cause the olde saying was Venter non habet aures The bellye hath no eares it will not bee led by reason And the wiser sort haue called famine Maleuada a very badde counsellor in all kinde of actions Gen. 4.8 Cain when hee plotted the butcherie of his brother espied opportunitie of time and place for it when hee had him in the fielde alone and there was none to witnesse his nefarious villanie Gen. 39.11 12. Putaphars wife watched a fit season when Ioseph was by himselfe to giue him a temptation Gen 34.25 26 27. The sonnes of Iacob intending the massacre of the Sichemites proiected before for it causing them to bee circumcised and falling vpon them before they could be recouered Matth. 26.16 When Iudas first conceiued a treason hee was alwayes hoouering ouer a time
conuenient to bring it forth Diabolus omnium discutit consuetudines Bernard ventilat curas scrutatur affectus ibi quaerit causas nocendi vbi nos vidit magis occupari The deuill weyeth well our would wonts the course of our cares the fashions of his affections and out of the nature of our qualities worketh his malignities Like a subtile Souldier trayned vp the in warres that layeth seige to that place of the wall that is weakest hee obserueth our weaknesse and maketh great matter of it As a man when hee would stricke fire out of a flint marketh what ende of the flint is fittest for the blowe of the yron that it may sparkle the sooner So the vilde tempter obserueth the affection that leaneth to sinne and that he striketh only with his yron of temptation that a sparke of our consent thereunto being expressed the flame of sin which may consume the whole man may thereby be kindled Gregorius Prius complexionem vniuscuiusque aduersarius noster perspicit sic tentationis laqueos opponit alius laetis alius tristibus alius timidis alius elatis moribus existit Sathan seeth euery ones complexion and so spreadeth his nets of temptations One man is giuen to solace another to sorrow one to feare another to pride Let the good Fisherman in the wisedome of his God that is in his heart be as wise in working mens saluation as the enuious man the Deuili is in the implacable malice of his minde to bring vs to destruction This is the wisedome of the Serpent which the wisdome of Christ in the persons of the Apostles commendeth to his seruants Matth. 10.16 saying Be as wise as serpents Marke the inclination of a man whether he refort to the preached word if hee doth haue comfort in him and doubt not but by trowling and trameling for him thou shalt haue him For his outward comming to the Word giueth great hope of the inwarde comming of the spirit and so of his happy comming into the nette according to that which Christ saith They that are of God Iohn 8.47 heare Gods word Marke his conuersation his company for commonly as a man is consorted he is qualified The Lacedemonians The Lacedemonians when they did put their sonnes from schoole the better to make iudgement of their inclinations they inquired diligently after their companions It is a certaine saying of the Psalmist With the holy thou shalt bee holy Psal 18.25 26. and with the froward man thou shalt learne frowardnesse Another marke of the better sort of men doth Dauid in the fifteeneth Psalme giue mee He maketh much of such as feare the Lord. Psal 15.4 By this Rule I iudge of a Papist and an enemie to Religion hearing him blunder against Luther Caluin Beza and such like renowned Saintes and Seruants of God I will insist in such circumstances no longer a thousand such specialties may be inserted which I leaue to euery faithfull Fisherman to finde out in his own pastorall function to make wholsome and gainfull vse thereof in his best discretion only I say this that though I see not a Fish in the water yet when I perceiue that my corke or floate is vnder the water I know well enough that a Fish hath taken the baite So though we see not into the secret minde of man yet by outward effects one may determine of inward affects and certainely conclude that our godly admonitions which are our baytes we lay for soules are taken 5. It is the Anglers order when hee hath a great Fish hanging at his hooke to vse him gently with an euen lyne leading him vppe and downe vntill hee hath wearied him and then he layeth his hande vpon him and heaueth him vppe for if hee shall snatch him vp greedily at the first and deale rigorously with him with the poize and wayte of his body hee will break lyne and Angle-rodde and escape So let Gods angelicall Angler Amplecti venientes gently entertaine such as are comming on and haue taken downe the hooke they haue layde for them and by the coales of kindnesse heaped vpon their heades Rom. 12.20 worke their full conuersion least by beeing too seuere towards them they marre all they haue made and loose all together Some fishes may bee pulled vp sooner then other some according to the proportion of them and the holde wee haue of them Strangers are more fauourably to bee handled than our ordinary hearers Such as are but Catechumen and Neophites in the faith of the first planting are to bee ordered more tenderly than such as haue made furder progresse in the same This will well appeare if wee veiwe the course of the holy men of God in the execution of their Ministry in olde time When as Isaiah had to doe but with his owne people Isai 1.4 he was hotte at the beginning with them with this declamatorie exclamation making entrie into his Sermon Ah sinfull nation ah people laden with iniquitie a seed of the wicked corrupt children But when Ionas was sent out of his owne parish beeing preacher to the Iewes to denounce Gods Iudgement against the Niniuites who were of the Gentiles hee insisted only in his text of commination according to Iniunctiō Ion. 3.4 without any inlargement therof by way of pathetical seuere reprehension Acts. 17.24 c. When Paul was brought to Areopage a place out of his walke and iurisdiction he maintained his Phylosophy before them as they désired him forbearing all kinde of crimination against them 1. Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. 6.1 c. But when he was among his Congregation at Corinth he ratled them roundly especially that incestuous companion against whō he thundred his most dreadfull Excōmunication Acts 7.51 Stephen when he perceiued his Iewish people in a setled cōtumacie withstāding the truth he pointed his words like the point of a diamōd thus roused them for it Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwayes resisted the holy Ghost Also according to their continuance in Gods Schoole and the time of their learning the Apostles framed their stiles of inditing Paul was ceremoniall when hee was to beget the yonger sort in faith and knowledge vnto God yet in the Galathians he will not endure them Acts 16.1.3 Gal. 3.1 2 3 4. c. Sathan skilfull in this angling occupation his trickes because they had otherwise a long time learned Christ The deuill I warrant you as hee is perfect in this angling occupation so hee knoweth how to handle a fish that hee hath hooked that hee may not breake from him Among other trickes that hee hath he will giue them line and libertie but he will not suffer him to walke further than he list but he draweth him in againe when it best pleaseth him Hee playeth with his Fish as the child playeth with his bird which he tyeth by the legge with a string and suffereth him
to flye the length of the threed only when hee had hooked Herod by incestuous temptation he drew him not vp forthwith vnto himselfe Mark 6.17 18 20.21.22 23. c. but hee suffered him to heare Iohn Baptist willingly and in many things to be coūselled by him for the line of his vnsatiable lust was strong enough to holde him Luke 18 11 12. He was not displeased that the Pharisee should fast twise in the weeke that he should tythe rightly forbeare common outrages of inordinate persons as long as their couetousnesse oppression and hypocrisie were hookes in their noses making them cock-sure I bring not in this in the behalfe of conniuencie that I would should be shewed in case of iniquitie that the Ministers should tollerate some sinnes in their people as the deuill doth tollerate some good things in his followers but to perswade Ministers to meekenesse for their better reclaiming of sinuers from offences and gayning them to goodnesse They shall handle them as the fisherman doth his fish if they shall touch their sores with a soft hande as though they were their owne as Paul did when hee said 2. Cor. 11 29. Who is weake and I burne not and shall haue mercy in their lippes and hearts Otherwise if they fasten their teeth vpon them vpon euery occasion they are Non correptores sedcorrosores as Bernarde saith Bernard Augustine Esay 92.3 Matth. 12.20 Non correctores sed traditores as Augustine saith They betray them rather than teach them they gnawe and consume them rather than correct them And so they breake Christs rule in the case by breaking the bruised reed and quenching the smoaking flaxe and keeping him downe that is fallen Bernard serm 44. in Castic that hee rise vp no more If wee make a mixture of the oyle of admonition and the wine of compunction the oyle of charitie and the wine of zeale it is the best ingredience and prescript we can minister THE SIXTH CHAPTER Of the Fisher-mans baytes EVery Fisher-man hath his proper baytes agreeable to the nature of those fishes that hee trowleth or angleth for For at a bare hooke no Fish will bite The caseworme the dewe-worme the gentile the flye the small Roche and such like are for their turnes according to the nature of the waters and the times and the kindes of fishes Whoso fisheth not with a right bayte shall neuer doe good Wee that are spirituall fishermen haue our seuerall baites sutable to the stomackes we angle for If we obserue not the natures of our auditors fit our selues to them we shall not do wisely Hic lauacra mollia Cassidorus ille ferrū quaerit ad vulnera One mās sore hath need to be bathed and suppled with oyle and another mans wound would be searched and seared with a hot and hard yron Vana poscit remedia diuersa qualitas passionū Gregorius Iude 22.23 1. Cor. 4.21 5.3.4.5 The differing kinds of maladies must haue diuers kindes of remedies what preaching is there of mercy to the vilde and wicked man whose heart is harder than the nethermost milstone a razor being sooner able to cut a whet-stone than any doctrine powerfull to stirre him to compunction Sing woe not therefore songs of mercie to such sinners For if we do we may put vp our pipes we speak rather to the ayre than their eares and our wordes are but winde for what saith Isaiah in this case Let mercie be shewed to the wicked Isai 26.10 yet he will not learne righteousnesse The stomacke of such a soule no more sauoureth such a bayre of the blessings of God layd vp for those that loue him than the appetite of any man rellisheth and tasteth a Boxe of rotten and stinking oyntment Rō 2.7 10. 2. Tim. 4.8 Reuel 22.1 2 14. Matth. 5.8 Hebr. 12.22 23. Reuel 7.13 14 15 16.71 1. cor 2.9.14 Tell such of honor glory peace an incorruptible crowne of the fruites of the tree of Life of the fruition of the presence of God of their societie with Angels Saintes congregation of first borne of new Names white garments of abundance of pleasures at the right hand of God and they will scorne them and set their faces against them Dan. 5.17 and say to vs as Daniel did to Belshazzar Keep thy rewards to thy self giue thy gifts to an other Wherfore baite thy hooke for them with the bitter worme of Gods iudgement with the worme that dyeth not Deut. 27.15 16 17 18 c. Exod. 19.16 18. Isaiah 3.24 25. c. rend not their garmēts but their hearts by reading ouer them the curses pronounced on mount Ebal speake of the thundrings and fire flashes on mount Sinai giue them lamentation for ioy ashes for beautie a rent for a girdle the spirit of heauines for the ioy of gladnesse and if all this auaile not Matth. 24.6.21 publish wars rumors of wars and such tribulation which was not from the beginning of the world to this day It may be that feeding vpon this baite they may be caught and conuerted vnto God Luke 3.3.4 5 7.8 Luke 3.9.10 12.14 For the Baptist by such a baite did speede exceedingly For by turning the axe of Gods iudgement towards thē they came in all the sort of them Now is the axe layde to the root of the tree that was his text with the ende of this Sermon began their conuersiō Publicans soldiors cōmons cōmuning with the Preacher how they might be saued Such an argument likewise serued Ionas his turn worthily For no sooner Gods iudgemēt was out of his mouth Ion. 3.4 5 6 7 8 9. but the Niniuites tooke vp repentance in their hearts 2. Sam. 14.30 31 32 33. Ionah 1.2 3 4.4.15 2.1.2 3.3.4 When Absolom could not make Ioab of his faction by gentle entreatie by extremity he gained him burning his barly landes When God by a still voice could not winne Ionas to doe his dutie and to goe to Niniueh by lifting vp his voyce like a Trumpet and by speaking by a tempest vnto him he made him buckle himselfe roundly to those businesses So let such as will not bee led by loue bee drawne by feare 1. Cor. 4.21 Iude 22.23 2. Cor. 2.7 11. 1. cor 9.19 20 c. But with some the spirit of meeknes will doe most and loue rather then a rodde doth more good and we shall do indiscreetly to deale roughly with such For as the water of a spacious and deepe Lake being still and quiet by nature by ruffling windes is moued and disquieted so a people tractable by nature by the rough behauiour of the Minister may be much turmoyled and altered from his nature The Barber that is to shaue the haire of the beard or face first washeth those parts then vseth his razor for if he should not doe so the razor would cut raize the skin The vnskilfull minister whose office it is to
mortification of the olde Adam and the vinification of the newe man Nowe such as haue neither sinne nor scale neither floate high or abide in deepes but keepe wholely in Foordes and in shallowe waters wrigling and wallowing alwayes in the mudde as the Eele Lamprey Turbot Such are the worldly minded men that sinke downe into the mire and pudle of sinne and are so ouerwhelmed and burdened with it as neither they can forsake their filthy affections or raise themselues higher by better cogitations Such were the Phylosophers of the Gentiles Rom. 1.22 Ephes 4.17 18. Acts. 17.18 who insisting in the grosse rudiments of nature would be led onely by the lyne of her suggestions giuing the cause of euery action to naturall operation vnable to consider of the author of nature who ruleth and gouerneth it to the accomplishment of his pleasure But wee be to nature not accomplished with grace for it is a perrilous pitte of puddle to keepe vs downe for euer When nature was solitarie in Peter as it was when he mooued his Master not to goe to Hierusalem Peter was Sathan Matth 16.16 17 21.22.23 But when grace guided him as it did when hee made that fundamentall confession That Iesus was the Sonne of the liuing God hee was not Sathan but Cephas and Simon and a blessed man Also those Lampreyes are those liuers that straine the Lawe like skinne of parchment vpon the tortures of their wilde wittes for the enlargement of their lucre They are slippery Eles indeede of whome there is no holde to be had varying the sence and iudgement of Law as often as they list and being so slimily and sordidly giuen as they may not be handled Of this ranke and retinue likewise are many of our Clergie-Masters who greedily swallow vp euery idle ceremonie vrging the outward letter thereof neglecting the spirituall meaning thereof the soule and life of it Let Orators and Poets make vp the messe the quintessence of whose wittes are nothing else but waues of wast words a streame of sillabical slight inuention a flood of friuolous fantastical fictions and merely a mud mire of absurdities the reformation of euill manners and such cogitations as are of heauenly nature agreeing not with their nature Now though the sea which is the worlds looking-glasse and presenteth the image of mens manners vnto vs affordeth no fish worthy of Gods taste howsoeuer it pleaseth him to accept of such as will come to the hooke or to the drawe-nette of his worde and wee approue the Apohorisme of Plato in Phoedone Plato who saith that the sea can engender nothing that is meete for Iupiter yet the premised manners of men shadowed by the second sort of fishes that are vncleane are that abominable prophanation which the Aegyptians vnderstood by a fish against which ancient holinesse did so oppose it selfe For such haue no sc ales which should bee vnto them as it were a habergeon to beare off the fierie dartes of the deuil vnlesse they be the scales of ignorance as the scales of ignorance fell from Pauls eyes Acts. 9.18 when Ananias did conuert him neyther haue they finnes to raise themselues beyonde their worldly thoughts THE EIGHT CHAPTER The Sympathie of natures of the fishes of both natures I May say of the Earthfish and Water-fish of men-fish and sea-fish of the nature of them both That poene illa est poene illa non est It is almost like and almost not alike that it is difficult to distinguish them Wherein they agree and ioyne together in one it shall bee shewed in this Chapter some differences that wee doe obserue to bee in them we put to the next First they are natur'd a like for their crueltie Of crueltie Beares beare good will to their owne kinde and liue loue together Lyons rise not vp in fight against Lyons nor serpents against Serpents but fishes feede one vpon another and liue by the spoyle of their owne nature Wherefore some of them are called Lupifluuiales Plinius and such are the Pike Riuerwolues as The Pike and Perch The Ecle and Pearch especially and the Ele may goe with them that liue in the fresh waters for I meddle not with sea-fish as meaning onely to deliuer such vse as I haue made of my angling recreation The great Ocean doubtlesse hath infinit of that kind thus cruel to their kinde In which respect cheefely the Aegyptian Priests could not abide thē but as vncleane and prophane inhibited the seruice of fish to their table because they did pray one vpon another These water-wooules are the liuely Idea of the woolues of this worlde whose doings the Prophet decyphereth in this wise And they eate also the flesh of my people Mich. 3.3 and fley of their skinnes and they breake their bones and choppe them in peeces as for the potte as flesh within the chaldron In initio non fuit sic In the beginning it was not so For man was made for a helpe to man and as a god to man as Moses was to Aaron Exod. 4.16 Homo homini Deus was then the sentence in euery mans mouth But sin subduing nature or rather grace the case is altred and this contrary prouerbe commeth in place Homo homini Lupus Man is a deuouring wolfe vnto man clothing himselfe with crueltie as it were a garment and wearing it as a chaine about his necke The first reasonable creature that was giuen vnto Adam was the woman which was ordeined for a helper but the first of her brood which was Cain Gen. 4.8 a mercilesse murderer and with such seed hath the soyle of the worlde beene furrowed euer since The brother hath beene the brothers bain the child hath risen vp against the father the father against the child kin against kin kinde against kinde And this is now as kind vnto them as the skin wherwith they are couered their habit thereof turning vnto another nature Wee are not content to wish our enemie dead but it is a death to vs that hee liueth We say not onely within our selues When will he die and his name perish But wee will bee if we may haue our choice the very speculators or spectators our selues I maruaile not therefore one whit that Dauid made exception against his owne kinde and did put vp this petition Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lorde and let me not fall into the hand of man For he felt what he spake and spake as he had felt For hee knew them both aswell as he knewe one hand from another the mercy of the one and the mischiefe of the other For comparing them together hee doth thus distinguish them by the kindenesse and crueltie of both natures Wherefore in the fore-named place this as reason is giuen of his petition For his mercies are great If you aske him how great he answereth that it is illimited in these words the staffe and burden of his Ode Psa
136. Thy mercy endureth for euer But hee casteth his owne kinde into contrary colours thus portraying it out vnto vs that wee might see our selues and bee ashamed Their throate is an open Sepulchre Psa 140.3 Psa 5.9 Psa 10.7 Rom. 3.13 c. they haue vsed their tongues to deceite the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feete are swift to shed blood Destruction and calamitie are in their wayes and the way of peace they haue not knowne Hee contrarie to all craftes-men of such things painteth out man vnto vs so that Appelles compared with him may put vp his pensill For hee and his Apprentises can take out but the out-warde proprotion of the man the face breast bellie thighes legges feete and such like the heart and inward parts they leaue vnshadowed But the hand of this cunning worke-man vnbowelleth him fifteth him throughly discouereth his hidden minde and the whole man vnto vs. And truely the Poet consulted with this coppy without question when hee gaue this counterfeit and did set him vp in a table to our view with a pale and wanne face without blood with a leane and lanke body without moysture with bleared eyes blacke teeth with a heart made of gall with a tongue tipt with poison neuer merry but when others mourne neuer sleeping because they are alwayes imagining mischiefe The truth heereof hath beene practized vpon the master by the seruant of his owne tabernacle vpon the Soueraigne by the subiect of his owne Court vpon the father by the sonne of his owne loynes vpon the brother by the brother that hath layd in the same bed of his mothers wombe with him vpon the husband by the wife sleeping securely and as hee nothing doubted safelie in her bosome If we thinke better of man than thus we doe beguile our selues and so the Gentile Christian Seneca telleth thee saying Fallens si confidas ijs tibi occurrentibus Seneca facies habent hominum sed mentes feranum Thou dotest if hand ouer head thou beleeuest all thou meetest with For they haue mens faces but beasts affections Thus in regard of their deuouring condition they may well be copulated and coedimated with fishes But herein in this comparison they doe exceed them That fishes eate but for hunger and for a time are satisfied but mens minds are alwayes set vpon the praye and they are neuer satified Caligula surnamed for his bloody minde Durt soaked in blood Examples of mans crueltie Caligula could not glutte his blood-thirstie appetite and staunche his bloody issue without the destruction of the whole Roman nation wherefore hee wished all their neckes were but one that he might vnioynt them at once and one stroke might make hauocke of them altogether It is Medea her wish in the Tradegie Medea that with her dissolution there mightensue an vniuersall confusion This is her speach Vnica foelicitas est videre emnia in ruinam tendere cum ego discedam It is the onely felicitie for me to see at my departure all things come to wracke Such a companion was one of the Poets who commeth in with such a spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say when I am once dead what care I though the worlde bee on a light fire Domitius Nero. Domitius Nero when hee had set fire to the citie of Rome in twelue seuerall places to shadowe out the combustion of Troy to the Romans sung in the meane time when the citie was in burning Verses out of Homer his heart being hooped with all barbaritie and beeing filled vp to the eyes with all Scythian crueltie What shal I say of the Vice-consull Messola that ruled in Asia Seneca who beheading three hundred people on one day after this butcherie thus done he gaue a plaudite vnto it breaking out into these wordes O nobile factum Lucius Sylla O renowned acte Or of Lucius Silla who by one condemnatorie sentence did cast away foure thousand and seauen-hundred soules and caused a Register to bee made of it In perpetuā rei memoriam For the euerlasting remembrance thereof Or of those that killed Christians by thousands as Maximianus who burnt in one Temple twentie thousand met together to solemnize the Natiuitie of Christ Maximianus The Spaniards The Spaniards are without all example no no Domitian Commodus Bassian Dyonisian comming neere them and this their villanie among the West Indians without mercie shewed apparantly prooueth who in one Iland called Hispaniola of two hundred thousand people scarse left one hundred and a halfe aliue Thus they threshed with yron flayles those people as the men of Damascus did Gilead Amos. 1.3.13 and mangled in peeces women with childe as the olde Amonites and mingled blood with their sacrifice of the Masse as Pilate mingled the blood of the slaine Luk. 13.1 together with the sacrifices taking vp this Aphorisme and prouerbe of the Prophet That that dyeth Zach. 11.9 let it dye How farre were these men from the practise of the precept of the Lawe which in seeking of birds neasts Deut. 22.6 inhibiteth the taking the damine with the yong 2. Let the second sympathy between the soyl-Soyl-fish and the sea-Sea-fish bee their greedie couetousnesse Wherein the one Bee partaketh with the other As if the sea-sea-fish had fathered them and they were of their spawning no sooner a vild peece of worme is let downe the water but if they bee in place it is a wonder to see what a sort doe seeke after it There is no regard of degrees among them But Capiat qui capere potest is the lawe of that Court Yea the frye and pettie ones doe so fill the place as the greater cannot come in place And is not this the fashion of the worlde vp and downe Is not euery meane office catched vp if not before yet as soone as it can fall Runne not euery one to euery commoditie as beggers to a doale Are not many of best marke and qualitie altogether vnprouided for the meaner sort hauing beene before them and taken vp their roomes Euery one striueth to bee first at the baite though their baine bee vnder it as it commonly falleth out For Titles Offices wordly riches are nothing else but angle-lynes snares nets to catch vs vnawares Which so entangled Iudas as hee could neuer get out of them before they had trussed him The hooke or snare taketh not the fish vnlesse the baite take him first But whilst he runneth so hastily to the baite swalloweth it home the nette or hooke speedeth him The baite of the deuils hooke is couetousnesse which killeth and not comforteth vs. The fisherman baiteth not his hooke that the fish might only take it but be taken of it The deuill could not make such a fishing as hee doth had wee not such a delight to his baytes little considering what harme there is in them But the poore fish feeleth it too
late when he cannot flye from it Nam dum capit capitur For he is taken in taking it The bait of an hooke is like the egge of an Aspe which is very white and goodly to beholde to the out-ward sight but if wee breake it we shall finde nothing but poison in it and the poison that breaketh out of it killeth vs. The red worme caseworme magget flie small roche or such like wherewith wee couer our hooke to beguile the fish are glorious in out-ward appearance to the fish but they are the death destruction of the fish So the riches prioritie authoritie of the world are but pleasant bayts laid out for our destruction The fishermans bayte is a deadly deceite 2. Sam. 2.26 Luke 17.27 so are all the pleasures of the world Wee may say of them as Ioab said to Abner Knowest thou not that it wil be bitternesse in the latter end As all the waters of the riuers runne into the salt-salt-sea so all worldly delights in the saltish sea of sorrowes finish their course The pleasures of the vngodly world in Noah his time in cheering carowsing singing a Requiem to themselues of a suddaine swoomme away with the flood Gen. 7.4 c. The Iunckets and ioyes of the States-men of Palestina came tumbling downe together with the fall of the house vpon their heads Belshazzar Dan 5.4 in the middest of his cups and Queanes had such a blowe giuen him by the hand of a Scripture as quailed his courage and quenched all his comforts The peaceable dayes of the wicked their immunitie from the rodde their dauncing to the instruments of musicke haue their present period and in a moment they go downe to hell Iob. 21.12 13 18. Eccle. 11.7 21. c. Luke 16.19 23. Let the lustie-guts that is in the prime of his age and pride of his rage be sure of a iudgement The garmandizing Epicure hollowed not so much whilest hee was in the earth but he howled as much when hee was in hell It was but dumpish delight that Saul had in his mad melancholy in the sweete notes of Dauid 1. Sam 16.16 23. 18.10 c. sung vpon the harpe Wherefore mistrust worldly benefits as baites 2. Sam. 20 9.10 feede not so vpon them in hūgry wise Their pleasings are leasings their friēdships fallacies as Ioabs kindnes was to Amasa 1. Kin. 21.10.13 and 22.6 8 12 28 c. killing him by kissing him They are false witnesses against thy soule such as Iezabel picked out to kil innocent Naboth They are but Parasites to enchaunt the spirit as Acabs Fanguests that egged him to battell Reuel 17.4 promising him victorie when it fell out quite contrary They are but the intoxication of the great whore that giueth vs her poison out of a standing cup of gold Thou mayst serte the world for such wages long enough Gen. 29 18 27. 31.7 c. from seuen yeeres to seuen yeeres as Iacob did Laban and loose both thy wages and labor in the end as he did If thou seruest God for goods Iohn 12.6 Acts. 1.16.18 and for greedines of worldly gaine as Iudas did his Maister thou maist be a looser and gainer as hee was who lost his Apostleship gained a halter Wherefore for our better security vse we riches a raymēt one that is fit beeing better for vs than one that is too long But it so commeth to passe that couetousnesse groweth with riches as the Iuie with the Oke Exod. 10.2 Num. 11.4 And as the Israelites murmured as much when they had store of Mannah as they did when they had none so haue wee lesse or more it is all one wee are neuer contented Our hutches may bee filled but not our heartes But as fishes doe differ in biting so doe men The Roche Dace Breame Rowde doe but pingle to the Pearche and Pike who haue teethe like kniues and very maine mouthes If I like the Pope and his Prelats to such I doe them no wrong for their dooing will make good my comparison So hee may bee called Caput Ecclesiae the head of the Church The worde Caput the head or powle beeing deduced from the Verbe Capio which is to catch he hauing beene euer such an absolute catch-powle Wherevnto an auncient Writer alluding hee pricketh these Verses vpon his holines sleeue the whole course of the Coniugation from Capio capis ad capiendum without declination from any point thereof being so inseparably conioyned vnto him Si caput a capio Brunellus vel dixeris a capiendo Tunc est Roma caput singula namque caput Si declinando capio capis ad capiendum Retia laxauit retia larga nimis 3. Herein also the similidude holdeth beweene men and fishes that both kinds by nature are dissolute and lawlesse The fishes without any order or ranke runne euery way as they list without checke or controulement so doth the naturall man of himselfe thinking euery thing to bee lawfull which is lustfull vnto him The smaller are a pray to the greater fish so is the poore to the Potentate the meaner to the mightier If there were not lawes to curbe our crooked and cruell natures each mans sword would be in his fellows bosome and right should yeeld to might and titles would bee tryed at the pikes points a malignant masterie should manage matters among men as it doth among fishes in their element How wilie and wilde we ar by nature and how wee walke out of course of our selues in the way of the worldly as fishes in the deeps wee may soone consider if wee woulde please to descend into our selues and by others manners to measure our owne The vnruly rule of the olde Israelites is with a solemne induction thus brought in by Moses Remember and forget not Deut. 9.8 9 22. how thou prouokest the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the land of Aegypt also in Horeb Taberah Massah and in Ribroth-hattaauah They were so orderly vnorderly as notwithstanding they had seen his miracles which he did in Aegypt Num. 14.22 yet they tempted him ten times obeyed not his voice Aarons rodde that budded was cofered in the Arke Num. 17.8 9 10. c Of the abuse of power strength prioritie c. as a liuely remembrance of their wonted rebellions Finally we are rather Planets of vncertaine motion than fixed stars in their proper stations or to keep my selfe within the hedge of my comparison we course as fishes without course in the whole course of our liues Besides as fishes wee take the priuiledge to the vttermost of our power prioritie and authoritie ouer others straining it as a skinne of parchment on the hooks racking euery ioynt therof vpon the racke of our excessiue affections So that did magistrates the vocall Lawes of the land by rule of reason strangle many mens passions the
lesser would be spoyled by the greater sort without any compassion For what keepeth these Pronounes in vse Meum and Tuum and maketh euery one owner of his owne but the power of good Lawes Why are wee rather Christians than Albinians Nigrians Cassians That is religious rather than rebellious but onely for such sacred sanctions sake as are set before vs What diuideth and distinguisheth persons according to degrees that they skull not and skudde not confusedly together as fishes without difference but onely such good lawes as are prouided in such cases The Poets faine that Thenus the mother of all honestie and vertue had three daughters 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Good Lawes 2. Iustice the consequent of good Lawes 3. Peace an indiuided follower of them both I finde them all hand-fast together in this peece of Psalmodie Giue thy iudgements Psalm 7.2.1.2.3 O Lorde vnto the King and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings sonne then the mountaines shall bring forth peace and the little hilles righteousnesse vnto the people These alter our nature and propertie very much and by these some sort are ouer-awed sufficiently though the behauiour of some cannot bee bounded but it will flowe as Iordaine ouer the banckes counting as Theodosius Theodos that onely lawfull which the Lawe doth permit There is also another fashion which would be left which was taken from fishes and that is our pleasure which wee take in the worlde as fishes in the water But therein fishes are not to bee blamed for they holde their right course For the deepes are their dwelling places and they liue no longer then they are in them But Christians by Christ are chosen out of the worlde and their conuersation with the Apostle is in heauen and they are crucified to the world that they might bee glorified with Christ What felicitie can bee in those things which are giuen vs for a Iudgement If there were not a iudgement in them they would not bee called Thornes Mark 4.7 1. Tim. 6.9 Phil. 3.8 as they are by our Sauiour If they were not a deathfull daunger to some they woulde not haue beene called snares as they are by the Apostle If they were not of the basest reckning that might bee Paul would haue giuen a better name than doong vnto them But he gaue that name which was worst of al to that thing which he himselfe esteemed worst of all If the world were our proper Element as the waters are to the fish we had reason for our selues to bee worldly minded But seeing Christ hath sayd vnto vs Yee are not of the world For the loue of Christ wee must forsake the worlde Math. 9.9 as Mathew forsooke his custome when he was called to a better condition as the Samaritan woman forsooke her watter-pot hauing drawne waters from the welles of saluation Ioh 4.28.29 Acts. 9.20 22. Matth. 4.19 20 21 22. by conference with Christ as Saul forsooke all when he was made a Paul and betooke himselfe to Christ as the Apostles wound vp their worldly nets when the draw-net of the Gospel by the gracious hand of Christ his dispensation was put into their hands It is euery way commodious to the life of the fishe to bee wholly in the water But it is euery way hurtfull to the soule of man to be giuen vp wholy to the world For to get worldly gaine the body would faine liue but the desire of heauenly glory maketh it glad to die Worldly cares maketh a man very vnrestie with himself the comforts of the Spirit are a supersedeas to them all Acts 2.2 and giue them his absolute Quietus est so that as the holy Ghost filled the house so grace peace and ioy in the holy Ghost fulfilleth his heart As he that may walke in the warme Sun â—â—uer desireth the light of the Moone so he that walketh in the way to heauen wil neuer force of his worldly wayes more The fish liueth onely by the water but man liueth not by the world only but by euery worde of God Matth. 4.4 As that picture is more cunning curious which the maister painter himselfe draweth and casteth into colours than that which is but done by his Apprentises so our life is more liuely vnder God his protection thaÌ„ with al whatsoeuer worldly prouision The water sufficeth the fishes in their appetites but when we haue whatsoeuer the world can afford vs wee are not contented For when Alexander had coÌ„quered the whole world Alexander he was cast into a melancholly passion because he had not any other world to warre withall The world rather feedeth than slacketh our appetites as oyle doth the fire The worldling riseth early and goeth to bed late and eateth the bread of sorrowe Psal 127.2 labouring to labour and caring to take care plowing vpon the rockes Herod lib. 4. Psylli Democritus Heraclytu and rowling the stone of Sysiphus and is neuer at rest He is likned by one to a people in Africa called Psylli that are at great warres with the windes Democritus Abdorites had in derision the whole estate of the world and Heraclitus wayled and lamented the course of it Salomon gaue a blowe to the worlde on both cheeks when he doubled the word Vanitie vpon it Ecclesiast 1 2. and when hee trebled hee hee shewed that hee knew what he spake and that hee would not repeale it Iona. 2.8 And Ionas doth not nick-name them at all when hee termeth all the delights of it Tysing vanities It is Iehouah onely which is his Name for euer that sufficeth vs for euer The Rabbins The Rabbins doe obserue that all the letters in that his Name are Literae quiescentes from whence they expressed this mysticall meaning that all creatures haue from God their rest And the Prophet countenanceth not a little that construction saying Psal 11.1 In the Lord put I my trust how say you then vnto my soule Flie to your mountaine as a bird Wee say with Bernard Bernard in Catâ—c serm 4. Sane esse omnium dixerim deum non quod illa sunt quod est ille sed quia ex ipse per ipsum in ipso sunt omnia Hee is God of all not that those things are of that nature as hee but because of him by him and in him are all things So that a stone that is cast out of a sling or bowe neuer resteth vntill it commeth to his center so God whose center is euery where and circumference no where is our onely rest and without him onely infinite our desires are neuer satisfied that are infinite 5. Further if wee consider of men and fishes in their naturall stoliditie wee shall finde agreeable correspondencie betweene them Whereas other creatures aswell birdes in the ayre as such as walke vpon the ground giue many outwarde shewes and tokens of witte onely the fish