they would heare his Sermons If I doe not the workes of my Father sâ—…yeth hee beleeue mee not If I doe them though ye beleeue not me yet beleeue me for my works sake The works which I doe testifie of me By which we may gather whereunto tended the myracles of the sonne of God These things are written that yee might beleeue Let wauering mindes but consider a little his admirable workes in the worlde was it knowne from the beginning yea since the world began it was not heard that euer any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind Nichodemus saith Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man could doe these myrâ—…cles that thou doest except God were with him nay that which is more Nichodemus none could doe them except God were in him and hee in God To manifest that hee had power in earth to forgiue sinnes he sayes vnto the sicke of the Palsie no more but this fiâ—… dâ—…mittuntur peccatâ—… tua Sonne calling a poore miserable man sonne and bidding him to be of good comfort To confirme that hee was the bread of life he féedes a great multitude with fiue barly loaues and two fishes to shewe that hee had authority ouer Sea and land hee commaunds the waters and they obey him To make his power known ouer the power of darknes hee chargeth soule spirits who had taken vp their dennes in many distressed creatures to come out and they beséech him not to cast them into the déepe To declare plainely that hee was the resurrection froÌ„ the dead he raysed Lazarus who had layeâ—… foure dayes in his graue The Magitians of Egypt did some wonders before Pharaoh but they came not neere to Moyses doings for they were but slender illusions yet Moyses myracles caâ—…e farre behind these of our Sauiour they were so many they were so wonderfull as none but God could effect them 2 And this order did our Sauiour Christ obserue that from the power of his doctrine he procéeded to shew myracles that if his words could not preuaile yet his workes might By which works it was euident how willing hee was to heale our infirmities and how able to helpe all that still call vpon him to this ende therefore in the first place serue his myracles to shewe his power that hee was God and that there is no disease so desperate which hee by his onely word cannot cure and in the second place his goodnesse that there is none so miserable whom hee will exclude who excludes none Iosaphat the King when hee was at a great straite and knew not what to doe at last hee resolued vpon this Aske counsaile of the Lord I pray thée as if he should say I will goe séeke helpe of God when wee knowe not what to doe or which way to turne vs for helpe wee may resolue vpon this wee will goe to Christ hee was mercifull on earth and shewed many myracles in helping all that came vnto him and hee is the same still sitting at the right hand of God in heauen 3 But nowe obserue wee the manner of his working myrâ—…cles at one time hee speaketh the word onely at another hee toucheth the diseased sometimes hee cures in presence at another time beeing farre absent In some hee is lifting vp his eyes to heauen in others hee prayeth openly all which want not a mysterie and appertaine as well to the instruction of our fayth as the direction of our life and are as part of the Gospell because they shewe vnto vs good and ioyfull thinges When the Prophets wrought myracles they were alwayes praying but we heare Christ commaunding and speaking the worde onelie and it is doone Hee commaundeth the windes and the Seas hee chargeth diseases to cease and deuils to depart Unto the Leaper he saith I will be thou cleane Unto the man that lay by the poole Bethesda Take vp thy bed walke Unto the widowes sonne Young man arise And wee may obserue by the way that vnto whom he gaue remedie he oft times enioyned a duty The Church storie doth mention a certaine Letter written by one Agbarus an Edissean vnto our Sauiour Christ the forme whereof was this Agbarus the Edissean to Iesus the good Sauiour in the Countrey of Iurie c. It is shewed vnto me that thou and thy Disciples doe giue health to mortall men without hearbes or medicines for as the fame goes of thée thou doest bring to passe that the blind see the lame walke the Leapers are cleansed that thou doest cast out foule spirits and euen raysest some dead amongst the people these things when I heard them of thee I began to conceiue this to wit that eyther thou wert God or at the least the Sonne of God come downe from Heauen In this we sée that the myracles of our Sauiour made the world to stand amazed at him and the faythfull to beléeue on him 4 In the second of S. Iohn when Christ had turned water into wine for that was his first myracle who did turne sorrowe into ioy the law into grace the Euangelist sayth hee began to shew forth his glory his Disciples beléeued on him for his myracles they saw them and beleeued on him wee heare them and beléeue on him Blessed are they that beleeue and haue not seene And what else dooth the daylie hearing of his diuine myracles but daylie encrease in vs faith more and more The Iewes reasoned within themselues If this man were a sinner hee could not doe these thinges And Christ himselfe saith for the remoouing of their incredulitie If I had not done the workes which no other had done they should haue had no sinne but now they haue no excuse Some will say holy men of old wrought myracles at the prayer of Iosuah the Sunne stoode still Elias and Elizeus did manie great and wonderfull works It is so indéede saith S. Austen but if you marke the manner these were farre inferiour to Christes myracles These wrought by prayer Christ by his owne power they as holy men he by authority as God they when they raysed one from the dead did no more Christ did manie and of all sortes It was but his worde and his déede vnto the blinde man Receiue thy sight 5 Compare we a little Christes myracles with the testimonies of the Prophets long before his comming hee hath giuen medicine to heale our infirmities saith Esai The eyes of the blind the eares of the deafe are opened the lame shall leape as a Hart the dead men shall liue then shall hee preach the acceptable yeare all which accord with his myracles in the Gospell Our Sauiour vpbraydeth the Cities of Bethsaida and Chorazin wherein he wrought manie myracles which were so perspicuous testimonies of his Dettie that if they had béene done in Tyre and Sydon they would haue repented sitting in sackcloth and ashes Why did the Pharisies
tribularis fortassâ—… noÌ„ inuocares If thou wert not troubled peraduenture thou wouldest not deuoutly haue called vpon God which is a principal part of Gods worship 6 The world and the tempter both beast of giuing pleasures vnto carnall men but come to the performance these pleasures are very torments Christ promiseth tribulation in the worlde but come to the inward man and there we finde a world of ioy The roote of the tree is bitter but the fruite is pleasant Christ promiseth rest Inuenietis requiem you shall haue rest but it is Requiem animabus rest vnto your soules his burthen it is light by loue and wee are made strong by grace a burthen this is wâ—…nt to vnburthen sinners He that sets vs in this iourney knowes what is fittest for passengers and therefore wee may endure with comfort these outward aduersities when they come Foelix Lepra sayeth one happie leprosie was it that made Naaman worship the God of Israel in his heart The sharpe stormes of the winter they make the trées bare and the windes scattering the leaues they for a time stand as dead yet there remaines still life in the roote In like manner afflictions of the worlde make the members of Christ séeme desolate the stormie winds of persecution scatter abroad the leaues of worldly prosperity yet there is life in the roote there is faith and ioy in the heart 7 There is a difference betwéene the ioy of worldly men and the ioy of those whom Christ hath as it were taken out of the world that is from the loue of the world The former thinke felicity to consist in aboundance of riches in pleasures in glorie and such like all this is but outward and momentarie like a little Sunne-shine in Winter for one faire day it hath oftentimes ten foule and such a number of troubles as almost the former pleasures are dasht and vanish to nothing For the latter of these they haue indéede often outward aduersities but such ioyes within as if all aduersities were nothing this principally commeth to passe by Christes meanes for whatsoeuer he touched he did saâ—…d 〈◊〉 it and therfore hunger thirst persecution they are not nowe so greeuous but worke all for the good of the faithfull The waters of Marâ—… which were so bitter that none could drinke them Moyses but casting in the wood that God appointed him they became swéete the crosses of the worlde were greeuous vntill Christes Crosse was put in amongst them now their taste is altered A strange sight was it in times of persecution to sée a few lambes to ouercome by no other weapons then patience and faith a multitude of Wolues and to reioyce as Tertullian sayeth in the midst of torments Wonderfull is it to heare how Saint Paul endewed with grace from Christ doth euen chalenge and prouâ—…ke tribulation and anguish and hunger yea life and death shall any of you all and if hee would speake like a man of courage to all the aduersities of the world Shall you all separate me froÌ„ the loue of Christ 〈◊〉 you shall not And thus wee sée how in Christ we are armed with inward grace against the world without and all the troubles thereof 8 Another reason which our Samour vseth is I goe to prepare a place for you and therefore â—…e of good hope Moyses to stirre vp the people in times of their distresse speakes vnto them after this manner The land you goe to poâ—…esse is not as Egypt but a champion Countrey and goodly to enioy which the Lorde visiteth with the earlie and the latter rayne We haue promise of a better land then euer Moyses promised In my Fathers house are many mansions The iourney was long and wearisome for Iacob a weake and féeble person as he was yet by reason of inward ioy hee had conceiued in his heart he wel endured it Be it saith S. Austen that wee haue not temporall deliuerance from troubles this sheweth that wee doe not embrace Christian Religion for the commodities of this world but for the ioyes of a life to come which will make amends for all The benefit of a calme is best welcome after a tempest liberty is wont to be most pleasant after a time of bondage you shall sorrow sayth our Sauiour but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy your sorrow and therfore not euery ones sorrow yours who haue béene faithfull vnto the end When the Prophet Dauid spake of the sorrowes of this world hee calleth them waters Saue me O God for the waters are entred euen to my soule Lord saith Peter bid me come vnto thée on the water The same Prophet in another place goeth farther saying The floods are risen O Lord the floods haue lift vp their voyce the floods lift vp their waues the waues of the Sea are mighty and rage horribly but yet the Lord that dwelleth on high is mightier And surely vnto trouble as vnto the raging water hath he said Huc procedes et non procedes amplius hither shalt thou come and thou shalt come no farther watâ—…s as they rage and swell so be they often quench heate cleanse corruption and they serue to temper In the nine and thirtieth Psalme he vttereth with what great griefe bitternes of minde he was vrged to complaine yet remembring himselfe by whose prouidence it came hee sayeth Obmutui non aperui os meum quoniam fecisti I became dumb and opened not my mouth because it was thy doing Chap. 19. How that of our Sauiour exhorting all that would follow him to denie themselues and take vp their Crosse daily doth concerne vs that beare the name of Christians BEing forewarned and armed against the trials of the world before they come it remayneth that wee be readie to vndergoe them when they come Christ shewes vs plainely what wee must looke for if wee will be his Disciples when hee giueth out in open Proclamation Who soeuer will follow me let him denie himselfe In the text of the Euangelist hauing before spoken of his owne suffering hee by and by speakes of their sâ—…ring who would followe him First that they should not thinke that his suffering did absolutely exempt them from all crosses of the worlde for Ego meam vos vestraÌ„ I haue taken vp my crosse and you must take vp yours Secondly hee sheweth himselfe as a carefull Gouernour in the ship who in a calme is wont to instruct the Marriuers against the tempest likely to follow and this hee doth as it were in familiaâ—… manner by shewing what himselfe had done and then what his disciples should doe First what he would suffer and then what they should suffer What Peter and should I not goe to IerusaleÌ„ yes it is not only my case but thine the case of you all Whosoeuer will follow me let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse daily follow me 2 Heere Christ speaketh generally
Philosopher himselfe did concerning the state of felicity Si adsunt ornant si absunt non tollunt If we haue them they help vs if not they doe not vndoe vs because Christians can be rich with a little and content howsoeuer hauing learned with the Apostle both to abound and to went knowing that they brought nothing into this world neither shall they carie any thing out Thinke and thinke againe sayeth S. Austen That wee Christians are not borne for this world or to enioy the riches of the same but wee looke for farther better riches to be receiued and possessed in the world to come 6 It is the insatiable desire of riches which is so often reprehended take héed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with the cares of this life and that day come vpon you vnawares The Eagle died not so much of age as of hunger of all vices none doth more waxe old with vs then couetousnes what should we be so earnest vpon the world which wee must shortlie leaue how should wee vse the commodities thereof but as the Egyptians did their bondmen for vse onely euermore looking of greater riches else where When Iudas Macabaeus saw his men ouergréedy of a little gaine and thereupon to begin to desist from the battell they had in hand Iudas willeth them to follow on the pursuite of the enemie nowe flying for quoth he in the ende you shall safely take the spoyles or at last you shall haue riches enough Let vs not stay vpon these transitorie things too long forgetting the present occasion we haue in hand but let vs goâ—… forward in the course of Christian profession wee haue vndertaken there will come a time when we shall take the spoile and haue treasure to the vttermost of our desires 7 The touchstone is saide to trie gold and gold is saide to trie men if one should haue offered Alexander the great a commoditie to the value of twentie pound shewed him the meane and manner how to gaine it Alexander would scarce haue harkned or giuen eare to such a motion because his minde was vp pon gaining kingdomes Empires In like manner tell a heauenly minded man of compassing great possessions and laying vp much treasure he will not much respect the discoursing of these matters for why hee mindes the getting of greater matters or the laying vp of treasure in heauen and after this manner did Abraham and Iacob and many others possesse riches hauing their minds euer set vpon better riches to come And heere is the manner how Christian men may enioy riches and hold earthly possessions Si nihil amando possidetis sayeth Gregory etiam possidendo relinquitis If you doe not loue them as you possesse them you do leaue them in possessing them Relinquere possumus etiam retinendo Wee may leaue them euen when we possesse them The reason is we doe not loue them or set our hearts vpon them we rest content with that God hath bestowed vpon vs for that insatiable desire of game in the name of God let it goe A miserie is it vnder the Sunne men liue poore that they may die rich and make no ende of gathering they know not themselues for whom so they may leaue rich Executors but they respect not the state of their néedie soules there are riches that no shipwrack can take from vs. Chap. 22. How Christ exhorteth to forsake Father and Mother and all for his sake WHen we heare by that of Simeon that Christ our Sauiour Was the light of the Gentiles That by him came grace and truth that he is our righteousnes wee reaâ—…ily harken vnto all this and can find in our harts to beléeue it and wee doe well in so doing but when we heare on the other side that in following of him wee must take vp our crosse denie our selues leaue father and mother and all for his sake we draw backward and begin to say with the men of Capernaum Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying and who is to endure it We perswade our selues we loue Christ and think we haue discharged this loue in a little beléeuing in him No it is not so if wee did loue Christ indéed then would we forsake all strange loue for his sake When Iacob loued Rachael hee left his kindred and Countrey If wee loue Christ indéede then where are the properties of true loue in forsaking all for his sake and giuing him â—…ur hearts 2 All creatures say the Philosophers desire their center and doe no where rest but in their proper spheares the spark of fire tendeth vpward the floods and all waters haue many turnings and windinges but they neuer cease vntill they come into the Sea that common receptacle of all waters the soule of man hath her center which is God shee neuer resteth vntill shee be there and when she is there she would not be remooued Fecisti nos domine propter te inquietum est cor nostrum donec perueniat ad te Lord thou hast made vs for thy selfe and our heart is vnquiet vntill it be with thée we néede not meruaile to sée men which are addicted to the loue of the world or the flesh or anie thing except God how they are often troubled and vexed howe they are weake wearie and full of discontent the reason is they are not in their proper sphere which is in the loue of God It is said that when Christ came into Egypt at his flying from Herod that all the Idols there fel down and sure it is that when the loue of Christ doth come into our harts all the Idoll desires of the world the flesh will fall to nothing No man can serue two maisters that is at one time two maisters commanding contrarie things so doth the loue of Christ the loue of the world Wherfore let vs leaue the one cleaue vnto the other least leaning vnto the one we forsake the other and our selues be forsaken of him 3 And should wee not forsake all the world for Christes sake Should wee not leaue chaffe for gold Puddle water for the fountaine of life Straw and stubble for precious stones nay vile earth for the heauen it selfe when Elizeus followed Elias his maister hee left his Oxen plowing as if hee had now a better husbandry in hand When Christ called his Apostles they left their fishing and yet continued a trade of fishing still for now they should be fishers of men they followed him Peter saith Domine reliquimus omnia Lord we haue left all what was this Al but some old Boate and a few rotten torne nets for these were now in the mending Was this that all yea Peter left more too at this time then Alexander the great could desire for Peter left the loue of the world for the loue of Christ which was more and of more worth then many worlds The
troubles of the world Thou knowest I dispose all things swéetly great peâ—…ce there is to them that loue mee shouldest thou be impatient at the least thinges beholding me suffering great Wilt thou a worme refuse to endure a word spoken against thée and sée mee loaden with reproaches thou canst for the loue of the world suffer tribulation rise early late take thy rest and wilt thou doe nothing for my loue Christian. I beséech thée O mercifull Lord Iesus strengthen me with thy grace against all aduersities for I willingly yéeld my selfe vnto thy will Christ. Be not afraide to suffer somewhat for my sake behold I am with thée for whom thou sufferest And behold I come quicklie and my reward is with mee Consider what I haue saide In my fathers house are many mansions there haue I prepared a place for thée Call to minde that the dearest friends I euer had in the worlde haue endured the same sufferings Christian. O my Sauiour I am more delighted in hearing and beléeuing this then I am able to expresse I knowe not whether I may more reioyce to beholde thée dying vpon the Crosse or raigning amongst the Angels to sée thée subiect vnto all or exalted aboue all O swéete Iesus howe should I praise thée I remember that of the Prophet Rectos decet collandatio Praise becommeth the righteous Lord I am not righteous shall I not therefore praise thée thy poore creatures doe the same and therefore I will not be silent O my God draw my minde from all earthly things that it may onely reioyce in thée Where are ye all my desires come and enter the Courts of the Lord with ioy Christ. Thou hast O Christian man peraduenture some taste of my loue in that thou art so desirous to praise mee in that thou dost as ioyfully behold â—…e borne of a virgine as God from euerlasting In beholding mee thy redéemer suffering for thy sinnes thy loue is acceptable vnto me and shall finde loue againe in thy greatest labours but the best is to come when thou shalt reape the fruite of all then no aduersity shal touch thée then shalt thou beholde my presence in glory and therfore let happines moue thee to séeke happines Christian. O swéete Iesus when shal I sufficiently loue thée When shall I duly remember thy benefites thy méekenes thy patience thy bountie with all reuerence and deuotion If thou be my redéemer where is my duty if my Sauiour where is my affection O good Iesus seeing thou hast done all this for me what shall I doe vnto thée Nay séeing thou hast reserued such ioyes as I am not able to comprehend let me not liue but to loue and know thée Christ. It sufficeth that thy wil oâ—… intention is good which I respect more then many sacrifices when thou doest offer me thy obedience vpon the Altar of thy humble desires for which desires I haue recompence thou shalt finde as much when thou commest to receiue the same when for a cup oâ—… colde water thou shalt receiue a whole fountaine of the water of life when for two untes thou shalt haue giuen thée the whole treasure of the temple then shalt thou enioy immediate fellowship with me in my kingdom where I am there shalt thou also be then shalt thou come from the troublesom sea of this life to the hauen of rest there shalt thou sée me enioy me alwayes euery where blessed shall that life be for the continuance therof it is eternall for the certaintie it is without change for the place it is in heauen for the companions they are multitudes of saints Angels for the greatnes of the felicitie there is an euerlasting Sabaoth Christian. I am rauished O my Sâ—…uiour with the very meditation of thy heauenly reward when I coÌ„sider that in thy presence there is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euer more O happy and happy againe are they which are once freed and set at liberty to come to thy Kingdome O Kingdome of all conâ—…unce séeing there is found ioy without sadnes health without sicknesse aboundance without want light without darknes life without death all good without any euill all bitternes all trouble all punishment all discord all feare is away O ioy excéeding all ioyes when shall I enter into thée O my redéemer when shall I behold thée the verie end of my desires I nowe perceiue there is a reward for the righteous and therefore what blindnes doth possesse the minds of men in loosing the frâ—…ition héere of O what folly is it in theÌ„ to spende their time in vanitie nay in the harsh discord found in the loue of earthly things and lose that ioyfull harmâ—…me of heauen when all the Saints in that blessed societie shall say The Lambe that was slaine is worthie to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and praise There they enioy that perfect felicitie where sorrow is neuer felt complaint is neuer heard losse is neuer feared when all labours and trauailes shall cease then shall vertue shew her selfe where vice shall not be able to looke vp or appeare then shall the world which séemed before so glorious be consumed to nothing onely the iust shal then receiue a crowne of glorie The consideration héereof is able to draw mortall men from all the allurements of a sinfull life and to enflame their hearts in the fire of the loue of God for who would not finde in his heart to honor that God which hath prepared so excellent thinges for those that serue and honour him Who would not turne all his endeauours all his desires to walk before him in holinesse of life whose reward is without measure in the life to come This is the profit of this consideration â—…ely to moue vs to returne loue vnto him who hath first loued vs. And nowe O most mercifull Iesus I beseech thée by thy sorrowes which thou sufferedst by thy blood which thou sheddest yea by that infinite loue which thou bearest towardes vs encrease in vs true loue of thée O redéemer of the world Christ. Consider yet a little farther thy creation and what excellencie and dignitie thy Creator bestowed vpon thée weâ—…gh with what loue and with what worship hee is againe to be honoured Surely when creating and ordaining the vniuersalitie of visible and inuisible thinges hee had â—…sposed to make humane nature with high counsaile handled he the worthines of thy creation as one whom he decréed to honour before all the creatures in the world behold therfore the highnes of thy creation and recount more and more thy dâ—…ty of rendring loue Let vs make saith God man after our owne image Marke therfore diligently what it is for thée to be created to the image of God vnderstand that image is one thing similitude is another for examples sake vnreasonable beasts may haue a similitude with man but the image of man none can