Three things especially for your memorie, and my methods sake, are to be considered in this text. First the comming of Christ vnto his owne: a mani­fest token of his vnspeakable loue: He came vnto his owne. Secondly, the course entertainment his owne gaue him, an euident testimonie of their inexcusable fault: They rece [...]ued him not. Thirdly, the effect of Christs comming, the certaine and souera [...]gne be­nefite of our saluation. But as many as did receiue him, &c. First touching the first, He came: Non venit qui aberat, sed apparuit quilatebat, as saint Bernard saith, He came not as one that had been absent, but appeared as one that was continually couertly present: As the day starre that springeth from on high, Luke 4. Mat. 4. hath visited vs: As the Sun that neuer goeth downe: As Emanuel the seale on Gods finger, euen God with vs. Thus our Euangelist inter­preteth [Page 3]his comming, and that by the same phrase of speech which he vseth in his first Epistle. Non tan­quam maiestas impressa carne, sed tanquă carne imbuta; not as a maiestie imprinted in the flesh, Ioh. 1. E. 1. ca. but as imbued with flesh. Which plainly shewed the loue hee bare vnto man-kind, that being God became man, the worde became flesh, glorie became infamie, to make men Gods, to bring flesh to heauen, and shame to glorie, according to that of the Apostle. 1 Epi. Iohn 3. Iohn. 1.3. For this purpose appeared the sonne of God, that he might loose the workes of the Diuell And saint Paul saith: Tim. 1.49 This is a true saying, and by all meanes to be beleeued, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners. Tim. 1.4.9. And Christ himselfe sayth in the 15 of Luke. Luke 1.5. The sonne of man is come to find that which is lost.

He came; as a sheepheard to find the lost sheepe; as the woman to find the lost groat; as a father to find the lost sonne; the lost sheepe, to restore vs vnto per­fection againe; the lost groat, to renue vs to the I­mage which before wee had lost; the lost sonne, to receiue vs into fauour againe.

For all this, impacient of his glorie, as vnworthy of his grace, iniurious Arius and prophane, to dis­grace the gracious goodnes of Christ Iesus, speaking of his comming, saith, He was sent before he came, ther­by impairing his louing kindnesse, in that hee came not before hee was sent; whereto our Sauiour aun­swereth directly himselfe, in the 40. Psalm, lo I come; they be his owne words. Wherupon S. Cyprian saith, Cyprian. though sent from the father, yet willingly of himself, because God coequall with the Father, to will and to do one and the selfe sam, eneuer diuided. Sain [...] [Page 4] Basill, Basil. Venientem Christum propria benignitas inuitauit, misericordia traxit, veritas compulit, puritas vteri susce­pit, potentia abduxit, obedientia deduxit, beneuolentia conduxit, patientia armauit, charitas verbis & miraculis manifest auit. When Christ came his benignitie inui­ted him, his mercie drew him, his truth compelled him, the puritie of the wombe vndertooke him, his power foorth led him, his obedience past him, his beneuolence guided him, his patience armed him, his charitie reuealed him by wordes and miracles. Gregor. Cum tempus completum erat & opus compertum sacri­ficio, quo veniret Christus, vltro venit, & sponte se homi­nibus videndum attusit, occidendum obtulit, mirandum contulit, credendum transtulit. When the fulnesse of time was that Christ should come and performe the worke of sacrifice, he came willingly, & of his owne accord, yeelded himself to be seene by men, offered himselfe to bee slaine for men, conuaied himselfe to bee wondred at amongst men, translated him from men to be beleeued Cumplenitudo temporis erat, tunc, missus erat Christus, Chrysost. & venit non compulsu patris, sed consensu sui, non ex necessitate mandantis, sed ex volun­tate venientis. When the fulnesse of time was, then Christ was sent and came, not by compulsion of the father, but by consent of himselfe, not out of the ne­cessitie of him that commanded, but out of the wil­lingnesse of him that was comming. Which Saint Augustine vpon saint Iohn makes manifest, August. saying: the father sent his sonne vnto vs, where wee may not thinke he sent any thing lesse then himself, for in that he sent his sonne, he sent himselfe, and so goeth fur­ther with the same maner of speach. Why should [Page 5]we wrangle, seeing the father in sending his sonne came himselfe? The Sunne sendeth forth his beams, yet separateth not his beames from him: the Moone sendeth foorth her light, yet separateth not her light from her▪ the fire sendeth forth his heate, yet sepa­rateth not his heate from him. In euerie one of these there is a sending foorth, but no separation, much lesse in the sonne of God, which is ioyned to the fa­ther in their indiuisible nature, one God in glorie e­quall, in maiestie coeternall; neither confounded in persons, nor diuided in substance, but one God of the substance of the father, begotten before the worlds, & man of the substance of his mother borne in the world, one, not by conuersion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God, one altogither, not by confusion of substance, but by vnitie of person. And so he came, equall to his father as touching his Godhead, inferiour to the father as touching his manhood. He came: Appio [...] makes the comming of Christ three sold Venit ad homines, venit in homines, venit hominibus. Christ commeth vnto men, into men, and to men: vnto men in the flesh, Iohn. 1.14 and so hee came vnto his owne directly: Iohn. 1.14. Into men by the spirit▪ Iohn. 14.18. and so he com­meth to his chosen continually: Iohn. 14.1 [...]. to men in iudge­ment, and so hee will come finally to all. Acts. Acts. 7.31. A day there is which the Lord hath set, wherein he wil iudge the world by that man Christ Iesus, of whom he hath giuen vs assurance, in that he hath raysed him vp from the dead, & made his enemies his foot­stoole. S. Bernard maketh the comming of Christ as the numbers of Delphos fiue-sold Venit Christus, saith [Page 6]he, vel spiritu formante, vel verbo informante, vel cruce reformante, vel sacramento conformante, vel carne defor­mante. Christ came by his forming spirit, by his infor­ming worde, by his reforming crosse, by his confor­ming sacraments, by the deforming flesh. He came, Venit ad sua, for ad suos, as the Apostle saith in his sixt Chapter afterward. Omne quod dat mihi pater, for om­nes quos dat mihipater: All that my father hath giuen me, for all those my father hath giuen me, vsing one gender for another, the Neuter for the masculine, instructing vs thereby as Athenagoras makes glosse, that neither Masculine, nor Feminine, male nor fe­male, man nor woman, are happie without his com­ming, alluding to that of the holy Ghost, that with­out are withered branches, without are dogges, in­fidels, pagans, without hope, without faith, without loue, without truth, without grace, without the spi­rit of God, without the blessing of God, all those that are without the compasse of Christs progresse, or circuit of his visitation, therefore he came vnto his owne, that they might receiue allcomfort by his comming.

There be amongst our new-found, now-fond Gospellers a sort, (I had almost said a sect) that cha­lenge to themselues a great preheminence in this respect, and take vpon them of themselues that they are these his owne to whom hee came, forgetting the tence and sense of this purescripture. For they themselues wil seeme so pure, that all their Christian brethren must stand apart from them, and rather then they will loose the propertie of this preroga­tiue [Page 7]of being his owne, they will be tear med bre­thren in Christ, and brethren of Christ, nay Christs nowne brethren, they are so holy, or so hollow in their puritie; but surely I thinke they are traduced in their title, as ill as seduced in their opinions by those that call them Puritanes, vnlesse they take their names as Diogenes named his man, Manes a manendo, because he ran away from him, or as we say, lucus a lucendo quia minime lucet, or Mons a mouendo, because it stands still: so they by the contrarie are tearmed Puritani, a puritate, quia minime puri, which in his proper place anon shall be declared, though they denie the Sunne to shine while as it dazeleth their eyes. Where as the Prophet notes all people forth of all Nations, and all kinreds of the world for Christ to make his owne of. God gaue him heauen for his inhe­ritance, and the earth for his possession. Psal. 2. All are his but not all his owne: we are all his by nature, but not all his by grace: we are all his by creation, but not all his by election. Omnium hominum dominus quibus quid dat, sed Israliet arum Deus, quibus praecipue prodest: God is the Lord ouer all, to whom he giueth any of his blessings; but he is Israels especiall God, to whom he giueth himselfe, & which he preferreth before all o­ther people: they were those which in the begining he called by his owne name. I am the God of Israel. Esay. 43. If you will be my people, I will be your God. The great blessings he graced them withall, declare they were his owne; their wealth, honour, soueraigntie aboue all other, shew they were his owne: witnesse Moyses. Deut. 15.28. Thou shalt lend to other Nations, but of none shalt thou borrow: Thou shalt seeme strong, [Page 8]dreadfull, terrible and glorious vnto others, but none shall ouercome thee, Esay. 2. &c. The Law God gau [...] them, the co­uenant he made with them, shew they were his owne, Acts. 2. witnesse, Esay. a. God dwelt with them, gaue the law to Sion, and the word of the Lord to Ierusalem. Wit­nesse Saint Peter. Acts. 2. To them pertained the adop­tion, the glorie, the Testament, the constitution of the law, the Couenant, the worshipping and the promises. The descent of Christ shewed they were his owne, wit­nesse Saint Paul. Rom. 9. Of them came Christ according to the flesh: and therefore he is called the starre of Ia­cob, the Lion of the tribe of Iudah, the Rod of Isacke, the seed of Dauid, the sonn of the Virgin, as of the greatest and royalest blood amongst them: to these he came, these were his owne, and had foreknow­ledge of his comming from the beginning. Adam in the 3. of Gen. Abraham in the 12. Isacke in the 20. & in the 26. God told Iacob, In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed. He bound the same with an oath to Dauid: whereupon Dauid did relie & preuailed: and so haue all they no lesse benefite which belee­ued in him promised, then those that receyued him exhibited. He came: to Adam with the promise in the time of despaire; to Abraham with supplie in time of sacrifice; to Isacke with reliefe in the time of famine, in time of exile with honour to Ioseph, in time of persecution with comfort to Elias, in time of battaile with a hand in Gedeons hilt, in time of inua­sion with triumph to Ezechias: in the time of neede he came vnto euery one with some good or other, promising to all life in Iesus Christ, to wit, all those: Qui Christum pollicitum in carne venturum expecta­runt [Page 9]in carne venientem crediderant in carne moriente [...] coluerant.

He came vnto them in figure, before he came in flesh, he appeared vnto them tipically, before hee came vnto them personally: He came in Circumci­sion. Rom. 3. he came in the Pascall Lambe. Iohn. 1.1. he came in Manna. Iohn. 6. hee came in the brazen Serpent. Iohn. 3. hee came in the Arke, and on the Al­tar: all these were figures of Christ He came tipi­cally, as our rest in Noah, our increase in Ioseph, our loue in Dauid, our peace in Salomon, our saluation prefigured in Iosuah. All these were forerunners, and foretellers of Christs comming: Gal. 4. and when the ful­nesse of time was that he should come, as it is in the 4. to the Galathians, then came hee vnto his owne, and tooke flesh vpon him, as the substance of the earth, and became man for their sakes. God be­came man, that so he might make men to bee gods: the Creator tooke vpon him the shape of the crea­tures, that so they might become like to their ma­ker. Mortalitie put on immortalitie, that it might so make that immortall: incorruption put on corrup­tion, that it might so make that incorruptible: the master came vnto his seruants, that they might so be­come his fellowes, yea felow heires with him in the kingdome of his father. In all these kinds, and in all this kindnes, Iesus came vnto his owne, to manifest and publish his vnspeakable and vnchangeable loue to those which he vouchsafeth to owne.

Thus hee came vnto his owne: and thus I leaue CHRIST IESVS in loue with his [Page 10]owne, and his owne in his loue, which is the scope of my first part, and goe to examine the fault of his owne who receiued him not, which is my second part.

The course of his entertainment, The 2. part: course intertain­ment; the kind of his receiuing, vnkind receiuing; the maner of his welcome, vnmanerly welcome; the forme of his vsage, deformed vsage; if wee bee not like horse and mule that haue no vnderstanding, or like those people with the brasen bone, that haue no feeling of the holy Ghost, will teach vs for euer to enter into a due and dutifull consideration of recei­uing so gracious and worthie a guest, as our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ is, as he commeth vnto vs, or into vs: for who doth not blush with shame? who doth not swound with griefe? who doth not split with sorrow? to thinke that man, the Image of God, the purchase of Iesus Christ, an honorable creature, inferiour only to the Angels, crowned with honour and glorie, (which is much more deare) then the fi­nest gold of Ophir, that he should be by the weaknes of the spirit so ignorant, as not to know, or by the wickednesse of the flesh so ingratefull, as not to ac­knowledge, or by the corruption of nature so mali­cious▪ as not to welcome the Lord and giuer of all good gifts: who can keepe their eyes from teares, their heart from sighes, their bodies from sackcloth and ashes? to think, that the Israelites which were so fauoured of God, so renowmed amongst men, so feared of their enemies, so furthered by their friends so generally graced, that nothing wanted they could [Page 11]wish for worldly power, pompe and dignitie; that they should be so gracelesse, as to neglect or not re­ceiue the founder of their graces; that these people which were so neare and deare vnto Christ Iesus, as the apple of his owne eye, the signet on his right hand, the soule of his delight, that they should be so carelesse as not to entertaine the Lord of life, in all solemnitie: it is for a lamentation, and will be for a lamentation to the end; it is a caution, and ought to be for a caution for euer, for all succeeding ages, to looke vnto the entertainment and receiuing of Christ Iesus. Read the Euangelists, there shal you see how our Lord was accepted. At his birth, they did not so much as giue him lodging in an Inne, his best chamber was but a base stable; his haule but a houel, his cradle but a cratch; and none came forth to wel­come him, nor any in to comfort him, but a few poore sheepheards, and those not of their owne ac­cord, but by the direction of an Angel. Thus and no otherwise did they receiue him, O hard harted Is­raelites. And while he was yet in his swadling clouts Herod the tyrant sent forth an armie of men, to kill all male childrē vnder two yeares of age, that he might be sure to meete with Christ for his welcome; hee made such a massacre of Infants, that Bethlehem the place where Iesus was borne was made red with blood, fresh blood of sucklings that were slaughte­red; Bethlehem was made white with the bodies, bare bodies of babes that were murdered: the earth was watered with the teares, salt teares, that were shed by the mothers, heauē was filled with the cries outragious cries of the fathers, heauen and earth did [Page 12]sound with the sobs and sighs, and skreekes of kins­folkes, made for the children, and there was none came forth to rescue him, saue the Angel that made his parents pack him away into Egypt. Thus and no otherwise did they receiue him: O foule hearted Is­raelits. The residue of his life as it increased in years, so did it encrease in cares; for as hee grew vp, and came amongst them teaching and preaching, dispu­ting and instructing in their Synagogues and Tem­ples, they regarded him not, but anon the Scribes and Pharisies infamed him, Is not this the Carpen­ters sonne? say wee not well that thou art a Samari­tane? and none came forth to comfort him? thus and no otherwise did they receiue him: O false hearted Israelites. The whole race of his life was but a war­fare, a wauering and way faring estate, neuer at ease, neuer at peace, neuer at rest: the foules of the ayre haue nests, & the foxes haue holes, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head, but is still tost from place to place; from post to pillar; from Bethlehem to Egypt, from Egypt to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Ca­pernaum, from Capernaum to Ierusalem, from worse to worst of all. For there at Ierusalem which was the citie of the great king, where a man would thinke the heyre apparant of the king dome should bee roy­ally entertayned, euen there the measure of his woes, and their wickednesse was fully fild, as ye may reade in the Gospel of saint Mathew: there the diuell tempted him, his Disciples forsooke him, Iudas be­trayed him, the Souldiers tooke him, bound him hand and foote, carried him before the high Priests and Elders; false witnesses accused him, the multi­tude [Page 13]cries out, Crucifie him, Pilate condemnes him, the Gouernors seruants conuey him to the com­mon hall, they strip him, put a skarlet robe vpon his shoulders, a crowne of thornes vpon his head, a reed in his hand, and then salute him in derision: Haile Iesus king of the Iewes; they blinfold him, and their vn­hallowed rabble buffet him on the cheekes, spit in his face, scourge him on the backe, and in the ende naile him on the crosse, and crucifie him; where han­ging, the proud Pharisies, false Scribes, hypocriticall Elders, cruell captaines, mercilesse souldiers, ma­licious passengers, both great and small (wagging their heades) most scornefully, crie out, Thou that saidest thou couldest destroy the Temple, and in three dayes build it vp againe, saue thy selfe, and if thou be the sonne of God come downe from the Crosse: and none there were that comforted him: thus and no otherwise did they receiue him; O bloodie minded Israelites O people Israel, no people of Israel, but a Nation prepared for the vengeance to come. O familie of Iacob, no fami­lie of Iacob, but a generation of vipers left for the blacke day. O sonnes of Abraham, no sonnes of A­braham, but fruit of Nepthilim, proud workers of ini­quitie, fit subiects of Gods eternall wrath and indig­nation: that so vnkindly intreated, and so inhumainly entertained him, that was so kind to them, as to giue them all happinesse, and liue himselfe in miserie: that gaue them the earth for their possessions, and had no better then a manger for his mansion; that placed all rest, and had himselfe no resting place. Was there euer such ingratitude exprest? The Sunne did hide his face, the Moone gaue not her light; the starres [Page 14]kept not their course, the vniuersall engine of the world was out of frame at this neglect, the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine, the graues burst open, and the dead bodies rose at this neglect: all crea­tures were moued with this ingratitude, mans heart alone relented not. The Text is plaine, they receiued him not. They receiued him not as man, as he came vnto them in the flesh; they receiued him not as God, Iohn, 6, [...] as he commeth into them in the spirit. It is his owne complaint in the 6. of Iohn. I said vnto you, that you also haue seene me and beleeued me not.

His gracious & his graceful presence could get him no grace amongst them, his painfull & faithfull prea­ching, which was so praise-full, (that neuer mā spake as this man did) it could gaine him no credit amongst them, his good life which was the light of all good­nesse, could procure him no good liking: his actions that were wonderfull and powerfull in all things, had no power to winne him fauour amongst them; his verie myracles themselues preuailed not with them for him. They saw the sicke healed, the lame go, the dumbe speake, the blind see, the deafe heare, the leapers cleansed, the dead reuiued by his power, and yet they did not beleeue: they saw the nets brea­king, the boats sinking, the storms ceasing, the seas his walking place, & yet they did not beleeue: they saw him cast forth diuels by legions at once, feeding fiue thousand with two loaues & fiue fishes, turning wa­ter into wine, doing many other myracles, & yet they did not beleeue. Elias came downe to attend him, Moyses rose vp to wait on him, Peter, Iames and Iohn, parted not from him, at his transfiguration on mount [Page 15] Tabor, the place shone with brightnesse, and a voice the voyce of God himselfe was heard from heauen: This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased, heare him, and yet they did not beleeue him; the preiudice of Moyses, on the one side, and their palpable igno­rāce on the other side, made them incredulous; they were Moyses schollers forsooth, and followed him, we know that God made a promise vnto Moyses, but what God promised vnto him we know not, and in the 4. of Iohn; they came to our Sauiour: Moses gaue vs a law (and so forth) but alas saith saint Paule, 2, Cor, 3, yet the vaile was before their hearts. 2. Cor. 3. And howsoeuer they forsooke Christ, they forsooke Moy­ses aswell as him, therefore sayth our Sauiour, I am come to enlarge the king dome of my father; if you had beleeued Moyses, ye would haue beleeued mee, for Moyses wrote of me, but ye beleeued him not, ye beleeued me not: Mat. 13▪ how often would I haue gathered you togither, and you would not Mat. 23. And ther­sore saith S. Peter. Acts. 13. Behold ye despisers, and won­der, for I will do a worke in your dayes which yee will not beleeue although you see it, which is the verie same that here is spoken of▪

Thus much of my second part, the ingratitude and iniquitie of the people, opposed against the gra­tuitie and goodnes of their God, that came vnto them as his owne, though they receiued him not, and gaue power to as many as did receiue him to be the sonns of God, euen to those that beleeue on his name, Not­withstanding the hauiour of these creatures, a people giuen ouer to their wickednesse, yet doth not the [Page 16]sheepeheard of their soules leaue them all to their wofulnesse, but as many as do receiue him, to them he giues power to be the sonnes of God, insinuating by these wordes as many, that some receiue him, as­suring vs by these wordes as many, the benefit of our saluation to some: the summe whereof is conueyd vn­to vs in this second verse, by the certaintie thereof, as many as do receyue, by the soueraigntie, they haue power to be the sonnes of God, by the maner of our obtainment thereof, He gaue them power, by the means wee doe lay holde thereon, euen faith to those that do beleeue, by the obiect of our faith which is the name of Iesus, to those that do beleeue in his name.

The certaintie of our saluation is declared in these wordes, as many. The common aduersarie, because they be so many, boast much, & triumph in the mul­titude of their associates, and thinke to put vs downe with the fault of our forefathers: but as it is in the vi­sion of S. Iohn: we see who glorieth in the greatest nū ­ber euen Antichrist himselfe. Apoc. 19. and let him glo­rie in the rout & rabble of his vnhalowed complices, sithence praise be giuen to him that sits aboue, and swaies below, the haruest of true intertainers is great, and the line of them that receiue Christ is stretched farre and wide vpon the face of the whole earth. It is not tied to the familie of Iacob, as the Iewes would haue it, nor to the soyle of Affricke, as the Donatists would haue it, nor to the sea of Rome, as the Papists would haue it, but God hath chosen for the seede of Abraham, all which haue the faith of Abraham; and for the familie of Iacob, Iohn. 4.23. A [...]o. 21.12. all that worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Iohn. 4.23. And therefore in the Reue­lation [Page 17]21.12.13. the Church of God is compared vn­to a citie hauing 12. gates, opening 3. into euerie quarter of the world. And saint Pau [...]e the second to the Ephesians, and the 14. sheweth that now the wall of partition is broken downe, so that all the world is equally the Church of God, and some did faithfully receiue Christ, though his owne receyued him not: for so much do these wordes as many, report and im­port. Although for the quantitie the Church of God be counted smal, yet for the qualitie it is greater then the rest, because Christ doth more esteem one mem­ber of his mysticall bodie, then all the number of in­fidels, and wicked reprobates in the world: though Christ call his flocke a little flocke, yet he sayth: Feare not my little flocke, it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a king dome. We must needes confesse the number of the faithfull is lesse then the number of the wicked, we cannot denie but there is more store of weedes then corne in the Lords haruest. For Noah and his fa­mily, being but eight persons, all the world was drowned in wickednes: for Lot and his two sonnes, Sodome and Gomorrah with all the cities round about were burned in sinne: for one thankfull Samaritane, there were nine vnthankefull leapers: for one Elias, there were 450. Prophets of Ball. Reg. [...], 18. for one Micheas, there will be 400. false Prophets to A [...]ab. 2.22. there will bee but one of a citie, and two of a tribe, which shall enter into Sion. Iere. 3.14. in steade of the two legges, and peece of the eare, which the sheepheards shall saue from the mouth of the Lion, the whole bodie shall be deuoured, Amos. 3,1 [...]. but a few names will be found in Sardi, which haue not [Page 18]defiled their garments. Apo. 3.4. for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth vnto destruction, and many there be that enter into it: but straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life eternall, and few there bee that find it; we graunt more chaffe then graine, more tares then corne in the Lords field. We grant Christ came vnto his own, and his own receiued him not: yet (dearly beloued) the flocke of Christ is farre greater then can be per­ceiued by the eyes of men. For as Iohn sayth, there are verie many wolues within, and very many sheep without, and therefore we must not take vpon vs to iudge our brethren, nor despaire our selues, but leaue iudgement vnto God, and looke for mercie of the Lord: 2. Tim. 2.13. for as saint Paule sayth, The foundation of God remayneth sure, and hath his seale: Dominus nouit qui sunt sui. The Lord knoweth who are his.

There is no place, nor any sort of people through­out the world, where the Lord hath not some cho­sen. In the wicked court of Pharo there flourished godly Ioseph: with that cruell persecutor of the Pro­phets Achab, there was a preseruer of Prophets, and a seruer of God Obadiah. In the house of Rimmon, where the king of Aram serued strange gods, the captaine of his host Naaman, serued onely the Lord God of Israel: In the campe of souldiers which is most suspected, there was Cornelius most sincere: In the ranke of sinners that were most detected, euen a­mongst the Publicanes were found Mathew and Za­cheus the faithfull seruants of God: amongst the blin­dest recreants the verie Pharisies, was Necodemus that refused his companions, and thought nothing [Page 19]too deare to bestow in the honour of our Sauiour: Herod that mortall enemie of Iesus Christ, had Mana­hen his companion, and Iohanna the wife of Chuza the steward in his house which feared God: the Iewes themselues that were so malicious against Christ, had some amongst them that receiued him, there was Nathaniell in whom there was no guile; there was olde Simeon which looked for the conso­lation of Israel: there was religious Annah, that ser­ued God day and night with fasting and prayer, and confessed the Lord Iesus to all that looked for re­demption in Ierusalem. Thus was the state of Christs Church for euer certaine, though the seate vncer­taine sometimes where to find her. This is the cer­taine seale of our saluation, though the signe vncer­taine sometimes where to finde it, because wee can­not iudge with outward senses who receiue, or not receue Christ Iesus when he commeth; yet is it most certaine, that as many as do receiue him, to them he giueth power to be the sonnes of God. Here is the so­ueraigntie of our saluation, following the certaintie therof, we are made the sonnes of God by receiuing the sonne of God comming vnto vs, and into vs.

A happie day, and a happie deed, a blessed time, and a blessed change for vs, that are by nature the sonnes of Adam, the children of wrath, by such a guest, by such a grace should be made the sonnes of God. Filius Dei (saith S. Cyprian) factus erat homo vt fa­ceret homines filios Dei, vnicus natus erat, attamen noluit manere vnus; The sonne of God was made man, that he might make men the sonnes of God; he was borne one, but wold not liue alone; hee loued vs so, that he [Page 20]could not leaue vs till he had made vs his brethren, sonnes with him to God our father: neuerthelesse there is great difference between his s [...]ate and ours, he is the naturall sonne of God, we the adopted; he begotten in eternitie, the perfect sonne of his father, we creased in dew time out of the earth our mother; he borne, we made the sonnes of God: yet such his kindnesse, that he neuer saith, Pa [...]er meus & dominus vester, sed dominus meus, & pater ves [...]er▪ as saith S. Greg. My father, and your Lord, but my Lord and your fa­ther. The reason is, as saint Basill sayth: Sic tungit vt non distinguit, & si [...] distinguit vt non seiungit: he doth so ioyne that he doth not distinguish, and so distin­guish that he doth not diuide: so that we are sons, & being sonnes are fellow heyres with Iesus Christ in his kingdom, Rom. 8. as the Apostle saith in the 8. Rom. where the inheritance pertaineth not to one, as to the eldest sonne in an earthly kingdome, but euerie one doth inherit all the reuenues, rents and rights of the whole kingdome, none more or lesse then another, but all haue full possession of all things that are all perfect. For as [...]rie saith, this kingdome is most high in dignitie, most free in libertie, most secure in peace, most glorious in honour, most pure in clearnesse, most ioyous in the societie of Angels, most copious in the affluence of riches, influence of pleasures, con­fluence of all perpetuall graces. This is the portion of all those that are the sonnes of God: this is the pre­heminence, sayth one translation, the prerogatiue, sayth another, the priuiledge, saith another, the dig­nitie, saith another, of all those that receiue Christ Iesus: but they all say this: He gaue them power to bee [Page 21]the sonnes of God.

Here is the maner set downe how they come by the benefite; they do not buy it, as the Heretikes Cir­cumseliones thinke; they haue it not in their owne naturalitie, as the Pelagians hold; they worke it not out of their owne abilitie, as the Papists suppose; but they receiue it of Gods meere liberalitie. He gaue them power: It is the mercie of God, the goodnesse of God, the bountie of God, that bestowes this benefite vpon vs. The best in this case must say with Iacob, I am not worthy the least of thy benefits. Gen. 32. Gene. 32. The best must say with Daniel, Righteousnesse belongeth onely vn­to thee, to vs belongeth nothing but shame. Dan. 9. Dan. 9. the best must say with Iob, If I would seek to iusti fie my self, I must needs condemne my selfe. If we consider with our selues what we are of our selues, we shall plainly finde our selues, the best of vs all dust and ashes, by our sub­stance, Gen. 3. by knowledge but beasts. Gene. 3. Ierem. 10.4. Ephes. 2.3. Iere, 10.4. by nature the children of wrath. Ephes 2 13. I remember Lemnius giues a strange report of flesh: let buls flesh lie aboue the ground in the open ayre, it turnes to Bees; let horse-flesh lie in that maner, it turneth to Hornets; but let mans flesh lie in that sort, it turnes to Serpents▪ I will banke the application, least I be taken for a Bee, or a Hornet I say no more, but if any cha­lenge any goodnes vnto themselues, as of themselues or of their owne power, it is much vanitie, for of our selues wee cannot so much as thinke a good thought. 2. Cor. 3.5. It is more arrogancie, because we giue that to our selues which is proper to God: for euer [...]e good and perfect gift commeth from aboue. Iames [Page 22]the 1.17. It is most iniquitie because we doe not ac­knowledge the giuer thankefully, Col. 3.17. for all praise and glorie is to be giuen to God. Col. 3.17. Wherefore as the wise man saith, White birds with blacke feathers haue no prerogatiue; if merit then death, if mercie then life, saluation commeth freely from the mercie of God: August. Cant. 2. Bernard. Non per innatam, sed per donatam iustitiam salui sumus, saith Augustine: Non infixa, sed infusagratia, Whereon saint Bernard: I for my loue, and my loue for me, that she may know her self to be full of grace, when she ascribes all to her loue, and nothing to her selfe.

By grace ye are saued through Iesus Christ, Ephe. 2.8. sayth saint Paule, and that not of your selues, it is the gift of God: It is the gift of God taken holde on by faith, which is the meanes by which we receiue all good things, the meanes by which we are made the sonnes of God: Galat. 3. Iohn. 1. ep▪ 5. Rom. 4. you are all the sonnes of God by faith in Ie­sus Christ. And our Apostle himselfe in his 1. Epist. 5. cap. reaffirmes his report: He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God; not the vnbeleeuers, but belee­uers. And in the 3 Rom. It is one God which shall iu­stifie circumcision of faith, and vncircumcision tho­row faith. Chpysost. This faith, saith Chrysostom, must be simple, without curious searching, strong without fearfull fainting, constant without doubtfull wauering: this faith will appeare by the fruites which are good workes; Gregor. by the triall which is affliction; by the ende which is saluation. If thou be like the Persian Apple-tree, sayth Basill, that beares continually buds, blos­soms, [Page 23]greene fruit, ripe fruit, some fruit for all winter stormes, or sommers blasts, till it be rooted vp: if thou hast this faith, thou art surely the sonne of God: for to them onely that beleeue, hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God.

Here is now the obiect of our faith, which is the subiect of our saluation, the name of Iesus, to which the mercies, merits, and mediation of Christ belong, which are al cōtained in his name Iesus, which signi­fieth a sauiour. To Abraham & his seed, was the pro­mise made, not saying to his seed, but in his name, as of one Lord Iesus Christ: to him all the Prophets giue witnesse, that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes. Act. 10.43. In his name shall all the Nations of the world be bles­sed: Acts. 10.43. whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall bee saued: Great is the name of the Lord and preuaileth: The name of the Lord bring eth mightie things to passe: Mine enemies compasse me round a­bout, saith Dauid, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. Our enemies, the world, the flesh and the diuell, compasse vs round about, but in the name of the Lord, in the mercies, merits, and mediation of Iesus Christ we may destroy them: They kept me in on euery side, saith Dauid, hell, death, and damnation, kept vs in on euerie side, but in the mercie, merits, and mediation of Iesus Christ wee may escape: they came about me like Bees, saith Dauid, but in the name of the Lord they are extinct: they came about vs like Bees, but in the name (the mercie, merits, & media­tion) of the Lord Iesus Christ, they are so extinct, that [Page 24]we may boldly say, and safely crie, death where is thy sting, Application. hell where is thy victorie.

Christ Iesus is come, the king is come, and the king comming the enemies are fled. Those that haue eies to see let them see; those that haue eares to heare let them heare: those that haue a heart to vnder­stand let them vnderstand those things that belong vnto their peace, let them see the loue of Christ in comming to his owne, and embrace it; heare the fault of his owne in receyuing him not, and eschew it; Vnderstand the benefit of our saluation, giuen to as many as receyue him, by beleeuing on his name & enioy it. Christ Iesus is come. he that was to come to the Patriarks, is come to the Apostles; he that was to come to Moses, is come to Iohn; he that was to come to the Prophets, is come to the Disciples he that was to come to all, is come to his owne▪ Why then fare­well all Types and Figures, and welcome the summe and substance of our saluation: farewell the shadows of the fathers, the visions of the Prophets, the cere­monies of the Tabernacle, the superstitions of the Iewes: farewell night, and welcome day; farewell darknesse, and welcome light; farewell danger, and welcome safetie, for the Phisition of health, the ha­uen of rest, the doore of truth the mirrour of good­nesse, the fountaine of our redemption: Christ Iesus is come: he is come at whose appearance the tree of Paradice was turned into the food of life: the cir­cumcision of the skinne into the circumcision of the minds the golden couering of the propitiatorie into the golden crowne of glory; the rock yeelding forth water into the side issuing with blood; the coate of [Page 25] Aron into the wedding garment of Christ, Moyses into Christ, the type into the thing; the shade into the shine; the shine into the sunne it selfe. Rom. 13. Away therfore with all your shadowes now, for the day is come. Rom. 13. Away with all sacrifices and flesh offerings, for we must sacrifice vnto God the sacrifice of praise: Psal. 49. Psal. 49. Away with the lamps and lanthornes of the Tabernacles, Iohn. 1. for the true light is come into the world, Iohn. 1. Away with old baptisme, for we must be borne of water and the spirit.

The suspitious Iewes are now confuted in their suppositions; the misbeleeuing Turkes are now con­founded in their expectations; the faithfull Christi­ans are confirmed in their saluation by this comming of Christ.

Christ Iesus is come, and he is come vnto his own, and to vs as to his owne; we are his owne and the same priueledges, the same blessings, the same fauors that is said to belong vnto the Israelites as his owne, are common to vs of England as his owne, if we ex­amine our estates of Israel and England, by the rules of the Prophets & Apostles: is it not with Englād as it was with the litle land of Goshen, which had the light of God, when all Egypt was darke: is not the Law [Page 26]and the Gospel freely and truely published in our eares? is not our starre like vnto Iosephs starre, as the Moone in respect of our brethren? doe not all Na­tions creepe and crouch to vs? Doth not the Oliue with her fatnesse, the figge with her sweetnesse, the vine with her fruitfulnesse abide with vs? What be­nefites had the people of Israel immediately from God, that we haue not as graciously amongst vs, to shew that we are his owne? Our portion is such in God, and our proportion such with them in all things betweene God and vs, that as we may truely say with Dauid: The Lord is the lot of our inheritance: so we may truly say with Lot: The Lord is the Iudge of our transgressions. As we may boldly chalenge a proper­tie in Christs louing comming, and comming vnto vs; so wee must humbly acknowledge our fault in not receyuing him: for in the same manner that we are approued, we are reproued with Israel: yet he that will take vpon him to descrie or describe the maner of our receiuing, or not receiuing Christ, as he com­meth vnto vs by his members, or into vs by his spi­rit, had need transforme himselfe: for, Sitang as mon­t [...]s fumigabunt, si aspergas valles inundabunt, si calcas colles inhiabunt: so that the Minister of God that dea­leth faithfully in this poynt, hath the Wolfe by the eare, which if he do not warily hold, or wisely let go, he may chaunce to be had himselfe by the eares, or bee sure to bee laid fast by the heeles, when hee is not aware: yet as Ambrose sayd to Theodotius so I humbly say to you.

And that I may speake most mildly of all to all that Christ comes vnto, I must say as saint Paule sayeth to the Corinthians, the 1.11. Omnes imbecilles sunt, & dor­miunt: or as Fulgentius speakes to his auditors: Qui­libet piorum perfectus, et imperfectus: perfectus spe glori­ficationis, imperfectus corruptione, perfectus quia in ani­mo seruit diuinis legibus, imperfectus quia seruit legipec­cati: or as Solarius speakes continually vnto the tra­ueller, that they that plucke vp the Baaran roote are stifled with the sauour: they that looke into the poy­soned poole of Babylon loose their sight; they that come within the aire of Sodome are infected; they that touch pitch are defiled. To the Angell of the Church of Sardi, these things saith he that hath the seuen spirits of God, and the seuen starres. I know thy workes, thou hast a name that thou liuest, but thou art dead, I haue not found thy works perfect, before God, remember therefore what things thou hast re­ceyued and heard, hold fast and repent. I know thy works, O Lōdon, &c. To the Angel of the church of Ephesus, these things saith he, I haue some few things against thee, thou hast lost thy first loue: remember from whence thou art fallen, repent and do thy first workes, or else I will come against thee, and remoue thy candlesticke. O England, O London, I haue some few things against thee, thou art fallen away from thy first loue with Ephesus, thy workes are not all perfect. Thy loue is not carefull, thy care is not fruitfull, thy fruit is not graceful to entertaine Christ Iesus. The laborers hire kept backe, till the morning, the poore mās pledge with-holden wrōgfully, iudg­ment withheld frō those that are in distresse: all these [Page 28]are seene in thee; all these are sinne in thee: in all these are showen that Christ is not receyued as he ought to bee. The buildings enlarged by Achabs crueltie, the coffers inriched by Achans the euerie; the states maintained by Gehesies policie: all these are seene; all these are sinne: in all these is showen that Christ is not receyued as he ought to be. Those that make widowes a pray, the fatherlesse a spoile, the friend­lesse a prize, receyue not Christ: many store-houses sorted with wares, many ware houses filled with store, many shops with false lights, and light waights, many cupboords garnished with plate, many ward­robes furnished with gorgious apparell, shew that we receiue not Christ as we should do; those by­ting Vsurers that deuonr the needie, and feed vpon the flesh of them that are fallen into their nets, re­ceiue not Christ; those griping oppressors that quench their dayly thirst with the teares of women and children, grinding the face of such as are fallen into their snares, those double dealers that giue Io­abs stabbe, with Iudas kis [...]e, those bloodie slanderers that make reproach, their custom, and delight to die their tongues in the blood of their brethren receiue not Christ; the false witnsse and the suborner, the corrupt quests man, and the extortioner, receiue not Christ. Where Enuie standes in the doore, where Wrath leanes in the porch, where Gluttonie sittes at table, where Drunkennes lies in the floore, where Slouth sleepes on the bed, where Lecherie keepes the chamber, and Pride lookes out at the window, Christ Iesus hath no welcome, and thither hee will not come, the places must be cleane (from vice) they [Page 29]must bee garnished with vertue, they must be per­fumed with holinesse, where Christ Iesus commeth; the houses must be swept, washed and pared, where he cometh; swept from dust and cobwebs, ab offensis lemoribus, from sleighter offences; washed from filth and slabbering, a delictis suauioribus, from sweeter faults; pared from dirt and rubbish, a peccatis grauio­ribus, from more grieuous sinnes: so that wheresoe­uer Christ is entertained, the place must bee as the Sanctuarie, hallowed: the people must bee as the Priests, sanctified; and the furniture must be as the vessels of the Temple, consecrated. If this citie, and the citizens be thus prouided, ye are fit to entertaine Christ Iesus, if not, it behoueth you to looke for bet­ter furniture. I remember Eusebius the Bishop of Cae­sarea, in a certain Epistle of his to Constantine the Em­perour, makes mention of a goodly citie that he pas­sed thorow in his trauels called Augusta, which be­fore his comming to it, was reported to him to be a place very stately for building, very rich for furni­ture, very plentifull for prouision, very populous for inhabitants, but when he came into it, he found no people dwelling in it, but lions, tygres, dragons, ca­melions, foxes wolues, goates, swine, vnicornes, Vipers; which when the Emperour read, hee calles vnto Macarius his chaplaine, and requires his knowledge and opinion of the place and people: which Macarius aduisedly declares, saying: it was true which the reuer end father had writen, both of the place and people: for the citie in his knowledge was such as it was described, and the citizens in his opinion, such as they were noted: some cruell as [Page 30]lions, to wit mercilesse, preiudicant bribe-taking ma­gistrates,: some greedie as tygres, the symonicall illi­terate soul-staruing ministers: some fierce as dragons, the vsurious extorsiue state-spoiling mony-mongers: some chāgable as Camelions, the politicall informant time-seruing state-mongers: some deceiueable as foxes, the priuie Brokers, subordinate Scribes, and crimping gamsters: some rauenous as wolues, the citie sergiants, countrie bailifes, court officers: some lasciuious as goats, the brothell-haunters, brothel-hunters, sappe-suckers and soakers: some filthie as swine, the lasie licentious, inordinate taske-masters: some proud as Vnicornes, the rising courtier, stan­ding lawyer, falling merchant: some inhumane as Vipers, the vnnaturall children, vngratefull friends, vnfaithfull seruants. Thus doe these famous writers deliuer this infamous citie by the condition of wilde and sauage beasts, which is an vnnaturall and strange thing amongst men, whereas if they had described it by tame and seruiceable beasts, which are familiar with men, it might haue passed with more ease, as dogges, cattes, horses, calues and oxen, but they re­port it of the brutish & insociable inhabitants: which is a fearefull & a shamefull reproach, such a reproach as God forbid I should conceiue of this citie! much more publish, most of all perceyue amongst the in­habitants: yet ye must giue me leaue to say of it, as Mantuan did of his natiue citie. Quo magis approprio tanto magis omnia sordent: the nearer I approach vn­to her, the more reproach I heare of her. And by your honourable and religious patience, I may free­ly speake what I haue plainly seene in the course of [Page 31]some trauels, and obseruation of some courses that in Flanders was neuer more drunkennes, in Italie more wantonnesse, in France more dissimulation, in Creet more lying, in Spaine more insolencie, in Iurie more hypocrisie, in Persia more curiositie, in Barbary more crueltie, in Turkie more impietie, in Tartarie more iniquitie, then is practised generally in England, par­ticularly in London: all this is seene, all this is sinne, in all this is showen that we receiue not Christ Iesus amongst vs.

Yet amongst the route and rabble of vnhallowed miscreants, or recreants, that receiue not Christ, there be foure sorts of people most opprobrious, which I cannot passe without reproofe, namely the obstinate Papists and malicious, the prophane Atheists and vn­consecrate, the discentious & licencious Scismatike, the proude and pampered worldling.

The obstinate Papist, Papists. who hath sayd with Nym rod, Go to, let vs build vs a Tower, whose, top may reach vnto the heauens, that we may get vs a name for euer, least we be scattered vpon the face of the earth for euer. Thus they thinke to raise the state of their saluation by their great workes, and mount into heauen vpon the wings of their deserts: this they presume spiritually: and carnally what do they not presume? There is a certaine drinke which they call Catholicon, and a cer­taine drugge which they call Huiguiero, which the Menipized Satire speakes of; whereof when they haue taken a draught or a dramme, they are so bolde that they dare vndertake any thing be it neuer so ab­hominable: disturbance of states: destruction of king­domes: death of kings and princes themselues; their [Page 32]infection is so venemous, that their affections can hardly be religious, what pretence soeuer they make of religion: insomuch that I cannot see how these that are so faithlesse in their deuotion towards God, can be faithfull in their duties towardes their king. My reason is, because they consecrate themselues vnto the Pope their suffragan, they cannot containe themselues vnto the king our soueraigne; they can­not serue Christ and Antichrist, God or Baall must be God, for God and Beliall cannot be ioyned. I won­der then in what kinde of allegeance they stand that are reconciled vnto the Pope, they that subscribe in the casting of their king out of the Church: what su­premacie doe they allow his Maiestie in the Church: Cum iurauerunt in verba Pontificis maximi: In case of excommunication: I dispute not what maner of sub­iects these are in their kindes, but leaue the conside­ration thereof to whom it belonges. In the Reuela­tion I reade of seuen Angels, to whom was giuen seuen seuerall trumpets. The third Angell blew a trumpet, and there fell a great starre from heauen burning like a torch, and it fell into the third part of the waters: It was called Wormewood; therefore the third part of the waters became bitter as Worme­wood. This starre as our best authours write was Pelagius a monke, the chiefe pillar of their side that made the waters bitter, corrupting the scripture with false doctrine, so that many died: he tooke away the doctrine of Redemption by Iesus Christ, where­in men should beleeue; he disabled the doctrine of iustification by faith whereby men liue; hee would not suffer that Christ Iesus was the Lambe of God [Page 33]that taketh away the sinnes of the world, that Christ was the sole and soule sauing sacrifice; once offered vpon the crosse, neuer to bee renued, not needing helpe, but of it selfe sufficient for our saluation, hee could not endure: and so made the worde bit­ter, whereby many soules were lost. The se­uenth Angell blew a Trumpet, and the thirde part of the moone, and of the starres were smitten, so that the third part of them was darkened, and those were the Arians, their great champions, who by boasting of their workes and merits, obscure Christs iustice and mercie, and tread his death and passion vnder feete; they darken the third part of the church and ministers and teachers with their false doctrine; It is not vnknowne how they did monstrously grow to the trouble of all Europe, and the confusion of that citie Transiluania. You see these Papists receiue not Christ as he commeth vnto men in the flesh: they spare neither king nor subiect, prince nor people that standes in their way, but downe with them, downe with them as the Babilonians did, euē to the ground: they receiue him not as he commeth into men in the spirit. You heare how they oppose themselues wholy agaynst the doctrine of Christ in the Gospel; they scorne the vertue of his mercie, merits, and me­diation. The obstinate Papist, and malicious receiue not Christ: they receiue him not

The prophane Atheist, who hath said in his heart with the foole. There is no God. Like Nebuchadnezzar walking vpon the battlements of his high Pallace, breatheth forth, Is not this great Babell which I haue built for the house of my kingdome, by the might of my [Page 34]power, for the honour of my Maiestie: so they walking vpon the Torrace of nature, & vpō the battlements of their wittes, breath forth blasphemie against God, and infamie to men, is not that which we do, done by the power of nature? haue not we wit and will, reason and skill, to vnderstand and execute those things that concerne our glory: and thus they make their arme of flesh, and take no notice of the power of God. But when his name is spoken of, like the Ad­der they clap one eare to the ground, and stoppe the other with their taile. They learne to weaue Spiders webs, and hatch Cockatrices egges; they learne of the toad to swel aboue their proportion; of the wolfe to barke against the moone; of the wilde Asse to bray against the thunder; of the Owle to eschew the light of the sunne; of the Vipers to goare and gnaw the breast and bowels of their dearest parents, as Epipha­nius sayth.

Saint Ierome speakes of them as of the serpent Hy­daspis, whose poyson is so venemous, that whosoeuer they touch or sting, they consume in bodie, or lan­guish in mind. Saint Basili speakes of them as of those worms Hemorhoides, which cause althose they touch to bleed in all parts of their bodies vntill they die, and be distracted in their spirits while they liue. Exam­ples where of are too fresh in our memorie, and the bleeding wounds of some are scarce yet drie, and therefore I forbeare the application. It is well if we [...] be free from their imputation and immitation, that are so farre from receyuing Christ, that they say in [Page 35]their heart there is no God: and charme the char­mer neuer so sweetly, they will not receiue him. The prophane Athiest receyues not Christ, they re­ceyue him not.

The Schismatike which say with Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, Come let vs breake their bonds, and cast away their coards from vs: are not our tongues our owne, and what Lord shall controll vs? These appeare in the visions of Iohn. The second Angell blew the trumpet, and a it was a great mountaine was cast in­to the sea, & the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures that were in the sea, and they that had life died, for by the water is vnderstood the word of God, and by the mountaine is meant diuerse sects and schismes, whereof Monta­nus was one, with Prisca and Salisba, two women which had led a great man Tertullian so farre, that he confessed he had Priscam a Prophetesse; but she pro­ued such a Prophetesse to him, as Iuno did to Hercules: The storie is of Iuno, that she being much displeased with Hercules, and resolued to do him mischief, vsed many meanes to vexe him, but could not preuaile, till she had set Hercules against Hercules; till shee had made Hercules mad, she could do him no hurt; but when she had diuided him from himselfe, had made him mad, then she might do what she would with him, when he did rage and raue in himselfe, and a­gainst himself: such are our Schismatiks, as Iuno against Hercules, offended with the state of our church, and not knowing how to haue their will in her, and of her to obtaine her goods, & not maintain her good, to enioy her wealth, & not preserue her weale▪ they [Page 36]set Hercules against Hercules, they diuide the vnseamed coat of Christ Iesus, and fill the church with sects and schismes, outrages and madnesse, and so disturbe the peace thereof, that while Simeon and Leui offend, good old father Iacob cannot be at quiet, and while the fathers eate sower Grapes, the childrens teeth are set on edge. They haue no hoe nor hold of their affections, but condemne and contemne gouernors, and gouernment, mutter and murmure against the manners of gouernors, and manner of gouernment, content with nothing but their owne peeuish cour­ses, when they see all courses haue beene taken that are ordinarie and lawfull for perfection. The idle and Idoll sheepeheards haue beene seuerely dealt withall, the drowsie and sluggish haue beene mild­ly handled; the blind and ignorant haue had spittle and salt, and clay, put vpon their eyes, nay their eyes haue beene rubd with the gall of fishes, as Tobias his was. And what would they haue more? I know not what they would haue, vnlesse it bee the calfe with the white face. Yes marie, they would haue Bishops to be no Lords, Archbishops not to be at all, for these lettes doe much trouble their consciences: is it for conscience sake that they find these faults? then sure­ly it is with knowledge: for Cons [...]ientia est quasi scientia, vel conscientia est cordis scientia: but cer­tainly it is not for conscience, but for cōtention sake: can we thinke they are so barren in their vnderstan­ding? that they doe not know that Bishops are called Lords, because they are Barons, and not because they are Bishops: and for the addition of Arche, is there such great preheminence in that sillable? I pray [Page 37]you what dignitie hath Arthetreclinus (hee that brin­geth in the first dish to the table) aboue those that sit at the table. Alas, who seeth not that this is to tyth Mints, and Annes-seede, and Commin togither, and to neglect the greater things of the law: alas who sees not that these refuse Christ Iesus, which will not receiue him in that forme which he comes into his church: yea but the same forme which Christ Iesus left in his church is not retained (say they) yea but the same forme and fashion which Christ Iesus appoin­ted is maintained in the church, and the same face and fashion which was of old is now continued a­mongst vs: was not Melchisedeck a king, and a priest? was not Moyses a prophet and a gouernour? was not Elias a iudge and a priest? was not Samuel so like­wise? was not Salomon a king and a preacher? our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, was not he a king and our high priest for euer? Whē the Arke was brought home, there was Gad & Nathan, aswell as Dauid; there was Abiathar and Zadoch, aswell as Salomon, in the building of the temple: and at the building of the se­cond temple, there was Zorobabel and Aggai: why should not both swordes go togither then? Why should our graceful Moyses, our gracious soueraigne haue cause to cast the tables out of his hand & breake thē. Vndoubtedly they that contend about this in the church, the zeale of the Lords house hath not eaten them vp, but their zeale would eate vp the Lordes house. If you waite but the sound of the fist trum­pet in the Reuelation, you shal heare and see what ma­ner of people these are: you shall see a starre fal from heauen vnto the earth, to whom is giuen the key of [Page 38]the bottomlesse pit, where hence issued a great smoake, out of the which our Schismatiks hight Lo­custs came: the forme of them is like to horses pre­pared for battell: for so are they, proude, malicious, ambicious, dissentious & stubborne, cruel disturbers of Gods Church. On their heades they weare cro­nets like vnto gold: their faces are like the faces of men pretending a certaine title of sinceritie, which indeede belongeth nothing to them; they pretende loue, and they haue haire like the haire of women, but their teeth are as the teeth of Lions, they are de­licate to entice their harlots, but they haue tailes like to Scorpions, to sting, to infect, to kill with their ve­nemous doctrine; and at the last did a king creep out of the hole to rule ouer them, which was the Angell of the bottomlesse pit, whose name in Hebrue is A­baddon, in Greeke Appollion, which is a destroyer. And this is the forme and fashion of our Schismatiks, Quorum in ore Christus est, in corde Iudas; in ore sacrifi­cium, in corde sacrilegium; in ore puritas, in corde pruriens obscaenitas; in ore reformatio, in corde deformatio; in ore euangelium, in corde sanguis & bellum; in ore Templum Domini, in corde patibulum Domini; in ore religio, in cor­de proditio & perditio est. This is the manner of our Schismatikes as saint Basill saith, Omnes amici, omnes inimici; omnes proximi, omnes aduersarii; omnes familia­res, nullifideles, omnes domestici, nulli pacifici. These are they, as saint Cyprian saith: Qui gladium habent, quo inimicos trucident: sed clipeum non habent, quo amicos de­fendant. These are they that take vppon them, that Christ comes to none but them as his own; and these are they amongst others that receiue him not: our [Page 39]licencious and dissentious Schismatikes receyue no Christ: they receiue him not.

Our pampered worldling, who giues himselfe ouer vnto pleasure and vanitie, liues carelessely and sayes in his heart, I am, (with Babylon) and there is no more besides me, I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the lacke or losse of children or friends. Thus doe our full gorged fat franked worldlings huggle them­selues in ease, they stretch themselues vpō their beds of Iuorie, they inuent vnto themselues diuerse kinds of musike, they drinke wine in bowles, and eate the fattest of the calues from the stall, and none of them careth for the affliction of Iosephe their poore bre­thren, whose mouth know not the taste of bread, sa­uour of meate, relish of drinke, nor so much as of the crums that fall from their tables, nor so much as a cup of cold water in the name of Iesus, they are so sarre from receyuing Christ as he commeth vnto them, that they are deafe at the crie of the poore, they are dumbe in the cause of the poore, they are blind in the miserie of the poore, they are lame in the reliefe of the poore, they are altogither dull in the enter­tainment of Christ, as he commeth vnto them in his poore members: and as he commeth into them in the spirit; they haue no feeling thereof; the bowels of cōpassion are dried vp in thē, they haue no motions towards the seruice of God; their feete indeede are swift to shed blood, their hands strōg to do mischief, their hearts imagine a vaine thing, and the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips, they walke in the counsell of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the scate of the scornfull, lurke in the courtes of princes, [Page 40]lurch in the houses of nobles, diue in the state of di­uels. It is with them as it is storied of cleopatra, who falling in lone with Marcus Antonius, was so enamo­ned and besotted in his loue, that when shee could not enioy him as shee would, shee tooke two Aspes and set them to her breasts, which by reason of the coldnesse of their natures, did so benumme her senses, that she became quite senselesse: so our world­lings being in loue with their paramour Mundus im­mundus, the filthie world, and not able to enioy it so fully or freely as they would, set Aspes vnto their breasts, place the vanities of the wicked worlde so neare their hearts, that they become senselesse, de­priued of all their senses, they proue as deafe as those people Catadupi, which dwelling neare the downe­fall of the waters of Nilus, by reason of the continual noise therof, loose their hearing. The sound of those temporall commodities that come by sea and land to our rich worldlings, stunne their hearing in those things that concerne their spirituall peace; they are as blind as those people Hiperborei, that sit and gaze against the Sunne till they haue lost their sight so our worldlings sit and gaze against the sunne shine of their bright estates in riches and glorie, till they loose their sight of Gods mercie that hath bestowed those blessings vpon them, and the beames of his iustice, that doth threaten his wrath and indignation against all those that doe not vse his blessings spirituall and temporall to his glorie, and their neighbours good; they are as vnsaciable as the Leopards that feede on Marioran till they die; so they be neuer satisfied till their mouthes bee filled with earth: they are so vn­reasonable [Page 41]that they neuer looke into the daungers they runne into for their riches, but are heedlesse like the little beast Satyrus, that is not content to stand by the fire and warme himselfe, but must leape into the fire and burne himselfe: so they are not content to make good vse of their goods and enioy them, but they will leape into the fire, euen hell fire to encrease them. I will not stay to argue this point, how many come by their goods? no, how any vse their goods? but this I say with saint Iames, for their goods gotten by deceit, they shall weepe and howle, for the mise­rie that shall come on them: their riches gathered by oppression, extortion, vsurie, or any other indirect, vnlawfull or dishonest meanes, it shall corrupt and vanish from their vses, and bee as venome to their soules: their gold and siluer shall canker, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against them, and shall eate their flesh as it were fire: these do forget what Epi­phanius sayth.

Gold, pleasure, delight, riches, honour, whatso­euer things we account prosperous, we find dange­rous: they puffe vs vp, and while we thinke them all things, they flie from vs as nothing. They remember what Horace sayth. Omnesenim res. virtus, fama, decus, diuina, humana (que) pulchris diuitiis parent, quas qui contraxerit, ille claruserit, fortis, iustus, sapiens, etiārex & quicquid voluit. Euerie thing, vertue, fame, re­nowne, diuine and humane things, obey faire riches, [Page 42]which whosoeuer hath gathered, he is in request: he is valiant, he is iust, he is wise, yea a king, and what he list. This is it that makes our worldlings so proude, and pampers them so much, that they neglect God, and thinke not how straight their entrance is into the kingdome of heauen which is straighter then the passage of a Camell thorow the eye of a needle.

Our proude and pampered worldlings receyue not God.

But as mamy as did receiue him, to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God. To conclude there­fore, if they onely that doe receiue Christ are made the sonnes of God, they that receiue him not abide the children of wrath. In the 23, of Mat they be our Sauiours owne wordes, I would haue gathered you to­gither, but you would not, behold your habitation shall bee left vnto you desolate. In saint Basill his Exametron, they bee his wordes, that whosoeuer receiue not Christ, as he comes vnto men, or into men, they shall be sure to receiue him as he comes to men, they that receyue not Christ in the flesh nor spirit, shall vn­doubtedly receiue him in iudgement. A day their is appointed in which the Lord will iudge the world in righteousnesse, by that man whom hee hath appointed, whereof he hath giuen assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him vp from the dead, and set him at his right hand, where he abideth with his eyes like fire, his feete like burning copper, his face more shining then all precious stones, prepared for iudgement, against the time which his father hath appoynted, which time when it commeth, then [Page 43]commeth he not riding on an Asse, but on the Che­rubins, not with a few poore disciples, but with le­gions of Angels, not to sessions to be arraigned, but to iudgement to iudge the tribes of Iudah, for then is then, he comes to folde vp the heauens togither like a scrowle, to turne the dust of the earth into pitch, and to put those people of the earth which receiued him not into scalding lime, for then is then, the moon shall be turned into blood, the Sunne shall loose her light, the starres shall change their course, the vni­uersall engine of the world shal be dissolued: for then is then: hee comes with a mightie tempest before him, and a whirle wind round about him, and then those miserable recusants that refused to receiue him as he came vnto them, and would haue come into them, cannot escape him as hee commeth to them, for then they shall see and feele without them the world burning with fire, within them the worme of conscience euer gnawing aboue them, their vnapea­sable iudge condemning them; beneath them the horrible torments of hell prepared for them; at their right hand their sinnes accusing them, at their left hand, enraged and blood-thirstie, any soule-thirstie Sathan readie to execute Gods irreuocable iudge­ment against them, and to giue them their portion with hypocrites which Du Bartis describes; for bread the gall of serpents, for meate the tongues of Adders, for drinke the venome of Cockatrices, for their ha­bitation vtter darknesse, where there is nothing but weeping, wayling, and gnashing of teeth; for their comfort euer-liuing and neuer dying fire to burne, yet not consume them: for their ease euerlasting ne­uer-dying [Page 44]torments, such torments as neither eye hath seene, eare hath heard, nor neuer entered into the heart of man. And then as it wil be intollerabile ap­parere, so will it be impossibile latere: as it will be intol­lerable to appeare; so it will be impossible to lie hid, although they call vnto the moūtains to fall on them; vnto the hilles to hide them, the woods to shrowde them, the deepe to swallow them vp, it will not serue their turne, although they come vnto him and say, that they haue cast forth diuels in his name, hee hath no more to say to them, but depart from mee you wicked, I know you not, you knew not me in the flesh, you clothed me not whē I was naked amongst you, you fed me not when I was hungrie, you gaue me not drinke when I was thirstie, you lodged mee not when I was harbourlesse, you visited mee not when I was in prison, and therefore I know you not, I regard you not, because you receyued not me, you knew me not in the spirit, you agreed to no holy mo­tion whensoeuer I prouoked you to righteous, you accepted no godly exercise when I mooued you to goodnesse, either by my preaching, practizing and perswading, you receyued not me, and therefore I refuse you, depart from my presence, where there is fulnesse of ioy, prouided onely for those that receiue me, no ioy, no comfort, no fauour, no pittie, no com­passion, but annoy, discomfort, disgrace, contempt, confusion, for all that receyue not Christ Iesus: this is the time of lamentation, desolation, destruction of all those that receiue not Christ: this time how soone it may come vnto the sonnes of men no man know­eth, no not the Angels of heauen, sauing the father [Page 45]onely: we all know that he will come, and veni [...]s ve­niet, & non tardabit, and comming hee will come quickly, & not linger. The leaues of the figge tree are green, can the spring thē be far of, all things are come to passe that are spoken of by the Prophets and Apo­stles, touching the comming of Christ to men. All ye therefore that looke for peace in Sion, and hope for ioy in Ierusalem, let me intreat you, euen in the name of him that sent mee, which is Iesus Christ the righte­ous, who is to come as Iudge of the quicke and the dead, that you bee wise and wiser then the genera­tion of your fore-fathers, that ye be so prudent and prouident, seeing he will come and not linger, come and not be knowne of his comming, come and not be auoyded when he doth come, to bee furnished with Oyle in your Lampes, Frankensence and Myrrhe in your lappes, Balsam in your Boxes, clo­thed in white with the Lambe, couered in gold like the Doue, crowned in strength with the Lion, ba­thed in blood with the Leopard, that whensoeuer he come, and howsoeuer he come, you may boldly and gladly bid Christ Iesus welcome It is storied of those ruder people Gaffrani, which are by nature barba­rous, by education hardly euer ciuill, that when the time is that their Priests (for such a custome they haue yearely amongst them) visit their houses with their gods Colossi, as they tearme them; the people enter­taine their gods with wonderfull reuerence, and their priestes with great rewards. Those ciuiler people Esseni, which dwell to the west-ward of Iu­dea, are noted to be so zealous in the entertainment of our God, that when they saw the starre that was [Page 46]seene to shine at the birth of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ, they did consecrate themselues vnto his seruice, and haue euer sence beene deuoute obser­uers of him: so that prophane and hallowed, rude and ciuill, naturall and spirituall creatures, exhort vs, and direct vs to the entertainment of our God, and shall we be more prophane or lesse holy, more rude or lesse ciuill, more natural or lesse spirituall, thē these that saw but through a vaile, not in a myrrour, much lesse with open face the glorie of God as wee doe: shall the naturall man shew deuotion and graue re­uerence to the false god which is the worke of mens hands, and shall not the spirituall man fall downe and worship the Lord God of hosts that made both hea­uen and earth, in spirit and in truth: shall the spirituall man be moued with the sight of a starre to serue God, and shall the day starre from on high visit vs, and not enlighten vs to perceiue and receiue our God Christ Iesus? if neither the ruder Gaffrani, nor purer Esseni preuaile with vs, to entertaine our Lord and maister, let hastie Zacheus, liberall Nichodemus, care­full Martha, stirre vs vp vnto our duties; if none of these, let deuout Symeon, zelous Nathaniell, religious Marie, that chose the best part, when all the rest did their parts to entertaine our Lord and maister ioy­fully: If this be not inough to make vs looke about vs, and cast about vs all to entertaine Christ Iesus, I know not what to thinke, nor what to say, but euen to leaue you to the Ecchoing loue of Iesus Christ, which alone must waken and quicken all deafe, dull, and drowsie spirits to their duties. Lo I come, come, come ye to me because I come to you. Thus he in­uites [Page 47]vs, that he may not loose his labour, nor we his loue: come, I come: come that you loyter not by fayth, that you wander not, to mee that yee stagger not, to me all that ye straggell not, come why stande you idle, to me why stand you doubtfull, to me all why stand you fearefull: come here is the course of those that receyue Christ, to me, there is the way of their course, to me al, there is the end of their course, that all those that receiue me may be made the sonns of God. Which the Sonne of God grant for his mercies sake. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, bee all honour, glory and prayse, for euer­more. Amen.