THE FIRST SERMON.

THough all Scripture be giuen by in­spiration, and is profitable to instruct, and to reprooue, that so the man of God may be perfect in euery good worke: yet is there none more suta­ble with the rest of Gods Arke, and the peaceable condition of his Church, then what is now before me. It is written by Solomon, a King of peace; it is framed into a song, the voice of peace; it begins with a Kisse, the signe of peace; it is spent in Loue, the bond of peace, it runs vpon him, that is our peace; and hath not onely made peace our bor­ders, but set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse, the things in earth, and the things in hea­uen. This peace is most comfortably shadowed forth vnto vs in the mysticall Dialogue of this Sa­cred Epithalamie; where vnder the rine and the barke of things visible and corporall, we draw neare vnto the flower and the pith of that which is inuisible & spirituall: for what the Apostle writes of the Law, [...] the Law is spirituall; that Nyssen extends, to this song: [...], This song is spirituall, and will not abide we should [Page 4] continue in the outward court and naked letter, of springs, riuers, gardens, vineyards, breasts, towers, spices, ointments, or whatsoeuer may delight the organs of our sence: but drawes vs to a higher meaning, agreeable to the Maiestie of God, and the diuine sublimitie of his vndefiled goodnesse, till hauing pluckt the vayle from off the face of Moses, we behold with pure eyes the tender bowels of his vnspeakable loue, to that Aethiopian Queene, the blacknesse of our nature; the sacred Vnion, and Sa­cramentall coalition, of God and man, Christ & his Church, in the cords of loue, and the bands of mer­cie, for there is no similitude able to reach the depth hereof, shee will euer be in his sight, he will euer be in her thoughts, shee will be engrauened in the palmes of his hands, he will be placed as the sig­net of her arme. Shall I tell you the claime of this interest, it is Loue, for that was strong as death, and cruell as the graue: he spared not his life vnto death, but gaue it as a ransome for the sinnes of many, and sealed it with his bloud, crying to her as Galba to his souldiers: Ego vester vos mihi, I am wholly deuoted vnto you, you are wholly deuoted vnto me: therefore will hee bee as a seale on her heart, and as a signet on her arme: [...]

Put me as a seale on thy heart, and as a signet on thy arme: The words of the Text are as a sacred ar­morie, where you haue a shield for the hand, and a couer for the heart; or as an heauenly wardrobe, where me thinkes I see the cloake and the ring, which Iudah left with Tamar, the ratification and assurance of spirituall grace, and euerlasting holi­nesse, they hold some Analogie with the offices of [Page 5] state the seale and the signet, here is a seale, a broad seale for the largenesse of our hearts: Put me as a seale on thy heart, here is a signet, a little signet for the roundnesse of our armes.

As a signet on thine arme. Pauca at salutaria, ex­pedita at sancta, (as we reade in Saluianus) short and holy, few and wholesome, breefe in words and pre­cept, but in sence durable and permanent. That which I shall punctually distinguish vnto you, is first the habit and ornament of the Church, that is, Christ and his righteousnesse implyed in the affixe of my Text, [...] Put me, or set me.

Secondly, the Part and the Subiect to be ador­ned, that is, the heart and the arme: Put me on thy heart, and on thine arme.

Thirdly, the figure and semblance, that is, a seale or a signet. Put me as a seale on thy heart, and as a signet on thy arme.

Last of all the superinduction, with a [...] in the Originall, which is vpon, or the circumposition, with a [...], in the Septuagint which is about. Put me as a seale on thy heart, and a signet about thine arme. All this is gathered, and recapitulated in that of Paul to the Romans, Put ye on Christ Iesus, and take no care for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof. But more perfectly in the same Apostle, to his Corin­thians, Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God, in your bodies, and in your soules: for they are his. He will be on thy heart, by Faith and Truth, and inward sanctification: he will be on thy arme, by loue, and holinesse, and outward manifestation. He will be here, and he will be there, as a seale, or a signet: that bearing the markes of Christ Iesus, in [Page 6] our bodies, wee may be like those thousands of Is­rael, who were sealed in their fore-heads: sealed and selected vnto the Lord, against the day of our re­demption. Put him on thy heart, for he is the wise­dome of God: Put him on thy arme, for he is the po­wer of God: Put him on thy heart, for he is the life of thy soule: Put him on thy arme, for he is the strength of thy flesh: Put him on thy heart, for he is the onely begotten Sonne of God, who liueth in the bosome of his Father: Put him on thy arme, for he is the mighty Redeemer of the world, that sitteth on the right hand of God in the glorie of the Fa­ther: Put him on thy arme, that he may direct thine actions: Put him on thy heart, that he may settle thy affections: Put him as a seale, and signet on both, that he may know thee for his owne, and bind thee to himselfe with an euerlasting couenant. Quid enim prodest, si Deum gestamus in fronte, & vitia in animo recondamus? as Saint Augustine hath obserued, What auailes it to haue God in the fore-head, so we treasure vp wickednesse in the conscience? If he be on thy heart by studie and meditation, he will learne thee know­ledge, and make thee vnderstand the mysteries of his crosse, and the righteousnesse of his kingdome: If he be on thine arme for practice and imitation, he will order thy goings, and make thee delight in the way of truth, and the custodie of his precepts. If he be as a seale on the doore of thy heart, and the posts of thy arme, thou shalt not onely escape the punishment of the destroying Angell: but exalt thy horne, and triumph with the Lord, and reioyce exceedingly in the power and glorie of his salua­tion. Thus doth God call vpon vs, but it is for our [Page 7] good and comfort. There is much pleasure in that we loue, though sometime absent: but then is our ioy full, and there is life in it, when that we loue is at hand and present: Therefore will he be in oculis, & in osculis, as the signet of our arme, for sight and presence; as the seale of our hearts, for delight and remembrance.

Put me as a seale on thy heart, and as a signet on thine arme. Hitherto wee haue lookt vpon the words of the Text, as so many coynes of gold & siluer, I shall now put them in the ballance of the Sanctuarie, and take their seuerall value, that so I may proceed to my first obseruation, Christ and his righteousnesse, implyed in the affixe of my Text [...] Put me, or set me.

Some play the Criticks, and would haue the Church to speake vnto Christ, not Christ to the Church, because the affixe is not masculine, but of the seminine gender: indeed if points and vowels had bene equall with the Originall, and not inuen­ted after by the Iewish Rabbins, they might deserue hearing: but since it is otherwise, our safest course is to run with the Fathers, I meane Theodoret, and the rest, who make Christ the spokesman, and that for himselfe, [...] Put me and set me.

Great and wonderfull, is the beautie of the crea­ture, such as might bewitch the heart of man, with the inchanting cup of deceitfull vanitie: but whe­ther yee looke vpon the brightnesse of the starres, whether ye behold the glorie of the Angels, whe­ther ye consider the treasures of the deepe, whether ye admire the power of the elements, from the cen­ter of the earth, to the circle of the heauens, there is [Page 8] nothing ought to be as a crowne to vs, saue that gracious light, which shined to Moses in the bush, and sate in the Tabernacle amidst the golden Che­rubins. It is the word of Christ must be as the iewell of our eares, it is the yoke of Christ, must be as the chaine of our necks, it is the faith of Christ, must be as the girdle of our loynes, it is the iustice of Christ, must be as the clothing of our nakednesse: his crosse our standard, and his bloud our colours. What is the glorie and boasting of Christians, but in him that died for vs, in that name which is aboue euery name, in that name, in that name whereunto wee are baptized, and wherein we are blest? O thou Lord of hoasts and King of Israel, we adore thy maiestie, we honour thy mercie, the sacrifice of thy flesh, the oblation on the crosse, the price of our redemp­tion, the riches of thy saluation, whereby thou hast paid our debt, and reconciled vs to the Father. Therefore saith that chosen vessell, God forbid I should glorie in any thing, but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ: whereby the world is crucified to me, and I vnto the world: If any man preach other then yee haue receiued, let him be accurst: If any man receiue other then we haue preacht, let him be accurst. Saint Bernard giues the reason: Alijs rebus non tam orna­ti, quàm onerati sumus. Other things are more cum­bersome then profitable: it is well if they prooue not hurtfull and pernicious, like that fatall habit, which the Turkish Emperors vsed to cast on those whom they meant to execute, famously knowne by the name of deaths mantle, in their stories. What meaneth that of Christ for himselfe? Without me yee can do nothing, but in me ye haue life eternall? Or [Page 9] that of Paul against himselfe, Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized into the name of Paul? But that wee should be wholly fixt on this obiect, and drawne from the loue, and the seruice, and the foo­lish admiration of euery creature. No man likes his friend, should loue his gift better then himselfe; and shall the Lord be pleased with such, that care more for his blessing, then for his goodnesse? I will not say, but that he is most readie, to loose the bands of Orion, and to power downe the sweete influence of the Pleiades, as so many golden showers in the bosomes of his seruants: yet is it his pleasure, wee should set more by his person, then by his fauours. Aurum in arca, Deus in conscientia (saith that lear­ned Father Austin) God in the heart, is like gold in the coffer. Health to thy nauell, marrow to thy bones, cheere on thy table, musicke in thy feasts, sweetnesse in thy pleasures, securitie in thy honours, store in thy garners, plentie in thy vineyards, in­crease and fulnesse of all thy soule doth loue, or ima­gine. Yet may we delight in the temporall benefits of our spirituall Isaac: the fatnesse of the earth, and the dew of heauen, so it be with relation to his glo­rie, Non ad corruptionem, sed ad consolationem, non ad illigandum sed vtendum, (as Saint Austin hath distin­guished it) not to corruption, but to consolation: not to be entangled with their vanitie, but to be re­fresht with the lawfull vse of their supply and ver­tue. It is not said, he that loueth father and mother, is vnworthy of me: But he that loueth father, or mo­ther, or brother, or sister, more then me, is vnworthy of me: Neither is it a positiue vse, but a comparatiue that is here restrained. Well may the seede of [Page 10] Abraham embrace riches, and honour, and iuris­diction, and power, and due obseruance (as it were) from the sheaues of their brethren, toge­ther with the sweet encrease of the Sunne, and the sweet encrease of the Moone, as a reward of pietie, or the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blest: but if it be more then him, they are vnworthy of him: or if it be not for him, they are vnworthy of him: and therefore saith Ambrose, In omnibus istis fragret odor Christi, In all this let the sauour of Christ be fragrant, and his loue abound? Yea let it be predo­minant, and supereminent, as oyle on the top of wa­ter: that our water may be turned into wine, the rainy delights of watry pleasures, into the sweet wine of true ioy, and spirituall gladnesse. It was the pride of Seneca, and he boasted much, Vbicunque ago, Demetrium circumfero, that wheresoeuer he went, he bare Demetrius with him, O that we could say the like of God! Vbicun (que) ago, Deum circumfero, Where­soeuer I go, I beare Christ Iesus with me: the secret of my bosome, is as the house of Zacheus; where he was receiued with chearefulnesse, and alacritie, it is not a materiall crucifixe, or a visible picture, wrought in gold, or framed in siluer, but the sweet remembrance of my blessed Sauiour, that is euer with me: the print of his loue, the example of his vertue, the image of his goodnesse, the record of his mercie, all the miracles that he wrought for my conuersion, all the precepts that he gaue for my in­struction, all the miseries and indignities that he en­dured and sustained for my libertie and saluation: the power of his death, the triumph of his crosse, the glorie of his rising, the comfort of his appearing [Page 11] is that which I bind, as signes vpon my arme, and lay as Camphire betweene my breasts. Vbicunque ago, Deum circumfero. Wheresoeuer I go, I beare Christ Iesus with me: as the lot of mine inheritance, as the crowne of my felicitie: [...] (saith Alexandrinus) the friend of my bosome, the compa­nion of my studie. It is the light of thy countenance, that was stampt vpon vs: and it is the light of thy countenance that must shine within vs: if euer wee be as the Moone, faire, and beautifull: Whence shall the image of God, deriue her beautie, but from God? Whence shall the Spouse of Christ, take the ornaments of grace, and comelinesse, but from the treasure of his righteousnesse? Adultera anima (saith Austin) that soule is wicked, and adulterous, guil­tie of spirituall fornication, which embraceth the creature, and leaueth the Creator. There is no helpe for vs, but in that fountaine, which our Fathers thir­sted in the wildernesse. It is with the heart of man, as with the hand of Moses: when he pluckt it out of his bosome, it was foule and leprous, when he put it in, it was faire and comely. Christ is our bosome, and the cure of our leprosie, the refuge of his San­ctuarie: without him we are foule and leprous, with him honorable and glorious, sanctified and purged, from the leprosie of sinne, and the filth of iniquities. We reade in the Stories of the Church, that when Antioch was troubled with a lamentable earth­quake, Euphremion the Bishop receiued an Oracle, that euery one should write, Christus nohiscum, Christ be with vs, vpon the doores of their houses: which being done, the earthquake stayed, and the inhabitants were comforted. I know not how true [Page 12] that was, sure I am, if the faith of Christ be written vpon the doores of our hearts, it will not onely stay the feares, and the earth-quakes of our weake flesh, and ruinous habitations: but make strong our bars, and stablish the foundation of that spirituall buil­ding, that new Ierusalem, which came downe from heauen, and is like vnto a Citie that is at vnitie with­in it selfe. Thus you see there is much ground for a [...] Put me, and that we should rather forsake nets, & ship, with Iames & Andrew, yea the whole world, & our selues to boote, then not to cleaue to him, that is aeternum gaudium, the fountaine of life, the author of blessednesse, the glorie of his Church, the ho­nour of Paradise, the euerlasting ioy, and great re­ward of men and of Angels: that when the Prince of this world shall come, we may take vp the words of our Sauiour: Venit, sed nihil inuenit. Indeed he came, but he found nothing in me, Iohn 14. 30. Yet there be that do more affect [...] then [...], as Ni­cephorous writeth in historie. The image of Caesar, more then of Christ. That which theeues may steale, and the moathes eate, and the rust consume, more then him that abides for euer. Others like the Gergasens, driue him out of their coasts, and will not abide he should come neare their houses, if once they see him in his distrest members, whether blind, or lame, or sicke, or naked, they cry with those Di­uels in the Gospell. Quid tibi & nobis fili Dauid? What haue we to do with thee ô thou Sonne of Da­uid, dost thou come to vexe vs and trouble vs before the time? Yet there he is, and makes profession of it. Esuriui, it is I, that was an hungrie, and ye gaue me no meate: it is I, that was athirst, and ye gaue me no drinke: it is I, that was naked, and ye did not cloath [Page 13] me: it is I, that was in prison, and ye did not visit me. Here might I knocke at the consciences of many, & examine what it is they lay to heart. Hath not pride shut Christ out of the heart of the vaineglorious? Hath not pleasure shut Christ out of the heart of the voluptuous? Hath not profit shut Christ out of the heart of the couetous? Hath not strife, and enuie, and contention, and diuision, quite shut him out of the heart of the turbulent and seditious? These are thy Gods ô Israel, which lead thee backe into the darknesse of Aegypt, Lares & Penates, those Idol gods that set vp altars in thy heart and rule in the temple of thy body. So that Christ may stand at the doore, and knocke, till his head be full of dew, and his lockes with the drops of the night, there be few will let him enter, crying as he doth in my Text, or rather in the Gospell, Volucres nidos, & vulpes fo­ueas, the birds haue their nests, and the foxes their holes: but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head. Yet is there a double place due to him, the one without, the other within: the one on the heart, the other on the arme. And so I passe from the ornament, to the subiect, from Christ Iesus the Bishop of our soules, to our hearts the sea, and pa­lace of his residence.

Put me on thy heart, and put me on thy arme.

[...], (as Nyssen writes in the life of Moses) heart and arme, are emblemati­call, the one of contemplation, the other of action. Both due to God, and his seruice, but first hee calls for the heart, like wisedome in the Prouerbs. My sonne giue me thy heart. If our heart be the seate of loue, what is God but loue? If our heart [Page 14] be the keepers of our treasure, What is God but our treasure? he lay in the heart of the earth three dayes when he was abased: but now he is exalted, let him rest in the earth of our hearts, from day, to day, and from generation, to generation. Though he be Lord of all, and command euery part, yet there would he set vp his throne, and place the septer of his dominion, as in the Metropolis of his Kingdome. It is fitly resembled to a Castle, which being taken, and surprized, the whole Citie is forced to yeeld: the vn­derstanding her intelligence, the affections her counfellours, the sences her watchmen, the mem­bers her seruants: Yet if the Lord do not keepe the Citie, it is all in vaine, and therefore saith the Euan­gelist, Intrauit Iesus in Castellum. The Lord went in­to the Castle, or intrabit Iesus in Castellum, the Lord shall go into the Castle, that saluation may be our walls, and praise our gates. For if Satan get but footing, all is lost: Ierusalem will be as a heape of stones, and the abomination of desolation will light vpon our Citie. It was a controuersie betweene Pla­to, and Galen, whether the heart, or the braine, were the seat of life, and motion: but the Church resol­ueth determinately, that our heart is the receptacle of heauenly grace, and spirituall inspiration. In the naturall man it liues first, and dyes last: in the spiri­tuall man it liues first, and dyes last. Let the eye be darke, how great is that darknesse? let the heart be dead, how great is that deadnesse? a goodman brin­geth forth good things out of the treasure of his heart; an euill man bringeth forth euill things out of the treasure of his heart. For as there is life in the heart: so out of the heart, proceedeth thefts, and [Page 15] murders, fornications, and adulteries, the 15. and the 19. of Mathew. Be aduised then, who it is you place there. If Christ knocke let him not stay, he a­lone is that fire, which is able to soften thy heart, though hard as iron, or impenetrable as the ada­mant, and make it, like melting waxe in the midst of thy bowels. He alone, is that bread, which is able to fill thy heart, the seuerall Angels of that capaci­ous Trigonum, with the immensitie of his presence. O let him not stand onely in thy forehead by show, and profession: but call him into thy heart, by faith, and prayer, and deuout acknowledgement, and reli­gious inuocation; else are ye like those that go into the Sunne, not for heate, or warmth, but to be seene, and to be admired: shall he cry to these, Vulnerasti cor meum, thou hast wounded my heart, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes; and wilt not thou make answer, Paratum est cor meum, my heart is readie, ô God, my heart is ready? O the true Isaac, and beloued of his Father, this is that deare, and onely beloued sonne, which he will haue thee offer. Almes, mercie, repentance, charitie, instru­ction, prophesie, contrition, humiliation, or what­soeuer we can performe without a heart, is but as an offering without salt, and makes but an hatefull and prodigious sacrifice. If the Psalmists reioyce, it is in the innocencie of heart. If the Apostle exhort, it is to simplicitie of heart. If the Lord be pleased, it is with vprightnesse of heart. If the Law be ended, and the Gospell established, it is in loue, from a pure heart and a good conscience. The end of the Law is loue, from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith vnfained. I remember God charged the Priest to [Page 16] sanctifie the breast of their shake offering, as well as the shoulder of the heaue offering. That we might see, it is not so much the outward man, as the inward, wherein he delighteth, neither is it enough to beare Christ in the head, as Minerua did Iupiter, vnlesse we beare him in the heart, as Mary did our Sauiour. Grauidare potuit, grauare non potuit beatam virgi­nem. He might well fill her wombe with the glorie of his flesh, he could not burden her, with trouble of his presence: How then will they satisfie this de­maund, that haue no heart vnto goodnesse? The ar­mie Philopoemen is likened vnto a man, that hath legs & feete, but no belly: because they wanted money, which is the heart of warre: so I feare in the Church militant, there be diuerse that haue legs, and feete, but no bellie: they haue the legges and the feete of outward conuersation, but they want the heart and the belly of inward deuotion. Non vitae sed famae negotiatores, (as Tertul. makes the charachter) such as negotiate and trade more for a good name, then for a good life: for a good report, then a good con­science. If the Lord will be on the eare, who so rea­die to attend his word, and to call for a Sermon? If the Lord will be on the tongue, who so forward to confesse his name, or to speake of Religion, till they haue turned Sacramentum in sermonem, (as Saluianus speakes) the sacred vse, of his glorious name, into vaine babling, and the foolish contention of words and trifles. But let him call for the heart, they are quite blanke, either it is losteth the cares of this world, or sold to worke deceit and wickednesse. Thus haue they a shew of godlinesse, but denie the power thereof, like fidlers, that are more carefull in tuning [Page 17] their instruments, then in tuning their liues: their tongues are their instruments, if they be in tune, and the strings thereof well set, to faire language and glozing hypocrisie, all is well: they haue done their parts, and dutie, I know not whether I may say they haue no heart, or a double heart, [...] as Hebri­cians vse to speake, a heart, and a heart, one for Christ, another for Belial, one for God, another for the Diuell. Sure I am, they are cardiaci, and fall vn­der the curse, the wise man hath denounced, Vae du­plici cordi, Woe to the double heart, for the Lord will not part stakes with any, neither hath righte­ousnesse any communication with vnrighteousnes. They are not many hearts, but one, that he desireth, howbeit the conditions thereof be diuerse. For it must be a new heart, and a cleane heart, & a sound heart, and a broken heart, renewed by his word, clen­sed in his bloud, sound by the truth of doctrine, bro­ken by the contrition of spirit, else will he forsake the tabernacle of our body, and abhorre both heart and arme, which is the second receptacle of our Sauiour.

Put me vpon thy arme.

For though Loue precede Faith in order of per­fection, yet Faith precedes Loue in order of genera­tion; did the Prophet begin to speake before the heart waxt hot, and the fire was kindled in his breast? First beleeue with thy heart, then confesse with thy mouth, yet so that heart, and mouth, and hand, and arme, may go together. Good workes ioyned to Faith, are as a strong building on a good foundation: the building of gold, and siluer, vpon that ground which is laid of old, I meane Christ Ie­sus. Mary had no sooner borne Christ in her wombe, [Page 18] and presented him in the Temple, but Simeon takes him in his armes, and embraceth him ioyfully. For we must not be ashamed of our profession, but car­rie the ensigne of our Sauiour openly before vs, that so the vertue, and the patience, and the meeknesse, and the obedience of Christ Iesus, may be found in euery part; but chiefly in our actions. Christ on the heart, is like seed on the earth: Christ on the arme, is like corne on the eare. Christ on the heart, like a tree planted by the riuers of water: Christ on the arme, like a tree bringing fruit in time of Autumne, and therefore true Religion, and vndefiled before God, is practicall, and operatiue, in the workes of mercie: To visit the fatherlesse, and widowes in ad­uersitie: and to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world. If our lips drop hony, by the preaching of his word, and the sweetnesse of his doctrine it is good and commendable, but if our hands drop myrh, by the crucifying of him, and the mortification of our earthly members by the obedience of Christ, and the perfect imitation of Christian holinesse, it is most comfortable and heauenly. There be that fol­low the paths of Christ, and (to vse the words of Saluianus) Patentiora faciunt Domini vestigia, they make the footsteps of our Sauiour more plaine and easie, by the example of their vertue, and the eui­dence of their bountie. These be they which beare him in their armes, and carrie him as a lampe bur­ning in their hands for the benefit of others. Do men gather figs of thornes, or grapes of thistles? Ye shall know them by their fruite. And as Christ said of him­selfe, interrogate opera, aske my workes, for they speake of me: so may we say of them, interrogate [Page 19] opera, aske their workes, for they speake of them, looke not on the face, regard not the voice, they may haue the voice of Iacob, but the hands of Esau: enquire of their workes, they beare witnesse of them, and are the surest markes of euery Christian. Audi­tur cum videtur saith Tertullian, A good Philoso­pher is best heard, when hee is seene; and a true Christian best knowne, by the glasse of his life, and the president of his actions. It is a good resem­blance that ancient Father vsed in his Moralls. Alis feriunt, vbi opera ostendunt. The works of the Saints, are as the wings of the Cherubins that touch one another: for as they smite one another by their wings: so we excite one another by our workes, and prouoke (as it were) to godlinesse of liuing, remem­ber then (I beseech you) the end of your vocation, that ye are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Iesus to good workes: That he gaue his life for you, to the end you might be a peculiar to him­selfe, zealous of good workes: die vnto sinne, liue vnto righteousnesse, cast of the workes of darknesse, put on the armour of light, that ye may be worthy of the Gospell of Christ, and the doctrine of our Sa­uiour in all things may be honoured. Ye are they, of whom the Apostle doth trauell in birth, that Christ may be formed in you, and you transformed into him, as well in arme as in heart, as well in body as in spirit. O let it neuer be said of these blessed armes, the armes of your workes, as Milo said of his armes, the armes of his flesh, Hi mortui sunt, they are dead, and there is no life in them. But let the power, and the courage, and the vigour, and the Spirit of Christ Iesus, quicken and make ye vigeta­tiue [Page 20] in all goodnesse. Anatomists do obserue, there is a veine runnes from the heart to the arme, and bounds on the finger, where the ring is worne, if Christ be our ring and seale, he must be so on the arme, that he leaue not the heart, so on the heart, that he reach vnto the arme, for direction of faith and manners. Here might I call heauen and earth to record, and witnesse before God and his Angels, how iniuriously we are traduced, to despise the Law, and not to care for the decalogue, to rely vpon a na­ked faith, without the fruite of holinesse, or the ob­seruation of his precepts. Oh thou which bindest thy words, as signes vpon our armes, and as front­lets betweene our eyes, pleade our cause, and vin­dicate vs from this calumnie: tell these men, thou art not onely as a seale vpon our hearts, by the know­ledge of thy truth, but as a signet vpon our armes, by the conformitie of life, and the exercise of holi­nesse. And so I hasten to the seale, and closure of discourse: which is the forme and semblance, and that is a seale or a signet.

Put me as a seale, and a signet. Well may hee be tearmed a seale, that is, the brightnesse of his Fathers glorie, and the engrauen forme of his substance, but that which is here a seale or a signet, is onely [...] in the Originall. A ring, or a seale, that as we haue borne the image of the earthly, so we may beare the image of the heauenly, by similitude and conformi­tie to our Sauiour: whether in his obedience and his righteousnesse, or in his patience and his suffe­rings. For as no siluer is currant, vnlesse it beare the image & superscription of the Emperour: so there is nothing auaileable before God, without the stamp [Page 21] of his Sonne, and the character of our Sauiour. Thoughts, vowes, meditations, prayers, intentions, actions, are but vaine and friuolous, and will neuer be able to purchase heauen, vnlesse they be sealed in Christ, and the assurance of his mercie: in whom all the promises of God, are yea and Amen.

This made the Church in her Liturgie, seale vp her petitions in the name and mediation of Christ Iesus: in all her supplications, and intercessions, she doth adiure God, and bind him (as it were) by this seale, Per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum, Through Iesus Christ our Lord, through Iesus Christ our onely mediator and redeemer. I will not draw my Text to the Crosse in Baptisme, because it is not said, he will be a seale, but as a seale, and there is a good meaning of that in Saint Austin, Deus amat sig­norum suorum factores, non pictores: Yet let me tell the turbulent Schismaticke, and factious Noualist, that it is an ancient Ceremonie, deriued from the Primitiue Church, grounded vpon reason, and ob­seruation. For what is the signe of Christ, but the Crosse of our Sauiour, are not the Sacraments of God, the seales of God? wherein we are sealed and confirmed, by the arrabon and witnesse of his Spirit? As the doores and threshold were signed with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe: so it is the bloud of Christ, our true Passouer, that doth seale both our hearts, and foreheads; I do not say with Austin, Re­pellit exterminatorem, si Christū inueniat habitatorem, Though in his 50. Tract vpon Iohn, it be twise re­peated, within the space of sixe lines. Yet let me borrow so much from that learned Father, Nihil olim in carne intolerabilius, nihil modo in fronte glo­riosius. [Page 22] Heretofore there was nothing more bloudy, and intollerable to the renting of our flesh, and the tearing of our bodies: Now there is nothing more glorious, and honourable, to the acknowledgement of faith, and the beautifying of our foreheads. But what meanes the seale of my Text? And why is he desirous to be as a signet? Take it actiuely, take it passiuely, for the impression that is made, or the seale and ring, that maketh the impression, it is diuersly vsed, and hath many singular effects, Ad custodiam, ad notificationem, ad gratiam, ad confirmationem: For beautie and exornation, that his glorie may shine in vs, for distinction and notification, that we might be knowne from strangers, for custodie and preserua­tion, that nothing go in nor out to annoy and hurt vs. For assurance and confirmation, that we be not drawne from God, or relinquish the truth of our profession. Thus are wee become as an enclosed garden, or a fountaine sealed vp, like that Eastgate in Ezechiels Sanctuary, which was shut and might not be opened, lest any should enter. Open locks tempt theeues: but that which is sealed remaines in­uiolate. So if Faith, and Truth, and hope, and ioy, and the graces of the Spirit, and the mysteries of our saluation, be not sealed in Christ, they may be stolne from our hearts, and become a prey to the enemy. But if they lie vnder this seale, they are fast and sure: No heresie, no vanity, no crueltie, nor policie, shall be able to rob and spoyle vs of our glorie. Well may Satan come in, like a theefe by the windowes, and enter through the passages of our sence: if once he espie this seale vpon the heart, he will recoyle, and fly backe. It is a strong munition, able to repulse, and [Page 23] exterminate all the diuels in hell, though multi­plyed and banded in troopes and legions. Now we haue the force of the Originall, and the emphasis of Septuagint, the one vpon, the other about, he will be vpon our hearts to suppresse the euill that is with­in, and to preuent the danger that is without, he will be about the arme, that wee may be enuironed on euery side, and secured from the inrode of spirituall wickednesse. Should I distinctly prosecute the seue­rall vertues of this seale, you might call for a seale vnto my lippes: and therefore I labour to be short. Yet is there one meaning of this Embleme, which I may not forget, and that is loue, and honour, with a deare respect, and most precious estimation. Consi­der that of Ieremie, If he were as the seale of my right hand, yet would I plucke him thence. Remember that of Haggai, I will make him as the signet of mine arme, because I haue chosen him: what doth this sound, but of grace and fauour? It is the seale of our ring, and the image of our friend, whereof we are proud and boast.

Ventilat aestiuum digitis sudantibus aurum: Thus will he be as the seale of our hand, or as the gemme of our finger, that he may be held more deare and pretious, then thousands of gold and siluer: For what is more sweete, what more pleasing, what more glorious, what more honourable, then Christ Iesus? at whose beautie, the Sunne and the Moone are abashed, on whose face the Angels looke with admiration, and astonishment. His power made vs, the power of his God-head: his weakenesse saued vs, the weakenesse of his manhood. Therefore may he iustly set his marke vpon vs, yet is it not the rubie, [Page 24] or the chrysolite, or the saphir, or the diamond, or any other pretious stone, that he would stocke and graft in vs, but himselfe, the image of himselfe, more deare and precious, then all the world beside. O that we did esteeme him as a rich pearle, or iewell of great price, and incomparable value, and not onely so, but in this imitate Cleopatra, put him into our draft, and traiect him into our bowels, with the hunger and thirst of righteousnesse. We know the zeale of that Theban Captaine, when being brought into the campe halfe dead, he asked whether his shield were taken by the enemie, as if nothing else were to be re­garded; and when he found it safe, he began to kisse it and reuiue againe: Such ought to be our zeale toward Christ, the shield of our defence, and the seale of our redemption. What is the Church but as a garden? What are we but as spirituall Bees? O let vs sucke the flowers, and draw the sweetnesse, and neuer rest, till we haue made a hiue of our soules and bodies: that our hearts may be as waxe, softe­ned, and mollified, for the impression of this seale, and nothing but this, I meane, Christ Iesus and him crucified. The place he chuseth for himselfe, is the heart, by faith and confidence: the arme, by loue, and charitable operations: and that as a seale, or a signet, for esteeme and dignity. Let me therefore once more beseech you, that you would all be kee­pers of this seale, without which nothing is to bee held: but chiefly the house of Aaron and the Tribe of Leuie, whether God hath placed vs, as the signet of his arme, iudge you, there is peace within our walls, and plenteousnesse within our palaces, we sit vnder our vines, and our figtrees, and there is none [Page 25] to make vs affraid: our sonnes grow vp as young plants, and our daughters as the polisht corners of the Temple: our garners abound; and are full of all manner of store, our sheepe bring forth thou­sands, and ten thousands in our folds: our oxen are strong to labour, and there is no decay, no leading captiue, no complaining in our streets. Thus hath he put vs, as the seale of his heart, and as the signet of his arme, by the care of his loue, and the tender­nesse of his affection. Not to do the like with him, and to answer loue by loue, were great inhumanity, wonderfull impietie: he doth not so with other Na­tions, he rather maketh them as a marke to shoote at in the fiercenesse of his displeasure: but let vs ne­uer forget his abundant louing kindnesse, crying with Saint Bernard, Sufficit amor Christi, the loue of Christ sufficeth, in him alone we are rich, and haue enough: he is very sweet and delectable, the rest of our labour, the stay of our pilgrimage, the comfort of our heauines, the pledge of blessednesse. That as now we are as the seale of his left hand, by tempo­rall fauours: so hereafter we may be as the seale of his right hand, by his euerlasting mercies. Which the Lord grant, for the merits of his Sonne, to whom with the Spirit, three persons, and one God, be honour, and glo­rie, power, and maiestie, this day and for euer. Amen.

THE SECOND SERMON.

CHrist is the end of the Law (saith the Apostle) yea and of the figures, and of the Ceremonies: towards him they all looke, from him they receiue their accomplishment and perfe­ction. He is the Moses that shewes vs the true God, and teacheth vs his Law: He is the Ioshua that de­stroyeth our enemies, and brings vs vnto Canaan: He the Dauid, that smote Goliah: He the Solomon, that built a temple, a temple (I say) not made with hands, but eternall in the heauens. Where then shall I go for the meaning of these words? but to that vniuersall center, of euery line within this sacred vo­lume? Non recedamus à lapide angulari (saith Austin) There is no departing from the corner stone, vnlesse we meane to loose our way. Christ is the landmark, and boundary of this and other prophesies; what though Dauid write vnto the King, or speake of his [Page 30] sonne? It is the beloued Sonne of God, that lyeth in the bosome of the Father, that is the subiect of his prediction: Thus doth one wheele, run within ano­ther, as in the vision of Ezechiel, Christ in Solomon, and grace in Christ: for what the Apostles saw in the flesh, the Prophets behold in the spirit, and if euer Dauid were the pen of another, mooued by the ho­ly Ghost, and set a worke by the finger of that eter­nall Maiestie, to write, and speake, not after the will of man, but after the will of God, it is now: whilst vnder the shadow of termes indefinit, he proclaimes honour, and felicitie, with the flourishing increase of triumphant exaltation to the Lord, and to his an­nointed: and that for his words sake, that Euange­licall word, the word of the Gospell.

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, ride on, for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righte­ousnesse.

Referre my Text to Solomon, you haue a bene di­ction, referre it vnto Christ, you haue a prediction; it wisheth well to Solomon, and there it is Oratio: it speaketh well of Christ, and there it is Oraculum: Not shewing what he would haue done, but what should be done, by the rod of his power, and the scepter of his Dominion. Good lucke haue thou with thine honour: What then do you obserue in the land-scope of these words: But the dew of Hermon, lying vpon the hill of Sion, honour attended with felicitie, the promise of felicitie, as the dew of Her­mon: the sublimitie of honour as the hill of Sion.

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, Or rather if you please a golden branch, on the top of Liba­nus, the flower and the leafe thereof, is honour; the [Page 31] fruite and sweetnesse, is felicitie: Good lucke haue thou with thine honour.

The expansion, and stretching forth, is encrease.

Ride on with thine honour.

The roote and body, is [...] a word of truth.

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, ride on, for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteous­nesse.

O the blessed foundation, whereon the Apostle builds gold, and siluer, and precious stones, honour and felicitie, with the ioyfull succession of victorious power, and royall soueraignty. It is a word of truth, and confirmes his promises, it is a word of meeke­nesse, and prayeth for his enemies, it is a word of righteousnesse, and iustifies his seruants. Hee was crowned with honour in the worke of our redemp­tion, he was aduanced to ride on, for the consum­mation of our glorie. There we find his patience, here we find his perseuerance, euery where the oyle of ioy, and of gladnesse: whereupon saith Bernard, Nemo saluus, quanto minus saluator. There is none can be saued, much lesse a Sauiour, without the con­stancie of perseuerance. Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, and ride on:

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, and begin what thou hast to do.

Ride on with thine honour: and finish what thou hast began. It is thy promise that doth bind thee, and thy word that doth excite thee, a word of truth that shewes vs thy precepts, a word of meeknesse that forgiues our iniquities, a word of righteousnesse that purifies the conscience.

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, ride on, for [Page 32] the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteous­nesse.

These are the drops of raine from aboue, which I desire may fall gently into yoursoules, as into a fleece of wooll, with facilitie of patience, and humi­litie of deuotion. Good lucke haue you in hearing, good lucke haue I in speaking, from him that rideth on the circle of the heauens, and is now drawne throughout the whole world on the foure Euange­lists, that triumphant chariot, the chariot of the Gospell. And so I begin with my first obseruation, and take the Omen of my text, Fortunam Domini cantare & nobile regnum. [...] Good lucke haue thou with thine honour. That inscription of [...] or good fortune, which Demosthenes bare on his shield, Christ bore in his cradle, and the starre that shined at his birth, was auspicious through the whole course of his life, it brought him to honour, it kept him in honour, and made him triumph glori­ously, ouer the whole power of the enemie, for what is the magnificence of humane greatnesse, without the assurance of diuine goodnesse, but (as Saluianus notes) Sine medulla corpus, as flesh with our life, or bones without marrow: Many refuse to be great, none to be fortunate. Marke the speech of Baiazet the fourth, when his sonne was taken captiue, and one of his chiefest Cities ransackt by the enemie, he enuies the condition of a heard, and his discontent breakes forth as lightning. O happie sheepe heard; that hast neither Orthobules nor Sebastia to loose. And therefore I the lesse maruell what Saint Austin notes among the Romanes, that when they built temples on to their Images, and deified their seuerall [Page 33] powers, they all giue place to Felicitie as Queene and Empresse among the gods of the Nations, and Idols of the heathen: for it is the dew of heauenly grace and coelestiall benediction, that must crowne and establish not onely the labours, and designes, of mans wit, and humane inuention: but the highest aduancements, and greatest preferments wee can sustaine. You may compare it to that siluer cup, which Ioseph put into the mouth of Beniamins sacke, all the sonnes of Iacob returned laden from Aegypt, with come and money in their sacks: onely Benia­min had the cup, as a singular pledge of his brothers fauour. And though many reioyce for the corne and the wine, and the oyle that hath increast, yet this grace cup, whether you terme it scyphum gratiae a cup of grace, with Ambrose, ore calicem bene­dictionis, a cup of blessing, with the Apostle, this siluer cup, this grace cup, is still kept for Beniamin, the sonnes of God, and the children of his right hand, that grow and flourish, vnder the wing and shadow of his protection. Great was the honour of Christ, in regard of his threefold vnction, he was annointed as a Prophet, and spake as neuer man did; he was annointed as a Priest, and layd the holo caust of his bodie vpon the altar of his crosse: he was annointed as a King, and now sits regnant on the hill of Sion, the house of Iacob, the throne of Dauid, hauing receiued all power, both in heauen and earth by donation from the Father. Yea saith Bernard, Pretiosi magis panni saluatoris: The robes of Kings, are not to be compared with the raggs of Christ: nor the throne of Princes, with the crosse of our Sauiour. There is more honour in the nayles of [Page 34] his crosse, then in the pearles of their crownes, that mannage the scepters of diuers Nations, and mighty kingdomes. But whether his arme be full of strength, or his lippes be full of grace, or his soule be full of knowledge, or his flesh be full of glorie, the ground is taken from the Prophet, Quia Deus in eternum be­nedixit: Because God hath blessed him for euer. Full of grace are thy lippes, because God hath blessed thee for euer. And therefore let vs beseech our heauenly Father, as the daughter of Caleb did her earthly fa­ther, that he would giue vnto vs, the springs aboue, as well as the springs beneath, that irriguum inferius, of humane grace, and temporall happinesse: that irriguum superius, of diuine grace, and spirituall bles­sednesse: wrestling with God as Iacob with the An­gell, till he blesse vs, and make a vnion of that double character, Traiano melior, Augusto foelicior: the ver­tue of Traian, with the fortune of Augustus, Non te demittam nisi benedixeris, I will not let thee go ex­cept thou blesse me. Yet let me not confine the ho­nour of Christ, to any particulars, when he was lif­ted on a throne, the whole Temple was full of his glorie, and if wee desire to comprehend with all Saints what is the length, and the bredth, the height, and the depth thereof, wee must take the wings of the morning, and flie to the vttermost parts of the earth, the height reacheth vp to the clouds, the depth pearceth below the center, the length stretch­eth from one generation to another, the bredth ex­tends from the riuer to the sea, and from the sea to the worlds end. But that which is here chiefly en­tended is militarie, and Thriambeuticall, like that of Knighthood and chiualry, got (as if it were) in the [Page 35] field, by the strength of his arme, and the power of his owne right hand, the triumphant honour of his glorious victorie ouer death, hell, world, and the di­uell. When he was lifted from the earth, and drew all things vnto him, when he entred the strong mans house, and tooke away his prisoners, and smote Go­liah, with his owne sword, and deliuered the prey from the iawes of the enemie: when he destroyed the kingdome of Satan, and bare away those gates of brasse vpon his shoulders, and trode the wine-presse, and came victoriously from Edom, with his gar­ments red from Bozrah, leauing this encouragement to all posteritie [...] be of good cheere, (my friends) I haue ouercome the world. Beloued Christians that stand in the Courts of Ierusalem, to behold the faire beautie of the Lord, and to admire his glorie: What greater honour then to smite his enemies on the cheeke bone, and to drowne Pharoh and his chariots in the sea? To cast the Dragon and his Angels into the bottomlesse pit of Cimmerian darknesse, and euerlasting destruction? To saue Is­rael, to passe Iordan with the staffe of his crosse, to redeeme Sion, and with a few drops of bloud to purge the whole earth, and to binde vp the fractures thereof. Yea saith that good Bishop of Nazianzum, [...] as runnet curdles milke, so doth the bloud of Christ vnite and conioyne, and cement, and coagulate (as it were) the whole companie of Gods elect, in one fellowship and communion, to the praise of the glorie of his grace. This is it that doth magnifie the Lord, that heauen is not able to containe him: before the triumph of his crosse, he might haue bene held in a stable or a manger: but [Page 36] now heauen must be enlarged, and the gates thereof set wide open for the entrance of his glorie. Lift vp your heads, ô ye gates, and be ye lift vp, ô yee euerlasting doores, and the King of glorie shall come in. Who is able to expresse the wonderful celebrity of his mag­nificent greatnesse? There is a voyce heard, and the Saints of God are conuerted by the trumpet of his word; to come forth and behold the solemne coro­nation of his victorious maiestie. Egredimini filiae Sion, Come forth ye daughters of Sion, and behold King Solomon in his crowne, It was a crowne, though it were of thornes, when hee made the crosse his throne, and a reed his scepter; Egredimini filiae Sion, Come forth yee daughters of Sion, and behold King So­lomon in his crowne. O let not those dead flies of Ie­wish infidelitie corrupt the sweetnesse of this pre­tious ointment, or taint the sauour of his incompa­rable glorie. Mused blasphemie (saith Bernard) these dead flies are blasphemous obloquies of heathens and infidels, that stumble at the weakenesse of his flesh, and are scandalized with the humilitie of his passion, that tread vnder foot the bloud of his crosse, and insult ouer the miserie of his voluntarie suffe­rings, much like Tiberius in Sueton, Qui Germanici facta eleuabat, that snarled at the greatnesse of Ger­manicus, and traduced his noble acts as vaine and friuolous: Whereas wee know Christs honour is great in our saluation, and that whatsoeuer he en­dured was but dispensatiue, as when one man goes downe into a pit, that he may helpe another out, or a Physition tasts a potion, that he may temper it for the sick: by the greatnes of his loue, and the bow­els of his compassion. What then shall I say, but as [Page 37] the Apostle doth, our vncomely parts haue more comelinesse on: neither are wee ashamed of our God, though he were crucified, that was his glorie, and will be our felicitie. O Lord if thy shame bee glorious, what is thy glory? How shall wee be ad­uanced by the strength of thy power, that are so dig­nified by the weakenesse of thy sufferings? It is the honour of Christ to saue vs: let it be the honour of Christians to serue him. Yea and (as Basil speakes) [...] the very top and crowne of our glorie and reioycing. When the wise men brought myrrhe, they knew hee should die like a man; but when they brought incense, they knew he was to be honoured as a God. Take heed then (I be­seech you) lest at any time the weaknesse of his man­hood abolish that honour which is due vnto his Godhead. If yet it be obscure, hee will proceed and ride on, by the declaration of his power, and the amplification of his kingdome: which is the second thing that is here promised of our Sauiour: [...] Ride on, for the word of truth.

He rode on the cloud of his flesh, when he came into the world, hee shall ride on the clouds of hea­uen, when he comes to iudgement: He rode on an Asse, the embleme of meekenesse, when he went to Ierusalem, whether he do so in the host, when he is carried aloft by sacrificing Priests and ridiculous shauelings, bee ye Iudges. Iohn in the Apocalyps speakes of a white horse, the puritie of his righte­ousnesse, and of a red horse, the seueritie of his iu­stice, he fits the one, in the long animitie of patience: he fits the other, in the execution of his vengeance. Sometimes he rides vpon the Church, for shee is [Page 38] likened to a troope of horses, in the chariots of Pha­roh: sometimes on the Cherubins, for there hee is aduanced by the excellencie of their knowledge. But if euer he sate vpon a colt, it was when the Dis­ciples spread their garments, that wee might be sure he will not abide the skittish wildnesse and vntamed peruersnesse of our depraued nature and coltish dis­positions: vnlesse we cloath our soules with the pre­tious robes of diuine grace, and Apostolicall holi­nesse. Yet in all this he neither rides backe, or round: backe with the Apostate, or round in the mill of profest wickednesse or resolued impietie: or in the maze of inextricable thoughts, or confused distra­ctions. His motion is directly progessiue, as a Giant in his course, or a Bridegroome from his chambers. [...] Ride on for the word of truth, till thy horses get the hill, and thy Chariots bring saluation: nay till thou hast placed the Kings daughter in a vesture of gold at thy right hand, and made her as a Queene Paramount, with the Sunne ouer her head, and the Moone vnder her feet, this is well implyed in the Chalde paraphrase, [...] vpon the throne of Maiestie, and the horses of thy kingdome: which the Septuagint reades, [...], rule, and haue Do­minion, be exalted and take vnto thy selfe the roy­alties of a King. For it is not enough that Christ should purchase an heritage with his bloud, vnlesse he bring it vnto glorie. The stone which Daniel saw cut without hands, did not onely breake the image of gold, and of siluer, and of iron, and of clay: but prooued a great mountaine, and filled the earth with the immensitie of its presence. So is it with the power of Christ, hee must not onely bruise the [Page 39] Nations of the earth with a rod of iron: or say with the Prophet, Iudah is my lawgiuer, Moab is my wash­pot, ouer Edom will I cast my shoe, ouer the Philistims will I triumph: But hee must erect a kingdome of his owne, and spread his banner ouer it, till he make the beautie thereof as Carmel, and the glorie thereof as Lebanon. If he be risen from death, he must ascend on high, if he be gone on high, he must poure forth his Spirit, that he may direct and gouerne, protect and aduance his Church, aboue the crowne of pride and the malice of the aduersarie, Praeclarè admini­strans quod facilè est adeptus, managing that with ho­nour and dignitie which he got with power and faci­litie. These are the steppes and degrees of his royall pace and maiesticke procession, whilest hee comes leaping ouer the hils, and skipping ouer the moun­taines, from mount Tabor, where he was transfigu­red to mount Caluarie, where hee was crucified from mount Caluarie, where he was crucified to mount Oliuet, where he was exalted from mount O­liuet, where he was exalted to mount Sion, where he liues and raignes for euer: till he descend and come downe to the vayle of Iosaphat, with the voyce of an Archangell and trumpe of God, there to purge his floore, and to burne vp the chaffe with fire vn­quenchable. But how doth Christ ride on, if we be at a stand, are not we his seed? are not we his mem­bers, the Magistrate his hand, armed with the sword of Iustice, the Minister his foote, shod with the Gos­pell of peace, yea and his eye enlightened with the beames of knowledge, and his tongue purged with coales from the altar? Nay we are all members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head, and may [Page 40] not say with Iohn, Oportet illum crescere, he must en­crease, we must decrease: He must increase, that we may encrease, his encrease our increase, his righte­ousnesse our righteousnesse: and therefore let vs ride on, and neuer stay till we come before the Lord in the hill of Sion; standing waters gathere filth and stench: running brookes are sweet and pleasant. Abhorre the one, resemble the other: till wee all meete and ioyne with that Chrystall riuer, whose li­uing waters issue from the throne of God, Apocalyps the last and the first. In the Law there was Cauda sa­crificij, and the Lord will not be pleased vnlesse hee haue the rumpe as well as the fat of the burnt offe­ring, which is a continuall proceeding in the works of holinesse. When the kine bare the Arke towards Bethshemesh, which signifies the habitation of the Sunne, they lowed as they went, and yet they went on: we all beare the Arke of truth in our breasts, and our way lyeth toward heauen the sanctuary of God, and the blessed habitation of the Sonne of righte­ousnesse: well may wee low and groane vnder the burden of our crosse, and the crosse of our afflicti­ons for these are the Symptomes of humane frailtie and naturall infirmities, but if we go not on, weare inferiour to these kine, and not to be compared with the vnreasonable creature. There is a threefold profi­ciencie, which Saint Bernard commends vnto vs, vnder the similitude of a kisse. The first is Osculum pe­dis, the kisse of the foote, when the soule of man doth kisse the foote of Christ and lyeth prostrate be­fore him in humilitie and deuotion: the second is Osculum manus, a kisse of the hand, when the soule of man doth kisse the hand of Christ, and is taken [Page 41] vp by him, that he may exercise the works of chari­tie, and the deeds of mercie: the third is Osculum oris, a kisse of the lippes, when the soule of man doth kisse the lippes of Christ, and enioy the sweetnesse of his presence, by the inspiration of his loue, and the contemplation of his glorie, running daily for­ward in the sauour of his ointments; Ille in plenitu­dine, nos in odore, as Saint Bernard, he in his fulnesse of grace and mercie: we in the odor of life and safe­tie. Beloued, I could wish that nothing could stay the course of this proceeding: whether it bee actus diuturnitas, or obiecti difficultas, (as the Schooles distinguish) the hardnesse and toughnesse of the thing we are to doe, the irkesomenesse and tedious­nesse of the space we are to endure. But that we ha­sten and ride on with chearefulnesse and alacritie, to that which is set before vs, Per saxa, per ignes, or ra­ther as the Apostle notes, Through a good report, and an euill report, looking towards Christ the Author and finisher of our redemption.

I know not whether I may vse the words of Hie­rome, Per calcatum patrem ad vexillum crucis euola, Let thy children hang about thy necke, and thy wife entreat thee with disheauilled haire, let thy father lie sprawling in the way, and thy mother shew the breasts that gaue thee sucke, tread vpon the wombe that bare thee, bee not mooued with the teares of her that lyeth in thy bosome, flie amayne to the stan­dard of the crosse, and let nothing hold thee from the kisses of thy Sauiour, the spitituall embracings of thy sweetest loue Christ Iesus. Perhaps yee will cry with the Disciples, Durus est hic sermo, this is a hard saying, and comes neare the apathie of Stoicks. [Page 42] Yet God knowes and my conscience beares me wit­nesse how I long for your perfection: that yee pro­ceed in all vertue and godlinesse of liuing: that yee ride on, hauing your loynes girt like the Sonne of man, whose paps were girt with a girdle of gold, that ye prooue, (as it is said of Iob) Magni inter ori­entales, Great amongst the inhabitants of the East: not the inhabitants of the West, but the inhabitants of the East, what is that? but as the moralizing Fa­ther doth interpret, interchoros superorum, among those that shine and rise as the starres of the mor­ning in the light of truth, and the beautie of holines. There is a fierie chariot where Elias sate, the chariot of loue and mercie, ride on there. There is a stately chariot where the Eunuch sate, the chariot of con­templation and studie, ride on there. As for the cha­riots of Pharaoh drawne with pride and vanitie, and those wilde horses of vnbridled passions and vntem­perate furie, they are very dangerous, not to be kept with vs, if any sit there, it is worse then if they were bound to Ixions wheele.

O my brethren, haue wee not the Church as an arke, or a throne? haue we not Christ as a guide or a ruler? haue we not the word of truth, and of meek­nesse, and of righteousnesse, as a teame to leade and draw vs to euerlasting blessednesse? Haue wee not the raignes of loue, the bridle of peace, the scourge and the whip of gouernment and discipline, Cuius flagello exterminatur mundi istius princeps, At whose lash the Prince of this world doth scud, and the va­nities thereof are driuen quite away? Why do not wee ascend and ride on here? [...] vpon the word of truth, and of meekenesse, and of righteous­nesse: [Page 43] for so many reade the text, or [...] for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteous­nesse, which is most genuine and agreeable to the originall, & so I passe to the ground of all that hath bene spoken, and that is [...] the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteousnesse.

It is not the aduenture, but the motiue, not the danger, but the reason that dignifies our actions. If we labour for the word of deceit and iniquitie, it will neither prooue honourable nor fortunate; the expe­dition of Christians, is like that of Gideons souldiers, for the Lord, and for Gideon: for the word, and for Iesus, for the maintenance of truth and the preserua­tion of righteous dealing. What though we breake the pitchers of our bodies in the painfull conflict of this our spirituall warfare? There is no losse so we keepe our lamps burning, and make the light there­of shine as it were a candle in a darke place: did not Paul so? and the holy men of old? I could leade you to that noble armie of heauenly Martyrs, that wash their garments in the bloud of the Lambe, and now stand about the throne of God with crownes on their heads and palmes in their hands. Though I know the encounter of my text, is not outward and temporall, but inward and spirituall: Yet let mee call to mind one exploit for the word of truth, when these generous Argonauts were transported to the Citie of the great King for the honour of God, and the libertie of his seruants. France, Germanie, Den­marke, Italie, with this our mother Iland sent forth their strength, and were mooued with zeale towards the house of God, and the place of his Sanctuarie. The greatest Princes and most heroicall worthies of [Page 44] this European clime, engaged their liues, their per­sons, their honors, their fortunes, to redeeme Sion & to recouer Ierusalem from the miserable bondage of Turkish slauerie. Beloued, the remembrance here­of is as fire within my bones, and I must needs re­count with exceeding ioy and exultancie of spirit, how they rode on for the word of truth, as the Knights of Rhodes or of Malta, till their right hand shewed them terrible things, and neuer left before they had hewne the enemies of God in peeces, and crowned themselues with honour and renowne. The stars from heauen in their order fought against that man of sinne, and euery Christian tooke vp that song of Deborah, Thou hast marched valiantly ô my soule, thou hast marched valiantly, the Lord grant that we may still preuaile against Amalek, by the inuiolable faith of Christian Princes, that keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, and ride on daily for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteousnesse.

For its sake, and by its power, for it is the onely prop that beares vp the thrones of Princes, and makes their crownes flourish.

Ferrum tuetur Principes, melius fides, The muni­tion of armes doth well, the armes of faith doe bet­ter: Whereupon said Nestorius the Bishop to Theodosius the Emperour in the seauenth booke of Socrates, Tuin profligandis, &c. Do thou see Genti­lisme and impietie, do not annoy the Church and wee will see violence and hostilitie do not hurt thee: agreeable to that of Solomon, mercie and truth pre­serue the King, and his throne is establish by iustice. I will not argue the translation, yet let me tell you [Page 45] the originall is [...] not for the word of truth, and of meekenesse, and of righteousnesse: but for the word of truth, and the meekenes of righteousnesse, for the word of truth there is the Law, for the meek­nesse of righteousnesse there is the Gospell. The one as the Court of Iustice, the other as the Court of Chancery, that qualifies and mittigates the rigor of the former; yet what is the word of truth, but the word of Christ? Hee is truth, and in him are the fi­gures verified, what is the meeknesse of righteous­nesse, but the meeknesse of Christ? He is righteous­nesse, and in him we are all iustified: though he be true and iust, it is not without the spirit of clemen­cie, and of meeknesse; that ye know is inseparable from a Lambe, and must needs adhere to the Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinnes of the world. If hee that walkt in the midst of the golden candle­stickes, had eyes like fire, the head and the haire were as snow, or as wooll. It was not wine alone, nor oyle alone, which that good Samaritane poured in­to the hurt of the wounded, neither was God in the fire, nor in the earthquake, nor in the wind, that brake the rocks and tare the mountaines; but in the still and soft voyce which is more powerfull then all the force of Periclean lightning, and Pannicall exe­crations. I remember in Plutarch, a conspiracie be­tweene the Winde and the Sunne, which should take away the trauellers cloake: first, the winde blowes cold and sharpe, and makes him gather it close, and hold it faster: at length the Sunne pier­ceth with the subtle heate of his melting beames: This makes him cast away both cloake and coate. So that is often done, by the mild insinuation of loue and gentlenesse, which the blustering winds of [Page 46] terrible threats can neuer bring to passe: How then do they recede from conformitie with our Sauiour, in life and doctrine, that speake stones, and haue words as sharpe as arrowes, that euer stand on the top of mount Horeb, and breath nothing but thun­der and lightning, iudgement without mercie to their afflicted brethren? well may they haue the word of truth, they haue not the meeknes of righteousnes, & yet the Prophet ioynes them both, & Christ rides on for both, and with both, for we are not come to the mount that might not be toucht, nor to the blacknesse and darknesse of a tempest, where Moses said, I feare, I quake: but to mount Sion, the Citie of the liuing God, and to that coelestiall Ierusalem, and to God the Iudge of all, and to the spirits of iust and perfect men, and to Christ the mediator that rideth on for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteousnesse.

I haue done with Christ the substance, I come to Solomon the type, and yet what Solomon haue wee to mention, saue onely the sonne of Dauid, and the heire of peace, that is gone forth and rides on full of glorie, and honour, that he may spread the truth of Christ, as farre as the name of Christ, beyond the pillars of Hercules, and heale those waters of Ierico, as with the salt of his most gracious spirit, and in­contaminate holinesse: enuying the glorie of Ioui­nian, Qui exercitum paganum fecit Christianum, that made such Romans very good Christians; as hee found heathenish and giuen to Idols. Sure I am it is vpon the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of power, and of righteousnesse, that sacred chariot, I will not say of cardinall, but heroicall and Princely vertues; for they are the wings and the horses that aduance and lift him vp aboue his fellowes, how [Page 47] can wee choose but wish him good lucke, and send our prayers after him?

Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, ride on, for the word of truth, and of meeknesse, and of righteous­nesse: there is little Beniamin their Ruler, the Prin­ces of Iudah, the Princes of Zabulon.

Good lucke haue ye with your honor, &c. O ye hea­uens resolue into showers, and melt ye waters aboue the heauens into a dew of coelestiall benedictions, crowne him with the blessings of Iacob, and let all the gifts of the Patriarches descend on the top of him, that was separated from his brethren from the vtmost bounds of these euerlasting mountaines: say to him, as to Zabulon, reioyce in thy way, as to Isa­char, reioyce in thy tents: let him sucke the abun­dance of the sea, and giue him the treasures that lie hid in the sands, ô thou which sittest aboue the wa­ter-floud, and treadest on the sea as on drie land, couer him all the day long, and paue the waters with thy safetie; as the hils are about Hierusalem, so let thy Angels stand about his person, bind vp all the winds, saue onely Zephyrus, and let none bee found at his returne,

Praeter Iapyga:

I meane the sweet gate of that Spirit, which moued first vpon the waters; make the sterne of his ship, as the arke of thy resting place, and let that heauenly power which came in the similitude of a Doue stand as an Eagle on the top of his mast, whilst all the world doth praise God, from the ground of the heart, and say, Blessed is he that enlargeth God, blessed is he that enlargeth Israel. As for those which make it their honour to suffer with Christ, and to ride on in the course of spirituall warfare, that so they may [Page 48] aduance the word of truth, and of meekenesse, and of righteousnesse, what can they expect, but that God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, should blesse them with all their spirituall gifts of heauenly things in Christ, and make them as Ephraim and Manasses, the one signifies encrease, the other for­getfulnesse, till they grow in the fauour of God, and forget the troubles of this miserable life, they haue Christ and his fortune, nay Christ and his saluation, and must needs haue good lucke from the Author and fountaine of ioy and happinesse. Ride on then (I beseech you) toward the price of your heauenly calling, and remember that of Bernard, Incipit defi­cere, qui desinit proficere. Hee begins to faile, that leaues to profit, let nothing stay your progresse vpon the scale of Iacob, from the loue of Christ, to the knowledge of Christ, from the knowledge of Christ, to the imitation of Christ, from the imitation of Christ, to that similitude and conformitie which is promised with him in glorie. In Bethlem vilescit, in Nazareth ditescit, in Bethlem he is poore and little, in Nazareth he is greene and flourishing: but Hie­rusalem is the place of ioy and comfort; Hierusalem that is aboue, Hierusalem that is the mother of vs all: there we must seeke him, till wee be perfect, and re­ceiue that ioyfull inuitation in the Gospell. Venite benedicti, Come ye blessed of the Father, and receiue a kingdome, prouided for you from the foundation of the world, receiue a kingdome that is your ho­nour, Come ye blessed, that's your good lucke, such honour, such good lucke, haue all that heare mee this day, euen for Iesus Christ his sake, to whom with the Father and the Spirit, be honor, and glory, power, and maiestie, through all eternitie. Amen.

THE THIRD SERMON.

VNction is sacred, and neuer vsed but to Kings, or to Priests. Christ was both, and therefore a Christ indeed: the annointed of the Lord, and the Lords annointed: annointed with the holy Ghost and with power, annointed as a King, and fought himselfe for vs: annointed as a Priest, and gaue himselfe for vs: the combat with Saran, the oblation to the Father, who sware, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech. I might resemble the Priesthood of Christ, to that of Aaron, were there not dissimili­tudes and antitheses, as well as similitudes and con­ueniences, both had their temple, that earthly, this heauenly: both were to make entry, hee often, Christ once: both came with bloud, he of bulls, and of goats, Christ of his owne, most deare and preti­ous: both sought redemption, he temporall & to be [Page 52] renewed, Christ eternall, and consummate, not for himselfe, but for others. All which the Apostle doth insinuate in this briefe Synopsis.

By his owne bloud entred he once the holy place, ha­uing obtained an euerlasting redemption for vs.

What then do wee obserue in the words of my text? but a ioyfull procession and miraculous pene­tration of our high Priest into the holy of holies? Those inward chambers of vnapproachable light, and vnspeakable glorie: where you must first note the way or passage:

It is bloud.

Secondly, the benefit or aduantage.

It is redemption.

The bloud his.

The redemption ours.

The bloud once shed.

The redemption for euer purchased.

By his owne bloud entred he once the holy place, ha­uing obtained an euerlasting redemption for vs.

By his owne bloud, there is the expiation, and sa­tisfaction of our iniquities.

Did hee enter the holy place, there is the eleua­tion and prerogatiue of Christ Iesus?

Hauing obtained an euerlasting redemption for vs, there is the saluation and libertie both of our soules and bodies, from the power of darknesse and the hand of the enemie.

When Hannibal passed the Alpes, he made his way with vineger:

—Et montes rupit aceto:

(as the Poet hath obserued) though our Sauiours cup were mingled with gall and vineger, yet was it not [Page 53] enough: his side must be opened, & his most pretious heart bloud must be spilt, that he may transcēd those heauenly Alpes, and make way for our redemption. Whence is that of Bernard, Sanguis Domini, clauis Paradisi: The bloud of Christ, is the key of Paradise. Neither may he lift vp the head, vnlesse hee taste of the brooke. How shall the corne be laid in the gar­ner, before it bee threshed on the floore, there is no entring into the wineseller of the King, but through the wine presse of the crosse. Will you see the grape the sweete grape brused, and trod by the foote of pride, and the malice of the aduersarie?

He enters by his bloud.

Will you see the wine, the pleasant wine, streame and flow to the saftie of men, and the ioy of An­gels?

There is redemption for vs.

By his owne bloud entred he once, the holy place, ha­uing obtained an euerlasting redemption for vs.

I haue now opened the veine of my text (as it were) and let it bloud, ô let not one drop fall to the ground, but water your soules with ioy and gladnes: it is the sweetest oyle and purest balme, that I can poure into your vessels, as honie from the rocke. And so I begin with the words in order, [...] By his owne bloud.

As the naturall life of man, stands in the bloud of his flesh: so doth the spirituall life of the Church, stand in the bloud of Christ. If that had not beene shed, wee had all perished: notwithstanding, the yearely, and the monthly, and the daily, and the hourely sacrifices, of that Leuiticall Priesthood. I will not trouble you with their seuerall kinds, whe­ther [Page 54] Hilasticall, of peace and reconciliation for sins committed: or Eucharisticall, of thankfulnesse and gratulation for benefits receiued: Sure I am, they were types and resemblances, hauing their vertue and acceptance from the bloud of Christ, which speaketh better things, then all the bulls, and the goats, the rammes, and the calues on a thousand mountaines. For Christ is our Passeouer, and it is the sprinkling of his bloud that must purifie the ves­sels of our Sanctuarie. Who shall take away the sins of the world, but the Lambe of God? or what sa­tisfaction to bee made without price of his bloud, that is, [...] (as Nissen speakes) the abolisher and destroyer of Mosaicall rites: but the establisher and confirmer of spirituall righteousnesse? This made the Lord cloathe him with a garment dipt in bloud, Apoc. 19. and verifie that Prophesie of Iudah, [...] He shall wash his coate in wine, and his cloake in the bloud of grapes. Caro eius, stola eius, (saith Ambrosius) his coate, is his flesh, and his cloake is the puritie of his manhood: that hides our sinnes and couers our infirmities. This did he wash, and rence, and purge, and clense, in the bloud of grapes, that he might consecrate the whole bodie of his Church, and present her glorious to the Father without spot or wrinkle. Whence is that elegant speech of learned Austin, Non vis habere ma­culam, lauare in sanguine, non vis habere rugam, in crucem extendere. Wilt thou haue no spot, be thou washt in the bloud of Christ: wilt thou haue no wrinkle, bee thou stretcht vpon his crosse. Oh the staine and pollution of our sinnes, that will not bee purged without the bloud of Christ Iesus? O the [Page 55] bowels and compassion of our Sauiour, that is pro­digall of his life to purge our iniquities, hee tooke from vs the death of his flesh, and spilt for vs the bloud of his life, or rather as the text is read by Hie­rome, Sanguinem animae, the very bloud of his soule. Hic est sanguis noui foederis, this is the bloud of the new Couenant, which is shed for you and for ma­ny: shed and showred on the face of the whole earth in great plentie and abundance: that it might worke in vs the fruite of good liuing, and produce those heauenly flowers of loue, charitie, patience, humilitie, deuotion, pietie, and whatsoeuer is most pleasing to the Lord of glorie. Indeed God tooke a Ramme for Isaac: but if his owne Sonne do not come with his owne bloud, there will neither be en­trance for him, nor redemption for vs. Hee is the Ramme that was caught in the bush of thornes, and must be a sacrifice for all the sonnes of Abraham. It is his bloud that stickes vpon the doores of the Isra­lites, and to this day keepes away the destroying An­gell from the Tabernacles of the Christians. Well might the Iewes haue spared that scarlet robe which they cast vpon his loynes, for before they had left him, they made scarlet of his flesh, died and dipped in the bloudie torrent of his rosie passion. The best scarlet is but dibaphum, twise died, but his once, and againe, and a third time, yea there were seuen effusions of his bloud, as so many streames from the head of Nilus. The first as soone as hee was borne, when they tooke away the fore-skin of his flesh, and spilt his bloud before it was well receiued. A second in the garden, when he was cast into a bloudy sweat, the curtaines of Solomon were rent, and the pores of [Page 56] his body were opened, whilst euery part sent forth bloud and water trickling on the ground. The third in his scourging, when they plowed his backe with whips, and made long furrowes on his shoul­ders: A fourth at his coronation, when they placed him as a rose among thornes, and set a prickling crowne on his head, the white rose became red, and the puritie of his innocencie tooke colour from the misery of his sufferings. The fift, in the nayling of hands: A sixt, in the piercing of his feete, but the seauenth and last, when his side was opened, and the depth of his wounds discouered, the tendernesse of his bowels, the iron went into his soule, the speare toucht his very heart, that hee might haue a feeling and sympathie of our infirmities. Now did the spouts runne, and the fountaines streame with the sweetnesse of the grape: and though he were faste­ned on the crosse, yet died he like Seneca in a bath, not of water, but of bloud, and that his owne, once shed, but euer springing to safetie and redemption: that it might drowne our sins, and purge our soules, and quench that sierie blade which the Cherubin hangs ouer the gate of Paradise, to keepe vs from the tree of life, the portion of our inheritance. Where but on the crosse? when but at the effusion of his bloud, did hee say to that cursed malefactor, Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso, this day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise? Then were the gates of heauen set wide open, and there was a way through bloud to that euerlasting portion which he tooke from the hand of the Amorite, by his sword, and by his bow: his sword, his word, his bow; the mysterie of his in­carnation: where the maiestie of the Godhead, [Page 57] stoopt to the weakenesse of the manhood, and bo­wed (as it were) to the strings of humane frailtie.

In vaine then do men crucifie themselues, and are perswaded that martyrdome is the onely way to heauen, like those Priests of Baal, and [...] of Rome, that teare their flesh with hookes and whips, the bloudie instruments of voluntarie pen­nance: as if they would redeeme the transgressions of their soules, with the fruite of their bodies, and expiate diuine iustice, with the cruell butchering and most vnnaturall oblation of their sonnes and daughters vnto Idols. It cost more to redeeme soules, neither shall any deliuer his brother by the execrable practises of so great impieties. Nor by O­rizons, nor by Dirges, nor by Pardons, nor by In­dulgences, or the like inuentions of superstitious do­tage. In this case we may vse the words of Saluianus, Semper redempti, nunquam liberi. They are euer re­deemed, but neuer freed. For we are not bought with things corruptible, but with the pretious bloud of Christ, as a Lambe without spot: If the Sonne free vs, then are we free, and where the Spirit is, there is libertie. Qui me­lior aduocatus saith Ambrose, what better aduocate, then hee which gaue himselfe for vs? Are not the fi­gures ended, and the ceremonies abolished? Is not the Temple destroyed? and the Priesthood of Aaron quite extinguished? Let the Iewes meete, and seeke to repaire their temple, fire shall breake from out the earth, as in the dayes of Iulian, to deuoure them, and roote out their foundation; for we haue no Priest, but Christ, no altar, but his Crosse, no sacrifice, but his flesh, no ransome, but his bloud, no incense, but deuotion, no fire, but the Spirit, no [Page 58] temple, but heauen, no order, but that of Melchi­sedech, which stands and abides for euer. And let all such know, that wallow in flesh and bloud, the bloud of their sinnes, and the bloud of their iniqui­ties, that delight in bloud, and make no conscience how they spill innocent bloud, Christian bloud, that are set vpon miracles, and labour to conuert water into bloud, colour seas, die riuers, as if they would sayle and swim to Paradise through bloud of their enemies: that Christs bloud may witnesse against them, and charge them with the bloud of their slaine, which hee so dearely purchast: that as his bloud calls for pardon, so their bloud calls for ven­geance, and may one day come vpon the desperate malefactor without repentance to his ruine and con­fusion. Whence is that resolution of Anastasius the Emperour, cited by Euagrius in the third booke of his storie, Quod nihil velit aggredi, that he would ad­uenture no exploit, though neuer so honourable and glorious, if he thought it might cost him a drop of bloud. But such mildnesse requires a golden age, & that we cōdemne is the brutish violence of sauage furie. It were good some bloud were let in vs: not the bloud of our flesh, but the bloud of our soules, I meane the lust of our desires, and the heate of our affections. For (as Bernard speakes) Sanguis animae, voluntas mea. The bloud of my soule, is the will of my heart, and if there were a vent made for the cor­ruptions thereof, wee should find a more easie pas­sage into heauen; for there is a spirituall galarie and milken path, that leadeth vnto God, euen truth and holinesse, puritie and righteousnesse, our hearts be­ing sprinkled from an euill conscience, with the [Page 59] bloud of Christ, and assured confidence in the me­rit of his passion. O the rubricke, and witnesse of e­ternall glorie, that makes vs Saints in the kingdome of heauen, and washeth our soules from their spiri­tuall leprosie. How should we adore the Sacrament of his bloud, how should wee thirst after the foun­taine of his bloud? Crying with our Sauiour in the Gospell, sitio, I am a thirst? He thirsts after our good, let vs thirst after his bloud: He thirsts after our sal­uation, let vs thirst after his righteousnesse: till our bloud-thirstinesse take away our bloud-guiltinesse, and his bloudie wounds cure our bloudie issue, the naturall fluxe of originall impuritie: that it may bee true in vs which is spoken of the Disciples, [...], Riuers of the water of life shall flow out of their bellie. The wild beast finds sweetnesse in the bloud of man, and hunts for it: Shall not wee more in the bloud of Christ, and thirst for it? it is milke to the weake, and makes him strong, it is wine to the strong and makes him chearefull. O bee not slow to frequent the Temples, and to loue the ser­uice, and to honour the stones, and to worship the alters, where so grieuous a veine is opened to the house of Israel. When Vitellius came into a field of bloud, died with the slaughter, and strewed with the bodies of the dead: others were annoyed, he onely cryes out, Optime hostis occisus, melius ciuis. There is a good smell in the bloud of an enemie, much bet­ter in the bloud of a subiect. A most inhumane speech, and full of tyrannie: but had he said, Optime hostis, melius Christi. There is a good smell in the bloud of an enemie, but much better in the bloud of Christ, that had bene religious pietie, which is now [Page 60] recorded for outragious crueltie. For indeed it is his bloud that is the sauour of life, and smell of a field which the Lord hath blest, that fills the nostrils of our heauenly Father, and makes him forget the stinke of our wounds, and the putrifactions of our iniquities: whilst he stands like Phineas, to mediate for vs in that holy place, where now hee makes his entry, and so I passe from his humiliation to his ex­altation; from the key of his bloud, to the closet of his glorie.

Hee entred the holy place: The sonnes of Israel came to their earthly Canaan through the red sea: the Sonne of God to that heauenly Canaan through a sea of bloud: that flowed with milke and honie, this with the sweetnesse of peace and glorie: that a land of holinesse, this a place of holinesse, where peace, and holinesse, and truth, and righteous­nesse, haue taken vp their rest, and made their habi­tation. For holinesse becomes the house of God for euer, perfect holinesse, vniuersall holinesse, with a vniuersality of time, it is for euer: with a vniuersality of subiect, it is so that no vncleane thing may enter. It was a good inscription which a bad man set vpon the doore of his house: Per me nihil intret mali, no euill may passe through me, whereupon said Dioge­nes, Quomodo ingredietur Dominus? How then shall the master get into his owne house? I know not how it may agree with our mansions vpon earth, sure I am, the first part is most conuenable with that coele­stiall Bethel, the gates of heauen, and blessed san­ctuarie of eternall righteousnesse. For whatsoeuer is there, is holy, the Saints holy, the Patriarchs holy, the Martyrs holy, the Prophets holy, but the Lord [Page 61] himselfe most holy and blessed, neither is this holi­nesse originall in those coelestiall bodies, but deriua­tiue from the Lord of all things. It is he that sancti­fies and makes them holy: times, places, men, An­gels, names, ceremonies, vessels, instruments, things animate, things inanimate, with the gracious spirit of his sauing righteousnesse. They are holy, because the Lord is holy: and must needs subscribe to that great [...], of the Cherubins, Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God, almightie, which is, which was, and which is to come. But wherein stands the differerence, be­twixt the holinesse of God, and the holinesse of his place? Deus sanctus, quia sanctificans, the Lord is holy because he sanctifies, and is not sanctified: that is holy, because it is sanctified, and cannot sanctifie: else might Adam haue continued holy, as long as hee was in Paradise: and the diuell, as long as hee was in heauen: but the one was cast out, and the other was cast downe: that so the holy one might come into the holy place: and say with the Prophet, Deus & non homo, I am God, and not man. The holy one of Israel in the midst of thee, Hos 9. 11. For though hee were humbled vnto death, and lay melting on the fornace of his crosse: yet was he ex­alted vnto life, and snatched as a brand out of the fire, and that (as Saint Ambrose speakes) In vmbra­culo nubis, vt foueantur vulnera passionis. In the coole shade of a spreading cloud, to qualifie the heate of his bleeding wounds. Neither is there any Christian but may discerne, as farre with the ioyes of faith, as euer Stephen did with the eyes of his body: when hee said, Behold, I see the heauens opened, and the sonne of man stand at the right hand of God. Luke saith hee [Page 62] stands, Dauid he sits, yet are they both true: he sits as a Iudge, for the Lord hath giuen all power to his Sonne: he stands as an Aduocate, For we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. The one shewes the greatnesse of his Maiestie, the other shewes the obedience of his ministry: whilst hee takes the cen­sure of his flesh, and fills it with the coales of the altar, and presents the supplications of his Church, and makes the smoake of those spirituall odours, as­cend before the Lord, as from the hand of an An­gell. O the gracious entrance of our triumphant Sa­uiour into that heauenly tabernacle; before hee was from the earth earthly, now hee is from heauen hea­uenly. There be heauens corporall, there hee is by the presence of his body: there bee heauens mysti­call, there hee is by the influence of his Spirit. For the soule of euery Christian may bee likened vnto heauen, in the corporall heauens, yee haue a Sunne to giue light in the mysticall heauens, yee haue Christ to bee your guide in the corporall; yee haue Starres that shine by night, in the mysticall, ye haue vertues eminent and conspicuous, that shine in the night of aduersitie, and the darknesse of tribulati­on: in the corporall, yee haue continuall serenitie, in the mysticall perfect tranquilitie: in the corporall ye haue an extension of parts, in the mysticall of chari­tie: the loue of God being spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, and our bowels yearning with mercy and compassion towards the afflictions of our brethren. So that God is still in the holy place, there will he dwell, there is his rest for euer. Though we seldome frequent the place of his San­ctuary, [Page 63] some perhaps once a yeare, as the high Priests did the inward Tabernacle, some perhaps once in their liues, as Christ did this heauenly Ta­bernacle, yea I feare many leaue the holy place, and choose places most vnholy and defiled: defiled with superstition and idolatrie, defiled with riot and lux­urie, defiled with extorsion and crueltie, defiled with vncleannesse and impuritie, where the Sunne may scarce peepe without feare of darkening, or the light without danger of infection. O the deplored estate and lamentable condition of spirituall Gadarens, and Daemoniacall Christians, that abide in graues, and lie (as it were) in the deepe of hell: that sticke in the mire and clay, or rather in the sinke and iakes of ab­hominable pollutions and Heliogabalian filthines. How do they depart from the liuing God, and for­get the footsteps of their Sauiour? The place where he goes is holy, the ground where hee stands holy, and as hee is holy in his words, so is hee holy in his wayes. O let there not bee such a distance betwixt head and members, lift vp your heads, raise vp your thoughts, though your bodies lie on the earth, let your soules be in heauen, nay be yee a heauen vpon earth, shining with truth, establisht with hope, ador­ned with righteousnesse, extended with lour, hung and spread with those gracious clouds of knowledge and instruction, that Christ may bring his Father and come into your holy place, and cast out the bond woman, and take his rest as in a sanctuarie. Vbi habitabo? (saith Austin in the name of God? Where shall I dwell? Dost thou thinke I will abide in the ruinous building of thy collapsed nature, and depra­ued affections? or in the sordid building of thy staind [Page 64] actions and wicked pollutions? Surely no: I looke my house should be cleane swept, and garnisht with the flowers of vertue, as the Diamond or the Car­buncle, [...] (saith Nyssen) he that is Lord of honour and glory, will not bee owner of that which is dishonourable and inglorious. If hee would not suffer the vncleane spirits to name him, hee shall not suffer the vncleane men to enioy him: they cryed, and were rebuked, if they cry, they may bee refused. Awake then and consi­der whose temples yee are, this is the will of God, euen your sanctification: This is the will of God, euen your glorification. O my brethren, me thinkes I see the names of all that stand before me, written in the booke of life, and I seeme to reade through that sea of glasse, the diuine pedegree of your sacred race and heauenly genealogie. There is Abraham your Father, and Isaac his sonne, or rather Iacob, to whom the promises were made: yea there is God your Fa­ther, in whom all the families of heauen and earth are named, and Christ his Sonne, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, together with that Spirit, by whose grace we are knit and linkt in one fellowship and communion: there is the ring and the robe, which the Angells, which bee his seruants shall cast vpon vs: the ring of endlesse blisse and interminate happinesse: the robe of perfect iustice and immor­tall holinesse. Why do not we mooue as the clouds, and flie as the Doues vnto our windowes? Why is not our heart together with our treasure? nay with our flesh, and with our bloud, with our strength, and with our glorie? He is gone before, that we may fol­low after, first by contemplation, then by conuersa­tion, [Page 65] till at length we be inducted into mount Sion, the blessed Temple of our spirituall Ierusalem: ha­uing not onely quiet and peaceable, but actuall and corporall possession? Now we haue Ius ad rem, then wee shall Ius in re. Now wee are inuested with right and power, then we shall be superinuested with im­mortalitie and honour: like those blessed Elders that worshipt the Lambe, which doth wipe all teares from their eyes, and guide them to those fountaines of liuing waters. Did wee consider how great and excellent things God hath promist to all that loue him, in the heauens, our hearts would bee turned and set more by the holy place, then by the honou­rable place, or the place of custome, and of sweetnes, or the place of maiestie and of greatnesse: there is the flower of wheate, and the abundance of delight; Riuers of oyle, and flouds of peace, in comparison whereof our ioy is heauinesse, our fulnesse vacuitie, our pleasure bitternesse, our riches pouertie, our beautie ashes, our comelinesse deformitie; It is Da­uids note, that God hath set the wicked as a wheele, and the reason is giuen by a learned Father, Anterius cadit, posterius eleuatur; The former part turnes downe, the hinder part turnes vp: so they incline and how downe towards the glorious brightnes of that which is before and permanent: but rise, & are lifted vp towards the emptie shadow of that which is past and transient, let them be as a wheele, so wee be as a Chariot, or an Eagle mounted and soaring towards the place of vision, where Christ sits in the glorie of the Father. Sequar illum, quem mea occidit tarditas, was the speech of Cassius, when Brutus had bene slaine by the stay of his aide, and the negligence [Page 66] of his armie. I will follow him, that my slownesse hath put to death. They are our sinnes that haue put Christ to death, the slownesse and backwardnesse of our hearts and vnderstandings, to do any thing that is good. O let vs follow him in the bearing of his crosse, and the entrance of his glorie. Sequar eum, quem mea occidit prauitas. I will follow him whom my sinnes hath put to death, but his owne power hath raised to life, that he may triumph and be exal­ted, and seeme wonderfull in the holy places, by working our peace and obtaining our redemption, which is the fruite and benefit of all our trauell: and expects the short continuance of our frailtie and pa­tience. [...], hauing found an e­ternall redemption for vs.

Sinne is the aduersary that deliuered man bound to God, as to the Iudge: God the Iudge that deli­uered man bound to Satan, as to the Iaylour. Hee was bound to the diuell in the seruice of vnrighte­ousnesse: he was bound to God for the punishment of his transgressions, but now hee is redeemed from both, and this stands (as the Schooles note) in the price, and the solution, the price the bloud of Christ: the solution, at the death of Christ. In that he died, we haue the ransome of our sinnes: in that he died but once, we haue the sufficiency of that ran­some: for with him there is plenteous redemption, and for vs eternall redemption.

Eternall, in respect of Gods decree: which is be­fore time. Eternall, in respect of those which are re­deemed, they are immortall spirits. Eternall, in re­spect of the worke it selfe, which is perfect and abso­lute, neuer to bee abolisht or renewed: From the [Page 67] bricke and the clay of foule acts; and more then Ae­gyptian seruitude: but the originall is more Em­phaticall then our translation. [...], Hauing found an euerlasting redemption.

Whereby we vnderstand that it was sought with paine, and griefe, and sorrow, and trauell, vnder the heauie yoke of his intollerable crosse, and vnsup­portable agonie; yet so little doth he esteeme what­soeuer he endures, that he counts that found, which he dearely bought: [...], Hauing found an euerlasting redemption.

Which indeed is full of comfort, and sounds as musicke to the eare, for as in a chaine, hee that takes the first linke, drawes on all the rest; so in the gol­den chaine of our saluation, redemption is that which drawes on all the rest: if we be redeemed, we shall be iustified, if we be iustified, we shall be san­ctified, if we be sanctified, we shall be glorified: so that to be redeemed, is all that can bee imagined, to escape the feare of death, to receiue a crowne of life, to put on white robes, to iudge the Tribes of Israel, and to possesse that which is farre more excellent, aeternum gloriae pondus: an eternall weight of glory. It is like a cluster of grapes, where all the benefits of Christs death and mans safetie are heaped and trea­sured vp together: and therefore saith Chrysologus, Plura nobis parta, &c. Wee got more by the tree of the crosse, then euer wee lost by the tree of Para­dise.

What shall I mention, the dreame of Saint Ori­gen? That promiseth redemption after a thousand yeares, to the diuell and his Angels. Sure I am it is (for vs) and that it is for vs alone, is manifest by his [Page 68] incarnation: for that is redeemed, which at first was assumed: hee tooke not the Angels, but the seede of Abraham, and therefore hee saues not the An­gels, but the seede of Abraham. Wee are the heri­tage which he redeemed with his pretious bloud, a­greeable to that of Fulgentius, Id solum in corpore regnantium, quod praecessit in capite ad coelum: Wee that receiue his word beleeue his promises, admire his loue, embrace his mercies, crying with these soules vnder the altar, to him that was made a sacri­fice vpon the altar, how long sweet Iesu? Holy, and true, wilt not thou auenge our bloud vpon those which dwell vpon the earth?

I know not how this moues you, mee thinkes it should worke vpon the sencelesse creature, and rayse vp children vnto Abraham, from the very stones: or rather, praise and glory, thankes and honour, to the God of Abraham, from the stonie hearts of most ob­stinate and rebellious children. If Galen made pro­fession, when he lookt vpon man in his first creation, that if all the members of his body had bene tongues they would not haue bene sufficient, to expresse the glory of the Lord; how should wee magnifie the goodnesse of our Sauiour, that beheld man in his second creation, deliuered from the bondage of sin; and translated into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God: redeemed from the curse of the Law, and cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus? That so he may shine as the stars of heauen, in those euerlasting spheeres of safetie & protection. When Flaminius had deliuered many Cities of the Greci­ans, and made open Proclamation of their libertie: they lifted vp their voyces, and cryed for ioy till the [Page 69] birds of the ayre were astonied, and fell dead before them: See beloued, here is a generall Proclama­tion, of saftie and redemption, not from the Consull of the Romanes, but from the Doctor of the Gen­tiles, not to the Cities of Greece, or the inhabitants of Iudea onely, but to all the Nations and countries vnder heauen, bond and free, Iew and Gentile, they are all deliuered, and haue receiued vnfranchisement from their spirituall captiuitie. O that our hearts were enlarged rowards God, and the loud shout of our spirituall reioycings, and doubled Haleluiahs, might be as a clap of thunder, to fright the Prince of the ayre, and flat the top of vaine thoughts and proud imaginations, that nestle in the clouds, till they sinke and lie dead before vs. I wish that of Ber­nard might be an incentiue to your deuotion, and blow the coales of true loue and Christian pietie in all that heare me. Quam bonus & suauis es Domine Iesu, &c. O sweet Iesu how good and pleasant art thou to all that seeke thee! The Redeemer of such as are lost, the Sauiour of those that are redeemed, the hope of such as wander, the helpe of those which labour, the comfort and refreshing of euery blee­ding soule, that runnes after thee in the sweate of teares, and the painefull anguish of their crosse and miserie: Great is thy name, and most worthy to be praised, and let all the creatures, both in heauen and earth giue thankes vnto thee, for the humilitie of thy passion, the glory of thy exaltation, the might and power of thy victorious triumph and euerla­sting redemption: Thou hast saued vs from death, and installed vs in the holy place, that we may stand before thee, and draw neare with boldnesse vnto the [Page 70] throne of Grace, not with a few peeces of siluer, as the Iewes bought thee, but with many drops of bloud spilt vpon the earth: This is it that dies our robes, and turnes our sackcloth into scarlet: that an­noints our soules, and makes vs Kings and Priests to God the Father, or rather a sanctuarie of his Spirit, and liuing temples of the holy Ghost. What re­maines, but since he hath giuen himselfe for vs, wee giue our selues to him, our soules, which he hath re­deemed, our bodies which he hath sanctified. O yee house of Iudah and men of Israel, get ye into the ho­ly place, the closet of your hearts, the secret of your consciences: looke vpon the wine that runnes, and the hony that streames from the treading of the grape, and the opening of the rocke: consider the sharpnesse of his death, if there were any sorrow like vnto his: the sweetnesse of his loue, if there were any mercy to be compared with his: and let your spirits melt, and bleed, and distill, and bee power'd forth into a sweet ointment and great libution: for the merit of his death, and the benefit of your re­demption. Martialls Flie play'd so long vnder a tree, that at length it was wrapt in amber, and congeal'd in the drops that came from the boughs.

The best of vs are but wormes, let vs not despise to be as this Flie; still houering about the tree of the crosse, and the ointment of his bloud: till wee be wrapped, and closed, and buried, and entombed, in the pretious amber of his bleeding wounds, and the sacred gum of that tree, which growes in the midst of Paradise. For if we suffer with him, we shall raigne [Page 71] with him, and if we bee conformed to the similitude of his death, we shall bee transformed to the image of his glory. Effundam de spiritu meo, saith God the Father, I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh. Effudi de sanguine meo, saith God the Sonne, I haue powr'd forth my bloud for all flesh. See the price of your redemption, and the pledge of your saluation: by this ye enter the holy place, and are assured of that kingdome, where neither height, nor depth, nor things present, nor things to come, nor life, nor death, nor any other creature, shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God, which is Christ Iesus. O Lord enflame this loue in vs, and crowne this hope on vs, for the bitter death and meritorious passion of thy Sonne and our Sauiour, to whom with the Father, bee ascribed all honour, and glorie, power and dominion, throughout all generations. Amen.

THE FOVRTH SERMON.

I Know not whether that of Theodo­sius do sauour more of wisedome, or abound more with the sweetnesse of deuotion: sure I am, it is most pious and Christian: Gaudeo magis, &c. I re­ioyce more to be a seruant of the liuing God, then to be a Monarch of the whole earth. For as his yoke is easie, and his burthen light: so is his protection mightie, and his seruice honourable: witnesse that of our Sauiour, [...], if any man serue me, the Father will do him honour. It pleased Satan to vpbraid Iob with a numquid Deum gratis colit? Doth Iob serue God for nought? We may heare the same and neuer bee ashamed, or rather pronounce with­out question, Non colimus Deum gratis, we do not serue God for nought. Hee is our reward, our great reward, our exceeding great reward, as hee doth en­courage Abraham in the 15. of Genesis, and therefore [Page 76] let me take vp the eccho of that double voyce, Con­solamini, consolamini, be comforted, be comforted, all ye that labour and trauell vnder the burthen of his crosse: bee it father, mother, wife, children, house, lands, or whatsoeuer ye leaue for his names sake, ye shall receiue an hundred fold, and at length inherit life eternall. For we haue a good master, and there is ioy in the expectation of the righteous, good in his promises, good in his threatnings: whether hee amend vs with his punishments, whether hee streng­then vs with his comforts, whether hee adorned vs with his graces, whether he crowne vs with his mer­cies, euery way good vnto vs. Not a man of you shall depart from the Court of his tabernacle, or the presence of his maiestie, without a gladsome heart, and a chearefull countenance. Whence is that of sweet Bernard, Non Isaac sed aries molietur, Though we be neuer so much affraid, it is not Isaac, but the Ram, that must bee sacrificed: it is not the delight and pleasure of our soules that shall be taken from vs; for that indeed is Isaac: but it is the obsti­nacie and contumacie of our spirits, that must bee tamed in vs, for that indeed is the Ramme that stuck in the bush, and is neuer without the prickling thornes of anguish and vexation. Do we serue God, it is God that serues vs? Doe wee honour the Lord? it is the Lord that doth honour vs, and will do more when my text shall be verified.

Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration, when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie, yee shall also sit vpon twelue thrones, iudging the twelue tribes of Israel.

These words are a gracious promise made to the [Page 77] Apostles, but extended to the Gentiles, and do con­cerne the whole familie of God; for as they exclude Iudas, (though present when Christ spake) by reason of his Apostasie, so they include vs, though many generations after Christ spake, through faith in his mercie.

Will ye know the substance of the promise, They sit and iudge.

Sit vpon twelue thrones. There is the state and ma­iestie of their wonderfull exaltation.

Iudge the twelue tribes of Israel. There is the emi­nencie and prerogatiue of their infinite iurisdiction.

Will ye learne the circumstance of this promise? It is [...] in the consummation, and reno­uation of the whole world, when he that was in the forme of a seruant, shall take vpon him the forme of a Iudge, and that in a Throne of glorie.

But vpon what termes haue we so great honour? Is it giuen to any without condition? No, [...]: They are such as follow him, and obserue his doctrine. Not all, that leaue all: but all that follow him.

Ye that haue followed me, in the regeneration, when the Sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie, shall also, &c.

Here then we haue first a president of Christian imitation. Ye that haue followed me.

Secondly, a reward of blessed enthronization: Shall sit vpon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel.

Last of all, the determinate point and terme of this glorie and perfection, it is [...], in the renouation, and instauration of the whole world: [Page 78] when the sonne of man shall declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God, in a throne of glorie.

Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration, when the sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie: yee also shall sit vpon twelue thrones, iudging the twelue tribes of Israel.

My whole text is spent in that double contem­plation of the Physicks, the one Motus, the other Quies.

I wish that which deuides my text, may deuide both speaker and auditor, on your part quiet silence and religious deuotion, whilst I begin with the di­uine Motus, and spirituall consectation, in these words: Yee that haue followed me.

Carefull imitation is a sure note of constant aspe­ctation, & we euer loue those we desire most to fol­low. Pride and Enuie step before: Loue and Humi­litie waite behind: as Mary at the feete of Christ, when shee made a bath of her teares, and a towell of her locks. Many suffer as Christ, that shall neuer reigne with him, many beare his crosse that shall ne­uer partake of his glorie: Many drinke of the brooke, that shall neuer lift vp the head: Many grieue, and mourne, and sorrow, and are afflicted, that shall ne­uer be comforted, and all this, Quia sectari negligunt (saith elegant Bernard) because they are exalted in their minds, and despise to come after Christ in the humilitie of their spirits. For this cause will the Lord be followed, and that with as much alacritie as the [Page 79] Scribe pretends, Sir, I will follow thee wheresoeuer thou goest. Who so great with the Lord as Moses? of a friend hee became a familiar, of man, a God, so that hee is termed, Deus Pharonis, the very God of Pharoh. Yet was he content to looke on the backe parts of his Creator, and what Christ said to Ma­thew, belongs to vs, Veni & sequere, come and fol­low me. Non passibus, sed affectibus (as Saint Austin hath distinguished) not with the pases of our bodie, but in the graces of our spirit, in the loue of his truth, and the practise of his vertues that came as a Bride­groome forth of his chamber, and gloried as a Giant to runne his course. That neither words, or deeds, thoughts or designes swerue or decline from the rule of his iustice, for he is the way, and the truth, and the life. The way, that leades vs to the truth: the truth that doth promise the inheritance of life: the life, that doth giue vs the fruition of himselfe: not to follow the way, is to bee lost: not to follow the truth, is to bee deceiued: not to follow life, is to pe­rish: and therefore we may say of his actiue obedi­ence, as the Apostle writes of his passiue obedience, [...], Hee suffered many things leauing vs an example. Nay, he did many things, leauing vs an example, and hee spake many things, leauing vs an example, that wee might tread, and walke, in the footsteps of his righteousnesse. Wee reade of a no­ble Generall; victorious ouer the Turks, and famous among Christians, that hee neuer commanded his souldiers any thing, but that he would do himselfe: we see the like in Christ: they are no strange aduen­tures, or new exploits, which he layes vpon vs, if we can but follow our leader, or do that which he doth [Page 80] but act before vs, tast of his cup, or drink of the Bap­tisme wherein he is Baptized, it is as much as can be looked for. But who is able to find the way of a ser­pent on a stone, or the path of an Eagle in the aire? Is not the name of Christ wonderfull! and are not his perfections inimitable? Doth he not ride vpon a Cherub, and make darknesse his pauilion? Or if dis­cernable, and to be seene, doth not hee sit vpon the hill of Sion, and inhabit light which is vnapprocha­ble? (Honour'd and beloued) wee haue said it, yet may wee follow as Peter did, a farre off, at least cry with the daughters of Ierusalem, Trahe nos, Draw vs and we shall runne after thee. For that of Austin is most true, Quod lex imperat, fides impetrat. Faith ob­taining what the Law enioynes, and prayer makes that easie which is most hard to the corruption of our nature. Indeed there be some things in our Sa­uiour we cannot imitate, wee may not emulate the glorie of his wisedome, the magnificence of his po­wer: but his goodnesse is exemplarie, and calls for obseruation. [...] saith the Apostle, it is manifest, and hath appeared, teaching vs to deny vngodli­nesse, and to liue righteously, and soberly, and god­ly in this present world: Obsecro fratres, I beseech you brethren do not loose an example so rare and pretious, but fashion your selues vnto it, and bee changed in the renewing of your minds: remem­bring alwayes that of Nyssen, [...]. The profession of a Christian, stands in the imi­tation of his Maker. Seuerall qualities are gathered to my hand, imitable and spectable in our Sauiour: imitable with men, spectable with the Angels. First the contempt of outward vanitie, for when they [Page 81] sought to make him a King, he refused their honour, and fled into a mountaine: Secondly, the meeknesse of inward patience, for when they brought him as a Lambe to the slaughter, he kept silence, and ope­ned not his mouth: Last of all, the temper and sweet­nesse of a charitable disposition, for when they would haue crucified the Lord of glorie, hee prayed for his enemies, and excused their malice with a nesciunt, Quid faciunt: they know not what they do: these are the things wee ought to seeke, and to fol­low, to keepe, and to practise, with all dilligence and carefulnesse. But that euery man is drawne a­way as Saint Iames speakes, with his owne lust

Our will is our master, and wee haue as many lords ouer vs, as we haue affections in vs. Alius libidini, alius auaritiae (saith that learned heathen,) one is a seruant vnto pleasure, another to couetousnesse, a third to vanitie, all to feare, that wee come short of our expectations, and I would to God it were one­ly so, but the Church hath euer beene pestred with sects, and heresies, strifes and diuisions, scarce grea­ter distraction among the Corinthians, when they cryed, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, I am of the world, and I am of Christ, then now is in many pla­ces of these kingdomes. What phantasticall spirits so idle and ridiculous, that hath not many disciples? What schismaticall leader so new fangled and per­nicious, that hath not many sectaries? What iugling imposter so despicable and infamous, that hath not many followers? What Atheisticall ruffler so execra­ble and nefarious, that hath not many obseruers? [Page 82] Quis Monachus Daemoniacus (as S. Bernard speakes) what Ignatian viper, or diuellish Iesuite, that wor­keth mischiefe by the Prince of diuels, and seckes destruction of soule and bodie, so prodigiously wic­ked, and proditoriously audacious, that hath not too many fauourites and adherents. These are the men that draw legions after them to hell; and may bee compared to him that was termed legion in the Gospell. Ettam Diogenes habet suos parassitos: the Cynicke is not without his attendants, but hath a man or a mouse to be his Parasite. Whilst Christ Ie­sus the Sonne of the liuing God sits alone, as a spar­row on the house top, or a Pellican in the wildernes. Beloued, I speake with shame to you, and griefe to my selfe, what sometime Saint Bernard spake to his auditors. Quidam non sequuntur, sed fugiunt, Qui­dam sequuntur, sed non essequuntur, &c. Some doe not follow Christ, but run from him: they are such as delight in wickednes, for he that doth euill hateth the light. Some do not follow Christ, but go before him: they are such as resist gouernment, whereof Peter was an instance, Master spare thy selfe, it shall not be vnto thee: Some follow Christ, but do not o­uertake him: and they are such as faint in their pro­ceedings, to whom we may say, Lift vp the weake hands and strengthen the feeble knees. Some follow Christ, and at length reach vnto him: and they are such as perseuere in holinesse, to whom belong the Tables, and the Couenant, the Oracles, and the Pro­mise, the Promise of life, and the Promise of my text, For they shall sit vpon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel. And so I come from the mo­tion to the mansion, from the consectation to the [Page 83] confession in these words.

They shall sit vpon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel. Euery master hath his seuerall pay: the world payes his followers with trouble and carefulnesse: the flesh payes his followers with cor­ruption and filthinesse: the diuell payes his follo­wers, with despaire and wretchednesse: But Christ payes his followers, with glory and blessednesse. They shall sit vpon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel. I make no question but some are like the Orator, and can sit double, hauing placed themselues on two seates by the treacherous pra­ctise of dissimulation, and hypocrisie: but they shall neuer be honoured with the Saints, or rest vp­on twelue seates, without great mercy, in the full possession of ioy and felicitie.

They which confine these words to the Apostles, with Saint Chrysostome make the soule of euery Chri­stian to be as a throne, or place of residence. Such as receiue the word of Iohn, the throne of Iohn: Such as embrace the doctrine of Peter, the throne of Peter But they extend further, and haue respect to Christs tribunall, where all the elect haue their seuerall pla­ces, and sit at table with him, in that heauenly king­dome. Here then is a certaine number, put for an vncertaine: A finite, for an infinite: so that by twelue thrones, wee vnderstand a vniuersalitie of thrones, prouided for the Saints in the highest places. Saint Austin vndertakes to giue a reason from the myste­rie of this number, but that is more Platonicall then diuine. Wee may rest satisfied with that generall Thesis of our Sauiour: In my Fathers house are di­uerse mansions. To search busily what these thrones [Page 84] are, is vaine curiositie: to define boldly is presump­tuous leuitie. It is like they shall be of aire: because we shall meete the Lord in the aire: and if they haue conformitie with that of our Sauiour, it must be so: for he shall ride in the aire, and make the clouds his chariot. Whereupon saith Iohn, I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and he that sate thereon, like the sonne of man, hauing on his head a crowne of gold, and in his hand a sharpe sickle. Apoc. 14. 14. But whatsoeuer these thrones are, they promise rest and tranquilitie, in the bosome of Abraham. Sedebit anima, sedebit caro, they shall find rest vnto their soules, and rest vnto their bodies: to their bodies, from the paine of trauell, and the mutabilitie of corruption: to their soules, from the waues of trouble, and the con­flicts of passions: nor feare, nor griefe, nor wrath, nor desire, nor any thought of carnall affection, shall disturb the quiet of their sweet repose, but as they are satisfied with the fulnesse of the Lord, so likewise shall they bee secured by the omnipotence of his greatnesse: and yet there is somewhat more in this easie posture, for to sit in the presence of God, betokens infinite state, and most incompora­ble maiestie, worthy to bee obserued by all those which desire long robes, and loue the highest places of the Synagogues, because they shall not onely sit, but iudge the tribes of Israel.

All iudicature is most honourable, but this ex­ceeds in glorie. Quis honor saecularis, as Saint Bernard makes the question? Is there any power in the world to be compared with it? It is not a Citie, or a coun­trie, but the tribes of Israel, and the kingdomes of the earth, that must stand before the Saints, and be [Page 85] lyable to their iudgement. Bond and free, Iew and Grecian, for they are all sealed with the tribes, and ranckt with their diuisions. Nay the whole world and all the creatures therein, though neuer so emi­nent and sublime in glorie. Witnesse that of the A­postle, Know ye not, that wee shall iudge the Angels, 1. Cor. 6. 3.

There is a iudgement of power and authoritie, that belongs to God the Father, for hee is iudge of the whole earth: there is a iudgement of honour and delegacie that belongs to Christ, as he is man, for the Lord hath giuen all iudgment to the Sonne: there is a iudgement of assession and witnesse, and consent, and allowance, that belongs to the whole companie of Gods elect, for they shall sing and re­ioyce, and gratulate the truth of diuine iustice, with the sweetest notes of Iubilie and thankfulnesse, here then is man aduanced, and superexalted aboue the starres of the morning, and the Citizens of hea­uen, indeed we reade that God shall come to iudge­ment with his Angels, as followers and attendants: but the text saith, Hee shall sit in iudgement with men as familiars and associats, their iudgement is mi­nisteriall and seruiceable, our iudgement power­full and honourable, and that vpon thrones, and ouer thrones and dorninions, and all the glori­ous host of his noblest creatures: for they haue a iudgement to receiue, Non condemnationis, sed ma­nifestationis (as the Schoolemen haue distinguisht) not of shame and confusion, with the diuell and his Angels: but of shew and manifestation to the praise of Christ, and the glorie of their innocence. O yee mercenary worldlings and fugitiue seruants, that [Page 86] run from your owne master, and serue Pharoh in the bondage of your spirits: that cleaue to the dust and follow the way of Balaam, who loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse, making that a reproch to vs, which the poore Indians vsed to the Spaniards, when they tooke a peece of gold, and cryed: Loe here is the god of the Christians. Thinke vpon the goodnesse of the Lord, and the dignitie of his seruants, lest hee that long since placed his bow in the clouds without an arrow, call for the instruments of death, and wound yee in his sore displeasure. [...] (saith the Euangelist) This is the condemnation of the world, that light is come into the world, but men haue loued darknesse more then light. Is it not time yee should awake, and returne with the Shunamite, I would to God yee were as those Switzers, who are ready to serue for the best pay. If Satan bee able to giue more, follow him: If Satan be able to promise more follow him. Quis fascinauit, Who is it that hath bewitched you (as the Apostle writeth to the Galati­ans, had ye rather eate huskes, and feede swine with the prodigall: then haue bread enough, and sit at table with the children? Had yee rather lie in hell as sheepe, that death may gnaw vpon you: then raigne in heauen as Iudges, that life may abide in you? By how much it is better to sit in a throne, and iudge the tribes of Israel, then to stand at the barre and here the sentence of condemnation: by so much is it more safe and comfortable, to follow God, then man, Christ then Belial, [...] (as Nazian.) Let vs flie the world and the Prince thereof, but seeke Christ and sticke vnto his mercie: the exhor­tation is enforced by that of Ambrose, teneat clauus, [Page 87] si reuocat infirmitas. If the weaknesse of our flesh, and the infirmitie of our nature draw vs from him: let the remembrance of his death, and the nayles of his crosse pin vs to him: Who could make vs but hee? who did saue vs but hee? who but hee shall a­dorne vs with his grace, and crowne vs with his glorie, set vs in his presence, where there is fulnesse of ioy, and place vs at his right hand, where there are pleasures for euermore? how can yee neg­lect so great saluation? how can ye leaue so great fe­licitie? ye haue seene his starre in the East, and hee that bringeth light out of darkenesse, hath shined in your hearts, to the light of knowledge in the face of Christ Iesus. There is no excuse left, but the stay of his promise, and the expectation of his goodnesse, that it is not yet, but shall be hereafter, in the second birth of the whole vniuerse, which is the terme and point of this complement and perfection. My last circumstance that knocks at the doore of your hearts and eares to keepe them open.

It is stored of a Romane, that he neuer beheld the rubbish of old marble, or lookt vpon the ruines of any ancient building: but he wept and cryed, Recor­datione temporum meliorum ploro, I grieue and lament to thinke of the dayes which are gone and past. But wee are contrary, and as he lookt backe with griefe and sorrow on that which is past, so wee looke for­ward with ioy and comfort, towards that which is to come: the changing of our flesh, the instauration of our nature, the renewing of the world, the trans­formation of the elements, when the creature that trauels and groanes vnto this present, shall bee deli­uered from the bondage of corruption; for then it is [Page 88] wee must enioy the right and seate of Iudicature and prehemmence.

[...].

In the regeneration.

Which some call the resurrection, others call the re­demption of our bodies; when mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. For the first generation and birth of man is, when hee comes into the world: the se­cond generation and birth of man, is when hee is raised out of the world, and taken into heauen, Ad contemplandum lumen aeternitatis (as Saint Gregorie speakes) to contemplate the Lord, and to behold e­ternitie: and as there is a regeneration of the inward man after the image of God, by grace and faith in the bloud of Christ, and the lauour of Baptisme, termed by the Apostle [...]. The lauour of regeneration: where he is begot of the immortall seede, and borne as it were anew of water and the spirit: so must there be a regeneration of the outward man, by the power of God, Who shall change our vile bodies, and make them like vnto his glorious body: which extends to euery creature, sublunarie as the elements: coelestiall as the heauens. Behold saith God, I create a new earth and a new heauen: Behold saith Iohn, I see a new earth, and a new heauen. So that we may boldly cry with Peter, Expectamus nouos coelos, We looke for a new earth, and a new heauen, ac­cording to his promise, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse. For he shall change them, and they shall be changed, the earth shall be changed, and cloathed with beau­tie: the aire shall be changed, and purged from ob­scuritie, the fire shall be changed, that is do not con­sume, [Page 89] the water shall be changed, that it do not pu­trifie: the heauens shall be changed, for they shall rest from motion, and receiue a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie, the Sunne shall stand in the East, and the Moone in the West, where first they were created, that wee may behold the faire beautie of the Lord and looke vpon his Sonne in a throne of glorie.

Sonne of God, and yet Sonne of man, for hee shall iudge as hee was iudged, and returne in the same forme, wherein he was despised: that euery eye may see whom they pierst: and be not affraid of him they crucified, for the greatnesse of his power, and the brightnesse of his presence. Quid facturus (saith that notable Moralist) if his enemies went backe, and fell to the ground, when he came in weakenesse and hu­militie to be iudged: how shall they start, and bee confounded, when he comes in power and maiesty to iudge the world, and to pronounce the sentence of condemnation against euery cursed malefactor? Foelix trembled at the mention of it, and these vn­happy Foelixes shall neuer be able to abide the sight of his glorious throne, enuironed with a guard of heauenly souldiers. At length wee see what our hope is, and when it shall be reuealed, not before the day of iudgement, and the coming of our Sauiour. Be­ware then lest yee bee ouer hastie, to iudge before your time. I speake onely of priuate censure, vncha­ritable suspition, malicious calumnie, spightfull de­traction, which is not iudicium, but praeiudicium, not iudgement but preiudice, Eagle-sighted in the faults of others, and ready to sticke as flies in the sores and vlcers of their griefes and infirmities. As for that [Page 90] golden pillar of publike iudicature. The ground and basis of regular states and well ordered kingdomes: it is strengthened in my text, and ministerially with subordination deriued to such as are Apostolique. For if wee shall iudge the tribes of Israel, and the fa­milies of the earth, nay the whole world, together with the blessed Angels, [...] how much rather smaller things, and such as pertaine vnto life? the argument is not humane but diuine, drawne from the mouth and pen of that great Doctor and vessell of election, in the sixt Chapter and the first E­pistle to the Corinthians. Where hee speakes inclu­siuely, and makes himselfe a Iudge, as well of things temporall, as of things eternall, and let all such as hold the sonnes of Zadocke most vnworthy of all iu­sticiarie function, as most incorruptible and repug­nant, rectifie their iudgement, and subscribe to that of God. They shall discerne betwixt the cleane and the vncleane, [...] and in strife or controuersie, they shall stand vp to iudge according to my ordinance. Ezech. 44. 24. Beloued, wee know the sacred maiestie of legall decrees and monotheticall exercises may bee well preserued, when by lawfull authoritie from higher powers, it is committed to religious professors. And though Aarons rod must euer yeeld to the rod of Moses, and bee iudged by it, yet may it sometimes bring forth ripe and pleasant Almonds. But I touch here as at the riuer Nile, and that onely to cleare the text. My scope is to support the weaknesse of your patience and long animitie, that as yee serue Christ, and walke in him, so likewise ye would abide his lea­sure, and waite the time of his reward. It was a com­fortable speech which the Emperour vsed to Galba, [Page 91] in his childhood and minoritie, when he tooke him by the chinne, and said. Tu Galba, quando (que) imperium degustabis. Thou Galba, shalt one day sit vpon a throne, and let it cheare the Saints of God, how lit­tle soeuer in the sight of the world, that one day they shall sit vpon a throne. Et tu Galba impertum degusta­bis, thou Galba, thou little one, thou Iacob, thou Israel, thou worme Iacob, thou poore Israel, that sits in the dust with Iob, or lyest on thy bed of sicknesse; with him that was paraliticall, shalt one day sit vpon a throne, and bee gathered with Princes, with the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, that raignes ouer the house of Dauid, and tur­neth righteousnesse into iudgement: the Carpen­ters sonne is gone before to make roome, as yet the seates are not built, nor the thrones erected, when he shall fashion the world anew, and returne in the clouds of heauen, wee shall bee enstalled with him, and receiue as it were Stallum in choro, & vocem in ca­pitulo. A seate in the quire, and a voyce in the Chap­ter of that blessed temple, the temple of Ierusalem. Now he cryes to vs, as he did to Mary. Noli me tan­gere, touch me not, wee may not touch the seueritie of his iudgements, nor the maiesty of his greatnesse, touch mee not, for though I am gone vp to the Fa­ther, I am not come downe to you in power. Then shall yee sit with mee vpon my throne, as I sit with my Father vpon his throne, vpon my throne, for ye shall partake of my iudgements, and yet vpon twelue thrones, for ye shall haue your seuerall man­sions, whilst the whole world doth cry with the An­tiochians, In Theodoret, vicit Deus & Christus eius, The Lord and his Christ hath got the victorie, the [Page 92] Lord and his Saints haue got the victorie. Be patient therefore, and haue nothing to do with the stoole of wickednesse, which imagines mischiefe as a law. But stand as men waiting for the Bridegroome, with your loynes girt, and your lampes burning, gird your loynes with chastitie, and abstinence: kindle your lampes with charitie and holinesse. Blessed are the seruants whom the Lord shall finde so do­ing. Verily I say vnto you, Hee shall gird himselfe, and make them sit downe at table with him, and come and serue them, Luke 12. 37. Euen so Lord Iesu come quickly, it is long since thou camest in the flesh, and wast made lower then Angels, bee not slow to returne in the clouds, and approoue thy selfe higher then Angels: dost not thou heare the cry of those soules, which lye vnder the altar. Quous (que) Domine, how long sweet Iesu? Such is the voyce of all thy louing seruants, that languish and faint with the continuall expectation of thy glorious presence. Quous (que) Domine, how long sweet Iesu? Wilt thou hide thy selfe for euer, and shut vp thy louing kindnesse in euerlasting displeasure? Veni Domine Iesu? Come Lord Iesu, and make no long tarrying, Cibus viatorium, salus beatorum, saith Ful­gentius: as thou hast bene the strength and comfort of all that trauell by the way: so be the crowne and glorie of all that are come to the end of their way. The Prophets desired to see thy comming vpon the earth, to the end they might be redeemed: Wee looke for thy appearing in the heauens, to the end wee may bee glorified. Tunc implebuntur vota (saith elegant Bernard, then shall our longing bee satis­fied, and our desires accomplished: wee that haue [Page 93] followed thee in truth, shall rest with thee in peace, and wee that rest with thee in peace, shall iudge with thee in righteousnesse; this peace, this truth, this righteousnesse, this glorie, the Lord of his great mercie grant vnto vs, for the merit of his Sonne Christ Iesus. To whom with the Father and the Spirit bee praise and glorie, from generation to generation. Amen.

THE FIFTH SERMON.

THe best men are but Gods stewards: and as it were dispensers of his mani­fold graces. Whatsoeuer vertues wee haue, they are pledges of his loue, and gifts of his spirit: or rather (as it is im­plyed in the series of this parable) talents and depo­sites of our Lord and master. Paul and Dauid agree in one, that when hee went on high, hee bestowed gifts vpon men: and there is none but may professe with Iohn the Euangelist, De plenitudine eius, of his fulnesse haue we all receiued some strength, some vertue, some wisedome, some knowledge, some po­wer, some eloquence, some faith, some holinesse, some tongues, some healings, some prophesies, some miracles, for the honour of God, the beautie of the world, the gathering of the Saints, the building of the Church, the perfecting of our liues, the crow­ning of our soules in the day of our Lord Iesus. So that we may not bury our talent in the ground, or hide it in a napkin with that vnprofitable seruant, lest [Page 98] we be like the Iewes of whom Austin spake, Verba, non facta legis habuerunt, They kept the words of the Law, they neglected the works of the Law, full of leaues, void of fruit: worthy to bee excluded the kingdome of heauen, and exiled from the presence of God, with those foolish Virgines: For he is, (as the text notes) a hard man, That reapeth where hee soweth not, and gathereth where hee stroweth not. Though he forbid vs to put our money to vse, yet doth hee charge vs to giue his into the banke, that when he comes, he may receiue it with increase: be­ing (as Saint Ambrose notes) Foenerator gratiae, A great vsurer, and a wonderfull extortioner, not of things temporall, as gold and siluer: but of things spirituall, as faith, and holinesse, the like endow­ments lent vs for the good of others. Whence is that of a learned Father, Augentur dona, crescit ratio, The larger our gifts, the greater our account. Hee that gaue vs a blessing, will call vs to a reckoning. If we haue gained nothing, wee shall loose all: if wee haue bene carefull of a little, wee shall be rulers ouer much, and when that mysticall traueller, that went a farre off, shall returne home, he will not onely gra­tulate our pietie with an Euge bone serue, well done good seruant: but reward our fidelitie with an in­traui gaudium Domini tui. Enter into thy masters ioy.

These words are a gracious inuitation of our Sa­uiour Christ to the quiet fruition of peace and rest. Whereof I may say, as King Solomon did of his Spouses tongue, Lac & mel, sub lingua tua, Milke and honie are vnder thy roofe, milke and hony are vnder their couer, the milke of diuine truth and spi­rituall [Page 99] comfort, the hony of liquid pleasure, and most incomparable sweetnesse, streaming and deri­ued vpon the heires of righteousnesse, that it may be true which Dauid long since prophesied, Exultabunt sancti in gloria, the Saints shall reioyce with glorie: and sing vpon their beds, the beds of peace and holi­nesse, the beds of securitie and blessednesse, in the mount of God and Citie of Ierusalem. If you please to marke the cells (as it were) of this waxen combe, from whence the hony drops, yee shall find they are but three.

First, the right and power of the admission, they are authorized by God to make their entry, and therefore saith the text, [...], Enter.

Secondly, the nature and qualitie of their posses­sion, it is ioy and felicitie, and therefore saith the text, [...], Enter into ioy.

Last of all, the benefit and priuiledge of their ser­uice and relation, they are ioyned with their master, and made partners with our Sauiour, and therefore saith the text, [...], Enter into thy ma­sters ioy.

In that we haue leaue to enter, I note, that priuate secresie of that heauenly kingdome: In that wee must enter into ioy, I note the sweete iucunditie of our future condition.

In that it is the ioy of our master, I note the won­derfull dignitie of euery Christian.

Lift vp your heads, byee gates, and bee ye lifted vp, yee euerlasting doores: the King of glorie shall come in. Yea and all his Saints with him: the King and his daughter, the Lord and his seruants, God and his Church, Christ and his members, to the end they [Page 100] may receiue Denarium salutis, (as S. Austin speakes) the hire of their labour, and the pennie of their salua­tion. How iustly may wee cry with Peter, Master whither shall we goe? Thou hast the words of eternall life. It is thy life wee seeke, and it is thy ioy wee hope to enter, whilst thou dost so freely call vs, and so graciously inuite vs to the communion and fellow­ship of thine euerlasting inheritance. Intra in gau­dium Domini tui, Enter into thy masters ioy.

By this yee may see, what the Text imports, and therefore since a great, an effectuall doore is opened to mee, from the readinesse of your hearts, and the promptnesse of your deuotion, I will descend spee­dily and make entry: Me thinkes I heare your ex­pectation say to mee, as Christ vnto you all, [...], Enter.

And who I pray you, would not gladly enter the gates of Paradise, if he might? All like the sweetnesse of the place, few the straitnesse of the way: and though we care not to be holy, yet wee desire to be happie: euer crying with the Prophet, Amaui Domi­ne habitationem domus tui. O God, I haue loued the ha­bitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth. Yet is it not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy. No man commeth to the Sonne, the knowledge of the Sonne, vnlesse the Father draw him: no man comes vnto the Father, the glory of the Father: vnlesse the Sonne admit him. Hee it is that puts some on the right hand, with a Venite benedicti, Come yee blessed: others on the left hand, with a Recedite maledicti, Depart ye cursed; that saith vnto one, enter, of ano­ther, cast him forth into outward darknesse, where [Page 101] there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Whence is that of Iohn, Blessed are they which doe his will, and haue right in the tree of life, to enter the gates of the Citie. For without shall be dogs, and inchanters, and whore­mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and euery one that loueth and speaketh lyes, the last and the 14. of the Apoca. It is a curious diuision which I read in S. Ber­nard, and worthy obseruation, Alij mercantur, alij furantur, &c. Some purchase heauen, and they are such as make friends, with the riches of iniquitie: o­thers steale heauen, and they are like the woman that was healed by the secret touch of our Sauiours garment: many inuade heauen, and take it by force, (for indeed the kingdome of heauen suffers vio­lence) and they may bee compared to Iacob, that stroue with God, and wrestled with an Angell, but whether theeues, and robbers, that steale heauen by faith: or Merchants and Factors, that purchase hea­uen by charitie: or vsurers and intruders, that inuade heauen, and take it by force, the most gracious and acceptable force of prayers and deuotion: they must all confesse, that it is in the name and media­tion of Christ Iesus: by that new and liuing way, (as the Apostle notes) Which he made for vs through the vayle, that is, his flesh, Heb. 10. 20. So that I may say of heauen and the doores thereof, as Saint Iohn doth of the booke, and the seales thereof, Nemo dig­nus est inuentus, there is none found worthie to open the booke, and to loose the seales thereof, but onely the Lambe, and there is none found worthy to open the gates of heauen, and to loose the barres thereof, but onely the Lambe: that Lambe of God that ta­keth away the sinnes of the world. Hence is he ter­med [Page 102] the way: and if that be not plaine and easie, the doore: and if that be not open, and peruious, life, and saluation in the abstract: that hath the keyes of death and of hell; or rather of felicitie, and of hea­uen, where hee sits at the right hand of God, and saith vnto vs enter.

Enter friends, and take your comfort: enter ser­uants, and take your wages: enter children, and take your patrimonie: enter brethren, and take your portion: enter all ye that seeke the kingdome of hea­uen, and the righteousnesse thereof, and receiue a crowne, which is layd vp for you in the highest. Di­ues non excluditur, the poore is not shut out for want of money, the rich is not turned backe for the abun­dance of his comforts, the weake is not thrust out, for want of strength, nor the mightie refused, for the danger of their forces, but euery one hath boldnesse, to draw neare vnto the throne of grace, by the me­rits of Christ Iesus. For it is not [...] come towards the ioy of thy master and looke vpon it with desire, and greedinesse, as one that thirsteth in the midst of waters: but [...], Come into the ioy of thy Master, and take part of it, with delight and satisfaction, as one that doth feele, and tast how good the Lord is. Thus doth one deepe call vpon another, Abyssus lu­minosa, abyssum tenebrosam. The depth of light and claritie, vpon the depth of blindnesse and obscurity, the depth of power and maiestie, vpon the depth of weaknesse and humilitie, the depth of goodnesse and mercie, vpon the depth of wretchednesse and mise­ry. And all this for the noise of the water pipes, which is nothing but the sound and the cry of re­pentance and humilitie. Hee sware vnto the gene­ration [Page 103] of our fathers, they should neuer enter into his rest, because they prouoked him in the wildernes: Hee saith onely to the generation of their children, they shall enter into his rest: If they obey his pre­cepts. What is his word, as good as his oath? yes, when he that speaketh is truth it selfe, and he swea­reth that hath none greater then himselfe. For his passion was our redemption, and if I may vse the words of Bernard, Clauus penetrans, clauis aperiens. The nayles that fastned him to the crosse, the speare that ran him through, the lance that opened his side, the iron that went into his soule, is made a key to vnlocke heauen, and to make vs enter. Therefore do wee sing triumphantly in the Churches Liturgie, When thou hadst ouecome the sharpnesse of death, thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers. A­greeable whereunto is the vision of Saint Iohn, I lookt, and behold there was a doore opened in the midst of heauen, and the first voice I heard, was as the sound of a trumpet, saying, Come vp higher. But if God him­selfe did not rest the seuenth day, before he conside­red the works of his creation, and found them good. God saw all that was made, & loe it was very good, Gen. 1. 31. How shall we hope to enter his rest, that eter­nall Sabboth of our bodies, and our spirits, before we haue done some good, examined our hearts, tried our faith, prooued our workes, and found some goodnesse in the midst of their imperfections? wee may not please God without faith, or see God with­our holinesse. The bridegroome will passe by with­out notice of vs, if wee haue neither faith in our hearts, nor oyle in our vessels. The oyle of grace, the oyle of mercy, the oyle of deuotion, the oyle of [Page 104] charitie, shining and burning to the comfort of our brethren. As wisedome doth not enter the house of an euill soule: so an euill soule doth not enter the house of wisedome. Therefore doth he stand at the doore and knocke, with an aperi sponsa, aperi columba. Open my loue, open my done. Open to me the gates of righteousnesse: that I may open to thee the gates of blessednesse. For except your righteousnesse ex­ceed that of the Pharises, yee shall neuer enter the kingdome of heauen. Looke vpon those Elders which stand before the throne, they are clothed with white robes, and haue palmes in their hands, which is nothing but the flower and beauty of their good workes and Christian pietie. It is storied of the Scy­thians, that once a yeare they made a great feast, where none may come, but such as haue slaine an enemie. The feast God makes vs, is the ioy of my Text, a great feast, and in the simplicitie of termes, exceeding gaudies: but there is no entrance or ad­mission, before we haue crucified the body of sinne; slaine an enemie, sacrificed a rebell, yea many ene­mies, and many rebels, that fight against the soule by true confession and heartie repentance, neuer to be repented of. Adiebus Ioannis Baptistae saith Christ, Since the time of Iohn Baptist, the kingdome of heauen suffers violence. Why since the time of Iohn Baptist? But onely to shew the vertue of repentance, because hee taught repentance, and was neuer without a poenitentiam agite in his mouth. Repent, for the kingdome of God is at hand. Repent for the king­dome of heauen is at hand. Whence is that of Gre­gorie, Rapiamus fletibus, quod non debetur meritis. Let vs snatch that by force of teares, which is not due [Page 105] to the merits of workes. If any bee meeke, patient, humble, penitent, [...] (as Christ taught in a Sermon vpon the mount) theirs is the kingdome of heauen, and theirs onely is the kingdome of heauen.

I know there bee many pretend keyes, and would faine leade vs into a fooles paradise, by a vaine con­ceit of their deceitfull merits: witnesse that great Clauiger of Rome, that vsurpeth all power in heauen and earth, as if he alone had the key of Dauid, That openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. It is not enough for Christ to loose, if hee binde: it is not enough for Christ to remit, if he re­taine: it is not enough for Christ to say enter, if hee say be gone. O the cursed blasphemie of that open sepulchre, how doe they spoile God of his naturall right and peculiar iurisdiction? And yet they are not the keyes of heauen, but of hell, which these men keepe, abyssi claues (as Saint Iohn writes) the keyes of that bottomlesse pit, where they leade many by the heresie of their doctrine, and the impiety of their actions. If not by the thunder and lightning of their fierce anathemaes, and direfull imprecations.

It is a pretty story which I read of Pope Leo, when he was troubled in conscience, and toucht with the remorse for his iniquities: his Confessor cheared him vp, with a Quid times, sancte pater? Holy father, what makes you affraid? Haue not you the keyes of hea­uen, and the merits of Christ at your dispose? There is none in the world that hath so great power and command as your selfe. O saith Leo, know yee not, that hee which sells any thing, hath no right in that which is sold? I feare since wee haue so often sold Christ and his merits, we shall haue no right nor in­terest [Page 106] in them our selues. Wretched men that yee are, who shall deliuer yee from the body of despaire? May we not say to them as Christ did to others in the Gospell? Woe be vnto you, yee take the keye of knowledge, but yee do not enter your selues, and such as come yee forbid. Woe be vnto you, ye take vnto you the keyes of heauen, but you do not enter your selues: and such as come yee forbid, or rather indeed yee bid all that come, at your publike Iubi­lies, as base Hucsters of Gods free mercy, in the sale and market of Pardons and Indulgences. But how­soeuer these men abuse that power against the truth, which is giuen for the truth, we are sure Christ hath left keyes with his Church. Tibi dabo claues, was a grant made to the Apostles in the name of Peter, and stands good to euery Minister of the Gospell, vnder the broad seale of the Crosse. To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen. They haue all the keyes of heauen, keyes of knowledge, and keyes of power, to instruct the ignorant, to absolue the penitent, to re­mit sinne, to release punishment, to shut heauen, by the threatnings of the Law, and the denouncing of vengeance: to open heauen, by the tydings of the Gospell, & the ministerie of the Sacramēts. Whence is that of Dauid, Diffusa est gratia in labijs tuis, Full of grace are thy lippes, because God hath blessed thee for euer. The lippes of Christ are the Ministers of his Church, that declare mercy, preserue knowledge, excite repentance, pronounce forgiuenesse, and are full of grace indeed, whilst they speake comfortably to Ierusalem, saying in vertue of their Commission, as Christ doth in the fulnesse of iurisdiction: Bee of good cheare, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee: I absolue [Page 107] thee from all thy sinnes, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Arise, take vp thy bed and walke, walke towards heauen, get thee vnto Paradise: the rest of thy Sauiour, the ioy of thy Maister, which is the nature and qualitie of our profession: now to be examined and discussed. Enter into thy masters ioy.

Did the Lord say, enter the goods or the lands, the houses or the tenures of thy Lord and master, for indeed the earth is the Lords, and all that is therein. How would the greedie Harpyes of this world, flie to get possession? Some like Zacheus, that came downe hastily: others like the blouddy Farmer of the vineyard in the Gospell, that slue the heire and tooke the inheritance, but many haue these things which neuer enioy them. Haue ye not seene great substance, and no ioy? great learning, and no ioy? great victorie, and no ioy? great spoyles, and no ioy? These things are often ioynd with feare, and griefe, and iealousie, and distraction, whilst many cry with the Prophet, O my leannesse, my leannesse, in the midst of their brauest triumphs and greatest ouerflowings. And therefore it is worth the obseruing, what a great Sultan spake, when hee beate the Christians with the losse of many thousand souldiers. I would be loath to ouercome so very often. Multiplicasti gentem, sed non multiplicasti laetitiam, saith Esay, Thou hast multiplyed the Nation, but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy. And bee there not many, of whom we may say, Multiplicasti the saurum, sed non multiplicasti laetitiam. Thou hast multiplyed their treasure, but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy? Thou hast increased their children, but thou hast not [Page 108] increased their ioy? thou hast doubled their portion, but thou hast not doubled their ioy, thou hast en­larged their dominion, but thou hast not enlarged their ioy? Howsoeuer God dispose these things, as he doth his Sunne and his raine, sometimes on the good, sometimes on the bad, without distinction: Hee will be sure to keepe ioy for his seruants, if they haue it not in the flesh, they shall haue it in the spirit, if they haue it not in life, they shall haue it in death, if they haue it not in themselues, they shall haue it in the Lord, And the bones that are broken shall reioyce. Good reason hath Christ to bid vs enter his ioy, for such is the incomprehensible greatnesse thereof, it may not enter vs. Eye hath not seene it, eare hath not heard it, neither hath it entred into the heart of man. For the righteous are compassed with the goodnesse of the Lord, and they haue ioy on euery side, ioy within, from the puritie of their conscience, ioy without, from the glory of their bodies, ioy aboue, from the sight of God, and the fruition of his pre­sence, ioy beneath, from the remembrance of death, and the torments they haue escaped: but this speech is figuratiue, and by the ioy of my text, we conceiue the place of ioy, the garden of pleasure, the Paradise of God, the fountaine of liuing waters: where his children do not onely sucke the breasts of comfort and milke them out: but drinke and are satisfied with the plenty of delight, as from a riuer crying to their soules, in the fulnesse of securitie, as the rich man did in the deceitfulnesse of vanitie, Soule, soule, liue at ease, and take thy pastime, thou hast goods layd vp for many yeares: or rather indeed, for euerlasting generations. For the Lord hath promised to create [Page 109] Ierusalem as a reioycing, and the inhabitants there­of as ioy. So that Paul writing of that heauenly kingdome, saith it is Gaudium in spiritu sancto, Righ­teousnesse, and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost. What ioy the world hath, stands not vpon me to examine, the world that is set vpon mischiefe, the world that is subiect vnto vanity, it is compared to the vayle of teares, and a place of Dragons: there is a curse lies on it from the dayes of Cain: and it is reserued to fire, against the day of iudgement. If there be any plea­sure in it, it is but (as Austin speakes) miseriae sola­tium, no degree of ioy, but a solace of distresse, to qualifie and temper the sower water of our mani­fold afflictions. Like that hearbe, which puts vs in­to a laugh, and depriues vs of life, Moritur & ridet, as Saluianus speakes, he that eates it smiles dying. But the hill of Sion is a faire place, and the ioy of the whole earth. Omne quod delectat continens, (as Saint Bernard writes) containing euery thing that may please or satisfie. Let the dry and thirsty soule bee iudge, that counts no ioy to that of the cup, no sweetnesse, to that of the grape: they shall haue Vi­num aromaticum, & calicem inebriantem, The King shall leade them into his wineseller, and their cup shall ouerflow. Let the hogs of Epicurus, and the sonnes of Philoxonus be iudge, that measure their delight by the extent of their throate, and the dimensions of their belly: they shall haue Panem Angelorum, & vi­tulum saginatum, the Lord shall spread a table for them, and kill the fatted Calfe. There be Hinds, and Roes, that leape and skip vpon the mountaines, for the braue Nimrods of this world, that loue to hunt and course, there be chariots of fire, and horses of [Page 110] diuers colours, the white, and the blacke, the pale, and the red, (as Saint Iohn writeth) for the stately Ca­ualiers, and such as desire to be mounted vpon their steeds. Musicke for the pleasant, and that delectable riches for the worldling, and those durable: euery dish for euery taste, euery content for euery desire without loathing or scarcity. O what ioy ariseth from the place, the amaenitie of the place, the gates are of pearle, the foundation of pretious stones, the streets are paued with gold, and say Hallelu-iah: Blessed be the Lord, which hath extolled it for euer. O what ioy ariseth from the company, the swetnesse of the company, they are Cherubins and Seraphins, hierarchies of Angels, families of men, the noble army of Martyrs, the goodly fellowship of the Pro­phets, that call vpon the Lord, and reioyce before him with songs of deliuerance: their organs are the instruments of ioy: their works are the acts of ioy, their thoughts are the springs of ioy, their language is the voice of ioy; whilst they sing and cry: Ioy with­in the gates of Hierusalem, and peace bee on Sion. One day in thy Courts, is better then a thousand. I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord, then to liue at ease in the tents of vngodlinesse. Can there bee a feast or a bankquet without ioy? there shall be the supper of the great King. Can there bee a wed­ding or nuptials without ioy? There shall bee the marriage of the Lambe: where the Lord shall worke a greater miracle then euer he did in Cana, and con­uert the teares of outward heuinesse, into the wine of inward gladnesse: till wee bee drunke with the sweetnesse of his loue, and the pleasures of his king­dome, hauing (as Nyssen writes) [...]. A [Page 111] sober kind of drunkennesse: for if ioy be an act of loue, and the effect of charitie, (as the Schooles haue determined) there must needs bee great ioy, where there is so great loue: perfect ioy, where there is perfect charitie, ioy in our owne saluation, ioy in the felicitie of our brethren, whom wee shall loue as our owne soules, by the vnitie of the Spirit. But we may not thinke to find out the springs of Nilus, or the se­uerall grounds of these infinite reioycings: O that I had a pitcher large enough to draw, the well is deepe, and my heart is not able to containe, much lesse to present you with the ioyes of that heauenly kingdome. Helpe mee with your prayers, raise mee with your spirits, let not the cry of Rome drowne the cry of Ierusalem: the one calls to paine and tor­ment, the other calls to ioy and comfort: the one calls to a Limbus Patrum, the other calls to the gar­den of Eden: The one calls to the fire of Purgatory, the other calls to the life of glory: the one calls to the triall of your workes in imaginary flames, the other calls to the crowne of your workes in reall blessed­nesse: and that by the example of our Lord and Sa­uiour Iesus Christ, Intra in gaudium Domini tui. En­ter into thy masters ioy.

Here then is one key more, to raise our ioy a little higher, and that is a relatiue terme, Domini gaudium, our masters ioy.

It skils much, who is ioyned with vs in the parta­king of any good: Some had rather die with their friends, then liue with their enemies: and the poore Indians chose rather to go to hell with their ance­stors, then to heauen with the Spaniards. If then it bee sweet and comfortable to be in ioy, what is it to [Page 112] be with our Lord and Gouernour? To enter his ioy, to eate and drinke with our master, at his table, and in his kingdome, or rather to make him our meate and drinke, that is the bread of life, and the well­spring of saluation: Yet thus doth God intreate his seruants, and there is nothing so deare to him, but they shall haue part with him. His owne ioy, his owne secret, his owne sweetnesse, his owne comfort, his owne robe, his owne iustice, his owne clothing, his owne righteousnesse, nay his very life and spirit shall be giuen to them, as a seale and pledge of ex­traordinary grace and speciall fauour. Much like that of Cyrus (though humane resemblances come short of diuine presidents) who neuer liked any dish, but he sent part to his friends, Semesos anseres, seme­sos panes, (saith my Author) sometime the bread himselfe did eate, sometime the meate himselfe did tast from his trencher, with this kind and friendly sa­lutation: Cyrus tibi ista, quod ipsi fuerint iucundissima: The King sends you this, because he likes it best him­selfe, and holds it choise and daintie. It is a small thing for the Saints of God to reioyce, vnlesse it bee in the Lord. The ioy of the creature is transient: the ioy of the Creator permanent. They must partake of their masters ioy, and reioyce in that, where his soule delighteth. Quo gaudet, & quod praestat, the ioy hee giues, and the ioy hee takes, the ioy he loues, and the ioy he is. Whereupon (saith Bernard) Non au­rum pollicetur Dominus, the Lord doth not promise gold, nor siluer, or pretious stones, but himselfe. He will be our ioy, and hee will be our comfort: our sub­stantiall ioy, our euerlasting comfort: our solid ioy, our euerlasting glorie, and the very crowne of our [Page 113] ioycing: [...] (as Nyssen speakes) the giuer of the crowne, and the crowne that is gi­uen, the disposer of the treasure, and the treasure that is disposed: the merchant that sells the pearle, and the pearle that is sold by the merchant: from whose golden beames and smiling rayes, all the creatures in heauen and earth receiue beauty and perfection. The reason is taken from that diuine master of humane knowledge: [...] the chiefest good is most pleasant and voluptuous in himselfe: because most good, most blessed, most absolute, most perfect, and as hee reioyceth in himselfe, so wee must reioyce in him. The vision of his nature, the contemplation of his Dietie, where there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for euermore. It is his brightnesse must clarifie our vnderstanding: his goodnesse must sanctifie our af­fections, his fulnesse possesse our hearts, and satisfie the vastnesse of our greatest spirits. What though A­dam were affraid at the voyce of God walking in the garden? we shall triumph at the sight of God riding in the heauens. Gau [...]isi discipuli viso Domino (saith the Euangelist: The disciples reioyced when they saw the Lord: but the whole world shall be rauished with ioy, when they looke vpon Christ, not as hee is in his works, but as he is in himselfe: his Essence, his di­uinitie, with the cleare eyes of loue and knowledge: like those creatures in the Apocalyps, Which are full of eyes, about the throne, and amidst the throne: about the throne, in the sight and comprehension (as it were) of diuine greatnesse: amidst the throne, in the tast and fruition of diuine goodnesse.

O thou bright Sonne of eternall glory, that dost create the Saints, exhilarate the Elders, diaper the [Page 114] heauens, serene the elements, inspire the Che­rubins, inflame the Seraphins, enlighten the tem­ple of Ierusalem, and make glad the Citie of our God: thy loue is our ioy, thy peace our ioy, thine eyes our ioy, thy lookes our ioy. If thou wert like a bundle of my the in thy sufferings: thou art as a heape of Camphire in thy blessings. Thou dost cheare vs now, but it is imperfectly, and (as it were) by a proxie, the proxie of thy creatures, the proxie of thy seruants. Sometimes the fatnesse of the earth, and the dew of heauen, sometimes by the comfort of friends, and the abundance of thy treasure, at most by the pretious influence of thy inuisible gra­ces, but thou shalt one day cheere vs by thy selfe, the maiestie of thy presence, the fruition of thy com­pany, the vision of thy person, the aspect of that face, which the Angels desire to behold, and that conti­nually. Whereupon saith Dauid, Letificabis nos in lumine vultus tui. Thou shalt make vs glad with the ioy of thy countenance. And this is it which is termed, Do­mini gaudium: our masters ioy. For indeed wee are all seruants of one master, King and Priest, sheep­heard and flocke, Prophet and Disciple, Magistrate and subiect, which made that great Emperour Con­stantine, neuer writ to any Christian, though neuer so meane, but with this direction, (as Eusebius no­teth) ad fratrem, & conseruum, to his brother, and fellow seruant. Worthy to bee obserued, by such as are Grandes and Demigods vpon earth, lest at any time they despise the humilitie of others low con­dition.

But I would not haue the name of master, take vs from the ioy of our master: that is it I would im­print [Page 115] into you, that you may be receiued into it. O that your hearts were fixt vpon it, and that ye would seeke after the fountaine of eternall happinesse. Then would yee fly your selues, and abandon the corruption of humane infirmitie: like that good man in Nazianzene, [...] that would not suffer the nobilitie of his soule to bee de­praued with carnall filthines. How doth it come to passe, that so many are caught with vanitie, led with curiositie, taken with desire, inflamed with pleasure, wract with enuie, defiled with luxurie, poysoned with malice, enraged with furie, stung with serpents, haunted with maladies, troubled with cares, vexed with heauinesse, drowned and plunged in the sea and gulfe of inextricable miseries, but onely for neglect of this ioy; because they do not looke after their masters ioy, and sing with the blessed Virgine, My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirit hath re­ioyced in God my Sauiour. God forbid we should for­bid any to reioyce: the Text perswades it, the Lord commands it, and my heart is enlarged towards you with ioy and gladnesse. Laetemur iugiter, modo in­nocentèr, Let vs reioyce daily, so it be without hurt in the Lord, in our master. Wee haue iust cause to feare that many preferre the ioy of the world, before the ioy of the master, mutable vanitie before true fe­licitie. And yet let me do them no wrong; they are very desirous of their masters ioy, but who is their master? Is not pride, or couetousnesse, or violence, or extortion, or some domineering habit of maliti­ous wickednesse? Lust calls to one, and sayes I am thy master: Reuenge to another, and sayes, I am thy master: seuerall vices to seuerall humours, with the [Page 116] like claime of subiection and obedience. So that where God hath many seruants created vnto good workes: the Diuell hath as many pensioners sold vnto euill workes. Base slaues, mercenary hirelings, if not for pleasure, at least for profit; they come into the diuels ioy: his baites, and his contentments: the Diuell comes into their ioy, their soules and their consciences: into some by a pot, into others by a sop, as hee did that accursed miscreant and A­postate Iudas: but wee hope better things of you, and such as doe accompanie saluation. For mee thinkes yee are come alreadie into your masters ioy, the Tabernacles of God, the Courts of his Sanctuarie, Where yee serue him, with gladnesse, and come before his presence with a song. For if there were ioy in heauen for one sinner that repenteth: what ioy shall there bee with the Lord of heauen, for so many Christians, that mooue toward his Courts, and fly as the Doues to their windowes? O how beautifull are your feete! how aimiable are your doings? How is the Lord pleased with your sacrifices and oblations? whilst yee come from the East, and stand in the gates of the daughter of Sion, and open your treasure, and present the Lord with the riches of your substance, euen gold, and myrhe, and frankincense? For this it is that hee doth open his bosome, and stretch forth his armes, and lift vp his voyce, and extend the golden scepter of his louing kindnesse: to the end yee may come to his royall Pallace, saying to vs, as the King did to He­ster: What is thy petition? and what is thy request? it shall be giuen thee to the halfe of my kingdome. Come with mee from Lebanon, euen with mee from Le­banon, [Page 117] or rather (as it is in my Text) Intra in gau­dium Domini tui. Enter into thy masters ioy. O let not the ioy of man draw vs from the ioy of God: O let not the ioy of the creature, draw vs from the ioy of the Creator: O let not the ioy of the left hand draw vs from the ioy of the right hand, O let not the ioy of things visible and temporall, draw vs from the ioy of things inuisible and eternall. Could the ioy­full sound of Amphions harpe raise stones to the fencing of Thebes? And shall not the ioyfull cry of our Sauiours Spirit draw vs to the building of that heauenly Ierusalem? Audite vocantem, quia exau­dit inuocantem (saith Austin) be not slow to here the Lord when hee calls vnto you, because he is ready to heare you when you call vpon him. Yee see the power of your vocation, yee are called by our Sauiour: yee see the nature of your inheritance, it is ioy and gladnesse: yee see the benefit of your seruice, it is the ioy of your Lord and master, as the Romanes painted the Graces, so hath God plan­ted his children, Semper gaudentes, semper riden­tes, they were euer laughing, and these are euer lauding, lauding and praising, and singing and reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious. My prayer shall be with Moses, Si inueni gratiam, if I haue found grace in thy sight, shew vs thy way, if wee haue found grace in thy sight, shew vs thy selfe, and shew vs thy glorie, bring vs vnto thy rest, and take vs into thy ioy, that Israel may bee truly Is­rael, and see God: that Israel may bee glad in him that made him, and Sion may bee ioyfull in her King, euen Iesus Christ thine onely ioy, and [Page 118] our onely Sauiour, to whom with the Father, and the Spirit, three persons and one God, bee ascribed all power, maiestie, and dominion this day and for euer. Amen.

THE SIXTH SERMON.

WHat Iob prophesied, time hath veri­fied: that when the corner stone was layd, the sonnes of God reioyced, and the starres of the morning praised him together. Christ our Sauiour is the stone of the corner, that lyeth in the foundation of his Church: the starres of the morning are the glorious Angels and Citizens of heauen, that shine as Iasper about the throne of God, and cry Hosanna in the highest: Blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest: whereupon (saith Ambrose,) Laudatur in coelis, videtur in terris. The shew and manifestation of his presence is in the earth: but the celebritie and declaration of his glory is in the heauens. For if the Psalmist would haue a trumpet blowne in the new moone. Blow the trum­pet in the new moone. There is a trumpet of praise and glorie, that must sound and bee lifted vp, shall [Page 122] I say in the new Moone, or rather in the feast of Tabernacles? Whilst the Tabernacle of God is with man, and (to speake in the phrase of Nyssen) [...], not Israel, but the Lord of Israel dwelleth in a tent, or a booth: and is receiued into the darke mansion and earthly Tabernable of humane flesh and mortall corruption. Yee haue a president from the Angels, though hee were not a Sauiour to them, but to vs. (For he tooke not the An­gels, but the seede of Abraham:) Yet doe they begin the Antiphone and teach vs how to sing. Though we may not compare with their knowledge and vn­derstanding: yet may wee emulate their pietie and deuotion. My prayer shall be that which the Apo­stle vsed in the behalfe of the Romanes, [...] the God of patience and consolation make yee like minded, that with one mouth yee may praise God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ: saying and singing as it is in my Text, [...]. Glorie to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men.

That which I haue read vnto you, is a sacred Hymne, and diuine Embasie: where there is disco­uered a threefold benefit of our Sauiours incarna­tion.

The first is [...], the loue and good will of him that dwelt in the bush. Good will towards men.

The second, [...], peace and reconciliation with God the Father. On the earth peace.

The third is [...], honour and glorie, and that from the noblest creatures: I meane the Angels, that dwell in the height and sublimitie of eternall blessednesse.

Glorie to God in the highest, on the earth peace, good will towards men.

But that which ariseth most clearely from this fountaine, is a blessing receiued, and a blessing re­turned.

A blessing receiued, and that is peace. On the earth peace.

A blessing returned, and that is Glorie.

Glorie to God on high.

In the first wee note the Motiue, [...], diuine loue and spirituall adoption.

Good will towards men.

In the second wee note a circumstance, [...] ▪

In the highest.

Either locall, and so by the highest, we vnderstand the heauens.

Or personall, and so by the highest, we vnderstand the Angels.

Glorie be to God on high, on the earth peace, &c.

Glorie bee to God on high.

For the heauens send downe, and the clouds drop righteousnesse.

On the earth peace.

For saluation and Iustice are come forth, it brings them forth together.

Good will towards men.

For we are satisfied with the abundance of his lo­uing kindnesse, Grace and Mercy, compassion and bounty from God the Father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.

Who so great and eminent, that he may not ho­nour God? it is the practise of the Angels.

Glorie to God in the highest.

Who so powerfull and magnificent, that hee should not embrace peace? it is the onely blessing on the earth.

On the earth peace.

Who so amiable and preualent, that hee should not stand by this grace? it is the onely stay of life and happinesse.

Towards men good will.

O the diuine maiestie of this heauenly Sacra­ment: where hee that is despised of his owne, is the attonement for his enemies: hee that lyeth among the beasts, is the securitie of man: hee that cryeth in a stable, is magnified in heauen, and that by an host of spirituall souldiers, saying and singing: Glorie to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men.

Yee haue now seene the notes of my song. I shall resume them in their order, though to vse the words of Iohn, I am not worthie to vntie the latchet of his shooe. Ligatura calceamenti ligatura mysterij, (saith Gregorie) the latchet of his shooe is the mysterie of his birth. For the brightnesse of the Godhead lyeth shadowed and shrouded vnder the veile and couer of his manhood: diuinitie in humanitie, power in infirmitie, maiestie in humilitie, immortalitie in frail­tie, life in death, and Christ in the flesh. O let not that be wanting in you towards me, which abounds in God towards all. I meane voluntas bona, a good will and beneuolous disposition whilst I begin with my first note, [...]. Glorie to God on high.

It is well the Angels set glorie before peace. For there will be no peace with man, if there be not glo­rie to the Lord: it is one of those peculiars, which he reserueth to himselfe, the first is vengeance, and [Page 125] therefore saith Moses, Vengeance is mine, and I will re­pay; the second power, and therefore saith the E­uangelist, The Lord hath giuen all power to his Sonne; the last and chiefest is Glorie, and therefore saith Esay, I will not giue my glorie to another. Indeed the Lord made all things for his glorie, and if he be not glori­fied in their actions, hee will bee glorified in their punishment by the seueritie of his iustice. This made the Apostle to exclude euery creature from the fel­lowship hereof, To the King euerlasting, inuisible, im­mortall, and onely wise God, bee honour, and glory. And the Psalmist is distinctly negatiue, by a perfect abdi­cation from himselfe and others. Not vnto vs, not vnto vs, but to thy name be the glorie. That wee may say vnto her, as Ioseph vnto his Mistris. My Lord hath committed all things vnto my hand, and kept nothing from me, but onely thee which art his wife: How shall I do so great wickednesse, and sinne against my Lord? The Lord hath committed all things vnto our hands, sent vs his Angels, giuen his Sonne, powred forth his Spirit, multiplyed his graces, and kept no­thing from vs, but this glorie, which is espoused to him from euerlasting. How shall wee do so great wickednesse as to sinne against the Lord, and spoile him of his glorie? Yet there is an inward glorie wherein wee may reioyce, proceeding from a good conscience, The holy Ghost bearing witnesse to our spi­rits, that we are the Sonnes of God. For glorie, and ho­nour, and peace, shall bee to euery soule that doth good: to the Iew first, and also the Grecian. Yea and an out­ward glorie too, so it bee limited within the bounds of pietie and charitie. I meane the honour of God; and the benefit of our neighbour: In Deo, secundum [Page 127] Deum, propter Deum, (as the learned haue distin­guisht:) First in Deo, from God, as the Author and fountaine: then secundum Deum, not after the will of man, but after the will of God: Last of all, Prop­ter Deum, to the honour of God, and the aduance­ment of his Gospell. O gloriam licitam (saith Tertul­ltan) such Philotimie is very iustifiable, and worthy of man, the image of his Creator. It is the onely crowne which the Lord hath set vpon his head, Coro­nasti eū, Thou hast crowned him with glory & worship. God forbid I should deterre any from that spirituall ambition and Christian emulation, whereunto the Apostle doth excite, Whatsoeuer things are iust, what­soeuer things are honest, whatsoeuer things are of good report, if there be any vertue, any praise, [...] Thinke of these things, and consider them with vnder­standing. Agreeable to that of Tertulltan in his Glo­riam quaerimus de quibus salutem speramus. Wee may glorie in that, which furthers our good, and tends to our saluation. It is the emptie shadow of humane vanitie, and proud vsurpation of diuine equalitie, that is to be condemned, when men glorie, as if they had not receiued: and arrogate that to themselues, which is due vnto God: Like Herod that was consu­med of wormes, because hee delighted in the praise of men, and tooke that to himselfe which belonged to his maker: In which sence that of Seneca may be vsed, Quid ni tui miserior, si pantonimica obstrepuerint instrumenta, &c. Hee is much to bee pitied, that is euer receiued with the cry and applause of vulgar admiration. It is better for mee to die (saith the Apo­stle) then any should cause my reioycing to be vaine. And it were better for vs to bee had in execration, [Page 126] and to bee made Anathemaes to our brethren, then any should cause our reioycing to bee vaine and emptie, without respect vnto God, and the praise of his annointed: that which I read in Saint Bernard is very good, Si ante vestrum tribunal stare oporte­ret, &c.

O my brethren, if I were to stand before your tri­bunall, I would delight in your praises: if I were to be tryed by my owne sentence, I would rest satisfied with mine owne opinion. But what a vanitie, yea what a madnesse is it? since the Lord is to bee my Iudge, not to seeke the approbation of his good­nesse, and to make his glorie the crowne of my re­ioycing? Remember then I beseech you, the voyce of those many thousands in the Apocalyps, Worthie is hee, that was slaine, to receiue honour, and wisedome, and riches, and power, together with that generall ac­clamation, when all the creatures in heauen and earth made a shout, crying, Praise, and honour, glory, and power bee to him that sits vpon the throne, and to the Lambe for euer.

If the Baptist decreast when our Sauiour increast, let our pride vanish, and the glory of our light bee darkened, as a candle at noone, when the Sunne is in his strength, that when we shall bee toucht with the glorie of our strength, and the glorie of our wisedome, and the glorie of our riches, ches, and the glory of our power, wee may say as Christ did to Mary, Touch me not, for as yet I am not gone vp to the Father: It is heauen that is the seate of glory, and that with God, the receipt whereof is like that pretious ointment, and sacred perfume, which the Lord charged the Priests to make, and [Page 128] sanctifie to himselfe throughout all their genera­tions. But if euer the Lord were to be glorified, and the whole aire to ring with the melodious Harmo­nie of symphoniacall inuitations: If euer Gabriel the Archangell were to leade vs forth with a song, and wee to follow as workmen did Miriam with Timbrels and dances: If euer the heart of man were to be made an altar of praise and thankfulnesse, and the whole Church to call for the Harpe, and Violl, the Psalter, and the Dulcimer: Now is the time, whilst the golden candlesticke is placed in the midst of the Tabernacle, and that Virgin bush of Maries wombe, brings forth the light of the whole world, and is not defiled or consumed: whilst the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon vs, and there is a starre come from Iacob, whose comfortable raies pierce the deepe, enlighten the heauens, search the darknesse of the graue, and spread ouer the face of the whole earth, with radiant and shining lustre. O the grati­ous bounty and wonderfull humilitie of so great dis­pensation. God is become man, the word flesh, a Virgine a Mother, the Creator a creature, and (to speake in the language of Saint Austin) Qui regit si­dera, lambit vbera. Hee that gouernes the influence of the starres, drawes the sweetnesse of his mothers breast, taking that from vs, whereby hee may saue vs, and ioyne vs to himselfe in the highest places, who would not spring with Iohn, in the very wombe, and burst with Zacharie, into the voyce of ioy and gladnesse, through the strongest barres of infant silence and naturall imperfections, to behold that Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinnes of the world, in­uested in the golden fleece of humane nature, to see [Page 219] the King of righteousnesse, which sits by the throne of God, forsake the bosome of his Father, and pro­ceed from the wombe of Mary, as a Bridegroome from his chamber: without preiudice to his God­head, or diminution of his power, before the Lord was inuisible, and wee heard the voyce of God, as Adam in the coole of the garden, sometime he spake in lightning, sometime hee spake in thunder, some­time from the clift of a rocke, sometimes from the consuming flames of burning fire. But now wee looke vpon him through the cloud of flesh, and the lanthorne of his bodie, so qualified and tempered to outward sight, and corporall apprehension: that we may not onely see, but handle the word of life in the forme of man and habit of nature. [...] (saith that learned Father Nazianzene in an Oration) though wee haue strayed in the desart of this world, yet now we haue a cloud of direction to goe before, the white cloud of his sacred flesh to lead and guide vs to that heauenly Canaan. Hic est Domi­nus Iesus, this is Christ the Lord, the mediator of God and man, the sonne of a Virgine, the Bride­groome of his Church, more faire and comely then all the sonnes of men: that created his mother when he was begot of his Father, and glorified his Father, when hee was borne of his mother. Iesus Christ the righteous, Yesterday and to day, and the same for euer. For there bee many things in his birth, which de­serue praise and euerlasting remembrance. The first is his goodnesse, that he would endure the prison of our flesh: the second his power, that hee could ma­nifest his strength in our weaknesse: the third his wisedome, in finding meanes for our deliuerance, [Page 130] the last his iustice, in satisfying the Law, and making himselfe obedient to the actuall performance: that we may cry with the Psalmist, O Lord thy truth rea­cheth to the heauens, and thy mercie to the clouds. If any seeke to bee Authors of that, whereof they onely bring tidings, they are false Prophets, Aemulantes diuinitatem, & furantes diuinationem (as Tertullian) nor Saint, nor Angell, nor Cherubin, nor Seraphin, nor any of that coelestiall Hierarchie, may share in this honour, it is thou onely which hast the glorie. And that in altissimis, and ab altissimis. First in the highest, for the heauens declare the glory, and are the stage and theater of thine euerlasting power, and triumphant maiesty, secondly of the highest.

For the Angels praise thee, and the Saints giue thankes vnto thee, the heauens and all the powers therein continually do cry, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabboth, heauen and earth are full of thy glory, thy praise is their ioy: thy honour their comfort; thy ce­lebritie their felicitie: by whose power they are made, by whose wisedome they are illuminated, by whose grace they stand fast, and shall neuer bee re­mooued. Whence is that of Dauid, Beati qui habi­tant. Blessed are they which dwell in thy house, they will euer bee praising thee. Though I could assigne many reasons of this glory from the Angels, as the excel­lent dignitie of their wonderfull creation, for they beare the signiture of God in their nature: the con­tinuall fruition of diuine sweetnesse, for they tast and drinke thereof as from a riuer: the sure confir­mation of their eternall blessednesse, for they are setled and established by the incarnation of our Sa­uiour: Yet that which fills their hearts with praise, [Page 131] and their tongue with ioy, is their instauration of their decay: because thou hast built vp the walls of Ierusalem, and made vp their breach by the salua­tion of man, and the redemption of our nature. The walls of Ierusalem are the companies of Angels: which are built vp, and made compleat, by reducing man to the state of their perfection. Therefore do they reioyce and sing, therefore do they cry aloud vpon their beds, and (to vse the words of Cyprian) Gratulabundi praedicant, they magnifie the riches of Gods mercy with exceeding ioy and wonderfull gratulation. O my brethren, and yee whom I tender as mine owne bowels in the Lord.) What a mo­tiue is this to Christian loue and perfect charitie? Shall the Angels praise God for vs, and shall not we praise the Lord for our selues? Shall an armie of spirituall souldiers triumph in the redemption of man, and shall not wee reioyce in our owne salua­tion, and the miraculous deliuerance of our bre­thren? True deuotion is full of compassion: and the Saints of God do not onely suffer together, but re­ioyce together, with Hymnes and Psalmes of spiri­tuall melody, singing to the Lord with grace in their hearts. Whence are they termed filiae Iudah, daugh­ters of Iudah: and filiae confessionis, daughters of con­fession, (as learned Austin makes the exposition) such as praise God, and offer the sacrifice of thank­fulnesse for his loue to man, and his blessings out of Sion. Tell mee then what spirit they are of, that call to heauen for vengeance, and would haue the Lord send downe fire vpon their enemies, that delight in the ruine and destruction of their brethren, yea ma­chinate the subuersion of States and Kingdomes [Page 132] with the diuellish practises of most hellish inuen­tions? That curse where the Lord doth blesse, and cry against the highest powers, as the Romane le­gions against Iouian the Emperour, [...]. Thou hast escaped the edge of the sword, and the furie of battell; would God thy flesh had beene giuen to the fowles of the aire, and the dogs had licked thy bloud, as the bloud of Ieza­bell, by the wall of Iezrael, well may they resemble Abaddon and Apolluon, the Diuell and his angels, they are most repugnant to God & his Angels. For their song is of glory & peace, yea and of glory for peace: and that with man vpon the earth: which is the se­cond note of this Hymne, and desires continuance of your deuotion, [...].

On the earth peace.

Though glory belong to heauen, and peace to the earth: yet was there a time, when neither was to be found: Man had prouoked God to anger, and taken away our peace, translated the worship of God to Idols, and depriued him of his glory: but now they are both in their naturall seate, and the comming of our Sauiour is like the returne of that Doue into the Arke, with the gracious branch of peace, of mercy. When Ionah was cast into the sea, the storme ceast, and there was a great calme: when the Lord brought his first begotten into the world, the troubles were abated, & there was a great peace throughout the whole earth: Fluuius pacis (as Esay writeth) A floud of peace, for a sea of misery: and that which before was a place of exile and banishment, is now the Tabernacle of rest and quiet: where the Lord hath extended peace, and safetie, and righte­ousnesse, [Page 133] and glorie, as a flowing streame. For that which hee taught as an Oracle in his life, and bequea­thed as a legacie at his death, I meane the sweetnesse of peace, and the aboundance of holinesse was now begun in the time of his birth, and set as a pearle on the top and crowne of his blessed incarnation: whence is hee termed a King of peace, our heauenly Salomon, yea our very peace, that made both one, and set at peace, through the bloud of his crosse, the things on earth, and the things in heauen. How can wee choose but rest in peace, now the Lord is come, who is to the whole earth, as Apollo was to De­los, that hee may settle and stablish it with an euerla­sting quietnesse? But Luke and Mathew are at va­riance, and there is warre betwixt the words of my Text, and that of the Gospell. Thinke yee that I am come to send peace into the world, I came not to send peace, but a sword, what a sword, and yet peace? Fire and yet peace, warre and yet peace; these things are incompatible, and as the Poet notes

Yet may they bee reconciled and stand together: The sword of the spirit with the peace of consci­ence, the fire of loue with the peace of religion, war against Satan and his angels, with peace towards God and his Angels. For as the naturall body is fra­med of contrary elements, so diuerse qualities may perfect the mysticall body of Christ Iesus. And though we do not striue against flesh and bloud, yet do we against the Prince of this world, and against spirituall wickednesses in the highest places: whence is that of Bernard, Inter Babilonem, & Hierusalem pax nulla, betwixt Babilon & Hierusalem, there is no peace. [Page 134] Satan is the King of Babylon, Christ of Hierusalem: which he defends with cōtinuall resistances, though he be not the God of confusion, but of order, in all the Churches of the Saints. What then is the peace of my Text, but sacred and diuine, such as Christ wisheth to the Apostles, and the Apostles to the e­lect in their generall salutations? Peace with God, for we are reconciled to the Father, Peace with An­gels, for they reioyce in our conuersion, Peace with men, for they shall bee gathered into one flocke, Peace with the creature, for it shall be in league with vs, Peace with our owne selues betwixt the flesh and the Spirit, the will and the vnderstanding, the reason and the affections: that all the powers and faculties of soule and body may agree with a sweet Harmony and gracious consent, to serue God in true loue and perfect obedience. Thus doth our Lord blesse vs with his peace, by the wonderfull expiation of our sinnes and trespasses, and that [...], Vpon the earth: for the earth of our hearts that brought forth thornes and briars, doth now abound and flou­rish with the sauing fruit of truth and holinesse: whilst euery one cryeth with the Psalmist, Praise thy God, ô Ierusalem, praise thy God, ô Sion, which maketh safe the barres of thy gates, and blesseth thy children within thee, which maketh peace thy borders, and doth satisfie thee with the flower of wheate.

All peace is sweet and acceptable: without which spoile and rapine, as a wild beast out of the forrest surprizes houses, families, temples, cities, and not onely deuoures the habitations of the righteous, but subuerts and lays wast the greatest Empires & migh­tiest kingdomes, as a desart, or a wildernesse. But [Page 135] the interior peace which keepeth our hearts and minds in the knowledge and loue of God, and ex­ceeds the power of humane vnderstanding, is the ri­chest iewell that euer was bestowed vpon the earth. Like a bed and palate where the Spouse of Christ may rest with ease and pleasure, vntill his second comming. O how beautifull are the feete vpon the mountaines of those that bring such tidings, that speake comfortably to Hierusalem, and say to her, that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquitie par­doned: that shee is iustified by faith, and hath peace with God: that her righteousnesse is grauen on his fingers, and her walls are euer in his sight: that hee stands behind the wall of his flesh, and hath broken downe the partition wall of her offences: That nei­ther height, nor depth, nor things present, nor things to come, nor life, nor death, nor any other creature, is able to separate her from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus. Were this peace finished, where it is begun, we should haue a terrestriall Paradise, and a heauen vpon earth: but that which is imperfect in our trauell, shall be perfect in our country: that we may esteeme it as a pledge of future glory, and not inuert the method of the Angels, like those in Ber­nard, who seeke peace in heauen, and glory on the earth, till they loose both peace and glory. For it is peace that is our inheritance on the earth, and that which followes her immoueable center, as motion, heauen is the tranquillity of rest & holines. Though Christ might haue promised many things to his Dis­ciples, and giuen them power ouer kingdomes and nations, as well as ouer serpents, and scorpions, yet all that hee sayes vnto them, is In me pacem habituri, [Page 136] In mee yee shall haue peace; as if this alone were able to counterpoize and weigh downe all the miseries, and afflictions, and calamities, and persecutions, and disgraces, and reuilings, that euer the world might cast vpon them. That counsell of Seuerus was good vnto his souldiers: In vobis pacem, & caeteros despi­cite. So ye agree among your selues, ye may despise the threats of your enemies: and it must needs ad­uantage true Christians, In vobis pacem, & caeteros despicite, haue peace among your selues, or rather with God, and neuer feare what the Diuell or man can do against you. Beware then lest at any time ye forgoe this peace, yet if yee will not bee pacifici, yet be pacati. If ye will not make peace with others, yet take peace vnto your selues, from God and his Mi­nisters: that yee bee not as those against whom the Disciples shooke off the dust of their feete, and left them in their wickednesse. Seeke this peace, loue this peace, pray for this peace, long for this peace, & keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace: that as Christ is knit to vs, in the vnitie of person, we may be knit to him in the vnitie of profession. O my brethren, yee are the sonnes of peace, and the heires of peace, by the gracious visitation of our heauenly Salomon, Christ Iesus, his cradle, his infancy, his weak­nesse, his pouerty, his exhibition to sheepeheards ouer their flocks, his presentation to Simeon in the midst of the temple, are all signes of peace, and most infallible tokens of this spirituall tranquillitie. Possesse your hearts with peace, and your soules with patience: peace towards your Maker, and peace to­wards your neighbour. Let it rest in your flesh, and take sanctuary in the earth of your mortall bodies: [Page 137] till yee feele that in your selues, which is here pub­lished by the Angell, [...], On the earth peace.

As for these who haue neither peace with God, nor peace with man: but awake his beloued out of sleepe, and disturbe the quiet of his Church, they are worse then vnbeleeuing Iewes, or Iewish souldiers: for howsoeuer they cast lots for the garment of our Sauiour, they would make no diuision of it: but these rend and teare, I will not say the garment, but the body of Christ, which is his Church, with open strife and scandalous diuision. Persecutor non fregit crura, Donatus rupit Ecclesiam, (saith learned Austin) the souldiers would not breake the legs of Christ, but Donatus teares the Church of Christ. As long as his body hung vpon the crosse among theeues and malefactors, it remained whole: but when it was re­ceiued by Christians, it was rent and torne into ma­ny parts and sections. Beloued, I feare they are more inhumane and intractable then Wolues or Tigres, or whatsoeuer is of wild or sauage disposition, for all creatures, though neuer so fierce, were gathered in Noahs arke, and met together: but these extrauagant Separatists will hardly assemble into the Arke of Christs Church, or ioyne together in the vnitie of faith, and conformitie of Religion. If it bee for lacke of knowledge, they are to be pittied: if it be for lacke of charitie, they are to be condemned. And so I leaue them to the act and complement of all that hath bene spoken, and that is [...], Good will towards men.

Towards men good will.

Some haue good will without peace, they are in­fortunate and miserable: some haue peace without [Page 138] good will, they are perfidious and deceitfull: but my Text puts both together: On the earth peace, good will towards men. There be that referre this to God, and take it for the eternall loue of diuine complacence, which moued him first to the worke of our redemp­tion. There be that referre it vnto man, and make it a limitation of that which goes before, reading [...] for [...], not peace on earth, to men good will, but peace on earth, to men of good will. This is the sence of Austin, Bernard, Cyprian, Ambrose, to­gether with the most ancient and learned of the Fa­thers: and may not be refused. For howsoeuer tem­porall blessings are for the most part Catholike and Vniuersall, bestowed promiscuously without excep­tion, yet grace, and peace, and righteousnesse, and a­doption, are neuer giuen to the reprobate. For there is no peace vnto the wicked, saith my God, but fightings without, and frightings within, (as the Apostle no­teth) they fly when none doth pursue, and are afraid where no feare is.

Horrendum quatiente animo tortore flagellum, well are they compared to a raging sea that neuer rests: whose waters cast out mire and dirt, their desires as winds, that stirre and raise their passions: their pas­sions are as waues, that turmoile and tosse their soules: their soules are as ships, that float to and fro, and are carried vp and downe with restlesse motion, and violent agitation in the midst of their bodies. For as Bees are driuen away with smoake, & forsake their hiues: so the coales of wrath, and the stifling fumes of choaking enuie, do remoue and extermi­nate the diuine sweetnesse of Christian peace and quietnesse? Whence is that of Chysologus, Haeretici [Page 139] in ira, Christiani in pace, Simeon is glad: Herod is troubled, the sheepe of Christ are quiet: Wolues are inraged, the Angels reioyce and are exalted, the Diuels tremble and are confounded. The Arke of Gods Church is safe, and lyeth at Anchor: the barke of Infidels floates, and lies in continuall danger. I re­member in the reigne of Selymus, when a Persian Embassadour came to entreate peace of the Turkes, a desperate fellow discharged a shot, and would haue slaine him, being taken and examined, hee neuer changed countenance, but replyed, hee was an ene­mie to his Lord, and most vnworthy any peace: the like answer shall be giuen to the wicked, when they seeke for peace, and the Lord will sweare, they shall not enter into his rest. Looke vpon the troubles of their heart, and consider their manifold distractions, who is able to expresse the stroakes, and the scour­ges, the wounds, and the torments, that make them bleede within? the furies that haunt their breast, and twine as snakes about them, the seuerall pleits of the writhen thoughts, and perplexed cogitations. They are cursed in the field, and cursed in the Citie, cursed in the fruit of their land, and cursed in the fruit of their bodie: their children perish, and neuer behold the Sunne, their cattell are smote with lightning, and their flocks of sheepe with hot thunderbolts: their vineyards are destroyed with hailestones, and their mulbertie trees with frosts: the Caterpiller eates their grasse, and the Grashopper their labour: the Lord doth smite them with Feuers, and Agues, and blastings, and mildewes, and neuer leaue till they be destroyed: the Lord doth cast vpon them the furi­ousnesse of his wrath, trouble, and displeasure, with [Page 140] the immission of diuels, and incursion of euill spirits. For they are enemies of God, and most vnworthy of this peace: that peace which is here published, and confined to his seruants, [...], To men of good will. Not to men of good vnderstanding onely, For knowledge puffes vp: but to men of good will, For charitie buildes vp. Not to men of good deeds onely, for sometimes they may bee hypocriti­call, and Pharisaicall: but to men of good will, for they are perfect and Angelicall. Such as embrace Christ willingly, and receiue his word ioyfully, with true loue and hearty deuotion. These are quadrati la­pides (as Saint Austin) square stones, that neuer fall howsoeuer they be turned. Their life is like the bree­ding of those Halciones, which makes their nest in the sea: as long as the one liues, & the other breeds, there is a great calme, and wonderfull serennitie. Be­ware then of enuie, and the Lord deliuer vs from ha­tred, malice, and all vncharitablenesse: [...] (saith Basil) as God is loue, and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God: so the Diuell is hatred, and he that abideth in hatred, abideth in the Diuell. O yee that feele the arrowes of God sticke fast in you, returne into your hearts, and examine your consciences, see whether your will bee good or bad, rectified or depraued. If the Lord make way to his indignation, and giue your life to the destroyer, if your riuers be dryed vp, and your waters turned into bloud, if the heauens bee as brasse ouer your head, and the earth as iron vnder your feete: if yee haue dust for raine, & for dew ashes: if your sheepe be giuen to the enemy, and your labour to the stran­ger, if your hearts boyle with anguish, and the sor­rowes [Page 141] of death compasse you round about: thinke it is for lacke of this good will, because yee haue not [...], Good will towards your maker, good will towards your neighbour. If yee had good will, ye would not be so much disquieted. They are men of good will, that are the vessels of peace, and the subiect of this blessing, and the good will that dwelt in the bush, will dwell in none but such as haue good will. In this, God is like that Romane Empe­rour, Odit pallidos, & macilentos. His soule doth ab­horre such as are leane with enuie, and pale with ma­licious wickednesse. O that, diuine charity were shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, and the vertue thereof spread as a veine through the body of our Church. O that our soules were as the Pallace of Salomon, and the midst thereof paued with loue to­ward the daughters of Hierusalem. Then would the Lord couer vs all the day long, and we shall dwell in safetie, then would hee lie betweene our shoulders, and wee should be as Ioseph, that was separate from his brethren. Beloued, I may say of these breasts, as Christ doth of the Churches, Meliora vino [...]bera, Thy breasts are more pleasant then wine. The breasts of pietie and deuotion, the breasts of mercie and compassion, the breasts of true loue and Christian affection. I would to God I could see them run, and flow as spouts and conduicts in the midst of your ha­bitations. And me thinks I do to the honour of God, and the abundant increase of your rest and quietnes. Yet this is not enough, vnlesse yee adde bowels vn­to breasts: breasts will soone dry vp, if they bee not fed with the melting of our bowels, and therefore saith the Apostle, [...], Put yee on the [Page 142] bowels of compassion, that as Christ was inuested in our flesh, so we might be inurserated with his bo­wels, the tender bowels of mercie & louing kindnes. If thy heart rise against thy neighbour, remember the peace thou hast with God, if thy soule delight in honour, think of the glory that is giuen to the Lord. Non venit Dominus, vt impleret aqua Hydrias, sed vt animas spiritus sancti gratia irrigaret (saith Am­brosius the Lord is not come, to fill our water pots with wine, but to water the soules of men, with the graces of his spirit, that we might haue peace with our selues, good will towards others, and the sacri­fice of praise for him that dwelleth in the highest. Neuer was that of the Psalmist more fitly vsed [...]. Let the heauens reioyce, and the earth be glad, Let the earth be glad, for there is peace in it, Let the heauens reioyce for there is glorie in the highest: Let the earth be glad, for hee that was hea­uenly was made earthly: Let the heauens reioyce, for he that is earthly, was and is heauenly, and let both take vp that which the Angels sung vnto the sheepheards. Glorie to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men: when the Angels sang, Christ was naked on the earth: now we sing he is glorious in the heauens. Therefore doth our solemnitie ex­ceed theirs, and we may better say: Glorie to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men. I reade of one Pope that would haue none reade this verse, but onely the Priests: but we know that all the elect are Kings and Priests to God, A royall Priesthood, a holy Nation, purchased & redeemed with his bloud: and therfore let vs ioyne in this dochologie, and ne­uer rest, saying: Glorie to God on high, on earth peace, [Page 143] good will towards men. I will shut vp all in that clo­sure of the Apostle: Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout, and I pray God that your whole spirit, and soule, and bodie, may bee kept blamelesse, vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus. To whom with the Father, and the Spirit, bee in honour, and glorie, in the earth as it is in heauen, till the earth mooue, and the heauens forget their motion. Amen. Amen.