Sermons on Three Chapters of Song of Songs, Sermon 28
THE XXVIII. SERMON. Our helpe be in the name of God &c. It is written as followeth in the third Chapter of the Canticle of Canticles, the 9. and 10. verſes.
9 King Salomon made himſelfe a Coche of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made the pillers thereof of ſiluer, and his bottom of gold, & the couering of purple, and the inſide was adorned with the dilections of the daughters of Ieruſalem.
1 The ſhogges and iuttes of this Coch hinder not the repoſe & reſt of them who are in it, and there is nothing to be compared vntounto their happie estate.
2 A large deſcription of the great trauailes of the Clergie of Rome for their faigned mother Church.
3 What the merites of the ſuperstitious are.
4 The Coch is conducted by the wind and ſecrete ſpring of the ſole prouidence of God, without any either wheels of Coch-horſes: the holy ministerie notwithſtanding for al this eſtabliſhed in the Church not excluded.
5 A deſcription of the moſt memorable hiſtories carued in the inſide of the Coche, from the creation of the worlde vntill Salomons time.
6 How this Coche hath alwaies paſſed victoriouſly, and triumphantly thorough the middeſt of all tempeſts vntounto the comming of the true Salomon into the earth.
7 How this king deſcended downe on earth hath ſee vp his Coche in a farre greater magnificent eſtate then euer before, & hath cōducted it by a maruelous ſwiftnes from Eaſt vntounto weſt, hauing finally ouerturned the Romaine Empire, ſtubbornely ſette to hinder his courſe.
AN application of this dilection and power of God vntounto this, that he hath already begun in our time, harniſhing againe and putting in frame his Coche which was pluckt in peeces by euill Cochers. We hauehave already ſpoken very much of that which is contained in this text ſo full of doctrine and conſolation, that the more a man conſidereth of it, the more he findeth in it to profit himſelf thereby, as in truth it is not without cauſe that this canticle or ſong is named the Canticle of Canticles, or ſong of ſongs. Beſides that therefore which we hauehave already drawne from this text, I ſay that it is not without great cauſe that the Lord ſpeaketh in this place of a Coche or horſelitter, which ſerueth vntounto two vſes, namely to reſt in & to trauail in both together. Albeit therefore that the children of this world iudge vsus to be as they ſuppoſe in the moſt tickle & vncertain ſtate in the world, as being in continuall motion & agitation, & (as the Apoſtle ſaith 1. Cor. 4.11.) vagabondes, hauing no certain place of dwelling: notwithſtanding we trauail in a Coche of gold, borne vp with pillers of ſiluer, couered with purple, & with infinit matters of pleaſure & recreatiō carued & ingrauen in this Coche, which can nether be ouerturned, nor ſtopped, or ſtaied for one minute of time, what ruts ſoeuer or hinderaunces men lay in the way of it within or without, although it make not alwaies the like iournies. For proofe hereof I take the ſaying of the Lord. Reioyce, ſaith he, and be glad when men reuile you, and perſecute you, and ſay all manner of euill againſt you for my names ſake, falſely. Math. 5.11. For when are we ſhocked and mightily toſſed if not then? But in the meane time we are ſo conducted in this Coche that theſe ſhocks & ſhakinges, which ſeeme to them without to menace our ouerturning, are vntounto vsus within no other then as a man woulde ſaie, a daunſing & pleaſant rocking, to the vtter deſpiting of all thoſe who laugh at that which cannot come to paſſe, to wit, our ruine and downefall: and they themſelues while they laugh at vsus, fall into the ditch they digged for vsus, as we ſee how the Prophet taketh vp an holy laughter vponupon them: Pſa. 9.25.16. And the Apoſtle is bold to defy all thoſe which aſſault him, be they on high or belowe: Rom. 8.38.39. who was no frantike when he ſaide, teaching vsus to ſay the like with him, that he thought he neuer had occaſion of reioyſing & vaunting himſelfe, …ut in the croſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, by which, ſaith he, I am crucified vntounto the world, Ga. 6.14. This Coche then is ſuch as wherein we may trauaile on ſtill and take our reſt: but yet not without ſome agitation. For this Coche is driuen through the mountaines down a thouſand downfalles of the world. They, ſaith the Lord, who are in kings houſes and pallaces weare ſoft clothing: Math. 11.8. Let thē therefore being cambericke clad and fether laid, go faire and ſoftly downe to hell, if they will take no other way then that. But as for vsus, let vsus ſuffer our ſelues to be carried into Paradiſe with all the iumpes & ioltings it ſhall pleaſe God, ſo we ariue at the end we tend vntounto, by the way which our head & chiefe Captaine is gone, Rom. 8.17. Heb. 10.20.
2 True it is that the chiefeſt of thē, of whoſe caſe I ſpeake, alleadge the contrarie, and ſay that they are the men who keepe the ſtraite and narrowe way, who beare the brunt of the ill weather: whereas we ſeeke after nothing elſe but the liberty of the fleſh. For they abſtaine from marriage, but we hauehave wiues. Chaſt men good Lord & continent: if you beleeue not mee, let their courtiſanes, their concubines, their ſtewes & brothel-houſes, their Sodome and Gomorrha which infect the heauen and the earth, be witneſſes. And to the end they alleage not that they approue not theſe thinges, but condemne them as deepely as wee doe: let them ſhewe mee what they indeuour to the contrarie, they I ſay, who hauehave both the ſpiritual & the temporall ſworde, & ſhould take order againſt ſuch ſhameful filthineſſe, either by eccleſiaſticall cenſures, according vntounto the holy Ghoſt ſpeaking by the mouth of Saint Paul, which ought to ſerue for an inuiolable rule, or at the leaſt according vntounto the canons, how euer they diſpenſe with gods Lawe, which is a thing vtterlie intolerable, either by ſuch puniſhments at the leaſt as the ciuil lawes of the Paynims themſelues hauehave appointed, ſeeing they occupy the places of temporal eſtates & ſeignories. And ſeeing their head hath power, as he pretendeth hee hath, ouer Emperours and Kinges themſelues, why doth he not execute it againſt thoſe who gouerne their people and ſubiectes ſo il? Becauſe, his ſubiects would tel him, you muſt firſt begin with your ſelues, with your cleargie, & your Sodome. They faſt & abſtain frō eating of fleſh a great part of the yeare. And what do we? We hauehave taken away the Lent, & eate eueryevery day indifferently fiſh or fleſh, or both. We cal to witneſſe of their faſtings, & great pains they take for the Church, their faces and their bellies, their Katers, Butlers & Cooks, & how many millions of flagans & bottels? They ſing Mattins, many Maſſes, little and great: they hauehave their houres, firſt, third, ſixt, ninth, their Veſpers, Complins & Salutations. And what do we? We do nothing but preach. It is true, & I cō feſſe it, that all their buſines conſiſteth in chaunting & thruſh-warbling. And what paines thinke we doth that good holy father take to be carried vponupon mēs ſhoulders, to lift vp his foot ſo oft to hauehave his pantofle kiſſed, to tell ouer ſo many millions of Crownes which come flowing in vntounto him on all ſides, beſides the fatherly and continuall care he taketh to hauehave the booty and ſpoile of ſo many ſoules, and bodies, ſo lamentably bewitched to their own ſight and knowledge? Goodly marks doubtles of the true Catholique Church, and perpetuall enemie of the world, Iam. 44. to ſee Meffiers the reuerendiſſimies hauehave their long tailes carried vp by their traine-bearers, afterward trained vp and downe in their Coches with their courtiſans, to make the very Sunne to bluſh at their impudent ſhameleſnes: & yet theſe are the Nurcery of that Oecumenicall See. What ſhal I ſay of thē who are gaping after theſe Cardinals hats? what of theſe goodly gardiatane biſhops, of theſe biſhops titularie, & portatiue, of Abbots, Priors, and the like, with whom we may iuſtly ſuppoſe that the diuell himſelf maketh himſelfe ſport, though all of them ſerue him in good earneſt, except it bee ſuch as openly both by their wordes, and all their horrible diſſolutions ſhewe that they beleeue neither in God nor in the diuell. For beholde to what point the world is come. And as for theſe great religious men who merite both for themſelues & others, alack how ill they be lodged in their royall and more then royall pallaces: alacke poore men how they are famiſhed, when the world fighteth who ſhall beſtow moſt vponupon them, and their own mouth is neuer ſtopped not to demaund, or their hands ſo troubled with the gout, not to take and receiue whatſoeuer comes. O the ſmall warmth they hauehave in their Iacobine chambers! ô how ill they are clothed in their frocks and other their habits, which hauehave no fault in them nether winter nor ſommer! ô the hard penaunce diſcipline they beare at their girdle! ô the poore fraternity of Ieſus, who hauehave gotten within the compaſſe of thirty yeares more by their charitable gratuitie, then all the reſt of the monks in fiue hundred yeares before them!
3 If hereupon it be replied that there are ſome truly religious who go wolward and in haire, liue hardly and auſterely, whip and ſcourge themſelues in good earneſt: though we graunted them al this, and that they did an hundred times more then is reported of them, yet come they nothing neare Baals prieſtes who cutte and ſliced themſelues with raſors hauing crien out from morning vntill noone, whom Elias notwithſtanding with full mouth mocketh 3. Kings. 18.27. or the religious Mahumetanes of diuers ſorts and faſhions. And how euer it be, if auſterity of life were an eſſential marke of true religion & holines▪ (as the poore & ſimple people beare themſelues in hand it is) then were ſaint Iohn Baptiſt to be preferred before Chriſt Math. 3.4. not that we blame or diſcommend temperancie, as neither the exerciſe required to tame and ſubdue this body of ours which rebelleth againſt the ſpirite. But contrariwiſe we ſay, that ſuch ought the life of eueryevery Chriſtian to be, and we confeſſe that we faile in the other extreme, as if hauing taken away the ſuperſtitious diſtinction of daies and meates, we had forbidden men to faſt, to giuegive themſelues to praier and al holy exerciſes: not as if we had commaunded eueryevery day to eate fiſh and fleſh. We ſay therefore in ſumme, that for a man to feed his horſe moderately, yea to make him to faſt, when, and ſo as need requireth (for fearing leaſt fatted at too much eaſe, he waxe headſtrong and fall to kicking and flinging, in ſteede of carrying his rider well and quietly) is farre an other thing, then by hard and euill handling of him to make him vtterly vnprofitable, in ſuch ſort that he fainteth & falleth flat vnderunder a man, or cannot but with much adoe, ſet one foote before an other, when a man would vſe him. Moreouer we ad that it is an vniuſt and intolerable thing to make the rules of ſuch exerciſes certaine and generall, which thing was neuer appointed by the word of God, nor practiſed in the chriſtian Church ſo long as it continued in her puritie, ſeeing that vnderunder the yoke of the law it ſelfe there was but one faſting day appointed generally to be obſerued eueryevery yeare. I ad further, that whereas the beſt & the moſt excellenteſt works which the holy Ghoſt worketh in thoſe who are moſt holy, cannot be taken in accompt for ſatiſfaction of our gilt, or payment of our ſinnes before God: it is a moſt abhominable error to thinke to gaine paradiſe by eating or not eating by marying or not marying, by eating fleſh or eating fiſh. But I confeſſe I doe the world great wrong to enter into diſpute of ſuch thinges againſt them, againſt whoſe vnchaſt & gluttenous Epicurian life the heauen and the earth demaund iuſtice at Gods hand. Leauing them therefore to be carried in their Coch in full gallop to the place aſſigned them, I referre them by the way vntounto that which all the Prophets hauehave written againſt the hypocrites and traditionaries of their time, and vntounto that which the Lord himſelfe ſaith in ſo many places of the Euangeliſtes, and ſaint Paul expreſly Rom. 14.17. ſpeaking of that which was for a time forbidden by the commandement of God himſelf, who hath not buried Moſes to make place for humane traditions, Coloſſ. 2.23. 1. Timot. 4.3.8.
4 Let vsus now returne to this Coche of the bridegrome, prepared by him therein to receiue his ſpouſe. A man may therefore maruaile why there is here no mention made of wheeles or of Coch-horſes: thinges which ſeeme altogether neceſſarie to make this Coche to goe. But the reaſon is euident, namely becauſe this Coche moueth not properly by any humaine art & induſtrie, but by the ſole vertue & power of him who made the Coche and conducteth it after a moſt eſpeciall and diuine manner. And yet this is not therefore to exclude the miniſtery, either of Angels, which thing is repreſented vntounto vsus in that heauenly chariot which Ezechiel ſaw with his wheels: Ezech. 1.5. or that of men, ſeeing that before the ſpouſe was compared vntounto the Coch-horſes of Pharao, as alſo Elizeus ſaid ſeeing Elias carried vp on high, My father, my father, the chariot of Iſraell and the horſemen thereof, 2. King. 2.11. or naturall cauſes, whereof mention is made Exod. 1.10.13. & 14.21. & Pſal. 18.11. but to ſhewe vsus that all the ſecond cauſes (the queſtion beeing of that which concerneth the kingdome of God) doe worke alwaies in ſuch ſort, that God reſerueth vntounto himſelfe the glorie of the effect of them, according vntounto that which the Apoſtle ſaith euen of his owne miniſterie, that he which planteth and he which watereth is nothing (I meane in reſpect of the inner working) but God is al who giueth the increaſe, 1. Cor. 3.7. So farre is it then that any man, nay any Angell of heauen can guide the courſe of this ſpiritual Coch, that contrariwiſe themſelues muſt be guided & conducted in this Coch by the wheels of his onelyonly prouidence who hath made it & conducteth it, & that by ſuch carriers, mountains & valleys incomprehenſible vntounto any creature. Notwithſtanding the holy miniſtery was not omitted in the deſcription of this Coch, in which they were repreſented by the pillers of ſiluer as we declared this day eight daies
5 Beſides all this, the in-ſide of this Coche beeing richly and coſtlie carued for a teſtimonie of the dilections of this Bridegrome toward the daughters of Ieruſalem, ought not to bee lightly paſſed ouer. And what is all this elſe, but that which is compriſed in the ſacred bookes of the Scripture filled with an infinite number, not of dead pictures, or ſuch as are of humane woorkmanſhippe, but of memorable ſtories, penned and vttered by the holy Ghoſt. Let vsus therefore now, my brethren, enter into this Coche, & let vsus ſee whether it be poſſible to ſee and behold any thing in heauen or in earth, which may be compared vntounto theſe caruings and engrauings. There we ſee firſt, this great woorke-maſter, making all of nothing, all things appearing ſodainly at the ſound of his woord, and this goodly principall peece of work of man, mouled as it were vponupon the patterne of the Diuinity it ſelfe, Geneſ. 1.26. There we ſee afterward this mightie Creator in the perſon of him who was after made our deliuerer and redeemer in perſon, running after thoſe two forlorne children, applying vntounto that deadly wound, ſo ſoone as it was made the remedy of an immortality farre more excellent then that whereof our firſt parent had depriued himſelfe, and vsus all his poſterity, Geneſ. 3.1. Go we farther & behold the Bowe of the Lorde engrauing in heauen the patience of the Creator which endureth ſtill vntounto this day, Gen. 8.13. notwithſtanding our rebellion continued almoſt four thouſand yeares after the flood. Looke we farder, and with what pleaſure doe we behold Abraham, Iſaack, and Iacob, walking through infinite by-waies & dangerous, and in the ſpace of foure hundred years their race, amidſt moſt prophane people, ful of vnthankefulnes & deſperate rage, multiplied vntounto the number of ſix hundred thouſand perſons, beſides the weomen and little children. Behold a litle farder the vndauntable inſolencie of Pharao minding to ſtay the courſe of this Coche beaten and vanquiſhed, by frogs, by flies, by lice, at the ſhaking only of the rodde of one of the ſeruantes of this great king. Behold after this the Coche charged with ſo great a multitude paſſing on drie land through the midſt of the ſea, which ſwallowed vp all the enimies which purſued it: behold the bread ſent from heauen, behold with one ſtroke of a ſmall rod the moſt hard rockes cleft, to water almoſt 40. yeares long all this multitude. Behold the Coche, arriued at the riuer of Iordan after it had beaten downe & battered two mightie kings, paſſing the riuer on drie ground, making the high walles of Iericho to moulder and fall to ground before it. Behold this Coche battering downe, trampling vnderunder, daſhing in peeces thirty kings beyond Iordan. Behold the people in this Chariot of triumph, victoriouſly placed in the land of promiſe, where they are ſo chaſtiſed for their faultes, that notwithſtanding they obtain in the end, ſo many miraculous trophees as this Coch ſuſtained aſſaults, yea beating down their enimies ſometimes with pitchers, Iud. 7. ſometimes with an Oxe-goade, Iud. 3.31. though for one time he ſuffered his Arke, which was as it were his ſeate in the conducting of his Coche, to be taken as it were priſoner: but what? This was to cut off Dagons legs and arms, 1. Sam. 5.4. to ſtrike his enimies on the hinder parts, & by laſhing them with the whip to make them ſerue him for horſes & thillers to bring his Coch whither pleaſed him. There folowe after this, lamentable & heauie things, but the Coch remaining ſelfe-vpright, only diſcharging it ſelf of many which had ſhoued themſelues into it, & became vnwoorthy to abide in it. Such was amongſt others that caitiue Saul, hauing embrued himſelfe with the blood of one of the principall pillars of this Coche, 1. Sam. 22.16. and it ſeemed that then, and after that, this Coche was ouerturned, or altogether ſtaied. But God did ſpeedily prouide for it, hauing raized a faithful Cocher repreſenting himſelfe, I meane Dauid that great Prophet and king, who hauing conquered and afterward prepared Hieruſalem, raiſed vp to honor, and ſo farre fauoured of God as to be called his Cittie, his Houſe, his Reſt, and hauing finally prouided & diſpoſed all the furniture of this Coche, repaired as it were all a-new, hee left for ſucceſſour the chiefe builder thereof, namely his ſonne Salomon, who brought this excellent woorcke vntounto an ende with ſuch direction, wiſedome, and magnificencie, that there was neuer ſeene among the Kinges of this world the like thing, beeing in this reſpect the figure of the true Salomon, King of peace, and Lorde and eternall ſonne of Dauid. Loe theſe are the pictures of the in-ſide of this Coch of which the Spouſe ſpeaketh in this place, as being engrauen and carued in the inſide thereof.
6 And if a man will paſſe beyond the time of Salomon, as the holy Ghoſt intending prophetically to bring forth teſtimonies of the dilections of this bridegrome vntill his comming in perſon, yea euen vntounto the end and conſummation of the world, we ſhall find that the nearer the time and terme appointed of God approcheth for the reall execution of his promiſes, the more euidently did the ardent affection of this bridegrome ſhew it ſelfe towards his Ieruſalem, how peruerſe and vnthankefull ſo euer ſhe ſhewed her ſelfe. But ſome man might think that this Coche was then at the leaſt ſomewhat euil affected, when of 12. tribes 10. were caſt out of this Coche vnderunder Roboam. But this is cleane contrarie. For as a family of 12. perſons, whereof ten ſhould be found traytors and ſuch as had conſpired the death of their mother, is neuer a whit endā maged by the caſting of thoſe ten rebellious and diſloyal perſons out of doores, but rather eaſed and purged of great filth: ſo did the Lord by throwing out of his Coche ſuch caitifes and miſcreaunts. And as for the remnaunt which remained in this Coche if the king againe take a viewe many times of the eſtate of his houſe, what hath followed thereof but which happeneth vntounto barnes and garners, namely that the corne is the purer and cleaner the oftener it is winowed and ſifted? It is true it might ſeeme that finally this Coche beeing moſt miſerablie guided by them vntounto whome this King had giuen the chardge thereof, was not onelyonly ouer-turned but broken into a million of pieces, nay turned vtterly into duſt and pouder, though it often reſiſted, and namely vnderunder Ioſaphat and Ezechias. But what? If wee conſider well of all wee ſhall finde the cleane contrary. For ſo farre is it that they who ſeeme to hauehave hadde this aduauntage might vaunt them-ſelues of thoſe victories, that contrariewiſe it is the King himſelfe who ledde and conducted and ſette him-ſelfe his enemies a worke, not to ouerthrowe and ruinate his Coche, but firſt to diſcharge it of that great number of villanous and prophane perſons gotten into it, and afterwarde to vnharniſh it: and thirdly becauſe it had a long iourney to make, namely as farre as Babel ouer ſo many riuers and troubleſome waies, and minding alſo as it were to vnthawe his people waxen ſtiffe and benōmed with ouermuch eaſe they ſate at, it pleaſed him to guide thē on foot euen into Chaldea, vſing the Chaldeans as his Sompters, to cary his veſſel of gold and of ſiluer, which he deliuered them as it were in keeping. And as for his Coch, ſeeing it ſo villanouſlie vſed and ſo il handled as it was, he would not onelyonly hauehave it to be vnharniſhed as I ſaid before, but alſo vnpinned, diſioynted and pulled aſunder; but yet ſo that the peeces remained ſoūd & good, as indeed in his good time he ſet it together againe, & that by the appointment & ordinance of the Kings themſelues otherwiſe his enemies and ſucceſſors of them who had pulled it in peeces. If hereupon a man reply vntounto mee the ſeruitude of the people of God, I confeſſe it, for they had wel deſerued it: but I adde that during this verie captiuity, beholde the people how captiue and priſoner-like ſoeuer they were, gouernour of Babylon in great authority in the perſon of Daniel, beholde the royal edictes for the worſhipping of the God of Daniel, beholde the tyrant himſelfe brought to feede among the brute beaſtes, behold Babylon it ſelfe captiue, and the people of god reſtored & reſtabliſhed with great priuileges, & reſtitution of their holy veſſels. And what afterward? Is not this that King who beate downe the Kings of Syria and of AEgypt, though ſometime he had giuen them an entrance euen into his houſe there to take them and entrap them?
7 And if we paſſe yet farther wee ſhal ſee that it was then, then I ſaie indeede, that this great King ſhewed his infinit dilection and louelove towardes his Ieruſalem (that which went before being nothing elſe but the pledges as it were of the fianſailes) when he ſet vp this Coch of his in Ieruſalem which with an incredible ſwiftneſſe paſſed from Eaſt to Weſt, and from North to South by the mighty and impetuous winde of his mouth, repreſented on the daie of Pentecoſt by two thinges moſt ſwift and light, and of moſt ſuddaine effect, namely by a mighty and violent ruſhing wind, and by fire in the ſimilitude and likeneſſe of tounges. And this is indeede the time when both the mighty power and more then cordial affection of the King of this Coch trained indeed vponupon the winges of the foure windes, appeared; hauing beaten downe that great mount of the Romane Monarchie, and blowing now to ruine and ouerthrow the beaſt moulded vponupon this pattern and ſeated in the Temple of God vponupon the very ſame ſeuen hils. For the declaring of which things in particular it is not one ſermon, nay the life of many men one after another can ſerue.
8 OnelyOnly I wil ſaie that this ſecond Coch not new in it ſelfe, but ſpiritual in aſmuch as it was figured by the firſt beeing externall and groſſe according vntounto the time, beeing fallen after certaine ages into moſt wicked handes, and moſt wickedlie and vilely conducted, hath beene harniſhed againe in our time, and reſtored vntounto his former eſtate, hauing trauerſed, as ſtil it doth trauerſe a great part of the world, with terrible iuts, but ſo guided by him which is in heauen and keepeth vp the wheeles thereof without forſaking them, that God bee thanked therefore, the greateſt & mightieſt who endeuoured with al their force to ſtaie the courſe of it, hauehave ſerued for litter, being beaten downe and trampled vnderunder it: and if there hauehave beene anie who through the violence of ſuch ſhogginges are leapt out of the Coch, it hath beene to flie vp on high, whither this Coch leadeth al it carieth, cauſing them to leaue only their caſe on earth, aſwell to ſerue for a reproch and perpetuall remorſe of conſcience vntounto ſome, as to leaue vntounto others an example of firme and inuincible conſtancie. And ſeeing that God hath beſtowed this grace vpō vsus, my brethren, yea continued ſo long a time, as to hauehave ſet vp his Coch amongſt vsus alſo, & to hauehave receiued vsus into it as it were out of all the countries of the woorld, let vsus be heedefull to behaue our ſelues as it becommeth vsus, that we bee neuer caſt out of it, and to pray vntounto God with Dauid, Pſal. 23.6. and 27 4. that we maie continue in it al the time of our life, and that hee wil there entertaine vsus with his fauour, vntil that latter daie in which wee ſhal be carried vp on high, there to raigne with him eternally, 1. Theſſ. 4.17. Amen.
Almighty God, &c.