The Joy of the English Church for the Coronation of Pious Prince James, Meditations on psalm · Part · Meditation 5
The 5. meditation.
Let vsus goe, or, we will goe into the house of the Lord.] The people did encourage one another to goe vp to Gods house: whereby we are taught, that it is eueryevery mans part, to helpe forward his brother, and to stirre him vp vntounto the exercise of godlinesse.
1. Thus Isay prophesied of the last times: Many people shall say, come, and let vsus goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord, Isay, 5. 3. Saint Paul also mooueth the brethren one to comfort another, …. Thess. 4. 18. One to exhort and edifie another, 1. Thess. 5. 11. Neither yet, where Ieremie saith: in those daies, they shall teach no more eueryevery man his neighbour, and eueryevery man his brother, saying, know the Lord, Ierem. 31. 34. is this prophet contrarie to Esay: but this saying must be vnderstood comparatiuely; that in regard of the aboundance of knoweledge vnderunder Christ, there shall not be such neede of mutuall instruction, as was before vnderunder the lawe.
2. Thus Iacob encouraged his seruāts and whole familie, Clense your selues and change your garments, we will rise vp and goe to Bethel, and I will make an altar there vntounto God, Gen. 35. 2, 3. The shepheards vntounto whome the angels declared the glad tidings of the birth of Christ, said one to another: Let vsus goe vntounto Bethlem, and see this thing that is come to passe, Luk. 2. 15. Thus Andrew brought Peter, and Philip Nathaniel vntounto Christ, Ioh. 1. 41. 45.
3. Like as then, two are better then one, (as the Preacher saith) if they fall one will lift vp the other, &c. If two sleepe togither, they shall hauehave heate, Eccles. 4. 10. 15. So by the fellowship of brethren, and their mutuall exhortations, zeale is increased, and spirituall strength augmented. And as in the bodie one member helpeth another, and doe communicate their offices; so should we, beeing one bodie in Christ, seeke and procure the good one of another.
4. See we not the wicked howe they one prouoke another to mischeife, and entise vntounto euill? Come, we will lay waite for blood, &c. cast in thy lot among vsus, we will hauehave all one purse, Prou. 1. 11, 14. They do claspe togither as briers, Mich. 7. 4. Much more should Christians one stirre vp and prouoke another to goodnesse.
For this is the propertie of charitie, it seeketh not her owne things, 1. Cor. 13. 1. it desireth to impart, what gift soeuer it hath, to the good of many: as Bernard well noteth, vponupon the 134. Psalme: It is like to the pretious ointment vponupon the head, that runneth downe vponupon the beard, euen vponupon Aarōs beard, which went downe vponupon the border of his garments: Non remaneat in barba Aaron tota vnctio salutaris;Serm. 14. in Cantic. capiat sane prima, non sola, refundat & inferioribus membris, quod accepit ipsa desuper. Let not the wholesome annointing stay in Aarons beard, let it receiue it first, but not alone, but shed forth to the mē bers belowe, which it hath receiued from aboue.
5. By this doctrine then, the great negligence of people is reprooued, which suffer eueryevery one to walke his owne way: no man exhorteth, admonisheth one another: but like as, if thou shouldst see thy brother readie to fall into a pit, which he was not ware of, and forbearest to tell him, thou art accessarie to his danger: so saith Augustine, Praecipitat se quis in vitia sua, praedicat apud te malefacta sua, tu nosti mala esse & laudas, &c. Thou seest a man to run headlong vntounto sinne, … Psal. 49.he vaunteth of his wickednesse before thee, thou knowest he doeth euill, and yet doest not tell him: thou art guiltie of his perishing. The time was, while Poperie raigned, that Christians could not meete to conferre togither, one to exhort and admonish another without danger of their liues: as Iames Brewster, for hearing one Sweeting to read māy good things out of a booke: and because the said Sweeting, when Iames had said, The sonne of the liuing God helpe vsus,Fox p. 818. anno 1511. answered, Now almightie God so doe, were both condemned and burnt in Smithfield.
Ioannes de Cadurco, for bringing forth this sentence at a feast,Fox p. 897. Christ raigne in our hearts, and prosecuting it by Scriptures, was burned. ann. 1533.
Thomas Saupaulinus, because he rebuked one for swearing,Fox p. 904. was suspected for a Lutherane, and burned at Paris. ann. 1551.
This was the miserable thrall of Christs Church in those blind sottish daies; but now blessed be God, these 45. yeares it hath beene lawefull for Christians to vse godly conference,The 5. benefit, godly conferēc… and mutuall exhortation, and I trust this libertie shall contiuue still twice so many yeares, and I hope to the worlds ende. This benefit if it be not cheerefully vsed, it shall be the peoples fault, not want of Christian freedome and libertie therein. But it is no great maruell, that the common people neglect this mutuall dutie, seeing they which hauehave charge ouer others, as fathers ouer children, masters ouer seruants, do faile in this behalfe; the most part of these, leauing those whōe they are charged with to their owne election, and sway of their simple wit: Let these also knowe, that God will require their blood, which perish by their negligence, at their hands. Let them remember how seuerely Elie, otherwise a good man, was punished in himselfe and his posteritie, for his remisnesse toward his children, 1. Sam. 2. And so I conclude this place, with that golden sentence of Augustine: Adduc eos ad domum dei tecum▪ Epist. 70.qui sunt in domo tua t…cum, mater ecclesia aliquos à te petit, aliquos repetit, petit eos, quos apud te invenit, repetit eos, quos per te perdidit, acquirat solers quos non habuit, non plāgat, quos habuit: Bring those vntounto Gods house with thee, which thou hast in thine owne house with thee: the mother Church doeth craue some of thee, other shee doth challenge: shee craueth those which shee findeth with thee, shee challengeth those which shee hath lost by thee: let her get what shee had not, not grieue for that shee had. Wherefore masters, fathers, and gouernours should rather seeke by their godly care to winne those vntounto God, that belong vntounto them, then pull them by their negligence from God, for whome they are accomptable.