A Treasury of Similes, Part C · Part 164 – Part 167
Chriſt his goodneſſe conſidered, there was neuer any creature dealt ſo vnkindly with him, as man doth.
AS ſometimes it falleth out, that a Henne ſitteth vponupon Ducks egges, and with her diligent ſitting, and the heate of her body, ſhe doth hatch, and bring them forth: and when they be able to follow her, ſhe clucks them, and after her maner, as though they were her naturall Chickens, ſhe doth call them about her; but they being not of her, but the Ducks kinde, though by her they hauehave beene hatched, and of her hauehave receiued life, and though ſhee hath a continuall care to bring them vp, and to defend them from ſuch enemies as ſeeke to deuoure them, yet neuertheleſſe, they will follow and ſeeke after that wherevnto by nature they are inclined and giuen: when ſhee is ſcraping and ſcratching in the earth to finde them foode, they will be in the water, mire, or foule puddle, after their kinde; ſhe may cluck and walke alone, they will not keepe her companie, vnleſſe perhaps in ſome daunger, when the Kite is readie to catch them, for ſome ſuccour they will flie to her: howbeit at the length, when ſhe perceiueth them to be vnnatural and vnkinde to her, ſhe doth forſake them and giuegive them ouer: Euen ſo our ſweete Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus, hauing taken great pains for vsus, and hauing humbled himſelfe, euen in the loweſt degree of all humilitie that can be named; as in comming downe out of his fathers boſome, being moſt perfect, moſt holy, and omnipotent God, being eueryevery way equall, and in nothing interiour to his Father, to take our weake, fraile, and feeble nature vponupon him, and (ſinne excepted) to hauehave a perfect feeling of all our miſeries & infirmities; as weariſomnes of body, hunger and thirſt, and ſuch others: and beſides the induring of theſe, many yeres together, hauing ſuffered a moſt cruell death, and euen at his death vponupon the Croſſe, hauing taſted and taken a full cup of his Fathers furie and indignation, which was indeed filled and prepared for vsus, as a iuſt reward for our ſinnes, and ſhould hauehave beene our owne cup, and our owne portion, for euer and euer, had he not euen then taken and ſupt it vp, to cleare and to free vsus from it. Againe, after all theſe things, hauing ſtill continued his humilitie in ſuffering death, to keepe his bodie three dayes in the graue, and euen as it were to treade and trample vponupon him, and then manger death, hell, diuell, and Iewes, hauing riſen againe, and being aſcended, and gone vp to his Father, where now (vntill his comming againe, to iudge the quicke and the dead) he ſitteth at the right hand of maieſtie and power: He now ſpeaketh and calleth vntounto vsus; by his Prophets, Apoſtles, and Miniſters, and willeth vsus to remember, what caſe and eſtate we were …n, before he died, and ſuffered all theſe things for vsus; and he would hauehave vsus to know, to be ſure and neuer to forget, that if he had not ſuffered death here vponupon earth, as hee did, we ſhould neuer hauehave found any way or entrance into heauen: the celeſtiall ioyes, and pleaſures of the Lords ſaints, ſaluation, and eternall life, ſhould neuer hauehave be…onged vntounto vsus; wee ſhould hauehave had no more to do with them, then they that liue without faith, and die infidels: The horrors of hell, and the ſtinking lakes of vnſpeakable ſhame, confuſion, torments, endleſſe death, and damnation, ſhould hauehave beene our inheritance, lot, and perpetuall portion. Chriſt therfore doth daily put vsus in mind, that we be not our owne, but his, and that we bee the greateſt and deareſt purchaſe, that euer was made, in heauen or in earth; and that the like price and coſt was neuer beſtowed vponupon any creatures, as vponupon vsus. When the Angels, which were in heauen, in the preſence of their creator, did once offend they were hurled out, and caſt into hell; Chriſt would not beſtow vponupon them one pennie of all that great price, and rich raunſome, which he paied for vsus; he would not then become man, to ſhed one drop of bloud for them; but for our ſakes, hee ſpared not one drop, but ſhed all. The Hen, that himſelfe ſpeaketh of, was neuer ſo diligent and carefull, to gather her chickings vnderunder her wings, as he hath euer beene, moſt ready to ſhroude and to protect vsus, againſt all the enemies of our ſoules and bodies. Many mothers ſhal ſooner forget the children of their owne wombe, and vtterly forſake them, before Chriſt will forſake vsus; yea he will neuer forget, nor forſake vsus, vnleſſe we firſt forget, and forſake him. Now therefore wee being his, ſo dearely bought, and ſo truely paid for, hee calleth vponupon vsus eueryevery day, he clocketh vsus, and looketh for vsus, that we ſhould follow him, and treade in ſuch ſteps, as he hath appointed, & that we ſhould not range at randome, but keepe our ſelues within the hearing of his voice, and our liues within the limits of obedience vntounto the ſame: theſe things he looketh for at our hands. But we deale with this moſt kind, moſt louing, and moſt mercifull redeemer, and Sauiour of our ſoules & bodies, euen ſo as the vnnatural & vnkind Ducks deale with the Hen, of whom they hauehave receiued life; they regard not her clucking, neither we Chriſts calling: when ſhee is ſeeking and prouiding for them, on the faire, drie, and wholeſome earth, they will bee in ſome foule water, filthie mire, or ſtinking puddle: And when the Lord Ieſus calleth vsus to integritie of life, to doo the thing that is iuſt and right in his owne eye, and to ſpeake the truth, according to the knowledge of our hearts, then will wee with greedineſſe, pollute our ſoules and bodies with al wickednes, and things that be abominable: then will we oppreſſe our brethren, not caring who ſinke, if our ſelues ſwimme; then will we not ſticke to ſpeake lies, euen to Gods owne face: And when the Lord calleth, and ſendeth vsus to ſeeke heauenly things, wee preſently returne to the foule puds of the world, carnal delights, and vaine, yea vile pleaſures: So that, wee euer take the contrarie way, to that which Chriſt commaundeth. Chriſt calleth for our harts, to hauehave them in truth and ſinceritie, with all diligence to attend vponupon his pleaſure, and to waite on his will; he would hauehave vsus, not in part, but wholly to giuegive them vntounto him, and without the heart, hee will receiue, and take in good part, at our hands and lips, nothing. But wee on the other ſide, giuegive nothing leſſe to God, then our hearts. There is nothing that may and cannot commaund our hearts, & hauehave them at pleaſure, ſooner then Chriſt Ieſus, who with the death of his own heart, gaue life to our bodies and ſoules. If the world doo but a little ſmile vponupon vsus, and giuegive vsus but an alluring looke, and a faire word, wee will by and by follow it, and beſtow vponupon it all our attendance. If the diuell himſelfe can make vsus belieue, that wee ſhall either hauehave profite, or pleaſure by dooing his will, our hearts, minds, wils, & al, are readier for him, then for Ieſus Chriſt. O matchleſſe, yea monſtrous madneſſe! they that ſeeke our deſtruction, can ſooner with a pleaſant looke, then Chriſt with the giuing of his life for vsus, hauehave vsus at commandement. Chriſt would hauehave vsus to mortifie our earthly members, as fornication, vncleanneſſe, inordinate affections, euill concupiſence, and couetouſneſſe, which is Idolatrie: But alas, we nouriſh, pamper and cheriſh all theſe. The Lord would hauehave our conuerſation in heauen, but we are altogether carnally and earthly minded. The Lord would hauehave our feete to ſtand within the gates of Ieruſalem, but we louelove rather to bee trampling the ſtreetes of Egypt, Babylon, and Sodom. The holy Ghoſt would hauehave vsus to fight a good fight, to finiſh our courſe after the will of God, and to keepe the faith, not onelyonly in words, but alſo in life and deedes: Indeed wee are apt and ready to fight and ſtriue for worldly promotion, honour, dignitie, reuenues, and riches; but for heauen, and heauenly things we will neuer ſtriue, take no paines, nor once trouble our ſelues, wee will hauehave it with eaſe, and all manner of pleaſures, or elſe not at all, farwell it. The courſes we take here in this life, are very bad; and the end (vnleſſe we repent) is like to be worſt of all: And whiles we hauehave no care to keepe good conſciences, it is vnpoſſible for vsus to keepe faith. If Chriſt and Sathan ſhould ſtand before vsus, the one pointing vsus to heauen, and eternall felicitie, but the way to it, full of troubles, griefes and ſorrowes: the other pointing to hell, but the way to it, full of delicates, pleaſures, and daintie delights; and let God call, and the diuell call, yet the diuell (it is to be feared) is like to hauehave the greater number to follow him, for thoſe ſhort pleaſures: & Chriſt but a few to follow him, becauſe they muſt go loadē with Croſſes and afflictions; dayly experience doth teach vsus no leſſe, ſeeing all our actions are carnall, and hauehave onelyonly but little outward ſhew, and no taſte at all of true godlineſſe, nor ſo much as any relliſh of the ſpirit, and louelove of Chri… Some will abſtaine from the committing of any groſſe ſinnes, now and then, and yet not that, in any true and ſincere louelove to God, but either for feare of ſhame and puniſhment in this world, or elſe feare of vengeance, in the world to come; which both are vnprofitable: for the Lord hath no pleaſure in forced ſeruice, hee will hauehave it voluntarie, with the heart, and proceeding of louelove, not of a ſeruile feare, otherwiſe it ſhall bee numbred with the reſt of our ſinnes. This doth greatly condemne vsus, that though we doo not ſuch things our ſelues, yet wee can without trouble of conſcience, griefe of heart, or vexation of mind, ſee and heare the Lords name blaſphemed, his Sabboth vnhalowed, Idolatrie committed, parents diſhonored; whoredome, theft, murder, and Couetouſneſſe, commonly vſed; and all the lawes of God vtterly contemned; and it ſhall neuer offend the greateſt number, ſo much as a thorne in a foote, or a blaine or puſh vppon a finger. This vndoubtedly is euen to forſake God in the plaine field, and to be afraid to ſerue him in truth and ſinceritie, leaſt we ſhould therby purchaſe mans diſpleaſure: vnleſſe therefore wee learne to ſerue him better, in more truth, with greater zeale in ſinglenes of heart, we hauehave nothing elſe to looke for, but that he will forſake vsus, both in this world, leauing vsus deſtitute of his aſſiſtance, that our enemies may pray vponupon vsus; and alſo in the world to come, in giuing out againſt vsus, his malediction, curſe, woe, and ſentence of death. Math. 25.37. Pſal. 15.2. Pro. 23.26. Col. 3.5. Phil. 3.20. Pſal. 122.2. 2. Tim. 4.5.6.7. Math. 25.41.
Breakers of the fourth Commaundement.
1 AS thoſe parents that bring not their ſonnes & daughters, (being of yeares of diſcretion) on the Sabboth day to the Church, to be partakers of the holy exerciſes, as preaching, prayer, Catechiſing and Sacraments, do tranſgreſſe this Commaundement: So in like manner, thoſe pa…ents greatly offend heerein, that bring their yong children to the Church on the Sabboth dayes, who either by their crying or running vp and downe the Church, doo both trouble themſelues, the Miniſter, and the people, that the word preached, & the prayers vttered, cānot with reuerence be ſo well heard, as otherwiſe they might. And no leſſe do they offend herein, that bring their Hawkes, Hounds or Dogs, to diſquiet the Congregation.
2 As Magiſtrates, Schoolemaiſters, as alſo all Artificers, and Handicrafts men, ought to abſtaine from their Offices and callings on the Sabboth day, becauſe they are impediments to hinder their zeale and attentiueneſſe, that they ought to giuegive to God in his worſhip and ſeruice that day: So contrariwiſe, if God will not hauehave them exerciſe their vocations and trades, being lawfull and neceſſarie, then much more he will not hauehave them exerciſed in vnlawfull and vnneceſſarie works, as in gayming, dycing, daunſing, carding, drinking, rioting, & other vanities of this world, whereby they are not onelyonly drawne from the company of the holy Congregation, but alſo doo thereby defile their bodyes, which they ought rather to ſanctifie and keepe holy.
Chriſt commeth of the Father.
AS the Sunne remaineth the ſame, and is not leſſened by the beames which it ſpreadeth abroad: So neither is the ſubſtance of the Father leſſened or changed, though he hauehave the Sonne, an Image of himſelfe.
Christ not to be denied in perſecution.
AS the Serpent when he ſeeth he ſhall come into mans hands, defendeth his head, either by gathering himſelfe into a circle, or thruſting his head into a hole, leauing the other parts open to the wounds: So likewiſe we muſt do in time of perſecution, euen keepe Chriſt our head from wounds, howſoeuer our bodies ſuffer.