The True Evangelical Temper, Sermon 2

The True Evangelical Temper · Sermon 2

p. 87THE TRUE EUANGELICAL TEMPER. The second Sermon.

ESAY 11.6, 7, 8.

The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid, &c.

IN the former Sermon, was onelyonly prosecuted the first of those three parts, into which the Text was divided, p. 88which was the pursuit and hunting of the seven nocent, and harmefull creatures; wherein (in some sense) wee may be termed with Nimrod, mighty hunters before the Lord, so to dare to hold a Wolfe by the eares, to wash a Leopards spots, to take a Lions whelp by the beard, a Beare by the tooth, a Lion by the paw, an Adder by the sting, and to crush the eggs of a Cockatrice.

The second part of the Text, now to be handled, are the parties innocent, and injuried, which are enumerated to be seven also, that so the one might hold proportion in p. 89number, with the other; and of these seven creatures, sixe of them are beasts, as well as the former; but then they are not Evill beasts, as before was quoted out of Tit. 1.12. they are such beasts as are in league with man, Iob 5.23. they are such beasts as while the Law was up, (illius aram, &c.) furnished Gods Altar with Sacrifices, and now under the Gospell, our tables with meate. Lastly, they are such beasts, as are emblemes and hieroglyphicks of Christian vertues, and graces, and whereunto man may bee set to schoole, to learne charity and civility, and p. 90meekenesse, and patience, and innocency, and obedience, and peace, and the like.

I will doe, as God did unto Adam, Gen. 2.19. bring them unto you: not (as he there) to consider their names, but their natures.

The first is the Lambe, a most meeke, and harmlesse creature; therefore the phrase of the Old Testament is, a Lambe without blemish, Exod. 12.5. and of the New Testamēt, an immaculate Lamb, 1 Pet. 1.19. A Lambe was the type of Christ, under the Law: So was the Paschall Lambe, and the other offertory Lambes p. 91too; but Christ himselfe under the Gospell; Behold the Lamb of God, was said of him, Iohn 1.29. So were all the Apostles of Christ, Lambes too, Behold I send you forth, as Lambes among Wolves, Luke 10.3. and not they onelyonly, but all the servants of Christ, unto the end of the end of the world, are Lambs; feed my Sheep, feed my Lambs, Ioh. 21.15.

The second is the Kid, a most innocent creature also, second to none but the Lambe, therefore was there a positive Law, with the Jewes, both given Exod. 23. and 34. and repeated, Deut. 14. not to seeth the Kid in the mothers p. 92milke. Not that there was any direct, or formall sin, in that manner of Cookery, but that, and such like injunctions are called aaSepes Legi….hedges of the Law, to traine up the mind of man from fiercenesse, and cruelty, and to accustome it to meekness, and gentlenesse. As also, because it was a creature that did no cruelty, therefore it should suffer non…. A Kid is a creature, acceptable to God for Sacrifice; the Paschall Kid was as allowable, as the Paschall Lamb, You shall take it either from the Sheep, or from the Goats, Exod. 12.5. acceptable to Angels for a present, being both Gideons p. 93present, Iudg. 6.19. and Manoahs, Iudg. 13.19. acceptable to man for meate, which was the ground of the thrifty sons complaint, Thou never gavest me a Kid, to entertaine my friends, Luke 15.28. Lastly, so acceptable to Tamar, that for a Kid she sold her honor, and honesty too, unto Iudah her Father in Law, Gen. 39. a Kid with Tamar went as far, as mandrakes with Rachel.

The third is the Calfe; a dish for three Angels at once, Gen. 18.7. He ran to the herd, and fetched a Calfe tender and good. Nay, even to entertaine God, in Sacrifices, By the p. 94blood of Goates, and Calves, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.12. Yea in our spirituall sacrifices, he requires Vitulos labiorum, The calves of the lips, Hos. 14.3. to entertaine God? Yea sufficient to be a God, some have thought. Ieroboam made two golden Calves, 1 King. 12.28. Yea, Aaron the man of God did it, Exod. 32.4. made a molten Calfe.

The fourth is the Fatling. S. Hierome, in translating the bbforeignHebrew word, renders it ccOvis.The Sheepe; the Seventy Translators of King Ptolomy render it ddforeign.the Bull; the interlineary Bible of Aria… Montanus eePecus pingue.concurres p. 95with our best, and latest English Translation of K. Iames; it followes well the Calfe, (the third of these) for they are put together, both ffVituli saginati.Ier. 46. and Luke 15. thrice in that Chapter mention is made of the fat Calfe. Whereby, in a faire parabolicall interpretation, is meant no lesse, no worse a thing, then Christ himselfe. The indulgent Father there represents God; the elder and thrifty brother, the Jew; the younger and prodigall, the Gentile; the Fatling killed to entertaine him, Christ slain, and crucified; the melody, the whole Chore of Heaven, and heavenly-minded p. 96men, rejoycing at the conversion of a sinner.

The fifth is the Cow, an holy, and usefull creature too; holy to God, in Sacrifices; ggCineres rufae vaccae.The ashes of a red Cow you have, Num. 19. of which the Apostle makes mention, Heb. 9. Vsefull also, and profitable unto man; it is part of the description of a lucky, and prosperous man, that his Cow calveth, Iob 21.10. and, in that grand, and noone-day Prophecy of Christ, which is in the seventh of Esay, it is said, A man shall nourish a young Cow, Esay 7.21.Isa 7:21&c. and for the abundance of milke thereof shall eate butter.

p. 97The sixt is the Oxe, so as now I have hhforeign. Bos in lingua. vide Eras. Chil.an Oxe upon my tongue, as the Greeke proverb hath it, though in another sense. And the Oxe is, as the former, another brave piece of the Creation. Indeed there is, in Moses his Law, an Oxe to bee stoned to death, and his flesh not to bee eaten, Exod. 21. but that was Bos▪ cornupeta, a pushing Oxe; and Iob 6. there is Bos mugiens, a lowing Oxe, but that is onelyonly when hee wants fodder. Otherwise, the Oxe is first, a wise creature; hee knows his owner, Esay 1.3. Secondly, a profitable creature; hee treadeth out p. 98the Corne, 1 Cor. 9.9. Where no Oxen are, the crib is cleane, but much increase is by the strength of the Oxe, Prov. 14.4. and this excellency is peculiar to the Oxe, that iiBos lassus fortiùs figit pedem.the more weary he is, the more strong doth he fixe his footings. Lastly, he is an holy creature, being one of the beasts for oblation, and sacrifice, he that sacrificeth an Oxe, &c. Esay 66.3.

The seventh and last of these innocent creatures, is an innocent indeed, a Child, the true, and most perfect embleme of innocency, and humility. And this last of the seven, is most elegantly set forth in a gradation of three p. 99steps. First a Child, in indefinite termes, but implyed to be more then an Infant; for it can goe, yea it can leade, a little Child, saith the text, shall lead them; and if it were no more then so, even that were a faire copy of meekenesse and innocency. Our Saviour else wrote worse Hieroglyphicks then Pierius, who both Matth. cap. 18. & 19. sets up little children as looking-glasses of grace to dresse our selves in: and S. Paul else missed the rule as farre as our Saviour the example, when 1 Cor. 14.20. he bids us in malice to bee children. Secondly, kkAblactatus.A weaned p. 100Child, and that is a more perfect copy then the other. Therefore David expressing his lowlinesse, Psal. 131. saith, My soule is even as a weaned Child. Thirdly, iiLacte…s.a sucking Child, the most perfect, and absolute copy of all, nothing in the world being so innocent, and meeke, as the Child, which hangeth yet upon the Mothers brest, Psal. 22.9.

I have gone through all these seven severall Prototypes, and copies of goodnesse, meeknesse, gentlenesse, patience, innocency, and the rest of graces which are of the same lineage and affinity. Enumerate them now only p. 101by their bare names, and no more: the Lamb, the Kid, the Calfe, the Fatling, the Cow, the Oxe, the Child. And now this second part of the text is also ripe, to gather that observation, or conclusion, which most naturally buddeth out of it. It is white unto the harvest. The Mower (that is, the Preacher) may fill his hand, and he that bindeth up the sheafes (that is, the Auditor) his bosome. And it is this;

Religion charactereth it selfe upon the regenerate soule in innocency, Conclusion.and patience, &c.

p. 102Or thus:

The doctrine of the Gospell, sincerely obeyed, first Christianizeth men, and then civilizeth them.

Or thus:

Grace of Regeneration, as it gets ground, and wi… upon the soule, doth exp… and thrust out, fierce and brutall passions, and introduceth gracious habits of sweetnesse, peace and love.

Or thus:

Sanctification trulie wrought in the heart layeth aside the rapacity of the Wolfe, the spots of the Leopard, the lurking of the Lions whelp, the cruelty of the Beare, the roaring of the Lion, the poyson and calumny of the Aspe, the sting p. 103of the Cockatrice; and on the contrary, it degrees into the soule the immaculatenesse of the Lambe, the innocency of the Kid, the humility of the Calfe, the nutriment and sustentation of the fatling, the milkie fruitfulnesse of the Cow, the labour, and profitablenesse of the Oxe, the lowlinesse of the Child.

I will make choyce to enlarge, and spread forth this point, by way of fact, choosing the fairest examples out of divine, and ecclesiasticall story, that so it may hold better measure with the method of the former.

p. 104And out of the Old Testament, I will take onelyonly two instances, of Abel, and Zacharias, the first, and last of its Martyrs. How innocent a Lambe Abel was, and how cruell a Wolfe his brother Caine was, heare Saint Iohn speake, 1 Epist. 3. chap. 12. verse. Caine was of that wicked one, and slew his brother: and wherefore slew he him? because his owne works were evill, and his brothers righteous. And for the other, Zacharias, how meeke a Lambe was hee, who when hee was stoned to death, said no more but this,2 Chron. 24.22.2 Chr 24:22 The Lord will looke upon it, and require it.

p. 105But the new Testament is our proper scene; where begin with the Ramme, & hee-Goat of the flock, the high-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was the true spotlesse Lambe indeed. He may also be resembled to each one of the seven inimicitious beasts, but in another sense: As first he was a Wolf, for he was his Fathers Benjamin, being his naturall and begotten son, worth ten thousand of us, who are onelyonly his adopted sons; and Benjamin is a Wolfe, Gen. 49.

Secondly, he was a spotted Leopard, but it was with our sins, when p. 106he bore the iniquity of us all.

Thirdly, hee was rightly a Lyons whelp. Iudah, our Lords own tribe, is so termed in his Fathers legacy, Gen. 49.9.

Fourthly, hee was a Beare too, but it was when he roared like a Beare, Esay 59.11. that is, Cryed out with strong cries and tears, saith the Apostle to the Hebrews.

Fiftly, he was a Lyon, but it was to victorize for us, not to prey upon us: so he was the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah.

Lastly, he was an Adder, or Serpent, but it was the Serpent lift up upon the Crosse.

p. 107But now he is all these innocuous and harmlesse creatures, Sensu currenti, even in the purport and acception that they stand here. As,

First a Lamb; not streaked, like Iacobs Lambs, but an immaculate Lambe, saith S. Peter.

Secondly, a Kid, broyled on the coales of his Fathers wrath, boyled in his Mothers milk, [Blessed are the paps, &c.] A Goat; the scape Goat that carried our sins into the Wildernesse, out of his Fathers sight.

Thirdly, a Calfe, slain to entertain the prodigall Gentile, home to his Faher… house, Luke 15.

p. 108Fourthly, a Fatling, or a Sheep; so mmforeignS. Hierome translates the word,Ovis. S. Hieron. and then Christ is rightly so termed, As the sheep dumb before the Shearer: the Text the Eunuch light on out of Esay, Acts 8.32. and the very word and name JESUS anagrammatizeth into nnforeign.Thou art a Sheep.

Fiftly, a Cow, the red Cow under the law; not the type, but the antitype, Heb. 9.13.

Sixtly, an Oxe, but according to Solomons phrase, Prov. 7.22. As Oxe to the slaughter.

Lastly, a Child, under that terme the prophecy presents us to him, Esay p. 1097.16. and in the Acts, Chap. 4.27. he is called The holy child Iesus; Yea even the Devils and Oracles knew him by this title; for when Augustus Caesar was at the cost of an Hecatomb at Delphos, to know who should succeed him in the Empire, the Oracle at last answered, An Hebrew boy, &c. whereupon presently he returned to Rome, and built an Altar in the Capitol, which he called ooAra primog…niti D…i. Suidas in vita Augusti. Niceph. l. 1. c. 17.The Altar of Gods first born son.

Next after our guide-starre, let us bring on the stage the foure Euangelists, the ppQua…uor tubae. Aug.foure trumpets of God, to blow abroad p. 108duplicate page p. 109duplicate page p. 110the gratefull fame of a Saviour, the qqQuatuor quadrigae. Calvin.foure Steeds or Palfries to carry the Son of righteousnesse about the world, and see if they also were not Lambs, &c.

S. Matthew, at first a greedy Wolfe, a tolling Publicane, but after his calling, Sequela, a following Calfe, in leaving all, and following Christ; a fruitfull Cow, in feeding the Church with the milk of his Gospel, which he wrote in rrVide Baron. in Martyrol. Roman. ad Sept. 21.Hebrew; A laborious Oxe, in his ssEuseb. Hist l 3. c. 1. Socrat. l. 3. c. 15.Apostleship to the Ethiopians; And lastly, a Lamb, a Sheep of the slaughter in his ttIn Aethi…pia praedicans Martyrium passus est. Mart. Rom.Martyrdome.

S. Mark, the epitomizer p. 111of S. Matthew, after he had played the fat Calfe in feeding the Church, the Cow in nourishing it with the sincere milk of the word, the Oxe in treading out the corne of the bread of life, first by writing his Gospel at the request of the brethren at Rome, and then by going into Egypt, and being the first that constituted a Church in Alexandria; he lastly was a slaughter-Lamb also, for being bound with cords, hurryed through sharp stones, and grievously afflicted, he in the end suffered Martyrdome uuVide Bedam. Euseb. hist. l. 2. c. 14, 15. & lib. 3. c. ult. Hieron. de Scriptor. Eccl. Niceph. hist. l. 2. c. 43. Lippom. Tom. 7. & Sur. Tom. 2. &c., in the eight yeare of Neroes raigne.

p. 112S. Luke the beloved Physitian, an Oxe indeed, and so the Painters draw him with an Oxe by him, for he did write so wwforeign.in order of all both that Iesus did or taught; that he did xxMugire Euangelium per totum orbem.mow and low the Gospel abroad over all the world, as Albertus Magnus spoke of Aquinas, who for his naturall silence and taciturnity was called bos mutus, a dumbe Oxe; and after with two hornes he had gored all unbeleevers, with his Gospel, and with his Acts of the Apostles, the Annalls of the Primitive Church, and had also been a plain itinerant in Preaching the Gospel yyEpiphan. haeres. 51.in p. 113France, Italy, Dalmatia, and Macedonia; he zzMulta passus pr… Christi nomine. Rom. Martyrol.suffered many things for the name of Christ, & aaNazian. in Orat. 1. cont. Julian. Niceph. l. 2. c. 43. Pauli…us Nolanus ad Severum, Epist. 12.dyed a holy Martyr, although some doubt thereof bbVid. Baron. in Rom. Mar. ad Octob. 18..

S. Iohn, lastly, having written his Eagle sighted Gospel, and towred aloft into the highest mysteries of Divinity, seene and written his Divine Revelations, founded and governed all the Churches of Asia, suffered casting into a hot Caldron of oyle, banishment into Pathmos, and was a Martyr in will, though not in deed, being spent with old age, died in his second childhood at Ephesus, preaching love and charity, p. 114threescore and eight yeares after the passion of his Lord, and Master ccVide Hieron. in Scrip. Eccl. & Baron. ad Decem. 27. Rom. Martyr.: And thus much of the foure Euangelists.

And next unto them, let us behold the Apostles of Christ, and see whether they also were not sent forth as sheep among Wolves; whether in their lives they were not innocent as sucking children, and in their deaths, As the sheepe before the Shearer? Before the Shearer? Nay that was not all, to be shorn onelyonly, they were oves occisionis withall, sheepe for the slaughter: they light of such Wolves as did not tondere, but deglubere, not p. 115fleece them onelyonly, but devoure them also.

Begin with S. Peter, the great Apostle of the circumcision, who after he had streamed downe upon the Church such abundance of sincere milk, as himselfe styleth it, and that at two breasts, his two most Catholike, most orthodoxe, most inspired Epistles, and Euangelized abundantly with his tongue in preaching the Gospel, as well as with his hand in writing; he lastly was crucified under Nero, as his Master was, but after a diverse forme, with his head downward, just like a Sheep upon p. 116the Cambrell ddVid. Baron. Annal Rom. Mar. Heg…sip. juniorem de excidio Hicros. lib. 3. c. 2. Acta passionis, quae seruntur Lini nomine..

S. Andrew the Apostle also, though he have added nothing to the Canon of Scripture, yet much increase came to the Church by the labour of this Oxe; for he preached the Gospel in many Countries, in Thracia, Scythia, Achaia, went over Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bythinia, unto the Euxine Sea, &c. and having finished his course, he was lastly, apprehended by Aegeas the Proconsull, shut up in Prison, grievously whipped and beaten, crucified upon an Olive tree, where he hung two dayes Euangelizing to the people eeVid. Notat. Baron. ad Nov. 30. Rom. Mart..

p. 117S. Philip, ffNiceph. hist. l. 2. c. 39. Lipom. To. 6 Surius Tom. 3. Martyr. Roman. ad Maii 1.after he had converted almost all Scythia to the faith of Christ, at Hierapolis, a City of Asia, was fastened to the Crosse, and stoned to death, treading the steps both of his Master, and of Stephen the Protomartyr.

S. Iames ggEuseb. l. 2. c. 22. Josephus Antiqu. l. 20. c. 8. Origen. lib. 1. contra Celsum. Martyr. Rom. ad Maii 1.called Iames the lesse, and Iames the just, and Iames the brother of our Lord, and first Bishop of Jerusalem, was knockt in the head like an Oxe, or Calfe, after he had been thrown down from a Pinacle of the Temple, and his thigh broke.

S. Iames hhMartyrolog. Rom. ad 25. Julii.the brother of S. Iohn the Euangelist, p. 118was about the feast of Easter beheaded of Herod Agrippa.

S. Bartholomew iiMartyrol. Rom. ad 25. August, first as a good sheep gave his fleece and milk, by diligent divulging the Doctrine of the Kingdome, and then his skin also, like another Zisca, the Bohemian Captain, for he was excoriated, and flead, his skin pulled over his eares alive.

S. Thomas, kkVid. cundem Authorem cum annot. Baronii ad Decemb. 21.called the Apostle of India, having blown the trumpet of the Gospel to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcans, and Brachmans, and lastly comming into India, after he had there also thrust in the tender p. 119plants of Christian Religion, was by the Kings command, thrust through with darts.

Iudas Thaddeus, llVid. eundem librum ad Octob. 28.after he had, like an Oxe strong to labour, ploughed up the fallow grounds of Judea, Galile, Samaria, Idumea, Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia, and had thrown in the seed of the Gospel, died one of the glorious witnesses of Jesus Christ; some say slaine by the Idolatrous Priests.

Simon the Canaanite mmIdem ibidem.fellow-Martyr, as well as fellow-Apostle with Thaddeus, after he had brought the glad tidings of salvation into India, p. 120and entred Persia, together with Thaddeus, having by their joynt endeavours brought an innumerable company of soules, to subject their necks to the yoak of Christ, both together received the crowne of Martyrdome.

Matthias, nnIdem ad Feb. 24.elected into the roome of Iudas Iscariot, having promulgated the Gospel in Judea, and Ethiopia, was served like the rest, Martyred by the Axe or Hatchet.

Lastly, S. Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles, ooIdem ad Junii 29.after manifold labours, in taking upon him the care of all Churches, and p. 121both by preaching, and writing, giving so much milk, that he may be resembled to the Cow, in the seventh of Esay, which was so fruitfull at the Paile, that for the abundance of milk she did give, the owner might eate butter. Hee, I say, though he scaped Neroes hands, the first time of appearance before him; yet the second time, he was devoured of the Lyon.

Thus we have seene not one of the foure Euangelists, not one Apostle, (Saint Iohns miraculous deliverance onelyonly excepted) went to their graves, Sicca morte, with p. 122a dry winding-sheet. All of them were Lambs, Kiddes, Calves, Fatlings, Cowes, Oxen, Babes, in their fruitfull, and innocent lives, in their patient and silent deaths.

But we must not here breake off; let us continue on the story down lower still, from the Apostles, and Euangelists, unto their Disciples, and Scholars, and there we shall see the very same, that they were Lambs, both in their lives, and in their deaths.

1. In their lives.

Heare first the Apostles evidence, Heb. 11. p. 123w^ch though there spoken of the Fathers of the Old Testament, yet most applicable to the primitive Saints of the New: Thorough faith they subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of the fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakenesse were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life againe, others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better resurrection. And others had tryall of cruell mockings, and scourgings; p. 124yea moreover of bonds, and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawne asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword, they wandered about in sheepe skins and goate skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy, &c.

Next, let Plinius Secundus, Vice-roy to Trajan, under the third Persecution, witnesse: who in his Epistles yet extant certifies his Lord about the blamelesse behaviour of Christians, and how they did but sing kkAntelucanos Hymn…s.Psalms and Hymnes, before the dawnings of the day, &c.

p. 125And here againe takes place fitly the Certificate of Graninianus, the Emperour Adrian his Proconsull in Asia, that the Christians were persecuted and killed, iiSine ullo crimine, nomini…tan…ū, et sectae rei.without any fault at all, being guilty onelyonly of a name, and sect.

Lastly, Consult Baronius, especially in his second Tome, touching the manners of the ancient Primitive Christians, and there you shall find, ex scriniis, most honourable verdicts, & testimonies of their lamb-like, child-like integrity; not onelyonly from their friends, as Origen against Celsus, Tertullian to Scapula, &c. but even p. 126their enemies being Judges, such as Porphyrie, Iulian, the Sibylls, the Oracles, &c. That they were temperate, chast, peaceable, farre more vertuous livers then the Philosophers of the Gentiles; That they would not lye, that they abhorred Theaters, and publique spectacles, especially of blood; that they were kind, liberall, mercifull, especially to such as were in bonds for Christ; that they were faithfull subjects, valiant Souldiers, profitable Cō monwealths men, thankful in prosperity, cheerefull in adversity. These and such like are by the most faithfull Writers of p. 127the story of those times, given in, to be the guise of those worthy Saints. But I shall shame our selves in recounting their just praises. Their Panegyrick is our Libell, their Encomium our Invective, and Satyre. Our conversations compared to theirs, are but as foyles to set off the lustre of those militant glories.

2. In and at their deaths.

What meeke Lambs, and innocent Babes there too! wee cannot say of them as Samuel to Saul, mm1 Sam. 15.14.1 Sam 15:14What meaneth this bleating of Sheepe, and lowing of Oxen? No; the Saints in their most unjust sufferings, and undeserved p. 128deaths have not beene bleating sheepe, but dumb Lambs, Esay 53.7. not lowing Oxen, but m…e Oxen, as Aquinas before mentioned. When nnFrench History.Marshall Biron will dye like a mad man, and Parry like a ooCambd. Elizab.braggard; then shall Gods sheepe lye dumbe before the shearer; They shall keepe silence in that day, because it is an evill day. Come then, let us draw neere them, and sit downe on the ground beside them, in the day of their sorrow, as Iobs three friends, and we shall not heare them charge God foolishly, though their griefe be very great. Yea, goe neerer, and draw the p. 129Curtaines of their death-beds, and heare them exspiring, and breathing out their last breath with a perfumed Comfite, or a Sugar-plumbe in their mouth, that is, ppforeign.with a word of piety, (as Nazianzene testifieth S. Basil did) both to sweeten the sorrowes of death to themselves, and to minister grace unto the hearers.

And first I must needs begin with Ignatius, the most blessed Bishop of Antiochia, full sixteene hundred yeeres agoe, within five, and S. Peters qqChrys. hom. de transl. S. Ign.immediate Successor in that Chaire, when he was throwne to the Beasts, said no more then thus. p. 130I am Gods graine and must be ground betweene the upper, and nether milstone of these beasts teeth, that I may make pure bread unto God. Loe, if his soule were not even as a weaned child; and indeed, rrNiceph. Hist. l. 2. c. 3.some say he was that very child that Jesus tooke up in his armes, in the Gospel. The example doth so suite the Text, that I could not pretermit it here, though it be mentioned ssSee the first Sermon.before: neither is it coleworts twice sod.

Next him, let us make mention of Polycarpus, Bishop of Smirna, and some say that Individuall Angel of the Church of Smirna, whereunto the p. 131second of those seven Asiatique Epistles are written. Hee was disciple to S. Iohn, and Master to Ireneus, and in a word, a man so venerable amongst both the Christians, and Heathen, that his ordinary style was, The Doctor of whole Asia. He when the cursed Proconsull tempted him to deny Christ, and hee should save his life, answered meekely as a Lamb, I have served Christ these fourescore and six yeares, and hee never harmed me, and shall I now deny, ttforeign. Euseb. His. l. 4. c. 14.and blaspheme my King, and Saviour?

Cyprian Bishop of Carthage may well bee remembred next, who was p. 132of noble descent, and both Oratour, and Senatour of Carthage, before he was by publique applause uuPontus his owne Deacon wrote his History, and is prefixed before his Workes by Pamelius.elected Bishop, hee suffered banishment, and the next yeare martyrdome about 260. years after Christ: when hee came to the block, hee gave his heads-man 20. pieces of Gold, and dyed also meeke as a Lamb or Kid, with these words in his mouth, God be thanked for vouchsafing my soule this Gaole-delivery out of the dungeon of my body.

S. Ambrose Bishop of Millane, dyed in Millane on Easter eve, in the yeare of Christ 397. Count Stilico made suite unto p. 133him, when hee was fastened to his bed, that for the publique good of the Church, he would seeke by his prayers to obtaine of God, the prolongation of his owne life. S. Ambrose answered, I have not so lived amongst you, that I am ashamed to live longer; neither doe I feare to dye, because I have a good Lord. Did hee not herein, though he were the great Shepheard of Millane, speake like a Lamb? wwSpondanus epist. Baron. annal.a speech onelyonly worthy of S. Ambrose, and so gnomicall and waighty, that xxPossidius in vita D. Augustin. c. 27.S. Augustin highly commends it. But let us come now a great deale lower, in tract of time.

p. 134Queene Elizabeth of famous memory, who, like another Deborah, judged this Israel forty yeares, and that so happilie, that even yyIo. de Seres, in his French Inventory.the French Historian saith, shee proved thereby to the world that a Woman might governe as well as any man: when in her Sisters quinquennium, shee was one day apprehended, to bee carryed shee knew not whither, seeing some of her servants standing aloofe off, shee said no more, but these two words, tanquam ovis, alluding to Isaiahs Prophesie of Christ, As a sheepe to the sl…ghter, &c.

p. 135Iohn Picus, zzJo. Picus ex Mirandulae principum generenatus, secretarum naturae rerum cupidus explora…or, consummatus simul Philosophus & Theologus adhuc imberbis, &c.Earle of Mirandula, a most diligent searcher into the secrets of nature, and an exact both Philosopher, and Divine, before he was capable of transgressing Moses his Law, in cutting the tuffes of his beard; in a word, The wit of the world: If Christs death, and our own, said he, were ever in our eyes, how could we sin? welcome death, not as an end of trouble, but as an end of sin.

Ferdinand Earle of Darby, who died in Queen Elizabeths dayes, having at his death foure Physitians, and two Divines, the Bishop of Chester, and M^r. Leigh his own Chaplaine, p. 136said to one of his Physitians the day before he died, aaStowes Chronicle in Q. Elizabeth.I know for a certainty, I must now die, and I will take away with me only one part of mine armes, I meane mine Eagles wings, so will I flee swiftly into the bosome of Christ my Saviour. Nobly and Christianly spoken indeed! and therefore the more noble because the more Christian-like.

The bbforeign. Jo. Brosserius de Juello.Jewell of Bishops, Iuell Bishop of Sarisbury, riding to preach at Lacock in Wilts, a gentleman meeting him on the way, and seeing his body weak, and spent with divine labours, advised p. 137him to return back again, replied, Nay, ccD. Humphred. in vita Juelli.it becomes a Bishop to die preaching; alluding to that brave speech of the Emperour Vespasian ddXiphil. in vit. Vespas., It becomes an Emperour to die standing. There was a brave Oxe, that would tread out the corn, till he fell downe in the yoak. Where such Oxen are, the crib cannot be empty.

Lastly, I will make up the Decade with a meaner person, but neither meane in knowledge, nor grace, Elizabeth Folks, who alluding to the Text, 1 Cor. 13. last verse, when her soule was ready to take flight out of her body, concluded her mortality p. 138with these words, Now farewell faith, farewell hope, and welcome charity. and it is so aculeate, and excellent, that I finde it eeMelchior Adam in vit. Theol. German. foreign.made up into a Greek distich, and cut upon the grave-stone of Doctor Boraius, professor of Divinity there, and is now to be read in the Church at Basil.

If any desire any more of these ffMucrones verborum. Cic.pointed and diamonded speeches, which doe indeed ggRelinquere aculeum in auditorum animis.leave a sting, and goad in the minde of the pious Auditor, or Reader, they must frequent the house of mourning, especially when the Christian decumbent growes near to the grave, p. 139and his life to the Sepulchre, for then the soule grows more divine, when the tabernacle of the body begins to rent, that it can look out of the chinks, and espy the beames of an heavenly light. He must also ransack story, especially Ecclesiastical Annals, which is the best piece of history, and most especially Martyrologies, the best piece of Church-story.

Scaliger saith he had rather have been the Author and composer of one Ode in Horace, then King of all Arragon. I had rather utter from my heart, out of a true Christian sense and feeling, such p. 140a sentence or Apophthegme, as these recited are, when I am Gods prisoner, and gone up to my last bed, then be the sole famed Author of all Horace his Odes, yea, of all Homers Rhapsodies, whom nine Cities strove about, which should be his birth-spot; Yea more, of all the Sibylline Oracles. But I must contain, and fall upon

The Application.

ANd that also according to the two former guid-texts of 2 Tim. 3.16. & Rom. 15.4. and according to the former method of ¹ Doctrine, p. 141² Improofe, ³ Correction, ⁴ Instruction, and ⁵ Consolation.

The Doctrine resulting hence is this;foreign. Those whom Christ justifies by his merit, he also sanctifies by his Spirit. So much is collected to my hand by an Orthodoxe professor hhZach. Ursinus ad loc., Commenting to this Text; and the context, or alliance that the text hath with the protext, or verse immediately foregoing, makes it very plain: for verse 5. of this Chapter, our Prophet thus vaticinates, Righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his loynes, and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reines: Loe there Christ justifying us by p. 142the imputatiō of his righteousnesse. Then instantly followes; The Wolf shall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kidde, &c. Loe there Christ sanctifying us by the imparting of inherent righteousnesse; and to the same thing it appertaines, that Apoc. 7.14. mention is made of robes washed, and made white in the bloud of the Lamb. Why, how doth that sound? Is it not enigmaticall and full of Probleme, to wash white in bloud? Is it not rather white in milk or water, red in bloud, or wine? but I answer, No; it is of brave significancy p. 143to expresse, the bleaching, whitening, alablastering, cleansing quality of Christs blood, the sanctification of true justification, that the red scarlet lace of Christs blood, must be entortled and interwoven into a bracelet, with a white silken thred of holinesse and regeneration; or that it must tie about the bunch of hyssope, which to be of a cleansing nature is implied by that of David in the iiPsal. 51.Ps 51chiefe of his Penitentialls, Wash mee with hyssope, &c.

So likewise, in the description of Christ which is Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white, and ruddy: it is p. 144thus glossed, white in his life, ruddy in his death; white in his holinesse, red in his Passion. Or make those two Epithetes run downe from his head, and beard, who is the head, unto the skirts, and phylacteries of our garments, who are the members, and it must thus be glossed: ruddy to us, in justifying us, by his blood, and so washing us from the guilt of sin, and white, in sanctifying us by his Spirit, and so washing us from the filth of sin. The briefe is no more then thus: if we be Christs, we will crucifie all those sensitive, irrationall, heady, impetuous natures of the p. 145Wolfe, Beare, Lyon, &c. and get formed in us the innocency of the Lambe, Kid, Calfe, and Child, in eschewing evill, the negative part of sanctification; and the fruitfulnesse and labour of the Cow, and Oxe, in doing good, which is the positive, and affirmative part.

The Redargution.2 foreign·

NOw secondly for the Elench, and use of improofe, it shews what Paradoxes, and meere lyes in divinity, those Satanized proverbs of the world are, which the wise men of the world (forsooth) cry up as Maximes of Prudence, Oracles of State, principles fit to p. 146come out of the Schoole of the wisest Masters: they are such as these, Make your selfe a sheepe, and the Wolfe will eate you, Make your selfe a worme, and you shall be trod upon: Beare one injurie so as you invite not a new: It is no fault to repell force with force, nor to undermine fraud with fraud: An injurie cannot bee done to him that is willing to receive it, &c. Brave Articles of the worlds Creed! Thus the Devill makes us false spectacles, and wee are willing to put them on, till wee misse the bridge and fall into the ditch. Thus partly by the forcery, and false information of others, p. 147and partly by the blindnesse, and false apprehensions of our owne minde, inward corruption being strengthened by outward infection, we are mis-led from vertue, and grace, and dashed in pieces, as a wave upon the rocke. The very utmost proficiency, that any man can attaine to, in the worlds schoole, is not to love patience, and innocency, onelyonly to allow it; & that but kkM.S. M.F.in two cases, neither, the one of necessity, the other of advantage: so making it a stupifying medicine in the former, and a matter of merchandizing in the latter. And I doe not much marvaile p. 148at it, when I consider that depraved reason leads quite awry, and that which is most rectified fals far short of conceiving, how strong, and honourable a grace, patience, and meekenesse is. Therefore the Stoicks were defamed by all other Schooles, for introducing their patience, which indeed was no better then a counterfeit or carcasse of true patience, being onelyonly a stupid senslesnesse, and wretched carelesnesse.

Patience is ever an act of power, for there is much strength required to beare burthens, and especially injuries, the p. 149greatest of burthens. Hence it is that to forgive sins is assigned to bee a proper act of Gods omnipotencie, Exod. 34.6. And so againe, impatience is a signe of weakenesse, and therefore children, women, and sick persons, are observed well by llArist. Rhet. l. 2.Aristotle to be most revengefull. How wickedly therefore did that base Tuscane jest on God, and abuse the text, [Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord] in saying, Revenge was so sweet a morsell, as God kept it for his own tooth. Well; let it be the denigration, and such a spot in the Mahometane, or p. 150Turkish religion, as no Fullers sope can wash out, that the allowance it gives to revenge was one of the great inducements at first, and now is one of the greatest fomenters of that Idolatry, and which drawes the most followers and Proselytes unto it: and on the contrary, let that scandall of the Christian Religion, that it makes men Cowards, be remembred to the glory of it, That Patience, and Christianity are of the same dimensions; that a Lamb, a Kid, and a fat Calfe are the propper Coat, or armes that Christian Religion beares; a Child the Crest, a Cow, p. 151and an Oxe the Supporters; Lastly, that other lesson hee suffered his Ushers that went before him to teach: but patience, and the like, hee reserved for himselfe to sit in the Chaire, and bee the grand Master thereof: Learne of mee, for I am lowly and meeke, and you shall finde rest for your soules.

The Correction.3 foreign.

ANd thirdly, If the true Disciples of Christ bee Lambs, and Kids, &c. Then be it pressed to the just correction of the depraved manners of us moderne Christians, p. 152whose very lives are, in short, a dayly, horary, momently breaking of that great Euangelicall precept of love, and charity, which is the fulfilling of the Law, and bond of perfection. Oh God! if the breaches of charity, by jealousies, surmises, suspitions of the heart, by the dejections, and falling downe of our countenances upon our brethren, by the wincking and scorning of our eyes, by the detraction, calumnie, and revilings of our tongues, by virulencie and gall of our pennes, and by the violence of our hands, if, I say, these, and the like were the fulfillings of the p. 153Law, what godly Gospellers, & Professours should we be! but I must contract my selfe, and take in this saile of speech. The longer I was in the enlargment, and filling up of the point, the more briefe may I be in Application. Therefore because mmRectum index sui, & obliqui.that which is straight shews at once both its owne rectitude, and the crookedness of the contrary; I wil give you here an excellent Scheme of Charity. For Charity is like Nebuchadnezzars tree, in Daniel, which hath many, and far-extended boughs and branches, which as they seaze upon, and respect a new object, so doe they p. 154still take up a new name. As thus; faith is the root of Christianity. Charity is the bole of the same tree, which when it is exercised promiscuously towards all men, it is called nnforeign.Philanthropie: when towards certaine men, ooforeign.Friendship; when towards our blood and allies, ppforeign.Naturall affection: when towards strangers, qqforeign.Hospitality: when towards the faithfull, rrforeign.Brotherhood: when towards our superiours, ssOfficiositas.Duty: when towards our inferiours, ttHumanitas.Humanity, or courtesie: when towards men in prosperity, and wel-fare, uuforeign.Goodwill: when towards men in misery, wwforeign.Mercy. p. 155A tree, you see, so laden with fruit, that the boughs of it bend downe to the ground, and court the hand of him that passeth by to plucke off her grapes.

The Instruction.4 foreign.

THE Instruction is a goad to prick us on to beware of that dangerous Rock of pseudo-Martyrdome. There is a foolish affected kinde of Martyrdome, when a man exposeth his estate, good name, liberty, life, and all to sufferance and danger, and God shall pay him for all in this one word, Who required these p. 156things at your hands? The Arians, and Arius himselfe suffered grievous things for their Tenets, but they were but pseudomartyrs. The Donatists suffered many things from the civil Magistrate, and reputed themselves Lambs and Martyrs, but S. Augustine nervously takes from them that glorious wreath. The Arminians in the Low Countries, and Papists in England, have not suffered a little neither, heretofore, but it was because they might not be suffered to plunder Commonwealths, perplexe States, betray Princes, lead Captive simple women, &c. p. 157Therefore they are pseudomartyrs. There may be Wolves in Sheepsskins. Therefore as Saint Paul speakes of one that is xxforeign.a widow indeed, so must we look to it, that we be Lambs, Kids, Calves indeed; that there be not so much of the Calfe in us, as not to know either what, or why, or how, or when to suffer: for circumstances, individuate actions, and the innocency of the Lamb, should be joyned with so much of the wisdome of the Serpent, as to direct our actions both in suffering, and doing, by faire and probable meanes, unto glorious ends. To this p. 158purpose then, let us here subvect such safe and necessary rules, as if God call us to suffer here, our patience, and innocency, may bee made up into a crowne of Martyrdome.

The rules here are only three.

The first is, that a Sheep for the slaughter must first be a Sheep of the fold; A true Martyr must be a true member of the Church. yyExtra Ecclesiam non est Martyrium. Vide Baron. ad an. 362. n. 37.It is a ruled case, No Martyrdome without the pale of the Church. Where there is not the truth of Religion, there cannot be the truth of Martyrdome. It must not be respected what, p. 159but who it is that suffers. He that is not a member of the body, cannot suffer for the head. If a Turk should advance Christ above Mahomet, or a Jew above Moses, or a Pagan above an Idol, and should suffer for so doing, were he therefore a Martyr?

Secondly, next the righteousnesse of the person, the righteousnesse of the cause is requisite; which is as necessary to remunerable suffering, as fuell to make a fire, or dough to make a cake: to suffer, that is well, but then it must be for righteousnesse sake, Mat. 5.10. as Christians, 1 Pet. 4 16. It is not the paine, but the p. 160cause that makes the Martyr, saith the old rule; there were three at once on one Crosse; one to be saved, another to save, a third to be damned zzOmnium similis poena, sed dissimilis causa. Aug. conc. 2. in Psal. 34.Ps 34; they had all the like punishment, but not the like cause.

Thirdly, there is requisite also, right ends and intentions, it is the end that crownes the worke. The glory of God, the honour of Christ, the sealing of the truth, the propagating Religion, the confirming the weak, the comforting the strong, the confounding the adversaries; these and such like are warrantable, and p. 161justifiable ends, in undertaking sufferings. Saint Augustine presents a complaint against such as aaQuaeritis Martyrum gloriam, &c.did seeke the Glory of Martyrs, &c. Some out of vaine glory, others out of bbLibido moriendi, Sene….a lust of dying. Some out of stiffenesse of spirit, and the like affect, and draw on themselves sufferings, when they receive no summons thereto from God, nor shall receive comfort from themselves.

p. 1625 foreign.The Consolation.

LAstly, are wee the Lambs and Kids of Gods fold, the Calves of his stall, the Kine of his pasture, the Oxen of his crib, the Babes of his Nursery? what then can bee more comfortable? Doth God take care for Oxen? 1 Cor. 9.9. Is a good man mercifull to his beast? Was Iacob so carefull of his flock, as not to over-drive it? and shall not God bee much more carefull of us? Yea, surely, if wee make it but our care to be his Lambs, and Kids, he will make it p. 163his care, 1. To protect us; to take us out of the paw of the Lyon, and of the Beare; to deliver us, as he did S. Paul, out of the mouth of the Lyon, so farre as that deliverance conduceth to our eternall good. 2. To provide for us; Hee giveth fodder unto his cattell. Hee muzleth not the mouth of the Oxe. Hee can first feed us by Ravens, and then feede the Ravens that call upon him. Hee will feede his Sheepe, and his Lambes, both with daylie bread for our bodies, and spirituall Manna for our soules. 3. To save us; Hee will both set the Goates on p. 164his left hand, and the Sheepe, Lambs, Kids, on his right.

The end of the second Sermon.