A SERMON PREACHED AT PAULES-CROSSE the second day of June, being the last Sunday in EASTER Term. 1622.  
BY THOMAS AILESBURY Student in Divinity.  HIERON. in MATTH. 
Quoties diem illum cogito, toto corpore contremisco.  
LONDON, Printed by George Eld for Leonard Becket and Robert Wilson, and are to be sold near the Temple Church, and at Gray Inn new Gate. 1623.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD, AND REVEREND FATHER in God, JOHN, by divine providence Bishop of LINCOLN, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of ENGLAND.  
OF all created things (Right Honourable) which do in their kind set forth the Creator's greatness, Coeli enarrant, &c: And in the firmament the Heaven's glory; the Sun, In Sole posuit tabernaculum suum: And in the Sun these three, The glorious light, piercing beams, and refreshing heat thereof draw with them most admiration.  
Man an earthly Sun, amazeth man to consider what is in man: But when these three, Learning, Virtue, and Honour, meet in one man, as in one Centre, who can but admire, who can but to such a man own, and tender all observancy?  
From hence is that Scitum of a knowing man; Honorem esse escam, Doctrinam hamum, Virtutem rete amorís.  
But quorsum ista? Say that all these (as all must say who will speak the truth) not only are, but do after a goodly proportion shine in your Lordship; shall it not be said presumption in me (who am as yet but a twig of the levitical Tree,) to offer my fruits (which may seem perhaps but leaves,) and that first of all to yourself, who are so firm, so fruitful, and so profitable a root, both in our Church, & Commonwealth?  
Yet because both Church, and Commonwealth do truly say that of You, which St. Bernard hoped he might say of his Eugenius, In te facta est mutatio, non de te; nec priori statui tuo successit promotio, sed accessit: I repair to your Lordship, though I bring no more to you then Noah's Dove did to him; A little branch in my mouth; being very sensible, that seeing it sprang from a tree in God's garden, that the only putting forth of your hand may not only take me that bring it into the Ark; but give to it growth with a plenteous blessing; which being all my suit to your Lordship;  
I humbly beseech the God of heaven, to assist you with his grace, foeliciter currere, ac foeliciùs in Christi pietate consummare, to the great good of Church, and Commonwealth here, and to the unspeakable good of your own soul, and body hereafter.  
Your Honours unfeignedly devoted in all observance, and duty, THOMAS AILESBURY.   

TO MY MOST worthy Friend.  
SIR:  
GRati est cui multum debes, ei plurimum velle debere: All that know me, know that I own you much more than myself: And God the searcher of the heart, is privy to my grateful acknowledgement thereof.  
I dare not express your kindness, nor your name: for I am well acquainted how pleasing it is to you to do well, and unpleasing to hear thereof: having learned with Seneca: That, Qui dedit beneficium, taceat; narret qui accepit.  
The knowledge of the ill success of hiding Talents in the Earth, and your especial desire to read, aswell as to hear; have moved me to suffer this Sermon to be printed. The good therein is Gods, and his grace working in me: The perfection is his, the imperfection mine own: For we have this treasure in earthen vessels.  
My chief intention was to please God, and to aim at his glory: But I know not how, an affection of humane affectation hath interserted itself: As that man thinking to satisfy nature with food, unawares offendeth in gluttony. Per expositionem patefeci dona; per confessionem detego vulnera: In my Sermon I laid open what Christians are to practise; and in this confession what in me they are to pardon. God give a blessing to mine endeavours, and a pardon to mine infirmities, and multiply his grace upon you, and yours in this world; that when these temporary means fail, you may be received into the everlasting habitation.  
Your Servant in Christ jesus, Thomas Ailesbury.   

Faults escaped in printing, which the Printer prayeth the courteous Reader to correct with his Pen; the Author being absent.  
Fol. Lin. Fault. Correction. 5. 23. pasturing pastoring. 9 22. arescet arescit. 25. 1. And the and that the. 29. 5. caught into caught up into. 29. 27. Ea- Eagles. 36. 18. * ● 34. 1. but special but by special   

A SERMON PREACHED AT Paules-Crosse.  LUKE 17. verse 37. 
Vbicunque fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur & Aquilae.  
Wheresoever the body is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together.  
THAT Adam did eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree, by faith we constantly believe it, by experience we woefully lament it. But the 
a Habet curiosam cognitionem, & adhuc incompertam. Pererius in Gen. lib. 3. q. 2.  species, or kind of fruit that he did eat; if it were a Pomegranate, or a Fig; if it were a Grape, or an Apple, holy Scripture hath not expressed. The substance of his fault, that he did eat, is recorded; but the circumstance, what kind of fruit he did eat, is not at all revealed. That lawless eating hath occasioned a lawful judgement; which Christ in the Gospel hath positively declared; but the time when, and place where that judgement shall be, is not by him in any place disclosed: And therefore when his Disciples would have pressed him to it, by a bold, and curious question, Where shall it be Lord? our Saviour in my Text shapeth such an answer, that needs an explication: Intimating thereby God's counsels to be as deep waters, which mortal men may not think to drain in the hollow of their hands. Vbicunque fuerit corpus (saith he) wheresoever the body is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together.  
David prophesied of Christ, 
b Psal. 78.2.  Aperiam in parabolis os meum: that his lips should distil parables. In this Text in part his prophecy is fulfilled: And parables have in them what Fulgentius generally applieth to the Scriptures; 
c In Scriptures abundat; & quod robustus comedat, & quod parvulus sugat, Fulgent. ser. de Confessor.  Et quod robustus comedat, & quod parvulus sugat: Meat for the great ones, milk for the weak ones: And that of 
d Divinus sermo, sicut mysterijs prudentes exercet: sic plerunque superficie simplices refovet: habet in publico unde parvulos nutriat, seruat in secreto unde mentes sublimium admiratione suspendat. Greg. epist. ad Leandr. affix. fronti Moral. in job.  Gregory agreeth with every parable; That which may nourish the little ones, habet in publico; That which suspendeth with admiration the profoundest wits, seruat in secreto: It is a deep, and yet a shallow Ford: ubi Agnus ambulet, ubi Elephas natet; where the Lamb may wade, the Elephant may swim: Therein are mysteries to exercise the prudent, and histories to give understanding to the simple.  
Some parables the holy Ghost 
e Intus & feris. Greg. hom. 9 in Ezech.  in the Scripture hath written within, and without: expressed, and expounded; and that partly by Christ himself: as that of the seed, and some others; and partly by the Apostles, but chief by Saint john; who was both scriptor, and interpres, (as learned 
f Tonstall. lib. 1. de Euchar.  Tonstall styles him) he thought not fit to pass over the sayings of our Lord surda aure; but recorded what our Saviour spoke; expounded what he recorded: For a view whereof take these ensuing particulars.  
expressed. expounded. joh. 2.19. Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it. joh. 2.22. This he spoke of the Temple of his body. joh. 6.55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. joh. 6.63. It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. joh. 7.38. He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of running water. joh. 7.39. This he spoke of the Spirit, which the believers should receive. joh. 12.32. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all after me. joh. 12.33. This he spoke, signifying what death he should die.  
Now as we are happy in these infallible expositions of Christ, and his Eagle: so hence are our tears; that this Text (a parabolical proverb) hath deserved that worth, twice to be recorded by two several Evangelists; and yet not once to be illuminated by any divine exposition. Insomuch that the 
g Ob●c●ta & clausa sunt omnia; in sudore tamen v ltus nostri e●amus panem. Aug. in P●●l 7●.  bread thereof, that is, the meaning, is to be eaten in the sweat of our studies. I may say of it, what 
h Hieron ad Pau●in.  Hierome did of the seven short Epistles of the four Apostles; 'tis mystical, and succinct: brevis pariter, & longa; short, and yet long: brevis in verbis, longa in sententijs; short in words, long in the diverse, but not adverse expositions thereof: And of them I shall deliver none other than those, which the ancient E●gles of the Church have delivered; and which may methodically be reduced to four general Expositions: In the progress whereof, O God my Redeemer, that hast the key of David, openest where no man shutteth; shuttest where no man openeth: Thou that openedst thy mouth in parables, open the mouth of me the speaker; that this parable may at this time be opened to this Assembly.  

The first Exposition.  
THe first that occurs unto me (and for the Author's antiquity first to be discussed) is 
i Origen. tract. 30. in Matth.  Origens', who hath sensed the body to be the Church; the Eagles the Doctors; the gathering together, sensus, and consensus; the harmony, unity, and consent in points of faith. And to that in 
k Matth. 24 28.  Matthew, this is very probable: where Christ premonisheth his Disciples; Take heed that no man deceive you, vers. 4. Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many, vers. 5. Many false Prophets shall arise, and deceive many, vers. 11. Then our Lord prescribes rules how to avoid them: If any man shall say, Lo here is Christ, or there is Christ, believe it not, vers. 23. If they shall say, Ecce in deserto; behold he is in the desert, Go not forth: behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not, vers. 26. Then he demonstrates as it were with a finger, where he is, that is, where the Eagles are: mark their flight, it guides you to the light: for ubicunque fuerit corpus, etc.  
Secretae Scripturae rectè Solitudines appellantur: Scripture secretly expounded is a secret wilderness. Basilides (saith Origen) tells me Christ is here: Martion, he is in the secret chambers: Valentinus, behold he is in the desert: and bring Scripture with solitary expositions to confirm their singular opinions. But I believe them not, 
s Sed nos illis cre●ere non debemus, nec exire à prima, & ecclesiastica traditione, nec aliter credere; nisi quemadmodia Ecclesiae tradiderunt nobis. Origen: ut supra, & tract. 29. sub fine.  and repair for the Catholic verity to the Church, where the pasturing Eagles are.  
No Scripture (saith 
t 2 Pet. 1.20.  S. Peter) is of a private interpretation; which is to be understood, not ratione personae, but ratione modi: A private man may expound, but not in a private manner; by stamping new expositions upon holy writ, diverse ab Ecclesiae consortio 
u Quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comederit profanus est: Si quis in arca Noe non fuerit, peribit regnante diluvio. Hieron. epist. ad Damas'. pap. . It is profane to eat the Paschall Lamb out of this house; to gather the flowers of interpretation without the limits of the Church's garden. If any Father, or Doctor, shall broach any solitary exposition against the Torrent of the Church; we reject it; 
x Noverint Catholi● se cum Ecclesia Doctores recipe e, non cum Doctorio is ●cclesia fidem se deserere debere. Vincent. Lyr. contra Nov●t. c 23.  it being the property of the faithful, to receive the Eagles with the body; the Doctors with the Church; and not to forsake the faith of the Church with the Doctors.  
Ex personis probamus fidem, an ex fide personas? Doth the faith depend upon the persons; or the credit of the persons upon the faith? We ought therefore to embrace, what the Church holdeth; The Church to hold, what the Apostles have delivered; The Apostles having delivered, what Christ taught; who taught nothing but what he received of the Father; as 
y Quod E●clesia ab Apostol●s, Apostoli a Christo, Christus a Deo accepit, sine dubio tenendum. Tertull. prescript. advers. haereses.  Tertullian justly prescribes.  
Origen himself, whose house was 
* Vincent. Lyr. ut supra.  illustrata martyrio, famous for martyrdom, himself adorned totius doctrinae magnificentia, with all the magnificence of learning; yet when he began to set on foot private Tenets, and Glosses: 
z Origenes in acre dom●num gloria pro daemonibus impudenti crucifigit mendacio. Bernard. ser. 54. in Cant.  As, that the pains of the damned should not be eternal; and that Christ should be crucified in the air again for the devils; as he was on earth for man; herein we reject this Eagle, because he was not gathered to the body.  

Vincent. ●yr.  Tertullian a worthy Ancient, famous for his Apologies for the Christians; for his writings for the Christian faith; whom S. Cyprian reverently esteemed as his master; 
Da magistram.  yet when this Eagle began to dote in his old age upon the dreams of Montanus, and his associates; who held themselves equal to the Apostles in divine revelations; we say; Hic magister non tenetur; and herein reject this Eagle, as gone out from the body.  
But when the lightning shall shine from the East unto the West, when the West and Eastern Eagles, the Doctors of the Greek, and Latin Church shall meet in one harmonical centre of agreement; as they did in the four first General Counsels; we think it more than common insolency to descent from them: But when the lightning hath shone in the West, and darkness upon the face of the East: and when the Western Eagles shall decline from the Church, we leave those, and cleave to them that are gathered to the body.  
S. Hierome in his time complains to Damasus, how the 
a Hieron ad Damas'. pap. testatia vasa, vel lignea. Non vastitas Elementi liquentis, & interiacens longitude terrarum etc. Nunc in Occidente Sol justitiae oritur, in Oriente Lucifer ille, qui ceciderit, posuit thronum suum. Idem ut supra.  Eagles of the East had degenerated: nothing but weeds, sour grapes, thorns, and thistles growing in their garden: therefore he had his recourse to the Sun, that then shone in the Western Church: not the depth of the seas, not the length of the earth, could separate him from this light, for says he, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together.  
But as his complaint was of the corruption of the East; we justly resume it, bewailing the now declined estate of the Western Church: That the Eagle of Rome, the Patriarch of the Occidental Church, hath taken her flight from her body; lamentably musing with the Prophet; How is the faithful City become a harlot. Rome, ancient Rome, 
b L●tius praesideres religione divina, quam dominatione terrena. Leo in Natal. Apostolorum Petri, & Pauli, ser. 1.  famoused more for thy religion, than conquests: sacked thou art of thy precious margarite of faith, and verity: That thy Pope is 
c Reverendiss. Episcopus Winton. in respon Apol. pro juramento Fidelitatis contra Bellar.  alius à Christo, another from Christ, we doubt not: But if alius ab Antichristo, another from Antichrist, we deservedly call it into question.  
The like complaint make we of the inferior Eagles of Rome, of their new devised expositions to uphold their drooping, and dying cause: To instance but in one, (who is in stead of all) Cardinal Bellarmine, who hath translated Christ into the Pope: That Stone, that corner Stone, that precious corner Stone, and sure foundation, which 
d ●say 28.16.  Esay the Prophet foretold: and 
e 1 Pet. 2.6.  Peter the Eagle applied unto Christ, 
f In Histrionica sua praes●t●o●● affix in ●●o●●e l●b. de Rom Pont●f.  Bellarmine hath squared it for the Pope: He can convert omnes into solos: Christ saith of the Chalice, 
g Matth. 26.27.  Drink you all of this; that is, (saith he) 
h Clarissimè patet verba illa ad s●los Apost●lo● pertinere. Bellar. de Sacram. Euchar. lib. 4. c. 25. §. Re●●at●igit●r.  the Priests alone: and manducationem in Monarchiam; 
i Acts 10.13.  Peter kill and eat, ergo Peter was Head of the Church: Therefore we reject this, and such Eagles; because they have not kept them to the body.  
And hereby we descry the Brownists, and Separatists to be no Eagles: those erring stars that have no fixed motion in the Church's orb; who in stead of resorting to the body, do cut off themselves from us by a schismatical rent.  

k Expos. in Matth 24.  S. Chrysostome observeth, that our Saviour saith not, exite; but nolite credere: go you out; but believe them not: But like an expert Captain, prohibits all excursions from the Church's bounds, nolite exire, go not out: Believe them not, avoid heresy: Go not out, take heed of schism: Say our Church be deformed, yet she is not infectious: Say the chaff is mingled with the wheat; Do we for the chaffes-sake forsake the threshing floor of the Lord? Saint 
l Greg pastoral. part. 3. admonit. 23.  Gregory notes, that our Lord in the Gospel joins salt, and peace together; 
* Mark. 9.50.  Have salt with yourselves, and peace one with another: Sal since place, non virtutis est donum, sed damnationis argumentum. Let your salt of doctrine season the Church with a peaceful union: for the one without the other, is not virtuous, but vicious.  
But most of all that Father, Bishop, Martyr, S. Cyprian, in th●t admirable Treatise of his, De unitate Ecclesiae, h●th battered this forlorn error: 
m Hanc unitatem qui non tenet, tenere se fidem credit? Solis multi radij, sed lumen unum. Rami arboris multi, sed robur unum: de fonte uno rivi plurimi defluunt, numerositas licet diffusa videatur, unitas tamen seruatur in origine. Cypr. de unit. Ecclesiae nu. 4.  The unity of the Church he that holdeth not, doth he think he holdeth the faith? Many beams issue from the Sun, yet but one Sun: diverse Rivers' stream from the fountain, yet but one head: many branches arise from one root, yet but one tree; break off a branch, fractus germinare non potest, it withereth, it dyeth: separate a River from the fountain, praecisus arescet, it drieth up: and so no having of God for our Father, unless we take the Church for our Mother.  
Let not Novatian a Separatist boast of his moral gifts, and rectitude of faith, which otherwise may be in him: Christianus non est, qui in Ecclesia Christi non inest: He is no Christian, that is not in the Church of Christ: He may give all his goods to the poor, and his body to be burned, yet 
* Non erit illa fidei corona, sed poena perfidia. Idab. nu. 12.  occidi potest, coronari non potest: If he die without the Church's limits, killed he may be, crowned with martyrdom he cannot be. Hitherto Cyprian. Certes this sequestration showeth them to be no Eagles, who are not gathered to the body. All this while have I fought under Origens' banner; I leave him now, and proceed to the second exposition.   

The second Exposition.  
ANd that's of 
n Hi●●on. Comme 〈◊〉 in Matth.  Hierome, and 
o T●e 〈◊〉. in l●c. 〈◊〉 homi●us proper no● mortius est in casam positas. Matth 24. job ●9. 2●. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whi●h shanties to●●●● 〈◊〉 ●●l.  Theophylact, who conceive by the body to be meant Christ suffering, and dead upon the Cross: by the Eagles the Saints, whose garments are washed in the blood of the Lamb: and by the gathering together, the efficacy of his passions: Wheresoever the dead body is, as S. Matthew hath it; and in job, Wheresoever the wounded, or slain is; which reading Th●ophylact keepeth, not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; to which also 
p Hae●●●●tia 〈…〉 similitude c●●●ris ●●●u●●m●●a. Bez● ann. l. ● 1 C●●a●er.  Beza doth assent, not the body, but the carcase, to which the Eagles are gathered.  
Holy Scripture proclaimeth that Christ suffered, that Christ died for us upon the Cross: witness the 
q lib. 1●. 3●.  Tormentors, that abstained from breaking of his legs, because he was dead already; witness joseph of 
r Matt●. 27.58.  Arimathea, that petitioned to Pilate for his body, wownde it in linen , laid it in a grave, which was signed with the common signet, where it abode three days till the resurrection: witness himself, he bowed his head, 
s job. 19 30.  (saith the Scripture) and gave up the Ghost: He bowed himself, whom the Crucifiers could not bow; and gave up the Ghost, gave it unto his Father, who gave it unto him. Quod amittitur necessarium est, 
Ambrose.  quod emittitur voluntarium: In amission the act is necessary, in emission voluntary: Quis ita dormit quando voluerit, sicut Iesus mortuus est quando voluit? Who could ever fall asleep so when he would; as Christ died when he would? 
t Aug. tract. 119. in johan.  Quis ita vestem deponit, quando voluerit, sicut Iesus mortuus est quando voluit? Who ever laid aside his garment so, when he would, as Christ stripped himself out of his flesh, when he had a will so to do? Quis ita cum voluerit abijt, quomodo Christus cùm voluerit, obijt? Who so willingly departed any whither, as Christ out of this world, when he saw his time? according to that prediction of Esay, Oblatus est, quia voluit: whereof S. Bernard gives the reason; Ipse oblatio, & offerens; He was the Priest, and the Host; the sacrifice and the Sacrificer: Natus est, and datus est, passus est, and mortuus est: no reason of his birth, and death, but his charity that made him will; his will answerable to his charity.  
In the 
u Psal. 40.8.  40 Psalm: Sacrifice, and burnt offering thou wouldst not have, but a body hast thou ordained me: which latter clause though it answer not the Original; yet the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Septuagint so translate it; the Apostle to the 
x Heb. 10 5.  Hebrews so quotes it; and 
y Aug. enarrat. in Psal. 39  S. Augustine so reads it.  
A body hast thou ordained me: a true body, not a fantastical, as Manicheus; a terrestrial, not a celestial body, against Valentinus; a body that might really suffer, and not appear to suffer, against Hilary; 
Lib. 10. de Trin.  a body like unto our body, because the Host of our redemption was to be, & nostri generis socia, & nostrae contaminationis aliena, says 
a Ser. 3. in Nat. Domini.  Leo; like unto us in nature, for whom he suffered; unlike unto us in sinful nature, for which he suffered.  
The Deity was impatible; no passion, no sorrow, no grief, could fasten upon the Godhead: the sting of death could not pierce the divine substance: God could not suffer, could not be wounded, could not be nailed to the Cross, could not dye; 
b Cum mortis aculeum non possit accipere natura Deitatis; suscepit tamen nascendo, etc. Leo ser. 8. de Passione.  therefore suscepit ex nobis, quod possit offerre pro nobis; He took that of us, that he might offer for us: a body capable of the Cross, of the passions upon the Cross, of the death of the Cross.  
He took it, and he offered it, like unto the Moon, acceptam refero, all the light received from the Sun by reflection, she communicates unto us inferior creatures: Verbum caro factum est, the Word was made flesh, there he took it; and that fl●sh w●nt the way of all fl●sh, for he died; and so offered a body, that might, and did suffer; a body that might and did dye upon the Cross: His nativity was praeludium passionis, a passage to his passion: Borne he was, that he might live; live that he might work; work that he might suffer; suffer that he might die; die that we might live, and be borne again: and so came he from heaven to the womb, from the womb to the Cratch, from the Cratch to the Cross, from the Cross to the grave: And thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; a body into a dead body, He died for us.  
And though by death Christ's body was without soul; yet not without God. 
Vnio naturarum indissolubilis.  The soul for a time was parted from the body; The Godhead never was distracted either from soul or body: The dissolution was in one of the natures, not of the natures: for if the natures had been divided, there had been a double subsistence; and so by consequence a double person, which was the Heresy of Nestorius: The Godhead is wedded to the Humanity without all possibility of divorce: Our Saviour's soul in his Agony, felt not the presence of the Godhead; yet none soluit unionem, though subtraxit visionem; 
Leo.  the vision was eclipsed, the divine union was not dissolved: The body in the grave enjoys not the soul; yet though the soul departed, the union was not parted: The passion of Christ (saith S. Austen) was the sleep of his Divinity: and by the like proportion may I say, The death of Christ was the sleep of his Humanity: yet here's the difference; In the passion, the Humanity was forsaken of the Deity, but apparently; the body of the soul really: Life was separated, yet the Hypostasis remained. So great is the union betwixt God, and man,  nec supplicio possit dirimi, nec morte distingui; 
Leo.  That neither death, nor passions could break it asunder.  
The Schoolmen observe, that there is Vnum per unitatem, and unum per unionem, The Father and the Son are one by consubstantial unity: God and man are one by Hypostatical union; In the Father, and the Son there is alius, & alius, not aliud, and aliud, a personal difference, but a natural unity: In Christ there is aliud, and aliud, not alius, and alius, a natural distinction, but a personal union. The Godhead in one act assumed the Manhood both soul, and body, and as una est assumptio, so una est unio, the union is but one; by virtue whereof he is united to soul, and body. For a demonstration hereof, Bonaventure 
c Bonav in 3. Sent. dist. 21.  observes in that union three things; 1. Actio unibilis; 2. passio unibilis; and 3. relatio unibilis: the first is whereby God assumed man; so the Word was made flesh: the second, whereby the humanity subsisteth in the Deity: the third, as there is a double relation had to soul, and body: So Christ is united by one act, but yet by a double relation to soul, and body: double in power, in the assumption of the humanity: double in act, in the dissolution of the humane nature.  
Thus we see the body without a soul by death, but not without the Godhead: disjointed, not disunited: dissolved in nature, not divorced in person: So we have seen the body made a carcase, let us now see the collection, the gathering together.  
Four things in Christ to us are very observant: 1. his calling; 2. his inviting; 3. his gathering; 4. and his drawing of us: For the first he saith, 
d Mat. 8.28.  Venite ad me, etc. Come unto me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, etc. For the second; 
e Luke 14.17.  He sent his servant at supper time, to invite the guests, etc. For the third, 
f Mat. 23.37.  jerusalem, jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee together, etc. And for the fourth, 
g john 12.32.  If I be lifted up, will draw all after me. Oh the perverseness of man! Christ calleth; we stop our ears at the voice of this celestial Charmer: he inviteth, but we make excuses: he would gather us, but we would not: yet when these will not serve, (O rare mercy!) he draweth; Trahit invitos, 
B●rn.  & facit voluntarios: He draweth us unwilling, that he might make us willing to be gathered.  
I am now speaking of his gathering together, and see with what passion, and compassion he speaks to jerusalem: jerusalem, 
Mat. 23.37.  and O jerusalem, I would gather; and how often would I gather thee; gather thee as a Hen, and as a Hen her Chickens; her Chickens under her wings: The damnable obstinacy of the Citizens that did refuse it.  
See how opposite Christ is unto Satan: Christ he gathereth, the devil disperseth: Christ gathereth as a Hen, the devil disperseth as a Lion; Christ under his wings, the devil within his jaws.  
The Prophet David's prayer was, 
h Psal. 17.  Protect me under the shadow of thy wings: then were Christ's wings displayed, when his arms were stretched out upon the Cross; then were his arms, and body open to embrace thee; opened indeed, by the nails, by the spear, by the thorns; and so he did both cor, and brachia, and latus aperire, saith 
i In Lucam 14. cap.  Stella: opened all for thee, that heaven might be opened to thee; see the gathering together.  
The Eagles then, the Saints must, and do resort to this body, and let it be our practice, to resort unto it, by a commemoration of his death, by an application of his merits.  
Let us remember him who hath remembered, and thus remembered us, as to call, to invite us, to draw, and to gather us together. Domine quid est homo? Lord what is man? that thou shouldest thus remember him? Man, forlorn man: man, rebellious man: man, sinful man: And, homo, quid est Deus? Man, what is the Lord? that he should remember thee: the Lord that made thee, remade thee: the Lord that gave thee life, died for thee, etc. It was Opus sine exemplo, gratia sine merito, donum sine pretio, charitas sine modo, says mellisluent Bernard: A work not to be sampled, grace not to be merited, a gift not to be prised, charity not to be measured: While the first Adam 
k Dormit Adam ut fiat Eua●, moritur Christu ut fiat Ecclesia. Aug.  slept in the garden, Eve was framed: while the second Adam slept in the grave, the Church was form: when the body was a carcase, were the Eagles gathered together.  
Let us gather together his merits to us, to make them efficacious; 
jesu esto mihi jesus.  That jesus would be to us a jesus. This it is to build our nests in the clefts of the Rock: The Rock is Christ, the clefts are the wounds of Christ: to build our nests, is by interesting ourselves through faith in his merits:  ille 
l August.  sit salus in te, qui suscepit vulnera propter te: That he might be a plaster, an Antidote to thee, that was wounded for thee: and remember, 
m Leo.  Non itur ad Christum, nisi per Christum: no flying to Christ but by Christ: therefore he saith, 
n john 14.6.  I am the way, the life, and the truth. I am the way which leadeth to the truth; I am the truth that promise life; I am the life which I lay down for the life of the world: Clamat errantibus, Ego sum via; clamat dubitantibus, Ego sum veritas: clamat lacescentibus, Ego sum vita: 
Bernard.  Christ is the way for us to walk, truth us to direct, life us to refresh.  
These things considered, let us take our eagle's wings, that we may be safe under the protection of his wings; and fly unto the body: So where the body is, shall the Eagles be gathered together: And thus much for the second exposition.   

The third Exposition.  
THe third general Exposition, 
Chrysost. Theoph. St●lla. Ferus. Maldonat. expos. in Loc. & Mat. 24.  wherein the major part of Interpreters agree. That in these words an adumbration of the last judgement is contained: For in the precedent verse, Christ speaks of the 
o Verse 30.  day, and that day and his day, when 
p Verse 31.  the Son shall be revealed. And compares it 
q Verse 37.  to Noah's time, the old world, and the flood; To 
r Verse 40.  Lot's time, Sodom, fire, and brimstone: & tells us, how some shall be acquitted, and others condemned; Two men labouring in the field; the one shall be received, the other refused: 
s V●●e 41.  Two women grinding at a mill, the one shall be accepted, the other rejected: And then shuts up all with this Epiphonema; Vbicunque faerit corpus, etc. and so here is ubicunque for ubi, corpus for Christus, Aquilae for animae; nothing expressed, yet all prefigured: an answer that needs an answer: a resolution that needs an explication: with a, Lord show us this parable: Wheresoever the body shall be, etc. there is the Cortex, the husk: but wheresoever Christ shall be, etc. there is the Medulla, the sap. The body than is Christ the judge, the Eagles are the Saints, the gathering together is the general judgement: This is the Centre, whereunto the Circumference of my meditations is to be gathered together.  

1 Iu●●.  The body is Christ, Christ is the judge: as humiliavit scipsum, to dye for man, to be judged by man; so exaltavit cum Deus, to judge his judges: and so is fulfilled that of the Apostle, The stone which the builders not only improbaverunt, but reprobaverunt, not disliked, but utterly refused, is become the head stone in the corner.  
In the 
t john 5.22.  fifth of john, the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son: the Father hath surrendered, and resigned all judgement into the hands of his Son: And therefore he saith, The Father judgeth no man, but the Son. Before it seemed by Christ's words the Father did, what the Son doth not; the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that he doth: tanquam Pater faciebat, & Filius videbat, (saith Augustine) as if the Father were the Worker, the Son the Spectator: there I beheld Patrem facientem, Filium expectantem: the Father the doer, the Son the looker on: here I see Patrem vacantem, Filium iudicantem: the Father at leisure, in vacation; the Son judging in a full Court, 
u Quid hoc est paulo ante putabamus facere aliquid Patrem, quod non facit Filius. Aug. tract. 21. in joan.  (Lord) thou art the profound word of the Father, I am shallow man, & understand thee not: (Blessed Saviour) I hear thee speaking of thyself; I judge no man, there is another that seeketh, & judgeth: ille quaerit iniurias tuas, ille iudicat de iniuriis tuis; who so meet to seek after thy wrongs, and to judge them that have wronged thee, as thy Father? How can it be then that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son? turbamur hic, turbati desudemus, desudantes purgemur: we are troubled here, being troubled, we sweat to enucleate the mystery, and in descrying thereof we are purged. All judgement is therefore given to the Son, not that the Father will cease to judge: But because Pater occultus erit, Filius manifestus: The Father shall judge, but not be seen to judge; the Son shall judge, and be seen to judge: because he shall judge in the habit of a man.  

* Act. 10 42.  Him, saith the Apostle, hath God ordained to be judge of the quick, & dead: where you may see his commission, & his circuit: his commission, derived from the King of Kings: Constitutus à Deo: him hath God ordained: his circuit, the largest that ever was; judge of quick and dead: that is, of the just, and unjust: so Lyranus. Of the immortal souls, and mortal bodies, so Ruffinus. Of the dead before, and of those that are found alive at the resurrection; 
1 Cor. 15.  for we shall not all die, but shall be changed; so Caietan. Large it must then needs be, that is extended unto all.  
We see then by this time, what we are to answer to that Question discussed in the Schools: If Christ in forma humana, shall judge the world: out of doubt he shall come again in the same manner, that he went from us into heaven: 
x Acts 1.11.  Veniet, & sic veniet, wi●h a body, with the same body, the s●me body, with the same scars: as Chrysostome teacheth.  
He hath given all judgement unto the Son: the Father could not give it to the Son as God, which was his own by nature; neither could Christ receive that, which as God he never wanted: 
y Datum ●tem● Patre 〈◊〉 iudi●iumait, 〈◊〉 quia potestatem ●anc●, se na●ra no● habeat, sed per ●spen● tronem v● homo Cyril in joan. l●b. 2. cap 140.  But the Father hath given, and th● Son received as man: as man shall he come in the Clouds; as man shall he sit upon the throne; as man sh●ll he denounce the sentence; as man shall he be seen of all: the Godhead shall be perspicuous to the godly only: But Christ as man, shall lie open to all men's eyes; to the faithful, to the unfaithful, confusis, & confisis, to the confessors, to the crucifiers: according to that of the Prophet, 
z Zach. 12.10.  They shall look on him whom they have pierced.  
Christ as God, 
a Tolle●ex of in joan. ●. animad●ers. 20.  judgeth with the Father in common; as man, alone: some works there be which Christ doth in carne, and yet cooperateth with the Father: Some works which he doth per carnem, wherein he worketh alone, and the Father by him: as we say truly Mary's Son created the world, Christ in carne created the world, but not per carnem, by the flesh. So Christ in the flesh, raised Lazarus; but not by the flesh. So Christ suffered by the flesh, (for the Deity could not be touched with passion) but triumphed in the flesh: So the Father and He as one God shall judge together in the flesh; but not by the flesh: in which respect as man he shall judge alone.  

b Part. 3. q. ●6. a●tic. 2.  Aquinas gives three reasons for it.  
First, for the conveniency, most suitable to man, to be judged by man.  
Secondly, for the equity: Good reason Christ should judge man, who for man, was judged by man: Sedebit judex, qui stetit sub judice, 
Augustine.  damnabit reos, qui falso factus est reus: There shall he sit to judge, who stood here to be judged; & condemn the guilty, who falsely was accused to be guilty.  
Thirdly, because good, and bad are to be judged: Now the wicked were not to behold the Godhead, in the presence whereof there is fullness of joy; therefore was Christ to judge as man.  
This question in Schools begets another, viz. whether, this judicial power were given to Christ, as man, freely, or purchased by his merits? The Schoolmen answer, that it was given to him, gratia capitis, by the grace of personal union: For when God assumed man, he infused into the Humane nature all those graces the Humanity was capable of; and yet they say it was merited by him too. He humbled himself to the lowest; therefore God hath exalted him to the highest. 
〈…〉  What hindereth (saith Tho. Aquin●● but that one and the same thing may be due by a double title; of gift, and purchase? Christ on earth was both viator, and comprehensor: extra●er●num, and in termino; abroad and yet at home: therefore being in a meritorious estate, and his merits of an infinite value what was it that he could not m●rit? 
d 〈…〉  Bonaue●ture makes a twofold merit: 1. Whereby a thing is due which was not due before. 2. Whereby it is due more ways than it was before. The praemium substantiale, though it were given him by grace, and so due: yet he might purchase it by his merits, and so make it more ways due than it was before.  
Thus we see all things plead for Christ to be the judge: It belongs unto him essentially, as God: personally, as given from the Father: and meritoriously, whereby Christ, by virtue of his merits may deservedly claim it. So have we seen the body, Christ the judge: I proceed to th'eagles, the parties to be judged.  
By 〈◊〉 Eagle's are meant the Saints: And of those Saints there is a fourfold exposition related by 
* 〈…〉  Maldonatus.  
The first is the blessed Souls, which en●oy Christ now in heaven, of whom S. john speaketh, 
* 〈…〉 15. ●0.  They follow the Lamb whither-soever he goeth. The Lamb is the body: The following is the gathering together: These are they, that have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; he that sitteth on the throne dwelleth amongst them, and the lamb shall feed them for evermore in the midst of the throne: Their P●stor the Lamb: The place of pasture, in the midst of the throne.  
The second, the Saints that then shall be found alive at the Resurrection: 
Sancti 〈…〉.  
g 1 Th● 4 17.  Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught ●p together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be ever with the Lord. And again; 
h 1 C●●. 15.5.  We shall not all sleep, but shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Hereupon many of the 
i 〈…〉 10. 〈◊〉 42.  Ancient have thought, that some at that day shall pass without death to life; though David say, Lord, who is that man, that shall not see death? Shall he deliver himself from the power of the grave? And the Apostle tells us, that it is a statute agreed upon in the Parliament of heaven; 
Heb. ●●.  Statutum est omnibus mori, all to die, and so to judgement. But S. Paul seemeth to determine this doubt; though a sleep shall not be, yet a change shall be in stead of sleeping: Shall not sleep; that is, so long as others that have lion long buried; so 
* 〈◊〉 men. & A●selm. in 1. Cor. 15.  Occumenius. ●tà dormitio breuissi●na, non tamen nulla; so 
* 〈◊〉 men. & A●selm. in 1. Cor. 15.  Anselmus; Shall not all sleep, that is, continually, but shall be awaked, so 
* 〈…〉.  Lorinus; to meet in the clouds the Lord of glory.  
The third is of the attendance of the Angels, Saints, and Martyrs, upon the Lord of glory. 
Sa●●● v●●rtes 〈◊〉 Do●●●●●  
m Matth. 25 31.  Then shall you see the Son of man come in glory, and the holy Angels with him, in the clouds, in majesty, and great glory. For qualis Rex, talis praeparatio Regis, says the Author of the imperfect perfect work upon Matthew: and Dignitate domini honorata sit conditio serui; The glory of the judge shall be eminent in his followers, and the Saints shall be glorified in attending upon the Lord of glory. Of this saith the Apostle, 
n C●●●s. 3.4.  When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we appear also with him in glory.  
The fourth, that by the Eagles are meant all the Saints, 
Sanct●● g●●ere.  from the first day of the world till the last day: 
o Heb. 11. 2●.  for they without us shall not be made perfect. These elect Eagles shall come from the four quarters of the world, and shall sit down with the Patriarches in the kingdom of heaven.  
Thus we see all agree, that by the Eagles are meant the Saints only: therefore he saith not the Vultures, or such foul Fowls, though it be their property likewise; but the Eagles are gathered: In them to note the regality of the Saints. And this the 
p 〈…〉 o●d. 〈…〉.  Gloss observeth; duo quaerentibus unum respondet; of the two labourers in the field, the Disciples demand, where the one, and the other shall be: Christ he answers for his, that they shall be gathered; and leaves them to understand what shall become of them which are none of his; they shall be rejected.  
'tis true, the Eagles do not rise alone, but they shall be gathered alone. The Vultures shall appear, the wicked shall arise, but to condemnation. Damnable is that rabbinical conceit; that none shall rise, but those that shall be saved. And the wicked by this corporal death shall be utterly extinct in soul, and body; grounding themselves upon those mistaken words of the 
q Psal. 1.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to ●●e or stand.  Psalm, The wicked shall not rise in judgement: non, quod non resurgant; sed quod in iudicio non resurgant: he saith not, that the wicked shall not rise; but in judgement they shall not rise, saith 
r Hieron. in Psal ●.  S. Hierome: they sh●ll not 
s Cyri●l. Hierus. Is●g.  rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Cyrill of Jerusalem: As Felons, whose fact being evident, are placed at the bar; not so much to be convicted as to be condemned: Their sins, their conscience, etc. shall so accuse, that the Lord judge will not make any great inquisition to find out their fault, but presently proceed to sentence.  

t Greg. Moral. in job. lib. 26.  S. Gregory observes, that of the wicked and the godly, the Eagles and the Vultures, there shall be a fourfold manner of proceeding in judgement.  
First of the wicked: Quidam iudicantur, & pereunt; some are judged, and condemned, perish by judgement: such as have drawn near unto God with their lips; but are fare from him in their hearts: 
u Idem ibid.  Professionem fidei retinentes, opera professionis non habentes: Holding a profession of the faith, but not works of that profession. These men's cause shall be heard, I was hungry, but you fed me not, etc. Such men shall be weighed in the scales, and shall be found to be light; shall perish in judgement.  
Secondly, of the wicked: Quidam non iudicantur, & pereunt: Are not judged, and condemned; perish without judgement: Notorious sinners, that would not be kerbed upon any terms: Of them the Apostle speaketh, 
* 〈◊〉. 2.12.  As many as have sinned without the Law, shall perish without the Law. 
x Greg● supra.  Neque enim necesse est lege perimi, qui lege nunquam potuit teneri: No necessity that the lawless liver should be tried by a l●w; as his life knew no law, so his death shall be without law; shall perish without judgement.  
Thirdly, of the godly, whereof Quidam iudicantur, & regnant, are judged, and quitted, saved by judgement. Secular men that use the world, are often foiled in the world, and recover by repentance. Their cause is heard; Esuriu●, & ded●stis mihi; I was hungry, and you fed me &c and the sentence pronounced for them; Come ye blessed of my Father, etc.  
Fourthly, of the godly, Quidam non iudicantur, & regnant are not judged and reign, saved without judgement. Saints that have transcended ordinary holiness, having abstained from things lawful, because not expedient; that they might be the more at liberty to serve the Lord. Such were the Apostles: 
y 〈◊〉. 1 ●8.  Peter to Christ; Ecce reliquimus omnia; Behold we have left all, and followed thee: Christ to Peter; You (●o many as have thus followed me) shall sit upon twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel. Thus we see the Saints shall not rise alone, but shall be saved alone: The Eagles only to the body shall be gathered together.  
It is not amiss in the next place, to consider, wherein the Eagles do resemble the Saints; and that's in five properties ensuing 
z Gorr●n. expos. in locum, & Matth. ●4. .  
The first is: The Eagles moolt off their old feathers, and so become bald: The Saints of God do so pluck off their sinful faith rs from the soul, that they become bald like unto the Eagle: They crucify the old man with the lusts; weed out sin by the roots. The Prophet Micah exhorting the people to repentance, bids them 
a Micah 1. vlt.  to enlarge their baldness like the Eagle: Marry Magdalen did more than cast her feathers, when she converted her eyes, her hair, her lips, feathers of wantonness, into pledges of Repentance: Her eyes that alured in my, distilled rivers of tears: Her hair that ensnared many, serves her for a Towel to wipe her Saviour's feet: Her lips which had enticed many, serves her to kiss, & not cease to kiss the same feet, her tears had washed, her hair had wiped: And so, Quot oblectamenta, tot holocausta, saith Gregory: The baits to vanity, are converted into Holocausts of Repentance.  
The second resemblance is in the new birth; 
b Psal. 103.5  Who reneweth thy youth like unto the Eagle. 
Re●o●at one novi homin●●  The E●gles break their bills upon a stone, and so are renewed in their age: The rock is Christ, upon whom the Saints break their hearts by repentance, and so in their souls are renewed. Paul had c●st his bill, and feathers too, when he said, 
c Galath 2.20  Now I live not, but it is Christ that liveth in me. Extinctus fuit saews persecutor; & vivere cepit pius Praedicator, saith 
d Homil. super Si quis vult venire, etc.  Gregory. The sword is turned to the word, persecuting into preaching; and he that breathed out threatenings against the men of God, breathes out God's threatenings against the men of this world: and so was renewed like unto the Eagle.  
The third is in the clearness of vision: The Eagles can look upon the Sun: 
V●●●o is latitate. 〈…〉  The pure in heart can see God: but the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. Our Lord 
* 〈…〉  pronounceth the Disciples eyes to be h●pp●, Bl●●●ed are the ●yes that se● the things that you see, etc. A special prerogative that hath been d●n●●d to Kings, and Kings desiring to see: to Prophets, and many Prophets, which hau● not seen them. 
f 〈…〉  Beat●●on quia divites, etc. Blessed, not because you are rich, you are great, you are mighty: but because you have seen; have seen Adam and his lost by sin; Adam and his recou●red by Christ; have seen God become your Saviour; and shall see your Saviour come to judgement.  
The fourth resemblance is in their lofty flight: 
g 〈◊〉 39.27.  Doth not the Eagle mount up, 
〈…〉.  and make her n●●● on high, saith job. So is it with the S●ints, as their conversation, so their contemplation is as high as heaven: Humble hearts, yet lofty thoughts, that reach the skies. 
h 〈◊〉. 5. de 〈…〉.  S. Bernard observes, that in the glass of contemplation there are three steps to the divine vision: 1. Ascensus: 2. Excessus: 3. Raptus: The first natural, whereby the Philosophers in the Glass of the Creatures have ascended to the knowledge of one Creator. The second of grace, whereby the faithful in the glass of the Scriptures, know God as their Creator, and Redeemer. The third of glory, when the Saints shall see him face to face, as Paul that was caught into the third heavens, and there heard words not to be expressed. Prima visio optat: Secunda odorat: Tertia gustat. The vision of nature wisheth for that of grace: That of grace doth but salute that of glory: But in that of glory shall we see and taste how gracious the Lord is.  
The last resemblance is in the secrecy of the way: One of those things which the Wiseman admired, was 
i Prou. 30.19.  the way of the Eagle in the air: 
V●e occultatione.  See them fly we may; discern their way we cannot. The Saints, their good works are seen of men, but their intention, with what mind they do them, is not discerned. 
k Greg moral. in job, lib. 8. c. 127.  S. Gregory notes, that our Saviour saith; Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, etc. yet he addeth again, Take heed that you do not righteousness to be seen of men; which he reconcileth, sic opus fiat in publico, ut intentio maneat in secreto: Let your good works shine, but not your intention. Seek not your own glory; but that the spectators may glorify your Father which is in heaven. Thus have we viewed these fainted Ea-Nothing letteth but that now we may pass to the gathering together.  
In the unfolded parable of the Sour, the reapers are the Angels, 
Matth. 13.  which shall gather the wheat into his garner, that is, the elect into his kingdom; and in another place, the 
l Matth. 24.31.  Elect shall be gathered from the four corners of the world: The world, the corners, the utmost coasts thereof shall be searched, that the Saints may be collected. The Eagle of a most swift slight, this gathering shall be speedy; In a moment, in the tw●nckling of an eye, at the last trump. And the Apostle, 
m 1 Thess. 4. vlt.  Raptemur in nubibus, we shall be caught together in the clouds: as the lightning that cutteth the Hemisphere from the East to the West in a moment; so shall the coming of the judge be, such shall the gathering together of the Eagles be.  
Here by the way, I may not scatter, what 
n Elector●●● e●t co● r●ga●●, p●o●●m●●●●di●e ●ast Math 24.  Ferus hath gathered: How the godly are said in holy Scripture to be gathered, and the wicked to be dispersed. Gather thy Saints together, (saith the Prophet.) 
o Psal. 68.1.  Let God arise, and his enemies shall be dispersed, saith the same Prophet. The wicked are as chaff which the wind shall scatter. 
Psal. 1.  The godly are as the Eagles which shall be gathered together: The memory of the wicked is likened unto ashes, because of their dispersion: but the just shall be had in perpetual remembrance.  
But the place. The place is that the Disciples most desired to know, in which they are least resolved; no set place set down where these Assizes shall be holden, but generally intimated, Vbicunque etc.  

p Hilar. in Mat. 24. Canon. 25.  S. Hilaries opinion is; That he shall there judge the world, where he suffered for the world. Illic claritatis adventus expectabitur &c: Most fit that his glory should be there splendent; where it was most dazzled with ignominy: where he died as a malefactor, thereto judge malefactors: where the Cross was, there the Tribunal to be. Therefore he saith, Where the dead body is, there shall be this gathering, this assembly.  
The Schoolmen generally affirm, That the place shall be the valley of jehoshaphat, grounding themselves upon that of joel; 
q joel 3.2.  I will gather all nations together, and will bring them down into the valley of jehoshaphat, will plead their cause etc. And 
r Ribera comentar●n joel. cap. 3.  Ribera is so vehement for this opinion, that he demands, Qua front? With what a face any can reject it? It being so suitable to the letter, that 
* Nihil fere certum, aut exploratum habebimus in Scriptures.  we shall have no certainty in the Scripture, if we forsake it.  
That there is such a valley known by that name, on the North-side of Jerusalem, and at the foot of Mount Olivet, Historians relate. But why it hath that denomination, seeing jehosaphat was not there buried, but in the City of David, none of them declar●.  

s Supplem. 4. p●rt q 88 art. 4. Res ondeo, dicendum, non potest multum per certitudinem sciri, sed probabiliter potest colligi ex Scriptures. Caluin. & Gualther. in joel.  Aquinas after he had said what the jesuite out of him hath repeated, and somewhat more; yet doth not certainly determine, but probably conjecture that to be the place.  
And with ribera's leave, it is more consonant to the literal sense; That God will deliver his people from the hands of the Assyrians, to whom they were now captivated: And that he might comfort them the more, he doth allude to that miraculous victory 
t 2 Chron. 20.  that God gave to jehosaphat. For listen Ribera, as the Lord did then cause a civil discord, and mutiny to arise in the Enemy's camp, wherein the children of Ammon destroyed those of Mount Seir, therefore the place was called the valley of Beracah, or blessing: So is the Lord able to deliver you out of the Assyrian yoke, and to gather you from among the Nations.  
Therefore whether Christ shall judge in the air, or on the earth, in Mount Caluary, or in the Valley of I●hosaphat, we place it inter scita Scholae, to be discussed in Schools, not inter articulos fidei, to be embraced as an Article of our belief.  
The circumstance of the place, where, m●kes me call to mind the time when the day of judgement shall be, which is ●s much or more uncertain than the former, so sealed up, that 
u Math 24. 3●.  of that day, and hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels (saith our Lord) but my Father only: It transcendeth the knowledge of man: It transcendeth the knowledge of Angels; and (as it seemeth by Saint Mark● of the Son too; who adds, 
* Mark. 13.32.  not the Son, but the Father. Of man there is no marvel, who is ignorant of many things he is bound to know: Neither is there any great scruple of th● Angels; for though they see him that seethe all things, yet in him they do not see all things, but thos● objects that concur to their Beatitude; as the 
x Non 〈◊〉 ad intellect 〈…〉 alia, 〈…〉 14 〈…〉  Schoolmen have bounded that 
* 〈…〉  too too large spe●ch of Gregory.  
All th● doubt, all the scruple, and difficulty lieth in Christ, how he should be said not to know the day of judgement: Some have thought this clause (neque filius) to have been crowded into the Text by the Arrians, and Agnoaetae.  

y Lib. 8. Epist. 42  S. Gregory ad Eulogium layeth down three expositions of the Fathers.  
The first is, that it is not to be referred to Christ the head, but unto us the body; as in the Scripture by reason of the mystical union things are; viz. Whatsoever you do unto these, you do it unto me. So it will be, Christ knew it not in his members, that is, the Church knew it not. But this is justly discarded by 
z Bellar. lib. 5. de anima Christi. cap. 5.  Bellarmine: for if Christ had not known it but in his members; why doth he add no man, no not the Angels; seeing men, and Angels are members of the mystical body.  
Secondly, he knew it not, because he hath not made us to know it: As God said to Abraham; 
a Gen. 22.12.  Now I know thou fearest me; that is, I have made thee, and all that know thee, for to know it: As we say, now the Sun shineth clearly, now it is darkened: not that ever clarity is separated from the body of the Sun; but that sometimes his light, and beams are withdrawn from us. So we say, it is a joyful, or sorrowful day: not in itself, but because it is to us either joyful, or sorrowful. So our Saviour knew not th●s day, because he hath not made us to know it.  
Thirdly, Christ knew this day in natura humanitatis, but not ex natura humanitatis: The man-Christ knew it; but not as man: in ipsa, but not ex ipsa; in the manhood, but not by the manhood; but special privilege of revelation.  
The 
b 〈…〉 4. q. 1. 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉.  Schoolmen tell us of a twofold knowledge in Christ; in verbo, and in genere proprio: The first, whereby he seethe all things in the eternal Word: The second, whereby he seethe them in themselves: And this again is twofold; either infused, or acquisite: His infused knowledge was poured into his manhood in the act of his conception, when all knowledge the finite creature could be capable of, was granted unto him, whereby he discerned all things. But besides this, he had an acquisite, and experimental knowledge; whereby experience acquainted him with many things that practically he knew not before. And in this respect (if in any) may he be said not to know the day of judgement.  

●●●●nst Vbiq 〈◊〉  One thing more occurs unto me: Christ saith not, Vbique corpus; but Vbicunque; not that his body is every where, but wheresoever: As he took on him the nature of man, so that nature was finite, had all the properties of a created nature; therefore had an ubi, was contained within the limits, the superficies, and bounds of place. Therefore local motions are ascribed unto him in the Scripture; where he is said to descend, and ascend, and go unto the Father. And after his resurrection; Surrexit, non est hic; He is risen he is not here; therefore he is not every where.  
The monstrous and new sprung error of Ubiquity (as 
c 〈…〉 carnal cap. 12  Bellarmine excellently observeth) everteth all the Articles of our Creed, that we believe touching the manhood of our Saviour: of his conception, how could he be contained within the straits of blessed Mary's womb, if he be in all places? how was he nailed to the Cross, if every where? how wrapped in linen ? how entombed in a Sepulchre? if his body be so spacious that it knoweth no limits, how ascended he into heaven? and 
d Acts 3. 2●.  how do the heavens contain him? if he be not contained in any compass.  
It is true, we acknowledge a Communication of properties, and that not Rational, but Real; yet not of the natures, but personal union; not inherently in the nature's, but personally in the person of the Son of God: So we say that Christ is every where, and that the Virgin's Son created the world, not by the propriety of natures, but by the communication of properties: as 
e Non per proprietatem naturarum, sed p●r communicationem proprietatum. L●b. 3. Sent. di●●. 22. ●. 2. Al●d est divinitatem communica● humanitati, aliud inhabitare. Bellar. lib. 3. de Incar. Christi. cap. 16.  Bonaventure acutely. Neither are we ignorant of that of the Apostle, In him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily: yet it is one thing to dwell, and another thing to be communicated: because of a man's dwelling in a house, the house cannot be said to go, to speak, etc. but the man dwelling in the house: so not the body every where, but the Godhead dwelling in the body.  
There is a being of Essence, and a being of Subsistence: the Essence of the Humanity is finite, because a creature. But the being of subsistence having none of it own, because it subsisteth in the person of the Son of God is infinite; so the finite humanity doth infinitely subsist in the Godhead; and in a sense may be said to be every where: This with Zanchy do I conceive to be the mind of some of the German Divines, and especially that learned Chemnitius 
f 〈…〉 .  
Christ's body then is locally in one place, but personally in all places, Salua utriusque naturae proprietate, saith the great Council 
g 〈…〉  of Chalcedon, it hath his ubi, not ubique, not every where, but wheresoever: so saith my Text; Vbicunque fuerit corpus, etc. Wheresoever the body is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together.  
Thus have I now done with the absolute, and theoretical explications of this Text: pass I now unto those more respective, and passionate applications, wherein I shall implore for Heaven's assistance, and your patience for the continuance thereof.  
Obser. 1 The Eagles are gathered to the dead body, but for food: Christ, saith 
* 〈…〉 Comment. 〈◊〉  Gorran, is the prey of Eagles: The Eagle (saith job 
h lib 6 3●. ) seeketh her prey, her eyes behold it afar off, her young ones also suck the blood; and where the slain is, there is he. The immaculate Body that was slain, the precious blood that was spilt, the Eagles and the young ones, the fa●thfull, and the faithful branches, do eat the one, suck the other, and are refreshed.  
In the 
i Io● ●6. 35.  sixth of john, I am (saith Christ) the bread of life, he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. The jews did eat of that food, the like to which no Nation did ever eat; yet they loathed this spiritual Manna, the like to which they never tasted. This bread (saith 
k Aug. tract. 26. in joan.  S. Augustine) is the bread of righteousness: and accordingly doth our Saviour speak, Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness: and to come home to Christ, this righteousness is Christ, 
l 1 Cor. 1.30.  who is made unto us righteousness, saith the Apostle: And this righteousness is Manna from Heaven, Quam dat Deus, non quam sibi facit homo; 
Aug.  which God giveth, not which man doth. This bread than is Righteousness; this Righteousness is Christ; this Christ is the Body; this Body is a dead Body; on which the holy Eagles feed, and are refreshed.  
If 
m joh. 6 51.  any man shall eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. If any man eat of it; not qui premit dente, but qui credit ment; not orally by the body, but mentally by faith; the efficacy of it, he shall live for ever.  
The woman 
n joh. 4.  of Samaria, when Christ told her of the water, that he would give, which should so quench her thirst, that she should never thirst again: Lord (saith she) give me of this water that I never thirst: She had but a carnal conceit. Let us lift up our souls, our hearts, our affections, our all, to feed on this bread of life. Christ saith, non in solo pane, etc. 
Mat. 4.  Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Dives fared delicately, but his soul was starved; one drop of the water of grace would have yielded more comfort to his tormented soul, than all the variety wherewith here he was satiated. How many of us glut the body with pompous fare, and in the interim suffer the soul to perish for want of spiritual food. Oh suffer not your souls, yourselves to perish: here is refreshing, 
Aug ut s●p●●.  Qui vult vivere, habet ubi vivat, habet unde vivat: He that would see, and live many good days; he hath where he might live, wherewith he might live. Labour (saith our Lord) not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which perisheth not. Sic homo laboret in terra, ut postea regnet in Coelo: Oh man so labour in this world, that thou mayst live in the world to come: Behold a Creator become a Redeemer; a Redeemer took a body; that body made a dead body, for the Saints to feed on, and be refreshed.  
Obser. 2 This property of resorting to the carcase, ●s communicated to the Ravens, and others; yet none named but the Eagles: The Eagle 
o Amb. ●●. expos. ●●lo.  al●a petit, humilia de●clinquit: A 
p ●a●●●●●us conco●●. cap 123. pa●. 84.  Princely bird, of a piercing sight, a swift, and lofty flight: understanding the Saints; who are Kings over their affections; rule their passions; contemn the world; and mount aloft after heavenly things.  
Learn of the Eagle two things: first, to contemn the world, 
H●●● 〈…〉.  she is ever mounting upwards, and sets light by the things that are below: She never condescendeth to any of these inferior things, but when necessity compels, not when superfluity lures her: Just so is it with the Saints of God, that use this world as if they used it not: wherewith to supply their necessary wants, and no farther.  
Such Eagles were, Zacheus, that left his extortion, Matthew his toll-gathering, Peter all: Nec inutilis commutatio omnia relinquere proco qui supra omnia, saith blessed 
q Ber. de●am. super E●ce reliq●●mus etc.  Bernard. A happy change to leave all, for him who is worth more than all: for what fruit, or profit is there in coveting those things that will away. Quae etsi non deserant, deserenda sunt; saith 
r Leo ser. 5. in Ep●p●. Dom.  Leo. Say they leave not us, yet we must take our leave of them.  
The Eagles catch not at flies; the Saints catch not at the flies of this world, that fly away, and leave nothing behind them, but remorse of conscience; Quod tangit, the thing that did touch them with pleasure passeth: Quod angit, the sting that pricks them still remaineth. How much do many, that would be accounted Eagles, degenerate from these celestial Eagles, that are so grafted, so linked to the world; so screwed, so glued to their riches: When they are awake, they sigh how to come by riches; when they are asleep, they dream how to preserve them securely: And so nec vigiliae laetae, nec somnus securus, saith Saint 
s Hom. de mis: & duabus Viduts.  Chrysostome; neither quiet when they are awake, nor well at ease when they are a sleep.  
Contemn, contemn this world: If riches increase, set not thy heart upon them: 
t Praefat. affix. lib. de Consid. ad Eugen.  S. Bernard hoped of his scholar Eugenius, (though he were advanced from a poor Monk to be Bishop of Rome:) that In se facta est mutatio, non de se: In that change, he was not changed. The Saints though their estates be changed, yet they are not changed: Their desire is not to be rich unto this world, but unto God. He is truly rich that aboundeth more in mercy, then in substance: In giving, then in taking: In commending his riches to heaven, 
C●●●sost. ut supr.  rather than to this world. Qui ad hoc vivit ut operetur, ad hoc operatur, ut in aeteruum vivere mereatur: That liveth to work, worketh to merit; merit, that he might live for ever. Hitherto Chrysostome. And hitherto of the first property, wherein we are to imitate the Eagles.  
Le●rne secondly of them a Sursum corda, to mount with the Eagles. The spiritual man hath his elevations, whereby he is elevated above himself: so David, 
u 〈◊〉 5.1. P a. 12 1.  I lift my heart unto thee: and in another place, I have lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains: Some lift up their eyes without their hearts, as the Pharisie, that drew near with his lips, etc. Others, their hearts without their eyes, as Annah, that prayed in her heart, without any vocal sound: Some lift up their hearts, hands, and eyes, inward integrity, and outward profession; of whom the Apostle speaketh, 
* 〈…〉  our conversation is in heaven. And vere clati, quorum conversatio in coelis, says Gregory. Such a one was S. Paul; In terra positus, à terra extraneus: Lived here, yet a stranger while he lived here. The Saints live here, but have their conversation in heaven: Corpore ambulamus in terra, cord habitamus in coelo, says 
x 〈…〉.  Anselme: Their bodies here, their hearts in heaven; such is their elevation.  
The Saints as they have their elevation, so have they their ascensions. Esay invites us to it: 
Esay 2.  Come let us ascend into the Mountain of the Lord. And 
y Ps●l. 15.1.  David demandeth, Lord who shall ascend into thy holy Mountain, or who shall dwell in thy holy hill? Heaven is a hill; therefore we must climb: Heaven is a mountain; therefore we must ascend. Faith, and good works, prayer, and giving of alms ascend; Let my prayer be directed into thy sight as the Incense: And to Cornelius, Thy prayer, and thy almsdeeds have ascended, or come up before me.  
We are grafted (saith 
z Rom. ●.  the Apostle) into the similitude of his resurrection: So by the same Analogy, are we inserted into the likeness of his Ascension: (
* Preached on Sunday next aft●r Ascension day.  The Feast of the Ascension st●ll bleeds in our minds.) Let us therefore erect the eyes of our hearts to that height, whither Christ is ascended. It is the Apostles own Reason; 
a Col●ss. 3 1.  Seek those things that a●e above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: Thither direct your thoughts, whither Christ is ascended: Ad aeterna praedectos, peritura non occup●nt: Let not momentary affairs possess your souls, that from eternity are elected to eternity: Let not deceitful snares make us slack our pace: And those vanities, and sins, that may seem fair and profitable to entice us: Non amplect●nda nequiter, sed transcunda sunt fortiter, (saith 
b V●●m v●ritati● 〈…〉 sall●●● ill●●h●e non ●●●●dent & 〈◊〉 fidel●b●s haec ●●mp ra●●●●●●●ra●●ur, ut p●re ●●●●ri se in hac valle mundi ●●●●ant: in qua etiamsi quaedam commoda blandi●ntur, non ampl●ilenda nequiter, sed transeunda sunt fortiter. Leo ser. 2. de ascens. Dom.  Leo:) Let us not wickedly embrace th●m, but valiantly let them go: 
c Heb. 12.1.  Let us lay aside every weight, and sin that doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us. Let us shake off the fetters of sin from the feet of our affections; the dust of vanity from our wings, and fly unto the Lord like unto the Eagles.  
In the third place: Let us gather all the powers of our soul together, to call to mind this gathering together. A general assembly, the greatest Assizes that ever were holden, where and when all of us must make our personal appearance: for we must all appear before the tribunal throne, 
2 Co●. 5.10.  saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5. When the Lord of heaven shall send forth his process, no Non est inventus, shall be then returned; no appearing by Attorney; no pleading by an Advocate; but corpus cum cousa shall be then produced.  
This mystery was revealed unto S. john: 
d Re●. 20.12.  And I saw all both great, and small, stand before the Throne, and the books were opened, etc. Though never so great, yet they shall appear before this great one; neither shall the small ones be excluded: Great in grace, great in dignity, great in worldly preferment, great in sins, howsoever great: Small in the world's eye, small in humble thoughts, how small soever, they shall appear. No exemption, no exception, no privilege, all within the compass of the Lords jurisdiction, all of us owe suit and service to this Court: For we must all appear.  
And there we must be accountable for the things we do here in the body. The works that we now do shall give in evidence; if good, for us; if bad, they speak against us. The tree shall be known, and judged by his fruit; and as it now falleth, so it lieth. No adding to what we have not done; no retracting that we have done: Too late to go buy oil when the Bridegroom is come; or to get a wedding garment, when we have set footing within the wedding house; no place for tears, no time for repentance: Poenitebit, sed frustra poenitebit; The wicked shall be pensive, but their repentance comes too late.  
Call to mind our incorruptible judge, who will not be embraced with gifts, alured by favours, withdrawn by promises, deceived by ignorance; to whom all things are naked. Say not (saith Bernard) the walls are round about us, we will sinne: Esto quod nemo te videat, non tamen nullus; Be it that no man see thee, yet he seethe thee, who is both testis, and Index: 
e Chrysost. lib. 1. de providentia Dei.  Neque enim tunc ovina pellis lupum; Our sheepskins shall not then cover our wolvish affections: Neque sepulchri dealbatio internam coinquinationem; nor the outward painting, our inward rottenness; 
f 1 Cor. 4.5.  for then the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.  
Consider also, that our case is life, and death, and that not temporal, but eternal; all is at the stake: If the sentence make for us, then are we most happy; if against us, most miserable. In the sentence of consolation, 
g Math. 25.34.  every word hath his efficacy of comfort: there's a loving call, Come ye; a divine blessing, Come ye blessed; a fatherly affection, Come ye blessed of my Father; a retribution of reward, receive ye; an assignment of a kingdom, Receive you the kingdom; a preparation of glory, prepared for you; eternal predestination, from the beginning of the world: I have chosen you from the beginning of the world, therefore have prepared you glory: have prepared glory, therefore have assigned you a kingdom: have assigned you a kingdom, for you are my sons, and I am your Father: I am your Father, therefore you are blessed: you are blessed, therefore come ye: What a jubilee of joy will this cause in their blessed hearts? They cannot but say within themselves, Thy word, O Lord, is sweeter unto us, than the honey, or the honey comb.  

Ve●. 4●.  And in the sentence of condemnation, every word striketh dead unto the heart: First a separation from God, Go ye: a malediction, Go ye cursed: a prison, Go ye cursed into: the sharpness of the pain, Go ye cursed into fire: The durance of the same, into eternal fire: the grim society, with the devil and his angels. This is durus sermo, a hard speech, who can endure it? No repealing of this sentence, no appealing from this judge▪ Now the Lamb speaks in mercy, who will not hear it? Then the Lion shall roar in justice, who will not fear it?  
Remember this, remember thine end, and thou wilt not sin. David made God's judgements his object, his eyes were never off them; 
h Psal. 18.22.  all his judgements are in my sight: And Solomon the son trod his father's footsteps; 
i ●●●●s. 3.17.  I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous, and the wicked: So all the Saints with S. Hierome, seem to hear always the trump to sound, with arise ye dead, and come to judgement.  
Here is a memento for all; great, and small shall arise; great, and small are to remember it: to both of which I am a debtor, and now with God's permission my debt I will discharge.  
First, you whom the Lord hath made great, 
1. To great ones. An exhortation to the judges.  by communicating a parcel of his Regiment, look upon him who is unto you, author, & exemplum: he that did erect you, is a pattern to direct you: your authority is great, your place eminent, your charge is great, and let me speak it with your favour, your account shall be great.  
Cum crescunt dona, crescunt rationes donorum: 
Greg.  when our talents are enlarged, our account is increased: the beasts and such unreasonable creatures, non iudicantur, quia non iudicant: 
Ber.  They are not judged, because they cannot judge: it is not so with man, whom he hath endowed with reason to discern, and so made every private man a private judge: much less with those whom he hath set apart to be judges. S. Bernard to 
k Lib. 1. de Consid.  Eugenius Papa, Blanditur cathedra? sonat tibi officium, non otium: doth the chair flatter thee? it calls to mind thy duty, not idleness. What though thou art seated in an eminent place, where thou overlookest all? Enim vero prospectus iste procinctum parit, non somnium: it tells thee thou hadst need to look about thee; what place left for retired thoughts, where causes, and cases; non leges, sed lights; Solicitudes, and vexations of minds, and spirits are still before you: Et finis horum quid nisi aranearum telae?  

 supra.  The same Father demands of the same man, when art thou free? Vbi tutus? Vbi tuus? where art thou safe? where art thou thyself? Are not you always possessed with cares, troubles, tumults: whither will you turn you from them; 
l Cicero pro Archia Poe●a.  pernoctant vobiscum, peregrinantur, rusticantur: day, and night, at home and abroad, they ever attend you: Certainly to a man that soberly considereth these things, Your Honours are rather to be pitied, then envied. And he rather commiserateth your daily encumbrances; then repineth at your splendent dignities.  
My Reverend Lords, though these cares continually beat at your doors, yet let contemplation of spiritual things modestly prompt you; That withdrawing yourselves from the sea of worldly affairs, you may with the Israelites 
m Exod. 14.13.  stand still upon the shore, and see the salvation of the Lord.  
St. Agustine spends a noble Chapter 
n lib. 10 de civitate Dei, cap. 9  of a noble work wholly upon this subject: Though many are tied so to attend worldly affairs, that in neglect thereof, they should neglect their duty to Prince, and Country; yet none are so to be oppressed with business, as to forget their duty to God. He is not worthy to be a Bishop qui praeesse dilexerit, non prodesse: that loveth more to command, then to be commodious. He is not worthy to be a judge, that loveth more the pre-eminence of his place, then to do good in his place. Wherefore Ocium sanctum quaerit charitas veritatis: Love of heaven's truth desires a holy leisure: Negotium iustum suscipit necessitas charitatis: necessity of earth's charity undertakes just affairs. So carry yourselves betwixt contemplation, and action,  nec subtrahatur ista suavitas, nec opprimat illa necessitas: that the necessity of your actions do not eclipse the sweetness of your meditations; nor your meditations cause you to slack your just occasions.  
Give me leave to commend unto your thoughts two things: The first, the greatness of your authority, as God hath lent you part of his power, so part of his title; 
o Psal. 82.  I have said you are gods: and he hath an eye after you, for it is in the same Psalm, He judgeth in the midst of gods; or in the middle he judgeth the gods, as 
* Hieron. expos. Psal. 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Hierome reads it, and the Original Hebrew will bear it: Awake than ye men of God, that are placed in the presence of God: how dares corruption approach, bribery draw near, perverting of justice enter into the presence of the all-seeing eye? think on this; The Lord doth behold your actions.  
The 2. thing to be remembered is, that you have this treasure in earthen vessels: A strange, and true Epithet, you are mortal gods: Be not puffed up with your high authority, and title: you shall dye like men, you shall rise like men, you shall give an account like men, you shall be judged like men; your now overseer shall be then your judge; and who is present at your actions, shall sentence you accordingly: Remember; you amongst these Eagles shall be gathered together.  
Secondly to the small, to all: remember that of Saint Peter, 
p 1. Pet. 3.10.  When the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth burn up: what manner of men ought you to be in holy conversation and godliness? Suppose now you should see (as God knoweth how soon you shall see) the heavens to vanish with a great noise; The Elements with fervent heat to be dissolved, and the earth in a fiery flame: Tell me, what holy thoughts, and chaste conversation would then possess you. Saint 
q A●●●arrat. i● Psal. 49.  Augustine expounding those words of the Psalm, Our God shall come, fire shall go before him, and in his presence a mighty tempest. Doth (saith he) the fire, and tempest fright us? let us be changed, and there is no cause of fear: ignem palea timet, auro quid facit? The Chaff of sin shall be consumed, the gold of piety shall be refined: stipulas ad te congeris? veniet ignis. Why heapest thou to thyself combustible matter? Cast away thy sin, the fire hath not whereon to burn, wherewith to work.  
'tis very observable Christ never treats of this subject, but he adds a special caveat; In Saint Matthew he concludeth with the good, 
r Math. 24 45.  and bad servant, the one expecteth his Masters coming, and is blessed; Th'other, smites his fellows, eats, and drinks with the drunken, and is accursed. And in this Chapter, Remember 
s Luk. 17.32.  Lot's wife, desist not in doing good, lest in looking back to Sodom. Thou art intercepted; thy affections metamorphosed; and thou never turn from Sodom.  
Forget not the suddenness of his coming, as a thief in the night, nothing more unexpected; as the Lightning, nothing more swift; as the twinkling of an eye, nothing more speedy. 
t Luk. 17.26.  As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the son of man. Noah's time, and ours alike in sin, alike in eating, drinking, alike in chambering, and wantonness: The Preachers tongue would be defiled, Christian ears would be offended, at the nomination of those things that are done in secret. The face of the world in Noah's time was grown so filthy with sin, that the Lord was constrained to wash it with a flood: The dross of sin in our time doth so abound, that it must be purified with fire; And as then the unexpected flood came and swept them all away, so the unlooked for fire shall come when many least dream thereof.  
Noah's Fabric was a real Sermon, therefore Saint Peter styles him the Righteous Preacher: How many Noah's, 
Math. 3.  and john the Baptists cry unto us, Now is the axe laid etc. Me thinks I hear the sons of Lamech scoffing at Noah, and his Ark, saying, what meaneth this fellow to sail on dry land: yet they could not laugh him out of his faith: we daily hear the scoffs of the insensible wicked at religious exercises; but Woe unto you that laugh now, for you shall howl, and lament. Me thinks I see the sons of Lamech, how they came wading to the Ark middle-deepe, craving admittance, but were denied; Methinks I foresee the Hic-scorners of this age, knocking at Heaven gate, craving an entrance, but are repelled; with a Depart from me ye workers of iniquity.  
Is then the hour so sudden? and nigh at hand? what meaneth sin thus to flourish? still gluttony, still carnality, sensuality still, still pride, still usury, oppression, grinding of the poor; still all, and more than all: I say no more, but with john the Baptist, Repent, and amend, for the kingdom of God is at hand, When these Eagles shall be gathered together.   

The fourth Exposition.  
THere is yet the fourth sense of these words, which I have reserved for a conclusion of all: and that is Gregory's anagogical sense; who interpreteth them of the life to come: Christ with his body is corporally ascended into heaven; thither shall the Eagles be gathered 
v Q●ia ●oe●est● sedi incarnatus ve●er redemptor praesideo: electorum animas cum ca●ne soluero: ad coelesti: quoque s●b ●ua●●: Greg. mo●al. in job. lib. 39 cap. 14. : He is enthronised in the heavenly seat, thither will he lift up his chosen also. This is that which he speaketh in 
x joh. 12 26.  john; Where I am, there shall my servant be: and in the Apocalyps, To him that 
y Reu. 3. last.  overcometh, will I give to sit with me in my throne: Our throne Christ's, and Christ's the Father's throne; where we shall sit; not without him, but with him; with me in my throne: None shall be with him, but his servant; none shall sit on his throne, but he that overcometh: none shall be gathered, but the Eagles.  
There shall our eagle's eyes behold him face to face, The Angels see him, and yet desire to see him: Satiantes desiderant, desiderantes satiantur: 
Greg.  they behold him their fill, yet still desire to behold him, and in his sight there is fullness of joy.. This pomegranate without dead seeds, this Rose without prickles, this wine not mingled with water: In God's presence the Seraphims burn with charity, the Cherubims are splendent with knowledge. The Choir of Saints and Angels sing laud's, Hymns, and spiritual songs. Peter at a glimpse of this glory in the holy Mount cryeth out, Bonum est, it is good for us to be here: then Ecce quam bonum, how good a thing it is to be here for evermore.  
Philip by a heavenly instinct, saith, 
joh. 14.8.  Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth; God is all-sufficient to suffice. Honours, riches, etc. are insufficient. They that have mounted to the top of them think still unum deest, one thing is wanting to perfection: Oh miserable men how gape we after transitory and insufficient glory, and neglect that only which is immortal.  
You have your fruit in holiness saith the Apostle, but the end is eternal life: 
Rom. 6.  Bonus finis vita aeterna, quae finem non habet; a good end indeed, of whose goodness there is no end; there joy without sorrow, clarity without obscurity, security without wavering, plenty without surfeit: Who will not mount with the Eagles to be gathered to this glory? Infuse, infuse into our hearts thy grace (o Lord) that with the wings of Faith, Hope, and Charity, we may fly unto thee, that we with all thy Eagles may be gathered to thy Kingdom, with thy Son; there to live for evermore. To whom, and unto thee, (o Father) with thy blessed Spirit, three persons, one invisible, and indivisible God be praise, and glory for evermore, AMEN.  
Laus Deo qui dedit velle, & perficere.   
FINIS.