THE SON OF GOD'S entertainment by the sons of men. Set forth in a Sermon at Paul's Cross the seventh of October. 1604. By Richard jefferay of Magdalen College in Oxford. john. 1.11.12. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as did receive him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God; even to them that believe in his name. AT LONDON Printed by T.P. for Henry Tomes, and are to be sold at his shop at Gray Inn new gate in Holborn. 1605. IN the Temple of Praeneste amongst divers other counterfeits most cunningly and curiously portrayed Deum quendam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reperiri ferunt. They say there is a certain mouthless God to be found, whom the Egyptians call Harpocrates, the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Romans Deum silentij, we the God of silence; to whom they say, unless due sacrifice (to wit) dumb silence carefully be offered, there is no safety for those that speak: now while I am constrained to neglect the rights of this profane God, and enjoind to perform the duty of this consecrated place for the service of the Lord God alone; I may much fear into what dangers I may slip or fall, for I cannot but acknowledge myself with Moses to be a man of a slow speech, and with jeremy of polluted lips, nay with David a worm and no man, so that with Esay my heart of ashes, and tongue of flesh must needs fail God, unless I be enabled by his holy spirit, and assisted by your religious prayers and patience: wherefore I beseech ye (right Honourable, Honourable: right Worshipful, Worshipful, and the rest whom I reverence and love) in the name of the Lord jesus, Ascendat oratio ut descendat gratia, compareat patientia ut consurgat consolatio in salutis opere, as Chrysostome saith, Let prayer ascend, that grace may descend; let patience appear, that consolation may be found in the work of our salvation. The son of God's entertainment by the sons of men. john. 1.11.20. He came unto his own, and his own received him not, but as many as did receive him, to them he gave power to be the Sons of God; even to those that believe in his name. WHen Moses declared the mercy of God, and his loving kindness towards his people Israel; then he saith, The Lord came from Sinai, Deut. 33.2. and rose up from Seir, unto them he appeared clearly from the Mount, and came with ten thousands of Angels. When Abacuch revealed the glory of the highest, and made his favour known unto the world, then saith he, God cometh from Mount Teman, and the holy one from mount Paran, Selah. Abac. 3.3. His glory covereth the heavens, and the earth is full of his power. When our Evangelist saint john had showed the goodness of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ in his Godhead, and the greatness of his Godhead in his glorious goodness, first by his eternity equal with his father, Secondly, by the testimony of john the Baptist his forerunner, he cometh to the manifestation of Christ himself to the world, And saith, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. He cam● and was in the world, but not known of them that were in the world, for as a garden enclosed, a treasure hid, a fountain shut up, so he remained: He came and was known of the world, but as the word by the voice, the body by the Image, the Godhead by the manhood; so he appeared, known, and not known, come, and not welcome into the world: and therefore unwelcome because unknown, to some yet welcome, and known to othersome, for some believed, and received him: and some were known and accepted of him, and believing in the Son of God, were made themselves the sons of God. He came unto his own, etc. Three things especially for your memory, and my methods sake, are to be considered in this text. First the coming of Christ unto his own: a manifest token of his unspeakable love: He came unto his own. Secondly, the course entertainment his own gave him, an evident testimony of their inexcusable fault: They rece●ued him not. Thirdly, the effect of Christ's coming, the certain and sovereign benefit of our salvation. But as many as did receive him, etc. First touching the first, He came: Non venit qui aberat, sed apparuit quilatebat, as saint Bernard saith, He came not as one that had been absent, but appeared as one that was continually covertly present: As the day star that springeth from on high, Luke 4. Mat. 4. hath visited us: As the Sun that never goeth down: As Emanuel the seal on God's finger, even God with us. Thus our Evangelist interpreteth his coming, and that by the same phrase of speech which he useth in his first Epistle. Non tanquam maiestas impressa carne, sed tanquă carne imbuta; not as a majesty imprinted in the flesh, joh. 1. E. 1. ca but as imbued with flesh. Which plainly showed the love he bore unto mankind, that being God became man, the word became flesh, glory became infamy, to make men Gods, to bring flesh to heaven, and shame to glory, according to that of the Apostle. 1 Epi. john 3. john. 1.3. For this purpose appeared the son of God, that he might loose the works of the Devil And saint Paul saith: Tim. 1.49 This is a true saying, and by all means to be believed, that Christ jesus came into the world to save sinners. Tim. 1.4.9. And Christ himself saith in the 15 of Luke. Luke 1.5. The son of man is come to find that which is lost. He came; as a shepherd to find the lost sheep; as the woman to find the lost groat; as a father to find the lost son; the lost sheep, to restore us unto perfection again; the lost groat, to renew us to the Image which before we had lost; the lost son, to receive us into favour again. For all this, impatient of his glory, as unworthy of his grace, injurious Arius and profane, to disgrace the gracious goodness of Christ jesus, speaking of his coming, saith, He was sent before he came, thereby impairing his loving kindness, in that he came not before he was sent; whereto our Saviour answereth directly himself, in the 40. Psalms, lo I come; they be his own words. Whereupon S. Cyprian saith, Cyprian. though sent from the father, yet willingly of himself, because God coequal with the Father, to will and to do one and the self same, enever divided. Sain● Basill, Basil. Venientem Christum propria benignitas invitavit, misericordia traxit, veritas compulit, puritas uteri suscepit, potentia abduxit, obedientia deduxit, benevolentia conduxit, patientia armavit, charitas verbis & miraculis manifest avit. When Christ came his benignity invited him, his mercy drew him, his truth compelled him, the purity of the womb undertook him, his power forth led him, his obedience past him, his benevolence guided him, his patience armed him, his charity revealed him by words and miracles. Gregor. Cum tempus completum erat & opus compertum sacrificio, quo veniret Christus, ultro venit, & sponte se hominibus videndum attusit, occidendum obtulit, mirandum contulit, credendum transtulit. When the fullness of time was that Christ should come and perform the work of sacrifice, he came willingly, & of his own accord, yielded himself to be seen by men, offered himself to be slain for men, conveyed himself to be wondered at amongst men, translated him from men to be believed Cumplenitudo temporis erat, tunc, missus erat Christus, Chrysost. & venit non compulsu patris, sed consensu sui, non ex necessitate mandantis, sed ex voluntate venientis. When the fullness of time was, than Christ was sent and came, not by compulsion of the father, but by consent of himself, not out of the necessity of him that commanded, but out of the willingness of him that was coming. Which Saint Augustine upon saint john makes manifest, August. saying: the father sent his son unto us, where we may not think he sent any thing less than himself, for in that he sent his son, he sent himself, and so goeth further with the same manner of speech. Why should we wrangle, seeing the father in sending his son came himself? The Sun sendeth forth his beams, yet separateth not his beams from him: the Moon sendeth forth her light, yet separateth not her light from her▪ the fire sendeth forth his heat, yet separateth not his heat from him. In every one of these there is a sending forth, but no separation, much less in the son of God, which is joined to the father in their indivisible nature, one God in glory equal, in majesty coeternal; neither confounded in persons, nor divided in substance, but one God of the substance of the father, begotten before the worlds, & man of the substance of his mother borne in the world, one, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God, one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. And so he came, equal to his father as touching his Godhead, inferior to the father as touching his manhood. He came: Appio● makes the coming of Christ three sold Venit ad homines, venit in homines, venit hominibus. Christ cometh unto men, into men, and to men: unto men in the flesh, john. 1.14 and so he came unto his own directly: john. 1.14. Into men by the spirit▪ john. 14.18. and so he cometh to his chosen continually: john. 14. 1●. to men in judgement, and so he will come finally to all. Acts. Acts. 7.31. A day there is which the Lord hath set, wherein he will judge the world by that man Christ jesus, of whom he hath given us assurance, in that he hath raised him up from the dead, & made his enemies his footstool. S. Bernard maketh the coming of Christ as the numbers of Delphos five-sold Venit Christus, saith he, vel spiritu formante, vel verbo informante, vel cruse reformante, vel sacramento conformante, vel carne deformante. Christ came by his forming spirit, by his informing word, by his reforming cross, by his conforming sacraments, by the deforming flesh. He came, Venit ad sua, for ad suos, as the Apostle saith in his sixth Chapter afterward. Omne quod dat mihi pater, for omnes quos dat mihipater: All that my father hath given me, for all those my father hath given me, using one gender for another, the Neuter for the masculine, instructing us thereby as Athenagoras makes gloss, that neither Masculine, nor Feminine, male nor female, man nor woman, are happy without his coming, alluding to that of the holy Ghost, that without are withered branches, without are dogs, infidels, pagans, without hope, without faith, without love, without truth, without grace, without the spirit of God, without the blessing of God, all those that are without the compass of Christ's progress, or circuit of his visitation, therefore he came unto his own, that they might receive allcomfort by his coming. He came unto his own. There be amongst our newfound, now-fond Gospelers a sort, (I had almost said a sect) that challenge to themselves a great pre-eminence in this respect, and take upon them of themselves that they are these his own to whom he came, forgetting the tense and sense of this purescripture. For they themselves will seem so pure, that all their Christian brethren must stand apart from them, and rather than they will lose the property of this prerogative of being his own, they will be termed brethren in Christ, and brethren of Christ, nay Christ's noun brethren, they are so holy, or so hollow in their purity; but surely I think they are traduced in their title, as ill as seduced in their opinions by those that call them Puritans, unless they take their names as Diogenes named his man, Manes a manendo, because he ran away from him, or as we say, lucus a lucendo quia minime lucet, or Mons a movendo, because it stands still: so they by the contrary are termed Puritani, a puritate, quia minime puri, which in his proper place anon shall be declared, though they deny the Sun to shine while as it dazzleth their eyes. Where as the Prophet notes all people forth of all Nations, and all kindreds of the world for Christ to make his own of. God gave him heaven for his inheritance, and the earth for his possession. Psal. 2. All are his but not all his own: we are all his by nature, but not all his by grace: we are all his by creation, but not all his by election. Omnium hominum dominus quibus quid dat, sed Israliet arum Deus, quibus praecipue prodest: God is the Lord over all, to whom he giveth any of his blessings; but he is Israel's especial God, to whom he giveth himself, & which he preferreth before all other people: they were those which in the beginning he called by his own name. I am the God of Israel. Esay. 43. If you will be my people, I will be your God. The great blessings he graced them withal, declare they were his own; their wealth, honour, sovereignty above all other, show they were his own: witness Moses. Deut. 15.28. Thou shalt lend to other Nations, but of none shalt thou borrow: Thou shalt seem strong, dreadful, terrible and glorious unto others, but none shall overcome thee, Esay. 2. etc. The Law God gave them, the covenant he made with them, show they were his own, Acts. 2. witness, Esay. a. God dwelled with them, gave the law to Zion, and the word of the Lord to jerusalem. Witness Saint Peter. Acts. 2. To them pertained the adoption, the glory, the Testament, the constitution of the law, the Covenant, the worshipping and the promises. The descent of Christ showed they were his own, witness Saint Paul. Rom. 9 Of them came Christ according to the flesh: and therefore he is called the star of jacob, the Lion of the tribe of judah, the Rod of Isacke, the seed of David, the son of the Virgin, as of the greatest and royalest blood amongst them: to these he came, these were his own, and had foreknowledge of his coming from the beginning. Adam in the 3. of Gen. Abraham in the 12. Isacke in the 20. & in the 26. God told jacob, In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed. He bond the same with an oath to David: whereupon David did rely & prevailed: and so have all they no less benefit which believed in him promised, than those that received him exhibited. He came: to Adam with the promise in the time of despair; to Abraham with supply in time of sacrifice; to Isacke with relief in the time of famine, in time of exile with honour to joseph, in time of persecution with comfort to Elias, in time of battle with a hand in Gedeons' hilt, in time of invasion with triumph to Ezechias: in the time of need he came unto every one with some good or other, promising to all life in jesus Christ, to wit, all those: Qui Christum pollicitum in carne venturum expectarunt in carne venientem crediderant in carne moriente● coluerant. He came unto his own. He came unto them in figure, before he came in flesh, he appeared unto them tipically, before he came unto them personally: He came in Circumcision. Rom. 3. he came in the Paschal Lamb. john. 1.1. he came in Manna. john. 6. he came in the brazen Serpent. john. 3. he came in the Ark, and on the Altar: all these were figures of Christ He came tipically, as our rest in Noah, our increase in joseph, our love in David, our peace in Solomon, our salvation prefigured in josuah. All these were forerunners, and foretellers of Christ's coming: Gal. 4. and when the fullness of time was that he should come, as it is in the 4. to the Galathians, than came he unto his own, and took flesh upon him, as the substance of the earth, and became man for their sakes. God became man, that so he might make men to be gods: the Creator took upon him the shape of the creatures, that so they might become like to their maker. Mortality put on immortality, that it might so make that immortal: incorruption put on corruption, that it might so make that incorruptible: the master came unto his servants, that they might so become his fellows, yea fellow heirs with him in the kingdom of his father. In all these kinds, and in all this kindness, jesus came unto his own, to manifest and publish his unspeakable and unchangeable love to those which he vouchsafeth to own. Thus he came unto his own: and thus I leave CHRIST JESUS in love with his own, and his own in his love, which is the scope of my first part, and go to examine the fault of his own who received him not, which is my second part. They received him not. The course of his entertainment, The 2. part: course entertainment; the kind of his receiving, unkind receiving; the manner of his welcome, unmannerly welcome; the form of his usage, deformed usage; if we be not like horse and mule that have no understanding, or like those people with the brazen bone, that have no feeling of the holy Ghost, will teach us for ever to enter into a due and dutiful consideration of receiving so gracious and worthy a guest, as our Lord and saviour jesus Christ is, as he cometh unto us, or into us: for who doth not blush with shame? who doth not swoon with grief? who doth not split with sorrow? to think that man, the Image of God, the purchase of jesus Christ, an honourable creature, inferior only to the Angels, crowned with honour and glory, (which is much more dear) than the finest gold of Ophir, that he should be by the weakness of the spirit so ignorant, as not to know, or by the wickedness of the flesh so ingrateful, as not to acknowledge, or by the corruption of nature so malicious▪ as not to welcome the Lord and giver of all good gifts: who can keep their eyes from tears, their heart from sighs, their bodies from sackcloth and ashes? to think, that the Israelites which were so favoured of God, so renowned amongst men, so feared of their enemies, so furthered by their friends so generally graced, that nothing wanted they could wish for worldly power, pomp and dignity; that they should be so graceless, as to neglect or not receive the founder of their graces; that these people which were so near and dear unto Christ jesus, as the apple of his own eye, the signet on his right hand, the soul of his delight, that they should be so careless as not to entertain the Lord of life, in all solemnity: it is for a lamentation, and will be for a lamentation to the end; it is a caution, and aught to be for a caution for ever, for all succeeding ages, to look unto the entertainment and receiving of Christ jesus. Read the Evangelists, there shall you see how our Lord was accepted. At his birth, they did not so much as give him lodging in an Inn, his best chamber was but a base stable; his haul but a hovel, his cradle but a cratch; and none came forth to welcome him, nor any in to comfort him, but a few poor shepherds, and those not of their own accord, but by the direction of an Angel. Thus and no otherwise did they receive him, O hard hearted Israelites. And while he was yet in his swaddling clouts Herod the tyrant sent forth an army of men, to kill all male children under two years of age, that he might be sure to meet with Christ for his welcome; he made such a massacre of Infants, that Bethlehem the place where jesus was borne was made red with blood, fresh blood of sucklings that were slaughtered; Bethlehem was made white with the bodies, bare bodies of babes that were murdered: the earth was watered with the tears, salt tears, that were shed by the mothers, heaven was filled with the cries outrageous cries of the fathers, heaven and earth did sound with the sobs and sighs, and skreekes of kinsfolks, made for the children, and there was none came forth to rescue him, save the Angel that made his parents pack him away into Egypt. Thus and no otherwise did they receive him: O foul hearted Israelits. The residue of his life as it increased in years, so did it increase in cares; for as he grew up, and came amongst them teaching and preaching, disputing and instructing in their Synagogues and Temples, they regarded him not, but anon the Scribes and pharisees infamed him, Is not this the Carpenter's son? say we not well that thou art a Samaritane? and none came forth to comfort him? thus and no otherwise did they receive him: O false hearted Israelites. The whole race of his life was but a warfare, a wavering and way faring estate, never at ease, never at peace, never at rest: the fowls of the air have nests, & the foxes have holes, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head, but is still tossed from place to place; from post to pillar; from Bethlehem to Egypt, from Egypt to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Capernaum, from Capernaum to jerusalem, from worse to worst of all. For there at jerusalem which was the city of the great king, where a man would think the heir apparent of the king doom should be royally entertained, even there the measure of his woes, and their wickedness was fully filled, as ye may read in the Gospel of saint Matthew: there the devil tempted him, his Disciples forsook him, judas betrayed him, the Soldiers took him, bound him hand and foot, carried him before the high Priests and Elders; false witnesses accused him, the multitude cries out, Crucify him, Pilate condemns him, the governors servants convey him to the common hall, they strip him, put a scarlet rob upon his shoulders, a crown of thorns upon his head, a reed in his hand, and then salute him in derision: Hail jesus king of the jews; they blindfold him, and their unhallowed rabble buffet him on the cheeks, spit in his face, scourge him on the back, and in the end nail him on the cross, and crucify him; where hanging, the proud pharisees, false Scribes, hypocritical Elders, cruel captains, merciless soldiers, malicious passengers, both great and small (wagging their heads) most scornfully, cry out, Thou that saidst thou couldst destroy the Temple, and in three days build it up again, save thyself, and if thou be the son of God come down from the Cross: and none there were that comforted him: thus and no otherwise did they receive him; O bloody minded Israelites O people Israel, no people of Israel, but a Nation prepared for the vengeance to come. O family of jacob, no family of jacob, but a generation of vipers left for the black day. O sons of Abraham, no sons of Abraham, but fruit of Nepthilim, proud workers of iniquity, fit subjects of Gods eternal wrath and indignation: that so unkindly entreated, and so inhumainly entertained him, that was so kind to them, as to give them all happiness, and live himself in misery: that gave them the earth for their possessions, and had no better than a manger for his mansion; that placed all rest, and had himself no resting place. Was there ever such ingratitude expressed? The Sun did hide his face, the Moon gave not her light; the stars kept not their course, the universal engine of the world was out of frame at this neglect, the vail of the Temple rend in twain, the graves burst open, and the dead bodies rose at this neglect: all creatures were moved with this ingratitude, man's heart alone relented not. The Text is plain, they received him not. They received him not as man, as he came unto them in the flesh; they received him not as God, john, 6, ● as he cometh into them in the spirit. It is his own complaint in the 6. of john. I said unto you, that you also have seen me and believed me not. His gracious & his graceful presence could get him no grace amongst them, his painful & faithful preaching, which was so praiseful, (that never man spoke as this man did) it could gain him no credit amongst them, his good life which was the light of all goodness, could procure him no good liking: his actions that were wonderful and powerful in all things, had no power to win him favour amongst them; his very miracles themselves prevailed not with them for him. They saw the sick healed, the lame go, the dumb speak, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lepers cleansed, the dead revived by his power, and yet they did not believe: they saw the nets breaking, the boats sinking, the storms ceasing, the seas his walking place, & yet they did not believe: they saw him cast forth devils by legions at once, feeding five thousand with two loaves & five fishes, turning water into wine, doing many other miracles, & yet they did not believe. Elias came down to attend him, Moses rose up to wait on him, Peter, james and john, parted not from him, at his transfiguration on mount Tabor, the place shone with brightness, and a voice the voice of God himself was heard from heaven: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear him, and yet they did not believe him; the prejudice of Moses, on the one side, and their palpable ignorance on the other side, made them incredulous; they were Moses' scholars forsooth, and followed him, we know that God made a promise unto Moses, but what God promised unto him we know not, and in the 4. of john; they came to our Saviour: Moses gave us a law (and so forth) but alas saith saint Paul, 2, Cor, 3, yet the vail was before their hearts. 2. Cor. 3. And howsoever they forsook Christ, they forsook Moses aswell as him, therefore saith our Saviour, I am come to enlarge the king doom of my father; if you had believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for Moses wrote of me, but ye believed him not, ye believed me not: Mat. 13. how often would I have gathered you together, and you would not Mat. 23. And therefore saith S. Peter. Acts. 13. Behold ye despisers, and wonder, for I will do a work in your days which ye will not believe although you see it, which is the very same that here is spoken of▪ He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Thus much of my second part, the ingratitude and iniquity of the people, opposed against the gratuity and goodness of their God, that came unto them as his own, though they received him not, and gave power to as many as did receive him to be the sons of God, even to those that believe on his name, Notwithstanding the haviour of these creatures, a people given over to their wickedness, yet doth not the shepherd of their souls leave them all to their woefulness, but as many as do receive him, to them he gives power to be the sons of God, insinuating by these words as many, that some receive him, assuring us by these words as many, the benefit of our salvation to some: the sum whereof is conveyed unto us in this second verse, by the certainty thereof, as many as do receive, by the sovereignty, they have power to be the sons of God, by the manner of our obtainment thereof, He gave them power, by the means we do lay hold thereon, even faith to those that do believe, by the object of our faith which is the name of jesus, to those that do believe in his name. The certainty of our salvation is declared in these words, as many. The common adversary, because they be so many, boast much, & triumph in the multitude of their associates, and think to put us down with the fault of our forefathers: but as it is in the vision of S. john: we see who glorieth in the greatest number even Antichrist himself. Apoc. 19 and let him glory in the rout & rabble of his unhallowed complices, sithence praise be given to him that sits above, and sways below, the harvest of true intertainers is great, and the line of them that receive Christ is stretched far and wide upon the face of the whole earth. It is not tied to the family of jacob, as the jews would have it, nor to the soil of Africa, as the Donatists would have it, nor to the sea of Rome, as the Papists would have it, but God hath chosen for the seed of Abraham, all which have the faith of Abraham; and for the family of jacob, john. 4.23. A●o. 21.12. all that worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. john. 4.23. And therefore in the Revelation 21.12.13. the Church of God is compared unto a city having 12. gates, opening 3. into every quarter of the world. And saint Pau●e the second to the Ephesians, and the 14. showeth that now the wall of partition is broken down, so that all the world is equally the Church of God, and some did faithfully receive Christ, though his own received him not: for so much do these words as many, report and import. Although for the quantity the Church of God be counted small, yet for the quality it is greater than the rest, because Christ doth more esteem one member of his mystical body, than all the number of infidels, and wicked reprobates in the world: though Christ call his flock a little flock, yet he saith: Fear not my little flock, it is your Father's pleasure to give you a king doom. We must needs confess the number of the faithful is less than the number of the wicked, we cannot deny but there is more store of weeds than corn in the Lord's harvest. For Noah and his family, being but eight persons, all the world was drowned in wickedness: for Lot and his two sons, Sodom and Gomorrah with all the cities round about were burned in sin: for one thankful Samaritane, there were nine unthankful lepers: for one Elias, there were 450. Prophets of Ball. Reg. ●, 18. for one Micheas, there will be 400. false Prophets to A●●ab. 2.22. there will be but one of a city, and two of a tribe, which shall enter into Zion. jere. 3.14. in stead of the two legs, and piece of the ear, which the shepherds shall save from the mouth of the Lion, the whole body shall be devoured, Amos. 3,1●. but a few names will be found in Sardi, which have not defiled their garments. Apo. 3.4. for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that enter into it: but strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life eternal, and few there be that find it; we grant more chaff than grain, more tars than corn in the Lord's field. We grant Christ came unto his own, and his own received him not: yet (dearly beloved) the flock of Christ is far greater than can be perceived by the eyes of men. For as john saith, there are very many wolves within, and very many sheep without, and therefore we must not take upon us to judge our brethren, nor despair ourselves, but leave judgement unto God, and look for mercy of the Lord: 2. Tim. 2.13. for as saint Paul saith, The foundation of God remaineth sure, and hath his seal: Dominus novit qui sunt sui. The Lord knoweth who are his. There is no place, nor any sort of people throughout the world, where the Lord hath not some chosen. In the wicked court of Pharo there flourished godly joseph: with that cruel persecutor of the Prophets Achab, there was a preserver of Prophets, and a server of God Obadiah. In the house of Rimmon, where the king of Aram served strange gods, the captain of his host Naaman, served only the Lord God of Israel: In the camp of soldiers which is most suspected, there was Cornelius most sincere: In the rank of sinners that were most detected, even amongst the Publicans were found Matthew and Zacheus the faithful servants of God: amongst the blindest recreants the very pharisees, was Necodemus that refused his companions, and thought nothing too dear to bestow in the honour of our Saviour: Herod that mortal enemy of jesus Christ, had Manahen his companion, and johanna the wife of Chuza the steward in his house which feared God: the jews themselves that were so malicious against Christ, had some amongst them that received him, there was Nathaniel in whom there was no guile; there was old Simeon which looked for the consolation of Israel: there was religious Annah, that served God day and night with fasting and prayer, and confessed the Lord jesus to all that looked for redemption in jerusalem. Thus was the state of Christ's Church for ever certain, though the seat uncertain sometimes where to find her. This is the certain seal of our salvation, though the sign uncertain sometimes where to find it, because we cannot judge with outward senses who receive, or not receive Christ jesus when he cometh; yet is it most certain, that as many as do receive him, to them he giveth power to be the sons of God. Here is the sovereignty of our salvation, following the certainty thereof, we are made the sons of God by receiving the son of God coming unto us, and into us. A happy day, and a happy deed, a blessed time, and a blessed change for us, that are by nature the sons of Adam, the children of wrath, by such a guest, by such a grace should be made the sons of God. Filius Dei (saith S. Cyprian) factus erat homo ut faceret homines filios Dei, unicus natus erat, attamen noluit manner unus; The son of God was made man, that he might make men the sons of God; he was borne one, but would not live alone; he loved us so, that he could not leave us till he had made us his brethren, sons with him to God our father: nevertheless there is great difference between his s●ate and ours, he is the natural son of God, we the adopted; he begotten in eternity, the perfect son of his father, we created in due time out of the earth our mother; he borne, we made the sons of God: yet such his kindness, that he never saith, Pa●er meus & dominus vester, sed dominus meus, & pater ves●er▪ as saith S. Greg. My father, and your Lord, but my Lord and your father. The reason is, as saint Basill saith: Sic tungit ut non distinguit, & si● distinguit ut non seiungit: he doth so join that he doth not distinguish, and so distinguish that he doth not divide: so that we are sons, & being sons are fellow heirs with jesus Christ in his kingdom, Rom. 8. as the Apostle saith in the 8. Rom. where the inheritance pertaineth not to one, as to the eldest son in an earthly kingdom, but every one doth inherit all the revenues, rents and rights of the whole kingdom, none more or less than another, but all have full possession of all things that are all perfect. For as ●●●rie saith, this kingdom is most high in dignity, most free in liberty, most secure in peace, most glorious in honour, most pure in clearness, most joyous in the society of Angels, most copious in the affluence of riches, influence of pleasures, confluence of all perpetual graces. This is the portion of all those that are the sons of God: this is the pre-eminence, saith one translation, the prerogative, saith another, the privilege, saith another, the dignity, saith another, of all those that receive Christ jesus: but they all say this: He gave them power to be the sons of God. He gave them power. Here is the manner set down how they come by the benefit; they do not buy it, as the Heretics Circumseliones think; they have it not in their own naturality, as the Pelagians hold; they work it not out of their own ability, as the Papists suppose; but they receive it of God's mere liberality. He gave them power: It is the mercy of God, the goodness of God, the bounty of God, that bestows this benefit upon us. The best in this case must say with jacob, I am not worthy the least of thy benefits. Gen. 32. Gene. 32. The best must say with Daniel, Righteousness belongeth only unto thee, to us belongeth nothing but shame. Dan. 9 Dan. 9 the best must say with job, If I would seek to justi fie myself, I must needs condemn myself. If we consider with ourselves what we are of ourselves, we shall plainly find ourselves, the best of us all dust and ashes, by our substance, Gen. 3. by knowledge but beasts. Gene. 3. jerem. 10.4. Ephes. 2.3. Jere, 10.4. by nature the children of wrath. Ephes 2 13. I remember Lemnius gives a strange report of flesh: let bulls flesh lie above the ground in the open air, it turns to Bees; let horseflesh lie in that manner, it turneth to Hornets; but let man's flesh lie in that sort, it turns to Serpents▪ I will bank the application, lest I be taken for a Bee, or a Hornet I say no more, but if any challenge any goodness unto themselves, as of themselves or of their own power, it is much vanity, for of ourselves we cannot so much as think a good thought. 2. Cor. 3.5. It is more arrogancy, because we give that to ourselves which is proper to God: for everse good and perfect gift cometh from above. james the 1.17. It is most iniquity because we do not acknowledge the giver thankfully, Col. 3.17. for all praise and glory is to be given to God. Col. 3.17. Wherefore as the wise man saith, White birds with black feathers have no prerogative; if merit then death, if mercy then life, salvation cometh freely from the mercy of God: August. Cant. 2. Bernard. Non per innatam, sed per donatam justitiam salui sumus, saith Augustine: Non infixa, sed infusagratia, Whereon saint Bernard: I for my love, and my love for me, that she may know herself to be full of grace, when she ascribes all to her love, and nothing to herself. He gave them power to be the sons of God, even to them that believe. By grace ye are saved through jesus Christ, Ephe. 2.8. saith saint Paul, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: It is the gift of God taken hold on by faith, which is the means by which we receive all good things, the means by which we are made the sons of God: Galat. 3. john. 1. ep.▪ 5. Rom. 4. you are all the sons of God by faith in jesus Christ. And our Apostle himself in his 1. Epist. 5. cap. reaffirmes his report: He gave them power to be the sons of God; not the unbelievers, but believers. And in the 3 Rom. It is one God which shall justify circumcision of faith, and uncircumcision thorough faith. Chpysost. This faith, saith Chrysostom, must be simple, without curious searching, strong without fearful fainting, constant without doubtful wavering: this faith will appear by the fruits which are good works; Gregor. by the trial which is affliction; by the end which is salvation. If thou be like the Persian Appletree, saith Basill, that bears continually buds, blossoms, green fruit, ripe fruit, some fruit for all winter storms, or summers blasts, till it be rooted up: if thou hast this faith, thou art surely the son of God: for to them only that believe, he gave power to be the sons of God. Even to those that believe on his name. Here is now the object of our faith, which is the subject of our salvation, the name of jesus, to which the mercies, merits, and mediation of Christ belong, which are all contained in his name jesus, which signifieth a saviour. To Abraham & his seed, was the promise made, not saying to his seed, but in his name, as of one Lord jesus Christ: to him all the Prophets give witness, that through his name all that believe in him shall receive remission of sins. Act. 10.43. In his name shall all the Nations of the world be blessed: Acts. 10.43. whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved: Great is the name of the Lord and prevaileth: The name of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass: Mine enemies compass me round about, saith David, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. Our enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, compass us round about, but in the name of the Lord, in the mercies, merits, and mediation of jesus Christ we may destroy them: They kept me in on every side, saith David, hell, death, and damnation, kept us in on every side, but in the mercy, merits, and mediation of jesus Christ we may escape: they came about me like Bees, saith David, but in the name of the Lord they are extinct: they came about us like Bees, but in the name (the mercy, merits, & mediation) of the Lord jesus Christ, they are so extinct, that we may boldly say, and safely cry, death where is thy sting, Application. hell where is thy victory. Christ jesus is come, the king is come, and the king coming the enemies are fled. Those that have eyes to see let them see; those that have ears to hear let them hear: those that have a heart to understand let them understand those things that belong unto their peace, let them see the love of Christ in coming to his own, and embrace it; hear the fault of his own in receiving him not, and eschew it; Understand the benefit of our salvation, given to as many as receive him, by believing on his name & enjoy it. Christ jesus is come. he that was to come to the patriarchs, is come to the Apostles; he that was to come to Moses, is come to john; he that was to come to the Prophets, is come to the Disciples he that was to come to all, is come to his own▪ Why then farewell all Types and Figures, and welcome the sum and substance of our salvation: farewell the shadows of the fathers, the visions of the Prophets, the ceremonies of the Tabernacle, the superstitions of the jews: farewell night, and welcome day; farewell darkness, and welcome light; farewell danger, and welcome safety, for the Physician of health, the haven of rest, the door of truth the mirror of goodness, the fountain of our redemption: Christ jesus is come: he is come at whose appearance the tree of Paradise was turned into the food of life: the circumcision of the skin into the circumcision of the minds the golden covering of the propitiatory into the golden crown of glory; the rock yielding forth water into the side issuing with blood; the coat of Aron into the wedding garment of Christ, Moses into Christ, the type into the thing; the shade into the shine; the shine into the sun itself. Rom. 13. Away therefore with all your shadows now, for the day is come. Rom. 13. Away with all sacrifices and flesh offerings, for we must sacrifice unto God the sacrifice of praise: Psal. 49. Psal. 49. Away with the lamps and lanterns of the Tabernacles, john. 1. for the true light is come into the world, john. 1. Away with old baptism, for we must be borne of water and the spirit. The suspicious jews are now confuted in their suppositions; the misbelieving Turks are now confounded in their expectations; the faithful Christians are confirmed in their salvation by this coming of Christ. Cuius aspectu dispelluntur tenebrae, Cuius intuitu liberantur animae, Quem qui fugiunt moriuntur viuì, Quem qui sequntur viwnt morituri. In quo qui manent nihil damnationis habent, quia sunt in Christo. Sine quo, qui ambulant, nihil delectationis habent, quia sunt sine Christo. Christ jesus is come, and he is come unto his own, and to us as to his own; we are his own and the same privileges, the same blessings, the same favours that is said to belong unto the Israelites as his own, are common to us of England as his own, if we examine our estates of Israel and England, by the rules of the Prophets & Apostles: is it not with England as it was with the little land of Goshen, which had the light of God, when all Egypt was dark: is not the Law and the Gospel freely and truly published in our ears? is not our star like unto joseph's star, as the Moon in respect of our brethren? do not all Nations creep and crouch to us? Doth not the Olive with her fatness, the fig with her sweetness, the vine with her fruitfulness abide with us? What benefits had the people of Israel immediately from God, that we have not as graciously amongst us, to show that we are his own? Our portion is such in God, and our proportion such with them in all things between God and us, that as we may truly say with David: The Lord is the lot of our inheritance: so we may truly say with Lot: The Lord is the judge of our transgressions. As we may boldly challenge a property in Christ's loving coming, and coming unto us; so we must humbly acknowledge our fault in not receiving him: for in the same manner that we are approved, we are reproved with Israel: yet he that will take upon him to descry or describe the manner of our receiving, or not receiving Christ, as he cometh unto us by his members, or into us by his spirit, had need transform himself: for, Sitang as mont●s fumigabunt, si aspergas valles inundabunt, si calcas colles inhiabunt: so that the Minister of God that dealeth faithfully in this point, hath the Wolf by the ear, which if he do not warily hold, or wisely let go, he may chance to be had himself by the ears, or be sure to be laid fast by the heels, when he is not aware: yet as Ambrose said to Theodotius so I humbly say to you. Neque imperiale est: dicendi libertatem negare, Neque Sacerdotale quod sentiat non dicere. And that I may speak most mildly of all to all that Christ comes unto, I must say as saint Paul sayeth to the Corinthians, the 1.11. Omnes imbecilles sunt, & dormiunt: or as Fulgentius speaks to his auditors: Quilibet piorum perfectus, et imperfectus: perfectus spe glorificationis, imperfectus corruption, perfectus quia in animo seruit divinis legibus, imperfectus quia seruit legipeccati: or as Solarius speaks continually unto the traveler, that they that pluck up the Baaran root are stifled with the savour: they that look into the poisoned pool of Babylon lose their sight; they that come within the air of Sodom are infected; they that touch pitch are defiled. To the Angel of the Church of Sardi, these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead, I have not found thy works perfect, before God, remember therefore what things thou hast received and heard, hold fast and repent. I know thy works, O London, etc. To the Angel of the church of Ephesus, these things saith he, I have some few things against thee, thou hast lost thy first love: remember from whence thou art fallen, repent and do thy first works, or else I will come against thee, and remove thy candlestick. O England, O London, I have some few things against thee, thou art fallen away from thy first love with Ephesus, thy works are not all perfect. Thy love is not careful, thy care is not fruitful, thy fruit is not graceful to entertain Christ jesus. The labourers hire kept back, till the morning, the poor man's pledge withholden wrongfully, judgement withheld from those that are in distress: all these are seen in thee; all these are sin in thee: in all these are shown that Christ is not received as he ought to be. The buildings enlarged by Achabs' cruelty, the coffers enriched by achan's the every; the states maintained by Gehesies policy: all these are seen; all these are sin: in all these is shown that Christ is not received as he ought to be. Those that make widows a pray, the fatherless a spoil, the friendless a prize, receive not Christ: many storehouses sorted with wares, many aware houses filled with store, many shops with false lights, and light weights, many cupboards garnished with plate, many wardrobes furnished with gorgeous apparel, show that we receive not Christ as we should do; those biting Usurers that devonr the needy, and feed upon the flesh of them that are fallen into their nets, receive not Christ; those griping oppressors that quench their daily thirst with the tears of women and children, grinding the face of such as are fallen into their snares, those double dealers that give joabs stab, with judas kis●e, those bloody slanderers that make reproach, their custom, and delight to die their tongues in the blood of their brethren receive not Christ; the false witnsse and the suborner, the corrupt quests man, and the extortioner, receive not Christ. Where Envy stands in the door, where Wrath leans in the porch, where Gluttony sits at table, where Drunkenness lies in the floor, where Sloth sleeps on the bed, where Lechery keeps the chamber, and Pride looks out at the window, Christ jesus hath no welcome, and thither he will not come, the places must be clean (from vice) they must be garnished with virtue, they must be perfumed with holiness, where Christ jesus cometh; the houses must be swept, washed and pared, where he cometh; swept from dust and cobwebs, ab offensis lemoribus, from slighter offences; washed from filth and slabbering, a delictis suavioribus, from sweeter faults; pared from dirt and rubbish, a peccatis gravioribus, from more grievous sins: so that wheresoever Christ is entertained, the place must be as the Sanctuary, hallowed: the people must be as the Priests, sanctified; and the furniture must be as the vessels of the Temple, consecrated. If this city, and the citizens be thus provided, ye are fit to entertain Christ jesus, if not, it behoveth you to look for better furniture. I remember Eusebius the Bishop of Caesarea, in a certain Epistle of his to Constantine the Emperor, makes mention of a goodly city that he passed thorough in his travels called Augusta, which before his coming to it, was reported to him to be a place very stately for building, very rich for furniture, very plentiful for provision, very populous for inhabitants, but when he came into it, he found no people dwelling in it, but lions, tigers, dragons, chameleons, foxes wolves, goats, swine, unicorns, Vipers; which when the Emperor read, he calls unto Macarius his chaplain, and requires his knowledge and opinion of the place and people: which Macarius advisedly declares, saying: it was true which the reverend father had written, both of the place and people: for the city in his knowledge was such as it was described, and the citizens in his opinion, such as they were noted: some cruel as lions, to wit merciless, preiudicant bribe-taking magistrates,: some greedy as tigers, the simonical illiterate soul-staruing ministers: some fierce as dragons, the usurious extorsive state-spoiling money-mongers: some changeable as Chameleons, the political informant timeserving state-mongers: some deceivable as foxes, the privy Brokers, subordinate Scribes, and crimping gamesters: some ravenous as wolves, the city sergeants, country bailiffs, court officers: some lascivious as goats, the brothell-haunters, brothel-hunters, sappe-suckers and soakers: some filthy as swine, the lazy licentious, inordinate taskmasters: some proud as Unicorns, the rising courtier, standing lawyer, falling merchant: some inhuman as Vipers, the unnatural children, ungrateful friends, unfaithful servants. Thus do these famous writers deliver this infamous city by the condition of wild and savage beasts, which is an unnatural and strange thing amongst men, whereas if they had described it by tame and serviceable beasts, which are familiar with men, it might have passed with more ease, as dogs, cats, horses, calves and oxen, but they report it of the brutish & insociable inhabitants: which is a fearful & a shameful reproach, such a reproach as God forbidden I should conceive of this city! much more publish, most of all perceive amongst the inhabitants: yet ye must give me leave to say of it, as Mantuan did of his native city. Quo magis approprio tanto magis omnia sordent: the nearer I approach unto her, the more reproach I hear of her. And by your honourable and religious patience, I may freely speak what I have plainly seen in the course of some travels, and observation of some courses that in Flanders was never more drunkenness, in Italy more wantonness, in France more dissimulation, in Crect more lying, in Spain more insolency, in jury more hypocrisy, in Persia more curiosity, in Barbary more cruelty, in Turkey more impiety, in Tartary more iniquity, then is practised generally in England, particularly in London: all this is seen, all this is sin, in all this is shown that we receive not Christ jesus amongst us. Yet amongst the rout and rabble of unhallowed miscreants, or recreants, that receive not Christ, there be four sorts of people most opprobrious, which I cannot pass without reproof, namely the obstinate Papists and malicious, the profane Atheists and unconsecrate, the dissentious & licentious Schismatic, the proud and pampered worldling. The obstinate Papist, Papists. who hath said with Nym rod, Go to, let us build us a Tower, whose, top may reach unto the heavens, that we may get us a name for ever, lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth for ever. Thus they think to raise the state of their salvation by their great works, and mount into heaven upon the wings of their deserts: this they presume spiritually: and carnally what do they not presume? There is a certain drink which they call Catholicon, and a certain drug which they call Huiguiero, which the Menipized Satire speaks of; whereof when they have taken a draft or a dram, they are so bold that they dare undertake any thing be it never so abominable: disturbance of states: destruction of kingdoms: death of kings and princes themselves; their infection is so venomous, that their affections can hardly be religious, what pretence soever they make of religion: insomuch that I cannot see how these that are so faithless in their devotion towards God, can be faithful in their duties towards their king. My reason is, because they consecrate themselves unto the Pope their suffragan, they cannot contain themselves unto the king our sovereign; they cannot serve Christ and Antichrist, God or Baal must be God, for God and Beliall cannot be joined. I wonder then in what kind of allegiance they stand that are reconciled unto the Pope, they that subscribe in the casting of their king out of the Church: what supremacy do they allow his Majesty in the Church: Cum iuraverunt in verba Pontificis maximi: In case of excommunication: I dispute not what manner of subjects these are in their kinds, but leave the consideration thereof to whom it belongs. In the Revelation I read of seven Angels, to whom was given seven several trumpets. The third Angel blew a trumpet, and there fell a great star from heaven burning like a torch, and it fell into the third part of the waters: It was called Wormwood; therefore the third part of the waters became bitter as Wormwood. This star as our best authors writ was Pelagius a monk, the chief pillar of their side that made the waters bitter, corrupting the scripture with false doctrine, so that many died: he took away the doctrine of Redemption by jesus Christ, wherein men should believe; he disabled the doctrine of justification by faith whereby men live; he would not suffer that Christ jesus was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, that Christ was the sole and soul saving sacrifice; once offered upon the cross, never to be renewed, not needing help, but of itself sufficient for our salvation, he could not endure: and so made the word bitter, whereby many souls were lost. The seventh Angel blew a Trumpet, and the third part of the moon, and of the stars were smitten, so that the third part of them was darkened, and those were the Arians, their great champions, who by boasting of their works and merits, obscure Christ's justice and mercy, and tread his death and passion under feet; they darken the third part of the church and ministers and teachers with their false doctrine; It is not unknown how they did monstrously grow to the trouble of all Europe, and the confusion of that city Transiluania. You see these Papists receive not Christ as he cometh unto men in the flesh: they spare neither king nor subject, prince nor people that stands in their way, but down with them, down with them as the Babylonians did, even to the ground: they receive him not as he cometh into men in the spirit. You hear how they oppose themselves wholly against the doctrine of Christ in the Gospel; they scorn the virtue of his mercy, merits, and mediation. The obstinate Papist, and malicious receive not Christ: they receive him not The profane Atheist, who hath said in his heart with the fool. There is no God. Like Nabuchadnezzar walking upon the battlements of his high Palace, breatheth forth, Is not this great Babel which I have built for the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power, for the honour of my Majesty: so they walking upon the Torrace of nature, & upon the battlements of their wits, breath forth blasphemy against God, and infamy to men, is not that which we do, done by the power of nature? have not we wit and will, reason and skill, to understand and execute those things that concern our glory: and thus they make their arm of flesh, and take no notice of the power of God. But when his name is spoken of, like the Adder they clap one ear to the ground, and stop the other with their tail. They learn to weave Spiders webs, and hatch Cockatrice's eggs; they learn of the toad to swell above their proportion; of the wolf to bark against the moon; of the wild Ass to bray against the thunder; of the Owl to eschew the light of the sun; of the Vipers to gore and gnaw the breast and bowels of their dearest parents, as Epiphanius saith. Latus matris sauciunt, & sic gignuntur, ut pater & matter eorum periunt Saint Jerome speaks of them as of the serpent Hydaspis, whose poison is so venomous, that whosoever they touch or sting, they consume in body, or languish in mind. Saint Basili speaks of them as of those worms Hemorhoides, which cause althose they touch to bleed in all parts of their bodies until they die, and be distracted in their spirits while they live. Examples where of are too fresh in our memory, and the bleeding wounds of some are scarce yet dry, and therefore I forbear the application. It is well if we● be free from their imputation and imitation, that are so far from receiving Christ, that they say in their heart there is no God: and charm the charmer never so sweetly, they will not receive him. The profane Atheist receives not Christ, they receive him not. The Schismatic which say with Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, Come let us break their bonds, and cast away their chords from us: are not our tongues our own, and what Lord shall control us? These appear in the visions of john. The second Angel blew the trumpet, and a it was a great mountain was cast into the sea, & the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures that were in the sea, and they that had life died, for by the water is understood the word of God, and by the mountain is meant diverse sects and schisms, whereof Montanus was one, with Prisca and Salisba, two women which had led a great man Tertullian so far, that he confessed he had Priscam a Prophetess; but she proved such a Prophetess to him, as juno did to Hercules: The story is of juno, that she being much displeased with Hercules, and resolved to do him mischief, used many means to vex him, but could not prevail, till she had set Hercules against Hercules; till she had made Hercules mad, she could do him no hurt; but when she had divided him from himself, had made him mad, than she might do what she would with him, when he did rage and rave in himself, and against himself: such are our schismatics, as juno against Hercules, offended with the state of our church, and not knowing how to have their will in her, and of her to obtain her goods, & not maintain her good, to enjoy her wealth, & not preserve her weal▪ they set Hercules against Hercules, they divide the unseamed coat of Christ jesus, and fill the church with sects and schisms, outrages and madness, and so disturb the peace thereof, that while Simeon and Levi offend, good old father jacob cannot be at quiet, and while the fathers eat sour Grapes, the children's teeth are set on edge. They have no ho nor hold of their affections, but condemn and contemn governors, and government, mutter and murmur against the manners of governors, and manner of government, content with nothing but their own peevish courses, when they see all courses have been taken that are ordinary and lawful for perfection. The idle and Idol shepherds have been severely dealt withal, the drowsy and sluggish have been mildly handled; the blind and ignorant have had spittle and salt, and clay, put upon their eyes, nay their eyes have been rubbed with the gall of fishes, as Tobias his was. And what would they have more? I know not what they would have, unless it be the calf with the white face. Yes marry, they would have Bishops to be no Lords, Archbishops not to be at all, for these lets do much trouble their consciences: is it for conscience sake that they find these faults? then surely it is with knowledge: for Cons●ientia est quasi scientia, vel conscientia est cordis scientia: but certainly it is not for conscience, but for contention sake: can we think they are so barren in their understanding? that they do not know that Bishops are called Lords, because they are Barons, and not because they are Bishops: and for the addition of Arch, is there such great pre-eminence in that syllable? I pray you what dignity hath Arthetreclinus (he that bringeth in the first dish to the table) above those that sit at the table. Alas, who seethe not that this is to tithe Mints, and Annes-seede, and Commin together, and to neglect the greater things of the law: alas who sees not that these refuse Christ jesus, which will not receive him in that form which he comes into his church: yea but the same form which Christ jesus left in his church is not retained (say they) yea but the same form and fashion which Christ jesus appointed is maintained in the church, and the same face and fashion which was of old is now continued amongst us: was not Melchisedeck a king, and a priest? was not Moses a prophet and a governor? was not Elias a judge and a priest? was not Samuel so likewise? was not Solomon a king and a preacher? our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, was not he a king and our high priest for ever? When the Ark was brought home, there was Gad & Nathan, aswell as David; there was Abiathar and Zadoch, aswell as Solomon, in the building of the temple: and at the building of the second temple, there was Zorobabel and Aggai: why should not both sword go together then? Why should our graceful Moses, our gracious sovereign have cause to cast the tables out of his hand & break them. Undoubtedly they that contend about this in the church, the zeal of the Lords house hath not eaten them up, but their zeal would eat up the lords house. If you wait but the sound of the fist trumpet in the Revelation, you shall hear and see what manner of people these are: you shall see a star fall from heaven unto the earth, to whom is given the key of the bottomless pit, where hence issued a great smoke, out of the which our schismatics hight Locusts came: the form of them is like to horses prepared for battle: for so are they, proud, malicious, ambitious, dissentious & stubborn, cruel disturbers of God's Church. On their heads they wear cronets like unto gold: their faces are like the faces of men pretending a certain title of sincerity, which indeed belongeth nothing to them; they pretend love, and they have hair like the hair of women, but their teeth are as the teeth of Lions, they are delicate to entice their harlots, but they have tails like to Scorpions, to sting, to infect, to kill with their venomous doctrine; and at the last did a king creep out of the hole to rule over them, which was the Angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, in Greek Appollion, which is a destroyer. And this is the form and fashion of our schismatics, Quorum in ore Christus est, in cord judas; in o'er sacrificium, in cord sacrilegium; in ore puritas, in cord pruriens obscaenitas; in ore reformatio, in cord deformatio; in ore evangelium, in cord sanguis & bellum; in ore Templum Domini, in cord patibulum Domini; in ore religio, in cord proditio & perditio est. This is the manner of our Schismatics as saint Basill saith, Omnes amici, omnes inimici; omnes proximi, omnes adversarii; omnes familiares, nullifideles, omnes domestici, nulli pacifici. These are they, as saint Cyprian saith: Qui gladium habent, quo inimicos trucident: sed clipeum non habent, quo amicos defendant. These are they that take upon them, that Christ comes to none but them as his own; and these are they amongst others that receive him not: our licentious and dissentious Schismatics receive no Christ: they receive him not. Our pampered worldling, who gives himself over unto pleasure and vanity, lives carelessly and says in his heart, I am, (with Babylon) and there is no more besides me, I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the lack or loss of children or friends. Thus do our full gorged fat franked worldlings huggle themselves in ease, they stretch themselves upon their beds of ivory, they invent unto themselves diverse kinds of music, they drink wine in bowls, and eat the fattest of the calves from the stall, and none of them careth for the affliction of joseph their poor brethren, whose mouth know not the taste of bread, savour of meat, relish of drink, nor so much as of the crumbs that fall from their tables, nor so much as a cup of cold water in the name of jesus, they are so far from receiving Christ as he cometh unto them, that they are deaf at the cry of the poor, they are dumb in the cause of the poor, they are blind in the misery of the poor, they are lame in the relief of the poor, they are altogether dull in the entertainment of Christ, as he cometh unto them in his poor members: and as he cometh into them in the spirit; they have no feeling thereof; the bowels of compassion are dried up in them, they have no motions towards the service of God; their feet indeed are swift to shed blood, their hands strong to do mischief, their hearts imagine a vain thing, and the poison of Asps is under their lips, they walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of the scornful, lurk in the courts of princes, lurch in the houses of nobles, dive in the state of devils. It is with them as it is storied of cleopatra, who falling in lone with Marcus Antonius, was so enamoned and besotted in his love, that when she could not enjoy him as she would, she took two Asps and set them to her breasts, which by reason of the coldness of their natures, did so benumb her senses, that she became quite senseless: so our worldlings being in love with their paramour Mundus immundus, the filthy world, and not able to enjoy it so fully or freely as they would, set Asps unto their breasts, place the vanities of the wicked world so near their hearts, that they become senseless, deprived of all their senses, they prove as deaf as those people Catadupi, which dwelling near the downfall of the waters of Nilus, by reason of the continual noise thereof, lose their hearing. The sound of those temporal commodities that come by sea and land to our rich worldlings, stunne their hearing in those things that concern their spiritual peace; they are as blind as those people Hiperborei, that sit and gaze against the Sun till they have lost their sight so our worldlings sit and gaze against the sun shine of their bright estates in riches and glory, till they lose their sight of God's mercy that hath bestowed those blessings upon them, and the beams of his justice, that doth threaten his wrath and indignation against all those that do not use his blessings spiritual and temporal to his glory, and their neighbours good; they are as unsatiable as the Leopards that feed on Marioran till they die; so they be never satisfied till their mouths be filled with earth: they are so unreasonable that they never look into the dangers they run into for their riches, but are heedless like the little beast Satyrus, that is not content to stand by the fire and warm himself, but must leap into the fire and burn himself: so they are not content to make good use of their goods and enjoy them, but they will leap into the fire, even hell fire to increase them. I will not stay to argue this point, how many come by their goods? no, how any use their goods? but this I say with saint james, for their goods gotten by deceit, they shall weep and howl, for the misery that shall come on them: their riches gathered by oppression, extortion, usury, or any other indirect, unlawful or dishonest means, it shall corrupt and vanish from their uses, and be as venom to their souls: their gold and silver shall canker, and the rust of them shall be a witness against them, and shall eat their flesh as it were fire: these do forget what Epiphanius saith. Aurum, voluptas, gaudium, Opens, honores, prospera: Quacunque nos inflant, Sat mane nihil sunt omniaque. Gold, pleasure, delight, riches, honour, whatsoever things we account prosperous, we find dangerous: they puff us up, and while we think them all things, they fly from us as nothing. They remember what Horace saith. Omnesenim res. virtus, fama, decus, divina, humanaque pulchris divitiis parent, quas qui contraxerit, ille claruserit, fortis, justus, sapiens, etianrex & quicquid voluit. Every thing, virtue, fame, renown, divine and human things, obey fair riches, which whosoever hath gathered, he is in request: he is valiant, he is just, he is wise, yea a king, and what he list. This is it that makes our worldlings so proud, and pampers them so much, that they neglect God, and think not how strait their entrance is into the kingdom of heaven which is straighter than the passage of a Camel thorough the eye of a needle. Our proud and pampered worldlings receive not God. They received him not. But as mamy as did receive him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God. To conclude therefore, if they only that do receive Christ are made the sons of God, they that receive him not abide the children of wrath. In the 23, of Mat they be our saviours own words, I would have gathered you together, but you would not, behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. In saint Basill his Exametron, they be his words, that whosoever receive not Christ, as he comes unto men, or into men, they shall be sure to receive him as he comes to men, they that receive not Christ in the flesh nor spirit, shall undoubtedly receive him in judgement. A day their is appointed in which the Lord will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath appointed, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him up from the dead, and set him at his right hand, where he abideth with his eyes like fire, his feet like burning copper, his face more shining than all precious stones, prepared for judgement, against the time which his father hath appointed, which time when it cometh, then cometh he not riding on an Ass, but on the Cherubins, not with a few poor disciples, but with legions of Angels, not to sessions to be arraigned, but to judgement to judge the tribes of judah, for than is then, he comes to fold up the heavens together like a scroll, to turn the dust of the earth into pitch, and to put those people of the earth which received him not into scalding lime, for than is then, the moon shall be turned into blood, the Sun shall lose her light, the stars shall change their course, the universal engine of the world shall be dissolved: for than is then: he comes with a mighty tempest before him, and a whirl wind round about him, and then those miserable recusants that refused to receive him as he came unto them, and would have come into them, cannot escape him as he cometh to them, for than they shall see and feel without them the world burning with fire, within them the worm of conscience ever gnawing above them, their unapeasable judge condemning them; beneath them the horrible torments of hell prepared for them; at their right hand their sins accusing them, at their left hand, enraged and blood-thirsty, any soule-thirstie Satan ready to execute Gods irrevocable judgement against them, and to give them their portion with hypocrites which Du Bartis describes; for bread the gall of serpents, for meat the tongues of Adders, for drink the venom of Cockatrices, for their habitation utter darkness, where there is nothing but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth; for their comfort everliving and never dying fire to burn, yet not consume them: for their ease everlasting never-dying torments, such torments as neither eye hath seen, ear hath heard, nor never entered into the heart of man. And then as it will be intollerabile apparere, so will it be impossibile latere: as it will be intolerable to appear; so it will be impossible to lie hid, although they call unto the mountains to fall on them; unto the hills to hide them, the woods to shroud them, the deep to swallow them up, it will not serve their turn, although they come unto him and say, that they have cast forth devils in his name, he hath no more to say to them, but depart from me you wicked, I know you not, you knew not me in the flesh, you clothed me not when I was naked amongst you, you fed me not when I was hungry, you gave me not drink when I was thirsty, you lodged me not when I was harbourless, you visited me not when I was in prison, and therefore I know you not, I regard you not, because you received not me, you knew me not in the spirit, you agreed to no holy motion whensoever I provoked you to righteous, you accepted no godly exercise when I moved you to goodness, either by my preaching, practising and persuading, you received not me, and therefore I refuse you, depart from my presence, where there is fullness of joy, provided only for those that receive me, no joy, no comfort, no favour, no pity, no compassion, but annoy, discomfort, disgrace, contempt, confusion, for all that receive not Christ jesus: this is the time of lamentation, desolation, destruction of all those that receive not Christ: this time how soon it may come unto the sons of men no man knoweth, no not the Angels of heaven, saving the father only: we all know that he will come, and veni●s veniet, & non tardabit, and coming he will come quickly, & not linger. The leaves of the fig three are green, can the spring them be far of, all things are come to pass that are spoken of by the Prophets and Apostles, touching the coming of Christ to men. All ye therefore that look for peace in Zion, and hope for joy in jerusalem, let me entreat you, even in the name of him that sent me, which is jesus Christ the righteous, who is to come as judge of the quick and the dead, that you be wise and wiser than the generation of your forefathers, that ye be so prudent and provident, seeing he will come and not linger, come and not be known of his coming, come and not be avoided when he doth come, to be furnished with Oil in your Lamps, Frankincense and Myrrh in your laps, Balsam in your Boxes, clothed in white with the Lamb, covered in gold like the Dove, crowned in strength with the Lion, bathed in blood with the Leopard, that whensoever he come, and howsoever he come, you may boldly and gladly bid Christ jesus welcome It is storied of those ruder people Gaffrani, which are by nature barbarous, by education hardly ever civil, that when the time is that their Priests (for such a custom they have yearly amongst them) visit their houses with their gods Colossi, as they term them; the people entertain their gods with wonderful reverence, and their priests with great rewards. Those civiler people Esseni, which dwell to the westward of judea, are noted to be so zealous in the entertainment of our God, that when they saw the star that was seen to shine at the birth of our Lord and saviour jesus Christ, they did consecrate themselves unto his service, and have ever sense been devout observers of him: so that profane and hallowed, rude and civil, natural and spiritual creatures, exhort us, and direct us to the entertainment of our God, and shall we be more profane or less holy, more rude or less civil, more natural or less spiritual, than these that saw but through a vail, not in a mirror, much less with open face the glory of God as we do: shall the natural man show devotion and grave reverence to the false god which is the work of men's hands, and shall not the spiritual man fall down and worship the Lord God of hosts that made both heaven and earth, in spirit and in truth: shall the spiritual man be moved with the sight of a star to serve God, and shall the day star from on high visit us, and not enlighten us to perceive and receive our God Christ jesus? if neither the ruder Gaffrani, nor purer Esseni prevail with us, to entertain our Lord and master, let hasty Zacheus, liberal Nichodemus, careful Martha, stir us up unto our duties; if none of these, let devout simeon, zealous Nathaniel, religious Marie, that chose the best part, when all the rest did their parts to entertain our Lord and master joyfully: If this be not enough to make us look about us, and cast about us all to entertain Christ jesus, I know not what to think, nor what to say, but even to leave you to the Echoing love of jesus Christ, which alone must waken and quicken all deaf, dull, and drowsy spirits to their duties. Lo I come, come, come ye to me because I come to you. Thus he invites us, that he may not lose his labour, nor we his love: come, I come: come that you loiter not by faith, that you wander not, to me that ye stagger not, to me all that ye straggell not, come why stand you idle, to me why stand you doubtful, to me all why stand you fearful: come here is the course of those that receive Christ, to me, there is the way of their course, to me all, there is the end of their course, that all those that receive me may be made the sons of God. Which the Son of God grant for his mercy's sake. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, be all honour, glory and praise, for evermore. Amen. FINIS.