THE EARTHS increase. OR, A COMMVNION CVP: PRESENTED to the Kings most Excellent majesty for a NEW-YEERES GIFT. By the reverend Father in God, the Bishop of LANDAFF. Printed at London by Miles Flesher, for Nath. field. 1624. Dread sovereign: IN this general time of giuing and receiving, I bethought myself of some fit Present to give your majesty, Qui cogitat de recipiendo. though without hope of receiving; the Seneca de Benef. less subject am I, to being deceived: The exility of my place excuseth me from giuing as others give; and my not giuing, excludes from receiving a piece of Plate as others of my place give, and receive: I hearty wish that I were one of them, and( herein I shal easily be believed;) with equal zeal I desire your majesties gracious acceptance hereof, and 'tis all I will beg at this time, or hope to receive, your majesties belief in this. Many old Sermons I had lying by me preached at Court,( more then any chaplain, time for time) none of them would serve to make a shores Gift of. This is one never preached; which I am bold to sand( after six yeeres silence lying fallow) and not coming up to Bethel, because not called thither) as a lasting acknowledgement of what I haue received, what I owe. As Peter said, silver and gold haue I none, such as I haue, I give, or rather Render: And to whom more fitly should I dedicate The Earths increase; then to the King of Peace and plenty? to whom a Sermon, then to a Prince, so great a lover of Sermons, preferrer of Preachers; so able to judge of both? By this your majesty shall be a great gayner, quia nihil ind deducitur, your majesty receives without giuing: I no loser; if it gain your majesties judicious approbation of itself, & the Author, who daily praies for the long continuance of your majesties happy reign over us; under which, we haue so long enjoyed peace, plenty, and the Gospel; and so humbly rests. Your majesties most faithful subject and seruant, Theophilus Landavensis. Regi jacobo. TErrae strena tuâ cum Maiestate Iacobe, Magnae Britanniae Imperator convenit: Quonam alio tantus Princeps sis munere dignus? Qui Sceptra mundi habes, manu in Pacificâ. To the Christian Reader. CHristian Reader: August. de civit. Dei. The great care of this worthy Lord and reverend Father in the tillage of Gods ground, Christs Church: Non cupiditate dominandi, said officio consulendi, rather by the rule of preaching, then the love of ruling: non principandi superbia, said prouidendi misericordia; not by a proud commanding, but by a careful providing wholesome food for the whole family, challenges the Apostles crown of double honour. The first crown that ever was given at Rome( as Plin. reports in his 18 book, and 2. cap.) was Spicea Corona, a crown of corn for the Priest of husbandry. And Cato( in his Preface to his book de re restica) saith, that the manner to commend a man in old time( cum Imperatorum manibus colebantur agri; when Emperors were ploughmen) was, to call him Bonum agricolam, a good husbandman; Et qui ita laudabatur, satis laudari existimabatur, what a 〈◇〉 this reverend Father hath approved himself to bee according to the Apostles commend, and Christs command, this little Field so well tilled to bring forth such good increase, will best demonstrate; of which I dare say nothing, though I could say much, but point thee to look over, see and judge; hoping it will be as profitable to thee, as it was acceptable to the King; and the King of Kings at the end of the harvest bring thee to the haven of happiness: so beseeching thee to pardon or correct what my many and manifold occasions caused me to oversee at the press, otherwise then the worth of the matter, and his Lordships special care and command did require, and I shall rest As his Lordships devoted, so thine to be commanded, in all Christian offices, 〈◇〉. THE PRINTER to the Reader. This Letter following I haue taken leave to insert, for your benefit and mine own. GOod Mr Fl. I haue red your book, and learned by it, and shall do, as oft as I read it. The Author you tell me is a Bishop, and by the Epistle I understand it, meant to the King in stead of a piece of Plate, which other Bishops both give and receive, or a shores Gift. A custom( you tell me) of a long time disvsed by his Predecessors. Wherein perchance some consideration was had by those, who at first begged away the lands from his bishopric; namely, after they had destroyed the mine, to excuse the Bishop from giuing the Plate. But what though his Church bee too poor to give a Cup, is it therefore too poor to receive one? The custom and reason of giuing of Cups, are doubtless very ancient: For the good old Christians, when they drunk to their absent friends, made a short prayer withall for their healths; To put them therefore in mind of praying for them, would men sometimes sand a Cup: which part of the fashion continues still with vs. And herein may his majesty observe a scholastical Decorum, kept with those shores Gifts of the other Bishops also. For this very Sermon( to those that taste it with an appetite,) will prove to bee poculum salutis, & salutare suum, their saving health, and a right Cup of Blessing. For very well may it bee compared to a Communion Cup; because the Sacrament is delivered in it. I read of Communion cups made of several substances in the primitive Church, plate. in Zepher. They were first of wood, which was given over, for that it drank up the Wine: Then of glass, quickly found unfit for the brittleness: After that, of tin, Pewter, Copper, &c. All which proved offensive, by by reason of the mineral qualities of the metal, which left an ill relish in the Sacrament. And here is a Chalice of Paper. Tertullian tells that the custom of his L de Pudic. c. 7. &c. 10. time was, to engrave vpon the Communion Cups, The Picture of Christ like a shepherd with the lost sheep vpon his shoulders: which is the very Character of this book; where is depainted out, The Birth and coming of that good shepherd into the world, to seek and to save that which was lost. Considering therefore the matter of this book, and the occasion of presenting it, one of the Titles may( not unfitly) be A Communion Cup. The commendations due to the work I must not give, lest I should seem by it, to insinuate myself into the Authors knowledge. But my well-wishes I will add; That it may take so well with his majesty, and make him so gracious; as by the next shores tide to enable the Author to present him with a Cup indeed, real and massy. Yours W. THE EARTHS increase. PSAL. 67. 6. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase. THere was a time, when, as hesiod 〈◇〉. saith, 〈◇〉, which Virgil translates, Ante Iouem nulli subigebant arva coloni. — ipsaque tellus Omnia liberius nullo poscente ferebat. Both the Poets( as Clemens alexander. storm. 2. affirms) borrowing their invention from Moses, Gen. 2. v. 5, 6, 8. There was not a man to till the ground, but a mist went up from the earth, and watered all the earth, so that the earth with a little dressing and keeping on mans part,( God himself making to grow out of the ground every three pleasant to sight, and good for meat) of it own accord, as it were, brought forth fruit, whereof Adam,( 〈◇〉, as wisdom in her book calls him; 〈◇〉, Terrigena, born of the earth, as Trismegistus with some ancient Poets style him, and his own name in the Hebrew tongue implies) and his rib eve might without labour freely eat, Gen. 2. 16. 〈◇〉. That was the golden age, Saturnes kingdom. But terrae filius became praevaricator, the Serpent preuaricated with eve, eve with Adam, Adam with God, God cursed the earth for his sake: the earth is grown barren and fruitless; or if fruitful, fertile in nothing but thorns and thistles. Gen. 3. 18. In sorrow shalt thou eat, thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee. 〈◇〉. The earth is become full of ill. The Poet Virgil borrowing of the Sibyls, speaking of Christ, and mis-applying it to Pollioes sons birth; prophecies at random, of a return of that golden age. Iam redit & virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna, Iam noua progenies coelo dimittitur alto: And of mans recovery of his state of Innocency, Te deuce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri, Irrita perpetuâ solvent formidine terras. And then lastly, of the earths restoring to her wonted fruitfulness. Molli paulatim flavescet campus arista, Incultisque rubens pendebit sentibus uva. Et durae quercus sudabunt roscida mella. Virgil doth but prognosticate thereof, as your Almanackemakers of faire weather or a cheap year. But david in this psalm, and especially in this my Text( which is a brief and abstract of the whole psalm) doth plainly and distinctly prophecy of the coming of Christ in the flesh; of the restoring of the earth to her wonted fruitfulness; of mans recovery of his state of innocency; of a return of that golden age by his coming: But first God must cause it to rain vpon the earth. God bee merciful unto us, and bless us, There is the first & the former rain; he must make the sun to shine vpon the earth; and cause his face to shine amongst us: there is the influence of the heauens, the favour and good pleasure of God, foreshowed in the shine of his countenance; which is his son, whom the Cabalists call panim panim, faciem facierum, his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased; his lively Image, in whom we( who were his coin, and bare his stamp) may recover Gods defaced Image in us: he must first separate the light from darkness, that we may know his way vpon earth, and his saving health among all nations; There is the second and the latter rain, his foreshowing unto man out of his mercy and favour, the foreknowledge of his way, quò eundum, & quà, Quô itur Deus, quâ itur hemo, est via & vita. The way in our life, and life when our way is ended. his way which leadeth to himself, that is, Christ( as Saint Austin expounds it, repetendo ostendit quid dixerit, by repeating it again, he more clearly shows what he said) ask you saith he, in qua terra? in what nation? tis answered in omnibus gentibus, in all nations; quam viam? what way? salutare tuum, the saving way; thy saving health, saith the Psalmist, thatis on Gods part; Quid faciat laetas segetes; his mercy, his blessing, his favourable countenance, the showing of his countenance in the glass of prophecy. All these, four parts of Gods goodness, david commemorates( 〈◇〉) in way of petition. Now, for mans part thankfulness which he sets down 〈◇〉 in way of exhortation, there is one word confiteantur, repeated four times before my Text; twice in the third, and twice in the fift verse: and it is translated, let them praise; and those two, laetentur & exultent, let them bee glad and rejoice, which depend vpon the third and fourth confiteantur, and haue reference to Gods judging the people righteously and governing the nations vpon earth. The first confiteantur respects Gods mercy, which is shewed in forgiving our sins; these, to bee confessed: that, a ploughing the furrows of our hearts with contrition; to bee acknowledged. The second, Gods blessings; in giuing temporal benefits common to good and evil, which are to bee thankfully received, duly considered, not slightly passed over, as matters of course. The third, Gods favourable countenance; whereby the daystarre springs from on high, in the hearts of his elect, visiting, and enlightening them with true knowledge, and saving grace. The fourth confiteantur, respects the fulfilling of prophecies, the performance of promises; by believing the one, building vpon the other, praising God for both: whereby knowledge is increased, grace confirmed, faith in hope of love to the promised messiah established: Who shall judge the folk righteously: That is, reject the Iewes: govern the Nations; that is, receive the Gentiles into his kingdom of grace, and direct them into the kingdom of glory. Let them therefore of the former, who stand; of the latter, who are are or shall be called, join together in one confession of those four in one; gladded inwardly, rejoicing outwardly, sing to the Lord a new song, a song of thanksgiving; Via nova, viator novus, canticum novum, The way is new, the passenger is to be anew man, and he to sing a new song. When they are thus disposed, thus prepared, Iam redit & virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna. Then the earth shall bring forth her increase. Iam noua progenies coelo dimittitur alto. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase. DIuers expositions of this parcel of Scripture there be besides the literal. The literal is plain, that if wee be thankful, when God is merciful; praise him, when he hath delivered us; Then shal the earth bring forth her increase; and God, even our own God shall give us his blessing. Finis unius beneficij, erit gradus futuri. One blessing shall bring on another. In the mystical sense, it is a prophecy of the coming of Christ, for whose coming david prays in the first verse of this Psalm, and in the second where he calls him Gods face, and Gods way, and Gods saving health. The same is here in my Text, that fruit which the earth shall bring forth. Terra dabit fructum; A woman shall compass a man. Terra, The earth, that is, the Virgin Mary, Dabit fructum suum, shall bring forth her increase, shall bear a son, and his name shall be Emanuell, God with vs. Thus the greatest and learnedst part both of new and old Writers expound it. Thats for dabit( shall bring forth.) But now that the time is past, and that wee look for no other messiah to come, we will follow the ordinary latin Translation, Terra dedit, The earth hath brought forth: and take the words as they lie in order, fitting them to the present time of Christs nativity, and the present business we haue in hand, which is receiving the Sacrament in remembrance of his Death and Passion, who was as this day born unto vs. First, for terra. The earth, the common mother of all: so eve: eve as of all, so by lineal descent of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ, who is our Mother after a more near and more special manner, Vtraque matter; vtraque terra dicitur: but we must put difference, betwixt these two earths, these two mothers, as great difference as betwixt coelum Aereum, this circumference of air, which now encompasseth us: and coelum Empyraeum, those highest heauens, Gods Chambers of presence, which shall hereafter receive as many of us, as be his. This the Psalmist calls, terram viventium, & regionem vivorum, the Land and Region of the living. It is the earth which the meek shall possess, Math. 5. 5. As the earth of all other elements, is most vnmoueable, so are these coeli coelorum, these heauens of heauens, of all other heauens most stable. That, the ayerie heaven; mans habitation in this Tabernacle of mortality, subject to change: This, is his vnmoueable seat of immortality. eve unstable, variable as the air, deceived by the Serpent, and deceiving her Husband; beguiled, and seduced by the Prince of the air, in the borrowed shape of the Serpent: turning Serpent herself, unto his heart, unto his hurt, to whom shee was given for a help: as a gift was she given by God in his bosom for his warmth, and comfort; like the young Maid that lay with david in his old age: but as Iobs friend were to him, shee proves a miserable comforter, as his Wife, a snake in his bosom, or the sting of a Serpent; shee is the very sting, whereby the old Serpent the devill, enters into man. Per illius latus nos petimur. Wee are stung through our mothers sides; thereby the venom of that sting hath entred into all mankind, so suddenly spread itself through all the veins of their posterity, that they our first Parents may bee said, as Saint Bernard speaketh, Sicut omnium Parentes, ita & peremptores; & prius peremptores, quam Parentes: that is, as they were our parents to bring us into the world, so were they our destroyers to bring us to our end; and even destroyers before Parents: as having strangled us, and poisoned us in their womb, and brought us into life, as dead men. But Mary as stable, as those Heauens; as firm, as their Firmament; whose soul, he who gives job. weight to the winds, established: From thence shee stood, and continued in the faith, she remained a Virgin; a Virgin, yet was her virginity not barren. A virgin-fruitful-Mother, and yet a lowly hand-maid; most truly may shee be called, vesta, which is a title of the earths, quae vi stat, which stands strongly founded: the mother of all vestal Virgins, whose oil is always in their Lamps, whose fire never goes out: so is shee Coelum coelorum, terra viventium, regio vivorum, the heaven of heauens, the land and country of the living, in that she is a chosen vessel set apart to bear the son of the living God; in whom Gods chosen, whether dead, or quick, shall all live. For he is the God not of the dead, but of the living, Math. 22. 32. In comparison of eve, who is but Hagar the bond-woman, shee is Sarah: jerusalem which is above, which is free, which is the spiritual mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26. As Adam was peccator terra, very earth become a sinner; so much more was eve, Terra peccatrix, as Origen calls her. She Origen. was a Dalilah to her samson, deprived him of his strength, helped the devill,( in stead of opening, which he pretended) to put out his eyes. down fell the house vpon his own head, and others, his and her posterity; who partake of the woe shee brought to her man: who is so far from praising her, that he accuseth her to God: Mulier quam dedisti mihi, dedit mihi de ligno mortis; The woman which thou hast given me, she gave me of the three of death. But Mary is that virtuous woman, who, with a lo I am here, may take down Solomons, Si quis for such a one. She, girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms: another Abigail; Shee openeth her mouth with wisdom, the Law of grace is in her tongue, her children rise up and bless her; nor doth her husband onely praise her, but her Father, and her mother also, saying, Many daughters haue done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all. Thus whilst she in a favourable construction may be said by her sons virtue to be parentum reparatrix, posterorum S. Bernard. vivificatrix, as S. Bernard calls her; the repairer of her parents, and the quickener of all after her. Shee hath turned backward Eua, into Aue. She is the good ground, blessed of the Lord. The Arch-angel Gabriel saluteth her, Aue Maria gratia plena, &c. The daughter hath covered her fathers nakedness, and taken away her mothers shane; hath clothed her with strength, and honour; shee for her may answer him; Behold, if the man fell by the woman, now is he not raised up again, but by the woman. he must turn his excusing himself, accusing her, or rather blaming God, into a Confiteor for himself, a praise of her, and a thanksgiving to God: Domine, ecce mulier quam dedisti mihi, dedit mihi de ligno vitae, vel totum lignum vitae: Behold, Lord, the woman which thou gavest me hath given me of the three of life. And thus much of the first word, the earth, and her thereby signified, Mary. Dedit, this is the second. The earth hath given or brought forth; but how, Dedit quae data est? The woman that thou gavest me, agrees to Mary, as well as to eve. Mary, a Virgin, how shal she conceive, who never knew man? and if not conceive, how shall shee bring forth? or how shall shee be a mother? The property of the earth is to receive: she may bee called one of the horseleeches Daughters, which still cries, give, give, and is never satisfied. Earth is the mother of all things, and the matter of all things: Materia,( as Seneca saith) per se iners jacet, matter of itself is vnactiue, unless some artificer by moving make something of it; matter se habet, sicut materia: The Mother in all generation, is like the Matter in artificial composition. A Mother Mary is, but not a common mother; For she is a Virgin; and a Virgin she is, yet free from that, which is never satisfied, the barren womb: both a Virgin and a mother, and so scaped the curse both of bearing, and of barrenness. The mothers womb is filled without the embracings of a Father: a Virgin without touch of man is quick with child, conceives, and bears a Son; remaining a pure Virgin, becomes a true Mother: thus S. Austin. S. Bernard compares Numb. 17. 8. her first to Aarons Rod, though not moistened, yet budding, that is, bearing a child, without the knowledge of a man. Secondly, unto Gedeons Fleece judge 6. 37. which was shorne off the flesh, without wounding the flesh: so Christ took flesh of the Virgins flesh, without loss to her virginity. The Psalmist prophecies hereof, Psal. 72. He shall come down like the due vpon the Fleece, and as the shower of rain, that watereth the earth. So then Mary is but the earth. The Father of mercies had regard unto the lowliness of his Handmaiden. Thence is it, that the heavenly due descends, the holy Ghost comes vpon her, the power of the most High ouershadowes her. Maria dedit, quia data est: et hoc ipsum dare, est datum ei: 〈◇〉 hail Mary full of grace; Her fullness of grace, is no more then freely beloved, or received into favour: her giuing, is but giuing herself, sequacem materiam, as a pliant matter, following the hand of the artificer, as Seneca says; or as Saint Austin speaks concerning the preparing of her heart; Vt mente prius conciperet quam ventre; cord pareret, prius quam corpore: she conceived Christ in her soul, before shee felt him in her womb; and brought him forth in her heart, before he was born of her body. Her faith, and obedience is expressed in that her last answer to the angel: Behold the seruant of the Lord, bee it unto me, according to thy word: Thus, dedit, & edidit. She hide not her treasures in the earth, as the earth hides her treasures, but shee brought forth. A lowly handmaid is become a great mother. Terra dedit fructum, The earth hath brought forth her increase: which is the third point. Thirdly, rightly is she called magna matter, a great mother, for shee is the mother of God. Our first mother eve, was placed in Paradise, but Paradise itself, is placed in this our mother earth, fructum dedit non divinum, said Deum, she brought forth her increase, which was not onely, divine, but the divinity itself: That in the Poet Nec nulla interea est inaratae gratia terrae: may thus be changed, Maxima concessa est in-aratae gratia terrae, &c. The greatest, blessedst, and fruitfullest increase that ever was, was given to this untilled ground. Blessed is she above all women, in the blessed fruit of her womb, is she thus blessed. An vnplowed ground may, and doth bring forth thorns, and thistles; but this fruit which Mary bare, was perfect God, and perfect Man, Christ Iesus. As God, the Word in the beginning, he is opposed to grass which withereth, and the flower which fadeth, Es. 40. 8 In this very opposition, he is good fruit, that good fruit which shall stand for ever. As he became man, the Word made flesh, he is the flower of the field: nay he is hay, and withered grass: for lo he is made hay and laid in a manger; As both, he is the fruit of the earth. Mary is the mother of Christ, God-man. I am the bread of life( saith himself) and if bread, then the fruit of the earth: bread of life, therefore the best fruit, the purest wheat, of which, whosoever eats, he shal never hunger: therefore is he eternal fruit; that best fruit which shall stand for ever: and again, I am the true Vine, a Vine, therefore fruit of the earth; a true Vine, therefore the best fruit, the water, the juice, the blood of life; whosoever drinketh his blood shall never thirst: therefore is he everlasting fruit. And this fruit, the more common it is, the better it is. marks of community, are these; Quicunque vult, Come unto me all, Buy without money; was never fruit so precious, and yet so cheap; so common, and yet so rare and singular. A son is born, having no man to his father,( saith Saint Austin) the same was the maker of his mother; he that made the earth, is made the fruit of the earths womb. The Word and wisdom of the Father becomes an Infant, cannot speak; he that rules the stars, sucks his mothers dugs. See, and wonder to see the strong supporter of the world, carried in the arms of a weak woman. See now, and take a taste, ye that are engrafted into this Vine, ye that are branches thereof, and are part of the crumnes of this bread, presently shall ye taste, and see, and hereafter more fully, quoniam Dominus suavis est, that the Lord is good, Psal. 34. This fruit is as pleasant to the taste, as pleasing to the eye; nor is it private, no man bard from it; how then is it said, Terra dedit fructum suum, The earth hath brought forth her increase? which is the 4 point. Fourthly, That of the evangelists, Matthew and Luke may serve for answer; Luke like an ascending angel carries him to the head of Iacobs ladder, the son of Adam, the Luke 3. 38. Son of God. Matthew brings him down to the foot thereof. And jacob begot joseph, the Husband of Mary, to whom was born Iesus, Mat. 1. 16. Luke most careful that his divinity bee observed, hath 〈◇〉 that which shall be born in her, & not 〈◇〉 of her: But Matthew, as to the easier lesson of the two, pointing us to his humanity first, hath, 〈◇〉, and not 〈◇〉. So CHRIST IESVS is to Mary, fructus suus, and not suus; her fruit according to his humanity; and not her fruit, in regard of his divinity; and yet if you join both together, her fruit: He was his mothers fruit also, as being fruitful unto her, her sanctifier, and her saviour. It was the fruit of her womb, who prevented her with singular grace on earth; meaning to give her singular glory in heaven. No fitter Mother for God, then a Virgin; no fitter son for a Virgin then God; that out of her Vt de immaculatâ immaculatus prodiret, qui omnium maculas esset purgaturus, Bernard. unspotted, unspotted he might come, who was to cleanse the spots of all men. Her fullness of grace, his gift; of whose fullness, she received more fully; and al we, haue received according to measure: her humility, his gift; that from her being humble, he might come humble, and meek in spirit: thus is he her fruit, by likeness or similitude. again, as he was man, so was he her fruit according to kind. Now if you add tuum to suum, and nunc temporis,( this present time) to both, he was her fruit, which shee brought forth in tempore suo, in her due season, Psal. 1. 3. Not unkindly fruit, but seasonable, in vere novo, in the spring of grace; in plenitudine temporis, in the fullness of time, Gal. 4. 4. And thus much of terra dedit fructum suum. The earth hath brought forth her increase: that is, Maria virgo peperit filium Christum, The Virgin Mary hath brought forth Christ her son. Now taste, and see how sweet fruit the Lord himself is: the more you taste, the more you may see: the more you see or taste, ye shall find him the sweeter; fructus iste quos quantos fructus dedit? This fruit, how good, and how good store of fruit hath it brought forth? First, Christ is terra de terra, the second Adam, the son of david, the son of Mary, born of her according to the flesh, descended of our mother eve, her seed, of which it is promised, Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall bruise( or break) the Serpents head, which though he chiefly did by the power of his Godhead, yet may wee not thence separate and divide his humanity. He is styled as truly thus, The son of Man, or the son of Mary, as thus, the Son of God: And therefore( in regard that this is an article of our Creed, that he was born of the Virgin Mary) wee may bee bold to call him earth, of his earthly mother according to that maxim in civil law, Partus sequitur ventrem, The birth is, as the belly is. Secondly to make no more parts of this part, it is most properly and truly said of this heauenly-earthly fruit, that he hath brought forth his fruits also; All the temporal blessings, or spiritual graces, the increase of the one in us, of the other vpon us: Ipse dedit vt fructum suum, He brought them forth as his fruit, they are from him; our tenor of them holds in capite. every good giuing, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, james 1. 17. he is the true light, &c. John 1. 9. he gave himself unto us, and for us; In him are all treasures hidden, Colos. 2. 3. So with himself he gave us all things: he gave himself for us, in dying for us; to us, in being born unto us; he was born unto vs, that we might be new born to him, in him. For therefore did he take vpon him our flesh, that we might receive from him his spirit; by receiving it, receive him; and from him, and it, power to be the Sons of God; born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Oh the singular wisdom of God; Oh the mystery of our salvation, which he began as now to work in medio terrae, i. in utero virginis Mariae: in the midst of the earth, that is, in the womb of the Virgin. The devill by the ministry of the Serpent powred in the poison through the ears of the woman, into her heart; and so therewith in the head-spring poisoned all her posterity. God by the ministry of an angel, of the archangel Gabriel( by interpretation the power of God) carrying in his very name the matter of his message; Christ the power of the most high, breathed his word through the ear of the Virgin, into her heart and womb; It is Saint Bernards; That so the counterpoison might enter the same way, that the poison entred. From the sole of our foot to the crown of the head, there was no part sound and whole in us: foul and leprous were wee from our mothers womb; there was the plaster first placed, where the wound was first received, being conceived of the holy Ghost, he hallowed his mothers womb, Hoc deuce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri, Irrita perpetuâ soluent formidine terras. The golden age is now returned, wee cleansed of original corruption, the fuel of actual transgressions; wee are restored to grace, and enabled to walk as children of light. To this end, heaven was made earth, that earth might be made heaven; the son of God became the son of man, that the sons of men might bee made the sons of God: whilst the Son of God, made man, gave us his conception to cleanse ours; his whole life to instruct ours; his death to bee the death of our death; his resurrection, to raise us up from death to life; his ascension, to crown us as conquerors over all his conquered, and our( of us to bee subdued, already weakened) enemies. Here is a taste of those heavenly fruits, which this earth, this flower of the earth, this heavenly fruit of the earth hath given vs. Numquid terra illa sola debuit dare fructum suum? Ought this earth alone bring forth its increase?( It is Saint Augustines question) and this is the answer? Terra nostra multo magis debet dare fructum suum; much more ought our earth bring forth its increase; if Christ wrought so hard to work out our salvation; if he wrought so for us, in us, on us; wee must not lye fallow, stand idle, sit still, but set to our hands, and work ourselves to his will, that wee also may bring forth our increase in due season. God hath done his part. To make our earth fruitful, he hath rained down his son vpon us; who, to teach us where to begin, sent a cloud before him, his Forerunner John Baptist preaching unto us, Baptismum poenitentiae, the baptism of repentance, which is as Tertullian calls it, canditatus remissionis, & sanctificationis in Christo subsecuturae, i. a petitioning, a suing, a standing for the remission of sins, thatis the first degree; and of sanctification in Christ following, thatis the second; a regency and full mastership. Behold God reigning( saith Saint Austin) Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, Mat. 3. 2. hear him thunder if you turn to Luke 3. fear him when he thunders, entertain his golden showers with open lap. Origen vpon Ezech. hath tremorem cordis, Hom 14. A new kind of earthquake, the trembling of the hart, not when the bones shiver, but when the soul shakes, as in an ague, wherewith God is pleased, and thereupon makes his countenance Shine vpon us, supper quem respiciam? &c. Whom shall I look unto saith God, even to him that is poor & of a contrite spirit, & tremble that my words, Esa. 66. 2. Saint Gregory shows us the manner of this earthquake; the truth leaving a deep impression of itself in the soul of the hearer; the soul in consideration thereof, is troubled and disquieted, fals a quaking and shaking. This is vox commotionis magnae, Ezec. 3. 12. A noise of great rushing. When a sinner mourns, weeps, and washes his soul with tears of repentance: by contrition, makes deep furrows in his own heart, thence is comforted by the holy Spirit, inhabiting a heart thus prepared; watered & cleansed, Benedicta gloria Domini de loco suo: Then follows blessing vpon blessing. The wings there striking one against another, is the increase of virtues. Virtus virtutem excitat, One virtue provokes another. Eagles wings, and they are jovial birds, whose beaks broken vpon the rock Iesus Christ, their youth is renewed, their feathes multiply; they bring forth, not a bud or blossom, but fruit; not one ear of corn, but many; and sundry fruits, worthy repentance: Humility the ground-work of the rest( which the earth, and Mary the mother of God, and God, who for our sake became earth, may teach us:) fruitfulness in Virginity to follow that: and other innumerable graces wherein God himself came unto us, as in a golden shower. Let us receive him reigning; Let his kingdom come; if that of grace bee not yet come unto thee, look for him thundering. The day of iudgment will come, will thou nill thou; he shall judge the people righteously. Qui venit humilis, veniet excelsus; qui venit iudicandus, veniet iudicaturus: he that once came in humility, will come again in glory; he that at first came to be judged, will at last come to judge the quick and the dead. aclowledge Christ in his lowliness, and he in his highnesse will know thee. love him as thy saviour, thou needest not fear him as thy judge. That he may more, & more increase his graces in thee, bee thankful unto him, and speak good of his name. This is another principal fruit, which Christ his incarnation requires at our hands, which wee are to yield with gladness, and ioy: to join these to the former, fear and trembling. Nam benè conveniunt, & in vna seed morantur, Laetitia, & Timor: Ioy and fear agree in the same subject, according to that of the Psalmist. Servite Domino in timore, & exultate ei cum tremore: serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice unto him with reverence. This is the Day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice therein. Nay, this is the Day, which made the Lord: Aurea nunc verè sunt saecula. At least now is the blessed memory of the fullness of time, able to make a fresh spring, in the most barren heart, and that in the deadest of could winter. Which day that wee may know, how to celebrate, and so our fruit may bee seasonable. Mary, zachary, the Angels, are our patterns. Maries Magnificat; Zacharies Benedictus; The Angels Song; Glory to God in the highest heauens, theres a heavenly choir of them. cheerful glovers of thankes, cannot but make heavenly harmony. never greater cause of ioy, never of thanksgiving. Gods wisdom, Truth, Iustice, Mercy, and goodness towards us, were never before so clearly manifested, as in the Birth of Christ: therefore vpon this occasion, are wee to raise our notes of ioy, and thankes to the highest, and loudest strain: as the Angels hereupon increased their number of parts: not to six Cherubims, as in the vision of Esay, not to twenty four Elders, as in the revelation; but a great multitude of Angels, like armies, were heard to praise God. never since the beginning of the world, such a sight seen, never such a noise heard. And thus much to fit this Text unto the Day. Now for the business. Dominus dedit terram: The Lord brought forth the earth. God set Mary apart as a chosen vessel of honour to bear Christ. Terra dedit fructum: The earth brought forth her increase. Mary is from hence become the mother of Christ: Fructus dedit fructus suos: her increase or fruit, brought forth his fruit. Christ the fruit of Maries womb, hath brought forth unto us, his many and sundry fruits: all which in this Sacrament wee may reap: For himself being in this Sacrament( as questionless he is) and all treasures being in him; in it we receive him, and with him all treasures. This bread, the staff of life, is none other but the Lord of life: that bread is his body, and that wine is his blood: his blood is indeed that wine which cheers the heart of man. All the fruits that earth can yield, are to be found here. They are all comprised under these two Elements, of bread, and wine; that, the best of things solid; this, of things liquid; both superexcellent nutriments, not for a temporary life onely, but nourishing us up even unto life everlasting: of which holy sacrament, that wee may bee worthy receivers, and therein of the body and blood of Christ, and therein reapers of all bodily, and spiritual benefits, and graces, which concern this life, and a better, before we do presume to come to this holy harvest feast; wee must, first examine the dead grounds of our barren hearts. Nouantes noualia; ploughing up the fallow furrows thereof, with repentance, and contrition for our former sins. This Sacrament was instituted for remembrance that Christ dyed for us, and the remembrance that Christ died for us, cannot but first make us look to the cause, and occasion, wherefore Christ was fain to die for vs. Now the necessity of Christs dying for us, was occasioned by our sins: so then howsoever, as Christ his birth cannot but bee a cause of ioy unto us: quia nobis natus est puer; for that a child is born unto us: so his death cannot but bee grievous unto us, because the innocent Lamb, was slain for the nocent: yet God doth commend unto us the grief of our own sins, before the grief of his Passion: according to that which he saith to the daughters of jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves. Repentant tears the best bathe for a leprous soul: Repent( saith Christs Precursor) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; paratum paratis, even ready for them that are ready for that. What is the kingdom of heaven? even the gospel, even the author of the gospel, Christ Iesus. For the receiving of which, they are made ready, in whom John Baptists preaching hath wrought repentance. Repentance, & faith go together, like needle and thread. Repentance the needle to make the wound, faith the thread to sow it up: The water of repentance may too much cool us, therefore the fire of faith must heat us again; without which heat, repentance turns to despair, as in Iudas, who hung himself: with which heat, it expels fear, and turns to perfect love, as in Mary Magdalen, who loved much, because many sins were forgiven her. Shee washeth Christ his feet with her tears, and wipes them with the hair of her head. The hair of her head, formerly the subject of her pride, is now the instrument of her humility; and her tears, the foul spokes-men of her lustful grief, for the absence of her many louers, are now become faire entertainers, with unspotted love, and untainted ioy, of one only, worthy, lovely guest, blessing the receivers house, with his blessed presence. The first shower of her tears, were tears of sorrow, and repentance; but the latter shower which overtook the first, were tears of love, and ioy; where with she washed, and bathed his feet,( in such abundance were they shed,) and that out of a lively sense, and feeling, that she was become a Disciple of his; he had washed her feet, as he did his Disciples, John 13. Fitly is the gospel called water, because it hath the effects of water; It cooleth, and it cleanseth corrupt cogitations, much more foul actions, which foul, and defile the soul. The holy spirit is both water, and fire; fire to purge dross; water to quench the fire of lust, and to cleanse the foulness of sin, which lust conceiving, brings forth. At the eighth vers of the fore-cited Chapter, Christ saith to Peter, If I wash thee not, thou shalt haue no part with me. he that hath no part in that washing, hath no part in the supper following; no part in that supper, no part in the sacrament; no part in the sacrament, no part in Christ; no part in Christ, no part in the kingdom of heaven. That I may stir you up therefore to godly sorrow,( sorrow for sin, which is only of all sorrows justifiable) that so ye may( if it please God to give you the grace) weep, wash, and bee washed, and bee made clean, and so made fit to bee made partakers of Christ, and his last Supper. Suffer a little the words of instruction, of reproof, consolation, and exhortation. First, for instruction, Terra dedit fructum; Mary bore Christ. Will ye learn how you all may be Maries, and bear Christ? how you may bee Iosephs and Maries, the blessed Parents of your saviour; nay, more blessed then they? matter mea,( saith Austin) quam appellaui felicem, ind matter est, ind felix, quia verbum Dei custodiuit, non quia in illa verbum Caro factum est: Mary was blessed, not so much for that the Word was made flesh in her womb; but because shee kept and laid up the Word of God in her heart, Her kindred according to the flesh, had nothing profited her: Tulisset fructum, said non suum; Shee had born fruit, and had been fruitful to others, but fruitless to her self; unless shee had more happily born Christ in her heart by faith, then in her womb according to the flesh. Thus may you all bear Christ, if you lay up his Word in your hearts. Verbum incarnat, qui convertit in opera. You make the Word flesh, if ye do that which you hear; if ye yield obedience to his holy will, turning his Word, into good life, and good works. Thus also ye that are single, ye that are Virgins, may imitate Maries fruitfulness in her virginity. These, even our good works, are our trueborn children, not onely lawfully, but graciously begotten, by which Christ is new born in vs, as wee are new born in him; but if wee continue in our old sins, wee make as much as lies in us, the birth of Christ abortive; like Snakes and Adders, we strangle Christ in his Cradle, and crucify afresh the Lord of life; who as this Day was born a saviour unto vs. Confiteamur, fratres, confiteamur: Let us confess, brethren, let us confess; Terra nostra spinas dedit; our earth hath brought forth, as yet, nothing but thorns, to wound Christs temples withall. Let us now endeavour to bring forth flowers at least to delight his smell; that he may say of us, as that holy patriarch of his son; Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed, Gen. 27. 27. if not corn, and wine, to cheer his heart, and to make him rejoice in us, whilst wee rejoice in him. The better day the better dead, if wee haue not yet begun to bring forth fruits of repentance, faith, and love; Let us now begin these good works, on this good day. New works will be suitable to the new year. For a shores Gift; let us present ourselves to God, new-men. God hath been good unto us all, in suffering us to live to see this day, this good day: his goodness toward us, is to provoke us to bee good. Worldlings labour to bee rich: let us Christians not fashion ourselves to the world; but let our chief labour henceforth be, to be good, and to do good. By being good, wee are not onely good to ourselves, but to the place also wherein wee live. When as for our sakes, who worship him, God many times spares even the contemners of his worship, and holy service. One good Moses to stand in the gap, in the breach, saves all Israel. Till Lot be gone out of sodom, God cannot execute his judgements vpon the rest of the wicked inhabitants thereof. A good man therefore that fears God, is in this regard to bee cherished, to bee much made of, as being commune bonum, an universal good; because for his sake wee fare the better at Gods hands; his onely repentance, may make GOD many times repent him of the evil, which he purposed against vs. On the other side, as the greek Poet speaks, 〈◇〉, &c. oftentimes a whole town or City, fares the worse for one wicked man, who dwells in it. If there bee such a noisome weed amongst us growing, wee must all join to weed him out; he wants the wedding garment, and is not to bee admitted to this Feast. For the earths sake which wee bear( if it bear bad fruit) the very earth which bears us, is oft cursed. It groaneth under our burden, suffering for us, desolation, famine, and wild beasts. It is Gods threat to the very earth wee tread on. Auferam de ea hominem & pecus. I will take away both man and beast out of it: Wherein, saith Origen, The earth as a good mother rejoiceth in good children, which are not a shane to her, and shee mourneth for those who are a dishonour to their Father. Laetatur non supper bestiis, & rapidis feris: shee rejoiceth not in wild and ravenous beasts, but in men, tame and gentle creatures. give me leave to speak the truth plainly. Those wild beasts, wee our selves are, as long as there is pride in us, contention amongst us: whilst covetousness, and cruelty in our hands, unmercifulness in our hearts, lust in our loins, remain vnweeded, not rooted out. For these things is the wrath of God come vpon us: even for yielding Christ thorns, in stead of his fruit: therefore haue some of us been visited with sickness in our own bodies; some with death, and grief for death of friends; some with loss of temporal goods, some afflicted in mind, which is of all other, the most grievous affliction: all of us haue felt some scourge or other; happy we, if wee can make use of it, as of a fathers rod to make us better. May it please you look to your Maker in the first Creation, and imitate him, Gather the waters under the heaven into one place, that the dry land may appear: Abijcite à vobis omnis materiam peccati: Cast from you the matter of all, and every sin and corruption: Sic arida vestra non permanebit arida: So your dry land shall not continue dry, barren, and fruitless. Now God draws near unto you, draw you near unto God, & be enlightened: which if you do, then are you no more Arida, that is, dry and unfruitful ground; but Florida, earth made fit to bear fruit for the Lords harvest: if still through your neglect, and hardness of heart, ye remain dry and barren land; Spinas & tribulos velut ignis escam gerentes, bearing thorns and thistles, fit fuel for hellfire; Secundùm ea quae proferetis, etiam ipsi ignis esca efficiemini; even according to your fruits which you bring forth, yourselves shal increase the matter, and the flames of that everlasting never wasting fire. every three that bringeth not forth good fruit, shal be hewn down, and cast into the fire; and every withered branch which purging makes not fruitful. Remember beloved, where Christ saith, My father is a husbandman; Why then, ye are Gods husbandry: Colit ad fructum, He tills, that you may bear fruit; ye are Gods building, he builds you up, repayres you, dwells in you: If you abide in Christ, and walk as new born babes, as children of light, hating the works of darkness, mortifying your members which are on the earth, seeking those things which are above; Christ who abideth in you, shal make you fruitful to good works. These( as I said) are your trueborn children, by bearing these ye shall be saved: ye shall restore the golden age, and make the place you live in,( were it worse then it is) a very earthly Paradise: Earth shall return to earth, but such earth as this, terram possidebit, shall possess the earth, the land of the living, the land which floweth with milk and honey: Bee the one, that ye may come to the other. This Sacrament which ye are now to receive, was ordained for you to this very purpose: by receiving whereof, wee are joined as near to God, by his grace, as before we were joined to Adam by his fall. mark this for your comfort; The old Testament gave but the sprinkling of Christ his blood vpon their bodies, which was easily washed off, by their wallowing in the swigge of sin: but the new Testament gives the drinking of his blood; which is a nearer coniunction of us and Christ, then the love of brother and brother, of father to son, or son to father; yea nearer then of husband and wife: of all which wee see the devill hath sometimes or other, wrought a dissolution: but this, to drink Christs blood, to make his body our food, is such a coniunction, such a nearness, as that the devill, with all his subtlety, and with all his power cannot dissolve, is not able to separate. The greatest promise that ever was made man, was this, to be made partaker of Christ his divinity: The full performance of this promise, in this Sacrament we fully receive. For by drinking of Christs blood we are not only made partakers of the divine calling, but even of the divine nature of IESVS CHRIST: Bee our sins never so many, never so foul, let us remember, that there came not blood onely out of his sides when he dyed for us, but water also; Sanguis ad redemptionem, aqua ad ablutionem: Christ is not Labrum aeneum, a standing vessel of brass, wherein if wee wash, the water will bee unclean: but Fons perennis, a fountain of running water; so, though we bee never so filthy, be our sins never so great, never so many, theres water enough to cleanse us, itself never a whit defiled. It is he who in the beginning said; Let the earth bud forth, the bud of the herb that seedeth seed, the fruitful three which beareth fruit according to his kind: and his Word was then, and hath been ever since powerful: for still it is he, who crowneth the year with his blessings; he is onely able to restore you to your integrity, and make you such earth, as was the earth of the Garden of Eden, even earth able to bring forth of it own accord; he will and shall multiply blessing vpon blessing, as you shall multiply confession vpon confession; his name cannot bee over praised, nor can wee bee too thankful. God blesseth us, and we bless him; in both, ours is the increase. For though we curse him, he is not lessened: and when we bless him, he is not increased; when wee bless him he blesseth us, and we increase and multiply: when we curse him, ours is the curse, we return to dust whereof we were made, and are made meat for the Serpent, which Serpent( at our first fall) God laid his curse on, not on the man or woman( such was his love to mankind,) which love he hath since more manifested, in salutari suo, in his saving health; Let us therefore take the cup of salvation, and pay our vows to the Almighty. Benedictio in multiplicatione, he hath blessed, wondrously blessed and increased us; Let us praise him; illa pluvia, Gods blessing is the shower; hic fructus est, our thankfulness that is the fruit, therefore due to the husbandman; the fruitfulness of women, and their chast desires of bearing children, to whom pertain they, but to him? nature cannot challenge it: It is the God of Nature, Qui creavit omnia, quando non erant, ipse prolis successu facit permanere quod condidit. He that gave to all things a being, when they had no being, by succession of issue gives the same things a continuance. That wee are, move, live, it is in him, and from him: It is his gift: he feeds us, clothes us, and provides for us: he gives us strength to labour, and rest after labour: O Melibaee Deus nobis haec otia fecit: It is he who hath given us these holy dayes, these dayes of rest: Let every one of us readily take up the shepherds protestation, or resolution: Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus: he shall bee my God for ever. Bona nostra dona eius: All our goods, are his gifts; all within us, without us, on every side, his endowments: Et ipse bonorum nostrorum non indiget: he needs nothing of ours. When wee haue done all that we can, wee are but unprofitable seruants to him: profitable stewards to our selves we may bee, if wee aclowledge this; and confess, Deus facit, Deus donat haec omnia: God causes, God gives all these good things wee enjoy, or haue ioy of; thatis not enough: Solus donat: he alone gives all: Nothing haue wee which wee haue not received at his hand: This let us aclowledge, this is the fruit that our earth ought to bring forth. And then shall wee flourish like a three planted by the water side: Quae fructum affert suum in tempore suo. Wee shall bee that good earth which brings forth good fruit, which fruit hath seed in itself, according to his kind: fructus praesentium, fruits for the present: Semina futurorum, and seeds for the yeares to come: we shall haue root in ourselves, rooted and grounded in Christ: Out of our hearts, as out of our treasures, we shall bring forth both new and old, as out of good ground, good, and permanent fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty fold. Which grace our heavenly Father give us, and grant that we receive not his seed which hath been sown this day, by the way side; nor that our fruits which wee bring forth, grow by the way side, and so the fowles come and devour them up, but in the way, in him who saith, I am the Way, and is the Truth, & is the Life. To whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, one true ever-liuing God, &c. FINIS.