The daughter of Phanuel.

From her gracious name, now come wee to the faithfull family whereof she was descended, which is here said to be Phanuel.

A gracious childe no doubt, of gratious parents, I meane, a flou­rishing branch of a fruitfull tree: for Phanuel is Peniel mentioned, Gene. 32.30. which is the face of God, being the place where Iacob [Page 41] wrastled with the Angell, & said, I haue seene God face to face, and my life is preserued. In memorie whereof Phanuel learned 3. things, notable presidents for fathers of families to follow, in making holy their children and houshold.

1 The sight of God in his word, thus: I haue seene God face to face.

2 The wrastling with God for a blessing by powerfull prayer, Hosea▪ 12.3 4. and practise of all piety, thus: I will not let thee go, except thou blesse me.

3 The assurance of Gods mer­cie and blessing after such fight & contention, in these words: my life is preserued.

Let this bee a modell to frame your families by: Gen. 18.19. Acts. 10.2. [...] Sam 6.11. Io. 11.1. &c. so shall ye bee blessed in all your habitations as was Abraham, Cornelius, Abed-Edō, Lazarus at Bethania, and Iosua, [Page 42] when he resolued & said, If it seem euill vnto you to serue the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serue: Iosua. 24.14.15. but I and my house wil serue the Lord.

Godlines is great gaine, where­unto appertaineth not onely the things of this life, but of the life to come. 1. Tim. 4.8 Is it gaine you seeke for? & would you aduance your hou­ses? and preferre your children? Then liue godlily, & bring them vp in his feare: so shall ye not only honour them in this world, Ephes. 6.4 but in the world to come. I haue beene yong, saith Dauid, and now am old; Psal. 37.25 yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seede begging his bread.

The remembrance of the iust is with praise, but the name of the wicked is with rottennesse: Let the rule of the Apostle guide you in the bringing vp of your [Page 43] children and familie in nurture, & holy discipline.

If there be any that prouideth not for his owne, 1. Tim. 5.8. and namely for them of his houshould, he de­nieth the faith, and is worse then an infidell.

Which is true and may be ve­rified, Math. 6.20 not so much of temporall trash, as of heauenly treasure; euē of that which r [...]st cankereth not, moth consumeth not, nor theefe breaketh through, and stealeth.

Men thinke it sufficient if they be godly themselues, though their children bee riotous. 1. Sā. 2.27. Let Ely his example answere that obiection, punished for his impunity: & let Iobes care of his children banque­ting, Iob. 1.5. increase thy diligēce in feare of their future fall.

The Senate & people of Rome as Tullie recordeth, sent euery yeare six of their Princes chil­dren [Page 44] to the land of Hetruria, there to learne the art of diuination. To credit the profession of diuinity, then Princes children were sent to see into the entrals of beasts, & flight of birds; our inspection now is deeper, and we soare higher, e­uen into the bloudy wounds of a sweete sauiour, Rom. 8.34. bleeding on earth, pleading in heauen: and yet (woe is me therefore) both meane men, and mightie thinke diuinity too base for their profession. O that wee had the gleanings of our no­ble, gentle, and princely bloud, for the credit of our religiō, weaned, vowed, and dedicated (as Anna did her Samuel) Nazarites for the Lord, 1 Sam. 1.22 and in her owne words thus: I will bring him that he may appeare before the Lord, and there abide for euer.

The Lord from Horeb inioyned this exercise to all fathers, that [Page 45] they should teach their children thus: Deu. 6.20. when thy sonne shall aske rhe in time to come, What mean these testimonies, and ordinances and lawes? then thou shalt say vn­to thy sonne &c. Hezechiah rehear­seth it as a benefit to all posterity, that godlinesse should flowe from faithfull fathers to faithfull chil­dren, The liuing: the liuing, Esai. 38.19 hee shall confesse thee, as I doe this day, the fa­ther to the children shall declare thy truth. And Paule leaueth it for an instruction irreuocable: Ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath, Ephe. 6.4. but bring them vp in instruction, & information of the Lord.

Of the Tribe of Ashur.

That Anna her testimony of Christ might bee of greater cre­dit, shee is here commended for the tribe wherof she came, Gen. 30.13 which [Page 46] was Ashur the eight son of Iacob: but before I come to speak of that tribe in particular, giue me leaue a little to tell you of the tribes in generall.

And why the spirit of God hath beene so carefull to distinguish tribe frō tribe, in the course of all the scriptures; which was I assure you for no other cause but to find out the promised seede, euē Christ the Messias and sauiour of all the world, his blessed line and linage. I say, to proue the incarnation, that sith it was his good pleasure to bowe the heauens and come downe to bee manifested in the flesh, it might appeare in what flesh. For as in the search of Achās stealth Iosua seuered tribe from tribe, Iosua. 7.16. and family from family, mā from man, till he came to Achan the sonne of Carmi, of the tribe of Iuda, and he was taken.

[Page 47]So search the scripture, & you shall finde in the booke of gene­rations, how carefull the Spirit hath been to seuer tribe frō tribe, house from house, man from man, till it came to Iesus Christ, the son of Dauid, the sonne of Abraham, Mat. 1.1. Luke. 3.23 the father of all the faithfull, and so of Isaac, Iacob, and Iudah.

Now that Anna the prophe­tesse is of the tribe of Ashur, and neither of the tribe of Leui or Iu­dah, it is much to instruction and consolation, to see that nei­ther the spirit of prophesie is tyed to Leui, Ephes. 2.12 nor saluation onely to the tribe of Iuda; nor we must dispaire of the grace of God, sith the Lord hath giuen saluation ap­parantly to those that were of a­nother tribe, yea to gētiles aliants from the common weale of Isra­el.

For if you looke into the booke [Page 48] of God, yee shall find that Ashur was the sonne of Zilpa, handmaid to Lea. Gen. 30.12.13.

O Lord how wonderfull are thy mercies, and waies past find­ing out! The lawful wife despised, the handmaid respected, & of her must come Ashur one of the tribes in Israel; and of that tribe sealed vnto saluation, as many as of the tribe of Iuda, Reuel. 7.6 euen twelue thou­sand. Now in this particular tribe of Ashur whereof Anna came, I doe obserue a double blessing prophesied of; one by Iacob, hono­rable, 1 of much fruit and great a­boundance, thus: Concerning A­shur, Gen. 49.20 his bread shall be fat, and he shall giue pleasures for a king.

By Moses, a religious, and as it 2 were a pregnant prophesie of this Anna the daughter of Phanuel: for saith he, Ashur shalbe blessed with children, and he shall be accepta­ble [Page 49] vnto his brethren, and shal dip his foote in oile. Thy shoes shall be iron and brasse, and thy strēgth shall continue as long as thou li­uest.

For the first, Deu. 33.24 [...]5. it may seeme that Ashur was an honourable Tribe, and for honour to be humbled to the obedience of Christ, and of his gospell, is a rare thing in this wicked world: for not many migh­tie, not many noble are called, but GOD hath chosen the foolish things of this world, to confound the wise, and God hath chosē the weake things of the world to con­found the mightie things; and vile things of the world, and things which are despised, 1. Cor. 1.26 hath god cho­sen, and things which are not, to bring to nought, the things that are, that no flesh should reioice in his presence.

Nay, many in respect of this, [Page 50] that they are great, noble, prince­ly, & haue dipt their foote in oile, as was said of Ashur, they take occasion thereby to wax proud, vaine, cruell against the poore, & grieuous ouer the Saints of God; respecting religion with like reue­rence as Rubē did his fathers bed, who defiled it, and so do they: & therefore I may say as he did, Gen. 49.4. your dignitie is gone.

Honour, noblenes, and gentili­ty, stand not so much in your de­scēt as in your ascēt; not how you are descended of men, but how you doe ascend to God; it is not the greatnesse of your bloud, but the generosity of your spirit, soa­ring like Eagles where Christ is, feeding vpon him your selues, & bringing him downe for others repast, to iustifie that: Kings shall be thy nursing, Esay. 49 23 fathers & Queenes shall be thy nurces, they shal wor­ship [Page 51] thee Which and if you doe not, then take heede to your place & high callings: for Potētes potēter tormēta pat [...]ētur, the migh­ty shall be mightily tormēted. Wisd. 6.6. Esay. 30.33 To­pheth is prepared of old, euen for the mightie it is prepared Fulmen petit culmen. The higher the spire, the nearer to fire.

But come we to Moses prophe­sie of Ashur, which seemes more proper to the present occasion, & as it were, a pregnant prophesy of Anna:

Ashur shall bee blessed in his children, &c. Deut. 33.24.25. &c.

Ashur in Phanuel, Phanuel in Anna, Anna in her Christ, of whō shee trauelled in expectation, till shee saw him in the flesh presen­ted in the Temple.

Ashur was blessed in his chil­dren, Anna in her Christ.

Ad to the blessing of the faith­full [Page 52] children, a singular and rare constancy in the faith, by such o­bedience thereunto as appertai­neth, mentioned in this:

Thy shoes shall bee yron and brasse, and thy strength shall con­tinue as long as thou liuest: or as it is in one translation according with the originall: Sicut dies iuuen­tutis tuae, ita et senectus tua.

True in Anna, if euer in any of that tribe, whose shoes were yron and brasse; she stedily stoode to the faith of Christ from the first day of her virginity, to the last day of her widdowhead: I say, so long as she liued, shee did continue a virgine, a wife, a widdow, and was found faithfull and constant in all estates. Sicut dies iuuentutis ita et senectutis: As was her youth, so was her age. A iust reproofe to the men and women of these our wretched dayes: wherein for the [Page 53] most part, all are shod with corke for shoes of brasse and yron: wee are not of Ashur, stidy in the truth, but wee are blowne away with e­uery blast of vaine doctrine, Ephes. 4.1. and there is not the least gale of prosperity, or storme of aduersity, but it maketh vs to goe back as in the day of Midian, or like the children of Ephraim, Esay. [...].4. which being harnissed and carying bowes, turned them­selues back in the day of battaile.

Nay, Psal. 78.9·10. the Lord is so careful we should no [...] turne back, that by his aduertisement wee may not so much as looke back, and therfore he said, remember Lots wife. Luke. 17.32

Yea and Paule went yet a de­gree further, when hee said one thing I doe, I forget all behind, and hold hard to that which is before, &c. Where note, Phil. 3.13 14. that not onely our foote and eie, but our very thoughts must go forward and [Page 54] not backward.

You haue begunne well this good newe yeare, now what should let you to go forward? Let a daughter of Phanuel, & a child of Ashur, gracious Anna teach the perseuerance in this Christi­an life, to end thy widdowhoode in his feare, as thou hast begunne thy virginity in his faith. And be­ware of relapse, both in the point of faith and fact: if thou fall from faith, see thy iudgement. Heb. 6.4.5.6. If frō thine obedience, which is in matter of fact, then see thy iudgement. 2 Pet. [...].20.21.

No man that taketh the plowe in his hand, Luke. 9.62. and looketh back, is fit for the kingdome of God: ob­serue (O Christian) saith one, what Christ puts into thine hand, Non delicias, pecunias, et id genus reli­qua, sed stiuā, the plow stilt, which is thy paines in piety, neuer to be [Page 55] left off, if thou looke to reape bles­sednes for thy painfulnes.

It is said of the powers diuine, in the first of Ezechiel, Ezec. 1.17. Quod non reuertebantur, cum ambularēt, that they returned not whē they went. & Eze. 46.9. churchgoers may not returne by the way of the gate, whereby they came in: but they must go forth ouer against it; ye must gaine by your deuotions, & euer depart better instructed then when ye came. This is the day of circumcision, ye must be cut, not in the outward skinne, but in the inward heart and conscience: for thus saith the Lord, no stranger vncircumcised in heart, Ezec. 44.9.10. nor vncir­cumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuarie, neither yet the Le­uits that are gone back from me when Israel went astray from me after their Idols, but they shall beare their iniquity.

[Page 56]So then for conclusion, let An­na her constancy bee your rule, who first & last followed Christ with perseuerance, perseuerantia, cūseueritate: be kind to your god­ly motions, and cherish them, but be cruel to your bad affections, & kill them. Salomon saith well. Pro. 18, 9. Hee that is slothfull in his worke, is euen the brother of him that is a great waster.

The Angels vpon the ladder were not seene to rest, Gen. 28.12 Iohn. 1.51 Cant. 5.15 but either to ascend, or descend; and Christ in the Canticles is described to haue legs of marble in sockets of gold: to teach vs that constancy in Christ, is constancy in gold, and more precious then the Carbuncle Topas, or Chrisolite, yea and more sweete thē all the trees of incense. In via vi [...]tutis non progredi, regredi est, & qui non proficit deficit: Not to go forward in the way of vertue, [Page 57] is to go backward, and he leeseth that gaineth no [...].

Which was of a great age, after shee had liued with an husband seuē years from her virginity, &c.

In the description of Anna her person, I haue told you that she was by profession a Prophetesse, by name gracious, of a religious familie, and of an honourable Tribe.

It now remaineth, we come to the maturity of her age, and thre­fold state of her life, which she passed in all godlines & honesty: all to make her witnesse of grea­ter credit, to the honour of her Christ, whom she published

For as the wise man saith, Age is a crowne of glory, when it is found in the way of righteousnes Pro. 16.31. That is, when it is ioy­ned with religion▪ or else the elder that the wicked are, the more [Page 58] they are to be abhorred.

Her age argued her honesty, vertue, and godly life: for the sin­ner, Psal. 55.23 wicked, and vnrighteous liue not halfe their daies: Pride, aua­rice, wine, & women are hatchets to cut downe the tree of thy life, ere it come to it full growth. Dalila in her wantonnesse, Baltassar in his bolles, Dani. 5.1 [...] Sam. 18.9 Absalon in his pride, were all cut off in the middest of their daies; sinne goeth before destruc­tion, & it hasteneth on the iudge­ment.

As one flood puts on another till they come to the great Oce­an, and then they are swallowed vp: so one sinne puts on another, till we come to the graue, & then all are swallowed vp in iudgemēt. I say therefore, Obsta principijs, be­gin betimes, and let thine age & thine honesty grow together: for what an incongruity is it to bee [Page 59] gray in haires, and greene in affe­ction? thy yeares to go forward, and thy religion backward?

It is said of Anna, Quod haec pro­cesserat in diebus multis, because with the course of her yeares, ran the circle of her religion, vertue and honesty; & as the daies of her youth passed, so the vanities of this world euer died in her.

Erubescat senectus, quae se emenda­re non potest, that old age may bee ashamed and blush, that knoweth not how to begin to amend.

I say amend, for that manie ha­uing passed their youth in sinne, shame, and ignorance, deeme it too late to amend when they are old; as when they say, I am now too old to learne: to whom I an­swere; Etiamsi senes magis decet do­cere, quam discere, magis tamen decet discere quam ignorare, August: in E­pist. ad Heb. Although it be more [Page 60] seemely for old age to teach then to be taught, yet is it much more seemely to learne then to bee ig­norant. The onely thing that let­teth in old age to learne and to amend, is auarice: Cum cūcta viti­a in sene consenescunt, sola auaritia iuuenesc [...]t: Whē all vices grow old in age, onely couetousnesse wax­eth young. The vse of all is, that our old age should euer be a cre­dit to our place and calling. As also that as our yeares do increase, sin should decrease; and neede we had, by Anna her exāple to weane our affections in youth, that they do not ouerule vs in our age. Ex peruersa volūtate facta est cōsue­tudo, et dū cōsuetudini non resistitur, facta est necessitas, of a froward wil is ingendred an euill custome, & while custome is not withstood, it growes to a necessity. Peccata se­num praedicantur in quid, Old mens [Page 61] sins are essentiall. I do further ob­serue out of the text, that she pas­sed the threfold state of her life, in all piety and godlinesse. A vir­gin, a wife, & a widow, she passed all without staine to any, a pure virgin, an honourable wife, a reli­gious widow: so she liued, and so she died, and for that her name is memorable.

Now of these three kindes of life, to wit, virginity, marriage and widdowhead, the Monkes make much adoe, and such a difference in the sight of men and God too, as doth no lesse argue thē of foule impietie, then of iust hypocrisie, preferring virginity and widdow­hoode much before marriage, e­uen in the sight of God: for they attribute vnto virginity the fruite and merit of a hundred fold, vn­to widdowhoode of sixtie fold, but vnto Matrimonie, as a state [Page 62] more vile and beggerly, only thir­ty fold.

Yea and yet some more supersti­tious thē these, who left vnto ma­riage no place of fruit or blessing; but that of an hundred fold they gaue vnto martyrdome, that of sixtie fold to virginity, and that of thirtie fold to widdowhoode; rec­koning mariage among those kindes of life, which are nothing pleasing vnto God, but onely of mercy suffred to bee, and are not farre from fornication, Where­upon this speech hath fallen from their filthy mouthes: Nuptiae ter­am replent, virginitas Caelum, The married replenish the earth, but virgins fill heauen; as and if law­full marriage had nought to doe with heauen. O how truly are the foule frogs taxed in the froth of their fornication, sin, & sodomie, by Bale in his Votaries, thus? They [Page 63] frowne at marriage, who laugh at letchery.

But leaue wee these hypocrites in their superstition, and let vs see what the Scripture saith of these three states of life.

1 First, the scripture saith, of a truth, I perceiue that God is no re­specter of persons, but in euery nation he that feareth him, & worketh righ­teousnes, is accepted of him. Acts. 10.34.

2 And Paule saith, 1. Cor. 7.19 Circumcisi­on auaileth nothing, nor vncir­cumcision, but the keeping of the commandements of God.

3 And againe, Gal. 3.28. There is neither Iewe nor Grecian, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Iesus: And if ye be Christs, then are ye A­brahams seede, and heires by pro­mise. Out of all which I gather [Page 64] that God is no accepter of per­sons, nor respecteth any mā, place, state or condition of men, but as they respect him in true piety and godlinesse.

He respecteth no person, place or state of life, but in the cause: blessed cause, blessed person, whe­ther virgin, wife or widdowe: cur­sed cause, cursed person, whether widdowe, wife, or virgin. Giue me a religious virgin, and I will pre­fer her before an irreligious wife or widdowe; giue me a religious wife or widdowe, and I will pre­ferre her before an irreligious vir­gin. For if God respect not circū ­cision which was his owne ordi­nance, and vnder the lawe, nor re­iecteth vncircumcisiō, which was abominable by the Law, but a new creature; will he (trow you) regard virginity, which was neuer enioyned by law, but as a newe [Page 65] creature.

I gather againe, that vpon the touch of Christ, Reue. 7.14. all states are san­ctified, and neuer till we haue dip­ped our stoles in the bloud of the Lamb: If then ye be Christs, Gal. 3.29. yee are Abrahams seede, and heires by promise: not heires for that ye are Iewes rather then Grecians, not heires for that ye are men, ra­ther then women, virgins rather then wiues, Kings rather thē pea­sants: but ye are heires because of the promise, euen of the promi­sed seede; which laid vp in your hearts by faith, vnfolds the inheri­tance vnto you, and maketh you heires of his heauenly kingdome. In which sense I may say with Au­gustine, Caelibatus Iohannis non prae­fertur coniugio Abrahae, the single life of Iohn hath no prerogatiue a­boue the marriage of Abraham; and so to conclude with the Apo­stle. [Page 66] 1. Cor. 7.20.21. &c. Let eue­ry man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.

Art thou called beeing a ser­uant? care not for it.

Art thou bound to a wife? seeke not to bee loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seeke not to be bound But if thou takest a wife, thou sin­nest not; and if a virgin marry, she sinneth not: neuerthelesse such shall haue trouble in the flesh, I say in the flesh, not in the faith: for it is no touch of faith for vir­gens ro marrie.

And therfore true it is, Molestiae coniugij, sunt paena peccati, non ma­trimonij: the troubles of marriage, are punishments of sin, not of ma­trimony: But leaue we the compa­rison, and come we to Anna, how commendably shee passed these three states of life, in all piety and godlinesse: for it is euident by the [Page 67] text, shee was a chaste virgine, a chaste wife, & a chaste widdowe.

A rare thing in these vnchaste daies, wherin fewe, either virgins, wiues, or widdowes go vnspotted: she liued with one husband seauen yeares frō her virginity Ergo, she was a virgin vnspotted in the day of her espousals.

She liued seauen yeares with an husband; she liued with him, shee liued not from him; she liued to loue him, she liued to obey him, him and no other: for that had bin a death and not a life.

The text saith well, shee liued with him, which argued her pati­ence as well as her chastity: for if she had not beene peaceable▪ it had beene no life but a death they led, according to that of Siracides: an euill wife is a yoke of Oxen that draweth diuerse waies, hee that hath her is as though he held a Scorpion.

[Page 68]Lastly, as the Lord guided her in her virginity, honoured her in marriage, so hee loued and prote­cted her in her widdowhead, an estate of life much respected of God, as may appeare by the scrip­tures.

Wherein the Lord enioyneth from Horeb, (to which imperiall law all owe homage) Ye shall not trouble any widdowe nor father­lesse childe; Ex. 22.22 if thou vex or trouble such, and so he crie and call vpon me, I will surely heare his crie.

And it was a sinne, with a ven­geance laid vpon the rulers of Is­rael, that they iudged not the fa­therlesse, neither did the widdows cause come before them. Esay. 1.23 Iam. 1.27

Whom to relieue, the Apostle maketh a part of pure religion, & vndefiled before God.

But Anna her widdowhead was pairlelesse both for prouidence & [Page 69] pietie: she saw the Lord Iesus pre­sented in the Temple, which she could not, either in her virginity, or when she was a wife; to tell you that euē therin, widdowhead had the prerogatiue aboue virg [...] ­nity, by the Lords prouidence. And the chastity of her widdow­hoode appeared in this, that she so cōtinued for the space of foure score and foure yeares.

Chambering and wantonnesse rotteth the bones, and shorteneth the life; but temperance euen in that, giueth length of daies. To liue fourescore and foure yeares was much, and so long to liue in chaste widdowhoode was more: but all that time to serue God in the Temple night and day with fasting and prayer, was most of all; farre from the practise of our wanton widdowes, who ere they haue well finished the funerals of [Page 70] the first husband, are ready to solē ­nize the Nuptials of a second. Which though I dare not say, it is vnlawfull, yet may I say, it is not seemely, and charge them with this fault, that they haue soone for­gotten their first loue.

It was demanded of Valeria the Romane (her husband being dead) why she married not againe: she answered that of right she could not, for that her husband yet li­ued, though not in her house, yet in her heart; and till he were there dead, shee doubted shee neither ought, nor could marry another.

And Marcia wife to Cato, being likewise demanded why she mar­ried not againe, answered, shee could yet finde none that would marry her but for hers. But Amira her answer was full both of loue and wit, when she wonde out her selfe from second marriage, with [Page 71] this resolution.

If I should marry againe (saith she) then it must needes fall out that my husband should proue ei­ther good or bad: if good, then should I euer liue in feare to loose him; if bad, then in griefe to keepe him, and therefore none is best.

I speak this to correct the light­nesse of our daies, wherein both Virgins, wiues, and widdowes are too wantonly giuen, neither re­garding the vaile of their virgini­ty, the honour of their marriage, nor the holinesse of their widdow­hoode with gracious Anna.

It may seeme in the Apostles time, that widdowes had their speciall place and praise in the church, as you may reade, 1. Tim. 5.3.6.11. Nor do I see why euen yet they might not doe vnto God the like good and acceptable ser­uice, especially those of elder [Page 72] yeares: and for the yonger wo­men, I say with the Apostle, I will that the yonger women marrie, and beare children, 1. Tim. 5.14 and gouerne their houses, and giue no occasion to the aduersarie to speake euill. Finally to preserue and keepe thy chastity without corruption in all three estates, six things are requi­red, 1. sobriety. 2. labour, 3. plaine apparrell, 4. a restraint of thy sen­ses, 5. little speach, and that pou­dered with honesty, 6. shūning of opportunities, as of persons, place & time. Cassiodore super Matthaeū.

And went not out of the Temple, but serued God with fasting & pray­ers night and day.

From the description of Anna her person, a mirrour of all mode­sty for virgins, wiues, & widdowes to behold; it now remaines wee come to the practise of her life in all piety, and publishing of her [Page 73] Christ in all true faith and veri­ty: her godly life appeared in this, that shee did altogether deuote her selfe to the seruice of her God, first amplified by circum­stance of the place where, In the Temple; secondly the manner how, with fasting and prayers: thirdly the time when, night and day.

In that she went not out of the Temple, it argued that she was no gadder abroad, but liued all in priuate to God, and with his saincts in the great congregation! whither she went no doubt, as the blessed virgine did to her cosin Elizabeth, Cum festinatione, Luke. 1.39. [...]. with all hast. Non gaudet diu videri in publico, she had no ioy to bee a­broad: this blessed widdowe fol­lowed after faith, and not fashi­ons.

She had no solace but in the assembly of Saints, no ioy but in [Page 74] the fruit of her faith, no pleasure but in the Temple of her God.

And therefore no doubt she said as Dauid did, blessed are they that dwell in thine house, they will be alway praysing thee. For one day in thy court is better then a thou­sand elsewhere: I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Psal. 84.4. &c. then to dwell in the taberna­cle of the wicked.

These dayes are Dinaes dayes; for many of our virgins, wiues, and widdowes will not be kept within our dores. Gen. 34.1. &c. And others are so far from seruing of God in the Temple, with gracious Anna, night and day, that of all other places they loue it least, and seeke it last.

Yea, they neuer come but when they are carried, in the day of their birth to baptisme, and in the day of their death to buriall.

[Page 75] Dina went out of her fathers doores to see the shewes of the Shechemits: it cost bloud, and it lost honesty.

Bersheba washed her selfe in publique, it killed her husband, 2. Sam. 11.2 it lost her honor, it endangered the king, and plagued Israel·

Had Iephthe his daughter kept within the doores, Iud 11.34. it might haue saued her life, but she was too proude of her fathers praise, out shee must to gaze vpon his glory; well well, she bought it deare, for her dance was to the graue, her tymbrels playde her passing peale, and the Damosells mourned her funerall.

What should I say more? Esau lost the blessing with being a­broad, and Iacob got it with being at home.

In cunctis quae foris sunt vae vae, Amos. 5.16. And they shall say to [Page 76] all in the high wayes, alas, alasse· Dauid in one of his Psalms makes a good wife an ornament for a mans house, and here I may make a widdow an ornament for the Church of God: Not then an or­nament for the Theater, playes, spectacles, fayres, markets, or doue-ales, there onely to see and to be seen; No, no, she must be as a snayle to carry her house vpon her backe, her children at her brests, her hādmaids at her heels, with care in her heart, and cost in her hands, to buy balme, to bury Christ in her dearest thoughts.

He was a Pagan that sayde of Sempronia, that she could saltare & canere, paulo elegantius quam de­cuit probae: that she could sing and dance more minion-like then be­came a modest matrone. Shall heathen see into such sinnes, and shall Christians be senselesse? Of [Page 77] old, virgins were vailed, and the maried were couered, Gen. 24.65 & for that were called nuptae; but now all is garish, and the vaile of modesty is put away: bare head, bare necke, bare brests, with painted face, and oyled countenance; so farre from all godly cariage and Christian couerture, as they are from virgi­nall modesty, and nere the suspiti­on of prostituted shame and ho­nesty. Trowe you that God wil be so answered when fire shall fyne these fashions, flash in our faces, and yee shall meete him in the cloudes? when to hide your selues it will be vnpossible, and so to ap­peare, it will be intollerable.

See in the second place what she did in the Temple; she came not to see others, and to be seene her selfe: she came not as a mony changer, to trade in the Temple, or to haunt the seats of them that [Page 78] solde doues, whipped out by Christ, Math. 21.12.

Nor did she come to serue the time, as those who now and then drop into the Church for feare of danger, & when that is past, they are gone, like Seamewes, who neuer stir but in a storme. But she came as you may here see, to serue God with fasting and praier, night and day. And this seruice of God it was her loue, it wvs her life, she loued it, and therefore she liued in it.

And sooner might ye draw the Sunne from the firmament, then blessed Anna from her deuotiōs. Her eare hearkned, her eies wat­ched, her feet were shodde to the seruice of her God [...] serue him was the crowne [...] head, & di­ademe of her prai [...]e, she gloried in nothing more thē that she might lick vp the dust of the sanctuary.

[Page 79]Nor did this seruice flow from a seruile feare, but from a filiall loue, according to that; Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bōdage to feare againe, but ye haue re­ceiued the spirit of adoption, Rom. 8.15. whereby we cry Abba father.

She serued him purely and no­thing with him, shee serued him onely and nothing beside him, she serued him truely, and nothing for him; but woe is me to tell: we are so farre from seruing him, that we make our God to serue vs euen in our sinnes, according to that of Esay: Esay. 43.24 Thou boughtest mee no sweet sauour with money, neither hast thou made mee drunke with the fat of thy sacrifice; but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes, and wearied me with thine iniquities.

Now come we to the manner, how she serued God in the Tem­ple, [Page 80] expressed in these words, with fasting and prayers.

Not that she put any merit in the one or in the other, but vsed both as meanes to strengthen her faith in the Messias, whom after she did confesse and professe. And therefore it is said, she serued God with them, and not merited by them, or was iustified through them: beeing a seruice, it was no desert but a duetie; wherein when shee had done all that euer shee could, Luk. 17.10. yet was she vnprofitable, till she confessed the Lord, and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem.

This therefore is the right vse of our prayer and fasting, to bee vnto vs as it were bellowes, by which our faith in Christ is re­freshed and inflamed. And it is specially to be obserued, that fa­sting is put in the first place of her [Page 81] seruice to god, thereby to teach vs that we must be broken by absti­nence, ere we cā be well prepared to any good deuotiō. For as if you put an eg or chesnut into the fire, & break it not, the heat no sooner cōmeth vnto it, but it bursteth & leapeth out: yet not so, if before you put it in, you break it neuer so little in the head. So may we say of mē, presuming to come before the maiesty of their God, who is a cō ­suming fire; if they come vnbrokē, fat, & full, and not hūbled with fa­sting, prayer & watching, they ea­sily leap out of the fire of their de­uotions, & fall away frō heauenly contēplation. Not so Pueri illi Ba­bylonici, mētioned in Daniel, who refused the portion of the Kings meat, & choose rather to feed vp­on pulse. They would bee broken with prayer, abstinence, & fasting, the rather to abide the fiery fur­nace, [Page 82] out of which they were deliue­red. Dan. 1.12

So Moses was with God vpon the holy mount, Exod 24.18.34.28 forty daies and forty nights without meate or drinke: he was broken like a ches­nut with abstinēce, that he might the rather indure the fire of Gods maiesty.

So this holy Anna would bee broken like a chesnut with prayer, fasting, & watching in the temple night and day, to mortify the flesh, that it might not abate the vigor of the spirit in the heat of her de­uotions.

It is therefore expedient (my deare brethren) that by your ab­stinence ye keepe vnder the flesh, especially in your deuotions and seruice of God, 2. Cor. 12.2 and so as you may say with the blessed Apostle, whe­ther in the body or out, I cannot tell, God he knoweth: For the flesh [Page 83] is that Eue tempting vs to eate of the forbidden fruit. Gen. 3.6 Gen. 39.7 The flesh is Putiphars wife, prouoking chaste Ioseph to filthy lust. The flesh is, Iud. 4.18 Iudg. 16.19 that Iael beguiling Sisera, with faigned loue to his destruction. The flesh is that Dalila who plea­santly tooke Sampson into her bo­some, and betrayed him vnto the Philistins, cut his haire, put out his eies, and made him a scorne to all the people.

The flesh is that dancing mini­on, Math. 14.8. whom nothing could please but the head of Iohn Baptist on a platter.

Finally, the flesh is that dore­keeping damosell, Math. 26.69. Ad cuius vocem Christum negamus, at whose voice Peter abiured his Christ, and so doe we.

In regard of all which, it stands vs vpon as we loue the saluation of our soules in the seruice of our [Page 84] God, that with blessed Anna here, and Paul elswhere, we beate down our bodies with prayer, fasting, & watching, to bring it in subiection to the spirit, 1 Cor. 9. [...]7 lest by any meanes af­ter wee haue preached to others, wee our selues should bee repro­ued.

Night and day.

Anna her deuotion is here ex­emplified by circumstance of the time she bestowed in the seruice of God, which was both night and day, as it is in the text, spoken by way of trope; not that she euer dwelt in the Temple, for how could it be said then, that shee came at the same instant vppon them? Or that her fastings were such, or prayers so many, as she had no leisure either to eat in the day, or rest in the night: for how [Page 85] could she euer then haue come to such maturity, and length of dayes?

But the speech is familiar, and meaning such, as doth imply from the spirit which spake it, that she was frequent in her de­uotions, and a continual Church commer. As we say of him who is a painfull student, that he is ne­uer from his booke, nor from the presence of his Master: or of him, 1. Thess. 5.17. who praieth much, we say he is alwayes in prayer. Or of him who is a good hearer, why such a one is neuer from the Church, sermō, and sacraments.

So may it be said of Anna the Prophetesse, that she was much in prayer, and fasting: hoc opus, hic labor, hoc artificium, hoc exercitium, it was her worke, it was he [...] labor, it was her art, it was her exer­cise.

[Page 86]When euer any holy thing was performed in the Temple, were it in the morning or in the euening, Praesto aderat, she was e­uen at hand: nor did shee at any time neglect the publick seruice, but was still present.

Holines (saith the sweete Sin­ger of Israell) becommeth thine house for euer: Psal. 93.6 holy saint, holy shrine, holy God, holy people, ho­ly temple; holy Anna did hallow it night and day, with her holy presence, prayer, and fastings.

Here learne then by Anna her due deuotion, and daily practise of godlines, and piety, how to frame your selues for the Church & ho­ly assembly; handle not the holy things with vnwashen hands, but rather say with Dauid, I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I go to thine altar, Psalme. 26.6.

[Page 87]Learne with Anna to loue the Church: where a mans treasure is, there is his heart. Math. 6.21 Can there be greater treasure anie where then in the temple of God? where hee hath promised that his eie, eare, 1. King. 9.3 & heart, shall be perpetually. Say with Dauid, Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth, Psal. 26.8. Is his presence there? is his honour there? Why should we then denie to honour it with our presence? Is his heart there to loue it? & darest thou to loath it?

One thing (saith the Prophet) I desired of the Lord, that I will re­quire, euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the beautie of the Lord, and to visit his temple, Psal. 27. When Dauid desired this one thing, it may seeme he exclu­ded [Page 88] all other things; and when he desired it to require it, hee made full account to obtaine his desire.

When hee required to dwell in the house of the Lord, he made it his habitation; & when he would there dwell all the daies of his life, he made it no tabernacle for a time, but an abode for euer.

Finally to sanctifie all with a sanctified end both of his abode, and biding there, he said, I seeke this solace in his sanctuary onely that I may behold the beautie of the Lord, and visit his Temple.

And so to conclude a doctrine from Anna her practise in the continuall exercise of her piety in the Temple, as also from Da­uids desire to rest himselfe with the sparrow ouer the Altar of his God, and euer to dwell in the ha­bitation of his holinesse:

I gather, that it is beseeming [Page 89] the saints of God, vncessantly to pray, duely to fast, and daily per­seuere in the practise of all pietie and godlinesse. For he that perse­uereth to the end shall be blessed; Mat. 24.13 and true it is, Frustra nititur, qui non innititur, the tree that is oftē planted, and often plucked vp, it neuer prospereth, it beareth no bowes, it brings no fruit. So is the planting in religion, vertue, and piety; if thou leaue thy first loue, & be remoued frō the first groūd of good faith & obedience, thou art as a tree twice dead, Iude. 12. & pluck­ed vp by the rootes, and good for nothing but for the fire. O well said Syracides. Eccle. 27.

Homo sensatus in sapientia manet sicut sol, stultus autem sicut luna mu­tatur, A man of vnderstanding is steddy as the sonne, but a foole is changeable like the moone. Iust and holy men are stable like [Page 90] Abraham, the father of all the faithfull, who, as the foules fell vpon the carkase of the sacrifice, still droue them away; and so as one saith: Inceptum quod fecit, non reliquit infectum, what hee begun he neuer left vndone; like vnto that of Caesars expedition: Nil fa­ctum credens, cum quid superesset a­gendum, instat atrox, who neuer thought thing well done, when a­ny thing was left vndone.

The vse is good, and Anna was happy in her holy haunt: for that she brake of no deuotion, her loue was full of labour; in prayer of­ten, in fastings often, in watch­ings often, night and day shee tooke no rest, but in the sweet re­pose of Israels consolation, whom she sought in the Temple till she found him, and then euer treasu­red vp in her deerest thoughts. Be it therefore farre from vs, that [Page 91] our diuinity should bee without deuotion, our profession without practise, our zeale without such sanctitie. May we sit at ease in Sy­on, and haue no courage for the truth? may the minister or the ma­gistrate sleepe? may the people shift off so soueraigne a seruice to their God and Christ? O then where is our first loue? where is truth? where is faith? where is religion? Wee had all in the daies of our tryall, when the fire fined it, the crosse grieued it, & our mar­tirs sealed it with their dearest bloud: then was the word of God precious as in the daies of Samuel; then at midnight, Paule and Silas prayed, sung psalmes vnto God, & prisons were shaken with true deuotion.

And haue we now left it in the happy daies of our peace, & vn­der the gouernemēt of so gracious [Page 92] a Soueraigne? shall it grow vnder the crosse, & shall it grieue vnder the crowne? shall it prosper in the daies of persecution? and shall it wither in the daies of peace? shall the Arke of God passe through the swellings of Iorden, and shall it make a stop in the sweete run­ning waters of Shilo? shall Moabs rest be Moabs ruine? then woe vn­to vs that euer we liued, to enioy so great blessednesse, with so little holinesse.

But here is our wofull want, we are ignorant of our God, and wee know him not: we think any thing will please him, any religion, any obedience, any prayer, any prea­ching, any duety, any deuotiō; like Themistius the Philosopher, that would perswade Valens the Em­perour, Deo gratam esse sectarum varietatem, vt ita plur [...]bus modis co­latur: That God was well plea­sed [Page 93] with varieties of sects, be­cause by that meanes he may haue more sundry and diuerse wayes of his worship and seruice. Or we deale with our great God of heauen, full of Maiesty, full of might, full of feare, full of fire, as it is recorded the Mexicans did with Ferdinando Cortasio; who be­ing much astonished with his great exployts, and wondering whether he were a God or no, sent Ambassadors vnto him with these gifts and instuctions: Tria genera munerum ad te ferimus, pri­mo quinque homines; & si Deus qui­dem crudus es, & sanguine placādus, cape istos & vescere; plures etiam da­bimus. 2. sin bonus mitisque es Deus, en tibi herbas & p [...]umas ad suppli­candum. 3. si porro homo es, cape has aues & fructus, quos damus in tuum & tuorum vsum.

In English thus: We present here [Page 94] before thy Maiesty three manner of guests, first fiue liue men; and if thou be a cruell God and plea­sed with nothing but bloud, take these and eate, we will prouide more: But if thou be a good and a mild God, behold here are herbs and fethers to supplicate with; & if thou be but a mere man, take this fowle and fruit, which we giue for thee and thine to vse. Christiane quid rides, de te narratur fabula, Why smilest thou O Chri­stian, the tale is true of thee. You Papists deeme cruelly of your God, and you thinke him pleased with nothing but bloud in your deuotions; you haue diapred the earth with the bloud of his saints: and, as one of your owne Poets saith, you dayly separate the soule of Christ from his body, and yet drawe incruently Christs bloud out of his veines.

[Page 95]We Protestants deem too base­ly of our God, and we thinke him pleased with any thing, euen flowers and fethers wil fit our de­uotions; but fy vpon such fealty.

You Atheists of these our daies who dare say in your heartes, though not with your mout [...] ▪ There is no God: you thinke of him but as a mere man, fowle and fruite is for your deuotion: whilst you make your belly your God, your glory your shame, and mind nothing but these earthlie things.

VVell, Anna her deuotion was another, night & day, she sought, she sued, she wrastled and praied and found God at Bethell: And for vs, seeing as the Apostle saith, we receiue a kingdom which can not be shaken, Heb. 12.28. &c. let vs with her haue grace, whereby we may so serue God, that we may please [Page 96] him with reuerence and feare, for euen our God is a consuming fire.

She then comming at the same in­stant vpon them, Luk. 2.38. confessed likewise the Lord, and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusa­ [...].

We are now come to the last part and shutting vp of all, which is Anna her profession of Christ in all verity; without which, what formerly hath beene said, is no­thing either to Anna her praise, or perfection in piety.

For what is her gratious name? whats her godly family? whats her honorable tribe? whats the maturity of her age, her chaste cariage in her virginity, mariage & widowhood? whats the resting of her selfe in the temple, with the continuall seruice of her GOD there, with fasting and praiers [Page 97] both night and day? I say whats all this good, without the soue­raigne good, Acts. 4.11 Leuit. 2.13 euē Christ the stone of our building, the salt of our sa­crifice, Mat. 2 [...].11.12. Eph. 5.2. the wedding garment we must put on, the sweet perfume, balme, and incense that sauoreth and relisheth all our actions? without which (I say) al our de­uotion (be it neuer so deare) is dead, distasteth with our God, and endangereth our soules. And this is the reasō why we say, Quod opera infidelium sunt peccata, The works of Infidels are sin, be they neuer so iust, neuer so chast, neuer so patiēt, [...] that it [...]

Now [...] Christ, I [...] when the [...] vpon [...] when [...] by [...] [Page 98] when the parents had brought in the babe Iesus, to doe for him af­ter the custome of the lawe, then came Anna not by chance, or vp­on the call of any, but by speciall motion of the holy Ghost (no doubt) and instinct of the Spirit; which did suggest that euen now Shilo was come, Gen. 49.10 Esay. 9.6. Christ was born, a Sonne was giuen, euen the expectation of Israell, to all that longed for him. In which longing she looked, and saw sufficient for her saluation, nor had she euer seene with her eyes, had she not longed with her heart: for in her [...] in her [...] notable [...] still to [...] good, [...] vs in [...] [Page 99] the Lord was his guest.

Daniel by the bankes of Hula, while he was speaking in prayer, and confessing the sinnes of the people, the man Gabriel appea­red and informed him, Daniel. 9.21. &c.

While Zacharie attended the euening sacrifice, and the incense was a burning, the Angell sayde, feare not Zachary, for thy prayer is heard, Luk 1.42.

Isaac walked in the field pray­ing, and sawe Rebecca comming. Gen. 24.63

While the Ma [...]i followed the starre, they found the babe. Math. 2.10 [...]1.

And while Cleopas and the other talked of those things that had happened at Ierusalem, Luke 24.14.15. Christ drew neere and talked with them. And when did the holy Ghost fal vppon the assembly and fill the house where they late? but when they were all with one accord in [Page 100] one place, looking and longing after the promise. Acts. 2.1.

I say for conclusion, watch, pray, and practise piety, long and looke after the day of your re­demption: blessed is that seruant whom his master when he com­meth shall find so doing. Matth. 24.46.

But woe, woe, and woe againe, to all such as neither watch, pray, long, Zeph. 1.12. nor looke, but lie in their sinnes, and are frozen in their dregges; how will they answer the Lord at his fiery comming, who are so found? If iudgement begin at the house of God, 1. Pet. 4. [...]7.18. & the saints shall hardly be saued, where? where shall the sinner stand? when to hide themselues it will be impossible, and to appeare it will be intollerable. O that men were wise, then would they vn­derstand this, then would they [Page 101] consider their latter end. Deuter. 32.29.

See againe, and weigh with me how the faithfull, good, and god­ly do mutually help one another in the seruice of God.

Simeon was praising & preach­ing Christ in the Temple, & be­hold Anna was ayding with all di­ligence to further that blessed worke; & superuenit, as it is in one translation, she was vpon him ere he was aware, and did communi­cate with him in that holy seruice. So was Aaron to Moses: for that he had a stammering tongue. Exod. 4.16 Acts. 13.2. 2. Tim. 4 10 Psal. 122.1 Barna­bas to Paul, though Demas did forsake him.

The people to Dauid when they said, Come, we will go into the house of the Lord.

So was hee who said well, We together are Gods labourers, ye are Gods husbandry, and Gods [Page 102] building. 1. Cor. 3.9.

And so (for the vse of the doctrine) are all ye to vs, when you helpe vs in our deuotions, ayding vs with your prayers, praises, and presence in the seruice of God; flocking hither like doues to their nests, and comming vpon vs at vnwares, as Anna did vpon Simeon when he had the babe in his armes, Esay. 60.8. with Ioseph and Marie assistants in that blessed worke. We are too solita­ry in the seruice of God, well it were if we were more ayding one another in the same. Birds of a wing flye together, beasts of a heard flocke together: Iudges. 5.15.16. we are too single in our deuotions, and the diuisions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart.

Now at Anna her comming in, she shewed her religion in two things: first, she confessed him in heart, and secondly, published [Page 103] him to others, when she spake of him to al that looked for redemp­tion in Ierusalem: iustifying that of the Apostle, Rom. 10.9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raysed him vp from the dead, thou shalt be saued.

Where note, that heart and tongue are tied together, nor can any man say he is religious, if he be silent; thinke he neuer so well, if he doe not speake, hee is of a dumbe and dead religion; For e­uen as at the approach & presēce of the Son, vertue flowing from it, trees wax greene, florish, and yeelde their fruite; so Christ the sonne of righteousnesse shyning vpon his saints, Mala. 4 2. what maruaile is it, if they breake out into prayses, and smell more sweet then all the trees of incense?

[Page 104]Againe in that it is said she did likewise confesse: See th [...] consent of faith and doctrine, that her be­liefe and speech of Christ was all one with that of Symeon; to wit, that he should be a light to the Gentiles, Luk. 2.32. the glory of Israell, a rocke to the religious, a ruyne to the reprobate, and a sword to Ma­ries heart, all inuring that Christ should be both our life and mor­tification

Learne further, that if Christ being made man, Philip. 2.7. and taking vnto him the shape of a seruant, as he lay in the cratch was sung of the Angels, and seene of the sheep­heards; if in the Temple he was preached by Symeon, and confes­sed by Anna, to the wonder of Io­seph and Marie:

How much is it of greater wonder, that now neither seene nor felt, yet the godly should re­lish [Page 105] him in soules, and found out his praise to their endlesse salua­tion. O that we did know our own blessednesse in the certainty of our knowledge, by a more speciall meane and manner.

For we goe not by sight but by hearing, nor do we admire Christ ex his quae foris apparent, for that which we see in him, but for that which we haue heard of him: for it is not only, Blessed are the eyes that see, but also, Blessed are the eares that heare the things that you heare. Math. 13.16.17.

Nor is it, Blessed are the pappes that gaue thee sucke, Luke 11.27.28. but rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it.

Ecclesiastes saith well, Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of GOD, and be more nere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles; for they [Page 106] know not that they doe euill.

The Maiesty and mercy of our God cannot be seene with mor­tall eye, but he is apprehended by faith, and hearing, without fur­ther processe, search, or scrutiny. Thomas may sound into his wound by feeling, but he cā neuer sound his will but by hearing.

For euen as in aged Isaac when he blessed Iacob, all his senses fai­led him but hearing, and onely in that he was not deceiued:

So in the knowledge of Christ our Sauiour, and in the certaintie of his trueth, all our senses are senselesse, but that of hearing: the voyce is Iacobs voyce, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Gen. 27.22

The Paganes papizing, and our Papists paganizing are palpable in their religion, pleasing they are to all their senses, in all their deuotions, but onely to that of [Page 107] hearing, and that also if it be fed with pipe and Organ: but if you speake of preaching, and would fil it with heauenly harmony, they shut the dores, they stop their eares, and they will not heare, charme you neuer so wisely.

Onely in this, Isaac said true, Psal. 58.4 5 It is the voice of Iacob; but when he said, They are the hands of Esau, he was deceiued.

Iacobs voice will not deceiue, it is the word of God: but Esau his hands will still deceiue you, they are but the inuentions of men, and beggerly rudiments of this world: as, Touch not, tast not, handle not, Gal. 4.9. Coloss 2 21.22. which all perish with the vsing, and are after the com­mandements & doctrine of men.

When the heart is full, the [Page 108] mouth will vent, and as is the li­quor within, Psa. 116.10. so is the relish with­out. Mat. 12.34 I haue beleeued, and therfore haue I spoken, saith one; and of the aboundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, saith another.

Anna was full of her Christ, & therefore she could not but vent him; she had treasured him vp in her dearest thoughts, and for that she could not but lay him out to her best aduantage. O wel said the kingly Prophet Dauid, Psa. 108.3. I will giue thanks vnto the Lord among the people, I will sing praises vnto thee among the nations.

To thanke GOD in priuate is much, to speak of him among the people is more; but among the na­tions to sing his praises, is most of all.

The doctrine is good, and this it is: the godly are neuer wanting in the practise of this piety, that [Page 109] as they are faithfull and true to God in beleeuing, so are they charitable towards men in publi­shing their Christ, pregnant they are, and they cannot but bring forth.

Consider what she speakes of, she reades no destinies, nor tels no old wiues tales, she reports no newes like the Athenians, Acts. 17.21 Tit. 1.12. or speaks of belly-cheare, like the slow bel­lyed Cretians; her speach is of no ryot, ribaldry, or wantonnesse: but she speakes of him, viz. of her Christ, to all that looked for re­demption in Ierusalem: Accor­ding to that of Peter, 1 Pet. 4.11. If any man speake, let him speak as the words of God. Whereby we are admo­nished, that our speach should be chaste, godly and gracious, euer tending to edification, and the building vp of our brother in god lines and piety; Eph. 4.26. alwaies mindfull [Page 110] of our sauiours aduertisemēt, that For euery idle word, Mat. 12.36 we must giue an account thereof at the day of iudgement. And surely this is true, sanctified and spirituall spee­ches do inflame the soule, Psal. 119.140. accor­ding to that of the Psalmist: Igni­tum eloquium tuum vehementer, & seruus tuus dilexit illud: Thy word is wonderfull fiery, and thy ser­uant loueth it. And whereunto accordeth Ieremy 30.9. His word was in mine heart as fire, &c. And that of Cleopas, Did not our hearts melt within vs, when he talked with vs of these things? Luk. 24.32.

But contrarily, vaine, idle, and prophane speeches doe quenche the fire of our loue towards God and man, according to that of the Apostle: 2. Tim. 2.16 1. Cor. 15.33. Stay prophane & vaine bablings, for they shall increase vnto more vngodlinesse. And a­gaine, Euill words corrupt good [Page 111] manners: Ecclus. 9. [...]7. and Sit omnis oratio tua in praeceptis altis simi: Let thy talke be with the wise, and all thy com­munication in the Lawe of the most high.

It is here further to be obserued that this blessed Matron spake of God, not to all, but to such as looked for redemption in Ierusa­lem.

To teach vs that wee must not cast our pearles before swine, Mat. 7.6. or giue holy things to dogs: for such are not capable of heauenly do­ctrine, or diuine mysteries, witnes­seth the Apostle: 1 Cor. 12.14. Carnalis homo nō percipit ea, quae sunt spiritus dei: The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God: as al­so Esay the Prophet. 28.9. Whom shall hee teach knowledge? and whom shall hee make to vnder­stand the things that he heareth? them that are weaned from the [Page 112] milke, and drawne from the brests. And Dauid Secreta domini timētibus eum, Psa. 25.14▪ the secrets of the Lord are re­uealed to thē that feare him, &c. Sapientiā loquimur inter perfectos. But woe is me to tell: 1 Cor. 2.6. fewe looke for redemption (as it is in the text) either of their sinnes, of their saui­our, or of their lost time; of their sinnes wherein they liue: which they are so farre from breaking off by repentance, that rather they solace themselues in them, ac­cording to that: Laetantur cū ma­lefecerunt, et exultant in rebus pessi­mis: The wicked are glad when they doe euill, and reioice in their wickednes: to preach to such, is to beate the aire.

But rather our words will cary weight, pierce, and wound such as trauell and bee heauy laden, groane vnder the burthen of their sinnes, Mat. 11.28 and looke for the day of [Page 113] their redemption.

And as for the time lost, who doth redeeme it, though the daies be dangerous? And so I conclude from all I haue said of Anna her vnfolding of the heauenly miste­ries to such as looke for redemp­tion in Ierusalem:

The misteries of God are trea­sures hid in the ground of our hearts, wherein the Lord would bee kept, as in a field of blessing: which if thou discouer to the Ba­bilonians, that is, make knowne to the wicked and vnworthy, as He­zechia did to the messengers of Me­radock-Baladan, King of Babel, [...]say. 39.2. when hee shewed them the house of the treasuries, the siluer and the gold, and the spice, and the preci­ous ointments, and all the house of his armour; I say, take heede of the like sinne, least thou fall into the like iudgement, which is to go [Page 114] captiue to Babilon, robbed of all thy riches, and the virgin Sion mourne to see her sonnes or Eu­nuches in the pallace of the King of Babell.

If wee preach peace, and they will not receiue peace, wee may shake the dust of that place from our feete and bee gone; Mat. 10.14 that dust shall iudge dust in the great day. Into the citie of Samaria enter ye not, Math. 10.5 they looked for no redempti­on; and therefore the secret ther­of might not be reueled vnto thē, according to that, Secreta domini timētibus eū, Psal. 25.14 the secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him,

If any shall say, beeing suncke in sinne, wee are no worse then dogs, and yet dogs may eate of the crums that fall from their ma­sters table: Mat. 65.26 I answere, true indeed if you rise out of sin, & be no such dogs as bite and barke at our de­uotions, [Page 115] but come in all humili­ty, and (as the Chananite did) sue and seeke in true faith, and fee­ling the crūmes of mercy that fal frō your masters table, then come and taste with Anna how sweete the Lord is, then come & speake of him with Anna to all that looke for redemption in Ierusalem.

And when they had performed all these things according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilie to their owne city Nazareth.

Although this scripture say no­thing of Anna whose story hither­to we haue followed, for the bet­ter manifesting of Christ in the flesh: yet it is necessary to be an­nexed further, to make plaine the history of Christ his incarnation by speciall growth in body, and strength in spirit, with al comple­ments of wisedome, fauour, and [Page 116] grace both with God and man.

Wherein I pray, you would ob­serue three things: all clearing the truth of the incarnation, and prouing our Christ to be perfect man against Ebion, Carpocr [...]s, Ce­rinthus, and such like; who dire the deity in denying, some the humanity, some the diuinity▪ I say this is cleared in this place by a threefold subiection, whereunto the Lord would yeeld himselfe as the Son of man, but neuer as the Son of God.

The first is his subiection to the Law out of these words: when they had performed all things accor­ding to the Lawe.

The second was his subiection to persecution, which I may terme a iudgement of the Lawe in these words: they returned into Galilie to their owne citty Nazareth.

The third and last is his subie­ction [Page 117] to increase and growth in body, and strength in spirit, by little and little; infallible proofes of his humanity, and no waye ap­plyant to the diuinity, out of these words, And the child grew and wax­ed strong, &c. Christ was sub­iect and vnder the Lawe:

• 1. Morall.
• 2. Ceremoniall.
• 3. Iudiciall.

According to that, When the ful­nesse of time was come, God sent foorth his sonne made of a wo­man, and vnder the Law, Gal. 4.4. &c. that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe, that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes.

He was subiect to the Lawe Moral, when he said, Math. 5.17. Thinke not that I came to destroy the Lawe, or the Prophets, I am not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them.

He was subiect to the Lawe Ceremonial, when he was cir­cumcised [Page 118] and presented in the Temple, Luke. 2.21 &c: all ended when the vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe to the bottome, which Temple after was ruinated body and all, Mat. 27.51 Nepopulus rediret ad Iudaismum.

He was subiect to the Lawe Iu­dicial, when he endured his pain­full passion, and vpon the Crosse was cursed for vs all; according to that Gal. 3.13. Christ hath redee­med vs from the curse of the Lawe, when he was accursed for vs, for it is written, cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree. He performed all, that he might make an end of all, so as no lawe might rise vp in iudgement against vs.

When Christ was transfigured vpon the holy mount, it is sayde that Moses and Elias talked with him, and told of his departure which he should suffer at Ierusa­lem. [Page 119] Luk. 9.30.31.

To teache you no other then that ye are here taught, to wit, that Christ is the end and accom­plishment both of the Lawe and Prophets, whereof Moses and E­lias are chiefe; for whereat points the Law, but at a bloudy sacrifice? whereon stand the Prophets, but vpon the Messias sent and slaine? and what is their communication with Christ, but of his departure which he should accomplish at Ierusalem?

So then the Lawe and the Pro­phets do accompany Christ, and Christ in person doth accomplish them: Christ, not Moses, not Elias, nor one of the Prophets; and yet Christ with Moses, with Elias, and with all the Prophets; they to find out his lyne, he to finish their course. And all this sprung from the endlesse fountaine of his loue [Page 120] which loue (I may say with the blessed Apostle) is the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10. or end, if ye wil, for so saith the same Apo­stle: The end of the commande­ment is loue out of a pure heart, 1 Tim. 1. [...] and of a good conscience, and of faith vn [...]aigned: which holy loue streamed with his bloud, when it issued from all his veines, to re­deeme vs from this killing lawe. Where by double right and au­thority he hath conquered:

First, as the sonne of God, & Lord of the law.

Secondly, as the sonne of man in our person: which is as much as if wee had ouercome the lawe our selues: for his victory is ours.

All the iurisdiction of the lawe was executed vpon Christ.

First, it accused him as a blas­phemer, Mat. 26.65 and a seditious person.

Secondly, Ioh. 11.50. it made him guilty [Page 121] before God, of the sinnes of the whole world.

Thirdly, it so terrified and op­pressed him with heauinesse and anguish of spirit, that his sweate was like drops of bloud, trickling downe to the ground. Luke 2 [...].44.

And lastly, it condemned him to death, euen to the death of the crosse: a maruellous combate, where the law a creature giueth such an assault to his creator, and against all right practiseth his whole tyranny vpon the sonne of God, and he most innocent.

But to proceed, it may seeme by the text, that the Euangelist doth more specially ayme at some performance of the law, done by Ioseph and Mary, in that it is sayd: When they had performed all those things. &c.

True it is, & this their performāce [Page 122] may be a president to vs, where­on to looke in all our deuotions.

First, that we leaue nothing vn­done, which the Lord hath com­manded by his law.

Secondly, that wee performe nothing of our owne deuising; but as it is enioyned vs by the eternall law of the eternall God.

The Babe was crucified, Mary was purified, and the childe pre­sented according to the law; they performed al, & left out nothing: & they did it according to no de­uice of their owne: but as the line and leuell of the same lawe ledde them.

And here two sorts of people are sweetly taught, if not iustly taxed by the spirit of God, of intollera­ble impiety. First, such as thinke they please God if they serue him by halfes, performe some things, but not all according to the lawe [Page 123] of the Lord: Halfe prayer, halfe preaching, halfe Sacrament, halfe Saboath, will serue their turne in their demi-deuotion; but Ioseph and Mary performed all. Second­ly, such as do performe a seruice, but after their own fashion, vsing for doctrines of the Lord, mens traditions in a voluntary religion, Col. 2.22.23. Mat. 15.9. and will worship, neuer taught from Horeb, neuer enioyned of the Lord: to whom I may say with the Prophet, Esay. 1.12 Heb. 3.5. Who required these things at your hands? Moses was faithfull from the gold to the goats haire: our faithfulnesse is more in the haire then in the gold.

The vse of al is this, by the exam­ple of Ioseph and Mary, to ayme at perfection in all our actions with God, who requireth thee to bee faithfull, and neuer to breake off thy course, till thou hast finished the race: for what will it profite [Page 124] thee to begin at the Font, and to breake off ere thou come to the Graue? to begin in the spirit, and to end in the flesh? to haue ingresse in Christ, and egresse in Anti-christ? Gal. 3.3 sacramentally to reteyne Christ by baptisme, really to for­sake faith by breaking the vow? I say: what wil it profit thee to shift from Sodome, vpon the Lords commaund, 1 Tim. 1.19. and to looke backe and lust after it ere thou come at Zoar?

Irridebunt te sane Daemones, Di­uels will deride thee (as one saith) & say: Luk. [...]4.30 hic homo coepit edificare, & non potuit consummare, He began to build, but he could not finish. Iobs constancy was no lesse, if not of greater perfectnesse in the feare & seruice of his God, whē he said, Chap. 27. vers. 36. So long as my breath is in mee, and the spirit of God within my nostrels, my lippes [Page 125] surely shall speake no wickednesse, and my tongue shall vtter no de­ceipt.

God forbid that I should iusti­fie you; vntill I dye, I will neuer take away mine innocency from my selfe.

Paule, Paule, thy contentions were many for the truth; yet was thy constancy aboue all thy con­tentions, when thou saydst with perfect faith and feeling, 2. Tim. 4.7. I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith.

The second thing clearing the humanity and incarnation of Christ, is his persecution in this, that they Returned into Galily, to their owne city Nazareth: Imply­ing thereby, that immediately af­ter, he was presented in the Tem­ple, and his mother was purified, according to the law: and hauing [Page 126] now recouered the strength shee had lost in her late labor, wherby she became more able to vndergo the iourney.

Now must they to Aegypt, ere they might returne into Galily, to their owne City Nazareth. This their flight foreseene of the Lord, and foretold to Ioseph, Mat. 2 13. is set down at large by Matthew in the second chapter of his Gospell; but omit­ted by Luke in this place.

To teach vs that it is vsual with the Euangelists, oftē, one to omit that which another hath: & some one to supply that which is wāting in the rest: so as all in one, and not any one for all, doe make perfect the circle of Christ, his line, life, death and doctrine.

So is the body of all the Scrip­tures soulelesse and imperfect, if you stand vppon any one booke, without the supply of all; but liue­ly, [Page 127] absolute, and perfect in their ioynt and iust proportion, like the vision of wings, wheeles & beasts, mentioned in Ezechiel, which ne­uer goe but as they are chained, Ezec. 1.9. linked, and locked together.

The vse then is this: that if you wil vnderstand one Scripture, you must examine it by another, and if you will bee ignorant in none, you must giue your diligence to the reading of all, according to that of Christ, Search the scriptures, Ioh. 5.39. for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life, and they are they which testifie of me. Not Scripture, but Scrip­tures.

Some are of opinion, to whom I assent not, that Ioseph and Mary, after they had performed the sa­crifice of purgation, returned to Bethlem, that they might dwell there; but it was not to be imagi­ned that Ioseph had a dwelling [Page 128] place there, where hee was so vn­knowne, that he could not finde a place to remain in as a guest. And therefore I doe easily graunt, that the iourney into Egypt was be­tween these, that is, after the puri­fication and presentation, and be­fore their returne backe to Naza­reth.

So as that which Luke sayth, of their dwelling again in their own City Nazareth, was in order of time after their flight into Egypt: which Matthew reporteth. Chap. 2.19. &c.

Where if the story report a­right, Christ with his parents re­mained in exile full seuen yeares: for so they calculate the time from Herode his slaughter of Inno­cents, to the daies of Archelaus his sonne, at what time Ioseph againe heard from the Angel of the Lord, Arise and take the Babe and [Page 129] his mother, and goe into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the Babes life.

All to testifie that which was spo­ken of the Lord by the Prophet: Out of Egypt haue I called my sonne. Hosea. 11.1

A wonderful worke and proui­dence of God, that the Sauiour of Iudah should be cast out of Iuda, and Egypt should nourish him: Egypt, I say, euen Egypt, from whence neuer any thing came be­fore, but euen that which was deadly to the Church of God.

If the Princes of Iuda will per­secute Ieremy, and cast him into the dungeon, the Lord wil raise vp Ebedmeleck the Nigro, to deliuer him out of that danger. Ier. 38.12. And true it is, that the wise king saith: If a mans wayes do please the Lord, Prou. 16.7· he will make his enemies at peace with him. And it may be the Pro­phet meant this or the like proui­dence [Page 130] of God towards our Sauior here, and Saints else where, when he saith: Esay. 11.6. The VVolfe shall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid, and the Calfe and the Lyon, and the fat beasts together, and a little child shall leade them, and the sucking child shall play vpon the hole of the Aspe, and the weaned child shal put his hand vppon the Cockat [...]ice hole. The Lord can play with poy­son, and tame the cruellest in his prouidence, when he pleaseth to preserue either Saint or Saui­our.

If his prouidence be vpon the fire, Dan. 3.25. Ionah. 1.17 Mark. 4.41 Dan. 6.22· Iosu. 10.12 Matth. 27.52.53. it burneth not, if vppon the water, it drowneth not, if vppon the seas, they swell not, if vppon the windes, they blow not, if vp­pon the Lyons, they deuoure not, if vpon Egypt, it persecuteth not; if vpon the sonne, it goeth not, if vpon the graues, they detaine not, [Page 131] but deliuer vp their dead, to the glory of their God; according to that of Augustine, Vbicunque fuerit prouidentia, frustrātur vniuersa con­traria, Where the Lord hath his prouidence, all crosse incounters are defeated.

But the vse is this, though E­gypt did preserue him, yet Iudah did persecute him, and soone it pricked that would be a thorne: for if you search with care, and sound with iudgement, you shall finde that from the first concepti­on of Christ in the wombe, to the yeelding vp of his Ghost vppon the crosse, In articulo mortis, the Crosse was euer his companion, & his life none other then a pain­full passion: it hath beene euer in the practise of Sathan to maligne the truth, and by all possible and potent meanes to bury the Babe in his birth.

[Page 132] Gabriel no sooner came from hea­uen with that ioyfulll message, but straight waies hee raised a doubt in the heart of Mary, so as shee demurred vppon the point, Luk. 1.34. and sayd, How may this be? Being found with child of the ho­ly ghost, Mat. 1.18 &c. Ioseph was iealous of his wife. What should I say more? He­rode was cruell, and Bethleem was vncourteous, when Christ found more humanity & kindnesse with the beastes in the cratch, then with men in their Courts.

Luk. 4.28.29.Sathan stirred vp the Galileans, from a high steep hill to cast him downe headlong. Mark. 5.17 The Gadorens, to driue him out of their cost & coū ­try. Luke. 9.53 The Samaritans, to deny him lodging. Iohn. 7.3.4 His owne brethren, to circumuent him. Acts. 4.27. Iewes and gen­tiles, to bandy at his death, and to conspire against the truth of his resurrection. So as I may well say, [Page 133] Inter flagella dat filium: He gaue his sonne to the tormentors.

And the child grewe and waxed strong in spirit, and was filled with wisedome, and the grace of God was with him.

Being now fallen into the dan­gerous daies of the world, where­in all the creatures of God are in a wofull declination, and there is nothing more geason amongst men, then growth in godlinesse: I am bold to moue your patience in your wonted piety, yet once more to beare with mine impor­tunity, whilest I make the growth of Christ a president for your pra­ctise, and so returne againe to the honor of his Priesthood; in whom I told you out of this text, three things were of speciall note, to proue him perfect man, incarnate of the blessed Virgin Mary.

First, his subiection to the law.

[Page 134]Secondly, his subiection to per­secution, and flight into Egypt.

Thirdly, his subiection to in­crease, in that he grew as a child in body, spirit, and grace, both with God and man. Of the two former I haue already spoken, now of the last, if God wil, wherin two things are respectiuely to be considered out of my text.

That as the child grew in our flesh, to make him a perfect man, so wee must growe in his faith, 2 Pet. 3.18 to make vs perfect Christians: And that as our humanity was his, to make him the son of man, so his diuinity must be ours, to make vs by prerogatiue the sons of God. Iohn. 1.12. And as he through our humanity had feeling of our miseries, so we through his diuinity, 2. Pet. 1.4. must haue feeling of his mercy. If the child increase, men may not decrease, or degenerate, the bowe from the [Page 135] boale, the member from the bo­dy.

This child is the boale, building and body; we must grow vp with him till wee come to bee perfect men, Eph. 4.13. euen vnto the age of the ful­nesse of Christ: otherwise we are but blasted bowes, pible stones, rotten members, neither fit for boale, building, or body.

In that he grew, it proued him a creature of God by generation, of a locall being, subiect to alte­ration, like vnto vs in all things, sin only excepted.

In that he grew, it ouerthoweth a creation of Christ, which some vrge without generation; like vn­to that of Adam, who was made perfect at the first, as all other creatures were.

In that he grew in body, and waxed strong in spirit, it ouer­throweth the Papists monster of [Page 136] transubstantiation, and all power of Priesthood, to make Christ of bread, or of any other matter or mettle; for if he make him, he ei­ther maketh him a man or a child: if a man at the first, how then did he grow from a child? if a child at the first, how then did he grow to a man? If Christ so made, was a child by generation, then the priest was his father; if by creati­on, then the priest was his God; but he is neither of both, but their breaden Christ by vsurpation, sit­ting in the holy places.

We say, Christ was made by the powerfull working of the holy ghost, by a perfect generation.

They say, they make him by words of consecration without a­ny generation. We say, the child was incarnate of the virgin, and so grew. They say, Christ is impa­nate by them, and needeth no [Page 137] growth. We say, body, bloud, and bone, grewe together in this Child. They tell vs nay: for the child they make and offer vp, is Incruentum sacrificium, an vnblou­dy sacrifice. What should I say more? the child we preach, is qua­dratus homo, ful of fauour, and fai­rer then the sonnes of men. Psa. 45.2. The Sauiour they make hath no spirit, life, liking, or grace, ether with God▪ or gracious men.

The heauen of heauens is his habitation, whom we preach, and hee sitteth in glory, at the right hand of his father.

A poore box must couer and ca­ry your Gods, crouding one ano­ther till they moule together, and fall to rottennesse.

But good Lord how long? how long shall euil men thus deceiue▪ 2 Tim. 3.13 and be deceaued? how long shall the child Iesus be hindred in his [Page 138] growth, by such vnkind stepdams [...] Lurida terribiles miscent acconita no­uercae? How long shal these vnna­turall mothers make all Nations drunke with the poysoned cup of their popish fornicatiō? Reu. 17.2.2 But leaue we the controuersie, and come we to his misery and much mercy, which he would effect by weakest means to the consciences of your Christian hearts, who heare mee this day; and now answere mee in soule, as in the sight of God.

Ballance the iudgments of our God, with the inundation of our sins, and whilest we see a growth in both, let vs grieue vnder the burthē; that sin hath increased, vertue hath decreased in vs, old mer­cies are wearing out, new iudge­ments are comming on.

The hand of God goeth forward aboue in this vnseasonable wea­ther, nor is it much weakened in [Page 139] his stroke of plague and pestilēce, God grant his hand may likewise go forward in the holy worke of our repentance, and that we may growe with the child Iesus, to the abating of these iudgements.

Spes est, there is hope, for that the Lord vsually cōmeth to help, when our cause is most desperate, & when all other succours faile, then commeth the suckling child in weaknesse to worke our won­ders: according to that of Esay, 8.4: Before the child shall haue know­ledge to cry my father & my mother, he shall take away the riches of Da­mascus, and the spoile of Samaria. We haue stood much vppon our owne strength, power, and puis­sance, and what is that, but as Damascus and Samaria? All our good must bee wrought by the weakest meanes, and in the growth of a child, will be all our [Page 140] gaine.

Lastly, Christ his humanity is cleared in this, that he did growe in strength, and increased in wise­dome and fauour both with God and man; But his diuine and god­ly nature did not increase or wax­ed in this world, but filled all, & yet was fined from all; Eph. 4.10. it knewe all things, and was ignorant of nothing.

The idle Monks, from their dern Cels, haue much busied them­selues about Christ, his miracles done in the daies of his infancy, when he was a Babe and a child.

They haue filled the world with many a fable of his deedes and doings in Egypt, Bethlem, & Na­zareth; much like vnto that of S. Christopher the gyant, who shrunk vnder the burthen of this Babe (as they say) when he bare the world vpon his backe, like an Atlas; but [Page 141] leaue we these idle drones, in their derne diuinity, and be we silent of that whereof the Scripture saith nothing but that of his persecu­tion into Egypt:

Of his growth in stature, with much increase of wisdome, grace, and fauour, both with God, and man.

Moses buriall was vnknowne, Deut. 34.6 lest the people should commit i­dolatry vppon his graue: and the Lord would shut vp in like silence what Mary said, and the child did, in the dayes of his infancy, lest the world might bee too curious of that in Christ, which little con­cerned their saluation.

The aduertisement is good from the spirit of our God, The secret things belong to the Lorde our God, Deu. 29.29 but the thinges reuealed, belong vnto vs, and to our children for euer, that we may do all the workes of this law. [Page 142] And now to shut vp all, with the shower of his mercy: Exinaniuit se, Phil. 2.7. He humbled himselfe, that we might be exalted.

He bowed the heauens, & took our flesh with our infirmities, that he might haue experience of our miseries: and though hee were a sonne, yet learned hee obedience by the things which he suffered. Heb. 5.8.9

He suffered wearinesse that we might haue rest. He suffered hun­ger that we might bee filled. He suffered ignorance, that wee might haue knowledge. Mar. 13.32 Hee suf­fered death, that wee might haue life.

And he did endure a crowne of thorne, that we might be honou­red with a Diademe of glory: his strange cryes, his salt teares, his deepe sighes, with many griefes, and groanings, Heb. 4.15 shew to our solace, that wee haue not an high Priest [Page 143] which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sinne.

And it is heere foolishly obie­cted, that ignorance and these in­firmities could not light vppon Christ, because they are the pu­nishments of sin: the same may be sayd also of death.

But rather the Scripture affir­meth, that he fulfilled the office of a mediator, because what punish­ment soeuer we had deserued, hee tooke from vs, and layde vppon himselfe; yea euen hell it selfe, with all it horrour, though some say contrary: Psal. 18.4. neither do we think that all ignorance is a punishmēt of sinne.

For it cannot bee thought that Adā whē he was yet perfect, knew all things: neither doe the An­gels beare the punishment of sin, [Page 144] when they are ignorant of anie thing.

They know much, but not all: for then were they as God; they are ignorant of the last day, so is Christ as the son of man, though not as the son of God. And there­fore the speech of our Sauiour is indefinite: Mark. 13.32. But of that day and houre knoweth no man, no not the an­gels which are in heauen, neither the son himselfe, saue the father. Where, as Ciril obserueth in his 9. booke of Treasures. Chap. 4. he saith, not, the holy Ghost is ignorant, but the Angels and the sonne: nei­ther doth he say the sonne of God, but the sonne onely; that it might not be grieuous to the Angels & men, to be ignorant of the last day: therefore he saith, the son al­so is ignorant: and this is no dero­gation to his God-head, as he was God, he knewe it well; but as hee [Page 145] was man, hee was ignorant of it.

The vse is good, that if Christ was not ashamed to confesse his ignorance as hee was man, wee should neuer so stand vpon our learning and skill, as to make our selues ignorant of nothing; for to be ignorant of that which the Lord will not reueale is, Docta ig­norantia, a learned and a deuoute ignorance.

Christ grewe, we may not wi­ther, Christ increased, wee may not stand at a stay; woe is me to tell: all states either stand at a stay, or else are in a woefull decli­nation▪ The child waxed, we men waine, body & spirit did grow to­gether in him; wee pamper the flesh, we pine the soule, & we are of no growth for godlinesse.

We might haue been, ere this, men of might, of ready resolution [Page 146] and of ripe iudgement, strong as Sampson: But Dalila hath cut our haires, whereby we are become as weake as water, and the Phi­listines haue put out our eies, Iudg. 16.19 wee see nothing.

2 Sam. 1.20.O tel it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistins re­ioice, lest the vncircūcised be glad.

Popery practiseth much, and hath mightily preuailed to make at, if not to put [...]ut the eyes of pi­ety; and our dalliance with the pleasures of this worlde, in the lap of her delights (as with Dalila) hath cut off our strength, & made vs carelesse of our God. O tell it not in Gath, &c. Caleb de­sired of Iosua that hee might pos­sesse Hebron, Iosu. 14.11. there to fight with the sons of Anakim, for that they were mightie men and gyants.

And he went with this resoluti­on: [Page 147] I am this day 85. yeares old, & yet am I as strong as I was when Moses sent me; as strong as I was then, so strong am I now, eyther for warre or for gouernment.

As was his name, so was his na­ture, Caleb is steele, he grewe in strength, with the child Iesus: the number of his yeares abated not the vigor of his spirit: he chose He­brō, that he might cut off Anakim, we flee Hebron for feare of Ana­kim, Ier. 9.3. we haue no courage for the truth. Too too carefull we are of our selues, and of our children, that our bodies and theirs be faireful, & fashionable, and yet al that grace is but grasse; but for their growth in godlinesse, piety, and knowledge of the Lord, for their strength in spirit, and aboundance of heauenly grace, we reckō little, and we regard or looke after no increase. If it please God in iudg­ment [Page 148] to cut downe our children, friends or family, in the blade and greeuenesse of their yeares; good Lord how then we waile & weepe with Rachel, for that they are not? But when we see them dead in transgressions, blasted with sinne, shame and ryot, we neuer shrinke or sorrow at it; but rather solace our selues in the sight of their sinnes.

Answere me, O answere me, thou carelesse Christian, why art thou so faithlesse in their funerals? Quid corpus plangis, a quo recessit anima, & animā non plangis, a qua recessit Deus? Why doest thou weepe ouer the body, whereout the soule is gone, and mournest not ouer the soule whereout God is gone?

Fruits of the flesh must decrease, but fruits of the Spirit must in­crease; whereof reade the blessed [Page 149] Apostle. Gal. 5.19. Rom. 12.1. &c.

Agiselaus in his common wealth, tooke an account or reckoning both of the youth and aged, how they liued, and how they profited in the knowledge and practise of Philosophy: we christiās are care­lesse of both in diuinity. And Tul­ly told his sonne Marke, that now hee must needes abound in the rules and precepts of Philosophy, for that he had heard [...]ratippus a whole yeare, and that in Athens. Forty nine yeares we haue heard the Lord from the mountaine of his holinesse; and yet I feare, we lesse abound in knowledge, faith, and feeling of true godlines, then we did at the first. Reuel. 2.4. We haue left our first loue, our tree is blasted, godlinesse is gone, the child in­creased, we decrease. The Lord e­uen then put into our hands talēts of gold, Luk. 19.1. and bade vs occupy till he [Page 150] came. Woe is me to tell, we haue lapt thē in our napkins, and retur­ned him his owne with no aduan­tage.

The Israelites grew vnder the bur­thens of the Egyptians, like palme trees when they are pressed: our God hath deliuered vs from all both burthēs & bōdage of the E­gyptian Pharaoh, & yet we wither.

The grace of God is a continual currēt, as Zachary saith, euer emp­tying it selfe from pipe to pipe, til it come to the poorest of his peo­ple: Chap. 4.12 we are as poore as euer the widdow was, mentioned in the 2. Kings, 4. and our Creditors are as cruell as euer hers were; but how we feele our selues filled with the oile of Gods grace, to keepe our soules from bondage as she did her son, I leaue it to each good conscience to consider of. And so for conclusion, I say with [Page 151] the blessed Apostle, my deere bre­thren beloued, and longed for, Seeing yee know these things before, beware lest yee be also plucked away with the errour of the wicked, 2 Pet. 3.17 18. & fal frō your own stedfastnes; but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: to him be glory both now and euermore. Amen Amen.