WEre that Quaere put to In vita Budaei idem narratur de Theodoro Goza. Sphynx Philos. c. 25. mee which once was to Budeus, by Francis the first; viz. if all the vo­lumes in the world were doomed to the fire, what one would he saue? as his resolue was, Plutarchs Works; by reason, they had the impression of all Sciences: Mine, should be, Epistolam Creatoris ad Greg Ep. [...]d Furiam. Creaturas, the Epistle of the Creator to the Crea­ture, viz. the sacred Scripture: And therein this [Page 2] Text, a richer Mine than golden Peru affords, the Magazine of all true treasure, Christ a jemme of invaluable price, his love better than Wine; his blood, one drop whereof more worth than the Luthe. in 2. ad galat. whole world; two Evangelicall and Angelicall Sa­crifices, the one expiatorie for sin, made by Christ on the Altar of the Crosse, who loved us, and wa­shed us in his blood, and made us Kings and Priests unto our God: The other gratulatorie to Christ, Iohn 21. 20. presented by the beloved Disciple, for that act of meere grace: To him be glory and dominion for evermore, Amen.

In the former sacrifice, are offered two parts. Analysis.

• 1 The Motive thereto.
• 2 The Manifestation thereof.
  Expiatory Sa­crifice.

The Motive, is love; wherein, to shun a deni­all discourse, I shall confine to these limits:

• 1 The [...], that Christ loved us.
• 2 The [...], the impulsive cause to love us.
• 3 The [...], how he loved us.
• 4 The quos, whom, he loved us.

Vnto him that loved us.

The Manifestation of this love, appeares two wayes. 1. In Christs owne Humiliation, (viz.) he Christs Humi­liation. washed us from our sinnes in his Blood; where are in-laid these 3. particulars:

• 1 The Act; he washed.
• 2 The Object, us from our sinnes.
• 3 The Organon, wherewith; his owne blood.

2. In our Exaltation, in these words; and Our Exaltati­on. made us Kings and Priests to God his Father, &c. whereout springs two branches of honour:

The first, is Regall, hee hath crowned us Kings:

The second, is sacerdoticall; hee hath conse­crated us Priests, unto God, even his Father.

In the latter sacrifice, which is Eucharisticall, Eucharisticall Sacrifice. observe, first, the matter expressed, Glory and Dominion: secondly, the Majestie, to whom it is presented; viz. the Prince of the Kings of the Earth: Thirdly, the manner, pressed two waies: First, in regard of cirumstance of time, beyond all time, for evermore: Secondly, in regard of the Sacrificer, with a good heart, and a very good heart, couched in this word Amen; Vnto him that loved us, &c. Thus have I taken the Text asun­der, and now I must take the parts in their or­der; and because they are many, I must but touch, as the Bee the flower, and flie away. The first that Method manuducts me to, is the [...], that our [...]. Mercy-Master Christ Iesus loved us: this is true, [...], in word and deed, a Truth, Tertul. Tanquam radio solis scripta, as ingraven with the Sunne-beame; behold the manner of the writing: The wretched Iewes play'd the Scribes; the pens they used, were thornes, and speares, and nayles; the inke, was purest blood; the Volume wherein they writ (and that on both sides) was the body of all Divinity; the capitall letters, deepe and wide wounds; the testimonies, men and Angels; Brond. in loc. the Seale set to it, was Christs consummatum est, it is finished: whereon, as an impregnable Arch-jewell, I build my faith, and am perswaded, That neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principa­lities, Rom. 8. 38, 39 [Page 4] nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall euer be able to separate us from the love of Christ Iesus, who loved us. And thus much, or rather, thus little, on this first point, viz. the [...], that Christ loved us; and so we proceed to the second, [...], why he loved us. The Ethnicks feigne, their [...]. Gods and Goddesses for some lovely good, loved cer­taine Trees; Iupiter, the Oke, for durance; Nep­tune, the Cedar, for stature; Apollo, the Laurell, for greennesse; Venus, the Poplar, for whitenesse; Pallas, the Vine, for fruitfulnesse: but what should move the God of all gods, to love us, wil­dings in this fooles Paradise; Trees indeed; but such as St. Iude mentions, [...], corrupt, fruitlesse, twice dead, and plucked up by the rootes. St. Ber­nard resolves it in three words, Amat quia amat, hee loves because he loves; the root of love to us, lyeth in himselfe, and by his commu­nicative goodnesse the fruit is ours.

Hence then exclude wee all boasting in our selves, and conclude, sith Christ hath loved us, and hereby is made to us wisdome in the head­faculty of our soules, righteousnesse in the workes of our hands, sanctification in our hearts, redemp­tion Zach. 4. 7. in all parts; it was of grace, and grace be to it: and thus from the [...], why he loved us, passe we to the [...], how he loved us.

Whereon while I muse, I am rapt with a­mazement; [...] for suppose the Heavens as a scrowle of Parchment; the Vaste Ocean, Inke; Creatures [Page 5] caelestiall and subcaelestiall Pen-men; all were unable to unfold this [...], how he loved us: The reason is, his love as himselfe is infinite; which no finite creature is able fully to comprehend; yet in a modell we may conceive it is much: so sounds that Trumpet of grace, as if he loved, & overloved: Propter nimium charitatem, so it is rendred in the Ephes. 2. 4. vulgar. Our stupendious Divine, hee speakes for order first: grave Cyprian sayes, Immerito di­lexit, 1 Iohn 4. 19. he loved us in mercy, without merit. St. Bernard thus, he loved us, Dulciter, sweetly, he In Cantic. assumed our nature, sapienter, wisely; he severed sinne and nature, fortiter, strongly: Much wa­ters could not quench love, though never so bitter or so abundant; nay the more waters, the more love.

His love should be the magnet of ours: But oh how are we drawn aside! if we love him, it is but a little, too little, or little or nothing at all, as we should. Will you reade the reason, [...]; Isid. Peleus. Ep. 209. Since the love of Gold grew so hot, the love of Christ hath growne cold: Since Prince Mammon hath triumphed, the Prince of our Sal­vation hath been underprized. Shall this worlds goods, which in respect of Christ, are meere [...], rubbish; or the god of this World, which onely loves us, as the Wolfe the Lambe to devoure, have so strong a hand over us, to draw our hearts from the love of our Saviour? Absit, God for­bid: Yet for feare of the worst, open thy eare to [Page 6] Wisdomes voyce; He that loves not Christ, plus quam se, suos, sua, more than himselfe, his friends, Mat. 10. 37. his meanes, is not worthy of him. If this should not win our love, hearken to S. Pauls thunder, If 1 Cor. 16. 22. any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ, let him bee Anathema: or, if the voyce of consolation may worke on our hearts, know, all things worke toge­gether for the best unto them that love God: Quae Rom. 8. 28. [...]? Armies of Angels, as for Elishaes protecti­on; Sunne, Moone, and Starres, as for Duke Io­suah and Deboraes conquest; dumbe creatures, Quid non spe­remus amantes. for instruction and preservation, Gods rod for caution, his rigide staffe for reverence; sicke­nesse as in Ezechias, even sinnes (by accident meerely) as in the Publican, for humiliation and salvation: these, as so many matches, may give fire to our chill affections, to inzeale and inflame them with the Love of Christ: but to prove it, is all in all; the touch-stone hereof is love to Gods materiall Temple, in sincerity to behold the Probatio amoris est exhibitio ope­ri [...]. faire beauty of the Lord, and to visit his holy Temple, therein to hold up pure hands and hearts for the peace of Sion, and to uphold it prece & pretio, with our prayers, and with our purses, in opposition to the old Massalians, who to the number of their impieties adde contemptum tem­plorum, the disgrace of Cathedrals; as also to crowne our soules with blessings, for they shall prosper that love it: And let not our love onely rest here, but reach to the mysticall Temple, viz. Christs poore members; hereby we shall neither want Christs commemoration, nor remunerati­on: [Page 7] For what if the great Keeper of his Saints here, and the Grand-Iudge of all at Doomes-day, shall conceale Abels martyrdome, Noah his sa­ving a remnant from the Deluge, Abrahams in­vincible Faith; Peters, Pauls, Iohns sufferings; yet of the acts of charity, he will make a rehear­sall Sermon, I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; Mat. 25. 35. I thirsted, and ye gave me drinke; I was a stranger, and ye lodged me; I was naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and yee visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me; and therefore I will remunerate your bowels of mercie, with, Come yee blessed of my Father, &c. Come

• ad
  • me your Savior, that dearely bought you,
    Venite benedicti.
  • meos, to my Saints and Angels your fellow servants.
  • mea, to all that is mine, joyes, &c.

Honours interminable to all dimensions, blessed of my Father, before you were borne, and blessed that ever yee were borne: inherit by my grace, not your merit, no lesse than a Kingdome, no other than a heavenly Kingdome, prepared for you before all time, purchased for you in the fulnesse of time, and shall bee yours in possession when there shall be no more time. Thus in a short compasse of time, I come unto the last stage, viz. Quos whom Christ loved.

Divine History perpetuates the memorable affection of Ionathan to David, how his soule was [Page 8] knit unto his soule, And hee loved him as his owne 1 Sam. 18. soule; thereto was no little inducement, for David was Ionathans Fathers beloved servant, his owne faithfull friend, a wise and valiant Cap­taine, and all Israel loved him. Humane story Val. Max. l. 4. cap. 8. survives of Orestillo, when her life went from her, Pla [...]tius at the instant became her second for a buriall, in memoriall wherof was erected a Monument at Tarentum, called, [...], the Lovers Monument: These wee must know were deare and neere, an espoused paire: but for Christ to set his love on us, every way unworthy Rom. 5. [...] Hos. 2. 19. to be beloved, 1. weake, 2. godlesse, 3. sinners, 4. enemies, yea traytors to him and our owne soules, though once espoused by a Ring of Love, in-laid with the pearles of his Spirit, yet by rea­son of spirituall adultery, divorced; and for all this, to love us! this is much, Greater love than this Isa. 59. 2. Iohn 15. 13 hath no man, than to lay downe his life for his friend; yet (under correction) To majorem habuisti cha­ritatem Domine; dilexti non existentes, imò resi­stentes; greater, sweet Saviour, was thy love: thou lovedst us when wee were nothing, yea worse than nothing, sworne enemies to thy life. In meditation whereof that inscription upon Se­nacheribs Tombe, I may apply to Christ, and the Christians use, [...]. whoso­ever Herodot. thou art, make Christ thy spectacle, learne of him to love thine enemies: this is [...], Luke. 6. 35. that spirituall wisdome which adopts thee Gods child: hereto [...], natures instinct workes, all being [...] of one blood: now never [Page 9] man hated his owne flesh; this is the Royall Acts 17. 26. command, I say to you, Love your enemies: and Mat. 5. 44 Christ himselfe herein is, exemplum fine exemplo, a matchlesse mirrour of benevolence and bene­ficence towards his enemies, in that he loved us. It is storyed of Alexander the Monarch, that he Edicte vetuit, de quis se praeter Apelle pingeret, aut alius Lysippo Horat. Epist. 2. would have no man draw his Picture, save Apel­les, or engrave it, save Lysippus; the best Artists, both for theorie and practice. No Artist in Christendome can draw the most high GOD, bet­ter to the life, than in the lines of his owne life to blaze the true orientall colours of love to­wards his enemies, after the example of the in­graven forme of his person, that loved us; which words ere I depart from, me thinks ecchoes so sweetly in the eare of my soule, and in thine (ex­cept deafenesse or deadnesse, have made a for­cible entrie) that Miriams Timbrels, Asaphs Trumpet, Davids Anthemes, Salomons Epitha­lamions, sound nothing so sweetly; the ground Rom. 5. 10 is sound; for if when we were enemies, we were re­conciled to God by the death of his Sonne, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life: which brings me to the second general part, the life of his love, in ample manifestation. 2 Generall part of the 1 Sacrifice. Quest.

Hee? Christ the Sonne of the living God, Lord of Men and Angels, majesty in excelsis in the highest, to become humility, in profundis, in the lowest! did this become him? was not this a ser­vile act, viz. to wash us, a staine to his honoura­ble person?

To put this Question out of doubt, or the Resp. doubt out of question, no whit: for herein first was the complement of that Prophesie in a good sense, The elder shall serve the younger. Further, it Gen. 25. 23. was of such absolute necessity, that Peters case being ours, except he had washed us, we had had no part with him. But to cleere the scruple, Iohn 13. 8. it is illustrated thus; A Peere of the Realme Ruff. in Symb. beholding a poore child wel-nigh choaked in the mud, and to save him, if some slime should ad­here to him, it were no dishonour, rather an honour, to doe so good a dayes worke, as to save a soule: semblablie that true Noble-Man, Christ Iesus, beholding with the eye of grace our silly soule plunged in the puddle of sinne, albeit our slimy sinnes stucke to him, to plucke us out and save us, it did not impaire his honour, yea ra­ther set it off with a fairer lustre. And by this act he reades us a Lecture of humility. If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, Ioh. 13. 14, 15 ye ought also to wash one anothers feet; for I have given you an example that ye should doe, even as I have done: How may this be? Saint Cyprian is our Schoole-master, Quoties igitur, &c. D [...] Ablutione pedum. as often, as we perswade those which are under spirituall Pharoahs slavery, to get them out of Aegypt; mourne, with those that mourne; burne with those that are offended; are infirme, with those that are infirme: that Aquin. in Cor. 2. 11. is, as Aquinas interprets, for him that is infirme in the Faith, Dolemus in cordibus nostris sicut de nobis, lament for them as for our selves; so of­ten [Page 11] wash we the feet of our Brethren. And when this thy Saviours humility comes fresh into thy memory, that he whose Throne is Mount-heaven, footstoole the Earth, whom all the inhabitants of the Earth, and all the Angels of Heaven must worship; that he would stoope to wash thee: Stoope Gallant and learne of him to be lowly, so to be, it is a good argument thou art well loaden with grace; for as branches of Trees, and eares of Corne, the better they are loaden, stoop neerer the earth; and the best refined Gold, goes downe in the ballance: so the more fruitfull and Quo sanctior hoc humilior Ambros. precious a Soule is, the more it lowers it selfe, and the higher in Gods eye it shall bee exal­ted.

Obiectum. And thus from Christs Act, we descend to the Object, what hee washed, and from what; Vs from our sinnes.

Which words argue, 1 sinnes condition, it is pollution; so Zacharias brands it, uncleane­nesse; 13. 1. Atramentum Evae. Amb. 26. therefore Ezekiel compares it to scum, 22. 18. Hosea to a rising leprosie; S. Iude, to a spot; S. Ambrose to a blacke cloud: Vna nubecula peccatricis totam fere obscuravit Ecclesiam. Res est Ep. ad virg. lap­sam. foetida, saith Origen, a spawne of an uncleane spirit; which unlesse washed away in the laver of Christs purifying blood, and a flood of cordiall repentance, will in fine associate with a Cage of uncleane Birds. Therefore minde we Apostoli­call counsell; touch not, taste not, handle not; for as Syracides speakes, hee that washeth him­selfe because of a dead body, and toucheth it Eccles. 34. 26. [Page 12] againe, what availes his washing? And as his washing proves sinne its nature, so it unmaskes all the sonnes of men, that albeit in their originall they were like to the house of Iacob; wherein Amb. de fug. seculi c. 4. no image of impiety, no spot of pollution, but all as cleere as Chrystall; yet since the prevarication all as Labans Lambes are speckled and spotted, A capite ad calcem, from top to toe.

Let Abraham, the father of the faithfull; Isa. 1. 6. Aaron, on whose bonnet was holinesse to the Lord; Amb. a pol. Da­niel. Antequam noscamur macu­lamur. David, the Lords Darling; Iob, whose crowne is Iustice; Paul, that vessell of mercy; Peter the mouth of the Apostles; those devout Women, that were Apostolae Apostolis, even Mary-Iesus, the mir­rour of the Saints, speake freely; and they will unanimously confesse to their own shame, they were great sinners; yet to the praise of Gods grace, his Sonne washed them from their sinnes.

Object. But in thus saying, they may say to me as the widdow of Sarepta to Elias, Am I come to bring their sinnes to remembrance?

I have no delight to rake in dead mens graves, Resp. or set their frailties on the Stage, but so farre to confirme from them this truth; in many things Amb. non solum docentes sed er­rantes instruunt we sinne all, and that if we fall as they did, wee may beare our selves upon the wings of mercy, to obtaine as they have; or make their faults, as markes at Sea, to steere our course wisely, lest wee-runne on these Rockes, and so sinke Barke and Goods.

Object. But here may be obtruded a Dilemma: if Christs Spouse be all faire, then there is no spot, [Page 13] so needes no washing; if any spot, how is she all faire, as Salomon speakes; withall is not this Cant. 4 7. derogatorie from Christs plenary satisfaction?

For resolution of the former part, wee are to Resp. consider the Spouse, the body of Saints; first, in regard of imputative holinesse, thus spotlesse, Ecclesia nigra quia ex peccato­ribus, decora ex fide [...] Sacramento Ambros. and more orient than the Sunne: Secondly, in their inherent holinesse; thus as the Moone, part blacke, part bright: And for the latter part of the Argument, grant the Churches pollution, it imperfects not Christs lotion; to instance: He that comes forth of the Bathe, is cleane washed, but trampling slimie earth, the soles of his feet contract some sully: yet therein for his defile­ment the Bathe is unblameable: after the same manner we cleansed in that beatifying foun­taine of Christs blood open for Iudah and Ierusa­lem to wash in for sinne and uncleannesse; may not Zach. 13. 1. if the feet of our soules, viz. our affections, wal­king on this sinfull soyle, licke up some defi­ling dust, that we stand afterwards need of wa­shing, impute to this holy Bathe any imperfecti­on; and hereupon is it according to our Savi­ours saying, He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet. Iohn 13. 10.

Avaunt then vaine Catharist, that vaunts thy Consect. selfe cleare of all tincture of sinne: Elisha was of another minde, witnesse his words, What is man Iob 25. 14, 15, 16. that he should bee cleane? and he that is borne of a Woman, that he should be just? behold hee found no stedfastnesse in his Saints; Yea the Heavens are uncleane in his sight; how much more is man ab­hominable [Page 14] and filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water.

Therefore to that selfe-beseeming pure ge­neration, I say no more, but as the Emperour said to that Arch-Puritan, Acesius, [...] Theod. Histor. [...], set thou the Ladder, and goe alone to Heaven; but for my own part, with the Leper I confesse I am uncleane, and with the wings of devotion, faith and prayer, hie me to the mercy-seat; and in the Publicans posture, crie, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and to conclude this with that Exhortation of the Apostle, Clense 2 Cor. 7. 1. your selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and the spi­rit; not from the great Beames, but the least Motes; not that the World may see on the out­side, but that thou knowst in the inside, even all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, for into the new Ierusalem enters no uncleane thing. Apoc. 21. 27.

But you will say unto me, wherewithall may we be made cleane?

To which I answer: First, flumine, by Eye­water teares, for sinnes distilled thorow the lymbecke of a contrite Soule, which doe not on­ly A [...] quod de­fendi non potest, [...]ui potest. wash, but as a sponge, wipe out. Secondly, flamine, with the Holy Ghost; which, as fire, scoures of rust-eating sinnes from the face of the Soule; and for this shall every one pray with the Church, Come Holy Ghost. Thirdly, sanguine, by blood; not mysticall, as the blood of Martyrs; nor typicall, as was the blood of Goates, but the naturall and most precious blood of Christ, which clenseth from all sinne; and this is that where­with 1 Ioh. 1. 7. [Page 15] he washed us; the third branch of the se­cond generall part, viz. the Organon, of our pu­rification. Organon.

In washing us with his Blood, his love, life, blood, is shed abroad in our hearts, that it was not cold, but warme as blood, nor drye, for with his blood he washed us; nor little, it was not gutta, sed unda; not a drop, but a flood wherewith he washed us: This was prophesied by good old Iacob, of Christ, under the name of Iudah, hee Gen. 49 11. should wash his garment in Wine, and his Cloake in the blood of the Grape: what other meaning, but that Christs Body, the vestment of his soule, should be all over bloody? This was prefigured by the red Cow, whose blood was to be sprinkled Numb. 19. seven times before the Tabernacle; so our Savi­ours seven times effused upon the Tabernacle of his Body; First, In his Circumcision: Secondly, in Pilates Hall, stript and whipt till blood came: Thirdly, in the Garden sweat teares of blood: Fourthly, in his spineall coronation: Fifthly, in his crucifixion: Sixthly, in piercing his hands and feet with nayles: and Seventhly, at the last, to be sure to take away life, the Souldier thrust a Speare into the filme of his heart, whence strea­med Columb. dere Anat. [...]. 7. water and blood in abundance; whereupon the Element trembled, Rockes rent asunder, the Heavens covered the face of the Earth with darkenesse, as with a sable Canopie, vaile his bloody nakednesse.

It is noted to be the innative vertue of blood [Page 16] in its kinde; 1. To mollifie: 2. To purifie: 3. To preserve alive: 4. To revive the dead.

1 For the first, So it is storyed of the Goat, that albeit the Adamant in its owne nature bee inflexible and infrangible, yet steeped in Goats blood, it becomes pliable and tender: But more efficacious is the impreciable vertue of Christs Blood, that being sprinkled on the heart, by the hand of Faith, it intenders it though harder than the hardest Adamant: This rent Rockes, and made stones relent; this wrought one of the Theeves on the Crosse, as soft as Waxe, to receive the gracious impression of the Spirit, to beleeve in a crucified Christ, and in the merit of that his Blood, bubbling before his eyes, to be with him in Paradise.

2 Blood purifies spots, and purges over-sprea­ding maladies; therefore the Persian Magi (as Nicephorus relates) counselled Constantine the Lib. 7. c. 33. great, being smitten with a loathsome Leprosie, for his cure, to bathe himselfe in the blood of Innocents (it savours Iesuiticall advise) let the credit of the Story stand, ad placitum; but this is [...], worthy of all accep­tation, that Christs innocent Blood expiates our guilt, and heales all manner of spirituall Le­prosie. Ioh. 1. 1.

3 Blood preserves alive; therefore Physitians pre­scribe the blood of a Dove, a soveraigne against diseases in the eye and the braine. Galen gives it against the bruises, called Hyposphagmata, which [...]. presents every thing to the eye, red. And Iul. [Page 17] Alex. commends it dropped on the corners of Lib. 4. salubri­um. the braine, called, Pia & Dura Mater, in the wounds of the head, to helpe to hold in life: So pretious was the blood of Christ, a harmelesse Dove that dropped on our eyes, whereas before all we could see were [...], goare blood, by reason of our bloody sinnes; now wee behold as in a Glasse, salvation before our eyes: And whereas in our head (Adam) we had received a deadly wound; by a Balme, made of this Blood, and laid to it, we are alive unto God.

4 Blood hath revived the dead; As the Story of the Pelican goes for currant, her brood being stung to death by the brood of the Serpent, by distilling her blood on her owne brood, they have beene restored to life: So Christ our true Pelican, when by our serpentine firy-stinging sinnes, we were stung to death, by the vertue of his blood effused on our soules wee are quickned and raised to life, to the praise of his glory. But there is one maine and memorable difference betwixt this Blood and all others: The blood of man or beast may give snow-white a scarlet tincture, but never die scarlet, snow-white: but this and this onely, by mercy and miracle, makes scarlet Soules as white as snow. In Salomon thus that Elder moved the question, and made the answer to our Evangelist, What are they that Apoc. 7. 13, 14. are arrayed in long white robes, and whence came they? These are they which came out of great tribula­tion, and have washed their long Robes, and have made their long robes white in the Blood of the Lambe.

Now, that Christ washed us with his blood: Hence, a choake Peare to the Manichees, who deny the truth of Christs-humanity; to the Mar­cionites, who averre he had a phantasticall Body; to Apelles, who conceived hee had a Sydereall substance: He that runnes, may read printed in blood, the truth of his Manhood: For as Alexan­der the great, however the popular sort deified him, yet having got a clap with an Arrow, said, ye stile me Iupiters Sonne, as if immortall, Sed hoc vulnus clamat me esse hominem, this blood that issues from the wound, proves me in the issue a man: So may I say of our Saviour, though my­riads of Angels and Saints acclaime he is God, ergo, immortall, and a crue of Hereticks, dis­claime him to be a man; yet the streames of blood following the arrow of death that strucke him, make good, he was perfect man, of a rea­sonable soule, and humane flesh subsisting: but this their heresie wee passe: for there must bee 1 Cor. 11. 9. heresies; and in holy admiration, ponder in the chambers of our hearts, the immense love of the Father, and of the Sonne; of the Father, that hee would give his Sonne to shed his blood, and dye the execrable death of the Crosse for the sonnes of men, Ab aeterno genitum, begotten before all eternitie.

His Sonne? Psal. 2. 7.

Omnis creaturae primogenitum, the first begot­ten of every creature; Vnigenitum his onely be­gotten Col. 1. 16. Ioh. 1. 18. Mat. 3. ult. Esa 42. 1. Sonne; Dilectum, his beloved Sonne; and as speakes that Seraphicall Prophet, Electum [Page 19] Animae suae, such a sonne in whom his soule de­lighted; and for us Caytiffes not worthy the least crum of his mercy. And no lesse admira­ble is the love of Gods dearely beloved Sonne, to powre out his soule unto death for us and our salvation.

It is storied of Cyrus, King of Persia, having Zenop. lib. 3. taken Tygranes, King of Armenia, with his Queene, captives; on a time he moved Tygra­nes, what he would give for his Queenes ran­some; to whom he replyed, That had hee what he once had, viz. his Crowne and Kingdome, hee would freely give it for her freedome, and if that were too little, he would purchase it with the price of his blood; which love to his Spouse, Cyrus observing, presently reinvested them to their pristine liberties and honours: Wherupon Tygranes spake unto his Queene: Cyrus is a most [...]. noble Prince; the Queene made answer, My af­fections were only bent on him that would have spent his dearest blood for me: a fortiori, should we, espoused unto Christ, the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, fixe our hearts on him, that not onely resolved our freedome from Persian, but infernall thraldome, and purchased it with his precious Blood. To winde up in a word, here every eye may see whereon to rest his Soule, that it may be saved in that great and notable day; not on his owne righteousnesse, that is imperfect; nor Saints oyle, that is not sufficient for them­selves; nor the Popish incruentall Masse, a Masse of horrible impieties; no Popes pardon, or, Aqua [Page 20] benedicta of theirs, to which they ascribe rare, incredible, both spirituall and corporall effects; whereby they bewitch silly soules, to inrich themselves, and all not worth a bit of bread, but solely in the blessed blood of that immaculate Lambe, Christ Iesus.

Herein to our most precious soules is, salus oblata, salvation freely offered; herein, by our most precious faith, is salus recepta, salvation im­braced; in this faith, by the impresse of the Spirit, is salus obsignata, salvation sealed; and hereby is the end of our faith, salus consummata, our salvation finished; and while we sojourne in these terrene Tabernacles, the foundation of our glory, the rise and perfection is in and from this blood; whereby wee are made Kings and Priests unto our God. And this is the second branch wherein Christs love is manifested.

Hee hath crowned us Kings, and consecrated us Priests to God and his Father.

Artaxerxes honoured Nehemiah much, to Kings. advance him to bee his Cup-bearer; and Saul David, to make him his Sonne in law, but to make us Kings, lesse than none save God alone, what could be more? but what manner of Kings? Rex sol [...] deo mi­nor. not politicall, but spirituall; Et bene (saith S. Gregory) quia praelati cunctis motibus carnis, &c. Moral. 36. c. 21. as reigning over our corrupt affections; curbing luxury; tempering intemperate avarice, hum­bling hautinesse of spirit, and extinguishing the fire of fury: Will you a little more at large [Page 21] behold the majestie of as many as are truely made Kings?

Their unction is not oyle, but holy blood.

Their Diademe is not 12. stones, but 12. s [...]ars. Apoc. 12. 1.

The Sword is the Word of God.

The Scepter is the power of his Spirit.

The Globe, the World, all things are theirs.

Their Royall Robes, the syndone of Christs 1 Cor. 3. 22. Righteousnesse.

Their Princely Pallaces, White-Hall, Gods Sanctuary, and Non-such the new Ierusalem; the Esquires of their bodies, a heavenly guard, even 10000. of Angels; their dyet is of the best, the inconsumptible body and the blood of Christ; and hee that made them kings, is the King of Kings.

Beloved Brethren, wee see our honourable calling; let dogges returne to their vomit; Hogs of Epicurus Heards, wallow in their obscene Aliud Sceptrum, aliud plectrum. pleasures; Kites feed on caerrion; Beasts live like Beasts; yet our calling calls upon us to live like men, the chiefe of men, Kings, and Christi­an Kings. What therefore was Iosuahs injuncti­on, ought to be ours, in theory & practice, viz. the exercise of pure Religion, to meditate in the Booke of the Law day and night, to observe, and Iosu. 1. 8. doe according to all the Law, not to turne from it to the right hand, nor to the left, that wee Deut. 17. 19. may prosper wheresoever we goe. It is recor­ded in Ecclesiasticall History of Philadelphus, King of Aegypt, however hee had two hundred thousand volumes in his Library, yet hee sent [Page 22] the keeper of his Library, Demetrius, to the Iewes, to have the Booke of the Law, and the Transla­tors, which we call the Septuagint. Such was his love to the Law: We need not send farre, or spend much to have the Booke of the Law and the Gospel in our owne houses, in Gods houses they are read and orthodoxally expounded e­very day, and if the best of desires be not there­to, to know and to doe, we are not worthy the name of Christians, much lesse the honour of Kings: but if wee shall make the profession and the practice of sincere Religion, our joy, our glory, and our crowne, and be found so doing, Kings we are here by grace, and shall reigne with the King of Kings hereafter in eternall glory: And thus I leave this, and take hold on the last branch of our honour, He hath consecrated us Priests to God and the Father.

Amongst the Heathen, one man sometime was both King and Priest; Rex idem hominum Virg. Phoebique sacerdos. St. Peter combines both to­gether, Ye are a royall Priesthood. St. Ambrose is 1 Pet. 2. 9. In Luc. c. 22. plaine, Omnes filii Ecclesiae sacerdotes sunt, all the true children of the Church are Priests, spi­ritually Priests; whereof Clemens Alexandrinus renders this reason, Quia eorum caput Christus est Rex & Sacerdos, because Christ their head is both King and Priest. Then Priests wee are: therefore it behoves us to adorne our holy Pro­fession, as Priests, to be filled with knowledge, not of the most so much, as of the best; to send up the Heraulds of our soules to the Mercy-seat, [Page 23] for our selves and others, that we may be healed, to purifie our selves when we approach the Tem­ple; and to be holy in all manner of conversation: what other thing in Moses Law, did that his Act Levit. 8. 24. typifie, to put blood on the Priests eare, the thumbe of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, than that to spirituall Priests, the doore of knowledge, and the instruments of action, should be sanctified, and being sanctified, forget not to sacrifice, Cum sale, cum igne, cum thure, with discretion, fervor of love, prayer: sub­due Arrogance; then we offer to the Lord a Calfe; Orig. 9. Ep. ad Rom overcome wee anger, then wee offer a Ramme; quell we concupiscence, that is to offer a Goat; restraine we wandring imagination, then wee offer Pigeons. In three words to conclude all; let us all offer, the Philosophers three kindes of goods, 1. [...], our externall goods, doling Ethic. l. 1. c. 8. almes to the needy; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. I, but thou hast it not to offer; yes sure, not so poore, but thou hast a sacrifice, Si Zachei divitias non habes, si desint tibi duo minuta, Remig. &c, if thou hast not Zache his store, not so much as the widowes mites, no not a cup of cold water; offer to thy God, thy good will, and God takes it well, according to that, Coronat Deus intus Vo­luntatem, ubi non invenit facultatem. 2. [...] August. [...], the goods of our bodies; so the Apostle Rom. 12. 1. supplicates the Romanes: how this may be, gol­den mouthed Chrysostome instructs elegantly, Let thy eye behold no evill, or no evill hold thy eye: Hom 20. in Ep. ad Rom. [...], so thy eye is a sacrifice: thy tongue speak [Page 24] no evill, [...], and it is an oblation, thy hand act no evill, [...] and it is be­come a burnt Offering; so order all other parts in Gods service, and so they are made Gods sacrifices: Lastly, [...], the goods of our minde, Prayers perfumed with faith, incensed with zeale to make them as incense, daily and duly presen­ted by the hands of Christ Iesus, to that God which heareth prayers, and to close with our God in praises, and praise him for all his mercies, from the morning of our youth, to the mid-day of our strength; even to the evening of our dayes, till our Sunne set, that when the Sonne of righteous­nesse shall appeare, we may beare with Cheru­bins and Seraphins a part in their heavenly Halle­lujah, world without end.

Now to the God of Love; the Spirit of grace, that moves us to love; and the Son of Gods Love, Who loved us, and washed us in his Blood, and made us Kings and Priests unto our God; a Trinity in Vnity, and an Vnitie in Trinitie, be as­cribed Glory and Dominion, for evermore, Amen.