stoode soe much vpon himselfe it was expedient that suche a swollen bladder should be prickt, as he was till he denied and forswore his master; And even this withdrawing of grace was a kind of grace, that seing his owne weaknes he might possesse his soule in humility, with[out] which there is noe grace to be expected. And therefore, expedit superbo vt in peccatum incidat. And to this purpose are these wordes of Paule that the messengers of Sathan, i. e. temptacions, were sent to punish him, least he should growe proud. Christ is our advocate in defending vs when the Divel accuseth vs falsely; he is our intercessor and mediator by pleading a pardon for vs when Sathen layes his greatest and truest accusacions against us; he is our high priest to offer sacrifice for vs. Christ left them not as orphanes, but sent another unto them whoe was equall with himselfe, otherwise they should have loss by the change. fo. 24. The Holy Ghost hath diuers offices and soe diuers effects: he enlightens 23 May, 1602. the understandinge, and soe is called the Spirit of truth: he certifies the will, and soe is named the Spirit of Holines he delivers from the bondage of Sathan, and soe is the Spirit of comfort, which is the cheife and very consummacion of all. The Holy Ghost is not given to all in the same measure, nor the same manner. When Christ breathed vpon his disciples they received the Holy Ghost; and, when the Holy Ghost came like fyrey tongues, they were filled with him: breath was warme, but fyre is hotter: there was heate in both, but not equally. Elias prayed that the Spirit of [Elijah] might be doubled upon him. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are obteyned and perfected divers wayes; vnderstanding and fayth by the word which is the truthe; holynes of lyfe, by prayer, meditacion, and good workes; consolacion by receiving the sacraments. fo. 24b. A lewde fellowe coming before Sir W. Rawley to be examined con- 7 Junij, 1602. cerninge some wrecke which he had gotten into his handes, and being demaunded whether he would sweare to such articles as they would propound, answerd that he would sweare to anie thinge they would aske him, and then being admonished he should not be soe rashe in soe serious a matter as concerned his soule soe nearely, "Fayth," said he, "I had rather trust God with my soule, then Junii 16, 1602. fo. 25. fo. 25. AT PAULE'S CROSSE. Mr. Barker; his text Luke ix. and the last verse, "Noe man that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is apt to the Kingdome of God. The fyre from Heaven which consumed the sacrifices in the old lawe was preserved by continuall addicion of fuell, soe the heauenly virtue of Chrystian charitie being kindled in the hart of man, must be preserved by continuall meditacions on the word of God. Yf any should aske why it was commaunded in Leviticus that the people should offer primitias and in Exodus that they should alsoe give decimas, I should make no other answer, but that wee should not onely remember our Creator in the days of our youth, but alsoe serue him in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our lyfe. Aliud est incepisse, aliud perfecisse. Some in their liues, like the image in Nebuchadnethers dreame, Dan. ii., goodly beginninges, but earthie endings. The Diuel laboureth most against our perseveraunce because that virtue onely hath a promise of coronacion. There be but seven steps in the ladder that leades downe to hell, and the lowest, saving desperacion, is a custom of synning. These combined discommodities ensue the custome of synning; fit 6 Junii, 1602. diabolus ad oppugnandum audacior, anima ad peccandum promptior, Deus ad condonandum difficilior. This virtue of Christian magnanimity or perseveraunce consisteth in patiendo et faciendo: in patiendo, 2o, in ferendo et perferendo; faciendo, by continuance in preaching fayth, and in good lyfe. Christ compared Christian profession to a plough. And why, 1. to soe base a thing, 2. to soe laborious a thing, 3. to that onely? 1. That none howe base soever by condicion or profession should despayre of attayning Heaven; and meane thinges may be compared with the greatest. Christ sayth the Kingdom of Heaven is like a litle leaven, and to a smaller thing then that, it is like a grayne of mustard seede; and here to a plough, that none might despayre. Simon a tanner, Peter a fisher, Paul a tent-maker, Joseph a carpenter. Some great ones, Theophilus. Some ladyes, in the Acts. Some customers, and some from the beggars, as Lazarus. And yet, that rich men might not contemne it for the baseness, he compares it to a riche jewell, a precious stone, &c. 2. The place of the preacher is a calling of great paynes and trauaile. He selected and spake of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the sunne amongst the ministers, and the old Deane of Paules 1 compared to the moone. And Dr. Overall, the newe deane, to the newe moone, gravity and learning and life; the ministers to starrs. MARTI. lib. 10, Epig. 47.2 I take noe care to gett, my wealth was left me, I reape the harvest of what'ere I sowe, I stur not muche abroade, home best befits me, I ne're received wronge, nor none I owe. I travaile not in publique busines, Nor ought's within my charge but myne owne soule, Myselfe enioys myselfe without controule. I have a harmeles thought, an æqual friend, TH. SM. 'Dr. Alexander Nowell, died 13th Feb. 1601-2; Dr. John Overall was elected 29th May 1602. (Hardy's Le Neve, ii. 315.) ? This epigram was a great favourite with our forefathers, and consequently there are many tranlations of it. Mr. Collier, in his Bibliographical Account of Early English Literature (i. 223), gives two examples, one by D. T. an author whose name is not yet discovered, and the other by Ben Jonson, printed from his own MS. at Dulwich. We have not been able to identify TH. SM. with any certainty. Junij 9, 1602. fo. 26. June, 1602. fo. 26b. 12. 15. 16. 16 June, 1602. fo. 27. Arbella Stuarta: tu rara es et bella. Henricus Burbonius: rex bonus orbi. Common preachers worse then common swearers, for these doe abuse but Gods name, but they abuse Gods worde. (Curle.) Upon a tyme when the late Lord Treasurer, Sir William Cecile, came before Justice Dyer 1 in the Common Place with his rapier by his side, the Justice told him that he must lay aside his long penknife yf he would come into that Court; this speache was free, and the sharper, because Sir William was then Secretary. (Bradman.) There is nowe a table placed for the barresters crosse over the hall by the cuppord, which one called St. Albanes, because he said it was in the waye to Duns-table. "Roome! Roome!" said one, "Here comes a woman with a cupbord on hir head;" of one that had sold hir cupboard to buy a taffaty hat. (Franklin.) Kentish tayles are nowe turned to such spectacles, soe that yf a man put them on his nose he shall haue all the land he can see. (Idem.) Sergeant Heale, since he became the Queens Sergeant, came to the Lord Keeper,2 desyring that he would heareafter give him more gratious hearinge; otherwise, his clients already beginning to fall from him, he would nowe betake himself to his ease in the country, and leave this troublesome kinde of lyfe. The Lord Keeper made him noe other answere but said, yf that were his reso 1 Sir James Dyer, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1559 to 1582. He was of the Middle Temple, the Inn of Court to which our Diarist belonged. (Foss's Judges, v. 480.) 2 Egerton, Lord Keeper from 1594 to 1603. Sergeant Hele was one of the legal butts of the time. (See Foss's Judges, vi. 141; Egerton Papers, pp. 315,391 399.) lucion he doubted1 not but the blessing of Issakar would light upon him. (Mr. Bennet narr.) Vide Gen. xlix. 14: "Issachar shall be a stronge asse couching downe betweene two burdens; and he shall see that rest is good; and that the land is pleasaunt, and he shall bowe his shoulders to beare, and he shalbe subiect unto tribute." AT PAULES, One of Baliol Colledge in Oxford. His text iii. Jonah, 4 et 5. "Yet forty dayes and Niniuy shall be destroyed. 5. So the people of Nineueh beleeued God," &c. He diuided his text into Jonahs sermon to the people of Nineueh, and the peoples repentaunce at the sermon; the former consists of mercy, "yett fourty dayes," and justice," and Nineueh shall be destroyed;" Gods patience and his iudgment. He might have sayd, as the prophet David sayd, "My song shall be of mercy and iudgment." Four things in the effect of the Sermon ; fayth in beleuing God, and that was not fruitles. 2. fasting, and that was not frivolous. 3. their attyre, that was not costly, but sack cloth. 4. their number, that was not small, from the greatest to the lowest. As Noah's doue came from the floud with an oliue braunch in the mouth, soe this heauenly dove (for soe Jonah signifieth) came from the waters of the sea with a sermon of mercy in his cry, "Yett fourty dayes." God is pitifull; it was Christ's commaundement to his Apostles that they should say "Peace be vnto you" when they entred into anie house. June 20, 1602. fo. 27b. Noted by Jonahs crying in the middest of such a city, that the preachers must not be timerous to tell anie of their faults, nor feare the person of anie man. Yet he reprehended those which are to sharpe reprehenders without circumstaunce. Such as Bernard calleth non correptores, sed corrosores, such may be termed bilis et salsugo, like the people of India .which are said to barke instead of speakinge; canis et tuba vitiorum. 20 June, 1602. But, as he misliked those sharpe biters, soe must he needes speake against such preachers as flatter greate men, and sowe cushions under their elbowes. They are like Heliotropium, which turnes the flower with the sunne, though a cloud be interposed, soe they follow greatnes though 1 doubt it, MS. fo. 28. |