In goodly buildings we must finde . A foundation , This is Christ , the liuing , the life giuing , the chiefe corner-stone , the foundation of foundations ; here the builder vpholdeth the worke , or rather is the basis of his owne structure : would you see how Christ was squared and adapted for this edifice ? obserue those no lesse busie , then cruell labourers , his stony-hearted tormentors ; the rods were as the Masons brushes , the crosse the forme whereon they carue , and hew their stones , their hands the mallets , the nailes the thornes , and speare , the seuerall tooles to polish , and fit this stone for a foundation vnto our heauenly Mansion .

The maine Pillar , Hope , the Wals Charity , the Cement the Word preached , the Windows Knowledge , the Roofe Faith .

For the Furniture , the most conuenient Hangings , are meditations vpon our Sauiours Passion , Resurrection , Ascension , and his glorious returne to iudgement : the Chayres and Beds , are Loue ; the seuerall vtensiles , or other ornaments , are Meekenesse , Temperance , Patience , &c.

There is a sentence no lesse famous then difficult concerning the materials of this building , 1 Cor. 3.13 . the Fathers are diuided in their dispute , whither this place concerne the doctrine of the Preacher , or the conuersation of the Auditor : r r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . St. Chrysostome is firme for the latter , him I follow , while he writeth , that this text doth point at the actions of Christians . now read the words . If any man build vpon this foundation , 1 Cor. 3.12 , 13. Gold , Siluer , Pretious stones , Wood , Hay , Stuble , euery mans worke shall be made manifest .

Gold , Siluer , Pretious stones , ] these are solid , s s Caietane . in 1 Cor. 3. glorious , and high prized vertues . Gold , the loue of God ; Siluer , charity to man ; Pretious stones , these are the seuerall acts of piety toward God , and mercy toward man .

Wood , Hay , Stuble , ] by these are figured , dangerous sinnes ; Wood is the wormes nest of corroding enuy , or malice . Hay , is ambition ; Stuble , this is the type of obstinate schismaticks ; verse 15. now followeth the knot , the maine difficulty : if any mans worke be burnt , he shall suffer losse , but he himselfe shall be Saued ; but this sauing is equall with damning , so t t Ambr. in 1 Cor. 3 Chrysost. in eundem locum St Ambrose , he shall bee saued by fire ; his body and his soule shall not bee wasted by the torments of hell ; St. Chrysostome proueth , what St. Ambrose affirmeth : That is said sometime , to bee saued , which is not consumed , as gold in the fire , as the liuer in the fable , this this indeed , is the hell of hels , death without death , and torments without consumption : least this might seeme strange , St. Chrysostome reinforceth his argument , with an excellent obseruation from Scripture language : It is the elegance of sacred rhetoricke , to giue gentle names to seuere punishments , as hell and the graue , are called the places where all things are forgotten , which at the first view may promise quiet and the obliuion of all calamities : thus the death of the wicked is termed a sleepe , thus it is said of the wicked , Iob 21.33 . That the clods of the earth shall bee sweete vnto him ; here is most bitter and desperate sweetnesse : the same Father shall conclude x x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrysost. hee that buildeth with Hay or Stuble , shall continue in endlesse torment . Apply .

Application . y y Re●ie ●●●ficare , est ti● embu● . ●re . Aug. He buildeth most fairly , who liueth most religiously : pluck therefore the hand out of the bosome , worke and build : the best approbation of our faith , ariseth from the operation of the hand ; as the curious Artizen , so the religious Christian , must be knowne by his handy worl e ; diuinely Irenaeus z z Qu●d feris lucet , in●● s●t , & quod intus est fori● luceat . Irenaeus lib. 4. Let your charity burne within , and holinesse shine without ; by the former you shall auoyd hypocrisie , by the latter idleness You must all bee builders , God is the Master of the worke , all the Sonnes of men , King , Priest , and Peopl● , must be labourers . Birds make their nests , b●asts ha●e ●●●ir d●●●s ; let men build houses , let th●m ●●a●e ●u●r●asting habi●a●i●ns , Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon , that ye may b● receiued into euerla●ting habitations : let vs heare the Sermon ●f Dauid to his Princes , Set your heart , 1. Cron. 22 . 1● and your sou●● to seeke the Lord your God , Ari e and build : As liuely s● nes , come ●●e ●nto Christ th● liuing ston● , 1 Pet. 2.4.5 . that ( since you cannot build of yourse ues ) you may be built vp as a spiritual house accoptab●●● Go●●y Ie●us Christ . I sha●l end with t●e Apostle , Ephe. 2 . 2● . T●e Lord Ie●us build vs all together for an habitation of God through the ●pirit ,

We haue a●●●ady seene our ●ounder , as a Captaine , and a B●i●der ; now behold him like a Cherubim , ●ith winges ouer his hands ; this you may finde in his

Expedition , he Hath .

As the Eagle ha●●eth to the pr●y , or the greedy Souldier to the ●poyle , so our Centurion to the most noble acts 〈…〉 piety , a a Plu●imum tu omni re celeri●as . Sene. B●● . ib. 2. sure our leader was one of the R●●● C●●●res : a●d it was his honour , for where the a●●●●●igious , there I●h● his march is most glorious , e●●●dition must b● comm●●●ab●● , b b ●●●ncere , Vo en●●s & a●●●●● . ●mb . ● . N●● . 〈◊〉 . in all c●mmendable , a●tions , the reason is euident : C●l●rity is a faire char●●ter 〈◊〉 sincerity , and a quic●e hand is a promising signe of a willing heart . 〈◊〉 into the family of Abraham , you shall read h●artinesse in nim●l●nes : First Abraham runneth in per●●n to meet the Angels , Gen. 18.2 , 6 , & 7. then hee charged S●●ah ●o make read quickly , then he runneth againe to the ●●●rd , lastly the S●ruant is as quicke 〈…〉 th●● dr●sse ; thus we see , 〈…〉 , Wi●e , S●ruant , a●● in Abra●●ms ●●nt are 〈…〉 in ●he performance of any seruice vn●● God : I wi●l , is but a large complement , and we know those to bee most slow in performance , who are nim●●e in promise ; sweet and honorable is the memory of this Founder , He did not frame a Colledge in the paper modell of a litigious will , but saw a Synagogue raysed at his owne proper charge to the glory of God : so the E●ders , he Hath .

The innocent Doue hath a nimble wing , so those good soules which are quickned with that Spirit , who once appeared in the forme of a Doue , flee spedily vnto workes of piety ; the Sunne cannot so much reioyce to runne his course , as the faithfull to consummate their race of Godlines ; the elements , of fire , aire , & water , are actiue and quicke in their motions , so where soeuer the holy fire of zeale , the water of sanctification , or the breath of the Spirit are found , there is a speedy motion : nay euen the dul & lazy earth is moued with an earthquake , Gen. 49.21 . Act. 9.36 . but no terror can stirre the earthly minded man ; the blessing of Nephthali was to haue the swift feete of a Hind , Dorcas was as nimble as the Roe : c c Vtinam precenta faminarum imitarentur viri . Hier. Oh that good men would imitate the speed of this woman : Salomon saith , Be not slacke in thy businesse , I beseech you be not slow in the busines of the Lord : Prou. 10.26 . Leuit. 11.41 . f●r snayles , wormes , and creeping creatures were bani●hed from the Altar of God , to instruct vs , that slow paced men can be no pleasing sacrifice for our God .

To spurre vp our deuotion , let vs consider , that God is pleased to pay magnificently for the expedition of man : Mans expedition , and Gods saluation embrace each other ; for no sooner can the deuout soule say , I haue kept the faith , 2. Tim. 4.7 . but hee may read , Henceforth a crowne of righteousnesse is layd vp for thee ; no sooner can our Sauiour proclaime , I haue fulfilled the will of God , but a voyce is heard from heauen , This is my beloued Sonne : Luke 9.35 . nor is God more indulgent to the naturall Sonne of his bosome , then to the zealous , and his adopted sonnes among the children of men ; for obserue , Matth. 19.28 doth Peter come vnto our Sauiour and say , Wee haue left all and followed thee ? the blessing is annexed , You shall sit on thrones in the kingdome of heauen : Nay but impatient incredulity must haue some-what in hand , what would you expect ? will you bee content with a thousand for one hundred ? this is more then extortion dare challenge , yet the speedy soule shall haue more , euen one hundred for one ; Matth. 19 . 2● . one hundred for one , not of corruptible gold , but in the incorruptible treasure of peace of conscience , and the sweet assurance of heauenly happinesse : Remember Zacheus , Luke . 19.9 . doth hee come quickly to entertaine the Sonne of God ? the sequell is , This day is saluation come to his house : excellently St. Augustine , d d Quam suaue mihi subito carere pe●cati sua● tatibus . Aug. Confes . Oh What a heauen of ioy is it to be a penitent soule , heartily and spedily to loath the poysonning sweet of bewitching sinnes ? oh then all you who haue that good ambition to bee married vnto the Lambe of God , take into your soules , the prayer of the Spouse , Draw vs oh Iesus and we shall run after thee . Cant. 1.4 .

Apply , When drunken Archias receiued intelligence , Plut. Pelopidas . of treason plotted against his Maiesty by Pelopidas , be st●mmerd forth this reply , Great matters to morrow , and so became a prophet of his owne ruine : are not most of vs of the Court of Archias ? when the conscionable Minister informeth vs of the damnable stratagems of Sathan against our soules , we ordinarily conclude , Great matters to morrow , hereafter may be soone enough . When vnhappy Faelix heard S. Pauls Sermon of temperance and iudgement to come , Act. 24.25 . hee trembled indeed , but his conclusion was , Go thy wayes for this time , I will heare thee at some more conuenient leasure , thus while the preacher is in the pulpit , a fit of deuotion may be raised in the soule of the Auditor , but resolutions of holinesse must bee put off to some other time : so that as cheating and bankrupt debtors answer their creditors , so most men reply vnto the Spirit , Matth , 22.5 . come to morrow , or some other time : I haue bought a farme , I haue marryed a wife ; profit or pleasure must be obserued , God must wayt . Pro. 3.28 . Solomon aduiseth not to hold a friend in suspence till to morrow : Oh bee not lesse respectfull of thy God , then thou wouldst bee of thy friend . That good God who hath promised saluation to him who shall repent at any time , hath bound himselfe to no time of ●ayting for thy repentance .

Wee may read of an hereticall brood , which were called Clinici , Centur. their deuotions were like themselues bed-rid ; they would neuer thinke of a new life , before they were in the iawes of death . The whole world is of their faction , for scarse any thinke of being holy , or doing good , vntill there be no hope of being . Delay in matters of greater moment is accounted dangerous : in the assuring of our saluation , by the holinesse of our conuersation , procrastination may proue damnable ; the feet and the heart were Gods part of each sacrifice , the heart for sincerity , Leuit. 1.9 . and the feet for celerity . If you could consider the greatnesse of your iourney , euen from earth to heauen : and the shortnesse of your life , which is called a vaper , Iames. 4.14 . that appeareth 〈◊〉 in for a moment , surely you would gird vp the lo●●●s of your minde , and runne with faith and patience the race that is set before you . Heb. 12.1 . I beseech you mocke not God , cheat not your owne soules , with the hopes of a panegyricall , or commendatory Sermon ouer your hear●e , or with the legacy of an ambitious doale at your funerall , but while you read this poore meditation , pray that this may be the houre of your conuersion , a liuing sacrifice , or the sacrifice of the liuing is most acceptable vnto the Lord. Ier. 13.17 . Oh Ierusalem wash thy heart from iniquity , when shall it once bee ? I haue done with the Founder : now let vs suruey , the sacred foundation .

The second generall .

A Synagogue ] The Temper of the Founder is best discouered in the foundation : the ambition of Pompei , and the luxury of Lucullus , were presented to the view of all , by their stately buildings ; but our good Centurion will haue no other Monument of his glory , but a place where the honour of God may dwell , a Synagogue ,

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is the mother and roote of our Synagogue , and hath two daughters , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the former doth commend vnto vs either the assembly of men in the seruice of God , Casaubonus exercit . ad An. Bar. 16. or the vnion of the soule with God by the participation of the blessed Eucharist , thus the visible Church is stiled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Basil . M. in Psal. 28. a visible collection or congregation of men , thus also , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is a coniunction of the soule vnto God , as the members are to the head . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Synagogue was a place consecrated for the assembling of men to prayse , and call vpon the name of God .

There were three especiall places among the Iews for the worship of God .

The glorious Temple was the Cathedrall or mother Church , the Synagogue as the Chappell of ease : it is obserued that for one Temple , there were 480 Synagogues in Ierusalem ; I guesse one reason may bee , that prayers and sermons were more acceptable then sacrifices .

The especiall offices performed in the Synagogue , were these .

Instruction of men .

Arts and Armes are the equall supporters of great and good Kingdomes , and the one profession cannot be more dangerous , then the other is labourious . Plutarch cannot resolue whether flourishing Rome did owe more to the Forts & Wals of Romulus , or the Schooles and Temples of Publicola : surely Athens was more famous for being the nursery of good letters , then the Metropolis of all Greece . One speciall act of renowne was performed by Nero , Tacit. he dedicated a schoole as Tacitus noteth , hoping thereby to raise a monument of immortall honour to his owne name , and no maruaile , for what tongue of the eloquent can sufficiently expresse the merits of such Heroes who haue beene Founders of Schooles , 2 Reg. ●0 . 20 . and Patrons of good letters ? beasts may beget beasts , a rurall Pagan may be the father of a man , but to beget , or enlighten a soule , is a worke onely for God , Malms . or a learned professor . Henry Beuclarke was bold to tell William the Conqueror , that a man without learning , was but a silly beast in a rich caparison . The memorie of good Hezekiah continued among posterities as a sweet oyntment poured forth , for conueying commune waters into the City of Ierusalem : with what honour shall wee crowne their names , who haue like Caleb blessed this Iland with the vpper springs of sacred knowledge in our Vniuersities , Iudges . 1.15 . & with the lower of humane and politer learning , in our free schooles throughout the kingdome ? So long as there shall bee one leafe in any Library , so long as a stone shall remaine vpon a stone in our Colledges , so long as there shall be one man vpon the earth , let the memorie of our Founders , be as a banquet among posterities . I am not besides the cushion while in the Synagogue , I honour Arts , for whatsoeuer was in the Schoole , was after a most eminent manner in the Synagogue , but I haue stayed too long among the lower formes : Now wee may heare a diuinity lecture or a sermon .

Cices . As the Orator did desire another Crassus to decipher to the life , the excellent worth of Oratorie , so I confesse ingeniously , that I heartily wish some powerfull and eloquent Apollo , would lend mee a tongue to speake the admirable , and soule sauing excellency of learned and deuout sermons .