it is specially recorded now it is onely mentioned Chap. 9 3. now it is twice repeated to shew hee did it onely for this cause and wee to doe the like for the death of the slaine Messiah Thus he plainly foretells and by his example prescribeth this our Christian Fast Secondly as he did it at the time of the feast so hee then continueth this fast much longer than this Feast hee began it the third that is full eight dayes before the feast and ended it if then he did the foure and twentieth that is full three dayes after Thereby no doubt to take in the very day of His death of this most bloudy crucifying the Prince the Messiah plainly teaching all who mean to have no hand in His death to shew thus much by their sorrow for His death Therefore which is observable it is not onely twice repeated but with a great Emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three full weekes and till three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole weeks were fulfilled to shew that as his fast took in so much more time above the feast so it was chiefly intended for a further end viz. to take in the very time of his death who being the true Passeover was therefore the true end and complement of that feast And this I take to be one Reason amongst many others of the Primitive and first instituting and so long continuing this Lenten Fast For as Daniel because of the Moones so great variation on which the feast depended that falling sometime higher sometime lower did therefore lengthen his Fast the better to take in the very day of His Crosse suffering so was and it is much more necessary for us Christians not now any longer keeping the foureteenth day of the first moneth Hoc constat satis è sola Paschatis observandi ratione scil inter vicesimum secundum mensis Martii Aprilis 25. inclusi Hoc enim dierum circulo Orientales Christiani Diei Paschatis observationem definierunt ut apprimè necessarium sit praeparatorium illud jejunium Quadragesimale anteriùs in Anni Caput excurrere Vid. Graecor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad initium Evangelist Graec. with the Iewes to keep our fast as long nay now much longer for the same reason And now we see even this that Daniels fast thus dipt in the bloud of Iesus is that which maketh it so gracious so lovely so acceptable as we see it is that he fasted now at this time when he foresaw CHRIST should suffer when the Messiah was to be slaine Chap. 9.26 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for Himselfe No indeed it was for Daniel and all like him of us who can finde in our hearts to mourne for Him whilest He suffers for us And sure what great matter is this Is it much if we weepe whilest he bleedes if we shed some few teares for Him who shed so much bloud for us So much Bloud not to speake of Teares In the Cradle In the Garden On the Crosse By whipping by scourging by crucifying by nailing by piercing From His hands From His feet From His head From His side From His whole body of which no part was whole but so broken till even His heart bloud issued and powred it selfe out like water And all this so willingly so readily of His own accord For us I lay downe my life saith Hee What good nature can here hold in and not shed teares for Him Surely Daniel cannot The sight melts him to water turnes him to teares his feast to fasting he resolves now on nothing all this time but mourning And truly what should he or we doe else What wife would not mourne for her Bridegroome He is the Bridegroome What friend or brother would not mourne for his friend I have said saith He and speciall grace it is you are my friends What Disciple servant or follower would not mourne for his Lord and Master Ye are saith he my Disciples Who will not shed at least a teare for every one of these Yet Hee being all these in the highest kinde is yet farre more then these For Hee is our Father And what childe will not mourne for his Father He is both Abraham's GOD and our Father Before Abraham was saith He I am Yea saith Daniel Hee is our Prince even the Prince the Messiah Chap. 9.25 26. And what subiect would not lament to see his Prince butchered and slaine before his eyes And truly for Him so Good so Great yet suffering so shamefully so painefully so innocently so undeservedly though great cause to mourne for Him with Him Our Prince The Messiah Yet farre greater cause if greater may be here and now to mourne in thus fasting for our selves Our owne sins For in His being thus cut off we may reade our very sentence our owne doome and death All ours yea in much more fearefull case had not Hee beene ours All like to light most heavily on every one of us had not He been slaine for us In His death we may see the hideous horrid foulnesse of our sins which were able thus to fetch GOD from Heaven and to crucifie Him here on earth If GOD so severely chastice His most beloved Sonne what shall bee done to His unworthy servants In His bloud as with most capitall red letters not onely Gods most infinite loving mercy is recorded thus even to give His Son for us but also His most severely revenging justice whilest he thus gave him to death a bitter cruell and cursed death If GOD so strictly punish His most obedient Sonne onely made sinne for us how shall he torment all Rebellious sinners There is no Christian but abhorres the memory of Iudas Pilate the Iewes and Pharisees that crucified the Lord of Glory For this the Iewes are hatefull not onely to Christians but even to the Turkes and Mahumetans at this day The ancient Christians using to salute one another with a * Sic Die Paschae quo cōmunis quasi publica jejunij religio est meritò deponimus osculum quod cum omnibus faciamus Tertul. De Orat. cap. ult kisse of Peace at their daily Prayers did on Good Friday the day of His Passion omit it as detesting then the Hypocrisie and treachery of Iudas no way willing though but in this to communicate with that wicked Traytor * Inde mos iste hodiernus apud Aethiopas Abassynos Christianos quo Mirum servantes silentium nec inter se salutant dùm sibi mutuò occurrunt in viâ sed mutorū instar demissis oculis praetereunt Nec vendunt nec emunt nec pecuniam tangunt Id faciunt in odium Iudae proditoris qui Christum pacis osculo fraudulenter salutatum argenteis triginta vendidit Tantâque adversus illum irâ incendūtur ut nemo ferè sit qui compositā ex scrutis Iudae imaginē non raptet per viam quod pueris praecipuè ludi magis qùam odij causâ frequentissimum Nullus n.
the Iewes will not heare who will not know that they do evill as also 2 to beware of their folly and disobedience by their fall and punishment Both are here set downe in the Text 1. Their wilfull errour 2. Their shamefull punishment In the Errour we consider 1. The Persons They are meere fooles 2. Their Number they are many 1 Because a whole Nation many Nations many Generations 2 Many Fooles because many wayes fooles fooles in entring fooles in hearing fooles in praying fooles in sacrificing and offering every way any way fooles 3. The Reason of this folly Faciunt malum They do that which is evill 4. The Ground of this reason 1 Privative their Ignorance their wilfull ignorance Nesciunt They know not they will not know nor consider that they doe evill 2 Positive their ill performance They doe but Dare sacrificium they doe not offer they will not they doe but Give Sacrifice This is their errour their folly And to this their sin their punishment as Iustice requires is answerable 1 They will be fooles and therefore they shall be fooles they will not heare GODS Prophet and therefore GOD bids his Prophet Esay 6.9 Esay 6.9.10 Go tell this people Heare ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and bee healed As they will not heare the Son of God so they shall not heare the Son of God Therefore saith our Saviour speake I unto them in Parables because they seeing see not and hearing they heare not nor understand Mat. 13.13 Mat. 13.13 Mark 4.12 Mark 4.12 c. Luke 8.10 Iohn 12.40 2 As they did reject the Word of God by his Apostles so God by his Apostles did reject them Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.46.28.27.28 Acts 28.27 28. to the Iewes at Antioch it was necessary that the word of God should first have beene spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne unto the Gentiles and Acts 28. the Apostle Saint Paul repeating the Prophet Esay's words to other Iewes at Rome tels them plainly the cause Therefore be this knowne unto you that will know nothing else that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and they will heare it Mark they will heare it God grant we may Take thou heed how thou entrest take heed how thou hearest c. As for them they are fooles I have nothing to do with them only take thou heed 3 As they will not know GOD so GOD will not know them he turneth his back upon them though he speak of them yet he will not so much as once speake to them he speaketh to another only of them Luke 12.20 as of the Rich man Luke 12. that he is a Foole Luke 16.19 or of the other Luke the 16. that he was a Glutton or as of the Pharisees that they were Vipers Mat. 3.7 Mat. 3.7 4 As they loved darknesse rather than light so they shall have darknesse for light Aegyptian darknesse here everlasting endlesse utter darknesse hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 22.13 1 They wil not know what to do as they shold do 2 Though they do know yet they know not to do it 3 They do evill because they know not what it is to doe it namely how fearefull a thing it is how their wilfull ignorance draweth on wofull vengeance their evil of sin is accompanied with the evil of punishment their evill doing with evill suffering 5 For one more punishment is there in this Text that though their name be forgotten their memory as their bodies rotten yet it shall alwayes be remembred as by God to reward them so by us to beware by them it must never be forgotten that they have done evill This must stand like Lots Wives Pillar or Sodomes ashes to teach us that come after that we should not be as they were fooles that we must not do as they did evill Ierusalems destruction and the Iewes dispersion over the face of the earth amongst us Gentiles must warne all the Gentiles must teach thee how thou must enter into the House of God how thou must heare the Word of God how thou must call on the Name of God In the Name of God beloved let that voice of the Holy Ghost in the 95. Psalme Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.7 be written upon the doore-posts of our hearts never to be forgotten To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Vers 7 8 9 as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse when your Fathers tempted me and proved me and saw my workes And as in my Text so there 10. their folly is recorded Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation and said It is a people that doe erre in their hearts they have not knowne my wayes 11. And their punishment Wherefore I sware in my wrath they should not enter into my rest This story the Apostle alluding to 1 Cor. 10.11 1 Cor. 10. tels us It was written for our admonition And more plainely in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 3. repeating this Psalme where this story is written applyeth it to the Christian Church whence this Psalme in the Church of God hath beene used by the Church of God in all ages Psal 25. for an Introit Psalme to put us in mind 1 how we should enter into the House of God in the 6. Vers O come let us c. 2 How we should offer Vers 1. O come let us sing unto the Lord Let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and shew our selves glad in him with Psalmes for the Lord our God is a great God c. 3 How we should heare and come neere to heare Vers 7 8. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. The Text agreeth with the Psalme Both of them teaching us our duty First by Precept for entring hearing and offering Secondly by the contrary Errour that they do erre in their hearts and are but fooles that do otherwise Thirdly by the fearefull punishment that followeth their folly Heb. 3.18 They shall not enter into his rest they shall bee as they will be fooles GOD will not know them that will not know him They shall not enter into GODS joy and rest who are so carelesse to enter into GODS House so carelesse of their behaviour in Gods House And indeed both the Manner and Order The Division to be used in Gods divine service and worship is here set downe 1 The Manner 1 how we must enter 2 how we must heare 3 how we must offer and 4 how wee must come
every yeare if neede required at least once the Church should have her solemne meetings So the Councills of Toledo Tours and the rest And they shew it to have beene the practice of the Eldest times imitated as appeares by b Nicol. de Cusa Card. l. 3. de Concord Cathol c. 25. f. 809. Cusanus by the Civill State that as in the Naturall body there being an evill feared from without the spirits forthwith assemble and gather to the heart as it were to fortifie it and secure themselves So also in the Body Ecclesiasticke c Concil Milevitan 2. Can. 9. qui lib. Afric cap. 95. 73. Quoties communis necessitas cogit saith the Councill of Milevis As oft as the common cause required there were common assemblies Generall Councills all meeting on all hands to advise for the common good d Concil Toletan 4. cap. 3. Si vero nec de fide nec de communi Ecclesiâ tractabitur saith the fourth of Toledo if the businesse were not concerning faith and the common cause if the Occasion be but as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the murmuring of the Hellenists at Hierusalem and the End as now to provide for their Widowes then Erit speciale Concilium say the same Fathers the Synod shall be speciall or particular onely for those times and parts the Rule to reach no farther And so have we here a President for such as this But neverthelesse whatsoever the occasion be their Resolution here is Generall Catholike and Oecumenicall They were for the Persons Apostles immediatly sent from Christ the first founders and planters of our Christian faith their Commission as larg as the whole world therfore their Conclusion able and such as ought indeed to conclude all us All us who have received the faith from their mouths All us Christians All us yet more particularly who have received either our mission from them or like commission with them All us of the Clergy We all to minde the same Duties in the same Order and manner with the same hight or rather fulnesse and fervour of Resolution as they here But we say they will give our selves continually to Prayer and the Ministration of the Word The Division In which words you have three things principally to be considered 1 The Persons We. 2 The Duties Prayer and the Ministration of the Word 3 Their Resolution for these Duties and the manner of performance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is more in this word then we are aware of We translate it We will give our selves continually to c. Or if you please you have them thus 1 The Officers We. 2 The Offices Prayer and the Words Ministration 3 The Officiating We will give our selves In the Persons or Officers consider 1 Their Quality 2 Their Dignity 3 Their Vnity 4 Their Imparity Of these two last chiefly and of the two other in them In the Duties consider 1 Their Number Two though including and comprehending many particulars 2 Their Necessity comparatively in respect of persons and time 3 Their Order in respect of each other First and principally to Prayer as to the maine to the Ministration of the Word as to the meanes To the one namely Prayer as to the End To the other as the Way conducing and leading to this End To the one as to the proper and peculiar Service of GOD absolutely necessary for all men and times To the other as the Service of His Word properly belonging to us Clergy and chiefly necessary for those first times In their Resolution for these Duties Consider 1 Their Desire Purpose and intention 2 Their Solemne and publikely vowed Consecration and dedication of themselves We will c. 3 The Oppositions there against made weighed and considered in this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we c. 4 Their serious Execution carefull and industrious performance notwithstanding all dangers to be feared or difficulties to be expected in this most significant word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee will not onely imploy or busie our selves but wholly continually perseverantly manger all lets dangers and disturbances We will give up our selves most stoutly and resolvedly to Prayer and the Ministration of the Word And thus you have the severalls Now wee come to each in order as far as the time will give us leave I. The Persons Their Vnity and agrement 1 ANd first of the Persons whom wee both heare and finde in this Word We. We. It is the voice of all the Apostles not of Peter alone They all in the first Synod chuse alike have equall voice and choice in the Substituting Matthias Acts 1. Acts 1. In that other about Circumcision All decree send and judge alike It seemed good to the HOLY GHOST and us Acts 15. Acts 15. Here they all pronounce and ordaine alike Neither was it ever otherwise in after Councills where all met the five Patriarch's were chiefe and as Saint Peter amongst the chiefe Apostles Romans 16. Rom. 16.5 So the Romane Patriarch had onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sit or speake first not power to rule or guid either all or any The Apostles as they were all sent together Iohn 20. Acts 1. Matth. 10. Matth. 10. So they were all inspired at once Iohn 20.22 To let us know that they and their Successors are Pari authoritate pari consortio as the * S. Cyprian l. de unitate Ecclesiae 3. Hoc crant utique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis sed exordium ab unitate profici citur Fathers speake That Saint Peter spake first Acts 15. or was by our Blessed SAVIOUR spoken to alone was but as wee have elsewhere shewen because hee was with Andrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eldest Apostle they thence ascribing to him Primas sedes the first seates such were then Antioch Alexandria and Rome because he was thus the First Thereby teaching and signing the Churches unity which by one Spirit from one Head is but one in all and though many Members yet but one Body Wee Againe Wee Though the Apostles only speak 9 Their imparity though we heare them alone yet are there more in the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But wee points us not only to the Apostles as chiefe Governours but also to the seventy Disciples yea these seven new Deacons also not excluded It is an errour of the a Can. 16. Synodi Constantinop in Trullo Sixth Synode and of sundry interpreters which is greedily layd hold on by the factious amongst us that these Deacons were only Lay-men when as we apparently see Stephen one of them busied in the Ministration of the word Vers 10. c. Acts 7. 8. and Philip in the office and duty of Prayer and Baptisme Surely as the Apostles did not shut themselves nor their successors the Bishops as Stories plentifully prove from the governing the Deacons care about