Or I might carrie you along through all those branches which were toucht when I opened those words Thou shalt loue I told you then that Loue beginneth in Vnion of the persons it commeth on to Communion first in good will and then in good deeds and this euery one that loueth doth labour to expresse both in soule and bodie for it must be syncere But because I haue exprest diuers kinds and degrees of neighbourhood I cannot better teach you what it is to loue your neighbour then to perswade you to entertaine each kind of neighbourhood and that according to its degree Is any man thy neighbour in place be as occasion serueth his Helpe his Comforter otherwise God will not account that thou louest him Non prodest si nos continet vna domus separat diuersa voluntas plus attendit Deus vnitatem animi quam loci 〈◊〉 any moreouer thy neighbour in bloud let him find how much nature is more potent then Law and let Consanguinitie double the heat of thy affections to wards him Doest thou apprehend that all Mankind is made after the Image of God Let thy humanitie towards strangers testifie the reuerence which thou bearest to thy Maker Iob 3◠Let not the stranger lodge in the street but open thy doores vnto Trauellers Neighbourhood in place doth but supply neighbourhood in bloud therefore if we respect that which is the sample much more must we respect this which is the sampler Art thou aduanced to an higher degree of neighbourhood in that thou art a member of the Church thy good offices must be multiplyed accordingly and thou must promote the Communion of Saints with much more zeale then the societie of men here thou must shew how farre Grace goeth beyond Nature Is man thy friend Dilige eum in Dec loue him because alreadie he stands in good tearmes with God Is he thy enemie Dilige eum propter Deum loue him for Gods sake and after Gods example he maketh his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust thankfull vnthankfull therefore If thy enemie hunger Rom. 12. Mat. 5. Prou. 16. giue him meat if he thirst giue him drinke and so heape coles of fire on his head If thy enemie be a member of the Church remember hee is but like a part of thy bodie out of ioynt though it be painfull yet how tenderly doest thou handle it and neuer leaue vntill thou hast set it in ioynt againe Euen so shouldest thou vse thy brother neuer leaue vntill thou hast brought him to yeeld thee as much content as he hath wrought thee woe Is hee without the Church that doth afflict thee Looke not vpon him but vpon the Deuill that prouoketh him poure out thy malice against the Deuill for this is a lawfull enmitie Gen 3. vpon that ancient ground ponam immicitias but pitie the man let him find in thee the comfort of a Neighbour Thou canst not better ouercome the Deuill then by such loue of thine enemies A man cannot so many wayes afflict thee but thou must be as many wayes charitable vnto him as Christ teacheth in the fift of Matthew verse 44. In a word Amor nescit inimicum and this euery Christian man must shew or else he will betray that he is no liuing member in the mysticall Bodie of Christ for how doth he liue therein that is either senselesse or Satanicall his owne bodie will refute him 1. 〈◊〉 As we must loue our Neighbours in the Church Militant so must we loue also our Neighbours of the Church Triumphant we must reuerence the presence of the Angels that are about vs and not misdemeane our selues before them nor grieue them in their Ministerie wee must thankfully commemorate the liues of the Saints departed and bee carefull to resemble them in their vertues But wee must not with the Church of Rome racke our loue towards either Angels or Saints and honour them farther then we haue warant much lesse derogate from God or Christ in our honouring them As for Christ it is not hard to conceiue how wee must Loue him his Names will guide vs. The Church is his Spouse shee must Loue him with a chast Loue the Church is his Bodie shee must Loue him with an obedient Loue He is our Brother we must loue him with a Naturall Loue the diuersitie of his titles will teach vs how to diuersifie our Loue for hee beareth no title which wee must not entertaine with an answerable Loue. In all that you haue heard you may perceiue that there are diuers kind of persons that challeng our Loue but Christ calleth neuer a one of them by his proper name but comprehendeth them all vnder one name Neighbour other names would haue imported some personall respects teaching vs two things first that our loue must bee without respect of persons we may not loue because a man is rich wife or Honourable nor for any other worldly respect these bee the motiues that sway with Publicans and Sinners with carnall men but these are base respects in the eyes of Christian men Especially seeing God that hath made men vnequall in these hath made them equall in better things Yea and these which are so vnequally distributed are therefore so distributed that they might giue the fitter opportunitie for the exercise of our Loue. Looke vpon thy Bodie it is made of the foure Elements whereof one is cold another is hot one is moyst another is drie Doth the hot abhorre the cold or the moyst the drie No rather they impart their qualities to them and out of so louing neighbourhood commeth this goodly fabricke of mans bodie which would soone be dissolued if this louing neighbourhood should faile The whole frame of the world is preserued by the louing association that is betweene vnequall creatures so the great world the little world both doe teach vs how due our Loue is vnto neighbourhood only in regard of neighbourhood The second thing that wee must obserue is that wee must take the scantling of our Loue from the kind and degree of neighbourhood But of that I shall speake more when I come to the measure only now obserue that as I told you when I spake of the Loue of the Lord our God that Loue must not only extend to his person but to those things that belong vnto him so must we conceiue also of the Loue of our Neighbour Whereupon are grounded those Lawes Thou shalt not see thy Neighbours Oxe nor his Asse going astray sinking vnder his burden lying in a ditch but thou shalt bring him home ease him lift him out In a word whatsoeuer thing concerneth our Neighbour in any kind or degree of neighbourhood wee must testifie the acknowledgment of our reference to him in carefully procuring the welfare of that thing You haue heard the Dutie But who must performe it Surely whosoeuer hath the interest is he thy Neighbour why then thou must loue him But the Law
pray in him marke the forme of his words they are all plurall We confesse wee beseech wee pray c. he is the Minister of the Church and it is the whole Churches Deuotion that he presenteth vnto God Fourthly whether we pray or other members of the Church or the Minister wee must obserue that in all these prayers there is something transient and something permanent the Act is transient the Memoriall is permanent 1 Kin 18. learne this out of Salomons Dedicatorie Let these my words wherewith I haue made supplication before the Lord be nigh vnto the Lord our God day and night but you will say this is but a wish reade the beginning of the next Chapter and you shall see that there God granted it 〈◊〉 10. and the Angell told Cornelius that his prayers were come vp for a memoriall before the Lord. Fiftly The Church Triumphant prayeth for the Militant in generall as not ignorant of the condition out of which it selfe is come and out of which it wisheth the Militant freed as appeares by that voice of the soules vnder the Altar their crying loud voice which saith Reuel 6. How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell in the Earth This is Piè credibile wee may defend it without any offence to Pietie But that which the Church of Rome buildeth hereon the Innocation of Saints because they make Intercession we may not admit it trencheth too much vpon diuine Attributes and hath too much cognation with their Doctrine of Transubstantiation therein they giue as it were an vbiquitie vnto Christs Bodie and here to the soules of the Saints But I will not trouble you with Controuersies neither is that point so naturall to this Text only take this Item that out of the generall Intercession of the Saints for vs wee can neuer gather our particuar Inuocation of them no nor generall neither Finally our Sauiour Christ doth only put sweete odours into our Prayers that they may come acceptable vnto God Reuâ—l 8. 〈◊〉 8. but also himselfe maketh perpetuall intercession for vs vnto him his bloud cryeth better things then doth the bloud of Abel Put now all these together Christ the Head his Bodie the Church that part which is Triumphant that which is Militant all the members all the Ministers thereof you cannot doubt but the Elect do pray day and night But euery man in his owne case must remember a good obseruation of Saint Chrysostomes That Oratio propria our owne prayers make all the other prayers vsefull vnto vs They auaile for vs by way of Impetration but if wee desire to be accepted of God wee must contribute our owne deuotion with theirs for they doe not pray to make vs idle but to supply the interrupting of our prayers which is occasioned by our honest vocation or necessarie refreshing during which time we need not doubt but that we are remembred aswell to God as of God This constancie of prayer fauoureth not the Euchites who turned all Pietie into Prayer as if there were nothing else to bee done the Church hath long since branded them and many of the Friers may goe for their Cousin Germans Matth. 6. Neither doth it fauour the Heathenish Battologie which Christ condemneth De Orandâ— Deâ— ad Probam Saint Austin helpeth vs out with a distincton Absit ab oratione multa locutio sed non desit multa precatio si fernens perseuerat intensio Christ forbiddeh bare Lip-labour but Heart-labour hee doth not condemne pray as long as you will so your heart pray as well as your tongue Put now together the Persons and the Deuotion and then wee see the Elect must pray or else they shall not haue what God doth purpose them for as Christ saith Aske and you shall haue so Saint Iames saith you haue not because you aske not How absurd then are they that make this prophane Collection I am elected therefore it skilleth not whether I serue God Thou vaine man he that electeth to the end electeth to the meanes yea the election mentioned in my Text is vnto this Seruice for when thou art elected into the Church thou art elected to be a Priest thy person is elected to be a Temple and prayer is that Sacrifice which euery man must offer in that House of Prayer Can any man bee more elect then Christ was And yet the Gospel teacheth that hee sought for all things vnto God by prayer yea in our owne case when he was in an agonie he prayed most earnestly most constantly But how can wee doubt of this that the Elect must pray whereas it is most true that no Prayers are acceptable vnto God but those that come from the Elect Iohn 9. For God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him hee heareth The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord saith Salomon but the prayer of the righteous is his delight There is a quarrell betweene vs and the Church of Rome Prou. 15. whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things which God offereth vnto vs doe worke ex opere operato produce their effects out of their inherent or adherent efficacies but wee are both agreed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things which we tender vnto God are accepted of God ex opere Operantis according as the person is religiously disposed in acting them wherefore we must wash our hands in innocencie and so compasse the Altar of God and pray as beseemeth the Elect in Faith Austin Epist 121. Hope and Charitie I haue dwelt long enough vpon the Nature of Deuotion let vs come at length vnto the Power thereof I told you that the religious deuotion of Gods Elect is very powerfull Saint Iames telleth vs that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very effectuall a little before my text wee reade that it will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring vnder those things which it hath to doe withall In thâ— Law it is figured in Isha â—euit 1. that is Ignitio or a fierie thing which you know is piercing and so preualent Chrysostome saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is Defensiue it is Offensiue it hath in it all power requisite for preseruation of our selues and confusion of our enemies hee that can doe nothing if hee can pray can doe all things neither can any thing conquer him that can be vigilant and feruent in prayer But to come closer to my Text that sheweth vs with whom it preuayleth euen with him to whom the Church doth pray that is with God We reade that Iacobs name was changed into Israel to signifie a Prince with God or as the Angell himselfe openeth it one that hath preuailed with God and so by Gods power shall preuaile with men but marke the reason of this was because of his importunitie in prayer for the Text saith Gen. 32. he
sinne outfacing of such challenge as was made to King Dauid and excusing sometimes of the fact most vsually of themselues are the best pleas which are stood vpon by offenders though many exceed King Dauid in the infirmities which appeared in this fall yet where is the man that commeth neere the least degree of his ingenuitiâ— in confessing of his fault Where such stupiditie is and men hide their sinnes like Adam it is a signe that the Principles of Conscience are dull and dead as it is a signe that they liue and are quicke where contrarie ingenuitie doth appeare Which you the Penitents should consider well and let the Church see in your humble confession what true Contrition there is in your soule whether your Conscience bee senslesse or feeling of that state whereinto you are brought by sinne to worke this degree of penitencie in you I will somewhat enlarge a point which I did but glance at before Know then that there are two sorts of the laying open of the malignity of sinne the one is Voluntarie the other is Compulsorie the Voluntarie is that whereof I haue spoken which is medicinall and prepares Miserie to receiue Mercy for therefore doth God put a distance betweene our ill dealing and faring ill that Grace husbanding that distance thriftily and wee iudging our selues before we are iudged might preuent that faring ill which is due vnto our ill deseruing Add hereunto that if we willingly ser forth the Malignitie of our sin the Obiect will be proportionable to our sight and we shall so bee confounded therewith that we shall not bee confounded our Godly sorrow shall haue an happie issue But if we will not doe this willingly we shall be constrained to doe it happily in this world certainely in the world to come but whether now or then the obiect will bee too strong for our sight and our soules will be ouerwhelmed therewith In this world it falls out very often that Satan which tempts many vnto sinne doth tempt them afterwards to despaire and how doth hee doe it but by representing vnto them the malignity of their sinne the euill whereof proueth so vexing that it maketh some as restlesse as Cain and some as vnnaturall to themselues as Iudas and both of them that spared to let their tongues confesse penitently did not spare desperately to publish their owne shame but if happily God doe not permit so much power vnto Sathan in this world yet in the world to come he will force all the wicked vnto this Confession the worme then will so bite and the Bookes of their Consciences will be so legible God will so set their sinnes before them that they shall power forth a full Confession and giue Glory vnto God though little to their owne comfort as it is excellently set forth Wisd 5. Wherefore this penitentiall Confession enioyned by the Church should not seeme irkesome vnto you seeing it is so behoofefull for you for you doe by this preuent a worse preuent an vncomfortable one that will be forced vpon you by this Medicinall one if you performe it Voluntarily out of a godly sorrow for your sinne But I conclude ipartit Hist b. 9 c. 15. Non peccare vltra humanam naturam cognoscitur it is not to bee hoped that wee should runne the race that is set before vs and not take any fall before wee die least therefore we should so fall as not to rise againe God hath prouided a remedie he will spare vs if we doe not spare our selues if we take notice of our sinne God will not enquire into it if it be grieuous vnto vs God will neur greiue vs for it neither shall we euer be forced to confesse to our Confusion if we bee willing to confesse it to our Saluation seeing then God hath giuen vs our choyce whether our confession shall be a Medicine or a Torment let vs not reserue our selues for the Torment by despising of the Medicine But let vs not be Like vnto those that behold their naturall face in a glasse Nes 1.23 and going away presently forget what manner of persons they were that will make out Repentance but like a Morning cloud which quickly passeth away And no wonder if men often relapse into sinne if they so quickly forget their former sinnes hee that will hold himselfe in must imitate King Dauid his humiliation must be as lasting as his Life we should neuer forget what wretches we haue beene least withall we forget how much wee are bound to God the presence of our sinne forgiuen will make vs more sensible of the forgiuenesse of our sinne Wherefore if at any time we finde grace in Gods eyes as which of vs doth not often finde it in this life let it not greiue vs to say with Saint Paul that wee are chiefe of sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 though God should doe vs the like honour he did to him and make vs chiefe Apostles in a word though we haue sped of our pardon as Dauid did from the mouth of Nathan let this be our constant Confession vnto death I doe know mine owne wickednesse and my sinne is euer before me LOrd I haue proued that Satan is a Serpent and that hee is a Lyon he hath besotted my wits he hath enraged mine Affections when he did this he transformed an Angel of darkenesse into an Angel of Light and cloathed a foe vnder the habit of a friend thâ—s was I deluded and he entertained but now hee appeareth in his owne likenesse the light is gone the darkenesse remaineth and my counterfeit frend is an apparant foe these fraudes disquiet my thoughts and how is my Heart afflicted by this vnexpected danger I finde no Remedie but to make knowne my Case to thee to lay open these diseases of my Head of my Heart before thee Grant that I may so feele them that thou mayst vouchsafe to cure them that thou mayst vouchsafe to couer them also let me neuer be ashamed to discouer them let me whet the dull sense that I haue of thy Mercy by the quicke sense of mine owne Misery Let this neuer die that that may liue euer So shall I by a godly sorrow speed of a heauenly ioy and by a Medicinall Confusion in the Church Militant make my selfe Capable of eternall Saluation in the Church Triumphant AMEN PSAL. 51. The first part of the 4. VERS Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight KIng Dauid in this Penitentiall confessing that sinne which himselfe had contracted obserueth the Naturall properties and Supernaturall euent thereof The Naturall properties are two a Malignitie and an Impietie which are in Sinne Of the Malignitie I spake last I come now to the Impietie We must then obserue That in all sinne besides the offence there is a partie offended and the partie offended setteth the Measure to the offence as he is so is that he maketh it to be greater or lesse therefore in a full Confession
onely he would haue vs vse our tongues so well as that wee may be at the day of Iudgement praised by him Yea sâ—eing praysing is a delightfull employment God would thereby cheere vp our spirits with a sweete foretaste of that life which we shall leade in heauen for praysing is the Angels worke in the Church Militant we haue both praying and praysing but in the Church Triumphant there is onely praysing there is no praying at all that Eucharisticall sacrifice shall continue when all Propitiatories doe cease for praise is the euerlasting sacrifice of the New Testament and of that the saying is true Praise shall neuer depart from the mouth of a Christian Iewes and Christians haue both agreed to repeate daily this Text in their Liturgie out of that which you haue heard you may gather that it is not without cause that they haue so done Wee say it daily I pray God wee may haue learned this day to say it well hereafter so may we that now in Gods House on earth speake his praise sing for euer Halelu taâ— praise yee the Lord with the Saints in Heauen The words as I haue opened them are conceiued in a Prayer but as they are read in the I salter they represent a Prophecie the odds is not great because a good Prayer if it bee conceiued for spirituall grace is indeede a prophecie for he that disposeth to sue doth purpose to grant What shall we say then to these things But euen pray that seeing God hath the key of our Eares as well as of our Tongues and by the temper of our eares wee may guesse what will bee the temper of our tongues and he that hath a deligh to heare his dutie will haue a tongue readie to yeeld God his due and God will neuer open his tongue that suffers the Diuell to keepe the key of his eare Let vs I say pray that by being willingly deafe we doe not become vnwilling dumbe but that Christ by his Ephphata would rid vs of the spirit both deafe and dumbe that hauing heard these words as we ought we may vse our tongues as is meete That we may so doe let vs all ioyntly present our humble petitions vnto God in the words of my Text. O Lord open thou our Lippes and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Blessed are they O Lord that dwell in thy House Psal 8â— they shall alwayes bee praysing thee SELAH PSAL. 51. VERSE 16. For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I giue it thou delightest not in burnt offering KIng Dauid in thankfulnesse for Gods mercie promiseth religiously to serue him but whereas Gods seruice is either Morall or Ceremoniall he voweth a Morall and not a Ceremoniall seruice Of this choice he yeeldeth a reason and that reason is Gods good pleasure he maketh Gods pleasure to set bounds vnto his Vow and is willing to enlarge or contract his Vow according to Gods pleasure To contract it as appeares in that which he speaketh of the Ceremoniall worship for he forbeares it and to enlarge it as appeares in that which he speaketh of the Morall for that is it which he obserueth as acceptable vnto God On this Verse which now I haue read wee shall heare of his conceipt concerning the Ceremoniall worship and what hee conceiueth of the Morall worship which is answerable thereunto when I open the next Verse I shall then shew vnto you The Ceremoniall worship is exprest in two words Sacrifice and Burnt offerings which words may betaken either in a large or in a restrained sense In a large so may you reduce vnto them all Ceremoniall worship in a restrained and so they comprehend the two offerings which the Law required for a Ceremoniall reconciliation of a sinner Take them which way you will my Text sets downe Gods disposition towards them and King Dauids conformitie to that disposition of God Gods disposition is twofold First he doth not desire them secondly he doth not delight in them before they are offered he doth not desire them neither doth hee delight in them when they are offered so must you in this place difference Gods Desire and his Delight To this disposition of God King Dauid doth conforme his seruice he professeth that hee would haue tendered these Ceremoniall offerings if God had affected them and onely because God did not affect them therefore he doth not tender them both these propositions are wrapt vp in these words Else would I giue it I would giue sacrifices and burnt offerings if thou didst desire them if thou didest delight in them but thou desirest not sacrifices thou delightest not in burnt offerings therefore doe not I presume to giue them to reconcile my selfe by them These be the Heads whereunto I purpose to referre whatsoeuer I shall deliuer in farther opening of this Text Now because you may mistake in your Deuotion as the Iewes did be perswaded in the feare of God to listen attentiuely to what shall be said that you may learne of King Dauid to passe a true iudgement vpon all Ceremoniall worship and vpon all corporall seruice Let vs come then to the particulars whereof the first is those words wherein the Ceremonies are exprest and they are two Sacrifice and Burnt offerings Which words may bee taken first in a large sense they may comprehend all kind of animat Offerings that were burnt vpon the Altar for of them some were Merocausta burnt but in a part the rest was the Priests portion alone or else he did share in it with him that presented the sacrifice Other Offerings were called Holocausta they were wholly burnt neither the Sacrificer nor the Offerer had any part therein God reserued it wholly to himselfe so that if wee thus farre enlarge these words they wrap in them all kinde of corporall Sacrifices Ruffinus and others giue them so wide a signification That signification is true but happily it is not so proper to this Text a more restrained sense may better fit this present Argument Obserue then that these wordes doe containe the two Offerings which God in Moses Law prescribed for the reconciliation of a sinner hee was required to bring one expiatory the Law calleth it a sinne-offering and that is it which is here as else-where meant by the generall name of Sacrifice another Dedicatory which was called an Holocaust and is here translated a burnt offering but you must vnderstand it burnt not in part but wholly therefore it is sometimes called a whole-burnt-offering These two Offerings went together in the ceremoniall reconciliation of a sinner we find it so in Leuit at the purifying of a woman after Child-birth Chap. 12. at the cleansing of a Leper Chap. 14. finally at the expiation of the Tabernacle or Temple and therein of the whole Church of Israel Chap 16. In all these places you shall find that they goe together But to looke a little farther into these Offerings there are two remarkable things in them 1. the Mystery and
midst not of the Holy land onely but also of the whole world a Citie saith our Sauiour Christ built vpon a Hill cannot be hid Math. 5 and againe Men doe not light a Candle to put it vnder a bushell God was neuer so farre estranged from Apostataes but he placed his Church so as that before Christs Incarnation the iourney was not hard for any to come at it and after Christs Incarnation when God was pleased to seeke to Men that in so many generations did not seeke to him and the Law was gone out of Sion 〈◊〉 1. and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem the passage was the more easie for all parts of the world so carefull hath God beene to take all excuse from the murmuring disposition of sinfull men The places yeeld these correspondencies which you haue heard there are besides these two other which spring from their proper names Sion signifieth a watch Tower Ierusalem the vision of Peace Applie this onely to the Church Militant and then this correspondencie ariseth The first representeth the nhture the second the fruit of Faith The nature of Faith is to stand as it were sentinell and discouer with one one eye Gods will and what we ought to doe with the other eye our spirituall foes and how they make towards vs. From such a Faith the fruit that we reape is peace for we shall haue peace with God if we take heede vnto his will and our foes will not much disquiet vs if they find vs standing vpon our guard If wee applie it not onely to the Militant but to the Triumphant Church also then Sion signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our waiting for the Adoption Rom. 8. to wit the Redemption of our bodies or that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned Heb. 11. the saluting a farre off of that which we hope one day comfortably to enioy And that which we shal enioy is noted by Ierusalem wherin we shall dwell as in a peaceable habitation Esay 32. in sure dwellings and in a quiet resting place you may read at large hereof Reuel 22. and conclude that quae nunc Sion est futuraest Ierusalem the Church which is Militant shall one day be Triumphant Out of all this which you haue heard you may gather how due the commendation is which is giuen to this place it is called the Citie of our God Psal 48. Fers 1.2 Chap. 2. Chap. 3. the mountaine of Gods Holinesse beautifull for situation the ioy of the whole earth Esay calleth it a Mountaine lifted vp aboue all mountaines Ieremie calleth it the Throne of the Lord others giue it other honourable titles the Psalmists concludes all in this short Verse Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God I conclude this point As that you haue heard is Typus Ecclesiae so it is also Imago nostri as it doth represent the whole Church so ought euerie man herein to behold what manner of person himselfe ought to be In Homogeneous bodies such as the Church is what is commended to the whole must bee obserued by euerie part euerie part must bee though not in quantitie yet in qualitie the same with the whole as of a great wedge there is not a Mite which is not as true Gold as is the whole wedge Wherefore you must take all these correspondencies and applie them to your selues and trie your selues by them for certainely euerie man is a Citiz en either of Ierusalem or of Babylon and if you find not in your selues the Characters of a Citizen of Ierusalem you haue reason to feare that you are of a worse societie of the societie of Babylon and then reade in the Prophets read in the Reuelation of what a miserable Corporation you are I leane the examination and comparison of these things to euerie mans priuate Meditation and passe forward to my Text. Hauing found for whom King Dauid conceiueth his desire wee must now see what he would obtaine for them and we shall find that it is in effect the same which he begged for himselfe he deliuereth his minde in fewer words but hee altereth not his meaning as you will perceiue when I haue vnfolded the branches First then he desireth that Sion and Ierusalem may be restored into the the state of Grace so doe I vnderstand these words doe good That you may see I doe not mistake them obserue that there is something which these words suppose and something which they expresse They suppose that the contagion of King Dauids sinne did cleaue to his people And surely so it did such is the reference betweene a King and his people that the finne of the one doth affect the other 2. King 21. Manasses filled Ierusalem with bloud and God was not pacified Quicquid delirant Reges plectuntur Archiui Prou. 28.2 till for Manasses sinnes he gaue Ierusalem into the hands of the Caldeans you see there how the sinnes of the King doe affect the people And contrarily the sinnes of the people doeaffect the King Solomon speaketh it plainely for the sinnes of the people there are many Princes God taketh them away by vntimely death as he did Iosiah This being true must not be mistaken for though each of their sinnes doe affect the other as farre as to bring punishments vpon them yet doth it not follow they should alwayes infect one the other and so deserue the punishment Euerie man hath cause of punishment enough in himselfe by reason of his owne peculiar sinnes but the occasion of punishing them is often taken from another mans sinnes such an one as betweene whom and him there is neare reference Vpon this supposition doth King Dauid make this prayer doe good as if hee should say my sinnes doe deserue that thou shouldest frustrate my good purpose and thine owne gracious promise vnto Israel Dauid succeeding Saul found the Kingdome in a verie bad case you may read it in the beginning of the sixtie Psalme and Dauid set himselfe for to recouer it againe as appeareth Psal 75. yea and God himselfe did promise by Nathan that all should doe well But now he might well doubt that God would let loose the raines vnto his enemies againe and interrupt all the peace and prosperitie of his Kingdome and so he should haue no opportunitie to goe forward with this Reformation he might feare least God would retract those gracious words spoken of Sion This is my rest for euer here will I dwell I will aboundantly blesse her prouision Psal 138. I will satisfie her poore with bread and I will also cloth her Priests with saluation and her Saints shall shout out aloud for ioy Hauing this iust ground of feare hee maketh this prayer doe good And so the good which hee meaneth must be Bonum indulgentiae and Bonum beneficentiae hee prayeth God not to lay his sinne to his peoples charge nor for his sake to interrupt their prosperity but rather to grant that the sonnes
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
You begin the Lords Prayer with Our Father and so professe that euery member of the Church and you are Children of one heauenly Father wherein you acknowledge in euery member a ground of loue Throughout the second Table of the Commandements our neighbour is enioyned to loue vs which iniunction to performe hee hauing taken vpon him in his baptisme we cannot looke on him but wee see ground why wee should loue him for then wee looke on the man that hath vowed vnto God that hee will loue vs. And if wee looke on him as he partakes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist then wee see another ground why wee should loue him for then we behold him as professing that hee doth loue vs in testimony whereof the Saints were wont to begin this Sacrament with a mutuall holy kisse in lue whereof the supersticious kissing of the Pax succeeded in the Romish Church You see then that if so bee the sociablenesse which is naturall requireth loue that of grace requireth it much more What shall wee say to them that are without the Church that persecute the Church is there any ground of loue in them yea the wickednesse of man cannot euacuate the right of Nature much lesse of Grace they are our neighbours whether they will or no by Nature because they are men and so are they also by Grace because they may bee Christian men so that wee cannot say to them in neither respect what haue wee to doe with you Therefore in the same person wee must distinguish betweene his ill affection towards vs and his neighbour-hood which God vouchsafeth him and not let the malice of the one intercept the sight of the louelinesse that is in the other And if so bee wee may not forget that spirituall Louelines which is only in hope as it is in Infidels much lesse may we forget that Louelinesse which is indeed in those which are Christians these haue in them most vndoubted grounds of Loue. The next degree of Diuine neighbourhood is betweene vs and the Church Triumphant Angels and Saints wee cannot doubt of their Louelinesse if wee know wherein their neighbourhood consisteth I shewed it you before and further they really testifie their Loue toward vs the Saints in praying for the Church in generall the Angels in being ministring spirits for the good of the Church Heb. 1. But here wee must take heed that wee inlarge not this bounderie too farre for men that haue made little account of Saints on Earth haue made too much of them when they haue beene departed this life and to Angels they haue attributed more then euer God bestowed vpon them Wee for the auoyding of their errours must confine our thoughts within the iust bounds of their Louelinesse The third degree of neighbourhood is that which is betweene the Church and our Sauiour Christ and here wee find the fullest ground of Louelinessâ— that euer was or will be created the Church saith truly in the Canticles totus est desiderabilis view him from top to toe C. 5.16 you shall find nothing in him that doth not shew him to bee a most louely neighbour peruse all his fore specified references towards his Church there is not the least of them that doth not challenge the loue thereof And now that wee haue gone ouer all you see a good reason why the word that is vsed by Moses Reang signifieth not only a neighbour but also a friend for euery one that is a neighbour is by the vertue of his neighbourhood to be accounted as our friend Secondly that all persons must bee considered as they are in God and Christ and not as in themselues otherwise wee shall misdeeme them for any communion which a man hath with God and Christ cannot but seeme vnto vs an apparant right that he hath to be accounted our neighbour and our friend But he that appeareth vnto vs as deuoid of both these communions hee cannot seeme vnto vs to bee our neighbour and therefore not our friend A third thing that I noted in the person whom we must loue is euery mans interest in him for the Law speaking to euery man saith He is thy Neighbour therefore thou must not looke vpon him only with thy direct sight but with a reflected also Let vs runne ouer the degrees of Neighbourhood againe and see how euery of them doth concerne euery one of vs. The first degree of humane neighbourhood is neighbourhood in place that was instituted as I told you Propter auxilium solatium and God knoweth there is no man that doth not stand in need of both and it is not Gods will that any should bee excluded from either but euery man hath an interest of helpe and prosit from him that is his neighbour in place therefore we must euery man take care to yeild and expect to receiue whatsoeuer helpe or comfort he hath in himselfe or is in any other these gifts must bee mutuall they must bee interchangeable a neighbour must doe for thee as well as be a receiuer from thee therefore doth God call the neighbour thine The next degree of humane neighbourhood is that of bloud wherein men are brought neerer one vnto another then they can bee by any politique Lawes because of a neerer interest which doth combine them the interest of nature For euery man hath his nature and being in or from those of his bloud the father hath his being in his sonne the sonne hath his being from his father a brother hath his being in a brother an vncle in a nephew And so betweene all other degrees there is an interest of being which one hath in anoher more or lesse as the degrees are more or lesse remote Whence it is that politique neighbourhood respecteth no man but out of deliberate reason it is quickened by hope of receiuing like kindnesse when time shall serue but neighbours in bloud respect each other out of an inborne affection for it is naturall to euery man to affect himselfe and his owne being without any farther consideration and consequently he cannot but affect another in whom he beholds his being to be preserued as well as in himselfe or from whom he conceiues his being to haue proceeded Hence it is that Parents loue their children and children their Parents and a brother loues a brother and an vncle his nephew euen where they looke for no retribution Come wee on to the third degree of neighbourhood which superaddeth another ground of loue and by consequent increase of interest This third degree goeth beyond that of bloud as the Lawes of men doe limit Consanguinitie but yet in true iudgement Consanguinitie hath no stricter limits then the nature of man because all men are made of one blood and so in true iudgement euery man must thinke that hee hath in euery man an interest of his naturall being and vpon this ground a man in whom nature is not degenerate will loue another man and doe for him be he
neuer so strange vnto him and though there be no hope to bee recompenced by him vpon this ground a Christian will loue and relieue a poore Turke But setting aside this iust extension of Consanguinitie that wee are all made of one bloud we are all neighbours also in that wee are all made by one God and after one Image of that God whence ariseth another ground of loue similitude in our nature we all resemble God and in our originall we all come from God and hence comes increase of that interest which wee haue one in another the father thinkes the bond of his naturall affection towards his childe to bee strengthened if his childe be like vnto him especially if he be like in that which is the greatest honour of the father so doth a brother thinke of a brother that is like him and generally similitude is conceiued to giue vnto those men betwixt whom it is an interest each in the other therefore men cannot in reason acknowledge that reference vnto God wherein they all meet they cannot conceiue how they all partake of the same Image of God which is their greatest honour as they are men but withall they must confesse a mutuall interest which hereby they haue one in another Let vs passe on from the Humane to the Diuine Neighbourhood see what interest we find there The more grounds of Loue the more interest Now here is grace added to nature Children we are all of the same Father in Heauen and not by many Descents as in humane Consanguinitie we fetch our pedigree from Adam but immediatly for we are all made children by the same Baptisme so is our Consanguinitie collaterall in the first degree And can we then denie a mutuall interest that are Fratres Germani Brother-Germans Let vs looke vpon one another as wee are in Christ our Sauiour wee are incorporated into him and so members one of another and therefore we cannot haue lesse interest one in another then the Eye hath in the Eare or the Eare in the Hand or the Hand in the Foot each hath need of the other and they may claime right each in the others abilitie Like interest will arise out of our being Temples of the Holy Ghost the liuing stones that make vp that building doe mutually support themselues Et fortitudo omnium tota esb singulorum they are made mutually necessary by the manner of their compacting Neither haue we a religious interest only in those that are alreadie in the Church but also in those that may bee What interest in re wee haue of them that be within we haue of them that be without in spe they may be Christians and so become profitable helpes vnto vs in the mysticall bodie of Christ in regard of this hopefull interest may they iustly claime our Loue and our paines to worke their Conuersion The second degree of Diuine Neighbourhood is betweene vs and the Saints and Angels in the Church Triumphant who continuing still to be members of the Church must needs with all continue vnto vs the interest which we haue had in them Therefore the Angels call themselues our fellow seruants And it goeth inter piè credibilia Reuel vltâ— that the Saints doe pray for vs at least in generall The last degree is the neighbourhood with Christ I need not proue vnto you that we haue an interest in him and he in vs. Wee call him our Lord our Sauiour our Brother and hee as many wayes calleth vs his his Bodie his Spouse his Church these mutuall appropriations dâ—e necessarily inferre mutuall interest Thus haue wee found the extent of neighbourhood in euery part of this extent we haue found a ground of Loue and there is not a parcell of this ground which doth not concerne euery of vs a man would thinke that the case being such our owne propension would produce the dutie and that there needed no such Commandement as Thou shalt Loue. But yet the Commandement is no more then necessary for what degree of neighbourhood is there which is not infested with hatred Neighbours in place how doe they enuie Tradesmen in Townes and inhabitants in the Countrie if their Lands lie neare quarrell euery where and seeke to ruine and destroy not only to vexe and disquiet each other as if that which was instituted for succour and comfort did yeild the best opportunitie for malice and rage to worke on As for neighbourhood in bloud Rom 1. how soone did Cain make that vnnaturall reply euen to God himselfe Am I the keeper of my Brother C ham discouered his fathers nakednesse The Apostle doth tell vs of Infidels that were without naturall affection and euery smatterer in Histories can giue examples thereof and iustifie that Prouerbe Rara est concordia fratrum Come to the more remote Consanguinitie which is moreouer graced with the Image of God few haue taken notice thereof strangers haue beene thought a sit subiect to prey on and men haue shed their bloud without remorce Matth. 10.21 And fareth it better with Christians Doth not Christs prophesie proue true The brother shall deliuer vp the brether to death and the father the child and the children shall rise vp against their parents and cause them to be put to death I neede not instance in particular persons for what Nation is there round about vs wherein there are not many lamentable spectacles of Ciuill warres and vnchristian throat-cutting The world is euery where full of Nabals and Samaritans As for Infidels rob them and reproch them we doe but who doth labour their Conuersion and seeke of enemies to make them friends and of strangers to make them fellow-citizens with the Saints But it may bee we respect the Church Triumphant more No euen here also our vncharitablenesse appeares for we grieue the Angels which are witnesses of our carriage and liue cleane contrarie to the good examples which the blessed Saints haue left vnto vs. Finally the world is growne so profane as that men tread vnder their feet the Sonne of God they account the bloud of the Couenant wherewith they were sanctified an vnholy thing Who can make any better construction of those blasphemies which come from foule mouthes when they call the sacred wounds and bloud and bodie of Christ to witnesse their impurities Seeing then there is so little Charitie towards our Neighbour take neighbourhood howsoeuer you will you see there is great need of this Commandement Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour But what is it to loue Gal 6. Ephes 4 I might tell you in few words Let not eueryman seeke that which is his owne but that which is anothers I might branch it into these two points first a man must bee carefull to doe no hurt and secondly doe all the good he can for his Neighbour and in doing good he must be as kind in aduersitie to weepe with them that weepe Iames 5. 1. Iohn 3. as in prosperitie to reioyce with them that reioyce
before that Ascension an Ascension of our Conuersation before the ascension of our Person Colos 3. Phil. 3. We must seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God We must haue our conuersation in heauen Of this the Hill putteth vs in mind as we are excellently taught by the Psalmes proper for this day the 15. 24. and 68. read them at your leasure and remember to learne out of them that groueling thoughts beseeme not the children of God I come at length to the last point the Israelites encamped before this mountaine Numb 9. the cloud which was their guide rested on it and where that rested they were to encampe and not to moue except that moued before them This was their twelfth and their longest station the cloud moued not hence almost in the space of a yeere the Tabernacle was built here and so much of the Law as is recorded vntill the tenth of Numb was deliuered before they departed hence But that which I chiefely note is that the place where they encamped was not onely sacred as you haue heard but also fore-appointed of God For when God appeared to Moses in the bush Exod 3. he said vnto him This shall be a token that I haue sent thee when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt Li. 2. c. 12. you shall serue God vpon this Mount Which Flauius Iosephus expresseth verie well In hoc loco sacrificium gratiarum actionis ob felicem successum offeretis where I first acquainted thee with the glad tydings which thou shouldest carrie to my people there shalt thou and my people offer me the sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing when I haue made good my word We haue a laudable custome this weeke to perambulate our parishes and in the fields to sing certaine Psalmes or read certaine portions of Scripture this some dislike as superstitious it is because themselues are not so religious as they should be You see Gods precept and the practise thereof you haue in the twentie fourth Chapter you haue likewise Iacobs vow and his performance of that vow by Gods owne appointment Gene 28.35 Though we must serue God in the Church and at home that hindreth not but we must serue God also in any other place where he hath done vs good or doth as in our Cattle Corne or whatsoeuer else belongeth vnto vs. The Iewes haue a conceit and others out of them that the Israelites pitcht vpon the East-side of the Hill that they might worship towards the West But that agreeth not with the storie because they came out of the South and it hath a false ground that what was commanded them when they were within the Tabernacle and the Temple whereof neither was at this time built should bee obserued wheresoeuer they were which could not be obserued after they were built for they were euer to pray towards them and that could not alwayes be East But the truth is as it appeareth verse 9. they pitcht about the hill as they might best see the representation of him and he might best be heard of them that was their chiefe generall There is a mysterie in it worth the marking with which I will end It sheweth that the Church is alwayes in Gods eye and God must alwayes be in the Churches eye And this is on his part a most gracious on our part a most blessed aspect LEt vs beseech God that we may bee euer as the apple of his eye and he may euer be the delight of our eyes in his Church Militant that so he may lift vp the light of his countenance vpon vs and wee may behold him as he is and that for euer in the Church Triumphant AMEN The second Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 3 4. And Moses went vp vnto God and the Lord called him out of the mountaine saying thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob and tell the children of Israel Yee haue seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings and brought you to my selfe WHen I began to vnfold this Chapter vnto you I told you that the contents thereof were the Circumstances and the Solemnitie that did fore-runne the promulgation of the Law The Circumstances were two the Time the Place I haue spoken of both I now come on to the Solemnitie In opening whereof we shall see First that there is a common minister vsed therein Then that there are two principall branches thereof The Minister is Moses he was common to the parties that did conâ—ract The Parties were First The Lord God Secondly the house of Iacob and the children of Israel betweene these Moses went Hee went vp from the people vnto God and God returned him with a message to the people God called him out of the mountaine saying Thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob The branches of the Solemnitie are two The first is a mutuall Stipulation which past before the parties met The other is a Preparation of the parties against their meeting answerable to either of their persons Though the stipulation were mutuall yet God beginneth and hee maketh the first motion then the Israelites answere and entertaine his offer In the motion which God maketh we must consider First whereof hee remembreth them Secondly vpon what termes hee will contract with them He remembreth them of two of his vndeniable workes One done for them The other done to them That which was done for them was a worke of Iustice it was Vindicta the reuenge of their wrong vpon that which he did to the Egyptians The worke which he did to them was a worke of mercie it was Vindicatio their deliuerance But touching this worke wee are taught more distinctly wherein it stood and whereat it aymeth or rather the Manner and the End of it the Manner God carried them on Eagles wings the End God brought them to himselfe These were the workes and they were vndeniable vos vidistis You saw those things with your eyes and you can desire no better proofe Only thus farre purpose I God willing to goe at this time and therefore I will not encumber your memories with breaking vp the Chapter at this time any farther That then we may orderly pursue our present purpose you may remember that the first particular I pointed out was the common minister And He was Moses a remarkable person Flauius Iosephus and Philo Iudaus amongst the Iewes Eusebius Caesariensis and Gregorie Nyssen amongst the Christians to omit others haue set out the life of this Worthy at large though some of them haue inserted Apocryphall relations Not to trouble you with whatsoeuer might be gathered out of them I will only out of the Scripture giue you some short notice of the man In Exodus the second he is set out as a spectacle of Gods extraordinarie prouidence by the barbarous Commandement of a cruell King he was exposed to the mercie of the riuer Nilus but he was
he committeth some to his seruants they are trusted with the keeping and the care thereof but if hee haue any thing of speciall price and which hee esteemeth more then ordinarie that he layeth in his owne Cabinet he reserueth the keeping thereof vnto himselfe The portion of Good which is so tendered is by the Holy Ghost called Segulia 1 〈◊〉 19. Luckâ— 2 8. which we render a peculiar treasure such as King Dauid had and Salomon Vnto this practice of Kings or great men doth God allude in this resemblance all the world is his but by commission or permission hee intrusteth his creatures with much of it but his Church is more deare vnto him then so he maketh her the subiect of his speciall care and giues vs to vnderstand that she is a speciall Iewell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exempt people and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of extraordinary note so the Translators render Segulla no phrase more vsuall in Moses then to call Israell a pretious people and neuer doth God resemble his Church when hee meaneth to honour it but hee resembleth it to things of greatest value I will not trouble you with the Canticles Cap. 4 1â— where it is called Hortus conclusus and is made the verie Paradise of God I will keepe my selfe to our present allusion In the old Testament the Tabernacle was a type of the Church as it was militant the Temple of Salomon was a type of it as it shall be triumphant and what were both of them made of but of the costliest timber mettall stones silke that could bee had Esay foretold the fabricke of the Church in the state of Grace that it should be of Carbuncles and precious stuffe and how sumptuous is the state of it in Glorie as it is described by Saint Iohn in the Reuelation Cap. 21. Our Sauiour in the Gospell compares the Kingdome of Heauen Math 13. which is the Church vnto a treasure hid and to a pearle of very great price But to speake more plainly the fountaine from which the Church springeth is the pretious louing kindnesse of God Psal 36 7. 1. Pet 1.19 the redemption that was paid for it was the pretious blond of Christ the foundation whereupon it is built Esay 28.16 1 Cor 3.11 is a pretious corner stone the doctrine by which it is built vp is gold siluer and precious stones the persons whereof it consisteth are vessels of Gold 1. Tim. 1.19 1 Pet 1 4 1 Pet 1 7. vessels of honour all the promises that are made vnto it are pretious promises and their faith is pretious how can they then chuse but bee a pretious people If you haue not enough to proue it that one phrase putteth it out of all doubt that the Church is Gods peculiar treasure God himselfe resides there and frameth the Church vnto his Image Christ liueth there the Church is his body the Holy Ghost doth breath there the Church is his Temple finally the Angels attend there the Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Alexand. it is the Sanctuarie of God Can there be any thing added vnto the value where there is such a Presence And where there is such a Prouidence becommeth not the Church most peculiar Certainely that which is the Treasure of those Diuine mysteries must needs bee accounted Gods peculiar treasure I will dwell no longer vpon the Resemblance onely take notice that it promiseth more then an ordinarie good in so significant a phrase And indeed what tongue can expresse the fauour that is implied in the value that God setteth on vs and the care that he will take of vs when he calleth vs his Peculiar treasure But what God resembleth that hee brancheth hee openeth the good more plainely which he did but shadow figuratiuely and the first branch doth set forth the Eminencie of the state of Israel They shall be a Kingdome of Priests The phrase is read diuersly 1. Epist 2. Cap 1. 5. Moses hath here a Kingdome of Priests Saint Peter rendreth it a Priestly kingdome in the Reuelation Saint Iohn telleth vs that Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests The reconciliation is easie for in the Church euerie member of the Church is so a King that he is a Priest and so a Priest that he is a King And why He is Primogenitus Gods first borne Exod 4.22 so God called Israel and Saint Paul telleth vs that they that come into the Church Hebr. 12. come into the congregation of the first borne Now the Law of nature doth acknowledge this right of Primogeniture that is made a man Lord of his brethren and Priest of the most high God so that these words Kings and Priests are equipollent to first borne and are the ground of our prerogatiue whereof you shall heare anon But let vs take these words a sunder Cap 16. Cap. 12. First then the Israelites shall bee Kings The Church as it is described in Ezekiel is adorned with a Crowne and that woman which is described in the Reuelation hath a Crowne of twelue Starres vpon her head Psal 45. Matth. 18. the Psalmist calleth her a Queene the Parable of the marriage Feast calleth her the Wife of the Kingssonne her state is royall and all her children are Filij regni Children of the Kingdome the Gospell that is verbum regni doth so honour them they are heyres apparent vnto the kingdome of Heauen Saint Chrysostome vpon 2 Cor. 1. Ad sinem Cap. doth excellently open the Analogie betweene a member of the Church and a King A King saith he hath a Crowne and God doth Crowne his people with mercie and louing kindnesse Psal 103. A King hath his Robes of state and the Church is at the right hand of Christ in a vesture of Gold wrought about with diuers colours Psal 45. Christ himselfe is her clothing A King hath his Guard tending vpon him for his honour and safetie and the Angels of God pitcht their Tents round about the godly Psal 34. A King hath a multitude of Subiects whom hee doth direct and correct and the children of God haue many thoughts and desires ouer which they haue power to order and represse them And indeed herein principally standeth the Kingdome residet in se quisque animo regali euerie man is a Soueraigne ouer himselfe hee doth polish his owne little Common-weale prescribing a measure and obseruing good order in his head in his heart in his soule and in his body It is the Kingdome of grace which is Preached in the Gospell 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 3. Iohn 8. 〈◊〉 1. by which we obtaine the Kingdome of glorie which is promised to them that rule well therein slâ—uerie to sinne is the direct opposite vnto this kingdome this title forbiddeth vs all earthly and sensuall thoughts and desires it requires that wee be kingly in both or else we doe not answere our title And the more is
saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth But beyond all is the testimonie of God the Father whether deliuered by the Prophet Psay Cap. 42. Behold my seruant whom I vphold mine elect in whom my soule delighteth or vttered by a voyce from heauen This is my welbeloued Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 For can he be lesse than altogether desirable that is Gods delight But passing by all these I will insist vpon three Titles of his which haue speciall reference to our good The first is Immanuel the name of his Person for it signifieth God with vs and how desireable is hee that hath knit that knot hypostatically in himselfe which is the ground of that mysticall knot which is to bee betweene God and vs wherein stands our eaerlasting blisse Certainely in regard of this name hee is most desirable the name that so linketh together heauen and earth a mortall wretch with the immortall God especially if you obserue that he is vnited totus toti the whole person of God to the whole nature of Man that we may be wholly ioyned and so doth he become wholly desireable of vs. His second name is Iesus that maketh him as desireable St. Bernard hath sumâ—ned vp the pleasurablenesse thereof in few but very sweet words Nomen Iesuest mel in ore melos in aure iubilum in corde all our reasonable acts are diuided into speaking hearing and thinking and loe we cannot speake of him but he is as honey in our mouthes and if wee heare of him the talke doth make the best melody in our eares finally the greatest ioy of our heart and the truest also springeth from our meditation vpon him The reason of all which is this Name soundeth nothing but Saluation and Saluation is the most wished most welcome thing to a childe of wrath to him whose sinnes can promise no better than a neuer-dying worme and an euer burning fire Well may we terme thee sweet Iesu that deliuerest vs from these plagues especially seeing there is no part of thee that hath not borne a part in sauing vs. His third name is Christ a most desireable name and why it signifieth a person anointed with no other than that which the Psalmist calleth the oyle of gladnesse This precious oyle poured vpon his head Psal 4â— 143. 45. ranne downe to vs the skirts of his garments insomuch as we now smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia and are now through him become a sweete sauour to God who in the corruption of our nature were loathsome vnto him Hee that was Christ that is anointed that hee might so perfume vs with the sweetnesse of his graces must needes bee to vs as hee beares that title wholly desireable But for your further insight into the louelinesse of this name resolue it into those three offices whereunto he was anointed and being anointed or consecrated vnto them was called Christ First hee was Christ a Prophet such a Prophet as wee cannot desire a better hee was the very wisedome the word of God grace was poured into his lips and they that heard him wondred at the gracious words that came from him and well they might for that which he vttered was Euangelium glad tidings of good things His Priesthood was more desirable than his Prophecie for hee offered the sacrifice of sweet sauour vnto God which expiated all our sinnes and propitiated all his wrath and vpon his crosse he prepared that delicate feast that Esay speakes of cap. 25. Fat meate full of marrow and pleasant wines throughly refined from the Lees His flesh and his bloud were made such a feast for vs though in dressing of them he endured much paine Finally hee was a King and in regard thereof hee is most desireable for his Kingdome is righteousnesse peace Rom. 14.17 and ioy in the boly Ghost Hee is such a King as maketh all his subiects kings and that of the same Kingdome which he himselfe hath euen the Kingdome of Heauen I need say no more to proue that hee is totus desiderabilis altogether desireable But he is more for he is also totum desiderabile all that can be desired which is not granted to any Creature The Scripture labours to make vs vnderstand that all that we seeke out of him is to be found only in him Happy saith Salomon is the man that findeth wisedome and the man that getteth vnderstanding Pro. 3. for the merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of siluer and her gaine than fine gold hee goeth on and parallels it with all that worldly men desire In Esay cap. 55. you haue the same parallel Ho yee that thirst come vnto the waters Christ himselfe to the Church of Laodicea presseth the same point Reuel 3. Thou thinkest that thou art rich and wantest nothing whereas thou art poore blinde miserable come to me and buy c. When St. Paul Phil. 3. had reckoned vp all his prerogatiues he concludes vers 8. I accompt all these but dung and losse in comparison of the excellent knowledge that is in Christ Iesus But most full is that place of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where obserue how he fitteth vs with supply from Christ as well for the Church Militant as Triumphant In the Church Triumphant we must haue vnderstanding heads and pure hearts that we may see God and enioy him and Christ giueth vs such heads such hearts for hee is made vnto vs wisedome and sanctification As for the Church Militant we neede therein discharge from our sinnes and deliuerance from woe and Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse that wee may come with boldnesse before the iudgement seate of God and redemption from the curse which is due to the transgressors of the Law Wisd 16.21 So that what the wise man saith of Manna is certainely true of Christ he is vnto euery man what he can reasonably desire hee serues to the appetite of euery eater and is tempered to euery mans liking The Septuagint as if they had intended to teach vs that all things desireable are in him haue vsed the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore we conclude that Christ is totum desiderabile and wee may all say with King Dauid What haue I in heauen but thee and what is there in earth that I desire with thee To end this point two things we must learne from this soueraignty of good which are concluded in this one rule Primum in vnoquoque genere est mensura reliquorum seeing Christ is the soueraigne good he must season and stint all our desires Fire is the originall of heate and the Sunne of light and we see that other things haue neyther heat nor light but as they doe partake of fire or the sunne and their measure of both is answerable to the participation of those originals So
came the Nations should beat their swords into plough-shares Esay 21 and their speares into pruning hookes Nation shall not lift vp sword against Nation neyther shall they learne warre any more cap. 11. the same Prophet by an allegorie doth elsewhere teach that where Christ commeth and is entertained he doth ciuilize the most barbarous Nations The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard lye downe with the Kid the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice denne they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters couer the sea Worthily therfore doth the Apostle call Christ our peace whose kingdome is righteousnes Ephes 2.14 Rom. 14.17 peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Moreouer obserue that to whom we owe our glorie to him wee owe our peace the blessings of God doe much affect vs as being good but except we haue securitie in the possession of them wee lose most of our content for it is a great accession to miserie once to haue been happy and plus refert vndè quà m quò cadas he that taketh a downe-fall from an high place is more sensible of that which he hath lost than of that which he suffers Therefore the addition of peace vnto glory doth import no small comfort which Esay also foretold cap. 4. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence The Apostle speaketh significantly Phil. 4.7 The peace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bee as a Court of guard to keep our hearts and mindes in the state of grace whereunto we are brought by Christ They that are rich and are to conuey their goods by sea or land haunted with theeues pyrants doe thinke themselues to be so much more or lesse bound to those that will secure their passage as their goods are more or lesse precious Goods of greater price than is the glorie of the house before specified there cannot be how great then is our debt vnto Christ who safe conducts vs with our glorie through the wildernesse of this world maugre the might and malice of the Serpent and the Lion of all our deadly foes You haue heard who settleth the peace in the place you must now heare how Hee giueth it And it is truly tearmed a gift for whereas there are two kindes of peace one made betweene parties whereof each is able to make good his quarrell against the other yet they are contented to auoyde trouble to agree vpon reasonable conditions the other kinde of peace is that which a conqueror out of his goodnesse vouchsafeth to persons subdued which are at his mercie and whom by the law of armes he might make slaues Our peace is of this later sort we all deserued to bee captiues to the diuell for wee were all become children of wrath by Adams sinne Ephes 2.3 When we lay thus weltring in our bloud no other eye pitying vs then God said vnto man Thou shalt liue Ezech. 16. Hee gaue him this peace therefore is peace a free gift Neyther a free gift onely but a stable also they are not induciae but pax not a cessation from armes for a time that admitteth a returne to warre againe but a reconciliation for euer a couenant of salt Gods mercie shall not depart and this couenant shall not be remoued Esay 54.10 Ezech. 37. Prou. 1. v. vlt. You haue heard what the peace is the place where it resteth by whom and how they are ioyned together what remaineth but that euery man enquire whether he haue this peace or not in this enquirie we must proceede ascendendo not descendendo the lower must assure vs of the vpper degree The abolishing of the guilt of our sinne is the darkest branch of our peace which wee know onely by faith But for the triall of this point of faith we must haue recourse to our conscience and inquire what peace we find there For the peace of our conscience is the looking glasse of that peace which we haue with God if we finde none there we haue none with God and we may be sure we haue it with God if we finde it truly there Truely I say for a man may be deceiued in the triall of his conscience many haue quiet consciences but it is because they are seared Wherefore we must looke one steppe lower and iudge of the second degree of our peace by that which we finde in the third we must see it in our mortification and subiection of the flesh to the spirit for iustification which doth quiet the conscience is inseparable from sanctification which doth reforme our nature Finally to remoue all doubt concerning sanctification we must looke to the effects thereof for a good tree bringeth forth good fruit and our conuersation will testifie our sanctification if our deeds be seasoned with charitie the spirit of God doth rest in our soules This inquirie is most behoofe full in these daies wherein more talke of peace than doe partake thereof partake I say of that true and full peace which here is meant by Haggai Yet lest men stumble by ouer great curiosity and dis-hearten themselues for the diuell is apt to make men as well despaire that they haue not peace when they haue it as to presume that they haue it when they haue it not wee must distinguish inter pacem viatoris and comprehensoris the peace of the Church militant and that of the Church triumphant Touching the Church militant it hath outward crosses and inward conflicts We doe not alwaies apprehend the light of Gods countenance it is often ouercast and hee is despleased with vs but it is as a father with his childe of whom the Poet Sit licet in natos facies austera parentum Aequa tamen semper mens est amica voluntas Therefore the cloud will dissolue and the light will cheere vs againe The worme is not so dead but if we sinne it will giue vs a remembrance a happy remembrance for it awakeneth vs to repent and beleeue which so soone as we doe the smart is at an end The law of our members will often times rebell against the law of our mindes and carrying vs captiue vnto sin will make vs cry out with St. Paul Rom. 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee front this body of death but the conclusion is comfortable Thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Finally very often when we speak vnto men of peace they will prepare themselues to war for except we will riot communicate with them in their sin they will hate vs so that we must redeeme our inward peace with an outward war In this case let it be our comfort that much happier is the war that keeps vs close to God than that peace which will separate vs from him Psal 23. Though I walke in the middest of the valley of
in both kindes and the people as it was glorified because the concomitancy maketh them receiue both in one kinde Adde hereunto that they must mocke the people with vnconsecrated wine or beare them in hand that it is arbitrary in the Church whether they shall or shall not haue it Their other reasons are ridiculous certainly they agree not with the precept Doe this No more doth whatsoeuer they doe besides as their Reseruation their Circumgestation their Application of the Host vnto many vses whereunto God neuer ordained it But the most notorious corruption of these words is that they are made a part of the Priests Ordination as if they did giue him power to sacrifice both for quicke and dead For from these words doe they deriue that part of the Priesthood yea vpon these words they build the Masse also as if Hoc facite were as much as sacrifice and immolate Christ vnbloudily But I will not stand to refute them As the Pastors worke is enioyned in Hoc facite so is the Peoples also they must doe as the Disciples did take that which was distributed amongst them eate that which was consecrated for them and they must feed thereon with their bodies and with their soules Not only with their bodies as carnall Christians doe nor with their soules as the Papists teach their people to communicate mentally with the Priest as if a man were euer fit to communicate mentally when he is not fit to communicate corporally but we must communicate with both otherwise wee are not compleat guests of this entire Feast And though of the two better the body bee wanting than the soule because the grace that possesseth the soule will redound to the body but the food of the body cannot benefit the soule yet seeing the body and bloud of Christ is the fountaine of life spirituall to our soules immortall to our bodies our best course is to eate and drinke with both that we may liue and liue in both blessedly for euer As the People must doe this so they must take heed that beside this they doe not eyther superstitiously adore the Elements or Atheistically prophane them in swearing either by the heauenly or the earthly part of the Sacrament The last Note that I will giue is the Commemoration that is enioyned by the precept Doe this in remembrance St. Paul expounds the word thus Shew forth the Lords death And indeede the Sacrament is a liuely representation of the crucifying of Christ and but a Commemoration For the Popish Masse is refuted in this very word and St. Pauls phrase which shew that Christ is not crucified againe but the manner of his crucifying Sacramentally represented to vs and so the Fathers tooke it But as the Pastor must commemorate the sacrificing in his worke so must the People the sacrifice in taking and feeding thereupon as vpon the viaticum peregrinantium militantum Finally that which remembreth vs must be often frequented by vs so must this Sacrament Wherein it differs from Baptisme which cannot be reiterated this may yea it must The first Christians thought so who at first receiued it euery day they may make vs blush whose deuotion is now so cold But I end That death which Christ endured for vs and doth offer to vs wee must remember in such signes and apply to our selues by such meanes as he hath appointed if we meane to be benefited thereby MOst mercifull Sauiour that by thy powerfull word hast consecrated these holy Mysteries of thy most precious Body and Bloud broken and shed to be the vndoubted pledges of thy Gospell and euer-running Conduits of thy Grace curing the deadly wounds of all our sinnes and satisfying as many as thirst and hunger after righteousnesse grant that we neuer neglect to receiue and when we receiue may euer be prepared prepared both in body and soule so here by faith worthily to feed on thee as thou representest thy selfe veyled in thy Church Militant that we may hereafter fully enioy thee as thou presentest thy selfe vnueiled in the Church Triumphant And in acknowledgement of this present grace and that future glory let euery one of vs become a sanctified Eucharist that with soule and body wee may now and euer sing Glory be to thee O Lord O Lord our strength and our Redeemer Amen IHS THREE SERMONS PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells at the Feast of WHITSVNTIDE EPHES. 4. verse 7 8. But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended vp c. to the 17. verse THe Apostle in former Chapters hath opened the mysteries of the Gospell but at this hee beginnes to deduce certaine rules of life which spring therefrom and hee doth specially recommend vnto the Ephesians three Christian Vertues Vnitie Pietie and Constancie he would haue them all agree in Gods truth and expresse that truth in their liues and not wauer in their liues for feare of the Crosse But more particularly touching Vnitie he tels them wherein it consists and wherefore it must be entertained Wherein it consists we learne in the verses that goe before but wherfore it must be entertained we are taught in these that now I haue read vnto you The Reasons are partly the meanes whereby and partly the end for which we receiue the gifts of God The meanes are two one Principall which is Christ the other Instrumentall which are his Ministers And the End is twofold first our Consummation in grace secondly our Preseruation from errour These bee the particulars which take vp so much of this Chapter as reacheth from the seuenth to the seuenteenth verse At this time sutably to the time I shall entreat only of the first of our meanes of Christ the principall meanes whereby we obtaine the blessings of God And here we are to see first What Christ doth then What right hee had to doe it What Christ doth is set downe three wayes but all yeelde but one sense first He giueth grace secondly He giueth gifts and thirdly He fils all things that is by him we haue Gods blessings But we may resolue them into two points the Gift and the Giuer the gift is grace and that grace hath power to fill and this is nothing but a description of the Holy Ghost which descended this day for he is the filling grace of God Of this gift the Giuer is Christ it is here called expresly his gift and he giues it discreetly because according to a measure and yet vniuersally not one of the Church which doth not partake it to euery one of vs is giuen grace This Christ doth and he doth no more than he may his right to doe it is gathered out of his Ascension which St. Paul describes to be a deserued Triumph The parts of a Triumph as they know which are read in stories were these two first the person of the Conquerour was carried in state and secondly the monuments of his
vntill the tenth Generation but against Incest he is more seuere Deut. 271 for he would not onely haue a generall curse pronounced against it whereunto he commanded all the people to say Amen but touching the Moabites and Ammonites the first spawne of Incest that we find in the Scripture though they were the posteritie of LOT whom GOD loued for AERAHAM's sake Deut 23. yet doth he command that they shall not enter into the Congregation of Israel for euer Israel is forbidden to seeke their peace at any time RVBEN is a second example marke what his owne Father IACOB said of him when he blest the Patriarkes Ruben thou art my first borne my might Gen. 49. the beginning of my strength the excellencie of digniâ—â—â— and the excellencie of power these were the preeminences of his birth-right but he forfeited them all for Incest as appeares in the verie next words of his Father Vnstable as water thou shalt not excell because thou wentest vp to thy Fathers bed then defiledst thou it He went vp into my couch A third example is ABSALON he abused his Fathers Concubines therefore he came to an infamous end he was hanged by the haire of his owne head he dyed childlesse and so his name did rot Leu. 8. The Land of Canaan spued out the old Inhabitants for Incest and GOD threatneth the destruction of Israel for that a man and his sonne would goe in to one maid Amos 2. By GODS Law no lesse then death was the punishment of Incest Leu. 10. The Lawes of the Land are more mercifull vnto you the Penitent that suffer you to breathe and leaue you to the censure of the CHVRCH But if you mind what you haue heard touching that censure and drinke in St AVSTINS conceipt therof you shall find cause enough to feare and freedome from death may seeme vnto you worse then death But yet your case is not desperate for there yet remaines one point in the Text which may yeeld a mitigation to your feares and a consolation to your Soule The censure is not mortall but medicinall as appeares in the end whereunto the censure serues Now a medicine you know doth first paine then it doth ease yea it doth therfore paine that it may ease so doth this ghostly censure it serues for the destruction of the flesh there is the paine but there followeth ease vpon it the spirit shaâ— be saued First of the paine As the flesh signifieth sometimes the substance sometimes the corruption of the outward man so may the destruction signifie either the mortalitie or the mortification thereof mortalitie if the censure proceed from the power which is proper to an Apostle but if it signifie the power which is common to Bishops with the Apostles it noteth mortification it signifieth the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof the putting off the old man and the dying vnto sinne And indeed this we intend by our Ecclesiasticall censures We intend that you should root out the sinne for which you doe penance and so destroy your flesh This is painfull to flesh and blood but vt valeas multa dolenda feres you must brooke the paine that you may enioy the ease that followeth thereupon the spirit shall be saued The spirit noteth the soule or the grace thereof the sauing of the soule is the preseruing of grace therein if the soule loose grace it looseth it selfe in regard of all well-being and it were much better for it not to be at all then to be without grace so that the saluation of our spirit is no small part of our happinesse Which must the rather be esteemed because if our spirit fare well it will make euen the flesh that is destroyed in regard of the corruption to be farre better in regard of the substance for it shall be purged from dead works to serue the liuing GOD. But when shall we reape this easâ— out of paine In the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Though a peniten euen in this life shall find some case in his Conscience yet the full benefit of Ecclesiasticall censure is reserued to the day of the Lord because all this life we must be mortifying our flesh especially enormous sinners must be so imployed the greatest of their ease in this world must haue a mixture of paine but in the day of the Lord they shall haue ease without all delay But what day of the Lord is meant here Euerie mans particular day of death or the generall doomes day An account must be made at both and if we vse the Ecclesiasticall censure well we shall find that this Iudgment preuents that this temporall the eternall For as CHRIST at his first comming came not to destroy but to saue so his Ministers that dispense the Gospel vse their power not to destruction but to edification But I thinke the day of the Lord signifieth properly the last day CHRIST will publikely manifest before the CHVRCH tryumphant the effect of the Keyes which he hath committed to his Ministers to be exercised publikely in the CHVRCH militant he will then reueale how all stand bound in Heauen which were neuer loosed on Earth and all whom the CHVRCH hath loosed in Earth shall then appeare to be loosed in Heauen I end The successe which St PAVL had when he inflicted this sentence was that the Corinthians became verie sensible of their fault and the Incestuous person of his St PAVL himselfe doth witnesse this 2 Cor. 7. where he amplyfieth both their godly sorrowes and his congratulating indulgence towards them both Oh that like successe might blesse my paines that I may giue as good a testimonie to this Congregation for their hatred of sinne as St PAVL gaue to the Corinthians and to this Penitent the like mittigation of his Censure as St PAVL to that Incestuous person So may this penitentiall sheet of his be turned into a white robe of righteousnesse his teares into ioy and all we that are humbled for him in the Church militant be with him exalted in the Church tryumphant Amen A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME TWO DID PENANCE FOR INCEST A MAN AND HIS WIVES DAVGHTER LEVIT 20. VERSE 14. Likewise if a man taketh a wife and her mother this is wickednesse they shall burne him and them with fire and there shall be no wickednesse amongst you NO sooner doe you heare this Text but I am ure you vnderstand this spectacle you vnderstand what sinners these persons are what doome this Law doth passe vpon them And indeed their sinne and Gods doome are the maine parts of my Text. But more distinctly In the sinne we must note first the fact then the haynousnesse thereof The fact is vnnaturall adulterie Adulterie because one man taketh more women then one that is plaine adulterie And this adulterie is vnnaturall because there is the neerest reference betweene the women the one a Mother the other her Daughter to take two
we become Blessed We become Blessed then not by hauing but by enioying for if hauing were enough euerie creature should be Blessed for all creatures haue him because they cannot be without him yea they liue moue and haue their being in Him Acts 17.28 But onely reasonable creatures are capable of happinesse for they onely can see God and take their Delight in God The vnderstanding and the will are those immediate faculties whereby we partake the Soueraigne Good each by a double Act First the Eye of the vnderstanding being illightned doth discouer it then doth the will sanctified fall in loue and make to wards it when they are both met then fals the vnderstanding a worke againe and doth vncessantly contemplate it wherewith the will is stirred to a second worke it takes inexplicable pleasure in it And this is the true enioying of the Soueraigne Good which makes a happie man Where hence we may also gather the cause of the Angels and Adams fall both of them were made after the Image of God and thereby made partakers of the Diuine nature they fixt their Eyes and setled their Affection vpon themselues that modell of Diuine being which they had in themselues and so fell in loue with themselues and ouer-valuing their own worth deemed themselues meet to be their own Soueraigne Good and so lost the true while they sought an imaginarie Happinesse But we must know that the abilities that we haue be they neuer so diuinely qualified are but Vessels whereinto we must receiue they are not the Happinesse it selfe which we must enioy the glorie of being the Soueraigne Good is the incommunicable prerogatiue of God But God is in Heauen and Man on Earth and of Man on Earth the rule is true He cannot see God and liue how then should he enioy him Exod. 33.20 and so become Blessed We must vnderstand that there is a presence of God in his Word which is apprehended by faith of which Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.13 Wee with open face behold the glorie of our God and are changed into the same Image this sight is Aenigmaticall as the Apostle speakes 1. Cor. 13. and like the beholding of our face in a glasse but yet is it a true sight and the pledge of a cleere It is true for whether we respect the Obiect God as he is described in his Word or our faith whereby we apprehend God so described neither can deceiue vs if they bee sincere if there bee no mixture of humane inuention with Gods Reuealed Will and our faith be not allayed with our corrupt affections As this darke enioying of God is true so is it the pledge of a cleere Men come not to Heauen per saltum men leape not out of the dregs of nature into the glorie of Saints neither can they be Blessed in the Church Triumphant that are not Blessed in the Militant but if we be Blessed on Earth by beleeuing God in his Word we shall be Blessed in Heauen and there our faith shall be turned into sight and God will shew himselfe vnto vs as He is we shall see him face to face Now because the state in Grace is Blessed as well as the state in Glory and these two Blessednesses are inseparable as we may gather by the two Titles that the Scripture giues vnto the Spirit which are Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 1.22 First fruits and a Seale or Pledge the Psalmist pronounceth them Blessed that performe their Vow two wayes Blessed Re and Spe Blessed in that they are in the Kingdome of Grace and Blessed in that they shall be of the Kingdome of Glory both these Blessednesses are included in this Word and more Blessed a man cannot desire to be As hereafter you will be more fully perswaded if this perswade not enough when you shall heare of the Euidences that are annext to either of these Blessednesses But for this time I conclude The summe of all that you haue heard and whereof I pray God we may all make vse is we must not hold our labour vaine which we take in seruing God and that wee contemne not the true Let vs not fancie a false Reward of our paines God vouchsafeth to be our Reward and we shall want nothing if we enioy him and enioy him we must by knowing and louing truly and sincerely though darkly and imperfectly in the state of Grace that we may cleerely and fully know and enioy him in the state of Glory God-grant that his Word may dwell richly in vs in keeping whereof there is so great a Reward PSAL. 1. VERS 3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leafe also shall not wither and whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper THis Psalme breaketh it selfe into as many parts as are contained in the Couenant of God therefore haue you more then once beene told that wee may consider therein the Parties to the Couenant and their mutuall Stipulation the Parties are Man and God Man is to vow his Dutie God doth promise a Reward Of the first Partie Man and his Vow you haue heard at large and I haue begun to speake of the second I haue shewed you what is obseruable in the second Partie in God And whereas touching the Reward the Psalme teacheth What it is and what Euidence there is for it I haue shewed you What it is vnfolding the riches that are contained in the first word Blessed It followeth that I now goe on and with the Psalme let you see what Euidence there is of this Blessednesse And here wee finde a double Euidence as there are two degrees of Happinesse Men are happie in this life and happie in the life to come of each the Psalme expresseth a distinct Euidence the Euidence of Happinesse in this world stands in the apparent difference that in this life appeares betweene the good and bad Good men are compared vnto a Tree and touching this Tree wee are taught what good is done for it and what good commeth of it The Good done for it stands in the Husbandmans care and choyce Care in setting the Tree for the Tree is not wilde but planted Choyce in setting it in a fruitfull ground For the Tree is planted by the riuers of waters this double Good is done for the Tree But what good comes of it Surely as manifold a Good for it proues well and is well approued it proues well whether you looke to the Principall or the Accessorie Good expected from a Tree the principall good is Fruit and this Tree bringeth forth Fruit Fruit that is good it hath the two markes of good Fruit stamped vpon it for it is kindly and timely fruit Kindly the Tree brings forth fructum suum such fruit as well beseemes such a Tree and so well husbanded neither is it onely kindly but timely also for the Tree bringeth it forth tempore suo in his season when it is fittest to serue the
senselesse a subiect Lib. 22. Moral Cap. 13. Gregorie the Great parallels Dauid in his Sinne with Lazarus in his Graue Christ cried with a loude voyce Lazarus come forth and it was not a weake voyce that could rouse Dauid out of his so dead a Sleepe and it is the common disease of all sinners nothing lesse then Gods Spirit can worke a spirituall remorse in them But the power of the Ministrie will appeare better in the successe wherefore I come vnto that The Successe was a speedie and a Sollemne Conuersion a Speedie he did not outface the Prophet he did neither denie nor extenuate his fault but presently acknowledged it and desired to bee vnburdened of it In Psal 37. gustauit tantùm peccatum saith Saint Ambrose vt ostenderet quomodo posset aboleri he tasted of the poyson but did not digest it he did not so take in sinne Dedoct Christian Iab 3. Cap. 21. but he could vomit it vp againe Saint Austin wittily obserues the word Hospes in Nathans Parable and shewes that sinne in the Children of God is but a stranger well may it be entertayned it cannot haue in them any perpetuall abode because it is not of the Houshould yea seeing they accompt this stranger to be an enemie they make hast to be rid of him we see this in Dauid and we must learne by him when we are roused to see that we are out of the way to make hast and not deferre the time to turne our feete into the way of Gods Commandements Psal 119. As Dauids Conuersion is Speedie so it is Solemne it appeares in two points in that hee penned this Psalme and that hee committed it vnto the Chiefe Musician Iames 5.13 First he penned the Psalme Saint Iames his Rule If any man bee merry let him sing holds not backward therefore euery man that singes is merrie There are mournefull aswell as there are ioyfull songs Gracelesse persons when they haue sinned are so shamelesse as to make ioyfull songes thereof witnes the impure Sonets whereof euery Age hath vented some none more then this our sinfull Age and they are accompted the fittest Musicke for their most riotous Feasts But Dauids Song made of his sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adolefull Elegie a verie Lamentation But what needed this after Nathan had absolued him yes there was great neede of it first His Confession to Nathan was very succinct and though praematura venia arguebat profundam Poenitentiam God knew he repented heartily whom hee forgaue so speeedily yet so short a Text needed a larger Commentarie least men should conceaue too shallowly of Repentance and performe it perfunctorily Secondly the Conscience is not so soone quieted as it is pardoned though our Faith doe rest vpon Gods Truth yet desire we to haue it confirmed by a liuely sense therefore a godly man newly recouered though he be safe is not secure which maketh him plie God with his prayers vntill he haue recouered againe his former Peace Finally God released all the punishment of sinne vnto Dauid but not all the Chastisement as it appeares by Nathans Absolution Dauid might desire to bee eased of that also and to that end hee might importune God with his passionate Prayer And it beseemes vs well when wee are free from the Flames of Hell to deprecate the calamities wherewith God may iustly visit vs in this life I come to the last note This Psalme when Dauid had penned it was deliuered to the chiefe Musician or Master of the Quire not onely to bee kept but also to be sung hee would haue the Church to witnesse to his Conuersion and take a good Patterne from him yea so it was made a part of the Cation and is to goe for a Rule amongst vs The Septuagint intimate as much when they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they intimate thereby that not onely Dauids Case must bee remembred therein but others also must be conformed thereto But I must end 1. As Nathan was sent to Dauid saith Saint Austin so is Dauid sent vnto vs we may nay we doe goe in to our Bath-sheba commit spirituall corporall fornication and God knowes we haue litle sense of our sinne As we tread Dauids steps in sinninge so in Dauids senselesnes let vs reade our owne 2. God doth not forsake vs when wee will not we cannot helpe our selues we haue many Nathans that are neither vnlearned nor idle they deale as discreetly as vnpartially it were to bee wished that as they are Needefull and Powerfull so they might speede with vs as Nathan did with Dauid and worke in vs a Speedie and a Solemne Repentance 3. If King Dauid were not ashamed so to humble so to afflict his Soule which of vs should be ashamed wee should not but as Saint Ambrose in his dayes Apolog. Dauid 1 c. 2. wee so may wee complaine in ours there are fewe men bee they but of meane substance that doe not thinke themselues too good to be so abased yet he that will not submit himselfe to this painfull impression of the Law shall neuer feele that more comfortable that springs from the Gospell GOd grant that seeing the best of vs shall euer carrie about vs a Bodie of sinne we may neuer want Nathans if it may be to prevent at least to make vs see our slips and that wee may bee as tractable as King Dauid submitting our selues to the voyce of the Law that wee may haue the benefite of the Gospell so may Pastors and People haue mutuall Comfort in the Church Militant and in the Triumphant be ioyntly blest for Euermore Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 1.2 1. Haue mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according vnto the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my transgressions 2. Wash mee thoroughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse mee from my sinne THis Penetentiall doth teach vs touching Repentance whence it springs and what it is Whence in the Title and What in the Psalme Of the Title I haue alreadie spoken It followeth that I now come on to the Psalme which when I haue ript vp and laid open before you you will haue iust Cause to say that it is the goodliest Picture of true Repentance that euer was drawne by the pen of the Holy Ghost The whole is a Prayer but of that kind which we call a Vow And as King Dauid did sustayne a double Person so is his Vow double Hee was a Child of God a deare one Hee was a Member of the kingdome the cheifest one he was a man after Gods owne Heart and hee was the King of Israel therefore he vowes not onely for himselfe but his Kingdome also But in setting downe his Vowes he obserues a good Order the first is for Himselfe the second for the Kingdome And why The Kingdome was wounded by his Fall and the Cure thereof depended vpon his Recouerie therefore doth he first take care of the Head from whom the same health was
of Israel may bee as plants growen vp in their youth Psal 141. that the daughters may bee as corner stones polished after the similitude of a Pallace that their garners may be full affording all manner of store c. But as before you heard that the places are taken not only historically but also mystically so must these words be answerable thereunto God then did good when he sent his Sonne into the world dissolued the works of the Diuell and gaue gifts vnto men And we must not conceiue of the corporall prosperity of Israel otherwise then as a Type of the spirituall It is excellently set forth by the Prophet Esay Chap 25. in this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make vnto all nations a feast of fat things c. Finally the word vsed by the Psalmist signifieth not onely to doe good but to doe it with delight and so God speaketh in the Prophets that hee will delight to doe them good and so doe it abundantly for we are not sparing in doing a thing when we de it with delight Yea and the good done as the word also signifieth Act. 14.16 shall containe in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be such as shall cheere vp the spirits of the Israelites hee desireth that to them that mourne in Sion may be giuen â—sa 61. beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning a garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Thus Dauid would haue Israel restored to the state of Grace Not onely restored to it but also preserued in it so it followeth in the Text Build vp the wals of Ierusalem In muris tuitio salutis Ierusalem could not be blessed but it would bee enuyed yea the more enuied the more it was blessed therefore it is not enough that it haue good it must also haue meanes to preserue that good otherwise better neuer haue it then to lose it againe Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri therefore is Dauid as carefull of the safetie as the plentie of his people And indeed he did strongly fortifie both Sion and Ierusalem the Psalme testifieth as much â—sal 48. Walke about Sion goe round about her tell the Towers thereof marke well her Bulwarkes c. But I dwell too long vpon the materiall Sion the Church also needeth a preseruation and she must haue her Wals but they are of another kinde A Lacedaemonian being asked why their City was not walled answered that they had valiant defendants which were in stead of wals vnto their Câ—â—ie the Heauenly Ierusalem hath no other wals the wals are the Angels that pitch round about it Zach. 2.5 yea God himselfe doth enuiron it as a wall so saith the Prophet Beside this inuisible it hath a visible wall the wall of the Citie hath 12. foundations and in them the names of the 12. Apostles of the Lambe All Gouernours that watch ouer Gods people Reuel 21. 1 Sam. 25.16 1. Pet. 2.5 Reuel 19. Cant. 6.4 and keepe away their enemies from them are as a wall vnto them for this is a liuing Citie and all the parts thereof are liuing and therefore Ierusalem is not onely said to bee trimmed as a Spouse but also the Spouse is said to bee faire as Ierusalem Yea euery mans Grace of perseuerance is a Wall vnto himselfe and thereby doth hee hold out against all the manifold temptations wherewith hee is exercised while hee is militant our Faith our Hope our Charity all our spirituall weale and comfort are secured by perseuerance Here is mention made not onely of Wals but of building and building importeth an addition vnto the former Fabricke And indeed great Cities are not brought to their perfection in an instant Rome wee say was not built in a day no more was Ierusalem it did flourish in the dayes of Dauid but it was to flourish more in the daies of Salomon the Temple was not yet built nor furnished with those Orders which Dauid receiued from God neither was the Policie setled or the Crowne entailed Dauid wished that all these things might bee perfected and the state raised to that pitch of Glory which it attained in the dayes of King Salomon But to the Mystery As the Church wanteth Wals in that it is militant so in that it is in Via in that we are but on our Way wee need Edification and Building vp Churches haue their nonage and euery member hath no beter beginning then of a babe in Christ wee must not alwayes feed vpon milke we must vse our stomacks to stronger meate Heb. 5. Ephes 4. they that are young lings must grow on to the age of perfect men in Christ they must grow on in Faith in Hope in Charitie these must receiue dayly accessions so lonâ— as wee liue in this world yea and wee must not thinke that here will be an end of our building our Faith must end in the sight of God our Hope in the fruition of God our Charitie in vnseparable Vnion with God vntill we haue put off our mortalitie and infirmitie and attained this perfection we haue not ended our Building And there is no doubt but Dauid looked thus farre But here we must take heed of two Errors First we may not looke for new Reuclations from Heauen as if God would adde any thing to his Oracles old and new Heretickes fancying otherwise haue set on worke the forge of their idle braines and haue broached illusions of the Diuell as diuine inspirations But Gods truth is consummated in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles neither doth it admit any accession either of Romish Traditions or Anabaptisticall Illuminations such building is Babylonish the building of Ierusalem is onely the working of Gods Word into our heads and our hearts to make vs wise and holy men The second Error is of Iudaizing Christians who dreame of an earthly restitution of that Citie and erecting of a glorious worldly Monarchie there which shal not only ouer top but ouer-rule all the world To countenance this fancy they corrupt many a Prophesie and deserue no other refutation then that check which was giuen vnto the Iewes vaine atempt in the dayes of Adrian the Emperor by his Generall and in the dayes of Iulian the Apostata by the hand of God himselfe Certainly my Text fauoreth no such Building but that out of Amos in Acts 15. vers 16. You haue heard the Contents of King Dauids desire I come now to see to whom he doth direct it vnto God vnto him it is that he saith doe good build thou And indeed to whom should he goe but to him that can and will grant what hee sueth for God onely can for hee that is Goodnesse must doe good 〈◊〉 1 17. Euery good and perfect gift commeth from aboue it commeth from him The eyes of all looke vnto him hee openeth his hands and filleth all things liuing with goodnesse In the Creation hee gaue beginning to the
when two or three are gathered together in my name I am a mongst them Wee pray that wee may receiue grace and when wee haue receiued grace what temaineth but that we giue glorieâ— and wee shall giue glorie as we receiued grace imperfectly here on earth because our grace is imperfect but when our grace is perfect then shall wee giue glorie perfectly to God in the Kingdome of Heauen and of that glory which is giuen in the Church Triumphant doe many of the Fathers vnderstand this place Finally marke a blessed accord betweene Gods acceptance and mans thankfulnesse it is an vncomfortable thing to serue and not to be regarded but if any thing will encourage it is this Math. 25. that we shall heare Euge serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy Wherefore let vs hearten our selues that God will accept and knowing that let vs doe our best to please I am come to the end of of my Text and withall to the end of the Psalme but God forbid your profit should end with my paines S. Austin thought that euery man should sing ouer this Psalme euery day and act a penitent as King Dauid did And indeed which of vs may presume better of himselfe then King Dauid had cause and who may not desire if he be so bad to speed as well as King Dauid did Hee began at Miserere fell as low in his humiliation as a mortall man can doe but you see how hee endeth his humiliation was not so low but his exaltation was as high and his ioy proued as great as euer his sorrow was It is a witty obseruation which Saint Ambrose hath hee maketh this Psalme a Psalme of Iubile hee gathers his note from the number In the Septuagint which most of the Ancients follow this is accounted the fiftieth Psalme therefore doth that Father parallel it to the fiftieth yeare The fiftieth yeare was the yeare of Iubile to the Israelites wherein all debts were released bondslaues were set at liberty and hee that had sold it was repossest againe of his Inheritance And doth not that befall a man spiritually if he be penitent which the Israelites enioyed corporally yea verily He that was by sinne a slaue vnto Sathan by repentance is mad a free-man of God vpon our repentance are all our debt-obligations cancelled which wee haue either inherited or contracted Finally it returnes vs againe to Paradise out of which wee were cast for sinne a blessed comfort of Repentance and therfore a blessed vse may we make of this Psalme the Contents whereof is this vertue of Repentance And what can I wish you yea and my selfe also but that from the misery of sinners wee may ascend to to the glory of Saints and WEe thy humble Seruants beseech thee our Lord Iesu Christ Hieroms Prayer that thou wilt be indulgent to our grieuous sinnes and grant that being humbled by true contrition of heart and hauing mortified all our corrupt lusts we may be prepared as an acceptable Holocaust vn to thee and with the Angels sing for euer Haleluiah Haleluiah So the Arabiâ— ends this Psalme Haleluiah in the Kingdome of Heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NINE SERMONS On the two and twentith CHAPTER of the Gospell according to S. MATHEW The 34 35 36 37 38 39 40. VERSES BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE late Bishop of that See LONDON Printed by W. S. for Nathaniel Butter 1629. NINE SERMONS ON THE TWO AND TWENTITH Chapter of the Gospell according to Saint MATTHEW the 34 35 36 37 38 39 40. VERSES THE TEXT 34. But when the Pharisees had heard that Iesus had put the Sadduces to silence they were gathered together 35. Then one of them which was a Lawyer asked him a Question tempting him and saying 36. Master What is the great Commandement 37. Iesus said vnto him Thou shalt Loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Minde c. The first Sermon NO sooner had I ended the Doctrine of Repentance which I set before you in the example of King Dauid but it came into my mind that the next way to perswade any man to follow it was to teach him how he might best bee acquainted with his owne state For though it be true that euery man that knoweth himselfe to bee guiltie doth not repent yet it is as true that no man doth repent except he know himselfe to bee guiltie Now the Apostles rule is Rom 7 verâ—â— Iam. 1. ver 23. that The knowledge of Sinne commeth by the Law the Law is a looking glasse wherein we may see what manner of Persons we are Whereupon I resolued to make the Law my next Text. Not that Law which was proper to the Iewes and was abolished by the Crosse of Christ the Ceremoniall and Politique But that Law which is common to all the World and shall neuer haue an end I meane the Morall Law which is contained in the ten Commandements And indeed they are the great store-house of cases of Conscience If euer a man be desirous to make a through inquirie into himselfe and giue vp against himselfe a true verdict they will set his Sinne most clearely before his eyes and lay it most powerfully to his charge They will But not so well except a man be first prepared you must first learne a lesson that containeth the Beginning and the Ending of the Decalogue and that is Charitie all the ten Commandements spring from this roote and this is the fruit that we must reape from them all they begin from and they end in Charitie this Charitie is the Argument of those words that now I haue read vnto you and the Text is nothing but a Preparatiue to the ten Commandements Let vs come then to it The whole doth containe a Conference betweene our Sauiour Christ and a Pharisee wherein it was to appeare whether of the two had more skill in Gods Law In breaking it vp I will consider the Occasion and the Argument The Occasion as giuen was Christs conquest of the Sadduces he had put them to silence as taken was the malice of the Pharisees they were so vexed therewith that they no sooner heard it but Conuenerunt they conspired to set vpon Christ this was the occasion Thus farre the Pharisee goeth I meane to goe no farther at this time in vnfolding the Text I will begin then with the occasion first as it was giuen Christ in a dispute had foyled the Sadduces the Text saith Hee had put the Sadduces to silence Here we must learne first what these Sadduces were they were a Sect sprung vp amongst the Iewes I will briefely relate their originall as the Hebrew storie hath it Antigonus Sochaeus not long after the dayes of Nehemiah was the chiefe Rabbin in the great Synagogue at Ierusalem Drusius de tribus sectis Iudaeorum who grauely instructing his Disciples is said amongst other words to
may learne it of the Pharisee in the Gospell Luke 18.11 I thinke God I am not like other men so doth he vaunt in his Prayer to God And indeed they thought themselues too good to conuerse with the vulgar sort But the ground of this conceit is worth the marking for by that time they tooke vnto themselues this name the forgerie related in the Apocryphal Esdras began to be current Lib. 2. ca. 14. ver 6.14 It began to be beleeued that Moses in mount Sinai receiued not only a Law which he writ but another also which he deliuered by word of mouth that Ioshua receiued it from him and others from Ioshua that so it continued by Succession vntil it was conueied into the Talmud The new Testament calleth it the traditions of the Elders the Iewes themselues Mishne which the Fathers render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea they are not ashamed to enter into a blasphemous comparison of the written Law with the vnwritten giuing the preheminence to the vnwritten aboue the written The Church of Rome hath dream't the verie same dreame in the new Testament as they did in the old and hath fained a traditionarie Gospell as the other fained a traditionarie Law And she commeth fairly after them in the blasphemous comparison the time will not suffer me to inlarge the Parallel others haue done it you may reade it in them I will insist no longer here vpon the Story of the Pharisee I shall meete with him againe Onely if you compare the Sadducee and the Pharisee and obserue how one did pare from the other patch to Gods Word how the one bent to Atheisme and the other to Superstition you will see how hardly men keepe a meane either in knowledge or conuersation some ouer-reach some reach not home But wee must hold it the truest Piety to confine our wits and conforme our liues to that will of God which we haue of record Hauing sufficiently described the Persons we must now consider their taking of the occasion When they heard they came together A strange thing for what was that which they heard was it not the making good of their Tenent against the Sadduces the prouing of the Resurrection of the dead A man would expect that they should congratulate Christs victory and reioyce in the refutation of the Sadduces Haply they would haue done so if there had beene nothing else but Christ got credit by the Sadduces silence the people wondred at it this was a corasiue to the Pharisees they were â—ealous that what Christ gained they lost Therefore they maligned his successe and malice hath no eyes to see good turnes or to bee moued with them Nay see Christ was taking their part against the Sadduces and they reuenge the Sadduces quarrell vpon Christ Malice doth not onely not see good turnes but it can forget also ill turnes to doe a mischiefe vnto those that are good The Sadduces and Pharisees were profest enemies yet both of them agree to take part against Christ so were Pontius Pilate and Herod made friends to crucifie him The extreames though most opposite yet doe either of them impugne the meane in morality couetousnesse indureth not prodigality nor prodigality couetousnesse yet both concurre to ouerthrow liberality As it is in the Abstract so it is in the Concrete men carry themselues according to the qualities wherewith they are seasoned And this is the reason why as in the time of Christ so in our times the orthodoxe Christian is assaulted and battered as well by the superstitious as by the prophane I haue not yet shewed you the depth of their malice it was much that it would not let them see Christs well-deseruing more that they did not see the ill-deseruing of the Sadduces but I wonder at neither of these blindnesses malice suffereth them not to see their owne desperate aduenture for they had not long before as it appeareth in this Chapter set vpon Christ and went awy with disgrace if they would not take warning from the Sadduces foyle they might from their owne But it is a true rule Malitia Ambitio nutriunt temeritatem impudentiam where a mans heart is possest with ambition or malice hee will bee commonly foole-hardie and past shame hee will venture without fore-sight of his present ruine and hee is shamelesse and senslesse though hee haue neuer so much cause to blush and take heed The Diuell tempted Christ and though he were twice repulsed yet he set on him the third time his schollers haue the same resolution Which must make vs not to wonder at the replications Chryâ—ost 16. in Math. and triplications of the Aduersaries of our Church Audi homo sidelis saith an ancient Father hearken to me O whosoeuer faithfull man thou art that willingly dost encounter an Hereticke if the Pharisee could be quiet then is there hope thou mayst quiet an Hâ—reticke but it is no more possible for to quiet an Hereticke then it was to quiet a Pharisee For what art thou stronger then Christ that thou shouldest quiet them whom Christ could not quiet No we must still beare in minde that the Church is militant when we haue put off one storme we must look for another Christ was so exercised and so hath his Church euer beene and shall bee vntill the end of the world Finis vnius cruciâ— est gradus alterius Christian men by one conquest doe but make way to another conflict Chrysost Hom quae supra And the Enemie of the Church saepe confunditur nunquam placatur though often confounded will neuer be appeased And let this suffice for the Occasion I come now to the Conference whereof the first part is the Question moued Here I told you wee were first to see Who moueth it Laying the words together I found there were two sorts of Actors many plotted for Conuenerunt in vnum all the Pharisees laid their heads together and they repayred all to Christ all their wits did hammer it and all their Persons countenance it they were not vnaduised vpon that which they spake and they did afford it their best assistance which maketh much for the amplifying of Christs wisedome and his constancie that could reply so sodainly to that which so many heads had premeditated and was not daunted with the presence of so many great Rabbines What Grace hee gaue to his disciples he wanted not himselfe Ma. 10.19 dabitur in illa hora his spirit did suggest in an instant what he should speake and he had a mouth giuen vnto him which the aduersaries could not resist As many plotted the Question so there was but one that did propose it S. Chrysostome and other of the Fathers obserue a policie herein for the Pharisees had reason to doubt of the successe vpon their former proofe therfore they handle the matter so that but one should speak if he preuailed they would all triumph because he was of their Sect but if he were foyld
one thing more which I may not omit concerning the nature of Charitie and that is the Constancie thereof Loue is strong as death Iealousie is cruell as the graue Cant. chap 8. the coles thereof are coles of fire which hath a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench Loue neither can the flouds drowne it if a man would giue all the substance of his house for Loue it would be contemned Abhorret vera Charitas omnia distrahentia pereat qui inter nos dissidium volunt Wee must not bee like little children that loue to day and hate to morrow nec ita amare ut aliquando osuri manente bonitate non exigente superiore lege aut patriae aut religionis I haue competently opened vnto you the nature of Charitie But you must obserue that whereas there are two things in it the qualitie and the exercise thereof Bernard it is not the qualitie but the exercise that commeth vnder the commandement Vbicunque in Scriptura dilectio requiritur non tam extgitur dilectio affectus quam Charitas operis Gal. 5. Deut. 10. the qualitie is the gift of God for hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitatis efficax it is hee that maketh men to bee of one minde and circumciseth mens hearts that they may loue and Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit And the Spirit doth worke it in our hearts not only by mouing without qualifying them as Peter Lumbard erroniously thought hee improueth our Charitie too farre but the Loue of God is powred abroad into our hearts by the holy Spirit Expla 11 ad Carth. substantialis Charitas dat accidentalem as S. Bernard speaketh God which is Charitie giueth vnto man the gift of Charitie But when we haue receiued the gift of God wee must employ it wee must not receiue the grace of God in vaine As in nature so in grace wee haue our abilities for action and the Parable will tell vs what will bee our doome if wee hide our Talent But the Commandement is affirmatiue and therefore tenet semper but not ad semper wee must neuer be without a louing disposition yet are we not bound to manifest it but as occasion shal be offered vs. Yet must we take heed that we neither will nor do ought that is contrary vnto Charity You haue heard What is giuen in charge you must now heare to Whom this charge is giuen Thou shalt loue and this Thou is Israel so wee read in Moses Hearken O Israel Thou shalt loue Deut. 6. It is giuen then to the regenerate for Israel is a name of the Church of those that were in couenant with God and had in their flesh the seale thereof Without the Church is the Kingdome of Satan and where Satan raigneth there Satanisme that is hatred is there can bee no true Charitie Iohn 13.35 Christ telleth vs it is the badge of his followers By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples Cant 2 4. if yee loue one another In the Canticles it is called the Banner of the Church now you know that the Banner keepeth euery Souldier to his owne station and so strengtheneth the whole by euery ones good order And wee neuer breake our ranke in the Church militant and hazard the whole by our disorder but wee doe it through want of Charitie What is spoken to the whole Church euery member must take it to himselfe and vnderstand himselfe in the word Thou Saint Paul hath taught vs that hatred and Charitie distinguish carnall and spirituall men 1. Cor. 3. by Charitie Saint Iohn telleth vs it is knowne that wee are borne of God 1. Ioh. 3.10 Sola Charitas diuidit inter filios Regniaeterni Austin de Trinit silios perditionis saith Austin wee haue no assurance that wee shall bee Saints in heauen except wee entertaine the Communion of Saints on earth if in this life wee delight in hatred after this life wee shall bee ranged with those which are hatefull But whose charge is this who is hee that commands Thou shalt loue surely it is Gods charge hee layeth this commandement vpon his Church Doe you heare it and not wonder at it God is a Soueraigne Lord hee may giue what Lawes please him vnto the Creatures which hee hath made yet see how gracious hee is hee will lay no other charge vpon his Church then that which may bee performed by loue then which kind of command nihil facilius nihil foelicius none can bee more easie Chap. 38. c. none can be more happy nothing more easie for what difficultie can there bee in Loue If God should come vpon a man as he did vpon Iob and presse him to reueale all the secrets of the Creation and prouidence much more if hee should bid him open the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heauen hee might answere Alas Lord I am an ignorant man If hee should bid him build such a Temple as Salomons was and furnish it with so many instruments and ornaments of gold and of other precious stuffe hee might say alas Lord I am a poore man If hee should bid him goe and roote out all Infidels from the face of the earth hee might answere alas Lord I am a weake man And so to many like commandements hee might plead some excuse But when God saith Thou shalt loue no man hath any excuse to plead but the malignitie of his owne nature yea no man comes to Heauen that did not loue though many poore ignorant weak ones c. come there A poore man may loue as well as a rich an ignorant as a wise a weake as a strong especially seeing though Charitie consists of beneficentia aswell as beneuolentia good deeds aswell as good will yet there is a dispensation allowed for want of good deeds ◠Cor. 8. if a man haue a good will For hee is accepted according to that which hee hath not according to that which hee hath not So that although God hath dispensed his temporall blessings vnequally yet the spirituall he will haue common vnto all I meane those which are the Graces of Adoption amongst which Charitie is a chiefe one and by it though there be otherwise great distance betweene man and man yea the Creator and his Creature yet may they easily bee brought together Neither is Loue onely an easie worke in it selfe but also it doth facilitate other things our doing our suffering both are made easie by Charitie Let a man attempt any thing whereunto hee hath no minde and it groweth presently tedious but Loue takes away all bitternesse of paine It was a painfull life that Iacob liued vnder Laban as he sheweth in Genes Gen 29 vers 20. 31. yet the seauen yeares that hee serued for Rachel seemed to him but a few dayes for the loue that hee had vnto her The like we may obserue in all sorts of men that are affected with any kind of
errours in Chronologie I will not trouble you with enumeration of them they that are learned may find them in the Chronologies the ignorant may find enough in the common Almanackes That which I will obserue vnto you is That our mercifull God hath so done his wonderfull workes that they ought to be had in remembrance and amongst other helpes of memorie God vseth this of Chronologie We should not thinke of these dates of times but we should refresh our memorie of that which was done at the beginning of that date God was pleased that the Israelites should so bee remembred of their deliuerance out of Egypt And the Church by whose ordinance the yeere of the Lord is so familiar in our tongues and in our pens would haue vs still thinke how much we are bound to God for the Incarnation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Descend to smaller matters but yet of good regard when you find in your Almanacke the generall Earthquake the yeere eightie eight the Gun-pouder treason c. Consider with your selues that neither Gods iudgements nor his mercies ought to bee forgotten by vs. Yea this Chronologie must put vs in mind that neither our being nor our being that which we are be it good or bad was alwayes the same There was a time when it was otherwise with vs and the memorie thereof must not be buried in obliuion least we proue vnthankfull as certainely we will if we make not so good vse of the Chronologie And let this suffice concerning the first circumstance the circumstance of time the Beginning and Ending thereof Let vs now come to the second Circumstance of Place And here wee must first see Whence the Israelites came immediatly they departed from Rephidim a place of pressure and the last place where they conflicted with difficulties before they receiued the Law Exod. 17. Numb 33. There was no no water and there Amaleke set vpon them But God relieued them supplying them with water and giuing them victorie ouer their Enemies God did not giue them a Law before hee had giuen them good proofe of his gracious power hee made them feâ—â—e the extraordinary reliefe of his hand before hee spake vnto them with his voice thus dealt hee in deliuering of the old Testament And thus dealt Christ in deliuering of the New hee wrought miracles before hee preached Sermons And indeed this is a very likely way to preuaile with men to haue their reason first subdued before their faith bee informed When reason is first brought to confesse that which is done cannot be done but by a diuine power then will faith easily beleeue that what is spoken Iohn 3. is a diuine word Learne this of Nicodemus Master wee know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man could doe that which thou doest except God were with him Act 14 v. 16. So were the men of Lystra the jaylour and others brought to beleeue Another note is that there is great difference betweene Gods dealing with them before they came to Rephidim and when they came there For before they came there their deliuerance from their enemies was wrought by God without any concurrencie of theirs Exod. 14. v. 13. Feare you not saith Moses stand still and see the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew you to day But afterward when Amalek came and fought with Israel Exod. 17. v. 9. then Moses said vnto Ioshua Chuse vs out men and goe out fight with Amaleke c. I will pray Though God was pleased to deliuer them from their enemies yet not without their owne labour of body yea and deuotion of mind too after he had once set them free Therefore it was fit they should now haue a Law to guide them in their actions and in their deuotions and God giueth them one And vs whom preuenting grace doth first make Christians without any cooperation of ours afterward will God haue to be instruments to cooperate with him and that in this cooperation we follow his direction for hee loueth not wil-worship and therefore that wee may doe what pleaseth him in the seruice wherein hee vseth vs hee giueth vs for our Guide his sacred Law Thirdly whereas God first gaue them Victorie and Water at Rephidim and when they were free from bodily danger and prouided of food then God gaue them the Law We may here obserue Greg. Niss de vit mos p. 17â— that Homo supponitur in Christiano and our animall life must be prouided for that we may intend our spirituall Come we at length to the last Terme of this second Circumstance and that is the Place whether they came and where they setled This place was the wildernesse of Sinai they pitcht before that mount First the place was a wildernesse Philo Iudaeus inquires the reason De Deâ—â—log why God would giue his Law not in some Citie but in a vast Desert And though hee resolue modestly what is the true reason God onely knoweth yet doth he yeeld some likely reasons One is this because the worldly imployments of Citizens wherein their thoughts and desires are for the most part taken vp make all sinnes abound there both against the first and second Table and men so prepossest are not capable of good lawes Retirednesse from such imployments and solitarinesse which silence those clamorous and disturbing thoughts and affections open mens eares and hearts better to listen to God When wee are weaned from the world we are fitter to bee Gods Disciples to learne what he teacheth therefore God saith Ose 2. v. 14. ducam vos in solitudinem loquar ad Cor. This made many in the Primitiue Church to forsake Cities and the frequencies of people and in solitarie places to to giue themselues to spirituall contemplation Which custome degenerated long since into superstition whereof the Church of Rome hath too many spectacles in there Anchorites and Ermites mâ—ere hypocâ—ites which abuse the credulitie of the simple with their seeming holinesse A second reason which he giueth is that as Nauigators before they set to Sea are prouided of Tackling and other necessaries which they must vse at Sea so God was pleased to furnish the Israelites in their way with those Lawes which they were to make vse of when they came into the Holy-land You may if you please improue this reason mystically Canaan was a type of Heauen the wildernesse a type of the world which we must passe through the grace whereby we must liue in the world to come we must be furnisht with in this present world Glophy 〈◊〉 To leaue Philo Iudaeus take another from Cyrillus Alexandrinus Desertum typus Ecclesiae militantis a Desert is a type of the militant Church certainely this Desert was it did most liuely represent to the Israelites what they were by Nature and what they became by Grace This wildernesse was of it selfe a disconsolate place it had neither meate nor drinke for reasonable creatures yet did
More distinctly to breake vp this Application I will obserue therein Argumentum and Argumentationem What is affirmed and How it is inferred That which is affirmed is in a word this The Religious deuotion of the Militant Church is very powerfull but is not very lasting The Church is here called the Elect of God but we haue to doe with no more of them then are on earth that limitation is in the end of my text wherefore no more of the Church is here mentioned then that which is militant The Church being militant is made deuout by the Crosse the Elect therein are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being conscious to themselues of their owne weaknesse they call for helpe against their aduersaries The text telleth vs to whom and how They call vnto him that is best able and most willing vnto God and to him they call earnestly for they crie and constantly for they cry day and night Such is the religious deuotion of the Church Militant And such deuotion is Powerfull marke with whom and to what effect It is powerfull with him to whom the Church prayeth it preuailes with God And the effect to which it preuaileth is vindicatio cum vindictà the deliuerance of the Church to the vtter confusion of her foes God will auenge his Elect. But yet in this auenging festinat lentè God maketh no more haste then good speed for he forbeareth long and yet he stayeth not so long as to come too late hee will auenge speedily The deuotion is powerfull But it is not very lasting the rest of the text will teach that Neuerthelesse c. though deuotion steed vs so much yet become wee most lither when we should ply our helpe most And here marke first how the word is changed Before our deuotion was called crying here it is called faith There is good reason for the change for Prayer if it be religious is Oratio fidei it is endited by and vttered from our saith This crying faith or faithfull crie hath a wayning the nearer the world is to an end the older it groweth and becommeth weaker The end of the world is here meant by the comming of the Sonne of man at that time the dotage shall I call it or rather death of this deuotion shall appeare for it shall be sought for then but it will not then bee found there will bee then found no such praying as is powerfully deuout These things shall you find in that which is affirmed After that you must see how they are inferred And we shall find that the inference is made strangely but strongly Strangly for whereas God should be a patterne to the best of men here one of the worst of men is made a paterne vnto God And that is strange But yet the conclusion is strong for if there be any sparkle of compassion in stonie hearted man how tender are the bowels of our most gracious Father Whatsoeuer good the best of men will doe God will doe the same insinitely much more You haue the contents of my text what remayneth but that wee beseech God that I may cleere them so plainly and you so religiously entertaine them that whereas the ends of the world are hastening vpon vs our languishing deuotion may so be quickned that we may come with boldnesse to the throne of Grace obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in all our time of need The first particular which I pointed out was the Title that is here giuen to the Church it is here called Gods owne Elect which is all one in the Originall Tongue with Ecclesia the things as well as the words haue a neere cognation And if you looke vpon them well they are though a short yet a full definition of the Church for the Church doth consist of a number of persons exempt from the common condition of men and none can so exempt them but only God More plainly Men by the common condition of their nature since the fall are children of wrath a Masse of Perdition they are without God without Christ without the Spirit without the Couenant without hope without all true life To be elected is to be taken not only out of the number but out of the condition of such wretched men to be made vessels of mercie a new lumpe vnto the Lord to be admitted into Gods house to bee incorporated into Christs bodie to be possessed of the Holy Ghost to be made parties to Gods Couenant partakers of the Communion of Saints and heires of euerlasting life This is the Exemption or Election here remembred And such an Exemption such an Election none can make but God God only can forgiue sinnes release punishments giue grace adopt for sonnes finally doe whatsoeuer was before exprest in the Exemption euerie branch is a Royall Prerogatiue of the King of Heauen But I must not omit to obserue vnto you That if Gods Election I speake not of the eternall Decree but the manifestation thereof in the Church militant there are two Acts. The first is the admission of persons into the outward Congregation and vnto the Sacramentall Obsignation which is nothing else but the outward profession of man that he is a partie to the Couenant of God Deut. 7. Psal 146. and so Moses telleth the Israelites that God hath chosen them to be his peculiar people which is no more then that God hath giuen them his Law which he had not done to euery Nation Rom. 9. Saint Paul addeth more particulars of this kind and in this respect giueth the name of Elect to whole Churches of the Gentiles But besides this Outward there is an Inward Act of Election and that is the operation of the Holy Ghost giuing vnto vs spirituall Wisdome and Holinesse making vs Gods children and members of the mysticall Bodie of Christ And that Church which wee beleeue in the Creed is partaker of both these Acts of Election aswell the Inward as the Outward and these latter are Electi ex Electis whom Christ doth designe when he saith in the Gospel Many are called but few are chosen Because there are none in this world actually of the Church inuisible but those that are in the visible and men cannot distinguish betweene the persons that partake either only one or both of the Acts of Election therefore in my text we will take the definition of a Church in the widest sense according to the rule of Charitie which the Scripture obserues although the power of denotion doth properly concerne the whole visible Bodie by reason of the better part thereof those which are aswell inwardly as outwardly of the Church The vse that wee must make of this definition of the Church is by the first word to be remembred of our Prerogatiue If we doe partake only the outward Act of Election how much are we better then the Heathen that know not the true God nor the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ and are destitute of all those meanes by which
of death and being the stronger rifled that strong mans house so that we may well say If God bee with vs who can bee against vs if we relie vpon his wisdome wee shall neuer be circumuented neither shall we be opprest if we relie vpon his Power therefore the Church doth well to make her prayer vnto Him But how doth she pray First feruently for she cries In the Ceremoniall Law Incensio went before Ascensio the Sacrifice was set on fire before it yeilded an odour of sweet smell ascending vnto God besides the siluer trumpets sounded aloud with varietie of other Musicke while the Sacrifice was burning These were but types whereof the morall was that we must not be lither in deuotion but expresse a feruencie therein And we haue a good Precedent in our Sauiour Christ who prayed with strong cries Heb 5. King Dauid doth expresse his earnestnesse by many sit Similies of parched ground that gapes wide for the showres of raine Psal 41. of a chased Hart that breatheth and brayeth after the water brookes Psal â—4 Nâ—â—m of the passions of Louers which are very violent And God liketh such deuotion for sitit sitiri he longeth to be longed after But we must remember that there is Clamor Cordis Oris a crying of the heart and the mouth And as God is specially Inspector so is he also Auditor Cordis as his eyes are specially vpon our hearts so are his eares open thereunto Non vox sed votum non cordula musica sed Cor Non Clamans sed Amans cantat in aure Dei God doth best vnderstand and accept the sighes and groanes of our spirit which cannot be exprest And yet Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur the sire that is in the heart will not be supprest a vehement passion will make a vehement eloâ—ution Psal 39. But when we crie we doe it to manifest the earnestnesse of our affections and extremitie of our distresse not to rowse God as if he could not otherwise heare that were a conceit fit for the worshippers of Baal â— King 18. Tertull. de Oratione whom Elias scoffes for it for quibus arterijs opus si pro sono audiamur if the crie of the voice were the measure of deuotion he that hath the most Stentorean voice should be most deuout but we must know that no crie of the lips can ascend higher towards God then it is carried vp by the feruencie of the heart though the seruencie of the heart can ascend vnto God though the tongue bee mute for God said to Moses why cryest thou when hee spake neuer a word Whether wee pray only with the heart or also with the voice we must be remembred by this practice of the Church to be earneest therein earnest in our Soliloquies when wee enter into our Closet much more when we are mustered in the holy Assemblies must our deuotion offer a gratefull violence vnto God according to that good paterne which we haue Psal 130. The Church prayeth earnestly not only so shee prayeth constantly also she cryeth day and night The foure Beasts in the Reuelation day and night cease not saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almightie which is the practice of the Triumphant Church Moses was willed to make all things according to the patterne that was she wed him in the Mount therefore he instituted that the Sacrifices should burne day and night Of the day there is no question and it is put out of all question concerning the night also by those words in the Psalme Behold Psal 134 blesse yee the Lord all yee seruants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord 1. Chron. 9 33. and that phrase which we meete withall often in the Scripture of keeping Gods watches The New Testament should herein answere the Old and wee are willed therein to pray continually 1. Thess 5. The Diuines haue a rule Precepta affirmatiua tenent semper sed non ad semper the habits of vertue must euer bee in vs but wee must performe the Acts when we haue iust occasion certaine times we must appoint our selues for Prayer not only in the day but also in the night so did Dauid he remembreth it often and no doubt but others did it aswell as he for the Church speaketh thus in Esay Esay 26. With my soule haue I desired thee in the night with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early Christ spent nights in prayer Acts 16. and Paul and Silas prayed and sang prayses vnto God at midnight And the Canonicall houres which are mentioned in the old Liturgies were distributed aswell through the night as through the day To say nothing of the Vigils at solemne times But so much of the publike old Deuotion which was vsed in the night long since degenerated and is out of vse euen in the Church of Rome as Bellarmine confesseth though priuately men may pray at all houres and no doubt but many doe aswell in the night as in the Day Some not contented with that limitation of affirmatiue Precepts to congruous time do mingle our Meditations with our actions so Saint Ambrose Clamant opera tua clamat sides clamat affectus De Cain 〈◊〉 Abel clamat passiones clamat sanguis whatsoeuer good wee doe or crosse wee suffer patiently that is a reall prayer But to let passe these Obseruations which may haue their good vse as may that also which vnderstandeth Prosperitie by Day and Aduersitie by Night and telleth vs that we must pray in whatsoeuer state wee are I will obserue vnto you that which is more proper and profitable and which will shew you that indeed the Church Militant doth crie day and night take the words as strictly as you can Obserue then that a man prayeth many wayes First in his owne person as Dauid did who professeth of himselfe that in his aduersitie he gaue himselfe vnto prayer wee haue his practice in the Psalmes and we haue Christs not only practice but precept Watch and pray yea Matth. 26. Chap. 6. and direction too When thou prayest enter into thy chamber c. Finally this dutie is made a part of our Catechisme no man therefore should be ignorant of it no man should neglect it Secondly we pray when any member of the Church doth pray for Christ hath taught euery man to say our Father so to include others aswell as himselfe euen all that are members of the same bodie so Singuli orant pro omnibus 〈…〉 omnes orant pro singulis euerie man prayeth for all the Church and all the Church doth pray for euery man And this is no small part of the Communion of Saints which wee beleeue in our Creed for God will that Oratio bee Insigne charitatis that out prayer be a perpetuall Badge of our mutuall Charitie Thirdly euery man prayeth when the Minister serueth God he doth not only pray for vs but we also
any man it bethinketh it selfe whether hee can if he would or whether hee would if he can if it can cleare these two then it resteth secure but if it cannot bee satisfied in eyther or both it doubts and distrusts Now in both these doth the holy Ghost here satisfie vs touching Gods Word in that it maketh God of a mighty power so that none can resist his will he is the Lord of Hosts and of a stedfast will which is inseparable from so high a degree of Loue as is zeale Touching the first of these Pillars that support Gods Word I obserue vpon this phrase The Lord of Hosts that there is in God a double Power an internall noted by Iehouah and an externall noted by the Hosts The first is coessentiall to the nature of God and is as infinite as God is But though this Power be yet it is not apparant and it is that which is apparant that must satisfie vs therefore God hath manifested his power as it were in his creatures which come within our reach and whereof wee haue daily experience these are all termed Gods Host We look vpon them and consider nothing farther in them than what they are according to their kind the Sun we take to be a Star that ruleth the day and the Moone a Starre which ruleth the night wee thinke the Aire was made for our breath and the Earth to beare vs fruits finally what Creature is there from which wee expect not some such seruice The seruice they doe vs wee take notice of and our eye is vpon it but it is not vpon that seruice which they doe vnto God though it should be vpon that principally and it is that which is intimated by this word Hosts So that as Christ is set forth to be a King so also that he wanteth not an Armie all the world is his armie there is no creature in heauen and earth that fighteth not vnder his banner And this title is very ancient for euen in the second of Genesis when the world was made the whole receiued this name it was called an Host And God did before hand giue man to vnderstand that it was good for him to obserue his allegeance otherwise there was no possibility of escaping seeing he was enuironed with the souldiers of God As likewise that he need not feare if he did well because he had so great a guard These two Lessons should we reade in in this title of the Creatures which may also be applyed to correct their errour that suppose a confusion in the affaires of this world Gods prouidence so ordereth all things that they neuer cease to be a well martialled Armie True it is we cannot perceiue it as long as we stand in the leuell of the world but if we ascend into Gods Mount and from out of his Sanctuary behold the occurrents of this life we shall see how euery creature marcheth vnder his colours and euery one keepeth his ranke Another thing that wee must marke is that at first there was but one Armie for we reade Tzebaam Genesis 2. but after the Fall then we read Tzeboath that one is become two euer since God pronounced Ponam inimicitias Michael and his Angels haue contended with the Dragon and his Angels and two Armies haue beene on foote in the field But though they be two and two so opposite yet is their Generall but one for my Text maketh but one Lord of Hosts The reason is cleare The wicked may subducere se felicitati but they cannot subducere se potestati diuinae though like Rebels they march against their Generall yet doth this Generall not only retaine his right vnto them but also his power and authority ouer them he hath his bridle in their nostrils and but when he will and no farther than he will can they stirre or preuaile And this hand wherewith God so ordereth and stinteth their malice is a iust ground why he is termed The Lord of Hosts And fitly in this place doth he receiue this title because mention is before made of difficulties which sprang from the enemies of the Church by which it might seeme vnlikely that the Church being brought so low should euer recouer it selfe so well But all of them are not to be regarded seeing he that promiseth is The Lord of Hosts The word Hosts may also be referred only to the Church which though it be but one Catholicke one yet hath it many particulars parts of that whole one So that as all the Romane Souldiers of the Empire were but one Army in relation to one Emperour whose they all were and by whom they were alike commanded though in regard of the particular Generals by whom they were conducted in seuerall parts of the world they were named seuerall Armies Euen so doth the Scripture speake of the Church sometimes as of one sometimes as of more Armies as of one Reuel 12. as of many Psalme 110. or Psalme 48. In the Leuiticall seruice it vseth the very word Tzaba and the Apostles continue that metaphor speaking of the spirituall seruice of God And if you so restraine the word Hosts then is this branch of the warrant very apt also for it implies a reason of the Churches growth and of Christs employing his royall endowments in ordering and stablishing thereof And why euery Church is his Host and what doth a Generall more delight in than the perfection of his Armie the double perfection as it is both militant and triumphant by grace and glory You haue heard the first branch of the warrant the second branch is the remouall of the second impediment to wit The changeablenesse of Gods will he can no more vary in himselfe than he can be resisted from without and why this Lord of Hosts hath zeale and zeale is the height of Loue which Loue if once it possesse the will it maketh it an vnchangeable will Zeale is an affection proper vnto men who ouer and aboue their will whose obiect good is and to which belongeth the choyce thereof haue two attendants thereon the concupiscible and the irascible part whereof the first is that which moueth towards the obiect the other encountreth whatsoeuer difficulties hinder our attaining or enioying of it when these two come to a height they become zeale for zeale is compounded of them both The nature of it seemes to be described in the eighth of the Canticles where the Church desireth to be set as a seale Set mee as a seale vpon thy heart as a seale vpon thine arme for loue is strong as death iealousie is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are coales of fire which hath a most vehement flame Many waters cannot quench loue neyther can the flouds drowne it If a man would giue all the substance of his house for loue it would vtterly bâ— contemned This affection being properly in man is by the holy Ghost ascribed vnto God but not ratione affectus but effectus and in reference to that
the shadow of death yet will I feare no euill if thou O Lord art with me thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort me c. In all assaults of our peace wee shall at last bee conquerors And this is enough ad pacem viatoris to the peace of the Church militant that wee shall neuer so be deiected but we shall haue strength enough to rouse our selues with King Dauid and say as Psalme 42. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee hope in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God and be as resolute as St. Paul Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that iustifieth c. who shall condemne it is Christ that is dead c. with the temptation God will make a way for vs to escape that wee may be able to beare it 1 Cor. 5. Wee may expect no more than this in the Church militant because as Christ came to preach peace so hee came also to send a sword and if the worke of the house prosper in the hand of Zorobabel and Iosua Tobia and Sanballet will impugne it no sooner doth Christ rest gloriously in his Church but there wil be many that will professe enmity against it But the time commeth when all enmitie shall cease all enemies shall be put downe wee shall be fitted for and admitted vnto the sight of God when our glorie shall be consummated and withall our peace bee made perfect so perfect as that it shall be euerlasting What shall we say then to these things Liuie When the Romanes by conquest might haue giuen law to the Grecians at Corinth in the solemne time of the Istmian games their Generall by an Herauld vnexpectedly proclaimed freedome to all the Cities of Greece the proclamation did at first so amaze the Grecians that they did not beleeue it to bee true but when it was proclaimed the second time they gaue such a shout that the very Birds flying in the ayre were astonished therewith and fell dead to the ground Ps 126. Or if you will haue a better storie take that of the Iewes who when at first they heard of Cyrus proclamation and that the Lord thereby had turned the captiuitie of Sion they confesse that at first hearing they were like men that dreamt but afterward their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue with singing Now the peace that the Grecians and the Iewes had was but a temporall a corporall peace how much more reason is there that our affections should bee strained to the highest pitch of ioy and thankes when wee heare the proclamation of our peace which is so true so perfect peace the peace not of our bodies but of our soules a peace not of our earthly but of our heauenly state a peace that shall so be begun here that it shall endure for euer Wherefore let vs acquaint our selues with God Iob 22. that he may giue vs peace Christs peace Iob 5. which maketh God at peace with vs reconciles vs to our selues and maketh vs at concord with all the world So may we lay our selues downe in peace and take our rest and God which onely can will make vs dwell in safety Psalme 4. NOw the Lord of peace himselfe giue you peace alwaies 2 Thes 3.16 by all meanes Amen THE SIXT SERMON Thus saith the Lord of Hostes. THese words thus saith or saith the Lord of Hosts haue often come in my way since I first beganne the vnfolding of this Text and I still past by them you may thinke I did forget or neglect them but it is not so they are of greater moment than that I should doe the one or the other I reserued them to the last because then I thought I might handle them best For they are the warrant of Gods vndoubted truth and a warrant is then seasonably opened when that whereunto it is annext hath beene fully declared You haue heard of the blessed presence of Christ in Zorobabels Temple of the preparation thereunto of the description thereof the description of the person that should come of the good that he should doe his bountie in giuing set forth first absolutely then comparatiuely the security of his gift consisting in a foure-fold peace These be many they be great blessings lest we should feare that they are too good to bee true our eye must bee vpon the warrant that will ascertaine vs that nothing is promised which shall not be performed In opening of this warrant I shall informe you of two things What it is and Why it is reiterated so often It is the signature of a most powerfull Person There is a double power Internall Externall this Person is mighty in regard of both in regard of the Internall for he is the Lord in regard of the Externall for he is the Lord of Hostes. As for his signature it is such as beseemes so great a Person plaine and peremptorie thus he saith And these words taken ioyntly are the full warrant of the preachers message and the peoples faith He saith enough to assure and command if he say only Thus saith the Lord of Hosts and they must neither dis-beleeue nor disobey if hee say no more The reason why the words are reiterated so often is the weightinesse of the matter expressed in the reiteration The holy Ghost hereby would worke in vs a regard answerable to the matter which hee hath declared to vs and cause vs to ponder it as it deserues Let vs then in the feare of God listen to the vnfolding of those particulars which I haue pointed at whereof the first is the power of the person The first branch of his power is his internall power it is noted by the name Lord. In the originall it is Iehouah and Iehouah is that name which signifieth the first moment of Gods nature for it noteth his being and being goeth before liuing as likewise doe the attributes of being goe before the attributes of liuing the later doe necessarily suppose the former Mistake mee not I meane not that Gods nature is compounded but wee cannot conceiue the onenesse of all his perfections therefore wee helpe our selues in our contemplations by distinguishing them as they are in the creatures which are a shadow of the Creator a shadow like a body which receiues distinct beames from the Sunne all which in the Sunne are but one for so those perfections are but one in God which grow manifold as they come from him to vs. But to our purpose When Moses was desirous to know Gods name the first that he exprest vnto him was this I am or I am that I am the meaning is all one with the title of Iehouah which is here rendred Lord and giueth vs to vnderstand that all other things in comparison vnto God indeed are not though they seeme to be for they haue not the two characters
be otherwise minded will they nil they they shall one day finde that they haue no exemption from them Thus saith the Lord is our warrant regard not our persons regard that Lord whose Embassadors wee are receiue the words wee speake so long as we speake his Words not as the words of men but as the Word of God Finally couple Thus saith with the Lord of Hosts The Lord of Hosts noteth Gods Power Thus he saith noteth his Will Our soules shall finde little rest on Gods Power if it be not sure of his Will for God can doe many things which he will not doe though he cannot will any thing which he cannot doe Luke 3.8 God could raise vp Children vnto Abraham of stones but hee would not but the many miracles which he hath wrought shew that hee can doe what he will The coupling then of these words Thus saith the Lord of Hosts imports Gods willing power and powerfull will which amount vnto an authority fit to build our Faith vpon and to giue law vnto our Conuersation I haue sufficiently shewed you What the warrant is wee must now in few words see Why it is repeated so often For I dare say you shall not finde any passage in the Scripture where Thus saith the Lord is so often read in so few lines The reason is the weightinesse of the matter whereunto it is annext Mortall Princes vse not to signe Bils the contents whereof are triuiall matters many things are done by vertue of their Authority whereunto their signature is not vsed Euen so ordinary matters passe in the Word of God without nay speciall vrging of his Authority when that is prefixt the point is of great regard and if it be often ingeminated it giueth vs to vnderstand that we must take speciall notice of euery clause of it What must wee gather here then but the weightinesse of euery branch of this Text And indeede if you haue not forgotten what hath been obserued on euery part thereof you will easily confesse that there is not one of them which is not so weighty as to deserue Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Was not the shaking of Heauen and Earth the shaking of all Nations a weighty point and therefore deserued it not to be signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the shaking did deserue this signature much more did the Comming of the desire of all Nations especially seeing he came to fill the Temple with glory and as it deserued so it was signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the giuing of Glory were a matter of great moment what shall wee say of the degree of Glory Surely it required a great ability so great as we would hardly haue beleeued had we not bin heartened by Thus saith the Lord of Hosts and it must proceed from so great bounty as may be testified by the same Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Finally the peace wherein we possesse whatsoeuer good is contained in Christs presence doth so passe mans vnderstanding that to establish his heart in the beliefe thereof he needes this signature Thus saith the Lord of Hosts At length to conclude You haue heard in the former Sermons What in this Whom you must beleeue you must not separate Whom from What that which we must beleeue doth no doubt most pleasantly affect vs because it is our good but he whom we must beleeue doth most firmely secure vs because he is the Author of that good As then when wee gather fruit from a tree we doe not fixe our eyes onely vpon the boughes from whence we immediately gather it but also thinke vpon the roote which feeds those boughes and maketh them to bee fruitfull so in our religious meditations we must couple the Author with the Matter of blessings that God may be glorified as well as our soules are benefited If we say with Saint Paul I know whom I haue beleeued then we shall be secure that he will safe-keepe whatsoeuer any of vs committeth vnto him hee will keepe our soules keep our bodies and all that which himselfe hath bestowed vpon them Grace and Peace Christ will keepe them vntill his day his second day the day wherein the great and the little world shall receiue their last shaking Then shall the desire of all Nations which at first came in Humility returne againe in Glory hee shall returne to fill his House his Church with glory conformable to his owne Glory Then hee will open vnto vs all his treasures of siluer and gold and therewith adorne his Spouse which being Triumphant shall infinitely exceed her selfe as she was Militant Then shall our Peace come to the full and none shall be able to take our blessednesse from vs because none shall be able to separate betweene vs and Christ They shall not if we build our Faith vpon Gods reuealed Will vpon his Almighty Power vpon my Text Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Now let vs that are a handfull of his Host while we are militant so giue glory vnto the Lord of Hosts that we may hereafter bee triumphant and hauing palmes in our hands and crownes on our heads with harpes and tongues wee may sound and sing ioyntly and cheerfully Halleluiah Praise ye the Lord and with the whole Host of the Kingdome of Heauen saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heauen and Earth are full of thy Glory Amen יהוה A SERMON PREACHED Vpon the ANNVNTIATION day LVKE 2.28 Haile thou that art highly fauoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women THis is a part of the Gospell appointed for this day and this day goeth commonly for the Annuntiation day whether the day haue his right place in the Calender I leaue to be disputed by Chronologers what is meant by the Annuntiation is an argument fitter for Diuines certainly for the Pulpit the third part of this Chapter treats thereof and it is conceiued in forme of a Dialogue In the Dialogue there are two speakers the Angell Gabriel the Virgin Mary and each of them maketh two speeches the Angell to the Virgin and the Virgin to the Angell The Angell in his first congratulates the Virgin whom hee informeth from God that she shall bee the mother of Iesus Christ Good newes but strange strange that a Virgin should be a mother this Virgin the mother of that Childe The Virgin thought so nay she said so whereupon the Angell addeth his second speech importing that though the thing be wonderfull yet the meanes are powerfull these must be thought vpon as well as that and she must resolue that nothing shall hinder it because it is the Holy Spirit that will doe it So spake the Angell The Virgin replies vnto him to his first speech shewing her willingnesse to vnderstand the message which hee brought that is gathered out of her question Quomâ—do c. to his second shewing her readinesse to obey so soone as shee vnderstood it that appeares in her submission Ecce c.
I will giue them Luke 4.6 notwithstanding he is but an Vsurper Neither is Antichrist any better who sitteth in the Temple of God and carrieth himselfe as God 2. Thos 2. taking vpon him that power ouer the consciences of the people which Christ neuer gaue him the particulars are many you may meete with them in the Casuists and in the Controuersie Writers I will not trouble you with them Our Sauiour Christs power is iust For it was giuen vnto him But when First in his Incarnation for no sooner did he become man but he was annointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power therefore the Angels that brought the newes of his Birth to the Shepheards said that to them was borne a Sauiour which was the Lord Christ No sooner did the Sonne of God become man but hee was inuested with this power the eternall purpose of God and Prophesies of him began to be fulfilled the Godhead communicated to the manhood this power not changing the manhood into God but honouring it with an Association in his workes the manhood is of counsell with the Godhead in his gouernment and Christ from the time of his Conception wrought as God and man who before wrought onely as God Of this gift speaketh the Psalmist Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of mee and I will giue thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance c. Psal 2. and in Daniel chapt 7. one like the sonne of man is brought vnto the Ancient of dayes and to him was giuen a kingdome c. But though this gift were bestowed at Christs Conception yet was the execution thereof for the most part suspended vntill his Resurrection some glympses he gaue of it and shewed his glory in his Miracles but for the most part he appeared in the forme of a seruant and his Humiliation was requisite that he might goe through with his Passion his power though it were not idle before yet was the carriage of it veiled and therefore acknowledged but by a few But after his Resurrection God gaue him this power manifestly and the world was made to see it clearly for Christ did then not onely cloath his person with Maiestie but shewed himselfe wonderfull in the gouernement of his people Therefore the time of the gift is by the Holy Ghost limited to the Resurrection and declared to be a reward of his Passion so saith the Psalme Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels that thou mightst crowne him with glory and honour Psal 8. St. Paul applyeth it vnto Christ Heb. 2. Rom. 14 and tells elsewhere that Christ dyed and rose againe that hee might be Lord both of quicke and dead The same he teacheth the Ephesians and the Colossians Cap. 1. Cap. 2. but especially the Philippians Christ being in the forme of God took vpon him the forme of a seruant and did exinanite himselfe and became subiect to death euen the death of the Crosse therefore God exalted him and gaue him a Name aboue all Names c. This gift or manner of giuing is properly meant in this place the gift of power in reward of Christs merit for by this merit did he enter into his Glory and into his Kingdome And from this must Ministers deriue their power which Christ hath right to conferre vpon them not onely by the gift of his Conception but also by the reward of his Passion As Christs power is lawfull so is it full also for hee hath all power a plenary power The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth note sometimes a passiue power sometimes an actiue a passiue power as in those words of the Gospell to them that receiued Christ hee gaue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power to bee the sonnes of God Iohn 1.12 actiue when Christ sent his Disciples hee gaue them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power ouer vncleane spirits Matth. 10.1 that is to cast them out According to this double acception of the word is the fulnesse of Christs power diuersly expounded Some say it is full passiuely before Christs Resurrection Christ was obeyed but per nolentes by those that serued him against their will and so hee was serued but to halfes but afterward hee gathered Populum spontaneum an ingenuous willing people Psal 110. a people that should serue him readily not with a mixt will halting between two or between willing and nilling but with all their heart and cheerfully not like luke warme Laodiceans for the Kingdome of Heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it Matth. 11. This is the Interpretation of some true in it selfe though not so proper to my Text. Therefore we must vnderstand it of an actiue power that power which by allusion out of the Prophets words is specified in the Reuelation Cap. 3. He hath the Key of Dauid that shutteth and no man openeth openeth and no man shutteth he hath both Keyes of the Church Clauem Scientiae and Clauem Potestatis the Key of Doctrine and the Key of Discipline hee giueth all men their Talents and calleth them to an account for the vse of them It is he that separateth the Sheepe from the Goates and from his mouth proceedeth as well Goe ye cursed as Come ye blessed But if you will haue it to the full it is comprehended in those three offices whereunto Christ was annointed he was annointed to be a Prophet a Priest and a King all by an Excellency all Heauenly and what power is there belonging vnto spirituall gouernment which is not reduced vnto these three And they were all three in him without exception without restriction and so he had all power or as I told you a power vnlimited in it selfe And yet marke the phrase it is omnis Potestas not Omnipotentia though in Christ as he is God there is Omnipotency yet that power which hee hath as Mediatour is of a middle size it is greater than any Creature hath Angell or Man but yet not so great as is the infinite Power of God that extends ad omnia possibilia to all that possible may bee But the power which God hath giuen to the Mediatour is proportioned not to scientiae simplicis intelligentiae but visionis it extends as farre as the Decree which God made before all times of all that shall be done in due time especially concerning the Church it hath an hand in mannaging all that Prouidence and mannaging it in an heauenly manner As the power is vnlimited in it selfe so it extends to all places Hee hath all power in Heauen and in Earth Heauen and Earth are the extreame parts of the world and in the Creed are vsually put for the whole but in the Argument we haue in hand we must restraine it to the Church which consisteth of two parts one Triumphant in Heauen the other Militant on Earth Christ hath power in both for both make vp his body and he hath reconciled both vnto God In Earth he giueth men Grace in Heauen he giueth
their message plainely and roundly and renued it more than once so resolute did Gods presence make them Whereas afterward when God threatned to withdraw his presence by reason of the vntowardlines of the Israelites cariage Moses speaketh plainly to God If thou wilt not go with vs send vs not hence and yet then he had 600000. men with him and more notwithstanding all that ayde he had no heart to enter vpon Canaan till God promised againe that hee would goe with him as also his being with Iosua made Iosua valiant and of a good courage To passe ouer the like promise made to Gedeon and others not so pertinent to our purpose though shewing how auaileable Gods presence is Cap. ◠Cap. 3. Ieremie and Ezekiel that were Prophets had an employment in nature much like vnto this of the Apostles and wee finde that both of them startled at their message and held backe till God drew them on with a promise of being with them But of all promises that is most markeable which is made to Zorobabel Zachary 4. Who art thou O great Mountaine before Zorobabel thou shalt become a plaine hee shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace vnto it This is the worke that Zorohabel shall doe but what is the meanes not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord. Mat. 10. In this sense our Sauiour Christ when he sendeth the Apostles hee biddeth them not to take care what they should speake for that not they but the spirit of their Father should speake in them and Christ promised to giue them such a mouth and wisedome Luke 81. as all their Aduersaries should not be able to gain-say nor resist By this you may perceiue that it is not a generall presence that is promised which is common to the good and the bad but a speciall and that a gracious Presence a Presence which hee to whom it is vouchsafed may well ioy in and be comforted by for what good shall he want what euill neede he feare with whom Christ is so present But you may resolue Christs presence with his Apostles into the Protection of their persons and Cooperation in their worke Prosp ib. 2. de wocat Gent. The protection of their persons Non vt nihil patiantur sed vt non superentur Christ did not protect them so as that they should not suffer the Crosse but that they should conquer by it as himselfe had done their Martyrdome was their conquest and they most aduanced the Gospel when they sealed it with their bloud As for Christs Cooperation it is plaine that the conuersion of the world was Mutatio dextrae Altissimi that in such a moment of time the Gentiles in all knowne parts of the world should bee so brought to entertaine the Gospell was a worke of no weaker power than that of the Almighty it was his worke Qui facit mirabilia magna solus that onely doth great Wonders But what is this to vs that are Ministers now wee are not Apostles True but wee are the Successors of the Apostles and Christ promiseth not onely a powerfull but a perpetuall Presence he promiseth to be with them alwayes vnto the worlds end I might tell you that the Apostles liue in their writings to which all succeeding Pastors are tyed and the miracles which they wrought are to Posteritie the warrant that their worke was Christs and so Christ in vs is with them But more distinctly If hee had said vnto them onely alwayes wee might haue vnderstood it as of a personall Promise a Promise proper vnto them but when he addeth to the worlds end others are comprehended also euen the succession of Pastors wee also must comfort our selues with the promise of Gods protexion we shall neuer want crosses in the world but we must hope that God will make perfect his strength in our weaknesse And we must comfort our selues with the Cooperation of Christ and acknowledge that wheresoeuer Paul planteth and Apollo watereth it is God that giueth the increase it is not we but the Grace of God with vs that doth produce these supernaturall effects in the people their Regeneration their Absolution their ghostly Consolation c. Vnder Vobiscum With you you must comprehend not onely Pastors but People also for Where two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ I am in the middest of them and in the Reuelation Christ appeareth walking in the middest of the golden Candlesticks In regard of protection Zach 12. he promiseth to bee a wall of fire vnto his people and in regard of cooperation he promiseth that they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God and they haue an Vnction that teacheth them all things Finally the phrase I am is not to bee neglected in this perpetuity for it doth not onely suite well with Christ who is alwayes the same and changeth not but it noteth also the constancie of his operation whether he defend or worke by the Pastors and in the People Oh would to God wee did all acknowledge this presence of Christ in his Church it would make vs carry our selues more holily and more readily doe our duety and in so doing continue alwayes the same Before I leaue this point of Perpetuity I must refute a Calumnie of the Church of Rome and correct their Arrogancie First to meete with their Calumnie They charge vs that contrary to this text we hold the Church hath failed and may faile but certainely they can name no Author of ours that euer deliuered such an opinion wee beleeue and confesse that Christ hath built his Church vpon a Rocke Matth. 16. and that the gates of bell shall neuer preuatle against it that there shall not want Christian Pastors and People in the Church Ephes 9. vntill Christ shall come to Iudgement But this wee say that there is no branch of the Church Militant which is not subiect to corruption in opinion and in conuersation yea many degenerate so farre herein that they may be lopped off from Gods Vine and cease to bee a Church wee haue many wofull examples hereof in Africa in Asia in Europe long since swallowed vp by Mahumetans yet the body of the Church hath continued still though it haue lost many of its branches God was neuer pleased to suffer corruption so farre to preuaile but that he prouided a new Plant to shoote out before he forsooke that which degenerated You see how the Church was continued till the floud in Noah who succeeded the Patriarches that descended from Seth after the floud God preserued a Sem at the least vntill the Church was setled in Abraham in whose posterity hee did continue it vntill Christ came in the flesh neither did he vtterly forsake the Iewes till the Church was rooted in the Gentiles amongst the Gentiles he hath continued it notwithstanding Tyrants Hereticks c. but not without the spirituall husbandry
Angels and Adam who fell They were contented to reioyce in their Day but not in him that made it and so when pride made them vnthankfull Iustice bereft them of that wherein they ioyed And wee may forfeit our Day if wee make them patternes of our ioy King Dauid is a better example who in all his Psalmes of thankesgiuing doth more remember by whom then how happie he was The last thing which I obserue on this point is that ioy must gee with the day The Philosopher can tell vs that pleasure is an adiunct of felicitie vpon this principle is Saint Iames his rule built If any man be merrie let him sing the neglect of this taking comfort hath a heanie doome in Moses Deut. 28. Because thou diddest not serue the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger thirst and nakednesse c. It was not then without cause that Nehemias did reproue the Iewes for weeping when the time remembred them of feasting and indeed what a senslesse thing is it when God taketh pleasure in the prosperitie of his seruants when Angels doe congratulate our happinesse and the rest of the world doth either admire or enuie it for vs to be senslesse and giue no token of our thankfull remembrance of it And if such neglect deserue blame what blame deserueth the murmuring libelling slandering malecontent that maketh a Night of our Day and confoundeth the bright Sunshine with an ominous Ecclipse Such spirits as they are vnworthy of the Day so it were good they were made more sensible of it by experience of the opposite Night Out of all this that you haue heard touching our comfort we may learne that Saint Chrysostomes rule is true Non est parua Virtus gaudere de bonis there is more required vnto full comfort then euery one either heeds or performeth if we will take comfort as we ought wee must not omit any one of those branches which I haue exprest But enough of the comfort I come now to the Prayer As wee must take full comfort in the Day so must wee pray for the happie continuance thereof first of the continuance Saue Lord. The words are Hoshingnana which in the Gospel is rendred Hosanna solemne words vsed by the Iewes at the Feast of Tabernacles When they were in their passage to Canaan they had no other Houses but Boothes or Tabernacles God was pleased to figure the Church Militant in the forme of a Campe when they came into the Holy Land and possessed Cities God would not haue them thinke they cease to be Militant and therefore commanded them once a yeare to dwell in Tents and thereby remember that they must bee alwayes readie to betake themselues againe to such moueable Houses and that they wanted not enemies that would put them to it But marke in what place the Tabernacles were to be pitched euen at Hierusalem which signifieth The Vision of peace there were they to haue a spectacle of warre Neither were the Tents only pitcht at Hierusalem but also round about the Temple to let them vnderstand what that was which was maligned not only their Ciuill but also their spirituall Day for both they were to pray Hoshignana Saue Lord let not their wicked imaginations prosper that haue euill will either at Hierusalem or at Sion The point implied herein is that both our Dayes are changable the Ciuill Day though it be as glorious as the Day of Salomons raigne yet may it haue a rent as great as Salomons Kingdome had when he lost ten Tribes of twelue yea when all twelue were carried away in captiuitie Neither may the Ciuill Day only be changed but the spirituall also the Temple may be burnt aswell as the Citie the Priest destroyed aswell as the Citie the Priest destroyed aswell as the Prince the mists of Idolatrie yea and Infidelitie may ouercast the Church It is plaine in the storie of the Iewes who at first were Idolaters and now are become plaine Infidels Neither hath the New Testament any exemption from this change the Easterne and Westerne Churches shew that all are subiect to the same condition Therefore whilst we stand we must take heed of a fall and the best heed is to pray Saue Lord. As we must pray for the continuance so must we pray that that continuance may be happie We see that though the Sunne bee aboue the Horizon and so apt to make a Day yet many so gges and mists rising from the earth ouercast the Skie and intercept the comfortable influence of the light euen so though God vouchsafe neuer so good a Prince a Prince vnder whom we enioy abundance of peace and the free passage of the Gospel such may be our gracelesnesse that wee shall be the better for neither of them not for the peace that will not make our times a Day if we abuse it in riot and luxurie extortion and imurie diseases that the malignitie of our nature hath made almost inseparable companions of ciuill peace and prosperitie As our vntowardlinesse may hinder the Ciuill Day so may it the Spirituall also if wee loath the heauenly food as many prophane persons doe or as many ouer-curious take an occasion from it to rent the seamelesse Coate of Christ and fall to Sects and Schismes and how many Churches that might haue beene happie haue beene by these meanes most vnhappie Wee haue not wanted Gaules of this kinde which haue fretted our Spirituall Day as our Ciuill is much dimmed by the voluptuousnesse of our times You see then there is good reason of the second branch of the Prayer Prosper Lord let not thy blessings O Lord be receiued in vaine let either sort his blessed effect Religion in the Church and peace in the Common-Weale I haue shewed what you must doe in solemnizing of a Festiuall there remaine two things which I will touch in a word the first is When this must bee done then by whom both these containe the manner How we must doe this dutie these things must bee done ioyntly and they must be done vniuersally Iointly that is noted in the word Now Saue Now send Now Prosperitie we must fall to our prayers euen when we are singing prayses Chap. 11. It is very true which the sonne of Syracke obserueth In the day of prosperitie there is a forgetfulnesse of affliction and in the day of affliction there is no remembrance of prosperitte this is the vsuall course of men Psal 118. but he giueth a good admonition when thou hast enough remember the time of hunger and when thou art rich thinke vpon pouerne and need let vs not forget our prayers when wee are at our prayses When the Church is Triumphant there shall bee then only Ioy and prayse shall be our only worke but while the Church is Militant Dolor Voluptas inuicem cedunt there is a vicissitude of faire and foule weather prosperitie and
CHRISTS deed a verie miraculous deed As there was a miracle in this deed so was there in his words for they were commanding and the command was no lesse effectuall then peremtorie dixit factum est all obeyed without disputing Measure these words as you did the deed by the out-side of the person they also proue a great Miracle When CHRIST with such words and deeds had amazed the Iewes and prepared their attention tanquam Dominus carrying himselfe as a King he then goeth on saith St Cyril tanquam Doctor at my Text he puts on the person of a Prophet he seconds his correction with instruction and diswades from that which prouoked his displeasure So then the opening and forbidding of the Iewes sinne are the two points whereinto we must resolue this Scripture The Iewes did confound the Temple with a Market that was their sinne and that was it which CHRIST could not endure But more distinctly The Temple is a place of GODS gratious presence Of his presence for it is his House But that presence is gratious for he is there as the Father of CHRIST Sancta Sanctè they must looke to their feet that come into this House and put off their shooes that tread vpon that holy ground The Market is an House of Merchandize men assemble there for worldly commerce Terrena sapiunt dum terrena tractant as are the things so will their minds be those earthly therefore these Seing then these places be so different and our carriage must suit the place we cannot confound them without sinne and this sinne CHRIST forbids Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize I haue vnfolded and digested the contents of this Scripture we must now looke into them more throughly I pray GOD we may doe it fruitfully also To begin then with the Temple It is here called Gods House But we may not grosly conceiue of this phrase or dreame that he is included in a place The properties of a place are to be definitiue and preseruatiue it limits and sustaines whatsoeuer thing is in it whereupon the Schooles make a question whether it may agree to any Spirit at all But it is out of all question That to GOD the Father of Spirits it can no way agree It could not before the Creation for then there was nothing but GOD neither can it since for he impaired not his owne when he gaue being to the Creatures His Essence then continueth vnlimited higher then the Heauens deeper then Hell longer then the Earth wider then the Sea as Zophar the Naamathite speaketh in the 11 of Iob GOD hath no bounds of himselfe but himselfe As his Essence continues vnlimited so doth it independent his name is Shaddai All-sufficient therefore doth the Scripture adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his perfections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely-wise Onely-immortall Onely-Lord c. and the Fathers compound his Attributes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightie of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe what GOD is none is besides neither is he beholding to any besides himselfe for whatsoeuer he is Seeing then the condition of GODS nature doth exclude a place how may he be said to be in a house Philo Iudaeus answereth truly though briefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for his owne but for his Creatures good yea there is a necessitie that wheresoeuer a Creature is there the Creator must be also for all things liue moue and haue their being not onely by him but in him Act. 17. as the Apostle speaketh So that Vorstius his limitation of GODS Essence to Heauen doth imply a denyall not onely of the Redemption for the Sonne of GOD could not be incarnate on earth if that were true but also of the Creation for if GODS Essence be not present with euerie creature then the creature subsisteth in it selfe and looke in what it subsisteth from that it had his being and so the Creature will proue a Creator which is a plaine contradiction Let it then stand for a fundamentall truth That GODS Essence is euerie-where and we are euer not onely vnder his eye but also in his hand therefore it is as impossible for vs to subsist without him as to hide our selues from him If we did meditate on such a presence it would breed in vs shame and feare shame to be guiltie before such a witnesse and feare to be obnoxious to such a Iudge But more think on GOD then make vse of this generall presence and no wonder seeing they neglect a greater shall I say certainly a better I meane GODS gratious presence in the Temple Let vs now come to that from a place to this place the place of GODS residence amongst his people Though then GOD be euerie-where yet where the Church is there is in a speciall sort his place which in my Text is called his house Now the Church is partly triumphant and partly militant therefore hath GOD an House in Heauen Cap. 14 of which CHRIST speaketh in St Iohn and an House on earth which Salomon speaketh of in his dedicatorie Prayer 1 Kings 8. we haue to doe with this latter yet may we not forget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is good correspondencie betweene the House in Heauen and the House on Earth as Nazianzene gathereth out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 8. and the Apostle out of Moses Hereupon is grounded the frequent communion of names Heauen is called a Sanctuarie and the Sanctuarie is called Heauen as if that were Caelestle solum Earth in Heauen and this terrestre Caelum Heauen on Earth which I note the rather because this correspondencie maketh much for the increase of that reuerence which is due to the place The place of GODS presence in the Temple was full of gratious Maiestie Of Maiestie for it was called Hekal which signifieth a Kingly Palace And indeed GOD represented himselfe there as King for he was present in the Cloud that conducted the Israelites out of Aegypt Exod. 23 and of the Angel that appeared therein GOD said Nomen meum est in eo therefore where that rested GOD was said there to put his Name and it rested betweene the Cherubins as vpon a Throne of State to say nothing of the Cherubs that were figured on the walles enuironing that Throne seruing to set forth the Maiestie thereof But this is much more cleere in the Visions of Esay Ezechiel Daniel and St Iohn all which put life into these dead Types and set forth the liuing GOD attended with infinite numbers of holy liuing Spirits whose awfull behauiour preach humilitie to vs vile sinfull wretches and teach how we should come into the presence of our glorious GOD we should all be affected as Iacob was in his vision and breake out into his words How dreadfull is this place Gen. 28. But as the place is full of Maiestie so is that Maiestie gratious for there