Grave between the ashes of a man and of a Beast 2. But there is 2. a death before this a death of the soul before the death of the body and the much worser of the twain The teeth of Sin says the Son of Syrach are as the teeth of a Lion slaying the souls of men Ecclus. xxi 2. the very souls The separation of the body from the soul which is the temporal death is but a trifle to the separation of the soul from God which is the spiritual This sin brings upon the soul in the very act if it rather be not it it self the very act of sin commits the murther and slays the soul whilst it is in doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says the Apostle of the voluptuous Widow that lives in sin or pleasure she is dead whilst she is alive 1 Tim. v. 6. A meer walking carkase a sinner is a meer motion and engine without life and spirit when Gods Spirit and Grace as by sin it does is departed from him The fall of the body into the dust of the Grave is nothing so bad as the fall of the soul into the dirt of sin When our souls are but once deprived of Grace and Goodness Gods presence so taken from us they do but wither and dwindle and die away and we only walk like so many Ghosts among the Graves in the shades of night and darkness Did we but consider or understand how miserably the soul crawls along in this condition when the eternal Spirit is departed from it seal'd up as it were by her transgressions in the grave of a customary wickedness adding still one iniquity to another wholly insensible of any good as the dead body we would say the natural death were nothing like it the Grave but a bed of rest and sleep whilst sin were the very torments of death it self Nay the very pangs and horrors of death that make way to it but little flea-bitings to the stings and terrors of Conscience that often follow upon our sins upon the loss of Gods favour and presence And yet there is a third death worse than both these eternal Death from the two former we may rise again The dust will one day breath again and the soul after the departure of Gods Spirit may again retrive it and recover but once within the regions of eternal death and there for ever Body lost and Soul lost and God lost for ever An end indeed without an end an end of good but no end of evil where the worm is ever dying yet ever gnawing the fire dark as the most dismal night yet ever burning the body eternally separated from all the comforts of the soul yet the soul ever in it the soul for all eternity cast out of the land of the living separated irreconcilably from Gods presence the only fountain of joy and life and being and yet continually and everlastingly feeling the horrors of this intolerable parting from him Go ye cursed into everlasting fires is the sentence long since past upon the ungodly and the sinner by our Blessed Saviour St. Matth. xxv 41. The very Heathen notwithstanding the ignorance they were in they were not ignorant of this that they that commit such things are worthy of death so says the Apostle Rom. i. 32. And be the sinner who it will and be his way never so plain and easie never so specious yet at the end thereof is the pit of Hell says the son of Syrach Eâ—clus xxi 10. He that now promises himself any better end of his sins or sinful courses he that flatters and feeds himself with any other end of his Ambition or his Treason of his Faction or his Sedition of his Covetousness or his Sacriledge of his uncleanness or his unjustice or any other sin I name no more for I leave every one to reckon up his own he that flatters himself I say with any other end of any of them to make himself forget this does but deceive himself and fool away his soul beyond recovery Here 's all the fruit he is like to get the only end he will certainly find at last everlasting Death an end without an end without any thing in life to sweeten the approaches of death without any thing in death fruit or leaves to garnish up the Chambers of the Grave or any bud of hope to allay the misery and sadness of it And we need no other witness of all this neither of the little or no fruit nor of the great and horrid shame nor of the vast and miserable ruine that comes of sin but our own selves What had ye says our Apostle ye can shew no fruit ye are now asham'd and ye cannot be ignorant that death is coming on I here refer it to you say what you can in the behalf of it I desire none other witnesses nor judges than your selves What fruit had ye then in those things whereof you are now asham'd tell me if you can IV. Indeed there is none can tell so well as the sinner can himself what he has gotten by his sin whether we consider him as one reflecting upon his ways only as a person of reason should or else as a Christian will For 1. let any of us as men of reason lay together the weary steps the hard adventures the vexatious troubles the ordinary disappointments the impertinent visits the thoughtful nights the busie days the tumultuous uproars of our fears our jealousies our hopes our despairs the unworthy condiscentions the base disparagements the dishonourable enterprizes that a lust that a humour that a vanity puts us to or puts upon us and then compare them with the lightness the shortness the unprofitableness the unsatisfactoriness the eternal shame and confusion we yet after all purchase with all that toil and we must both needs confess that we have done brutishly and unreasonably and cannot but be asham'd we have so unman'd our selves and betrayed the very essence and glory of our nature not done like men But 2. let us renew the same reflections and view them over again by the light of Grace look upon our selves as Christians thus wretchedly betraying our God for a Lust Christ for an Interest our Religion for a Fancy our obedience for a Humour our Charity for a Ceremony our Peace for a Punctilio our duty to God and man for a little vain applause of peradventure ungodly men our Innocence for Dirt and Pleasure our eternal Glory and Salvation for Toys and Trifles and will we not without more ado confess we are asham'd infinitely asham'd of it Hear but those brave ranting blades those gallant sinners Wisdom v. 8. what they say themselves What hath pride profited us say they or what good have riches with our vaunting brought us as if in sum they had said what have all our sins procured us Why all those are passed away like a shadow ver 9. and we are consumed in our own wickedness ver 13. Now indeed though
Sun beams 'T is a day the fullest of all good tidings as the seal and assurance of all the good news we heard before it The Angels fly every where about to day even into the grave with comfortable messages Why Weepest thou says one Fear not says another St. Mat. xxviii 6. Why seek you among the dead says a third What do you at the Grave He is risen says the whole Choir He whose rising is all your risings who is your Saviour now compleat and the lifter up of all your heads and go but into Galilee and you shall see him But this only hearing of him must for this time content us we shall one day see him as he is till then if we hear of him with our ears and feel him in our hearts and see him in our conceits if so hear as to believe him risen and our hearts listen to it for the heart has two ears as well as the head nature has given to it such a form as has been observed in the dissections to teach us that our hearts within us as well as our ears without us are to give ear to him that made to him that saves 'um if they do we need not be the least perplexed for not visibly seeing him All believers that then were did not see him so five hundred indeed we read of all at once but they were not all that were then believers Not to all says St. Peter expresly but unto witnesses chosen before of God Acts x. 41. There is a blessedness and it seems by the manner of speaking somewhat greater for them that have not seen and yet have believed St. Ioh. xx 29. Be we then content to day to hear that he is risen with the first news and tidings of it From a good mouth it comes to good souls it comes in good time it comes From the mouths of Angels to good women and very seasonably when they were much perplexed much afraid and much cast down for want of such a message And though we cannot here see Christ as we desire yet be we pleas'd to see our selves our own sad condition upon the loss of him in these womens perplexities fears and down-cast looks our way to seek him humbly with our faces down as not worthy to look up reverently with fear and trembling as afraid to miss him solicitously much perplex'd to want him as they were in the Text. And that we may not give up our hope be afraid or cast down for ever look we upon the bright shining garments of the two Angels here for these men are no less 't is a joyful sight and rejoyce at the good success that always follows them that so seek him Angels and good news The women found it here heard the good news from the Angels lips You must be content to hear it from mine yet you know who says it Angelus Domini exercituum est the Priest is the Angel or Messenger that 's enough of the Lord of Hosts too much for me poor sinful wretch But look not upon me but upon them that here first told the news and see in the Text these three Particulars I. The sad condition for a while of those that either are without or cannot find their Saviour Christ in three Particulars They are perplexed they are afraid they bow down their faces to the earth they go all the while with down-cast looks II. The only ready way to find him after a while by being here perplexed for his loss and absence by being afraid to miss him by looking every where up and down to find him or nevvs of him going poring up and dovvn looking vvhere vve lookt before and casting down not our faces but our selves also to the earth in all humility to search after him III. The good success at last of them that thus diligently reverently and humbly seek him in three points more to see Angels to be directed right and be made partakers of the joyful news of a Resurrection of Christs Resurrection by them who is both the ground of ours and the first fruits of them that rise The sum of all is this That though it sometimes fall out to us that we lose Christ or cannot find him for a while and so fall into perplexities and fears and go up and down dejected with down-cast looks yet if we so seek him with a solicitous love a reverent fear and humble diligence we shall meet Angels after a while to comfort us and bring us news of our beloved Lord and find him risen or rising in us ere we are aware And the close of all will be our duty and the duty of the day 1. to make our selves sensible of the perplext and sad estate of those that are without Christ who have lost him in the Grave or know not where he is or how to find him and thereupon 2. so set our selves to seek him that we may be sure at last to hear of him and be made partakers of his Rerection 'T is a glad day I confess yet I begin with the gloomy morn that seem'd to usher it in to these poor women their sadness upon the imagined loss of their dear Lord truly representing to us the sad condition of those who are deprived of Christ or think they are so The glory of the day will appear brighter by this morning cloud the news of the Resurrection will be the welcomer when we first see what poor troubled frighted dejected pieces we are without it we will have the higher thoughts of him now risen when we feel how disconsolate a thing it is to be without him even without his body here though dead and buried And it came to pass says the Text that they were perplexed thereabout and it will quickly come to pass that the best of us all will be perplexed to lose any thing of our Lords much more his body if we love him They were good souls such whose devotion and affection death it self could neither quench nor alter that were so here that we might know even devout and pious souls may both err concerning Christ and sometimes want him too seek him sometimes vvith these here vvhere he is not vvhere vve falsly imagine him to be and not find him presently neither vvhen vve look him vvhere vve left him No vvonder they here poor vvomen vvere so perplext Men the great St. Peter knevv not vvhat to say to it ver 12. departed wondring Indeed it seems a vvonder at the first that such vvho love Christ so dearly seek him so early should yet miss of him that such too should be in so great an error about him as to think the Lord of life could be held in death but so poor a thing is man that as such he is perpetually subject to error and mistake and may thereupon easily lose the sight and presence of his Lord. The Spouse in the Canticles complains her Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone she sought him but could
to wait upon their Lord that had now set them at liberty from the Grave and divulge the greatness and glory of his Resurrection When Moses and Elias appeared upon the holy Mount at Christs transfiguration talking with him St. Luke tells us they spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Hierusalem St. Luke ix 31. And 't is highly credible the discourse of these Saints with those to whom they appeared was of his Resurrection Their going into the City was not meerly to shew themselves nor their appearance meerly to appear but to appear Witnesses and Companions of their Saviours Resurrection Nor is it probable that the Saints whose business is to sing praise and glory to their Lord should be silent at this point of time of any thing that might make to the advancement of his glory Yet you may do well to take notice that it is not to all but to many only that they appeared to such as St. Peter tells us of Christs own appearance after his Resurrection as were chosen before of God witnesses chosen for that purpose Acts x. 41. that we may learn indeed to prize Gods favours yet not all to look for particular revelations and appearances 'T is sufficient for us to know so many Saints that slept arose to tell it that so many Saints that are now asleep St. Peter and the Twelve St. Paul and five hundred brethren at once all saw him after he was risen so many millions have faln asleep in this holy Faith so many slept and died for it that it is thus abundantly testified both by the dead and living both by life and death even standing up and dying for it and a Church raised upon this faith through all the corners of the earth and to the very ends of the world But to know the truth of it is not enough unless we know the benefits of Christs Resurrection they come next to be considered and there is in the words evidence sufficient of four sorts of them 1. The victory over sin and death both the Graves were opened 2. The Resurrection of the soul and body the one in this life the other at the end of it many dead bodies that slept arose 3. The sanctification and glorification of our souls and bodies the dead bodies that arose out of the graves went into the holy City 4. The establishing us both in grace and glory they appeared unto many All these says the Text after his Resurrection by the force and vertue of it Indeed it seems the graves were opened death almost vanquished and the grave near overcome whilst he yet hung upon the Cross before he was taken thence deaths sting taken out by the death of Christ and all the victories of the grave now at an end that it could no longer be a perpetual prison yet for all that the victory was not complete all the Regions of the Grave not fully ransackt nor the forces of it utterly vanquisht and disarm'd nor its Prisoners set at liberty and it self taken and led captive till the Resurrection 'T is upon this Point St. Paul pitches the victory and calls in the Prophets testimony 1 Cor. xv 54. upon this 't is he proclaims the triumph ver 55. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory even upon the Resurrection of Iesus Christ which he has been proving and proclaiming the whole Chapter through with all its benefits and concludes it with his thanks for this great victory ver 57. So it is likewise for the death and grave of sin the chains of sin were loosed the dominion of it shaken off the Grave somewhat opened that we might see some light of grace through the cranies of it by Christs Passion but we are not wholly set at liberty not quite let out of it the Grave-stone not perfectly removed from the mouth of it till the Angel at the Resurrection or rather the Angel of the Covenant by his Resurrection remove it thence remove our sins and iniquities clean from us 2. Then indeed 2. the dead soul arises then appears the second benefit of his Resurrection then we rise to righteousness and live 1 Pet. ii 24. then we awake to righteousness and sin no more So St. Paul infers it That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so should we also walk in newness of life Rom 6. 4. This Resurrection one of the ends of his our righteousness attributed to that as our Redemption to his death From it it comes that our dead bodies arise too Upon that Iob grounds it his Resurrection upon his Redeemers Iob xix 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth well What then Why I know too therefore that though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God The Apostle interweaves our Resurrection with Christs and Christs with ours his as the cause of ours ours as the effect of his a good part of 1 Cor. 15. If Christ be risen then we if we then he if not he not we if not we not he And in the Text 't is evident no rising from the dead how open soever the graves be till after his Resurrection that we may know to what Article of our faith we owe both our deliverance from death and our deliverance into life here in soul and hereafter in our bodies by what with holy Iob to uphold our drooping spirits our mangled martyr'd crazy bodies by the faith of the Resurrection that day the day of the Gospel of good tidings to be remembred for ever 3. So much the rather in that 't is a Day yet of greater joy a messenger of all fulness of grace and glory to us of the means of our sanctification 3. of our rising Saints living the lives of Saints holy lives and of our glorification our rising unto glory both doors opened to us now and not till now liberty and power given us to go into the holy City both this below and that above now after his Resurrection and through it He rose again says St. Paul for our justification Rom. iv 25. to regenerate us to a lively hope blessed be God for it says St. Pet. i. 3. that we might be planted together in the likeness of his Resurrection says St. Paul Rom. vi 5. grow up like him in righteousness and true holiness and when the day of the general Resurrection comes rise then also after his likeness be conformed to his Image bear his Image who is the heavenly as we have born the Image of the earthly our vile body chang'd and fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. iii. 21. whereby in the day of his Resurrection he subdued death and grave and sin and all things to him 4. And to shew the power of his Resurrection to the full there is an appearing purchast to us by it an appearing here in the fulness
stench and worms and rottenness then any dead body whatsoever full of infamous and stinking sins worms of conscience and worms of concupiscence rotten resolutions and performances continuance in sin is the sleep of death Holy purposes and resolutions are the rising out of it Walking thenceforward in the ways of righteousness is going into the holy City and the letting our righteousness so shine before men that God may be glorified is the appearing unto many And the order is as like our justification or spiritual Resurrection well resembled by it God first for the merits of Christs Death and Passion breaks ope the stony heart looses the fetters of our sins and lusts all worldly corruptible affections in us opens the mouth of it to confess its sins then the soul rises as it were out of its sleep by the favour of Gods exciting grace and comes out of sin by holy purposes and resolutions resolves presently to amend its courses then next it goes into the holy City by holy action endeavour and performance so goes and manifests its reconcilement to the Church of God and at last makes its Resurrection repentance and amendment evident and apparent to the world to as many as it any where converses with that all may bear witness to it that it is truly risen with Christ now lives with him This the order this the manner of our first Resurrection from the death of sin to the life of Grace Our second Resurrection to the life of Glory is but this very Resurrection in the Text acted over again As soon as the consummatum est is pronounced upon the world as soon as Christ shall say as he did upon the Cross all is finished the end is come the Arch-Angel shall blow his Trumpet the Graves open the earth and Sea give forth their dead and the dead in Christ shall rise first then they that be alive at his coming For if we believe that Iesus died and rose again even so them also that sleep in Iesus shall God bring with him 1 Thess iv 14. and they shall come out of their Graves and go into the Holy City the new Ierusalem that is above and there appear and shine like stars for ever Indeed the ungodly and the wicked shall arise too and appear before the great Tribunal but not like these Saints for into the holy City they shall not come Rise and come forth they shall but go away into some place of horror some gloomy valley of eternal sorrow some dark dungeon of everlasting night some den of Dragons and Devils never to appear before God but be for ever hid in the arms of confusion and damnation As for the godly the holy City is prepared for them for us if we be like them Saints and Angels are the inhabitants of this holy City no room there for any other if our bodies then be the bodies of holy Saints then into the holy City with them and not else no part in the new Ierusalem if no part in the old no portion above if none below no place there with Angels if no communion here with Saints no happiness in heaven if no holiness on earth They are the bodies of the Saints you hear that go into the holy City they that rise from the sleep of sin and awake to righteousness that rise from the dust of death to the rays of glory And this now may hint us of our duty to close with them for the close of all It has been shewed before what is the first Resurrection without which there is no second namely a life of holiness a dying to sin and a living unto God And this is a Resurrection we are not meerly passive in as in the other We must do somewhat here towards our own Resurrection at least to finish it We must open our mouths which are too often what David stiles the wicked mans throat even open Sepulchres and by confession send out our dead our dead works confessing our iniquities we must awake out of our sins and arise and stand up by holy vows and resolutions rear up our heads and eyes and hearts and hands to heaven seek those things that are above if we be risen with Christ get up upon our feet and be walking the way of Gods commandments walking to him get us into the holy City to the holy place make our humble appearance there express the power of Christs Resurrection in our life attend him through all the parts of it all our life long This the great business we are now going to requires of us more particularly to come to it like new rais'd bodies that had now shaken off all their dust all dusty earthly thoughts laid aside their Grave-cloths all corrupt affections that any way involv'd them and stood up all new all fitly composed for the holy City drest up in holiness and newness of life thus come forth to meet our new risen Saviour and appear before him This the way to meet the benefits of his Passion and Resurrection for coming so with these Saints out of their Graves Christs Grave also shall open and give him to us the Cup and Patine wherein his body lies as in a kind of Grave shall display themselves and give him to us the Spirit of Christ shall raise and and advance the holy Elements into lively Symbols which shall effectually present him to us and he will come forth from under those sacred shadows into our Cities our Souls and Bodies if they be holy and his grace and sweetness shall appear to many of us to all of us that come in the habit of the Resurrection in white Robes with pure and holy hearts Here indeed of all places and this way above all ways we are likeliest to meet our Lord now he is risen and gone before us this the chief way to be made partakers of his Resurrection and the fittest to declare both his Death and Resurrection the power of them till his coming again And to declare and speak of them is the very duty of the day the very Grave this day with open mouth professes Christ is risen and gives praise for it that it is no longer a land of darkness but has let in light no longer a bier of death but a bed of sleep But shall thy loving kindness O Lord be known in the dark or shall the dead rise up again and praise thee yes holy Prophet they shall they did to day and if his loving kindness shall not be known in the dark the dark places shall become light now the sun of righteousness has risen upon them But shall the dead rise up again and praise him and shall not we shall the graves open and shall not our hearts be opened to receive him nor our mouths to praise him for it Was it the business of the dead Saints to day to rise to wait upon their Lord and shall not the living rise to bear them company shall the whole City ring of it out
of dead mens mouths and shall not our Cities and Temples resound of it shall they tell the wonders of the day and we neither mind the day nor wonders of it surely some evil will befal us as said the Lepers at the Gates of Samaria if we hold our peace 'T is a day of good of glorious tidings and we must not lest the Grave in indignation shut her mouth upon us and the holy City bar us out Open we then our mouths to day and sing praises to him who made the day made it a joyful day indeed the very seal of happiness unto us Open we our mouths and take the cup of salvation as the Prophet calls it the cup of thanksgiving the Apostle stiles it and call upon the name of the Lord. Open our mouths now as the grave and he will fill them Open our mouths as the grave and be not satisfied give not over our prayers until he do Raise we all our thoughts and desires and endeavours to entertain him go which way he shall send us appear what he would have us attend him whither soever he shall lead us and when he himself shall appear he will lead our souls out of the death of sin to the life of righteousness our bodies out of the dust of death into the land of life both souls and bodies into the holy City the new Ierusalem where there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor any more pain but all tears shall be wip'd away all joys come into our hearts and eyes and we sing merrily and joyfully all honour and glory be unto him that hath redeemed us from death and raised us to life by the power and vertue of his Resurrection All blessing and glory and praise and honour and power be unto him with the Father and Holy Spirit for ever and ever THE THIRD SERMON UPON Easter Day PSAL. CXViii 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made We will rejoyce and be glad in it THis is the day which the Lord hath made And if ever day made to rejoyce and be glad in this is the day And the Lord made it made it to rejoyce in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as holy Ignatius a day of days not only a high day as the Iewish Easter St. Ioh. xix 31. but the highest of high days highest of them all A Day in which the Sun it self rejoyced to shine came forth like a Bridegroom in the robes and face of joy and rejoyced like a Giant with the strength and violence of joy exultavit leapt and skipt for joy to run his course Psal. xix 5. as if he never had seen day before only a little day spring from on high as old Zachary saw and sung never full and perfect day the Kingdom and power of darkness never fully and wholly vanquished till this morning light till this day-star or this day's Sun arose till Christ rose from the grave as the Sun from his Eastern bed to give us light the light of grace and the light of glory light everlasting And this Suns rising this Resurrection of our Lord and Master entitles it peculiarly the Lords making This day of the week from this day of our Lords Resurrection stil'd Lords Day ever since And of this day of the Resurrection the Fathers the Church the Scriptures understand it Not one of the Fathers says that devout and learned Bishop Andrews that he had read and he had read many but interpret it of Easter day The Church picks out this Psalm to day as a piece of service proper to it This very verse in particular was anciently used every day in Easter week evidence enough how she understood it And for the Scriptures The two verses just before The stone which the builders refused the same is become the head of the corner This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes to which this day comes in presently and refers applied both of them by Christ himself unto himself in three several places St. Mat. xxi 42. St. Mar. xii 10. St. Luk. xx 17 rejected by the builders in his Passion made 〈◊〉 head of the corner in his Resurrection the first of the verses applied again twice by St. Peter Acts iv 10. and 1 Pet. ii 7. to the Resurrection For these doings these marvelous doings a day was made made to remember it and rejoyce in it as in the chiefest of his marvelous works And being such let us do it Let not the Jews out-do us let not them here rejoyce more in the figure than we in the substance they in the shadow than we in the Sun 'T is now properly Sunday this day ever since a day lighted upon on purpose for us by the Sun himself to see wonderful things in and as wonderfully to rejoyce in Abraham saw this day of Christs as well as Christmas St. Ioh. viii 56. saw it in Isaacs rising from under his hand from death as in a figure says the Apostle Heb. xi 19. saw it and was glad to see it exceeding glad as much at least to see Christ and Isaac delivered from death as delivered in to life Abrahams children all the faithful will be so too to see the day when ere it comes It now is come by the circle of the year let us rejoyce and be glad in it I require no more of you than is plainly in the Text to confess the day and express the joy Both are here as clear as day Dies Gaudii Gaudium Diei A day of joy the joy of the day Easter day and Easter joy A day made and joy made on it A day ordained and joy appointed God making the day we making the joy upon it Or if you please Ordo Diei Officium Diei An Order for the day and an Office for the day The Order for the day This is the day which the Lord hath made order'd and ordain'd The Office for it We will or let us rejoyce and be glad in it Exultemus laetemur An office of thanksgiving and joy ordained and taken up upon it The first is Gods doings the second ours And ours order'd to follow his our duty his day the Lords day requires sure the Servants duty Both together Gods day and mans duty make up the Text and must the Sermon But I take my rise from the days rising The Lords order for the day This is the day which the Lord hath made Wherein we have 1. The Day design'd 2. The Institution made 3. the Preeminence given it 4. The Institutor exprest 5. The ground intimated 6. The End annext This is designs the day Gods making that institutes it The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the The gives it the Preeminence the Lord is the institutor The ground is understood in the This this day when that was done that went before ver 22. and the End by the annexing joy and gladness to it Of these particularly and in order then of the
commission to call us to it or command it for his service or his Churches and we not to undertake it till we find our selves truly enabled rightly called and uprightly intending in it To joyn now the two Points of the Text together to know our right grounds and settle our obedience right upon them that we may know what we undertake when we undertake to follow Christ and do accordingly not pretend above our strength but keep Advent and St. Andrew both We are 1. to provide by St. Andrews obedience for Christs Advent that he when he at any times comes to us either in his Spirit or in his Word in humility or glory in our lives or at our deaths may find us ready straight to follow him No so acceptable entertainment for him no so fit preparation for him as a ready entire well guided obedience none so fit to receive him as St. Andrew the Soul so fitted and resolved to all obedience Thus we are to make our way for Advent by St. Andrew And to keep St. Andrews Feast to give our selves up to this obedience we must remember Christs Advent to us that we cannot follow till he first come to us acknowledge all our motion is from his Look he first upon us and speak to us and we straightway run but if he come not there is no following to be expected much less hast to do it All is from him to him therefore be all the praise if at any time or wherein at any time we follow him 't is his grace that does it that comes first before we follow And then thirdly to keep time to joyn both Feasts together in our hearts all the days of our life as well as in this day of the year Magnifie we him in his Saints follow we St. Andrew as he did Christ follow him to Christ chearfully without delay to day whilst it is day begin our course let us not think much to part with any thing for him Lay our honours riches souls and bodies at his feet and with pure and unmixt intentions study we wholly his service not our own Let not any be discouraged that perhaps he has nothing worth the leaving nothing but a few old broken nets Be it never so little we have left if we have left our selves nothing but given our selves and all to Christ we have given much he that with these Saints here leaves nothing but a few knotty threds if he has no more to leave has left as much as he that leaves most for he has left all and he that leaves most can do no more It is the mind not the much that God values Remember the poor Widows mites accepted by Christ above far greater gifts for they were all she had and who could give more The poor mans all is as much to him and as much all to God as the rich mans all his tatter'd Nets as much all his living as the others Lands and Seas are his and the poor man can as hardly part with his rags and clouts his leather bottle his mouldy bread and clouted shoes as the rich man with his silks and state and dainties so much perhaps the hardlier in that they are more necessary Yet that I may not seem to leave you upon too hard a task to scare you from following Christ I shall now tell you you may keep all and yet leave your nets You may keep your honours you may preserve your estates you may enjoy your worldly blessings only so keep a hand upon them or upon your selves that they be not nets and snares unto you let them not take your hearts or ensnare your affections or entangle your souls in vanities and sins let them not hold you from following Christ and keep them while you will Cast but off the Networks the catching desires of the flesh and world and so you also may be said to have left your nets And having so weaned your souls from inordinate affections to things below Let Christ be your Business his Life your Pattern his Commands your Law Be ye followers of Christ and let St. Andrew this day lead you after him into all universal obedience ready pure and sincere think not much to leave your Nets for him that left heaven for you you will gain more by following him than all the nets and draughts of the world are worth You may well throw away your Nets having caught him in whom you have caught glory and immortality and eternal life and by following him shall undoubtedly come at last out of this Sea of toil and misery where there is nothing but broken nets and fruitless labours or but wearisom and slippery fruits of them into the Port and Haven of everlasting rest and joys and happiness And that it may be so let us pray with the holy Church in the two Collects for Advent and St. Andrew Almighty God which didst give such grace to thy holy Apostle St. Andrew that he readily obey'd the calling of thy Son Iesus Christ and followed him without delay grant unto us all that we being called by thy holy Word may forthwith give â—ver our selves obediently to fulfil thy holy Commandments that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in the which thy Son Iesus Christ came to visit us with great humility that in the last day when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may rise to the life immortal through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost now and ever A SERMON Preached At St. Pauls COL iii. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankful HOw little or much soever the Colossians needed this advice I am sure we do more than a little and much need there is to press it close For I know not but methinks as much as we talk of peace and write it in the front of our Petitions and Projects I am afraid our hearts are not right to it it rules not there And as much as we pretend our thankfulness to God for bringing us again into one body we see but slender expressions of it And yet we have the same Arguments both for thankfulness and peace to be thankful for our late recovered peace and to be at peace if we would be thought to be thankful as the Colossians had or could be imagined to have here our being called again into one body who were not long since in several ones united now under one head who were of late under many Gods Call and our own Callings Gods present mercies and our late miseries calling to us to perswade both There wants indeed some St. Paul to mind us of it to preach it home that we would be what we pretend that men would be honest once and either say no more
choose to come by or rather will choose not to come by right good sound ways they must be if they be his And 2. right streight ways too no turning to the right hand or to the left not do one way in adversity another way in prosperity one Religion when the days are calm and quiet another when the days are stormy and troublesom Rectas facite in deserto so it is in the Prophet and Hebrew Text Isa. xl 3. Make his paths streight in the Desart even when we are deserted of all when we are in the barren and dry Wilderness where no water is no earthly comfort about us in the greatest tribulation we must keep us still to uprightness and honesty that 's the way to Christ however for a while he seem to be far from us thither it will bring us after a while keep innocency and do the thing that is right and that will bring a man peace at the last Yet 3. one path or two made streight is not sufficient semitas 't is an indefinite somewhat a kin to an universal it must be all he that fails or offends in one is guilty of all S. Iames ii 10. If all be not streight all the paths as well as the ways that you have heard all the little ways as well as the great according to our poor power if at least we do not study and endeavour it it is not it is not right Nor is it so or will it be unless we take in 4. the Prophets in deserto too desert and forsake our selves a little renounce our own ways quite seek not our own but his streighten our selves a little of our own lusts and liberties of our own desires and ways that the only way to make his streight and make Christ come streight to us V. We have one point yet behind who it is to whom all this is spoken and is given in charge I confess the Ministers and Preachers of the Word are the publick messengers and harbingers who are sent to prepare the Lords way as S. Iohn Baptist was before him yet every one must sweep his own door For the words are by S. Iohn Baptist preach'd to all Pharisees and Sadduces Publicans and Souldiers and all the people that came to him every one to have a share and so he gives it them S. Luke iii. 10 11. verses and so onward tells people and Publicans and Souldiers what to do sets every one his path his part of the way to prepare and streighten Give me leave to do so too The Ministers of the Gospel they come first they have the greatest share with S. Iohn Baptist to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way but how To give knowledge of salvation says old Zachary to his people for the remission of sins or somewhat more even to give remission too to give absolution so to give knowledge to the people or instruct them and to absolve them is some part at least of the Ministers share but to Baptize also with the Baptist and to consecrate with Christ himself is to prepare his way too to make way for him to raise the Valleys to comfort the dejected the cast down and afflicted soul against his sorrows the penitent against his sins the fearful against the fear of death the weak hearted against trouble and persecution to encourage them to lift up their heads and look to the recompence of reward to raise up the groveling souls of men from earth and flesh to heaven and heavenly business 2. To cast down the Mountains of Pride and Singularity Schism and Heresie that lift up themselves against the obedience of Christ. 3. To rectifie the perverse and crooked souls of men And 4. to smooth and soften them to lay the way of Christ smooth and plain before them make them know his yoke is easie and his burthen light by continual preaching to them and instructing them so preparing them for the way of Christ. Thus the Minister prepares his way in the peoples hearts sometimes cleansing the young Infants way by Baptism and sometimes rectifying the young and old mans ways by advice and exhortation sometimes clearing them with Absolution sometimes purifying them with the Holy Sacrament some way or other always preparing them against the Lords coming And it lies upon him so to do And 2. for the People There needs no more then has been said The ways already mentioned concern us all There is none so righteous but needs some kind of preparation And he that is not he needs them all And if we consider now the time so much the more in that his coming is nearer whom we prepare for 'T is now but a few days to the day he once came to us in the flesh Let 's think of that and prepare our selves to give him thanks to cry Hosanna blessed is he that cometh blessed this blessed way of his coming and blessed the blessed day of his so coming 'T is not many more days 2. to the coming of his flesh and blood in the Holy Sacrament unto us We are expecting and hoping for it and 't is fit we should be preparing for it Better preparation then you have heard I cannot give you for the one or the other Only I may add in solitudine again Withdraw your selves aside into some desart and solitary place to prepare you in retire in private to your souls and to your business I will bring her into the Wilderness says God concerning Israel and speak comfortably unto her Hos. ii 14. The place to hear the voice of divine and heavenly comfort is in our Solitude When we are alone God only and our selves together Remember then we go into our Closets and there prepare our selves forget no point of the preparation but sweep and cleanse and smooth and adorn our souls with all holy vertues or resolutions and come well guarded with attention care and vigilance that nothing unbeseeming pass from us in the way raise up our spirit with holy thoughts and heavenly desires cast down our souls with reverence and humility come without any roughness or unevenness in our affections or behaviour in our ways or paths so shall the Lord come and come with comfort and take us with him and bring us safely to the end of our way the end of our hope to those things which neither eye hath seen or ear heard or ever entred into the heart of man which he has prepared for them that prepare for him in the City prepared for us in the Heavens A SERMON ON The Third Sunday in Advent S. LUKE xxi verse 27 28. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with power and great glory And when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh AND because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh the day in which your Redeemer came in a Cloud of Flesh and Clay we are this
could words of comfort come better then in the full discourse of the day of Judgment nor can comfort ever be more welcome then in the midst of those affrightments Christ never spoke out of season but here he seems to have even studied it When these things begin to come to pass before they are at their full height even then look up Worldly comforts come not so early The heat and fury of the Disease must be abated e're they yield us any refreshment They are only heavenly comforts that come so timely to prevent our miseries or to take them at the beginning Nor is it yet only when the day begins to dawn wherein the Son of man comes forth to Judgment that we should first begin to take courage to approach but whilst the foregoing signs of that day are now first coming on Those terrors that affright others should not startle us even whilst the lightnings run upon the ground whilst the Earth trembles the Sea roars the Winds blow and Heaven it self knows not how to look the Righteous is as bold as a Lion he stands in the midst of security and peace This is the state we are to labour for so to put our trust in the most High that no changes or chances of this mortal life may either remove or shake it or make us to miscarry Every calamity should teach us to look up but these should teach us also to lift up our heads Whilst common fears and troubles march about us our Christian patience will teach us cheerfulness but when these things begin to come to pass these which are the ushers to our glory these should rejoyce and cheer us up that our reward is now a coming to us Vs I say for this comfort is not general to all that shall see the Son of man coming in glory but his Disciples only such as have followed him on earth to meet him in heaven Lift up your heads to his servants he speaks such as hear his words and attend his steps and do his precepts Others indeed must hold down theirs the ungodly shall not be able to look up in judgment The covetous man has look'd so always downward that he is not now able to look up The Drunkard has so drown'd his eye-sight in his cups so over-burthened his brain that he can neither lift up his head nor his eyes at this day The voluptuous man has dim'd his eyes with pleasures that he cannot look about and the ambitious man has so lost his hopes of being high and glorious and is become so low and base in the eyes of God that he is asham'd to lift up his head These only that are the true Disciples of their Master whose eyes are us'd to heaven who have so often lift up their eyes thither to pray and praise him they only can look up when these things come to pass Nothing can affright the humble eye nothing can amaze the eye that ever dwells in heaven nothing can trouble the eye that waits upon her God as the eye of a Maiden upon the hand of her Mistriss The humble devout and faithful eye may look up chearfully whilst all things else dare not be seen for shame O blessed God how fully doest thou reward thy servants that wilt thus have them distinguish'd from others by their looks in troubles who hast so order'd all things for them that nothing shall affright them nothing make them to hold down their heads This is a kind of comfort by it self above ordinary that grief or amazement should not appear so much as in our eyes or looks though so many terrors stand round about us I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills and I will lift up mine eyes to thee O thou that dwellest in the heavens are the voice of one that looks up for help and in the midst of these dreadful messengers of Judgment it will not be amiss for us even so to lift up our eyes to beg assistance and deliverance But that is not all our comfort though it be a great one that we can yet have audience in Heaven amidst these fears we have besides the refreshment of inward joy whereby we rejoyce at our approaching glory The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal. lviii 9. even when the day of vengeance comes and the righteous shall rejoyce in their beds Psal. cxlix 5. whilst they are now rising up and lifting up their heads out of their graves to come to Judgment Nor must it seem strange to see the righteous with chearful looks whilst all other faces gather blackness It is not the others misery that they rejoyce at but at their Saviours Glory and their own happiness For their Redemption draweth nigh that 's the ground of all their joy And would you not have men rejoyce who are redeem'd from misery and corruption from the slavery of sin and the power of death would you not have poor Prisoners rejoyce at the approach of their delivery you cannot blame'um if at such news with Paul and Silas they sing in prison sing aloud for joy so loud that the doors dance open for joy though the Keepers awake and even sink for fear Your redemption draweth nigh They are words will make the scattered ashes gather themselves together into bones and flesh words that will make the soul leave Heaven with joy to lift up the head of her dear beloved body out of the Land where all things are forgotten Yea the insensible creatures that groan now under the bondage of corruption will at these words turn their tunes when they see at hand the days of the liberty of the Sons of God Death and destruction are things terrible but when the fear of them is once overpois'd by the near approach of a redemption to eternal life and glory O' Death then where is thy sting O Grave then where is thy victory They shrink in their heads and pull in their stings and cannot hurt us while we with joy and gladness lift up our heads What are all the signs and forerunners of the day of Judgment that they should trouble us when we know the day of Judgment is our day of redemption our day of glory What are the darkness of Sun and Moon the falling of the Stars the very totterings of Heaven it self to us who even thereby expect new heavens where there is neither need of Sun nor Moon nor Star to give us light for the glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb this Son of man that is coming in his cloud is the light of it Rev. xxi 23. What are the quakings of the Earth and roarings of the Sea to them who neither need Land nor Sea in their journey to heaven What are Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Plagues and Pestilences and false Brethren what are persecutions and delivering up to Rulers to death and torments what are those perplexities and fears that rob men of their hearts and courages for looking
First-born he will be ever should be of all our thoughts will be acknowledged so whensoever born primogenitus one before whom none for that only is the sense of First-born here not referring to any after but to none before Col. i. 14. begotten before any creature in honour above all creatures endued with all the rights of primogeniture even as man also Now three things belonged to the First-born Son the Priesthood the preheminence or regal Dignity and a double or larger portion He is the High-Priest of our profession Heb. iii. 1. The great High-Priest of the Christian Profession and Religion He 2. the Head of his Church Col. i. 18. To whom all power is given in heaven and earth S. Mat. xxviii 18. He 3. also anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Psal. xlv 8. A portion of grace far above others S. Iohn i. 16. That in all things he might have the preheminence being the First-born as well of the dead as of the living says S. Paul Col. i. 18. All these mysteries we have wrapt up in the title of the First-born that by it he is intimated to be our Prince our Priest our elder Brother one in whom all fulness who should be therefore so acknowledg'd and us'd be first entertain'd in our affections be the first birth our souls should travel with and our affections and actions bring forth But there are more wrapt up in his being wrapt in Swadling-clothes then can readily be exprest All the benefits that came by him were wrapt up and not understood till the Clothes both of the Manger and the Grave were unwrapt by his Resurrection He seem'd not what he was shewed not what he came for until then All the while before nothing but folds and things folded up the Cross made up or involved in his Cratch for of the form of a Cross the Cratch some say was made mans salvation in Gods Incarnation the Churches growth in the Virgins bringing forth many brethren in the First-born among them His Glory 2. that was wrapt up in those Clothes his God-head in the Man-hood the Word in Flesh Eternity in days Righteousness in a body like to a body of Sin Wisdom in the infancy of a Child Abundance in Poverty Glory in disrespect the Fountain of Grace in a dry barren dusty Land eternal light in Clouds and everlasting life in the very image of death will you see the Clothes that hid this treasure not from men only but from Devils The espousals of just Ioseph and holy Mary hid Christs Conception of a Virgin The crying of an Infant in a Cradle the bringing forth without sorrow The Purification her entire Virginity The Circumcision his extraordinary Generation without any sin His flight conceal'd his Power his Baptism his unspotted Innocence His open Prayers to his Father his infinite Authority and Equality with him His sad sufferings obscur'd his perfect Righteousness The poverty and meanness of his life the height and greatness of his Birth and the ignominy of his Death the immensity of his Glory His Gospel 3. that was wrapt up in Clothes that seeing we might see and not presently understand a mystery kept secret since the world began his Doctrine wrapt in parables his Grace covered in the Sacraments the inward Grace in the outward Elements his great Apostolick Function in poor simple Fishermen his Vniversal Church in a few obscur'd Disciples of Iudea the height of his knowledge in the simplicity of Faith the excellency of his Precepts in the plainness of his Speech and the Glory of the end they drive to in the humility of the way they lead well may the Prophet exclaim Vere tu es Deus absconditus Psal. lv 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour Well may we admire thy folds and wrappings up O God and not strive to pry into thy secrets thy goings out and thy comings in and all thy counsels are past finding out to thee only it belongs to know them to us to obey and submit to them and adore them Yet 4. he was thus wrapt up to shew us our condition that the beauty and sweetness of Christianity as well as Christ of Christians as well as Christ appears not outwardly or but in rags We cannot see the Christians strength for the weaknesses that surround him nor his joy for the afflictions that encompass him nor his happiness for the worldly calamities that oppress him nor his wisdom for the foolishness of Preaching that so much delights him nor his riches for the poor condition he is sometimes brought to nor his honour for the scoffs and reproaches of the world he often labours under He seems unknown when he is well known dying when he only lives kill'd when he is but chastned sorrowful though always rejoycing poor yet making rich as having nothing and possessing all things 2 Cor. vi 9 10. Thus the Christian you see is wrapt up as soon as he is born nay and his very life also is wrapt up with Christ in God Col. iii. 3. Nay lastly our practice and duty is wrapt up with him He is wrapt up in poor Clothes that we might be wrapt up in stolâ primâ the best Robe his Robe of Righteousness that we might put on the white Linen of the Saints Wrapt up again 2. he was his hands and feet bound up like a Childs that by the vertue of it our hands and feet might be loosed to do the works of Christ and run the way of peace he is made a Child that we might be perfect men in him he brought forth that we might bring forth the fruits of good works and godly living The next mysteries lie coucht with him in the Manger where in a strait and narrow compass he lies that he may open Heaven wide to all believers all that keep a strait and strict watch over their ways and actions Where 2. uses to lie the Beasts provender there lies he also who is the bread that came down from Heaven to feed us who are often more unreasonable than the Beasts they know their owner the Oxe and Ass does so says God but my people do not theirs they will but satisfie nature we burthen it they will but eat and drink to satisfie men are grown so sensual they cannot be satisfied We have made our selves fit for the Manger which made Christ lie there to see if he could fill us seeing nothing can 3. In the Manger among the Beasts that we might sadly consider what we have made our selves and change our sensual lives now he is come into the Stable to call us out 4. There he lies in a place without any furniture or trimming up that we might by the place be instructed that the beauty of Christ wants no external setting out that 2. his beauty is omnis ab intus all within and his Spouse is all glorious within Psal. xlv That 3. our eyes might not be diverted from him by
so God hath blessed thee for ever Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and blessed be our Lord Iesus Christ for all this grace for all this blessing If our Spouse so fair then we sure should be faithful if his lips so full of grace our lips as full of thanks if he blessed of God we again bless God and him for so great a blessing so great blessings so continually descending upon us so lasting so everlasting never sufficiently answered but by all our ways of blessing and so blessing him always all our days whilst we live for ever We to sing our parts and praise him in the Song sing or say Thou art fairer thou O Christ art fairer c. For this is the sum and whole meaning of the Text to give us a view of Christs Beauty and the Christians Duty both together so to shew and set forth to us the lustre and splendour of Christs incomparable Beauty and the overflowing fulness of his Grace as to make us really in love with him to ravish our 〈◊〉 and tongues and hands to his Service and praise that we may to 〈◊〉 and every day serve and praise and magnifie him all the day long 〈…〉 way to blessedness for ever I begin with his Beauty for that 's 〈…〉 attractive to him When I shall be lift up shall draw all men to me says he himself S. Iohn xii 32. That lifting up was upon the Cross and if that be so attractive if he be so powerful in his humiliation when his face is clouded with darkness his eyes with sadness his heart with sorrow when his body is so mangled with wounds deform'd with stripes besmear'd with blood and sweat and dust that will draw all men to him how infinitely prevalent then must he needs be when we see him in his excellence smooth and even and entire in all the parts of his soul and body For in both fair he is formosus fair formosus prae very fair formosus prae filiis fairer then the fairest and sweetest child in whom commonly is the sweetest beauty prae filiis hominum than the children of men when they come to their full strength and manly beauty By these degrees we shall arrive to the perfection of his beauty fair he is very fair fairer than the sweetest fairer than the perfectest beauty of the sons of men so in both his body and his soul. In his Body first And fair and comely sure must that Body be which was immediately and miraculously fram'd by the Holy Ghost pure flesh and blood that was stirred together by that pure Spirit out of the purest Blood and Spirits of the purest Virgin of the world The shadows of that face must needs be beautiful that were drawn by the very finger and shaddowing of the Holy Ghost those eyes must needs have quid sidereum as St. Ierome some star-like splendor in them which were so immediately of the heavenly making The whole frame of that body must needs be excellent which was made on purpose by God himself for the supreme excellence to dwell in to reside in to be united to so united by the union hypostatical A body without sin must needs be purely fair a body without concupiscence must needs be sweet without defect must needs be lovely without vacuity must needs be complete without superfluity must needs be so far handsom without inordination must needs be perfect without death must needs be firm without dust must needs be singular without corruption must needs be curious and delicate without any of them must needs be excellent And all these were Christs body without sin without concupisence without defect without vacuity without superfluity without inordination death and dust and corruption could not get the least dominion over it thou shalt not suffer my flesh to see corruption saies the Psalm he did not suffer it to see it saies the Gospel rais'd incorruptible it quickly was went down into the grave but staid not there came not into the dust at all into any corruption at all had none all the while it was upon the earth had none under it Fair he was in his conception conceived in purity and a fair Angel brought the news Fair 2. in his Nativity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word in the Septuagint tempestivus in time that is all things are beautiful in their time Eccl. v. 11. And in the fulness of time it was that he was born and a fair star pointed to him Fair 3. in his childhood he grew up in grace and favour St. Luke ii 52. The Doctors were much taken with him 4. Fair in his manhood had he not been so says S. Ierome had there not been something admirable in his countenance and presence some heavenly beauty Nunque secuturi essent Apostoli c. The Apostles and the whole world as the Pharisees themselves confess would not so suddenly have gone after him Fair 5. in his Transfiguration white as the light or as the snow his face glittering as the Sun S. Mat. xvii 2. even to the ravishing the very soul of S. Peter that he knew not what he said could let his eyes dwell upon taht face for ever and never come down the Mount again 6. Fair in his Passion Nihil indecorum no uncomeliness in his nakedness his very wounds and the bloody prints of the whips and scourges drew an ecce from the mouth of Pilate Behold the man the sweetness of his countenance and carriage in the midst of filth and spittle whips and buffets his very comeliness upon the Cross and his giving up the Ghost made the Centurion cry out he was the Son of God there appeared so sweet a Majesty so heavenly a lustre in him through that very darkness that encompass'd him 7. Fair in his Resurrection so subtile a beauty that mortal eyes even the eyes of his own Disciples were not able to see or apprehend it but when he veil'd it for them 8. Fair in his Ascension made his Disciples stand gazing after him so long as if they never could look long enough upon him till an Angel is sent from Heaven to rebuke them to look home Acts i. 11. If you ask Eusebius Evagrius Nicephorus Damascen and some others how fair he was they will tell you so fair that the Painter sent from Agbarus King of Edessa to draw his Picture could not look so stedfastly upon him as to do it for the rays that darted from his face and though the Scripture mention no such thing 't is no greater wonder to believe then what we read of Moses his face which shone so glorious that the Children of Israel could not behold it 2 Cor. iii. 7. Lentulus the Roman President his Epistle to the Emperour Antonius describes him of very comely colour shape and figure and so do others Not such a beauty yet as that which darts from it wanton rays or warms the blood or stirs the spirits to vain desires
or secular respects and motions but a sweetness without sensual daintiness a lustre without lightness a modest look without dejectedness a grave countenance without severity a fair face without fancy eyes sparkling only heavenly flames cheeks commanding holy modesty lips distilling celestial sweetness beauty without its faults figure and proportion and all such as was most answerable and advantageous to the work he came about every way fitted to the most perfect operations of the reasonable and immortal soul the most beautiful then sure when beauty is nothing else but an exact order and proportion of things in relation to their nature and end both to themselves and to each other Take his description from the Spouses own mouth Cant. v. 10 11 12 c. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand His head is as the most fine gold his locks are bushy or curled and black as a Raven His eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of water washed with water and fitly set that is set in fulness fitly placed and as a precious stone in the soil of a Ring His cheeks are as a bed of Spices as sweet flowers his lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe his hands are as gold Rings set with Beryl his belly as bright Ivory over-laid with Saphyrs His legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold His countenance like Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Ierusalem This is our beloved too Solomon indeed has poetically express'd it Yet something else there is in it besides a poetick phrase Beautiful he thus supposes he is to be who was to be this Spouse have the beauty of all beautiful things in the world conferr'd upon him at least to have the finest and subtilest part of all worldly beauties those imperceptible yet powerful species of them which make them really amiable and attractive a head and locks and eyes and hands and feet quantity colour and proportion such as darted from them not only a resemblance but the very spirit of heavenly beauty innocence purity strength and vigour Poets when they commend beauty call it divine and heavenly this of his it was truly so a kind of sensible Divinity through all his parts Shall I give you his colour to make up the beauty He was white pure white in his Nativity ruddy in his Passion bright and glistering in his life black in his death Azure-vein'd in his Resurrection No wonder now to see the Spouse sit down under his shadow with great delight Cant. ii 3. we sure our selves now can do less and yet this is but the shadow of his beauty The true beauty is the souls the beauty of the soul the very soul of beauty the beauty of the body but the body nay the carcase of it And this of the souls he had 2. in its prime perfection 2. Now beauty consists in three particulars the perfection of the lineaments the due proportion of them each to other and the excellency and purity of the colour They are all compleat in the soul of Christ. The lineaments of the soul are its faculties and powers the proportion of them is the due subordination of them to God and one another The colours are the vertues and graces that are in them His powers and faculties would not but be compleat which had nothing of old Adam in them His understanding without ignorance he knew all the very hearts of all thoughts as they rose what they thought within themselves S. Luke v. 22. thoughts before they rose what the Pharisees with other would have done to him had he committed himself unto them Now Tyre and Sidon would have repented had they had the mercy allowed to Corazin and Bethsaida S. Luke x. 13. His will without wilfulness or weakness his passions without infirmity or extravagance his inferiour powers without defect or maim his understanding clear his will holy his passions sweet all his powers vigorous Hear the Wise man describe him under the name of Wisdom Wisd. xvii 22 23 c. In her that is in him who is the Wisdom of the Father is an understanding Spirit holy one onely manifold subtile lively clear undefiled plain nor subject to hurt loving the thing that is good quick which cannot be letted ready to do good kind to man stedfast sure free from care having all power overseeing all things and going through all understanding pure and most subtile spirits and ver 25 26. A pure influence flowing from the Glory of the Almighty the brightness of the everlasting light the unspotted mirror of the power of God and the image of his goodness The powers of his soul being thus pure vigorous and unspotted they cannot 2. but be in order the will following his understanding the passions subordinate to them both all the inferiour powers obedient and ready at command and pleasure He had no sooner exprest a kind of grievance in his sensitive powers at the approach of those strange horrors of his death and sufferings but presently comes out Non mea sed tua Not my will but thine all in a moment at peace and in tranquillity No rash or idle word no unseemly passage no sowre look nor gesture or expression unsuitable to his Divinity throughout his life the very Devils to their own confusion cannot but confess it We know thee who thou art the Holy One of God S. Mark i. 24. To this add those heavenly colours and glances of grace and vertues and you have his soul compleatly beautiful Meekness and Innocence and Patience and Obedience even to the death Mercy and Goodness and Piety and what else is truly called by the name of good are all in him insomuch that the Apostle tells us the very fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily Col. ii 9. No Divine Grace or Vertue wanting in him In him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ver 3. In him all sanctity and holiness not so much as the least guile in his mouth 1 S. Pet. ii 22. So holy that he is made holiness and sanctification unto us 1 Cor. i. 30. Sancti quasi sanguine uncti We Saints and holy become hallowed by the sprinkling of his blood In him lastly is all the power and vertue omnis virtus that is omnis potestas all the power in heaven and earth fully given to him S. Matth. xxviii 18. So that now we shall need to say little of the other particular of this first general point of Christs perfect beauty that he is not only Formosus but Formosus prae not only fair but very fair for where there is so much as you have heard exceeding and excellent it must needs be Where the body is compleat in all its parts the soul exact in all its powers the body without any ill inclination natural or habitual the soul without
as it were of the creature that hath it And the power of a Kingdom I can tell you is good hold 3. And this Kingdom 3. is not an ordinary Kingdom neither As this Horn is above the Flesh so this Kingdom too not of this world St. John xviii 36. the likelier still to conduct us to the other and there set us safe And yet likelier 4. because it is not a fading but a durable one a horn that will hold Saul was anointed with a vial of Oyl 1 Sam. x. 1. to intimate the brittleness and shortness of his Kingdom but David with a horn 1 Sam. xvi 13. to signifie the continuance and strength of his that it should be a throne established for ever 1 Kings ii 45. And made good it was by this days Horn rais'd out of his house of whose Kingdom there shall be no end says the Prophet So no failure to be afraid of here It is a sure salvation we have by him And if I may now have the liberty to tell you more particularly what kind of Horn he may most fairly be said to be you will be the more ready to catch at it He is then 1. a Horn of Oyl to anoint us also Kings and Priests for so he makes us says S. Iohn Rev. i. 6. He is 2. the true Cornu-copia the Horn of plenty full of grace and truth and all good things else for out of his fulness we all receive ours says the same Apostle S. Iohn i. 16. He is 3. one of the Horns of the Altar or indeed all of them whither we may safely fly in all our dangers and distresses where we may lie secure when all the world has left us A sure hold now you will confess that is so high so strong so powerful so above corruption so lasting so everlasting so full of lasting honours plenties and securities 6. And yet as mighty and sure and as easie to catch hold on as this salvation is were it not for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were it not for us had we no claim no interest in it what were we the better either for the Horn or the salvation 'T is this for us that comes next to be considered that raises up our horns that makes us glad For this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the Iews alone They had the first title right indeed but not the only to it There is an Israel of God peace be upon it says the Apostle Gal. vi 16. as well as an Israel after the flesh There are Sons of Abrahams Faith as well as of his body to whom this salvation is sent as well as unto them Blessed Zachary brings in those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death into the number ver 79. the Gentiles as well as Iews into the light of it 't is omni populo to all people whatsoever in the Angels message chap. 2. of our Evangelist ver 10. All people and all degrees and orders of them rich and poor one with another so populus signifies not the plebem taken out of it not the lowest or meanest of the people escaped or forgotten 'T is an universal salvation that is here set up God does not streighten heaven though men do He would have all men to be saved 1 Tim. ii 4. though some men need a horn indeed to get such a salvation down yet so it is and to this purpose he has rais'd this salvation up which is the next advance of this salvation we are next to handle 7. And he rais'd it 1. as a Beacon or Standard upon a Hill that all Nations and Languages all kind of persons might flock in unto it Rais'd it 2. as from the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All hopes of it now were in the dust For the temporal condition of the Iews their enemies oppressed them and had them in subjection long they had so and all the attempts for deliverance had been so often baffled that they durst hope no longer For their spiritual condition both Iew and Gentile were all concluded under sin the one blinded with his own superstition the other shut up in ignorance and darkness when on a sudden was this day-spring from on high this horn this ray of light for I see not why this Horn as well as those of Moses face may not be construed so this ray this Horn I say rais'd up to light them both into the ways of salvation Rais'd up 3. as the horn out of the flesh a Saviour rais'd up thence to day Though from above he came into the flesh he came that thence being made sensible of our infirmities he might the easier bear with them Rais'd up lastly to raise up our thoughts from all inferiour expectations and fix them where they should be for deliverance and salvation Cornu exaltatum this salvation eminent for the vastness the opportunity the convenience the proportion it carries the seventh particular we observe in Gods blessing the fourth advancing of this salvation 8. There is an eighth And it is salvation in the right house The Lord of the Ascendant of our salvation in the Kingly house the best house to make it the more glorious the house of David Men would willingly be sav'd honourably by a person of honour rather then a base hand Men love not to owe their lives or honours to an unworthy person would be beholding to the right King rather than an Vsurper for them The House of David here hits right for that And we cannot but acknowledge a huge blessing in it even upon this account that how poorly sneakingly and basely we every day betray our selves into the hands of our enemies we are yet thus by Christ brought off with honour and enjoy by him an honourable salvation 9. And yet there is one thing more we would desire not to owe our selves to a villain or a miscreant or to a wicked and ungodly house or person To crown his blessings God has contrived them in the house of his servant David So God honoureth his servants so he encourages them to be good They are the persons theirs the houses where salvation dwells They are the pillars of the earth To David his servant and Abraham his servant and Isaac his servant and Israel his servant so run the promises both of a Saviour and salvation to them and to their seed for evermore Sum we up Gods blessings now Gracious Visits perfect Redemptions Salvations many mighty sure general eminent seasonable honourable salvations to us and ours everlasting too what would you more there 's nothing behind now but our blessing God for all these blessings I hope that shall not be so long for 't is but little that is required for so much and but three particulars that make it up An acknowledgment of Gods blessings a setting our selves to some way to bless him for them and a desire that all would do so too II. The acknowledgment begins it the
encouraged and confirmed him in it 4. His profession at it Behold said he I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God In those words he professed his faith and proclaimed his vision of it By this manner of considering it we shall do St. Stephen right and Christmas no wrong remember St. Stephens Martyrdom and yet not forget Christs being at it celebrate St. Stephens memory and yet no way omit Christs He being here to be lookt on as encourager of St. Stephens Martyrdom as much as St. Stephen for his Professor and Martyr By all together we shall fully understand the requisites of a Martyr what is required to make one such to be full of the Holy Ghost to look up stedfastly into heaven to look upon Christ as there and as boldly to profess it to be full of Grace and Spirit full of Piety and Devotion full of Faith and Hope full of Courage and Resolution all proportionably requisite to the spiritual Martyrdom of dying to the world and leaving all for Christ requisite too all of them in some measure to dye well at any time the very sum of the Text to be learn'd hence and practis'd by us If I add all requisite to keep Christmas too as it should be kept with Grace and Devotion with Faith and courage also against all that shall oppose it that our Christmas business be to be filled with the Spirit and not with meats and drinks to look up to Heaven to look up to Iesus and never to be afraid or ashamed to profess it there is nothing then in the Text to make it the least unseasonable I go on therefore to handle it part by part The first is St. Stephens accommodation to his Martyrdom how he stands fitted for it And surely he could not be better Full of the Holy Ghost Ghost is Spirit and what more necessary to a Martyr then a spirit The dreaming sluggish temper is not fit to make a Martyr he must have Spirit that dares look Death soberly in the face Yet every Spirit neither will not make a Martyr there are mad spirits in the world they call them brave ones though I know not why that rush headily upon the points of Swords and Rapiers yet bring these gallant fellows to a Scaffold or a Gibbet the common reward of their foolish rashness which they mis-reckon'd valour and you shall see how sheepishly they die how distractedly they look how without spirit The spirit that will bear out a shameful or painful death without change of countenance or inward horrour must be holy Where the Spirit is holy the Conscience pure the Soul clean the man dies with life and spirit in his looks as if he were either going to his bed or to a better place 'T is a holy life that fits men to be Martyrs But spirit and a holy Spirit is not enough to make a Martyr neither though the Martyrs spirit must be a holy one yet to dispose for martyrdom the holy Spirit must come himself with a peculiar power send an impulse and motion into the soul and spirit that shall even drive it to the stake And every degree of power will not do it it must be a full gale of holy wind that can cool the fiery Furnace into a pleasing walk that can make death and torments seem soft and easie Full of the Holy Ghost it is that Stephen is said to be e're we hear him promoted to the glory of a Martyr The Spirit of holiness will make a man die holily and the holy Spirit make him die comfortably but the fulness of him is required to make him die couragiously without fear of death or torment cruelty or rage By this you may now guess at Martys who they are not they that die for their folly and their humour not they 2. that die without holiness not every one 3. that dies as we say with valour and spirit not they that die upon the motion of any spirit but the holy one that one holy Spirit not they that die in Schism and Faction against the unity of this Holy Spirit the peace of his Holy Church none of these die Martyrs die Souldiers or valiant Heathen or men of spirit they may but men of the holy Spirit Martyrs they die not They only die such that have lived holily die in holy Cause in a holy Faith and in the peace of holy Church as in the Faith of one Holy Spirit ruling and directing it into unity upon good ground and warrant and a strong impulsion so to do without seeking for or voluntarily and unnecessarily thrusting themselves into the mouth of death And yet there are strange impulses I must tell you of the spirit of Martyrdom which ordinary souls or common pieties cannot understand Only we must know that the spirit of Martyrdom is the spirit of Love the very height of love to God which how that can consist with the spirit of Schism whereby we break the unity of Brethren or how a man can so highly love God as to dye for him and hate his Spouse the Church or his Brethren is inimaginable Some other engines there may be as vain-glory an obstinate humour of seeming constant to a false principle an ignorant and self-willed zeal which may sometimes draw a man to die but if the fulness of peace and charity does not appear there is no fulness of the Holy Ghost and they make themselves and their deaths but Martyrs that is witnesses of their own folly He that pretends to be a Martyr must have more then a pretence to the Spirit of charity II. And not to charity only but to devotion too He must 2. prepare himself for it stedfastly look up to Heaven nay into Heaven too fill his Spirit with divine and heavenly provision for it with St. Stephen here Who 1. looks up to Heaven as to his Country whither he was a going He longs earnestly to be there His soul with holy David's has a desire and longing to enter thither He that looks but seriously up to Heaven and beholds that glorious Building those starry Spangles those azure Curtains those lustrous bodies of the Sun and Moon that vast and splendid circumference of these glistering dwellings cannot but thirst vehemently to be there soul and flesh thirst for it O how brave a place is Heaven how brave even but to look on But if he can look as here it seems St. Stephen did into heaven too and contemplate the happy Choirs of blessed Saints and Angels the ineffable beauty of those inward Courts the ravishing Melody and Musick they make the quiet peace and happiness that pleasure joy and fulness of satisfaction and contentment there the majestick presence and blessed sight of God himself with all the store-houses of blessedness and glory full about him his very soul will be even ready to start with violence out of his body to fly up thither He that looks thus stedfastly looks
into Heaven cannot now but look askew upon the earth To look up into Heaven is 2. to despise and trample upon all things under it He is not likely to be a Martyr that looks downward that values any thing below Nay he dies his natural death but unwillingly and untowardly whose eyes or heart or sences are taken up with the things about him Even to die chearfully though in a bed of Roses one must not have his mind upon them He so looks upon all worldly interests as dust and chaff who looks up stedfastly into heaven eyes all things by the by who eyes that well The covetous worldling the voluptuous Gallant the gaudy Butterflies of fashion will never make you Martyrs they are wholly fixt in the contemplation of their gold their Mistresses their Pleasures or their Fashions He scorns to look at these whose eyes are upon Heaven Yet to scorn there but especially to fit us against a tempest or a storm of stones there is a third looking up to Heaven in Prayer and Supplication It is not by our own strength or power that we can wade through streams of Blood or sing in flames we had need of assistance from above and he that looks up to Heaven seems so to beg it It was no doubt the spirit of Devotion that so fixt his sight he saw what was like to fall below he provides against it from above looks to that great Corner-stone to arm him against those which were now ready to shower upon his head It is impossible without our prayers and some aid thence to endure one petty pebble But to make it a compleat Martyrdom we must not look up only for our own interests for we are 4. to look up for our very enemies and beg Heavens pardon for them He that dies not in Charity dies not a Christian but he that dies not heart and hand and eyes and all compleat in it cannot die a Martyr Here we find S. Stephen lifting up his eyes to set himself to prayer 't is but two verses or three after that we hear his prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge This was one thing it seems he lookt up so stedfastly to Heaven for A good lesson and fit for the occasion so to pass by the injuries of our greatest enemies as if we did not see them as if we had something else to look after then such petty contrasts as if we despis'd all worldly enmities as well as affections minded nothing but heaven and him that St. Stephen saw standing there All these ways we are to day to learn to look up to Heaven as 1. to our hop'd for Country as 2. from things that hinder us too long from coming to it as 3. for aid and help to bring us thither as 4. for mercy and pardon thence to our selves and enemies that we may all one day meet together there The posture it self is natural 'T is natural for men in misery to look up to Heaven nay the very insensible creature when it complains the Cow when it lows the Dog when he howls casts up its head according to its proportion after its fashion as if it naturally crav'd some comfort thence 'T is the general practice of Saints and holy persons Lift up your eyes says the Prophet Isa. xl 26. I will lift up my eyes says Holy David Psal. cxxi 1. And distrest Susanna lifts up her eyes and looks up towards Heaven ver 35. Nay Christ himself sighing or praying or sometimes working miracles looks up to Heaven who yet carried Heaven about him to teach us in all distresses to look up thither in all our actions to fetch assistance thence If we had those thoughts of Heaven we should I know how little of the eye the earth should have Vbi amor ibi oculus where the love is there 's the eye We may easiy guess what we love best by our looks if Heaven be it our eyes are there if any thing else our eyes are there 'T is easie then to tell you St. Stephens longings where his thoughts are fixt when we are told he so stedfastly lookt up to heaven And indeed it is not so much the looking up to Heaven as the stedfast and attentive doing it that fits us to die for Christ. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a kind of stretching or straining the eye-sight to look inquisitively into the object To look carelesly or perfunctorily into Heaven it self to do it in a fit to be godly and pious now and then or by starts and girds will not serve turn to mind seriously what we are about that 's the only piety will carry it Plus vaâ—â—t hora fervens quam mensis tepens One hour one half hour spent with a warm attention at our prayers is worth a month a year an age of our cold Devotions 'T is good to be zealous says St. Paul somewhat hot and vehement in a good matter And it had need be a stedfast and attentive Devotion that can hold out with this But. To stand praying or looking up to Heaven when our enemies are gnashing their teath upon us and come running head-long on us to have no regard to their rushing fury nor interrupt our prayers nor omit any ceremony of them neither for all their savage malice now pressing fiercely on us but look up stedfastly still not quich aside this looks surely like a Martyr The little Boy that held Alexander the candle whilst he was sacrificing to his Gods so long that the wick burnt into his finger and yet neither cried nor shrunk at it lest he should disturb his Lords Devotions will find few fellows among Christians to pattern him in the exercise of their strictest pieties Let but a leaf stir a wind breathe a fly buzz the very light but dwindle any thing move or shake and our poor Religion alas is put off the hinge 't is well if it be not at an end too What would it do if danger and death were at our heels as here it was Oh this attentive stedfast fastning the soul upon the business of heaven were a rare piety if we could compass it This glorious Martyr has shew'd us an example the lesson is that we should practise it But all this is no wonder seeing he was full of the Holy Ghost That Almighty Spirit is able to blow away all diversions able to turn the shower of stones into the softness and drift of Snow able to make all the torments of Death fall light and easie If we can get our souls filled once with that we need fear nothing nothing will distract our thoughts or draw our eyes from Heaven Then it will be no wonder neither to see next the Glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God I call'd this point St. Stephens confirmation or his encouragement to his death He that once comes to have a sight of God and Christ of Gods Glory and Christ at the right hand of
earth the Son of the Almighty Father clothed with flesh like unto us Four Vowels and two Consonants shall his name consist of and the number of them be eight unites eight tens and eight hundred that is 888. So here 's wonder upon wonder to make it wonderful 3. In the Latin we have five letters IESVS and by the old short way of writing among the Romans of the first letter for the whole word the subtle fanciers of the Cabala will tell us these five letters in the Name of Iesus intimate the fulness of its perfection that it is jucundum efficax sanctum verum salutiferum that it is full of joy efficacy sanctity verity and salvation Thus you see we have so rendred it as to find the Mystery in English name that it is a sweet and joyful Name an efficacious and powerful Name a sanctifying and justifying Name a Name verifying all Types and Prophesies and Promises and a salutiferous and saving name too Five glories to himself five benefits to us by it or as I may have otherwise as fully exprest them Justification Election Sanctification Victory and Salvation And now let the Iew come with his Rasche Theboth with his first letter for a word and write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Iesus meaning thereby maliciously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let his Name be blotted out it will fall upon himself His name will surely be blotted out of the Book of Life who goes about to abuse this or who has not his portion in the Name of Iesus I should add one Mystery more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Hebrew Name of Iesus is say they a letter with three equal fangs joyn'd all together and may denote the Trinity where the three Persons are equal and all united And then we have a mysterious Name indeed the whole God-head Trinity in Vnity in it and yet a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides as we told you before for the Humanity So a perfect Saviour of both Natures expressed perfectly in his Name God and Man and all the whole Trinity employed in the business of our salvation A wonderful Name indeed But 2. 't is also wonderful without a Cabala full of plain wonders as well as of mysterious 1. 'T is a new Name and yet Ioshuah the Prince and Iosuah the Priest and Ioshua or Iesus the Son of Syrach had the same name all and is it not then a wonder that it should yet be new But theirs were given them by men this him by an Angel Theirs signified only a temporal deliverance this spiritual and temporal both their 's a particular this a general salvation Theirs lastly meerly signified this very name effects also our salvation and deliverance 2. A name that no man knew but himself Rev. xix 12. No man can tell the wonders of it No man can pronounce it right neither without an immediate assistance from above 1 Cor. xii 3. No man can say the Lord Iesus but by the Holy Ghost 3. The wonders that are wrought by it make it truly wonderful that in it or by it or through it such mighty things both are and have been done even by men that only outwardly profest it and only sounded the letters of it as you have heard already 'T is wonderful lastly sure that it should force even the Devils to bow down to it not only depart their Lodgings to give it room but even be compelled themselves to worship it yet so we find it Phil. ii 10. Those things under the earth that is the Devils also so doing and confessing And shall we now think much to do as much to do what all things in Heaven and Earth and under it even in Hell too do to it bow the knee and worship it It is a Name says the Apostle given him to that purpose for us to pay our duty and homage to ver 9. 'T is a Name of blessing and adoration says our last point Venerandum nomen Iesu a Name to be blessed and adored First then bless we God for his holy Name for the benefits and comfort we receive by it Bless we 2. the Name it self praise and magnifie and glorifie and give thanks unto it They are the expressions of the Holy Pen Psal. cxlv 2. cxxxviii 2. lxxxvi 9. cxl 13. they are not mine so you have authority enough to do it if you think the Holy Ghost knows how to speak Bless we 3. our selves in this Name when we lie down and when we rise up when we go out and when we come in for in thy Name O blessed Iesu shall we tread them under that rise up against us Nothing shall be able to hurt or damage us when we put our selves under the protection of it If afflictions and troubles press hard upon thee and embitter all thy days this Name is the tree whose wood will sweeten the bitterest waters cut down a branch of it and throw it in Do thy sins and conscience rent and tear thee this Name is the Oyl to lenifie and cure them pour it out upon them Art thou to encounter death it self in this Name thou shalt overcome it deliver up thy soul but in it 'T is a Name of truth and fidelity thou canst not distrust it 'T is a Name of might and power thou mayest rest upon it 'T is a Name of Majesty and glory thou must exalt it 'T is a Name of Grace and Mercy thou must praise him for it and commit thy self unto it 'T is a Name of sweetness and comfort thou must rejoyce and be glad in it 'T is a Name of wonder and admiration thou must admire and declare it 'T is a Name of adoration thou must now adore it too Bow the knee says the Apostle or bow down at it Holy and reverend is his Name says the Psalmist Psal. cxi 9. And if reverend it may be rever'd it may be worshipped I speak not of the syllables and letters but of the sense When we hear the Name of Iesus I suppose there is none so little Christian but that he will confess I may lift up my heart and praise him for the mercy and benefits that I remember and am put in mind of by it and where I bow my soul may I not bow my body The Text is plain enough That at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow Phil. ii 10. Should though they do not or else shall when they will not and where they would not when they come among those that are under the earth and was ever more need to do it than in an age where 't is doubted whether he be or God or Saviour where it is question'd so often whether there were ever such a Name to be sav'd by and we not rather sav'd every one in his own Is it not high time to revive this honour to it that the world may know we acknowledge him to be God to be the Lord and are not ashamed to confess it But to sift
chiefest Apostles Have you been in more Heavens than he Heard more Revelations than he Have you more assurances of your Election or Salvation than he that vvas arrived at that height to be perswaded that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature could separate him from the love of God in Christ Iesus Rom. viii 38 39. are you better than he If you be not you had best take the course he did If you be you had best yet take his course to keep you so Yea but 4. our Christian Liberty is entrencht on by it We must not by this very same Apostles advice and counsel be subject to those Ordinances of touch not taste not handle not Col. ii 20 21. and yet those things seem to make much for the neglecting of the body and the not satisfying of the flesh ver 23. but that we must not be brought under the power of any 1 Cor. vi 11. No but the body must be brought under ours for all that says our Apostle Says he so He says no more than he does he does so too And yet he knew his power and Christian Liberty to the ful had power to eat and drink he tells us ver 4. and to do neither power to work and not to work to forbear working ver 6. was free ver 19. yet from this it seems he is not free unless he will fight as one that beats the air in the verse before the Text. He knows no liberty that can allow the liberty to his body not to be kept under and subjected unless it please Nor 5. does he whatever we think of it think he may spare it upon the account of other vertues as if it were enough to be diligent at our prayers to be frequent at Sermons to be orderly in our Families to be just in our dealings to be honest in our Callings to be charitable to the poor to be friendly to our neighbours or the like and let this subduing the body go whither it will St. Paul cannot be suspected to have been wanting in any of these yet he must needs add this grace also it seems to make all sure keep the body under that he may so keep those graces safe For a less matter lastly will not serve the turn St. Pauls labours and journeys and perils and stripes and prisons and deaths as great and as often as they were must have this also added to them the flesh must have some thorn or other to keep it in subjection If God send it not if the devil by his permission buffet not the flesh we must do it our selves lest we be exalted above measure those very performances which we think we have most reason to glory in will but puff us up and cast us sheer away if we preserve not our body in that lowliness and subjection that we should So now if we think good to guide our selves by St. Pauls authority and example there is none so weak none so busily employed none so holy that can exempt himself no Christian Liberty no other graces though never so many nor any other performances that can be pleaded against it All sorts of persons are included in St. Pauls and in this I all objections against it are sufficiently answered and we all included and obliged for if such a one as the glorious St. Paul could find no exemption I know not what Christian can expect it You 'l confess it perhaps when you have confidered what this body is you are to deal with the next Particular we are to handle And by the body here may be understood either the flesh it self or the fleshliness of it the body it self or the sinful passions and affections rising in it To be sure take we both And indeed we can neither be sure nor safe if 1. the passions and affections be not kept within their bounds if we suffer our appetites to rule us our angers to transport us our desires to harrow us our fears to distract us our hopes to abuse us or any other of that impetuous crew to over-bear us They must all be made underlings kept within rule and compass or we are lost Nay and to keep them so this very bulk of flesh 2. must be kept so too for keep this but high it is impossible to keep them low Stuff the body with meat and drink let it lodge soft and lie long let it have the fill of ease and pleasure facile despumat it froths into lust it boils into anger it swells into pride it rises into rebellion it leaks into looseness it mosses into idleness it fills the brain with fogs the heart with filth the liver with wanton heats the mouth with unsavoury language and all the members with disorder and confusion Do but take away the meat and let it fast a while take it from the bed and let it watch another while take it from ease and tenderness and set it to some hard and unpleasing work let it feel a little cold a little labour a little course and rough usage for a time and you shall see how humble it will grow how much under you shall have it how orderly it will be It will do any thing you would have it But to make all sure every part must have its share the eye must be watcht the heart kept under guard the tongue bridled the palate curbed the ears fenced the hands restrained the knees bow'd down the feet kept in and all the members under for they are all but one body 1 Cor. xii 14. this body that is to be brought into subjection make up but that Iumentum animae that beast that carries the soul and is therefore to be rid like a beast with bit and bridle with whip and rod lest it fall upon us or fall with us and cast us Be St. Pauls body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never so good so orderly so chaste a body so it seems it must be used nay such it cannot be unless it be so used Let no man be so bold to think his body in better order than St. Pauls and yet here 's a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his a kind of fear of some miscarriage a fear some evil may rise from it Yea even that very body of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had been at so many posts endured so many lashes already been in so many prisons so many perils so many storms and colds and shipwracks so many necessities and infirmities this very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this very body as much as it has suffered and as much as it has done I must yet keep under says St. Paul still more and more keep under for all that My body says he and mine say I and mine must every one say though we were all St. Pauls as holy as he had done and suffered as much as he But what yet must it suffer more
Yes more for as neer us as it is it is our adversary and the worse the nearer There are nothing but daily contentions and jars between us this I and this body are at continual odds this I delights in the Law of God and would do good Rom. vii 19 22. this body this flesh there 's no good dwells in it ver 18. this is for one thing and that 's for another this for good and that for evil and the fewd oft grows so high that this poor I is fain to cry out miserably sometimes O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death this body that is like to kill me And St. Paul brings in here himself and his own body whosoever it was he brought in there as two combatants a wrastling and the words here applied to them are Agonistical drawn from the measure and fashion of combatants and wrastlers and now we are coming next to treat of them But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection Now the business stands thus Our Apostle being undervalued by the false Apostles has been vindicating his priviledge his power and his labours all along the Chapter till ver 24. Yet lest for all his priviledge power and pains he should yet lose his reward and himself his soul and his Crown heaven and glory at the last by some miscarriage of his body he betakes himself to the course of such as strive for other Crowns orders his body as they do theirs denies it the full liberties it would take the fullest liberties he might lawfully give it too deals with it as his adversary does what he can to get it under his command beats and buffets it and bears hard upon it till he has brought it fully into subjection Shall I shew you how he does it I will not stir out of the Text to do it The words in one sense or other after one reading or other will do it for me Two words there are here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon which the business hangs keeping under and bringing into subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blew marks under the eyes and signifies primarily to give blew eyes as those do one another who go to cuffs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others read it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Dorick Dialect is stringendo premo crucio onero strictâ manu teneo is to suppress or press and streighten vex torment or burthen or carry a streight hand over Both these go to the keeping under of the body Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must give it some marks by which we may know it again by which it may remember us the marks of the Lord Iesus such St. Paul bare about him in his body Gal. vi 17. And a straight hand over it we must keep give it but hard usage if we intend to keep it under From this various writing and rendring of the word three several ways we have pointed to us to keep the body under Watching Fasting and hard usage Nothing 1. commonly makes us look blewer under â—he eyes sets those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon us then watching that does properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing 2. more afflicts and brings down the body brings us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the combatant strives to do his adversary more suppresses the heat and insurrection of it than fasting does Nothing 3. more streightens vexes and torments it does more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than the holding a strict hand over it and using it to hardships and severities crossing and thwarting the rebellious and insolent humours of it These the means the Apostle uses to keep his body under Watching first And truly I put it first because I find it so in the Apostles practice in watchings in fastings 2 Cor. vi 5. Nay and in watchings often in fastings often 2. Cor. xi 27. And in the first and best times when Christianity was in its glory when men were Christians for I know not what to call us now it was much in use So much in use that St. Chrysostome tell us they made their little Children rise at midnight set them up in their beds when they had new left their Cradles there upon their knees to say their prayers The holy watches were in those times so notable that the very Heathens took notice of their Hymnos antelucanos their night Offices and not only their early Hymns before the light broke in but whilst the night it self was in full course Nor was it a piece of superstition or a Religion of their own inventing They thought they had Christs command to settle it St. Mat. xxiv 22. where he commands his Disciples themselves to watch and where he complains of them that they did not St. Mat. xxvi 40. Could ye not watch with me one hour There is no evasion left to fancie it only a spiritual watchfulness commanded there for there 't is plainly bodily And the reason rendred for it being lest they enter into temptation must needs suppose it necessary still to be continued so long as the danger of temptation shall continue which will be as long as the flesh continues or any of us continue in the flesh Nor did this watching begin with Christians We find the Law of Nature had taught it Iacob ere Law or Gospel came He wrestles all night with the Angel untill the breaking of the day Gen. xxxii 24. and off he comes not without some marks though not under the eye yet under the thigh ver 25. and he halts for it ver 31. yet a blessing he got by it a new name of honour the name of Israel and the glory of prevailing with God and men Ver. 28. Go we on and we shall find a course of watchers such as by night stand in the house of the Lord Psal. cxxxiv. 2. We shall find David himself too at his night watches Psal. cxix 48. often at them Nay even in his very bed watching too it seems when we find him washing that and watering his Couch with tears St. Paul and Silas we hear ofter that at their Prayers and Praises whilst the dull heaviness of the night had lapt the rest of the World in sleep and silence Acts xvi 25. Yea Christ himself whose holy body needed no such correctives we have many times at his mountain-devotion watching in them St. Mar. i. 35. St. Mat. xiv 23. St Luke vi 12. St. Luke xxi 37. And all to give us good example who so much need it that we would put a penance upon our wandring eyes watch this wild beast our body for it is no other and make it tame so they do wild beasts when they intend to tame them and thereby frame it into a posture fit to entertain the Master at his coming who can never come so much to
there too late they begin to talk like men to speak reason The Christian penitent after he has run the course of sin and is now returning talks somewhat higher calls it a Prison the Stocks the Dungeon the very nethermost Hell thinks no words bad enough to stile it by We need not put any such upon the rack for this confession they go mourning and sighing it all the day long they tell you sensibly by their tears and blushes by their sad countenances and down-cast looks by their voluntary confessions their willing restraints now put upon themselves their pining punishing afflicting of their souls and bodies their wards and watches now over every step lest they should fall again that never were any poor souls so gull'd into a course so vain so unprofitable so dishonourable so full of perplexities so fruitful of anxieties so bitter so unpleasant as sin has been nor any thing whereof they are so much asham'd No fruit of all you see even our selves being judges And yet I will not send you away without some fruit or other somewhat after all this that may do you good For methinks if sin have no better fruits if wickedness come no better off we may first learn to be asham'd and blush to think of it be ashamed of sin We may 2. learn to beat it off thus at its first assaults What thou sin thou lust what fruit shall I have in thee what good shall I reap of thee Do I not see shame attend thee and death behind thee I am asham'd already to think upon thee away away thou impudent solicitress I love no such fruit I love no such end And if 3. we be so unhappy as to be at any time unawares engaged in any sin let us strike off presently upon the arguments of the Text. For why should we be so simple to take a course that will not profit to take pains to weave a web that will not cover us to plant trees that will yield no fruit to range after fruit that has no pleasure to court that which has no loveliness If we can expect nothing from our sins as you have heard we cannot why do we sweat about them if they bring home nought but shame why are we not at first asham'd to commit them if they end in death why will ye die O foolish people and unwise Lastly you that have led a course of sin and are yet perhaps still in it sit down and reckon every one of you with himself what you have gotten Imprimis So much cost and charges Item so much pains and labour so much care and trouble so much loss and damage so much unrest and disquiet so much hatred and ill-will so much disparagement and discredit so many anxieties and perplexities so many weary walks so much waiting and attendance so many disappointments and discouragements so many griefs and aches so many infirmities and diseases so many watches and broken sleeps so many dangers and distresses so many bitter throbs and sharp stings and fiery scorchings of a wounded Conscience so much and so much and so much misery all for a few minutes of pleasure for a little white and yellow dirt for a feather or a fly a buzze of honour or applause a fansie or a humour for a place of business or vexation sum'd up all in air and wind and dust and nothing Learn thus to make a daily reflection upon your selves and sins But after all these remember lastly 't is Death eternal Death everlasting misery Hell and damnation without end that is the end of sin that all this everlasting is for a thing that 's never lasting a thing that vanishes often in its doing all this death for that only which is the very shame of life and even turns it into death and surely you will no longer yield your members your souls and bodies to iniquity unto iniquity but unto righteousness unto holiness So shall ye happily comply with the Apostles argument in the Text and draw it as he would have you to the head do what he intends and aims at by it and by so doing attain that which he desires you should make your selves the greatest gainers can be imagined gain good out of evil glory out of shame life out of death all things out of nothing eternal life everlasting glory Which c. A SERMON ON THE Fourth Sunday in Lent I COR. ix 24. So run that you may obtain THat Christianity is a Race and Heaven the Goal and we all of us they that are to run is an ordinary Allegory in Scripture and Sermons which you have none of you but heard And that in this Race all that run do not obtain no more than they do that run in other Races every one sees and every one can tell you Not every one we told you the last day not they that run only with their tongues run they Lord Lord never so fast not many others that run further than so you will hear anon and too common experience can inform you But how so to run as to obtain is not a piece of so common knowledge Hic labor hoc opus est This is the Apostles business a business ordinary Christians are not sufficiently skill'd in 't is to be fear'd or if sufficiently skill'd in not so practised in but that they want a voice both behind and before them to tell them this is the way they are to walk in This is the way walk in it so and so run that you may obtain Were we to run in those Olympick Games which St. Paul here seems to allude to they who were practised in those sports and exercises were fittest to instruct us how so to run as to be conquerours there But being now to run the true Olympick that is the heavenly Race the true Race to heaven that true Olympus which that Poetical did but shadow this our Apostle that great wrastler not against flesh and bloud though in another sense against that too but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness whose whole life was nothing else but a continual exercise of all the hardships in the Christian course who so gloriously fought the good fight and finished his course can best teach us how to do so too With this Prerogative too above the cunningest of those Olympick Masters that they cannot so instruct their Schollars that they shall be sure of the prize they run for though they run never so accurately to their Rules many there running and but one obtaining but here by St. Paul's direction we may all run and all obtain For to that purpose only we are invited and directed to run that we may obtain Yet true it is as we may all obtain so we may not and it will be but a spur to us to fear it one spur to hasten and quicken us in our course St. Paul had such a one now and then to make him run He had run
we Christians The two strivings Theirs express ours understood they strive for masteries yet not they only but we also The diet or preparing for it much alike they are temperate in all things yet not they alone but we must too they do it but we do it too or should so by the Apostles similitude The two Crowns the one corruptible that 's theirs the other incorruptible that 's ours both expresly mentioned and compar'd And by comparing them together we shall see the great obligation that lies upon us to be temperate in all things that is as you shall see anon to do all things whereby we may come at last to obtain this incorruptible Crown of glory I begin with the two Combatants the one is any man the other any Christian the first is a man and no more the other has a relation to Christ added to him That man that every man striveth for the mastery to outgo his fellow some way or other is from his very nature there is a kind of natutural contention thence in every body to be some body more than ordinary If this contention were placed upon good things or things worth the striving for it were happy for us But if we have no better assistance than from nature we fix it upon Games and Sports Vanities and Trifles 't is them we only strive about there lies our business and our study 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one of us is no better strive and study for nothing else and yet vain men that we are we trouble and toil our selves as much about such nothings as if they were all we could desire all we could do It being then so natural and necessary a condition to every one of us to be striving for somewhat or other to aim at some exâ—â—â—ence or other to be better than our neighbours in some way or other It were to be desired that this desire and earnest pursuit were pitched right 'T is so in the other of the two Combatants the Christian. He indeed is the only man that strives for the mastery All others strive for that only which is but slavery when all is done We We Christians alone strive for that which is mastery and excellence The more men strive for earthly things the more are they brought under the dominion of them the greater is their vassalage and brings them no better but to cry out with Paul in the person of the unregenerate man Rom. vii Who shall deliver me from this body of death 'T is Gods service only that is perfect freedom we are then only free when we are free to righteousness then only masters when we can command our selves For an ille mihi liber videatur cui mulier imperat c. says the Heathen Orator Can you think him to have got the mastery whom vanity commands whom his Lusts give Law to who can neither go nor come eat nor drink wake nor sleep work nor play speak nor do desire nor think but what they would have him Ego vero istum non modo servum sed nequissimum servum etiamsi in amplissimâ familiâ natus sit appellandum puto I truly says he again think he is not only a servant but a drudge be he who he will of never so honourable a Family I add be his victory never so great and notable in meer vain and corruptible things They do but press him down the more and subject him to vanity and leave him groaning under the bondage of corruption The master over these is the true Christian only who by his faith and resignation conquers all his conquests gets the better both when he overcomes and is overcome both when his enemy oppresses him as well as when himself subdues him who makes all things serve his triumph every thing enhance his glory also things work unto his good advance his Crown All else are but the slaves of their conquests meer drudges to an empty name an airy title And 2. if we take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one that strives or fights none so truly does it as the Christian. All else do but beat the air fight with nothing in comparison their combates are not only meerly vain vain scufflings with air and wind to no purpose in the world but the very things and enemies they encounter are at the best but men whose breath is in their nostrils lighter than the very air and vanity it self if we believe the Psalmist Psal. lxii 9. and what great conquest over such 'T is the Christian that fights indeed that combates enemies indeed Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places enemies strong and mighty that go invisible and strike and wound us when we see them not that fight with us out of high and almost inaccessible places of defence that have all possible advantage over us These are enemies if we talk of enemies to fight with indeed The enemies worldly men so tremble at are but bragadochios to these all their force and power but weakness if compared with the powers of hell and darkness This is fighting to fight with these to fight with devils and sins and lusts and thus the Christian is the only fighter the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none but he And if I may have leave to expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one in an agony as sometimes it is none fight to agonies like Christians they come even to the fiery trial even unto bloud even unto death They did not so in the Olympick Pythian Nemaean or Isthmian Games they were but Games and Sporâ— to the Christian Combate that fights often to the death must havtis ways that intention not to give over for death it self but continue constant to the end So here we have in this first point even the mastery amongst them that strive for mastery that they strive for things not worth the striving for that they strive indeed for slavery not Mastery that they scarce do any thing worth the name of striving or fighting that theirs is but play and sport in comparison of the Christian Combatant and yet for all that a great deal they do for the victory in these petty trifles they wrastle and cuff and leap and throw and run and try all their strength and powers And 't is worth the while to see whether we strive and contend as much in our real Christian combate in a case vvorthy of the vvhile and labour That vve are novv to do secondly to compare our strivings theirs and ours the Grecian and the Christian exercises Five several exercises or kinds of striving for the mastery there was in those Corinthian-games Wrestling Cuffing Quoiting Leaping Running All these answered in our Christian course and exercise 1. Wrestling Wrestling against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places says St. Paul Eph. vi 12. Wrestling secondly with God in prayer as Iacob did Gen. xxxii 24. 2. Cuffing and buffeting
as they as Ants and Conies and Locusts and Spiders and 't is a shame we should not we would by the experience of our former evils Prepare 1. in good days with the Ant for bad ones We would 2. with the Conies build our dwellings in the Rock St. Paul says was Christ having felt sufficiently already there is no sure building else We would 3. go forth as the Locusts do to gather all by bands unite in the bond of peace and charity not straggle into factions and divide in parties remembring what that lately came to and may quickly come to again if we look not to it We would 4. with the Spider catch hold with our hands keep our selves employed in our own business trades or studies and not meddle with things we either understand not or belong not to us We would learn of them besides to be in the palaces of the great King the houses of God a little more constantly than we are This would be to be exceeding wise And if to these we add the wisdom of the Serpent as our blessed Saviour commends it to us St. Mark x. 16. make it our care above all as they say the Serpent does to save our heads Caput Christum and Caput Regem Christ our head and the King our Head make it our business to keep our Religion and obedience safe Be who will else thought never so wise I am sure there is none wiser as God counts wisdom than they that do so Yet lastly if you had rather take the rule of your wisdom from above take it from St. Iames That wisdom says he is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisie St. James iii. 17. So to be wise is to wash our hands of what is past to live peaceably and orderly friendly and kindly together for the time to come heartily promoting one anothers good without grudging or dissembling For in returning and quietness it seems is the Apostle wisdom as well as the Prophets strength Isa. xxx 15. wisdom it seems and strength both I would some would understand it that or this nay that and this we are to consider next The condition we are in that 't is we are now to understand For Intelligentia perspicit quae sunt so St. Augustin defines it and this hoc is most naturally the present So to understand this which is the second particular in the wish is to be truly sensible how things now go with us Where 1. what it is we are to understand and then what it is to understand it What this is we take in two particulars Gods dealing with us and our dealing with him again These two the this the business we are wish'd to understand I. And how God deals with Vs the high places of the earth we ride on ver 13. the places and offices we enjoy the increase of the Fields we eat of the plenty we abound with the Honey we suck out of the rock and the oil that issued to us out of the flinty rock the same verse those blessings which we could no more expect than those sweet dews out of stones and flints the butter and milk ver 14. the smoothness and evenness of our conditions now the fat of lambs and rams and goats in the next words the full tables we well nigh groan at and the pure blood of the grape the mirth and jollity we live in tell us as plain I say how he deals with us as they did Israel how he dealt with them One day tells another how the Almighty commands it to dart blessings on us and one night certifies another how he enjoyns it to shadow us with protections both speak loud enough to have their voices heard among us But how 2. we deal with him again I would there were no voice abroad I would no body heard I would Gath did not speak it nor the streets of Askelon ring of it that the day might be clouded with darkness to cover it and that the night were as the shadow of death to bury it for ever that thou O God however wouldst not reckon the days of our ingratitude in the number of our months We are surrounded with plenty and we abuse it to excess We are encompassed with peace and we disturb it with petty quarrels We are loaded with wealth and riches and we lash them out in lusts and vanities We are cloathed with honours and we dishonour them with meannesses Our friends are given into our bosoms and we envy some of them and slight the rest Our Laws are restored us and we live as if we had none Our Religion is returned and we laugh it out of countenance Good discipline reviving and we are doing what we can to break the bonds in sunder Our Churches now stand open to us and we pass by them with neglect Our King God has set upon his holy Hill and the people still imagin vain things against him In a word we are filled with all good things and we do all the evil we can with them We fill up our days with iniquities and our nights with transgressions We neither consider Gods dealings nor mind our own We understand neither that nor this For to understand this which is the second branch of this particular is to understand both whence and whither these mercies are whence they come and whither they tend For the first we are too ready to say with the Heathen ver 27. Our hand is high and God hath not done it God hath not done it why tell me then I pray what were the counsels that brought things about where were the Armies that forced our passage whence the mony that smooth'd the way who confounded the devices who fettered the forces who divided the strengths that were against us who turned the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers who softned our enemies who strengthned our friends who suppled strangers at last to pity us who calm'd the Seas who held the winds who guided our happiness into our harbours and even threw it into our bosoms This Cloud that arose like Eliah's out of the Sea 1 Kings xviii 44. out of the vast Sea of Gods endless mercy and covered Heaven and Earth with blessings till we are grown black I fear sadly black and sinful with them it was not as his servant took it like a mans hand at all it was like Gods all the way it was meerly Gods Non nobis therefore Domine non nobis must be our Psalm Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name only be the glory And this the first way to understand his mercies to confess from him they come and so give him thanks The second is to learn also whether they tend They are in St. Pauls understanding to lead us to repentance Rom. ii 4. and the time is proper for it In the Psalmists to
only but their bodies for him to go over not only to cut down boughs to strew his way but to cut down every one that stands any way in his way if he would have it will within a few days upon a little change be as ready to trample upon that great one they so much honour and even cut his throat if he command any thing that pleases not their humour or crosses their private interests and designs This very multitude so eager to day to exalt Christ to the highest in their loud Hosannahs are as fair on Friday to exalt him to the Cross by their louder cryings He yet would suffer them to give him honour that you might know all earthly honour what it is But 4. he thus receives this honour from the multitude that he might provoke great ones by their example St. Paul tells us that Salvation was come unto the Gentiles to provoke the Iews to jealousie Rom. xi 11. that they might in a holy strife and indignation endeavour to outgo them 'T is the like intended here that we might think much that simple men and women should outstrip us the ignorant know more of Piety and Religion do more at least the poor and meanest bestow more much more on Christ than we with all our wit and wealth and greatness and honour And in this 5. appears as well his power as providence and wisdom that he should out of such stones as these raise up children unto Abraham that he should thus out of the mouths of babes and sucklings perfect his own praise make the Child as eloquent as the Orator the women as valiant in his service as the stoutest men the People understand that which the learned Doctors would not see Even so O Father for so it pleased thee to reveal those things to babes and sucklings and hide them from the wise St. Luke x. 21. his only doing it was neither their doing nor deserving and it is marvelous in our eyes an evidence of the freeness of his power that he can do what he pleases that he does what he lists no man can hinder him none able to contradict him This 6. shews his Omniscience and his truth that nothing that he foretels not a tittle of it shall fall any time to the ground He had foretold it by his Prophet Zech. ix 9. that the daughter of Sion should rejoyce and the daughter of Ierusalem shout for joy and here we have it to a tittle even their Sons and Daughters doing it a very great multitude it is and children and women in it Children in the Temple ver 15. and the whole City moved ver 10. all Sexes then that the Prophesie might be fulfilled to the last letter So punctual is he of his word Yet to fulfil it fuller 't is a very great multitude in the Text that we might know that he that was here met by so great a company was the Saviour of all as many as would come that would spread their garments to receive him make him any kind of entertainment though butstrew boughs and rushes for him that 2. the World might know that he was going to his Passion he went freely too he could as well have used these multitudes to preserve himself as thus strangely to do him honour made them have bespread him with Arms and Weapons as well as arms and boughs of trees strewd the way with their bodies in his defence as well as their Garments in his honour but he would suffer death and therefore would not suffer that To tell us 3. that he should be served hereafter by great multitudes and not by little handfuls of men and women this was but a forerunner of the great multitudes of those that should hereafter believe on him Upon such grounds as these it is that the Eternal Wisdom so uses this great multitude here to set forth his glory makes them do that which themselves yet do not understand to tell us he is a Saviour of the poor and needy as well as of the rich and wealthy That he does not 2. utterly refuse mans service though he know it is not to last long to teach us 3. all the glory and honour we receive from men is but transitory and quickly vanishing to provoke us 4. by their doings to a godly jealousie and contention to out-do them to ascertain us 5. of the exact performance of every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his promises To intimate lastly to us that he is the Saviour of us willingly comes to suffer that he may be so that he may purchase a Church great multitude by it to himself Thus you have some kind of glimmering light why this great multitude are employed in this way of honouring him by the way And yet there is a mystery beyond it This multitude throngs together to inform us 1. how Christ would be serv'd and honoured with full Assemblies and Congregations The places where he comes he loves to see crouded with devout Worshippers to hear them encouraging and heightning one another with O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before God our Maker and by outward reverence gestures and expressions provoking one another to his service It instructs us 2. that there is neither man nor woman Master nor Servant old man or child poor or rich to be out in giving glory to him all sexes ages and conditions to flow together to do him service the very children to lisp it out they that have not a rag to cover shame may have a leaf to honour him they that cannot are not able to cut down a bough may strew it yet that cannot lift a branch may hold a twig do somewhat or other to his entertainment It preaches 3. to us that there is nothing readier to serve him than the poor in spirit that the spirit which most does him honour which is ever most ready to do it to him is the poor and humble Spirit such as ranks it self lowest thinks meanest of it self none so mean in the meanest multitude Here 's the spirit of this very great multitude the spiritual sense it speaks a serving Christ with a poor and humble spirit and bringing our selves and all ours our very children to speak or point out his praise to do it too in the great Congregation as the Psalmist speaks to praise him among much people And not only so but with much ceremony too so we read in the next particular some spread their garments in the way others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way II. These Ceremonies neither of them were strange among the Iews in the days of joy or triumph or the inauguration of Kings and Princes When Iehu was anointed King 2 Kings ix 12. we find every man hasting to take his own garment and put it under him spreading them as carpets for him to walk on ver 13. And in the Feast of Tabernacles it was commanded them to take boughs of goodly trees
business Look not sad but chearful now to day I hope you have lookt sadly enough already in your Chambers upon your sins you may here put on another face Yet if you be somewhat perplext and troubled at your sins or afraid of your own unworthiness or your souls and bodies bowed down as low as can be in humility I shall say you are the fitter to receive your joys and to be made partakers of the Angels company which as the Apostle tells us are present in holy places and if ever there there more especially at so great a mystery as this which they themselves bow down themselves to look into and wing about us say the Fathers to assist the celebration all the while You will be the fitter too to receive the joyful news that this day brings us of Christs rising being only so cast down and prepared in all humility to receive it Yet learn we something from the Angels too as well as from the Women for behold says the Text as if it meant we should look upon them too and learn by their standing constancy and resolution by their clothing in shining garments purity and innocence and all good works whereby we are so to shine as to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven by their correcting the good womens errour to correct our own and not let our Brother either perish or go astray for want of good and timely admonition a prime work of charity which this business so requires by their advice no longer to seek the living among the dead no more to seek Christ for earthly profits or respects and by their so readily publishing the news of Christs rising to be this day ever telling it every day thinking of it and so living as if we believed a Resurrection So shall it come to pass that however we come we shall not depart perplexed but in peace not in fear but in hope not in sorrow but in joy and shall one day behold him risen whom we now only hear is and meet him with all his Angels in shining garments in the robes of eternal glory He who this day rose raise now our thoughts with these apprehensions raise our thoughts to the height of these heavenly mysteries make us this day partakers through them of his Resurrection by Grace and in his due time also of his Resurrection to Glory THE SECOND SERMON UPON Easter Day St. MAT. xxvii 52 53. And the Graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose And came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many ANd this is the third day since the first of these was done since the Graves were opened and the first day that all the rest that the bodies of Saints arose came forth went into the holy City and appeared the blessed day of our Saviours Resurrection So we have both Passion and Resurrection in the Text and not amiss the one to usher in the other the Passion the Resurrection both comfortable when together to see the Passion end so glorious the darkness of so sad an Evening open it self at last after a little respite into so lustrous a Morning the most lustrous that Sun ever shone in the most joyous thus to meet the Grave and the holy City Christ and his Saints together This Day the very stones cry out and send forth the deceased Saints as so many Tongues to speak the glory of their Redeemer And if the graves open their mouths can we hold our peace If the dead bodies of the Saints appear to day in the holy City to celebrate the Day shall not we appear with our living bodies in the holy Mount to do as much The Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee says Hezekiah Isa. xxxviii 18. And the Dead praise not thee O Lord says David Psal. cxv 17. Yet here they do They thought then they could not we see now they do and shall not the living do so to The living the living he shall praise thee says Hezekiah and But we will praise the Lord says David that 's agreed on both hands that the living shall the Father to the Children make known the truth of this days great wonder declare it one to another from Generation to Generation keep the Day in remembrance throughout all Generations Indeed if we be not more senseless than the Day more silent than the grave the house of silence we cannot hold to Day up and arise we will and into the holy places to set forth the wonders of the day They that go down as the Psalmist speaks into the silence and into the Land where all things are forgotten who are either dead in trespasses and sins or are resolved to forget all that their Fathers have seen or done or has been done for them who are in the dark the darkness of ignorance or error departed from the Church out of the marvelous light into the Land of darkness they shew not of these wonders among the dead in their own Congregations nor tell of the loving kindness faithfulness and righteousness of this Day in that great destruction they have made But we will I hope we that are among the living stones in the Communion of holy Church will praise the Lord do as much as the Graves and now risen bodies wherever we appear For upon this Day hang all our hopes We were hopeless till it came hopeless when it was come till we knew it and no great hope of us if we forget it now it is This Day Christ rose out of the Grave If he had not risen had had no Resurrection there had been no hope of ours If nor hope nor Resurrection we had been of all men most miserable and if we do not thankfully remember both we are but miserable unthankful wretches no sooner the Day forgotten and such days put down but all our happiness put down with them we of all the Nations under heaven presently most miserable miserable times quickly after this happy Day with the rest of its attendants was unhappily voted to be forgotten So much does it concern our happiness with the Saints in the Text to solemnize it in the City if the City intend either to be holy or happy so much to make much both of all Texts and times that may bring it to our remembrance all days and words Texts and Testimonies either of Christs Resurrection or our own This Text then among the rest Wherein we have both a Testimony and Evidence of Christs Resurrection and a Pledge and Symbol of our own Two general Points which we shall consider in the words Or more particularly thus A Testimony of the truth of Christs Resurrection and an Evidence of the power of it A Pledge of the certainty of our Resurrection and a Symbol of the manner of it both of our Resurrection to grace and our Resurrection to glory The Testimony of the truth of Christs Resurrection 1. in the bodies of
the Saints arising and coming out of their Graves 2. In their coming into the holy City and there appearing unto many telling and declaring it The Evidence of the power of his Resurrection to be seen 1. in opening the Graves 2. In raising the Saints bodies that slept there 3. In sending them into the holy City 4. sending them thither to appear to many The Pledge of our Resurrection it is 1. that they that rise are of those that slept Saints and members of the same body with us that 2. 't is no phantasm no phantastick or meer imagined business for they appeared to many The whole business of their Resurrection is a Symbol and signification of ours both of that to grace and that to glory 1. Of that to grace the grave and sleep the Symbols of sin and sleeping in it the bodies rising thence of the souls rising out of sin their going into the holy City of the souls passing from sin to righteousness and holiness their appearing to many of this righteousness manifested and appearing unto all A Symbol 2. it is of the Resurrection unto glory where the Grave first opens then the body rises then into the holy City into new Hierusalem it goes and there appears and shines for ever Thus you have the Text opened as well as the Graves we must now go on to raise such bodies of doctrine and comfort out of it as may bring us all into the holy City serve to make us holy here and happy hereafter partakers here of the First Resurrection and hereafter in the Second He that here opened the Graves and raised the dead bodies out of their sleep open your ears and hearts and raise your understandings and affections that we may all of us have our share in both rise first to righteousness then to glory Christs Resurrection is the pattern and ground of both we therefore begin with that with those words first that bear witness to the truth of it that Christ is risen A double Testimony we gather of it in the words from the rising of the dead Saints and from their appearing It was a sign indeed that the Resurrection was well towards when the Graves began to open we could not but see somewhat of it even in those dark Caverns when they once began to let in the light some hope of rising even when a body begins to yawn some hope the body might come ere long to recover its long lost liberty when the prison doors were wide set open and the shackles of death knockt off the legs some sign and hope I say it would be so that there would be a resurrection of some of some one or other by and by But the Graves being opened at Christs Passion they could be but hopeful prognosticks at most of his Resurrection a Testimony it could not be but when out of these opened Graves the Saints arose out of their sleep they could tell us more certain news of it than so And being but members of that body of which Christ Iesus was the head we must needs know the head is risen when the body is got up the head first ere any member could be it never so holy never so much Saint He is the head of the Church says the Apostle Eph. v. 23. and the Church the body and if any part of the body be raised to life the head you may be sure is first too For if Christ be the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. xv â—0 and the first begotten from the dead as he is stiled Rev. â— 5. If we see others risen other dead bodies walking and alive there is no witness more true than that he is The first fruits ever before the crop Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs says St. Paul 1 Cor. xv 23. out of order else and the first begotten ever before all the rest second and third and fourth and all witness the first begotten was before them the first begotten from the dead risen before the other dead And it seems 't is not a single witness they were many dead bodies here that rose and in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established Deut. xvii 6. much more in the mouths of many Witnesses And if these be from the dead surely then the most incredulous will believe Nay Father Abraham says Dives but if one come from the deaâ— they will believe yea and repent too Luke xvi 30. Here 's more than one here 's many that not so much as any of Dives his brethren the most voluptuous secure customary and obstinate sinner can be incredulous after this or have reason to doubt the truth or have the power to contradict it To satisfie either particular curiosity or infidelity God does not use to send us messengers from the dead he sends us to Moses and the Prophets there ver 29. for our instruction does not press men from hell or heaven or raise them out of their beds of rest to send them on an errand to us though perhaps little can be universally though ordinarily it perhaps may be defin'd in this particular for the ignorance we are under of the condition of the bounds and limits of the dead If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets says Father Abraham neither will they believe if one rise from the dead If they will not believe the living word the word of the living God no likelihood that they should believe the word of a dead man especially when they cannot be certain but it may be the devil the father of lies and falshood But not of one only rising from the dead that to be sure no man so simple to venture his faith upon a single Testimony and such a one as that Or if he would God does not use to do extraordinary miracles where the ordinary means of probation or information are sufficient But in this great business that concerns all mankind he is pleased to step out of his ordinary course to give us for once some extraordinary satisfaction that all Ages afterward might be sufficiently convinced of the truth of Christs Resurrection from heaven and earth by the Testimony of the dead and living that there might be no occasion hereafter to doubt for ever He raises therefore a great company to attend the triumph of his Sons Resurrection and to bear witness to it 2. And as it is not a single witness so it is not secondly a single testimony 't is not from their rising only but from their going into the City and there appearing unto many For sure neither their journey nor appearance was to tell stories of the dead what is done either in the grave or heaven or hell to satisfie the curious soul with a discovery of those Chambers of silence or the Land where all things are forgotten and therefore all forgotten that we may know they remember when they come thence to tell us nothing that is there their business was
close puts me in mind now of the third Particular The Effect of all these If-Hopes these but supposed vain hopes Misery and the worst the most misery We are then of all men most miserable Miserable But what should make us so What but that which makes up misery Pain and Loss Lost joyes deluded hopes and real pains troubles and infelicities We shall not need to go out of this very Chapter which has given us the Text to find enough to make up a bulk of Misery 1. For Loss 1. We have lost our head Christ is not risen if our hope be only here He is dead still if there be no Resurrection and we are at the best but walking Ghosts horrours to others and to our selves We may well go with the Disciples to Emaus a word that signifies forlorn people go among forlorn people indeed if he be dead still We have lost our spirits our senses our life and all if our head be gone we are a generation of senseless liveless silly people to be Christians still 2. We have lost our labours and our sufferings too What availeth it that we stand in jeopardy every hour if the dead rise not at all ver 30. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not ver 32. What are all St. Pauls labours and travels watchings and fastings whippings and imprisonments his suffering cold and nakedness hunger and thirst contumelies and reproaches his journeys and his shipwracks his so many perils both by Sea and Land his chastening his body and keeping it under his so often perils of death by treachery by hostility many other ways his so many persecutions and after them even death it self To what purpose all these if there be no place or opportunity hereafter to reward them What mean these foolish Christians so to subject themselves to cruel mockings and scourgings to bonds and imprisonments to stoning burning sawing in sunder to Swords and Racks and Gibbets What mean they to wander up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins when they may have better clothing far cheaper To wander up and down from house to house when they may at an easier rate have houses of their own To wander up and down in Deserts and Mountains in Dens and Caves of the earth when they may with greater ease have stately buildings and glorious Palaces to dwell in Why are they so foolish to be thus tortured and tormented and accept of no deliverance if it were not that they might obtain a better Resurrection as the Apostle speaks Heb. xi 35. and so on Else if there be no such business Let 's eat and drink says St. Paul for tomorrow we die Let 's crown our heads with rose-buds in the the spring and take our fill of loves let 's stretch our selves upon our beds and drench our selves in pleasures deny nothing to our desires abridge our selves of no delights care not by what means we rush into Riches Pleasures Lusts and Honours If there be no other World let 's take our portion here and let 's not be such fools and mad men to lose all here and hereafter too This is better doctrine then the cold Precepts of Christianity if there be no other hope than what is here But be not deceived for all this says our Apostle ver 33. 't is but evil communication this though so it were not but good wise counsel rather if there were nothing beyond this life But awake awake to righteousness for there is a Resurrection where both our labours and our sufferings shall be remembred all 3. We have lost our Faith if our hope in Christ be only here Your faith is vain ver 14. Our Religion 's gone there 's no such thing as that in Christianity then Religion is our busines towards God but if Christ be not risen as he is not if we can hope in him no further than this life only then he is no God so our Religion is but foolery and we miserable fools to busie our heads so much about it about the name and nature and worship and service and trusting of a dead Redeemer that can neither help himself nor us no nor hear a Prayer nor grant a Request nor reward a Duty nor punish an Injury done to him Nay 4. we have lost our very hope too If we have no hope but here we have none at all we can hope for nothing that flees not from us Do we hope for honours or riches by following Christ We see daily we are deluded Do we hope for happiness by it upon earth We see nothing but misery about us and death before us Nay do we hope indeed for any good by Christ yet lying in the Grave What is it that a dead Saviour can give us more than the dead Idols of the Heathen We see and feel our hopes in this life already vain and for hereafter we can see nothing at all without a Resurrection Yes say some now adays If the soul live we may be happy without a Resurrection though the body rise not if the soul be but immortal Fond men who consider not how if the body rise not then Christ is not risen the Apostles own way of arguing ver 15. and then our faith which was in Christ being perished as being no other than in a helpless hopeless man the soul can neither enjoy nor expect a happiness from or by him and has lost all other by following him already Not considering again how the greatest misery that can betide the soul is to wander desolate and disconsolate for ever without both her body and her Christ depriv'd eternally of all kinds of hopes Not considering lastly that the souls immortality necessarily infers a Resurrection it being but a fore-runner and a harbinger for the body to which it hath so natural a reference and inclination that happiness it could have none when separated from the body if it did not perceive the certainty of its bodies rising a while after to accompany it It could not without that certificate but be incessantly tormented with its own unsatisfied and ever to be unsatisfied longings which it could throw off no more than it could its own nature and essence it being essentially created and deputed to the body But Loss makes not all our misery Not only loss of good but sense of evil concurs also to make us miserable And here 's enough of this too for us if in this life only be our hope You are yet in your sins that first And what greater evil I pray than sin What greater misery than to be under the dominion of it To be torn in pieces with the distractions of our sins to be tormented with inordinate desires to be hurried up and down with exorbitant lusts to be enslaved to the drudgeries of so base commands to be rackt with the terrors of a wounded conscience to be distracted quite with the
and fiery the earth by the Ox that tills it the air by man that breaths it the water by the Eagle which as other fowl was made out of it Gen. i. 20. All these indeed we find called in by the holy Psalmist to make up the song of praise Psal. cxlviii and by the three Children in the fiery furnace to make up theirs that we may know the Fire and all the Elements Beasts and all Creatures praise him as well as man nay better are readier commonly to do it than he that he is fain even the devoutest he of all of us to cry out to them to come in with their notes to help him out and fill up the Choir 4. Some think Gods title of slow to anger and swift to mercy is by these four here exprest by way of Hieroglyphick by the Oxe slowness by the Lion anger by the Eagle swiftness and by the Man mercy represented to us And without doubt or question in this slowness to wrath and swiftness to have mercy is Gods greatest glory and for them we most willingly give him glory must not cease at any time to give him glory 5. Others suppose it an Hieroglyphick of Christ himself who in his Incarnation appear'd in the form or face of a man in his Passion like a Calf or Oxe for sacrifice in his Resurrection like a Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah in his Ascension like an Eagle and if this pass the meaning is that by Christ Gods glory is most advanced by his Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascension heaven and earth is filled with his glory and for this above all the rest for him and his benefits we are to give God the greatest glory there as it were begins all our praise thence the twenty four Elders first throw down their Crowns and fall down and worship as it were acknowledging him the beginning of all the good we receive both of grace and glory Christ the Author and Original of them all But 6. to come a little near These four living Creatures say others represent the four Evangelists that preach Christs Life and Death Resurrection and Ascension into glory The Lion St. Mark for he begins his Gospel as it were with the voice of a Lion roaring in the Wilderness The Calf or Oxe St. Luke who begins his with the story of a Levitical Priest whose Ministry was about the Sacrifice of Calves and Oxen. The Man St. Matthew who takes his rise from the Genealogy of men The Eagle St. Iohn who at the very first soars up on high that we had need of Eagles wings and eyes to follow and discern him By these four indeed Gods grace and mercy Christs name and glory is spread over the face of all the earth and by this we learn that to preach and teach and publish the things of Christ is to give God praise and glory a singular and notable way to do so 7. Some that suppose they yet hit it nearer conceive God here brought in in the Vision sitting as the Bishop of Ierusalem with all the Bishops of Iudea in council all about him as Acts xv it seems they did and these four living Creatures about the Throne to be those four chief Apostles St. Peter St. Iohn St. Barnabas and St. Paul there present rank'd here higher than the rest St. Peter for his primacy set first and resembled by the Lion for his fiery zeal and fervour St. Paul deciphered by the Oxe in respect of his labours more abundantly than they all St. Barnabas intimated by the Man as being a Son of consolation humanity and mercy by the interpretation of his name St. Iohn pointed at by the Eagle for those sublime and high speculations of the Divinity of Christ above all the rest These were the four great Standard-bearers of the Christian Israel for these four living Creatures were born in the standard of old Israel and here alluded to these the four great Champions and Defenders the Planters and Propagators of the Christian Faith of the blessed Trinity of the glory of God and Christ throughout the world And thus we see to undertake the business of the Gospel to take pains and labour to defend and propagate it with all our might and main is an actual and real glorifying of God and Christ. Yet lastly whatever these may be imagined to represent to us or whomsoever to point out or what council or persons or judicature soever to resemble Angels to be sure they were that thus represented the Vision to St. Iohn and as such if we consider them we may conclude all the business with this Lesson that the business of heaven as well as earth of Angels as well as men is to be imployed in Praises and thanksgivings to the Almighty an imployment therefore well worth our time and pains and study Now put all these together and I cannot give you a fuller description of the way to praise and glorifie him than these have given you For to do it as we should is 1. to live vertuously 2. To employ all the powers and faculties of soul and body to his service 3. To call in all the Creatures to help us to do it and to use them to it 4. To reflect often upon both his mercies and his judgments and acknowledge his goodness in them both 5. To meditate upon the Life the Death the Resurrection the Ascension of Christ with all devotion and humility 6. To preach and publish it what we can 7. To defend and maintain it to our utmost power 8. To reckon it lastly an Angels work a heavenly piece of business thus to spend our days and years in giving glory to the most highest And if heaven and earth and all the creatures else besides sinful man become thus the Trumpets of their Creators glory and in all their several ways and orders ambitiously contrive themselves into the instruments of it what strange creatures must we needs be that either neglect it or forget it Heaven and earth says our morning Hymn are full of the Majesty of thy glory we can be no other than hell then that are empty of it that do not resound it Dragons and all deeps says the Psalmist Psal. cxlviii 7. all but the old Dragon and the bottomless deep the deep of hell all praise him else You see what we bring our selves to by our unthankfulness what a sad condition they are in who give not glory unto God who delight not in magnifying and praising him who are against the Hymns and Anthems to that purpose Thus you see it done in the Text by Saints and Angels in the Heavens by Apostles and Evangelists on the Earth Thus de facto so it was then But 't is as well a Prediction of what should be after that not only the present Age of the Apostles and holy Bishops then but the succeeding Ages also of the Church should acknowledge the glory of the undivided Trinity And it fell out accordingly Not
to God Then it befals us as it fell out to Iob xlii 5 6. I have heard thee by the hearing of the ear but that was nothing now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes Hither it is always that the sight of God depresses us to think humbly of our selves that we profess our just deserts to be no other then to be deprived of his presence There are like expressions of humble minds towards our Superiours too in holy Writ When Rebeccah saw Isaac coming towards her she lighted down from her Camel and covered her self with her vail as if either her humility or her modesty would not suffer her suddenly to look upon his face who was presently to be her Lord Gen. xxiv 65. But Abigail's complemental humility surpasses 1 Sam. xxv 41. When David sent to take her to him to wife she arose and bowed her self to the â—arth and said behold let thine hand-maid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord And Mephibosheth though not so courtly yet as deeply undervalues himself in the sight of his Lord and King when he thus answer's David's profer'd kindness 2 Sam. ix 8. What is thy servant that thou should'st look upon such a dead Dog as I am Now if Rebeccah descend from her Camel and veil her face at the sight of her designed husband if Abigail term her self the servant of the servants of David even to the meanest office to wash their feet if Mephibosheth count himself a Dog in the presence of King David each of these thus expressing their humility it is no wonder if St. Peter at the presence of his Saviour it is but just that we in the presence of our God and Saviour descend from our Camels from our Chairs of State from our seats of ease from the stools whereon we sit and bow down our eyes our hearts and bodies in all humility as unworthy to look up to Heaven to look him in the face whom we have so offended willing to wash the feet of his poorest servants to serve him in any thing in the poorest meanest way or office ready to profess our selves amongst the vilest of his creatures who cannot so much as expect a good look from him You may surely guess by the frame of speech though nature and sin may sometimes use some of the same words that the tenor of them altogether is no other then the expression of St. Peter's humble acknowledgment of his own vileness He confesses plainly he is a sinful man how could he more depress himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that was nothing but a sinner a very sinner Thence it is that he thinks himself unworthy that he should stay with him therefore desires him to quit his ship but much more his company as far unfit to receive him or be near about him And 3. whilst he thus confesses himself to be a sinful man he speaks somewhat doubtfully at least to him as if he conceived him to be the Lord his God thus much however he acknowledges so great a disproportion between himself and Christ that whilst he knows what to call himself he knows not well what to style him to be sure knows not how to speak speaks indeed but knows not what he says whilst humbly desiring him to depart he unwittingly parts with his own happiness not knowing what he desires or does in this distraction These three an acknowledgment of our own wretchedness a sensible apprehension of our our own unworthiness and Christ's greatness And 3. a kind of troubled expression of them without art or study are the signs and effects of true humility and are here caus'd by the consideration of Gods miraculous dealing with us which commonly shews us Gods Goodness and Grace his Glory and Majesty our own weakness sinfulness and misery and by so setting them so suddenly together render us unable to express either In some perverse natures there arises we must confess sometimes a pride upon the receipt of divine favours so that we may say St. Peter's behaviour after so great a miracle shewed towards him makes his humility the more commendable A great and wonderful draught of fish he had taken and he had laboured hard for it some body would have given at least part of the glory of so good success to his own labour or at least triumpht and gloried highly in it as if he had been the only favourite of Heaven the only Saint for his good success but St. Peter saw by his lost labour all the by-past night an the uncouth multitude of fishes now against hope taken up that his labour did but little here there was one with him in the boat he saw at whose command the fish came to it in such number So that now he sees little by himself or his own endeavour but that he was not fit company for the Lord that was with him neither worthy of that miracle nor of that Master Thus good men are humbled even in their prosperous successes whilst nothing but miraculous miscarriages can humble the ungodly and not then neither to think ere a whit the worse of themselves or the better of others or understand but that God himself is notwithstanding bound still to tarry with them before all the World besides He is truly humble whom prosperity humbles who in the midst of his accomplished desires casts himself below all acknowledging he is less than the least of Gods mercies or gracious looks towards him any ways There is yet a way that perfect souls souls elevated above the height of ordinary goodness have spoke these words There is sometimes a rapture in heroick souls over-born as it were with the torrent of the contemplations of the divine beauty and the delights flowing in abundance from it that some glorious Saints in their several times have been heard to say sometimes Depart from us O Lord We have enough We have enough oppress us not with pleasure which our earthen Vessels are not able to bear There have been those that have died with excess of joy but it was temporal joy spiritual joy is not so violent to rent the body yet it even sometimes oppresses the soul into a kind of death and wraps it beyond it self into an extasie and after that it is in danger to be strein'd into another excess of pride or vain-glory St. Paul was near it least I should be exalted above measure it seems there was great fear of it there was given him something to humble him to bring him down from so dangerous a height It is necessary it seems sometimes if not such a desire yet such a condition to the most perfect souls that Christ should depart from them now and then least they should be puff'd up with the multitude of those Revelations by which Christ reveals his presence in them and his favour towards them There are delights in heavenly joys which these old bottles are not yet
and Eliah with the Gospel Law and Prophets in our hands reading and comparing them meditating as well as praying And 't is good being so good spending our time in such employments Search the Scriptures for in them ye think and ye think right too to have eternal life St. John v. 39. profitable they are says St. Paul and that is good for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. iii. 16 17. thorowly good that serves to make a man so thorowly good good to be thus in the Mountain here upon the tops of our houses in our closeâ—s and highest rooms where we have most leisure less avocations that we may the better attend so holy a work especially since our late holy work good to keep the scent and relish of those heavenly dainties in our souls 6. To be here is to be with Christ and Moses and Elias St. Iames and St. Iohn and St. Peter to be in good company Nothing better to make or keep us good O how good yea and joyful or pleasant a thing it is to be together with such Nothing drives away sad and heavy thoughts like such good company where the discourse is Heaven where the entertainment is heavenly where we eat and drink with Christ where there is nothing but sweetness and meekness and goodness to be learnt where there is nothing harsh or horrid or unseemly where the news we talk of is what is done in Heaven where our meat and drink is to do the will of our Father which is in Heaven where our talk is not the vain talk of the new fashions of men and women of the World but the fashions of Angels and Saints and Martyrs of all ages where we talk not of other mens lives but mend our own where our musick is the praises of our God and our whole business Salvation where we shall hear no idle words see no unseemly gestures meet no distempers or distasts but those things only which become law and order Prophets and Apostles or Scholars and Disciples of so good a Master Good it is to be here to be with such 7. But above all 'T is good being with Christ St. Paul would fain be dissolv'd and gone to be with him Phil. i. 23. would die when you would to be with him Far better says he it is far better then to be any where or with any body else Nothing comparable to it Be it in life or death Be it upon the Mount with him 1. In a place of safety T is no doubt good being there with him Or Be it with him 2. talking with Moses and Elias about his Passion about his decease that he should accomplish at Ierusalem as St. Luke relates him ver 31. in the saddest discourse of his sufferings or the saddest sufferings themselves 'T is good being with him still Or Be it with him 3. in shining and glistering garments in a condition of glory either when his face shines the heavâ—nly light of his countenance shines out upon us when eternal Glory encompasses him and us or 4. when only the fashion of his countenance is only altered towards us when spiritual contentments flow upon us or 5. when his rayments only are white and glister when outward blessings glister about us 'T is at every turn good being with him Yet more particularly 'T is good for us to be with Christ in safety and security if we may so as St. Peter thought he now was here that we may serve the Lord without distraction Good to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty says St. Paul 1 Tim. ii 2. 'T is good 2. again for us to be with him also in his Passion to suffer with him good to be with Moses and Elias ever and anon thinking and speaking of the Death and Passion of our Master all his bitter sufferings affronts reproaches whips and scourges sweats and faintings nails and thorns and spear and scoffs and tears and sighs and exclamations and giving up the ghost good to be made partakers too of his sufferings with him to fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh as the Apostle speaks Col. i. 24. It is good for me says Holy David that I have been in trouble Psal. cxix 71. good above what David thought to be with Christ in trouble to be troubled for him to suffer persecution for his Name Blessed are they that do so St. Matth. v. 10. and that 's good to be blessed and they that are not yet arriv'd to that to suffer and be troubled for him 't is good they in the mean time be troubled with him troubled that he should be so troubled and afflicted for them 'T is good to be with Christ in either of these conditions 'T is good 3. to be with him in his glory that to be sure needs no proving the only good the only true and perfect happiness to see his face in glory all good is concentred here no good beyond it And yet 4. 'T is good too to be with him so as to enjoy some glimmerings of that eternal light in the mean time whilst we are here to enjoy the happiness of his gracious Presence in our souls to have him shine comfortably into our hearts this is eternal life one ray of it to know Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent St. John xvii 3. to be sensible of those inexpressible comforts which he oftentimes vouchsafes to give us to be partakers of those sensible delights of piety which he sometimes allows us 'T is good the sweetest good this life can yield us to feel the sense and sweetness of his presence and walk in it good to be in grace and good sometimes to see the glory of this grace to feel the joy and comfort of it so good to be here that it is not good to be any where else if we may be so Nay and 5. 'T is good sometimes to have our Rayments white and glistering with him to enjoy outward satisfaction and prosperities from him They are not always the portion of the wicked They are often happy instruments of grace and glory and when they are so t is good to have them 'T is good so also to be here to be under some of the fringes of these shining garments when God pleases that we shall But last of all 'T is good to be here be that here where it will so it be where God would have us 'T is good to be here because God would have us here So this here is any where with God and Christ good for David to be in trouble good for St. Paul to be under the thorn and buffeted good for Manasses to be in fetters good for some to be in clouds and sorrows as good as for others to be in safety and ease plenty and prosperity continual light or gladness But above
round about our thoughts to fix our eyes upon their piety and reward You know what the imagining a Heathen Cato present has done with some to fright them into honesty and shall not the presence of those blessed Souls shame our dulness into Piety if we would but suppose those stupendous patterns of unconquerable goodness always chearfully busied in beholding us encouraging us and rejoycing with us But we must not stand too long gazing into heaven There are blocks and traps in the way and we may chance to stumble we must look about us There are two impediments sufficient to hinder any man from runing when he cannot go for weight nor go on for snares We 'll handle each with his removal first apart then together and begin with the weight And yet peradventure Pondus were little were it not for Omne were it not a collective a collection of all of infinite weights Infinite in weight infinite in number above the Sand of the Sea and that you know can be nothing else but Sin Sin Sedet in talentum plumbi Zech. v. As heavy as lead A weight right for it 1. burthens as a weight How does the repentant soul groan and break Conteritur is ground to ponder under it ◠2. It wearies as a weight How tired is St. Paul with it Who O who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. vii 3. It presseth down as a weight down from the joys of heaven down from the throne of grace down to the Chambers of the grave down to the bar of judgment down to the depth of hell David found it by his deliverance Thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell Every Sin is a weight but there are some heavier than other Some 1. Gravamina Spiritus weights with a powder such as even weary the holy Spirit and grieve it and make him leave his dwelling with us Mortal sins 2. Some heavier yet that so oppress our own spirits too that with a sad heavy eye they cannot see any thing but those dismal dungeons Hell and Desperation Sins of Despair 3. Some on the other side that look too high weigh up ut lapsu graviore to fetch down with a vengeance Sins of Pride and Presumption 't is one signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weight that hoisting up the rebel Angels above their pitch as speedily pull'd them down from the highest Palaces of their new created glories to the lowest Prisons of damnation 4. And yet some sins there are of a lesser bulk such as some call venial yet heavy enough to lay us low enough Sins of infirmity and ignorance Dispose they do at least to the more grievous Peccatum quod mox per poenitentiam non deletur suo pondere ad aliud trahit St. Gregory The least the pettiest sin if it remain a while unrepented of is a weight to draw us to another that to a third so downward till we can go no lower And think you now we had not need of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to remove it Can we know it to be a weight and not deal with it as with a weight Either cast it away Abjecto pondere Beza translatest or lay it aside Deponentes So the Vulgar Cast it away nay first cast it out for 't is a weight within us Out of the heart 1. By the mouth in confession 2. By the eyes in the tears of contrition 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from us far from us by the hand of satisfaction Abjecto there 's some violence and passion in the word We use not to cast away things from us but out of some sudden 1. Fear 2. Shame 3. Anger 4. Joy or the like They are the Passions that enliven a repentance 1. Fear of judgment 2. Shame of sin 3. Anger at our selves 4. Joy and delight in God and goodness 1. The tremblings of Fear to begin with will shake sin off 2. Shame lay it down 3. Anger cast it from us 4. Joy and Love the love of God put it quite out lay it aside out of the way for if that holy fire once enter the house will be too hot for sin to dwell in But violent motions are but short and passions momentany Abjecto does well at first but it must be backt with a Deponentes a resolv'd and deliberate laying down of sin 'T is to be feared Abjecto cannot do 't alone sin has too deep a root to be cast off utterly on a sudden That 's Deponente's office to lay it down down by degrees First those Gravamina Spiritus then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pride in sin or as the word may bear it that dominion of it lay it aside as a tiresome burthen grow weary of it 2. Or as we do our cloaths when we go to bed not sleep in it 3. At least the weight of sin that is the guilt of sin by confession and absolution the spots and habits by contrary resolutions and endeavours the great weights the little ones all Omne Pondus every one omne pondus both in the singular to tell us every weight to be cast off not one single weight to be left hanging on No not the weight that is no sin not that for such an one there is Pondus terrenarum possessionum says St. Bernard What say you by riches Pluto the God of riches feign the Poets dwell's below Hell 's his kingdom And riches from the caverns of the earth they come and like waters to the Sea thither they naturally return down they carry us Not but that if you look up your eyes may behold a rich Abraham above in heaven Riches are as they meet with Owners The pious hand makes himself wings of these golden feathers to fly to heaven the wings of the Psalmists Dove that is covered with silver wings and her feathers like gold And if I must needs have riches Quis mihi dabit pennas columbae O that they may prove the wings of this Dove that I may flee away and be at rest The churlish fingers frame themselves fetters to chain them faster to the lowest Pit Indeed nothing more knits us to the earth than our wealth we are loth to use it in our life loth to leave it at our death though for a Kingdom Sell all you know he startled at it that thought he had kept all the Commandments from his youth I love not impossible tasks to perswade any amongst us now a days to that yet Emperours and Kings and Saints have done it and Qui capere potest c. for I would not have you think but honourably of those magnanimous Heroes such as we read of Acts iv those prime constant heirs of grace and glory 'T is but a counsel this and counsels it seems are out of date Well all of us to cast off riches when they come to Pondus no necessity till then keep them
come Christ fish who will for them they 'l follow Christ not so much as stay to draw up their Nets be what will in them they care not let all go so they may catch him Nay more and if the Spirit of Christ be in us we will with him be pain'd and streightned till his business be accomplished though it be such a Baptism as he was then to be baptized with even suffering and dying for his name There can be no excuse from our attendance upon him with the first who will not at all stay with us if he be not the first in all our thoughts if we prefer any thing before him or any business before his Nay if we leave not secondly our nets too all our own business for his Regnum Dei tantum valet quantum habes says St. Gregory The kingdom of heaven is worth all we have must cost us so be it what it will And alas what have we the best the richest of us as highly as we think of our selves and ours more than St. Andrew and his brother a few old broken Nets What are all our honours but old Nets to catch the breath of the world where the oldest is the best and that which has most knots most alliances and genealogies the most honourable What are our Estates but Nets to entangle us 'T is more evident now than ever to entangle us in strange knots and obligations in vexations and disquiets in fears and dangers to entangle silly souls beside in vanities and follies What are all our ways and devices of thriving but so many several nets to catch a little yellow sand and mud and if you will have it in somewhat a finer Phrase a few silver scaled sishes in which yet God knows there are so many knots and difficulties so many rents and holes for the sish to slip out of that we may justly say they are but broken nets and old ones too the best of them that will scarce hold a pull all our new projects being but old ones new rubb'd over and no new thing under the Sun What are all those fine catching ways of eloquence knowledge good parts of mind and body but so many nets and snares to take men with It may be finely spun neately woven curiously knotted but so full of holes vanity and emptiness that no net is fuller than these things we take so much pride in so much delight in Nay this very body it self is but a net that entangles the soul and the rational soul it self too we too often make but a net to catch flies petty buzzing knowledges only few solid sober thoughts at the best but a net for fishes of that watry and inconstant element watry washy slimy notions of I know not what of flitting worldly things so full of holes too that all good things slip out of them Our very life lastly what is it but a few rotten threds knit together into veins and â—inews The strings and powers of a thin and immaterial soul knit to the threds of a feeble body so slender and full of holes and the knots so loose that the least stick or stone can unloose it or break it all to pieces And are not these pretty pieces think you now to stand so much upon the leaving That we will rather leave our Masters service than these broken nets that will bring us up nothing but slime mud a few fins and scales a few sticks and weeds a few stones and gravel things only that will dirty us or delude us or run into our hands and pierce them or into our feet like gravel and race them or at the utmost but a few fish slippery or watry comforts that will either quickly leave us or but slenderly comfort us whilst they stay Are not these fine things to quit heaven for Oh blessed Saint of the day that we could but leave these nets as thou didst thine that nothing might any longer entangle us or keep us from our Masters service Not that we must presently quit all honours estate and ways of gain bodies and souls and life and throw our selves into dishonour poverty and death in that instant we propose to follow Christ but that we must know we cannot follow him if we cast not off our inordinate affections to all of these use them as if we used them not enjoy them as if we had them not so humbly bear our honour as if we sought none else but Gods so manage our estates as to give an account to him for every farthing so use our trades as if our whole business were to trade for heaven so feed our bodies as if their chief food were the bread of heaven so employ our understandings as if they were to mind nothing but heavenly things and so live as if we had nothing else to do but die so cast away our nets as if we had nothing now to do with them now we had caught Christ or but to catch and hold him Worldly honour may consist with Christs our greatest estates with the true riches our lawful busiest Vocations with his service our secular learning with heavenly knowledge the care of our bodies with the salvation of our souls our lives with his death only they must not stand in competition for time and place but be all left to his disposing and when at any time they cannot either stand with his service or will hinder it then leave them all we must to follow him as occasions and opportunities shall require the forsaking any of them be it life it self Alas he loves not Christ at all that loves any thing above him any thing equal with him that prefers any thing to him or will not readily leave it for him We have read of many who have left their Thrones and cast away their Scepters many who have thrown away their riches and deserted their estates many who have given over all their thriving ways many who have bid adieu to all secular studies many who have in strange austerities and mortifications neglected nay crucified their bodies and others that have run to death as to a wedding that so they might the easier follow or the more happily attain to their Masters steps but these are singular and particular heights the ordinary course of Christianity is by a lower way Yet is the way good too Et omnia deserit qui voluntatem habendi deserit says St. Hierom he also verily forsakes all that desires none nothing but Iesus Christ who has crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts as the Apostle speaks Gal. v. 24. the world with all the desires thereof who though he has all he can desire yet desires nothing but what God will have him Sometimes it may fall out that we must leave our callings to go after him when they be either truly sinful or evidently dangerous and our wealth when it is unjustly gotten or unrighteously held we must restore and leave to the right owners of it
it with the highest hand and needs not fear a contradiction or a power to controul or punish him why he varnishes over his wickedness with false colours and glosses all his actions either with the name of Piety and Religion Reformation and Purity Justice and Integrity Conscience and I know not what Why he sometimes excuses it with necessity sometimes extenuates it with infirmity sometimes pleads ignorance false information or mistake sometimes makes one pretence sometimes another Does he not evidently and plainly tell you by so doing he is even asham'd of the things that he has done though he bear it out with all the confidence he can He cannot utterly cast off shame though he has done shamefac'dness We may confidently say to him Those very things thou even seem'st to glory in thou art really no other than asham'd of Now there is a three-fold shame a natural a vertuous and a penal shame a shame that naturally and even against our wills attends every unhandsome action A godly shame 2. that should always follow upon it And 3. a shame that will else e're long pursue it The first or natural is that which through the modesty of nature not yet habituated to the impudence of wickedness rises e're we are aware from the guilt and foulness of sin either discovered or feared to be so That 's the reason that the eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twi-light Job xxiv 15. to hide his reproach That the Drunkard us'd in former times though now grown gallant on it to be drunk in the night 1 Thess. v. 7. being asham'd as civility went then to be seen so disguised in the day That the Heretick and Schismatick us'd in the Apostles times though now grown confident to come creeping into Widows houses and hide themselves behind Curtains and Aprons asham'd of their Schisms and new Doctrines at the first 2 Tim. iii. 6. That still the Thief by night and the sly Cheat and covetous Extortioner by underhand dealing in the day strive to conceal the designs and practices which only night and darkness are thought fit to cover or give a tolerable shadow too Even our vanities within a while make us asham'd of them We are within a few days in a huge confusion to be seen in our finest Clothes and newest Fashions we were the other day so proud of rather naked than in a fashion that has another grown upon it Indeed when any of our sins great or little take hold upon us then as the Prophet David professes we are not able to look up Psal. xl 15. so asham'd they make us None but Absolom none but the wickedest sons of Rebellion sin upon the house top at noon day all the people looking on Yet even for all that there must be a Tent even for such as he some thin Veil or other some Silk or linen Scarf or Curtain to cover his wickedness in the upshot 2 Sam. xvi 22. So natural a fruit and companion is shame to any sin or sinner Sin is more than sin when shame is gone when that is lost 2. Yet if so be this kind of modest shame should be laid asleep a while through the custom and habit of a sin there is a second sort of shame that must be thought on the shame that accompanies repentance Sin must have repentance and repentance will have shame Yea what shame what or how great I cannot tell you but shame it must work if it be true Shame of our ingratitude to God shame of our unhandsomness to men shame of the disparagement we have done our nature shame of the dishonour we have done our selves in committing things so foul so brutish so unreasonable this the properest of the three shames we mentioned to this place which it seems the Romans were here come to and is a business we are obliged to to repent us and be ashamed of our sins to be ashamed and blush with Ezra to lift up our faces because our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasses grown up into the Heavens Ezra ix 6. 3. And if this we be not there is another-gates shame will overtake us shame 3. and confusion of face if we be not ashamed of our sins we shall e're long be ashamed for them come to shame and dishonour by them such a kind of shame as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Isa. i. 29. Ye shall be ashamed of the Oaks which ye have desired and ye shall be confounded for the gardens which ye have chosen your very enemies shall laugh you to scorn the very Oaks and Trees shake their heads at you in derision your Gardens bring you forth no other fruit All that pass by shall wag their heads and hiss at you Ier. xix 8. Ye shall be a curse and an astonishment and an hissing and a reproach to all Nations Ier. xxix 18. and a shameful spewing shall be on your glory Hab. ii 16. To this our ill courses will bring us at the last and yet to worse even to death too For the end of those things is death that 's the third Particular the third Argument against sin the mischief and damage of it in the end and comes next to be consider'd III. A sad end truly and but sorry wages for all the pains and drudgry that sins put us to St. Paul here thinks it not worth the name of fruit Yet what fruit sin brings if you will call it fruit 't is unto death Rom. vii 5. But if there were any other death so nigh at heels would devour it all Sin when it is finished when 't is at the height compleat and perfected it bringeth forth death says St. Iames i. 15. that 's the end God knows And a threefold death it brings a temporal a spiritual and an eternal death For the first Thou shalt die the death was threatned to it before it came into the world Gen. ii 17. And no sooner came it but death came by it death by sin Rom. v. 12. And it past thence upon all men too All men ever since have been subjected to it All have died and all must die for that one sin Ever after that first sinful morsel all are become like the beasts that perish Psal. xlix 12. So that the wisest of men had much ado to distinguish between their ends Eccles. iii. 19 20. As the one dieth says he so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence above a beast All go unto one place all are of the dust and all turn to dust again Only indeed a little after ver 21. he perceives a kind of glimmering as it were of the humane Spirits going upward yet with this lessening for all that of who knoweth it who can certainly demonstrate and distinguish and define the difference so deeply has sin engaged us unto death that there is no escaping and the shadows of it are so great that there is no discovering of differences in the
and lustre of grace such as may appear unto all men to be such not a few but many many graces all graces obtained by it nay it does not yet appear what we shall be by it but when we shall appear we shall be like him says St. Iohn 1 Ioh. iii. 2. our righteousness and glory last for ever He died once says the Apostle but being raised he dies no more no more did these in the Text no more shall we but live for ever Not only grace and glory but perseverance in the one and eternity in the other apparently no less accruing to us by the vertue and efficacy of his Resurrection good news from the grave the while and from the late rais'd Prisoners of it who are now thirdly as well the pledges of the certainty of our Resurrection as the evidences of the power of Christs A double Pledge we have here of our Resurrection one from the many dead bodies of the Saints that slept arising out of their graves The other from their going into the holy City and their appearng unto many In the first then are four particulars to assure us of it 1. We find dead bodies here arising to assure us such a thing there may be such a thing there is as a Resurrection of the body that bodies be they never so dead may be quickned never so corrupted may rise incorruptible you may see them rising here And 2. Many of them there are that we may see it belongs not only to a few to some particular persons this many is but the usher to St. Pauls all We shall all arise and stand before the judgment Seat of Christ Rom. xiv 10. 3. Saints bodies they are said to be and they are our fellows members of the same body and if one member be honoured all the other members are honoured with it says St. Paul 1 Cor. xii 26. Indeed the bodies of the Saints only shall rise with Christ rise to enter into the holy City but all shall rise for all shall appear every one to receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. v. 10. they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation says he that rose himself to day St. Ioh. v. 29. For all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth ver 28. none be left behind though the best come first The Saints have only the prerogative not the only priviledge of the Resurrection For 4. 't is said the bodies of them that slept that we may know that all that sleep that all that die shall awake again and rise at last He that lies down only to sleep lies down to rise and good and bad how sad soever the ones dreams be how full of terror soever be the wicked mans sleep in death are both said to sleep Ieroboam and Rehoboam Baasha and Omri and Ahab and Ioram are said all of them to sleep with the Fathers as well as David and Solomon and Ioash and Hezekiah obdormierunt simul they all sleep together the sleep of death and so shall likewise arise together though as there is difference in sleep some sweet some horrible so in rising too some sad some joyful when they awake but sleep necessarily intimates and supposes some awaking and rising after it 't is else somewhat more than sleep Thus by the rising of the dead bodies of these Saints so many rising rising as men out of their sleep not as Saints out of a priviledge we have one strong pledge of our Resurrection of which they only lead the van after our great Captain the Lord Iesus Christ. A second we have given us from both their going into the holy City and their appearing unto many It was not in obscuro this thing was not as St. Paul speaks done in a corner not in a house or Church-yard where are all the apparitious we now hear of not in a Country Village no not an ordinary City neither but in the great Metropolis Ierusalem it self call'd holy for what it had been not what it was for it was now the most sinful City or called holy yet for the Temples sake that yet stood firm an item by the way to tell us how long a City may be stil'd holy so long as the Church stands sacred and inviolate in it and no whit longer But be the City holy or not that which is done there by many is not likely a private business has witnesses enow to give credit to it But to put all out of question the there appearing unto many will certifie it was no phantasm no particular fansie or imagination of some silly simple or timorous persons but a business of the greatest certainty whether you take many for the many or many people and folk together or for such who were before chosen as the Apostle speaks to be witnesses to whom the Resurrection should be reveal'd as to men of credit repute and understanding Nor does the word appearing any way prejudice but confirm it the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make plain and certifie to give us a full knowledge and manifestation of a thing so us'd St. Iohn xiv 21. Acts xxiii 21. and xxiv 1. when either persons or things really and truly appear before us So the publickness of the place the number and fitness of the persons and the way and manner of appearance is evidence enough of their real Resurrection and a second pledge to us that it concerns more than themselves though themselves were many even the many they appeared to too whole Cities all Cities holy and unholy all the world of which that City was but an emblem and signification a place from whence God did as it were out of his own house and palace dispence his providence through all the earth and the Saints besides thus going after the Resurrection into the holy City an intimation whether the Saints go when they are risen the whole action a Symbol of what is done in both the first and second Resurrection what we are to do in the one and expect in the other or what is done both in the one and the other and so lastly we now consider it For the similitude the first Resurrection or the Resurrection of the soul from sin to righteousness bears to this of the dead bodies in the Text we have it very like both for thing and order The Graves in which the souls lie buried are either our corruptible bodies or corrupt passions or stony hearts or continued ill customs which so entomb the spirit that it lies dead without any spiritual life and operation The opening of the Graves is the loosing the chains of those earthly affections bodily depressions wicked habits and hardned hearts The souls that are dead in trespasses and sins are those dead bodies fuller of