Sacrifice of Christians which is most acceptable to GOD. Now then that which went before in the Head CHRIST on the Crosse is daily performed in the members in the Church CHRIST there offered himselfe once for us we daily offer our selves by CHRIST that so the whole mysticall body of CHRIST in due time may be offered to GOD. This was begun in the Apostles in their Liturgie of whom it is said Acts 13. Ministrantibus illis while they ministred and prayed the Holy Ghost said unto them c. Erasmus reads it Sacrificantibus illis while they Sacrificed and prayed If they had offered CHRIST'S Naturall body the Apostles would have made some mention of it in their writings as well as they do of the Commemorative Sacrifice The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is a Liturgicall Sacrifice or a Sacrifice performed or offered in our Liturgie or forme of GOD'S Worship so the offering of our selves our soules and bodies is a part of Divine worship Now as it is not enough to feed our owne soules unlesse we also feed both the soules and bodies of the poore And there is no true Fast unlesse we distribute that to the poore which we denie to our bellies and stomache And there cannot be a perfect and compleate adoration to GOD in our devotions unlesse there be also doing good and distributing to our neighbours therefore to the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the Eucharist in the Church mentioned in the fifteenth Verse we must also add beneficence and communication in this Text For Devotiâ— debetur Capiti Beneficentia membris the sacrifice of devotion iâ— due to our Head CHRIST and pietie and charitie is due to the Members So then offer the Sacrifice of praise to GOD daily in the Church as in the fifteenth Verse and distribute and communicate the Sacrifice of compassion and Almes to the poore out of the Church as in this Text. Shall I say extra Ecclesiam out of the Church I do not say amisse if I do say so yet I must say also intra Ecclesiam this should be a Sacrifice in the Church the Apostles kept it so in their time Pâ—imo Die the first day of the weeke when they came together to pray and to â—reake bread Saint Paul's rule was Separet unusquisque Let every one set apart or lay by in store as GOD hath prospered him that there be no 〈…〉 tenders her Prayers and 〈…〉 Service of that day 〈…〉 observed among us For 〈…〉 â— Cor. â— 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 â—heâ—e is the word Liturgie 〈…〉 not onâ—ly supplyeth the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 thanksgivings unto GOD. So the Lord's day 〈…〉 observed when to our Praâ—ers and Prayses and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and Bodies we also add the Sacrifice of our Goods and Almes and othâ—â—â—orkes of 〈◊〉 to make it up perfect and compleate that there 〈…〉 of the day in the proper day there of and these two 〈…〉 ioyned heâ—re by GOD and his Apostle may never be 〈…〉 〈…〉 first preached in the Mount and then 〈◊〉 〈…〉 when we have offered our selves our soules and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in the Church unto GOD by our High Priest CHRIST we must not rest these but 〈…〉 offer our goods and almes whither in 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the poore member of CHRIST 〈…〉 And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 1 the sâ—crifice of Praise 2 and the sacrifice of 〈…〉 to be 〈…〉 insâ—parable insomuch that he that will give 〈…〉 and body to 〈◊〉 will never spare also to give his goodâ— to those 〈…〉 anâ— thirs◠〈◊〉 nakednesse See how our Apostle ioynes these 〈…〉 By CHRIST our High Priest Let us offer our 〈…〉 should be thought to be all the whole sacrifice that man is to 〈…〉 he adds this second with a Nolite oblivisci by a kind of Negative which is many times more forcible then an ordinary Affirmative To do good and 〈…〉 fâ—aring as it were left when man had done his homage and 〈…〉 he holds in chiefâ— he might thiâ—â—e that were enough to 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Church on the Lord's day and then forget his Brother all the weeke after and never to take compassion on him whereas the truth is Vnâ—s amor bu◠〈…〉 the love is but one wherewith we love GOD for himselfe and 〈…〉 for his sake â—s there be two eyes yet but one visuall 〈…〉 no purpose to learne our duty at â—he mouth of GOD'S 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to put it in practise all our weeke or life following aâ— iâ— it were a maâ—â—er onely for the braine and understanding whereas in truth first it sâ—oâ—ld 〈◊〉 fâ—ith and â—hen fructifie in our lives So it is a very short love to professeâ—â— love GOD whom we have not seene and sterve â—ur poore brethren who lye at our gates in such sort that we cannot choose but see them 〈…〉 containe Divisiâ— first an Act Beneficentia communionis to do good 〈…〉 and that â—ust needs be a great worke for it is to do good and 〈◊〉 is truly 〈◊〉 but that which is good 2. A Caveat Nolite oblivisci it is a 〈…〉 very important to our salvation it may not be forgotten 〈…〉 it may seeme in it selfe yet it is of a high rate and great esteeme 〈…〉 they are sacrifices and sacrifices of much price though they 〈…〉 of bread or dropps of water And so much the more preciâ—â—â— becaus◠〈…〉 gratefull to GOD Delectatur or placatur Deus God is pacified or God is well 〈◊〉 and all the world is well given to appease and pacifie his wrath 〈◊〉 gaine his 〈◊〉 Now the worke is comprised in two words Beneficentia communicatio beneficence and distribution Beneficence or bounty that is Affectio cordis the affection and 〈…〉 heart And 〈◊〉 and distribution that is Opus manuum 〈…〉 hâ—nd And thâ—sâ— two maybe no more divided then the two other 〈…〉 in the sacrifice of our selves and Charity in the Reliefe of the 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 as the fountaine and spring or cisterne whence all 〈◊〉 of Compassâ—â—â— doâ— arise and Distribution is ut Rituli as the Rivers or channells or pipes by which the waters of comfort and goodnesse are carried to hungry soules Beneficence is as the Sunne distribution is as the light that proceeds from the Sunne At the beneficence of the heart there we must begin and by the distribution and communication of the hand there is the progresse And it is not enough that our heart is charitable full of compassion if we be cluster-fisted and close-handed and give nothing Goe and be warme and goe and be fedd and goe and be clothed they be verba comâ—aâ—â—ssionis words of compassion but if we do not as well feed and cloth as our tongue blesseth we may have gentle hearts like Iacob's voice but our hands will be cruell and hayry like Esau's that vowed to kill his Brother And true Religion is no way a gargalisme onely to wash the tongue and mouth to speake good words it must root in the heart and
not on His too I finde that neither vnder the Law He liked of their motion what should the Temple doe with Cedar neither vnder the Gospell of theirs what should CHRIST 's head doe with Nardus But that to his praise he is recorded in the Old Testament that said 1. Chron. 17. â— Shall I dwell in my seeled house and the Arke of GOD remaine vnder Gotes-skinns And she in the New that thought not her best ointment too good for CHRIST 's head Surely they in Aegypt had their service of GOD it may be in a barne or in some corner of a house Yet when Moses moved a costly Tabernacle no man was found that once said Our fathers served GOD well enough without one Vtquid perditio haec After that many Iudges and Prophets and righteous men were well when they might worship before the Arke yet when Salomon moved a stately Temple never any was found that would grudge and say Why the Arke is enough I pray GOD we serve God no worse then they that knew nothing but a Tent Vtquid perditio haec Only in the dayes of the Gospell which of all other least should there stepps up Iudas and dareth to say that against CHRIST 's Church that no man durst evâ—r either against Mose's Tent or Salomon's Temple And if CHRIST had taken it well or passed it in silence or said Sinite illum suffer Iuda's motion to taâ—e place we might have had some shew But seeing He saith Molestus est to Iudas Sinite illam Suffer Marie to go forward and not that only but Bonum opus too why should any after Iudas be thought worthy the answering Surely as the Gospell in this duty hath and so ought to exceed the Law So in the Gospell we heere and our Country above all other I will but say with Chrysostome Appende Christum ô homo doe but construe these two words In Me aright Peize and prize Who it is Et sufficit It is CHRIST IESVS Who hath not spared to annoint us with His own blood and our soules with all the comforts and graces of His Holy Spirit If toward us neither blood nor life were too deer on His part shall on ours any Nardus be too deere or any cost too much that is on Him bestowed Perhaps our particular will more move us It is CHRIST that created for us Nard and all other delights whatsoever either for vse and necessitie we have or for fruition and pleasure we enjoy It is He that hath enriched us that we be hable to bestow it by this long prosperitie plenty and peace as no other Kingdome vnder heaven Is there any good mind can thinke that this is an indignitie that He is not worthy hath not deserved and double deserved this and ten times more at our hands An extraordinarie conceipt is entred into the world by a new found glosse to make whatsoever we like not or list not to doe our selves exrtraordinarie and so some deeme of this as extraordinarie and whereof no example is to be made No ancient Writer is of that minde Luk. 11.37 but that for us it was written and that Vade tu fac similiter may be written upon her box But be it so Why may not I wish on our parts Let us be extraordinarie For GOD hath not dealt ordinarily with us of this land He hath not beene to us a wildernesse or a barren land but hath even our enemies being Iudges been extraordinarie in His goodnesse toward us all And sure in us ordinarie common thankfullnesse is not enough Shall I sett my selfe to recount His benefits An easy matter to find entrance but when then should I make an end In one I will abbridge them all We spake of ointment Verily CHRIST hath annointed over us and given us a most Gracious Soveraigne by whose happy and blessed reigne we long have and longer may we He grant enioyed both the inward and outward annointing the inward the holy and heavenly comfort of GOD 's truth Psal. 45.7 and true oyle of gladnesse the outward of earthly plenty and delight which Nard or any rich confection may affoord and in a word whatsoever happinesse can fall to any Nation vnder heaven From the holy oyle of whose annointing as the dew of Hermon on Sion Psal. 133.2 and as Aaron's ointment upon the skirts of his clothing there daily droppeth upon this whole Realme pure Nard or if any thing els be more precious whether in these earthly or in those heavenly blessings I speake no more then we all feele This is that one I spake of and in this one is all Even the Lord 's Annointed Whom I make no question but the Lora hath and will more and more blesse for that Her Highnesse hath said as Himselfe said Sinite illam And blessed be GOD that hath putt into her heart so to say to like well of Vtquid perditio but to have it so applied I doubt not but this Heroicall vertue among many others shall make her Scepter long to flourish shall make her remembrance to be in blessing to all posteritie and shall be among other her reioycing in the day of the Lord and an everlasting crowne of glory upon Her head This is that ointment I spake of that it selfe alone may make us all confesse we have received from Christ extraordinarie mercie and are therefor to returne more then ordinarie duty Psal. 147.20 Non taliter fecit omni Nay non taliter fecit ulli populo He hath not dealt so with every Nay not so with any people as with us and therefore not any people to deale so thankfully with Him againe This if it were extraordinarie Howbeit if Antiquitie may be admitted Iudge this as a good worke is to be ordinarie with us Since every thing done in this kinde to Christ's Church only upon a thankfull regard is with them reckoned a dramme of Marie Magdalen's ointment At least if we will not come so farre as operata est we doe yet thus farre favour it as to yield to Sinite illam Seeing Marie Magdalen that gave it paid for it and it never came out of our purse And now this question being thus dilated it is every mans duty saith Theophylact to set downe cujus partis sit whose part he will take whose mind he wil be of Whither with Iudas Perditio est or with CHRIST Bonum opus est whither Potuit vendi or Sinite illam But I trust we will stand to CHRIST'S judgement and rather take part with Him for Marie Magdalen then with Iudas against her that we may be with Marie Magdalen that are of her mind which at the houre of death we all shall desire The entrance I make III. The Dâ—ctâ—â—nâ— 1. That Good wâ—rkâ—s are malâ—gnâ—d From this unhappy conjunction of Marie's good worke and Iuda's evill speech this first consideration offereth it selfe nothing pleasant but wholesome and requisite to be called to mind of all that
works whereby we may die to sinne There the bread of GOD which shall endue our soules with much strength yea multiplie strength in them to live vnto GOD Ioh. 6.33 yea to live to him continually for he that eateth His flesh and drinketh His bloud Ioh. 6.56 dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him not inneth or sojourneth for a time but dwelleth continually And never can we more truly or properly say In Christo Iesu Domino nostro as when we come new from that holy Action for then He is in us and we in Him indeed And so we to make full accompt of this service as a speciall meanes to further us to make up our Easter daye 's accompt and to sett off a good part of our charge In CHRIST dropping upon us the annointing of His grace In Iesus who will be readie as our SAVIOVR to succour and support us with his Auxilium speciale His speciall helpe Without which assisting us even grace it selfe is many times faint and feeble in us And both these because He is our Lord who having come to save that which was lost will not suffer that to be lost which He hath saved Thus vsing His owne ordinance of Prayer of the Word and Sacrament for our better enhabling to discharge this daies dutie we shall I trust yeeld up a good accompt and celebrate a good Feast of His Resurrection Which Almighty GOD grant c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL On the V. of Aprill A. D. MDCVII being EASTER DAY I. COR. CHAP. XV. VER XX. Nunc autem CHRISTVS resurrexit a mortuis primitiae dormientium But now is CHRIST risen from the dead and was made the first fruicts of them that sleepe THE same Apostle that out of CHRIST 's Resurrection taught the Romanes matter of duty the same heere out of the same resurrection teacheth the Corinthians matter of hope There similiter vos by way of patterne to conforme our selves to Him in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 Phi. 3.21 Anâ— heer similiter vos in another sense by way of promise that so doing He shall heerafter conforme us to Himselfe change our vile bodies and make them like His glorious body That former is our first resuâ—rection from sinne This later our second resuâ—rection from the grave This the reward of that In that the worke what to doe In this our reward what to hope for These two Labour and Hope the Church joyneth in one Antheme to day her first Antheme They sort well and being soong together make a good harmonie But that without this labour without hope is no good musique To rise and to reclaime our selves from a sinfull course of life we have long lived in is labour sure and great labour Now labour of it selfe is a harsh unpleasant thing unlesse it be seasoned with hope Debet qui arat in spe arare saith the Apostle above Chap 9.10 at the IX Chap. in the matter of the Clergie's maintenance He that plowes must plow in hope his plough will not goe deepe els his furrowes wil be but shallow Men may frame to themselves what speculations they please but the Apostle's saying will prove true sever hope from labor and you must looke for labor and labourers accordingly sleight and shallow GOD knoweth Labour then leades us to hope The Apostle saw this and therefore is carefull whom he thus presseth to newnesse of life and the labour thereof to raise for them and to set before them matter of hope Hope heer in this life he could set them none They were as he was himselfe at quotidiè morior Ver. 31. every houre in danger to be drawen to the block It must therefore be from another or at least as the Text is by a hope of being restored to life againe It was their case at Corinth heer in this chapter plainly If we must die to morrow if there be all that shall become of us then let us eat and drinke while we may If we be not sure of another life Ver 32. let us make sure of this But when in the sequele of the chapter he had shewed there was a restoring and that so sure he was of it that he falls to insult over them in these termes they gird up their loynes again and fall to their labours a fresh as knowing their labour should not be in vaine in the LORD This hope leades us to our restoring Ver. 32. Our restoring is but a promise shall be restored that necessarily referrs to a Party that is to make it good Who is that CHRIST Eccles 9.4 CHRIST is our hope Why hope is ioyned to the living saith the Wise-man CHRIST is dead buried last Fryday If He be our hope and He be dead our hope is dead too And if our hope be dead our labour will not live long nay both are buried with CHRIST in His grave It was their ease this day Luc. 24.21 that went to Emmaüs say they supposing CHRIST to be dead nos autem sperabamus we were once in good hope by Him that is while He lived as much to say as now He is in His grave our hope is gone we are even going to Emmaüs But then after as soon as they saw He was alive againe their hope revived and with their hope their labour and presently back againe to Ierusalem to the Lord's worke and bad Emmaüs farewell So He leads us to labour labour to hope hope to our restoring our restoring to CHRIST 's who as He hath restored Himselfe will restore us also to life And this keeps us from going to Emmaüs It is used proverbially Emmaüs signifieth a people forlorne all that are at sperabamus have lost their hopes are sayd to goe thither and thither we should all goe even to Emmaüs but for the hope that breathes from this verse without which it were a cold occupation to be a Christian. This then is the hope of this text spes viva spes beata worth all hopes els whatsoever All hopes els are but spes spirantium hopes while we breath This is spes expirantium the hope when we can fetch our breath no longer The carnall man all he can say is dum spiro spero his hope is as long as his breath The Christian aspireth higher goeth further by vertue of this verse and saith dum expiro spero Iob. 29 17. his hope failes him not when his breath failes him Even then saith Iob reposita est mihi spes in sinu meo this hope and onely this is layd up in our bosome that though our life be taken from us yet in CHRIST we to it and it to us shall be restored againe Our case is not as theirs then was No persecution nor we at quotidiè morior and therefore not so sensible of this doctrine But yet to them that are daily falling toward death rising to life is a good text Peradventure not when we are well
their wicked counsell and 〈…〉 their hearts Which hearts of theirs the weapons of just defense went through 〈◊〉 â—heir counsell turned to their confusion â—nd now our Benedictus Deus to GOD Blessed be He for this Maledictus 〈◊〉 for the Patriarch's curse that light upon them and theirs And yet our 〈◊〉 too to them their weapons their counsell their furie their soules and their 〈◊〉 And from such blooud-thirstie cursed men GOD ever blesse You. Let me tell you this for a farewell Iacob doth heer two things 1 Delivers us a â—â—cument 2 and denounceth a dreadfull punishment His Document is Ne veniat 〈◊〉 His punishment is Maledictus and Dissipabo And choose they that will not 〈◊〉 veniat with him he will say Maledictus his curse be upon them But as Iacob 〈◊〉 so we to say all all to say after him Ne veniat both passive and active Passive 〈◊〉 be their counsell taken about Iacob's soule or his soule that is to us Iacob even 〈◊〉 Feeder the Pastor and Stone of Israël never come his soule to be the subject or 〈◊〉 treated of in any such counsell Active and never let any true subject's soule 〈◊〉 in any such counsell nor ever any good Christian come in that Church wherein 〈◊〉 Counsell or Counselors are harboured and mainteined or that hold any doctrine 〈◊〉 favours any such consultations But if any will not thus say Iacob's Ne veniat we to be so bold as to say Iacob's Maledictus to him his soule his seed his memorie and all Let all such inherit the curse let it be their legacie Exurgat Deus et dissipentur inimici Let God arise Psal. 68.1.2 and these his enemies be scattered As the stubble before the wind and as the smoke let them vanish and come to nothing Let their lives be for the sword their names be putt out their soules for the curse their houses pulld down and desolate So perish all thine enemies ô LORD Iud. 5.31 c Printed for Richard Badger â—ERMONS OF THE Gun-pouder-Treason PREACHED VPON THE FIFT OF November A â—ERMON â—reached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the V. of November A. D. MDCVI PSAL. CXVIII VER XXIII XXIV A DOMINO factum est istud est mirabile in oculis nostris Haec est Dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea 〈◊〉 is the Lord 's doing and it is mervailous in our eyes 〈◊〉 is the Day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it TO entitle this time to this Text or to shew it pertinent to the present occasion will aske no long processe This Day of ours This fift of November a day of GOD 's making that which was done upon it was the Lord 's doing CHRIST 's own application which is the best may well be applied here This day is this Scripture fulfilled in our eares For Luk. 4.21 if ever there were a Deed done or a Day made by God in our dayes this Day and the Deed of this Day was it If ever He gave cause of mervailing as in the first of reioycing as in the second verse to any Land to us this day He gave both If ever saved prospered 〈…〉 this day He saved prospered and as we say fairely blessed us The day we all know was meant to be the day of all our deaths and we and many were appointed as sheepe to the slaâ—ghter nay worse then so There was a thing doing on it if it had been done we all had beene undone And the very same day we all know the day wherein that appointment was disappointed by God and we all saved that we might not die but live Ver. 17. and declare the praise of the Lord the Lord of whose doing that mervailous Deed was of whose making this joyfull Day is that we celebrate Psal. 111.5 This mercifull and gratious Lord saith David Psal. 111.5 hath so done His mervailous Works that they ought to be had and kept in remembrance Of keeping in remembrance many waies there be Among the rest this is one of making Dayes sett soâ—emne Daies to preserve memorable Acts that they be not eaten out by them but ever revived with the returne of the Yeare and kept still fresh in continuall memorie God himselfe taught us this way In remembrance of the great Deliverie from the destroying Angell Exod. 12.3 c. He himselfe ordained the day of the Passe-over yearly to be kept The Church by Him taught tooke the same way In remembrance of the disappointing of Haman's bloudie lotts Est. 9.26 they likewise appointed the daies of Purim yearely to be kept The like memorable mercie did He vouchsafe us The Destroyer passed over our dwellings this day It is our Passe-over Haman and his Fellowes had sett the dice on us and we by this time had beene all in peeces It is our Purim day We have therefore well done and upon good warrant to tread in the same stepps and by law to provide that this Day should not die nor the memoriall thereof perish from our selves or from our seed but be consecrated to perpetuall memorie by a yearly acknowledgement to be made of it throughout all generations In accomplishment of which order we are all now heere in the presence of God on this day that He first by His Act of doing hath made and we secondly by our act of decreâ—ing have made before Him his holy Angells and men to confesse this His goodnesse and our selves eternally bound to Him for it And being to confesse it with what words of Scripture can we better or fitter do it then those we have read out of this Psalme Sure I could thinke of none fitter but even thus to say A Domino factum c. The Division The treatie whereof may well be comprised in three points 1. The Deed or doing 2. The Day and 3. The Dutie The Deed in these This is the Lord's c. The Day in these This is the day c. The Dutie in the rest Let us c. The other two reduced to the Day which is the center of both The Doing is the cause The Dutie is the consequent from the Day groweth the Dutie To proceed orderly we are to beginne with the Day For though in place it stand after the Deed Yet to us it is first our knowledge is à posteriori The effect ever first where it is the ground of the rest Of the Day then first 1. That such Daies there be and how they come to be such 2. Then of the Doing that maketh them wherein 1 that this of David's was and 2 that ours is no lesse rather more 3. Then of the Dutie how to doe it by rejoycing and being glad for so gaudium erit plenum these two make it full How to take order that we may long and often doe it by saying our Hosanna and Benedictus for gaudium nostrum nemo tollet à nobis Ioh. 16.22
this for us alone but to assure it to us For as his Father in this Verse sends Him So in the next Verse He sends the Spirit of His Sonne to give us seisin of this our Adoption whereby we now call Him the Iewes Abba the Geâ—tiles Pater as Children all and he our Father which is the priuiledge of the Adoption we heer receive And now are we come to the fullnesse indeed For this Adoption is the fullnesse of our option We cannot extend We our wish or He his love and goodnesse any further For what can we aske or He give more seeing in giving this He giveth all He is worth By this time â—zek 47.3 4 5. it is full Sea All the bankes are filled It is now as EZEKIELS waters that he saw flow from vnder the threshold of the Temple that tooke him to the ankles first then to the knees after to the loynes at last so high risen there was no more passage 1. From the fullnesse of His Compassion He sent to release us 2. From the fullnesse of His Love He sent His Sonne 3. In the fullnesse of Humility He sent Him made 4. Made of a Woman to make a full vnion with our nature 5. Made vnder the Law to make the vnion yet more perfectly full with our sinfull condition 6. That we might obtaine a full deliverance from all Evill by being redeemed 7. And a full estate of all the Ioy and Glory of his heavenly inheritance by being Adopted So there is fullnesse of all hands And so much for the fullnesse of the Benefit we receive Now for the fullnesse of the Duty we are to performe this day For in the fullnesse of time all things are to be full Plenitudo temporis tempus plenitudinis And seeing GOD hath suffered us to live to see the year run about to this plenitudo temporis if it be so on GODS part meet also it be so on Ours and that we be not empty in this fullnesse of time It is not fit if He be at the brinke that we be at the bottom But as we be willing to yeeld Him of ours againe of our duty I meane that it to Him in a measure and proportion be like full as his Bounty hath been full above measure toward us That so from us and on our parts it may be plenitudo temporis or tempus plenitudinis the fullnesse of time or time of fullnesse choose you whither 1. And a time of fullnesse it will be I know in a sense of fullnesse of bread of fullnesse of bravery of fullnesse of sport and pastime and this it may be And it hath been ever a ioyfull time in appearance for it should be so With the ioy saith Esay a verse or two before Puer natus est nobis vnto us a Childe is borne that men rejoice with in harvest Esa. 9.3 Not to goe from our Text heer With the ioy of men that are come out of prison have scaped the Law With the ioy of men that have got the reversion of a goodly heritage Onely that we forget not the principall that this outward ioy eat not vp evacuate not our spirituall ioy proper to the Feast that we have in minde in the middest of our mirth the cause of it CHRISTS sending and the benefits that come thereby And it shall be a good signe vnto us if we can thus reioyce if this our ioy can be full if we can make a spirituall blessing the obiect of our mirth Beatus populus qui scit iubilationem Blessed is the people Psal. 89.15 that can reioyce on this manner And after our ioy-fullnesse or fullnesse of ioy our fullnesse of thankes or thanke-fullnesse is to ensue For with that fullnesse we are to celebrate it likewise Our mindes first and then our mouthes to be filled with blessing and praise and thanks to Him that hath made our times not to fall into those empty ages of the world but to fall within this fullnesse of time which so many Kings and Prophets desired to have lived in but fell short of and lived then Luk. 1â— 34 when the times were full of shadowes and promises and nothing els How instantly they longed to have held such a Feast to have kept a Christmas it is evident by David's Inclina coelos by Esaye's Vtinam disrumpas Coelos Bow the Heavens and Breake the Heavens Psal. 144.5 Esa. 64.1 How much I say they longed for it And therefore that we make not light account of it To render our thankes then and to remember to do it fully To forget none To Him that was sent and to Him that Sent Sent his Sonne in this the Spirit of his Sonne in the next verse To begin with Osoulamini Fitium it is the first duty enioyned us this day Psal. 2.12 to kisse the Babe new borne that when his Father would send Him said Ecce venio so readily and when he would make Him was content with Corpus aptasti mihi Psal. 40.7 to have a body made Him meet for Him to suffer in who willingly yeelded to be our SHILO Gen. 45. â—0 to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heere yea to be not onely CHRIST but an Apostle for us Heb. III. v. 1. even the Apostle of our profession And not to Him that was sent and made alone but to the FATHER that sent Him and to the HOLY GHOST that made Him as by whom He was conceived To the FATHER for his mission The SONNE for his Redemption The HOLY GHOST for his Adoption For by Him it is wrought He that made Him the Sonne of man doth likewise regenerate us to the state of the Sonnes of God And this for our thankfullnesse 3. And to these two to make the measure full to ioyne the fullnesse of duty even whatsoever dutifull minded persons may yeeld to a bountifull minded and a bountifull handed Benefactor And with this to beginne to consecrate this first day of this fullnesse of time even with our service to Him at the full which is then at the full when no part is missing when all our duties of preaching and praying of hymnes of offering of Sacrament and all meet together No fullnesse there is of our Liturgie or publique solemne Service without the Sacrament Some part yea the cheefe part is wanting if that be wanting But our thanks are surely not full without the Holy Eucharist which is by interpretation Thanksgiving it selfe Psal. 116.12.13 Fully we cannot say Quid retribuam Domino but we must answer Calicem salutaris accipiam we will take the cup of salvation and with it in our hands give thanks to Him render Him our true Eucharist or reall Thankesgiving indeed In which Cup is the Bloud not onely of our redemption of the Covenant that freeth us from the Law and maketh the Destroyer passe over us Mat. 26.28 but of our Adoption of the New Testament also which entitles us and conueyes vnto us
Testament-wise or by way of Legacie the estate we have in the ioy and blisse of his heavenly Kingdome whereto we are adopted We are then made partakers of Him and with Him of both these His benefits We there are made to drinke of the Spirit 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephes. 4.30 by which we are sealed to the day of our Redemption and Adoption both So that our freeing from vnder the Law our investiture into our new adopted state are not fully consummate without it And what Shall this be all No when this is done there is allowance of twelve dayes more for this fullnesse of time that we shrinke not vp our duty then into this day alone but in the rest also remember to redeeme some part of the day to adopt some houre at the least to bethinke our selves of the duty the Time calleth to us for that so we have not IOBS dies vacuos no day quite empty in this fullnesse of time Heerof assuring our selves that what we do in this fullnesse of time will have full acceptance at His hands It is the time of His Birth 2. Cor. 6.2 which is ever a time as accepted so of accepting wherein what is done will be acceptably taken to the full Fully accepted and fully rewarded by Him of whose fullnesse we alâ—â—eceive Ioh. 1.16 With this condition of grace for grace ever one grace for another And so growing from grace to grace finally from this fullnesse we shall come to be partakers of another yet behind to which we aspire For all this is but the fullnesse of time But that the fullnesse of eternitie when time shall be runn out and his glasse empty Et tempus non erit amplius Apoc. 10.6 which is at His next sending For yet once more shall GOD send Him and He come againe At which comming we shall then indeed receive the fullnesse of our Redemption not from the Law that we have already but from Corruption to which our bodies are yet subiect and receive the full fruition of the Inheritance wherâ—to we are heer but adopted And then it will be perfect compleat absolute fullnesse indeed when we shall all be filled with the fullnesse of Him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1.23 For so shall all be when nothing shall be wanting in any 1. Cor. 15.23 for GOD shall be all in all Not as heer He is something and but something in euery one but then omnia in omnibus And then the measure shall be so full Mat. 25.21 as it cannot enter into us we cannot hold it We must enter into it Intra in gaudium Domini tui To this we aspire and to this in the fullnesse appointed of every one of our tiâ—es Almighty GOD bring us by Him and for His sake that in this fullnesse of time was sent to worke it for us in His person and worke it in us by the operation of His Blessed SPIRIT To whom c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Tuesday the XXV of December A. D. MDCX. being CHRIST-MASSE day LVKE CHAP. II. VER X. XI The Angell sayd unto them Be not afraid for behold I bring you good tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people That there is borne unto you this day a SAVIOVR which is CHRIST the LORD in the Citie of DAVID THere is a Word in this Text and it is Hodiè by vertue whereof this Day may seeme to challenge a speciall propertie in this Text and this Text in this Day CHRIST was borne is true any day but this day CHRIST was borne never but to day onely For of no day in the yeare can it be said Hodiè natus but of this By which word the HOLY GHOST may seeme to have marked it out and made it the peculiar Text of the day Then it will not be amisse Donec cognominatur hodiè Heb. 3.13 as the Apostle speaketh while it is called to day to heare it To morrow the word Hodiè will be lost This day and not any day els it is in season Let us then heare it this Day which we can heare no day besides IT is then the first report the very first newes that came as this day of that which maketh this day so high a Feast The Birth of CHRIST 1. Dixit Angelus It came by an Angel then No Man was meet to be the messenger of it And looke how it came then so it should come still and none but an Angel bring it as more fit for the tongues of Angels then of men Yet since GOD hath allowed sinfull men to be the Reporters of it at the second hand and the newes never the worse for that Good newes is good newes and welcome by any 2. Reg 7.9 though the person be but even a foule Leper that brings it Yet that the meannesse of the messenger offend us not ever we are to remember this Be the party who he will that brings it the newes of CHRISTS Birth is a message for an Angel This had been newes for the best Prince in the Earth That these Illis heer 2. Dixit illis these parties were Shepheards that this Message came to them needs not seeme strange It found none els at the time to come to The Angel was glad to find any to tell it to even to tell it the first he could meet withall None were then awake none in case to receive it but a sort of poore Shepheards and to them he told it Yet it fell not out amisse that Shepheards they were the newes fitted them well It well agreed to tell Shepheards of the yeaning of a strange Lamb such a Lamb as should take away the sinnes of the world such a Lamb Ioh 1.29 as they might send to the Ruler of the world for a present Mitte Agnum Dominatoriterrae ESAY's Lamb. Esa. 16.1 Or if ye will to tell Shepheards of the birth of a Shepheard Ezek. 34.23 EZEKIELS Shepheard Eccesuscitabo vobis PASTOREM Behold I will raise you a Shepheard the a 1. Pet 5.4 Chiefe Shepheard the b Heb. 13 20. Great Shepheard and the c Ioh. 10.11 Good Shepheard that gave His life for his flocke And so it was not vnfit newes for the Persons to whom it came 3. Dixit Evangelizâ— For the Manner the Angell delivereth it Evangelizando Church wise and that was a signe this place should ever be the Exchange for this newes Churchwise I say for he doth it by a Sermon heere at this Verse and then by a Hymne or Antheme after at the XIIII Verse A Sermon the Angell himselfe calls it so Evangelizo vobis I come to Evangelize to preach you a Gospell that first And presently after he had done his Sermon there is the Hymne Gloria in excelsis taken up by the Queere of Heaven An Angell makes the one A multitude of Angells sing the other The whole Service of this day the
Sermon the Antheme by Angells all 4. Evangelizo gaudium magnum Now the end of both Sermon and Antheme and of the Angells in publishing it and of the shepheards and us in hearing it is gaudium Ioy for the Benefit and Honour Gaudium magnum great Ioy for the great Benefit and great Honour vouchsafed our Nature and us this day Ioy is in the Text and if ioy be in the time it is no harme We keepe the Text if we hold the Time with Ioy Forso the Angell doth warrant us to hold it The Division Of this Angelicall or Evangelicall message or as not I but the Angell calleth it Sermon these two Verses I have read are a part Whereof the former is but an Ecce exciting them to heare it by magnifying the message as well worth their hearing Be not afraid for behold I bring you good tydings of great Ioy which shall be to all people The later is the very message it selfe That there is borne unto you this day a SAVIOVR which is CHRIST the LORD in the City of David In the former are these points 1. Feare not it is no ill newes I bring you 2. Nay it is good newes 3. Good for it is newes of Ioy. 4. Ioy and that no ordinary but great Ioy. 5. Not to some few but to the whole people 6. And not toti populo to all one people but omni populo to all people whatsoever 7. And them not for the present but Quod erit omni populo that is and so shall be to all as long as there shall be any people vpon earth And by vertue of this Quod erit to us heer this day Ecce Behold such is the newes I bring 2. The Message it selfe In the later the Message it selfe The summe whereof is the Birth of a Childe A Child is borne Three things are proposed of Him 1. This Child is a SAVIOVR 2. A Sauiour which is CHRIST 3. Christ the LORD Christus Dominus For every Saviour is not CHRIST 1. The Names nor every Christ CHRISTVS DOMINVS CHRIST the LORD or the LORD CHRIST He is all three Then have we besides three circumstances of the 1 Persons 2 Time and 3 Place 1. The Persons 2. The Circumstances for whom all this is twice repeated 1 Evangelizo vobis in the first Verse 2 Natus vobis in the second But this I make some doubt of whether it be a Circumstance or no I rather hold it a principall part of the Substance 1. The Persons as the very word of conveyance whereby it passeth to us And sure there is no Ioy either in Evangelizo the Message or Natus the Birth 2. The Time without it without Vobis But if the Message and the Birth it selfe both be ours then it is Gaudium magnum indeed Specially if we adde 2. the Time when not many daies hence 3. The Place but even this very day And 3. the Place where that it is in no remote Region farr hence but in the Citie of DAVID 3. Our duty reciprocall even heer hard by And then lastly in a word what our parts are to performe to these two parts 1 this dayes Message and 2 this dayes Birth of our SAVIOVR CHRIST the LORD Be not afraid They were afraid HEre is a stop that the Message cannot proceed For the sight of the Messenger hath almost marred the hearing of the Message The Parties to whom it comes be in such feare as they be not in case to receive it They were afraid and that sore afraid as is said in the Verse before at the sight of the Angel that came with the newes And this was not the case of these poore men onely Others and other manner of people were so So were others as well as they This Gospell of Saint Luke is scarse begun we are yet but a little way in the second Chapter and we have already three Noli timere's in it and all as heere at the comming of an Angell 1 Feare not Zacharie Chap. I. 13. So he was afraid 2 Feare not Marie Chap. I. 30 So she was afraid 3 And now Feare not these here That it seemes to be generall to feare at an Angel's appearing What was it It was not the feare of an evill Conscience They were about no harme Of what not Zacharie was at Church at his Office The blessed Virgin I doubt not blessedly emploied These here doing their dutie watching over their flockes by night Yet feared all Of what What should the matter be It is a plaine signe our Nature is fallen from her originall Heaven and we are not in the termes we should be not the best of us all Angels are the Messengers of Heaven Messengers ever come with tydings Why of the Angel but whither good or bad we cannot tell Here comes an Angell with newes from Heaven what newes he brings we know not and therefore we feare because we know not Which shewes all is not well betweene Heaven and us that upon every comming of an Angell we promise our selves no better newes from thence but still are afraid of the messages and messengers that come from that place That the Message then may proceed this feare must be removed In a troubled water Be not afraid no face will well be seene nor by a troubled mind no message received till it be setled To settle them then for it no other way no other word to begin with but Nolite timere feare not and that is ever the Angells beginning Such is our infirmity ever he must begin with these two words Noli timere feare not And so he doth seven times in this Gospell But feare will not be cast out with a couple of words till they see some reason to quiet them And no better reason then to shew they have no reason to feare For 1. For no ill â—ydings feare is the expectation of evill and there is no evill toward them and so they have no reason to feare quòd trepidaverunt timore vbi non erat timor As if he should say Psal. 53.5 Angells have come vvith weeping newes as Iud. 11. ver 5. If I were such an one if I came with sad tidings ye had reason ye might feare But now your terrour groweth out of error You are mistaken in me I am no such Angell I am Angelus Evangelizans an Angell with a Gospell one that comes with no bad newes Feare not then There is no evill toward No evill and that were enough for feare not But here is a further matter 2. But good tidings Not onely privativè I bring no ill but positivè I bring you good newes And good newes is Nolite timere and somewhat besides that is Feare not but Be of good cheere They be two degrees plainly though one be inferred of the other Feare no ill there is none to feare there is no ill nay there is good towards
for flesh and bloud alreadie doth It is that 1. Cor. 15.50 Saint Iohn is about to inferre the former verse out of this Ver. 12. vz. to them gave He power to be made the Sonnes of God For Ex quo hoc verum est Filium Dei filium hominis fieri potuisse non est incredibile c. Since sure it is that the Sonne of God is made the sonne of man it is not incredible but that the sonnes of men may be made the Sonnes of God Not incredible nay Securitas nobis data est a kind of bond is entred security given Seeing this Verse is true so is the last Dedit potestatem He gave power and well might Why for the Word is made flesh and therefore flesh may have reciprocall hope to be regenerate by the Word and adopted through grace and so exalted to the glorious dignitie of the Sonnes of God And because Grace and Truth do this we shall faile of neither of them He is full and not for himselfe He needs them not He hath them for us and hath sufficient Neither shall be wanting if we be not wanting to our selves His grace shall prevent us and His truth follow us all the dayes of our life Psal. 23.6 So we see quid Verbum carni what He hath done for us Now our Duety reciprocall III. Quid Caro Verbo Our duety Quid caro verbo what we for Him againe If the Word become flesh we to take order that flesh of ours that the Word hath taken we take it not 1. Cor. 6.16 and make it una caro with you know whom or may read 1. Cor. 6. God forbid Knowe ye not the WORD is become flesh That flesh is then so to be preserved that as he saith we sawe the Glorie so may we we saw His flesh as the flesh of the only begotten Sonne of God Kept with such care and in such cleannesse as it might beseeme His flesh to be kept And as much may be sayd for habitavit the house would be somewhat handsome as handsome as we could that is to receive Him We blame them that this day received Him in a stable take heed we doe not worse our selves But the Fathers presse a further matter yet out of verbum caro factum that we also are after our manner verbum carnem facere to incarnate the Word We have a Word we This for the Comparative But then fearing it might be we would not conceive high enough of this SONNE or weigh Him as He is worthy He goeth to it Positivè and as it were setts up His Armes consisting of eight severall Coats or proclaimeth His stile of as many severall Titles Which we may reduce to foure severall combinations 1 Sonne and Heire 2 the Brightnesse and Character 3 Maker and Supporter of all things 4 That purgeth our sinns and that is sett downe in the throne And these againe may be abbridged to these two 1 what He is in Himselfe 2 and what to us 1 In Himselfe all the rest 2. To us 1 made Heire 2 purgeth our sinns 3 and so clenseth our Nature that being so clensed He may exalt it For it is for us and not for Himselfe He taketh up the place mentioned at the right hand on high Then our duetie Bona si sua nôrint If we can skill of our owne good to finde our estate greatly dignified by it and to honour this day the beginning of this dignitie to us wherein GOD gave His SONNE to speake vivâ voce unto us to purge our sinnes and to exalt us to His throne on high I. The comparative part and difference GOD in times past spake to the Fathers and His speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of many severall parcells to severall persons at severall times some at one time some at another And as the time grew so grew their knowledge peece and peece of the great mysterie 1. In the Matter this day manifested God in times past c. in many parts spake concerning His Person First one peece Man He should be a Gen. 3.15 of the Womans seed That should bruize the Serpents head and there was all Gen. 3. Then another peece Of what Nation He should be b Gen. 22.18 of the seed of ABRAHAM Gen. 22. Then another yet Of what Tribe c Gen. 49.9 10.11 c. of the Tribe of IVDA Gen. 49. Then againe a fourth peece of what Family d Psal. 132 11.1◠c. of the house of DAVID Psal. 132. So likewise GOD in times past spake of His Offices To MOSES one peece He should be e Deut. 18.18 a Prophet Deuteron 18. TO DAVID another He should be f Psal. 110·4 a Priest Psal. 110. TO IEREMIE a third He should be g Ier. 23.5.6 a King and his Name IEHOVA justitia nostra Iere. 23. And not to hold you long in this GOD in times past in sundrie parts spake concerning this Dayes worke That came by peeces too One parcell to h Esay 9.6 Esai of His Birth Esa. 9. To i Mic. 5.2 Mica the Place of it Mic. 5. To k Dan 9.25.26 c. Daniel the Time of it by weekes Dan. 9. So you see it was by peeces and by many peeces they had it Well said the l 1. Cor. 13.9 Apostle that Prophecying is in part One may now in a few houres come to as much as came to them in many hundred yeares This for the Matter 2. In the Manner Now for the Manner It was multiformis GOD c. many manner waies One manner by dreames in the night Iob 33. Another manner by visions And those againe of two manners Iob 33 15· 1 Either presented to the outward sense as Esay VI. 2 Or in an extasie Esay 6.1 Dan. 10.7 c. 1. Reg 19 12. represented to the inward as Dan. X. Another yet by Vrim in the brest of your Priest And yet another by a small still voice in the eares of the Prophet I. Reg. 19. And sometime by an Angel speaking in him Zach. I. But most what by His SPIRIT Zach. 1.9 And to trouble you no more very sure it is that as for the Matter in many broken peeces so for the Manner in many diuerse fashions spake He to them But then if in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you understand Tropos figures Then were they yet many more The Paschall Lamb a Exod. 12.4 ◠c. Exod. 12. the Scape-goat b Levit. 16.10 Levit. 16. The Red Cow c Num. 19 1 2 c. Num 19. and I know not how many even a world of them Many they were and tropes they were shadowed out darkly rather then cleerly expressed Theirs was but candle-light to our day-light but Vespertina cognitio in comparison of ours whom the Day hath visited sprung from on high This for the Matter and Manner Now for the Men. Luk. 1.78 GOD in
considered how it will stand with gloria in excelsis To set Peace before Glorie is to set earth above heaven Keepe the order then each in her place So goeth the Song The Child borne is GOD and Man GOD from on high Man from the earth Coelestem primò dein terrestrem celebrant They keepe the right order in singing of Him we to doe the like Heavens part ever to be first But then next after His glorie nothing more deere more precious nay nothing so deere so precious to us then as peace Set Glorie safe and then by all meanes Inqâ—ire pacem saith the Psalmist Seeke peace Psal. 34 15. If she hide her selfe Seeke her out Et persequere eam and pursue her If she flie away follow her hard Peace is not sought No man followes her to make any pursuit they know not the value of Peace that lose her so easily that follow her so faintly Nay insteed of pursuit persecute her and drive her away and make the chasing her away the seeking of GODS glorie The second thing in the world is Peace Onely one One onely before it the Glorie of GOD. 3. The Division of the Song But the Aire of the song is in the division wherein each is sorted to his owne GOD to His The earth to hers Men to theirs Iustices division which makes peace in Heaven and Earth skored here out so plainly as it is easily seene which perteines to which And we by all meanes so to distribute and deale them and by all means to preserve and hold up this division Els we change the note which is asmuch as the whole Harmonie is worth 1 Gloriâ— to God Now in this partition Glorie goes whither Vp on high To whom there To GOD and to none but GOD. The Place and the Person are both set forth On high there is the Place To God there is the Person Earth is not the place of Glorie It is in excelsis on high Earth is not on high Heer below it is as it were the Celler or Vault of the world Where though there be Exceâ—sa and Excâ—lsi high places and high persons both yet the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in altissimis Eâ—cles 5.7 and Altissimi they be not there be higher then they And as Earth is not the place So man is not the person For man is upon earth and is earth No glorie to man then Especially none this day of all daies Glorie to him for what For enterteining CHRIST and lodging Him in in a stable Confusion rather somewhat to be ashamed of nothing to glorie of Had men deserved it some to them Now let GOD above have the glorie of this day Yet conceive it aright we wish it as our duty not as any longing of His. It were a seely conceit to imagine of GOD as if he were avidior gloriae did hunger or thirst for our glorie What is He the better for it Onely nothing we have but that and so either that or nothing for nothing but that can He receive from us But we have nothing to render Him for all His goodnesse for His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give it Him then but give it entirely give it none but Him Soli Deo saith Saint Paul Soli saith Saint Iude 1. Tim. 1.17 Iud. 25. Psal. 115.1 Soli let us all say Not vnto us ô LORD not vnto us It is DAVID as if he were afraid to touch any part of it No But as PAVL and BARNABAS rend our clothes Act. 14.14 if any Divine honour be forced upon us Yet glorie we may I grant but not this heer Gloria in altissimis if we sing to any bâ—t Him we sing a false note Men doe so now and then but the Angells are never out And thus sing they and set out Glorie for GODS part 2 On earth Peace Let earth be content with Peace Peace is her portion and a blessed portion if she may well hold it a faire portion a rich wish For I would faine know what could be saiâ— more to the praisâ— of this portion then is heere in this song First that in generall it reacheth to the whole earth Not to men alone though they have their share too in whatsoever good commeth to the earth but it reacheth to all on earth Omni animantium or vegetantium generi to all the beasts all the greene things on the earth All are the better for it Secondly what more for the credit of peace then that it is Votum militare it comes from the mouthes of Souldiers that were there in their militar habit Even they sing of peace and praise it and wish it where they wish any good and know now what better thing to wish to the earth then it It is the earths happinesse Peace it flourisheth by it Before was the earth as the garden of Paradise saith the Prophet behind Ioel. 2.3 it was a wast and barren wildernesse all spoiled and burnt up Thirdly that it is Votum Angelicum An Angells wish Peace They being heavenly Spirits wish not anything at any time but heavenly So that a havenly thing is Peace And so it is as Nazianzene heere well observed Pugnas dissidian scire Deum Angelos No broiles no brabbles in heaven nothing but peace there And a kind of heaven there is upon earth when there is peace upon earth and iustly are they blessed and rightly are they called the Children of GOD the most blessed that are or shall be at any time that are the procurers of it This lo is the Angells division they sing But heere we are like to have no little adoe to maintaine this As we said before Huic signo à multis contradicitur as the Signe so the song is gainesaid of many Verse 34. The divell doth all he can to marre the Angells musique to bring in his his owne blacke Sanctus to procure contempt to GODS glorie on high to bring GODS glorie as low as he can to make garboiles upon earth to workemen all evill will mischiefe and malice that he can And first to make a confusion in this division perswades earth not to stand content with the Angells partition but earth forsooth must have glorie must be dealing with heavens part It is well said to GOD on high There be certaine GODS heere below aspire to glorie And glorie we would allow but no glorie will serve vnlesse gloria in altissimis be soong to it Sicut Dij cannot be gotten out of us Gen. 3.5 We cannot yet get Dominus Deus noster Papa out of the Glosse no not now after it is reformed And King Herod would be content to be made more then a man and to heare Nec vox hominem sonat And we beneath are too ready to sing it otherwhile to deifie those Acts 12.22 that are on high and give that belongs to GOD on high to GODS below Now that earth is thus
daies for any matter of dutie To looke to this Hodiè and not deceive our selves for no time but Hodiè hath any promise Witnesse Hodiè Psal. 95.7.8 si vocem To day if you will heare his voice which every day sounds in our eares But Hodiè genui is more then Hodiè for every day in the yeare while it lasts is Hodiè To day but every day is not Hodiè genui There is but one of them in the whole yeare 2. Hodiè genui and that is this day This day then to take of all other Hodiè's not to let slip the Hodiè of this day A day whereon this Scripture was fulfilled whereon Dixit factum est He said it and did it whereon this Sonne was borne and given us A day whereon as it is most kindly preached so it will be most kindly practised of all others And so I hold you no longer but end Praying to Him that was the Hodiè genitus of this day Him that was begotten and Him by whom He was begotten that we may have our parts as in Praedicabo preaching so likewise in legem the lawe in both legem fidei to believe aright and legem factorum to live according That we performing the filiall duties required may attaine the filiall rights promised and may be in the number of those to whom first and last Filius meus tu shall be said to our everlasting comfort and to the praise of the glorie of His grace Ephes. 1.6 through CHRIST our LORD SERMONS PREACHED VPON Ash-wednesday A SERMON Preached before QVEENE ELIZABETH AT WHITE-HALL On the IV. of March A. D. MDXCVIII being ASH-VVEDNESDAY PSAL. LXXVIII VER XXXIV Cum occideret eos quaerebant Eum revertebantur diluculò veniebant ad Eum. When He slew them then they sought Him and they returned and enquired early after GOD. THIS Psalme is a Calendar or Roll of reports how from MOSES to DAVID the Iewes carried themselves to GOD in matter of Religion And this verse a report how in the matter of repentance expressed heere vnder the termes of seeking and turning to GOD. Wherein this they did this was their fashion While He spared them they sought Him not When He slew them then they sought Him Cum c. These words then are a report A report but such a one as when Saint Paul heard of the Corinthians he could not commend it What shall I say Shall I praise you in this No 1. Cor. 11.17 I praise you not Neither he them for that Nor I these for this Rather as old Father Eli said to his sonnes Non est bonus Sermo hic quâ—m audio de vobis This is no good report I heare Cum occîderet c. 1. Sam. 2.24 Whither good or whither evill it perteineth to us For to us of the Gentiles hath Saint Paul entailed whatsoever well or ill befell the dissolved Church of the Iewes 1. Cor. 10.11 These all these came vnto them for examples and are enrolled to warne us that grow neerer and neerer to the â—nds of the world Both pertaine unto us the Scripture hath both And in it draweth out our duty to us in both in good and evill Reports as it were in white worke and black work And we to have use of both Yet not of both reports alike but diversly as our instructions upon them are diverse For we are not so much to regard the bare Report as the instruction of it For which cause Asaph hath intitled this Psalme not Asaph's report but Asaph's instruction Now we have heere our report May we find what our instruction is touching it We may Asaph expressely hath set it downe at the VIII verse before That this and other errors of thâ—irs are heere upon the File Ne fiant â—icut Patres eorum That we should not be like our forefathers a crosse and crooked generation Not like them in other indignities and among other in this Cum occîderet c Never to seek GOD but when He kills us In which soule indignitie our Age is certeinely as deepe as ever was that And we need Asaph's instruction no lesse then they For as if there were no use of Religion but onely Cum occîderet so spend we all our whole time in the search of other things Not caring to aske or seek or conferr about the state of our soules even till occîderet come And then peradventure sending for Asaâ—h and hearing him speake a few words about it which we would faigne have called seeking of GOD. I can say little to it I pray GOD it prove so but sure I feare it will be found Minus habens Dan. 5.27 farr short of it Which is so vsually received that take a survey not one of an hundred ever thinke of it before So securely practised as if we had some Supersedeas lying by us not to doe it till then As if there were no such Scripture as this upon record which turned to their destruction and must needs ly heavy upon us when we shall remember it Cum occîderet c. Now sure this course must needs be prejudiciall to our soules and a number perish in it daily before our eyes Yet we sitt still and suffer this custome to grow and gather head Neither delivering their soules or at least our owne by telling them seriously this is not the time and then to seeke is not the seeking GOD will allow That this is a Ne fiant such a thing as should not be done in Israel That it is upon record 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their disgrace and destruction And it cannot be to our comfort or commendation to doe the like Out of which their destruction Asaph frameth an instruction for us and as it is well said and fitly to this day ex cinere Iudaeorum lixivium Christianorum of the Iewes ashes maketh a lie for Christians to clense us from this foule indignitie Vt videntes cadentes videant ne cadant that heeding their fall we take heed we fall not that is seeke not as they sought lest we perish by like example of seeking too late Therefore that we set our selves to seeke before this Cum come that is in a word seeke GOD as by repentance and the fruits so by vndelayed repentance and the timely fruits of it Iude 12 and be not like the Apostle IVDE'S 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our seeking all summer withered and drie and beginning to shoot out a littlâ— about Michael-masse spring Of which kind of shooting fruit can never come This is the summe The Division The words consist of two parts Two parts but these two evill matched or as Saint Paul vnaequally yoked together For where our chiefe actions of which I take it 2. Cor. 6.4 our seeking of GOD is one should have the chiefest time Heere is the first and and best of our actions sorted with the last and worst part of our time Quaerebant Eum with Cum occideret
None pertaine to it but they that take benefit by it and none take benefit by it no more then by the brazen Serpent but they that fixe their eye on it Behold Consider and Regard it the profit the benefit is lost without Regard If we do not as this was a day of GOD 's fierce wrath against him The perill if not onely for regarding us so there is another day comming and it will quickly be heer a day of like fierce wrath against us for not regarding him Psal. 90.11 And who regardeth the power of his wrath He that doth will surely Regard this In that day there is not the most carelesse of us all but shall cry as they did in the Gospell Domine non ad Te pertinet si perimus Mar. 4 38. Pertaines it not to Thee Carest thou not that we perish Then would we be glad to pertaine to him and his Passion Pertaines it to us then and pertaines it not now Sure now it must if then it shall Then to give end to this Complaint let us grant him his request The Request Have some Râ—gard and Regard his Passion Let the Rarenesse of it The Neerenesse to us Let Pitie or Dutie Feare or Remorse Love or Bounty Any of them or all of them Let the justnesse of his Complaint Let his affectionate manner of Complaining of this and only this Let the shame of the Creature 's regard Let our Profit or our Perill Let something prevaile with us to have it in some regard Some regard Verily as his sufferings his Love 1. Our best Regaâ—d our good by them are so should our regard be a Non sicut too That is a regard of these and of nothing in comparison of these It should be so For with the benefit ever the regard should arise But GOD helpe us poore sinners and be mercifull unto us Our regard is a Non sicut indeed but it is backward and in a contrary sense That is no where to shallow so short or so soone done It should be otherwise it should have our deepest consideration this and our highest regard 2. At least sâ—me Reâ—â—rd But if that cannot be had our nature is so heavy and flesh bloud so dull of apprehension in Spirituall things yet at least wise some regard Some I say The more the better But in any wise some And not as here No regard none at all Some waies to shew we make accompt of it to with-draw our selves to void our minds of other matters to set this before us to thinke upon it to thanke him for it to regard him and stay and see whether he will regard us or no. Sure he will and we shall feele our hearts pricked with sorrow by consideration of the cause in us our Sinne And againe warme within us by consideration of the cause in him Act. 2.37 Luc. 24.32 his Love till by some motion of Grace he answere us and shew that our regard is accepted of Him And this as at all other times for no day is amisse 3. This Day specially but at all times some time to be taken for this dutie so specially on this Day this Day which we hold holy to the memorie of his Passion this day to do it to make this Day the Day of GOD 's wrath and CHRIST 's suffering a Day to us of serious consideration and regard of them both It is kindly to consider Opus diei in die suo The worke of the Day in the Day it was wrought and this Day it was wrought This Day therfore whatsoever businesse be to lay them aside a little whatsoever our haste yet to stay a little and to spend a few thoughts in calling to minde and taking to regard what this Day the SONNE of GOD did and suffered for us and all for this end that what he was then we might not be and what he is now we might be for ever Which Almightie GOD grant we may doe more or lesse even every one of us according to the severall measures of His Grace in us A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT Greenwich on the XXIX of March A.D. MDCV. being GOOD-FRIDAY HEBR. CHAP. XII VER II. Aspicientes in Authorem fidei Consummatorem IESVM qui proposito Sibi gaudio sustinuit Crucem confusione contempta atque in dextera Sedis DEI sedet Looking unto IESVS the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of GOD. SAint Luke though he recount at large our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's whole storie yet in plaine and expresse termes he calleth the Passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Theorie or Sight Luc. 23.48 which Sight is it the Apostle heer calleth us to looke unto Of our blessed SAVIOVR 's whole life or death there is no part but is a Theorie of it selfe well worthy our looking on for from each part thereof there goeth vertue to do us good From each part but of all from the last part or act of His Passion Therefore hath the HOLY GHOST honored this last part only with this name and none but this This is the theorie ever most commended to our view To be looked on he is at all times and in all acts but then and in that act specially When for the ioy set before Him He endured the Crosse and despised the shame Then saith the Apostle looke unto him Saint Paul being elsewhere carefull to shew the Corinthians and with them us CHRIST and as to shew them CHRIST So to shew them in CHRIST what that is that specially concerneth them to know or look unto thus he saith That though he knew many very many things besides yet he esteemed not to know anything 1. Cor. 2.2 but IESVS CHRIST Hunc crucifixum Him and Him crucified Meaning respective as they terme it that the perfection of our knowledge is CHRIST and the perfection of our knowledge in or touching CHRIST is the knowledge of His Crosse and Passion That the chiefe Theorie Nay in this all so that see this and see all The view whereof though it be not restreined to any one time but all the yeare long yea all our life long ought to be frequent with us and blessed are the houres that are so spent yet if at any time more then other certainly this time this day may most justly challenge it For this day was this Scripture fulfilled and this day are our eares filled full with Scriptures about it So that though on other daies we employ our eyes otherwise yet that this day at least we would as exceeding fitly the Apostle wishâ—th us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast our eyes from other sights and fixe them on this object Ioh. 12 32. it being the day dedicate to the lifting up of the SONNE of MAN on high that He may draw every eye unto
them no it is not so Ecce claves mortis inferni see heer Apoc. 1.18 the keyes both of the first and second death Which is a playn proof He hath mastered and gott the dominion over both death him that hath power of death that is the devill 1. Cor. 15.55 Both are swallowed up in victorie and neither death any more sting nor hell any more dominion Sed ad Dominum Deum nostrum spectant exitus mortis Psal. 68 20. but now unto GOD our LORD belong the issues of death the keyes are at His girdle He can let out as manie as he list This estate is it which he calleth Coronam vitae not life alone Apoc. 2.18 but the Crowne of life or a life crowned with immunitie of feare of any evill ever to befall us This is it which in the next verse he calleth living unto GOD Ver. 11. the estate of the children of the resurrection to be the sonnes of GOD aequall to the Angells subject to no part of death's dominion but living in securitie joy and blisse for ever And now is our particular full 1 Rising to life first â— and life freed from death and so immortall 3 and then exempt from the dominion of death and every part of it and so happy and blessed Rise againe so may Lazarus or any mortall man doe that is not it Rise againe to life immortall so shall all doe in the end as well the uniust as the just that is not it But rise againe to life immortall with freedome from all miserie to live to and with GOD in all joy and glorie evermore that is it that is CHRIST 's resurrection Et tu saith S. Augustine speratalâ—m resurrectionem propter hoc este Christianus Live in hope of such a resurrection and for this hope 's sake carie thy selfe as a Christian. Thus have we our particular of that we are to know touching CHRIST risen And now we know all these yet do we not accompt our selves to know them perâ—â—ctly untill we also know the reasons of them And the Romans were a people that loved to sâ—e the ground of that they received and not the bare Articles alone Indeed it might trouble them why CHRIST should need thus to rise againe because they saw no reason why He should need to dye The truth is we can not speake of rising well without mention of the terminus à quo from whence He rose By meaneâ— whereof there two 1 CHRIST 's dying and His rising are so linked togither and their Auditis so entangled one with another as it is very hard to sever them And this you shall observe the Apostle never goeth about to do it but still as it were of purpose suffers one to draw in the other continually It is not heer alone but all over his Epistles ever they runne togither as if he were loth to mention one without the other And it cannot be denied but that their joyning serveth to many great good purposes These two â— His death and 2 His rising they shew His two Natures Humane and Divine â— His Humane nature and weaknesse in dying 2 His Divine nature and power in rising againe 2. These shew His two Offices His Priesthood and His Kingdome â— His Priesthood in the sacrifice of His death 2 His Kingdome in the glorie of His resurrection 3. They set before us His two mayn Benefits 1 Interitum mortis 2 and principium vitae 1 His death the death of death 2 His rising the reviving of life againe the one what He had ransomed us from the other what He had purchased for us 4. They serve as two Moulds wherein our lives are to be cast that the daies of our vanitie may be fashioned to the likenesse of the SONNE of GOD which are our two duetyes that we are to render for those two benefits proceeding from the two offices of His two natures conioyned In a word they are not well to be sundred for when they are thus ioyned they are the very abbridgement of the whole Gospell 1. The cause of His dying 1 His dying once Of them both then briefly Of His dying first In that He died He died once to sinne Why dyed He once and why but once Once He died to sinne that is sinne was the cause He was to dye once As in saying He liveth to GOD we say GOD is the cause of His life so in saying He died to sinne we say sinne was the cause of His death GOD of His rising sinne of His fall And looke how the resurrection leadeth us to death even as naturally doth death unto sinne the sting of death To sinne then He died Not simply to sinne but with reference to us For as death leadeth us to sinne so doth sinne to sinners that is to our selves And so will the opposition be more cleer and full He liveth unto GOD He died unto man With reference I say to us For first He died unto us and if it be true that Puer natus est nobis it is as true Esay 9.6 that Vir mortuus est nobis If being a child He was borne to us becomming a man He died to us Both are true To us then first He died because He would save us To sinne Secondly because els He could not save us Yes He could have saved us and never died for us ex plenitudine potestatis by His absolute power if He would have taken that way That way He would not but proceed by way of Iustice do all by way of Iustice. And by Iustice Sinne must have death death our death for the sinne was ours It was we that were to dye to sinne But if we had dyed to sinne we had perished in sinne perished heer perished everlastingly That His love to us could not endure that we should so perish Therfore as in Iustice He iustly might He tooke upon Him our debt of sinne sayd as the Fathers apply that speech of His Sinite abire hos Io. 18.8 let these go their wayes And so that we might not dye to sinne He did We see why He died once Why but once because once was enough ad auferenda saith S. Iohn ad abolenda saith S. Peter â— And but once Ioh. 1.29 Act. 3.19 Hebr. 9.28 ad exâ—auriâ—da saith S. Paul To take away To abolish To draw dry and utterly to exhaust all the sinnes of all the sinners of all the world The excellency of His â—erson that performed it was such The excellencie of the obedience that He performed such the excellencie both of His humilitie and charitie wherewith He performed it such and of such valew every of them and all of them much more as made that His once dying was satis superque enough and enough againe which made the Prophet call it copiosam Redemptionem a plenteous Redemption But the Apostle he goeth beyond all in expressing this in one place terming it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
owne eyes Videbitis you shall see it is so you shall see Him Indeed Non hic would not serve their turnes He knew their question would be Where is He Gone He is Not quite gone but only gone before Which is the second comfort For if He be but gone before we have hope to follow after I prae sequar so is the nature of Relatives But that we may follow then Whither is He gone Whither He told ye himselfe a little before His Passion c. 14.28 into Galilee 1. No meeter place for IESVS of Nazareth to go then to Galilee there He is best knowne there in a Mat 2.23 Nazareth He was brought up there b Io. 2.11 in Cana He did His first miracle shewed His first glorie meet therefore to see His last there in Capernaum and the coasts about preached most bestowed most of His labour 2. Galilee it was called Galilee of the Gentiles for Mat. 4 15. it was in the confines of them To shew His Resurrection tanquam in meditullio as in a middle indifferent place reacheth to both concerneth and benefitteth both alike As Ionas after his resurrection went to Ninive so Christ after His Ion. 3.4 to Galilee of the Gentiles 3. Galilee that from Galilee the place from whence they sayd No good thing could ever come He might bring one of the best things and of most comfort Ioh 1 46. that ever was the sight and comfort of His Resurrection 4. Galilee last for Galilee signifieth a Revolution or turning about to the first point Whither they must goe that shall see Him or have any part or fellowship in this feast of His resurrection Thither is He gone before and thither if ye follow there ye shall see Him This is the third comfort and it is one indeed For 3. Ye shall see Him Sight is the sense of certaintie and all that they can desire And there they did see Him Not these here only or the Twelve only or the 120. names in Acts 1. only Act 1.15 1. Cor. 15 6. but even 500. of them at once sayth the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. a whole Cloude of VVitnesses to put it cleane out of question And of purpose doth the Angell point to that apparition which was the most famous and publike of all the tenne This was good newes for those here and they were worthy of it seeking Him 4. And his Disciples Peter and all as they did But what shall become of the rest namely of his Disciples that lost Him alive and seeke Him not dead They shall never see Him more Yes which is Evangelium good tydings indeed the chiefe comfort of all they too that left Him so shamefully but three dayes agoe them He casts not off but will be glad to see them in Galilee Well whatsoever become of other Peter that so foully forsooke and forsware Him both he shall never see Him more Yes Peter too and Peter by name And indeed it is more then needfull He should name him He had greatest cause of doubt the greatest stone upon Him to be rolled away of any that had so often with oathes and execrations so utterly renounced Him This is a good message for him and Marie Magdalen as fit a messenger as can be Mar. 14.71 to carrie it one great Sinner to another That not only CHRIST is risen but content that his forsakers deniers forswearers PETER and all should repaire to Him the day of His Resurrection That all the deadly wounds of His Passion have not killed His compassion over sinners That though they have made wracke of their duetie yet He hath not lost His mercie nor left it in the grave but is as readie to receive them as ever His Resurrection hath made no change in Him dying and rising He is to sinners still one and the same still like himselfe a kinde loving and mercifull SAVIOVR This is the last PETER and all may see him And with this he dismisseth them with Ite dicite 2. Their commission with a Commission and precept by vertue whereof He maketh these Women Apostolos Apostolorum Apostles to the Apostles themselves for this Article of the Resurrection did they first learne of these VVomen and they were the first of all that preached this Gospell giving them in charge that seeing this day is a day of glad tydings they would not conceale it but impart it to others even to so many as then were or would ever after be Christ's Disciples They came to embalme Christ's bodie naturall that needs it not it is past embalming now But another body He hath a mysticall body a company of those that had beleeve in Him though weakly that they would goe and annoint them for they need it They sitt drying away what with feare what with remorse of their unkind dealing with Him they need to have some oile some balme to supple them That they doe with this Gospell with these foure Of which foure ingredients is made the balme of this day Thus we see these that were at cost to annoint CHRIST were fully recompensed for the costs they had beene at themselves annointed with oyle and odours of a higher nature and farr more pretious then those they brought with them Oleum laetitiae saith the a Psal. 45.7 Psalme O dor vitae saith the b 2. Cor. 2.16 Apostle And that so plenteously as there is enough for themselves enough too for others for His Disciples for Peter and all The Application But what is this to us Sure as we learned by way of duty how to seeke Christ ' after their example so seeking Him in that manner by way of reward we hope to have our part in this good newes no lesse then they 1. CHRIST is risen that concerneth us alike c Ephe. 4.15 The Head is gott above the water d Rom. 11.16 The Roote hath received life and sapp e 1 Cor. 15.23 The First fruicts are lift up and consecrate We no lesse then they as His members His branches His field recover to this hope 2. And for His going before that which the Angell said heer once is ever true He is not gone quite away He is but gone before us He is but the antecedent we as the consequent to be inferred after Yea though He be gone to Galilaea superior the Galilee that is above Heaven the place of the Celestiall Spheres and Revolutions even thither is He gone not as a party absolute of or for himselfe Heb. 6.20 but as a Herbenger saith the Apostle with relation to others that are comming after for whom He goeth before to take up a place So the Apostle there So Ioh 14.2 the Angell heere So He Himselfe Vado not Vado alone but Vado parare locum vobis I go to prepare a place wherein to receive you when the number of you and your brethren shal be full 3. To us likewise pertaineth the third videbitis
wonderfull doing it came to passe As indeed wonderfull it is to see that which all the world now seeth CHRIST that for the present was so strangely deiâ—cted since to be so exceedingly glorified Phil. 12.19.10.11 So many knees to bow to Him so many tongues to confesse Him His Name to be above all Names heâ—ven earth to be full of the Majestie of His glorie Now from these words Caput Anguli that which we learne morally is to make 〈◊〉 of the two vertues commâ—â—ded to us in these two words â— Virtuâ— Anguli â— and Anguli sâ—b Capite 〈…〉 of two walles united in one Angle that is Vnity For Christ 〈…〉 Capâ—t Maceriae of a Partie-wall but of an Angle ioined He is not of 〈…〉 that so they may be Head care not though it be never so broken 〈◊〉 〈…〉 not every Vnity but Vnitas ordinata that hath or is under a Head For 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 Cujus vâ— Anguli but Anguli cui Caput not of every Angle but of an Angle the unity whereof is neither in the tayle nor in the sides but in the Head 〈◊〉 is commendeth to us as Vnity against Division so Order against Confusion They that caâ— be content to corner well but would be Acephali Head-lesse have no Head 〈◊〉 Him not No more do they that would ioine but would be Poly cephali 〈◊〉 Consistorie of heads many heads as many as the Beast of Babylon For 〈◊〉 it is an Angle can have no more heads but one To love an Angle well but an Angle that hath a Head and but One head To love a Head well but a head not of a single wall but of an Angle Both these and both to be regarded They be Zacharie's two staves Bands Beauty which vphold all government breake one Zach 11 7.10.1â— and the other will not long be unbroken The head without Vnity Vnity without thâ— head either without other will not long hold Both then but especially Vnity for that commeth in heer not necessarily as doth the head but extraordinarily And therefore extraordinary regard to be had of it For I was thinking why He should heer in this second part say that He was made Head of the Corner Why should it not suffice to have sayd factus est Caput and no more Or if more factus est Caput Aedificij To have said He was made the Head at least wise made the Head of the whole Building Why must Anguli â—e added What needed any mention of the Corner No occasion was given no mention was made of it in His Refusing The word Head would have served fully to have sett His Exaltation forth Some matter there was that this word must come in And sure no other but to shew CHRIST 's speciall delight and love of that place At His rising this day Stetit in medio and heer He is come to His place againe for Stetit in medio and Caput Anguli come both to one Therefore that like love like speciall regard be had by us of that place Iohn 20.19 and of the vertue of that place vnitie that it be sought and preserved carefully that the sides flie not of the well knitting whereof is the very strength of the whole Building By Bede it is rendered as a reason why the Iewish builders refused our SAVIOVR CHRIST for the head place Quia in uno pariete stare amabant They could endure no Corner they must stand alone upon their owne single wall be of themselves not ioyne with Gentile or Samaritane And CHRIST they endured not because they thought if He had been Head He would have inclined that way Ioh. 10.16 Alias â—ves oportet me adducere Alias they could not abide But sure a purpose there must be alias oves adducendi of bringing in others of ioyning a corner or els we doe not facere secundùm exemplar build not according to CHRIST 's patterne our fashion of Fabrique is not like his They that thinke Heb. 5.8 to make CHRIST Head of a Single wall are deceived it will not be They that say so the head all is well it skills not for the Corner erre too He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Corner-stone first and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Head-stone after And they that had rather be a Front in a wall then in a meaner place sub lapide Angulari And they that stand upon their owne partition and will not endure to heare of any ioining care not what become of Angulus Philp. 2.5 if it were strooâ—en out the same minde is not in them in neither of them which was in CHRIST IESVS His mind we see He lookes to the Angle as to the Head and to the Head as to the Angle And they build best that build likest Him Wisedome is iustified of all her Children Luc. 7.35 And last the duty of the wholâ— Second part and so this daies duty is 〈◊〉 â— When the 〈…〉 is brought forth 〈…〉 as to day it was we are to proâ—ecute it with 〈◊〉 and â—eâ—edictus qui venit as 〈…〉 way followeth in th◠〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Grace 〈◊〉 is Fo◠〈…〉 the Prophet Lapâ—◠〈◊〉 would be 〈◊〉 with râ—ioycing Reioyciâ—g 〈…〉 Hiâ—â—egard Zâ—ch 4.7 that 〈…〉 〈◊〉 so even in the â—uilding's that hâ—th got 〈◊〉 a Head Such and so gratious a Head as could endure thâ—â—â—o be 〈…〉 and yet admitt yea even those thâ—t â—o refused Him if the 〈…〉 in themselves to be Stones in His building for all that and to be meâ—bers of the Body whereof He is the Head Then secondly as GOD hath so we to make Him Head Actually we cannot He is made to our 〈◊〉 but in account we may Giving Him the highest place in all our respectâ— Magnifying His Name His Word above all things His Word Psal. 138.2 makiâ—g it our chief ground His Name and the Glorie of it making it our chiefe â—nd Thâ—â— other considerations cary us not away as these Builders heer it did Ioh. 11.48 of Vâ—â—ient 〈◊〉 or I wot not what but that ever as the Heathen Lawyer said it be Fâ—tiâ—r ratiâ— quâ— facit pro Religione the best reason that maketh best for Religion and for the good of the Body of this Head that is the peace of His Church And this for Lapis erat CHRISTVS But Lapis erat David is likewise true Therefore that we doe King David no wrong The second seâ—se David let us shew how it fitts him too but briefly because this is not His day David was a stone The Iewes say it was his Nic-name or name of disgrace that in scorne they called him so For that all his credit forsooth came by casting a stone and hitting Goliah by chance right in the forehead and so they thwited him with that name They gave it him in scorne but he bare it in earnest For sure much sorrow he endured had that propertie of a Stone And nothing could remove him or make
Breve's ready drawen and sent abroad and others in a readinesse to second them 〈◊〉 for all â—heir Brâ—ve's and Bâ—lls this Stone is the Heâ—d for all â—hat Factus made he is and made by GOD. Fo◠〈…〉 GOD'S doing it was evidently thaâ— after so much ploâ—â—ing so many 〈◊〉 togither at the very time GOD bowed the hearts of so many thousands as it 〈◊〉 beene the heart of one man to agree in one as that all that foresawâ— thought it had not been possible and all that saw it confessed it admirable and all men said This hath GOD done for they saw evidently Psal. 64.9 it was His worke The Head You were tâ—en made And Head not of One Angle as You were before for Caput Anguli I hold a King to be though he have but one Kingdome but Caput Triâ—ngâ—li Head now of three even of a whole Triangle So their titles were dashed their plotts disappointed and all their devises as the Potters clay Yours it was of right and GOD hath brought You to it So it is and our eyes doe see it Esa. 29.16 and our heaâ—ts doe ioy in it and our tongues blesse GOD for it and heer we are this day with all praise and thankes to acknowledge it that so it is It is a part of this Daye 's duty that so we should acknowledge it and give Him thankes for it that brought it to passe And may I not further put you in minde of another making yet And it is not impertinent neither to this day especially For after the first making or placing looke how many after attempts are made to un-make or displace the Head-stone againe so many times as it is heaved at to that end and those attempts defeated so many new placings so many new makings are we to reckon of David was made Head not onely when Saul and Abner sought to put him downe and were put downe themselves which was before he came to the Crowne but even after he had it and had worne it long when Absalon and Sheba refused Him being their Head and cried No part in David and so sought to set him besides the Throne 2. Sam. 20.1 15.30.9.30 And Builders there wanted not in that designe Absalon had Achitophel and Amasa two as principall Master-builders as then were any When GOD brought DAVID backe to his Seat againe and delivered him from them that sought to remove him from it He did as good as place him in it anew DAVID himselfe saith so before at the 13 Verse He was shrewdly lifted at and ready to turne over but GOD stayed him and set him right in his Seate againe And in verie deed the Verse next before the XXI where he saith GOD had heaâ—d him and was become his Deliverer makes the Writers to thinke this Psalme was endited rather for this Second then for his first placing Now a like Second making we may well remember and we cannot doe it better then upon this day This day as we shall see hath an interest in it That since Your setting in the Seat of this Kingdome Some there were Builders one would have taken them to be if he had seene them with their tooles in their hands as if they had been to have laid some foundation where their meaning was to undermine and to cast downe foundations and all Yea to have made a right Stone of you and blowne you up among the Stones You and Yours without any more adoe And Master-builders they had amongst them so they will needs be accounted that encouraged their hearts and strengthened their hands to the Worke. And that they might do there was no Seale to hinder it But disclose it that they might not for feare of breaking a Seale there was a Seale for that And thus did they aedificare ad Gebennam edifie their followers to Hel-ward to set them forward and send them to their owne place Acts 1.25 That Day which GOD undid that wretched designe and brought their mischiefe upon their owne heads That Day did GOD make you Caput trianguli the second time That Day that He brought You backe if not from death it selfe yet from death's dore from the very gates of destruction That Day was a very Easter day to You though it were in November And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a sort a very Resurrection Heb. 11.19 as very a resurrection as Isaac's was which the Apostle there speaketh of That Day the destroying Angell I am sure past over You and so it was truely the Feast of the Passover Fit therefore to be remembred this Day 〈…〉 Diâ—s This is the day of the Passe-over This is Easter day the day of the â—â—â—â—â—rection Buâ— to returne to the first making of all By the true course of the yeare this 〈◊〉 being the very Moneth this day being the very day of that of the first laying of this Head stone we are as before in CHRISTO Domino so againe heer in CHRISTO Domini to prosecute it with David's cry of Hosanna and Benedictus and with Zacharie's acclamation of Grace Grace unto it even to this Head-stone Grace in His eyes that so made You And againe Grace in their eyes and hearts to whom He so made You But above all the Grace of all Graces that you may make Him ever Yours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Your stone of chief trust Your marke of highest regard in all Your Counsells and purposes that so made You And seeke to reduce the disjecta latera the sides and walls flyen of of this great Building for which the world it selfe was built His Church and reduce them to one Angle The greatest Service that can be done Him on earth And so He that this day made You the Head so make You and so keepe You long and many daies He that refused them that refused You refused them with reprobation still may He so doe toties quoties to their continuall confusion That the Head over the Triangle and the Triangle under the Head may many yeares stand fast and flourish in all peace plenty and prosperitie health honour and happinesse And after all He that hath crowned You heer with two Crownes already crowne You also with the third of Glorie and Immortalitie in His Heavenly Kingdome I have now done Onely I would move one thing and it shall agree well with that hath been said of the Corner stone and it shall serve to further our duty of thankes and be a good closing up of the whole Many waies was CHRIST our blessed SAVIOVR a Corner-stone among others especially in this saith Saint Hierome Quando agnum cum pane conjunxit finiens unum inchoans alterum utrumque perficiens in semetipso One chiefe Corner-point of His was when He ioned the Lambe of the Passe-over and the Bread of the Eucharist ending the one and beginning the other recapitulating both Lambe and Bread into Himselfe making that Sacrament by the very institution of it to be as it
sweet bread all sinceritie and truth and hold their Passe-over in levin or not at all Antichrist's goat may be so eaten The lamb CHRIST cannot To the lamb's nature that is sincere nothing so contrarie as this 3. The leviâ— â—f comâ—anie â—â—rrupt in lasâ— to meane speake or deale vn-sincerely You see a levin of Doctrine and Life that is the levin of the Gospell A third there is the lâ—vin of the Epistle and that is of Corrupt companie and that is in very deed the lâ—vin of this Text. For when the Apostle would have this levin heere purged what meanes he To have the incestuous Corinthian removed and cast out of the fâ—llowship of the faithfull by the Censures of the Church True but those not in every mans power But this is To avoid and shunne them and their companie so we may and so we are bound to cast them out There is very great danger in persons so levined great scandal even to the well disposed but farre great danger to the most that will soone take this lâ—vin Our nature is apt to take it it is easily fermented that way As much good leviâ— as will serve three pecks so much evill will doe more then serve three bushells and never leave till it have sowred them all That except this be looked to all the rest will be to small purpose In Reliâ—ion Now when Saint Paul speakes of persons thus levined he meanes not onely such as are lewd of life tainted that way but even such also as are unsound in matter of Religion and have a soure savour that way Heere to the Corinthians he would have the incestuous person cast out Gal. 5 3.â— c. 9. with his levined life But to the Galathians after he presseth the same point against another kinde such as levined the Gospell with MOSE 's câ—râ—moâ—ies 12. and so corrupted the truth in Religion and them he would have cut of both Coâ—inthian and Galathian levin both must out And marke upon the same reason both and in the very same words That a little levin doth not a little hurt but otherwhile Gal. 5.9 maâ—reth the whole batch of brâ—ad Evill doctrine is against Truth Evill life against walking in the truth Evill companie will bring us to both Therefore away with them but away with this especially If they will not purge out their levin purge them out And that especially against this Feast in the nature whereof there is a contrarietie to all levin Now then this is our Conclusion Come we must and Itaque celebremus This is our Caution Thus we must come Non in fermento sed azymis If we say it skills not whither we come Itaque meets with us If we say it skills not how we come Non in fermento meets with us too It is with us heere as with â—he Prophet Hos. 7.1 when we would heale one the other breaketh forth If we presse Non in fâ—rmento we lose Itaque epulemur they come not at all No Feast If we vrge Itaque epulemur they come how levined and unlevined all clap them downe together We need a Quomodo intrasti huc to keepe some backe And yet we need a Compelle intrare Matt. 22.12 â—uk 1â— 23. to bring others in But the manner but the caution remember that The maine conclusion is that we come The other we must not leave undâ—ne But this peremptorily we are bound to doe The Apostle binds us to doe it The time to doe it now For if this follow CHRIST is offered Therâ—forâ— we are to come to His fâ—ast This wiâ—l follow as strongly CHRIST is now offered therefore let us now come Goe by degrees The Christian Passe-over our Passe-over a time it must have sometime it is to be kept We would doe it at that time when it were best for us to doe it When bâ—st for us to doe it but at the time He did it Himselfe And that did He even at this fâ—aâ—t now Now then at this fâ—ast it is most kindly to doe it most like to please Him and to prosper with us And indeâ—d if at any time we will doe it Quando Pascha 〈◊〉 in Paâ—cha what time is the Pasâ—e-over so proper as at the fâ—ast of the Paâ—â—e-â—vâ—r 〈…〉 quando tempus imâ—olandâ— When the time of His receiving as at the time of His ofâ—â—ring Therfore they both the feast the lamâ— have onâ— nâ—me to shew the neer coniunction that should be betweene them When the daâ— câ—mmeth to remember what was done on the day and so what we to doe on that day Pasâ—â—a quod celâ—bramus to put us in minde of Pascha quod epulamur For tell me will the saâ—rifiâ—e commâ—moâ—ative or the sacrament communicative ever fall more fit then when that was offâ—red which we are to commemorate and to comâ—unicate withall Is not the fittest time of doing it the time when it was done of Hoc facite then when Hoc factum est So that without any more adoe the seâ—son it selfe pleadeth for this effectually And now is the time of Exâ—uâ—gaâ—e for our â—odies thâ— corrupt humours that levin it now we cast them out Anâ— why not now likewise tâ—ose that ly sâ—urâ— in our soules And even Nature's Paâ—â—e-oâ—â—r the genâ—rall Pâ—â—e-ovâ—â— is even at thiâ— time both in heaven and earth Above in heavâ—n where the 〈◊〉 haâ—ing 〈◊〉 over all the sigâ—es is come about and renewes his course at the first signe in the 〈◊〉 And beneâ—th in earth from the sharp time of winter and fâ—rmentiâ—g time of the eâ—rth to the râ—newing sweet time the time of the Sâ—â—ing wherein thâ—re is 〈…〉 in nâ—ture it selfe And why should not the Passâ—-over of grace be now likâ—wiâ—e in sâ—ason and have due concurrence with nature Sure all agree wâ—ll if we but agree our selves Anâ— if we agree for our parts to doe the daye 's duty CHRIST will not be behind with His tâ—e day's benefit But during our time and in the hower of death be our true Passâ—-ovâ—r shielding us from all deadly mis-happs while we heere live and giving us a sure and safe passage at our end even a passage to the last and great Paâ—se-over of all the truth of that whâ—reof theirâ— was the shaddow and ours the image now For we have not yâ—t done with our Laâ—b nor the work of this Paâ—se-ovâ—r is not yet fully accomplished There is a further matter yet behind for as this feast looâ—eth back as a mâ—â—oriall of that is alreadie past and done for us so doth it forward and is to us a plâ—dge of another and a better yet to come The fâ—ast of the marriagâ— of the Lamb heer Apoc 19.7 that is our Paâ—se-over where whosoever shall be a guest the Angells pronounce hâ—m happie and blâ—ssed for ever 9. That is the last and great Feast indeed when all Destroyers and all destructions shall cease and come to an â—nd for evermore and we heare that joyfull voice
this tumultuous troublesome place this a Hos. 2.15 vale of Achor right as Hosee this b Iam. 3 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Iames a wheele ever whirling about c Mat. 12.43 quarens requiem non invenit eam Where we shall soone be diseased with a Surgite postquam sederitis after we sitt a little quickly disquieted againe The Prophet Mica tells us plaine Non habetis hîc requiem heer we cannot have it this is not our rest Mic. 2.10 Nor never seeke for true glorie heer Why Locus est pulicum culicum It is the place of fleas and of gnatts this In the garden the place of our delight we meet with wormes and there be Spiders even in the King's Palace This place of wormes and Spiders call ye this the place of glorie in dust and cobwebbs Say it be yet such is the nature of these two such as they be the rest and the glorie heer as they divide still have ye one ye must quitt the other They that are in glorie have not the quietest life And they that are most at rest fardest of from being glorious Rest is heer a thing inglorious and glorie a thing restlesse Thus it stands with us Gen. 49.14 Isachar's condition likes some Rest is good though it be between a payre of panniers If that like us we must live in this estate the most obscure of all the Tribes But if we will have a name among the great ones of the earth if be glorious then farewell rest We must take our lott among them that live not most at ease certainly For heer they meet not but are in sunder still 7 At the right hand of God But say yet we could make them meete Be at all ease and in all glorie togither seated and seated at the right hand both Now come we to weigh the word Dei. The right hand heer super terram is not the right hand of GOD but of a man which shall wither Ioh. 31.22 and within a certaine of yeares as the Prophet's terme is fall from the shoulder And so this rest and this right hand we can have no hold of either It is sayd in the Acts After two yeares Foelix went his way and another came Governour in his place Act. 24 2â— And then the places were changed some were diseased and so is the case of all foelicitie heer Vpon the point then Rest and glorie we seeke not barely but we seeke them so as they may endure and our wish is if it might be even for ever And this may be had but it wil be had at no right hand but ad dexteram Dei GOD'S only Then seeke them there Not heer where either we shall seeke and not finde them or find one from the other or if both togither yet have no hold of them but soone lose them againe Seeke where we may nay where we shal be sure to finde them where both wil be had and both togither and good assurance of both even to eternitie as at God's right hand a right hand that withereth not If ye seeke rest lett it be in His holy hill Psal. 15.1 Luc. 2.14 if glorie Gloriae in excelsis where CHRIST is already Set so at rest at the right hand so in glorie at God's right hand and so in both for ever There they be there seeke there sett your minds To withdraw ourselves to sequester our mindes from things heer below to thinke of Him and of the place where now He is and the things that will bring us thither The Application to the time It is a prerogative that a Christian hath to make it Easter any day in the yeare by doing these dutyes on it They come no day amisse But no day so fit as this day the very day of His rising Then of very congruity we to rise also For no reason in the world if He rise that we should lye still Nor is it good for us that He should rise without us and leave us behinde in the grave of our sinnes still But when He then we too Rising is not so proper to the day but the two signes or two dutyes call them which ye will are as proper For this day was indeed a day of seeking I know whom you seeke ye seeke Iesus that was crucified saith one Angell Why seeke ye the living among the dead saith another To rise Mat. 16.6 Luc. 24.6 when He rose to seeke Him when He was sought This day He was sought by men sought by women Women the three Marie's Men the two Apostles The Women at charges the Apostles at paynes Early by the one earnestly by the other So there was seeking of all hands Luc. 24. â—3 And they which sought not went to Emmaüs yet they set their minds on Him had Him in minde were talking of Him by the way So that these doe very fittly come into the Agendum of this day Thus to seeke and sett our mindes At least not to lose Him quite that day we should seeke Him nor have our minds farthest from Him that day they should be most upon Him The Church by her Office or Agendum doth her part to help us heerin To the Sacrament all she may The things we are willed to seeke she setts before us the blessed Mysteries For these are from above the bread that came downe from heaven the bloud that hath been carried into the holy place And I add ubi CHRISTVS For ubi Corpus Ioh. 6.50 Heb. 9.12 ubi sanguis CHRISTI ibi CHRISTVS I am sure And truly heer if there be an ubi CHRISTVS there it is On earth we are never so neer Him not He us as then and there There in efficaciâ and when all is done efficacie that is it must doe us good must raise us heer and raise us at the last day to the right hand and the locall ubi without it of no value He was found in the breaking of bread that bread She breaketh Luc. 24.30.35 that there we may finde Him He was found by them that had their mindes on Him To that end She will call to us Sursum corda lift up your hearts which when we heare it is but this Text iterated Set your minds have your hearts where CHRIST is We answer We lift them up and so I trust we doe but I feare we lett them fall too soone againe Therefore as before so after when we heare Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father and when againe Glorie to GOD on high all is but to have this But especially where we may Sentire and Sapere quae sursum and gustare donum caeleste tast of the heavenly gift as in another place he speaketh see in the breaking Heb. 6.4 and tast in the receiving how gracious He was and is was in suffering for us is in rising againe for us too and regenerating us thereby to a lively hope
raised thence To Him that is hable to do that fourty sixe houres are as good as fourty sixe yeares all one Nay even fourty sixe minutes but that it was held fitt He should lye longer in His grave then so that there might be the surer certeinty of His death Otherwise yeares daies or minutes to Him are all alike The Signe is in both but to say truth in Excitabo rather then in the three daies For to the power of Excitabo Nullum tempus occurrit Why three But why three daies iust Neither more nor lesse Because elswhere He saith No other time but Iona's that should serve Him No other then Mose's time fourtie daies in His fasting No other then IONA's time three in His rising Content to keepe time with His Prophetts before him Far from the humour of some that must varie no remedie If Ionas three they must foure or three and a halfe at least If Moses fourtie they must be a day under or â—ver have a number have a tricke by themselves beyond others still Els all is nothing worth Far from them I say and to make us farr from them by His example to keepe us to that which others before us have well and orderly kept b Excitavit the doing Now to the excitavit of this Excitabo Thus He said it should be Et fuit sic and so it was He would raise it dixit And He did raise it factum est His dissolution lasted no longer then His limitation before hand set That was not post tres but in tribus not after but within the compasse of three daies And He came within His time For this is but the third day and this day by breake of day was this Temple up againe a Our duty upon these To reiâ—ice This then being the day not onely of Excitabo but of Excitavit illud of the setting it up accordingly we this day to celebrate the Encaenia or new dedicating of this Temple A dedication was ever a Feast of Ioy and that great Ioy. Every Towne had their Wake in memorie of the dedicating of their Church That we then hold it as a Feast of ioy that we be glad on it as glad nay more glad to see it up againe this day thâ—n the third day since we were sorry to see it downe in the dust To Solvite downe with it Edom's cry belongs Ieremie's Lamentation to Excitabo this dayes worke Zacharie's ioyfull shout or acclamation Gratiam Gratiae grace upon grace and ioy upon ioy Zach. 4.7 and thanks upon thankes Grace Ioy and thankes with an Emphasis for it is now illud with an Emphasis indeed For our good Rom. 3.2 By Solvite But our ioy will quickly quaile if we no good by it I aske then what is all this to us And I answere with the Apostle Multum per omnem modum 1. For first this Solvite of His is a Solvite to us a loosing us not onely from our sinns the câ—rds of our sinnes heer Prov. 5 22. Iud. 6. as Salomon calls them but the chaines the everlasting chaines of darkenesse and of hell there due to them and to us for them By excitabo 2. Then this excitabo is not to end in Him What we beleeve He did for that Temple of His Bodie naturall the same we faithfully trust He will do for another Temple the Temple of His Bodie mysticall For it is mysticall as much as for His naturall for whose sake He gave Hiâ— naturall Bodie thus to be dissolved Of which mysticall Bodie we are parts and the whole cannot be without his parts Every of us membâ—rs of this Bodie for his part Every one living stones of this spirituall Temple Dissipentur illa restaurabit denuò saith Origen scattered we may be He will gather us againe loosed He will knitt us fall downe and die He will set us togither and set us up againe After two daies He will revive us and in the third day raise us Hos. 6.2 And we shall live in His sight saith the prophet Hosea of us all And this is to us all matter of great Ioy. For to this Solvite in the end we must all come Statutum est hominibus Heb 9.27 There is an Act passed for the dissolution of these our earthly tabernacles Loosed they shal be Spirit from flesh Flesh from bone each bone from other No avoyding it All our care to be this how to come to a good excitabo b Our morall duty Good I say for excitabo we shall never need to take thought for we shall come to that whither we care for it or no. But to a good Excitabo such a one as He as CHRIST as this Temple is come to that is to a joyfull resurrection as we call it That is worth our care For in the end that wil be worth all That shall we come to if we can take order that while we be heer To make our bodies Tâ—mples before we goe hence our bodies we get them Templified as I may say procure they be framed after the similitude of a Temple this Temple in the Text For if it be Solvite Templum at the dissolution a Temple a Temple it will rise againe there is no doubt of that Our bodies as we use the matter many of us are farr from Temples rather Prostibula then Templa brothel-houses brokers shopps wine-caskes or I wote not what rather then Temples Or if Temples Temples the wrong way of Ceres Bacchus Venus or to keepe the scripture phrase of Camos Ashtaroth Baalpeor and not Domus Patris mei as this heer He speakes of But if this be the fruict of our life and we have no other but this to fill and farce our bodies to make them shrines of pride and to mainteyne them in this excesse to make a money-change of all besides Common wealth Church and all I know not well what to say to it I doubt at their rising they will rather make blockes for hell fire then be made Pillars in the Temple of GOD Apoc. 3.12 Heb. 9.11 in the holy places made without hands Otherwise if they prove to Temples heer let no man doubt then let them be loosed when or how they will He that raised this Temple so they be Temples will raise them likewise and that to the same glorious estate Himselfe was raised to A course then must be taken that while we are heer we doe Solvere Templa haec The morall solvite of them dissolve these Temples of Camos and Ashtaroth and upon the dissolution of them we raise them up very Temples to the true and living GOD That we downe with Bethaven this house or shop of vanitie as by nature they are and up with Bethel God's house as by grace they may be For a Solvite and an excitabo we are to passe heer in this life and this The morall Excitabo Apoc. 20.6 this excitabo is the first
vigor that the force of fier should shew forth it selfe in their words both in the splendor which is the light of knowledge to cleere the mist of their darkned understanding and in the fervor which is the force of spirituall efficacie to quicken the dulnesse of their cold and dead affections And indeed the world was then so overwhelmed with ignorance and error and so overgrowen with drosse and other badd matter by Paganisme it long had beene Es. 6.6 that their lippes did need to be touched with a cole from the Altar Tongues of flesh would not serve the turne nor words of ayer but there must be fire put into the tongue and spirit and life into the words they spake a force more then naturall that is the force of the Spirit even to speake sparks of fire in stead of words to drive away the darkenesse and to refine the drosse of their heathenish conversation so long continued Our SAVIOVR CHRIST saw this and said Mar. 9.49 Every sacrifice then had need to be seasoned with fire but there was no fire to do it with Therefore he addeth in another place I came to send fire upon earth and this day He was as good as His word Luk. 12.49 and sent it And with such a tongue spake He himselfe when they said of Him Did not our hearts burne within us while He spake unto us by the way With such a tongue S. Peter Luk. 24.32 heere in the Chapter for sure there fell from Him something like fire on their hearts when they were pricked with it and cryed Men and brethren what shall we doe Ver. 37. And even to this day yet in them that move the dead and dull hearts of their hearers and make them to have a lively apprehension of things pertayning to GOD there is a remainder of that which this day was sent and they shew plainely that yet this fire is not cleane gone out But this is not alwaies nor in all with us no more was it with them but in those of their hearers which had some of the annointing and that will easily take the fire 1. Ioh. 2.27 in them good will be done Or at least where there was some smoking flax some remainder of the Spirit which without any great adoe will be kindled anew Them Mat. 12.20 it doeth good the rest it did not This for the fire These satt upon each of them In which sitting is set downe unto us 4 And sat on each of them their last qualitie of continuance and constancie The vertue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fiery tongues sitting the vice opposite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierie tongues flitting They did not light and touch and away after the manner of butterflies but both they satt Verse 2. Verse 3. themselves in the former Verse and the tongues satt on them that is they abode still and continued stayed and steddie without stirring or starting aside saith the Psalmist like a swarving bowe Psal. 78.57 Of our SAVIOVR CHRIST himselfe how to know Him GOD himselfe gave S. Iohn Baptist a privie signe and it was this On whomsoever thou seest the Spirit lighting and abiding on Him That is He Lighting is not it Ioh. 1.33 though it be the Holy Ghost but lighting and abiding that is the true Signe Psal. 68.18.19 The same our SAVIOVR is this day said That ascending on high He gave gifts unto men and to what end that the LORD their GOD might dwell among them Marke that Dwell not might stay and lodge for a night as in an Inne or Hâ—stry and then be gone in the morning but Dwell that is have His habitation take up His residence among them The GOD or that person of the Deitie he there faith shall dwell is the Holy Ghost One of whose chiefe Attributes in the Psalme is that He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a constant Spirit Psal. 51.10 and A Sanctus come of Sancio there is as much said in the latine word as in the Hebrew Constant not desultorie and His fire not like the foolish meteor now in now out but permanent still like the fire on the Altar Levit. 6.12 So in vigor as His vigor is not brunts onely or starts impetus but habitus that it holdeth out habit wise Not onely like the sparks before which will make a man stirr for the present but leaving an impression such an one as yron redd hot leaveth in vessells of wood a fire-marke never to be got out more Such doth the Holy Ghost leave in the memories Psal. 119.93 In aeternum non obliviscar I shall never forget it And such did it leave in the hearts of the first Christians that could never be got out of their hearts by their persecutors till they plucked out hearts and all Mar. 9.49 With this Salt as well as with that fire saith CHRIST must every sacrifice be seasoned Not onely with that fire to stirr it up but with this salt to preserve it By this vertue in the former verse they were disposed to the Spirit and now heere you see againe by the Spirit they are disposed to this vertue And not onely disposed to it but rooted and more and more confirmed in it that we may learne to esteeme of it accordingly And thus have we as before heard what the sound so now seene what the sight can shew us even all foure 1. Tongues that they might preach 2. Cloven that they might preach to many 3. Fire that they might doe it effectually 4. And Sitting that so effectually as not flittingly but that it might be an efficacie constant abiding and staying still with them So forcible that continuall Now are we to know what all this amounts to what is the Signatum or thing signified of both these signes What was wrought in them by inward concurrence with this outward resemblance And that followeth in the fourth verse wherein there is a Commentarie of this Winde and a Glosse of these tongues Of the Winde in the forepart They were all filled with the Holy Ghost Of the Tongues in the latter They began to speake with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them vtterance But the time being already spent I will not so farre presume as to enter into it It would aske too long a treaty It remaineth now that first we offer up our due praise and unfayned hearty thanksgiving to Him that is ascended up on high for sending this day this blessing upon that His Church the Mother of us all The fruit whereof even of this Winde and of these tongues in the effect of them both the blowing of the one and the speaking of the other we all feele to this day so farre as Christendome is wide It is the duty of the day First then this and then withall secondly to endeavour that we may have this day some feeling of this dayes benefit our selves and some way finde our selves visited with
lesse To such a Person and for such a Benefit 〈…〉 small pleasure If not rejoyce Him yet Greeve Him not And it is so 〈…〉 I see not how well it can be denied Him 〈…〉 as we see it is but reasonable this Request So is it exceeding fit for 〈…〉 It is for the Holy Ghost And this is the Holy Ghost's Feast It 〈…〉 for a reason And this is as I may call it His first Seaâ—ing-day 〈…〉 on which the Spirit of GOD first set his Sâ—ale upon the Fathers of our 〈…〉 Apostles On which He then did and on which He ever will though 〈…〉 yet in like effect it being His owne day visit vs from on high if 〈…〉 or other we dis-appoint Him not and so drive Him away 〈…〉 Request then this Nolite contristari And what fitter time to move 〈…〉 Ghost then upon His owne Feast and upon His sealing-Sealing-day And this is 〈…〉 â—arts fall out evidently two 1 The Partie for whom this Request is preferred The Division 〈◊〉 Duty or it is not worth making a duty rather a common ordinarie 〈…〉 done Him 1. The Partie The Holy Spirit of GOD by whom we are sealed 〈…〉 of Redemption 2. The Duty or what ye will call it Nolite contristari 〈◊〉 Partie two Motives there be 1 His Person and 2 His Benefit 1. His 〈◊〉 in these The Holy Spirit of GOD. 2. His Benefit in these By whom ye are 〈◊〉 the Day of Redemption His Person set forth in the originall with very great energie 〈◊〉 as our tongue is not able to expresse it fully enough For it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with greater emphasis but three words and three Articles every word severall 〈◊〉 by it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit not a Spirit and not Holy but The 〈◊〉 nor of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The GOD that is the onely living and true 〈◊〉 All The's never an A among them Then His Bountie or Benefit vouchsafed us By whom we have our sealing to the Day 〈…〉 Wherein these foure points come to be weighed 1. Of Redemptiâ—◠〈◊〉 What and how it is 2. Then that it hath a Day the Day of our Redemptiâ—â— 3. That against that Day we are to be Sealed 4. That The Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 that Seale and His Office it is to passe it to us This is the Benefit Now either of these is a Motive of it selfe 1 His Person Greeve not the Holy 〈◊〉 of GOD and there stay for that of it selfe is reason enough 2 Or leave out 〈◊〉 Person set that by and say but even Him who seales unto you so great a favour as â—â—save you at the great Day Him be He what he will GOD or Man Spirit or 〈◊〉 holy or common greeve Him not This is reason enough too Greeve Him not 〈◊〉 His owne If not for his owne yet not for His Seale's sake The Duty followeth To this Person great and of so great bountie beside to 〈…〉 as Naaman's Servants did to Him Si rem grandem dixisset Apostolus if the 〈…〉 had enjoyned us some great peece of Service we ought not to have thought 〈…〉 it How much more then when he saith but this Doe not greeve Him and 〈…〉 â—ll which is no positive or actuall peece of service of paynes or of perill onely 〈…〉 of dis-service as they call it which is ever as little as can be required 〈◊〉 contristari 〈◊〉 contristari or at least Nolite contristari for there be two degrees 1. That 〈…〉 not 2. That willingly we doe it not That we have a will not to do it Which 〈…〉 offers more grace For much depends upon our willingnesse or 〈…〉 〈…〉 which we have 1 first to weigh whither we can greeve Him or He be 〈…〉 so we may understand the phrase and take it right 2 Then how it is we 〈…〉 what those greevances be that so we may take notice of them and be 〈…〉 avoid them 〈…〉 of all ' the fitting it to the Time and shewing it seasonable For by 〈…〉 Person His Feast and by occasion of the Day of Redemption the Day of 〈…〉 fall in and the intended action with it Which as we shall shew 〈…〉 of Signature Doe it not This time doe it not It is His owne 〈…〉 now It is 〈…〉 then Nolite contristari Thus lie the parts Of which that 〈…〉 c. I. Greeve not TWo 〈…〉 Persons there be that if we be well advised we would be loth to 〈…〉 Persons and such a carry the reputation of being Good Not 〈…〉 regard of their power They may doe us a displeasure The motive of feâ—re Not good in regard of their bountie Others are and we may be the better for them The motive of hope If He be Great though He Seale us nothing no 〈…〉 to offend Him If He be to Seale us a favour though otherwise he be not 〈◊〉 for his favour's sake favour him so much as greeve Him not Either of these 〈…〉 but where they meet there is vis vnita Specially if we add In quo vos thâ—â— our parts be in it and Signati estis that either He alreadie hath or is readie to doe it for us The motive of love and of the greatest love the love of our selves Then it comes home indeed These three meete all in this Partie 1. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sigillum habet 3. In quo vos 1. Not the Spirit of GOD. I beginne with Quantus how great He is The spirit of GOD. And were it but the Spirit of man our owne Spirit Sinnes of the greater size would be for borne as for other diverse so even for this reason that they be gravamina Spiritus greevancot against our owne Spirit which every one feels whose conscience is not seared And if the Apostle had sayd Eschew them for that they breed Singultum scrupul 〈…〉 the up-brayding or yexing of the heart as a 1 Sam 25.31 Abigail excellently termeth it or as b Pro 18.14 Salomon vulnus spiritus the wound or gall of the Spirit or as c Es. 29.10 Esay compunctionem the pricke or sting of conscience or as our d Mat. 9.44 SAVIOVR himselfe a worme which once bredd never dies nor never leaves gnawing he had said enough But this even the Heathen could have said too The Apostle doth like an Apostle tells us truly there is a greater matter ' longs to it then so There is a farre higher Spirit then ours then any in man our Spirit is nothing to it the Spirit of GOD they be greevances against it The Spirit of GOD. To speake then of the Spirit of GOD a Ioh. 4.24 GOD is a Spirit and b Es. 48.16 GOD hath a Spirit Hath many created in his power and at his command but hath one one above all uncreated intimum substantiae of His owne substance Knowen ever by the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
upon the safetie of the Prince Now this Psalme as it was sung with all the musique could be invented of winde 4. Verse 5.42 of hand and of voice to shew the preservation of Kings is a benefit extraordinarie that requireth so solemne a thanksgiving So besides it is ordered every day after 5. Verse 37. to be sung iugiter coram Arcâ that is to be the ordinarie Antheme of their daily service to shew it is a dutie perpetuall that needs so daily a remembrance to wit the care of their preservation For last of all that all the praise and thankes heere in the Psalme are for this Nolite 6. that all the Psalme was set to come to this verse it is plaine There be ninetie two verses more in the Psalme it selfe it is the hundreth and fift Psalme But assoone as ever â—hey once come to this verse all the rest all the verses following are cut of they go no fâ—rther in the Psalme then till they come to it and then breake of all those behind and strâ—â—ght go to another Psalme for this is all of the hundreth and fift and the next verse is the fâ—rst of the ninetie sixt Psalme So that this verse plainely was the end and upshot of all the Psalme besides Of this Verse then of His Nolite tangere and of His Nolo tangi besides of a famous Non permisit nocere in this kinde this Day is a memorâ—all to us and to all our posteritie even to the children yet unborne In GOD 's Annointed not touched I cannot say for touched he was and more then touched But in the touch there is no great matter we said but for the hurt so that in the end not hurt is as good as not touched As good nay better for a Halleluja For to be touched as he was and to take no hurt is a greater delivery farre then at all not to be touched To go through the Red sea and not wet a threâ—d To have been in the fornace and no sent of the fire that is the miracle So to have been touched and taken by the throat that the marke was to be seen many daies after To be thrust at and throwen downe as He was and yet no harme Hîc est potentia Heer was the power and heer was the mercy of GOD Heer it was certainely and that so sensible yee might even touch it And heer Halleluja first and we to praise Him that when Nolite tangere would not serve in word made Non permisit nocere to serve in deed Came forth first with Non permisit nocere as with His shield and so shielded him that He suffered him not to take any hurt at all Annointed the shield made it slippery their hands slid off their touch did him no harme Non permisit was as His shield that he brought forth to save Him But besides it he brought forth His sword too and cut them short Corripuit eos was His sword touched them with it and twitched them for touching His Annointed touched them with Pharaoh's tactus maximi that the markes of it will be seen upon them and theirs for ever For either of these severally a severall Halleluja but especially for noâ— severing them but letting them meet and go together Eripuit and Corripuit both ioyntly arme in arme Not either alone this or that Not permisit nocere sed corripuit suffered them to doe hurt but rebuked them No but Non permisit corripuit both suffered them not to doe any hurt and rebuked them and cut them short too besides And this happy conjunction of these both is it which maketh the speciall encrease of our thankes this yeare more then the last or any before For that since and very lately GOD that suffered not Him hath suffered some other King to be touched as farre as his life True He that did that execrable act Corripuit eum GOD touched him touched him as he did the Mountaines Tange montes fumigabunt touched him Psal. 144.5 till he smoked againe What of that In the meane time a great Prince is fallen But permisit nocere He suffered the King to take hurt And as for non permisit nocere GOD did not Him that favour Not him but Ours He did And did it for the manner not without miracle if we compare the cases For He was then sitting in the midst of diverse his Nobles No likely-hood that any would come neere Him to offer but to touch Him If he did there was odds there would have been many a non permisit he should never have been suffered to do it One man for all that one and no more did it Diverse were neere him None of them All of them kept Him not from his harme But Ours was all alone shut up and so lest as one forsaken not many nay not any no help at all neere him And not one alone and no more but three there were to touch him yet even then even in that case GOD non permisit nocere suffered not not any of them nor all of them to touch him so as they did him any hurt And even in the manner of the Non permisit GOD shewed himselfe more then marvellous for it was not GOD onely suffered him not to be hurt but miraculously he made that of them that came to breake His Nolite even of them one that was set that was ready armed to have touched and to have hurt him he even that partie Non permisit would not did not suffer the other to do him any hurt sed corripuit but rebuked him gave the Noli tangere to the other spake this very Text and stayed his hand that would have done it This was a Non permisit indeed worth a Halleluja and after it came there at the least three other Non permisit's more But I have presumed too much already I will not enter into them but end The more they were the more are we bound to magnifie GOD and to blesse his holy name yearely yea weekely yea daily to sing our Halleluja of praise and thankes to Him for this day's Non permisit and for this day's Corripuit for them both That what He speakes in this Text He made good upon this day Shewed He would not have His Annointed touched Shewed He was displeased with them that did touch him kept Him without hurt and cut them short shortned their armes they could do Him no harme shortned their lives for attempting to do it scattered them first in the imaginations of their hearts and then after made them perish in that their wicked Enterprise And hath made this Nolite this Precept to us Praeceptum cantabile Psal. 119.54 a Precept Psalme-wise that we may sing it to Him There is another in another place of another dittie and tune wherein he takes up a dolefull complaint thus Psal. 89.38.44 45. But thou hast cast of thine Annointed and art displeased with him The daies of his life
manus mea super te he twise cries 13.14 Let not my hand be 〈◊〉 thee There is David's hand 3. His heart smote him we see for putting but his knife into the edge of Saul's 〈◊〉 There is David's heart 4. His mouth from that we heare vox clamantis Absit mihi a Domino with great 〈◊〉 of passion There is David's mouth 5. So sayes David and will ye heare how he sings Heare it upon his harp 〈◊〉 his heart and harp agree heare him say it and sing it both Ye may For to 〈◊〉 for ever this day in memorie he made a Psalme of Saul's being in the cave heer and of his scaping out of it And gives it this title destroy not no not in the cave 〈◊〉 not By this meanes to sing into his mens minds their duty in this point And not into theirs alone but into the hearts and minds of all posteritie not to give their wayes to destroy Kings No though they have them in a cave as these had Saul Even there to sing destroy him not Ne perdas in the cave is worth all So have you David at full if any be of his side thus to see and say and sing and thinke and doe Sic ille oculos sic ora ferebat If you would know what his heart beleeveth touching this point percussit eum cor that gave him a shrewd check for buâ— a shred taken of Saul's cloke he beleeves he did not well in it If what his mouth confesseth Absit mihi facere rem hanc Absit saith his mouth Ne sit saith his hand Ne fiat saith his heart Ne perdas saith his harp All keepe time all 〈◊〉 one way this way all It seemed not good in his eyes to doe it that is the text Nor to his hand Let not that be upon him Nor to his mouth he spitt it out with an absit Nor 〈◊〉 his heart least of all to that that for a lesse matter for but drawing his knife though without minde of drawing a dropp of bloud fell on beating and cast him into a cardiack passion And eny who thinking but a thought that way if his heart smite not him let him smite it hardly Els is he not according to David's and so not to God's heart Thus have our eares heard of a King delivered in the Text And the like may our eyes see of a King delivered on this day Sicut audivimus sic vidimus III. The Ecce of this our day Psal 48.8 is the Psalme but Plus vidimus quà m audivimus may it truly be sayd of this day of ours I report me to You if it may not if there be not a greater Ecce nay many greater Ecce's on this day then on that Many wayes I know the ballance is even Kings both in danger and danger of Ecce tradam both Both in a cave for all caves are not under ground some above staires And of a knife or worser then a knife both And of a tumultuous rising both and yet both preserved from both Thus farr even But then in other points they are not No nor even in these For weigh them well and Saul wil be found as Balthasar was Tekel minus habens too light in the ballance Dan. 5.27 and this of ours to over-weigh to weigh him and all his downe many waies To reflect a little on this I have sayd a great deale I have sayd nothing if nothing be sayd of this It is the life of all If of the twaine the Ecce dies of this day be the greater if more Ecce's upon it The more of them the more Behold's the more beholden are we to God the more mervailous His mercies have beene to us the more plenteous our thanks to be to Him for them The Ecce dies is as the Ecce diei Ever the more remarkeable the day the 〈◊〉 the things are so that happen upon it The Ecce diei is of two sorts 1 Ecce 〈◊〉 2 Ecce abijt Rex Tradam the deliverie into the danger Abijt the 〈◊〉 from it And ever this we hold the worse the Tradam that is the danger the better the Abijt the escaping from it and the better it the more is our joy and the more our joy is the more our thanks should ever be Iehova Liberatori And O that such an Ecce might be on our thanks as there is on the day as it and the Ecce's of it do well deserve at our hands 1. To shew then the Tradam is worse I beginne with the Tradent or Traditor Ecce tradam Behold I will deliver him it is GOD that saith this this was GOD'S doing Saul's deliverie into Heer is no trecherie in the Text. Into the cave he came of his owne accord was casually found there not guilefully drawen thither So was it not to day but the King trained thither most treacherously Ecce Behold then it is farr worse when wretched men by wicked alluring meanes shall those one meaning no harme at all into a secret corner as evill as Saul's cave every whit and there set on him Worse I say for heer the Devill betrayes GOD delivers not Suffers I graunt but is not agent in it GOD never co-operates with treason So then no day this de quo dixit Dominus rather de quo dixit diabolus a day in respect of them and their trecherie of the Devill 's owne bespeaking This then the first odds that A Domino factum est illud a Diabolo factum est hoc that of GOD'S this of the Devill 's owne tradam and so the Traditor worse I am sure with an Ecce And who was delivered Inimicum tuum an enemie in the Text. Some reason in that Saul was so indeed David's enemie You were not theirs they were Yours without a cause Nay cause to the contrarie Nay â—â—uses more then one And in that regard worse Worse to deliver an innocent then a deadly enemie And delivered whither The text is into a cave Where Saul indeed saith he was shutt up but to say truth simply he was not so the cave's mouth was open he might have come forth his men might have come to him at his call But with us in our cave the King was secundùm literam in the literall sense shutt up indeed Many locks and doores fast upon him no going out for him no comming in for others The worse his case Nay a worse could not be So doth the Holy Ghost describe the hardest case of all 2. Reg. 14.26 by these three 1 Conclusus 2 derelictus 3 non erit auxiliator All three heere shutt up quite left none to help In farr worse taking then ever was Saul in the cave There is no hurt in a cave if there be no hurtfull thing in it But David saith in the Psalme Psal. 57.4 his was and sure it is Your soule was there among Lions The text is Tradam in manus tuas Tradam in manus I aske into whose hands
for in danger it is ever good lighting into good hands Into what hands light You No comparison there Saul light into David's hands His in manus tuas were David's and David's were gentle hands His heart smitt him for doing but so much as You have heard If their heart smit them this day it was not for doing so much but for doing no more David was touched with his duty to his Sovereigne stricken with the Majestie of Christus Domini These they trode under foote Dutie and Majestie and Christus and Dominus and all Nothing like David quite contrarie worse with an Ecce Nay not like David's men For first in the Text heer is a dispute between them and David and the parties divided Saul the more likely to scape as he did Where the enemie is divided the danger the lesse But to day in the King 's no debate at all It was concuslum in causâ resolved on both sides long before what to doe with him if ever they gott him No way but one then Againe David's men how ever evill minded at first yet after relented were overcome These of the day of farr another Spirit their malice invincible David's mens overcomming was with words Heer it came to blowes and to gripes and all would not serve David's men they were overcome willingly and did yield These were overcome too thanks be to GOD but it was maulgre their wills they never yielded till they both lay dead on the floor The more the parties the more their hands such the more your perill the more it the more the faire grace of GOD you escaped such parties hands 〈…〉 facies illi what was done At Saul there was a knife drawne or rather not 〈…〉 but at his mantle A dagger not at your mantle but at You. Betweene these 〈…〉 dagger and a knife there is some odds but certainly betweene a dagger's point 〈…〉 edge there is And this was Your case 〈◊〉 what to do with it that setts it further yet To do nothing to Saul and no 〈…〉 to his mantle left a peece of that behind His dagger with farr another 〈…〉 at farr another mark then David's knife More was sought heere You to 〈…〉 then so What talke we of a peece I would a cloke I would a whole 〈◊〉 â—ould have served the turne would have satisfied them or excused You. No cloke 〈◊〉 heer Your best blood was sought Your brest aimed at and not the edge but 〈◊〉 point bent and too neere You. 〈◊〉 to be short for the last point Bonum in oculis No more then a shredd seemed 〈◊〉 is his eyes no lesse then Your life seemed good in theirs Thus every way from point to point the Ecce still greater in Tradam the deliverie 〈◊〉 In Ecce abijt in the delivery from how holds it there In his extremitie Saul found one yet to crie Absit to deliver him Never an Absit 〈◊〉 Never a one Yes one there was and that a strong one When that wretched creâ—ture that was set to do the fact in a sort hindered it for once But so faint a one it was as that would not serve as David's did Saul GOD was faine to stepp into David's room And when there was never a tongue on earth to say it to say it from heaven thence to give the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne siat I will not have it done From heaven He sent You helpe not by the cave's mouth but miraculously another way by them that 〈◊〉 whither they went but unwittingly were ledd by GOD to the place of your 〈◊〉 Let me see at the most there were but two attempts against Saul So he scaped 〈◊〉 Two and two against You Twise and twise escaped Your Majestie foure times iâ— all foure distinct dangers and as many preservations 1. That of him that stood â—eady armed 2. That of the dagger of the first 3. That of the sword Nay more then one Ecce duo gladij of the second brother 4. And that of the popular tumult worst of all These were but upon rising in the Text they rose not They were not upon rising but were risen up indeed So two Ecce's more in Yours And of all this perill Saul had no sense at all Awake he was but he might even as well have been asleep Of all that was said he heard not a word Of all that was done he perceived nothing had an easy escape he So was it not with Your Majestie You heard and saw all and felt somwhat of that was said and done escaped the perill but 〈◊〉 the fright and feare oftentimes worse then the perill it selfe Vpon the matter in Saul's somewhat was offered to be done but nothing acted No doing Heer there was doing doing and suffering both In Saul it never came to manum mittere not on his person hands were laid on his 〈◊〉 his person that not touched Yours was hands were layd blood was drawne 〈…〉 on your jaw the hurt on your hand remained to be seene a good time after So Saul's comes not home falls short in every point More Ecce's in Yours Your day Your danger Your deliverie the more of them the more is GOD still to be magnifiâ—â— by You and by us all All fell out well in the end though with both It was meant you should neither have risen Saul nor You. You both rose And either of you went viam suam 〈◊〉 not eorum but suam went not the way they would have sent you the wrong 〈◊〉 but viam suam your owne the right way the way of safety and peace And thus 〈◊〉 Saul's danger and thus Yours Thus the Text and thus the day 〈◊〉 Yours ended not so The goodnesse of GOD stayed not there Yours had a 〈…〉 another a further a greater Ecce yet beyond that of Saul There as Saul went 〈◊〉 So did his enemies their way too He scaped them and they him Non sic 〈…〉 sic It was not so with Yours You scaped them they scaped not You. Psal. 1.4 Quia 〈◊〉 â—imici tui Domine Ecce inimici tui For Lo thine enemies ô Lord Psal. 92.10 lo thine enemies shall perish and so they did and all the workers of wickednesse shall be destroyed and so they were Misit manum in manâ—â— mittentes He stretched his hands against them that stretched theirs against You. And because their hearts smitt not them in this so foule an attempt they were smitten to the hearts the sword went through both their hearts The very place they had designed for Yours became to them the place of their perishing perishing heere and perishing aeternally The day of which they sayd Now is the day come it came indeed but came and proved a dismall day to them the rubrick of it written in their owne bloud with an Ecce the last Ecce of all Behold our fearefull end and let every one feare to doe the like They sayd not Absit nobis à Domino GOD therefore sayd Absit Dominus
admiration and I doubt not but more wonderfull in their 〈◊〉 And ours are very dimme if in all other it be and be not so in ours 〈◊〉 if such dayes there be if this of ours be one of them III. The Duety if the fore-part of the verse 〈◊〉 then must the latter also belong to us If this the day the LORD hath made 〈◊〉 this the day wherein we to rejoyce When He makes we to make and our 〈◊〉 in it is our making of it To rejoyce no hard request nor heavie yoak let it not be grievous to us We love 〈◊〉 it we seek all meanes to do it in all cases els then to assay to do it heer This 〈◊〉 the Prophet would not require nor make it the Office of the day but that upon 〈◊〉 dayes God himself calls us to joy And even as when GOD calleth us to mourning by black dayes of famine or 〈◊〉 or the like then to fall to feasting or revelling is that that highly displeaseth â—OD so when GOD by good dayes calleth us to joy then to droop and not to acâ—â—modate our selves to seasons of His sending is that which pleases Him never a 〈◊〉 What saith Nehemias upon such a blessed day as this Droop you to day Nolite Nehem. 8.9.10 〈◊〉 hand do it Dies enim festus est it is a festivall day What then why it is esâ—â—â—â—iall it is of the very nature of every Feast saith GOD in His law omnino gaudere Num. 10.10 Deut. 16.11 〈◊〉 any meanes in any wise therein to rejoyce And Nehemia's promise is to incourage us that if the strength of the Lord be our joy the very joy of the Lord shal be our strength To conclude Sure I am that if the plott had prevailed it would have been an high Feast in Gath and a day of Iubilee in Ascalon 2. Sam. 1.20 The daughters of the uncircumcised would have made it a day of triumph Let us not be behind them then but shew as much 〈◊〉 for our saving as they would certenly have done for our perishing Exultemus and Laetemur both· Exâ—ltemus laetemur GOD loveth our ioy should be full it is not full except we 〈◊〉 both these the bodie as it were and the soule of ioy the ioy outward of the body â—nd gladnesse inward of the soule So much do the two words signifie in all the three 〈◊〉 Both He will have for if one be wanting it is but semiplenum halfe 〈◊〉 And he beginneth with Exultemus the outward Not to our selves within Exultemus the outward joy which 〈◊〉 call gaudere in sinu Ioy of the bosome but such so exuberant as the streames of it â—ay overflow and the beames of it shine and shew forth in an outward sensible 〈◊〉 It is a day so would He have us reioyce that as by day light it might be seen 〈◊〉 our face habit and gesture Seene and heard both Therefore he saith 〈◊〉 the XV. Ver. the voice of ioy is in the dwellings of the righteous Ver. 15. And in the dwelling 〈◊〉 well But yet that would not serve his turne but open me saith he at the 〈◊〉 Verse the gates of righteousnesse that is Ver. 19. the Church-doore his house would 〈◊〉 â—old him thither will I go in and there in the congregation in the great Conâ—â—â—gation give thanks to the Lord And that so great a congregation that it may 〈◊〉 diem solennem in condensis vsque ad Cornuâ— altaris that they may stand so thick 〈◊〉 Church as fill it from the entrie of the doore to the very edge of the Altar 〈…〉 ioy that is neither seen nor heard there is some levin of malignitie in it he 〈◊〉 â—kill of it He will have it seen in the countenance heard in the voice not onely â—reaching but singing forth His praise And that not with voices alone but with instrâ—â—ents and not instruments of the Queer alone but instruments of the steeple too bells and all that so it may be 〈◊〉 in altissimis in the very highest key we have This for exultemus 〈◊〉 the inward joy But many a close 〈◊〉 may do all this and many a counterfeit Shemei and Sheba did all this to David gott them a fleering forced countenance taken-on ioy And therefore the other that God will have his joy not be the joy of the countenance alone a cleene face and a clowdie overcast heart he will have the gladnesse of the heart too Psal. 16.9 of the inner man Cor meum caro mea the heart as well as the flesh to be joyfull The ioy of the soule is the soule of ioy not a bodie without a soule which is but a câ—rcasse Strange children may and will dissemble with me saith the Psalme XVIII XLIV dissemble a gladnesse Psal. 18.44 for feare of being noted and yet within in heart you wott what But God calleth for his de fontibus Israël which we reade from the ground of the heart Psal. 68.26 Psal. 71.21 That is indeed the true fountaine of joy that our lipps may be faine when we sing unto Him and so may our soule which He hath delivered Nay He delivered both and therefore both the bodie to rejoyce and the soule to be glad This doth Laetemur add to exultemus How to order our ioy If then we be agreed that we will do both I come to the last how to order our ioy that it may please Him for whom it is vndertaken It is not every ioy that He liketh Merrie they were Hos. 7 5. and ioyfull they thought that kept their King's day Hos. VII by taking in boule after boule till they were sick again So they that Malachi speaks of there came nothing of their feasts Mal. 2.3 but dung beare with it it is the Holy Ghost his own terme that is all in the belly and belly-cheere So they that sate down to eate and drink and rose up to play Exod. 32.6 and there was all that is the Calve's feast a Calfe can do as much But with none of these was God pleased 1. Cor. 10.5 and as good no ioy as not to the purpose as not to please Him That it may be to the purpose that God may take pleasure in it it must beginne at Hosanna Ver. 9. at Aperite mihi portas Iustitiae at the Temple-doore there it must go in it must blesse and be blessed in the house of the Lord. I will first make ioyfull in my house of prayer it is God by Esay the streame of our ioy must come from the spring-head of Religion Esa. 56.7 Well then to the Church we are come so farr onward When we are there what is to be done Somwhat we must say we must not stand mute There to stand still that the Prophet cannot skill of That then we may there say something he heer frames Ver. 25. he heer endites us a versicle which after grew
the tenth yeare this And naturally Decumana sunt grandiora A Fluctus decumanus Psal. 38.4 a deepe floud it was had like to have gone over our soules And a Misericordia decumana A Mercie of a large size it was that made it went not then That we performe then Laudes decumanas great Praise and large Thankes now this Anno Decimo some way answerable to the greatnesse of our Perill and to the greatnesse of the Mercie that made us so well passe it The numbers of seven and ten are not without their weight The Seaventh the Sabboth The Tenth GOD 's part Both waies as the Sabboth day as the Tenth yeare sacred to GOD is this Day and our dutie upon it I. Of the words in order Misericordiae The Mercies MIsericordiae DOMINI Misericordiae To looke into the nature of the word Mercie It is best conceived by the Object and by the Act. Mercie hath for her Object circa quod her matter and metall to worke upon Miserie the best Vertue the worst Object of all It is not so plaine this in our English word Mercie as in the Latine Misericordia for there is miserie full out at the length Vpon this Object the proper Act of Mercie Miseratio as the Fathers read this Text Misericordia is the Habit Miseratio the Act which is nothing els but Misericordia eliquata that which runnes from Mercie at the melting the Act that relieves us of miserie and all the degrees that lead to it necessities impotencies dâ—fects distresses dangers and whatsoever would make our case miserable more or lesse To relieve these is the Act and this you must take with you without merit to relieve them The opposition the Church makes in diverse her Collects Non nostris meritis sed Tuâ solâ misericordiâ with an expresse obstante of all merit For the eye of Iustice will relieve all them that deserve it Goodnesse in merentes that is Iustice. Goodnesse in immerentes yea and sometimes a degree farther in malè merentes that is Mercie properly Psal. 106.44 Neverthelesse saith the CVI. Psalme for all they deserved it to be miserable when he saw their miserie saw that and nothing els to move Him that moved Him and He heard their complaint and gave order for their reliefe This is Mercie Misericordiae Ejus Mercies in GOD. This Mercie is in GOD Misericordiae Ejus Indeed such is the immutable constancie of the Divine Nature as we should hardly conceive it to be in this wise flexible but that great care is taken of this point of no one so great that there is Mercie in GOD there be Misericordiae Ejus But what Mercie From the nature and force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I am not now to tell you I have done it heertofore is properly the bowells that is there are tender mercies in God so we turne it in the Benedictus Not of the ordinarie sort flight and such as pierce not deepe come not far but such as come de profundis from the verie bowells themselves that affect that part make the bowells relent And what bowells Not the bowells of the common man for then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been 〈◊〉 word but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the bowells of a parent so we said the word 〈◊〉 and this adds much adds to Mercie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturall love To one strong â—â—fection another as strong or stronger then it And what Parent the more pitifull of the twaine the Mother For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—gular of this word is Hebrew for the Womb. So as this to the two former addeth 〈◊〉 Sexe the Sexe holden to be the more passionate and compassionate of both â— Of all mercies those from the bowells 2 and of all bowells the bowells of a parent and of the two parents those of the mother those from the womb Such pitie as the â—â—ther takes of the child of her wombe such as the wombe of the child that lay in it â—ercies are in GOD such mercies are in God And GOD willing to set forth unto us the exceeding great tendernesse of His mercie to have it throughly apprehended by us Humanum dicit speakes to us in our owne Puerilis And to expresse the efficacie of His action takes to Him the affection and to expresse the affection takes to him the part of the bodie the seat of it the bowells and the bowells of a parent of that parent whose bowells in our nature are the pitifullest of all the mother And if you will you may add this that one mother hath but one wombe for all her children but He speakes heere of GOD in the plurall as if He had the compassion of more wombs then one the pitie of many mothers put together It is good newes for us these mercies are in GOD but better yet In GOD with a Super. that they are in Him with a Super. But best of all that that Super a Super not Super quaedam but Super omnia Much is said in few words to Mercie 's praise when this is said Super omnia And that super Super omnia Nihil sâ—pra were much None above it but Super omnia It above all he that saith that lâ—aves no more to say there is no higher degree Super omnia is the Superlative Super omnia Above all For Opera Ejus His workes these two might well be spared All are workes and all are His workes Super omnia opera Ejus that is absolutely Super omnia For workes is no terme diminuent heere All His workes that is all simply Beside GOD and His workes there is in the wide world nothing at all But yet with His workes with them it is laid and well Not with GOD 's other Attributes absolutely but with them in the point of workes His Attributes are all alike all as Himselfe is infinite all and one infinite is not more then another But take the workes and Virtus in actione we know lay it there Compare the workes of â—ny of them nay of all of them with the workes of Mercie and Mercie carries it cleere 1. Sam. 18.7 More workes more in number If they their thousand Mercie her ten thousand More great more glorious Workes of it then of eny of them all Nay then of all 〈◊〉 them Super omnia opera that it is And now to our Super. And first Super above Super above is said heere by way of figure Properly Super is of height II. Of their Super Height iâ— a dimension that perteines to quantitie and quantitie to bodies 1. Super above whereof Mercie is â—one The meaning is it is the chiefest So Heaven in the greater World So the Head in the lesse both of them the highest both of them the chiefest chiefest of all and rule all As indeed of whom is Super said so rightly as of the Sovereigne So doth Mercie Namely His Power which may serve
practise hath been alwaies to employ them in other parts and functions besides that is plaine by Iustine Martyr who lived in the Apostle's daies Apol. 2. ad Antonium namely to distribute the Communion by Tertullian de Bap. to baptize by Cyprian Ser. 6. de lapsis and diverse others So that to conclude these are imaginations touching the Apostle's fellowship howsoever a great number of deceived peoplâ— bowe downe to them and worship them Imaginations touching the breaking of bread III. Imaginations touching the breaking of bread which is joyned to that fellowship as the chiefest badge of that fellowship For by it is gathered the communion as may be gathered by conference with Acts 20.7 and as the Syrian Text translateth it For that as by the other Sacrament in the Verse immediatly going before they are receiv'd into the body of the Church so by this they are made to drinke of the spirit 1. Cor. 13.13 and so perfected in the highest Mysterie of this Societie Concerning which as the Church of Rome hath her imaginations First in that she many times celebrateth this mysterie sine fractione without any breaking at all Whereas as heretofore hath been shewed out of 1. Cor. 10.18 it is of the nature of an Eucharist or Peace-offering which was never offered but it was eaten that both there might be a representation of the memorie of that sacrifice and togither an application to each person by partaking it And secondly in that she hath indeed no breaking of bread at all For it being broken ever after it is consecrated there is with them no bread remaining to breake and the bodie of CHRIST is now impassible and cannot be broken so that they are faine to say they breake Accidents and indeed they well know not what Contrarie to Saint Luke heer who calleth it fractionem panis and to S. Paul 1. Cor. 10.16 who saith Panis quem frangimus As these are their imaginations so we want not ours For many among us phansie only a Sacrament in this action and look strange at the mention of a Sacrifice Whereas we not onely use it as a nourishment spirituall as that it is too but as a meane also to renew a covenant with GOD by vertue of that Sacrifice as the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 50.5 So our SAVIOVR CHRIST in the institution telleth us Luc. 22.10 and the Apostle Heb. 13.10 And the old Writers use no lesse the word Sacrifice then Sacrament Altar then Table offer then eate but both indifferently to shew there is both And again too that to a many with us it is indeed so fractio panis as it is that onely and nothing beside Whereas the bread which we break is the partaking of CHRIST 's true bodie not of a Signe figure or remembrance of it 1. Cor. 10 16. For the Church hath ever beleeved a true fruition of the true body of CHRIST in that Sacrament Further as heretofore hath been made plaine it is an imagination to think that this breaking of bread can be severed from the other ver 46. which is ESAI 's breaking of bread to the needie Whereby Esa 58.7 as in the former CHRIST communicateth himselfe with us so we in this latter communicate our selves with our poore brethren that so there may be a perfect communion For both in the Sacrifice which was the figure of it it was a matter of Commandement Deut. 16.10 insomuch as the poorest were not exempt from GOD 's offerings Luc. 21.4 And our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's practise was at this feast to command somewhat to be given to the poore Iob. 13.29 And last of all the Agapae or love-feasts of the Christians for reliefe of the poore doe most plainly expresse that I meane In place of which when they after proved inconvenient succeeded the Christian Offeâ—torie And lastly whereas we continue in the Doctrine and Prayers of the Church we do many times discontinue this action a whole yeare togither These long intermissions so that if it be panis annuus once a yeer receiv'd we think our duty discharged are also no doubt a second imagination in our common practise For sure we should continue also in this part and the frequenting of it if not so often as the Primitive Church did which either thrise in the weeke or at the furthest once did communicate yet as often as the Church doth celebrate which I thinke should do better to celebrate more often And those exceptions which commonly we alleage to disturbe our selves for that action make us no lesse meet for prayers then for it For except a man abandon the purpose of sinne Psal. 66.18 and except he be in Charitie Matt. 6.14 he is no more fit to pray then to communicate and therefore should absteine from the one as well as from the other Or to say the truth should by renewing himselfe in both these points make himselfe meet for both continuing no lesse in the breaking of bread than in prayers and doctrine IIII. Imaginations touching Praiers Imaginations touching prayers As the former was the most speciall exercise of a Christian and chiefest in dignitie So this is the most generall and chiefest in use Therefore he puts it in the plurall number as if both in preaching censuring and communicating it had his use as indeed it hath Before all things 1. Tim. 2.1 In all things 1. Thes. 5.17 After all things Eph. 6.18 Num. 6. ver vlt. And in this also we want not phansies In this age especially wherein an idle conceit is taken up that never came into the heads of any of the old haeretiques though never so brain-sicke once to imagine Our SAVIOVR CHRIST thus willeth us Lâ—c. 11.12 When ye pray say Our FATHER c. A most fond imagination is start up in our times never once dreamed of before that telleth us in no case we must say Our FATHER c with which forme if Saint Augustine be to be beleeved as a witnesse of antiquitie the universall Church of CHRIST hath ever used to begin and end all her prayers Ep. 5â— as striving indeed by diverse other formes more largely to expresse the sense of that prayer but not being hable to come neere the high art and most excellent spirit of perfection in that pattern they alwaies conclude with it as being sure howsoever they may for diverse defects not atteine to the depth of it in and by it they shall be sure to begge all things necessarie at GOD 's hands This I named first because it is appropriate to our times Besides as the Church of Rome hath her imaginations touching Praiers first against Saint Paule's orabo mente in setting the people to pray they wote not what and so making their understanding unfruictfull 1. Cor. 14.14 And againe against our Saviour Christ's Caveat Mat. 6.7 in setting them to goe over whole Rosaries and Psalters as if much babling after the heathen manner were acceptable to GOD. So likewise doe others also among us
which the erecting of a new Estate must needs require Even â—hese not obeying this advise this Reddite of our Saviour's but mutining for the Roman tribute after under Florus and Albinus Deputies for Caesar besides that they lost their Temple Sacrifice and Service their Quae Dei upon this very point overthrew their estate cleane which to this day they never recovered Therefore Reddite Quae Caesaris is good councell lest Quae Dei and all goe after it To conclude then 1 Caesar and GOD will stand togither yea Tiberius Caesar and GOD. 2 To these so standing there are certaine things due of duety belonging 3 These things so due are to be rendred Not given as Gratuities but rendred as Debts And againe with good will to be rendred not delivered by force And as willingly so wisely Caesar to have his GOD his in distinction not confusion but each his own 4 Caesar such duties all such duties as pertaine to him at large but as this text occasioneth the duety of Tribute and Subsidie This is the Summe And if Tibâ—rius Caesar much more that Prince that every way Christ Himselfe would commend before Tiberius whom it were an injurie once to compare with Tiberius Above any Caesar of them all who hath exalted Him whom Tiberius crucified and professed Him with hazard of her estate and life whom they persecuted in all bloody manner Who hath preserved us in the profession of His holy Name and truth many yeares quietly without feare and peaceably without interruption and so may still many and many times many yeares more To this to such a one by speciall due Reddite more and more willingly and more bounteosly then to them The Conclusion is good the Consequent much more forcible This for Quae Caesaris now For Quae Dei at some other time when like Text shall offer like occasion A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT HAMPTON COVRT on SVNDAY the XXVIII of SEPTEMBER Anno MDCVI NVMB. CHAP. X. VER I II. Then GOD spake to Moses saying Make thee two Trumpets of silver of one whole peece shalt thou make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou shalt have them or they shall be for thee to assemble or call together the Congregation and to remoove the Campe. AMong diverse and sundry Commissions granted in the Law A Grant for the benefit and better order of GOD 's people this which I have read is one Given as we see per Ipsum DEVM by GOD himselfe and that vivae vocis Oraculo From God by expresse warrant from His owne mouth Then GOD spake to Moses saying And it is a grant of the Right and Power of the trumpets and with them Of the power of calling Assemblies The Grant of this Power a matter of importance of assembling the people of GOD. A Right and Power not to be lightly accounted of or to be heard of with sleight attention It is a matter of great weight and consequence The calling of Assemblies There is yeerely a solemne feast holden in memorie of it and that by GOD 's own appointment no lesse then of the Passover or of the Law it selfe Even the Feast of the trumpetts much about this time of the yeare the latter Aequinoctiall Cap. 29.1 And GOD appointeth no Feast but in remembrance of some speciall benefit It is therefore one of His speciall benefits and high favours vouchsafed them and to be regarded accordingly In whose hands this Power was before Thiâ— power hitherto ever since they câ—me out of Aegypt and that GOD adopted 〈…〉 His people unto this very day â—nd place had GOD kept in His owne hands as to Him alone of right properly belonging For unto this very day and place the pâ—ople of GOD as they had assembled many times and oft so it was ever they be the very last words of the last Chapter Cap. 9. v. 18 20.2â— which serve for an introduction to these of ours ever all theiâ— meetings and remoovings were by immediate warrant from GOD himselfe But heer now GOD no longer intending thus to warne them still by speciall direction from His owne selfe but to set over this power once for all Heer He doth it 〈◊〉 is tâ—e priâ—ary paâ—â—ing it from GOD Exod. 19.13 and deriving it to Moses who was thâ— firsâ— that ever held it by force of the Law written For to this place they came by the sound of GOD 's and from this place they dislodged by the sound of Moses's Tâ—â—mpet The time and place of the Granting And it is a point vâ—ry coâ—siderable what day and place this was for it appeareth they were yet at Sinai by the 12. verse yet at the very Mount of GOD by the 33. of thiâ— Chaptâ—r â—veâ—â—hen when this Commission came forth So that this power is as antiâ—nt as the Law At no other place nor no other time delivered then even the Law it selfe when the two Tables were given the two Trumpets were given and Moses that was made keeper of both the Tables made likewise keeper of both the Trumpetts Both at Sinai both at one time As if there were some neere alliance betweene the Law and Assemblies And so there is Assemblies being ever a speciall meanes to revive the Law as occasions serve and to keep it in life As if the Law it selfe therefore lacked yet somthing and were not perfect and full without them So till this Grant was passed they stayed still at Sinai and so soone as ever this was passed they presently removed To entreat then of this power The story of the Bible would serve our turne to shew us who have had the exercise of it in their hands from time to time if that were enough But that is not enough For the errors first and last about this point from hence they seeme to grow that men look not back enough have not an eye to this â—ow it was in the beginning Mat. 19.4 by the very Law of GOD. Being therefore to search for the Originall warrant by which the Assemblies of GOD'S people are called and kept This the originall Grant of it this place of Numbers is generally agreed to be it That heer it is first soâ—nd and heer it is first sounded even in the Law the best ground for a Power that may be In Lege quid scriptum est quomodo legis saith our SAVIOVR What is written in the Law Luke 10.26 how reade you there as if He should say If it be to be read there it is well then must it needs be yeelded to there is no excepting to it then unlesse you will except to Law and Law-giver to GOD and all Let us then come to this Commission The points of it be three First two trumpets of silver to be made out of one whole peece The Parts of the Grant both Secondly with these trumpets the Congregation to be called and the Camp removed Thirdly Moses to make these
1. To come when they be called and this was denied in the XVI Chapter following Ver. 12. by Core Dathan and their crew Moses sounded his trumpet sent to call them they answer flatly and that not once but once and again Non veniemus they would not come not once stirre for him or his trumpet they A plain contradiction indeed neither is there in all that Chapter any contradiction veri nominis true and properly so to be called but onely that You know what became of them they went quick to hell for it and wo be to them Iude 11. even under the Gospell saith Saint Iude that perish in the same contradiction the contradiction of Core The second duty is To be called yer they come this likewise denied 2. To be calleù yer they come even Moses himselfe that they in his place may not think strange of it in the XX. Chapter of this very book Water waxing scant a company of them grew mutinous and in tumultuous manner without any sound of the trumpet assembled of themselves But these are branded too the water they got is called the water of Meriba Cap. 10.13 and what followed you know None of them that drunk of it came into the Land of Promise GOD swore they should not enter into His rest Now as both these are bad so of the twaine this latter is the worse Called and came not Came uncalled The former that came not being called do but sit still as if they were somwhat thick of hearing But these latter that come being not called either they make themselves a trumpet without ever a Fac tibi Or els they offer to wring Moses's trumpet out of his hands and take it into their owne Take heed of this latter it is said there to be adversus Mosen even against Moses himselfe It is the very next forerunner to it it pricks fast upon it For they that meet against Moses's will when they have once throughly learned that lesson will quickly perhaps grow capable of another even to meet against Moses himselfe as these did Acts 19.40 Periclitamur argui seditionis saith the Town-Clark We have done more then we can well answer We may be indicted of treason for this daye 's worke for comming together without a trumpet and yet it was for Diana that is for a matter of Religion You see then whose the Right is and what the duties be to it and in whose stepps they tread that deny them Sure they have been baptized or made to drink of the same water the water of Meriba that ever shall offer to do the like to draw together without Moses's Call And now to our Saviour CHRIST 's question In the Law how is it written How reade you Our answer is There it is thus written and thus we read That Moses hath the Right of the trumpets that they to go ever with him and his successors and that to them belongeth the power of calling the publique Assemblies Agreeable to the Law of Nature This is the Lâ—w of GOD and that 〈◊〉 jâ—diciall Law peculiar to that people alone â—ot agreeable to the Law of Naturâ— and Nationâ— â—wo Lawes of force through the whole world For even in the little Empire oâ— the â—ody naturall Principium motus the 〈◊〉 of all motion is in and from the head There all the knots or as they call â—hem all thâ— â—onjugations of fine 〈◊〉 â—â—ve their head by which all the body is moved And as the Law of Nature To the Law of Nations by secret instinct by the light of the Creation annexeth the organ to the chiefest part even so doth the Law of Nations by the light of Reason to the cheefest Person And both fall just with the Law heere written where by Erunt Tibi the same â—rgan and power is committed to Moses the principall Person in that Common 〈◊〉 The Law of Nations in this point both before the Law written and since where the Law written was not knowne might easily appeare if time would 〈…〉 their generall order for conventions so to be called and in their generall 〈◊〉 to all conventicles called otherwise 〈◊〉 the Heathen lawes made all such Assemblies unlawfull which the highest aâ—thority did not cause to meet yea though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say Solon's Lawes yea though sub praetextu Religionis say the Romane Lawes Neither did the Christian Emperors thinke good to abate any thing of that Right Nay they took more straight order For besides the exiling of the person which was the Law before they proscribed the place where under pretence of Religion any such meetings should be But I let them passe and stand onely on the written Law the Law of GOD. We have Law then for us That Moses is ever to call the Congregation But though we have Law Mos vincit Legem Custome over-ruleth Law And the Custome or practise may go another way and it is practise that ever best bewrayeth a Power How then hath the practise gone It is a necessarie question this and pertinent to the Text it selfe For there is a Power granted and in vaine is that Power that never commeth into act Came then this Power into act It is a Power to call the Congregation together Were the Congregations called together by it A grant there is That Erunt Tibi So it should be Did it take place was it so Erantne illi Had he it Did he enjoy it Let us looke into that another while what became of this Grant what place it tooke The practise or use of this Power among the Iewes Deut. 4.32 And we shall not offend Moses in so doing It is his advice and desire both that we should enquire into the daies past that were before us and aske even from one end of heaven to the other to see how matters have been caried So that as our SAVIOVR CHRIST sendeth us to the Law by His In Lege quid scriptum est so doth Moses direct us to the vse and practise by his Interroga de diebus antiquis I do aske then These trumpets heere given this power to call together the Congregation how hath it beene used Hath the Congregation been called accordingly in this and no other manner by this and no other Power It hath as shall appeare and I will deale with no Assemblies but onely for matters of Religion By Moses Of Moses first there is no question It is yeelded that he called them and dismissed them Iosua Ios. 1.17 And even so did Iosua after him no lesse then he and they obeyed him in that Power no lesse then Moses And as for that which is objected concerning Moses that he for a time dealt in matters of the Priest's Office it hath no colour in Iosua and those that succeeded him The Covenant and the renewing of the Covenant are matters meerely spirituall yet in that case did Iosua Iosua not Eleazar assemble all the
V. VER II. Et tu BETHLEHEM EPHRATA parvulus es in millibus IVDA ex te mihi egredietur qui sit * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominator in ISRAEL egressus Ejus ab initio à diebus aeternitatis And thou BETHLEHEM EPHRATA art little to be among the thousands of IVDA yet out of thee shall He come forth vnto me that shall be the Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from the beginning and from everlasting THE Prophet ESAY had the honor to be the first Esa. 7.14 that is vouched and whose words are enrolled in the New Testament The Prophet Mica hath the honour to be the Second That of Esay Mat. 1.23.2.6 Ecce virgo c. in the end of the first Chapter This of Mica Et tu Bethlehem c. in the beginning of the second of the first of all the Evangelists Saint Matthew They follow one the other and they follow well one on the other That of Esay His Birth This of Mica the place of His Birth Behold a Virgin shall beare saith Esay and Bethlehem shall be the place where she shall do it saith Mica His name saith Esay shall be GOD with us With us saith Mica to be our Guide and conduct us He with us in Bethlehem in the beginning of the Verse that we with Him in aeternitie in the end of it Whe have first a most Sure word and warrant of the Evangelist that the testimonie of IESVS is the spirit of this Prophecie that this day this Scripture was fulfilled Apoc. 19.10 when He was borne at Bethlehem In Saint Matthewes stepps we tread when we so applie it and so treading alwaies sure we are we tread safely No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 2.1 2 Pet. 1.20 private interpretation of our owne head but Mica by Matthew the Prophet by the Evangelist ever the best To say truth there is no applying it to any but to CHRIST None to give it away to from Him 1. From David to the SONNE of DAVID that is to Him We read not of any other borne at Bethlehem No Record to be shewed but of them two 2. But what ever become of that this is sure None had ever His out-goings from everlasting but He. None of whom those words can be verified but of Him onely as who onely is the Sonne of the ever-living GOD. 3. These might serve But it is yet more cleare this For howsoever about Esay's Ecce virgo the Iewes and we are not of one mind yet for this heer of Mica the coast is cleere the Iewes will not quareile us touching it there is on all sides betweene them and us good agreement Matt. 2 4· For upon the comming of the Wise men from the East there was a Synod of the High Priests and Scribes called at Ierusalem the very first that we read of in the New Testament and called by the King to resolve the point about the place of CHRISTS Birth Matt. 2.5 And then and there it was resolved Conciliariter that at Bethlehem And resolved from this very place for that these words were a knowne prophecie of the Birth of CHRIST Vpon which so famous an occasion this resolution grew so notorious as it did manare in vulgus the very people could tell this They argue in the Seaventh of Iohn against our Saviour Io 7.42 by it that He could not be the CHRIST for CHRIST was to come out of Bethlehem that was taken as granted and He came out of Galile as they in error thought But that was plaine ignoratio elenchi For though He were there brought up He might be borne at Bethlehem and so He was But so Priest and People both knew Bethlehem was CHRISTS natale solum and that this Prophecie was the evidence for it 4. Though these be enough yet have we a greater Witnesse then all these from heaven even the Starr For whether this Scripture doth send us thether the Starr doth lead us Mat. 2.9 to Bethlehem streight Never stood still till it came thither and there it stood directly over the place as much to say as * Psal. 87.4 Lo there He is borne And in this will we rest since Mica and Matthew Prophet and Apostle Priest and People Christians and Iewes Heaven and Earth are all with us all testifie this Text pertaines to CHRISTS Birth and so to this day properly It is of a place And place and time are held weighty circumstances Specially in matter of fact or storie Vbi Quando materiall questions The Apostles asked them both Luk. 17.37 Mat. 13 4· Vbi Domine Where Lord Luk. 17. Quando quod erit Signum When and what shall be the Signe Mark 13. Of the time when some other time may give occasion if it so please GOD. Now of Vbi Domine the place where There we are to day whereto this is a direct answer Bethlehem is the place That first But then secondly this circumstance leads us further to matter of Substance the place of the Birth to the Birth it selfe and the Birth to the Partie borne who is heer set forth as a person He comes forth once and againe He leads He feeds all acts of a person entire Thirdly this person is heer said to have two commings forth 1 Egreditur ex te one 2 Egressus Ejus ab aeterno the other In which two are expresly set downe His two Natures Ex te from Bethlehem on earth thence He came according to His Man-hood ◠A diebus aeternitatis from everlasting or from aeternitie thence He came according to His God-head And last to make it a full and complete Christmas in Text Besides His Place Person and Natures in these two commings forth Heer is His Office also to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2 6. So doth Saint Matthew turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophets word I follow no other for sure I am I cannot follow a better Translator Dux qui pascet One to 1 lead us and to 2 feed us and so to conduct us from Bethlehem where this day we come first acquainted with Him to the state of aeternitie whence He came out to bring us in there to live and reigne with Him for ever The Division So 1 of the Place 2 Person 3 Natures and 4 Office of CHRIST 1. The place of His Birth Bethlehem with her two Epithets or twinnes as it were 1 Parvula little and 2 Ephrata fruitfull 2. Then of His Person that did come forth 3. After of both His Natures 1 As man from Bethlehem ◠As GOD from everlasting 4. Last of His Office 1 To be our guide to lead us saith Mica 2 Dux qui pascet Lead us and feed us saith Matthew both And so leading and feeding us Matt. 2.6 to conduct and bring us to the ioyes and ioyfull dayes of aeternitie whether without Him we can never come and whether till we come we shall never be
as we would be that is truly happie indeed This is His Office And as His Office to lead and to feed us so our Duty to be led and to be fed by Him That followes of it selfe ET tu Bethlehem A word of the Character or manner of the speech For The Manner of thâ— speech Et tu Bethlehem this Verse hath no dependence at all on that went before The Prophet breaks of the discourse he was in and breaks into this of Bethlehem heer all of a sodeine This we call an Apostrophe and it is one of the figures that be stirrers of attention For this we find that while one goes on still with a tale in a continued tenor of speech attention growes dull and no readier way to awake it as the Masters of tâ—at Art tell us then sodenly to breake of the point we were in hand with and turne us to quite another matter which with the strangenesse will affect the hearer and make him lisâ—en afresh whether he will or no. The Prophet doth so in this He was but the Verse before mustering garrisons and laying Siege to Ierusalem and in the midst of his tale falls from that and presently is at Bethlehem tells us of a new matter about a Child to be borne there This must needs move attention Any Apostrophe will do it more or lesse But of all none to that which is framed in the Second person as this is For it is not a speech of or concerning Bethlehem in the third person as that of ESAY Behold a Virgin so heer Behold out of Bethlehem shall come Not Enuntiativè But it is a speech to Bethlehem in the Second person Et tu And thou Bethlehem out of thee shall there come Annuntiativè which hath more vigour in it If Esay had said And thou Virgin shalt conceive it had been more effectuall then Behold a Virgin shall conceive More a great deale But more specially yet if in the second person we turne our speech ad inanimata to things that can neither heare nor vnderstand Not that we hold them capable of that which is spoken but that if in any degree they were so it is such as surely would move them Such is the Prophets heer turnes him to the Towne-walls of Bethlehem makes a set speech to them tells them of all this matter And thou Bethlâ—hem to thee be it spoken out of thee shall there come And this is very forcible and full of life For it intends that if the very walls and stones in them could heare or could reioyce there is good cause they should doe both in that there should come out of them One for whom Ierusalem and all the Cities of Iuda Nay all the world should be the better Weigh it well and you shall find thereis more in this Et tu then is or can be in any Ecce of them all And this for Et tu the Manner of the speech For the Matâ—er It is an answer to the question Vbi natus est of the Wise men The Matter of it Where is He that is borne Borne He was that they knew Where borne I. The Place Bethlehem that they knew not The Starr told them one the Prophet the other Et claritas claritatem clarificat and a cleer Starr is made more cleere by a Prophecie as cleer or cleerer then it For very cleere it is the prophecie without all circuitie noting naming and in a manner pointing to it And thou Bethlehem And because were two Bethlehems One in the Tribe of Zabulon 1. Bethlehem Ephrata Ios. 19.13 Matt. 2.6 Ios. 19.13 Another in the Tribe of Iuda He saith it was Bethlehem Ephrata which is that in the Tribe of Iuda as Saint Matthew rather giving the sense then standing on the words cites it There can be no error Rachels Sepulcher was there by Rachel was buried by Ephrata Ephrata the same is Bethlehem Moses tells us Gen. 35.19 more then a thousand yeares before Gen. 48.7 Gen 48.7 As plaine this as plaine may be No oracle of Delphos without any equivocation at all 2. Bethlehem parva We haue the Place Now what manner place is it Et tu Bethlehem parvula Parvula This little doth a little trouble us Why it is a sorrie poore village scarce worth an Apostrophe Specially to turne from Ierusalem to turne to it And as little likelihood that so great a State as the Guide of the whole world should come creeping out of such a corner Locus locatum ever are equall That Birth is sure too big for this place The Prophet dissembles it not saw what flesh and blood would except streight As ever they carrie a conceit against some Places and Persons And can any great matter come from them Ioh. 7.52.1.46 What from Bethlehem What out of Galile Nay if so great a State He would come from another maner place then that Et tu Ierusalem from Ierusalem Damascus Caesarea from some stately Citie much better beseeming Him These are Dictata carnis First He denies not Little it was and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not parva but parvula diminutively little So little saith the Prophet that it was not to be reckoned una demillibus not one of a thousand for the meannesse of it And the Evangelist makes it rather worse Matt 2.6 then better for the Prophets word parvula he turnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is minima even the very least of all This he confesses but then joynes this issue that though the Tu be little the Ex te may be great Ex te parvâ egredietur non parvus As little as it is no little Person shall come out of it Though it be not una de millibus for the meannesse as saith Mica Notwithstanding He that is to come out of it may be and is electus unus de millibus Cant. 5.10 One of a thousand for his choise for his excellencie Though it not worthy to be one of the Thousands of Iuda it should send forth one that should rule the thousands of Iuda and the ten thousands of Israel And not of Israel onely after the flesh but a handfull in comparison of them He should lead but the Israel of GOD His faithfull chosen people all the world over Indeed He had answered the objection before he made it in Ephrata that little it was but fruitfull and not a little fruitfull Which two counterpoints make in shew a conflict or contradiction betweene the Prophet and the Evangelist The Prophet saith Thou arâ— the least The Evangelist citing him saith the cleane contrarie Matt. 2.6 Thou art not the least Bethlehem minima non minima least and not least how may both be well enough both So both be not said regard had to one and the same thing Least saith Mica and saith true for the compasse of the territorie least for the small number of the Inhabitants least
was But he goes on further and saith He did remember himselfe of Rahab and Babylon the Philistims and the Morians land for loe there He was borne Borne there How can that be Yes borne there and heer and every where where by this Praedicabo Legem He begets children to GOD. The power and vertue of His Birth reacheth even thither Every place that receiveth His law where ever it be even there He is borne This for His Birth To this Birth there belongs a Birth-right They talke much of the law The Birth-right as of a Birth-right but loe this heer is a Birth-right indeed and that veri nominis and amounts to more then a Childs part And it growes out of the double title or interest which He hath to all that is given Him For as He is twise a Sonne twise begotten 1 Ante luciferum and 2 Hodiè so hath He a double right growes to Him expressed in two distinct words in the next verse 1 one of inheritance 2 the other of possession or purchase for Ahuzza is true Hebrew for a purchase Of which two One contents Him His title as Heire The other He transcribes and sets over to us which is that of His purchase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hodiè genitus But we need not so much as to goe to the next verse for it Filius meus tu will serve Which was said twise to Him 1 Once at His Baptisme Hic est Filius meus Matt. 3.17 And so it is likewise at ours to us for therein we are made members of CHRIST and the children of GOD. 2 And againe Hic est Filius meus at His Transfiguration in the Mount Matt. 17.5 And we keeping the law of our Baptisme the same shall be said to us likewise the second time and when time comes Phil. 3 21. we also shall be transfigured into the glorious Image of the Sonne of GOD. And this is Lex factorum on His part this shall be done for us by Him This we called the Gospell of this Law What we to do for Him The dutie And what shall be done by us for Him Which is the law of dutie on our part required and which we called the law of this Gospell implyed in the two first words Praedicabo and legem Either word hath his condition First if he preach that we bestow the hearing of Him And then Legem that we know it is a law He preacheth and therefore so and no otherwise then so to heare it 1. Praedicabo Heare Him preach That we will be entreated to easily If that be all we will never stick with Him for that Nay Gods blessing on his heart for as the world goes we are now all for preaching 2. Legem But take Legem with you too It is so Praedicabo as it is Legem Preached and so preached as it is Law His Sermons are so many Law-lectures His preaching is our law to live by And law binds and leaves us not to live as we list And if that which is preached be law it is to be heard as a law kept as a law to be made our Lex factorum as well as Lex fidei If we heare it otherwise if we heare it not so if we lose Legem we may let go Praedicabo too and all And heere now we breake As a law Nay none of that The hearing we will give Him but soft no law by your leave Our case is this So long as it is but Preadicabo but preaching we care not greatly though we heare it but if it once come to Legem to be pressed upon us as a law farewell our parts we give Him over for law binds and we will not be bound Vpon the point we are fast at Praedicabo and loose at Legem Leave CHRIST his booke to preach by but keepe the law in our owne hands But to be short if we heare it not as a law heare it not but as newes if we bring our Sermons to an end Psal 90.9 as a tale that is told if that be all we forfeit all that followes all our part and portion in Filius meus and Hodiè genui and all By Legem what law is meant Now if you aske what law it is is heere meant No other but the law of these words Filius meus tu For Flius meus tu in the body of it carrieth the law That conteines all filiall duties which is the perfectest law when all is done For the law of a Sonne is more then all lawes besides For besides that it is lex factorum that a Sonne will doe anything that is to be done he will further doe it out of filiall love and affection which is worth all And this law indeed is worth the preaching It is Exibit de Sion lex Esay 2.3 the law that came from Sion Gal. 4.24 The law of Sinai that begins with Ego sum Dominus it is a law of servitude a law for the bond-woman and her brood Never preach it at least not to children That law is to give place and in place thereof is to come the law of Sion which we preach the law of the free-woman Gal. 4.28 Rom. 8.15 and the children of promise the law of love of filiall love proceeding not from the spirit of bondage but from the Spirit of adoption There is lex factorum in both But as Gregorie well expresseth it Si servus es metue plagas if thou be bond as Ismaël doe it out of servile feare for feare of the whip Si mercenarius expecta mercedem if thou be an hireling as Balaam do it out of mercenarie respect Sed si Filius meus tu then doe it out of true naturall affection performe all duties of a kind Sonne to Him that said genui te as did Isaac the Sonne of the free-woman to ABRAHAM Gen. 22.9 Phil. 2.20.22 that begot him even to the laying downe of his life None to Timothee saith Saith Paul none like minded to him for as a Sonne with his Father So hath he laboured with me in the Gospell So that is so freely so sincerely so respectfully as a loving kind naturall Sonne could doe no more And that is lex factorum indeed And so much for lex factorum on our part what we to doe for him the filiall duties the law of this Gospell 1. The time Hodiè Heb. 3.13.15 We lack nothing now but the time And as legem is the condition so Hodiè is the time We are willed by the Apostle to insist upon this word Hodiè to call upon men for this duty while it is called To day Not to deferr or put it of or make a morrow matter of it We are all inclined to be Crastini or Perendini for to morrow or next day or I know not when but not to be Hodierni Hodiè is no adverb with us for where shall we find one but will take