heaven are able to ravish the soule with delight yet are they nothing to St. n 2. Cor. 12.2 Pauls rapture into the third heaven so farre experimentall knowledge in particular exceedeth contemplative in generall Out of this experimentall knowledge the Spouse testifieth o Cant. 5 1. I have eaten my hony combe with my hony To this the Prophet David inviteth p Psal 34.8 O taste and see how gracious the Lord is For this the Apostle prayeth that the Philippians might abound in all spirituall wisedome and q Psal 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 experience or sense and this is the knowledge here meant You have heard the lessons set in the lines of my text what remaineth but that according to my proposed method I direct you to foot the spirituall dance accordingly 1 And in the stone a new name Mutatio nominis mutatio hominis Applicat a new name should carry with it a new man When God changed r Gen. 32.28 Jacobs name into Israel he changed his condition and certainely Christ giveth this new name to none to whom he giveth not withall a new nature If therefore we expect that Christ should write this new name in a white stone and give it us let us give all diligence that the image of the new man may shine in our soules otherwise if the old Adam be young in us if our old infirmities be strong in us if the old leven puffing us up with pride and sowring the whole lumpe of our nature is still in us if our old corruptions be they vitious or ambitious or a varitious or superstitious still master us this white stone here mentioned will prove a black stone to us and this new name written in it a hand-writing against us For a ſ Salvianus de provid l. 4. Reatus impii pium nomen l. 3. Quid est in quo nobis de Christiano nomine blandiamur cum utique hoc ipso magis per nomen sacratissimum rei simus quod a sanctimoniâ discrepamus holy and godly title in a wicked man improveth the guilt of his sinne This new name is the title of the Son of God which appellation should bind us to our good behaviour that we carry our selves so in private towards God so in publike towards men so holily in our devotion so faithfully in our vocation so uprightly in our conversation that we may be Proles tanto non inficianda parenti children not unworthy to be owned by such a Father who hath adopted us in Christ What a shame is it for a Prince or the sonne of a Noble man to filch and cheat and take base courses and live sordidly Tertullian strongly refuteth Montanus his prophecies by his personall infirmities What saith he a Prophet and a Dicer a Prophet and an Usurer a Prophet and fleshly given a Prophet and distemper himselfe with drinke Wee may streigne this string higher What a Christian beleever and a Pagan liver the Sonne of God and doe the workes of the Divell the childe of light and walke in darknesse in gluttony chambering and wantonnesse strife and envying an heire of heaven and all his mind and thoughts upon the mucke and dung of the earth Why dost thou reproach thine owne t Basil seleuc Cur appellationi cujus virtute cares contumelium irrogas quid gestas cognomen quid personae probro sit quid factis appelationem impugnas calumniâ nomen tuum afficis name Why dost thou disgrace thy greatest honour Why dost thou overthrow thine owne title by thy deeds 3 If Christ hath written our new name in a white stone let us imprint his name in our hearts as Ignatius did and that so deepely if we may beleeve the Legend that the characters thereof were legible in it after his death let us sing a new song to him that hath given us this new name 4 If no man upon earth know to whom Christ hath given this white stone saving he that receiveth it let us take heed how we suddenly write any mans name in a blacke stone I meane passe the censure of Reprobates upon them The u Mat. 7.1 Judge himselfe adviseth not to judge lest we be judged The foundation of God remaineth sure having this seale God knoweth who are his not we we ought to labour for the reformation and pray for the conversion and hope for the salvation of any to whom God for ought we know may give repentance unto life as he hath given to us They cannot be worse than we have beene x Cypr. ep l. 3. Nemo id sibi arroget quod sibi soli reservat pater Let no man arrogantly assume that to himselfe which the Father hath reserved to himselfe alone viz. the fanne to sever the wheate from the chaffe in Christs floore 5 Lastly if we desire to eat of the hidden Manna let us loathe the flesh-pots of Egypt if we covet this white stone let us value it above all precious stones if we expect this new name let us contemne the titles of the world let us study lesse other mens titles and states on earth and more our owne state in Gods promises and title to heaven let us view in the glasse of holy Scripture the true markes of Gods children and seeke to find them all in our selves So shall we be sure before death closeth up our eies to have a sight of this new name here and after we remove hence to read it written in glorious characters in the gates and walls of the new Jerusalem descending from God whose x Apoc. 21.19 streets are paved with gold and the gates and foundations of the walls garnished with pearles and all sorts of precious stones into which heavenly Mansions when we are ready for them God receive us for his sake who is gone thither before to prepare them for us To whom c. SATANAE STRATAGEMATA THE XXIX SERMON 2 COR. 2.11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. SCaliger hath long since set forth an excellent worke de emendatione temporum but wee need rather bookes de emendatione morum For in this Chrisis of distempered humours such is the condition of most hearers that the Minister of God though upon good warrant from his text can hardly rebuke the publike enemies of Church or State but hee shall procure private enemies to himselfe Every one is jealous that something is said or meant by our Pauls against his great Diana If he stand for or be inclinable unto the new or newly taken up expressions of devotion he suspects the Preacher glanceth at him under the name of a temporizer or symbolizer with Papists If hee bee averse from such customes and rites hee conceiveth himselfe to bee taxed under the name of a refractary Non-conformitant If hee make any great shew of religion hee thinkes himselfe pointed at in the reproofe of an
of Martyrs spilt upon the ground is like spirituall seed from whence spring up new Martyrs and the graines of corne which fall one by one and die in the earth rise up again in great numbers Persecution serveth the Church in such stead as pruning doth the Vine whereby her branches shoot forth farther and beare more fruit Therefore S. Hierome excellently compareth the militant Church burning still in some part in the heat of persecution and yet flourishing to the bush in Exodus Exod 3.2 out of which Gods glory shined to Moses which burned yet consumed not 3. Wee are to distinguish between corporall and spirituall destruction Though the cane be crushed to peeces yet the aire in the hollow of it is not hurt though the tree be hewen the beame of the Sun shining upon it is not cut or parted in sunder Feare not them saith our Saviour Matth. 10.28 which can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Could the Philosopher say tundis vasculum Anaxarchi non Anaxarchum Thou beatest the vessel or strikest the coffin of Anaxarchus not Anaxarchus himselfe O Tyrant Shall not a Christian with better reason say to his tormentors Yee breake the boxe ye spill not any of the oyntment ye violate the casket ye touch not the jewell neither have yee so much power as utterly and perpetually to destroy the casket viz. my body for though it be beat to dust and ground to powder yet shall it be set together againe and raised up at the last day Philip. 3.21 and made conformable to Christs glorious body by the power of God whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe 4. And lastly it is not here said simply the bruised reed shall not be broken but shall not be broken by him He shall not breake the bruised reed He shall not breake for hee came not to destroy but to save Luk 9.56 Esay 53.4 Mat. 27.30 And they took a reed and smote him on the head not to burthen but to ease not to lay load upon us but to carry all our sorrowes not to breake the bruised reed but rather to have reeds broken upon him wherewith he was smote a Plin. nat hist l. 11. Icti à scorbionibus nunquam postea à crabronibus vespis apibusve feriuntur Pliny observeth that those that are strucken by Scorpions are ever after priviledged from the stings of Waspes or Bees The beasts that were torne or hurt by any accident might not bee sacrificed or eaten It is more than enough to bee once or singly miserable whereupon he in the Greeke Poet passionately pleades against further molestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Gods sake disease not a diseased man presse not a dying man with more weight Which because the enemies of David had the hard hearts to doe he most bitterly cursed them Poure out thine indignation upon them Psal 69.24 25 26. and let thy wrathfull anger take hold of them let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and talke to the griefe of those whom thou hast wounded O how grievously doth S. Cyprian complaine against the inhumane cruelty of the persecutors of Christians in his time who laid stripes upon stripes Cypr. epist ad Mart. In servis Dei non torquebantur membra sed vulnera and inflicted wounds upon sores and tortured not so much the members of Gods servants as their bleeding wounds Verily for this cause alone God commanded that the name of * Exod. 17.14 Amaleck should be blotted out from under heaven because they met Israel by the way when they were faint and smote the feeble among them For not to comfort the afflicted not to help a man that is hurt not to seeke to hold life in one that is swouning is inhumanity but contrarily to afflict the afflicted to hurt the wounded to trouble the grieved in spirit Cic. pro Celio sua sponte cadentem maturiùs extinguere vulnere to strike the breath out of a mans body who is giving up the ghost to breake a reed already bruised to insult upon a condemned man to vexe him that is broken in heart and adde sorrow to sorrow Oh this is cruelty upon cruelty farre be it from any Christian to practise it and yet further from his thoughts to cast any such aspersion upon the Father of mercy How should the God of all consolation drive any poore soule to desperation hee that will not breake a bruised reed will he despise a broken heart He that will not quench the smoaking flaxe will he quench his Spirit and tread out the sparkes of his grace in our soules No no his Father sealed to him another commission Esay 61.1 to preach good tidings to the meeke Luk. 4.18 to binde up the broken hearted to set at liberty them that are bruised to give unto them that mourne in Sion beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse And accordingly hee sent by his Prophet a comfortable message to the daughter of Sion Matth. ex Zach. Tell her behold the King commeth unto thee meeke and riding upon an Asse a bruised reed he shall not breake hee did not breake and smoaking flaxe hee shall not quench hee did not quench Was not Peter a bruised reed when hee fell upon the rocke of offence and thrice denied his Master and went out and wept bitterly Was not Paul like smoaking flaxe in the worst sense when he breathed out threats against the Church and sought by all violent meanes to smother the new light of the Gospel yet we all see what a burning and shining lampe Christ hath made of this smoaking flaxe what a noble cane to write the everlasting mercies of God to all posterity he hath made of the other a bruised reed But what speake I of bruised reeds not broken the Jewes that crucified the Lord of life the Roman souldier that pierced his side were liker sharp pointed darts than bruised reeds yet some of these were saved from breaking Such is the vertue of the bloud of our Redeemer that it cleansed their hands that were imbrued in the effusion thereof if they afterward touch it by faith so infinite is the value of his death that it was a satisfaction even for them who were authors of it and saved some of the murtherers of their Saviour as St. a Cypr. epist Vivificatur Christi sanguine etiam qui effudit sanguinem Christi Cyprian most comfortably deduceth out of the second of the Acts They are quickned by Christs bloud who spilt it Well therefore might St. b Bern. Quid tam ad mortem quod non Christi morte sanetur Bernard demand What is so deadly which Christs death cannot heale Comfort then O comfort the fainting spirits and strengthen the feeble knees revive the spirit of the humble
temptations by his constant perseverance unto the end Obser 1 It is said to him that overcommeth to include our labour and industry yet it is added I will give to exclude merit 2 It is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that is to every one for an indefinite propofition in materiâ necessariâ is equivalent to an universall to teach us that the promises of the Gospel are generall yet to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that overcommeth to shew us that this generality is conditionall 3 The Spirit saith not to him that fighteth but to him that overcommeth All vertues adorne a Christian but perseverance alone crowneth him 4 To him that overcommeth the Spirit saith not I will give to see but to eat of the hidden Manna and receive the white stone with the new name Our eternall happinesse consisteth not in the bare contemplation but fruition of the hidden Manna the white stone and the new name 5 It is not Manna simply but the hidden Manna nor a stone but a white stone nor a name but a new name every subject hath here his adjunct every face his shadow every letter his flourish every diamond his foile every kind his quality All Manna is not the hidden what is this hidden Manna All pretious stones are not the white what is this white stone All names are not new names what is this new name O thou who hast the key of David and openest and no man shutteth open the treasure of this Scripture that we may see what heavenly mysteries lie in this hidden Manna are engraven in this white stone and character'd in this new name Obser 1 The prophecies in the Old and New Testament like the Cherubins in the Arke looke one upon the other Alter in alterius jacientes lumina vultum You shall hardly light upon any vision or revelation in this booke concerning the succeeding estate of the Church which hath not some kind of reference to the predictions of the ancient Prophets of things already accomplished God to whom all things past and future are eternally present in his infinite wisedome hath so fitted latter events to former presidents that the same perspectives of Propheticall visions for the most part in which holy men under the law saw things now long past serve St. John to represent unto him the image of the last times even till our Lords second comming For brevity sake at this time I will instance onely in my text where every word is a relative The first vincenti referreth you to Job 7.1 Is not the life of man a warfare upon earth The second Dabo I will give to Luke 12.32 It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome The third Manna absconditum the hidden Manna to Exod. 16.33 Take a pot and put an Omer full of Manna therein and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for your generations The fourth Calculum candidum the white stone to Esay 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a tried stone a pretious stone The fift novum Nomen a new name to Esay 62.2 And thou shalt be called by a new name Christ who hath overcome the world under these metaphors looking to foregoing prophesies and promises incourageth all Christians like valiant Souldiers to follow him setting before them all spirituall delicacies implyed in the hidden Manna all treasures in the white stone all true honour in the new name To him that overcommeth pleasure and abstaines from sinfull delights I will give hidden Manna To him that overcommeth covetousnesse and esteemeth not of worldly wealth and earthly treasure I will give a white stone To him that overcommeth ambition and seeketh not for a name upon earth I will give a new name written in heaven In many other texts the letter is easie but the spirituall meaning difficult but on the contrary in this the spirituall meaning is facile and out of question but the letter is much controverted For some contend that the metaphor is here taken from the manner of feasting great Personages wherein the Prince Ambassadour or great States-man is entertained with rare and reserved dainties served in under covered dishes and after the last course hath a medall or a stone with his name engraven in it and a posie given unto him which because he carrieth away with him and keepeth it as a memoriall of his honourable entertainement the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is Alcasar his conceit Others place the Scene if I may so speake in a Greene where he that out-runneth the rest receiveth a white stone this is Aretus his ghesse A third sort of Expositors runne upon a pitched field which he that wanne had his victory with his name entred into the Roman Fasti with a white stone this is Sixtus Senensis his interpretation But the most of our later Commentatours imagine that Christ had an eye to the Roman Judiciall proceedings in their Courts in which he that overcame his accuser and had the better of the cause was absolved by the Judges casting white stones into an urne or pitcher Mos erat antiquis niveis atrisque lapillis His damnare reos illis absolvere culpâ But sith wee have the Jewell let us not much trouble our selves about the casket let us not contend about the shell but rather taste the kernell Obser 2 To him that is to every one As Dido at the building of Carthage offered like priviledges to the Tyrians and Trojans saying a Virg. Aen. 4. Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur so Christ in the building of the spirituall Jerusalem which is his Church putteth no difference betweene Jew and Gentile but propoundeth salvation upon like conditions of repentance and faith unto all At his incarnation he tooke not upon him the singular person of any man but the common nature of all men and accordingly offered himselfe a surety for all mankinde laying downe a sufficient ransome for all and inviting all by the hand of faith to take so much as may serve to free themselves and satisfie for their debt b Esay 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth saith the Prophet come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy ye wine and milke without money and without price c John 7.37 If any man thirst saith our Saviour let him come unto me and drinke He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water d Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest e Apoc. 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him In the law of Moses there is a great difference between the Jew and the Gentile but in Christ there is none at all we who were sometimes farre off are made nigh by
And by o Luk. 1.68 69 74. Zachary in his Hymne Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare And by St. Paul p Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage againe to feare And by q Luke 12.32 Christ himselfe Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the kingdome This latter feare because it excludeth confidence in God is excluded it selfe but the former not onely standeth with certainty of perseverance in grace but mightily supporteth it For even for this end God promiseth to put that feare in the hearts of all true believers that r Jer. 32.40 they may not fall away from him Whereupon Tertullian acutely inferreth playing upon the double sense of the Latine word securus * De cult Jerâ—n Qui secutus est non est solicitus qui est solicitus potest esse secutus Hee that is secure that is carelesse of the meanes of his salvation is not solicitous or watchfull but hee that is solicitous or watchfull may bee secure that is free from all feare of unavoidable danger The last objection which our adversaries make against the doctrine delivered is taken out of the worme-eaten evidence of the ancient Pelagians as wee may see in Saint Å¿ Ep. ad August Dicunt lapsis curam resurgendi adunt sanctis occasionem teporis offerri eo quod electi nulla negligentiâ possint excidere Hage conference p. 12. c. Prosper They viz. the Pelagians upbraid that all care of rising out of sinne is taken away from those that are lapsed that to holy men is ministred an occasion of slacknesse in their devotion or lukewarmnesse inasmuch as the Elect according to our doctrine cannot fall away by any negligence howsoever they behave themselves that consequently this doctrine taketh away all praiers obsecrations obtestations exercise of mortification care of the means of renewing our covenant with God and watchfulnesse over all our wayes But wee answer with the ancient t Aug. de correp grat Prosp resp ad obâ—ect Vincent Fathers that the certainty of the end no way derogateth from the necessity of the means of salvation which on Gods part are admonitions threatnings promises commands counsels punishments and rewards on our part continuall prayer watchfulnesse progresse in godlinesse unfained desire of and earnest striving for perfection After Christ prayed for S. Peters faith that u Luk. 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not it might not faile Peter was assured of his perseverance yet Christ commandeth him with the rest * Mar. 14.37.38 Christ saith to Peter Simon sleepest thou couldst not thou watch with mee one houre watch pray lest yee enter into temptation to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation watchfulnesse therefore and assurance are not incompatible None ever had greater assurance of their salvation than the Apostles after Christ cheared their hearts x Luk. 10.20 In this rejoice not that spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven yet our Saviour admonisheth them to y Luk. 12.35 stand with their loynes girt about and their lights burning and to take heed to themselves z Lâ—k 21.34 lest at any time their hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon them at unawares Questionlesse after Christ had given to Saint * Act. 27.24 Paul the life of all them that were in the ship with him hee was assured of their safe arrivall yet when the shipmen were about to flye out of the ship under colour as though they would have cast anchor Paul said to the Centurion and to the souldiers except these abide in the ship you cannot bee saved None may otherwise receive or apply to themselves the promises of grace and remission of sinnes than they are tendred to them in holy Scripture but in them they are propounded unto all upon condition of repentance faith holinesse of life new obedience and perseverance in it to the end To beleeve therefore the remission of sinnes and to bee assured of Gods favour notwithstanding wee hold on our sinfull courses is not spirituall confidence but carnall presumption Assurance of salvation is an effect of a lively faith which a Gal. 5.6 worketh by love and consequently all that have it the more they are assured of Gods love to them in Christ the more their hearts are enflamed with love towards God and their neighbour also for Gods sake the more zealous they will bee of his glory the more thankefull for his mercy the more desirous to please him the more fearfull to offend him the more carefull to obey him the more wounded with godly sorrow for their incurring his displeasure and the more ready to turne unto him by unfained repentance Admit what they so much clamour against us for that the adopted sonnes of God are in no feare or distrust that their heavenly Father will disinherite them yet neither may they nor can they presume hereupon wilfully to provoke him because they know that hee hath many sharpe roddes to chasten them with besides as temporall plagues painefull sicknesse irrecoverable losses terrours of conscience and spirituall desertion To conclude the certainty of our beliefe that wee shall undoubtedly arrive at the celestiall Canaan is no reason why we should flacke but rather mend our pace thither Thus having wiped out the spots and blots which the ancient and latter Pelagians have fast upon the white stone we shall more easily be able to discerne the characters engraven in it and read The new name Wee receive many new things from our Saviour 1 A b Mat. 26.28 new Testament signed with his blood 2 In this new Testament a new c Heb. 8.8 Covenant 3 In this new Covenant a new d Joh. 13.34 Commandement 4 To obey this new Commandement a new e Ezek. 36.26 heart 5 And answerable to this new Heart new f Mar. 16.17 Tongues 6 And consonant to these new Tongues new g Apoc. 14.3 Songs Behold h Apoc. 21.5 I make all things new a new i 2 Pet. 3.13 heaven and a new earth and a new k Apoc. 21.2 city and in it new l Eph. 4.24 inhabitants to whom the Spirit here promiseth a m 2 Cor. 5.17 new name upon which the Interpreters have many new conceits Alcazar the Jesuite whose profound head the Pope lately graced with a Cardinals hat in his prolixe commentaries upon the Apocalyps falling upon the words of my text will needs have this new name to be some derivative from Jesus as Jesuitae or Jesuati or the like For this name Jesus as out
in Chron. ad an c. 1. Calvisius his hote discordant from our purpose viz. that the yeere of our Lords birth was Annus Sabbathicus a yeere made of seven multiplyed or a yeere of Jubile For even by this very circumstance wee may bee put in minde that he who was borne in a temporall Sabbathicke yeere on earth procureth for us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven 3 Of the day of the yeere From the age in which our Lord was incarnate wee have already proceeded to the yeere now from the yeere wee will come to the day on which God hath set many glorious markes 1 First St. Matthew telleth us of a n Mat. 2.2 new starre that appeared to the heathen Sages which guided them in their way to Bethlehem 2 Secondly St. o Quest vet N.T. Hodâ—eâ—no die natus est Christus octavo Calend. Jan. ab illo die crescunt dies ecce à nativitate Christi dies crescit illo oriente dies proficit Austine and St. p Ambros Serm. 8. de temp Ambrose and q Prudent in hyâ—n ad Cal. Jan. Quid est quod Arctum circulum Sol jam recurrens deserit Christusne terris nascitur qui lucis augit â—ramitem Prudemius note that the day of our Lords birth fell precisely upon the winter solstice and from that day the dayes begin to lengthen 3 Thirdly this day in the vineyard of r Magdeburg ex Martino Vinca Engaddi quae balsamum ferebat horem fructum liquorem simul fudit Engaddi the Balsamum tree both blossomed and bare fruit and liquor also dropped from it Thus we see what golden characters God hath fixed upon the age yeere and day of our Lords birth in which we may read the benefits of his incarnation which are these First rest this seemeth to be figured by the Sabbathicke yeere Secondly peace this was shadowed by the temporall peace concluded through all the world by Augustus Thirdly libertie from spirituall thraldome this was represented by the law of manumission of servants Fourthly Knowledge this was shewed by the new starre Fiftly encrease of grace this was signified by the lengthening of the dayes from Christs birth Sixtly spirituall joy this was expressed by the oyle which sprang out of the earth Seventhly health and life this the Balsamum was an embleme of This peace this libertie this knowledge this grace this joy this health God offereth to us in this accepted time and day of salvation Behold now c. The Jewes had their now and that was from the day of our Lords birth to the time of the destruction of the Temple before which a voyce was heard at midnight saying Å¿ Joseph de bello Jud. l 7. Migremus hinc Let us goe hence The Gentiles now or day of grace began after Peters t Acts 10.11 vision and shall continue untill the fulnesse of all Nations be come in Our Countrie 's now for their conversion from Paganisme began when Joseph of Arimathea or Simon Zelotes or Saint Paul or some other of the Apostles planted the Gospell in this Island for our reversion to the puritie of the ancient doctrine and discipline was from the happie reformation in King Henry the eighth his time and Kings Edward the sixts and shall last till God for our sinnes remove our golden Candlesticke All your now who heare me this day is from the day of your new birth in baptisme till the day of your death Application Behold now is your accepted time now is your day of salvation make good use of these golden moments upon which dependeth your eternall happinesse or miserie Yet by a few sighes you may drive away the fearefull storme that hangeth over you yet with a few teares you may quench the fire of hell in your consciences yet by stretching out your armes to God and laying hold on Christ by faith you may be kept from falling into the brimstone lake While yee have the light of this day of grace t Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling before the night of death commeth when u John 9.4 no man can worke If you reject this accepted time and let slip this day of salvation there remaineth nothing for you but a time of rejection x Mat. 7.23 Away from mee I know you not and a day of damnation y Mat. 25.41 Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire To apply this now yet once more Behold now in these feasts of Christmas is tempus acceptum an accepted time or a time of acceptation a time when wee accept and entertaine one another a time of giving and accepting testimonies of love a time of receiving the holy Sacrament a time when God receiveth us into favour biddeth us to his owne table Behold now is the day of salvation the day in which our Saviour was borne and the y Titus 2.11 grace of God bringing salvation appeared unto all men This day our Saviour will come into thy house and if with humble devotion godly sorrow a lively faith and sincere love thou entertaine him what himselfe spake to Zacheus the Spirit will speake unto thee z Luke 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house Which God the Father grant for the merits of his Sonne through the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit To whom c. THE SPOUSE HER PRECIOUS BORDERS A rehearsall Sermon preached Anno 1618. THE XXXII SERMON CANT 1.11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Right Honourable c. AS the riches of Gods goodnesse are set forth to the eye of the body by the diversity of creatures in the booke of nature so are the treasures of his wisedome exposed to the eye of the mind by the varietie of senses in the booke of Scripture Which in this respect is by reverend antiquitie compared to the scrole in a Ezek. 2.10 Vid. Hier. in c. 2. Ezekielis Ezekiels vision spread before him which was written Intus à tergo within and without without in the letter within in the Spirit without in the history within in the mystery without in the typicall ceremonies within in the morall duties without in the Legall resemblance within in the Evangelicall reference without in verborum foliis within in radice rationis as St. Jerome elegantly expresseth it The former sense resembleth the golden b Exod 16.33 And Moses said to Aaron take a pot and put an Omer full of Manna therein c. pot the latter the hidden c Rev. 2.17 Manna it selfe that is as the shell or mother of pearle this as the Margarite contained within it both together as d Nazianz ad Nemes Literalem comparat corpori spiritualem animae Verbum Dei geminam habet naturam divinam invisibilem humanam visibilem ita Verbum Dei scriptum habet sensum externum internum Nazianzen observeth make this singular correspondency betweene the incarnate and the inspired
setteth them r Aug. serm de Pent. Tanquam duodecim radii solis seu totidem lampades veritatis totum mundum illuminantes forth twelve beames of the sunne of righteousnesse or twelve great torches of the truth enlightening the whole world They were as the twelve Patriarks of the new Testament to be consecrated as oecumenicall Pastours throughout all the earth they were as the ſ Exod. 15.27 twelve Wels of water in Elim from whence the chrystall streames of the water of life were to be derived into all parts they were as the twelve t Apoc. 12.1 starres in the crowne of the woman which was cloathed with the sunne and the moone under her feet and as the twelve u Apoc. 21.14 pretious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem The present assembly in this upper roome was no other than a sacred Synod and in truth there can be no Synod where the Apostles or their successours are not present and Presidents For all assemblies how great soever of Lay-persons called together about ordering ecclesiasticall affaires without Bishops and Pastours are like to Polyphemus his vast body without an eye Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum But when the Apostles and their successours Bishops and Prelates and Doctours of the Church are assembled and all are of one accord and bend their endevours one way to settle peace and define truth Christ will make good his promise to be in the * Matt. 18.20 When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And middest of them and by his spirit to lead them into x John 16.13 When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth all truth With one accord All the ancient and later Interpreters accord in their note upon the word accord that Animorum unio concordia est optima dispositio ad recipiendum Spiritum sanctum that Unitie and concord is the best disposition of the minde preparation for the receiving of the holy Ghost The bones in Ezekiel were y Ezek. 37.7 8. joyned one to another and tyed with sinewes before the wind blew upon them and revived them so the members of Christ must bee joyned in love and coupled with the sinewes of charitable affections one towards another before the holy Spirit will enlive them Marke saith S. z Serm. de Temp. Membrum amputatum non sequitur spiritus cùm in corpore erat vivebat precisum amittit spiritum Austine in the naturall body how if a member bee cut off the soule presently leaveth it while it was united to the rest of the members it lived but as soone as ever it was severed it became a dead peece of flesh so it is in the mysticall body of Christ those who sever themselves by schisme or faction from the body and their fellow-members deprive themselves of the influence of the holy Spirit Peruse the records of the Church and you shall finde for the most part that faction hath bred heresie When discontented Church-men of eminent parts sided against their Bishops and Superiours Gods spirit left them and they became authours of damnable heresies This was Novatus his case after hee made a faction against Cyprian Donatus after hee made a faction against Meltiades Aerius after hee made a schisme against Eustatius and doe we not see it daily in our Separatists who no sooner leave our Church but the spirit of God quite leaveth them and they fall from Brownisme to Anabaptisme from Anabaptisme to Familisme and into what not The Church and Common-wealth like the * Plin. l. 2. nat hist c. 105. Lapis Tyrrhenus grandis innatat comminutus mergitur Lapis Tyrrhenus while they are whole swimme in all waters but if they be broken into factions or crumbled into sects schismes they will soone sinke if not drowne And so I passe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their unanimitie of affection to their concurrence in place In one place The last circumstance is the place which was an upper chamber in Jerusalem The Apostles and Disciples stayed at Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord partly in obedience to his a Acts 1.4 command which was not to depart out of Jerusalem till they were indued with power from above partly to fulfill the prophecie the b Esay 2.3 Law shall goe out of Sion and the word of God out of Jerusalem They kept all together out of love and for more safetie and they tooke an upper chamber that they might bee more private and retired or because in regard of the great confluence of people at this feast they could not hire the whole house or as Bernardinus conceiveth to teach us that the spirit of c Com. in Act. Ut discamus quod datur spiritus iis qui se ab imis attollunt rerū sublimium contemplatione ut cibo se oblectant God is given to such as raise up themselves from the earth and give themselves to the contemplation of high and heavenly mysteries Now to descend from this higher chamber and to come neare to you by some application of this text It will be to little purpose to heare of the Apostles preparation this day if wee prepare not our selves accordingly to discourse of their entertainment and receiving the holy Spirit if wee receive him not into our hearts It is a mockerie as Fulgentius hath it Ejus diem celebrare cujus lucem oderimus To keepe the day of the Spirit if wee hate his light If wee desire to celebrate the feast of the Spirit and by his grace worthily receive the Sacrament of Christ his flesh wee must imitate the Apostles and Disciples in each circumstance 1. Rely upon Gods promises by a lively faith of sending the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts and patiently expect the accomplishment of it many dayes as they did 2. Ascend into an upper chamber that is remove our selves as farre as wee can from the earth and set our affections upon those things that are above 3. Meet in one place that is the Church to frequent the house of God and when we are bid not to make excuses but to present our selves at the Lords boord 4. Not onely meet in one place but as the Apostles did with one accord to reconcile all differences among our selves and to purge out all gall of malice and in an holy sympathy of devotion to joyne sighs with sighs and hearts with hearts and hands with hands and lifting up all together with one accord sing Come holy Ghost so as this day is Pentecost in like manner this place shall be as the upper roome where they were assembled and we as the Apostles and Disciples and the Word which hath now beene preached unto us as the sound of that mightie rushing wind which filled that roome and after wee have worthily celebrated the feast of the Spirit and administred the
the Apostles men Ver. 13. whom a little before they esteemed no better of than drunken beasts 2. Charity Brethren Not aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel not strangers 2. An important question which is a question of 1. Feare What shall we doe to escape the wrath to come for that we have done 2. Care What shall we doe to make some part of amends for our crimson sinne in shedding the bloud of that righteous and holy One 3. Piety What shall we doe that we may reape benefit by his death whom ignorantly we slew with wicked hands Thus have I chalked unto you the way of my present and future discourses upon this Scripture wherein I intreat your attention and devotion to goe along with mee that I and you may first know in the speculative part what wee are to doe and then in the practicke doe what wee know to be necessary for the obtaining the remission of our sins Men. Is there not a Pleonasmus or redundancy in the words Men and Brethren Is not this appellative men rather a burthen than an ornament to the sentence Are there any brethren that are not men Yes if we will beleeve the Legend of Saint Francis for he found a new alliance and brotherhood amongst beasts ordinarily saluting them in this manner when he met them Brother Oxe brother Beare brother Wolfe and it is marvell that the chronicles of his life related not that some of them resaluted him againe by the title of brother Asse for his labour But this is a note beneath Gammoth and a degree below lowlinesse it selfe for humility will admit none to be of her kinred and brotherhood that beare not the image of God our Father The beasts of the field are indeed fellow-creatures with us but they are our juments and servants no way our brethren Was then the word men added to intimate that such is the inhumanity or unmanlinesse of many that a man may meet with many brethren by bloud by alliance by profession by country who yet deserve not the stile of men because brethren without all humanity and so no men without heart or courage and so no men effeminate in their speech habit carriage trim and dresse and so no men Neither can this be the meaning of the words For the Jewes were not now in a Satyricall veine but like men that had been newly let bloud by a deep incision they speake faintly and in an humble manner beseech their Physicians to prescribe what they must doe to recover their health We are therefore to understand that in the originall there is no pleonasme nor bitter sarcasme but an elegancie and an emphasis in our tongue there is but one name for men of the better sort inferiour ranke but in greeke there are two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they differ as much as ayre and earth or christall and glasse or pearle and stone for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an ordinary man of the vulgar sort but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of parts a man of worth a man of note a man full of humanity pity and compassion and herein they secretly couch an argument to induce the Apostles to take some care of their soules as if they should say Though ye are men of God yet ye are men as we are the divine graces in you bereave you not of humane passions Suffer then not men as you are to be cast away bring not the bloud of this righteous man upon us pity us in this our perplexity pray to God for us advise us what we are to doe stretch a hand of charity to us to plucke us out of the chops of Sathan and flames of hell fire Me thinkes I should passe this note in so Christian an auditory and not stand to prove that we ought to be men not like beasts without reason not like monsters without all bowels without naturall affection and compassion yet were many that call themselves brethren men could they grind the faces of the poore as they doe could they not only tondere but deglubere not only sheare but flea Christs sheep were they men would they use men like beasts would they make themselves beasts and expresse the condition of the worst of beasts by returning with the dogge to their vomit and with the sow to their wallowing in the mire are they men who take greatest delight in drowning their reason and extinguishing that light of understanding in them which maketh them men are they men have they hearts of flesh have they eyes consisting of an aqueous humour who suffer men made after Gods image to pine away before their eyes for want of a crumme of their store a graine of their magazine a drop of their ocean a mite of their treasury a cluster of grapes of their vintage a gleaning of their harvest are they men that never remember the affliction of Joseph that never thinke of the besieged in Rochel of the persecuted in Bohemia and the Palatinate and almost all parts of Germany as good men as themselves and better Christians who endure either the violence of oppression or the shame of infamy or the servitude of captivity or the insolency of tiranny or the griping of famine or the terrours of sundry kinds of death It grieved the Oratour to proclaime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O my friends there is no true friend among you but it much more grieveth those that are to give an account of your soules to be enforced to complaine Men and brethren there are few men or brethren among you but few that deserve the name of men and fewer of Brethren They call the Apostles brethren either in a kind of correspondency of courtesie because the Apostles so stiled them before Men and brethren Ver. 29. let mee freely speake unto you of the Patriarch David or to insinuate themselves into their love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-uterini sprigs issuing out of the same root men issuing out of the same wombe 1. Either of flesh as brothers that have the same mother 2. Or of the Church as all that are new borne in it 3. Or of the earth as all men Some who delight more in the sound of words than soundnesse of matter make their cimbals thus tinckle in our eares There are brethren say they of three sorts either by race as all of the same linage or by place as all of the same country or city or by grace as all of the same religion But I like better of St. a Cont. Helvid c. 7. Scriptura divina dicit fratres 1. naturâ 2. gente 3. cognatione 4 affectu quod postremum dividitur in spirituale commune spirituale quo omnes Christiani fratres vocantur commune quo omnes homines ex uno patre nati pari inter se germanitate conjunguntur Jeromes distinction of brethren 1. by nature or bloud 2. by