thence retrive that sweet connexion we are at a seeming losse of and shall conclude the key we want to open this connexion lyes hidden in the preamble of this Prayer in the very courtship we use when we call upon God as moderating at once heavenly and earthly Things that is making the earthly obedient to his will when he pleaseth to have them suitable to those that are heavenly Things Thus water by the heavenly will of God became this day wine thus all the materiall parts of this dayes service became as it were immateriall that is to say spirituall Thus the Temporall gifts mentioned in the Epistle of Prophecy Ministery Teaching Exhorting Ruling Mercy Love Joy Hope Patience Prayer Almes Hospitality Vnanimity and Humility are made spirituall in being ordained to a spirituall end by conformity in us earthly creatures to the will of our Creator which is effected by vertue of that moderation God hath set between heaven and earth when he so moderates humane minds and actions as they become subservient to his heavenly will Thus carnall pleasure between man and wife is in them limited by Gods holy grace moderating the excesse and intemperance in that pleasure which indeed carnall men commit but spirituall men avoid God moderating fleshly appetites in them so as they shall not intrench upon spirituall duties but give way to serving God though with abridgement of their own delights and this is done when Saint Pauls counsell is followed Let those that have wives be as if they had none 1 Cor. c. 7. v. 29. when God Almighties service so requires as when attending first to prayer they afterwards return to the same corporall pleasure they forsook to pray and this is called a spirituall continence even in the bed of incontinency not as that term imports sin but as it argues lesse perfection than virginity or absolute containing from all corporall commixture but further and more prodigiously yet this miraculous moderation between heavenly and earthly Things is seen when married people have liberty allowed them for their due and seasonable mutuall pleasures with one another and yet withall at the same instant they have a limit set them beyond which they must not passe but like to flowing Seas must ebbe just at their own bounds and fall to the low-water of a non-temptation towards any other carnall pleasure than between themselves Here I say if ever more eminently than other it doth appear God moderates heavenly and earthly Things at once for here is a kind of continuall miracle betwâ—en man and wife when Saint Pauls counsell is followed as above and since the Story of this dayes Gospel runs upon a marriage and the Prayer concludes with begging peace here is the grant of that petition when man and wife thus moderated live happily together not defrauding one another here is further that peace granted to all sorts of Christians when they apply the Temporall gifts recited in the Epistle to spirituall to heavenly ends and when in the prayer we say Grant us thy peace in our dayes it is no lesse than the peace of that God who at once moderates heavenly and earthly things which we demand Now if any would dive further into that peace let them look back to the seventh verse in the Epistle on the Third Sunday of Advent and to the Explication thereof There they shall see how ravishing how plentifull a peace it is And having thus wrought out our design of connexion here where it was so seeming hard at first but now to flowing from every part like honey from the Combes of this dayes Epistle and Gospel upon the bread of the Prayer let us never despair of as good successe all the year along nor can there be a sweeter Prayer than this thus glossed and in this sense reiterated as often as we find reluctancy in us between nature and grace For then thus to call upon God as moderatour between heaven and earth is to quell all rebellion of nature against grace which God grant we may doe by praying as above The Epistle ROM 12. ver 6. c. 6. ANd having gifts according to the grace that is given us different either prophecy according to the rule of Faith 7. Or ministery in ministring or he that teacheth in doctrine 8. He that exhorteth in exhorting he that giveth in simplicity he that ruleth in carefulnesse he that sheweth mercy in cheerfulnesse 9. Love without simulation hating evill cleaving to good 10. Loving the charity of the Brotherhood one toward another with honour preventing one another 11. In carefulnesse not sloathfull in spirit fervent serving our Lord. 12. Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation instant in prayer 13. Communicating to the necessities of the Saints pursuing hospitality 14. Blesse them that persecute you Blesse and Curse not 15. To rejoyce with them that rejoyce to weep with them that weep 16. Being of one mind one towards another not minding high things but consenting to the humble The Explication IN regard there was reference made to this place on Sunday last concerning the rule of Faith therefore we shall here take hold of the last part of this verse first and having premised what is peculiarly necessary upon this which is hugely controversiall we shall then proceed in our wonted manner for expounding the rest of the Text. We are therefore here to note That by the Rule of Faith is not understood onely the Apostles Creed branched into twelve Articles as we have received it from age to age but a set Form of life delivered by word of mouth unto the People by the Apostles who had first held Counsels about it amongst themselves and stood resolved all their teaching should be conformable thereunto And this Rule is not as Hereticks will have it the holy Scripture written by the Apostles for this Rule was made long before any Scripture was written and it was never delivered abroad but by word of mouth in their preaching and exhortations so it is properly called the Apostolicall Tradition which is yet even unto this very day the Rule of Faith to the whole Catholick Church to the Decrees of all Councels to the sense or exposition of the holy Scriptures and consequently Scripture cannot be as Hereticks pretend the sole Rule of Faith though true it is there must be nothing nor is there any thing at all in holy Writ contrary to this Rule or Apostolicall Tradition which was much larger than the written Word and therefore it ever was and still is even to the sacred Word a kind of Rule or Test to try it by since before the Apostles issued out their written books of Scripture those books were examined by this Rule of Faith which was framed by common consent of the whole number or Colledge of Apostles whereas all of them did not write nay two onely of the twelve were Evangelists or Writers of the Gospels for Saint Mark and Saint Luke the other two Evangelists were not dignified with the stile
of Apostolate though they were all Preachers of the Gospel according still to this Rule of Faith kept close amongst themselves And indeed the Evangelists writ their Gospels rather upon Emergencies than upon any design or command they had from Christ so to doe but incountring with Heresies they did beat them down not onely by preaching but even by writing as since the Doctours and Fathers of the Church have done in all ages yet this difference there is betwen the Apostles and the Fathers writings that the former are more magisteriall more oracular more authoritative than the latter for however we attribute much to any one Father yet if another Father write contrary we regulate our selves then by the consent of Fathers whereas it is not so in any of the Evangelists writings or any Canonicall part of Scripture every book every chapter every sentence every word every letter thereof is sacred and of uncontrouled undoubted indeed of sacred Authority both by reason of the Authors prerogative Apostolate and of the speciall instinct they had from the Holy Ghost to write upon such occasions as to them occurred Now to our usuall gloss upon the Text In these Three first verses of the Epistle the Apostle enumerates the gifts proper to Church-men according to this rule of Faith From the ninth verse forwards he recounts what even the lay-people ought to beg of God for the embellishment or measure of Faith according to the rule thereof concerning all faithfull Believers whatsoever and though many take prophecy for a common gift bestowed as well upon the Laicks as upon Ecclesiasticall persons yet in this place the Apostle takes it strictly as appertaining to their prophetick by which is understood their preaching and teaching Function 6. For we read in holy Writ where the Ministery or Diaconate was set apart by the Apostles as hindring them from teaching and preaching and conferred on Deacons assigned specially for that purpose Non est equum It is not reason say the Apostles Acts 6. v. 2 that we leave the word of God and serve Tables Consider therefore Brethren seven men of you of good Testimony full of the Holy Ghost and wisdome whom we may appoint over this Businesse But we will be instant in prayer and the ministery of the word The like division is made 1 Tim. 3. where under the name of Bishops he includes Pastors and Preists too under the name of Deacons he includes all Church-Officers below them too So under the stile of prophecies he includes two sorts of Preists Apostles and Bishops as also Pastors and Preachers which are Priests and those that by office take care of souls and that of Deacons we shall likewise see divided anon Note here by faith is not onely understood an absolute Article of faith but a perfect understanding the sence of the divine word bee it written or delivered from the Apostles by word of mouth and this Faith is that which is recounted as a gratuit or free gift of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. v. 9 To another is given Faith in the same spirit so he sayes here the Apostles and others had the gift of prophecie as a measure of their Faith that is to explicate the sacred word according to the rule of faith so none could use this gift to vent any their own brain-sick fictions but onely thereby to illustrate the rule of Faith left unto the Church by Iesus Christ and conserved as a sacred Tradition amongst the Apostles whilst they lived and so handed over from age to age unto the Church untill the worlds end S Ambrose will have this gift of prophecie or as the Apostle here means of Teaching to be such as renders the Preacher able to deliver high mysteries of Faith according to the measure of every true Christians capacity or understanding and indeed prophecy is here taken properly for a gift of teaching according to the exact rule of Faith even when the deepest Mysteries are agitated or the hardest places of Scripture are controverted Now by this and what we said last Sunday when the third verse of this 12th Chapter to the Romans was expounded we see the difference between the measure and the rule of Faith 7. By Ministery is here understood as above the Diaconat either as it imports the office it self or the execution thereof as shall be more at large expressed in the next verse Suffice it here to know the office is taken for an externall duty of charity and that as well corporall as spirituall whereas Doctorat or prophecie imported onely the spirituall exhibition of charity by Teaching Preaching or the like but the gift of Prophecie or Doctorate hath two branches The one is of strict solid and Magisterial doctrine according to the measure and rule of Faith a gift not imparted to every man but rarely to some few and that is here insisted upon only The other is of exhorting as followes 8. This seems a gift that allowes a liberty to the Preacher of perswading to truth by any lawfull art or meanes of Rhetorick and eloquence to draw the hearer to a content as well as a consent of what is delivered So that this exhortation is properly that which Pastours are to mix with their administration of the Sacraments and doctrinall points in their Sermons that the people may thereby be raised up as well to Acts of Love perfecting their will as to Knowledge perfecting their understanding And in this place the Apostle adviseth all men thus gifted to make use thereof according to the measure and rule of faith not to bury such their talents without profiting others thereby since here is a reduplication importing an actuall use of this Talent saying He that exhorts in exhorting let him use his talent As who should say Hee that is gifted to exhortation let him make actuall use of that gift But we are further to note in this Verse the Apostle explicates clearly the office of a Deacon or Diaconate which is Tripartite The First is that of Almes The next that of Government The third that of Hospitality for tending sick persons To the perfection of Alms he requires Simplicity such as gives purely for charity without self-interest and gives liberally upon all occasions of exigence not reserving for the future when there is a present want but confiding in Gods providence for what is to come without any sinister end such as theirs is who give alms to tempt the poor to sin But chiefly this Simplicity consists in a contradistinction against duplicity or fraud and against distinction of persons as some use to doe giving rather to one than another in equall necessity out of a partiality of respect to this body rather than to that as to an allie or acquaintance before a stranger a good or an ill natured man or the like which is against true Simplicity for God is no accepter of persons Acts 10.38 To the perfection of government the Apostle requires carefulness sollicitude and vigilance
clear a demonstration of it as deeper souls may make encouraged by these beginnings of my shallow understanding Mean while I shall beseech our whole sodality to say these Prayers with all devotion possible as being such indeed that rightly understood do ravish any tender soul and will make them see the fondnesse of a single-soled devotion in comparison of this which is the Universall Churches Prayer Let me conclude with this one question onely tell me beloved what we may not daâ—e to aske of God Almighty who in this dayes prayer are bid demand more then we dare presume to aske And why because no guilt of conscience is so great but he that is the searcher of our hearts can see the depth thereof and seeing mercifully pardon it through the abundance of his pitty towards us nay then he commonly gives a more ample pardon when we acknowledge his mercy exceeds as much our desires as it doth our merits when we rely upon him for prevenient grace to ask him pardon for our sinnes and that done with a soul contrite then build upon his goodnesse for the rest when we leave it to him what proportion of mercy he will show us since he being God cannot give so little but it is much more then we his creatures can deserve and since his goodnesse is such as he cannot chuse but give more then he bids us aske since we must alwayes ask as wanting creatures he alwayes gives as an abounding Creatour giving all things to nothing rather then want a subject to bestow his bounties on and we are lesse then nothing when he gives repentance to our sinfull souls O! this beloved is the pouring out of his mercy this is the out-doing goodnesse of Almighty God which in the prayer above we so much magnifie and in so doing glorifie his blessed name whence we may one day hope to see our blisse our glory flowing also since therefore God is glorified here in time that he may render us in heaven glorious for all eternity The Epistle 1. Cor. 15.1 c. 1 Brethren I give you to understand the Gospel which I have preached to you which also you received in which also you stand 2 By the which also you are saved after what manner I preached unto you if you keep it unlesse you have believed in vain 3 For I delivered unto you first of all which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures 4 And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 5 And that he was seen of Cephas and after that of the eleven 6 Then was he seen of more then five hundred brethren together of which many remain untill this present and some are asleep 7 Moreover he was seen of James then of all the Apostles 8 And last of all of an abortive he was seen also of me 9 For I am the least of the Apostles who am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God 10 But by the grace of God I am that which I am and his grace in me hath not been void but I have laboured more aboundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God with me The Explication 1. THat is I call again here to your mind So runs the Greek Text where the Vulgar sayes we are given to understand 2. Meaning if you work according to your belief so here faith without works was preached by Saint Paul to be vain as who should say no faith were saving but that which by charitie is operative 3. Hence it is clear the Apostle did first deliver by word of mouth the doctrine which he after writ so by tradition we come first and chiefly to Christianitie by preaching not by writing for faith is by hearing Rom. 10.17 And whereas here we read of delivery the Greeks write tradition and that according to the Scriptures 4. That is as was literally foretold by the figure of Jonas three dayes in the Whales belly allegorically of Isaac delivered safe to his mother three dayes after he had been preserved from death though offered up thereunto by Abraham 5. By Cephas understand Peter who was the first man Christ appeared to though he had before appeared to Mary Magdalene as we read Mark the last v. 9. Then to the eleven Apostles That was in the Octave of Easter when Saint Thomas was also present for at first he appeared onely to the other ten though the Greeks read to twelve meaning to the whole Colledge of Apostles which may stand good though one or two were absent as an act is said to be the whole Councills act when it is past by the greater number 6. He was seen to those five hundred as in the aire or from some high place that all might see him at once to shew them rather then to tell them he was risen for it is not said in this Text that he spoke to any of these five hundred persons And it is most probable this apparition was in the mountain of Galilee which was by our Saviour foretold so that this company probably went thither purposely and as foretold what would happen This apparition was before the Ascension for this mountain was in Galilee not in Judaea as was the mount Olivet whence our Saviour did ascend 7. This was an apparition of speciall favour to Saint James of Alphaeus called the brother of Christ and succeeding him in his sea at Hierusalem So our Saviour was not content once onely and that in common to appear unto Saint James with the rest of the Apostles and peradventure with the five hundred in the verse above but he was pleased specially to grace his brother so called because he was like our Saviour by a private appearing to him after these publick apparitions to him and others 8. Saint Paul calls himself abortive because he was born to the Apostolate after the time of Christ his choosing his Apostles by a speciall calling even from heaven after Christ had ascended to his heavenly Father So S. Ambrose and S. Chrysostome expound it Yet there want not other pious expositions of this word by other Fathers as if by this S. Paul would render himself lesse considerable So the next verse clearly saies and needs no further exposition 9 10. By the grace of God I am an Apostle and the Doctour of the Gentiles and this grace hath not been void idle or lazie in me but operative according to the diligence of a soul inflamed with the love of God and making his free will a servant to grace by acting freely what by holy inspirations he was called unto The Epistle ends at void but the verse goes on as above He saies more aboundantly then all they this may seem an ill arrogancy after so much humiliation of himself but it is not so for by more aboundantly he means onely by overcoming more vice not that he professed more virtue namely
himself onely shall he have the glory not in another 5 And every one shall bear his own burthen 6 And let him that is catechized in the word communicate to him that catechizeth him in all goods 7 Be not deceived God is not mocked for what things a man shall sow those also shall he reap 8 For any that soweth in his flesh of the flesh also shall reap corruption but he that soweth in the spirit of the spirit shall reap life everlasting 9 And doing good let us not fail for in due time we shall reap not failing 10 Therefore whilst we have time let us work good to all but especially to the domesticalls of faith The Explication 26. IF we have internall life of grace and justice let us walk justly according to the conduct of that grace and by no means look back to the wayes of Judaisme being as we are Christians but let us so farre decline from being vain-glorious as the Jews were that we even forbear the desire as well as the act thereof much lesse let us vaunt our selves to be better then others provoking them thereby to anger or envying if in any gift they excell us 1. Note S. Paul means here such faults as are casually and by frailty committed not those that are habituall or accustomary besides he glanceth here specially at frail relapses to Judaisme and such he commands the Galatians to instruct that is to reprehend gently and with lenitie not rigidly or severely as obstinate offenders ought to be reprehended so besides he makes not every one a reprehender of his brethren but those onely that are spirituall meaning Priests or Churchmen and such reprehension he will have to be in spirit also not in any vain way Note he falls from the plurall to the singular number left he had else seemed to accuse a whole community of frailty and of danger to be tempted which is indeed incident to single persons and not handsomely imputed to many 2. Here he comes to the plurall number again exhorting us to bear each others burthens whether they be of naturall disposition not agreeing with our own or whether they be diseases or afflictions laid upon our neighbour or lastly and chiefly even their sinnes we must bear indeed pardon conceal excuse and if we wil perfectly obey this counsell even do penance for them by our prayers fastings or alms and in so doing we shall fulfill the Law of Christ his command of loving one another This is my precept that you love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15.12 but he so loved us as he bore all our sinnes upon his back and therefore we must be content to help bear those of our neighbours to imitate the example of our Master 3. By something is here understood good virtuous or spiritual as who should say if any man doth not follow the precept above of bearing his brothers burthen let him never think he is or can be any thing in the sight of God Observe the text is so far from esteeming him for some body who is not sweet and gentle to his brother as he is not accounted so much as any thing in the sight of God but is truly as nothing in his eye and absolutely seduceth or cheateth himself if he conceiveth otherwise 4. In this verse we are exhorted to valew our selves onely as we can deserve to be esteemed by Almighty God where we all know we merit little or nothing and not as we may seem to be compared to others For what availes it a man to see another commit greater sins then himself if he commit sinne enough to damne him or at least to render him ungrateful to Almighty God And yet nothing more common then for us to flatter our selves that all is well at home if we see any greater evil in others then in our selves To seek our glory out of others ignominy is folly We shall never arrive to eternal glory in the next world if we do not contrive to be such here within our selves as may deserve the reward of eternal glory rather for our own good works then because others have greater bad ones to answer for then we 5. Note in the second verse above the Apostle meant the burthens of the living brethren in this he reports to those of the dead and in that sense we should each one carry his own burthen before the Tribunal of Christ at the later day as if our sins were then laid in a knapsack on our own backs and each man there to answer onely for his own unlesse he had made himself also guilty of others sins too and in such case they become his also The Reformers mis-understand this place when they alleadge it against purgatory and will therefore have it needlesse to ease our brethren in purgatory of their burthens by our prayers Alas they are chiefly then objects of our compassions and may yet find ease by the communion with the Church in prayer by partaking of the suffrages which the Saints afford them but at the later day it will not be so then is a time for justice not for mercy 6. Observe here the practise of catechizing or teaching Christian doctrine to be as ancient as from the primitive Church in the Apostles dayes Note that then also they who had the happinesse to receive the benefit of being catechized were exhorted to repend the spiritual courtesie by temporal rewards of relief to the Apostles Note lastly that catechizing was by word of mouth not by writing performed for it was indeed prohibited in those times to commit to writing the mysteries of faith lest the Infidels should profane them as they came to their view and yet now what huge force the Reformers put in the Scripture as if it alone availed and tradition were nothing worth whereas both together make up one perfect Record of Christian doctrine 7. This verse may either be refer'd to that immediate before or to the fourth above as who should say deceive not your selves by pretending excuses from relieving their temporal wants who afford you the spiritual helps of Christian doctrine so S. Augustine Theophylactus and S. Hierome expound this place or as more generally others expound it delude not your selves for you cannot cousen God by shaking off your burthens upon other mens shoulders you shall bear your own for God knowes which are yours and you cannot cousen him and thus it reports to the fifth verse as above let each one bear his own burthen So the metaphor imports that this life is a husbandry a time of sowing the next is that of reaping according as we have sowed here if good works then good reward if bad then punishment 8. This verse S. Hierome and the rest above interpret as they did that of the catechized as who should say if you sow the seed of almes to those that instruct you you shall reap the reward the Spirit that is heaven if you sow penury and relieve them not
Parents will to have him lost If then beloved we see the piety of the B. Virgin Mother of God was short of that which must be our guide how can we hope with lesse than heavenly piety to render our actions our desires gratefull to his divine Majesty And who can now complain there wants connexion in this Prayer unto the other service of the day if any doe let him see how to comply with the heavenly piety of his Eternall Father Jesus was Thirty years together subject to his Temporall Mother and then we shall soon find out a way how to sweeten the sour of our humane actions by having no desire to any of them less than heavenly nor to doe them with less than heavenly piety The Epistle ROM 12. ver 1. c. 1. I Beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercy of God that you exhibite your bodies a living host holy pleasing God your reasonable service 2. And be not conformed to this world but he reformed in the newnesse of your mind that you may prove what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is 3. For I say by the grace that is given me to all that are among you not to be more wise than behooveth to be wise but to be wise unto sobriety to every one as God hath divided the measure of Faith 4. For as in one body we have many members but all the members have not one action 5. So we being many are one body in Christ and each one anothers members The Explication 1. THe Apostle had in his former Chapter told them much of the mercies of Almighty God and shewed them how though the wicked were justly condemned yet even the Blessed were most mercifully saved hence by that mercy so much inculcated immediately before he now conjures them that as they had now received from him the rule of Faith so they would frame their manners their actions and lives according to that rule see what is said of this Rule in the next Sundayes Epistle Rom. 12. v. 6. But to the present Text wherein the Apostle here beseecheth them by the mercy so much above recommended to live good lives answerable to their rule of Faith and to exhibite their bodies by action as well as their souls by Faith a living host to God There are many who loose the literall sense of this place by contenting themselves with the divers and those excellent mysticall meanings thereof as first by saying our bodies are living when our lives are vertuous Secondly when we are charitable because charity is the life of all vertues Thirdly when we have received the Sacrament of Christ his Body and Bloud but in very deed the literall allusion here is to the antient bloudy Sacrifices both of Jews and Gentiles made of beasts dead bodies whereunto the daily unbloudy Sacrifice of the Evangelicall Lamb is diametrically opposite first of the living Body and bloud of Christ next of living chastized but not mortified bodies of Christians being as the Apostle adviseth offered up to the service of Almighty God since such chastizements leave the bodies living by a naturall life again they live by the spirituall life of good works done in obedience to their soules command for so operating besides by corporall mortification or pennance the body is made truly a living host because it is mortified alive by becoming subject to the command of the Spirit for all mortification is a kind of living death whilest it makes the body dye to concupiscence and live to grace but these our bodies must further be holy Sacrifices that is to say imployed in holy not prophane or impure works not worshipping Idols as the Gentiles did but God as befits good Christians not polluting their bodies with unchast actions but keeping them pure and undefiled for this purity is by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7 called sanctity and is such indeed Again this bodily host must be pleasing to God for it may be living and holy in it self and yet not pleasing to God if the offerer be displeasing since many there are who fast goe in pilgrimage to holy places doe other corporall pennances and yet not rectifying together their souls obliquities their passions of the mind are nothing pleasing to God Lastly he concludes exhorting that our offerings to God be seasoned with the salt of wisedome that is be alwayes a reasonable service not fond childish curious indiscreet or singular but such as we may ever render a reasonable account of even to God who will not allow of indiscretions for reasons though indeed the Apostle here alludes to the irrationall offerings among the Gentiles who made their Idols their Gods and dedicated their services to Stocks and Stones whereas he would have Christians be more reasonable and instead of dead beasts to offer their living bodies joyntly with the acts of their believing hoping and loving souls to be a perpetuall Sacrifice or service to God all their life time and thus the whole creature will become not a corporall not an irrationall but a spirituall and reasonable Sacrifice 2. The Apostle hath pleased to make a disjunctive recommends of this entire creature in way of Sacrifice to God while in the former verse he insisted cheifly on the corporall part of the creature which we are and so advised how to render our bodies a living Sacrifice to God but in this verse he tells us how to render our better part the soul of man an acceptable oblation to the divine Majesty and since Christian perfection consists as well in declining evill as in doing good therefore this verse begins with removing evill out of our way that so we may doe good which the Apostle understands when he bids us take heed we doe not conforme our actions to the course of this unconformable world and this we shall performe by avoiding the evill that we see in men for we shall then best shew that we doe not conforme unto sinfull men when we fly their company and avoid such actions as renders them sinners and having thus followed the negative part of this counsell we are the better prepared to put the positive part thereof in execution for by not conforming to the world we whose bodies are made up of the old worldly metall shall be reformed in the newnesse of our minds by setting them henceforward on heavenly which heretofore were imployed wholly upon earthly cogitations so the Apostle by bidding us not conform to this world did not mean to forbid us making use of it but not to figure our selves like unto it that is not to become vain proud idle and the like as the world is for so we make our selves figures of this world or variable as worldlings are whereas the Apostle desires us to avoid becoming mutable or transitory figures and wisheth us to become persisting formes rather which are of a permanent nature namely spirituall formes of Saints not worldly figures of men and here reformation imports in truth
set at helm to steâ—r the Ship which in a calm is left to the guidance many times of the most unskillful Marriner and as in Tempests all the sayles are strucken instantly to sâ—cure the ship from being run under water by the over-swollen sails so in Temptations we seek the best advice and thereby are minded to abate of our usuall pride or over-filled fails of pleasure and counselled to strike those sailes to lessen our delighâ—s and carry lower sails Again as in storms men put to sea lest they be pails't in pieces against the rocks about the shoars so when Temptations arise we launch into the deep sea of Gods protection from the rocks that lie upon all the shoares of this worldly sea and the reasons of Christs sleeping were to shew the security God is in though all the world seem to lye at stake of immediate hazard to make the miracle appear the greater when all the ship was in a fright of being cast away to declare there could be no fear in the minde of a just man Prov 12. Whatsoever happens to a just man hee shall not be afflicted he calmeth all the stormes of her afflictions 25. Strange goodness of Almighty God! that what is here told us as a rule how to behave our selves in all our â—roubles should be literally a rebuke to the Apostles as afterwarâ—s it appears when Christ tels them they wanted faith whilest they fear theiâ— own ruine who had him for a pledge of their securitie since he being in the Boat they could not perish and indeed though the miracle had not in that case appeared yet their merit had been greater if their faith had been such as not to have awaked and raised our Saviour but to have confided in his power as well whilst he was sleeping as if he were awake 26. This Verse shews the former to be rightly understood in the sense as above for here they stand corrected meerly upon that account of diffidence or incredulity and though both S Mark and S. Luke speak of this rebuke given them after the â—empest was allayed yet S. Matthew making a more methodicall Narration of our Saviours life in all his sacred History seems with reason to premise this reprehension as preceding the calming of the winds and Sea because it was fit Christ should first quell the storm of infidelity in their souls that so whilest upon his rebuke they resumed courage and confidence they might by their Acts of Faith merit this miracle which he wrought in recompence thereof and indeed nothing moves God more powerfully towards the working a miracle than the firmness of our faith mixed with a confiding hope that he for his own honour and glory not for our ends will doe in all occasions of difficulty that which is best and most pleasing to his divine Majesty though it cannot else be done unless he work a miracle to effect it nor is there any more efficacious remedy in all disturbances than a firm hope in Almighty God for as S. Bernard sayes well Ser. 6. in Psal it is written He will help those who have hoped in him as it seems his Disciples upon his chiding did while after it the Evangelist here sayes and then Jesus rising as who should say he had chid them lying still for all their hasty calling of him up commanded the winds and Sea and presently there insued a great calm both which made the Miracle the greater for never is the water still upon a sudden though the winde doe cease but here it seems as soon as Christ had laid the one he flats the other and so takes off the danger of the boat sinking by the waves of the sea beating into it as before it did when we lead the ship was almost covered with waves but we may here note that the command which Christ is by S. Matthew said to lay upon the winds and sea is by S. Mark called a threat by S. Luke a check as who should say he spake to both these inanimate creatures as to his living servants to shew that in Gods sight no creature wants life nor can the deaf want eares to hear the least voyce of Almighty God or blind lack eyes to see the slightest cast of his sacred looks upon them and indeed the tempest was declared to be greater by the command of Christ laid upon the rebellious Elements of winds and sea rather than by the importunity of the Disciples calling for help since it argues high disorder in the servants when the masters ordinary words suffice not without the authority of his absolute command to order his family and what else is the whole world but a number of almighty Gods houshold servants 27. By the men are here understood both the saylers and others who with the Apostles had slipt into the boat when Christ went off the shoar some out of curiosity others out of zeal for certainly though the reprehension Christ gave was chiefly to the Apostles who had taken the boldness being his acquaintance to wake him yet the Evangelist must needs mean others and not them when he speaks in a stile below their dignity saying the men marvelled for as Origen observes very well the Scripture Phrase when it alludes to them useth alwayes the distinctive sign either of the Apostles or Disciples of our Lord for reverence both to the master and the servants yet S. Hierom sayes if any will have it that even they were meant by these men admiring at this miracle it must bee as a stile given them rather in punishment of their incredulity than otherwise as if that fault had deprived them of their better stile and ranked them amongst the vulgar sort of misbelieving men S. Hieromes words are these If any will contend the Apostles were meant by these men wee must say they were so called because they did not yet know the power of our Saviour and certainly if they were ignorant of it they did not believe it so they deserved not in this conjunction of things the superlative stile or dignity of the Apostolate but in very truth the following words shew by these men the Evangelist meant the marriners and strangers to Christ that were in the ship whilest he makes them say What a man is this that the winds and sea obey him This was a language not likely to come out of the Apostles mouthes even in the admiring sence of the words admit we take them not in the Interrogatory meaning thereof onely For had the Apostles made this admiration in words surely they would have been so civill as to say how happy are we that serve a master who is of such admirable power but to say What an one or What a man is this who hath such power over winds and seas is rather the language of a rude stranger than of a civill freind or dutifull servant and consequently could not probably be meant of the Apostles by the Evangelist The Application 1. AS by the
other life than this sordid one they enjoyed upon earth but it is worthy observation to see the Apostle speak so confidently of our sufferings here before Men as if God for whom these men did see us suffer were as visible in our eyes though we see him not as the men are whom we doe see and truly so it is For God is remarkably seen in all his creatures according to that of Saint Paul Rom 1. ver 20. The invisibles of God by those things that are visible and rightly understood are seen unto us And if we could alwayes have this truth in our minde we should alwayes have God before our eyes as the Apostle avoucheth the Thessalonians had saying they did believe love and hope in the senses above as if they had God the Father and his sacred Son perpetually standing before them and visibly incouraging them to all the good actions of their lives which indeed if every good Christian should perswade himself and square his actions accordingly we should soon see a good world here and a happy reward of our goodness in the next life 4. The knowledge he here speaks of is not that of his Belief and Faith but rather of his experience for it was an evident proof to him that God did love those whom he had Elected to the happy calling of Christianity as it was preached by Christ himself and his Apostles not as now when that terme of election is too loosely and too largely taken God knowes though in truth he alludes here to his knowledge that their Election to Glory will be the reward of their vocation to Grace if they persevere as they have begun to be good Christians so he speaks as by what followes appears literally of their present election to Grace mystically and as by consequence of that glory upon condition of their perseverance 5. For it was a signe of present Grace joyned with a hope of future Glory that he takes notice his preaching did not onely work in force of words with them but in power of Grace also both in the Preachers and in the hearers In the Preachers as confirmed in Grace by the holy Ghost descending upon them and making of poor ignorant men deep Doctors in an instant for this is it he alludes unto saying You know what men we have been among you meaning before the holy Ghost came down upon us and what now we are for your sakes that is to say men illuminated by God for your instructions and exposed to all hazards of our lives for your conversions all which argues the gift of present Grace in the Preachers and the actuall conversions of the hearers argues the same gift of Grace in them and both these give indeed hope of future Glory to them both Note that by the much fulness is here understood the like plenitude of his Doctrine confirmed by like miracles preached by the like impulse of the holy Ghost avowed by the like sufferings for the truth of his Doctrine as was the Doctrine Miracles Preaching and Sufferings of the other Apostles called before him who never had been persecutours of the Church as he was whom they had seen doe all in the same fulnesse of Grace as the other Apostles did and by the Gospel in the beginning of this Verse he means his particular preaching the Word of Christ 6. Here is a strange kind of speech wherein S. Paul puts himself Sylvanus and Timothy as examples to the Thessalonians before Christ when he sayes they were followers of them and of Christ as if he meant for their sakes they had also followed Christ and not them or Christ his sake yet if we reflect upon it this seeming immodesty is hugely modest and extreamly true indeed necessary for however Christ were the Apostles and his other Diciples immediate example and pattern which they followed yet to all the after-Ages the Apostles and their successours to their respective times were the immediate and visible rule of Faith unto the world and the examples whom they first following afterward are called Christians because Christ as he was the first rule to the Apostles so is he the last rewarder of those that believe in him for the Apostles sakes that is by meanes of the Apostles and their successours teaching and preaching the Faith of Christ in regard Christ not being now visibly amongst us gives us leave to follow him by such examples as he pleaseth to send unto us wherewith to supply his own absence namely the governours of holy Church Nor is it any way derogatory to Almighty God that man is instrumentall to his Divine Service as that we say we owe our conversion to such an Apostle to such a Priest to such a holy Man as the immediate and visible cause thereof however we finally place our Faith in Christ and our trust in God who hath given such Gifts such Graces such Powers unto Men as to prevail with their followers to joy in their Tribulation which they suffer for hearing and receiving the Word of God true it is we receive this Word from the mouthes of Men but it is the holy Ghost that moves us joyfully to suffer the Tribulation of all severest persecution rather than not imbrace this Word as Divine however delivered by men unto us because it hath in it an energy a force exceeding all humane power such as inables us to renounce all temporall happinesse in hope of the Eternall which this sacred Word doth promise us 7. See here how the Apostle courts his own Converts by making them in a manner Co-apostles with himself whilst their exemplarity of life is the means of converting others to the Faith of Christ whom the Apostles never did converse withall as here they are said to be worthy of the stile of Co-apostlate over all Macedonia and Achaia great Countries looking upon Christianity as an object of â—arest Beauty by reason of the singular Vertues shining in these Thessalonian Matrons to whom this Epistle relates 8. Nay he goes further and to their religious demeanour attributes the Conversion in a manner of all other Nations insomuch as there is no more need as he saith of the Apostles and he adds that as the Thessalonians believe so all the world beliâ—ves seeing in them such remarkable signs of sanctity verity and doctrine 9. They themselves that is to say all those amongst whom we now come have heard of your celebrated conversion from Gentilism to Christianity from plurality of gods so he meanes by Idol gods dead stocks and stones to the Adoration of one sole True and living God from all and unto all eternity And this your conversion is the more famous by reason of the persecutions raised against us and you upon this account who rather chose to die than to desert us though our entrance was persecution and your exit sufferance for the promulgation of the Gospel which teacheth us to adore one onely God 10. And to expect the second coming of his
sacred son Christ Jesus at the day of Judgement to revenge his Fathers and his own wrongs done unto them by the sins of ungratefull and mis-believing men who notwithstanding they see Christ was raised from the dead will not yet believe him to bee the Messias and Saviour of the world from which revenge or wrath those who believe in Christ Jesus are delivered that is from the damnation due to their incredulity who believe not in him or to their evill lives who though they doe rightly believe yet live not according to the rule of Faith or doe not works answerable to their belief The Application 1. AS it is huge Reason we should fly to heaven for help in humane dangers according as wee were taught last Sunday so is it very reasonable we should practise what S. Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to whilest his Lesson to them is this day read to us Namely to be mindfull of the work of our Faith c for albeit Faith elevateth Reason to believe some things that are above Reason yet it bindeth us not to doe any thing either above or against Reason and so leaves us in all our thoughts and actions to be regulated by reason 2. Hence it is great Reason that we who now profess the same Faith with the Thessalonians doe persevere with them in the works of faith such as may render us able by our exemplar lives to convert all that we converse with as wâ— hear the Thessalonians did convert all those of Macedonia and of Achaia to the faith of Jesus Christ 3 Now because our actions commonly are such as our thoughts propend and lead us to it is fitting that to bee the better able to doe reason in all our actions we should admit of notâ—ing but reason into our thoughts and meditations since we are certain whatsoever can lay claim to Reason especially such â—s is elevated by Faith must needs be pleasing to almighty God According as we are taught in the Prayer above The Gospel MATTH 13. vers 31. 31. ANother Parable he proposed unto them saying The kingdome of heaven is like to mustard seed which a man tooke and sowed in his fiâ—ld 32. Which is the least surely of all seeds but when it is grown it is greater than all hearbs and is made a Tree so that the fowls of the aire come and dwell in the branches thereof 33. Another Parable he spake to them The kingdome of heaven is like to leaven which a a woman tooke and hid in three measures of meal untill the whole was leavened 34. All these things Jesus spake in Parables to the multitudes and without parables he did not speak to them 35. That it might be fâ—lfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying I will open my mouth in parables I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world Psal 77. v. 2. The Explication 31. OUr Saviour it seems at this time made profession to speak nothing but Parables so after he had as we heard last Sunday told them the Parable of the cockle amongst the corn here hee likens the Church to the least of grains a mustard seed sowed in a mans field that is to say scattered over the field of this world which is truly said a mans field in regard Christ who is God and man is Lord and master of this whole Universe and all over it hath planted this mustard seed his holy Church 32. And as in very truth a mustard seed is the least of all others so the Church of Christ was when first planted or sowed the least of all communities in the word But some conceive Christ himself to bee this mustard seed on whom grew as so many birds in their nests The Apostles Popes Bishops Pastours and Saints of all sorts and of both sexes Others will have the Church to be this mustard-seed little in it self at first now spread over all the world Others contend it is the Gospel of Christ his doctrine or the word of God that at first was onely sowed like mustard seed among the Jewes but now is diffused over the whole Universe In fine it avails little which of these we take the Parable is verified in them all and indeed they are all in a manner one and the same thing for all have root in Christ and are branches of him and the Analogie holds between the mustard seed and every one of these for who lesse than Christ who was the out-cast of men What Church lesse than the Primitive Church of Christ What Doctrine avowed by weaker men than his Disciples were and so consequently what word lesse than his which was exsibilated or hissed out of the world at first when it was said to be a scandall to the Jewes and a folly to the Gentiles 1 Cor. 1.23 to preach the Gospel of his resurrection And this is speciall between the word and mustard-seed that as in this seed there is a kinde of fierie quality so is the word of God as holy David sayd Psal 119. v. 140. Thy word is exceeding fierie that is servorous and hot inflaming hearts to the love of God and whereas the Text speaks of this seed growing to a tree it is indeed so in Syria where birds really build in the boughs thereof as all the members of Christ doe upon him as was abovesaid 33. This other parable of the Church or of her doctrine being like to leaven suites exceedingly therewith for as a litle leaven gives a relish to a whole batch of bread so the least Word of God hidden in mens hearts as leaven is in meal makes them rise into professions of Christian dutie and renders all their actions savourie both to God and man By the woman is here meant the Church which is the Spouse of Christ hiding the leaven of Christian doctrine in the three measures of meal that is to say in three parts of the World whereunto Christianity was then immediately designed namely Asia Africa and Europe for America hath been discovered but an hundred years agoe and whither formerly disjoyned from some one of these other three parts of the Earth by an interjected Sea as now it is we know not But this we conceive that these other three parts seemed to have been a division of the whole Earth into all the parts thereof when Noe divided the World between his three Sons assigning Asia to Sem Afirica to Cham and Europe to Japhet and this perhaps may be the literall allusion of the three measures of meal seasoned by the leaven of the Gospel Mystically Saint Ambrose applyes this leaven to the three parts of Man his spirit his life and his body or to his three appetites rationall Irascible and concupiscible So that by vertue of Gods holy Word Saint Hierome sayes in our reason we possesse prudence in our anger we lodge a holy hatred against Sin in our desires or concupiscencies we harbour a coveting of Vertue And all this in having these naturall appetites elevated to
duties The Gospel MAT. 20. ver 1 c. 1. THe Kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is an housholder which went forth early in the morning to hire workmen into his vineyard 2. And having made covenant with the workmen for a penny a day he sent them into his vineyard 3. And going forth about the third hour hee saw others standing in the market place idle 4. And he said unto them Go you also into the vineyard and that which shall be just I will give you 5. And they went their way And again hee went forth about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise 6. But about the eleventh hour hee weâ— forth and found other standing and he saith to them What stand you here all the day idle 7. They say unto him because no man hath hired us He saith to them Go you also into the vineyard 8 And when evening was come the Lord of the vineyard saith to his Bailiffe Call the workmen and pay them their hire beginning from the last even to the first 9. Therefore when they were come that came about the eleventh hour they received every one a penny 10. But when the first also came they thought that they should receive more and they also received every one a penny 11. And receiving it they murmured against the good-man of the house 12. Saying These last have continued one hour and thou hast made them equall to us that have born the burden of the day and the heats 13. But he answering said to one of them Friend I doe thee no wrong didst thou not covenant with mee for a penny 14. Take that is thine and goe I will also give to this last even as to thee also 15. Or is it not lawfull for mee to doe that I will Is thine eie naught because I am good 16. So shall the last be first and the first last for many bee called but few elected The Explication 1. WHen it is said the kingdome of heaven is like a man doing as this Parable relates the meaning is that in heaven it is done as here by such a man is said to be done though true it is this alludes also to the great ones in this world Let us therefore state the Parable thus By the Vineyard is meant the Church by the market the world by those called at the first the third and sixth hour are understood the Jews signfied in their forefathers Abraham Jacob and Moses called to Gods service in that sort as hee was pleased to lay his commands upon his Church or Synagogue rather by the last called are signified the Gentiles in their primitiae or first fruits the holy Apostles who were made the Pillars and Props of the Christian Church By the evening is meant the day of Judgement when every one shall receive his hire according to his labours in the Church of Christ that is the penny which was promised unto him for his pains and this penny is eternall glory to the blessed deserving well though withall by the word penny is understood pence of severall coins or rather values that is to say monie called a penny at pleasure though worth perhaps much more Again we are to note the greater reward is not given for the the greater pains but for the greater grace or greater co-operation with equall grace and according to this sense by the first are understood the blessed or saved souls by the last the accursed or damned men and Angels but divers of the Fathers explicate this Parable thus As by the first made last to understand those who have been longest Catholikes but making lesse use of time and grace than those who are later called to the Catholike Faith and yet make more profit of their little time and more use perhaps of their lesse grace than others have done So then the penny which is heaven is equally divided to each each being saved and none damned though the last called have the greater glory which makes no essentiall difference in the Beatitude common to them all that is in their genericall or objective bliss which consists in seeing God the Beatifying object whom all shall see though there shall be a difference in their more or lesse cleerly seeing this blissefull Object or Objective blisse according to their more or lesse Merit or Co-operation with the Grace given unto them in this life So though they have an equality of a most happy eternity yet shall they not be equally happy by equality of glory in that eternity of happinesse and in this sense the parts of the parable are thus to be applyed That by the day we understand the whole course of this world by the severall houres of this day we understand the particular ages thereof by the first hour from Adam to Noe by the next from Noe to Abraham by the third from Abraham to Moses by the sixth from Moses to Christ by the eleventh or last from Christ to the day of doom Thus S. Chrysostome and others Or by the day may be meant the whole time of each mans life by the severall hours his Infancie youth virility old age and decrepicie Thus S. Hierome and others But the fullest sense and that which best exhausts the whole Parable is to joyn all these together so what falls short in one will come home and be supplyed by the other for though here S. Chrysostomes enumeration of parts in the Parable seem different from S. Hieromes yet they both agree in the sense of the equall penny given to first and la t whereas the former enumeration of these parts casteth out the last from all reward and supposeth them damned souls so there are but two senses in three Enumerations of parts to this Parable And this long Preamble in the first Verse will ease us much in the explication of all the rest and shorten what is to be said upon them 2. The covenant here made with the Workmen for a pennie is the promise God makes of heaven to those that live here in the Church of Christ which is called his Vineyard according to the Apostolicall Rule of Faith including good works and co-operation with the grace of God answerable to the proportion thereof given unto us 3. The Romans first and then the Jewes under them divided as well the day as the night into twelve parts by four equall divisions answerable to their four watches or changes of their Guards The first hour of the day when the first guard mounted was from Sun-rising The third was three hours after The sixth six hours after that which was noon-day The ninth was three hours after noon The last was at Sun-setting and to these houres allude what is here said of the severall hours of mens being called to the vineyard of Christ By those who were found standing idle are meant remiss soules who make it not their studie or labour to gain heaven but expect it should be given them gratis 4. Observe here
his wife wholly and solely to his own single use and by businesse is not here understood traffique bargaine sale law or the like but properly that businesse which is betweene man and wife their mutuall accompanying one another in the Act of wedlock because our Lord will in a particular way revenge and commonly he doth it by some curse upon the children of Adulterous parents this wrong for as much as it is a speciall abuse to God to violate the Faith of marriage bed since by the Sacrament of marriage is represented the union betweene Christ and his spouse the holy Church and consequently since for that reason men are bid to love their wives as Christ doth love his Church and wives their husbands as the Church loves Christ so to violate the signe of this holy union is to attempt an adultery even betweene Christ and his holy spouse since they who are disloyall to their marriage bed can no more be what they are appointed by God for representers of Christ his fidelity to holy Church and of the Churches loyalty to him 7. See how the Apostle closeth this subject with a generall addresse to all Christians that chastity is a vertue they all must practise more or lesse and since in particular the Gentiles were noted for huge licentiousnesse and liberty in their lustfull wayes he requires of Christians a speciall study of the vertue contrary thereunto namely of purity and chastity as a distinctive signe from Gentilisme and a peculiar badge of Christianity whence it is that as all Gentiles in the primitive Church before they were reconciled had particular instructions to forgoe their former uncleannesse and were made by Baptisme to renounce the world the Flesh and the Devill so we see it is still continued a rule in holy Church that all who are new converted from Infidelity to the true faith of Christ and all Infants as soone as they are borne are by the voices of their Godfathers and Godmothers to make the like renunciation and to enter a solemne Covenant with Almighty God of purity and Sanctification to shew they renounce the soule feind their former parent and adhere to Almighty God the fountaine of Purity and Chastity and that peculiar vertue of Sanctification is it the Apostle here sayes all Christians are called unto The Application 1. THe grand designe of finishing by good works the Purification we aime at by this Lenten fast is closely carried on to day by the recommended work of chastity from the very beginning to the end of this Epistle 2 Now because we are not onely unable of our selves to compasse this vertue but have further huge interiour and exteriour temptations against it and are for the most part more propense naturally to the sin of the flesh then to any other vice whatsoever 3. And lastly because the breach of Chastity exposeth us more to corporal adversities then the violating other vâ—â—â—ues do which violation we are yet often tempted unto by evil that is to say by unclean cogitations Therefore as least able of our selves to compass this Vertue of Chastity necessary for rendring our Fast compleat and our Souls purified thereby We pray for it most properly as above much as on S. Josephs day we pray That what our Possibility cannot obtain namely Chastity may be granted us by his Intercession The Gospel Matth. 17. v. 1 c. 1 And after six dayes Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James and John his brother and bringeth them into a high mountain apart 2 And he was transfigured before them And his face did shine as the Sun and his garments became white as snow 3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him 4 And Peter answering said to Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernales one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias 5 And as he was yet speaking behold a bright cloud overshadowed them And lo a voyce out of the cloud saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him 6 And the disciples hearing it fell upon their face and were sore afraid 7 And Jesus came ond touched them and he said to them Arise and fear not 8 And they lifting up their eyes saw no body but onely Jesus 9 And as they descended from the mount Jesus commanded them saying Tell the vision to no body till the Son of man be risen from the dead The Explieation 1. IT was six dayes after Christ had told his Apostles and the people that some of them who were then in his company should not dye before they had seen him in his Kingdom Thus ended the sixteenth Chapter of S. Matthew yet S. Luke recounting the story of Christs Transfiguration sayes it was eight dayes after our Saviour foretelling his passion told them That some there present should see him in his Kingdom before they dyed here seems a contradiction where one sayes eight the other six dayes after but both are true in their several senses for S. Luke includes the day in which this was spoken and that on which Christ was transfigured S. Matthew speaks onely of the six dayes between spent by Christ in teaching and preaching as he went that twenty leagues between Caesarea Philippi the place where he spake this and Mount Tabor whither he went to fulfil his saying So that although many conceive diversly in the true sense of what Christ meant by his Kingdom which some will have to be his Churâ—h others his Resurrection others his Ascension whereof many then present were witnesses yet the most probable opinion is that he meant by his Kingdom this very mystery of his Transfiguration wherein he shewed the Apostles in a transient passage a glimmering of that permanent glory he was to raign in for all Eternity in his Kingdom of Heaven for having before declared he was to dye it was fit he should give them a testimony he was nevertheless the Ever-living God and for this purpose he did in this glorious manner appear unto them so that they seeing him thought they were in heaven and consequently having seen him thus glorious once could not lose their Faith but that he would assuredly rise again from death to life which yet few could give credit unto when once they see him dead and buried The reason why he took these three Apostles onely was to shew he had special regard to each of them more then ordinary to Peter as the head of all the rest to James as honored with the Title of our Saviours Brother for being like him in person and so left his successor at Jerusalem where James was the first Bishop after Christ his death and first Martyr of the Apostles to John as his favourite being known by the title of that Disciple whom Jesus loved These three therefore Christ singles out and carries them into a high Mountain called Thabor near to Nazareth where Christ was
inward spirit or inspiration of the holy Ghost revealing as it were to man internally this truth by a speciall favour of holy unction of whom it is said 2 Ep. Ioan. cap. c. 2. v. 20. 27. He shall teach all truth and that his unction teacheth us in all things 7. This for is a proper illative he having said before the Spirit bore testimony that Christ was verity since the Spirit is one of the three in heaven that give testimony beyond all exceptions namely Father Son and Holy Ghost which is the very spirit that is mentioned testifying as above in Christ his behalfe so the scope of this verse is that all the three persons of the Blessed Trinity give testimony to man and Angels of Christ his being the Messias the Son of God sent to redeeme the world The Father in his Baptisme and Transfiguration the Holy Ghost by comming downe upon him in the shape of a Dove and by comming as sent from heaven by him after his Ascension to confirme his Apostles in grace on Whitsunday the Feast of Pentecost and the word or second person abundantly in all the mysteries of his life and death and all these three are one not in essence and divine nature onely but even in their Testimonies of him they all concurre in one and the same Truth 8. Saint Iohn having cited three divine or increated testimonies of Christ his Deity addes also three created testimonies of the same Truth the spirit water and bloud which three to make a perfect Analogy between this double Trinity he sayes are all one meaning they have all one root the Sacred Deity in which they are sanctified The water represents the Father the Bloud the Son the Spirit the Holy Ghost for as water was the first principle of all sublunary things as in the first of Genesis the creation declared so is the Father the creator of all the world and as Christ by his own bloud saved us so his Holy Martyrs by their bloud give testimony of him as the Holy Ghost taught all truth to the Apostles and their successors so that Spirit of Truth in the Holy Church beares testimony of his infallible veracity by whose holy Spirit she remaines infallible Take then this created Trinity thus by Water Baptisme by Bloud Martyrdome by the Spirit the charity of God diffused in our hearts and these three are one in way of Testimony or testifying all one thing the Deity of Christ that he was true God as well as man So they are not one in nature as the increated Trinity is but in office or Testimony they are all one and the same yet may we say they are even in nature all one too if wee make the division thus that these three human testimonies were all one in Christ as he was man that is the water and bloud out of his side and the spirit his human soule which he dying gave up to testifie he was a true man and all these three may be said one as being severall parts that integrated one whole Christ 9. This verse begins with an argument of similitude importing if we beleeve men much more ought we to beleeve God not that it implyeth as if the Testimony that holy Church gives of truth were a humane Testimony onely but yet creditable even upon that account and undoubted upon an other that though men speak yet God dictates the Truth unto them and so the Doctrine of the Church is not onely the Doctrine nor Testimony of men but also of God assisting them and thence it makes human-Divines or Divine-Men so in short the sence of this verse is whither the created or increated Trinity bear testimony of Christ his Deity it is the testimony of God himselfe either being or working infallible Truth whence Saint Peter 2 Epist cap. 1. v. 21. Sayes well The holy men of God spake inspired with the holy Ghost * So were those signes when Christ suffered in the Sun Moone Rocks c. Signes of the creator speaking in the creatures 10. For many reasons this is true first because he hath a thing testified by God secondly the testimony of God about that thing for none but God could reveale that truth of Christ being the Sonne of God This was told Saint Peter and thence he was called by Christ Blessed Matth. c. 16. v. 17. thirdly because this testimony is faith it selfe the greatest gift of God lastly because by this gift of Faith a man is regenerate and made of the devils Son to be the Son of God The Priest asking first the baptized if he do beleeve Christ and that professed then baptizeth immediately The Application 1. THe Illustration upon this Prayer gives a great help to the present Application of this Text unto our best advantage according to intention of the Holy Church for seeing by the Paschal Feast we understand the vertues that were proper thereunto we must not exclude the magazine of vertues which men have been hoarding up since Advent but especially those in Lent towards making us more capable of the benefit of our Saviours Resurrection because it is no lesse vertue to conserve what we have gotten then it was to get the thing acquired and wee shall then best conserve those vertues when by frequent Acts thereof as occasion is administred we make them perfect in us and when our selves are perfected by them 2. Now to shew the Church observes a method in her services as the three Theologicall vertues Faith Hope and Charity are the maine roots of all Christianity and of all other vertues whatsoever therefore from this time till we come againe to Advent where we first began the Rules of Christianity there are three seasons set a part for these Three Theologicall vertues which are the three last misteries of humane Redemption the resurrection whereby we are to perfect our Faith the Ascension whereby we are to perfect our Hope and the comming of the Holy Ghost whereby we are to perfect our charity as shall be said at large of each when they occurr 3. Suffice it for the present that this Epistle in the front thereof and quite throughout commends unto us the exercise of our Faith as the most proper vertue now required at our hands since we see the mystery of the Resurrection was a thing so hard to be believed that it cost our Saviour forty dayes paines to make it good by frequent apparitians in divers places unto divers persons for he had else ascended up to heaven as soone as ever he arose from his grave had it not been matter of huge difficulty to make the world from thence beleeve that he was God as well as man because he was risen from the dead and that as he being man did rise againe so they should doe that were men too the good to everlasting Joy the bad to everlasting paine no marvell then our Faith in the Resurrection be call'd the victory which over comes the world in the sence of the
alone damning without redemption for he that beleeveth not shall be condemned Mar. c. 16. v. 16. 10. Againe he shall argue them of Iustice that is hee shall accuse them of injustice shewing to the Jewes all their ceremoniall rites and Lawes did not render them just nor would all the morall vertues of the Gentiles that were infidels justifie them in the sight of God because none could render them just there but Jesus Christ who for that purpose went to his Father to tell him these onely shalt thou justifie who beleeve aright in me who renounce the ceremoniall Law of the Jewes the humane Law of the Gentiles and follow the divine Law that I have left them who alone have redeemed them and can alone save those that keep my Law that can make them truly just in the sight of men and Angels and of God himselfe it is very pretty what Saint Bernard saith of these words Ser. 12. The Holy Ghost doth argue the world of sinne because it dissembles of Justice which it doth not rightly order while it attributes the same to man not to God of Judgement which it usurpes while it judgeth rashly not onely of it selfe but of others too 11. Lastly he shal argue the world of Judgement is diversely understood by some that the Holy Ghost shal shew the world made a false judgement of Christ his Miracles holding them to be witchcrafts or workes of the devil by others that he shal argue men of sloath to be overcome by the wounded and conquered devil for want of diligence to resist him by others of cousenage to put their hopes in the devil who himselfe is damned and can save no man by others and those best of all that the Holy Ghost shal argue men of Judgement in shewing them how justly they deserve damnation who follow for their guides the damned devil and all his wayes and workes and this when he shal make the Apostles cast out devils out of the visible Temples where they were as Idols adored for God and out of the invisible Temples the soules of men whom they had possessed both by their foule persons presence and by the guilt of enormious sinne cast out by Sacramental grace of holy pennance 12. Christ here alludes to the mysteries of Faith the conversion of the Gentiles the foundation of the Churches and Government thereof by his Vicar by the Bishops and Priests in a Hierarchical way all which he left to be the product of the holy Ghost and things deeper then for novices to be able at first to dive into in whose eyes the carnal and ceremonial Rights of the Jewish Churches or Synagogues rather were too fresh as yet and their souls were not sufficiently illuminated to attend to higher matters and those altogether spiritual whence we may gather that even the Apostles had by the coming of the holy Ghost new lights and did daily increase in the knowledge of the mysteries of Faith and Religion according to that of the Proverbs Cap. 4. v. 18. The ways of the just are like light shining and increasing to high noon day whence the Primitive Church is compared to be quasi aurora consurgens like the dawning of the day Cant. 6.9 and proceeding brighter and brighter daily till she come to the brightness of the latter day when all her Saints shall enter like so many noon-time Suns into the kingdom of Heaven 13. When for the reasons above he shall come who is the spirit of Truth he shall teach you all Truth that you are capable off and that is fit you should know to guide your own and others souls to Heaven For he shall not speak of himself but what he shall hear since t is not what he alone says but what my Father and I say too that he shall tell you so all he says shall be as we all three determine nor shall he speak as men do out of their fancy no but just as I have taught you before and as my Father and I will have him tell you hereafter not as fables but as undoubted Truths which are of eternal Verity so look how Christ said his doctrine was not his own but his Fathers that sent him in like manner the truth which the holy Ghost shall teach is not his own onely but joyntly the Fathers and the Sons from whom he doth proceed and from whom he was sent And he shall tell you things to come by this is understood the Apostles were to have the Spirit of Prophesie as Actor 11. v. 18 20. v. 19 21. v. 11. we may read nor is St. Johns Apocalypse other then a continued Prophesie from one end to the other Nor was it requisite Christ his Apostles should be inferiourly gifted to any of the Ministers of God in the old Law and this gave great comfort and encouragement to the Apostles since naturally men desire to know future things by future things also venerable Bede understandeth things of Heaven of Grace and of Glory as who should say the Apostles shall not be onely able to guide you here but to set you safe into a blessed Eternity and future Kingdom that shall never end 14. He shall glorifie me when he shall confirm the world in the belief of my being the Messias expected God and man the Saviour of the World He shall receive of mine for he shall proceed from my Father and me and receive the Divine Essence one and the same in all the three Persons of the Trinity and consequently his Will shall be mine his Science mine his Doctrine mine where note the Text doth not say he shall receive me but of mine because he is a distinct Person from the Son and though he receive not the filiation by his procession he receives the Essence of the Son so that is to receive of him and yet not him nor to be him And thus he gave compleat content to the Apostles seeing they did passionately love him to tell them the Comforter he was to send them should supply his absence by teaching them as he had done by loving them as he did since he received his doctrine from him and his affection too The Application 1. THe whole scource of this Gospel is to beget belief in the Apostles that our Saviours departure from them was for their good and that the Primary effect of the coming of the holy Ghost was to beat down the sin of Infidelity as who should say it were the sin of sins not to believe in Jesus Christ and not to obey all his commands in vertue of that belief 2. What should then be the Practice of us Christians at this time but to use all means possible to fortifie our Faith as the greatest Bulwork against all sin whatsoever and indeed what is it else but a kinde of Infidelity not to do according as we are taught by the rules of Faith that is not to make all our actions tend to the sole will and pleasure of Almighty God since if
that interim between our Saviour Ascending and the coming of the Holy Ghost namely a strong Hope in the coming of that Holy spirit and in all the promises made by our Saviour of the Heavenly fruits he should bring with him when he comes Now since Regation weeke imports as much as Aske and Have and since we never Aske but what we Hope to obtaine therefore it was necessary to fasten this day the first linke of Hope unto the last linke of our Faith that which tels us how to perfect our beliefe in good and saving workes as above 2. The following verse of this Epistle tels us the first work of our Faith is Religion and lest the Lay men should thinke themselves Masters in point of Religion see how presently Saint James prevents that mischiefe by bridling up their tongues as who should say Religion ought to be such as Faith begets and Faith being a thing the Lay-men must heare and learne not teach consequently in point of Religion Lay people must be silent hearers and no Preachers least Heresie seducing their hearts their Religion prove vaine for want of Rectitude according to the Rule of Faith so that it is not every believer who can lay claime to the True Relâ—gion but such onely as believing Right make profession of the true and right Religion which is onely that of the Catholick Church 3. The last verse of this Epistle gives us two summary markes of that which is the true Religion and consequently of those that are the right believers Such as are charitable to their Neighbor and unspotted in their own lives no way contaminated with the ordure of this sinful world not that sinne makes men therefore of a false religion but that Sainctity declares they are of the true one O happy Christianity that is accomplished in Sanctity See then how the Prayer above keepes a due regard to all these three divisions of Saint James his Epistle To Hope linck't unto operative Faith believing all the good wee pray for comes from God To Religion regulated by Faith when we begge we may not thinke erroneously much lesse profess an error but that we may have God our Sanctifying Governor in our Faith and Religion who was our caller thereunto by his Holy Inspiration The Gospel John 16. v. 23 c. 23 And in that day me shall you not aske any thing Amen Amen J say to you if you aske the Father any thing in my name he will give it you 24 Vntill now you have not asked any thing in my name Aske and you shall receive that your joy may be full 25 These things in Proverbs I have spoken to you the houre cometh when in Proverbs J will no more speake to you but plainely of the Father I wil shew you 26 In that day you shall aske in my name and I say not to you that I will aske the Father for you 27 For the Father himselfe loveth you because you have loved me and have beleeved that I came forth from God 28 I came forth from the Father and came into the world againe I leave the world and goe to the Father 29 His Disciples say to him behold now thou speakest plainly and sayest no Proverb 30 Now we know that thou knowest all things and thou needest not that any man aske thee in this wee beleeve that thou camest forth from God The Explication 23. WHat that day is may be doubted for some understand it to be the day of resurrection or of Pentecost others the day of glory those that are of the former sense take asking here for interrogating by way of doubt as those did that asked him Lord whither goest thou Io. c. 13. v. 35. or of Prayer to him as when hee said to them whatever you aske my Father in my name he will give it you but those of the latter opinion concerning the day say it shal then be needless to ask any thing when they abound in glory and in this sense Saint Augustine understands these words But in the words following it is cleere the Apostle meanes Prayer by asking and brings in Christ comforting his Apostles against the horror of his departure by telling them it shal be no loss to them that he leaves them Since whatsoever they shall aske his Father in his name shal be given unto them and elsewhere he sayes whatsoever you aske praying beleeve you shal receive it to shew it is not his meaning they shal be satisfied to all curious interrogations but to all supplicatory Prayers Saint Augustine wil have this reduplicative Amen to import as much as an oath in our Saviour as if he had not onely promised but sworne they should have whatsoever they asked his Father in his name but every word in this verse is worthy of a speciall remarke so that first his promise of this was to the Apostles persons to whom he then spake as who should say be ye of good comfort for I esteeme so deerly of you above all others that whatsoever you aske shal be given you though with this primary promise to them may stand a Secondary promise to all good Christians that they also asking so shall obtain as much Againe the word any thing or whatsoever imports first that it must be honourable for God saving to them and that it must be something for they must not aske nothing in his name who is all things and whatsoever is not honourable to God nor conducing to their salvation is as nothing in Gods sight who regards not any thing else then our asking or praying must be first humbly next reverently then confidently besides ardently and last of all constantly that is with perseverance And he bids this be done to his Father to shew us the hope we may have to speed asking his Father in his name who can deny his beloved Sonne nothing at all and so for his if not for our sake he will grant us all we aske in his Sonnes name And here indeed needs most explanation what is meant by asking the Father in Christs name first the power of his sole name in his Fathers eares as who should say what need you my person longer with you I leave you my name to supply my presence take therefore this name into your mouthes use it reverently upon all good accasions to my Father it shall availe you as much as if I were with you to intercede for you next by his name we may understand his merits his death his passion as if putting them before his Fathers eyes we need not the comfort of his presence in our own sight or wee may understand by his name he meanes his mediatorship for as he is God he joyntly gives with his Father and the Holy Ghost all that we can receive but as he is our Mediator so he joyntly askes with us whilest we aske the Father in the name of his mediating Sonne we also may be said to ask in his name while we demand any
inflame one another to acts of Love and praise of God The rule of Ministery we see must be the same with that of preaching if we give it must be as from God not from our selves because by giving we intend to do good to others and since all goodness comes from God we must be sure to give rather in his then in our own or any other name for all gifts are originally from God the authour of them all and if we have any thing to give it is not our own but is lent us purposely to share part thereof to others be it a gift of nature or of grace That in all things which we say or doe God may be honoured and glorified not wee our selves magnified and how honoured by Jesus Christ who first taught us this perfection of referring all we say or do to Gods honour and glory for before Christ came all was vanity and pride nothing was done but for humane ends for selfe respects or the like whereas Christianity teacheth a quite contrary Doctrine to referre all to God and to arrogate nothing at all unto our selves Hence observe how besides Faith good works are necessary to salvation which yet the Libertines and Sectaries will not allow of The Application 1. LAst Sunday we were taught it was the proper duty of a Christian to exercise continuall Acts of Hope betweene the Ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost See consequently now how the very first words of this dayes Epistle set us upon the two prime Acts of Hope Prudence and watchfull Prayer The first to shew we are not to be foolishly beaten off our Principles of Faith teaching us by practicall Prudence to worke out our salvation in Hope we shal not labour it in vaine The second to declare that Prayer without watchfulness is of small or no account at all since therefore our senses ought to be shut up in time of Prayer that the foule free from distraction of all sense may be like to her selfe in the state of separation from the body still fixt upon Almighty God as the blessed spirits of Saints and Angels are in Heaven 2. Nor is it without some Reason the method of this Booke allows but ten dayes onely for the speciall inculcation exercise of Hope First because Hope stil goes on hand in hand with Faith and Charity and cannot fail if those two be continued since it is impossible firmely to believe in God and ardently to love him without a constant Hope of enjoying him And secondly because it seemes mystically done of Holy Church to shorten the time of Hope thereby to make us see God cannot be long from those that long to be with him and are in constant expectation of his coming for we see that after onely ten dayes watchfull Prayer or exercise of Hope our Saviour sent the Holy Ghost to his Apostles not that he had promis'd it so soone but that he could not finde in his heart to defer it any longer And beloved if after the longest day of Time we enjoy a blissfull eternity how speedy a reward shall we esteeme it to be of our Hope and expectation in regard the abundance of the gain will recompence the longest delay thereof much after that sort as our Saviours first coming did recompence the four thousand years expectation of his Birth and Death for the Redemption of the World when we here the Prophet Habacuc c. 2. v. 3. say in his name I will come and I will not stay nay though I delay my coming yet I will not tarry Why because when I come I will reward beyond all expectation 3. Lastly we must not omit to mark that so soon as ere we Hope in God we ought to fasten Acts of Love unto that Hope for so the second Verse of this Epistle teacheth us hanging many links of Charity to that onely one of Hope presented to us here as we may see whilest the whole Epistle all but the first Verse thereof which is of Hope runs upon nothing else but ranking Charity into her several Acts that so the Holy Ghost now every hour expected may finde he comes where he 's as well beloved as hoped for nor can we indeed expect that he will enter into souls who love him not who have not their Wills devoted to him who have not their hearts sincerely set upon his Service according to the Rule of Christian Doctrine And for this purpose Holy Church as having our Reasons now illuminated and regulated by faith Praies as above that our Wills by the gift of Hope may be devoted and our hearts by Charity sincerely bent unto the service of his heavenly Majesty Hope and Charity residing in the Will as Faith doth in the understanding The Gospel Iohn 15. v. 26 27. Cap. 16. v. 1. c. 26 But when the Paraclete cometh whom I will send you from the Father the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall give Testimony of me 27 And you shall give Testimony because you are with me from the beginning Chap. 16.1 These things have I spoken to you that you be not scandalized 2 Out of the Synagogues they will cast you but the hour cometh that every one which killeth you shall think that he doeth service to God 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me 4 But these things I have spoken to you that when the hour shall come you may remember them that I told you The Explication 26. NOte here though the Greek Hereticks take hold from hence to say the Holy Ghost doth not proceed from the Son but onely from the Father because Christ saith the latter in express terms yet the very truth is that procession and mission in the Divine Persons import all one thing and therefore the Father is never said to be sent at all wherefore Christ saying he will send the Holy Ghost it argues his procession is equally from both as his mission was The Paraclete is as much as to say the Comforter whose coming is both to comfort all Christians and to give testimony to all the world of that Doctrine which Christ had preached he is called the Spirit of Truth First because he proceedeth from the Son who is called the wisdom of his heavenly Father as also the Way the Truth and the Life Secondly because his coming made manifest the Truth of Christ his Doctrine of his being the Messias the Son of God the Saviour of the World Thirdly because he is the truest and most excellent Spirit in respect of whom the Angels the Souls of men and the Winds are but Analogical Spirits as being such onely by participation whereas the holy Ghost is so by Essence Fourthly because for this third Reason he is worthy of all Faith and Credit Fifthly because he gives Testimony of the New Testament which was brought us by a Spirit of Liberty and Truth whereas the Old was brought by a