if my text did not expressely affirme yet would it by consequence inferre that God maketh no accompt of this Ceremoniall worship But this is a Paradoxe for Sacrifices are the peculiar of God and no man euer offered them but only vnto him who was or at least was reputed to bee God neither any that haue accepted them esteemed themselues lesse nor would goe for lesse in the opinion of the Offerers Men and Diuels that haue robbed God of his honour haue to that end chosen this kind of Sacriledge by Sacrifices they haue entiled themselues vnto the glory of God and doth not God out of his iealousie make it death for any man to sacrifice to any other but himselfe Exod 22 20. and for himselfe hee giueth this expresse Law Exod. 23.15 Thou shalt not appeare before the Lord empty and what is that but Thou shalt sacrifice vnto him But to come more close vnto the point Wee find directly in the Law Gods both precept and promise concerning Sacrifice His precept for in Leuit. to name no other place how curiously doth God distinguish the kindes set downe the circumstances of all Sacrifices and the accessories thereunto and that by way of command The Patriarches before Moses did sacrifice and can we be so absurd as to thinke they did it without the direction of God No verily for they had a spirit of Prophesie As the Precept is cleare so is the Promise also you shall find it in the same place where you find the Precept in the first and second of Leuit. you shall find it called a sweet sauour vnto the Lord in the 4. and 8. c. it is called an Atonement Genes 4. the first Sacrifice that wee read of was Abels and the Text saith plainly that God had a respect vnto Abel and vnto his offering the second was that of Noah and of that the text saith Genes 9. that God smelt a sauour of rest Iob sacrificed for his friends Chap. 42. and the Lord accepted him and when Aaron offered his first Sacrifice God testified his acceptance by fire from heauen Leuit. 9. so that it is as cleare that God delighteth in Sacrifices as that hee doth require them and the promise can be as little doubted as the precept What shall wee say then to my Text how shall wee make it agree with the rest of the Scriptures surely we may doe it easily and fairely God is All-sufficient and God is a Spirit being all-sufficient hee cannot need them and being a Spirit hee cannot bee sustained by them both these points are cleare in the fiftieth Psalme where God sheweth that there can be no colour that he should need them seeing all the beasts of the Forrest are his and so are the cattell vpon a thousand mountaines and God casteth off the absurdity of his being sustained by them with that pressing and conuicting question Thinkest thou that I eate buls flesh and drinke the blood of Goates Lucian scoffingly bringeth in the Heathen Gods as if they tooke great content in the nidour of the sacrifices but it were prophane to thinke so of the true God The occasion then of instituting Sacrifices was not from God and that is the first thing we must learne Whence then was it taken surely from man We consist of bodies and soules and wee need by our bodies to bee put in minde of those things which concerne our soule and therefore did God institute them hee did institute them to helpe our infirmities But what did hee intend to remember vs of by them First of our Ransome Galat. 4.4 Christ came not vntill the fulnesse of time but his death was to worke presently vpon the Fall and in that respect he is called Reuel 13.8 the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world That before Christ came men should not forget by whom they had their redemption and the remission of sinnes God instituted Sacrifices Secondly we were to be remembred of our Homage we were to acknowledge that what we held we had of God and were to seeke vnto God for what we did want And in remembrance hereof did God institute Eucharisticall and Votiue Sacrifices Some thinke that they should haue beene offered if man had neuer sinned but the Scripture is silent and I will not be so curious as to dispute it Let it passe inter pie credibilia and it is as possible there might haue beene Sacrifices as there were Sacraments before the Fall witnesse the two Trees the one of Life and the other of the knowledge of good and euill You may adde a third reason which is obserued by the Fathers and that is That God therefore instituted by Moses the Sacrifices to keepe his people from Heathenish Idolatrie and distinguish them from other Societies which reason must bee warily vnderstood for it cannot bee meant that God took occasion from the Heathen to institute Sacrifices amongst the Iewes for the Heathen had it by tradition from the Patriarches and God himselfe was the first Author of Sacrifices But this is true that the Heathen had corrupted foure things in a Sacrifice First The Materials for they vsed to sacrifice those things which God forbad Secondly the Forme for they corrupted it with many superstitions of their owne Thirdly the Ende they knew not wherefore they were ordained and fourthly the Owner they did not know to whom they did belong From these deprauations God did clense the Sacrifices in the Law of Moses and so did distinguish his people from other nations not by sacrificing but by sacrificing as they ought The last end of instituting Sacrifices was the prouision for the Priests and the sacred Feasts whereat the poore were relieued These bee the reasons why God instituted Sacrifices wherein you see that they all import a reliefe vouchsafed man But yet we haue not found out the true ground why God doth not desire nor delight in sacrifice and burnt offerings for put the case hee did institute them out of compassion towards men yet may hee desire what himselfe had commanded and delight in that whereunto hee hath annext the promise of acceptance Wee must therefore goe on and obserue that Sacrifices are bona quia praecepta non precepta quia bona they are things in their owne nature indifferent but they become more then indifferent they deserue the name of Good in vertue of the commandement of God but they lose this worth if so be wee place it in the Sacrifice and not in Gods Ordinance no sooner doe wee so misdeeme them but presently God doth not desire them God doth not delight in them But to wade farther into their estimate and to discouer more neare grounds of that truth which is in my text â—t 〈◊〉 Dei lib. 10 cap. 5. in the Ordinance of Sacrifices there are two things considerable opus operatum and opus operantis Chap. 10. the Offering and the Offerer Touching the Offering S. Austin hath a true rule Omne
there is neuer a particle that I haue insisted vpon that is not fit to augment the grieuousnesse of the iudgement the iudgement which casteth a sinner out of the presence of God I should here take leaue of this point but that I cannot leaue out a good note of Cassiodores Cuius faciem timet eius faciem inuocat a strange thing two verses before he prayed Hide thy face c. and here he prayeth Cast me not out from thy presence hath the King forgot doth he contradict himselfe by no meanes marke his words and see a difference in the things wherof he speaketh Russinus the same difference which before I obserued out of Ruffinus when hee prayeth Hide thy face he limited his petition to his sinnes but here hee commeth to speake of his person and conceiueth a contrarie prayer Hide not thy face from me we must euer pray that our selues may be still in Gods gracious eye and we must pray also that his reuengefull eye be neuer on our sinnes I haue done describing the first punishment which is the Reiection I come now to the second which is the Depriuation And here wee must obserue first whereof we are depriued of the holy spirit and what is that that which maketh all Saints All Saints day this very day is a sacred memoriall of the gift If I said no more you might reasonably conceiue it but it is sit I speake more happily you will vnderstand the day better The Holy spirit as I told you is Gods Liuerie his Cognizance Iohn 14.16 none haue it but they that are his Christ tels vs so I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter euen the spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you But to what end there are two principall vses of the Holy spirits inhabitation he is vnto vs the Oracle of God leading vnto all truth without whom we cannot perceiue the things of God yea they will be foolishnesse vnto vs but if we haue him 1 Ioh. cap. â— 1. Cor. 2. wee haue an vnction that will teach vs all things yea we can search the deepe things of God King Dauid had him in a double sort an Ordinarie vnuailing his eyes that hee might see the wonderfull things of Gods Law an Extraordinarie illightning him to fore-tell secrets of the Kingdome of Christ which were then yet to come The Chaldee Paraphrase and many of the Fathers vnderstand the holy spirit in this later sense for the Spirit of prophesie That is true which they say but it is not enough King Dauid had also the spirit of adoption and he doth not forget that in his prayer against depriuation Yea he must be thought principally to ayme at that for by the other gift wee may serue God on earth but without this we shall neuer goe to Heauen for so saith Christ Mat. 7.24 Many shall say in the last day haue we not prophecied in thy Name but they shall be answered depart from me you workers of iniquitie I know you not Therefore no doubt but King Dauid had an eye to that oracle which wrought in him a sauing faith and did as wee must feare to be depriued of that As the Holy spirit is an heauenly oracle in our Heads so in our Hearts it is an heauenly fire God who instituted sacrifices to be offered by the Church would haue them offered with no other fire but that which should be sent by him from Heauen yea the vsing of strange fire was capitall as appeares by the storie of Nadab and Abthu That type doth informe vs of a greater truth it teacheth vs wherewith spirituall sacrifices must be offered vnto God The first sacrifice spirituall must be a patterne to all the rest Christ by his eternall Spirit offered himselfe vnto God wherewith his propitiatorie therewith must our Eucharisticals be offered Saint Iude speaketh it plainely we must pray in the Holy Ghost The gift you see what it is but you doe not yet fully see what is the worth of it that I gathered out of tuus it is not onely a holy spirit but also the spirit of Gods holinesse or Gods holy spirit Our soule in vs is a spirit and we loue it so well that Sathan said not vntruely skinne for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life the Angels are yet better spirits 2 Pet cap. 2. higher in dignitie then Men their titles as Saint Peter affirmes confirme it Psal 103. and the Psalmist saith that they exceede in Power and we haue reason to respect them because they pitch their Tents about vs Psal 91. yea God hath giuen a charge vnto them ouer vs to carrie vs in their hands that we dash not our feete against a stone But there is a spirit beyond both these euen the spirit of spirits without whom the former cannot bee and from whom they receiue whatsoeuer good they haue hee is the fountaine of being and wel-being to them both If wee loue our owne soules and the safegard of Angels be deare vnto vs how should we loue Gods holy spirit that is so farre beyond them in infinitenesse of power and excellencie of being yea without whom they cannot be nor stirre without his command The phrase doth not onely import that the Spirit is Gods but also that it is the spirit of that which is most desireable in God that is his Holinesse which doth much improue the gift when the liuerie that it giueth vs and whereby he would haue vs knowne to be his doth make vs partakers of this Diuine attribute wherein to resemble him should bee the highest ambition of a reasonable soule But I will not wade farther in vnfolding the gift what hath beene said is able to make vs sensible of their losse that are depriued thereof especially when I shall haue added thereunto the Manner of losing which I called a depriuation The word is rendered vulgarly take not away But this taking away hath two remarkable things in it it is a taking backe of that which was giuen and a leauing vs not so much as any relique of the gift In regard of the first some render it Ne recipiaâ— take not home againe in regard of the other Ne spolies strip mee not altogether so the Arabicke I will touch a little at both of them First at the Taking backe Hee that loseth what good he had is much more sensible of the losse then if hee neuer had it hee that was borne sickly and hath a long time languished in a disease is not so much pained as hee that being healthy and strong is shaken with a feauer or tortured with some ache Pouerty and disgrace are more bitter heart-breakes to them that haue liued in plenty and honour then they can bee to him who was neuer of better condition then a begger or
2. the Method There is a Mystery in either of them Rom. 6. In the Sacrifice That teacheth that the wages of sinne is death the innocent beast was slaine but the sinner first put his hands vpon him to note what we deserue and Christ endured for vs from the guilt of our sinnes we are not freed but by the vertue of his death The Mysterie of the Burnt offering is wee owe our selues wholly vnto God and to him must wee giue our selues but first wee must be mortified we cannot ascend in our thoughts vnto Heauen except we mortifie our carnall lusts that grouell vpon the earth To note this mortification and viuification of our selues intire mortification intire viuification which leaueth no hold vnto sinne in any part of our body or power of our soule and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God was the Holocaust soe handled as wee read in the Law first slaine then wholly consumed by fire Besides the Mysterie there is a Method to be obserued in these words K. Dauid doth not only expresse them but digest them digest them according to the prescript of the Law when they were both offered the Sacrifice was presented before the Burnt offering The Morall thereof is very good Wee cannot haue the honour to serue God Prouerb 31.27 except wee first find fauour to be discharged of our sinnes the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination vnto the Lord and without holinesse it is impossible for a man to please God therefore we must offer our expiatory Sacrifice before our Dedicatory burnt offering wee must make our peace with God before we presume to come into his presence Finally we must take good heed that wee neither maine the parts of our Reconciliation nor peruert their order Maine them we doe if we offer the Sacrifice but withhold the burnt offering desire remission of our sinnes and take no care to become the seruants of God Or if wee offer the burnt offering and withhold the Sacrifice put our selues into the seruice of God but yet doe cherish a root of bitternesse in our hearts doe not vnburthen our consciences of sinne And how few are there that thus fully reconcile themselues to God and ioyne together both these Offerings Some can be contented to be rid of the vncleane Spirit and haue their house swept and garnished but they keepe it emptie and vnimployed entertaine not God neither doe they deuote themselues vnto his seruice Othersome are contented that God shall dwell in them and they will be his Temple but they will haue this Temple to bee also an House of Merchandise a Denne of thieues a very Synagogue of Satan So doe men maime their Reconciliation they are loath to be wholly reconciled vnto God As we must not maime our Reconciliation so we must not peruert the parts thereof the burnt offering must not goe before the Sacrifice neither must wee dedicate our selues to God before wee are cleansed from our sinnes that were to put new wine into old bottels Marke 2 2â— new cloth into an old garment which if we doe Christ tels vs in the Gospell what will become of it the bottels will breake and the garment will rent and grace will neuer abide in a sinfull soule hee will quickly returne like a dogge to his vomit and a Swine to wallow in the myre We must be new creatures or else neuer let vs offer to be the seruants of God And let this suffice for opening of the two branches of the ceremoniall worships I come now to consider Gods disposition towards them and that is twofold He doth not desire them he doth not delight in them Of the words Desire and Delight though one bee ioyned to Sacrifice and the other to Burnt offering yet doe they both reach either of them and doe oftentimes signifie the same thing but yet here they doe not so I difference them and I did it by warrant of the Scripture which obserues two parts of Gods disposition before these things are offered God doth not desire them that is he hath giuen no precept concerning them God speaketh it plaine in Ieremy Chap 7 2. Put your burnt offering vnto your sacrifice and eat flesh for I spake not vnto your fathers nor commanded them in the day when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices Psal 40 And the Psalmist Sacrifice and offerings thou diddest not desire burnt offerings and sinne-offerings hast thou not required In the fiftieth Psalme there is a plaine deniall of them I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings because they haue not beene before me I will take no bullocke out of thy house nor hee goate out of thy fold These places doe iustifie the words of my text and shew plainly that God did not desire them before they were offered hee gaue no precept concerning them And as no Precept so no Promise hee did as little delight in them after they were offered as he did desire them before they were offered reade it in Ieremie Chap. 6. To what purpose commeth there vnto mee Incense from Saba and the sweet Cane from a farre country your burnt offerings are not acceptable Chap. 10. c. In Esay God doth passionately amplifie this poynt Heare the Word of the Lord yee Rulers of Sodome giue eare vnto the Law of our God yee people of Gomorrah to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices vnto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of bullocks of lambs Chap. 66. and of the goats c. and elsewhere He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines blood he that offereth incense is as if he blest an Idoll Chap 5. Chap. 5. You may reade the like in Micah and Amos so that bee they part sacrifices be they whole sacrifices be they Expiatory or be they dedicatory God doth not require them God delighteth not in them there is no precept that requireth their performance there is no promise that doth warrant their acceptance And indeed though Desire and Delight or Precept and Promise are differenced as I haue shewed you yet haue they a dependencie the one vpon the other for therefore doth not God delight in these things when they are offered because he did not desire that they should be offered vnto him for promise of acceptance depends vpon the precept of offering whereof there is a precept thereunto there is anext a promise and a promise doth presuppose a precept in all the seruice of God proue one and conclude both and you ouerthrow both if you can iustly denie either So that
the detestation of sin committed for how can a man more clearely expresse that he doth abhorre his own wickednesse then by so breaking and afflicting of his owne both Heart and Spirit if he make them suffer for it it is an vndoubted signe that hee doth detest it A second thing required is that a man returne to God and that also is insinuated in a broken and contrite heart for seeing it is the hardnesse of heart that did shut God out what is the breaking of the heart but the letting of him in Yea this breaking and contrition being borrowed from the Sacrifice there was no incensio sine ascensione as the corporall so the spirituall fire doth not burne but it doth ascend therefore fitly doth the Holy Ghost call the Altar vpon which the Sacrifices were offered Misbach Gnoloth the Altar of Ascensions that is the Altar of burnt Sacrifices that doe ascend because all such morall worship imports a mans religious disposition to be reconciled vnto God Hitherto we haue spoken of the humiliation of a broken and contrite heart but we haue spoken nothing of the workemaster who it is that can so humble both the Heart and Spirit Hee seemeth not here to be exprest and yet it is fit he be knowen and if we enquire we shall find that there is a double Author The principall one is God It is a good Rule of Saint Austins De fide ad Petr. c. 31. firmiter tene neminem hic posse paenitentiam agere nisi quem Deus illuminauerit gratuità misericordià conuerterit Saint Paul warranteth this Rule the seruant of the Lord must in meeknesse instruct those that are contrary minded 〈◊〉 2.25 and see if God peraduenture will giue them repentance But it is true also that the Heart and the Spirit that is broken and contrite hath a hand in its owne breaking and contrition of it selfe our owne vnderstanding doth discouer our sinne and our owne heart doth melt it selfe vpon the sight thereof yea it would be no vertue of ours were it not produced by our owne reasonable faculties It is true that the Crosse sometimes and sometimes discontent worldly discontent because things goe not with vs as flesh and bloud desireth or spirituall discontent because the worme of Conscience doth bite vs and giueth vs no rest doe oftentimes humble vs but these things make not vp our broken and contrite heart except we be as well actiue as passiue therein As Christ in his so we in our Sacrifices must be Sacerdotes Sacrificium we must be both the thing that is offered and the offerers we must as willingly humble our selues as be deeply humbled But here we must obserue a good Rule of Saint Bernards when we say that this humiliation is from God 〈…〉 Arbiâ—â— and from man from Gods Grace and mans freewill we doe not meane that these are co-ordinate but subordinate Non partim gratia partim liberum arbitrium Grace and freewill doe not share the worke betweene them sed totum singula peragunt each of them doth performe the whole worke Grace doth it wholly freewill doth it wholly sed vt totum in illo sic totum ex illâ As the whole humiliation is immediately wrought by the freewill of man so is the freewill of man inabled thereunto by the Grace of God Grace determineth the wil if not physically at least morally But to conclude this poynt We often read in the Prophets that God doth threaten he will conterere peccatores crush sinners all to pieces Saint Basil telleth vs that there is a remedy against it that is contrition is to be opposed against contrition In â—say 13. if we will humble our selues God will neuer humble vs. I haue dwelt long enough in opening our morall seruice I come now to shew you how it is esteemed Here the first thing that I find is that what was denyed to the ceremoniall is yeelded to the morall seruice First there it was denyed that God doth require that but here it is affirmed that God requireth this for a broken and contrite heart is Gods Sacrifices And see here at first we meere with a rubbe for in corporall Sacrifices a man might not offer that which was broken or bruised Leuit. 22. it should seeme that in spirituall he may But the reconciliation is easie for those Sacrifices did principally note Christ who was without all blemish before he was offered and yet being such he was broken for our sinnes my Text doth not compare man to the Sacrifice before it was offered though we should all striue to be as good as we may when we present our selues to God but the comparison is of man to the sacrifice after it is offered and then it may without fault bee broken yea it is brought thither to the end that it may be broken neither except it be broken is it any Sacrifice But to the maine point I told you there are two propositions in these words the Sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart First That God which careth not for the slaughter of beasts requireth the mortification of men that is the slaughter which he requireth therfore is the name Seuach giuen vnto it which signifieth a beast slaine And this bringeth vs on to another note concerning a broken and a contrite heart and that is Our humiliation is the slaying of the beastiality of our nature And indeed euery lust is a very beast and for them doth the Holy Ghost call men by the name of many beasts sometimes swine sometimes dogges sometimes foxes hee that doth abolish these lusts doth slay so many beasts A second proposition is That one mortification of man is to God insteed of all the sacrificing of Beasts All that were required to reconciliation or all simply surely we may vnderstand it both wayes It may be Sacrifices if it comprehend onely the Expiatorie and Dedicatorie as it doth so farte as God requireth these from vs and accepteth vs in Christ for he requireth no other Expiation of vs then a godly sorrow detesting sinne neither doth he expect any other Dedication then that wee be wholly conuerted vnto God and I shewed you how both these are represented in the broken and contrite heart Will you extend it to all Sacrifices you may Abulens in Exod. Tom 2. p. 131. for all had some reference to Reconciliation euen those which seeme to haue least the Votiue and Eucharisticall for though their principall ends were to acknowledge or obtaine some blessing of or from God yet the manner of the sacrificing so farre as it was common to the Sacrifice for sin did withall deprecate Gods wrath and acknowledge that sinne made the offerer vnworthy as well of that blessing which he had receiued as of that which he begged Which must bee obserued because this broken and contrite heart looketh to the praise of God which Dauid not many verses before promised he would shew forth And
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
deum est ipse Deus Bernard Basilâ—n Psal 46. there is enough in God to make him louely and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and louely are reciprocall that which is louely is good and that which is good is louely whereupon is grounded that Maxime in Philosophie Bonum est quod omnia appetunt Reason hath no better marke to guesse at that which is good then the propension of all men for to attaine it Now looke vpon the Name the Lord God and see whether you doe not find that good in it which doth challenge Loue. Begin with Dominus ou heard that he was goodnesse it selfe if a man doe loue that which is good how can he but loue goodnesse Nay if wee loue the streames with what loue must we embrace the Fountaine If we Loue that good which is dependent how much more that which is independent Seeing there is a possibilitie for vs to bee defrauded of that which is dependent but of that which is independent we cannot be defrauded Yet see the common folly of men Iere. 2.13 they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge vnto them Cisterns that can hold no water If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deserue Loue how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You heard before that what God is he is it to the full Creatures haue but drops or beames and who would leaue the Fountaine to rest contented with a drop And when he might enioy the whole body of the Sunne to solace himselfe in a single beame And yet such folly there is in the world and he that thinketh Gods gifts louely though they are but single in a Creature how little is hee affected with the louelinesse of his Creator Wee cannot denie that good is the obiect of our Loue therefore where there is the greatest good thither wee should bend the greatest of our Loue dost thou loue Wisedome Colos 2.3 All the treasures of wisdedome are hid in him dost thou loue Holinesse It is to him that the Angels sing Holy holy holy Esay 6.3 Psal 24.1 Psal 16.11 doest thou loue Wealth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is doest thou loue Pleasure In his presence is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Finally doest thou loue Power and Honour He is the Lord of hosts he is the King of glorie euen a King of Kings and Lord of Lords Adde hereunto that what he is whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is it Onely he is it Eternally both which are strong Motiues vnto Loue for we vse to loue that which is not common as that which is common by reason of the familiarnesse of it groweth vile in our eyes now such good as is in God is no where else to be found As we loue those good things which are not common so we loue them the more the more they are lasting because our desire would neuer bee defrauded of that wherein it taketh content this good is more lasting then our desire the good of euerie Creature is as mutable as the Creature is yea more because it differeth from the nature of the Creature but this good being all one with the nature of God it is as lasting as is his nature It is no maruell then that euerie Creature eluding our desire which is carried vnto good doth as it were with a reall voice put vs off when we dote vpon it and by experience say to vs Non ego sum bonum tuum it is not I that am thy good which is to be sought after and after all our painefull enquirie wee are driuen to Saint Austins resolution Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum dones requiescat in te so great is the capacitie of mans desire that nothing can fill it but onely the Lord and his soule must needs remaine empire that doth not make the Lord the obiect of his Loue. You see that there is much worth in the Lord and great cause why hee should be beloued there wanteth not worth also in God in euery of the three persons in Trinity Had we eyes to looke vpon them ad intra as they are in the blessed Trinitie we might easily perceiue it but there is no proportion betweene our eyes and that light therefore we will forbeare to behold the dazeling brightnes Only of this we may be sure that euery person is most louely because euery of them loueth the other the Scripture speaketh it plainly the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne loueth the Father and the holy Ghost is the loue of them both Now what they loue is lonely indeed because their iudgement is most vpright and their desire most Holy But wee will not sound that bottomlesse depth let vs looke vpon these persons as they manifest themselues ad extra and see how louely they are Hee that is a Father in the Trinitie doth manifest himselfe as a Father to the Sonnes of men the Scripture doth often remember his tender bowels he shutteth them not vp no not against them that are Prodigals a Father and a Mother on earth may forsake may forget their Children but our Father in Heauen cannot forget hee will not forsake his And is not such a Father louely God the Sonne doth manifest himselfe to the world as a Sonne hee vseth all his credit with his Father to worke not onely the remission of mans sins which he expiated with his bloud but also the aduancement of their Persons whom hee vouchsafeth to bee his Spouse by taking man so neere vnto himselfe hee bringeth him neere to God also and maketh them Children that were Seruants intitles them to Heauen that deserue to burne as firebrands in hell And is not such a Sonne louely The holy Ghost doth manifest himselfe as the holy Ghost quickning man and sanctifying him testifying by these effects that hee is a Spirit of life to him euen of such a life as maketh him a sacred Person hee maketh him a liuing Temple a fit habitation for himselfe that he may bee an Oracle of God within him and kindle the fire vpon the Altar of his Heart wherewith onely hee can offer acceptable Sacrifices vnto God And is not this holy Spirit louely All three Persons are most louely if the consideration goe no farther then that which I haue exprest But how great an accesse will bee made vnto their louelines if you draw through euery one of them that ground of louelines which before wee found in the name Lord for the Father is Lord the Sonne Lord and the holy Ghost Lord as we are truely taught in Athanasius his Creed euery one of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good of himselfe and all-good and by this accesse we must in our meditations improue their louelines But I haue dwelt long enough vpon meritum dignitatis the desert of loue that is included in their owne worth I told you that in
of death and being the stronger rifled that strong mans house so that we may well say If God bee with vs who can bee against vs if we relie vpon his wisdome wee shall neuer be circumuented neither shall we be opprest if we relie vpon his Power therefore the Church doth well to make her prayer vnto Him But how doth she pray First feruently for she cries In the Ceremoniall Law Incensio went before Ascensio the Sacrifice was set on fire before it yeilded an odour of sweet smell ascending vnto God besides the siluer trumpets sounded aloud with varietie of other Musicke while the Sacrifice was burning These were but types whereof the morall was that we must not be lither in deuotion but expresse a feruencie therein And we haue a good Precedent in our Sauiour Christ who prayed with strong cries Heb 5. King Dauid doth expresse his earnestnesse by many sit Similies of parched ground that gapes wide for the showres of raine Psal 41. of a chased Hart that breatheth and brayeth after the water brookes Psal â—4 Nâ—â—m of the passions of Louers which are very violent And God liketh such deuotion for sitit sitiri he longeth to be longed after But we must remember that there is Clamor Cordis Oris a crying of the heart and the mouth And as God is specially Inspector so is he also Auditor Cordis as his eyes are specially vpon our hearts so are his eares open thereunto Non vox sed votum non cordula musica sed Cor Non Clamans sed Amans cantat in aure Dei God doth best vnderstand and accept the sighes and groanes of our spirit which cannot be exprest And yet Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur the sire that is in the heart will not be supprest a vehement passion will make a vehement eloâ—ution Psal 39. But when we crie we doe it to manifest the earnestnesse of our affections and extremitie of our distresse not to rowse God as if he could not otherwise heare that were a conceit fit for the worshippers of Baal â— King 18. Tertull. de Oratione whom Elias scoffes for it for quibus arterijs opus si pro sono audiamur if the crie of the voice were the measure of deuotion he that hath the most Stentorean voice should be most deuout but we must know that no crie of the lips can ascend higher towards God then it is carried vp by the feruencie of the heart though the seruencie of the heart can ascend vnto God though the tongue bee mute for God said to Moses why cryest thou when hee spake neuer a word Whether wee pray only with the heart or also with the voice we must be remembred by this practice of the Church to be earneest therein earnest in our Soliloquies when wee enter into our Closet much more when we are mustered in the holy Assemblies must our deuotion offer a gratefull violence vnto God according to that good paterne which we haue Psal 130. The Church prayeth earnestly not only so shee prayeth constantly also she cryeth day and night The foure Beasts in the Reuelation day and night cease not saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almightie which is the practice of the Triumphant Church Moses was willed to make all things according to the patterne that was she wed him in the Mount therefore he instituted that the Sacrifices should burne day and night Of the day there is no question and it is put out of all question concerning the night also by those words in the Psalme Behold Psal 134 blesse yee the Lord all yee seruants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord 1. Chron. 9 33. and that phrase which we meete withall often in the Scripture of keeping Gods watches The New Testament should herein answere the Old and wee are willed therein to pray continually 1. Thess 5. The Diuines haue a rule Precepta affirmatiua tenent semper sed non ad semper the habits of vertue must euer bee in vs but wee must performe the Acts when we haue iust occasion certaine times we must appoint our selues for Prayer not only in the day but also in the night so did Dauid he remembreth it often and no doubt but others did it aswell as he for the Church speaketh thus in Esay Esay 26. With my soule haue I desired thee in the night with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early Christ spent nights in prayer Acts 16. and Paul and Silas prayed and sang prayses vnto God at midnight And the Canonicall houres which are mentioned in the old Liturgies were distributed aswell through the night as through the day To say nothing of the Vigils at solemne times But so much of the publike old Deuotion which was vsed in the night long since degenerated and is out of vse euen in the Church of Rome as Bellarmine confesseth though priuately men may pray at all houres and no doubt but many doe aswell in the night as in the Day Some not contented with that limitation of affirmatiue Precepts to congruous time do mingle our Meditations with our actions so Saint Ambrose Clamant opera tua clamat sides clamat affectus De Cain 〈◊〉 Abel clamat passiones clamat sanguis whatsoeuer good wee doe or crosse wee suffer patiently that is a reall prayer But to let passe these Obseruations which may haue their good vse as may that also which vnderstandeth Prosperitie by Day and Aduersitie by Night and telleth vs that we must pray in whatsoeuer state wee are I will obserue vnto you that which is more proper and profitable and which will shew you that indeed the Church Militant doth crie day and night take the words as strictly as you can Obserue then that a man prayeth many wayes First in his owne person as Dauid did who professeth of himselfe that in his aduersitie he gaue himselfe vnto prayer wee haue his practice in the Psalmes and we haue Christs not only practice but precept Watch and pray yea Matth. 26. Chap. 6. and direction too When thou prayest enter into thy chamber c. Finally this dutie is made a part of our Catechisme no man therefore should be ignorant of it no man should neglect it Secondly we pray when any member of the Church doth pray for Christ hath taught euery man to say our Father so to include others aswell as himselfe euen all that are members of the same bodie so Singuli orant pro omnibus 〈…〉 omnes orant pro singulis euerie man prayeth for all the Church and all the Church doth pray for euery man And this is no small part of the Communion of Saints which wee beleeue in our Creed for God will that Oratio bee Insigne charitatis that out prayer be a perpetuall Badge of our mutuall Charitie Thirdly euery man prayeth when the Minister serueth God he doth not only pray for vs but we also
Iosephus reports The fourth and the last inequalitie stands in the materials vsed about the fabricke to say nothing of their qualities certainely those that were vsed about the first Temple did in quantity farre exceede those that were vsed about the second For what comparison could there be between the riches of poore captiue Iewes and of King Salomon that was the most glorious Monarch in the world 1 Chron. 22.14 2 Sam. 8. Adde hereunto the prouision that his father King Dauid made in his time a hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of siluer and brasse and iron without weight besides what he gaue out of his owne peculium or priuate Treasurie for the former were dedicated out of the spoyles of kingdomes which he conquered three thousand talents of gold of the gold of Ophir and seuen thousand talents of refined siluer besides great abundance of all sorts of precious stones Whereunto adde the offering of the Fathers of Israel fiue thousand talents and ten thousand drammes of gold and of siluer ten thousand talents of brasse eight thousand talents and a hundred thousand talents of iron besides precious stones And put all this together and therewith increase Salomons wealth the totall will bee a summe of infinite value farre exceeding that wherewith Zorobabel was furnisht eyther by the Persian Kings or by his owne countrey-men yea although you adde what afterward was bestowed eyther by Alexander the great or his successours Kings of Syria and those of Egypt Neither will the additions of other benefactors no not that of Herod make vp the summe I dare say boldly that if all the Christian Kings of the West for so many yeares as the Temple was a building by Salomon should contribute their treasures they could not raise a summe answerable to that which was expended vpon the first Temple and reserue to themselues their Kingly ports as Dauid and Salomon did Neither neede wee out of the incredulitie of the summe as some learned doe question the signification of the word talent as if it signified a lesser summe than commonly it is taken for For to say nothing that it is the same Authour that wrote both the 22. and the 29. of the first of Chronicles and that it is not likely he would vary the sense keeping himselfe to the same word they doe not marke that Dauids offering was the spoyle of many Kingdomes that God promised that Salomon should bee the richest King in the world that the vessels of gold and siluer vsed in the Temple were many thousands as appeares by Iosephus and that there was great store of treasure layd vp there besides 2 Chro. 5. I neede say no more to proue that if we compare fabricke with fabricke we cannot finde therein the truth of these words of Haggai Let vs come then to the furniture that is eyther typicall or spirituall such parts of the furniture as were figures of diuine things and that by Gods owne ordinance were typicall Vpon Diana's Temple at Ephesus Apollo's at Delphi the Capitoline Temple at Rome and many other heathenish Temples there was much gold and siluer bestowed yea and precious stones also but they wanted a typicall relation and therein did the temples of the Iewes infinitely exceede them In these types if we compare Salomons temple with Zorobabels Galatinus Chrysost orat 3. aduersus Iudaos Zorobabels commeth farre short of Salomons The Iewes confesse that fiue eminent things were wanting in the later temple which were in the former 1. the Cloud wherein God resided betweene the Cherubims 2. the Arke with the contents therein whereon the Cloud rested 3. the fire kindled from heauen wherewith all their sacrifices were to be offered 4. the Vrim and Thummim on the breastplate of the high Priest by which hee was inabled to giue out diuine Oracles and ordinarily resolue the Iewes perplexing doubts in peace and warre the fifth was the spirit of prophecie wherewith God furnished diuers other persons whom he sent as messengers vnto the kings and people of Iuda and Israel Now these fiue were the chiefe of all the typicall furniture if Zorobabels temple came short in these fiue there can be no doubt but it was inferiour in types vnto that of Salomons temple What remaines then but that the greatnesse of the glorie here meant must consist in the spirituall and heauenly furniture of the later temple or else there was none at all And indeede it is that which wee finde there we finde Christ in person as in former sermons I haue shewed you and hee is the truth of all those types Of the Cloud for in him God dwelt visibly on earth Cyril l. 4. in Ioh. c. 2. 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 8. Ind. Of the Arke by him God shewed mercie vnto men Of the Fire for by his spirit all sacrifices must be offered that are acceptable vnto God Of the Vrim and Thummim for hee is the word the wisedome of God Finally of the spirit of prophecie for he is the Prophet that was to come into the world and the Reuelation of Iesus Christ is the spirit of prophecie Reuel 1. What shall I say of the table of shewbread Christ is the bread of life of the golden candlesticke Iohn 6. Iohn 1. Reu. 5.8 Christ is the light of the world of the altar of incense it is Christ that putteth sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints of the altar of burnt offerings Psalme 40. Heb. 10. Iohn 1.29 1 Iohn 1.7 sacrifice and offerings God did not desire but he opened Christ eare and gaue him a body hee was the Lambe of God that tooke away the sinnes of the world and his bloud cleanseth from all sinne And what comparison betweene this truth and those types certainely no more than betweene earth and heauen therefore when the truth appeared the type vanished Ier. 3.16.17 It must needs follow then that the glorie of the later temple must needs be greater than the glorie of the former Greater if we insist only vpon Christs apparition in the materiall temple of Zorobabel L. 3. Epist 11. De ciuit Dei l. 18. how much more if with the Fathers St. Ambrose and St. Austine wee enlarge it to the Christian Church in whom Christ abideth And indeed Zorobabels temple beeing voide of the types did represent the Christian Church as Salomons full of them did represent the Church of the Iewes and then marke what St. Paul saith if these two Churches be compared 2 Cor. 3. Euen that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth for if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious that whole Chapter is a good commentarie vpon my text the Epistle to the Hebrewes is much fuller So then wee must reade and consider this text as directed vnto vs it concernes vs for wee are partakers of that glory And see how God dealeth both with
so administred are that which the Scripture calleth temptation which though naturally they light vpon the outward man yet doe they formally aime at the inward man Examples you haue in the two principall temptations registred in the Scripture that of the first Adam Gen. 3. and that of the second Adam Math. 4. in both which you may behold the Serpents engines which were arguments and occasions which more or lesse are practised in all temptations and learne vs all this caueat to haue an eye to our vnderstanding and our will how they are wrought by how they entertaine these either arguments or occasions But of temptations there are two sorts as they proceed from two different Authors which aime at different ends The one Author is GOD the other is the Diuel each vseth a temptation but the common distinctions vsed by the Fathers shew how vnlike their ends are For the ones temptation is probationis the other is seductionis we owe a dutie to GOD GOD in tempting doth but discouer our performance of it the Diuel he laboureth to peruert vs and corrupt whatsoeuer inclination to obedience there is in vs. Examples are verie frequent that open this distinction I will instance but in one GOD called vpon Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaack the end of that commandement is reuealed plainly by the Angel shewing that GOD would haue the world to see that Abraham held nothing so deere vnto him which he would not yeeld readily vnto GOD The Diuel he tempted vnto the same worke as it appeares in those that offered their children vnto Molos but he did it to make men no lesse impious against GOD then vnnaturall to their owne children so that looke what difference there is between etheriall and elementall heat whereof the one is vegetiue the other destructiue when it lighteth vpon hearbes and plants the same is there betweene the exploratiue and seductiue temptation when it lighteth vpon the wits and wils of men St Paul Ephes 4. cals the seductiue by significant names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the exploratiue is resembled to the Touchstone to the pounding of Spices the breaking of the boxe that containes sweet Oyntments the fire that tryeth Gold But we haue not now to doe with seduction but with probation it appeares in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I told you was the note of difference whereby St Iames doth restraine this temptation to that which maketh tryed men But of this there are two kinds for GOD tryeth by prosperitie or aduersitie when our worldly state is at best we are euen then put to the Touchstone and GOD tryeth what manner of persons we are the storie of Salomon is a cleere proofe but we haue not to doe with this temptation neither Our temptation is that which bringeth a rich-man low it is the temptation of aduersitie St Peter calleth it a fierie tryall St Paul Hebr. 12. brancheth it into two parts shame and the Crosse whereof the one disgraceth our person the other strips vs of our goods and life these both befell CHRIST and they are the portion of Christians We haue examples enough Hebr. 11. but we will not fall vpon the common place onely these things I will briefly note First that when we are in aduersitie we must not thinke that GOD delights in affliction but in probation were it not to proue his children he would not lay the Crosse vpon them Secondly this proofe doth not presuppose his ignorance but mans GOD knew what would be in vs before euer he made vs but we are not so well as we should be knowne to our selues much lesse to others lest we or they should be deceiued GOD bringeth to light the secrets of our heart and maketh vs reueale them in our eyes when they are sollicited by Adulterie in our eares when they are sollicited by vaine-glorie in our hands when they are sollicited by briberie finally in euerie part of our body yea and of our soule too he maketh vs reueale to others or our selues what lurketh in the deceitfull and intricate laberinth of our hearts Thirdly GOD will not be deceiued by painted sepulchers neither will he receiue counterfeits into Heauen he doth therefore timely vnmaske them here on earth and shew whether euerie man appeare in his owne likenesse whether he be a Meteor or a true Starre whether he be fruit of Sodome or of Paradice whether he be an Angel of light indeed or onely by a metamorphosis this is implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecel 27. and this is the end for which GOD tryeth vasa figuli probat fornax et homines iustos tentatio tribulationis our temptation is nothing else but the bringing of vs to the Touchstone This is the note of difference which must be coupled with the temptation that we may haue the proper obiect of Christian patience But the obiect is not enough without the subiect come we then to that the subiect is man Blessed is the man the word in English may reach all men and indeed patience is a vertue that is required in all and all sorts of men are in other passages of Scripture exhorted thereunto Euerie man must be salted with this fire and euerie sacrifice seasoned with this salt Marke 9. St Ambrose hath a good Simile drawne out of this word Salt which is that salt is no more requisite to keepe flesh from putrefaction then tribulation is to keepe man from sinne and a man must cease to be a member of CHRIST that will not in a persecution be conformable vnto him seeing this is an vndoubted rule that thornes grow not more naturally from the ground to make Adam eat his corporall bread in the sweat of his browes then calamities spring from earthly men to make the children of GOD to eat their spirituall bread in the bitternesse of their soules Nullus sieri potest Abel quem Cain malitia non persequatur St Paul hath a generall rule Gal. 4. speaking of Ismael and Isaack As he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit so is it now yea it will be so euen till the worlds end But my purpose is not to extend St Iames his word beyond his meaning as he hath limited the Text so will I the Commentarie the word by which he notes the subiect is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes no common man but one of more then ordinarie place and worth it is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Hebrew Ish is more then Adam for Ish and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe often note a great or a noble personage and that here the word is so to be taken it is plaine for it is a relatiue that calleth backe to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the tenth verse This man here is he which before was called the rich-man rich not in a vulgar sense but in the language of the Holy Ghost who by Rich vnderstandeth Noble