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A34199
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Urim and thummim, or, The clergies dignity and duty recommended in a visitation sermon preached at Lewes April 27, 1669 / by Malachi Conant ...
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Connant, M. (Malachi), d. 1680.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing C5690; ESTC R43114
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15,761
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30
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VRIM and THVMMIM OR THE CLERGIES DIGNITY and DVTY Recommended in a Visitation Sermon Preached at LEWES in Sussex April 27. 1669. By Malachi Conant B. D. S. Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Hieronymus Vita jubeat Lingua persuadeat OXFORD Printed by H. Hall Printer to the Vniversity for James Collins at the sign of the King's Head in Westminster-Hall 1669. Imprimatur Jo Fell VICECAN Aug. 2 1669. ADMODUM Reverendo in Christo Patri ac Domino D no HENRICO Providentiâ Divinâ Cicestrensi Episcopo Praesuli non minus ob virtutes Heroicas eruditionem summam quam Infulae dignitatem spectatissimo NECNON Domino Patrono ac Fautori suo quam plurimis nominibus Colendissimo Concionem hanc qualem-qualem ad Clerum Sussexianum haud ita pridem habitam Observantiae gratitudinis haud exiguae specimen ac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exiguum L. M. Q. D. D. D. Humillimus Cliens Author Vrim and Thummim OR THE CLERGIES DIGNITY and DUTY Recommended in a Visitation Sermon Preached at LEWES April 27. 1669. S. Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven NO sooner had Almighty God created the Heaven and the earth but perceiving that while this lower World was covered with darkness the most excellent objects lost their beauty and so that it was no better then a larger dungeon that so he might the better extract a beautiful world out of a confused Chaos he was pleased immediately by his Omnipotent Word to produce times first born Issue Light Gen. 1.3 and in the invisible World those morning Stars which were then all Angels of Light And accordingly in the New-creation of that little world Man one of the first graces is that of Illumination whereby men are turned from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan that Angel of darkness unto God the Father of Lights But seeing this light within us is supernatural it must like the other celestial being be introduced by a light without viz. that true primigenial Universal Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 And this treasure of light God hath put as Gideon did his lamps into earthen vessels shining upon us by the vicarious borrowed light of his Ministers whom in this sense he hath made a flaming fire or as the light of the morning when the Sun ariseth Revel 1.20 and therefore calleth them Stars in his right hand Hence our blessed Saviour in this his excellent Sermon on the Mount out of which the Text is taken directed primarily to his Disciples though they receive their charge like a Grand Jury before the multitude vouchsafes to dignifie them besides other titles of the Salt of the earth and a City set upon an hill with the honourable appellation of the Lights of the world vers 14. and proceedes from their dignity to infer and urge their duty in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let your light so shine c. or as others So let your light shine c. q. d. seeing you are called to this high and holy calling and have the title of Light attributed unto you by which God himself is called and considering you are in danger by the power of temptation and your own frailty with those once blessed Angels to leave your first Station and fall from your own stedfastness into supineness of living let me tell you this Elogy doth not only entitle you to a benefice and dignity but likewise oblige you to an Office and Duty and so you are not to sever the Honour of your Sacred Function from the charge and burden annexed unto it but so keep your decorum as to your demeanour both in life and doctrine that it may be suitable to that weighty and transcendent Calling of being my Ministers and Apostles into which you are now instated And so you have in the words these parts First The Dignity of Christ's Ministers Implied in Light Secondly Their Duty expressed Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Thirdly The Scope and end of all Not the ostentation of our selves for so they are reproved Matth. 6.1 that do their works before men to be seen of them But First as a subordinate end the edification of others that they may take pattern by us in seeing our good works Secondly the Supreme and Ultimate Gods glory that men may be induced to glorifie him in the day of their visitation for having provided for them such excellent instructors and sure guides 1. To resume the former of these The Ministers of the Gospel have the honour and priviledge to be styled Lights a Title the more considerable in that ascribed to God himself 1 John 1.5 though it is true with some difference to him as to an Original Inaccessible Incomprehensible Light to us as secondary lesser mutuatitious lights but however it is honour enough that he is pleased to put some of his glory upon us as he did on Moses his face though we shine but with a reflex and refracted ray It is enough that though he only be the Father of Lights yet we are children of the light and of the day and that we have this Spiritual honour derived to us immediately by this Fountain of all honour What though we are not that Son of Righteousness which ariseth with healing in his wings that day spring from on high Yet are we radiant stars of light We are not all perhaps of the same magnitude nor do we all move in the same Sphere but some in an higher others in a lower and one star differeth from another star in glory but yet still if we be good Pastors we have the name given us of Celestial bodies and so are exalted in our Christian station above the inferior world of Laymen or Private Christians and as stars have not only the priviledge of being illuminated our selves but that other more obscure Corporeal beings in our light do see Light But to descend to particulars my business shall be to demonstrate briefly some of that Analogy and proportion that is to be found between the Literal and Metaphorical Natural and Supernatural light and this I shall do in two heads 1. Lux est speciosissima aspectu 2. Lux est fortissima effectu 1. Eccles 11.7 It is speciosissima aspectu Light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun saith Solomon I cannot better descant on those words than in the elegant style of the ingenious Author of the Light of Nature Culverwel c. 17. Light is saith he the smile of nature the gloss of the World the varnish of the creation a bright paraphrase on bodies whether it discover it self in the modesty of a morning blâ—sh and open it 's fair and Virgine eye-lids in the dawning day whether it dart out it 's more vigorous and sprightly
may serve for a pregnant instance to us how far an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rash misguided Zeal may transport men so as to think that while they endeavour the subversion of a setled Ministry they are doing God Service and may be an Item to us likewise of the dangerous consequences of those Principles which the aforesaid Sectarians so confidently proceed on viz. The necessity of abolishing things once abused to Idolatry and Superstition and the unlawfulness of using any thing of an indifferent nature even as to the Circumstantials of Gods Worship which is not expresly Commanded in holy Writ Let us 4ly Consider the danger of neglecting our duty herein Maâ—th 23 14. and of giving offence and bad example unto others Such certainly as our Saviour said of the Pharisees shall receive the greater damnation when they shall hear it said unto them by God which so moved Origen What hast thou to do Psal 50 16. to take my name into thy mouth seeing thou batest reproof and bast cast my law behind thy back So that it will not be enough for them at the last day to say Lord Matth. 7.12 Lord we have prophesied in thy name And Christ hath good reason to take it ill if he receiveth wounds in the house of his friends and be thus dishonoured and affronted by his own Menial Servants that wear his Badge and Livery and if those that live by the altar and eat with him at his Table Mal. 2.8 lift up their heel against him if they I say depart out of the way and cause others to stumble If the light that is in you be darkness as our Saviour saith how great is that Matth. 6.22 darkness What! shall I say as one that hell shall be paved with the skulls of profane Scholars Questionless it will be more tolerable in the day of Judgment for others than for such who instead of being men of God show themselves men of Belial insteed of being Priests of the high God are Priests of Bacchus or Venus and obscure the light of their Doctrine by works of darkness These though they have the voyce of Jacob have the hands of Esau and do by their bad example but aedificare ad gehennam Cavendum est itaq nobis fratres ne vel superbia addam luxuria quae dicente S. Cypriano valde suaviter dormiunt in sacerdotum sinu denuo florentis Ecclesiae nostrae ruinam moliantur aut paritatem inter Ecclesiasticos quâ nihil imparius esse dixit Veterum non-nemo aut quod deterius est Acephalorum Anarchiam introducant ne in Chaos antiquum confundamur novas demum in Ecclesiâ quod absit tragoedias experiamur dum conformes altà s Ecclesiae filii divino tamen canoni difformes se praestent immorigeros dum ab exterminatis concionatoribus aut concionandi assiduitate aut vitae quadam severitate superentur adeoque fanaticae plebis furore ne dicam justo dei judicio instar salis insipidi sint rejectanei dum histrionum more verbis tantum Philosophentur malè vivendo quod inquit ille alterâ manu abripiant quod bene docendo alterâ manu porrigant Caveamus praesertim ne quis coronam nostram abripias coelestem Minutius Felix dum magna potius loquamur quam vivamus ne indocti coelum rapiant quod exclamat ille nos cum doctrinis nostris in infernum detrudamur ubi Scelera taxantur modo Majore nostra Seneca Wherefore suffer Brethren the word of exhortation Let me intreat and conjure you by whatsoever is great or good by whatsoever is dear and near unto you by that holy Jesus whom you worship by that holy Religion you profess by the love you bear to your own and others Souls by a judgment which is to come of condemnation to the evil and recompense to the good in a Crown of glory that your Light shine before men Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise think of these things Be stars for light motion and influence And God will make you as stars in his right hand fixed and unmoved by any of the sons of violence and be careful to put in practice that promise you made solemnly at your Ordination to frame and fashion both your selves and families according to the doctrine of Christ 1 Pet. 5.3 and so make your selves and them as much as in you lies examples to the flock Set this your seal to your Ministry and let your whole life be a constant exemplifying of a Christians duty and so a continual Sermon before their eyes that so they may by this silent Rhetorick be induced to approve of that pure and undefiled Religion which they see us practise our selves as well as profess and Preach to others Remember your title of Light and so labour to resemble the Sun-beams herein that through whatsoever place you pass you may retain your purity What if you be for a while Ecclipsed by the interposition of a variable fickle world the irrational humours of the inconstant vulgar shew your selves as the Church in the Revelations is represented having the Moon under your feet Revel 12.1 and by an unoffensive walking stop their mouthes and so take an holy revenge of them who so far malign your office as to charge the aberrations of particular Persons upon the Office it self And then though you may be darkned for a while by the clouds of mens passions and prejudices yet will it be only to this inferior World not to the upper starry region and when you have finished your course and accomplished your periodick motion and so long shined before others till like a lamp or candle you have consumed your selves God hath promised to exalt you to an higher Orb by an happy Apotheosis nigh unto himself even there where when as others shall shine only as the brightness of the firmament they that turn many unto righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 Now that which in my Text is said unto Ministers our Saviour saith in a sense to all Christians Every one that is of the Light Ephes 5 8. must walk as a Child of the Light Tit. 2. â—0 Adorn the Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour in all things bring credit and honor to Religion by an Holy Life Coâ—oss 1.10 walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a man as well as light to denote as some Criticks that men ought to live as lights unto others Christians must let the world see that there is as much difference between them and others as between light and darkness and so they must make the beauty of holiness which they heard of only by the hearing of the ear visible to their very eyes that men may become admirers and practisers of our Religion and so have reason to glorifie God on your behalf which leads me to the third and last general viz. 3d Our end and design in our light shining We must not shine so as to glaze and glister for ostentation like the heathen who knew not what belonged to humility but were as Tertullian calls them Gloriae animalia negotiatores famae vain-glorious hunters after popular air and applause We must not shine as the Pharisees by making broad our Phylacteries praying in a corner of the street Matth. 23.5 disfiguring our faces and all to be seen of men Matth. 6.16 we must not suffer pride to interpose and rob God of his just Glory but all our shining must be with a design to glorifie him who is the Father of Lights Our good actions must be without hypocrisie not tempered with interest but directed to that which should be the chief end of all our actions as it was of our beings viz. Gods honour that men may see our good works and glorifie not us but our Father which is in heaven This as it is a duty incumbent upon all men so especially upon those who are near unto him in the Ministry and so as his Ambassadours are to be tender of the credit of their Lord and Master But now when we are said here to glorifie God it cannot be understood of any real glory added unto him who is infinitely and Essentially glorious and so neither better for our praises or the worse for our dispraises but then we honour him when in our thoughts words and actions we set forth his Excellent glory or as the Schoolmen will have it Gods glory may be considered two ways either as it is in him and so it is incapable of having any thing added to it or taken from it as being a confluence and union of those many transcendent excellencies that are in him or else it may be considered in relation to it 's manifestation to the creature and so we may glorifie and honour him when we praise him either with our tongue which therefore is called our glory or by our holy lives giving occasion unto others to speak good of his name That this is our duty might be more largly shewed by the express Command of God who requireth this homage and tribure as due unto him from all his Creatures particularly rational who are the fittest agents for this work as being endued with reason and speech for this very end but especially his own people and among them his Ministers which makes the Psalmist to call upon Israel and the house of Aaron to praise the Lord. Psal 118.2 3. It is indeed but reasonable that we should acknowledge a dependance that we have on him the relation that we have to him and the interest he hath in us It is but the honour that is due unto his name who hath in this work complicated our interest with our duty seeing in glorifying him we do honour our selves as doing the work of Angels here below and begin those Hallelujahs to the Lord our God which will be our happiness to carry on in Heaven to all Eternity Which God of His Mercy grant through Jesus Christ FINIS