THE STAVES OF Beauty Bands Opened in a SERMON Preached at YARMOVTH August 23. 1663. By the Right Reverend Father in God EDWARD Lord Bishop of NORWICH Augustin de Tempore Ser. 169. Meritum Christianae virtutis vilescit in Cunctis si unitatem non habet pacis nec pervenit ad vocabulum Filii nisi per nomen Pacifici Id. de Civit. Dei l. 15. c. 22. Vera brevis Definitio Virtutis est Ordo Amoris LONDON Printed by T. Ratcliffe for George Thomason at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls Churchyard 1663. To the Right Worshipfull the Magistrates and to the Reverend Ministers and other Members of the Corporation of Yarmouth in Norffolk Dearly Beloved THIS Sermon was Preached before you in order to the Peace and Vnity of the Church of God amongst you and I presume in order to the same good end I was by You pressed to the publishing of it Which motion I have the more readily entertained that the Arguments unto so necessary a duty which I found prevalent with you then might he always at your hand to revive in you the same affections And truly those many men in all parts of this Nation who upon whatsoever plausible and specious pretences have given entertainment unto novel opinions never before these loose times heard of in the Church of God and thereupon do forsake the Assemblies and disturbe the peace of an Orthodox and Reformed Church little consider the advantage they give the Common Adversary who no doubt rejoyceth to see us break one another with our own hands whom they with theirs hither to have not been able to harm As Vespasian is observed by Josephus to have done in the siege of Jerusalem not choosing to storme the Jewes by any hostile assault while they were destroying one another by their Intestine confusions Certainly what ever prejudices weak and credulous men may have their eyes dazled withall Divisions and Contentions in the Church have alwayes fleshly lusts at the bottome of them as the Apostle assureth us 1 Cor. 3. 3. Nor are they only fruits of sinne in men but evidences of wrath in God and sad symptomes of his further displeasure When Manasse is against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasse and both against Judah it is a sign that Gods anger is not turned away but that his hand is stretched out still Shismes in a Church being like Leaks in a ship or breaches in a Sea bank which threaten speedy and extremest danger And therefore all who wish well to Sion should listen unto Healing and Vniting Counsels not suffering in so important a businesse as the Peace and prosperity of the Church any secular designes single or divided Interests carnal animosities or perverse disputes to embitter their spirits or alienate their affections from other their brethren heirs of the same common salvation or to draw them away from the Communion of that Church from whose breasts they have often sucked the sincere milk of the word and in whose fellowship they may still undoubtedly partake of all the means of Salvation The Lord grant that all of us in all places of the Land both Pastors and People may be unanimously zealous for the Peace of the Church That Ministers by sound and wholesome doctrine which cannot be disproved by holy humble prudent and peaceable Lives and by unwearied diligence and fidelity in their Callings may stop the mouthes and winne upon the affections of their Gain-sayers and that the People may not lean on their own wisdome nor be carryed away blind-fold with uncharitable prejudices or with every winde of doctrine but may yeild themselves to the guidance of their faithfull Pastors and be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath for Contention is usually the mother of disobedience Now the Lord of Peace himself give you peace always by all means the Lord be with you all Yours in all Christian affection to serve you Ed. Norvic THE Staves of BEAUTY and BANDS Opened in a SERMON preached at Yarmonth August 23. 1663. Zechar. 11. 7. I took unto me Two Staves the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands and I fed the Flock THERE was no Office which Christ undertook no Ministery which he instituted in his Church which was not by him directed and intended unto such excellent Ends as whereby the Honour and Welfare thereof might be advanced When in this place he assumed his Pastoral Office to Govern and guide his Flock he doth by the names of these two Staves acquaint us with two noble Ends of that Service The Restoring of Beauty to his Church corrupted and of Unity to his Church divided Of both which we shall by Gods Assistance take a brief View First He Feedeth and Ruleth his poor Flock with his Staff called Beauty his Word Ordinances and Government being as glorious things in themselves so the special Beauty and Honour of the Church that enjoy them Thus among the people of the Jews the Ark and the Tabernacle are called their Glory in which respect the Apostle saith That unto Israel did pertain the Adoption and the Glory because the Covenants the Law the Service of God aud the Promises were theirs As to external Pomp and Splendor the great Monarchies of the world went far beyond them for they were the â—ewest of all People but herein was their Preheminence and Primogeniture as the Lord saith Israel is my first horn herein was their double portion above all other Nations that they had the Oracles of God committed unto them that they were intrusted with the Custody of that honourable Law which as the Apostle sairh was holy just and good And in like manner in the Christian Church the Gospel which is the Law of Christ is called by the Apostle a glorious Gospel because it is the Riches and the Salvation of those that enjoy it insomuch that the very feet of those that bring glad Tidings thereof are said to be Beautiful Rom. 10. 15. and therefore as we read of Moses that his Face shined when he came down from the Mount to signifie the Glory and Luster of the Legal Ministery as the Apostle teacheth us so likewise do we read of Christ that his face shined as the Sun in his Transfiguration on the Mount to signifie the far more excellent Glory of the Evangelical Ministery of Life and Righteousness in which respect he is called the Glory of his people and a Diadem of Beauty unto the residue of them for where Christ walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks having his Ordinances in their vigonr and Efficacy duly administred he thereby rendereth his Church beautiful in these four Respects 1. By the Verity of his heavenly Doctrine When a people are taught of the Lord then their Stones are laid with fair Colours and their Foundations with Saphires their Windows of Agates their Gates of Carbuncles and their Borders
Church to enjoy it the World a Tenement for his Creatures to dwell in the Church a Palace for himself to dwell in he hath desired it for his Habitation it is his Rest for ever Above all Excellencies Holiness is the Beauty of a Creature and therefore the Angels who excell in all created perfection are above all other Appellations honoured with the name of Saints Deut. 33. 2. they differ not in nature from Devils in Holinesse they do Derived Holiness consisteth in conformity to primitive holiness The Lord is most holy in himself and our holiness standeth in his Image and Likeness so far forth as he hath by an holy Law made his Holiness a pattern for ours And when we threw away that Image of God wherein our created Holiness consisted and the Lord was pleased in any of us to renew it again he did it by the pattern of his beloved Son who is the Image of the invisible God and the Character of his person full of Grace and Truth Now then according to the Excellency of the pattern we are to measure and take an estimate of that Beauty wherein we are conformable unto that pattern and what pattern more glorious then the blessed God and the Holy Son of God the chiefest of ten thousand unto whom therefore the conformity of a Creature must be its chief and principal Beauty There are several Attributes or Properties whereby the Excellency of this Beauty may be further discovered 1. Light and Luster for as a great part of the Corporal Beauty is in the life and vigour of the eye so of spiritual Beauty in the clarity and brightness of the mind when the Lord who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness shineth in our Hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as the Sun is the greatest Beauty of the visible world so Christ as a Sun of Righteousness by the Excellency of his knowledge is the glory and beauty of the invisible 2. Rectitude Straitness the wise man thus expresseth our primitive Beauty that God made man perfect and we do then recover this Beauty when we are without guil and perverseness of Spirit when we make strait paths for our feet to walk in and do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go evenly according to the Truth of the Gospel 3. Integrity and Compleatness when all the parts and members of the new man are formed in us and we do partake of the fulness of Christ Grace for Grace as the Child of his parent member for member The Lord in the Law would not accept of a maimed Offering Levit. 22 21 22. And when we offer up our selves a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God we must be sanctified throughout and our whole Spirit Soul and Body must be preserved blameless for wherever Christ is formed though it be but in measure as to the degrees of Grace yet that measure must be the measure of every part so that there is at once both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks a measure in regard of the Imperfection of every Grace and yet a fulnesse in regard of the perfection of every part or member of the new man 4. Symmetry and an exact proportion of parts and equal temperament of humours one with another which in regard of Spiritual Beauty is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exactnesse of Obedience when there is such a due temper of Piety to God Sobriety to our selves and Righteousness to others that none of these do obstruct the other but that there is an equal respect to all Gods Commandments and such a supply and accurate distribution of vital influence unto every member of the new man that no part doth either swell or wither that Zeal is not blind nor Knowledge unfruitful nor Faith without Love nor the Duties of one Table without those of another but that we gâ—ow up unto Christ in all things and have an effectual working in the measure of every part 5. Growth and Progress in these proportions for while we are in this world we are still in our Minority and therefore must still be contending towards perfection To be a man in years and a child in stature is an unbeautiful thing Christ hath no Dwarfs in his body though one man attain greater degrees of perfection then another yet all are in a growing condition the life of Christ in us being a life that abounds and his Grace like the waters of the Sanctuary rising up higher and higher Lastly Indeficiency wherein spiritual Beauty surpasseth all other for bodily favour is deceitful and Beauty vain it runneth all at last into wrinkles and deformity but as Christ himself never saw Corruption no more doth the Beauty that he brings to the Soul with him They who are planted in the Lords house do flourish in his Courts and are fat and fruitfull in their old age As we may truly say of sin in a wicked man Concupiscentiâ— non senescit though nature wax old and infirm yet Lust doth not so we may say of Grace in a good man Charitas non senescit it is not apta nata of it self to decay but proceeds from strength to strength The ends of the Ordinances do likewise further evidence this Beauty of theirs unto us For they are by Christ intended for such purposes as these 1. To Quicken us and to fashion him in us By nature we are dead in trespasses and sins and death ever induceth deformity but by the holy Spirit of Christ working in and by his Ordinances we are restored unto his life and likeness and conformed unto the Image of him who is altogether lovely 2. To clense and purifie us from all Defilements for the fear of the Lord is clean and his Commandment pure both in it self and in its operations his precious promises by our faith in them and by our hope and expectation of them do clense us from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and cause us to purifie our Selves even as he is pure that we may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousnesse that our Offerings may be pleasant unto him 3. To heal us of all our spiritual distempers whereby the Beauty of the Soul is dimmed or impaired As many of Christs Miracles were shewed in making the blind see the deaf hear the lame leap and in curing of all manner of sickness and disease so the spiritual vertue of his holy Ordinances is seen in spiritual Operations consonant unto those in which respect he is called a Physician to bind up the broken hearted and to heal the stroke of the wound of his people He is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations 4. To comfort us to wipe away all
tears from our eyes all sorrow from our hearts and thereby to make our faces shine for as Moses by extraordinary Converse with God on the Mount had a lustre on his face so in some proportion all Communion with him doth by the spiritual comfort bring a Beaury upon holy men filling them with the peace of God which passeth understanding and with Joy which is unspeakable and glorious 5. To fit and prepare us for the Lord himself to delight in that his Image in us may attract the eye and heart the love and delight of the Lord of Glory unto us the Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for himself hath chosen Israel for his peculiar Treasure hath formed them for himself to shew forth his praise and purified them unto himself for a peculiar people and because the Church is in this special manner Gods own therefore he will in special manner put his Comliness upon her and will beautifie the place of his Sanctuary as he is called the Glory of his people Israel so he hath hononred his people Israel with this high dignity to be called His Glory Lastly The manner of Christs Governing his Church by his Ordinances is full of Beauty and Sweetness with a still voice with the cords of a man with the bands of Love he gathereth the Lambs in his arm and carryeth them in his Bosome as one whom his Mother comforteth so doth he comfort them he doth not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax he deals with perswasions and entreaties by his Ambassadors beseeching us to be reconciled unto God he leads his Flock by still waters and into green pastures through ways of pleasantnesse and paths of peace he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men In the midst of wrath he remembreth Mercy when he causeth grief he sheweth compassion and when he speaks against Ephraim he earnestly remembreth him still he hath set up a sweet order in his Church both in Doctrine and Policy managing both with meeknesse and gentlenesse preaching peace proclaiming Liberty erecting over his people a Banner of Love and though he have an iron Rod for his enemies yet he holdeth forth a golden Scepter to his people ruling in their hearts by a spirit of Adoption and by a Law of Love Thus he feedeth his Church by his Staff called Beauty Great therefore is the Indignity which they offer unto Christ who despise the sweetness of this his Government the waters of Shiloah which go softly refusing to submit to his easie yoake being offended at the severity and Sanctity of his Doctrine saying in their hearts like those in the Gospel Luke 19. 14. We will not have this man to rule over us disdainfully undervaluing that great salvation which he by his pretious blood purchased for them and by the word of his Grace doth continually tender unto them Spretae injuria formae is no small dishonour done to him who is the Lord of Glory Great the Thankfulness we owe unto him for the fruit of this his Beautiful and amiable Government that we who were enemies unto him by wicked works and were well pleased with that our misery should by the power of his Spirit be translated from the Tyranny of Satan into the kingdom of Grace and be made a willing people beautified with his Salvation Great the value we ought to set upon the Ordinances of the Gospel the Staff of Beauty by which he governeth his Flock the Ornaments and Bracelets the Chain and Jewels which he sendeth unto his Spouse to adorn her withal No man cometh unto Christ till he seeth Beauty in him and vain men who love their Lusts better then their life are naturally prejudiced against his holy ways He is to the Disobedient a stone of stumbling a rock of Offence a sign to be spoken against Now by the Light and Majesty of the Ordinances this prejudice is removed and we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Great the Duty which we owe to the Gospel to bear witness unto the Beauty thereof by our holy Conversation To think on those things which are venerable just pure lovely and of a good report which adorn and become the Gospel and are worthy of that high Calling wherewith we are called to remember that we are vessels of Honour to be purged and sanctified that we may be meet for our Masters use that we are Temples of the Holy Ghost separated unto his special service and presence And if any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy That we are a redeemed and a peculiar people whom Christ hath purified unto himself That without Holiness our prayers and Sacrifices are but an abomination For as without Holiness no man can see God so without Holiness no man can serve him What hath my Beloved to do in my house saith the Lord seeing she hath wrought lewdness The Lord will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him We should thereforeall in our several places especially those unto whom the Pastoral Dignity and Trust doth appertain use our utmost care to preserve the Church of God amongst us in that honour and beauty which belongs thereunto not corrupting the Doctrine thereof or obtruding any meer problematical much less false and unsound positions of our own upon the faith of our Hearers not corrupting the Worship thereof either with superstition or irreverence not suffering either the meer Form of Godliness to swallow up the power or the pretence of power to shut out the Form but to give the Lord both that inward and outward Honour which is due to his holy name in all our solemn Attendances upon him not corrupting the sanctity thereof either with Hypocrisie or Prophaness with meer specious Pretences of Holiness on the one hand or with open and downright Contempt thereof on the other Lastly Not corrupting the Decency and Order thereof either by burthening Gods Service with an excessive number of needless Observances or on the other side censuring and deserting the Communion of a Sound and Orthodox Church because the Order thereof doth not in every particular please us Thus is the Church to be fed and Ruled with the former of our Prophets Staves The Staff Beauty Secondly Christ as the chief Shepherd by his Spirit and Power and his Under-Officers by their Ministery and Service do feed and rule his Church by his Staffe called Bands procuring and advancing the Unity thereof and gathering together into one all the members belonging thereunto that the whole body may be fitly joyned together and compacted without Schisms and Divisions which is