then they wish when they say Glorie be in the highest that high and lowe Heaven and Earth Men and Angells would do their parts to make His praise glorious glorious at the highest On earth sound it out farre and wide all the world over to the ends of the earth Psal. 150.4.5 and lift up our voices and help them with instruments of all kinds and make them to be heard up to the very Heavens that so it may be in altissimis indeed Yea that all creatures in both ravished with the consideration of the great favour and good will of GOD in this daies Birth testified would take occasion to fill their mouthes with the praise of His goodnesse in resolving His wisdome in contriving His mercie in promising His truth in pâ—rforming the worke of this Day the blessed Birth of his Sonne For the worke of the Day to make the day of the worke a glorious day causing it to be attended with a number of daies according to the number of the moneths of the yeare as no Feast els Glorious in all places as well at home with Carolls as in the Church with Anthemes Glorious in all Ages even this day this yeare as on the very day on which He was borne Glorious in habit in fare But specially as we see the Angells here doe with the service of GOD the most solemne service the highest the most melodious Hymnes we have and namely with this heere of the Queere of Heaven In a word all the waies â—e can all the waies God can have any glory from us to let Him have it and have it even at the height in altissimis And good reason we should so wish CHRIST lost His glorie by being thus in the cratch We tooke some from Him to wish Him some for it againe That was ignominia in infimis to wish Him gloria in altissimis in liev of it Againe we get glorie by it our Nature so For the glorie we get by GOD heer below to returne some glorie to GOD there on high This is votum gloriae this wish we when we wish gloria in altissimis The next is votum pacis they wish Peace may be upon earth 2. Peace in Earth 1 Even Augustus his peace first that is the first commeth to our minds when we heare that word the shutting of IANVS for that also was a blessed fruict of this Birth Esay fore-told it There should then be a bridge from Ashur to Egypt Esa 19.23 and from Canaan to them both that is from every nation to other to traffique and to trade togither That but not only that but the taking downe also of the partition wall Eph. 2.14 which formerly MOSES had set up between the Iew and the Gentile the making of them both one in the body of his flesh Saint Pauls peace And yet further For both these are peace upon earth of earth with earth Augustus can the world can give that peace though many times they will not But he speakes in a Place of the peace which the world cannot give that is peace with heaven That there should not be ESAIS bridge only Gen. 28.10 but IACOBS ladder set up from Bethel to heaven a peace-able entercourse with that place by the Angells descending and ascending between us and them And further yet peace at home with our selves and with our owne consciences Psal. 116.7 Turne againe â—o thy rest ô my Soule for in finding Him we shall find rest to our Soules And last to answere Gloria in altissimis Pax in novissimis peace at the parting which is worth all Simeons peâ—ce a good Nunc dimittis in pace Ver. 29. a departing hence in peace And all by meanes of viderunt oculi the sight of the Salvation of this Day All these are in voto pacis The third is there may be in GOD a good-will toward men And 3. Good wil toward men good-will is a kind of Peace but somewhat more with an extent or prorogation a kind of peace peculiar to men which the other parts of the earth are not capable of So a further matter to men then bare peace Even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke well to beare good-will to be well pleased with men And what greater wish can there be then In quo complacitum est CHRIST hath no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is His high glorie Mat. 3.17 that for His and this His births sake which we now celebrate that which is verified of His Person is verified of both His Natures of Him not only as SONNE of GOD but even as SONNE of man too And what is verified of Him as SONNE of man may be verified also of the Sonnes of men of all Mankind This wish is at the highest and more cannot be wished then that this favour to day begunne may still and ever continue to us all So have you now the three parts of the Angells wish Summa votorum Glorie be to GOD. c. What is now to be done Three things more To see the 1 Connexion copulative I. The Connexion copulative Glory Peace 2 the Sequence 3 and the Division 1 The Connexion copulative a blessed couple Glorie and Peace 2 The Sequence but first glorie and then Peace 3 The Division which to which 1 One to GOD 2 The other to earth 3 The third to man Glorie and Peace are coupled togither with an and And in earth peace That Glorie would not be soong alone but Peace togither with it We will not we may not skip the Copulative that couples togither high and low heaven and earth and in them GOD and Man But that which I respect specially Glorie and peace must be soong togither If we sing Glorie without Peace we sing but to halves No Glorie on high will be admitted without Peace upon earth No gift on His altar which is a speciall part of His glorie but lay downe your gift and there leave it Mat. 5.24.55 and first goe your way and make peace on earth and that done come againe and you shall then be accepted to give glorie to heaven and not before And ô that we would go and doe the like have like regard of His glorie that He hath of our peace But this knott of Gloria et Pax is against those that are still ever wrangling with one thing or other and all for the Glorie of GOD forsooth as if these two could not ioyne GOD could not have His glorie if the Church were at peace as if no remedie the Angells Et must out 2. The Sequence Glorie before Peace Glorie and Peace but Glorie first and then Peace There is much in the order Glorie to be first els you change the Cleff the clef is in Glorie that the key of the Song That is to be first and before all Peace to give place to her Glorie is the elder Sister And no Pax in terris vnlesse it be first
was baptized and did pray the heaven was opened And the H. Ghost came downe upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove c. p. 674. IX Ioh 20.22 He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost p. 686. X. Luk. 4.18.19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath annointed me that I should preach c. p. 698. XI Act. 2. v. 17. to the 22. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Ioel And it shall be in the last daies saith God I will poure out of my Spirit upon all flesh c. p. 710. XII Act. 10. v. 34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no accepter of persons c. p. 723. XIII 1. Ioh. 5.6 This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood c. And it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse c. p. 755. XIV Iam. 1. v. 16.17 Every good thing and every perfect Gift is from above c. p. 745. XV. 1. Cor. 12. v. 4.5.6.7 Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit c. p. 755. Sermons preached upon the V. of August I. 2. Sam. 18.32 And Cushi answered The enemies of my Lord the King c be as that young man is p. 773. II. 1. Sam. 16. v. 8.9 Then said Abisai to David God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day c. p. 784. III. 1. Chr. 16.22 Touch not mine Annointed p. 795 IV. Psal. 89 v. 20.21.22.23 I have found David my servant c. p 815. V. Ps. 21. v. 1. to the 4. The King shall reioyce in thy strength ô Lord c. p. 830. VI. Esth. 2. v. 21.22 In those daies when Mardochei sate in the King's gate two of the King's Eunuchs Bigthan and Teresh were wroth c. p. 844. VII 1. Sam. 24. v. 5.6.7.8 And the men of David said unto him See the day is come whereof the Lord said unto thee c. p. 859. VIII Gen. 49. v. 5.6.7 Simeon and Levi brethren in evill c. p. 870. Sermons preached upon the V. of November I. Psal. 18. v. 23.24 This is the Lords doing c. This is the day which the Lord hath made c. p. 889. II. Psal. 126. v. 1.2.3.4 When the Lord brought againe the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dreame c. p. 901. III. Luk 9 v. 54.55.56 And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn saw it they said Lord wilt thou that we command that fire come downe c. p. 911 IV. Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed c. p. 923. V. Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reigne p. 933. VI. Prov. 24. v. 21.22.23 My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change p. 945. VII Psal. 145.9 His mercies are over all his works p. 959. VIII Esai 37.3 The children are come to the birth ther is not strength to bring forth p. 971. IX Luk. 1. v. 74.75 That we being delivered c. might serve him without feare c. p. 983. X. Esth 9.31 To confirme those daiâ—s of Purim according to their seasons c. p. 997. Sermons upon severall occasions I. At the Spital 1. Tim 6. v. 17.18.19 Charge them that are rich c. p. 1. II. Of the worshipping of imaginations upon the II. Commandement p. 25. III. Ier. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth in truth in iudgement in righteousnesse p. 34. IV. Ioh. 20.23 Whose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted c. p. 49. V. Ier. 23.6 This is the Name whereby they shall call upon him The Lord our righteousnesse p. 67. VI. Matt. 22.21 Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's p. 87. VII Num. 10. V. 1.2 Of the right of calling Assemblies p. 99. VIII On the Coroâ—ation day Iudges 17.6 In those daies there was no King in Israel c. p. 115. IX Iam. 1.22 And be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely c. p. 129. X. At the opening of the Parliament Psal. 82.1 God standeth in the Congregation of Princes c. p. 143. XI Psal. 106. v. 29.30 Thus they provoked him to anger c and the Plague was great among them c. p. 159. A Sermon preached at the Funerall of Lancelot late Bishop of Winchester by the Bishop of Elie. SERMONS OF The Nativitie PREACHED VPON Christmasse Day Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTY AT WHITE-HALL on Tuesday the XXV of December A.D. MDCV. being CHRIST-MASSE day HEBR. CHAP. II. VER XVI For He in no wise tooke the Angells But the Seede of ABRAHAM He tooke AND even because this day He tooke not the Angells Nature vpon Him but took our Nature in the seede of Abraham therefore hold wee this Day as a high Feast therefore meet we thus every yeare in a holy Assembly even for a solemne memorial that He hath as this day bestowed vpon vs a dignity which vpon the Angells He bestowed not That He as in the Chapter before the Apostle setteth him forth that is the brightnesse of His Fathers glorie Heb. 1. â— the very Character of his substance the Heire of all things by whom He made the world He when both needed it His taking vpon him their nature and both stood before him Men and Angells the Angells He tooke not but Men he tooke was made man was not made an Angell that is did more for them then he did for the Angells of Heaven Elsewhere the Apostle doth deliver this very point positively and that not without some vehemency Without all question Great is the mysterie of Godlines God is manifested in the flesh 1. Tim 3.16 Which is in effect the fame that is here said but that heere it is delivered by way of comparison For this speech is evidently a comparison If he had thus set it downe Our naturâ— He tooke that had beene positive But setting it downe thus Ours He tooke the Angells He tooke not it is certainely comparative 1. Now the Masters of speech tell vs that there is power in the Positive if it be giuen forth with an earnest asseveration But nothing to that that is in the Comparative It is nothing so full to say I will never forget you as thus to say it Can a mother forget the child of her owne wombe Esa. 49.15 well if she can yet will not I forget you Nothing so forcible to say thus I will hold my word with you Luk. 19.17 as thus Heaven and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The Comparative expressing is without all question more significant And this heer is such Theirs the Angels nusquam at no hand He tooke but ours he did 2. Now the comparison is as is the thing in nature wherunto it is made If the thing be ordinarie the comparison is according But then is it full of force when it is with no meane or base
thing but with the cheefe and choise of all the Creatures as heere it is even with the Angells themselues For then it is at the highest 1. That of Elihu in Iob That God teacheth vs more then the beasts Iob. 35 11. and giveth vs more vnderstanding then the foules of the ayre that is that God hath been more gratious to vs then to them being made of the same mould that we are that yet He hath given vs a priuiledge above them this is much 2. That of the Psalmist Ps. 147.20 He hath not dealth so with every nation nay not with any other nation in giving vs the knowledge of his heavenly truth and lawes Even that we have a prerogative if we be compared with the rest of mankind More then the beasts much more then all men besides much more 3. But this heere Nusquam Angelos c. that he hath given vs a praeeminence above the Angells themselves granted vs that that he hath not granted the Angells that is a Comparison at the very highest and further we cannot goe 3. One degree yet more And that is this As in comparisons making it skilleth much the excellencie of the thing wherwithall it is compared so doth it too the maner how the comparison is made the pitch that is taken in it It is one thing to make it in tanto another in toto One thing when it is in degrees that more this lesse this not so much as that yet that somwhat though Another when one is the other is not at all So is it heere Assumpsit non assumpsit Vs He did take The Angells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in any wise not in a lesse or a lower degree then vs but them not at all So it is with the highest and at the highest So much is said heere and more cannot be said The only exception that may be made to these comparisons is that most-what they be odious it breedeth a kind of disdeigne in the higher to be matched with the lower Especially to be over-matched with him We need not feare it heer The blessed spirits the Angells will take no offense at it Gen 28.17 they will not remove Iacobs ladder for all this or descend to vs or ascend for vs Ioh 1.51 ever a whit the flower because He is become the Sonne of man There is not in them that envious mind that was in the elder brother in the Gospell when the younger was received to grace after his riotous course Luk. 15.28 1. Tim. 3.16 When the Apostle tells vs of the great mysterie that God was manifested in the flesh immediatly after he tells that He was seene of the Angels And lest we might thinke they saw it 1. Pet. 1.12 as we do many things heere which we would not see Saint Peter tells vs that desiderant prospicere that with desire and delight they saw it and cannot be satisfied with the sight of it it pleaseth them so well And even this day the day that it was done and Angel was the first Luk. 2.10 that came to bring newes of it to the shepheards and he no sooner had delivered his message 14. but presently there was with him a whole Quier of Angells singing and ioying and making melodie for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Good-will of God towards men So that without dread of any disdeigne or exception on the Angells parts we may proceede in our Text. The Division Wherein first of the parties compared Angells and Men 2. Then 1 of that wherein they are compared assumption or apprehension in the word taking 2 And not every taking but apprehensio seminis taking on Him the seed 3. Lastly of this terme Abrahams seed the choise of that word or terme to expresse mankind by thus taken on by Him That he saith not But men He tooke or But the seed of Adam or the seed of the woman He tooke But the seed of Abraham He tooke 1. OF the parties compared Angells and Men. These two we must first compare I. The Parties compared Men with Angells that we may the more cleerly see the greatnesse of the grace and benefit this day vouchsafed vs. No long processe will need to lay before you how farr inferior our Nature is to that of the Angells It is a comparison without comparison It is too apparant if we be layed together or weighed together we shall be found minus habentes farr too light They are in expresse termes sayd both in the Old and in the New Testament to excell vs in power Psal. 103 20. 2. Pet. 2.11 And as in power so in all the rest This one thing may suffice to shew the ods That our Nature that we when we are at our very highest perfection it is even thus expressed that we come neere or are therin like to or as an Angell Perfect beauty in Saint Stephen They saw his face as the face of an Angell Perfect wisedome in David Act 6.15 2. Sam. 14 2◠My Lord the King is wise as an Angell of God Perfect eloquence in Saint Paul 1. Cor. 13.1 Though I spake with the tongues of men nay of Angells All our excellencie our highest and most perfect estate is but to be as they therefore they aboue vs farr But to come neerer what are Angells Surely they are spirits Glorious spirits Heavenly spirits Immortall spirits For their Nature or substance Spirits For their Quality Heb. 1.14 Heb. 9.5 Mat. 24.36 Luk. 20.36 or propertie Glorious For their Place or abode Heavenly For their Durance or continuance Immortall And what is the seed of Abraham but as Abraham himselfe is And what is Abraham Let him answere himselfe I am dust and ashes What is the seede of Abraham Let one answere Gen. 18.27 in the persons of all the rest Dicens putredini c. saying to rottennesse Iob 17.14 thou art my mother and to the wormes yee are my brethren 1. They are spirits Now what are we what is the seed of Abraham Flesh. And what is the very harvest of this seede of flesh what but corruption and rottennesse and wormes There is the substance of our bodies Gal. 6.8 2. They glorious spirits We vile bodies beare with it it is the Holy Ghosts owne terme Who shall change our vile bodies And not only base and vile but filthy and vncleane Phil. 3.21 Iob 14.4 ex immundo conceptum semine conceived of vncleane seede There is the metall And the moulde is no better the wombe wherein we weare conceived vile base filthy and vncleane There Ps. 51.6 is our qualitie 3. They heavenly Spirits Angells of heaven that is their place of abode is in heaven above Ours is heere below in the dust inter pulices culices tineas araneas vermes Our place is heere among fleas and flies mothes and spiders and crawling wormes There is our place of dwelling 4. They immortall spirits
the taking of Abrahams seed amounteth to as much as that of S. Paul 1. Tim. 1.15 no lesse true then worthie of all men to be receiued that He came into the world to save sinners and that cheâ—fe sinners as it is certaine they were even the Seed of Abraham of all the Seed of Adam But not for comfort onely but for direction two doth He use Abrahams name heere 2. For our Direction Even to entaile the benefit comming by it to his Seed that is to such as he was For for his sake were all nations blessed And Christ though He tooke the seed of the woman Gen. 22.18 yet doth not benefit any but the seed of Abraham even those that follow the stepps of his faith For by faith Abraham tooke hold of Him by whom he was in mercie taken hold of Gen. 15.7 Et tu mitte fidem tenuisti saith Saint Augustine That faith of his to him was accounted for righteousnesse To him was and to us shall be saith the Apostle Rom. 4.23 if we be in like sort apprehensive of Him Either as Abraham or as the true Seed of Abraham Iacob was that took such hold on Him as he said plainely Non dimittam te nisi benedixeris mihi without a blessing Gen. 32.26 Rom 9.7 he would not let Him go Surely not the Hebrues alone nay not the Hebrues at all for all their carnall propagation They onely are Abrahams seed that lay hold of the word of promise And the Galatians so doing though they were meere heathen men as we be Gal. 3.6 yet he telleth them they are Abrahams seed and shall be blessed together with him But that is not all there goeth more to the making us Abrahams seed as Christ himselfe the true seed Iohn 8.39 Rom. 4.12 teacheth both them and us Saith He if ye be Abrahams sonnes then must you do the workes of Abraham Which the Apostle well calleth the stepps or impressions of Abrahams faith Or we may call them the fruits of this seed heer So reasoneth our Saviour Hoc non fecit Abraham This did not He if ye do it yee are not His seed This did He do ye the like and His seed ye are So heer is a double apprehension 1 one of S. Paul 2 the other of S. Iames Iam. 2.22 Gal. 5.6 1. Tim. 6.19 Work for both hands to apprehend Both 1 Charitas quae ex fide and 3 fides quae per charitatem operatur By which we shall be able saith Saint Paul to lay hold of aeternall life and so be Abrahams seed heere at the first and come to Abrahams bosome there at the last So have we a breefe of Semen Abrahae The Vse of the Text. 1 For MeditatioÌ„ Now what is to be commended to us out of this Text for us to lay hold of Verily first to take us to our meditation the meditation which the * Psal. 84. Psalmist hath and which the Apostle in this Chapter voucheth out of him at the sixt Verse When I consider saith he the Heavens say we the Angells of Heaven and see those glorious Spirits passed by and man taken even to sigh with him and say Lord what is man either Adam or Abraham that thou shouldest be thus mindfull of him or the seed or sonnes of either that thou shouldest make this doe about Him The case is heer farr otherwise farr more worth our consideration There Thou hast made Him a little lower Heer Thou hast made Him a great deale higher then the Angells For they this day first and ever since daily have and doe adore our Nature in the personall Vnion with the Deitie Look you saith the Apostle when He brought His onely begotten Sonne into the world this He proclaimed before Him Let all the Angells worship Him Heb. 1.6 and so they did And upon this verie daies taking the seed hath ensued as the Fathers note a great alteration Before in the Old Testament they suffered David to sit vpon his knees before them 1. Chr 21.16 Since in the New they endure not Saint Iohn should fall downe to them Apoc. 22.9 but acknowledge the case is altered now and no more superioritie but all fellow seruants And even in this one part two things present themselves unto us 1 His humilitie Qui non est confusus as in the eleventh Verse the Apostle speaketh who was not confounded thus to take our Nature 2 And withall the Honor and happinesse of Abrahams seed vt digni haberentur that were counted worthie to be taken Luk. 20.35 so neere unto him 2 For Resolution The next point That after we have well considered it we be affected with it and that no otherwise Ioh. 8.56 then Abraham was Abraham saw it even this day and but a farr of and He reioyced at it And so shall we on it if we be His true seed It brought forth a Benedictus and a Magnificat from the true seed of Abraham If it do not the like from us certainely it but flotes in our braines we but warble about it But we beleeve it not and therefore neither do we rightly vnderstand it Sure I am if the Angells had such a feast to keepe if he had done the like for them they would hold it with all ioy and iubilee They rejoyce of our good but if they had one of their owne they must needs doe it after another manner farre more effectually If we do not as they would do were the case theirs it is because we are short in conceiving the excellencie of the benefit It would have surely due observation if it had his due and serious meditation Luk. 12.48 Further we are to vnderstand this That to whom much is given of them will much be required and as Gregorie well saith Cum crescunt dona crescunt rationes denorum As the gifts grow so grow the accompts too Therefore that by this new dignitie befallen vs Necessitas quaedam nobis imposita est saith Saint Augustine there is a certeine necessitie layd upon us to become in some measure suteable unto it in that we are one one flesh and one bloud with the Sonne of God Being thus in honor we ought to vnderstand our estate and not fall into the Psalmists reproofe Psal 49 13. that we become like the beasts that perish For if we do indeed thinke our Nature is ennobled by this so high a conjunction we shall henceforth hold our selves more deare and at a higher rate then to prostitute our selves to sinne for every base trifling and transitorie pleasure For tell me men that are taken to this degree shall any of them proove a Deuill as Christ said of Iudas or ever as these with us of late have to do with any divelish Ioh. 6.76 Psal. 32.9 or Iudasly fact Shall any man after this assumption be as horse or mule that have no vnderstanding and in a Christian
given Desire of knowledge our attainder He in whom all the treasures of knowledge our restoring Flesh would have been the word as wise as the word Ioh. â— 4 the cause of our ruine meet then the word become flesh that so our ruine repaired There is a touch given in the name COVNSELLOR to note out unto us which Person as well as the Sonne One more if these ioyned why is not the Sonne first and then the Childe but the Childe is first and then the Sonne The Sonne is farr the worthier and therefore to have the place Chap. 7.14 And thus too it was in his other name Immanuel CHAP. VII It is not Elimanu not Deus nobiscum but Nobiscum Deuâ— We in His name stand before God It is so Luk. 3.31 â—8 in the Gospell the Sonne of Dauid first the Sonne of God after It is but this still zelus Domini ExercituuÌ„ fecit hoc Versâ— 7. but to shew His zeale how deare He holdeth us that He preferreth and setteth us before himselfe and in His verie name giue us the precedence The Person briefely The Child and the Sonne these two make but one Person cleerely for both these have but one name His name shall be called and both these have but one payre of shoulders Vpon His shoulders Therefore though two natures yet but one Person in both A meet person to make a Mediator of God and Man as symbolizing with either God and Man A meet person if there be division betweene them as there was and great thoughts of heart for it to make an Vnion Ex vtroque vnum seeing He was vnum ex vtroque Ephes. 2.14 Not man onely there lacked the sholder of power Not God onely there lacked the sholder of Iustice But both together And so have ye the two Supporters of all 1 Iustice and 2 Power A meet person to cease Hostilitie as having taken pledges of both heaven earth the chiefe nature in heaven and the chiefe on earth To set forward commerce betweene heaven and earth Gen. 23.12 by Iacobs Laddâ—r one end touching earth the other reaching to heaven To incorporate either to other Himselfe by His birth being become Sonne of man by our New-birth giuing us a capacitie to become the sonnes of God Ioh. 1.12 3. His Office His Office The Kingdome on His shoulders For He saw when the Child was borne it should so poorely be borne as lest we should conceive of Him too meanely He tells us He commeth cam Principatu with a Principalitie is borne a Prince and beautifieth Him whith such names as make amends for the manger That He is not only Puer a Child and Filius a Sonne but Princeps a Prince Truth is other Offices we finde besides But this you shall observe that the Prophets speaâ—ing of Christ in good congruitie ever apply themselves to the state of them they speake to and use that Office and Name which best agreeth to the matter in hand Heer that which was sought by Ahaz was protection that we know is for a King As a King therefore he speaketh of Him Elswhere he is brought forth by David as a Priest and againe elswhere by Moses as a Prophet If it be matter of sinne for which sacrifice to be offered he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek If the Will of God Psal. 110.4 if His great counseile to be reveiled A Prophet will the Lord raise c. Heare Him Deut 18 1â— But heere is matter of delivery only in hand heer therfore he represented Him Cum Principatu with a Principalitie A Principalitie not of this world Herod need not feare it nor envy it If it had His officers as they would have seen Him better defended at His Death so would they have seen him better lodged at His Birth then in a stable with beasts for if the Inne were full Luk. 2.7 the stable we may be sure was not empty Of what world then of that He is Father Futuri saeculi Of that He is Father He is a Prince of the government that guideth us thither Yet a Prince He is and so He is styled borne and given to establish a gouernment That none imagine they shall live like libertines under Him every man beleeve and live as he list It is Christ not Belial that is borne to day He bringeth a government with Him they that be His must live in subiection under a government els neither in Child nor Sonne in Birth nor Gift have they any interest And this government is by name a Principalitie Wherin neither the popular confusion of many nor the factious ambition of a few beare all the sway but where one is Soveraigne Such is the government of heaven Such is Christs government With a Principalitie or Government and that vpon His shoulders Somewhat a strange situation It is wisedome that governes That is in the head there is the Crown worn What have the shoulders to do with it Certainly somewhat by thiâ— Description The Shoulder as we know is the bearing member and unlesse it be for heavy â—hings we use it not Ordinary things we carry in our hands or lift at the armes end It must be very heavie if we must put shoulders and all to it Belike Governments have their weight be heavie And so they be they need not only a good head but good shoulders that susteine them But that not so much while they be in good tune and temper then they need no great carriage but when they grow un-weldy be it weaknesse or waywardnesse of the governed in that case they need And in that case there is no Governor but at one time or other he beares his government vpon his shoulders It is a morall they give of Aarons appareile He carved the 12. Tribes in his brestplate next his heart to shew Exod. 28.29 Exod. 28.12 c. that in care he was to beare them But he had them also engraven in two Onyx stones and those set upon his very shoulders to shew he must otherwhile beare them in patience too And it is not Aarons case alone it was so with Moses too He bare his government as a Nurse doth her child as he saith Num. XI that is full tenderly But Num. 11.12 when they fell a murmuring as they did often he bare them upon his shoulders in a great patience and long suffering Yea he complayned Non possum portare I am not hable to beare all this people c. It were sure to be wished that they that are in place might never be put to it Num. 11 1â— Beare their people only in their armes by love and in their breasts by care Yet if need be they must follow Christs example and patience heer and even that way beare them not only beare with them but even beare them also Yet is not this Christs bearing though this He did too There is yet a further
thing He hath a patience paramount beyond all the rest Two differences I find betweene Him and others 1. The faults and errors of their government others do beare and suffer indeed suffer them but suffer not for them He did both Endured them and endured for them heavy things A strange Superhumerall the print whereof was to be seen on his shoulders The Chaldee Paraphrast translateth it thus The Law was upon His shoulders And so it was too A burthen saith Saint Peter neither He nor the Apostles Acts 15.10 nor their Fathers were hable to beare This he did and bare it so evenly as He brake nay bruised not a Commaundement But there is another sense when the law is taken for the punishment due by the law It is that which our Prophet meaneth in the 53. Chap. when he saith Esay 53.4 c. Posuit super humeros He hath layed vpon His shoulders the iniquities of us all And not against His will Come saith He you that are heavy loden and I will refresh you Mat. 11.28 by loding my selfe take it from your necks and lay it on mine owne Which His suffering though it grew so heavy as it wroong from him plentie of teares Luc. 22.44 a strong cry a sweat of bloud such was the weight of it yet would He not cast it of but there held it still till it made Him bow downe his head and give up the ghost Ioh. 19.30 If He had discharged it it must have light upon us it was the Yoke of our burthen as in the 4. verse he termeth it If it had light upon us it had pressed us downe to hell so in supportable was it Rather then so He held it still and bare it and did that which never Prince did dyed for his government It was not for nothing we see that of the Child borne no part but the shoulders is mentioned for that we see in this Child is a part of speciall imployment The other point of difference between Him and other Governors When we say On His shoulders this we say on no other shoulders but His. For others by Moses example upon Iethroes advise Exod. 18.23 and Gods owne allowance may and do lay of and translate their burthen if it be to heavy upon others and so ease it in part Not so He It could not be so in His. He and He alone He and none but He Vpon His owne shoulders and none but his owne Esay 63.3 bare He all He trod the wine-presse and bare the burthen Solus alone Et vir de Gentibus and of all the nations there was not a man with Him Vpon His only shoulders did the burthen only rest Now from these two doth the Prophet argue to a third to the poynt heere of principali intendment That if for his government sake He will beare so great things beare their weaknesses Mat. 18.13.14 Levit. 16.8.9 Deut. 32.11 as the lost sheepe beare their sinns as the scape goate He will over the government it selfe as in Deut 32. he maketh the Simile stretch forth his wings as the Eagle over her young-ones and take them and beare them between his pinnions Beare them and beare them through They need take no thought No man shall take them out of His hands Ioh. 10.28 no man reach them of His shoulders He had begun so to carry them and through he would still carry them At least wise till this Child Immanuel were borne Till then he would and not waxe weary nor cast them of And like the scape goate beare their sinns Gal. 4.4 and like the Eagle beare up their estate till the fulnesse of time came and He in it with the fulnesse of all grace and blessing And this poynt I hold so materiall as Puer natus nothing and Filius datus as much without Princeps oneratus For that is all in all and of the three the chiefe II. The seâ—ond main point The Benefit To Vs. ANd now what is all this to us Yes to us it is and that twice over for failing We come now to looke another while into our interest to it and our benefit by it Nobis is acquisitivè positus We get by it we are gainers by all this To us not to himselfe For a farr more noble nativitie had He before all worlds and needed no more birth Not to be borne at all specially not thus basely to be borne Not to Him therefore but to us and our behoofe Heb. 2.16 To us as in barr of Himselfe so likewise of his Angells Nusquam Angelos not to the Angells was He borne or given but to us He was both Not an Angell in heaven can say Nobis Luk. 1.31 c. 2.11 Vobis they can The Angells said it twise Nobis natus or datus they cannot but we can both Nobis exclusivè and Nobis inclusivè Esay speaks not of himselfe only but taketh in Ahaz Both are in Nobis Esay a holy Prophet and Ahaz a worse then whom you shall hardly reade of Esay includeth himselfe as having need though a Saint and excludeth not Ahaz from having part though a sinner Not only Simeon the iust but Paul the sinner Luk. 2.25 1. Tim. 1.15 of the Quorum and the first of the Quorum Inclusivè not only of Esay and his Countrimen the Iewes It is of a larger extent The Angell so interpreteth it this day to the shepheards Gaudium quod erit omni populo Luk. 2.12 Ioy that shall be to all people Not the people of the Iewes or the people of the Gentiles but simply to all people His name is IESVS CHRIST halfe Hebrew halfe Greek Iesus Hebrew Christ Greek So sorted of purpose to shew Iewes and Greeks have equall interest in him And now so is his Fathers name too Abba Father To shew the benefit equally intended by him to them that call him Abba that is the Iewes to us Mar. 14.36 Rom. 8.15 that call him Father that is the Gentiles But yet it is inclusivè of none but those that include themselves Rom. 3.22 that beleeve and therefore say Nobis to us He is borne to us He is given Which excludes all those that include not themselves Saint Ambrose saith well Facit multorum infidelitas ut non omnibus nasceretur qui omnibus natus est Want of faith makes that He that is borne to all is not borne to all though The Turkes and Iewes can say Puer natus est The Devill can say Filius datus est too But neither say Nobis but Quid Nobis et tibi They have not to do with Him and for lack of it of this neither Child nor Sonne birth nor gift doth availe them We must make much of this word and hold it fast for thereby our tenure and interest groweth Which interest groweth by a double right and therefore is Nobis twice repeated 1 The one of his birth Natus 2 the other
Testament-wise or by way of Legacie the estate we have in the ioy and blisse of his heavenly Kingdome whereto we are adopted We are then made partakers of Him and with Him of both these His benefits We there are made to drinke of the Spirit 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephes. 4.30 by which we are sealed to the day of our Redemption and Adoption both So that our freeing from vnder the Law our investiture into our new adopted state are not fully consummate without it And what Shall this be all No when this is done there is allowance of twelve dayes more for this fullnesse of time that we shrinke not vp our duty then into this day alone but in the rest also remember to redeeme some part of the day to adopt some houre at the least to bethinke our selves of the duty the Time calleth to us for that so we have not IOBS dies vacuos no day quite empty in this fullnesse of time Heerof assuring our selves that what we do in this fullnesse of time will have full acceptance at His hands It is the time of His Birth 2. Cor. 6.2 which is ever a time as accepted so of accepting wherein what is done will be acceptably taken to the full Fully accepted and fully rewarded by Him of whose fullnesse we alâ—â—eceive Ioh. 1.16 With this condition of grace for grace ever one grace for another And so growing from grace to grace finally from this fullnesse we shall come to be partakers of another yet behind to which we aspire For all this is but the fullnesse of time But that the fullnesse of eternitie when time shall be runn out and his glasse empty Et tempus non erit amplius Apoc. 10.6 which is at His next sending For yet once more shall GOD send Him and He come againe At which comming we shall then indeed receive the fullnesse of our Redemption not from the Law that we have already but from Corruption to which our bodies are yet subiect and receive the full fruition of the Inheritance wherâ—to we are heer but adopted And then it will be perfect compleat absolute fullnesse indeed when we shall all be filled with the fullnesse of Him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1.23 For so shall all be when nothing shall be wanting in any 1. Cor. 15.23 for GOD shall be all in all Not as heer He is something and but something in euery one but then omnia in omnibus And then the measure shall be so full Mat. 25.21 as it cannot enter into us we cannot hold it We must enter into it Intra in gaudium Domini tui To this we aspire and to this in the fullnesse appointed of every one of our tiâ—es Almighty GOD bring us by Him and for His sake that in this fullnesse of time was sent to worke it for us in His person and worke it in us by the operation of His Blessed SPIRIT To whom c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Tuesday the XXV of December A. D. MDCX. being CHRIST-MASSE day LVKE CHAP. II. VER X. XI The Angell sayd unto them Be not afraid for behold I bring you good tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people That there is borne unto you this day a SAVIOVR which is CHRIST the LORD in the Citie of DAVID THere is a Word in this Text and it is Hodiè by vertue whereof this Day may seeme to challenge a speciall propertie in this Text and this Text in this Day CHRIST was borne is true any day but this day CHRIST was borne never but to day onely For of no day in the yeare can it be said Hodiè natus but of this By which word the HOLY GHOST may seeme to have marked it out and made it the peculiar Text of the day Then it will not be amisse Donec cognominatur hodiè Heb. 3.13 as the Apostle speaketh while it is called to day to heare it To morrow the word Hodiè will be lost This day and not any day els it is in season Let us then heare it this Day which we can heare no day besides IT is then the first report the very first newes that came as this day of that which maketh this day so high a Feast The Birth of CHRIST 1. Dixit Angelus It came by an Angel then No Man was meet to be the messenger of it And looke how it came then so it should come still and none but an Angel bring it as more fit for the tongues of Angels then of men Yet since GOD hath allowed sinfull men to be the Reporters of it at the second hand and the newes never the worse for that Good newes is good newes and welcome by any 2. Reg 7.9 though the person be but even a foule Leper that brings it Yet that the meannesse of the messenger offend us not ever we are to remember this Be the party who he will that brings it the newes of CHRISTS Birth is a message for an Angel This had been newes for the best Prince in the Earth That these Illis heer 2. Dixit illis these parties were Shepheards that this Message came to them needs not seeme strange It found none els at the time to come to The Angel was glad to find any to tell it to even to tell it the first he could meet withall None were then awake none in case to receive it but a sort of poore Shepheards and to them he told it Yet it fell not out amisse that Shepheards they were the newes fitted them well It well agreed to tell Shepheards of the yeaning of a strange Lamb such a Lamb as should take away the sinnes of the world such a Lamb Ioh 1.29 as they might send to the Ruler of the world for a present Mitte Agnum Dominatoriterrae ESAY's Lamb. Esa. 16.1 Or if ye will to tell Shepheards of the birth of a Shepheard Ezek. 34.23 EZEKIELS Shepheard Eccesuscitabo vobis PASTOREM Behold I will raise you a Shepheard the a 1. Pet 5.4 Chiefe Shepheard the b Heb. 13 20. Great Shepheard and the c Ioh. 10.11 Good Shepheard that gave His life for his flocke And so it was not vnfit newes for the Persons to whom it came 3. Dixit Evangelizâ— For the Manner the Angell delivereth it Evangelizando Church wise and that was a signe this place should ever be the Exchange for this newes Churchwise I say for he doth it by a Sermon heere at this Verse and then by a Hymne or Antheme after at the XIIII Verse A Sermon the Angell himselfe calls it so Evangelizo vobis I come to Evangelize to preach you a Gospell that first And presently after he had done his Sermon there is the Hymne Gloria in excelsis taken up by the Queere of Heaven An Angell makes the one A multitude of Angells sing the other The whole Service of this day the
Sermon the Antheme by Angells all 4. Evangelizo gaudium magnum Now the end of both Sermon and Antheme and of the Angells in publishing it and of the shepheards and us in hearing it is gaudium Ioy for the Benefit and Honour Gaudium magnum great Ioy for the great Benefit and great Honour vouchsafed our Nature and us this day Ioy is in the Text and if ioy be in the time it is no harme We keepe the Text if we hold the Time with Ioy Forso the Angell doth warrant us to hold it The Division Of this Angelicall or Evangelicall message or as not I but the Angell calleth it Sermon these two Verses I have read are a part Whereof the former is but an Ecce exciting them to heare it by magnifying the message as well worth their hearing Be not afraid for behold I bring you good tydings of great Ioy which shall be to all people The later is the very message it selfe That there is borne unto you this day a SAVIOVR which is CHRIST the LORD in the City of David In the former are these points 1. Feare not it is no ill newes I bring you 2. Nay it is good newes 3. Good for it is newes of Ioy. 4. Ioy and that no ordinary but great Ioy. 5. Not to some few but to the whole people 6. And not toti populo to all one people but omni populo to all people whatsoever 7. And them not for the present but Quod erit omni populo that is and so shall be to all as long as there shall be any people vpon earth And by vertue of this Quod erit to us heer this day Ecce Behold such is the newes I bring 2. The Message it selfe In the later the Message it selfe The summe whereof is the Birth of a Childe A Child is borne Three things are proposed of Him 1. This Child is a SAVIOVR 2. A Sauiour which is CHRIST 3. Christ the LORD Christus Dominus For every Saviour is not CHRIST 1. The Names nor every Christ CHRISTVS DOMINVS CHRIST the LORD or the LORD CHRIST He is all three Then have we besides three circumstances of the 1 Persons 2 Time and 3 Place 1. The Persons 2. The Circumstances for whom all this is twice repeated 1 Evangelizo vobis in the first Verse 2 Natus vobis in the second But this I make some doubt of whether it be a Circumstance or no I rather hold it a principall part of the Substance 1. The Persons as the very word of conveyance whereby it passeth to us And sure there is no Ioy either in Evangelizo the Message or Natus the Birth 2. The Time without it without Vobis But if the Message and the Birth it selfe both be ours then it is Gaudium magnum indeed Specially if we adde 2. the Time when not many daies hence 3. The Place but even this very day And 3. the Place where that it is in no remote Region farr hence but in the Citie of DAVID 3. Our duty reciprocall even heer hard by And then lastly in a word what our parts are to performe to these two parts 1 this dayes Message and 2 this dayes Birth of our SAVIOVR CHRIST the LORD Be not afraid They were afraid HEre is a stop that the Message cannot proceed For the sight of the Messenger hath almost marred the hearing of the Message The Parties to whom it comes be in such feare as they be not in case to receive it They were afraid and that sore afraid as is said in the Verse before at the sight of the Angel that came with the newes And this was not the case of these poore men onely Others and other manner of people were so So were others as well as they This Gospell of Saint Luke is scarse begun we are yet but a little way in the second Chapter and we have already three Noli timere's in it and all as heere at the comming of an Angell 1 Feare not Zacharie Chap. I. 13. So he was afraid 2 Feare not Marie Chap. I. 30 So she was afraid 3 And now Feare not these here That it seemes to be generall to feare at an Angel's appearing What was it It was not the feare of an evill Conscience They were about no harme Of what not Zacharie was at Church at his Office The blessed Virgin I doubt not blessedly emploied These here doing their dutie watching over their flockes by night Yet feared all Of what What should the matter be It is a plaine signe our Nature is fallen from her originall Heaven and we are not in the termes we should be not the best of us all Angels are the Messengers of Heaven Messengers ever come with tydings Why of the Angel but whither good or bad we cannot tell Here comes an Angell with newes from Heaven what newes he brings we know not and therefore we feare because we know not Which shewes all is not well betweene Heaven and us that upon every comming of an Angell we promise our selves no better newes from thence but still are afraid of the messages and messengers that come from that place That the Message then may proceed this feare must be removed In a troubled water Be not afraid no face will well be seene nor by a troubled mind no message received till it be setled To settle them then for it no other way no other word to begin with but Nolite timere feare not and that is ever the Angells beginning Such is our infirmity ever he must begin with these two words Noli timere feare not And so he doth seven times in this Gospell But feare will not be cast out with a couple of words till they see some reason to quiet them And no better reason then to shew they have no reason to feare For 1. For no ill â—ydings feare is the expectation of evill and there is no evill toward them and so they have no reason to feare quòd trepidaverunt timore vbi non erat timor As if he should say Psal. 53.5 Angells have come vvith weeping newes as Iud. 11. ver 5. If I were such an one if I came with sad tidings ye had reason ye might feare But now your terrour groweth out of error You are mistaken in me I am no such Angell I am Angelus Evangelizans an Angell with a Gospell one that comes with no bad newes Feare not then There is no evill toward No evill and that were enough for feare not But here is a further matter 2. But good tidings Not onely privativè I bring no ill but positivè I bring you good newes And good newes is Nolite timere and somewhat besides that is Feare not but Be of good cheere They be two degrees plainly though one be inferred of the other Feare no ill there is none to feare there is no ill nay there is good towards
will give thee a Light to the Gentiles and a Salvation to the end of the world As we said of the Inne even now the place of his Birth So say we heer of the time of it Luk. 1.1 It is well set downe by Saint Luke to have been at the Description of the whole world for that was a meet time for the SAVIOVR of the whole world to be borne The dew of whose Birth is of the womb of the morning Psal. 110.3 the Psalmist in passion of ioy misplacing his words the meaning is his Birth from the womb is as the morning dew which watereth and refresheth the face of the whole earth Iudg. 6.37 Not Gedeon's fleece alone but the whole earth Not one part not the Iewes onely No partition now but a Ephes. 2.14 vtraque vnam one of two Nay one of all b 1.10 all recapitulate in Himselfe and from Him as a Center lines of ioy drawen to all and every part of the Circle And we may not passe by Quod erit which shal be which not onely is but shal be 7. To all people that shall be For by this word we hold It is our best tenure Not onely to All that then were then had we been out but that were or ever should be to the worlds end Omni populo all people is the latitude or extent Quod erit that shall be is the longitude or continuance of the ioy Quoderit that it shall be a feast of ioy so long as any people shall be to hold a feast on the face of the earth In a word That same Evangelium aeternum that S t. IOHN saw in the Angells hand we now heare from the Angels mouth Apoc. 14.6 to be preached to every nation kindred tongue and people that be or shall be while the world endureth So if we read Quod erit with omni populo But some read gaudium with quod erit 2. Ioy that shall be gaudium quod erit and make a note of that The ioy quod erit that is and shall be For commonly all our earthly ioy is gaudium quod est non erit that is for the present but continueth not is but shall not be like the blaze of a brush faggot Eccles. 7.8 all of a flame and out againe suddenly in a moment Gaudium quod erit the ioy that so is as it shall be still is grounded upon the ioy of this day CHRIST and His Birth Without which our ioy is as the ioy of men in prison merry for a while but within a while sentence of death to passe upon them Without which Extrema gaudij luctus occupat Pro. 14.13 the end of all our mirth will be but mourning All ioy els is but shall not be within a while At leastwise erit quando non erit A time shall be when it shall not be Sed gaudium Meum nemo tollet a vobis But My ioy Mine grounded on Me none shall ever take from you Ioh. 16 22. not sicknesse not death it selfe Other it shall this is shall not but now ye shall this Day and everâ—ore ye shall reioice in the holy comfort of it And this is the magnifying of the message 1. No evill newes Feare not 2. Nay good Be of good cheere 3. Good newes of ioy 4. Of great ioy 5. Publique ioy toti Populo 6. Vniversall ioy omni populo 7. Ioy to all that are or shall be And againe ioy which now is and shall be so for ever Now upon all these He setteh an Ecce and well he may And that is never set by the HOLY GHOST but super res magnae entitatis upon matters of great moment But upon this Hill upon the top of it that hath so many ascents a Beacon would do well For looke how many Ecces in the Scriptures so many Beacons And between them as between these ye shall observe a good correspondence still This Ecce heere to the last a Chap. 1.31 Ecce concipies of the blessed Virgin That to Esay's b Esa. 7.14 Ecce concipiet Virgo That to David's c Psal. 132.11 Ecce de fructu ventris tui That to Abraham's d Gen. 2â— 18 Ecce in semine tuo and so up till ye come to * 3.15 Semen mulieris There they first beginn and take light one from another till they come to the Ecce natus est hodiè the Ecce of all Ecce's the last and highest of them all And as a Beacon serveth to call and stirre up men to have regard so is this heer to excite them and in them us all with good attention to heare and to heed these so great good tidings And indeed who is not excited with it whose eye is not turned to behold this Ecce whose eare standeth not attent to heare this Evangelizo whose heart doth not muse what manner of message this should be Chap 1.29 This it is then Quod natus est The Birth of a Child that there is one borne this Day 2. That there is borne the cause of all this ioy There is ioy at every birth Sorrow in the travaile saith our Saviour but after the deliverie the anguish is no more remembred for ioy that a man is borne into the world But the greater he is that is borne and the more beneficiall his birth the greater ado is made And among men because there are none greater then Princes and great things are looked for at their hands their Births are ever vsed to be kept with great triumph Gen. 40 20. Mar. 6.21 Pharaoh's in the Old Herod's in the New both their Natus est's daies of feasting Now of Him that is borne heer it may truly be sayd Ecce maior hîc Behold a greater is borne heer One whose birth is good newes even from the poorest Shepheard Mat. 12.24 to the richest Prince upon the earth Who is it Three things are said of this Child by the Angel 1. He is a SAVIOVR 2. Which is CHRIST 3. Christ the LORD Three of His Titles well and orderly inferred one of another by good consequence We cannot misse one of them they be necessary all Our methode on earth is to begin with great In heaven they begin with good first A SAVIOVR First then a SAVIOVR that is His name IESVS Soter and in that name His benefit Salus In Verrem IV. saving health or Salvation Such a name as the great Oratour himselfe saith of it Soter Hoc quantum est Ita magnum est vt latino vno verbo exprimi non possit This name Saviour is so great as no one word can expresse the force of it But we are not so much to regard the Ecce how great it is as Gaudium what ioy is in it that is the point we are to speake to And for that men may talke what they will but sure there is no ioy in the world to the ioy of a man
as it fell out but one ex professo Annoynted to that end and by vertue of His Annoynting appointed set forth and sent into the world to exercise this function of a SAVIOVR Not for a time but for ever not to the Iewes as did the rest but even to all the ends of the earth So runnes his bill a Mat. 11.23 Venite ad me omnes Come all and b Ioh 6.37 Qui ad me venerit non ejiciam for as of them that come to me I will cast none out c 1. Tim 4.11 Servator omnium hominum the Saviour of all men and as the Samaritans said of him d Ioh. 4.42 Servator mundi The Saviour of the world of Samaritans Iewes Gentiles of Kings of Shepheards and all And there is yet more particularitie in this word CHRIST Three Offices did GOD from the beginning erect to save His people by and that by three acts The very Heathen tooke notice of them 1 Purgare 2 Illuminare 3 Perficere 1 Priests to purge or expiate 2 Prophets to illuminate or direct them 3 Kings to set all right and to keepe all right in that perfection which this world admitteth And all these three had their severall Annoyntings Aaron the Priest Levit. 8.12 Elisha the Prophet 1. Reg. 19.16 Saul the King 1. Sam. 10.1 In the Saviour which is CHRIST His will was all should meet that nothing in Him might want to the perfecting of this work That He might be a perfect Saviour of all He was all A Priest after the order of Melchisedek Psal. 110.4 A Prophet to be heard when MOSES should hold his peace Deut. 18.18 A King to save His people whose name should be IEHOVA Iustitia nostra Ierem. 23.6 David's Priest Mose's Prophet Ieremie's King And these formerly had met double two of them in some other Melchisedek King and Priest Samuel Priest and Prophet DAVID Prophet and King Never all three but in Him alone and so no perfect Christ but He but He all and so perfect By His Priest-hood to purge expiate save us from our sins being a propitiation to God for them By his Prophecie 1. Ioh. 2.2 to illuminate and save us from the by-paths of errour guiding our feet in the way of peace Chap. 1.79 By his Kingdome protecting and conducting us through the miseries of this life till He perfect us eternally by himselfe in the ioyes of His heavenly Kingdome Rightly then a Saviour which is CHRIST Now as in the name SAVIOVR there was so is there likewise Ioy in this Name CHRIST and that many wayes 1. First that we shall hang no more in expectation We shall be no longer Viâ—cti spâ—i Hopes prisoners He that should come is come The promised SAVIOVR Zach. 9.12 The Saviour which is CHRIST is now borne and when spes becomes 〈◊〉 then our ioy is full 2. That now there is a Saving Office erected one Annoynted to that end a professed Saviour to whom all may resort We shall not be to seeke there is a Name given vnder Heaven Act. 4.12 whereby we may be sure of salvation the name of CHRIST 3. That to this our saving we have the ioynt consent and good will of all parties in this Name CHRIST CHRIST that is the Annointed what person is He The SONNE the second Person Annointed by whom By â—he FATHER Quem vnxisti Acts 4.27 the first Person Annointed with what With the HOLY GHOST Acts 10.38 the third Person So a concurrence of all Persons in this Name all willing and well pleased with the worke of our Salvation 4. If we would be saved we would be saved vnctione by oyle not by vineger Cant. 1.2 Et vnguentum effusum Nomer Eius And His Name is CHRIST one that saveth by annoynting 5. And if by Oyle there be hot Oyles with a gentle bâ—niâ—tive Oyle And the Oyle which Hevseth wherewith He is annoynted is the Oyle of gladnesse Gladnesse therefore must needs go with this Name Which Oyle of gladnesse is not for Himselfe but for vs not for His vse but for ours So he saith himselfe in his first Sermon at Nazareth upon his Text out of Esay 61.2 The annoynting this Oyle of gladnesse was vpon Him to bestow it upon us and of us Vpon them especially that through a wounded conscience were troubled with the spirit of heavinesse to turne their heaviness into ioy Glad then that He is come that by His Office is to save and come with the good liking of all to save us by Oyle and that the oyle of gladnesse 3. Christ the LORD And yet to make our ioy more full the Angel addeth the third A Saviour which is Christ Christ the Lord. For neither is this all He is not Christ only We must not stay there For the Name Christ will agree hath been and may be imparted to others besides Many a King in Scripture hath had the honor to carry the Name of Christ But with a difference The King Christus Domini the Lords Christ He Christus Dominus the Lord Christ or Christ the Lord. Consider then Heb. 7.4 how great this Child is whose Annoynted Kings themselves are For if they be Christi Domini the Lords Annoynted His they are for He is the Lord. The Lord absolute without any addition ye may put it to what ye will Lord of men and Angels Lord of heaven and earth and all the Hosts of them Dominus Christorum and Dominus Dominorum Lord paramount ouer all But why The Lord Because this name of CHRIST will sort with men Nay as He is CHRIST that is Annointed He is man only It is his name as man for GOD cannot be Annointed But he that should save us would be more then Man and so more then CHRIST Indeed CHRIST cannot save us He that must save us must be the LORD For Heb. 7.28 such a Saviour it behooveth us to have as might not begin the worke of our Salvation and leave it in the middest but goe through with it and make an end too which the former Savioâ—rs could not do Formerly ever their complaint was that their Saviours their Christs dyed still and left them to seeke their Kings and Priests and Prophets dropt away still Heb 7.23.24 for they were not suffered to endure by reason of death But this Saviour this CHRIST because he is the LORD endureth for ever hath an everlasting Priesthood Kingdome and Prophecy and so is able perfectly to save them that come to GOD by him This is one reason why hither we must come at the last to Christ the LORD and till we be at it we be not where we should Els our Saviours will dye and leave us destitute But the maine reason is set downe by Esay Ego sum Ego sum saith GOD himselfe praeter me Esay 43.11 non est Servator It is I I that am the Saviour I am and besides Me there is no Saviour None indeed
the Angell concluded so doe I With GOD is nothing impossible And that of CHRISTS Mat. 9.23 To faith all things are possible And heer are both and where they meet they make no lesse a miracle then Mater and Virgo or Deus and Homo Even Fides and Ratio And this for Virgo concipiet Now to the three particulars and first concipiet To make Him man II. 1. Christâ—an Embryo Et Concipiet it is wells knowen there wanted not other wayes From the mold as Adam from a rib of flesh as Eve No need then of concipiet Yes for He was not to be man only but to be the SONNE of man the name in the text Filius and the name that for the most part He giveth Himselfe and seems most to delight in But Adam was not sonne to the mold nor Eve daughter to Adam And a Sonne no way but by concipiet And howsoever of the body of man there may engender that which is not of the same kinde yet by way of conception there commeth of man nothing but man nothing but of the same nature and substance with that he was conceived of This we are to hold To conceive is more then to receive It is so to receive as we yeeld somewhat of our owne also A vessell is not sayd to conceive the liquor that is put into it why because it yeeldeth nothing from it selfe The Blessed Virgin is and therefore is because she did She did both give and take Give of her owne substance whereof His body was framed and take or receive power from the HOLY GHOST whereby was supplyed the office and the efficacie of the masculine seede This is concipiet And this word is the bane of diverse haeresies That of the Manichee that held He had no true body That had been virgo decipiet not concipiet Not conceive Him but deceive us And that of the Valentinian revived lately in the Anabaptist that held He had a true body but made in heaven and sent into her That had been recipiet but not concipiet Received Him she had conceived she had not From which His conceiving we may conceive His great love to us-ward Love His lovâ— in so being not only condescending to take our Nature upon Him but to take it by the same way and after the same manner that we doe by being conceived That and no other better beseeming way The wombe of the Virgin is surely no such place but He might well have abhorred it He did not pudorem exordij nostri non recusavit saith Hilarie He refused not that our selves are ashamed of Sed naturae nostrae contumelias transcurrit but the very contumelies of our Nature transcurrit is to quick a word He ran through them Nay He stayed in them in this first nine monethes I say the contumelies of our Nature not to be named they are so meane So meane indeed as it is verily thought they made those old Haeretiques I named and others mo who yet yeelded Him to be man to runn into such phansies as they did only to decline those soule indignities as they tooke them for the great GOD of heaven to undergoe This therefore even this would He have set downe in termes terminant of concipiet and pariet Trusting we would wisely judge of them and love Him never the lesse but the more even for these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. Honour Him never the lesse because He layed downe His honor for thy sake No but Gregor quantò ille minus debita tantò ego magis debitor the lesse due He tooke on Him the more due from me to Him In a word quanto pro me vilior tantò mihi charior The lower for me Bernard the dearer to me It brings to minde King David's vilior adhuc fiam and how GOD even for that regarded him the more Concipiet et pariet to conceive and bring forth in us 2. Sam. 6.22 love honor and due regard even for them It reaches both This sure is matter of love But came there any good to us by it There did Our benefit thereby For our conception being the roote as it were the very groundsill of our nature that He might goe to the roote and repaire our Nature from the very foundation thither He went that what had been there defiled and decayed by the first Adam might by the second be cleansed and set right againe That had our conception been steined by Him Therefore primum ante omnia to be restored againe He was not idle all the time He was an Embryo all the nine monethes He was in the wombe but then and there He even eat out the coare of corruption that cleft to our Nature and us and made both us and it an unpleasing obiect in the sight of GOD. And what came of this We that were abhorred by GOD Eph. 2.3 Filij irae was our title were by this meanes made beloved in Him He cannot we may be sure accompt evill of that Nature that is now become the Nature of His owne SONNE His now no lesse then ours Nay further given this priviledge to the children of such as are in Him though but of one parent beleeving that they are not as the seede of two infidells but Tit. 3.5 are in a degree holy eo ipso and have a farther right to the Laver of regeneration to sanctifie them throughout by the renewing of the HOLY GHOST This honor is to us by the dishonor of Him This the good by CHRIST an Embryo 2 Christ a new-borne Babe Et pariet Et pariet And this no more then needs There may be concipiet and no pariet follow Venerunt filij ad partum c. saith the Prophet * Esa. 37.3 The children came to the birth and no strength to deliver Pariet makes all sure And pariet makes all appeare We could not tell it was Filium knew not what it was or what it would be Till He came into the world He was as thesaurus absconditus though we had it we had it not But when He was borne when come into the world we see Him and handle Him then He was with us indeed With us not as conceived of the same nature with us but as borne and now a person among us That which was potentiall in concipiet made actuall by pariet So that this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when He came forth as a bridegroom out of His chamber Psal. 19.6 or as the Sunne from His tabernacle to runne His race And it was with a Visitavit ab alto Luc. 1.78 Thence an Angell cried Ecce and sounded it on earth and a starr cried Ecce and proclaimed it from heaven Poets in the West write of it and Wise men in the East saw it and came a long iourney upon it to see Him And what did this Pariet bring forth Luc. 2.13 No sooner borne but a multitude of
this day then doth it spring forth as it were is to be seene above ground then Orta est de terrâ in very deed 4. The Effect Of the effect now Births are and have been diverse times the ending of great dissentions As was this heer For by this Birth took end the two great Howses An vnion of them by it First by this Truth is gained Truth will meet now That truth will come to this truth On Truth she is gained tanquam minus dignum ad magis dignum as the Abstract to the Arcâ—etype And Truth being now borne of our Nature it will never we may be sure be against our Nature being come of the earth it will be true to his owne countrie being made man will be for man now all He can By this meanes one of the opposites is drawne away from the other Got to be on our side It is three to one now Righteousnesse is left all alone and there is good hope she will not stand out long For lo heer is good newes first that respexit de coelo she yet lookes downe from heaven now On Righteousnesse So as this birth in earth you see workes in heaven and by name upon Righteousnesse there For though there were none in heaven but it wrought upon them yet the Psalme mentions none but Righteousnesse For of all she the least likely and if she be wrought on the rest there is no doubt of How can there they are all woon to us already With Righteousnesse it works two waies First downe she lookes Whither it was 1 She lâ—â—kes dâ—wne that she miâ—sed Truth to see what was become of her and not finding her in heaven cast heâ— eye to the earth But there when she beheld Verbum caro factum the Word â—â—esh Ioh 1.14 the Truth freshly sprung there where it had been a strange plant long time before Aspexit and Respixit she looked and looked againe at it For a Sight it was to move to drâ—w the eye yea a fight for Heaven to be a Spectator of for the Angells to come downe and looke at for Righteoâ—snesse it selfe to do so too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Angells word in Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint's word heer both meane one thing 1 Pet. 1 12. The Greeke word is to look as we say wishly as it as if we would looke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even through it the Hebrew word that is as if Righteousnesse did beat out a window So desirous was she to behoâ—d this Sight And no mervaile for what could Righteousnesse desire to see and satisfie her selfe with that in Him was not to be seene A cleane birth a holy life an innocent death a Spirit and a mouth without guile a Soule and a bodie without Sinne. In Him she beheâ—d tâ—em all Them and whatsoever els might yeeld her full satisfaction Lay judgement to the rule and righteousnesse in the ballance nothing oblique will be found in Him nothing but streight for the rule nothing minus habens but full weight for the ballaâ—ce Thus when Truth from the earth then Righteousnesse from heaven Then but not before Before Righteousnesse had no prospect no window open this way She turned away her face shut her eyes clapt to the casement would not abide so much as to looke hithâ—r at us a sort of forlorne sinners not vouchsafe us once the cast of her eye The case is now altered Vpon this sight she is not oneâ—y content in some sort to condescend to do it but she breaks a window through to do it And then and ever since this Orta est she looks upon the earth with a good aspect and a good aspect in these caelestiall lights is never without some good influence withall Bâ—t then within a verse after not onely downe she looks but downe she comes 2 Downe she comes Verse 13. Such a power attractive is there in this Birth And comming she doth two things 1 To meet Meets first for upon the view of this birth they all ran first and Kissed the Sonne 2 To kisse And that done Truth ran to Mercie and embraced her and Righteousnesse to Peace and kissed her They that had so long been parted and stood out in difference now meet and are made friends Howsoever before removed in ortu veritatis obviaverunt sibi howsoever before estranged now osculatae sunt And at that birth of His well met they all in whom they meet all The Truth He is and per viscera Misericordiae He came through the tender mercies of our GOD Luk. 1 7 8. 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephes. 2.14 and He is made to us Righteousnesse and He is our Peace All meet in Him for indeed all He is that no mervaile they all foure meet where He is that is all foure And at this meeting Righteousnesse she was not so of-ward before but she is now as forward as forward as any of the rest Mark these three Let ts not Pâ—ace prevent her as Mercie did Truth but as Mercie to Truth first so she first to Peace as forward as Mercie every way 2 Nay more forward then Mercie for Mercie doth but meet Truth and there is all but she as more affectionate not only meets Peace but kisses her And indeed Righteousnesse was to doe more even to kisse that it might be a pledge of forgetting all former unâ—indnesse that we may be sure she is perfectly reconciled now 3 And one more yet to shew her the most forward of them all out of the last Verse At this meeting she followes not drawes not behind Verse 13. she will not goe with them She is before leaves them to come after and beare the traine She as David is before the Arke puts S. Iohn Baptist from his office for the time Righteousnesse is his forerunner Righteousnesse shall goe bâ—fore tread the way before Him the formost now of all the companie By all which ye may know what a looke it was she looked with from Heaven Thus ye see CHRIST by His comming hath pacified the things in Heaven A peece of Hosanna is pax in coelis There cannot be pax in terris till there it be Colos. 1.20 first But no sooner there it is but it is peace in earth streight which accordingly was this day proclaimed by the Angells Luc. 2.14 So by the vertue of this birth heaven is at peace with it selfe and heaven with earth is now at peace So is earth too with it selfe and a fulfilling of the Text by this meeting is there too The Iewes they represent truth to them it belongeth properly For Truth was where were Eloquia Dei Rom. 9.4 the Oracles of GOD and they were with the Iew. The Gentiles they claime by Mercie that is their vertue Where was Mercie but where was miserie and where was miserie Luc. 1.79 but with them that lay in darknesse in the shadow of death And
on Him then and these He made choise of then and for ever to be the vertues of this Feast The sooner and the better to procure this meeting the Church meets us as Melchisedek did Abraham with bread and wine but of a higher nature then his farr prepares ever this day a love-feast whereat they may the rather meet Where Truth from the earth may looke up to heaven and confesse and Righteousnesse from heaven may looke downe to earth and pardon where we may shew Mercie in giving where need is and offer Peace in forgiving where cause is that so there may be an obviaverunt a meeting of all hands And even so then let there be So may our end be as the end of the First Verse in peace and as the end of the Second in Heaven So may all the blessings that came to mankind by this meeting or by the birth of CHRIST the cause of it meet in us and remaine upon us till as we now meet together at the Birth So we may then meet in a perfect man in the measure of the fulnesse of the age of CHRIST Eph. 4.13 As meet now at the LAMBES yeaning so meet then at the LAMBE marriage be caught up in the cloudes then to meet Him 1. Thâ—s 4.17 and there to reigne for ever with Him in His Kingdome of GLORIE A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Fryday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXVIII being CHRIST-MASSE day LVK. II. VER XII XIII Et hoc erit vobis Signum c. And this shall be a Signe vnto you ye shall find the Childe swadled and layed in a cratch And streightway there was with the Angell a multitude of heavenly souldiers praising GOD and saying Glorie be to GOD on high c. OF these three verses the points be two 1 The Shepheards Signe and 2 the Angells Song The Signe is a remaine of Angelus ad pastores the Angells speech to the Shepheards We called it as the Angell himselfe called it a Sermon Evangelizo the word he vseth is to preach Of which Sermon there are two parts 1 His Birth the verse before 2 His Finding in this For this is a double Feast not onely the Feast of His Nativitie but the Feast of His Invention also Therefore the Angell makes not an end with unto you is borne but tells them further It is not enough CHRIST is borne but to take benefit by His Birth we are to find Him Natus est His part Invenietis ours Of natus est somewhat hath formerly been said Invenietis now followes and followes well For what is Natus est without Invenietis Such a one there is borne what shall we be the better if we find Him not As good not borne as not knowne To us all one Nobis nascitur cum a nobis noscitur Borne He may be before but nobis natus to us He is borne when to us He is knowne when we find Him and not before CHRISTVS inventus is more then CHRISTVS natus Set downe invenietis then first Invenietis leads us to Hoc erit Signum For how shall they find Him without a Signe So come we from CHRISTVS natus to CHRISTVS signatus Natus borne to be found Signatus signed or marked that He may be found Borne He is that they know And when they know hodiè And where they know in Bethlehem To Bethlehem they will but when they come there how then In such resort the towne so full of strangers as no roome in the Innes whither should they turne them What could they wish but O quod erit Signum Natus est ô that He were Signatus O that we had a signe to find Him by Their wish is honest and good And pitie The Division any that seeks CHRIST should want a signe to find Him by the Angell will not suffer that But before he end his speech he takes order for their Signe and This it is When ye come to Bethlehem never search in any house or chamber In a stable there shall you finde a Babe swadled and laid in a manger You would little think it but that is He. And so Signo dato this Signe given the Sermon ends For to find CHRIST is all All in all A Sermon would have an Antheme of course It hath so And one suitable if it might be An Angell preached it and no man It would be a Queer of Angells and not of men to sing it So it is Gloria in excelsis all the Fathers call it Hymnum Angelicum the Angells Hymne or Antheme This is set downe in the two later verses the 1 Queer that sing it in the former the 2 Song it selfe the dittie of it so in the later 1. The Queer in it five 1. Who That there were certaine heavenly Personages first 2. In what habit that in the habit of souldiers to see to 3. What number that a great multitude of them 4. What they did That they tooke up this Hymne and fell on praising GOD. 5. And fiftly When That they did it instantly upon the speech ended The Song That consists of three streines There are in it 1 GOD 2 Earth and 3 Men these three first And then three to these three 1 Glorie 2 Peace 3 Good-will Each sorted to other 1 Glorie to GOD 2 Peace to the Earth 3 To Men a Good-will So have you the Signe and the Song the one to ballance or counterpeize the other the Song to sing away the Signe to make amends for the manger The Signe very poore and meane the Song exceeding high and heavenly Paupertas in imis the Signe povertie at the lowest Gloria in excelsis the Song Glorie at the highest That well might Leo ask Quis est iste puer tam parvus tam magnus What Child is this so little and so great withall Tam parvus ut in praesepi jaceat Tam magnus ut Ei coâ—cinant Angeli So little as He lyes in a cratch So great though as He hath Angells to sing to Him the whole Queer of heaven to make Him melodie It is a course this the HOLY GHOST began it heer at His Birth and after observed it all along Sociare ima summis insolita solitis temperare to couple low and high together and to temper things mean and vsuall with others as strange every way Out of these we shall learne 1 First what our dutie is To find CHRIST The Angell presupposes this that being borne we will not leave till we have found Him till we can say it was the first word of the first Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have found Ioh. 1.41 found the MESSIAS Invenietis by all means to find CHRIST 2 Then how to find Him at what Signe 3 And last when we have found Him how to salute Him with what words to praise GOD for Him For Him both for His Birth and for His Invention All considered His invention to us no lesse behoofull then
His Nativitie And this day to be no lesse solemnized for invenietis His finding then for natus est His very Birth it selfe It is more often found in the first Fathers by the name of Theophania His appearance or being found then by the name Genethlia of being borne into the world The Angells Evanâ—â—lizo reacheth to both their Gloria in excelsis is soong for both THe worke of the day is invenietis to find CHRIST We shall not be the better for natus est if we find Him not Find Him we cannot if first we find not a Signe to find Him by Erit vobis Signum and Hoc erit saith the Angell a Signe ye shall have and this shall be it Ye shall find Him swadled and laid in a manger I. The Signe Signes never come amisse but are then so necessarie as we cannot misse them when we should misse without them when no Signe no invenietis As heer For if a Signe if this Signe had not been given no invenietis CHRIST had not been found Not been found for never had been sought in such a place Had not the Angell thither directed the Shepheards Had not the Starr thither pointed the Magi neither tone nor tother would ever there have sought Him A Non est inventus had been returned by both And reason For some kind of proportion there would be betweene Signum and Signatum And if the Signe be a place as heer betweene Locus and Locatus A chiefe Person in a chiefe Place a LORD and SAVIOVR something Lord and Saviour-like To Bethlehem they will Set the Signe by let them alone say nothing to them When they came thither they would never go to an Inne or Ostrie but to the very best house in the Towne Or if to an Inne to the fairest Chamber in it Or to a Chamber at least Never to the stable there to look in the manger for CHRISTVS DOMINVS To the stable we goe to looke for an horse To the Crib for bos cognovit afinus Esay 1.3 for one of them Never thither to seeke for the SAVIOVR of the world Nay if in their search passing by by hap they had lighted upon such a Birth a Child so lying it may be they would have pitied the poore Babe and the Mother but have gone on their way and sought farther Never I dare say taken Him for CHRIST the LORD And if one should have bid them Stay for this is the Child the Angell spake of they would haue shaken him of and said with as great skorne as they 1. Sam. 16.27 I. Sam. X. Nunquid poterit iste salvare nos what shall this be our SAVIOVR trow For invenietis is not all to find Him but finding Him to applie the Angells words unto Him to beleeve of this Child thus there lying that He should be CHRIST the SAVIOVR Gaudium omni populo the joy of the whole earth It goes hard this We said when time was this message was so high as no man meet to bring it but an Angell of heaven We say now ex alio capite this signe was so vnlikely no man was meet to give it but an Angell onely And it was well it was an Angell if it had been any els His Birth would have seemd as his Resurrection did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fained tale No mans Affidavit would have been taken for it What were the Shepheards like to thinke of this Sure thanke him for Natus est the newes of His Birth but not for His Signe Erit Signum they like well but not Hoc erit If He had given them no Signe it would have troubled them Now the Signe given troubles them worse For this Signe they know not what to make of it It is so poore a one it is enough to make them halfe in the mind to give over their journey as not caring for invenietis whither they find Him or no If His Signe be no better as good lost as found Alwaies this is out of the Evangelizo vobis no part of it for no good newes thus to find Him And we if we admit a conference with flesh and blood when we lay together the Signe and of whom it is the Signe we find to our thinâ—â—ng a great disparagement and I know not how thoughts arise in our hearts as if â—â—me better Signe would have done better The meaning is we would find CHRIST faign but we would find Him in some better place Halfe Iewes we are all in this point we would have a MESSIAS in state Hoc erit this it shall be saith the Angell Shall be but should it be this No how should it be let us see Why this shall be the Signe Ye shall find the Child not in these clouts or cratch but in a crimsin mantle in a cradle of ivorie That lo were somewhat Saviour like Hoc erit Signum But in vaine take we upon us to teach the Angell We would have we know not what We forget Saint Augustines Distingue tempora as the time is the Angell is right and a fitter Signe could not be assigned Would we have had Him come in power and great glorie and so He will come but not now He that commeth heer in clouts He will come in the clouds one day But now His comming was for another end and so to be in another manner His comming now was as we say in the Collect to visit us in great humilitie and so His Signe to be according Nay then I say First goe to the nature of a Signe if CHRIST had come in His excellencie that had been no Signe no more then the Sunne in the Firmament shining in his full strength Hoc non erit Signum Contrarie to the course of Nature it would be els it is no Signe The Sunn eclipsed the Sunn in Sackcloth Luk. 31.25 that is Signum in sole the Signe indeed And that is the Signe heere the Sunn of righteousnesse entering into his eclipse beginns to be darkened in his first point the point of His Nativitie Mal 4.2 This is the Signe say I and that had been none I say againe It is not onely Signum that is not all it is Signum Vobis We shall do well to look to Vobis There is a matter in that For whom this Signe was given Not the persons so much as the condition For if He had been so gloriously borne such as these should never have been suffered to come neere Him But this is a Signe for You You that keepe sheep and such other poore people you have a SAVIOVR too He is not the Saviour of Great States onely but even of poore shepheards The poorest of the earth may repaire to Him being no other place but this and by this Signe to find Him And so hoc erit Signum Vobis I say thirdly Vobis and take in our selves too So Hoc erit Signum For what praise or thanks had it been for us to have beleeved in
Shepheards Stay and ye shall see a troope of GODS Angells Heare yee one say layd in the cratch below abide and yee shall heare many sing Glorie on high in honor of Him that lyeth in it Vidisti vilia saith Saint Ambrose audi mirifica Were the things meane you have seene Wonderfull shall they be ye now shall heare and see both Vilescit praesepe ecce Angelicis cantibus honoratur Is the Cratch meane Meane as it is it is honoured with the musique of Angells it hath the whole Queer of Heaven to sing about it This also will prove a signe if it be well looked into a counter-signe to the other That of His humilitie this of His glorie Surely seeing the other three Evangelists omitted this signe one would wonder why S. Luke did not so too In discretion small credit there was in it better have concealed it one would thinke a great deale better But Saint Luke knew what he did He would never have mentioned the signe but that sure he was when he had laid Him so low he was able to up with Him againe and sing away all the disgrace of the signe with a strange Carroll and as strange a Queer sent from Heaven to sing it 1. The Queere 1. Who To the Queer then Who were they Where the first I pitch on is the word Heavenly For thence they came and thither they went againe 15. Ver. Quid praesepi coelo What hath Heaven or heavenly Personages to do here with the Cratch It should seeme some coelestiall thing there is in it as low as it seemes it reacheth high as high as Heaven heavenly things and heavenly Personages both About it here comes divers from Heaven For it there goes Glorie up to Heaven So that the signe is also Esay 7.11 signum de coelo sursum from on high by reason of the Queer as well as a signe from the earth beneath in respect of the Cratch here 2. In what habit How appeare they These Personages were Angells It is said expresly 15. ver Yet are they here said to be Souldiers What shall we have warre then for they are in the habit of warre True of warre but it is warre not that now is or hereafter should be but of warr that had been before even to the day of this Birth but now to cease witnesse Pax in terris There had been no Peace with heaven but plaine hostilitie Ephes. 2.3 Gen. 3.24 between earth and it No goodwill toward men but filij irae children of wrath all Ever since the Cherubin first drew upon Adam and with a shaken sword kept the entry of Paradise Ever since in armes till this very day Their habit shewes what was before Their song what now should be By vertue of CHRISTS nativitie Peace to earth from Heaven Good-will to men from GOD. So now upon His Birth they were to disarme but before they put their armor of yet being in it they would have a Paean and sing of the new world that was now to ensue A signe this and a strange one this coniunction species praeliantium and voces cantantium the habit of warre and the song of peace Souldiers make a camp come to fight These make a Queer come to sing They are not in the habit of Queer-men yet they sing They are in the habit of men of warre yet sing of peace 3. What number What number A multitude there was of them First for the more authoritie that in the mouthes of many this truth might be established many to witnesse it 2 Then for the better musique if a full Queer many to sound it out It was a matter of great weight so diverse to testifie it It was a matter of high praise diverse therefore to celebrate and set it forth When we heare of a multitude we feare a confusion But you will observe this multitude was multitudo Militiae No confused rout No but acies ordinata a well ordered armie There is order in an armie There is order in a Queer There is order among Angells coördinate among themselves subordinate to their head and leader So a multitude without confusion And yet there is a further matter in this same multitude For that there were not some few of them but a great many that was a signe it was no petie SAVIOVR that was borne Iude 13.15 Gen. 18.2 To have Angells come by one and by two as at the birth of SAMSON or ISAAC and others But the grand SAVIOVR of all by his troops of them the LORD of hosts Himselfe as attended by the whole Armie Heb. 1.6 For at His Birth was fulfilled that the Apostle speaks of Heb. 1.6 When He brings His only begotten SONNE into the world He saith Let all the Angells of GOD worship Him Let the whole Host of Heaven do Him honor As honor Him heer they do For Psal. 50.23 they that offer Him praise honor Him and praise they offer Him the next word is laudanâ—ium And even now they do it Even heer is this honor done Even to Him in his cratch is it done And Heaven it selfe for a while left emptie that it may be done All which is but a signe to shew what a shew He could have made if He had listed Mat. 26.53 that he might have had the Legions he speakes of at his Death that had them in such a multitude to day at his Birth A signe He was not weake what ever he seemed that had these militarie forces if He would to take armes for Him That He was not to be despised how ever He appeared that had these consorts of Angells to sing about His cratch and to praise GOD for Him What did they Praised GOD. For Angells to praise GOD is no new thing 4. What they did Iob. 38.7 From the beginning it was their occupation so to do Iob. 38.7 But to praise Him for a child in a cratch that lo is new A new thing A new song and if you will a new signe too For never the like seen before Before in Iob their praise was for the creating they had that only then to praise Him for now for the restoring of all things For the birth of the world then for the new birth of it now by the birth of Him by whom the world at first was made and now ne perderet quod condidit made againe created anew and many a new creature in it To Him sitting in the throne sing they their Sanctus Esai 6. For to CHRIST was the Sanctus soong Esay 6 3. Ioh. 12.11 saith Saint Iohn directly in his 12. 41. Now to Him heer lying in the manger which is great odds But indeed to both in imis puero in excelsis Deo For He was both And His being both was an Ecce signum if ever there were any upon earth And lastly all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that instantly No pause between betweene Amen 5.
When and Halleluja No sooner the speech ended but streight as if the word cratch had been their rest immediately tooke they up the hymne and begoon it A plaine signe that one of these did depend on the other This the antheme that properly belongs to that Sermon And back againe this the Sermon that requireth this antheme and both to the Child in the manger The dittie meant by Him and none but Him For Him this glorie By Him this peace Through Him this good-will Glorie peace and good-will from Him all three And marke that the word Cratch is the last word in the Sermon and the word Glorie the first in the Song and nothing comes between to part these two Nothing to part Humilitie below from Glorie on high 2. Cor. 4.6 Even as He drew light out of darknesse so doth He Glorie on high from Humilitie below by a sequence Which when we heare and heare it from the mouthes of Angells sure we are all that before seemed to tend to His disgrace were but the Auspicia of His Glorie All that beneath appeare in Ignominia in imis is pronounced gloria in excelsis and for such celebrated by the whole Queer of Heaven And this for the Queer and for this time But I aske do the Angells praise GOD for this Birth Vt quid illis concio vel cantio What do they preaching of Him or praising GOD for Him For them all this is not they put it not in the first but in the second person Vobis Heer is now Vobis the third time 1 Evangelizo Vobis saith the Angell first 2 Natus est Vobis saith he second Verse 10.11 And now Erit Vobis signum third 1 Vobis the newes 2 Vobis the Birth 3 and Vobis the Signe all three And who are these Vobis In the Song it is expresly set downe In hominibus For men What meane the Angells then to make this adoe with laudantium and dicentium and it concernes not them at all What then The blessed Angells they rejoice and sing at the good of others at the conversion but of one poore sinner Hoc Angelicum est As on the other side the Devills manner is to howle Luc. 15.7 and to grieve at others good if CHRIST come to save men to cry Mar. 8.24 He is come to torment them Hoc est diabolicum But well from this yet that the Angells thus sing whom in their owne particular it concernes not I rise to make this inference that they whom it concernes are to do it with farre greater reason And that is our selves to whom solely and wholly this Birth and the benefit of this Birth redounds Shall they for us and not we for us for our selves Shall we be in at the other three 1 at the Newes 2 at the Birth and at the Signe and be out at this of laudantium Deum No I trust The Queer of Heaven did it but to set us in We to beare a part and it should be a cheife part since the best part of it is ours They but tooke it up we to keepe it up and never to let it go downe or dye on our hands but from yeare to yeare as we have occasion still to renew it The Angells began heer The Shepheards they follow and praise GOD for that they had heard and seene the Sermon they had heard the Signe they had seen We Verse 20. to come in at our turne and to do the like You say well for that we have heard we may but not for any Signe we Yes For that too The Sacrament we shall have besides and of the Sacrament we may well say Hoc erit Signum For a Signe it is and by it invenietis puerum ye shall find this Child For finding His flesh and blood ye cannot misse but find Him too And a Signe not much from this heer For CHRIST in the Sacrament is not altogether vnlike CHRIST in the cratch To the cratch we may well liken the husk or outward Symboles of it Outwardly it seemes little worth but is rich of contents as was the crib this day with CHRIST in it For what are they but infirma egena elementa weak and poore elements of themselves yet in them find we CHRIST Even as they did this day in praesepi jumentorum panem Angelorum in the beasts crib the food of Angells Which very food our signes both represent and present vnto us Let me say this further It is the last word in the Sacrament This is a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and the whole Text resolves into laudantium DEVM to praise GOD And not to praise Him alone but to praise Him with this Hymne of the Angelle Now being to praise Him with the Angells Hymne it behoves to be in or as neere the State of Angells as we can of very congruitie to be in our very best state when they and we to make but one Queer And when are we so if at any time at that time when we have newly taken the holy Sacrament of His blessed body and most precious blood when we come fresh from it And as if there were some neere alliance betweene this Song of the Angells and these Signes to shew that the Signes or Sacrament have a speciall interest in this Hymne therefore is it that even then upon the administration of it hath the Church ordered this very Hymne ever to be soong or said what ever day it fall in the whole yeare For then sure of all other times are we on earth most neere to Angelique perfection then meetest to give glorie unto GOD then at peace with the whole earth then a good will and purpose in us if ever But as the time falleth out we have more inducements then one The day it selfe is one most proper For it is the very day this Hymne was first soong on And the celebration of the Sacrament that is another But the Sacrament now falling on the day a double Either of these of it selfe apart but together much more For the Sacrament that comes at other times the day but once a yeare On this Day they both meet and never but on this Not to slip it then but then when it is most proper most kindly then to do it I would to GOD we were as meet to doe it as the Sacrament is to doe it at and as the Time is to doe it on But as we may let us endeavor to doe it So enuring ourselves to record it as oft as we may specially when most meetly we may heer on earth among men that in His good time we may be counted worthy to doe it on high with the Angells in the Blisse of HEAVEN A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Saturday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXIX being CHRIST-MASSE day LVK. II. VER XIIII Gloria in altissimis DEO in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis vel * Vel in
considered how it will stand with gloria in excelsis To set Peace before Glorie is to set earth above heaven Keepe the order then each in her place So goeth the Song The Child borne is GOD and Man GOD from on high Man from the earth Coelestem primò dein terrestrem celebrant They keepe the right order in singing of Him we to doe the like Heavens part ever to be first But then next after His glorie nothing more deere more precious nay nothing so deere so precious to us then as peace Set Glorie safe and then by all meanes Inqâ—ire pacem saith the Psalmist Seeke peace Psal. 34 15. If she hide her selfe Seeke her out Et persequere eam and pursue her If she flie away follow her hard Peace is not sought No man followes her to make any pursuit they know not the value of Peace that lose her so easily that follow her so faintly Nay insteed of pursuit persecute her and drive her away and make the chasing her away the seeking of GODS glorie The second thing in the world is Peace Onely one One onely before it the Glorie of GOD. 3. The Division of the Song But the Aire of the song is in the division wherein each is sorted to his owne GOD to His The earth to hers Men to theirs Iustices division which makes peace in Heaven and Earth skored here out so plainly as it is easily seene which perteines to which And we by all meanes so to distribute and deale them and by all means to preserve and hold up this division Els we change the note which is asmuch as the whole Harmonie is worth 1 Gloriâ— to God Now in this partition Glorie goes whither Vp on high To whom there To GOD and to none but GOD. The Place and the Person are both set forth On high there is the Place To God there is the Person Earth is not the place of Glorie It is in excelsis on high Earth is not on high Heer below it is as it were the Celler or Vault of the world Where though there be Exceâ—sa and Excâ—lsi high places and high persons both yet the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in altissimis Eâ—cles 5.7 and Altissimi they be not there be higher then they And as Earth is not the place So man is not the person For man is upon earth and is earth No glorie to man then Especially none this day of all daies Glorie to him for what For enterteining CHRIST and lodging Him in in a stable Confusion rather somewhat to be ashamed of nothing to glorie of Had men deserved it some to them Now let GOD above have the glorie of this day Yet conceive it aright we wish it as our duty not as any longing of His. It were a seely conceit to imagine of GOD as if he were avidior gloriae did hunger or thirst for our glorie What is He the better for it Onely nothing we have but that and so either that or nothing for nothing but that can He receive from us But we have nothing to render Him for all His goodnesse for His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give it Him then but give it entirely give it none but Him Soli Deo saith Saint Paul Soli saith Saint Iude 1. Tim. 1.17 Iud. 25. Psal. 115.1 Soli let us all say Not vnto us ô LORD not vnto us It is DAVID as if he were afraid to touch any part of it No But as PAVL and BARNABAS rend our clothes Act. 14.14 if any Divine honour be forced upon us Yet glorie we may I grant but not this heer Gloria in altissimis if we sing to any bâ—t Him we sing a false note Men doe so now and then but the Angells are never out And thus sing they and set out Glorie for GODS part 2 On earth Peace Let earth be content with Peace Peace is her portion and a blessed portion if she may well hold it a faire portion a rich wish For I would faine know what could be saiâ— more to the praisâ— of this portion then is heere in this song First that in generall it reacheth to the whole earth Not to men alone though they have their share too in whatsoever good commeth to the earth but it reacheth to all on earth Omni animantium or vegetantium generi to all the beasts all the greene things on the earth All are the better for it Secondly what more for the credit of peace then that it is Votum militare it comes from the mouthes of Souldiers that were there in their militar habit Even they sing of peace and praise it and wish it where they wish any good and know now what better thing to wish to the earth then it It is the earths happinesse Peace it flourisheth by it Before was the earth as the garden of Paradise saith the Prophet behind Ioel. 2.3 it was a wast and barren wildernesse all spoiled and burnt up Thirdly that it is Votum Angelicum An Angells wish Peace They being heavenly Spirits wish not anything at any time but heavenly So that a havenly thing is Peace And so it is as Nazianzene heere well observed Pugnas dissidian scire Deum Angelos No broiles no brabbles in heaven nothing but peace there And a kind of heaven there is upon earth when there is peace upon earth and iustly are they blessed and rightly are they called the Children of GOD the most blessed that are or shall be at any time that are the procurers of it This lo is the Angells division they sing But heere we are like to have no little adoe to maintaine this As we said before Huic signo à multis contradicitur as the Signe so the song is gainesaid of many Verse 34. The divell doth all he can to marre the Angells musique to bring in his his owne blacke Sanctus to procure contempt to GODS glorie on high to bring GODS glorie as low as he can to make garboiles upon earth to workemen all evill will mischiefe and malice that he can And first to make a confusion in this division perswades earth not to stand content with the Angells partition but earth forsooth must have glorie must be dealing with heavens part It is well said to GOD on high There be certaine GODS heere below aspire to glorie And glorie we would allow but no glorie will serve vnlesse gloria in altissimis be soong to it Sicut Dij cannot be gotten out of us Gen. 3.5 We cannot yet get Dominus Deus noster Papa out of the Glosse no not now after it is reformed And King Herod would be content to be made more then a man and to heare Nec vox hominem sonat And we beneath are too ready to sing it otherwhile to deifie those Acts 12.22 that are on high and give that belongs to GOD on high to GODS below Now that earth is thus
willing to entitle her selfe to heavens part this brings all out of tune But in tune or out of tune to die for it have it we will What the Apostles rent their clothes to put from them we would rend our skinnes to pluck to us Acts 14 14· So greedy are we to be held for Gods upon earth Nay earth is content to thrust from her her owne part that is peace to invade GODS part that is glorie Et dum gloriam usurpant pacem turbant to vsurpe glorie they lose peace we can dispense with that Shift GODS glorie how it can rather then our owne should suffer the least disgrace away with peace moveatur terra let all the world be on a welter What comes of this Pacem contemnentes gloriam appetentes gloriam perdunt pacem Even this peace their owne part they set light by Glorie GODS part they gape after and lose glorie and peace both by the meanes and when they have brought all to confusion set downe by their losses For first by seeking glorie glorie is lost The heathen man well observed Glorie is one of those things that to seek them is the very next way to lose and to neglect them the way to gaine them Quaerendo amittitur No readier way to misse it then eagerly to seeke it And againe by seeking glorie Peace is lost cleere Yeelding glorie to GOD doth bring with it pacem in terris diverting it from Him doth take pacem de terris In very deede Peace upon earth as it stands after it so it hath a dependence vpon Gods glorie comes as it were in exchange for it Da gloriam accipe pacem saith God Let men on earth send glorie vp to God on high and God on high will send downe peace to men on earth and will not faile Heavens peace for earths glorie Whereby we see if we misse peace on earth at any time what it is long of It is that which makes the Angells here keepe on their armour still vpon glorie deteined from God or transferred whither it should not they are vp in armes streight haue power to take peace from the earth till the point of glorie be set right againe The setting right of which point is the way to recover it Let heaven let GOD be well served with their part peace will not long be away It is coupled to it you see it followeth close Et pax in terris So much for that division 3 Goodwill toward men To men a good will For besides Earths peace wherein they entercommon Men have a part by themselves which is their prerogative And first I would have you to note that here it is entered first into the Musique of heaven In the Angells Hymne in Esay Esay 6.3 in the Old Testament Men are out there No mention at all not a word of them in that Heaven is in and Earth but no Men there In the Angells Hymne heer in the New Testament heere men are in that all may know that for this Childs sake now made man Men are now come into the Angells song to be a part and a principall part there who before were left out A principall part I say for marke againe They have never an Et they stand by themselves For both those former resolve into this of Men They the Epitome of heaven and earth The parties from whom this glorie to whom this peace is principally intended to come Glorie to GOD Glorie and Peace Why both For GOD hath received men to grace Men are now in favour againe But heaven and earth and men and all resolve into the free grace and good will of GOD. How shall they performe either peace or glorie but if there be toward them first and secondly but if there be in them this third of good will Thence issues GODS glorie thence the Earths peace The fountaine of both that Nay of CHRIST and all For Him this glorie for CHRIST Through Him this peace through CHRIST But CHRIST himselfe whence Whence but from the goodwill of GOD toward men From whence also the good will in men to GOD and one to another if any be in them That if we goe higher yet even of this Birth GODS good will was the cause and because His will was men should be restored therefore His will was CHRIST should be incarnate borne Can we go any higher are we not in altissimis Verily as we said the humilitie of the Signe was so deepe we could not sound it so may we now that the sublimitie of this point is so high we cannot reach it There is a part of Divinitie that dazles if we look too long on it we may well lose our sight Toward men and in men Then to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 last It may be turned two waies it will beare both and for my part I wish no word ever narrowed by a translation but asmuch as might be left in the latitude of the Originall tongue 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in homines to or toward men So we turne it and we turne it well 2 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also in hominibus in or among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no lesse properly And no hurt if we turne it so in hominibus provided in or erga homines goe first be soong before it In hominibus so ever as comming from in homines For then Donum magnum bonae voluntatis Dei bona voluntas in hominibus it is Augustine Of the good will of GOD towards men a speciall gift it is this good will in men to GOD and man both The best way is where there are two to take in both So we shall be sure to leave out neither 1 But Toward men first Yet in their sequence To or toward men then first But to or toward them for this Childs sake In whom He is so well pleased as for His sake He is pleased first to receive men to pardon though grievous sinners and so vtterly vnworthy of it Secondly He is pleased to reward their works also otherwise but for this good will in GOD in accepting them that might justly be excepted to for their many imperfections to take them well in worth though they want worth and to vouchsafe them a reward and that a high reward for it is your heavenly Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome Chap. 12.32 Thirdly beyond both these He is further pleased in some case to accept even of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at our hands and though skill and power both faile and be wanting yet a willing minde if there be if there be but that a man is accepted according to that he hath 2. Cor. 8.12 Mar. 14.8 Mar 12.44 not according to that he hath not MARIE MAGDALEN's quod potuit fecit the poor widowe's quod habuit dedit and GOD wot it was
be joy among the Angells in heaven to heare their Hymne kept still alive Though there is another congruitie for the Sacrament That the great Mysterie of Godlinesse 1. Tim. 3.16 which is GOD manifested in the flesh might not be celebrated without the Mysterie of His flesh that the day He came among us to be partaker of flesh and blood we also might be partakers of the flesh and blood which He tooke from us to give them us againe But otherwise this Day in this Hymne and this hymne in this Day continually have a speciall interest Time in Musique is much And if we will keep time with the Angells do it when they do it this day they did it And what fitter time to sing it then the day it was first soong the day of the first singing of it Canticum diei in die cantici When should the hymne of CHRISTS birth be better soong then on CHRISTS birth day But because it is not Vox but Votum the voice is not all but the hearts desire and wish it is that GOD chiefly respecteth to add that And what should we wish from our hearts but that the Angells may have their wish Every one may have his due as it is heer sett out And for that Nihil aequius est quam ut pro quo quis oret pro eo laboret what we wish for we should not stand wishing only but endeavour with-all it may come to passe that it be our labour too with all our endeavours to procure the glorie of heaven and the peace of the earth To find peace in the goodwill of GOD and to give Him all glorie for it who hath appoynted peace our portion heere and glorie our hope layd up there Assuring our selves that the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was hable to bring the SONNE of GOD from heaven into earth shall have the like power to lift up the Sonnes of men from earth to the glorie of heaven There with the blessed Angells to sing this glorious Hymne eternally No more of wish then but of fruition and so of everlasting Gratulation A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Moonday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXX being CHRIST-MASSE day MATT. II. VER I. II. Cum ergo natus esset IESVS in Bethlehem Iudae in diebus Herodis Regis Ecce Magi ab Oriente venerunt Ierosolymam dicentes Vbi est qui natus est Rex Iudaeorum Vidimus enim stellam Ejus in Oriente venimus adorare Eum. When IESVS then was borne at Bethlehem in Judaea in the daies of Herod the King Behold there came Wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying Where is the King of the Jewes that is borne For we have seene His starre in the East and are come to worship Him WE passe now this yeare from the Shepheards and the Angells to the Wise men and their Starr This Starr and their comming no lesse proper to this Day then those other were For though they came not to Hierusalem this day yet this day venerunt ab Oriente from the East they came They set forth this very day For they came when IESVS was borne And this day was He borne Howsoever the Starr brought them not to their journeys end till twelve dayes hence yet this day it first shewed it selfe how soone IESVS was borne vidimus stellam it appeared streight For which very appearing you shall find the Fathers of the East Church doe call this first day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aswell as the last This first wherein His Starr appeared and they began their journey That last wherein He appeared himselfe and their iourney was at an end First and last an Appearing there was One beginnes the other ends the Feast We passe from one of them to the other but from the lesse to the greater For of the twaine this is the Greater Greater in it selfe Greater to us Two waies greater in it selfe Th' other of the Shepheards a poore one poore and meane This of the Wise men a Signe of some State high and heavenly Esay 7.11 GOD bad Ahaz ask a Signe Ask one from heer below or one from the height above He would aske neither but GOD gave both From below Hoc erit Signum you shall find the babe in a manger Luk. 2.12 Low enough That we have done withall Now from above Ecce vidimus stellam The Signe from Heaven His new Starr Besides to speake vprightly one might in some sort complaine of the privatenesse of the Angells appearing Somewhat obscure it was few priuy to it passed over in the night betweene the Angells and them And upon it three or foure Shepheards got them into the stable and what there they did no man could take notice of More famous and more Manifestation-like was this heer A new Light kindled in heaven A Starr never seene before The world could not but looke up at it and ask what it meant Mal. 19.4 Nothing appeareth there but the Sound of it goeth out into all lands and the newes of it to the vtmost parts of the earth This made another manner venerunt upon this came there to Hierusalem not a rout of Shepheards but a of troope Great Persons And not from a heath or Sheep common hard by but from a farr from the East twelve daies journey of All Hierusalem rang of it The King Priests and People busied with it To this day remembred in all Stories It cannot be forgotten For this was not done in a corner This was indeed a Manifestation Acts 26.26 Better in it selfe thus And for us Better For us all For we all hold by this It was a brack in the former The Sermon was made and the Antheme soong and none at it but the Shepheards And what were they Iewes What is that to us This Scripture offereth more grace Iam. 4.6 These heer that came from the East first they were Gentiles Gentiles that concernes us for so are we We may then looke out if we can see this Starr It is ours it is the Gentiles Starr We may set our course by it to seeke and find and worship Him as well as they This is for us all But there is yet more grace offered to some in particular The Shepheards were a sort of poore simple men altogether unlearned But heer come a troope of men of great Place high account in their countrey And withall of great Learned men their name gives them for no lesse This lo falls somewhat proper to this Place and Presence that will be glad to heare it It is faustum salutare Sydus to such that wealth worth or wisedome shall hinder none but they may have their parts in CHRISTS birth aswell as those of low degree It is not onely Stella Gentium but Stella Magorum The Great Meâ—s the Wise mens Starr this So quoad nos for us it fitteth well And quoad se of it selfe it is fit every way This Starr
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there came our miserie by Adam's not keeping his first estate but Scattering from GOD. 3 But then comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about and makes all well againe by bringing us where we were at the first There was a former Capitulation The articles were broken Then came this Recapitulation heere anew An account was cast but it was mis-cast and so it is heer cast new over againe But when all is done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it we must hold by The fist is gone All perished by being Scattered from All must be recovered by being gathered to againe Our Separation our ruine Our Reparation our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our gathering againe And not ours alone but Salus mundi of all in heaven all in earth By this we may see by the way 1 what case all were in 2 what case all are in still that he loose and vngathered and whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not recollected againe We see what and how gathered Now quò the next point is whereto 4 Into one Into one Every thing that is gathered is so But there is more ones then one One heap as of stones One flock as of sheepe One pile as of the materialls of a building All are good but to take the word in the native sense the gathering heer is either to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Summe as many numbers Or to go neerer to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Head as many members and that is it the Apostle pursueth to the Chapters end Both these Summe and Head are in the body of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they both serve and suit well The body the Head is as it were the Summe of all all 1 sense 2 motion 3 speech 4 vnderstanding all recapitulate into the Head This of Head or Summe fitteth it best For to speake properly many heaps flocks piles there may be Head there can be but one De ratione capitis est unum esse And so of a Summe but one true summe were there never so many so diverse waies cast So then into one that is not enough It is not co-adunation will serve It is recapitulation and in that word there is caput It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in that word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a reducing all to one as that one be the Head A headlesse gathering the Apostle cannot skill of And indeed say there were an entire body and every member in his right place and all streictly knit together yet if the head should had to be away as good the members all in sunder for all were to no purpose So a Head or nothing This gathering then you see is to the chiefe Member to the Member that weares the Crowne Thither upward the true gathering goes There is a Vnion downwards Iud. 15.4 as of Samson's foxes that were together by the tailes That is not the right but by the head The oxen that plough are joyned together by the head The foxes that are tied by the tailes they set all on fire The Vnitie of the head GOD send us That is the true Vnitie And yet are we not where we should We may gather upward too and make a head and not the right head That to a head is not enough if it fall out to be a wrong head suppose Romelie's sonne Humano capiti c. do but paint saith the Poet any body Esay 7.9 with a wrong head it will but move laughter and scorne The right the owne head it would be A strange head will not suite nor doe us any stead The right head then And which is the right head He adds Recapitulati in CHRISTO It is CHRIST There lo is the right head now To that let all gather And now we are arrived at CHRIST we are where we should our gathering is at the best All in heaven All in earth gathered together together againe Againe into one One Summe whereof CHRIST is the Foot One body whereof CHRIST is the Head Gather then and be gathered to Him Gather then and be gathered with Him Luk. 1â— 23 He that gathereth not with Him scattereth And so were all scattered without CHRIST till He came with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and got them againe together The seasons were all empty The things all on heapes Gen. 3.24 Things in heaven from things in earth Angells with drawne swords at men Things on earth Iud. 13.22 from things in heaven Men at but the sight of an Angell ready to fall downe dead The members from the head the head from the members The members one from another Neither vnion with the head nor among themselves Peccata vestra Ier. 5.25 it was sinne that divided betweene GOD and them and divided once and divided ever divided in semper divisibilia till they were quite past all division No longer divided now but even scattered The case of the world then Scattered in point of Religion Gods scattered all over as many Gods as Cities All the hosts of heaven Ieâ— 2.28 all the beasts and creeping things of the earth Scattered in point of moralitie or morall Philosophie I know not how many scattered opinions Augustine reckons de Summo Bono the chiefe point of all The Iewes scattered from the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the Iewes A maine Wall betweene Ephes 2.14 The Gentiles scattered from themselves grossely all in fractions they Nothing of a body Never a head And yet many heads but never a right one among them all No not the Iâ—wes themselves For the Tabernacle of DAVID was then downe and the ruines of it scattered into many Sects as the Prophet AMOS complaines Amos 9.11 And Saint IAMES alledgeth it out of him Act 15.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.2 Gen. 11.8 Act. XV. In a word the whole world then was but a masse of errours a Chaos of confusion Tohu and Bohu empty and void of all saving grace or truth Well likened to them that were scattered at the tower of Babel where no man vnderstood another Exod. 5.12 Or to the people that were scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble to pick up Strawes All then wandering hither and thither and seeking death in the error of their life By all which you see Wisd. 1.12 what need there was of this gathering this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now then if for the divisions of Reuben Iud. 5·15 there were great thoughts of heart as it is in Debora's song for but one Tribe scattered from the rest shall there be no thought or course taken for these such so generall so many not divisions but plaine dispersions scatterings all abroad Great pitie that all these should lie thus loose and vngathered as if they were not worth the taking up Io. 6.12 He that in Ioan. VI. took order for the broken meat for the fragments willed them to be gathered
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nothing might be lost no not of them He certainely were no good Oeconomus if He would let all these be lost for lack of gathering But could not this gathering be absque CHRISTO in some other It appeares no. Seasons there were more then one but all empty proffers were made in them but nothing full nor any thing neere full A season of the Law vnwritten Then came the Patriarchs But they had much adoe to keepe themselves from scattering they gathered none A season of the Law written Then the Priests and Levites but the gathering little the fuller for them Then came all the Prophets To no great purpose they neither Some few Proselytes they made that was all But in the end all these as they in the Parable of the wounded man passed by looked on him but let him lie Little was done Luk. 10.31.32 till the good Samaritane came The things in heaven and earth the generalitie of them so in not much better case for all these could not be recapitulate in the Patriarchs MOSES the Prophets So that to this plunge it was come that the Psalmist even asked GOD Wherefore hast thou made all men for nought It was time for Him to come Psal. 80.47 Heb. 10.37 qui venturus erat It was time More then time when that which was the onely knowne way when one was scattered from GOD how to gather him to GOD againe which was Let him smell a sacrifice when that grew out of season when that failed 1. Sam 26.19 And that it did Sacrifice burnt offering burnt offerings for sinne sinne Psal. 40.6 that made all the Scattering noluisti that is plaine thou wouldst not It is CHRIST now speaketh then said I lo I come I of whom it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the top or front of the booke that I should fulfill thy will and gather these together againe Lo I come to do it By this Ecce venio of His a way was found those that were thus distracted and scattered before how to bring them together againe What way was that It followes in the same place what He meant by Ecce venio He goes it over againe No sacrifice thou wouldst No Corpus autem aptasti But a body hast thou ordained me Psal. 40.6 The incorporating CHRIST the ordeining Him a body that is the new and living way Heb. 10.20 through the veile that is His flâ—sh With that He comes this day and gathers all againe How or in what manner that The manner is set â—owne in the word 3 The Manner Recapitulando by way of Râ—capitulation We are not to conceive there was such a great Shâ—et as Saint Peter saw let downe from heaven Act. X. and that all these were put into it Act. 10.11 and so gathered No it was recapitulando by reducing to lesse roome as we doe many diffused matters to a few heads as we contract great mapps to a small compasse as great plots to a small module for that is properly to recapitulate There are two words in the verse set it out well 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this fullnesse will come into a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the particulars of many leaves come into a Totall of not halfe a line If then we be to proceed by way of recapitulation then are we to reduce all to heads So let us reduce these things to these two heads 1 First heaven and all in it to GOD Earth and all in it to Man Gather these two into one and there is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in short To conceive it the better you shall vnderstand this was on a good way onward before You have heard Man called the little world the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the great one a compendium of all the creatures And so he is of both He participates with the Angells and so much things in heaven by His soule He participates with the elements and so with things on earth by His body The Poet had it by the end Fertur Prometheus c. That to the making of mans body there went a peece of every of the creatures So there was in man a kind of recapitulation before But that was not full yet lacked there one thing All in heaven were not gathered into Man Of GOD we say Qui et in coelis He was one of the things in heaven and He was out all the while But if He could be gatherd in too then were it a full gathering indeed All in heaven recapitulate into one that is GOD All in earth recapitulate into one that is Man Gather these two now and all are gathered all the things in either And now at this last and great Recollection of GOD and Man and in them of heaven and earth and in them of all in heaven and earth are all recapitulate into the unitie of one entire Person And how Not so as they were gathered at first Not as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first gathering so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second gathering When things were at the best GOD and Man were two in number Now GOD and Man are but one CHRIST So the gathering neerer then before So surer then before So every way better then before In Man there was onward an abridgement of all the rest Gather GOD and him into one and so you have all There is nothing not any thing in heaven or earth left out Heaven is in and earth the creatures in heaven and earth the Creator of heaven and earth All are in now All reconciled as it were in one masse all cast into one summe Recapitulate indeed truly and properly Heerin is the fullnesse that GOD Himselfe comes into this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle I. Cor. XV. where the Psalme saith He hath put all things in subjection under His feet It is manifest saith the Apostle that He was excepted 1. Cor. 15.27 that so put them under But heer it is manifest say we that He is not excepted that did gather but He the very Collector is in this collection Himselfe and all 2. Cor. 5.19 Col. 2.9.1.21.22 For GOD was in CHRIST reconciling the world The World that is all things All in heaven all in earth And in CHRIST did dwell the fullnesse of the God-Head bodily when He did so reconcile them in the body of His flesh In a word certain it is that by vertue of this recapitulation we are one with CHRIST CHRIST as Man GOD is one with CHRIST CHRIST as GOD. So in CHRIST GOD and Man are one And ther is good hope they that are one will soone be at one where unitie is union will be had with no great adoe And even besides this there is yet another Recapitulation that well might it have that name For if you mark it it is not Recapitation but Recapitulation and that comes of
Capitulum which is a Diminutive So was it verbum in principio the aeternall mighty Rom. 10.28 great Word became verbum abbreviatum as the Apostle saith Rom. X. to bring this to passe Esa. 40.12 He that the heavens are but His spann abbreviate into a child of a spann long He that Caput the Head of men and Angells principalities and powers became capitulum He that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little diminutive head Head Nay became the foote Pes computi the Text is the foot the lowest part of the accompt and of the lowest accompt 6. The Season when And now because we are in seasons we speake of seasons When was this at what season of the yeare when was it that He was so capite minutus Sure never lesse never so little never so minorated so minimated I am sure as now When was Ecce venio fullfilled we may know that by all the foure Sundayes in Advent now past that to day it is Ecce venio Psal. 40.7 His comming the Psalme expounds by ordeining Him a body A body there was ordeined Him in the wombe But to us things are when they appeare That though the Word were made flesh before Ioh. 1.14 yet GOD was not manifested in the flesh came not and dwelt among us visibly to be seen till this day So that if you aske of In CHRISTO what or when In CHRISTO nato then was this gathering of things in heaven and earth And in signe it was then looke there comes a Queer of Angells down Luk. 2.13 there comes a new Starr forth to represent the things in heaven There comes togither a sort of Shepheards and there is gathering to them a troop of great Princes from the East Mat. 2.1 to represent the things on earth which consist as these do of high and low noble and base wise and simple All to celebrate and make shew of this gathering of this great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into this small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in their heavenly Hymne there is mention of this gathering Luc. 14. In excelsis and in terris sett togither as if all in both were now in full and perfect harmonie Now when the seasons had travailed with and at last brought forth Him that was the best thing they had or should ever bring forth then were they at the best When Him in whom it pleased the FATHER all fullnesse should dwell then were they at the full The gathering of the things so full as it made plenitudo rerum The gathering of the seasons so full as it made plenitudo temporum And so have we brought both parts seasons and things togither The Summe is at the foot the Oration at the periode the Building at the head-stone the Tide at the full the fullnesse of the Gentiles are come in into His Church Rom. 11.25 Verse 23. which is His body the fullnesse of Him that filleth all in all But why GOD in the dispensation of the seasons did so order The Application of the Texâ— to the time and to us In earthly things that at such a yeare of the world such a moneth of the yeare such a day of the moneth this should fall out just this is more then I dare take upon me to define But this I may that the Christian world hath ever observed diverse good congruities of this Feast with this Text. The Text is of a Recapitulation The feast is so Twelve monethes recapitulate to twelve daies Sixe for the old In sixe daies was the creation of the old And when the old things are past as many for the new For behold all things are new And 2. Cor. 5.17 if any be in CHRIST he is a new creature Both these recapitulaâ—e in one season â—qually divided Aequally divided between both yet so as the dayes of the last are set before the first Mat. 19.30 that so erunt novissimi primi is verified even of the season and the last first there also The Text is of a gathering and that falls fitt with the season and giveth us great cause to admire the high wisedome of GOD in the dispensation of seasons That now at this season when we gather nothing when nothing groweth to be gathered there should be a gathering yet and a great one nay the greatest gathering that ever was or will be And so by that meanes the poorest and emptiest season in nature become the fullest and richest in grace Now we do our selves in effect expresse as much as this comes to For we also make it a season of gathering togither of neighbourly meeetings and invitations Wherin we come togither and both our selves have and we make each other partakers of what we have gathered all the yeare before In which sense also we may call it the season of dispensation in that we then dispense the blessings GOD hath sent us and that is in good house keeping and hospitalitie And if you will of fullnesse too For the most part do then use to be better filled and with better fare that are not so full againe all the yeare beside That one may truly say there is more fullnesse in this season then any other And so it is the season of fullnesse then For the hungry are then filled with good things then Psal. 107.9 of all the seasons of the yeare And last there is in the Text and it as the maine word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Primitive sense is the making the foâ—â—e of an accompt which agreeth well with the foot of the yeare for at the foot of the leaâ—e Sâ—mmes use to be set Sett it at the head or set it at the foot it is the 〈◊〉 of the Old and the head of the New and so the fittest season to celebrate it in â—or â—e it head or be it foot CHRIST it is So recapitulation or gathering fullnesse or dispeâ—â—â—tieâ— or Summing all up the Text is seasonble But these I have spoke of are of things on earâ—h Wâ—e it not to be wisheâ— In heavenly things 〈◊〉 would endevour to have some fruition and to gather some fruit for the heavenly part from this gathering this fumming up of CHRIST ' s CHRIST is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short summe but there is in Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulnesse of all CHRIST is but the Contents of a Chapter some threâ— of foure lines but a great long Chapter followes long and large For what shall you see in this Shulamite but Choros cast rorum Cant. 6.13 legionâ— whole armies of good things to gather Such so great a summe as twelve daies will not â—erâ—e to cast them up But yet somewhat let us gather that the seasons being full we our selves be not sent empty away Our Accompting The time failes I will therefore name but one and that the maine word of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which referreth properly to
very bodie of the word it is not a law at large but a Statute law And the nature of that law is without publishing it cannot be knowne GOD hath his Law in the same division that man hath his His Statute and his Common law The law of Nature which is written in the hearts of all men that Rom. 2.14 is the Common law of the world Of that every man is to take notice at his perill But this law heer is no part of that law Filius meus tu is not written in the heart it must be preached to the eare No light of nature could reveale it from within Preached from without it must be And so and no otherwise come we to the knowledge of it The very word gives it for such which is properly a Statute as this is enacted and decreed in the high Court of GODS Counsell above and reserved to be revealed in the latter times And of that we cannot heare without a Preacher Ephes 3.5 Rom. 10.14 and the preaching thereof was committed to CHRIST He began and we follow And so much for Praedicabo Legem de quâ dixit Dominus ad me The matter at large And now to his Text wherein is the letter of the Law it selfe I reckoned up to you five particulars in this Law 1. Filius a Sonne 2. Filius meus my Sonne that is the Sonne of GOD. 3. Filius meus genui the Sonne of GOD begotten 4. Hodiè genui the Sonne of GOD begotten this day 5. And fiftly Dixit genui that is dicendo genuit begotten by saying as the WORD should be Of a Sonne first Which plainely sheweth it is not the old 1. Filius it is a new law this The old runs Ego sum Dominus which must needs imply Servus meus tu This is Filius meus tu in another style which necessarily doth imply Ego sum Pater tuus A FATHER to be the giver of it According to the former He saith Ego sum Dominus and we say Dominus meus tu According to this latter He saith Filius meus tu and we say Pater meus tu This the better by farr as farr as the condition of a Sonne is better then that of a servant And indeed the maine difference betweene the two lawes is but this Doe it saith the one Servus meus tu the vnperfect law of feare 1. Ioh. 4 18. Heb. 7.9 Iam. 1.15 and servitude Doe it saith the other Filius meus tu the perfect law of love and libertie Of a Sonne Whose Sonne Filius meus And He that speakes it 2. Filius meus that saith meus is GOD and so He to whom it is spoken the Sonne of GOD. And the Sonne of GOD is a high title and of speciall accompt Salomon before his Crowne or Scepter prised that speech of GOD I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne 2. Sam. 7 1◠But nothing makes it more cleare then this place The last verse He saith Posui te Regem I have set thee a King that He speakes not of thinks it not fit But heere now Filius meus tu this loe preach He will this He thinks worth the preaching Filius meus tu rather then Posui te Regem to be the Sonne of GOD then to be a Prince in Sion The Sonne of GOD and the Sonne of GOD begotten For 3. Genui Sonnes of GOD there be that are not begotten that come in another way that come by adoption To beget is an act of nature and is ever determined in the identitie of the same nature with him that did beget And this putteth the difference Otherwise GOD speakes of Angells as of His Sonnes Iob. 38.7 When all the Sonnes of GOD praised Him Speakes it of Israel his people Out of Aegypt have I called my Sonne Speakes it of Rulers and Governors Ye are all the Sonnes of the most High Hos. 11.1 Psal. 82.6 To every of these as much in effect is said as Filius meus tu But to which of them all to which of the Angells said He at any time Genui te I have begotten thee Not to any Filij they were but not geniti none of them all So Filius meus tu is communicated to others but Genui te to no creature either in heaven or earth Of none is Genui to be verified in proper termes but of CHRIST and of CHRIST only Hodie Genui Begotten and this day begotten Genui and Hodiè genui for begotten He had been before Another begetting besides this Two Genui's A Genui before Hodiè Ex utero ante Luciferum genui te Psal. ◠113 sayd the LORD to my LORD in the GX Psalme Twice begotten He was This day begotten and begotten ante Luciferum before there was any morning starr and so before there was any day at all and so before any quod cognominatur Hodiè any time that is called To day We are to take notice of both these generations 1 Of CHRISTVS ante Luciferum and of 2 Lucifer ante CHRISTVM To take notice of both but to take hold of this latter For that ante Luciferum was not for us His second begetting His Hodiè genui His this dayes begetting is for us Mic. 5.2 is it we hold by Not by His going out from everlasting not by His olim ante Luciferum ante secula genitus None of these Hodiè genitus is the law that we are to preach that is not His aeternall but His hodiernall generation Not as GOD of the substance of His Father begotten before all worlds but as man of the substance of his Mother Gal. 4.4 borne in the world when in the fullnesse of time GOD sent His SONNE made of a woman And that was the Hodiè genui of this day 5. Dixit genui Now the speculative Divine pierceth yet deeper he finds a further mysterie in these two words Dixit genui that is saith he dicendo genuit He sayd He begatt that is by His very saying He begatt Wherein the very manner of His begetting is set forth unto us There is a very neer resemblance betwixt Dixit and Genui betwixt begetting and speaking To begett is to bring forth so is to speake to bring forth also To bring forth a word and CHRIST you know is called the Word Now when we speake either we do it within to our selves or without to others Either of which two may well be compared to a like severall begetting When we thinke a word in our thought and speake it there within to our selves as it were in silence and never utter it this if you marke it well is a kind of conceiving or generation the mind within of it selfe ingendring a word while yet it is but in notion kept in and knowne to none but to our selves And such was the generation of the Aeternall Word the SONNE of GOD in the mind of His Father before all worlds
his memorie thus failing him GOD provided and sent some to put him in minde Sure as he had received those former good things so also had he received Moses and the Prophets by his owne confession And in receiving them he had received a great benefit and peradventure greater in this then the other And Moses had told him as much as Abraham tells him now Deut. 32.29 Vtinam novissima providerent Would GOD saith Moses men would remember the foure Novissima 1. That there is a death 2. there is a Iudgement 3. there is a heaven 4. there is a hell But of all the foure Novissima inferni in the same Chapter the nethermost Deut· 32 22. Nunc igitur cruciaris the place of torments The Prophets said as much Ieremie Ever thinke that an end there will be Ieremie 5.31 Esay 33.14 Et quid fiet in novissimo what shall become of us in that end Who among us saith Esay can endure devouring fire who can dwell with ardores sempiterni everlasting burnings These he had and if he had heard these it is plainely affirmed Audiant ipsos would have done it they would have kept him for ever comming in that place But these also living he strove to forget and as ingenderers of melancholie to remove them farr away And that he might the more easily doe it it was thought not amisse to call their authoritie in question whither they were worth the hearing or no. It is in effect confessed by him that his five brethren and he were of one opinion that the hearing of Moses and the Prophets was a motive farre vnworthy to carry such men as they An Angel from heaven or one from the dead might perhaps but the bookes of Moses should never move them It was not for nothing he complaineth of his tongue Illâ linguâ with that tongue he had scorned the Holy Oracles peradventure that place wherein he now lay with that tongue which in that place feeleth the greatest torment and from that place the smallest comfort both which it had before prophanely derided Thus then you see his Scalam inferni the briefe of his faults for which his Râ—ceipt endeth in this bitter Recipe of torments without end 1 Epicurisme no life but this No good but these heere Good attire good cheere 2 This was his reward Amen dico vobis Matt 6.2 recepistis Saint Chrysostome's two 1 Remembring neither GOD in heaven nor Lazarus on earth 2 but being a Gurges a Gulfe of all that he received himselfe 3 No not his owne soule 4 nor last of all this place of torments before he was in it and scorning at Moses for remembring him of it This you see And in him you see who they be over whom Abraham shall reade the like sentence Qui habet aures c. II. The title Recordare fili Now then we have set up both sides of this Crosse and fastened each part to other with Now therefore Let us affixe the Inscription and so an end That is Recordare fili The want of which brought him thither The supplie of it shall keepe us thence Fili recordare optimè dictum sed serò Excâ—llently well said but too late saith Saint Bernard For alas commeth Abraham in now with Recordare doth he now affixe the title why it is too late True it is so But till now he would not suffer any to set it up Before while it was time and when it might have done him good then he would not endure it Now then he is faigne when it is out of time to know what in time might have done him good and may doe others if in time they looke to it Indeed to him now it is of no vse in the world but onely to let him see by what Iustice he is where he is and what he suffereth he suffereth deservedly The best is Abraham hath more sonnes then this sonne and they may take good by it and have vse of that whereof he had none With this sonne it is too late with some other it is not Not with us we are yet upon the stage Our Iam verò is not yet come And for us is this Inscription set up and for our sakes both CHRIST reported and Saint Luke recorded this Recordare If you aske What good is that What is the good of exemplarie Iustice What good is it to see a malefactor punished or to read in a paper the crime wherefore What but onely that by reading what brought him thither we may remember what will keepe us from thence The neglect of Recordare is the cause he is there why then Recordare fili and keepe thee from thence So with one view of this Inscription we reade both his ruine and our owne remedie This is the right vse of this title GOD forbidd we should have no vse of it till we come where he is But it is therefore set over his head in that life that we may reade it in this reade it and remember it remember it and never have title set over ours It will be good then sometimes to keepe some day holy to the exaltation of this Crosse and to set this title before our eyes to approch it and read it over Yea not once but often to record this Recordare Indeed it is that Saint Gregorie saith Recordatione magis eget versus iste quà m expositione Indeed it more needs a disposition to remember it then an exposition to vnderstand it We are yet how long we shall we know not nor how soone vitâ tuâ will be gone nor how quickly this Iam verò will come in place This we know between his state and ours there is only a puffe of breath in our nosthrills That this life short though it be and in a manner a moment yet hoc est momentum unde pendet aeternitas On it no lesse matter dependeth then our aeternitie or blisse or bane comfort or torment That in that place without all hope either of relief escape or end and that from thence neither our profession of truth nor the greatnesse of our receiving shall deliver but onely this Recordare It standeth us then in hand to take perfect impression of this Recordare and as Saint Augustine saith Oblivisci quid simus attendere quid futuri simus to forget what we now be to consider what we shall be without all question yer long but we know not how soone but oft it falleth the shorter and sooner the lesse we thinke of it Three things then I wish for conclusion 1 that we may remember 2 remember in time 3 remember effectually That we may remember the fire the thirst and the torments and know what they meane by memorie rather then by sense Abraham from heaven calls to us to that end The party in hell crieth Neveniant ipsi That we doe it in time that we be not in his case never lift up our eyes till we be in hell nor remember that
for all that Tell them they may take time then and doe it Nay vnlesse it be done the first day howre and minute it contents them not Tell them there is a stone more then they remember and more then they can remove No matter they will trie their strength and lift at it though they take the foile Of these thus qualified we may truly say they that are at all this cost labour paines to annoint Him dead shew plainely if it lay in them to raise Him againe they would not faile but doe it Consequently would be glad to heare He were risen And so are fit hearers of this Gospell Hearers well disposed and every way meet to receive this Messenger and this Message Now to the successe We see what they sought we long to see what they found Such Love 3. Their Successe and such labour would not be lost This we may be sure of there is none shall annoint Him alive or dead without some recompense or consideration Which is sett downe of two sorts 1. They found the stone rolled away as great as it was That which troubled them most how it might be removed that found they removed yet they came They need never take paines with it the Angel had done it to their hands 2. They found not indeed whom they sought Christ but His Angell they found and heard such a Gospell of Him so good newes as pleased them better then if they had found His body to embalme it That newes which of all other they most longed to heare that He they came to annoint needed no such office to be done to Him as being alive againe This was the Successe And from this successe of theirs our lesson is 1. That as there is no vertue no good worke but hath some impediment as it were some great stone to be lifted at Quis revolvet So that it is oft times the lot of them that seeke to doe good to finde many imaginarie stones removed to their hands GOD so providing Vt quod admovit Satanas amoveat Angelus what Sathan layes in the way a good Angell takes out of the way That it may in the like case be a good answer to Quis revolvet to say Angelus DOMINI the Angell of the LORD he shall doe it done it shall be so did these here and as they did others shall finde it 2. Againe it is the hope that all may have that sett themselves to doe CHRIST any service to finde his Angell at least though not himselfe to heare some good newes of Him though not see Him at the first Certaine it is with Vngentes vngentur None shall seeke ever to annoint Him but they shall be annointed by Him againe one way or other and finde though not alwaies what they seeke yet some supplie that shall be worth the while And this we may reckon of it shall never faile us II. The Paâ—tie by whom the Angell To follow this further Leave we these good Women and come first to the Angell the Messenger and after to his Message An Angell was the messenger for none other Messenger was meete for this message For if His Birth were tydings of so great ioy Luk. 2.10 as none but an Angell was meete to report it His Resurrection is as much As much nay much more As much for His Resurrection is it selfe a birth too To it doth the Apostle applie the Verse in the Psalme This day have I begotten thee Acts 13.33 Even this day when He was borne anew Tanquam ex vtero Sepulchri from the wombe of the grave As much then yea much more For the newes of His Birth might well have beene brought by a mortall it was but His entrie into a mortall life But this heere Matt. 22.30 not properly but by an Angell for that in the Resurrection we shall be like the Angells and shall die no more and therefore an immortall Messenger was meetest for it 1. The Vision We first begin with what they saw the Vision They Saw an Angell in the Sepulcher An Angell in a Sepulcher is a verie strange sight A Sepulcher is but an homely place neither savorie nor sightly for an Angell to come in The place of dead mens bones of stench of wormes and of rottennesse What doth an Angell there Indeed no Angell ever came there till this morning Not till CHRIST had beene there but since His bodie was there a great change hath ensued He hath left there Odorem vitae and changed the grave into a place of rest That not onely this Angell heere now but after this * Ioh. 20.12 two more yea diverse Angells upon diverse occasions this day did visit and frequent this place Which very finding of the Angells thus in the place of dead bodies may be and is to us a pledge that there is a possibilitie and hope that the dead bodies may come also into the place of Angells Why not the bodies in the grave to be in heaven one day as well as the Angells of heaven to be in the grave this day â— The manner of his appearing This for the Vision The next for the manner of his appearing in what forme he shewed himselfe A matter worth our stay a little as a good introduction to us in him as in a mirrour to see what shall be the state of us and our bodies in the Resurrection In-as-much as it is expresly promised we shall then be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like and equall to the Angells themselves Matt. 22 30. a As a Yong man 1. They saw a young man one in the vigor and strength of his yeares And such shall be our estate then All age sicknesse infirmitie removed cleane away Therefore it was also that the Resurrection fell in the Spring the freshest time of the yearâ— and in the Morning the freshest time of the day when saith Esay the dew is on the herbs Therefore Esay 26.19 that it was in a Garden so it was in IOSEPH of Aramathia's garden that looke as that garden was at that time of the yeare the spring so shall our estate then be in the verie slower and prime of it They saw him sitting Which is we know the site of rest and quietnesse 2 Sitting of them that are at ease To shew us a second qualitie of our estate then that in it all labour shall cease all motions rest all troubles come vtterly to an end for ever and the state of it a quiet a restfull state They saw him sit on the right side And 3 On the right side that side is the side of pre-eminence and honour To shew that those also shall accompanie us rising againe That we may fall on the left side but we shall rise on the right 1. Cor. 15.43 be sowen in dishonor but shall rise againe in honor that honor which His Saints and Angells have and shall have for ever Last they saw him clothed all
owne eyes Videbitis you shall see it is so you shall see Him Indeed Non hic would not serve their turnes He knew their question would be Where is He Gone He is Not quite gone but only gone before Which is the second comfort For if He be but gone before we have hope to follow after I prae sequar so is the nature of Relatives But that we may follow then Whither is He gone Whither He told ye himselfe a little before His Passion c. 14.28 into Galilee 1. No meeter place for IESVS of Nazareth to go then to Galilee there He is best knowne there in a Mat 2.23 Nazareth He was brought up there b Io. 2.11 in Cana He did His first miracle shewed His first glorie meet therefore to see His last there in Capernaum and the coasts about preached most bestowed most of His labour 2. Galilee it was called Galilee of the Gentiles for Mat. 4 15. it was in the confines of them To shew His Resurrection tanquam in meditullio as in a middle indifferent place reacheth to both concerneth and benefitteth both alike As Ionas after his resurrection went to Ninive so Christ after His Ion. 3.4 to Galilee of the Gentiles 3. Galilee that from Galilee the place from whence they sayd No good thing could ever come He might bring one of the best things and of most comfort Ioh 1 46. that ever was the sight and comfort of His Resurrection 4. Galilee last for Galilee signifieth a Revolution or turning about to the first point Whither they must goe that shall see Him or have any part or fellowship in this feast of His resurrection Thither is He gone before and thither if ye follow there ye shall see Him This is the third comfort and it is one indeed For 3. Ye shall see Him Sight is the sense of certaintie and all that they can desire And there they did see Him Not these here only or the Twelve only or the 120. names in Acts 1. only Act 1.15 1. Cor. 15 6. but even 500. of them at once sayth the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. a whole Cloude of VVitnesses to put it cleane out of question And of purpose doth the Angell point to that apparition which was the most famous and publike of all the tenne This was good newes for those here and they were worthy of it seeking Him 4. And his Disciples Peter and all as they did But what shall become of the rest namely of his Disciples that lost Him alive and seeke Him not dead They shall never see Him more Yes which is Evangelium good tydings indeed the chiefe comfort of all they too that left Him so shamefully but three dayes agoe them He casts not off but will be glad to see them in Galilee Well whatsoever become of other Peter that so foully forsooke and forsware Him both he shall never see Him more Yes Peter too and Peter by name And indeed it is more then needfull He should name him He had greatest cause of doubt the greatest stone upon Him to be rolled away of any that had so often with oathes and execrations so utterly renounced Him This is a good message for him and Marie Magdalen as fit a messenger as can be Mar. 14.71 to carrie it one great Sinner to another That not only CHRIST is risen but content that his forsakers deniers forswearers PETER and all should repaire to Him the day of His Resurrection That all the deadly wounds of His Passion have not killed His compassion over sinners That though they have made wracke of their duetie yet He hath not lost His mercie nor left it in the grave but is as readie to receive them as ever His Resurrection hath made no change in Him dying and rising He is to sinners still one and the same still like himselfe a kinde loving and mercifull SAVIOVR This is the last PETER and all may see him And with this he dismisseth them with Ite dicite 2. Their commission with a Commission and precept by vertue whereof He maketh these Women Apostolos Apostolorum Apostles to the Apostles themselves for this Article of the Resurrection did they first learne of these VVomen and they were the first of all that preached this Gospell giving them in charge that seeing this day is a day of glad tydings they would not conceale it but impart it to others even to so many as then were or would ever after be Christ's Disciples They came to embalme Christ's bodie naturall that needs it not it is past embalming now But another body He hath a mysticall body a company of those that had beleeve in Him though weakly that they would goe and annoint them for they need it They sitt drying away what with feare what with remorse of their unkind dealing with Him they need to have some oile some balme to supple them That they doe with this Gospell with these foure Of which foure ingredients is made the balme of this day Thus we see these that were at cost to annoint CHRIST were fully recompensed for the costs they had beene at themselves annointed with oyle and odours of a higher nature and farr more pretious then those they brought with them Oleum laetitiae saith the a Psal. 45.7 Psalme O dor vitae saith the b 2. Cor. 2.16 Apostle And that so plenteously as there is enough for themselves enough too for others for His Disciples for Peter and all The Application But what is this to us Sure as we learned by way of duty how to seeke Christ ' after their example so seeking Him in that manner by way of reward we hope to have our part in this good newes no lesse then they 1. CHRIST is risen that concerneth us alike c Ephe. 4.15 The Head is gott above the water d Rom. 11.16 The Roote hath received life and sapp e 1 Cor. 15.23 The First fruicts are lift up and consecrate We no lesse then they as His members His branches His field recover to this hope 2. And for His going before that which the Angell said heer once is ever true He is not gone quite away He is but gone before us He is but the antecedent we as the consequent to be inferred after Yea though He be gone to Galilaea superior the Galilee that is above Heaven the place of the Celestiall Spheres and Revolutions even thither is He gone not as a party absolute of or for himselfe Heb. 6.20 but as a Herbenger saith the Apostle with relation to others that are comming after for whom He goeth before to take up a place So the Apostle there So Ioh 14.2 the Angell heere So He Himselfe Vado not Vado alone but Vado parare locum vobis I go to prepare a place wherein to receive you when the number of you and your brethren shal be full 3. To us likewise pertaineth the third videbitis
The reall part Then What peace Why Peace Is there nothing more worth the wishing Nothing more Why Peace of it selfe Nothing more fit for these persons this place and this time Of it selfe Votum pacis Summa votorum It is all wishes in one Nothing more to be wished For in brevi voce Breviarium this little word is a Breviarie of all that good is To shew how a little quà m bonum how good how worth the wishing it is 1 As good Psal. 133.1 Pro. 1â— 16.17 Pro. 17.1 It is tam bonum so good as without it nothing is good With it saith Salomon an hand-full of herbes without it an hous-full of sacrifices is not good With trouble and vexation nothing is good nothing is to be wished And as without it nothing is to be wished so all that is to be wished all good is within it Evangelizantium pacem evangelizantium bona quia Rom. 10 1â— in pace omnia bona To bring newes of peace is to bring newes of all good things for all good things are in peace Bona is the true glosse or exposition of peace * Psal. 133 1. Quà m bonum you know And quà m jucundum too Both good and pleasant 2. Pleasant and pleasant not onely as Aarons ointment which was onely pleasant but 3. Profitable Psal. 72.7 as Hermon dew which brings profit with it Abundantia pacis saith the Psalme Peace and Plentie goe togither And yet how much it is to be wished this sheweth Pacem te poscimus omnes 4. Wished by all All wish it Angells wish it Heaven to Earth Pax in terris And Men wish it Earth to Heaven Pax in coelis GOD wisheth it most kindly for Him Luc 2 14. Deus pacis pacem Dei the GOD of peace the peace of GOD. Yea 2 Cor. 13.11 Phil. 4 7. Luc 4.34 the enemie of all peace wisheth it for he complaines Venisti nos inquietare are ye come to trouble us So he would not be troubled that troubles all but sett all togither by the eares and sitt quiet himselfe But it is much for the honor of peace that cum bellum geritur pax quaeritur Even militar persons with sword in one hand and fire in the other give this for their Embleme Sic quaerimus pacem Thus with sword and fire seeke we peace As seeke it at last they must we must all Best primâ Sabbati but Serò sooner or later come to it we must If it be not the first it must be our last 2 And by Christ oâ—ten But if there were nothing els this onely were enough and though there be many this chiefly doth shew it That our SAVIOVR CHRIST so often so diverse waies Ioh. 14.27 so earnestly wisheth it Going He did it Pacem meam do vobis And now comming He doth it Sitting He did it Chap. 16. and now standing Living when He was borne Ioh 16.33 Luk 2.14 Chap. 14 28. Pax in terris Xenium Christi It was CHRIST 's New-yeares-gift Dying when He was to suffer Pacem meam relinquo vobis it was Legatum Christi CHRIST 's Legacie And now heere rising againe it is His wish still To shew not only the good of this life but of the next to be in peace Prayed for it Chap. 17. Chap. 17.21 â—uk 19.42 Payed for it Chap. 18. Wept for it O if thou hadst knowen the things that pertaine to thy peace Wept for it and bledd for it therefore immediately the very next words He sheweth them His hands and His side As much to say See what I have suffered to procure your peace Your peace cost me this Pax vobis cost Crux mihi See you hold it deere Now sure if there were any one thing better then other those hands would not have with-held it and that heart would wish it And Peace it doth wish therefore nothing more to be wished Complete it is Votum pacis Summa votorum Iâ—n 1.12 There need no other signe be given but that of the Prophet IONAS that CHRIST wished his wish So the tempest may cease and peace as a calme ensue spare me not take me cast me into the Sea make me a Peace-offering and kill me This is enough to shew it is to be wished to make it pretious in our eyes For we vnder-value it at too low a rate when that which cost so deere for every trifling ceremonie we are ready to lose it Our faint perswasion in this point is the cause we are faint in all the rest Well though this be thus good yet good it selfe is not good vnlesse it be in season come fitly Doth this so Every way fitly 1 For the Persons 2 For the Place 3 and for the Time 1. And now fitly for the Persons 1 By whom CHRIST Ephes. 2.14 The Persons both 1 CHRIST by whom and 2 they to whom it is wished 1. CHRIST by whom Decet Largitorem pacis haec salutatio saith Cyrill It is meet for Him to give peace that made peace Nay Ipse est Pax nostra saith the Apostle and for Peace what fitter salutation then Peace â— To whom The Disciples 2. They to whom for they needed it with GOD they had no peace whom they had provoked Nor peace with men not with the Iewes about them Nor peace with themselves for they were in feare and night-feare which is the worst of all others Fit for them and they for it for together they were and so not vnfit to entertaine it 2. For the place And with the Place it suiteth well For they were shut up as men environed and beleaguered with their enemies Conclusi derelicti shut up and forsaken And to such Peace is ever welcome 3. For the Time And for the time seasonable For after a falling out Peace is so And after a victorie Peace is so Fitt therefore for this day the day of the Resurrection for till then it was not in kind The great battaile was not fought The last enemie death was not overcome 1. Cor. 15.26 Never till now but now the last enemie is conquered now it is in season 4. For the thing iâ— selfe pâ—aâ—e a resurrection And for the thing it selfe Peace is a kind of Resurrection When CHRIST was risen His Disciples were dead Those dead affections of sorrow and feare when they seise throughly upon men what are they but Mors ante mortem Vpon good newes of IOSEPH Gen 45.27 IACOB is said to revive as if before he had beene given for dead It was their case heere The house was to them as their grave and the doore as the grave-stone and they buried in feare when they saw Him in the next verse and were thus saluted by Him they gatt hope were glad that is revived againe For if those were the pangs of death peace after a sort is a resurrection and so a fit wish for the time And to say truth Peace
is in that point therefore it needs first to be urged For though wee see yet wee sitt still and seeke not III. The thing referred to or the Obiect Quae sursum Psal. 24.6 And now to the Object Of seeking we shall soone agree Generatio quaerentium we are all saith the Psalme even a generation of searchers Somewhat we are searching after still Our wants or our wanton desires finde us seeking-worke enough all our lives long What then shall we seeke or where He saith the Apostle that will thus bestow his paynes let it be where Above On what The things there Quae sursum he repeates in both tells it us twise over 1 Quae sursum quaerite 2 quae sursum sapite Above it must be And of this also we shall not varie with Him but be easily enough entreated to it We yeeld presently in our sense to seeke to be above others in favour honour place and power and what not We keepe the Text fully in this sense we both seeke and set our whole minds upon this Altum sapimus omnes all would be above Bramble and all Iud. 9 1◠and nothing is too high for us It is true heer for on earth there is a Sursum above there be high places we would not have them taken away we would offer in them and offer for them too for a need And there is a right hand heer too and some sitt at it and almost none but thinkes so well of himselfe as why not he Our SAVIOVR CHRIST when it was phansied that He should have been a great King upon earth there was suing streight for His right-hand-place Not so much as Good-wife Zebedee's two sonnes that smelt of the fisher-bote but Mat. 20.21 meanes was made for them to sitt there But all this while we are wide For where is all this Heer upon earth All our above is above one another heer and is Ambition's above and further it mounteth not But this is not the Apostle's not the above nor the right-hand he meaneth No not CHRIST'S right-hand upon earth but that right-hand He sitts at Himselfe in heaven The Apostle saw cleerly we would erre this errour therefore to take away as he goes all mistaking he explaines his above two waies 1. Privative Non quae supra terram Heare you not upon earth His Above is not heer upon earth This is where not 2. Then positivè to cleer it from all doubt where he points us to the place it selfe above there above where CHRIST is that is not on earth Earth is the place whence He is risen The Angells tell us Luc. 24.6 non est his seeke Him not heer now but in the place whither He is gone there seeke Him In heaven Heaven is a great circle where in heaven In the chiefest place there where GOD sitts and CHRIST at His right hand That place seeke there sett your minds So that upon the matter the fault he findes the fault of our above is it is not above enough It is too low it is not so high as it should be It should be higher above the hills higher yet above the cloudes higher yet higher then our eye can carry above the heavens There now we are right And indeed 1. The reasons the very frame of our bodyes as the heathen Poët well observed giveth thither upward Coelumque tueri Iussit and bidds us looke thither And that way should our soule make it came from thence and thither should it draw againe And we doe but bow and crooke our soules and make them Curvae in terras animae against their nature when we hang yokes on them and sett them to seeke nothing but heer below And if Nature would have us no mowles Grace would have us Eagles to mount 2. Luc. 17.37 where the bodye is And the Apostle goeth about to breed in us a holy ambition telling us we are ad altiora geniti borne for higher matters then any heer therefore not to be so base minded as to admire them but to seeke after things above For contrary to the Philosopher's sentence Quae supra nos nihil ad nos Things above they concerne us not he reverses that Yes and we so to hold Ea maximè ad nos they chiefly concerne us Come to the last now And why this place above I shall tell you For there is CHRIST and Him we seeke to day if it be Easter-day with us and if we seeke where He is He is above certainly But he implieth a further reason yet Because in very deed there with Him are the things which we of all other seeke for and when all is done all our seeking is to them referred as to the end We would not ever travaile but after our laborious toyling course heer finde a place of rest and this we seeke But not this alone but a seate of glorie withall Sitt we would but in some eminent place not at the left foot but at the right hand in light and honour as much as might be We seeke rest Specially they that are tossed in a tempest what the things above are Rest. Psal. 120.5 Psal. 55.6 how doe they desire a good haven a harbour of rest And sure heer we dwell in Mesech meete with much disquietnesse None but sometime hath sense of the verse in the Psalme Oh that I had wings like a Dove then would I flye and be at rest And the more our incolatus is prolonged the more we seeke it finde it how we may And it is not the body's trouble so much but Invenietis requiem animabus Mat. 11.29 to finde rest to our soules that is it And the soule is from above and but in her owne place never findes it Turne thee to thy rest ô my soule that is worth all But both are best and not after all our turmoiles heer in this world Psal. 116.7 to heare non introibunt in requiem meam in another world but to be cast into that place 95.11 where there is no rest day nor night but enter into His rest which in the Epistle to the Hebrewes he so much beats upon And verily if we seeke rest glorie we seeke much more For for it Chap. 3.11.18 19. we are content to deprive our selves of all rest which otherwise we love well enough And a restlesse course we enter into and hold out in it all our life long and all to winne it 6 th Glorie though it be but a little before our death For no rest will satisfie or give us full content unlesse it be on the right hand These two then we seeke for where are they to be found Not in quae supra terram Not heer therefore but folly to seeke them heer We are by all meanes to avoyd their errour that sought this day to seeke the living among the dead a thing Luc. 24.5 where it is not to be had Never seeke to sett up our rest heer in
the first thing they doe they aske her why she wept so Both of them begin with that question And in this is love For if when CHRIST stood at Lazarus's grâ—ve's side and wept 〈◊〉 11 3â— the Iewes said See how He loved him may not we say the very â—â—me when Marie stood at Christ's grave and wept See how she loved Him Whose â—resence she wished for His misse she 〈◊〉 for whom she dearely loved while she 〈…〉 Amor amarè flens Love running downe the checâ—es The fourth in these And as she wept she stouped and looked in ever and anon That is she did so weepâ— as she did seeke withall Weeping without seeking is but to small purpose But her weeping hindred not her seeking Her sorrow dulled not her diligence And diligence is a character of love comes from the same roote 〈…〉 Amor diligentiam diligens To seeke is one thing not to giver over seeking is another For I aske why should she now looke in Peter and Iohn had looked there before nay beene in 〈…〉 makes no matter she will not trust Peter's eyes nor Iohn's neithe◠〈◊〉 she her selfe had before this 〈…〉 looked in too No force she will not 〈…〉 will suspect her owne eyes she will rather thinke she looked not well befoâ—e thâ—â— leave of her looking It is not enough for love to looke in once Thus we use this is our manner when we seeke a thing seriously where we have sought already there to seeke againe thinking we did it not well but if we now looke againe better we shall surely finde it then Amor quaerens ubi quaesivit Love that never thinkes it hath looked enough These five And by these five we may take measure of our love and of the true multum of it Vt profit nobis ejus stare ejus plâ—rare quaerere saith Origen that her standing her weeâ—ing and seeking we may take some good by them I doubt ouâ—s will fall short Stay by Him alive that we can juxta mensam but juxâ—a monumentum who takes up his standing there And our love it is drie-eyed it cannot weept it is stiff ioynted it cannot stoupe to seeke If it doe and we hit not on Him at first away we goe with Peter and Iohn we stay it not out with Marie Magdalen A signe our love is little and light and our seeking sutable and so it is without successe We finde not Christ no mervaile but seeke Him as she sought Him and we shall speede as she sped VER 12. And saw two Angells in white sitting the one at the head the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had lien For what came of this Thus staying by it and thus looking in againe and again though she saw not Christ at first she sees His Angells For so it pleased Christ to come by degrees His Angells before Him And it is no vulgar honour this to see but an Angels what would one of us give to see but the like sight We are now at the Angell's Part. Their appearing in this verse There are foure poiâ—ts in it 1 Their place 2 Their habit 3 Their site 4 and their order 1 Place in the 〈…〉 2 Habit in white 3 siâ—e they were sitting 4 and their order in sitting one at the head the other at the feete The Place In the grave she saw them and Angells in a grave is a strange sight a sight never seen before not till Christ's body had beene there never till this day this the first newes of Angells in that place For a grave is no place for Angells one would thinke for wormes rather Blessed Angells not but in a blessed place But since CHRIST lay there that place is blessed There was a voice heard from heaven Rev. 14 13â— Psal. 116.15 Blessed be the dead Precious the death Glorious the memorie now of them that 〈◊〉 in the Lord. And even this that the Angells disdained not now to come thitheâ— and to sit there is an â—â—spicium of a great change to ensue in the state of that plâ—ce Quid gloriosiâ—s Angelo quid vilius vermiculo saith Augustine Qui fuis 〈◊〉 locus est Angelâ—rum That which was the place for wormes is become a place for Angells 〈◊〉 Habit In white So were there diverse of them diverse times this day 〈…〉 white all in that colour It seemes to be their Easter day colour for at 〈…〉 they all doe their service in it Their Easter day colour for it is the 〈…〉 Resurrection The state whereof when Christ would represent vpon the 〈…〉 His raiment was all white no Fuller in the earth could come neer it And 〈…〉 it shal be when rising againe we shall walke in white robes and follow the Lambe whither soever He goeth Revel 7.9 Heâ—â—en mourned on Good-fryday the Eclipse made all then in blacke Easter day â—â—eioiceth Heaven and Angells all in white Salomon tells us it is the 〈…〉 And that is the state of ioy Eccles. 9 8. and this the day of the first ioyfull 〈◊〉 of it with ioy ever celebrated even in albis eight daies togither by them thâ—â— found CHRIST In white and sitting As the colour of ioy so the situation of rest So we sâ—y sit downe and rest And so is the grave made by this morning's worke a place of rest Rest not from our labours onely so doe the beasts rest when they â—he But as it is in the XVI Psalme a Psalme of the resurrection a rest in hope Psal. 16.9 hope of rising againe the members in the vertue of their head who this day is risen So to enter into the rest which yet remaineth for the people of GOD Heb. 4.9 even the Sabbath eternall Sitting and in this order sitting at the head one at the feete another where His bodie had lien 1. Which order may well referre to CHRIST Himselfe whose body was the true Arke indeed In which it pleased the GOD head to dwell bodily Col. 2.9 and is thereâ—ore heere between two Angells Exod. 25.19 as was the Arke the type of it between the two Cherubims 2. May also referr to Marie Magdalen She had annointed His head she had annointed His feete at these two places sit the two Angells Mat. 26 7. Ioh. 11.3 as it were to acknowledge so much for her sake 3. In mysterie they referr it thus Because Caput Christi Deus 1. Cor 11.3 Gen. 3.15 the God-head is the head of CHRIST and His feete which the Serpent did bruise His manhood that either of these hath his Angell That to Christ man no lesse then to Christ God the Angells doe now their service In principio erat verbum His God-head there an Angell Verbum caro factum His man-hood there another Heb. 1.6 And let all the Angells of God worship Him in both Even in His man-hood at His cradle the head of it a queer of Angells at His grave the feete of it Angells
aske the caâ—se why why weepe you shew they would remoove it if it lay in them Neither of these did or could moove her or make her once leaue her weeping she wept on still Christ will aske her quid ploras by and by againe If she finde an Angel if she finde not her Lord it will not serve She had rather finde his dead body then them in all their glory No man in earth no Angell in heaven can comfort her none but He that is taken away CHRIST and none but CHRIST and till she find Him againe her soule refuseth all manner comfort yea even from heaven even from the Angels themselves These three Amor super amissum tenuens câ—nsolari Thus she in her love for her supposed losse or taking away And what shall become of us in ours then That lose Him 1 not once but oft 2 And not in suppose as she did but in very deed 3 And that by sinne the worst losse of all And that not by any others taking away but by our owne act and wilfull default and are not grieved nay not mooved a whit breake none of our wonted sports for it as if we reckoned Him as good lost as found Yea when CHRIST and the holy Ghost and the favour of GOD and all is gone how soone how easily are we comforted again for all this that none shall need to say quid ploras to us rather quid non ploras aske us why we weepe not having so good cause to do it as we then have This for the Angel's part VER 14. When she had thus said she turned her selfe about and saw Iesus standing and knew not that it was Iesus Alwayes the Angels we see touched the right string and she tells them the wrong cause but yet the right if it had beene right Now to this answer of hers they would have replyed and taken away her errour touching her Lord's taking away that if she knew all she would have left her seeking and sit her downe by them and left her weeping and beene in white as well as they But here is a supersadeuâ— to them The Lord himselfe comes in place Now come we from the seeking Him dead to the finding Him alive For when He saw no Angels no sight no speech of theirs wâ—uld serve none but her Lord could give her any comfort Her Lord comes Christuâ— adest Adest Christuâ— nec ab eis vnquâ—m abest à quibus quaeritur saith Augustine Christ is found found by her And this case of hers shall be the case of all that seriously seeke Him This woman heer for one she sought Him we see They that went to Emmauâ— to day they but talked of Him sadly and they both found Him Why Hee is found of them that seeke Him not Esa. 65.1 but of them that seeke Him never but found For thou Lord never fastest them that seeke Thee Psal. 9.10 God is not unrighteous to forget the worke and about of their love that seeke Him Heb. 6.10 So finde Him they shall but happily not all so fully at first no more then she did For first to try her yet a little further He comes unknowne stands by her and she little thought it had beene He â—cts 17.27 â—ob 9.11 A case that likewise falls out full oft Doubtlesse He is not farre from every one of us saith the Apostle to the Athenians But He is neerer us many times then we thinke even hard by us and we not aware of it saith Iob. And O sicognovisses tu O if we did know and it standeth vs in hand to pray that we may know when He is so â—uke 19.42 for that is the time of our visitation â—uke 19.44 Saint Iohn faith here the Angels were sitting Saint Luke saith they stood Luk. 24.4 They are thus reconciled That Christ comming in presence the Angels which before were sitting stood up Their standing up made Mary Magdalen turne her to see who it was they rose to And so Christ she saw but knew Him not Not onely not knew Him but mis-knew Him tooke him for the Gardiner Teares will dim the sight and it was yet scarse day and she seeing one and not knowing what any one should make in the ground so early but he that dressed it she might well mistake Luke 24.16 Mat 16.12 But it was more then so Her eyes were not holden onely that she did not know Him but over and beside He did appeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some such shape as might resemble the Gardiner whom she tooke Him for Proper enough it was it fitted well the time and place this person The time It was the Spring The place It was a garden that place is most in request at that time for that place and time a Gardiner doth well Of which her so taking Him Saint Gregory saith well Profecto errando non erravit She did not mistake in taking Him for a Gardiner though she might seeme to erre in some sense yet in some other she was in the right For in a sense and a good sense CHRIST may well be said to be a Gardiner and indeed is one For our rule is Christ as He appeares so He is ever No false semblant in Him 1. A Gardiner He is then The first the fairest garden that ever was Paradise He was the Gardiner it was of His planting So a Gardiner 2 And ever since it is He that as God makes all our gardens greene sends us yeerely the Spring and all the herbs and flowers we then gather and neither Paul with his planting nor Apollo with his watering could doe any good without him So a Gardiner in that sense 3 But not in that alone but He it is that gardens our soules too and makes them as the Prophet saith Like a well watered Garden weedes out of them whatsoever is noysome or unfavourie Ier. 31.11 sowes and plants them with true rootes and seedes of righteousnesse waters them with the dew of His grace and makes them bring forth fruit to eternall life But it is none of all these but besides all these nay over and above all these this day if ever most properly He was a Gardiner Was one and so after a more peculiar manner might take this likenesse on Him Christ rising was indeed a Gardiner and that a strange one who made such an herbe grow out of the ground this day as the like was never seene before a dead body to shoote foorth alive out of the grave 〈…〉 was He so this day alone No but this profession of His this day begun He will follow to the end For He it is that by vertue of this morning's acâ— shall garden our bodies too turne all our graves into garden-plots Yea shall one day tuâ—ne land Sea and all into a great garden and so husband them as they shall in 〈◊〉 time bring foorth live bodies even all our bodies alive againe Long before did Esai see this and
acceptation In whom I am well pleased and the very terme of it Mat. 17. â— And 〈…〉 accepted I know not what he would have more 〈…〉 the Benefit that fell at this time and for this that fell on the time the time 〈…〉 it fell on is and cannot be but acceptable even eo nomine that at such a time 〈◊〉 a Benefit happened to us And in this respect it ever hath and ever shall be 〈◊〉 â—â—â—eptable welcome time this and holden as a high feast like as the Benefit is 〈◊〉 that befell us on it Festum a feast for the pardon Festum duplex for the reconciliation Festum magis duplex for the being perfectly accepted to the favour of GOâ— and by it re-accepting againe our prime estate Nay last it is called not onely Annus acceptus but Annus Domini acceptus or acceptus Domino Not onely the acceptable yeare but of the Lord or â—o the Lord for so the Hebrew reads it with the signe of the Dative as if to GOD Himself it were so And to Him so it is and to His holy Angels in heaven so it is For it the receiving any one contrite sinner by repentance be matter of joy Luc. 15.10 to the whole Court of heaven if the receiving of but one what shall we thinke of the generall receiving of the whole masse which this day was effected Now if to heaven if to GOD Himselfe it be so To earth to us shall it not be much more whom much more it concerneth I am sure GOD getteth nothing by iâ— we doe He is not the better for it we are Ever the receiver then the giver The giver more glorie but the receiver more joy That if it be the joy of heaven 〈◊〉 cannot be but the Iubilee of the earth Even of the whole earth Psal. 66.1 Iubilate Deo omâ—â—â— terra The Iubilee ever it began with no other sound but even of a cornet Levit. 25.9 Ios. 6.4 made of the hornes of a Ram. Of which hornes they give no other reason but that is was so in reference to the hornes of that Ram that in the thicket was caught by the hornes Gen. 22.13 and saâ—â—â—ficed in Isaac's stead even as CHRIST was in ours To shew that all our Iubilee â—â—th relation to that speciall sacrifice so plainly prefiguring that of CHRIST ' s. Which Feast of Iubilee began ever after the High-Priest had offered his sacrifice and 〈◊〉 been in the Sancta sanctorum As this Iubilee of CHRIST also tooke place from 〈◊〉 entring into the Holy places made without hands Heb. 9.11 after His propitiatorie Sacrifice 〈◊〉 up for the quick and the dead and for all yet unborne at Easter And it was 〈◊〉 tenth day that And this now is the tenth day since The memoriall or mysterie of which sacrifice of Christ's in our stead is ever Caput 〈◊〉 the top of our mirth and the initiation of the joy of our Iubilee Like as 〈◊〉 Calicem salutaris our taking the Cup of Salvation Psal. 116.13 is the memoriall of our being accepted or received and take againe to Salvation Wherewith let us also crowne 〈◊〉 Iâ—â—ilee of ours That so all the benefits of it may take hold of us specially the 〈◊〉 of the favour of GOD and the assurance or pledge of our restitution to those 〈◊〉 and that Iubilee that onely can give content to all our desires when the time sâ—all come of the restoring of all things A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT Greenwich on the XXIV of May A. D. MDCXVIII being WHIT-SVNDAY ACT. CHAP. II. Sed hoc est quod dictum est c. VER 17. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet IOEL 16. And it shal be in the last dayes saith GOD I will powre out of my SPIRIT upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames 18. And on my servants and on mine hand-maids I will powre out of my SPIRIT and they shall prophesie 19. And I will shew wonders in heaven above and tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapor of smoke 28. The Sunne shal be turned into darkenesse and the Moone-into bloud before that great and notable Day of the LORD come 21. And it shal be that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shal be saved THese words may well serve for a Sermon this day they were a patt of a Sermon preached as this day The first Whitson-Sermon that ever was the first Whit-Sunday that ever was S. Peter preached it And this was his Text out of the second Chapter of the Prophet Ioël As CHRIST the last yeare out of Esai so Peter this out of Ioël Both tooke Texts both for the day for the present occasion The occasion of this heer was a lewd surmise given out by some touching the gift of tongues this day sent from heaven It shal be my first note That looke how soone Gâ—D from heaven ha◠〈…〉 fiery tongues upon His Apostles the Devill from hell presently sent for his fiery tongues and put them in the mouthes of his Apostles to disgrace and scoffe at those of GOD 's sending 〈◊〉 may heare them speake at the thirteenth verse Well fare this same good new 〈…〉 thâ—se good fellowes have been at it and now they can speake nothing but outlandish 〈…〉 broken Greek or Latine they had and now out it comes Thus that which was indeed grande Miraculum they turned into grande ludibriâ—â— Of the great Mysterie of this day they made a meer mockerie Those that were baptized with the Holy Ghost they traduced Mat. 3.11 as if they had souâ—ed themselves in new wine Heer is the Holy Ghost's welcome into the world This use doth the Devill make of some men's wits and tongues to powre contempt on that which GOD powreth forth all that ever they can even to worke despite to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10 29. Tâ—e Summâ— Being to make an apologie for himselfe and the rest and indeed for the Holy Ghost Saint Peter first prayes audience at the XIV verse Then tells them soberly they misse the matter quite at the XV. It was too early day to fasten any such suspition upon any such men as they were to be gone before nine in the morning But this he stands not on as not worth the answering Heer at this Verse he tells them it was no liquor this specially no such as they surmised If it were any if they would needs have it one it was the Prophet Ioë's and none other Something powred on nothing powred in Nothing but the effusion of the Holy Ghost This is it that was spoken by the Prophet Ioël So habemus firmiorem sermonem propheticum and this 2. Pet. 1.19 which seemed to happen thus on the sudden it was long since foretold and alleadges for it this text of the Prophet
you speake of Donum Dei aeternum and the perfections there 2 Perfectum 1. Cor. 13.10 Before I was aware I have told you what is perfect The glorie the joyes the crowne of heaven For when that perfect is come all this unperfect shall be done away But Saint Iames seemes not to speake of that he speakes in the present and of the present what now is what perfect in this life And this lo brings us to Donum Diei the gift of the Holy Ghost For to be partakers of the Divine nature is all the perfection we can heere attaine No higher heere Now to be made partakers of the Spirit is to be made partakers of the Divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 That is this daies worke Partakers of the Spirit we are by receiving grace which is nothing els but the breath of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of grace Grace into the entire substance of the soule dividing it selfe into two streames 1 One goes to the understanding the gift of faith 2 The other to the will the gift of charitie Col. 3.14 the very bond of perfection The tongues to teach us knowledge the fire to kindle our affections The state of grace is the perfection of this life to grow still from grace to grace to profit in it As to goe on still forward is the perfection of a travailer to draw still neerer and neerer to his journeye's end Luk. 13.32 To worke to day and to morrow as CHRIST said and the third day to be perfect perfectly perfect Now as we are to follow the bâ—st gifts it is Saint Paul's counsaile the bâ—st 1 Cor 12.31 Omne Datum as well as Omne Daâ—um the most perfect so are we to take notice too of the good though not all out so perfect as Saint Iames adviseth us knowing this that be it giving or be it gift be it good or be it perfect he putts an Omne to both comes over twise 1 Every good 2 Every perfect both we receive both are given us Sett downe that There was among the Heathen one that went for wise that said To become rich he would pray and sacrifice to Hercules but to be vertuous or wise he would do neither neither to Hercules nor to any GOD of them all he would be beholden for that to noâ—e but himselfe Looke in this cleft he took to himselfe the more left GOD the lesse This was a grosse errour so grosse I will not bid you take heed of it But there be 〈…〉 that will not stand with GOD for the greater but for the lesse that they may be bold with and take those to themselves This is an errour too Erre not this No datum hath his omne as well as donum the good no lesse then the perfect given both one as well as the other Saint Paul putts us to it with Quid habes that is nihil habes Whâ—â— have you 1. Cor 4 7. that is you have nothing but you have received it but it hath beene given you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are relatives one inferres the other Away then with this second error He that made the Elepâ—ant made the Aâ—t He that the Eagle the Flie He that the most glorious Angel in heaven the poorest Worme that creeps on the earth So He that shall give us the kingdome of â—â—aven He it is that gives us every pâ—ece of bread and meat and putts us to acknowleâ—ge it In one and the samâ— prayer making us to sue fâ—r regnum tuum and for 〈…〉 Be not deceived to thinke otherwise And hear you you are to begin with datum Not to despise the day of small things It is the Prophet's counsaile 〈◊〉 4. â—0 〈◊〉 22.12 to learne to see GOD in them Caesar's image not onely in his come of gold but even upon the poore penny See GOD in small or you shall never see Him in great in good or never in perfect This for the subject There is a clâ—fâ— all are not of one sort some lesse some greater Greater or lesse both are given Not lesse had and great given but given both And every one of both kinds of the one kind aâ— well as of the other We have talked long of good * Psâ—l 4 6. Who will shew us any good 2. The 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 there be many that will say nay there is not any but will say That will Saint Iames heer And first to shew us turnes our eye to the right place whence it coâ—â—s That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above There are two in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 2 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above From. that is from some where els not from our selves From without and not out of us from within Aliunde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that aliund is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those lower parts upon the earth Erre not then either of these two wayes 1. First not to reflect upon our selves The III and IV. Errors to looke like swanns into our owne bosomes It growes not there out of your selves It is the gift of GOD saith Saint Paul The very giving gives as much Of our owne we haue it not Eph 2. â— 2. If we looke forth let it not be about us either on the right hand or on the left on any place heer below Looke up turne your eye thither It is an influence it is no vapour an inspiration no exhalation thence it comes hence it rises not our spirit lusts after envie Luke 24 38. and worse matter Iames. IV. V. Why should thoughts arise in your hearts saith CHRIST If they arise they are not good if they be good then they come downe from above Saint Iohn Baptist is direct Iohn 3.27 A man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him and given him from above And of all other not the gift of this Day The Dove the tongues came from on high both From our selves is one errour from any other beneath heer is another Erre not then the place is desursum without and above us Next the manner how that it descends for even that word wants not his force 2 How they come Deâ—cendenâ— Descending is a voluntarie motion it includes the will and the purpose of him that so descends It is no casualtie it falls not downe by chance It comes downe because it so will a will it hath Et ubi vult spirat it blowes not but where it will Iohn 3. â— and it distributes to every one the Spirit but prout vult as it pleaseth Himselfe not otherwise And this you may observe the Scripture maketh choise ever of words sounding this way He gives it he casts it not about at all adventure He opens his hand it runns not through his singers Sinum habet facilem non perforatum His bosome is open
enough yet hath no hole in it to drop through against his will He sent his Word it came not by hap Acts 10.36 Ioh 15 26. Ver. 10. that is CHRIST And I will send you another Comforter that is the Holy Ghost Nor He neither Of his owne will begatt He us they be the words that follow The V. Error It is the fift error to ascribe to fortune either datum or donum Err not then as the place is from above so the manner descendens not decidens they come they are not lett fall 3 From whom A Patre luminuÌ„ Whence we see and how Now from whom The partie in a word is GOD. He had said as much before Verse V. If any lack wisdome let him aske it of GOD How comes he heer to use this somwhat unusuall terme the Father of lights It had been to our thinking more proper Why luminum of light to have said from GOD the Author of all good things No there is reason for it For say they are they came down from above when we cast up our eyes thither we can see no further our sight can reach no higher then the lights then the lights there above And so some you have that hold they come from them de luminibus from the lights that such a conjunction or aspect of them such a constellation or horoscope such a position of such and such planets produce very much good This is in Astrologie but not in Theologie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which word come the Planets saith Saint Iames Wander not after the wandring starrs de luminibus is not it de Patre luminum is the right So the Father of lights was purposely chosen to draw us from the lights That not they they are not not the children The Father He it is from whom they come The lights No them He made to do service Heb. 1.14 The VI. Error Nay the Angels above them he made to be ministering Spirits for our good Be not deceived with this neither To lift up your eyes to the host of heaven and no further but beyond them to the Father of them all and then you are where you should be This may be one reason But further if you ask Why not rather of all good as he began why is he gone from that term to this of light The answer is easie If we speak of gifts Gen. 1.3 light it is princeps donorum Dei the first gift GOD bestowed upon the world and so will fitt well If of good the first thing of which it is said vidit Deus quòd bena 4. was light and so fitt that way too If you speake of perfect so perfect it is as it is desired for it selfe we take comfort in seeing it we delight to see it though we see nothing by it nothing but the light it selfe observed by Salomon Eccl. XI.V. And for good such is the neernesse of affinitie such I may say the con-naturalitie between light and good as they would not be one without the other All that good is Ioh 3.21 Mat 5.15 loves the light would come to the light would be made manifest desires no bushell to hide it but a candlestick to shew it forth to all the world That they might be searched with lanternes to have the secretts the hidden corners of their hearts looked into that the Father of lights would grant them so to be For perfect so perfect a thing is the light as GOD himselfe is said to be light I. Ioh. I.V. His Sonne our Saviour Ioh. 1.9 to be light of lights the true light that lighteneth every one that commeth into the world His Spirit light so is our Collect GOD which as upon this day hast taught the hearts of thy faithfull people by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit The Angels that be good be Angels of light Yea whatsoever heer on earth is perfect 2. Sam. 21.17 Mat. 5.24 the King is called the light of Israël The Apostles called Luces mundi and the Saints of GOD where ever they be in the world shine as lights in it That upon the matter Father of good and Father of light is all one Why 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Paeter luminis would have served if we respect but this but the nature What say you to the number It is luminum why of lights in the plurall That is to give light to that we said before of the diverse degrees of the givings and of the gifts of GOD. In the firmament there is one light of the Sun another of the Moone and 〈…〉 of the Starrs and in the starrs one differeth from another in glorie 1. Cor. 15 41. Good 〈…〉 though not so perfect one as another He that made the bright Sunne in 〈…〉 glorie he made the dimmest starre all alike from Him He alike the Father 〈…〉 Besâ—des he setts them downe in the plurall lights for that the opposite tenebrae 〈◊〉 plurall word and indeed hath no singular for they are many and so need many lights to â—atch them There is the sense's outward darknesse there is the darknesse of the 〈◊〉 man both the darknesse of the understanding by ignorance and error and the darkenesse of the will and heart by hatred and malice 1. Ioh. 2.9 There is the darknesse of adversitie in this world the hither darknesse there is some little light in it And there is the blacknesse of darknesse the utter darkenesse of the world to come Iud. 13. No â—anner light at all Nothing to be seene but to be heard nor to be heard Matt. 8.12 but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth To match these so many darknesses there behoved to be as many lights and so Pateâ— luminum comes in not luminis As to match the many miseries of our nature there were as many mercies requisite and so He Pater misericordiarum 2. Cor. 1.3 not misericordiae with the Apostle of many not of one alone We need the number as well as the thing to have a multitude a pluralitie of mercies to have plenteous redemption to to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great varietie of grace and that over-abundant grace Psal 130.7 1. Pet. 4 10. 1. Tim 1.14 that we might rest assured there is enough and enough in the Father of lights to master and to overmatch any darknesse of the Prince of darknesse what or how many soever Shall I shew you these lights Not the visible of the Sunne Moone and Starrs or fire or candle I passe them Besides them there is two in us 1. The light of Nature for rebelling against which all that are without CHRIST suffer condemâ—ation Pro. 20.27 Salomon calls it the candle of the Lord searching even the very bowells Pro. 20. which though it be dimme and not perfect yet good it is though lame yet as Mephiâ—â—sheth it is Regia proles of the blood Royall 2. There is the light of GOD 's
Law Lex lux saith Salomon totidem verbis Pro. 6. and his Father Pro. 6.23 Psal. 119.105 a lanterne to 〈◊〉 feet Nay in the nineteenth Psalme what he saith at the fourth verse of the Sunne at the eight he saith the same of the Law of GOD lights both 2. Pet. 1.19 3. The light 〈◊〉 prophesie as of a candle that shineth in a darke place 4. There is the wonderfull light of His Gospell So Saint Peter calls it the proper light of this day 1. Pet. 2 9. The tongues that descended so many tongues so many lights For the tongue is a light and brings in light what was before hid in the heart 5. And from these other is the inward light of grace whereby GOD which commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse 2. Cor. 4.6 Be it is that shineth in our hearts by the inward annointing which is the oile of this 〈◊〉 the light of his Holy Spirit chasing away the darknesse both of our hearts and 〈◊〉 6. There is the light of comfort of His Holy Spirit a light sowen for the â—â—ghteous heere in this life And 7. There is the light of glorie which they shall reape the light where GOD dwelleth and where we shall dwell with him Even the inheritance of the Saints in light when the righteous shall shine as the Sunne Col. 1.12 Matt. 13.43 Exod. 25. â—2 in the kingdome of their Father the Father of lights Moses's Candlestick with seven stalkes and lights in each of them Of all which seven lights GOD is the Father acknowledges them all for his children and to his children will vouchsafe them all in their order Now this onely remaineth why He is not called the Author 3 Why Pater not Author but the Father of these In this is the manner of their descending And that is for that they proceed 〈◊〉 Him per modum naturae as the child from the Father per modum emanationis as the beams from the Sunne So both Father and light shew the manner of their comâ—ing Proper and naturall for Him it is to give good Good things come from Him as 〈◊〉 as doe they therefore said to be not the Author the Lord and giver but 〈◊〉 the very Father of them It is against His nature to doe otherwise to 〈…〉 send forth ought but good his very loines his bowells are all goodnesse 〈…〉 darknesse He cannot be being Father of lights nor of ought that is evill For thâ—â— two darke and evill are as neere of kinn as light and good This is the message saith Saint Iohn that we heard of him and that we declare to you that GOD is light 1. Ioh. 1.5 and in Him is no darknesse at all Nâ—ither in Him nor from Him Nemo dicat let never any say it Let it never sinke into you Tempted He is not with evill Tempt He doth not to evill Verse 13. Ascribe it not to Pater luminum but to Princeps tenebrarum to the Prince of darknesse not to the Father of lights But ascribe all good from the smallest sparke to the greatest beame Ephes. 6.12 from the least good giving to the best and most perfect gift of all to Him to the Father of lights So we see 1 why light 2 why lights 3 why the Father of lights So much for the Praedicate and whole Proposition II. The Item And all this may be and yet all this being it seemes some replie may be made and stand with the Apostle's terme of lights well enough That what befalls the lights the children The VII error may also befall the Father of them The great and most perfect light in this world is the Sunne in the firmament and two things evidently befall him the two in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 variation He admitts declines and goes downe and leaves us in the darke that is his parallaxe in his motion from East to West And turning he admitts turnes backe goes from us and leaves us to long winter nights that is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his motion from North to South One of these he doth every day the other every yeare Successively removing from one hemisphere to the other when it is light there it is darke heere Successively turning from one Tropique to another when the dayes be long there they be short heere And if we shall say any thing of the shadow heere that way we lose him too in part by interposing of the clouds when the day is over-cast So the night is his parallax the winter his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 darke weather his shadow at least Shadowes doe but take him away in part that is not good But darknesse takes him away cleane that is perfectly evill That it may be even so with the Father of lights as with this it is Good and evill come from him alternis vicibus by turne and as darknesse and light successively from them That it may fare with Him as with the Heathen Iupiter who had say they in his Entrie two great fatts both full one of good the other of evill and that he served them out into the world both of the good and of the evill as he saw cause but commonly for one of good two of evill at least It was more then requisite he should cleere this objection So doth he denieth both all three if you will That though of man it be truely said by Iob He nâ—ver continues in one stay Iob. 14.6 though the lights of heaven have their parallaxes yea the Angels of heaven Iob. 4.18 Exod. 3.14 Mal. 3 6· He found not stedfastnesse in them Yet for GOD he is subject to none of them He is Ego sum qui sum that is saith Malachie Ego Deus non mutor We are not what we were a while since nor what we shall be a while after scarce what we are for every moment makes us varie With GOD it is nothing so He is that He is He is and changeth not He changes not his tenor he changes not his tense keeps not our Grammar rules hath one by himselfe Not before Abraham was Io. 8.58 I was but before Abraham was I am Yet are there varyings and changes it cannot be denied We see them daily True but the point is per quem on whom to lay them Not on GOD. Seemes there any recesse Ierem. 2.17 It is we forsake Him not He us It is the ship that moves though they that be in it think the land goes from them not they from it Seemes there any variation as that of the night It is umbra terrae makes it the light makes it not Is there any thing resembling a shadow A vapour rises from us makes the cloud which is as a pent-house betweene and takes Him from our sight That vapour is our lust There is the apud quem Is any tempted it is his owne lust doth it that entises him to sinne that brings
and goe no further never meddle with the calling or worke But what if we have a gift may we not fall to work straight Not but â— calling is first to be had yer we put forth our hand to it Which memo sibi sumit nisi qui vocatus No man to take on him unlesse he be called Though a gift then though a good gift Heb. 5.4 not eo ipso to thinke himselfe sufficiently warranted to fall a working There goes more to it then so We must passe CHRIST 's hands too and not leape over his head For after the Holy Ghost hath done with us CHRIST will â—ppoint every one of us his calling Which are diâ—iâ—ed for 〈◊〉 Of which division the ground is That every man is not hand over head confusedly to meddlâ— with every matter but all is to be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orderly Each to know 〈…〉 1. Cor. 14.40 The very word division implieth order Where we read divisions 〈…〉 diversities But it is not so well that Things that are diverse may 〈…〉 confusedly on heapes But each must be sorted to his severall ranke and 〈◊〉 els are they not divided So as division is the better reading and division is 〈◊〉 And order is a thing so highly pleasing â—to GODâ— as the three Persons in Trinitie we sâ—e have put themselves in order to shew how well they love it And order is a thing 〈◊〉 neerly concerning us as breake order once and breake both your staves saith GO◠〈◊〉 Zacharie both that of Beauty and that of Bonds The staffe of Beauty For Zach. 10.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no manner of decencie or comelinesse without it but all out of fashion Thâ— â—â—affe of Bonds For no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no kind of steadinesse or constancie but all loose 〈◊〉 it All falls back to the first Tohu and Bohu For all is Tohu empty Gen. 1.2 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of the Spirit fill not with his gifts And all is Bohu a disordered rude Chaos of conâ—â—sion if CHRIST order it not by His Places and Callings Every body falls to 〈…〉 with every thing and so nothing done nothing well done I am sure Eveâ—y man therefore what ever His gift be to stay till he have his place and standing by CHRIST assigned him It is judged needfull this even in secular matters Write one never so faire a hand if he have not the calling of a publique Notarie his writing is not authenticall Be one never so deepe a Lawyer if he have not the place of a Iudge he can give no definitive sentence No remedy then there must be division of places of administration no lesse then of gifts Will you know what those places be What the 〈◊〉 Eight of them are reckoned up at the 28. Verse Not to trouble you with those that were erected as needfull at first but were not to endure but for a time Those that were to endure are reduced to three and stand togither 1 Teachers 2 Helpers 3 Governours A threefold division taught even the heathen by the light of nature in their Religion They had them all three in theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Teachers 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Helpers 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Governoâ—rs The very same prescribed by GOD to His people 1 their Tâ—achers the Priests 2 their Helpers the Levites 3 their Governours the Sonnes of Aaron called Nessjm as true and proper Hebrew for Praelates as Praelati is Latine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same is knowâ—n in the Church of Christ through all antiquitie 1 Presbyteri to teach 2 Diaconi to help 3 Episcopi to governe And never any other All these three heere goe under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper terme of the lowest oâ— the three We turne it Administration It is indeed ministerie or service and that on foote and through the dust For so is the nature of the word An ill word for pride who had rather heare of words sounding of dominion then of service specially this service For it is but the order of Deaconship and pride would be at least more then a Dâ—acon Yet so we are all styled heer and no other name for any The very highest are but so The King himselfe twise made a Deacon Rom. 13. Rom. 13. â— Act. 13.36 God's Deacon no other title The best King that was David is said but to have served his time Act. 13. Served that was all Dâ—ut 4.19 Heb. 1.14 The glorious lights of heaven are said Deu. 4. to be created in ministerium but for our service The Angels of heaven are but ministring spirits Heb. 1. Rom. 15.8 Nay CHRIST Himselfe is styled no otherwise Ro. 15. but that He was a Minister of the Circumcision He that is LORD of all and gives all the offices calls His owne but so These places we sayd before are divided for order Now I add further Dâ—vided they be not scattered they are â—ivided not scattered or let fall For that is casuall Dividing is not so but as it is in the XI ver prout vult a voluntarie act He that distributes knowes what and to whom He doth it Places therefore are to be divided by knowledge not scattered or scambled for by hap and hazard The Winde is to blow no man to preferment Psal. LXXV It is the LORD that is to dispose of them Psal. 75.6 And how to dispose or divide them According to the former divisions of the 〈◊〉 That these should first take place the second depend upon those first none 〈◊〉 to the second till he have past the first For Christ's Places are for the Holy Ghost's 〈◊〉 Without inspiring with the grace no aspiring to the place there should be The Holy Ghost is by His gifts to point out those that should be taken into these administrations And where Christ placeth so it is For He placeth none but whom the Holy Ghost commends Ioh. 10.7 Christ is the door of which door the Holy Ghost is the Porter No man passeth through the door but whom the Porter openeth to No man to CHRIST but by and through the Holy Ghost nor to the calling but by and through the gift They that come not that way by the door get in by some other back way per Pseudothyrum by some false posterne That marrs all This is the true order Mat. 25.15 Vocavit servos et talenta dedit so is the Ghospell whom He calls He gives talents to If He have none given Him he came un-calld at least by CHRIST He cald him not he came un-sent at least by GOD He sent him not Though he answer Heer I am CHRIST spoke not to him Though he came running never so fast GOD sent him not Esay asketh two quaestions Quis tu hic or Quasi quis tu hic Esa. 22.16 Quis if by CHRIST Quasi quis if otherwise And many a Quasi
substantia 2. That cause is a Person a single or determinate substance of a Nature indued with reasâ—n It is not Res bruta velmuta no dumbe thing or without understanding is cause of them He speakes we heare saith Per Me. And His very last words before these Ver. 14. be I am understanding Against those that doe Iovi mensam ponere ascribe it to the Position of the starres Esa. 65.11 to this or that Planet in the Ascendent No it is not de luminibus they be no Persons Iac. 1.17 but de Patre luminum He is So a cause there is and no impersonall cause but Per Me a Person 3. Another person beside themselves 1 Reg. 1.5 Psal. 44 6. What Person Per Me regnant and that is not Per se regnant so another person it is besides themselves one different from them That they reigne is not by or from themselves but by or from some other besides Regnabo saith Adonijab but he fayled it would not be To teach him it is not Per se by their owne bow or sword nor Marte nor Arte they raigne And so to sacrifice to them It is not their owne place they sit in nor their owne power they execute Abac. 1.16 It is derived from another person Ipse est qui fecit nos non ipsi nos may they also say He it is that made us Ps. 100.3 and not we our selves A Person And another Person And who is that other Person Let me tell you this first It is but one Person 4. But one Person not many not many Per Me is the singular number It is not Per nos so it is not a plurality no â—ultitude they hold by That clayme is gone by Per Me one single person it is Per 〈◊〉 The other a Philosophicall conceit it came from from those that never had â—eard this Wisedome preach In this booke we finde not any Soveraigne power ever 〈◊〉 in any Body collective or derived from them This we find that God He is King Ps. 93.97.99 Dan. 4.14 Ier. 27.5 that the Kingdomes be His and to whom He will He giveth them That ever they came ouâ— of God's hand by any Per Me eny graunt into the People's hands to bestow that we fiâ—d not One Person it is I aske then this one Person who he is 5. That person neither man nor Angell this I finde at the XXIV ver That whosâ—â—ver he is He was when there were yet no Abyssi no depths nor no mountaines vpon the Earth nor the Earth it selfe He was before all these I find againe at the XXVII 〈◊〉 When the Heavens were spread a decree given to the Sea the foundations of the Earth 〈◊〉 laid He was there a Worker together with God Was at the making of all was â—â—â—selfe Maker of all So neither Man nor Angell they were not so ancient they 〈◊〉 nothing they were created themselves 〈◊〉 sileat omnis caro let all flesh keep silence And Omnis Spiritus too Zach. 2.13 in this point 〈◊〉 Me. Neither the spirit that said of the Kingdoms of the Earth All these are mine 〈◊〉 he that though he have hornes like the lambe yet speaketh words like the Dragon Mat. 4.9 Apoc. 13.11 These foure syllables are a supersedeas to all bookes or booke-makers for any man's Per Me any man's claime Acts 10.16 Heb. 5.2 It is no man And if no man then no Pope for he also is a man as Saint Peter saith He was And Cireâ—ndatus compassed with infirmities Saint Paul saith he is Sure he made not the Earth himselfe is made of earth The Abyssus the deep was made yer he ascended out of it the seven hills long before he sate on them Apoc. 13.1.17.9 He is not this Per Me they hold not of him they hold of Per Me that created heaven and earth And this Per Me will beare no Per alium besides He that must say Per Me Reges must also say Per Me Coelum Terra None but he that can say the one can say the other Therefore none with Him in this Per. None to step forth and rejoyne Etiam Per me and by me too Vnlesse he can say Etiam Per me coelum Terra Per alium then hath no place heer But might not the High-Priest claime deputation under Per Me For that there is a ruled case of it heer in him that was the setter downe of this Salomon Had the High-Priest had Abiathar ever a Per me for him It is well knowne his Per me went with Adonijah against Salomon His Per me if it could would have deposed Salomon But so farre was it from him to say Per me Salomon 1. Reg 1.7 that contrary Salomon might say and did Per me Abiathar Depose Salomon he could not deposed he was himself Non nobis Domine non nobis 1. Reg. 1.27 Psal. 115.1 would he have said It was Per Me the wrong way with him 6. But God Well then being neither man nor Angell since they made not the world God it must be of force There is in the reasonable nature no other person left but He And He it is He the partie that speaks By Me Kings I am the Cause that Kings reigne Then Reges quod sunt per Deum sunt Kings what they are by God they are In XIII ad RoÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome and a speciall dignifying of their states it is that so they are It was we find wont to be the usuall style yea even of Popes themselves writing to Kings to wish them health in Eo per quem Reges regnant in Him by whom Kings do reigne And that was neither Pope nor People but God alone whose proper style that is 7. God the Sonne By God then I aske yet further by what Person of the God-Head so farr we have warrant to go by this Text. It is Wisdome whose speech all this is No created wisdome but the Wisdome of God creating all things it selfe uncreate that is the Sonne of God For whom Salomon heer calleth Wisdome the same in the thirtieth Chapter after he tearmeth the Sonne What is His name speaking of God or What is His Sonn's name Chap 30.4 By Him by that Person do they reigne And now at the last are we come to the right Per Me. 1 As the middle cause Per the praeposition would teach us so much if there were nothing els Per dicit causam mediam it designeth a middle cause And He is the middle Person of the great Cause Causa causarum A Deo saith Saint Paul Per Me saith Salomon from God the Father Rom. 1â— 1 by God the Sonne We may know it It is CHRIST 's praepâ—sition this ever Per CHRISTVM Dominum nostrum â— As man And by Him most properly for in that He was to be man all the benefitts which were to come from
no sufficient ground make it common For the Manner with great regard Eccle. 8.1 2 For the Maâ—ner We must sweare to the Lord with all our heart They are highly praised that did so 1. Chro. 15.15 that is when they are to take an Oath they are to call togither the powers of their soule and with sad and serious deliberation to undertake it that is to doe it in Iudicio Therefore in the Law GOD maketh it the entrie Thou shalt feare the Lord thy GOD and shalt sweare by His Name that is with due feare and reverence thou shalt sweare For as GOD'S Name is holy not for every common matter so is it also reverend not with an unregarding affection to be taken in our mouthes To this end is it that the Church of GOD excludeth such persons from oaths as are presumed that in iudgement they cannot or will take them as persons already convict of periurie that they will not Those that are under yeares that they can not To this end also there have ever been used Ceremonies that by that meanes there might be a reverend regard stricken into the minde of the swearer Therefore the very Angels when they sweare doe it not without ceremonie but with lifting up their hands to heaven Dan. 12.7 Apoc. 10.5 The Patriarchs under the Law of Nature not without ceremonie but laying their hand on the thigh therein have reference to the incarnation of the Blessed Seed Gen. 24.3 and 47.29 The People of GOD under the Law came into the Temple and before the Altar 1. Reg. 8.31 and in the presence of the Priest Deut. 12.8 uncovered Numbers 5.18 so tooke their Oath all these serving to stir up their reverence that what they did they might doe in iudgement Therfore they are to be condemned that passionately sweare Eccl. 5.1 which Passion alwaies bereaveth men of iudgement either in anger as David which he repented of 1. Samuel 25.33 Or in desire as Saul which proved prejudiciall to him and his people 1. Samuel 14.28 And they that as not of any passion so without all manner of respect to avow any idle fond phansie of their owne even as it were water powre out the Name of GOD. And they yet more that not onely unadvisedly sometimes but continually as it were by a custome make it an interiection of filling for all their speeches and cannot utter one sentence without it yea which therby come to a diabetica passio of swearing that Oathes runne from them and they feele them not But above all they that are come to that pitch that even in contempt they swear and will swear and the rather because they be told of it These persons the Church of GOD hath so detested that they are excommunicate without sentence of any Iudge or Canon and Christian people forbidden to have any fellowship with them 3. In Iustice. In Iustitiâ As the Matter of the Oath is to be true and weighty and the Manner with due advise and iudgement so is it to be taken also to a good and iust end And of this there is to be had chiefe regard for that diverse times both false and rash Oathes are not hurtfull save to the swearer onely but these tend alway to some mischiefe beside the sinne of the swearing An Oath is of the nature of a Bond bindeth a man to do that he sweareth Now it is sinne enough to doe evill of it self but to bind himselfe to doe evill and to make the Name of GOD the Bond that is sinne out of measure sinfull GOD hath ordeined that onely for truth and right his Name should be used to abuse it to uphold falshood and to enforce men to evill dealing is to change a Sanctuarie and make it a brothel-house These we call Latronum iuramenta such Oathes as theeves and such kinde of persons take one of another For they doe not onely ioyne hand in hand as Salomon telleth us Proverbs 2â— 5 but doe even also by oath bind themselves to doe mischiefe Nehemiah 6 28 Tobiah the speciall hinderer of the Temple had many in Iuda his sworne 〈◊〉 1 Not of things impossible That aâ— Oath may be in iustice It is required that it be of a thing possible No man evâ—r required an Oath to an impossibilitie apparent So Abraham's sâ—rvant saith â—enesis 24. What if I cannot possibly get any maiden to comâ— with me Abraham's answer is then he shall be free from the oath So that if at the present it seeme possible otherwise not to be sworne to and after there doe emergere impossibile the partie is innocent The same is observed touching our knowledge for so the Law saith A man shall testifie that onely which he hath seene heard or knowen and more shall not be required of him So the law of Nature Levit. 5.1 onely de quibus sciam poteroque Now because as Ioseph well telleth us Nor unlawâ—ulnâ—sse Genesis 39.9 that we only can doe that which lawfully we can and Christian possibilitie implieth lawfulnesse that is the second point of In iustitia and the second Caveat Ne illicitum Which is either primâ facie as Saul's oath 1. Samuel 28.10 and Acts 23.14 Or it is likewise emergens as in Herod's oath at the first no harm being understood but after the demaund made it was sinne to keepe it So saith Ezra in the Law Secundùm Legem fiat Ezra 10.5 And Saint Paul in the Gospell Acts 23.3 They sit to judge secundùm id quod in Lege est Put these togither that we be required to sweare nothing but the truth In vâ—ritate that we doe it upon due advise and consideration In iudicio that we doe it but of those things we know can tel and of those wherto Law bindeth us There is no more required in a Christian oath This to be remembred because diverse which will be accounted Christians refuse in our daies the Oath which hath all her attendants If the Magistrate Mat 26.63 either Civill Exodus 22.8 Nehemiah 5.12 or Ecclesiasticall Numbers 5.19 1 Either by a curse where the partie is not knowen as Proverbs 29.24 Iudges 17.2 Leviticus 5.1 â— Or by tendering an oath and that againe double Either by way of adiuration I. Sam. 3.27 I. Reg. 22.16 2 Or by way of swoaring them as Exodus 22.11 Numbers 5.13 I. Reg. 8.31 I. Râ—g 18.10 Where the party is accused by complaint detection Genesis 3. presumption Genesis 4. common fame 1. Corinthians 5.4 He is bound to purge himselfe and satisfie the people in Adulterie Theft or any crime But what if it tend to his dammage or to the prejudice of his liberty Our rule is Qui potest ad paenam potest ad quae paena consequitur Therefore in a matter of life or limme we admitt not the Oath because no man can lawfully sweare to cast away or maime himself But a man may directly sweare to his losse in his goods as Genesis 25.33 and
the ends of the earth not to know what is His Name or what is his Sonne 's Name That his Name is Iehova And His Sonne 's Name Iehova Iustitia nostra This were we bound to get notice of if it were but civilitie or as Salomon reckoneth it even humanitie But that is not all For seeing as the heathen man confesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we all either have or may have need of GOD in our necessities of this life but specially in our last need of very necessitie it will stand us in hand to know how to call unto Him There is no Client but will be sure to learne his Advocate 's name nor no patient but will tell his Physition's Nor in a word eny of them of whom we are to have any speciall use but we wil be carefull as to learne his true name that we misse not in it so if he have diverse names and love to be called by any one rather then other to be sure to be perfect in it and ready to salute him by it And such is this Name heere and we therefore not to be to seeke in it seeing not onely Courtesie but very necessitie commendeth it to us Which Name as you see is compounded of three words 1 Iehova 2 Iustitia 3 Nostra all of them necessarie all of them essentiall And they all three concurring as it were three twists Eccles 4.12 they make a threefold chord like that which the Preacher mentioneth that cannot be broken But except it be entire and have all three it loseth the vertue it worketh nothing For sever any one of them from the rest and the other are not of moment A sound but not a name or a name but not Hoc Nomen this Name a Name qualified to save them that call on it Take Iehova from Iustitia nostra and Iustitia nostra is nothing worth And take Iustitia from Iehova and though there be worth in Iehova yet there is not that which we seeke for Yea take nostra from the other two and how excellent soever they be they concerne us not but are against us rather then for us So that togither we must take them or the Name is lost To see this the better it will not be amisse to take it in sunder 1. The â—arts of the Name and to see the ground of every part in order Why 1 Iehova â— Why Iustitia â— Why Iehova Iustitia 4 VVhy Iustitia nostra 5 Both nostra and Iustitia 1. Iehova Touching which word 1. Iehova and the ground why it must be a part of this Name the Prophet David resolveth us Psal â—1 16 Memorabor saith he Iustitiae Tuae solius Because His righteousnesse and onely his righteousnesse is worth the remembring any others beside his is not meet to be mentioned For as for our owne righteousnesse which we have without him Esai telleth us it is but a defiled cloth and Saint Paul â—hat it is but dung Two very homely comparisons but they be the Holy Ghost's owne yet nothing so homely as in the originall where they be so odious as what manner of defiled cloth or what kinde of dung we have not dared to translate Our owne then being no better we are driven to seeke for it elsewhere He shall receive His righteousnesse saith the Prophet Esay 64.6 Phil. 3 8. Pâ—al 24.5 Rom. 5.17 and the gift of righteousnesse saith the Apostle It is then another to be given us and to be received by us which we must seeke for And whither shall we goe for it Iob alone dispatcheth this point Iob 15.15.4.18.25.5 Not to the heavens or starres For they are uncleane in His sight Not to the Saints For in them He found folly Nor to the Angels For neither in them found He eny stedfastnesse Now if none of these will serve we see a necessarie reason why Iehova must be a part of this Name And this is the reason why Ieremie heere expressing more fully the Name given Him before in Esai Immanuel GOD with us instead of the name of GOD in that Name which is El setteth downe by way of explanation this Name heere of Iehova Because that El and the other Names of GOD are communicated to Creatures As the Name of El to Angels for their Names end in it Michael Gabriel c. And the Name of Iah to Saints and their names end in it as Esaiah Ieremiah Zachariah To certifie us therefore that it is neither the righteousnesse of Saints nor Angels that will serve the turne but the righteousnesse of GOD and very GOD he useth that Name which is proper to GOD alone ever reserved to him onely and never imparted by eny occasion to Angel or Saint or eny creature in heaven or earth Iustitia Righteousnesse Why that If we aske in regard of the other benefits which are before remembred Salvation and Peace Why Righteousnesse and not Salvation nor Peace â— Iustitia it is evident Because as in the verse next before the Prophet termeth it Righteousnesse is the Braunch and these two Salvation and Peace are the fruicts growing on it Esai 45.8 So that if this be had both the other are had with it Of Righteousnesse and Salvation Esai saith they growe both togither as it were out of one stalke Esai 32.17 And of Peace that Opus Iustitiae Pax the very worke or proper effect of Righteousnesse is Peace For which cause the Apostle interpreting the name of Melchisedek King of Salem first saith he King of Righteousnesse Heb. 7.2 and after King of Peace Even as on the contrarie parte sinne which is nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquitie or unrighteousnesse 1. Ioh. 3.4 as saith Saint Iohn is that roote of bitternesse from whence shooteth forth both perdition of the soule contrarie to Salvation and unquietnesse of the conscience opposite to Peace And both they and all other miseries are as IOB termeth them sparkes of this brand of hell Iob. 5.8 as health and peace and all blessings are the fruicts of this braunch of righteousnesse Psal. 60.11 Now because there is vana salus a vaine salvation as saith David Ierem. 6.14 and a peace falsly so called A peace which is no peace as saith Ieremie To the end therefore that our salvation might be substantiall and our peace uncounterfeit it behooved us to lay a sure ground-worke of them both and to set a true roote of this braunch which is the Name Iehova For such as the roote of this braunch is such will Salvation and Peace the fruicts thereof be If it be man's righteousnesse which is vaine it will be also vana salus hominis vaine and soone at an end and the peace like the world's peace vaine and of no certaintie But if Iehova be our righteousnesse looke how He is so will they be an everlasting salvation a peace which passeth all understanding â— Iehova Iustitia Iehova
men promiscuè good and badd elect and reprobate No but to such as perteine to His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GODS Beneplacitum His good-will and purpose to the children of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nominative or Genitive let it not trouble you To men a good will or To men of good-will no great matter whither so long as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referres to GOD and to His good pleasure Nor to Men or any will of theirs And that so it is to be referred I will use no other witnesse but Cardinall Tolet himselfe who in his Readings at Rome and in the Popes owne Chappel and upon this very place confesseth asmuch that so is the native signification of the word and so and no otherwise to be taken heer but in that sense And in that sense being taken it goes well Glory from us to Him Peace from Him to us From men on earth to God on high Glory From God on high to men on earth Peace Men I say toward whom He is now appeased and with whom now He is well pleased and both for this Childs sake heer in the cratch Mat. 3 â—7 17 ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom He is so absolutely well pleased as of the fullnesse of His favor we all receive GOD spake it once and twise 1 Once at His Baptisme 2 and againe in the Holy Mount And Hoc â—rit signum This may be a sure signe that He is well pleased with our Nature that He hath in this Child taken it and united it to His owne which if He had not been highly well pleased He would never have done What greater good will can there be then this If passeth the greatest even that of Marriage union of Nature unitie of Person Then riseth there another doubt what Verbe to put to heere For never a Verbe there is at all Whether some Indicative Glorie is or shall be and then it is an Hymne of Gratulation and agreeth well with laudantium a praise to GOD that these now are Now hath GOD glorie Now earth peace Men are now received to favour and grace Thus Or whether sit or esto in the Optative and then it is Votum benè ominatum a Vow or wish that Glorie may be to GOD and so to the rest I say againe heere as before I said it skill'd not then whether Nominative or Genitive it skills not now whether Indicative or Optaâ—ive Tehilla a Praise it is and Tephilla a Wish it may be do commence Either is well But both are best for both are most true By way of Gratulation Glorie now is or shall be to GOD for this Birth Before 1. By way of Graâ—ulation Glory is to God it was not at least not so as after Before it was Gloria in excelsis but DEO was left out All Nations in a manner worshipping the host of Heaven the superiour bodies deifying the creature passing by the CREATOR quite Excelsa they did but DEVM in excelsis they did not But by this Birth now downe should all Idolatrie goe as downe it went wheresoever Christian Religion tooke place From the creature there all to the CREATOR To none on high but GOD on high The point of Glorie much mended GOD more Glorie then before And the Earth more at peace if you take peace in things spirituall 2. Peace is in Earth matters concerning the soule One onely I will mention There was as out of Varro S. Augustine reckons them no lesse then two hundred sixty and odde severall Opinions and that of the wisest then on the earth touching mans Sovereigne Good or chiefe End The verie highest point and that did most concerne them and least peace most variance in it This mist also was scattered and that point well cleered by Him that was the Way and the Truth That this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heere is it the favour of GOD it is Ioh. 14.6 and the assurance of it and nothing but it that makes a man truly happy when all is done As for the point of GOD 's good will and favour that was never in kind 3. And Good will toward men till this Day Many favours much good will before Never so as when GOD and Man the God-head and Man-hood meet both in one GOD never so pleased as when He was pleased to assume it into one person with Himselfe uniting both with the streightest union that can be Never that till this day when for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will toward men He forsooke gloriam in excelsis to come into the cratch for them So that for GOD 's favour the gratulation is most just more then both the rest Bishop Bradwardine did joine a good issue Let that be the Religion let that prevaile as best and most true of all other that is Deo honorabilior brings more honour to GOD Paci amicabiliâ—r bestfriend to the earths peace and Homini favorabilior most favourable to man as shewing GOD better affected to him and making men better affected to GOD better one to another That Religion is Christian Religion None sings this Hymne in time in true note but it all other are out So that we have a compendium of true Religion and three notes of it out of the three notes of the Song in this Antheme And this if it be the Indicative or by way of Gratulation II By way of wish But I confesse it is more usuall per modum voti by way of wish by sit then by est Sit doth better become the Church militant Est is more fitt for the Châ—rch triumphant Glorie be to GOD Peace be to the earth c. Exoptando that these may be so and so being continue still and be dayly more and more And so taking it to the triplicitie againe Glorie be to God on High First glorie we wish to GOD. On high stands in the midst you may either cast it to the first word Glorie Glorie on high and then the point that is high glorie Or with the point after glorie and cast on high to GOD. A third varietie but easily reconciled if we take in both Glorie on high to GOD on high One on high may serve for the reason why we wish glorie to GOD for GOD being Altissimus the most High as Melchisedek first stiled Him Gen. 14.18 and glorie being the altitude or highest pitch we can flie or performe by good reason we wish Him that is Highest the highest thing we have But not every glorie do we wish but wish it Him at the highest All glorie is high yet is there one glorie higher then another 1. Cor. 15.41 If any be so that they wish to GOD the very height of it even glory in altissimis as high as it can goe Now the more He is glorified the higher His glorie Higher if by Heaven and Earth on high and below by Men and Angells then by either alone Psal. 148. This