severall Apostles have more Churches consecrated them than God the Holy Trinity or Christ under his sundry Titles We have our Churches called by those severall names too for distinction sake but not thereby superstitiously meaning either that those places which are denominated of Angels and Saints should serve for the worship of so glorious Creatures or else those glorified creatures for defence Protection and patronage of such places a thing which the Ancients do utterly disclaim The Nations saies S. Austin erected Temples to their gods we to our Martyrs not Temples as unto Gods but memorials as unto dead men whose spirits with God are still living and therefore besides that speciall name of distinction by which we know one of these Houses from another we keep still the general name in which all these Houses agree together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kirke the Lords House thereby acknowledging that as it is his and by him appointed for Prayer so we must not give away the right of his Title to this House by giving away the glory of his Worship in this House either to Saint or Angel Gloriam alteri non dabo that which is the House of Prayer is my House my House is that 't is the House of Prayer That 's the second thing in order to be taken into our consideration the use of this House what the first Founder intended when he gave order for the building of it to what purpose it should be imployed it must be a House of Prayer Under the title of Prayer we understand Part. 2. Domus Orationis and comprehend the whole worship of God which he had commanded them to performe unto him in his Temple Divers were their Sacrifices and Ceremonies in joyn'd by God but the Prophet would in one word instruct them to what scope all these must be referred Joh. 4.24 even to that worship which is in spirit to that spiritual sacrifice of Prayer Just as in the 50. Psalm God does disclaim their Sacrifices burnt offerings and reduces all the services of piety to those two parts of Prayer Thanksgiving and Invocation He will no Bullock out of their house nor He-Goats out of their folds v. 9. But offer unto God thanksgiving v. 14. And call upon him in the day of trouble v. 15. And therefore when the Prophet Jeremy would to aggravate the fault of their misbehaviour in this House set down their proper description of it from the end of its institution 't is this of Prayer What this House become a den of Robbers In qua invocatum est Nomen meum in oculis vestris this House in which my Name is call'd upon Jer. 7.11 Will not that respect check you And he who was likeliest to know what was Gods intention in it who was instructed with the whole care of building it when he had finish'd that goodly structure and was to solemnize the dedication of it before the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes the chiefe of the Fathers yea and all the men of Israel with sacrifices of sheep and Oxen that could not be told nor numbred for multitude 1 Kings 8. That they might not think there was no other nor no excellenter imployment for that place than that offering of bodily I and bruit-bodily sacrifice when he comes to the blessing the chief part of that Exercise then all and some is That God will bear the Prayer that shall be made in that place Harken to the supplication of thy Servant and of thy People when they shall PRAY in this place and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place v. 30. And so all along to the end of his blessing What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands in this place then hear thou in Heaven and forgive and do c. almost in every verse of twenty in that Chapter We heard what Solomon told God before that he had built him an House to dwell in and God had told Solomon before that by Gods owne Prophet and his own Son that there he would dwell Psal 132. Here will I dwell Why for I have a delight therein Vers 13. 'T is meet in deed that the House he dwels in should be so dress'd up so fitted to his minde that he may desire it delight in it Now what is that Furniture of this House that delights him He that built it to him can best direct us to furnish it for him The Prayer of the upright is his delight saies Solomon Prov. 15.8 Templa propter Sacrificia Sacrifice of Beasts before Christ was the most usuall and most notable external Rite and sacrifice of Prayer since Christ has more than the same preheminence This fils with Incense the golden Vials in the hands of the four and twenty Elders before the throne in Heaven Rev. 5.8 And if with this Incense of Prayer we mingle the Myrrh of our tears and sighs and groanings we not only sacrifice our Prayers but we mortifie we kill we offer up our selves that 's the acceptable sacrifice if we believe the Apostle Rom. 12.1 'T is then a House of Prayer but not of Prayer onely we exclude not Preaching as some hot spirits who are all for Preaching would allow no room for Prayer in this House of Prayer or if for Prayer also most of all for the Pulpit-prayer the very place helping to mis-perswade the People that the Prayer is to be valued not for its owne but for the Sermon sake I wish that all such who are content to be exceeding brief in their Desk-prayers and as large as may be elsewhere would heartily consider whether we are not to come to and go off from the very Word of God with more reverence and devotion and supplication than either the Notes or the effusions of Man upon Gods Word does not this seeme to magnifie a short verse when it is call'd a Text above whole Psalms and Chapters Nay let them give me leave to wish again that they would heartily consider whether such a practice as it is begun with an esteeming of their own private wisdoms beyond that of the Church is not continued also with a secret preferring of their own Meditations above that which they meditate upon the Word of God I would not wrong them in what they do nay I would rather rectifie them that they should not do amisse so much as to a suspition and therefore I will as excusingly as I may say of them Surely this sin is got into that high place and they are not aware If it be not so why is it that by degrees there is lesse lesse of Gods Word read amongst them shorter praying before and after Gods own Word and instead of more of both these more and longer of their owne Preaching How would they have cried it up if God had here christened this place
not too long a time and that they should in his good and appointed time be changed up into the glory of Heaven and that all the Enemies of the Church should at length by the power of Christ their victorious Captain be thrown into the ever burning Lake of fire and brimstone We may divide the whole Booke briefly Partitio libri for I must not stand long upon this Discourse Divide it I may I come not to expound the whole Book and the Text it selfe affords matter enough for this short time though I eke it out with a borrowed part of another hour into a Preface Paraeus to the ninth verse of the first Chapter the Prophecy it self from thence to the sixteenth verse of the last Chapter and from thence to the end the Epilogue or Conclusion We are now in the midst of the Prophecy and the whole Prophecy may be distinguished into 7 several visions notoriously distinct asunder to them that read them with careful observation which Christ was pleased for the future good of his Church to shew to his beloved St. John whilst he lived a banisht man in the Isle of Pathmos I may not stand now to shew you these 7 Visions with the subject-matter of them I read not a Lecture upon them all nor upon any one intirely This Text is a small part of the fourth Vision which takes up three whole Chapters the twelfth thirteenth and fourteenth It is of the Woman travelling in birth and the Draggon gaping to devour the fruit of her womb of her flight into the Wildernesse and his pursuit after her resisted by Michael and his Angels then of the two Beasts one with seven heads and ten horns the other with two horns like a Lamb which spake as a Draggon both persecuting the Saints then of the victorious Lamb upon that Mount Sion and of the three Angels one preaching the Gospel another proclaiming the fall of Babylon a third denouncing punishment to them that worship the Beast Lastly of Christ upon the Cloud with a sharp sickle in his hand and the Angel proclaiming the last Harvest of the World and the Vintage and Wine-presse of the Wrath of God All this is the subject of the fourth Vision in which the future estate of Gods Church in this World even from the Infancy of it under the Ministry of Christs Apostles unto the end of the World is far more cleerly shaddowed out unto us than in the former Visions The third Angel begins at the 9. verse of this Chapter and continues to the end of the 11. Then in the 12. and 13. verses part of the last whereof I read unto you follows an Epiphonema of exhortation and consolation to the Saints of God that in all these vexations with which Antichrist shall grate them they persevere with patience and constancy in the faith of Christ and obedience to his Gospel that they faint not under their tribulations but hold out to the end being held up with the hope of eternal felicity in Heaven which is here propounded The Exhortation to perseverance is in the 12. verse the Argument for it is taken from that Tragical end that miserable and wofull event which must befall Antichrist and his unsound followers that seeing they shall at last drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God and drink it off the very dregs of it that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone and shall have no rest day and night here is the patience of the Saints v. 12. Here is an Argument for their perseverance that the Holy ones of God who keep the Commandments of God and the saith of Jesus that they suffer manfully under the bitterest Tyranny of their Adversaries as knowing that it shall at last be guerdon'd to them with the fearfull endlesnesse of insufferable torments in Hell fire Then follows the Consolation in this verse of my Text And I heard a voice from Heaven saying Write blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord The Argument which the Holy Ghost here useth to strengthen and comfort them ready now to droop under the weight of their sufferings is drawn from the assurance of the most inestimable Reward eternal bessednesse in Heaven and that Death it selfe the last and greatest evil with which the faithfull can be afflicted by their most despiting enemies is no evil at all for it is the ready though straight and narrow and severe Way to the certain joy and glory of the Heavenly Kingdome I heard a voice from Heaven from thence we see though through a cloud through the water of that and the tears of our owne eyes our comfort comes 'T is most certain most true were it the voice of God himselfe or of one of his Angels at his command St. John sayes not whether but the voice of Christ himselfe his Sheep are sure it is they know his voice the same in effect which we have heard from him before in his holy Gospel more than once Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that hears my Words and believes on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 and there is no condemnation too to them in the ears of whose Souls are the words of Christ and in John 8.51 not without another and another a double Verily I say unto you to cast off all doubt If a man keep my saying he shall nevtr see death the eternall the cursed death The very same to all purposes that this Voice sayes here Write blessed are the dead c. There are three things observable in this Voice from Heaven Divisio Versus first the command to Write Christ will not put his Church to trust to the uncertainty the deceivableness of unwritten Traditions but as in the beginning there was a generall command for the writing of this whole Prophecy Write sayes Christ to the Prophet St. John chap. 1. v. 19. Write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter so has he here again a special command for the writing of this heavenly voice concerning the blessednesse of them who die in the Lord he will have our comfort confirm'd to us here as the Divel 's several suggestions were rejected and confuted by himselfe Matt. 4. with a Scriptum est the Scripture the written Word of God shall be the ground as of our Faith so of our Hope our incouragement and consolation through that Faith Secondly the Argument the substance of what he is commanded to deliver to the Church by writing blessednesse And thirdly the assurance and proofe of this blessednesse by two strong Reasons one that they are now gotten to the end of their Race that they enjoy a perpetual rest from all the labours and sufferings which they have sustained under the Sun they rest from their labours and the other that they have so
is the end even the salvation of their souls 1 Pet. 1.9 that they truly and indeed are possest of in this life Haec est vita aeterna says our Saviour John 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee and Jesus He that hears my words and beleeveth on him hath eternal life John 5.24 he hath it in that degree as here he is capable of it But Beatitudo patriae the perfection of blisse the sight and fruition of God in Heaven that intire union with him when we shall be like unto himselfe for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 This is for another life this is the crown laid up which the righteous Judge shall give at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 Vltima semper Expectando dies homini est Dicique beatus Antiobitum nemo supremaque funera debet Ovid. This expect not till death for thus only the dead are blessed To take away all scruple 't is an observable truth that S. Gregory Nyscen hath in his book De Beatitud that God in himselfe is Verè Beatus most properly blessed as having it in and from him-himselfe and that from him as from a Fountain it issues forth upon Angels and Men who are blessed in the participation of it which they receive from him Such as is the difference between the face of man which God made and his Picture drawn by an earthly skilfull hand though this be too distant to expresse it yet 't is the best we can light upon there the prime and true beauty is in the living face and the second the resemblance the counterfeit of it in his image so here the most excelling blessednesse is in the Deity it selfe and the next from him upon those creatures of his who were facti ad similitudinem ejus made after his likenesse and are his Image He is true Blessednesse in himselfe and to us but to us how no otherwise than as he is applied unto us and we conjoyn'd unto him which act of joyning us unto him and applying him unto us is that which is called Fruitio or Visio Dei when we perfectly enjoy him by our sight of him and see him as he is This is that act which is our formall blessednesse For God though he be blessednesse yet he is not formally in us but objectivè as the School speaks or effectivè That which makes us formally blessed is the sight of his glorious countenance that which makes us thus like to him is that we see him as he is His servants shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads Revel 22.3 4 5. Now can this be the portion of any living man to see his face this which was denied to Moses his so beloved Servant to whom he had said I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in my sight Exod. 33.12 grace in it but not the sight it selfe yet to him Thou canst not see my face no no man shall see me and live v. 20. if not see his face and live then not that true blessednesse which consists in that sight while we live There is a measure of seeing God in this life and so a measure of happiness but neither full we see God in his workes O come hither and behold the works of the Lord Psal 46.8 And These see the workes of the Lord Psal 107.24 And Behold the goodnesse and severity of God Rom. 11.22 This is with Moses to see the back parts of Jehovah Exod. 33.23 to behold him in his workes of Power and Justice and Goodnesse So then there is a cleer and open seeing of our Creator that true beatifical Vision which the blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven only enjoy and there is a weaker sight a more obscure glimpse of the Deity which only the servants of God have here by faith they and none else neither Heathen who are not called to the knowledge of God nor wicked men who resist the Grace of God calling them who do not open to him when he knocks nor yield obedience to the good motions of his Spirit these see him not at all They have eyes but see not Matth. 13.14 at most seeing they see but do not perceive the eye of their mind is so wholly darkned that it is and they are darknesse it selfe as S. Paul tels the Ephesians before they were called to the light of grace Eph. 5.8 Now if the eye of thy winde if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6.23 And can darknesse it selfe see so great a darknesse see God himselfe him whom eye hath not seen Isa 64.4 He is seen but by one of these two wayes cleerly by them in heaven and sub-obscurely by his on earth we have ground for them both in one verse of St. Pauls 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face just the same that I told you from 1 John 3.2 We shall see him as he is In a word we are blessed here onely in that we hope we shall be blessed hereafter and that hope of blessednesse is grounded upon the hope we have that we shall see God face to face Blessed are the pure in heart saies Christ Matth. 5.8 why they shall see God they are blessed because they shall be blessed This was the ground of Job's happinesse while he liv'd in regard whereto death and destruction could not hurt him Though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Job 19.26 This was it that made David blessed here and was such a preservative to him against fainting in the midst of all his troubles I should utterly have fainted but that I believe verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord where in the land of the living Psal 27.15 So that the blessednesse which we have here consists in the hope that we shall be blessed in Heaven Without salvation no perfect blessednesse that 's sure but we are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 and we are blessed only by hope whilst here we live neither is revealed yet the glory that shall be revealed so the Apostle cals it Rom. 8.8 for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for v. 24. I hope we may now conclude this point with that saying of the wise-man Ecclesiasticus 11.28 Judge no man blessed before his death for before blessed he shall be die he must sayes our Text Blessednesse is first in the order of the words but in the order of nature death and with that exhortation of the Prophet David which follows upon the confidence he had that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27. that for blessednesse sake we would not rush upon death as some Heathens being taught the immortality of the soul cast themselves and their souls away that they might be immortal but rather Tarry the Lords leisure be strong and he shall comfort thy heart and put
unto it labour we by being in Christ as born of God by living in Christ as abiding in him that at length we may also die in the Lord. If to die in the Lord were all perhaps to perswade that also will not need much â—â—â—â—ur there is no man but with halfe 〈◊〉 Exhortation will be easily induced to 〈◊〉 of the Prophet Baâ—â—am's minde concent to die the death of the righteous and that his last end might le like his Num. 23.10 but will they consider that to effect this they must first be as well content to live the life of the righteous and let their beginning and continuance be like his If we would die in the Lord at the last and so be blessed we must in the mean holily endeavour to live in the Lord by Faith and Repentance Acts 24.16 and a good conscience both before God and towards men If we spend the time of our life upon our own lusts if we now live unto our selves little hope we have to die in him Live we not then and live we too do we both as S. Paul counsels 2 Cor. 5.15 not â—enceforth to our selves but to him who died for us Be we in Christ and abide we in him only this way we shall surely diâ— in Christ and be blessed by him and with him Beatus qui vigilat Revel 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth To watch in holy Scripture is to live the life of fifth as on the other side sin is 〈…〉 the sleep of the soule Watch ye stan◠〈◊〉 in the faith 1 Cor. 16.13 and Awake thou that sleepest Epâ— 5.14 i.e. Rouze up thy selfe shake off the sleep of sin and lead the life of righteousnesse now this watch must continue till the Bridegroom comes this holinesse of life must hold out till Christ calls foâ—â—â—â—y dâ—ath we must watch till we shall never sleep we must be holy till we shall never sin we must do the one and be the other till we get up to Heaven Bratiquos cum venerit Luke 12.37 Blessed indeed are those servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching to have watcht before will be but a drowsie excuse if then we sleep in sin to have done many good things Mat. 7.22 even to the casting out of Divels will not avail us if we be not then found doing Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comineth shall finde doing as he hath lived to so shall he die in the Lord of a truth the Lord will make him Ruler over all that he hath Luke 12.44 What an incouragement is this Consolatio beloved to the servants of God against the fear of death that as Christ when he began to give his Law which contained many Precepts that seem'd strict and difficult for our ability to perform that he might draw us the more willingly to an obedience to them does severally prefix before them this blessednesse whereto at last they bring us Mat. 5. so because death had been made by fin so terrible to the Natural man therefore Christ who died to overcome death and to take away sin which is the sting of it as by this means he has made it easie and sweet to them that die in him so he would make it appear so also by this assurance of blessednesse upon it Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Be we not therefore afraid of Death which must be the means to convey us unto blisse Be we not loath when God shall call us to leave the miseries of this life this warfare upon earth for the crown in Heaven nay be we carefull by a life to him that we may die in the Lord and we shall finde that such a certain remedy against the fear of death that we shall rather with S. Pauls cheerfulnesse make choice of S. Phil. 1.23 Paul's Cupio dissolvi even desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ the Lord we shall not pitch our thoughts upon that false shadow of blessednesse which the few and evil dayes of this life can afford but look toward our Countrey our Home to that green Pasture Psa 23.2 and those waters of comfort whither the Shepheard of our Souls shall conduct those Sheep which belong unto his Fold we shall resolve to fight the good fight here 2 Tim. 4.7 and expect to triumph in peace there we shall set up our rest to sow in tears here Ps 126.5 and comfort our selves with the assured hope of reaping in joy there In a word we shall not look for true blisse in this wretched world which cannot give it but stay our time with patience all our time wait with joy all the dayes of our appointed time till our change commeth 14.14 not hasten to gather our Grapes in the Spring before they be ripe sour Grapes to edge our teeth here Eze. 18.2 Lu. 13.28 and give us gnashing of teeth in the other World but constantly bear the heat of the Summer here and stay for the sweetnesse of Autumn and the delight of the Vintage in Heaven where we may gather oâ— full Clusters full ripe and drink of the fruit of the Vine even new with our Christ in his Fathers Kingdome This grant good Christ unto us all that we may live in thee by a true faith and holy life and die in thee by our constancy in that faith which we have here possessed and inherit that blessednesse which thou hast promised even for thy Names-sake and for thy great Mercies-sake To thee c. A SERMON Preached at the BAPTISME of the Right Honorable JAMES EARLE of Northampton Matth. 19.14 Suffer little Children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven THe whole History of this business is not long to be read unto you that you may better conceive the occasion of these words 'T is recorded by three of the Evangelists so worthy a passage it was thought by them not to be omitted but in fewest words by S. Matthew he concludes it in three short verses almost as short as sweet please you hear it Vers 13. Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them and pray and the Disciples rebuked them Vers 14. But Jesus said Suffer little Children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven Vers 15. And he laid his hands on them In which short History there are three several parts acted The first by them who brought the children the Parents in all probability Christ had now for the space of three years travelled about that Countrey of Palestine helping and healing he went about saies S. Peter doing good and healing all Acts 10.38 For this the people magnified him and followed him but the Priests and the Pharisees they especially of Jerusalem were mad with anger and indignation to see a stranger so go in strength of Authority and Repute amongst
Helper of the friendlesse as the Prophet stiles him Psal 10.16 he will also be a Father even of the fatherless Ps 68.5 and take speciall order for the Childrens comming a command in particular for them Suffer little children to come unto me 'T is worth the while to consider how fully Christ does expresse his love to children upon any occasion once besides this time we read in the Gospel that he had to do with a childe that childe whom he propounded to his Disciples imitation Mark 9. and both him at that time and these at this time he took up in his arms Vers 36. that we may believe they were dear to him And indeed very easily may we be induced to believe it when we consider the nature of God and the condition of Children God is a God of pity and compassion as he stiles himselfe nay as he proclaims himselfe so well he is pleased with it Deus Deus misericors clemens The Lord The Lord God mercifull and gracious Exod. 34.6 And no so fit an object of pity nothing so like to move compassion as the very fight of tender children Jacob knew this well enough when he was to meet his enraged Brother Esau of whom he was greatly afraid saies the Text Gen. 32.7 for indeed the rage of a Brother is rage indeed as Tacitus has noted Quae apud concordes vincula charitatis incitamenta irarum apud infensos sunt Annal. 1 That which binds men together in love whilst they are at concord puts them farther at variance being once enemies when he was to meet the wrath of this Brother so incensed against him and therefore bethought himselfe of the best means to appease him sending Present after Present great and rich ones to win upon his favour before he durst come near him All this notwithstanding when he drew near him when Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked and beheld Esau come and his Army with him four hundred men he mistrusted the strength of all his presents he doubts he is not reconciled enough he is driven to his utmost shift for the effecting it to that which surely will if any thing can make his fury fall and his heart even melt within him he takes the children and divides them to their severall Mothers he puts the handmaids and their children formost and Leah and her children after and Rachel and her Joseph after this this prevailed against all his Brothers prae-conceived malice Esau ran to meet him and embraced him saies the Text and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept Gen. 33.4 May we not thinke Jacob learnt this way from the story of his Uncle Ishmael who when he was a childe being in distresse with his Mother Hagar in the Wildernesse so near death that the Mother left him as not able to endure to see the death of the childe but went a good way off and wept and cried lift up her voice and wept yet that place tels us not that God heard her loud cry but that he was moved to compassion with the voice of the childe which yet was so soft a cry that we hear nothing of it in the story Hagar cried aloud but God heard the voice of the Lad and for his sake sent her comfort Genes 21.17 We cannot easily conceive it the compassionate love which God bears to little children he loves the very name of them and gives it to them he loves most and that then when he most desires to make them know he loves them what name did Christ call his beloved Disciples by when he was now shortly to leave them and was newly entered the lists of his conflict with death when Judas had taken the Sop and Satan was entered into him and had set him on working not the works of God but of his Father the Divel that he went out immediately when the plot was now laying that must anon take effect upon his life John 13.33 Then then Filioli little little children filii will not serve to speak the extent of his affection all children are beloved of their Parents but filioli their little their darling children are tenderly doted on he takes any occasion to do them reputation among men Their Angels Matt. 18.10 Though the Angels that guard all men do continually behold the face of God yet Angeli corum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of excellence 't is publisht of them that their Angels nor is it publisht by the voice of any Prophet or Apostle but Audivi vocem de coelo by a voice from Heaven and thence too 't is not the voice either of Saint of God or of Angel of childe but of Christ himself to shew his love to them his pusille his little ones he would have none be their Herauld but himselfe himselfe in person Non alienae vocis ergano sed oraculo suae from none other but from his own mouth as here to give the charge for their comming to him so in the chapter before for not despising one of them for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father who is in Heaven v. 10. Such was his liking to them that he would be made one of them and would be prophecied unto us under that title above all other Parvulus natus nobis Isa 9.6 Vnto us a childe is born And those happy Babes those Innocents that were his Coaetanes he honoured them with the first crown of martyrdome in his Church and for his sake through whose tender sides his own more precious life was aimed at And ever since and before did and does God take special care of children as those who being destitute of all help in themselves have most need of his insomuch that as truly as David did may all men living in a thankfull acknowledgement of his mercy sing it of themselves Thou art he that took me out of my Mothers womb thou wast my hope when I hanged yet upon my Mothers brest I have been left unto thee ever since I was born thou art my God even from my Mothers womb Ps 22.9 So great care argues as great love and so great love loves to enjoy the thing that 's loved that as wise Solomon brings in this wisdome of the Father the Son of God speaking of himself Pro. 8.31 Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum My delight is to be with the sons of men so will it not offend him to be spoken in his name Deliciae meae esse cum Filiolis hominum My delight is to be with the Children of men and therefore if not for their sakes yet for his sake Sinite Parvulos Suffer little Children to come unto him But Nolite prohibere is it enough once said if not you must hear it again for come they must if not with Sinite venire then with Nolite prohibere for now as if the former were not enough another is added to signifie though
that it is not laid to their charge to condemn them No no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 But yet the seeds of that concupiscence which does deprave our whole nature are not so done away but that we have still need to crucifie the Old man within us all the dayes of our life Mendaces sumus saies S. John 't is a bold lie to say we have no sin in us 1 John 1.8 Take heed of this Plea if we once plead it Vide Cassiani Collationem 22. c. 13. we shall set God on pleading too I will plead with thee saies God because thou sayest I have not sinned Jer. 2.35 Innocent we may be as Job was who maugre the Divels malice yet held fast his innocency Job 2.3 Such innocency we may attain to as David wash'd his hands in when he went up to the Altar of God Psal 26. we may and must strive to be like Zachary and Elizabeth his wife righteous before God i. e. without hypocrisie walking in the Commandments of God But that walking is an argument that we are not yet come to the mark I In all the Commandments and Ordinances of God without reproofe Luke 1.6 but how without reproofe S. Austin does interpret it to Innocentius sine querela non sine peccato not without sin but without grievance quarrel just complaint or exception to be made against them he does often distinguish betwixt peccatum and querela the one sin in general which no man is freed from for 't is an absolute Sentence and needeth no exposition Gal. 3.22 God hath concluded all under sin the other some great offence as David calleth it some malicious wickednesse some hainous notorious scandalous sin culpable in the eys of men and worthy of censure and crimination An Innocency we may and must aim at for the model and capacity of this life for the state of Passengers and Wayfaring men but to magnifie the arm of flesh and the nature of man more than reason admits as the Pelagians of our Time do and by a sophistical and deceitfull conclusion to seek to obscure the Truth and to over-reach the World in this point that because they finde in the Scripture often mention of the Innocency Justice Righteousnesse Perfection of the Children of God dissembling or not rightly weighing the drift of the place they should infer hereupon that a man may in this life attain to such a Saint-like Innocency as to be clear from all sin is a conceit which savours not of that Humility commended in these Children And therefore Humilitas if we mark it our Savour Christ where he expounds himself c. 18. insists more upon that other child-like quality and commends it unto us for the best way to Christ and to Heaven Humility Not whosoever shall be without sin as this little childe but Whosoever shall humble himselfe as this little Childe Vers 4. the same is greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven Now Humility may be and ought most to be in him who is subject to sin and 't is the want of it onely that puts that same Non sum sicut caeteri in the mouth of our Pharisee 'T was to the sinfull but humble Publican Luke 18. that Christ applies this very speech to in effect Matt. 18. not he that is without sin but he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted there in S. Luke exalted indeed for he shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven here in S. Matthew Of this in few words and I 'le tire your patience no longer Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Of such little ones of such humble ones see the Pattern first and the humility that is in them What childe though never so Nobly born though the Son of a Prince takes advantage from the greatnesse of his birth to lessen his Humility Who ever saw spark of pride in Swathing-clouts or the least shew of disdain for any usage though he were laid in a Crib in a Manger as the best Childe was The Heir of the House as long as he is a Childe S. Paul tels us differs nothing from a Servant though he be Lord of all Gal. 4.1 The Heir of the Kingdom took upon him the form of a Servant Phil. 2.7 I as he would come to us by the name of a Childe Ecce Parvulus natus so he propounds himself the Pattern of nothing so expresly as of this vertue Discite ex me Matth. 11. Learn of me what I am meek and lowly in heart v. 29. Learn of him that and then we may learn any thing all that this Book of his can teach us we shall be nourish'd and grow strong by the sweetnesse in it if we come to it as S. Peter bids us and as new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 We see the Pattern consider what need there is that we imitate it that as our children are so so Gods Children must be so We must know therefore that the way to Heaven is directly contrary to the way of this world that as Seneca bids his Wise man go against the Croud march the contrary way to the multitude so in things appertaining to salvation we must omnino diversa via incedere sayes one For they proceed in such a course as in the eyes of worldly men seems most unlikely here If any seems to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 Here He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Matth. 10.39 Here Whosoever will be great let him be your Minister and whosoever will be chief let him be your servant Matth. 20.26 Here he that became obedient to death even the death of the Crosse God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every Name Phil. 2.9 and even therefore saies S. Paul and here Whosoever shall humble himself as this little Childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.4 so truly said the Lord by the Prophet Isaias My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes 55.8 From this consideration the devoutest Fathers of the Church of Christ have trod this uncouth path and because it is so hard to light on have chalk'd it out to us S. Gregory Ep. 39. Humiliemur in mente si ad solidam conamur pervenire celsitudinem Let 's be lowly in minde if we think of rising to the true height S. Austin Serm. 10. De Verbis Domini Magnus esse vis à minimo incipe Wilt thou be great begin to be so at being little No safe erecting a stately structure for magnificence without first digging deep to lay the foundation in Humility that thou mayest be great in Gods eyes sayes he in another place Serm. 11. De Temp. be small in thine own eyes just so said Samuel to Saul When thou wast little in thine own